https://orthodoxwiki.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Frjohnwhiteford&feedformat=atomOrthodoxWiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-19T04:23:49ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Sigillion_of_1583&diff=130330Sigillion of 15832022-11-05T16:27:15Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: This text is a forgery.</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''[[Sigillion]] of 1583''' is a notorious forgery composed by a Father Iakovos of New Skete on Mount Athos in 1858 [https://www.hsir.org/pdfs/2011/07/04/20110704aSigillion/20110704aSigillion.pdf], which purports to have been issued against the Calendar of Pope Gregory XIII of Rome ([[Roman Catholic Church]]) by a council convened in Constantinople. <br />
<br />
==Text==<br />
To all the genuine Christian children of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ of the East residing in Trigovysti and throughout the world, be grace and peace and mercy from God Almighty.<br />
<br />
No small turbulence overtook that ancient Ark, when, violently beset by billows, it floated upon the surface of the waters, and had not the Lord God remembered Noah and seen fit to still the water, there would have been no hope for it at all. Thus also in regard to the New Ark of our Church, against which misbelievers have launched an implacable war upon us, by means of these presents we have decided to leave a note that you may have in what is herein written the means of upholding and defending your Orthodoxy against such enemies more safely and surely. <br />
<br />
But, lest the composition as a whole be weary to the simpler folks, we have decided to embody the matter in common language, wording it as follows: In Common Language From old Rome have come certain persons who learned there to wear Latin habits. The worst of it is how, from being Romans of Rumelia bred and born, they not only have changed their faith, but they even wage war upon the Orthodox dogmas and truths of the Eastern Church which have been delivered to us by Christ and the divine Apostles and the Holy Councils of the Holy Fathers. <br />
<br />
Therefore, cutting off these persons as rotten members, we command:<br />
<br />
1) That whoever does not confess with heart and mouth that he is a child of the Eastern Church [[baptism|baptized]] in Orthodox style, and that the [[Holy Spirit]] proceeds out of only the Father, essentially and hypostatically, as Christ says in the [[Gospel]], shall be outside of our Church and shall be anathematized.<br />
<br />
2) That whoever does not confess that at the Mystery of the Holy Communion the [[laity]] must also partake of both kinds, of the Precious Body and Blood, but instead says that he will partake only of the body, and that that is sufficient because therein is both flesh and blood, when as a matter of fact Christ died and administered each separately, and they who fail to keep such customs, let all such persons be anathematized.<br />
<br />
3) That whoever says that our Lord [[Jesus Christ]] at the Mystic Supper had unleavened bread (made without yeast), like that of the Jews, and not leavened bread, that is to say, bread raised with yeast, let him depart far away from us and let him be anathema as one having Jewish views and those of Apollinarios and bringing dogmas of the Armenians into the Church, on which account let him be doubly [[anathema]].<br />
<br />
4) Whoever says that our Christ and God, when he comes to judge us, does not come to judge souls together with bodies, or embodied souls, but instead comes to sentence only bodies, let him be anathema.<br />
<br />
5) Whoever says that the souls of Christians who repented while in the world but failed to perform their [[penance]] go to a purgatory of fire when they die, where there is flame and punishment, and are purified, which is simply an ancient Greek myth, and those who, like [[Origen]], think that [[hell]] is not everlasting, and thereby afford or offer the liberty or incentive to sin, let him and all such persons be anathema.<br />
<br />
6) That whoever says that the Pope is the head of the Church, and not Christ, and that he has authority to admit persons to Paradise with his letters of indulgence or other passports, and can forgive sins as many as a person may commit if such person pay money to receive from him indulgences, i.e. licences to sin, let every such person be anathema. <br />
<br />
7) That whoever does not follow the customs of the Church as the Seven Holy [[Ecumenical Council]]s decreed, and Holy [[Pascha]], and the '''Menologion''' with which they did well in making it a law that we should follow it, and wishes to follow the newly-invented Paschalion and the New Menologion of the atheist astronomers of the Pope, and opposes all those things and wishes to overthrow and destroy the dogmas and customs of the Church which have been handed down by our fathers, let him suffer anathema and be put out of the Church of Christ and out of the [[Congregation]] of the Faithful. <br />
<br />
8) That ye pious and Orthodox Christians remain faithful in what ye have been taught and have been born and brought up in, and when the time calls for it and there be need, that your very blood be shed in order to safeguard the Faith handed down by our Fathers and your confession: and that ye beware of such persons as have been described or referred to in the foregoing paragraphs, in order that our Lord Jesus Christ may help you and at the same time may the prayer of our mediocrity be with all of you: amen. <br />
<br />
Done in the year of the God-man 1583 (MDLXXXIII), year of indiction 12, November 20 [O.S.] <br />
<br />
*Jeremiah of Constantinople<br />
*Silvester of Alexandria<br />
*Sophronius of Jerusalem<br />
<br />
In the presence of the rest of the prelates at the Council.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Sigillion of 1756]]<br />
*[https://www.hsir.org/pdfs/2011/07/04/20110704aSigillion/20110704aSigillion.pdf The "Sigillion" of 1583 Against "the Calendar Innovation of the Latins": Myth of Reality?]<br />
<br />
==Source==<br />
* [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/prot_rc_heresy.aspx The Orthodox Christian Information Center]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Texts]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Nikon_(Rklitski)_of_Florida&diff=130256Nikon (Rklitski) of Florida2022-09-07T15:10:18Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Correct year of birth and date of death based on information from Bishop Jerome Shaw</p>
<hr />
<div>His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Nikon (Rklitski) of Florida''' was a [[archbishop]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]] and secretary to the [[Holy Synod]]. <br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
Born Nicholas P. Rklitski in 1892 into a family of [[priest]]s, Nicholas attended the parochial schools in Chernigov, Russia, while he helped his priest father with the administration of his [[parish]]. He went on to attended the [[seminary]] in Chernigov before entering Warsaw University in 1910. From Warsaw, he continued his education at Kiev University where he studied law. Nicholas passed his examinations in 1915.<br />
<br />
After graduating, Nicholas volunteered to serve in the Russian military forces. After the Bolshevik takeover of the government of Russia and the start of Civil War in Russia he joined the White Army. During this period he met Metropolitan [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Kharpovitsky)]] in 1918. After the defeat of the White forces, he emigrated to southern Europe where he again met with and joined Metr. Anthony. From 1922 to 1936, Nicholas worked closely with Metr. Anthony.<br />
<br />
After the repose of Metr. Anthony in 1936, Nicholas began to study theology in Belgrade, Yugoslavia with the intention of becoming a [[missionary]]. At this time he also made a decision to undertake a [[monasticism|monastic]] life. In 1941, he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] with the name Nikon and then was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] and then a [[priest]]. As a priest, Fr. Nikon became the [[rector]] of Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade.<br />
<br />
In 1944, when the advance of the Soviet forces against the Germans began to threaten Yugoslavia, Fr. Nikon joined with the [[Holy Synod]] in a retreat, first to Karlsbad and then on to Munich. While in Karlsbad, he joined with the brotherhood of the Monastery of St. Job of Pochaev from Ladomirovo. After joining them, Fr. Nikon was elevated to [[Igumen]].<br />
<br />
He and the Synod then evacuated to Switzerland. While in Switzerland he was appointed secretary to the Holy Synod. In 1946, Igumen Nikon was elevated to [[archimandrite]] and moved to [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]] in Jordanville, New York and was appointed secretary to Archbishop [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]]. <br />
<br />
In 1948, Archim. Nikon was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop of Florida and [[vicar]] Bishop of Eastern America. In 1959, he was elevated to [[archbishop]]. In 1967, Bp. Nikon was appointed Archbishop of Washington and Florida and made a member of the Holy Synod. Abp. Nikon reposed on [[September 4]], 1976.<br />
<br />
{{start box}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=&mdash;|<br />
title=Bishop of Florida|<br />
years= 1948-1967|<br />
after=&mdash;}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=&mdash;|<br />
title=Archbishop of Washington and Florida|<br />
years=1967-1976|<br />
after=[[Gregory (Grabbe) of Washington and Florida|Gregory (Grabbe)]]}}<br />
{{end box}} <br />
<br />
==Source==<br />
*[http://www.rocorstudies.org/index.php?part=articles&aid=11222 ROCOR Studies] <br />
<br />
[[Category: Bishops]]<br />
[[Category: Bishops of Washington]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=List_of_bishops_of_the_Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia&diff=130191List of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia2022-06-18T03:14:11Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Updated info</p>
<hr />
<div>List of the [[Metropolitan]] bishops, [[archbishop]]s, and [[bishop]]s of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] since 1920.<br />
<br />
==Dead==<br />
===First Hierarchs===<br />
* [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Khrapovitsky)]], Metropolitan of Kiev & Galicia (28 July/10 August 1936)<br />
* [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Anastasiy (Gribanovsky)]], Metropolitan of Chişinău & Khotin (8/21 May 1965)<br />
* [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret (Voznesensky)]], Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York (8/21 November 1985)<br />
* [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly (Ustinov)]], ret. Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York (25 September 2006)<br />
* [[Laurus (Škurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]], Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York (16 March 2008)<br />
* [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America, Archbishop of Sydney, [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Australia and New Zealand]] (16 May 2022)<br />
<br />
===Metropolitans===<br />
* [[Methodius (Gerasimov) of Harbin|Methodius (Gerasimov)]], Metropolitan of Harbin and Manchuria (15/28 March 1931)<br />
* [[Innocent (Figurovsky) of Beijing|Innocent (Figurovsky)]], Metropolitan of Peking & China (15/28 June 1931)<br />
* [[Seraphim (Lade) of Berlin|Seraphim (Lade)]] , Metropolitan of Berlin & Germany (1/14 September 1950)<br />
* [[Panteleimon (Rozhnovsky)]], ret. Metropolitan of Minsk & Byelorussia (17/30 December 1950)<br />
* [[Augustine (Peterson)]], ret. Metropolitan of Riga and Latvia (4 october 1955)<br />
<br />
===Archbishops===<br />
* [[Simon (Vinogradov) of Beijing|Simon (Vinogradov)]], Archbishop of Peking & China (11/24 February 1933)<br />
* [[Gabriel (Chepur)]], Archbishop of Chelyabinsk & Troitsk (1/14 March 1933)<br />
* [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], Archbishop of North America (6/19 June 1933)<br />
* [[Sergius (Petrov)]], ret. Archbishop of Chernomorsk & Novorossisk (11/24 January 1935)<br />
* [[Damian (Govorov)]], ret. Archbishop of Tsarytsin (6/19 April 1936)<br />
* [[Theophanes (Bystrov)]], ret. Archbishop of Poltava and Pereyaslavl (6/19 February 1940)<br />
* [[Theophanes (Gavrilov)]], ret. Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan (1943)<br />
* [[Tikhon (Liashenko)]], ret. Archbishop of Berlin & Germany (11/24 February 1945)<br />
* [[Arseny (Chagovtsov) of Winnipeg|Arseny (Chagovets)]], ret. Archbishop of Winnipeg (4 October 1945)<br />
* [[Benedict (Bobkovsky)]], Archbishop of Berlin & Germany (21 August/3 September 1950 or 1951)<br />
* [[Theodore (Rafalsky) of Sydney|Theodore (Rafalsky)]], Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand (23 April/6 May 1955)<br />
* [[Joasaph (Skorodumov) of Canada and Argentina|Joasaph (Skorodumov)]], Archbishop of Argentina & Paraguay (13/26 November 1955)<br />
* [[Jeronim (Chernov) of Detroit|Jeronim (Chernov)]], Archbishop of Detroit & Flint (1/14 May 1957)<br />
* [[Gregory (Borishkevitch) of Chicago | Gregory (Borishkevitch)]], Archbishop of Chicago, Detroit & the Midwest (13/26 October 1957)<br />
* [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]], Archbishop of Eastern America & Jersey City (8/21 March 1960)<br />
* [[Tikhon (Troitsky) of San Francisco|Tikhon (Troitsky)]], Archbishop of Western America & San Francisco (17/30 March 1963)<br />
* [[Stephen (Sevbo)]], Archbishop of Vienna & Austria (12/25 January 1965)<br />
* [[John (Maximovitch) the Wonderworker|John (Maximovitch)]], Archbishop of Western America & San Francisco (19 June/2 July 1966)<br />
* [[Theodosius (Samoilovich)]], Archbishop of Sao Paolo & Brazil (13/29 February 1968)<br />
* [[Leontius (Filippovich)]], Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chile & Paraguay (19 June/2 July 1971)<br />
* [[Alexander (Lovchy) of Berlin|Alexander (Lovchy)]], Archbishop of Berlin & Germany (29 August/11 September 1973)<br />
* [[Amvrossy (Merejko) of Pittsburgh|Ambrose (Merejko)]], ret. Archbishop of Pittsburgh & West Pennsylvania (26 November/9 December 1975)<br />
* [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]], Archbishop of Syracuse & Trinity (31 March/13 April 1976)<br />
* [[Sava (Rayevsky) of Sydney|Sava (Rayevsky)]], Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand (4/17 April 1976)<br />
* [[Nikon (Rklitski) of Florida|Nikon (Rklitski)]], Archbishop of Washington & Florida (22 August/4 September 1976)<br />
* [[Nicodemus (Nagayev)]], Archbishop of Richmond & Great Britain (4/17 October 1976)<br />
* [[Andrew (Rymarenko)]], Archbishop of Rockland (29 June/12 July 1978)<br />
* [[Theodosius (Putilin) of Sydney|Theodosius (Putilin)]], Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand (31 July/13 August 1980)<br />
* [[Athanasy (Martos) of Buenos Aires|Athanasy (Martos)]], Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina & Paraguay (21 October/3 November 1983)<br />
* [[Philotheus (Narko) of Berlin|Philotheus (Narko)]], Archbishop of Berlin & Germany (11/24 September 1986)<br />
* [[Nathaniel (Lvov)]], Archbishop of Vienna & Austria (27 October/8 November 1986)<br />
* [[Seraphim (Ivanov) of Chicago|Seraphim (Ivanov)]], Archbishop of Chicago, Detroit & the Midwest (12/25 July 1987)<br />
* [[Anthony (Bartoshevich)]], Archbishop of Geneva & Western Europe (25 August/7 September 1993)<br />
* [[Paul (Pavlov)]], ret. Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand (2/15 February 1995)<br />
* [[Anthony (Sinkevich)]], Archbishop of Los Angeles & Southern California (18/31 July 1996)<br />
* [[Seraphim (Szezhevsky)]], ret. Archbishop of Caracas & Venezuela (31 August/13 September 1996)<br />
* [[Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco|Anthony (Medvedev)]], Archbishop of West America and San-Francisco (23 September 2000)<br />
* [[Seraphim (Dulgov)]], ret. Archbishop of Brussels and Western Europe (24 November 2003)<br />
<br />
===Bishops===<br />
* [[Michael (Bogdanov)]], Bishop of Cheboksary (9/22 July 1925)<br />
* [[Michael (Kosmodemyansky)]], Bishop of Alexandrovsk (9/22 September 1925)<br />
* [[Jonah of Manchuria|Jonah (Pokrovsky)]], Bishop of Hankou (7/20 October 1925)<br />
* [[Elias (Gevargizov)]], Bishop of Salma & Urmia (December 1928)<br />
* [[Nicholas (Karpov)]], Bishop of London (12/25 October 1932)<br />
* [[Anthony (Dashkevich)]], ret. Bishop of Alaska & the Aleutians (15 March 1934)<br />
* [[Gorazd (Pavlik) of Prague|Gorazd (Pavlík)]], Bishop of Czech (4 September 1942)<br />
* [[Basil (Pavlovsky)]], Bishop of Vienna & Austria (10/23 October 1945)<br />
* [[Eulogius (Markovsky)]], Bishop of Caracas & Venezuela (1951)<br />
* [[Leontius (Bartoshevich)]], Bishop of Geneva (6/19 August 1956)<br />
* [[John (Shleman) of Urmia|John (Shleman)]], ret. Bishop of Salma & Urmia (1962)<br />
* [[Agapetus (Kryzhanovsky)]], ret. Bishop of Goiana (27 August/9 September 1966)<br />
* [[Sabbas (Saračević)]], ret. Bishop of Edmonton (17/30 January 1973)<br />
* [[Nectarius (Kontsevich)]], Bishop of Seattle (4/26 January 1983)<br />
* [[Nicander (Paderin)]], Bishop of Sao Paolo & Brazil (2/19 December 1987)<br />
* [[Innocent (Petrov)]], Bishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina & Paraguay (10/23 December 1987)<br />
* [[John (Legky)]], Bishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina & Paraguay (20 February/5 March 1995)<br />
* [[Gregory (Grabbe) of Washington and Florida|Gregory (Grabbe)]], ret. Bishop of Washington & Florida (24 September /7 October 1995)<br />
* [[Constantine (Essensky) of Richmond|Constantine (Essensky)]], ret. Bishop of Boston (18/31 May 1996)<br />
* [[Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky) of Boston | Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky)]], Bishop of Boston (15 February 2002)<br />
* [[Alexander (Mileant) of Buenos Aires|Alexander (Mileant)]], Bishop of Buenos Aires and South America (18 September 2005)<br />
* [[Ambrose (Cantacuzène) of Geneva|Ambrose (Cantacuzène)]], ret. Bishop of Geneva and Western Europe (22 July 2009)<br />
* [[Daniel (Alexandrow) of Erie|Daniel (Alexandrov)]], Bishop of Erie (26 April 2010)<br />
<br />
===former bishops===<br />
* [[Mitrophan (Abramov)]], went [[Church of Serbia|Serbian Patriarchate]] in 1922<br />
* [[Benjamin (Fedchenkov) of the Aleutians|Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1931<br />
* [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], went [[Metropolia|Northern-American metropolis]] in 1924<br />
* [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Eulogius (Georgievsky)]], went Western-European Metropolis in 1926<br />
* [[Vladimir (Tikhonitsky)]], went Western-European Metropolis in 1926<br />
* [[Sergius (Korolyov)]], went Western-European Metropolis in 1926<br />
* [[Hermogenes (Maximov)]], went schism in 1942<br />
* [[Meletius (Zaborosky) of Harbin and Manchuria|Meletius (Zaborovsky)]], went [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] in 1945<br />
