His family came from Bircha (Bircza) in Galicia. He was educated at the Lviv Dormition Brotherhood School and abroad. He worked as a teacher and rector at the Lviv Dormition Brotherhood School (1604–5) and was the first rector of the Kyiv Epiphany Brotherhood School (1615–18). In 1619, he became hegumen of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery of Kyiv.
In August 1620 the patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophanes III, ordained Boretsky metropolitan of Kyiv, Halychyna, and All-Rus'. Boretsky had a strong influence on the Cossacks under Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny's hetmancy. As, metropolitan Boretsky composed a petition in defense of the Orthodox hierarchy entitled Protestacja (1621). Along with the Greek-CatholicMetropolitan bishop of KyivJosyf Veliamyn Rutsky, he favoured a general reconciliation within the Ukrainian church, but failed to gain the support of the Cossacks for his plans. A prolific translator, Boretsky also wrote poems honouring saints, petitions, prefaces, and edicts. "Perestoroha" is attributed to him. He was the co-author of "Apolleia Apolohii" (A Refutation of 'A Defense,' 1628) and the translator of "Antolohion" from the Greek (1619).
Notes
^The title is also known as the Metropolis of Kiev, Halych and all Rus' or Metropolis of Kyiv, Halychyna, and All-Rus'. The name "Galicia" is a Latinized form of Halych, one of several regional principalities of the medieval state of Kievan Rus'.