Blessed Constantine, Metropolitan of Kiev

Life

In the days of that blessed Prince Igor, when there was great strife and confusion among the Russian princes, there were also disorders and frequent changes on the hierarchical thrones in the Church. Thus after the death of Metropolitan Michael of Kiev, Prince Iziaslav brought as metropolitan a certain learned monk Klim, without seeking the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople, contrary to the ancient custom. Then the patriarch sent this Constantine as metropolitan to investigate the matter. Constantine deposed Klim and removed from the Church all those clerics whom Klim had ordained. Because of this the people were divided: some held to Klim and others to Constantine. Then, at the wish of the Russian princes, the patriarch sent a third, a certain Theodore, and both Klim and Constantine were removed. When Constantine died in the year 1159, they opened his testament, in which he adjured them not to bury him but to cast him into a field for the dogs to eat, since he considered himself the cause of the disturbance in the Church. Not daring to disregard the testament, yet with great horror, the people took the body of the metropolitan and cast it into a field, where it lay for three days. For three days there was terrible thunder over Kiev, lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and the earth trembled. Eight people were killed by lightning. Over the dead body of Constantine three pillars of flame appeared. Seeing all this, the prince of Kiev ordered the body taken up and honorably buried in the church where the tomb of Igor also was. And immediately afterward calm came upon nature. Thus God vindicated His humble servant.