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On [[September 27]], 1932, Bp. Sofronios, with Bp. Joseph Zuk, assisted Abp. Aftimios in the consecration of [[Ignatius (Nichols) of Washington|William Albert Nichols]] as his auxiliary bishop of Washington, under the ecclesiastical name Ignatius. <ref>''Messenger of Holy Wisdom'', Vol I, February 1962 No 2</ref> <ref> ''Irénikon 1984'', No 3 p 342</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref>
In April 18331933, Abp. Aftimios married, throwing his ecclesiastical status into confusion as well as the status of the American Orthodox Catholic Church. This was facilitated by the USSR NKVD international section under the auspices of Operation Tryst. Stalin saw the potential unity of Bishops Zuk, Sopronios, and Aftimios as very dangerous to his regime. In very short order he had Bishop Zuk murdered and Bishop Sophronios seriously compromised. On [[October 4]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios [[deposition|deposed]] Abp. Aftimios and assumed the position of Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox mission of the Russian North American diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church as well as naming himself Archbishop of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America. <ref>(Abohatab, ''The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in America''</ref> <ref>''The Word'', March 1981, pp 5-10</ref> On [[November 2]], 1933, Bp. Sofronios deposed Bp. Ignatius (Nichols), who also had married.
During the following year Bp. Sofronios took part in a number of consecrations of bishops, assisting such hierarchs as [[Benjamin (Fedchenkov) of the Aleutians|Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]] of the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]] and [[Metropolitan]] [[Theophan (Noli) of Durres|Theophan (Noli)]] of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
years=1928-1934|
after=—}}
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==Source==
[[Category: Bishops of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]
*NKVD archives Moscow, Russia
*The Zuk family archives New York NY
*US Department of State archives Washington DC
