Dionysius Waledyński

[2] On 13 March 1923 Ecumenical Patriarch Meletius IV of Constantinople confirmed Dionysius as the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Volhynia and All Poland and the Sacred Archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra.

[4] In response to Metropolitan Dionysius’ request to Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow to bless the independent existence of the Orthodox Church in the Polish state, the Patriarch refused to do this, expressing disagreement with this act and stating, in particular, that only the Local Council of the All-Russian Orthodox Church had the right to make such a decision.

[2] On 13 November 1924 the Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory VII of Constantinople signed the Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos granting autocephaly to the Polish Orthodox Church, and on September 17, 1925, an official ceremony of its proclamation took place in the Warsaw Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene.

[2] In 1927, Metropolitan Dionysius received the title “His Beatitude” from the Ecumenical Patriarch Basil III of Constantinople.

[2] With start of the World War II, in 1939 Metropolitan Dionysius called the Eastern Orthodox citizens of Poland to fight invaders, for which he was placed under a "house arrest"[2] by Gestapo.

[2] On 23 September 1940, Metropolitan Dionisius signed a loyalty declaration for the General Governor of Poland Hans Frank and was released from his arrest.