* [[Victor (Svyatin) of Krasnodar and Kuban|Victor (Svyatin)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Nestor (Anisimov) of Kamchatka|Nestor (Anisimov)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Juvenaly (Kilin) of Qiqihar|Juvenaly (Kilin)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Demetrius (Voznesensky)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Alexis (Panteleyev)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Seraphim (Loukianov)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Seraphim (Sobolev)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1945<br />
* [[Philip (Gardner)]], Bishop of Potsdam. Defrocked in 1945.<br />
* [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1946<br />
* [[Paul (Meletiev)]], went [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic church]] in 1946<br />
* [[Dimitry (Magan) of Boston |Dimitry (Magan)]], went Northern-American metropolis in 1946<br />
* [[John (Ziobin) of Alaska|John (Zlobin)]], Bishop of Sitka & Alaska, went Northern-American metropolis in 1946<br />
* [[Panteleimon (Rudyk)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 1959<br />
* [[James (Toombs) of Manhattan|James (Toombs)]], Bishop of of Manhattan, went [[schism]] in 1959<br />
* [[Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) of Saint-Denis|John-Nectaire (Kovalevsky)]], went schism in 1966<br />
* [[Jakob (Akkersdijk) of The Hague|Jakob (Akkersdijk)]], Bishop of Hague, went Moscow Patriarchate in 1972<br />
* [[Theophilus (Ionescu) of Sèvres|Theophilus (Ionescu)]], Bishop of Sèvres, went [[Church of Romania|Romanian Patriarchate]]<br />
* [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]], went [[OCA]] in 1976<br />
* [[Valentine (Rusantsov)]], went schism in 1994<br />
* [[Lazarus (Zhurbenko)]], went schism in 2001<br />
<br />
== Living ==<br />
* [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion (Kapral)]], First Hierarch, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York<br />
<br />
===Archbishops===<br />
* [[Alypy (Gramanovich) of Chicago|Alypy (Gamanovich)]], Archbishop of Chicago and Mid-America<br />
* [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]], Archbishop of Berlin, Germany and of Great Britain<br />
* [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)]], Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America<br />
* [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]], Archbishop of Montreal and Canada<br />
* [[Michael (Donskoff)]], Archbishop of Geneva and Western Europe<br />
<br />
===Bishops===<br />
* [[Varnava (Prokofiev) of Cannes|Barnabas (Prokofiev)]], ret. Bishop of Cannes<br />
* [[Agapit (Goratchek)]], Bishop of Stuttgart<br />
* [[Peter (Loukianoff)]], Bishop of Cleveland<br />
* [[John (Bērziņš)]], Bishop of Caracas and South America<br />
* [[Jerome (Shaw)]], Bishop of Manhattan<br />
* [[George (Schaefer)]], Bishop of Mayfield<br />
* [[Theodosius (Ivashchenko)]], Bishop of Seattle<br />
<br />
===former bishops===<br />
* [[Benjamin (Rusalenko)]], went schism in 2001<br />
* [[Eutychus (Kurochkin) of Domodedovo|Eutychus (Kurochkin)]], went Moscow Patriarchate in 2007<br />
* [[Agafangel (Pashkovsky) of Odessa|Agafangel (Pashkovsky)]], went schism in 2007<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodox-synod/message/961 Reposed Hierarchs of the ROCOR]<br />
* [http://krotov.info/spravki/persons/20person/karlovch.html Архиереи Русской Православной Церкви Заграницей] (russian)<br />
<br />
[[Category:Bishops]]<br />
[[Category:Church History]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia&diff=130190Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia2022-06-18T03:11:15Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Updating information</p>
<hr />
<div>{{diocese|<br />
name=Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia|<br />
jurisdiction=[[Church of Russia|Russia]] |<br />
type=Semi-autonomous|<br />
founded=1922|<br />
bishop=[[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]], First Hierarch|<br />
see=New York|<br />
hq=New York, New York|<br />
territory=United States, worldwide|<br />
language=[[Church Slavonic]], English, German|<br />
music=[[Russian Chant]]|<br />
calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|<br />
population=480,000<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1206001825245730.xml&coll=2 Cleveland Plain Dealer: Metropolitan Laurus, helped reunify Russian Orthodox Church], Thursday, March 20, 2008</ref>|<br />
website=[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm ROCOR]<br />
}}<br />
The '''Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia''' (also called the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', ''ROCA'', ''ROCOR'', ''the Karlovsty Synod'', or ''the Synod'') is a semi-[[autonomy|autonomous]] [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Moscow Patriarchate]] originally formed in response against the policy of Bolsheviks with respect to religion in the Soviet Union soon after the Russian Revolution. The ROCOR exists overlapping with previously existing [[diocese]]s of the Moscow Patriarchate throughout the [[diaspora]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Formation and early years===<br />
In 1920, the Soviet government had revealed that it was quite hostile to the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]. Saint [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]], Patriarch of Moscow, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' (decree) that all Russian Orthodox Christians abroad currently under the authority and protection of his Patriarchate organize and govern themselves independently of the Mother Church, until such time that the Patriarchate would again be free.<br />
<br />
Among most Russian [[bishop]]s and other hierarchs, this was interpreted as an authorization to form an emergency [[synod]] of all Russian Orthodox hierarchs to permit the Church to continue to function outside Russia and provide spiritual care for nearly three million Russian emigres. To add urgency to the synod's motives, in May of 1922, the Soviet government proclaimed its own "[[Living Church]]" as a "reform" of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]].<br />
<br />
On [[September 13]], 1922, Russian Orthodox hierarchs in Serbia gave their blessing to the establishment, in Serbia, of a Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, the foundation of ROCOR. In November of 1922, Russian Orthodox in North America held a synod and elected Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon]] as the primate of an autonomous Russian exarchate in the Americas (also known as the ''Metropolia'', which eventually became the [[Orthodox Church in America]]). Although the hierarchs of the Metropolia participated as full equals in the Synod Abroad, eventually a three-way conflict in the United States erupted between the patriarchal exarchate, ROCOR (sometimes known as "the Synod" in this period), and the [[Living Church]], which asserted that it was the legitimate (i.e., Russian-government-recognized) owner of all Orthodox properties in the USA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]])<br />
<br />
===The Church of the Refugees (1922-1991)===<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
In 1927, ROCOR declared "The part of the Russian Church that finds itself abroad considers itself an inseparable, spiritually united branch of the Great Russian Church. It does not separate itself from its Mother Church and does not consider itself autocephalous," indicating that ROCOR considered itself to speak for all of the Russian Orthodox outside of Russia. The Church Abroad also considered itself to be the free voice of the enslaved Mother Church in the Soviet Union.<ref>For more on how ROCOR viewed its relationship to the Mother Church, see [http://web.archive.org/web/20030430123024/http:/orthodoxinfo.com/resistance/mpmother.htm Is the Moscow Patriarchate the "Mother Church" of the ROCOR?] by Protopresbyter Alexander Lebedeff, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
After the end of World War II, the [[Church of Russia|Patriarchate of Moscow]] broached the possibility of reunification between Moscow and ROCOR, presumably at the behest of the Soviet government, which had adopted a more conciliatory attitude towards religion during the war and was presumably trying to capitalize on its wartime alliances to win a more respectable position internationally. This was not deemed possible at that time by ROCOR, given that Russia was still under communist dictatorship and the Church was still persecuted and controlled by the atheist authorities.<br />
<br />
===Holy Transfiguration Monastery and ROCOR===<br />
In the 1960s, ROCOR took under its care [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]] (today the principal [[monastery]] of [[HOCNA]]) after the latter had broken communion from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. At some point later, they gradually assumed responsibility for much of ROCOR's external communications and publications. (The monks of Holy Transfiguration were English-speaking and the ROCOR bishops in America mainly were not.)<br />
<br />
It is believed by many that the allegedly sectarian spirit of ROCOR came into its flowering during this time and under the influence of this monastery, which frequently misrepresented the official policies and views of the Synod of Bishops. In the early 1980s the hierarchs of the Synod began to correct and censor the narrow-minded and incorrect views of the followers of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Subsequently this group broke communion with ROCOR (regarding allegations of sexual abuse by the monastery's leadership), styling themselves the [[HOCNA|Holy Orthodox Church in North America]] (HOCNA). They became affiliated with the [[True Orthodox Church of Greece]], a Greek Old Calendarist group which broke from the [[Church of Greece]]. According to Fr. Alexey Young (author of ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology''), the association of ROCOR and Holy Transfiguration Monastery resulted in deep damage to ROCOR.<ref>For more on the history of this schism, see [http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/hocna_facts.htm Articles for those who wish to know the Truth about the Panteleimonite Schism and the so called "Holy Orthodox Church in North America"], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===After the Soviet fall===<br />
After the end of the Soviet Union, ROCOR maintained its independence from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] on the grounds that the Church inside Russia had been unacceptably compromised. Some accusations went so far as to claim that the entire hierarchy within Russia were active KGB agents. ROCOR also attempted to set up missions in post-Soviet Russia.<br />
<br />
This did not prevent all communication, however. For many years there had been unofficial and warm contacts between the two groups. In 2001, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow and ROCOR exchanged formal correspondence. The Muscovite letter held the position that previous and current separation was over purely political matters. ROCOR's response expressed concern over continued Muscovite involvement in [[ecumenism]], which was seen as compromising Moscow's Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, this was far more friendly discourse than had been seen previously.<br />
<br />
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia continued to establish itself in its homeland, although today, all of those parishes are either reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate, or have gone into schism with one "Free Russian" group or another. <br />
<br />
===Views on the Moscow Patriarchate===<br />
After the declaration of Metropolitan Sergius of 1927, there were a range of opinions regarding the Moscow Patriarchate within ROCOR. A distinction must be made between the various opinions of bishops, clergy, and laity within ROCOR, and official statements from the Synod of Bishops. There was a general consensus in ROCOR that the Soviet government was manipulating the Moscow Patriarchate to one extent or another, and that under such circumstances administrative ties were impossible. There were also official statements made that the elections of the patriarchs of Moscow which occurred after 1927 were invalid because they were not conducted freely (without the interference of the Soviets) or with the participation of the entire Russian Church.<ref>See, for example, [http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/concerning-patriarch-pimen.html Resolution of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Concerning the Election of Pimen (Isvekov) as Patriarch of Moscow, September 1/14) 1971], December 27th, 2007</ref> However, these statements only declared that ROCOR did not recognize the Patriarchs of Moscow who were elected after 1927 as being the legitimate primates of the Russian Church -- they did not declare that the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate were illegitimate bishops, or without grace. There were, however, under the umbrella of this general consensus, various opinions about the Moscow Patriarchate, ranging for those who held the extreme view that the Moscow Patriarchate had apostatized from the Church (those in the orbit of Holy Transfiguration Monastery being the most vocal advocates of this position), to those who considered them to be innocent sufferers at the hands of the Soviets, and all points in between. Advocates of the more extreme view of the Moscow Patriarchate became increasingly strident in the 1970's, at a time when ROCOR was increasingly isolating itself from much of the rest of the Orthodox Church due to concerns over the direction of Orthodox involvement in the Ecumenical Movement. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, there wasn't a burning need to settle the question of what should be made of the status of the Moscow Patriarchate, although beginning in the mid 1980's (as the period of Glaznost began in the Soviet Union, which culminated in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet government in 1991), these questions resulted in a number of schisms, and increasingly occupied the attention of those in ROCOR.<br />
<br />
There are certain basic facts about the official position of ROCOR that should be understood. Historically, ROCOR has always affirmed that it was an inseparable part of the Russian Church, and that it's autonomous status was only temporary, based upon [http://www.pomog.org/index.html?http://www.pomog.org/ukaz.htm Ukaz 362], until such time as the domination of the Soviet government over the affairs of the Church should cease:<br />
<br />
:"The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an indissoluble part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and for the time until the extermination in Russia of the atheist government, is self-governing on conciliar principles in accordance with the resolution of the Patriarch, the Most Holy Synod, and the Highest Church Council [Sobor] of the Russian Church dated 7/20 November, 1920, No. 362."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/regulations/rocorregulations.html Regulations Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Confirmed by the Council of Bishops in 1956 and by a decision of the Council dated 5/18 June, 1964], first paragraph, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
Similarly, [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Metropolitan Anastasy]] wrote in his Last Will and Testament:<br />
<br />
:"As regards the Moscow Patriarchate and its hierarchs, then, so long as they continue in close, active and benevolent cooperation with the Soviet Government, which openly professes its complete godlessness and strives to implant atheism in the entire Russian nation, then the Church Abroad, maintaining Her purity, must not have any canonical, liturgical or even simply external communion with them whatsoever, leaving each one of them at the same time to the final judgment of the Council (Sobor) of the future free Russian Church."<ref>[http://www.orthodox.net/articles/anastasy-will.html The last will and testament of Metropolitan Anastassy, 1957], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
ROCOR viewed the Russian Church as consisting of three parts during the Soviet period: 1. The Moscow Patriarchate, 2. the Catacomb Church, and 3. The Free Russian Church (ROCOR). The Catacomb Church had been a significant part of the Russian Church prior to World War II. Most of those in ROCOR had left Russia during or well before World War II. They were unaware of the changes that had occurred immediately after World War II&mdash;most significantly that with the election of Patriarch [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexei I]], most of the Catacomb Church was reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate. By the 1970s, due to this reconciliation, as well as to continued persecution by the Soviets, there was very little left of the Catacomb Church. [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] made this point in a letter to the 1974 [[All-Diaspora Councils|All-Diaspora Sobor]] of ROCOR, in which he stated that ROCOR should not "show solidarity with a mysterious, sinless, but also bodiless catacomb."<ref>[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/cat_1974.aspx The Catacomb Tikhonite Church 1974], The Orthodox Word, Nov.-Dec., 1974 (59), 235-246, December 28, 2007.</ref> The fact that the catacomb Church had essentially ceased to exist was de facto recognized when, as Communism was about to finally collapse in Russia, ROCOR began to establish "Free Russian" parishes in Russia, and to consecrate bishops to oversee such parishes, and never recognized any alleged Catacomb bishop as having a legitimate episcopacy.<br />
<br />
Finally, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union precipitated a crisis in ROCOR, because the very reason that had initially resulted in its separation from the Moscow Patriarchate had been removed, and so the basis of the consensus that had previously united ROCOR began to unravel. There were those who did not believe that the Moscow Patriarchate was yet free from the control of the KGB, and that in any case they had not sufficiently renounced the policies of Metropolitan Sergius. There were also those who believed that regardless of the political situation in Russia, that the question of Ecumenism had become sufficient grounds for continued separation. But after the August 2000 All-Russian Sobor of the Moscow Patriarchate, in which the MP officially condemned the Branch Theory of Ecumenism, and also renounced in principle, if not in name, the policies of Metropolitan Sergius, the question of reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate become an unavoidable question that had to be resolved, one way or another.<ref>[http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/statusquo.htm Status Quo, ROCOR?], December 28, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
===Rapprochement with Moscow===<br />
[[Image:Laurus alexii signing.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]] by Patr. Alexey II and Metr. Laurus]]<br />
After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus]] as First Hierarch of ROCOR in 2001, a steady process of rapprochement occurred between ROCOR and the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. Multiple official visits were been exchanged between hierarchs and other clergy of both churches, and the date for restoration of [[full communion]] was officially announced by both sides.<br />
<br />
