Fr. Boris Bobrinskoy, professor emeritus of dogmatics and former dean of the Institute of Orthodox Theology St-Serge in Paris, died on August 6, 2020, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, at the age of 95, at his residence at the Orthodox Monastery of Bussy-en-Othe in France. Our condolences go to his wife Helene and his large family. The Faculty will keep an honourable memory of him.

P. Boris was born in Paris on February 12/25, 1925, a child of Russian parents who had emigrated to France after the revolution of 1917. After the death of his mother, when he was 10 years old, he was sent to boarding schools of the Jesuits of the Byzantine rite in Namur (Belgium) and Paris. Afterwards he studied theology at the Institute for Orthodox Theology St. Serge in Paris and received his diploma in 1949 with a thesis on "Le Mystère du chrême chez les pères orientaux du 4e siècle". From 1949 to 1951 he continued his studies at the Theological Faculty of Athens and researched manuscripts of St. Gregory Palamas. From 1951 he took over the task of supervising studies at the St-Serge Institute. In 1954 he was appointed professor of dogmatics. In 1957 he married Helena Jurevna Disterlo; the family has three children and meanwhile numerous grandchildren. In 1959 Boris Bobrinskoy was ordained deacon and priest. From 1965 to 1967 he studied at the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Neuchâtel. From 1967 he was a priest for the French-speaking parish of the Holy Trinity in the crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris. In 1968 he received his doctorate from the St-Serge Institute with a thesis on "Le repos de l'Esprit dans le Christ". From 1993 until his retirement in 2010 he was Dean of the Institut St. Serge. He received honorary doctorates from the Faculty of Theology in Fribourg Switzerland (2000), the Faculty of Theology in Cluj-Napoca Romania (2002) and the Orthodox Theological Seminary of St. Vladimir in New York. He was involved in ecumenical dialogue, for example as a member of the commission "Faith and Order" of the World Council of Churches. In addition to his extensive theological publications, at the end of his term as dean he published a volume on the history of the Institute of St. Serge: St. Sergii in Paris. The History of the Institute St. Serge for Orthodox Theology in Paris [in Russian, St. Petersburg 2010]. After his retirement he moved with his family to Bussy-en-Othe, where he continued to work as a priest in the monastery "Mother of God of all Protection".

Documentation:

• Portrait of Fr. Boris Bobrinskoy
• Interview with the Journal "Unité des chrétiens"
• Laudatio at the occasion of the bestowal of the honorary doctorat at the University of Fribourg (Latin - Russian - French - German)
• Conference at the occasion of the doctorate honoris causa
• Bibliography (1951-2007)
• Interview with the Catholic press agency KIPA/APIC at the occasion of the doctorat honoris causa
• Documentation by Peter Anderson (see NEWS 2020, 11 August)