Penza, 1 August 2012. PenzaNews. The Bishop of Penza and Kuznetsk Benjamin was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan during the Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky convent, led by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, on Wednesday, August 1. As reported the press service of Penza Eparchy, besides Benjamin, the rank of metropolitan was granted to four more bishops: the Archbishop of Simbirsk and Novospassk Prokl, the Archbishop of Kursk and Rylsk German, the Archbishop of Chelyabinsk and Zlatoust Feofan and Bishop of Kemerovo and Prokopyevsk Aristarkh.

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As previously reported, at a regular meeting held on July 26, 2012 the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to establish two new eparchies in the Penza region, which are combined with the existing into a metropolis. Bishop Benjamin was appointed its head.