In October 2001 Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] and the [[Holy Synod]] of the Moscow Patriarchate sent a letter to the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia calling for reconciliation, but without immediate success. However, there was mutual recognition of grace in the sacraments of each church. Then, in November 2003, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia consisting of three bishops and two priests paid an official visit to the Moscow Patriarchate. This signaled a warming in relations, and in May 2004 for the first time since the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, visited Moscow and met with Patriarch Alexei. The two church leaders established a joint committee to examine ways to overcome the division between their churches. This committee met successfully on several occasions, working out the details of intercommunion between the two Church bodies.<br />
<br />
This possibility of rapprochement led to a small [[schism]] from ROCOR, taking the self-retired Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly]] (Metropolitan Laurus's predecessor) with it (regarded by many in ROCOR as having been abducted by the schismatics). The resultant body refers to itself as the ''[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]'' (ROCE/ROCiE), though it often still uses the ''ROCOR'' name. A few other communities have also broken off from ROCOR, some joining with Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] groups.<br />
<br />
On [[June 21]], 2005, it was announced simultaneously by both the ROCOR and the MP on their respective websites that rapprochement talks were leading toward the resumption of full relations between the ROCOR and the MP and that the ROCOR would be given the status of [[autonomy]].<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/docs.html Documents Developed at the Joint Sessions of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on Discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate.]</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2006, the ROCOR met in its IV All-Diaspora Council, which was held at Most Holy Theotokos Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, California. The council consisted of clergy and lay delegates from all dioceses of the ROCOR, and adopted a resolution, expressing "great hope that in the appropriate time, the unity of the Russian Church will be restored upon the foundation of the Truth of Christ, opening for us the possibility to serve together and to commune from one Chalice."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/5ensobresolution.html Resolution of the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]</ref> <br />
<br />
Following the IV All-Diaspora Council, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR was held. According to sources close to the council, it generally agreed with the text of the proposed "[[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Unity]]," but remitted it back to the Committee for Dialogue with the Moscow Patriarchate to rework certain aspects of the document.{{citation}} The exact nature of the elements to be worked out is unclear, but, according to sources close to the Synod of Bishops, it involved, among other things, property issues in the Holy Land.{{citation}}<br />
<br />
On September 6, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR decreed their confirmation and approval of the revised Act of Canonical Unity and instructed the Commission on Discussion with the Moscow Patriarchate to work jointly with the Moscow Patriarchate to work out details of the official signing of the Act.<ref> [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktko.html The Synod of Bishops Makes a Decision on the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Subsequently on September 11, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR published on ROCOR's website a clarification of their decision to confirm and approve the Act.<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktexplanantion.html Clarifications on the Negotiation Process and the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia acknowledged the work of the commissions and declared that the act of reunification, while moving in the right direction, will take time.<ref> [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1977 Unification of Orthodox Church with its branch abroad will not be fast - Alexy II]</ref><br />
<br />
Both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia published on their respective websites the final full text of the Act of Canonical Unity <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html Act of Canonical Union]</ref> with all relevant supporting documents <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_addendum.html Addendum to the Act of Canonical Communion], [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/11ensummation.html Summation of the Joint Work of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate]</ref> on November 1, 2006. The Act having been approved by both the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR, was formally signed in Moscow on May 17, 2007, followed by a concelebration of the Divine Liturgy, bringing the ROCOR into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
===ROCOR Today===<br />
ROCOR currently has 349 [[parish]]es and 21 [[monastery|monasteries]] for men and women in 32 countries throughout the world, served by 462 clergy. The distribution of parishes is as follows: 152 parishes and 8 monasteries in the United States; 42 parishes in Germany; 31 parishes and 4 monasteries in Australia; 21 parishes and 3 monasteries in Canada; 22 parishes in Indonesia; and a handful of institutions in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, South America, and New Zealand.<ref>[http://www.synod.com/ Source: Official ROCOR parish directory]</ref><br />
<br />
There are twelve ROCOR monasteries for men and women in North America, the most important and largest of which is [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]], to which is attached ROCOR's seminary, [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]].<br />
<br />
In concert with the [[Church of Jerusalem]], ROCOR also oversees the [http://www.jerusalem-mission.org/ Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem], which acts as caretaker to three holy sites in Palestine, all of which are monasteries.<br />
<br />
==Ecclesiastical status before 2007==<br />
Until the reconciliation with Moscow in 2007, the ROCOR was in relative [[Eucharist]]ic isolation from much of the Orthodox world, not always exchanging [[full communion]] with the majority of Orthodox [[jurisdiction]]s. It maintained good relations, intercommunion, and [[concelebration]] with the [[Church of Serbia]], the [[Church of Jerusalem]], and the [[Church of Sinai]].<br />
<br />
Before the reconciliation, ROCOR's status with regard to [[full communion]] was not entirely clear-cut. There was never a formal declaration of a break in communion made between ROCOR and most other Orthodox churches, though in many dioceses [[concelebration]] had been suspended. In others, concelebration was active. A formal declaration of breaking communion with the OCA was issued by the ROCOR Synod after the Moscow Patriarchate issued the Tomos of Autocephaly to the OCA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]].) Generally Orthodox Christians from all local Orthodox churches were welcome to the chalice in ROCOR churches. There was never a declaration from the ROCOR synod that grace did not exist in the [[New Calendar]] jurisdictions, in spite of statements to the contrary by the followers of Holy Transfiguation Monastery in Boston when they were still with the Synod.<br />
<br />
ROCOR formerly maintained communion with a few [[Old Calendarist]] jurisdictions, including the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] (True Orthodox Church of Greece, so-called "Cyprianites"), the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]] (Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie), and the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] (Bishop Photii). In 2006, communion with the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] was suspended, after the ROCOR Synod received a letter from Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili stating that Metropolitan Laurus' name had been "struck from the [[Diptychs|diptych]]."<ref>[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2006/2ensynodmeeting.html A Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops is Held]</ref> Relations with the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie and with Bishop Photii of Triaditza were subsequently severed as well. <br />
<br />
As of 2007, with the reconciliation with Moscow, the ROCOR is now in communion with [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|all of mainstream Orthodoxy]] by virtue of its incorporation into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
==The Episcopacy==<br />
: ''See '''[[List of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]'''''<br />
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia currently has thirteen [[bishop]]s serving nine [[diocese]]s throughout the world, along with one retired bishop.<br />
<br />
===Ruling bishops===<br />
* Metropolitan[[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]] of Berlin, Germany<br />
* Archbishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter (Loukianoff)]] of Chicago and Mid-America<br />
* Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)]] of San Francisco and Western America<br />
* Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]] of Montreal and Canada<br />
* Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]] of Geneva and Western Europe<br />
* Bishop [[John (Bērziņš) of Caracas|John (Bērziņš)]] of Caracas and South America<br />
* Bishop [[Irenei (Steenberg)]] of Bishop of Great Britain and Western Europe<br />
<br />
===Vicar bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Agapit (Gorachek) of Stuttgart|Agapit (Gorachek)]] of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Theodosius (Ivashchenko)]] of Seattle, Vicar of the Diocese of Western America.<br />
* Bishop [[George (Schaefer)]] of Mayfield, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Olhovsky)]] of Bishop of Brisbane, Vicar of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand<br />
<br />
<br />
===Retired bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Varnava (Prokofiev) of Cannes|Varnava (Prokofiev)]], Retired, formerly of Cannes, Vicar of the Western European diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw)]] of Manhattan, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
<br />
===Suspended bishops===<br />
* [[Benjamin (Rusalenko)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Black Sea and Kuban<br />
* [[Agathangel (Pashkovsky) of Odessa|Agathangel (Pashkovsky)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Odessa and the Crimea<br />
<br />
==First Hierarchs==<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Khrapovitsky)]] (reposed on August 10, 1936, in Sremsky Karlovtsy, Serbia)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Anastasy (Gribanovsky)]] (reposed on May 22, 1965)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret (Voznesensky)]] (reposed on November 21, 1985)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly (Ustinov)]] (reposed on September 25, 2006, in Mansonville, Canada)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]] (reposed on March 16, 2008)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]<br />
<br />
==Notes== <br />
<div class="small"> <br />
<references /> <br />
</div><br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/ Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, Russian)<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, English)<br />
*[http://www.roca.org/ ROCA: A collection of Russian Orthodox Materials] (Unofficial site)<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad], by St. [[John Maximovitch]]<br />
*[http://gnisios.narod.ru/bisrocor.html Bishops of the ROCOR]<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/svassasobor.htm "Glory be to God, Who Did Not Abandon His Church": The Self-Awareness of ROCOR at the Third All-Diaspora Council of 1974], by [[Vassa (Larin)|Nun Vassa (Larin)]]<br />
<!--- * [http://www.pravos.org/index.htm Commission Dialogue Moscow Patriarchate-Church outside Russia] ---><br />
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/voicesofreason.htm Voices of Reason], a collection of articles in response to those who oppose the reconciliation of ROCOR with the MP<br />
<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
[[Category:Moscow Patriarchate Dioceses]]<br />
<br />
[[pt:Igreja Ortodoxa Russa no Exterior]]<br />
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din afara Rusiei]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Frank_Schaeffer&diff=129904Frank Schaeffer2021-09-24T14:25:25Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Regina Press is defunct.</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frank.jpg|right|frame|Frank Schaeffer]]'''Frank Schaeffer''' (b. 1952) is a well-known and much sought-after speaker. He lectures on the Orthodox Faith, Christianity and the arts, and his [[conversion]] to the Orthodox Faith. He has served on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council and as the lay chairman of the Religious Education Committee of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. He was the editor and founder of the now defunct [[Regina Orthodox Press]] which published many Orthodox books.<br />
<br />
Schaeffer was born in Switzerland in 1952 to American missionary parents. His father, Francis Schaeffer, was a well-known Evangelical theologian. He attended boarding schools in England and Wales. After studying art in Geneva he worked as a painter and had a number of successful shows in Geneva, London, and New York. After, he began to direct and produce films. Schaeffer has made over 25 hours of documentaries including a series on medical ethics made with the then Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. C. Everett Koop entitled ''Whatever Happened to the Human Race?'' He has also directed four feature films: ''Wired to Kill'', ''Headhunter'', ''Rebel Storm'', and ''Baby on Board'' (for ABC starring Judge Reinhold and Carol Kane).<br />
<br />
Schaeffer has lived in the USA, Switzerland, the UK, and South Africa. He and his wife Regina currently live in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and have three children. He works full-time as a writer of both screenplays and novels and also as a movie director and producer. Schaeffer has also collaborated on the musical comedy version of his novel ''Portofino'' currently being developed for the stage. Schaeffer is the author of numerous books, both non-fiction and fiction. <br />
<br />
Schaeffer is a controversial figure among many Orthodox Christians because of statements he's made, including those where he's said that he does not believe in God (although he indicates that he still receives the [[Eucharist]] at his parish). Alternately, he has also claimed, as in the title of his book published in 2014 that he is an "atheist who believes in God". He also has written that "In my lifetime I can’t think of a more insidious act done in the name of the Christian God than the Republican Party’s nefarious campaign to teach Americans that God opposes abortion." Furthermore, he has also written that the Russian Orthodox Church is "homophobic".<br />
<br />
== Books==<br />
*''Baby Jack: A Novel''. ISBN 978-0786713912.<br />
*''Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back''. ISBN 978-0306817502. <br />
*''Dancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion''. ISBN 978-1928653097.<br />
*''Faith of Our Sons: Voices from the American Homefront -- The Wartime Diary of a Marine's Father''. ISBN 0786713224.<br />
*''Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps''. ISBN 0786713089.<br />
*''Letters to Father Aristotle: A Journey Through Contemporary American Orthodoxy''. ISBN 978-0964914100.<br />
*''Portofino: A Novel''. ISBN 978-0786713752.<br />
*''Saving Grandma: A Novel''. ISBN 978-0786713912.<br />
*''Voices from the Front: Letters Home from the Soldiers of Gulf War II''. ISBN 978-0786716586.<br />
*''Zermatt: A Novel''. ISBN 978-0786714605.<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[http://www.frankschaeffer.com Frank Schaeffer]<br />
* [http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/frank-schaeffer-go-to-hell-pro-lifers/ Rod Dreher column on Frank Schaeffer]<br />
* [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/ Frank Schaeffer's blog on Patheos]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Modern Writers]]<br />
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Schaeffer]]<br />
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Schaeffer]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=ROCOR_and_OCA&diff=128601ROCOR and OCA2020-07-14T01:35:13Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* Prologue: Contrasts and Stereotypes */ Eliminated a paragraph which repeats stereotypes without explaining how valid they may or may not be.</p>
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<div>[[Image:Tikhon of Moscow.jpg|right|thumb|St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]]]]<br />
'''The ROCOR and the OCA''' have a complicated history of cooperation, rivalry, and sometimes outright hostility. These two [[jurisdiction]]s, the '''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]''' (ROCOR) and the '''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''' (OCA), both have their origins in the [[Church of Russia]] (a.k.a. the ''Moscow Patriarchate'' or ''MP''), and their histories as clearly distinct and identifiable entities both stem from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the early 20th century.<br />
<br />
In examining this history, other names are used for the pre-1970 OCA, the ''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America'' (its official name) and the ''Metropolia'' (its common name). The ROCOR is also referred to as the ''Karlovtsy Synod'' (from its seminal [[All-Diaspora Councils#I All-Diaspora Council|formations in Serbia]]) or simply ''the Synod'', the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', or ''ROCA''.<br />
{{rocor-oca}}<br />
__TOC__<br />
==Prologue: Contrasts ==<br />
<br />
The beginnings of the OCA and the ROCOR as distinct from the Church of Russia are in the early 20th century Soviet takeover of the Russian state. When the monarchy in Russia fell and the Church of Russia began being persecuted, a group of Russian [[bishop]]s fled from northern Russia, joining with some in the southern portion of the country and organizing themselves via meetings in Constantinople and Serbia. These came to be known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.<br />
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Meanwhile, the Metropolia, the Russian [[diocese]] in America, which was becoming increasingly less Russian and more Carpatho-Russian (with the reception of many thousands of former [[Uniate]]s under the leadership of St. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]), began a winding path toward independence from the jurisdiction of Moscow. The increasingly Carpatho-Russian/ex-Uniate character of the Metropolia is seen in its choice to name itself in 1906 as the ''Russian Orthodox '''Greek-Catholic''' Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church'' (emphasis added).<br />
