Moscow, Jan, 10, The latest persecution of the Russian Orthodox church in the Soviet Union was reported at length in the "Gorkowskaja Kommuna" which states that in addition to the Metropolitan of Nishni-Nowgorod, Teofan Tuljakow, seven other high church dignitaries have been arrested by the Ogpu, These include the archbishop of Pitirim, Krylow; Bishop Lebedejew; Metropolitan: Witalij, the supreme head of the so-called "Living Church," ie. the new movement in the Russian Orthodox Church; Bishop Korobow of Wetluga, Bishop Maslowski of Rjasan, Bishop Purlekski of Sergatsch and Metropolitan Wisharion Sorin in Moscow. All are accused of sabotage, espionage and terrorist acts, which by Soviet law are punishable with immediate execution.
The same fate seems to have been met by the head of the United Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow. The total number of bishops arrested since Novem-Moscow in the last few days.—Trans-
Ocean,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.