Jānis Pommers

Jānis Pommers

Jānis Pommers was the first Latvian Archbishop of the Latvian Orthodox Church,^[1] serving from 1921 to his assassination in 1934. He was also involved in politics, and was the leader of the Party of the Orthodox.^[2]

Biography

His great-grandfather had been a Latvian convert to Orthodoxy, which was hoped to help any fears Orthodoxy was too Russian in orientation. He proved significant to the Church and gained its recognition in 1926.^[3]

He was elected to the Saeima in the 1925 elections on the Party of the Orthodox list, and was re-elected in 1928 and 1931, serving as an MP from 1925 to 1934.^[4] This involved some controversy as the Left feared he was Monarchist while Russian monarchists feared he was a Latvian nationalist.^[5]

The Latvian Orthodox Church's Order of the Saint Martyr Archbishop of Riga and Latvia John (Janis Pommers) is named for him.^[6]

References

1. Erwin Fahlbusch; Geoffrey William Bromiley (2003). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-8028-2415-8.
2. Vincent E McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, pp459–460 ISBN 0-313-23804-9
3. John Anthony McGuckin (15 December 2010). The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, 2 Volume Set. John Wiley & Sons. p. 367. ISBN 978-1-4443-9254-8.
4. Lucian Leustean; Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations Lucian Leustean (21 January 2010). Eastern Christianity and the Cold War, 1945-91. Routledge. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-135-23382-2.
5. Orthodoxy and politics in Latvia
6. Latvian President site