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Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]], who had previously been a bishop in America, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' on [[November 20]], 1920, declaring that the bishops of the Church of Russia were to see to their own organization until such time as communication with the central church administration could be coherently organized again. The Metropolia took this as a cue to declare in 1924 a state of "temporary self-government." From that point until 1970, the Church of Russia considered the Metropolia to be in [[schism]], and many of the other Orthodox churches regarded the Metropolia as uncanonical and avoided contact with it.<br />
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The bishops which came to form the ROCOR took St. Tikhon's ''[[ukaz]]'' as the basis for their own self-administration, organizing themselves in 1920. Throughout the period of Soviet rule in Russia, the ROCOR regarded the Moscow Patriarchate as compromised and refrained from communion with it, still considering itself as an integral part of the Russian Church, notably the "free part."<br />
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==1917-1946: A Tale of Two Histories==<br />
In examining the historical accounts published by both bodies, a notable discrepancy comes to the fore. The OCA's histories describe the OCA as being the direct heir to the original Russian missionary work in Alaska and thus as the heir to Russian jurisdiction in America, especially seeking to dissociate itself from the ROCOR. ROCOR historians, by contrast, consistently maintain that the Metropolia was an integral part of the ROCOR, recognizing its authority and canonicity, and that the OCA thus represents a [[schism]] from the ROCOR and subsequent capitulation to the Soviet-dominated Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
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It can be extremely difficult for the historian to sort out the truth of the events of the years between the onset of Bolshevism in Russia and the final break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR in 1946, mainly because there are such disparate accounts of those events. Additionally, most accounts are polemical, and those which are less polemical and rely more on primary documents tend to be out of print.<br />
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===1921-1926: Initial Cooperation===<br />
In Bp. [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory Afonsky]]'s book about the history of the OCA 1917-1934, he says that "The Metropolia... has never been part of the Karlovtsy Synod in Exile"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]. Concerning this time, the first period of the cooperation and then break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR, what is known is that there was some sort of cooperation starting in 1921. Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], who had previously led the Metroplia but had taken up a see in Odessa, Ukraine, succeeded Abp. [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as the leader of the North American flock in 1922.<br />
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[[Image:John Maximovitch.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. [[John Maximovitch]]]]<br />
ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young, in his history of the ROCOR, writes: "In the early 1920s, the American Church came under the jurisdiction of the Administration Abroad, which took an active administrative role in overseeing its American 'branch'&mdash;particularly on disciplinary questions such as divorce and the establishment of a new See in Alaska" (Young, p. 33). Young then writes that Platon was appointed by the Church Abroad as the leader in North America, but unbeknownst to his fellows in the Synod, "was at the same time seeking official appointment directly from Patriarch Tikhon himself. When the Patriarch refused to interfere in the decision of the Church Abroad, saying he 'did not wish to go over their heads,' Platon suddenly produced an ''ukaz'', allegedly from Tikhon, appointing him as sole and independent head of the Church in America" (ibid.). Young continues, writing, that at first the ROCOR synod accepted the decree in good faith, but its authenticity was called severely into question when in 1924 "an actual decree from the Patriarch in Moscow deposed Platon 'for having engaged in public acts of counter-revolution directed against the Soviet government'" (ibid.). An American court also ruled subsequently that the ''ukaz'' produced by Platon was a forgery. "To deal with this embarrassment, Platon convoked the Detroit ''Sobor'' in April of the same year, with the purpose of declaring the Russian Church in America 'temporarily autonomous'&mdash;that is, free of ''both'' Moscow and Karlovci" (ibid.). This sobor is listed in the archives of the OCA as the "[[All-American Sobor#Fourth All-American Sobor|4th All-American Sobor]]."<br />
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In 1926 in Karlovtsy, the ROCOR bishops met together. Platon was present and asked to renounce the "temporary autonomy" that had been proclaimed by his council in 1924. Upon his refusal, the assembled bishops condemned the Detroit sobor as "extremely dangerous and harmful for the interests of the Russian Church in America" (quoted in Young, p. 34). Platon responded with another sobor in America in January of 1927 which labelled the ROCOR as "uncanonical." One of Platon's bishops, [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], dissented, proclaiming his loyalty to the ROCOR, and was expelled from the Metropolia.<br />
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That the Metropolia was part of the ROCOR during this period is attested to by St. [[John Maximovitch]] in his reference to the 1926 split: "Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad — and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether — of Metropolitans [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Evlogy]] and Platon with their followers, the Russian Orthdox [''sic''] Church Outside of Russia remains the free part of the Russian Church."[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx]<br />
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===1926-1934: The Way Apart===<br />
[[Image:Platon Rozhdestvensky.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]]]<br />
In 1927, the ROCOR synod deposed Platon and appointed Apollinary to lead the American flock, and he had some success in persuading many parishes to accept his authority, including some 62 parishes in the 6 years of his governance until his death in 1933. The Russian church in America was generally "in a state of desolation and chaos, with many parishes closed, and 90 percent of the Russians now 'unchurched'" (Young, p. 35). During Apollinary's administration in America, 3 [[auxiliary bishop]]s were consecrated to assist him by the ROCOR. It was during this period that the parishes which would come to be distinctly defined as the ROCOR's American representation came to be identified.<br />
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In 1929, Platon declared that he would be willing to make peace with the ROCOR synod so long as it recognized his authority and not Apollinary's for the governance of the North American flock. When the synod denied his terms, Platon went on a legal campaign to seize parishes and properties throughout North America from Apollinary's authority. Most of the court cases he brought forward failed. His position worsened when in 1933, Metr. [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the patriarchal throne in Moscow, declared the "temporary self-government" of the Metropolia to be utterly void and schismatic, suspending Platon and establishing the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]].<br />
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In 1934, Platon died, being succeeded by Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]], who was almost immediately suspended in his turn by Moscow, continuing the period of Moscow's regard of the Metropolia as schismatic. After Platon's death, the ROCOR synod hoped that there could be meaningful reconciliation with the Metropolia, and thus Archimandrite [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]] was consecrated in Belgrade as bishop of Detroit and sent to America to make peace. "After much travel and careful study of the Church situation in America, Bishop Vitalii reported that the reason for the American division in the Church was 'Russian stupidity,' and he called for the restoration of 'unity, organization, and discipline'" (Young, p. 36). Because of his efforts, in 1934 the ROCOR synod as a gesture of goodwill lifted its ban against the Metropolia. The patriarch of Serbia then invited all Russian bishops to meet again in Serbia to iron out their differences.<br />
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===1935-1946: Reintegration===<br />
[[Image:Karlovtsy 1935.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The "Karlovtsy Synod" meeting in Serbia in 1935. Seated (L to R): Metropolitans Theophilus (then primate of the Metropolia) and Anthony, Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitans Evlogy and Anastasy. Standing: Archbishops Theophan and Germogen, Bishop Dimitri.]]<br />
In 1935, Theophilus traveled to Serbia and met there with the ROCOR hierarchs, signing with them the "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad," which divided the ROCOR into four main districts, including North America with Theophilus as its primate. In describing the agreement, Theophilus told his flock in America that "the position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been strengthened by the unity and peace which have been obtained. Now we have only one center of Church administration in the Bishops' Synod in...Karlovci, where the American Metropolitan district [the Metropolia] will be represented by our elected representative" (quoted in Young, p. 36). Thus, from the point of view of the ROCOR, and certainly it would seem from the point of view of Metr. Theophilus, the Metropolia had again been reintegrated as a component part of the ROCOR.<br />
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Upon this reintegration, the Metropolia hierarchs made the following declaration to their faithful:<br />
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:With great joy, we inform you, beloved, that at our Bishop's ''Sobor'' in Pittsburgh, the 'Temporary Statue of the Russian Church Abroad,' worked out in November 1935 by our Hierarchs at the conference held under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia, Kyr Varnava, was unanimously accepted by all of us.... All of our Archpastors [the Metropolia bishops], headed by our Metropolitan [Theophilus], enter into the make-up of the Bishops' Council [in Karlovci] of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which is the highest ecclesiastical organ for our whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and which remains, at the same time, an inseparable part of the All-Russian Church [in the homeland] (quoted in Young, p. 41).<br />
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[[Image:Theophilus Pashkovsky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]]]<br />
However, on the OCA website in the section regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Sixth All-American Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of 1937 in New York, the claim is made that the ROCOR actually was made part of the Metropolia, confirming a 1935 agreement made in Serbia between the Metropolia's primate and the ROCOR synod:<br />
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:Moreover, Metropolitan THEOPHILUS had traveled to Serbia where, under the leadership of the Serbian Patriarch, an agreement was signed by the leading hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) along with other exiled Russian hierarchs throughout the world forging a peaceful coexistence. Under this agreement, the American Church was to retain her administrative autonomy while maintaining close relations with the ROCOR Synod and being accountable to it only in matters of faith. The parallel jurisdictions of the Metropolia and ROCOR were thus eliminated and the four ROCOR hierarchs in North America along with their clergy and parishes were integrated into the Metropolia. The vote of the Sixth Sobor on this loose affiliation with the ROCOR was as follows: 105 for, 9 against, 122 abstentions. The large number of abstentions reveals that there was much apprehension on this issue at the council. However, in approving the matter, the council delegates showed respect and obedience to Metropolitan THEOPHILUS' primatial leadership.[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor]<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
The website then goes on to describe this "integration" as merely a "loose affiliation," which seems to contradict the notion that the two bodies were truly integrated, eliminating "parallel jurisdictions" and making the Metropolia accountable to the ROCOR in matters of faith. On another portion of the website, regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Seventh All-American Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] in 1946, the relationship then being severed with the ROCOR is described as having been a "temporary arrangement"[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor].<br />
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The nature of the association between the Metropolia and the ROCOR is characterized quite differently by ROCOR writers:<br />
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:From 1920-1926 and 1935-1946 they recognized the authority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; that this is so is almost embarrassingly obvious and true [proof of this recognition of authority can be seen in the list of hierarchs in the Russian Desk Calendar Reference for 1941—see original article for copy of this page from the calendar—PB]. From 1946-1970 they were in effect under no one, for five bishops separated themselves from the ROCOR, but would not recognize the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had absolutely no claim to calling themselves an autocephalous Church. Fully aware of the illegitimacy of their position, in 1971 some prominent theologians of the OCA brokered a deal with the Moscow Patriarchate, one that even the other Patriarchates protested was an uncanonical move.[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]<br />
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Additionally, there are a number of concrete facts to support this interpretation:<br />
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:In 1935 Metr. Theophilus went to Sremsky Karlovits in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Patriarch of Serbia Barnabas and under his chairmanship an agreement was worked out dividing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad into four Metropolitan Districts: Eastern European with Metr. Anastassy as the ruling Hierarch, Western European with Metr. Evlogy as ruling Hierarch, North American with Metr. Theophilus as ruling Hierarch, and Far Eastern with Metr. Meletius (in Harbin) as ruling Hierarch... There has long been a debate as to whether Metr. Theophilus subordinated himself and the Metropolia to the Karlovits Synod by this agreement. On the principle that actions speak louder than words, note has to be taken of the fact that Bishops previously under the Exile Synod [in America] accepted the authority of Metr. Theophilus and by the same token Metr. Theophilus was very careful to follow the proper ecclesiastical protocol in asking permission of the Karlovits Synod to give the higher church awards to clergymen as well as in submitting regular reports on the life of the Church in America to Metr. Anastassy and finally in having representation up to World War II in the person of a Hierarch at the regular meetings of the Exile Synod. It is further a matter of fact that at no time did the Exile Synod see fit not to honour any of the requests of Metr. Theophilus (at the same time, in this period, there [was] no acid testing of the arrangement in terms of requesting permission for the consecration of a new bishop) (Surrency, p. 45).<br />
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Permission to consecrate a hierarch for the Metropolia was eventually requested from the Synod Abroad, however:<br />
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:...in a letter to Metr. Anastassy dated the 22nd of December 1945, permission was asked to consecrate Archimandrite John (Zlobin) as the new Bishop of Alaska. Permission for the consecration was received and it took place on the 10th of March (Orthodoxy Sunday) and the new Bishop promised obedience both to the Metropolia and to the Synod of Bishops Abroad (ibid., pp. 54-44).<br />
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In 1946, a planned All-American Sobor of the Metropolia was planned to be held in Cleveland, and a month prior to its being held, a letter was published in the Russian-American Newspaper ''Novoye Russkoye Slovo'' in New York:<br />
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:Popularly known as the Letter of the Five Professors, the document analyzed the position of the Metropolia and proposed a course of action. The authors recognized that the difficult position of the Metropolia was determined by two major facts. First, it had broken its ties with the Patriarchate of Moscow in 1933 and was viewed by the mother church as being in schism. Second, the Metropolia had subordinated itself to the Synod Abroad in 1937 (FitzGerald, 66).<br />
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The letter went on to encourage a break with the ROCOR, especially because it had allegedly "lost ties with the universal Church" when it moved its headquarters from Serbia to Germany in 1944 (ibid., 67). As such, the Metropolia should part ways with the ROCOR and woo Moscow. The letter goes to on address the question of the nature of the relationship of the Metropolia to the ROCOR:<br />
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:Subordinating ourselves to this Synod, our Church (the Metropolia) in substance subordinates itself to a group of bishops who really have no jurisdiction themselves. Because of this, some people are inclined to speak only of our cooperation with the Synod. This term "cooperation," however is not correct because the acts of 1936-1937 definitely subjected our Church under the Synod Abroad (quoted in FitzGerald, p. 67).<br />
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The letter turned out to be decisively influential in the coming sobor in Cleveland.<br />
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==1946-1970: Open Hostility==<br />
In November of 1946, at the famous Cleveland Sobor (the "7th All-American"), after a call from Moscow for the Metropolia to renew its loyalty, a vote was held which resulted in the Metropolia's separation from the ROCOR and which declared loyalty to the Patriarchate. The voters, comprised of clergy and laity, voted 187 to 61 to reunite with the Patriarchate in the USSR. The pro-ROCOR faction within the Metropolia was understandably furious, as they regarded the Patriarchate as still compromised by the Soviet power.<br />
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The history of St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, describes the 1946 severence of ties between the Metropolia and the ROCOR as a split within one body:<br />
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:In 1946, at the Cleveland Sobor, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia indicated that the church headquarters would be moved to New York. A split then occurred in the American Metropolia, and the decision was by approximately half of the bishops to disassociate with the Russian Synod Abroad.[http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm]<br />
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The five bishops which refused to submit to the vote at the council&mdash;which had not been ratified by a Bishops' Council as protocol dictated, probably because doing so would have ended up with a vote against ratification, as the Council majority was pro-ROCOR&mdash;then received a letter from Theophilus indicating their exclusion from the Metropolia. <br />
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Theophilus then made a semblance of entering into negotiations with Moscow's representative (Metr. Gregory of Leningrad), but whenever Gregory thought he might meet with Theophilus, the latter was strangely unavailable. Subsequently, Theophilus preached a sermon in San Francisco on [[August 7]], 1947, saying of Gregory: "You have probably heard and read that a certain Hierarch has come here. I tell you, beloved brethren, from this holy place that this envoy would greet us in order to violate our way of life, to abolish peace, to bring dissension and discord" (Surrency, p. 57). The rumor was further spread that Gregory was carrying with him some sort of heavy trunk, possibly an atomic bomb (ibid.). In October of that year, Theophilus held a council of his bishops declaring a postponing of "forming... canonical ties of the North American Orthodox Church with the Church and Patriarch of Moscow" and to "continue, as before, maintaining full autonomy in [our] church life as stipulated by the 7th All-American Sobor at Cleveland" (ibid., p. 58).<br />
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The effect of the events of 1947-48 was to declare autonomy from the ROCOR and to have Moscow believe it was about to receive its North American diocese into its fold again only to be rebuffed without explanation. The Patriarchate subsequently declared the Metropolia again in schism and called the Metropolia bishops to answer before an ecclesiastical court for canonical violations and for declaring an anathema on one of its bishops, [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], who had decided to reunite with the Patriarchate.<br />
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By contrast, in the OCA-sponsored book, [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994''], the authors state:<br />
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:Canonically, the jurisdictional system of ethnic churches was never stable. New jurisdictions appeared every decade with disturbing regularity, existing jurisdictions separated from their canonical authorities and joined others. The notable exception was the Metropolia. Forced to declare itself temporarily "self-governing" in 1924 to preserve itself from Communist interference, the irregular status of the Metropolia was tacitly accepted by all Orthodox in America and abroad, with the exception of the Communist-controlled Russian Orthodox Church. [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH8]<br />
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Fr. Andrew Philips, an English ROCOR historian, describes the 1946 split in this way, noting with some irony that the very church which refused the Metropolia recognition was the same one which gave it autocephaly:<br />
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:After 1917, they first joined together with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. However, eventually after much hesitation, a small number of Russian bishops in North America cut themselves off from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and formed an independent but uncanonical group, called the Metropolia. In 1970 this group was given autocephaly (independence) by the still enslaved Church in Russia.[http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm]<br />
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The question of the nature of the relationship between the ROCOR and the Metropolia during the period of 1917-1946 has significant bearing on the jurisdictional legitimacy of both the OCA and the ROCOR as they now exist. If they never had much more than a "loose association," then the OCA's argument for Orthodox primacy in America is strengthened, as it would never have been under any jurisdictional authority other than Moscow's or its own. The period from the 1920s until 1970 of tension between it and Moscow are simply a difficult period between a mission diocese and its mother church.<br />
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If, however, the Metropolia was indeed part of the ROCOR, then its claims to being the direct heir of Russia's primacy in America are thrown into question, and the legitimacy of Moscow's grant of [[autocephaly]] to the OCA in 1970 has significant problems, in that it would be favoring a rogue jurisdiction which had switched allegiances multiple times and could be said to have been in schism from its legitimate canonical authority. Far from being a "notable exception" to the canonical authority-switching of various jurisdictions, the Metropolia had gone into schism from Moscow, joined the ROCOR, gone into schism from the ROCOR, rejoined it, then gone into schism from it again, eventually to receive canonical approval in 1970 from the church in Communist Russia.<br />
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In 1963, Prof. Alexander Bogolepov, a teacher of canon law at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]], published his ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church'', which not only dedicated a whole chapter arguing against the legitimacy of the ROCOR but also stated that the 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" actually "meets all the necessary requirements for the establishment of an independent Autocephalous Church" (Bogolepov, p. 93). The propagation of Bogolepov's book had a major impact on the consciousness of the Metropolia, both in uniting it against the rival ROCOR and in galvanizing it for [[rapprochement]] and the grant of autocephaly from Moscow just a few years later.<br />
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==1970: Autocephaly for the OCA==<br />
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In October of 1970, the synod of the ROCOR sent the following declaration to the bishops of the Metropolia, in response to the news of the Moscow Patriarchate having granted them a Tomos of autocephaly:<br />
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:It is impossible for the Moscow Patriarchate, under the complete control of the Soviet atheistic regime which has set for itself the goal of destroying all religion, to do anything which could be to the overall benefit of the Church and it must be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate cannot engage in foreign affairs without a direct order of the Soviet government.... It is not our intention to inflict upon you any hurt, but rather to give you again a brotherly warning of the danger now threatening you.... The Synod of Bishops [Abroad] has not forgotten that until very recently we and you were united in one Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.... We grieved when this unity was disrupted.... In your hearts you must all know that the Moscow Patriarchate in its present form is not the true representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.... There we are addressing you all, Bishops, Pastors, and Laity, for the last time. Let all other considerations fall. Return back to the unity of the free [Church] before it is too late (quoted in Young, p. 62).<br />
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Young continues: "This appeal, as all the others since the Metropolia's second schism in 1946, went unheeded, although over the next dozen years a few Metropolia parishes returned to the Church Abroad" (ibid.). The negotiations with Moscow had been completed, and the Metropolia returned to communion with the Patriarchate and immediately received a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] from it.<br />
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[[Image:OCA autocephaly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tomos of Autocephaly being received by Bishop [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Alaska]] (later Metropolitan of the OCA) on behalf of the Metropolia from Metropolitan Pimen, [[locum tenens]] of the Patriarchate of Moscow, [[May 18]], 1970.]]<br />
The ROCOR's 1971 reaction was thus as follows:<br />
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:The Council of Bishops, having listened to the report of the Synod of Bishops concerning the so-called Metropolia's having received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, approves all the steps taken in due course by the Synod of Bishops to convince Metropolitan Irinei and his colleagues of the perniciousness of a step which deepens the division which was the result of the decision of the Cleveland Council of 1946 which broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.<br />
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:The American Metropolia has received its autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, which has not possessed genuine canonical succession from His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon from the time when Metropolitan Sergii, who later called himself Patriarch, violated his oath with regard to Metropolitan Petr, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and set out upon a path which was then condemned by the senior hierarchs of the Church of Russia. Submitting all the more to the commands of the atheistic, anti-Christian regime, the Patriarchate of Moscow has ceased to be that which expresses the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, as the Synod of Bishops has correctly declared, none of its acts, including the bestowal of autocephaly upon the American Metropolia, has legal force. Furthermore, apart from this, this act, which affects the rights of many Churches, has elicited definite protests on the part of a number of Orthodox Churches, who have even severed communion with the American Metropolia.<br />
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:Viewing this illicit act with sorrow, and acknowledging it to be null and void, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which has hitherto not abandoned hope for the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in America, sees in the declaration of American autocephaly a step which will lead the American Metropolia yet farther away from the ecclesiastical unity of the Church of Russia. Perceiving therein a great sin against the enslaved and suffering Church of Russia, the Council of Bishops ''DECIDES'': henceforth, neither the clergy nor the laity [of the Russian Church Abroad] are to have communion in prayer or the divine services with the hierarchy or clergy of the American Metropolia.[http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP3.htm]<br />
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In the same year (1971) that the ROCOR issued its rejection of the OCA's autocephaly (following similar rejections by all the ancient patriarchates; see ''[[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]''), the OCA took under its jurisdiction a former ROCOR parish in Australia, thus creating another parallel jurisdiction in a nation outside the borders of the OCA:<br />
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:As a result of a court case between a group of parishioners and the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), four of the Clergy and one parish, as well as groups of parishioners, broke away from ROCA. They applied to the Orthodox Church in America -- then known as the Metropolia -- to be taken under its protection. This was granted immediately.[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html#anchor557188]<br />
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Thus, the rivalry between the ROCOR and the OCA became ever more strident, and the reception of autocephaly from Moscow by the OCA at the same time came to be seen by many Russians in the [[diaspora]] as a capitulation to the Soviet domination of the Russian Church, expressed, for instance, in these words by the famous writer [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (newly exiled in the West) in reaction to this act: "How can this be? Out of compassion for those in bondage, instead of knocking the chains off of them, to put them also upon oneself? Out of compassion for slaves, to bend one's own neck in submission beneath the yoke?"[http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html]<br />
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As the ROCOR protested the action of the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA began distributing reports regarding the ROCOR denying that the Metropolia had ever been a part of it, that the ROCOR was "uncanonical," and that it should be avoided by OCA faithful. The OCA was joined in this effort by Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], whose [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] activities in the 1960s and 1970s had seen the departure of some of his scandalized clergy to the Church Abroad, including the whole of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. Up to that point, the Greek Archdiocese had been in [[full communion]] with the ROCOR.<br />
[[Image:St Basil Simpson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church (Simpson, PA), which has been in the [[Church of Russia|MP]], the [[OCA]], and the [[ROCOR]].]]<br />
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==Early 1980s: The OCA Calendar Schism==<br />
In 1982, Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]], the OCA's bishop for Eastern Pennsylvania, decreed that all of his parishes would begin using the [[Revised Julian Calendar]]. Some were already using it, but others had been using the [[Julian Calendar]] steadily up to that point. <br />
<br />
As a result of this decree, internal schisms occurred in parishes throughout the diocese, particularly in the OCA heartland of the Wyoming Valley (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area). St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield broke completely from the OCA (having come to it in 1951 from the ROCOR), and two parishes split into two congregations, creating two new parishes in Old Forge (St. Stephen's, splitting from St. Michael's and building a new church) and Simpson (St. Basil's, keeping its building, while those remaining with the OCA found new worship space). In numerous other parishes, migrations occurred of faithful, segregating themselves according to calendar preference&mdash;those preferring the Julian Calendar went with ROCOR, while those choosing the revised calendar stayed with the OCA.<br />
<br />
This division further intensified hostile feelings between the OCA and the ROCOR, which was then entering into a phase of providing a haven for disaffected parishes and clergy seeking refuge from "modernist" jurisdictions. Much of that sort of behavior ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young ascribes to the influence of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]]'s incorporation into the Russian Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
==2001-present: Warming of Relations==<br />
[[Image:Bishops Peter and Nikolai.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] ([[ROCOR]]) and [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai]] ([[OCA]]) greet one another at an OCA episcopal consecration service in May 2005.]]<br />
After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York]] as First Hierarch of the ROCOR and that body's subsequent movement towards rapprochement with Moscow, signs of better relations between the OCA and ROCOR began to appear. Seminarians studying at OCA seminaries attended retreats at the ROCOR's [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)]], and ROCOR seminarians have also participated in [[OISM]] events at OCA seminaries. The first member of the OCA to study at Holy Trinity Seminary, Vitaly Efimenkov, graduated in 2002. It is also worth noting that several graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary, upon receiving their Bachelor of Theology, went on to receive Masters Degrees from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]]. The most recent graduate of both Holy Trinity and St. Vladimir's is Andrei Psarev, instructor of Russian Church History at Holy Trinity. <br />
<br />
Warmly worded letters from the OCA hierarchy have also been sent to the ROCOR hierarchy.[http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=49&SID=12] Further, pilgrims from the ROCOR have visited the OCA [[metochion]] in Moscow [http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0118.htm] and Metropolitan Laurus has received representatives of the OCA for informal discussions.[http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0113.htm] Additionally, the OCA's [[chancellor]] and one of its senior priests have attended a banquet at a ROCOR [[clergy]] conference.[http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/53/OCA%20Chancellor.htm]<br />
===Parishes concelebrate===<br />
With the reconciliation of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in 2007, the ROCOR and the OCA have resumed full communion and clergy of both jurisdictions have [[concelebration|concelebrated]] in multiple areas; one area of note is Seattle, where clergy and communicants of thirteen area parishes concelebrated within a week of the canonical reunification (see this site [http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/pastevents/2007/washing_rocor.htm] for photos).<br />
<br />
On November 16, 2009, His Beatitude, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] (OCA) hosted His Eminence, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion]], (First Hierarch of ROCOR), at the [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|OCA Chancery]]. The two Metropolitans discussed the initiation of an official dialogue between the Orthodox Church in America and ROCOR and to study ways by which they might strengthen their relationship. During their meeting, the two Metropolitans concelebrated a Memorial Litiya for His Holiness, [[Pavel (Stojcevic) of Serbia|Patriarch Pavle of Serbia]], who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, November 15, 2009. This marked the first time that the Metropolitans of the OCA and ROCOR have served together since the mid-1930s.<br />
<br />
On October 5, 2010, a two day meeting of the members of the Joint Commission of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia opened at Saint Seraphim Church (ROCOR) in Sea Cliff NY. The Joint Commission met as a result of the directives of the OCA and ROCOR hierarchs to "discuss and resolve issues that have in the past stood in the way of full Eucharistic communion and to come to an understanding of how we can pray and work together in the future, said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary." OCA representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia]] and Eastern Pennsylvania; Archpriests Alexander Garklavs, Leonid Kishkovsky and John Erickson; and Igumen Alexander (Pihach). Mr. Alexis Liberovsky served as a consultant. ROCOR representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield|George of Mayfield]]; Archimandrite [[Luke (Murianka)]]; Archpriests Alexander Lebedeff and David Moser; and Priest Peter Jackson. Archpriest Seraphim Gan, ROCOR Chancellor, also was to be present.<br />
===Hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR concelebrate===<br />
On Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time. This was the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. Concelebrating with the Metropolitans was His Eminence, Archbishop [[Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Naro-Fominsk|Justinian of Naro-Fominsk]], Administrator of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in the USA|Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]].<br />
<br />
Other concelebrating ROCOR hierarchs were His Eminence, Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael of Geneva and Western Europe]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]]; His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York; and His Grace, Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York.<br />
<br />
OCA Holy Synod hierarchs who concelebrated were His Grace, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco and the West]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York and New Jersey]]; and His Grace, Bishop [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthais of Chicago and the Midwest]].<br />
<br />
==Timeline of Parish and Monastery Transfers==<br />
Throughout the mutual history of the ROCOR and the OCA, especially since the split in 1946, numerous communities have changed hands back and forth between the two bodies, usually following a dispute between the community and its bishop. Typically, not all parishioners switched jurisdictions together, and transfers usually were accompanied by a parish split, whether just a few individuals or a major portion of the parish. Below is a chart listing many of these transfers.<br />
<br />
{| border="1" class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%; text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:150%;" | ROCOR & OCA Community Transfers<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| '''Year'''<br />
| '''Community'''<br />
| '''From'''<br />
| '''To'''<br />
|-<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1951 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1964 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1970 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1971 <br />
| St. Nicholas Church (Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1972 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| OCA<br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1976 <br />
| Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill]] and the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile|Bulgarian Diocese]]:<br><br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Burton, MI)<br />
*St. Paul Cathedral (Dearborn Heights, MI)<br />
*St. Elia the Prophet Church (Akron, OH)<br />
*Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Lorain, OH)<br />
*St. George Cathedral (Rossford, OH)<br />
*Holy Ghost Church (Youngstown, OH)<br />
*St. John Rilski Church (Niagara Falls, ON)<br />
*St. George Church (Toronto, ON)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1977 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Basil the Great (Simpson, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Stephen (Old Forge, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1994 <br />
| [[All-Merciful Saviour Monastery (Vashon Island, Washington)|Monastery of the All Merciful Savior (Vashon Island, WA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1997<br />
| [[Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, Georgia)|Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, GA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*Bogolepov, Alexander A. ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church''. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001.<br />
*Budzilovich, P.N. [http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html A Summary-View of the Three Previous ROCA Sobors], 2000<br />
*FitzGerald, Thomas E. ''The Orthodox Church''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998.<br />
*Lebedeff, Fr. Alexander. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America]<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-4th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 4th All-American Sobor] (1924)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 5th All-American Sobor] (1934)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 6th All-American Sobor] (1937)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 7th All-American Sobor] (1946)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-council Synopsis of the 5th All-American Council] (1977)<br />
*Matusiak, Fr. John. [http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*Maximovitch, St. John. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] (from ''The Orthodox Word'', 1971)<br />
*[[Andrew Phillips|Phillips, Fr. Andrew]]. [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm The Last Days of Rue Daru?], 2005<br />
*Rodzianko, M. [http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf ''The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad''], 1954 (tr. 1975)<br />
*Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Fr. Leonid. [http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994'']<br />
*Surrency, Archim. Serafim. ''The Quest for Orthodox Church Unity in America'', 1973<br />
*Woerl, Michael. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)]<br />
*Young, Fr. Alexey. ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology'', 1993<br />
<br />
===Parish histories===<br />
* [http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm History of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral] (Mayfield, PA)<br />
*[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html History of the Holy Orthodox Church: Part IV - Orthodoxy in Australia], [http://holytrinity-la.org/ Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church] (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ssppoc.org/news_071210_1.html ROCOR hierarch served Divine Liturgy in an OCA parish] first since the time of the Cleveland Sobor of 1946.<br />
===OCA===<br />
*[http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/fr-kishkovsky/rocor-mp-reconciliation ROCOR/MP Reconciliation], Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky<br />
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/oca-rocor-metropolitans-hierarchs-concelebrate-the-divine-liturgy-at-rocors OCA and ROCOR concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 70 years].<br />
<br />
===ROCOR===<br />
*[http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad], by M. Rodzianko<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)], a ROCOR layman critiques a history by an OCA bishop<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America], by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/briefhistory.html A Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 1922-1972], by Protopriest Sergii Shchukin<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20111212_ensynod.html backround] Statement by the Synod of Bishops, NEW YORK: December 10, 2011<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:ROCOR şi OCA]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=ROCOR_and_OCA&diff=128600ROCOR and OCA2020-07-13T20:08:28Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* 2001-present: Warming of Relations */ putting past developments into past tense.</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Tikhon of Moscow.jpg|right|thumb|St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]]]]<br />
'''The ROCOR and the OCA''' have a complicated history of cooperation, rivalry, and sometimes outright hostility. These two [[jurisdiction]]s, the '''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]''' (ROCOR) and the '''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''' (OCA), both have their origins in the [[Church of Russia]] (a.k.a. the ''Moscow Patriarchate'' or ''MP''), and their histories as clearly distinct and identifiable entities both stem from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the early 20th century.<br />
<br />
In examining this history, other names are used for the pre-1970 OCA, the ''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America'' (its official name) and the ''Metropolia'' (its common name). The ROCOR is also referred to as the ''Karlovtsy Synod'' (from its seminal [[All-Diaspora Councils#I All-Diaspora Council|formations in Serbia]]) or simply ''the Synod'', the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', or ''ROCA''.<br />
{{rocor-oca}}<br />
__TOC__<br />
==Prologue: Contrasts and Stereotypes==<br />
Numerous stereotypes exist regarding the ROCOR and the OCA. The ROCOR is monarchist ("white"), while the OCA is associated with Russian Communism ("red"). The OCA is modernist, but the ROCOR is traditionalist. The ROCOR is "Great Russian," while the OCA is "Little Russian." These stereotypes have their origins in the history of Russian Orthodoxy in the West, a history which, like much of the history of the Russians, is complex and often sad.<br />
<br />
The beginnings of the OCA and the ROCOR as distinct from the Church of Russia are in the early 20th century Soviet takeover of the Russian state. When the monarchy in Russia fell and the Church of Russia began being persecuted, a group of Russian [[bishop]]s fled from northern Russia, joining with some in the southern portion of the country and organizing themselves via meetings in Constantinople and Serbia. These came to be known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Metropolia, the Russian [[diocese]] in America, which was becoming increasingly less Russian and more Carpatho-Russian (with the reception of many thousands of former [[Uniate]]s under the leadership of St. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]), began a winding path toward independence from the jurisdiction of Moscow. The increasingly Carpatho-Russian/ex-Uniate character of the Metropolia is seen in its choice to name itself in 1906 as the ''Russian Orthodox '''Greek-Catholic''' Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church'' (emphasis added).<br />
<br />
Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]], who had previously been a bishop in America, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' on [[November 20]], 1920, declaring that the bishops of the Church of Russia were to see to their own organization until such time as communication with the central church administration could be coherently organized again. The Metropolia took this as a cue to declare in 1924 a state of "temporary self-government." From that point until 1970, the Church of Russia considered the Metropolia to be in [[schism]], and many of the other Orthodox churches regarded the Metropolia as uncanonical and avoided contact with it.<br />
<br />
The bishops which came to form the ROCOR took St. Tikhon's ''[[ukaz]]'' as the basis for their own self-administration, organizing themselves in 1920. Throughout the period of Soviet rule in Russia, the ROCOR regarded the Moscow Patriarchate as compromised and refrained from communion with it, still considering itself as an integral part of the Russian Church, notably the "free part."<br />
<br />
==1917-1946: A Tale of Two Histories==<br />
In examining the historical accounts published by both bodies, a notable discrepancy comes to the fore. The OCA's histories describe the OCA as being the direct heir to the original Russian missionary work in Alaska and thus as the heir to Russian jurisdiction in America, especially seeking to dissociate itself from the ROCOR. ROCOR historians, by contrast, consistently maintain that the Metropolia was an integral part of the ROCOR, recognizing its authority and canonicity, and that the OCA thus represents a [[schism]] from the ROCOR and subsequent capitulation to the Soviet-dominated Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
It can be extremely difficult for the historian to sort out the truth of the events of the years between the onset of Bolshevism in Russia and the final break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR in 1946, mainly because there are such disparate accounts of those events. Additionally, most accounts are polemical, and those which are less polemical and rely more on primary documents tend to be out of print.<br />
<br />
===1921-1926: Initial Cooperation===<br />
In Bp. [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory Afonsky]]'s book about the history of the OCA 1917-1934, he says that "The Metropolia... has never been part of the Karlovtsy Synod in Exile"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]. Concerning this time, the first period of the cooperation and then break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR, what is known is that there was some sort of cooperation starting in 1921. Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], who had previously led the Metroplia but had taken up a see in Odessa, Ukraine, succeeded Abp. [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as the leader of the North American flock in 1922.<br />
<br />
[[Image:John Maximovitch.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. [[John Maximovitch]]]]<br />
ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young, in his history of the ROCOR, writes: "In the early 1920s, the American Church came under the jurisdiction of the Administration Abroad, which took an active administrative role in overseeing its American 'branch'&mdash;particularly on disciplinary questions such as divorce and the establishment of a new See in Alaska" (Young, p. 33). Young then writes that Platon was appointed by the Church Abroad as the leader in North America, but unbeknownst to his fellows in the Synod, "was at the same time seeking official appointment directly from Patriarch Tikhon himself. When the Patriarch refused to interfere in the decision of the Church Abroad, saying he 'did not wish to go over their heads,' Platon suddenly produced an ''ukaz'', allegedly from Tikhon, appointing him as sole and independent head of the Church in America" (ibid.). Young continues, writing, that at first the ROCOR synod accepted the decree in good faith, but its authenticity was called severely into question when in 1924 "an actual decree from the Patriarch in Moscow deposed Platon 'for having engaged in public acts of counter-revolution directed against the Soviet government'" (ibid.). An American court also ruled subsequently that the ''ukaz'' produced by Platon was a forgery. "To deal with this embarrassment, Platon convoked the Detroit ''Sobor'' in April of the same year, with the purpose of declaring the Russian Church in America 'temporarily autonomous'&mdash;that is, free of ''both'' Moscow and Karlovci" (ibid.). This sobor is listed in the archives of the OCA as the "[[All-American Sobor#Fourth All-American Sobor|4th All-American Sobor]]."<br />
<br />
In 1926 in Karlovtsy, the ROCOR bishops met together. Platon was present and asked to renounce the "temporary autonomy" that had been proclaimed by his council in 1924. Upon his refusal, the assembled bishops condemned the Detroit sobor as "extremely dangerous and harmful for the interests of the Russian Church in America" (quoted in Young, p. 34). Platon responded with another sobor in America in January of 1927 which labelled the ROCOR as "uncanonical." One of Platon's bishops, [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], dissented, proclaiming his loyalty to the ROCOR, and was expelled from the Metropolia.<br />
<br />
That the Metropolia was part of the ROCOR during this period is attested to by St. [[John Maximovitch]] in his reference to the 1926 split: "Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad — and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether — of Metropolitans [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Evlogy]] and Platon with their followers, the Russian Orthdox [''sic''] Church Outside of Russia remains the free part of the Russian Church."[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx]<br />
<br />
===1926-1934: The Way Apart===<br />
[[Image:Platon Rozhdestvensky.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]]]<br />
In 1927, the ROCOR synod deposed Platon and appointed Apollinary to lead the American flock, and he had some success in persuading many parishes to accept his authority, including some 62 parishes in the 6 years of his governance until his death in 1933. The Russian church in America was generally "in a state of desolation and chaos, with many parishes closed, and 90 percent of the Russians now 'unchurched'" (Young, p. 35). During Apollinary's administration in America, 3 [[auxiliary bishop]]s were consecrated to assist him by the ROCOR. It was during this period that the parishes which would come to be distinctly defined as the ROCOR's American representation came to be identified.<br />
<br />
In 1929, Platon declared that he would be willing to make peace with the ROCOR synod so long as it recognized his authority and not Apollinary's for the governance of the North American flock. When the synod denied his terms, Platon went on a legal campaign to seize parishes and properties throughout North America from Apollinary's authority. Most of the court cases he brought forward failed. His position worsened when in 1933, Metr. [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the patriarchal throne in Moscow, declared the "temporary self-government" of the Metropolia to be utterly void and schismatic, suspending Platon and establishing the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]].<br />
<br />
In 1934, Platon died, being succeeded by Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]], who was almost immediately suspended in his turn by Moscow, continuing the period of Moscow's regard of the Metropolia as schismatic. After Platon's death, the ROCOR synod hoped that there could be meaningful reconciliation with the Metropolia, and thus Archimandrite [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]] was consecrated in Belgrade as bishop of Detroit and sent to America to make peace. "After much travel and careful study of the Church situation in America, Bishop Vitalii reported that the reason for the American division in the Church was 'Russian stupidity,' and he called for the restoration of 'unity, organization, and discipline'" (Young, p. 36). Because of his efforts, in 1934 the ROCOR synod as a gesture of goodwill lifted its ban against the Metropolia. The patriarch of Serbia then invited all Russian bishops to meet again in Serbia to iron out their differences.<br />
<br />
===1935-1946: Reintegration===<br />
[[Image:Karlovtsy 1935.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The "Karlovtsy Synod" meeting in Serbia in 1935. Seated (L to R): Metropolitans Theophilus (then primate of the Metropolia) and Anthony, Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitans Evlogy and Anastasy. Standing: Archbishops Theophan and Germogen, Bishop Dimitri.]]<br />
In 1935, Theophilus traveled to Serbia and met there with the ROCOR hierarchs, signing with them the "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad," which divided the ROCOR into four main districts, including North America with Theophilus as its primate. In describing the agreement, Theophilus told his flock in America that "the position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been strengthened by the unity and peace which have been obtained. Now we have only one center of Church administration in the Bishops' Synod in...Karlovci, where the American Metropolitan district [the Metropolia] will be represented by our elected representative" (quoted in Young, p. 36). Thus, from the point of view of the ROCOR, and certainly it would seem from the point of view of Metr. Theophilus, the Metropolia had again been reintegrated as a component part of the ROCOR.<br />
<br />
Upon this reintegration, the Metropolia hierarchs made the following declaration to their faithful:<br />
<br />
:With great joy, we inform you, beloved, that at our Bishop's ''Sobor'' in Pittsburgh, the 'Temporary Statue of the Russian Church Abroad,' worked out in November 1935 by our Hierarchs at the conference held under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia, Kyr Varnava, was unanimously accepted by all of us.... All of our Archpastors [the Metropolia bishops], headed by our Metropolitan [Theophilus], enter into the make-up of the Bishops' Council [in Karlovci] of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which is the highest ecclesiastical organ for our whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and which remains, at the same time, an inseparable part of the All-Russian Church [in the homeland] (quoted in Young, p. 41).<br />
<br />
[[Image:Theophilus Pashkovsky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]]]<br />
However, on the OCA website in the section regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Sixth All-American Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of 1937 in New York, the claim is made that the ROCOR actually was made part of the Metropolia, confirming a 1935 agreement made in Serbia between the Metropolia's primate and the ROCOR synod:<br />
<br />
:Moreover, Metropolitan THEOPHILUS had traveled to Serbia where, under the leadership of the Serbian Patriarch, an agreement was signed by the leading hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) along with other exiled Russian hierarchs throughout the world forging a peaceful coexistence. Under this agreement, the American Church was to retain her administrative autonomy while maintaining close relations with the ROCOR Synod and being accountable to it only in matters of faith. The parallel jurisdictions of the Metropolia and ROCOR were thus eliminated and the four ROCOR hierarchs in North America along with their clergy and parishes were integrated into the Metropolia. The vote of the Sixth Sobor on this loose affiliation with the ROCOR was as follows: 105 for, 9 against, 122 abstentions. The large number of abstentions reveals that there was much apprehension on this issue at the council. However, in approving the matter, the council delegates showed respect and obedience to Metropolitan THEOPHILUS' primatial leadership.[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor]<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
The website then goes on to describe this "integration" as merely a "loose affiliation," which seems to contradict the notion that the two bodies were truly integrated, eliminating "parallel jurisdictions" and making the Metropolia accountable to the ROCOR in matters of faith. On another portion of the website, regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Seventh All-American Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] in 1946, the relationship then being severed with the ROCOR is described as having been a "temporary arrangement"[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor].<br />
<br />
The nature of the association between the Metropolia and the ROCOR is characterized quite differently by ROCOR writers:<br />
<br />
:From 1920-1926 and 1935-1946 they recognized the authority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; that this is so is almost embarrassingly obvious and true [proof of this recognition of authority can be seen in the list of hierarchs in the Russian Desk Calendar Reference for 1941—see original article for copy of this page from the calendar—PB]. From 1946-1970 they were in effect under no one, for five bishops separated themselves from the ROCOR, but would not recognize the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had absolutely no claim to calling themselves an autocephalous Church. Fully aware of the illegitimacy of their position, in 1971 some prominent theologians of the OCA brokered a deal with the Moscow Patriarchate, one that even the other Patriarchates protested was an uncanonical move.[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]<br />
<br />
Additionally, there are a number of concrete facts to support this interpretation:<br />
<br />
:In 1935 Metr. Theophilus went to Sremsky Karlovits in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Patriarch of Serbia Barnabas and under his chairmanship an agreement was worked out dividing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad into four Metropolitan Districts: Eastern European with Metr. Anastassy as the ruling Hierarch, Western European with Metr. Evlogy as ruling Hierarch, North American with Metr. Theophilus as ruling Hierarch, and Far Eastern with Metr. Meletius (in Harbin) as ruling Hierarch... There has long been a debate as to whether Metr. Theophilus subordinated himself and the Metropolia to the Karlovits Synod by this agreement. On the principle that actions speak louder than words, note has to be taken of the fact that Bishops previously under the Exile Synod [in America] accepted the authority of Metr. Theophilus and by the same token Metr. Theophilus was very careful to follow the proper ecclesiastical protocol in asking permission of the Karlovits Synod to give the higher church awards to clergymen as well as in submitting regular reports on the life of the Church in America to Metr. Anastassy and finally in having representation up to World War II in the person of a Hierarch at the regular meetings of the Exile Synod. It is further a matter of fact that at no time did the Exile Synod see fit not to honour any of the requests of Metr. Theophilus (at the same time, in this period, there [was] no acid testing of the arrangement in terms of requesting permission for the consecration of a new bishop) (Surrency, p. 45).<br />
<br />
Permission to consecrate a hierarch for the Metropolia was eventually requested from the Synod Abroad, however:<br />
<br />
:...in a letter to Metr. Anastassy dated the 22nd of December 1945, permission was asked to consecrate Archimandrite John (Zlobin) as the new Bishop of Alaska. Permission for the consecration was received and it took place on the 10th of March (Orthodoxy Sunday) and the new Bishop promised obedience both to the Metropolia and to the Synod of Bishops Abroad (ibid., pp. 54-44).<br />
<br />
In 1946, a planned All-American Sobor of the Metropolia was planned to be held in Cleveland, and a month prior to its being held, a letter was published in the Russian-American Newspaper ''Novoye Russkoye Slovo'' in New York:<br />
<br />
:Popularly known as the Letter of the Five Professors, the document analyzed the position of the Metropolia and proposed a course of action. The authors recognized that the difficult position of the Metropolia was determined by two major facts. First, it had broken its ties with the Patriarchate of Moscow in 1933 and was viewed by the mother church as being in schism. Second, the Metropolia had subordinated itself to the Synod Abroad in 1937 (FitzGerald, 66).<br />
<br />
The letter went on to encourage a break with the ROCOR, especially because it had allegedly "lost ties with the universal Church" when it moved its headquarters from Serbia to Germany in 1944 (ibid., 67). As such, the Metropolia should part ways with the ROCOR and woo Moscow. The letter goes to on address the question of the nature of the relationship of the Metropolia to the ROCOR:<br />
<br />
:Subordinating ourselves to this Synod, our Church (the Metropolia) in substance subordinates itself to a group of bishops who really have no jurisdiction themselves. Because of this, some people are inclined to speak only of our cooperation with the Synod. This term "cooperation," however is not correct because the acts of 1936-1937 definitely subjected our Church under the Synod Abroad (quoted in FitzGerald, p. 67).<br />
<br />
The letter turned out to be decisively influential in the coming sobor in Cleveland.<br />
<br />
==1946-1970: Open Hostility==<br />
In November of 1946, at the famous Cleveland Sobor (the "7th All-American"), after a call from Moscow for the Metropolia to renew its loyalty, a vote was held which resulted in the Metropolia's separation from the ROCOR and which declared loyalty to the Patriarchate. The voters, comprised of clergy and laity, voted 187 to 61 to reunite with the Patriarchate in the USSR. The pro-ROCOR faction within the Metropolia was understandably furious, as they regarded the Patriarchate as still compromised by the Soviet power.<br />
<br />
The history of St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, describes the 1946 severence of ties between the Metropolia and the ROCOR as a split within one body:<br />
<br />
:In 1946, at the Cleveland Sobor, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia indicated that the church headquarters would be moved to New York. A split then occurred in the American Metropolia, and the decision was by approximately half of the bishops to disassociate with the Russian Synod Abroad.[http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm]<br />
<br />
The five bishops which refused to submit to the vote at the council&mdash;which had not been ratified by a Bishops' Council as protocol dictated, probably because doing so would have ended up with a vote against ratification, as the Council majority was pro-ROCOR&mdash;then received a letter from Theophilus indicating their exclusion from the Metropolia. <br />
<br />
Theophilus then made a semblance of entering into negotiations with Moscow's representative (Metr. Gregory of Leningrad), but whenever Gregory thought he might meet with Theophilus, the latter was strangely unavailable. Subsequently, Theophilus preached a sermon in San Francisco on [[August 7]], 1947, saying of Gregory: "You have probably heard and read that a certain Hierarch has come here. I tell you, beloved brethren, from this holy place that this envoy would greet us in order to violate our way of life, to abolish peace, to bring dissension and discord" (Surrency, p. 57). The rumor was further spread that Gregory was carrying with him some sort of heavy trunk, possibly an atomic bomb (ibid.). In October of that year, Theophilus held a council of his bishops declaring a postponing of "forming... canonical ties of the North American Orthodox Church with the Church and Patriarch of Moscow" and to "continue, as before, maintaining full autonomy in [our] church life as stipulated by the 7th All-American Sobor at Cleveland" (ibid., p. 58).<br />
<br />
The effect of the events of 1947-48 was to declare autonomy from the ROCOR and to have Moscow believe it was about to receive its North American diocese into its fold again only to be rebuffed without explanation. The Patriarchate subsequently declared the Metropolia again in schism and called the Metropolia bishops to answer before an ecclesiastical court for canonical violations and for declaring an anathema on one of its bishops, [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], who had decided to reunite with the Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
By contrast, in the OCA-sponsored book, [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994''], the authors state:<br />
<br />
:Canonically, the jurisdictional system of ethnic churches was never stable. New jurisdictions appeared every decade with disturbing regularity, existing jurisdictions separated from their canonical authorities and joined others. The notable exception was the Metropolia. Forced to declare itself temporarily "self-governing" in 1924 to preserve itself from Communist interference, the irregular status of the Metropolia was tacitly accepted by all Orthodox in America and abroad, with the exception of the Communist-controlled Russian Orthodox Church. [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH8]<br />
<br />
Fr. Andrew Philips, an English ROCOR historian, describes the 1946 split in this way, noting with some irony that the very church which refused the Metropolia recognition was the same one which gave it autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:After 1917, they first joined together with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. However, eventually after much hesitation, a small number of Russian bishops in North America cut themselves off from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and formed an independent but uncanonical group, called the Metropolia. In 1970 this group was given autocephaly (independence) by the still enslaved Church in Russia.[http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm]<br />
<br />
The question of the nature of the relationship between the ROCOR and the Metropolia during the period of 1917-1946 has significant bearing on the jurisdictional legitimacy of both the OCA and the ROCOR as they now exist. If they never had much more than a "loose association," then the OCA's argument for Orthodox primacy in America is strengthened, as it would never have been under any jurisdictional authority other than Moscow's or its own. The period from the 1920s until 1970 of tension between it and Moscow are simply a difficult period between a mission diocese and its mother church.<br />
<br />
If, however, the Metropolia was indeed part of the ROCOR, then its claims to being the direct heir of Russia's primacy in America are thrown into question, and the legitimacy of Moscow's grant of [[autocephaly]] to the OCA in 1970 has significant problems, in that it would be favoring a rogue jurisdiction which had switched allegiances multiple times and could be said to have been in schism from its legitimate canonical authority. Far from being a "notable exception" to the canonical authority-switching of various jurisdictions, the Metropolia had gone into schism from Moscow, joined the ROCOR, gone into schism from the ROCOR, rejoined it, then gone into schism from it again, eventually to receive canonical approval in 1970 from the church in Communist Russia.<br />
<br />
In 1963, Prof. Alexander Bogolepov, a teacher of canon law at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]], published his ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church'', which not only dedicated a whole chapter arguing against the legitimacy of the ROCOR but also stated that the 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" actually "meets all the necessary requirements for the establishment of an independent Autocephalous Church" (Bogolepov, p. 93). The propagation of Bogolepov's book had a major impact on the consciousness of the Metropolia, both in uniting it against the rival ROCOR and in galvanizing it for [[rapprochement]] and the grant of autocephaly from Moscow just a few years later.<br />
<br />
==1970: Autocephaly for the OCA==<br />
<br />
In October of 1970, the synod of the ROCOR sent the following declaration to the bishops of the Metropolia, in response to the news of the Moscow Patriarchate having granted them a Tomos of autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:It is impossible for the Moscow Patriarchate, under the complete control of the Soviet atheistic regime which has set for itself the goal of destroying all religion, to do anything which could be to the overall benefit of the Church and it must be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate cannot engage in foreign affairs without a direct order of the Soviet government.... It is not our intention to inflict upon you any hurt, but rather to give you again a brotherly warning of the danger now threatening you.... The Synod of Bishops [Abroad] has not forgotten that until very recently we and you were united in one Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.... We grieved when this unity was disrupted.... In your hearts you must all know that the Moscow Patriarchate in its present form is not the true representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.... There we are addressing you all, Bishops, Pastors, and Laity, for the last time. Let all other considerations fall. Return back to the unity of the free [Church] before it is too late (quoted in Young, p. 62).<br />
<br />
Young continues: "This appeal, as all the others since the Metropolia's second schism in 1946, went unheeded, although over the next dozen years a few Metropolia parishes returned to the Church Abroad" (ibid.). The negotiations with Moscow had been completed, and the Metropolia returned to communion with the Patriarchate and immediately received a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] from it.<br />
<br />
[[Image:OCA autocephaly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tomos of Autocephaly being received by Bishop [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Alaska]] (later Metropolitan of the OCA) on behalf of the Metropolia from Metropolitan Pimen, [[locum tenens]] of the Patriarchate of Moscow, [[May 18]], 1970.]]<br />
The ROCOR's 1971 reaction was thus as follows:<br />
<br />
:The Council of Bishops, having listened to the report of the Synod of Bishops concerning the so-called Metropolia's having received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, approves all the steps taken in due course by the Synod of Bishops to convince Metropolitan Irinei and his colleagues of the perniciousness of a step which deepens the division which was the result of the decision of the Cleveland Council of 1946 which broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.<br />
<br />
:The American Metropolia has received its autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, which has not possessed genuine canonical succession from His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon from the time when Metropolitan Sergii, who later called himself Patriarch, violated his oath with regard to Metropolitan Petr, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and set out upon a path which was then condemned by the senior hierarchs of the Church of Russia. Submitting all the more to the commands of the atheistic, anti-Christian regime, the Patriarchate of Moscow has ceased to be that which expresses the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, as the Synod of Bishops has correctly declared, none of its acts, including the bestowal of autocephaly upon the American Metropolia, has legal force. Furthermore, apart from this, this act, which affects the rights of many Churches, has elicited definite protests on the part of a number of Orthodox Churches, who have even severed communion with the American Metropolia.<br />
<br />
:Viewing this illicit act with sorrow, and acknowledging it to be null and void, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which has hitherto not abandoned hope for the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in America, sees in the declaration of American autocephaly a step which will lead the American Metropolia yet farther away from the ecclesiastical unity of the Church of Russia. Perceiving therein a great sin against the enslaved and suffering Church of Russia, the Council of Bishops ''DECIDES'': henceforth, neither the clergy nor the laity [of the Russian Church Abroad] are to have communion in prayer or the divine services with the hierarchy or clergy of the American Metropolia.[http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP3.htm]<br />
<br />
In the same year (1971) that the ROCOR issued its rejection of the OCA's autocephaly (following similar rejections by all the ancient patriarchates; see ''[[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]''), the OCA took under its jurisdiction a former ROCOR parish in Australia, thus creating another parallel jurisdiction in a nation outside the borders of the OCA:<br />
<br />
:As a result of a court case between a group of parishioners and the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), four of the Clergy and one parish, as well as groups of parishioners, broke away from ROCA. They applied to the Orthodox Church in America -- then known as the Metropolia -- to be taken under its protection. This was granted immediately.[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html#anchor557188]<br />
<br />
Thus, the rivalry between the ROCOR and the OCA became ever more strident, and the reception of autocephaly from Moscow by the OCA at the same time came to be seen by many Russians in the [[diaspora]] as a capitulation to the Soviet domination of the Russian Church, expressed, for instance, in these words by the famous writer [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (newly exiled in the West) in reaction to this act: "How can this be? Out of compassion for those in bondage, instead of knocking the chains off of them, to put them also upon oneself? Out of compassion for slaves, to bend one's own neck in submission beneath the yoke?"[http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html]<br />
<br />
As the ROCOR protested the action of the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA began distributing reports regarding the ROCOR denying that the Metropolia had ever been a part of it, that the ROCOR was "uncanonical," and that it should be avoided by OCA faithful. The OCA was joined in this effort by Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], whose [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] activities in the 1960s and 1970s had seen the departure of some of his scandalized clergy to the Church Abroad, including the whole of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. Up to that point, the Greek Archdiocese had been in [[full communion]] with the ROCOR.<br />
[[Image:St Basil Simpson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church (Simpson, PA), which has been in the [[Church of Russia|MP]], the [[OCA]], and the [[ROCOR]].]]<br />
<br />
==Early 1980s: The OCA Calendar Schism==<br />
In 1982, Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]], the OCA's bishop for Eastern Pennsylvania, decreed that all of his parishes would begin using the [[Revised Julian Calendar]]. Some were already using it, but others had been using the [[Julian Calendar]] steadily up to that point. <br />
<br />
As a result of this decree, internal schisms occurred in parishes throughout the diocese, particularly in the OCA heartland of the Wyoming Valley (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area). St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield broke completely from the OCA (having come to it in 1951 from the ROCOR), and two parishes split into two congregations, creating two new parishes in Old Forge (St. Stephen's, splitting from St. Michael's and building a new church) and Simpson (St. Basil's, keeping its building, while those remaining with the OCA found new worship space). In numerous other parishes, migrations occurred of faithful, segregating themselves according to calendar preference&mdash;those preferring the Julian Calendar went with ROCOR, while those choosing the revised calendar stayed with the OCA.<br />
<br />
This division further intensified hostile feelings between the OCA and the ROCOR, which was then entering into a phase of providing a haven for disaffected parishes and clergy seeking refuge from "modernist" jurisdictions. Much of that sort of behavior ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young ascribes to the influence of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]]'s incorporation into the Russian Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
==2001-present: Warming of Relations==<br />
[[Image:Bishops Peter and Nikolai.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] ([[ROCOR]]) and [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai]] ([[OCA]]) greet one another at an OCA episcopal consecration service in May 2005.]]<br />
After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York]] as First Hierarch of the ROCOR and that body's subsequent movement towards rapprochement with Moscow, signs of better relations between the OCA and ROCOR began to appear. Seminarians studying at OCA seminaries attended retreats at the ROCOR's [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)]], and ROCOR seminarians have also participated in [[OISM]] events at OCA seminaries. The first member of the OCA to study at Holy Trinity Seminary, Vitaly Efimenkov, graduated in 2002. It is also worth noting that several graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary, upon receiving their Bachelor of Theology, went on to receive Masters Degrees from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]]. The most recent graduate of both Holy Trinity and St. Vladimir's is Andrei Psarev, instructor of Russian Church History at Holy Trinity. <br />
<br />
Warmly worded letters from the OCA hierarchy have also been sent to the ROCOR hierarchy.[http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=49&SID=12] Further, pilgrims from the ROCOR have visited the OCA [[metochion]] in Moscow [http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0118.htm] and Metropolitan Laurus has received representatives of the OCA for informal discussions.[http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0113.htm] Additionally, the OCA's [[chancellor]] and one of its senior priests have attended a banquet at a ROCOR [[clergy]] conference.[http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/53/OCA%20Chancellor.htm]<br />
===Parishes concelebrate===<br />
With the reconciliation of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in 2007, the ROCOR and the OCA have resumed full communion and clergy of both jurisdictions have [[concelebration|concelebrated]] in multiple areas; one area of note is Seattle, where clergy and communicants of thirteen area parishes concelebrated within a week of the canonical reunification (see this site [http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/pastevents/2007/washing_rocor.htm] for photos).<br />
<br />
On November 16, 2009, His Beatitude, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] (OCA) hosted His Eminence, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion]], (First Hierarch of ROCOR), at the [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|OCA Chancery]]. The two Metropolitans discussed the initiation of an official dialogue between the Orthodox Church in America and ROCOR and to study ways by which they might strengthen their relationship. During their meeting, the two Metropolitans concelebrated a Memorial Litiya for His Holiness, [[Pavel (Stojcevic) of Serbia|Patriarch Pavle of Serbia]], who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, November 15, 2009. This marked the first time that the Metropolitans of the OCA and ROCOR have served together since the mid-1930s.<br />
<br />
On October 5, 2010, a two day meeting of the members of the Joint Commission of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia opened at Saint Seraphim Church (ROCOR) in Sea Cliff NY. The Joint Commission met as a result of the directives of the OCA and ROCOR hierarchs to "discuss and resolve issues that have in the past stood in the way of full Eucharistic communion and to come to an understanding of how we can pray and work together in the future, said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary." OCA representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia]] and Eastern Pennsylvania; Archpriests Alexander Garklavs, Leonid Kishkovsky and John Erickson; and Igumen Alexander (Pihach). Mr. Alexis Liberovsky served as a consultant. ROCOR representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield|George of Mayfield]]; Archimandrite [[Luke (Murianka)]]; Archpriests Alexander Lebedeff and David Moser; and Priest Peter Jackson. Archpriest Seraphim Gan, ROCOR Chancellor, also was to be present.<br />
===Hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR concelebrate===<br />
On Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time. This was the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. Concelebrating with the Metropolitans was His Eminence, Archbishop [[Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Naro-Fominsk|Justinian of Naro-Fominsk]], Administrator of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in the USA|Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]].<br />
<br />
Other concelebrating ROCOR hierarchs were His Eminence, Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael of Geneva and Western Europe]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]]; His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York; and His Grace, Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York.<br />
<br />
OCA Holy Synod hierarchs who concelebrated were His Grace, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco and the West]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York and New Jersey]]; and His Grace, Bishop [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthais of Chicago and the Midwest]].<br />
<br />
==Timeline of Parish and Monastery Transfers==<br />
Throughout the mutual history of the ROCOR and the OCA, especially since the split in 1946, numerous communities have changed hands back and forth between the two bodies, usually following a dispute between the community and its bishop. Typically, not all parishioners switched jurisdictions together, and transfers usually were accompanied by a parish split, whether just a few individuals or a major portion of the parish. Below is a chart listing many of these transfers.<br />
<br />
{| border="1" class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%; text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:150%;" | ROCOR & OCA Community Transfers<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| '''Year'''<br />
| '''Community'''<br />
| '''From'''<br />
| '''To'''<br />
|-<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1951 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1964 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1970 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1971 <br />
| St. Nicholas Church (Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1972 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| OCA<br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1976 <br />
| Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill]] and the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile|Bulgarian Diocese]]:<br><br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Burton, MI)<br />
*St. Paul Cathedral (Dearborn Heights, MI)<br />
*St. Elia the Prophet Church (Akron, OH)<br />
*Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Lorain, OH)<br />
*St. George Cathedral (Rossford, OH)<br />
*Holy Ghost Church (Youngstown, OH)<br />
*St. John Rilski Church (Niagara Falls, ON)<br />
*St. George Church (Toronto, ON)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1977 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Basil the Great (Simpson, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Stephen (Old Forge, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1994 <br />
| [[All-Merciful Saviour Monastery (Vashon Island, Washington)|Monastery of the All Merciful Savior (Vashon Island, WA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1997<br />
| [[Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, Georgia)|Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, GA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*Bogolepov, Alexander A. ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church''. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001.<br />
*Budzilovich, P.N. [http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html A Summary-View of the Three Previous ROCA Sobors], 2000<br />
*FitzGerald, Thomas E. ''The Orthodox Church''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998.<br />
*Lebedeff, Fr. Alexander. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America]<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-4th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 4th All-American Sobor] (1924)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 5th All-American Sobor] (1934)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 6th All-American Sobor] (1937)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 7th All-American Sobor] (1946)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-council Synopsis of the 5th All-American Council] (1977)<br />
*Matusiak, Fr. John. [http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*Maximovitch, St. John. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] (from ''The Orthodox Word'', 1971)<br />
*[[Andrew Phillips|Phillips, Fr. Andrew]]. [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm The Last Days of Rue Daru?], 2005<br />
*Rodzianko, M. [http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf ''The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad''], 1954 (tr. 1975)<br />
*Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Fr. Leonid. [http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994'']<br />
*Surrency, Archim. Serafim. ''The Quest for Orthodox Church Unity in America'', 1973<br />
*Woerl, Michael. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)]<br />
*Young, Fr. Alexey. ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology'', 1993<br />
<br />
===Parish histories===<br />
* [http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm History of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral] (Mayfield, PA)<br />
*[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html History of the Holy Orthodox Church: Part IV - Orthodoxy in Australia], [http://holytrinity-la.org/ Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church] (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ssppoc.org/news_071210_1.html ROCOR hierarch served Divine Liturgy in an OCA parish] first since the time of the Cleveland Sobor of 1946.<br />
===OCA===<br />
*[http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/fr-kishkovsky/rocor-mp-reconciliation ROCOR/MP Reconciliation], Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky<br />
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/oca-rocor-metropolitans-hierarchs-concelebrate-the-divine-liturgy-at-rocors OCA and ROCOR concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 70 years].<br />
<br />
===ROCOR===<br />
*[http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad], by M. Rodzianko<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)], a ROCOR layman critiques a history by an OCA bishop<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America], by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/briefhistory.html A Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 1922-1972], by Protopriest Sergii Shchukin<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20111212_ensynod.html backround] Statement by the Synod of Bishops, NEW YORK: December 10, 2011<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
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[[ro:ROCOR şi OCA]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=ROCOR_and_OCA&diff=128599ROCOR and OCA2020-07-13T20:05:27Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* Sources */ removing schismatic source</p>
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<div>[[Image:Tikhon of Moscow.jpg|right|thumb|St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]]]]<br />
'''The ROCOR and the OCA''' have a complicated history of cooperation, rivalry, and sometimes outright hostility. These two [[jurisdiction]]s, the '''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]''' (ROCOR) and the '''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''' (OCA), both have their origins in the [[Church of Russia]] (a.k.a. the ''Moscow Patriarchate'' or ''MP''), and their histories as clearly distinct and identifiable entities both stem from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the early 20th century.<br />
<br />
In examining this history, other names are used for the pre-1970 OCA, the ''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America'' (its official name) and the ''Metropolia'' (its common name). The ROCOR is also referred to as the ''Karlovtsy Synod'' (from its seminal [[All-Diaspora Councils#I All-Diaspora Council|formations in Serbia]]) or simply ''the Synod'', the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', or ''ROCA''.<br />
{{rocor-oca}}<br />
__TOC__<br />
==Prologue: Contrasts and Stereotypes==<br />
Numerous stereotypes exist regarding the ROCOR and the OCA. The ROCOR is monarchist ("white"), while the OCA is associated with Russian Communism ("red"). The OCA is modernist, but the ROCOR is traditionalist. The ROCOR is "Great Russian," while the OCA is "Little Russian." These stereotypes have their origins in the history of Russian Orthodoxy in the West, a history which, like much of the history of the Russians, is complex and often sad.<br />
<br />
The beginnings of the OCA and the ROCOR as distinct from the Church of Russia are in the early 20th century Soviet takeover of the Russian state. When the monarchy in Russia fell and the Church of Russia began being persecuted, a group of Russian [[bishop]]s fled from northern Russia, joining with some in the southern portion of the country and organizing themselves via meetings in Constantinople and Serbia. These came to be known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Metropolia, the Russian [[diocese]] in America, which was becoming increasingly less Russian and more Carpatho-Russian (with the reception of many thousands of former [[Uniate]]s under the leadership of St. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]), began a winding path toward independence from the jurisdiction of Moscow. The increasingly Carpatho-Russian/ex-Uniate character of the Metropolia is seen in its choice to name itself in 1906 as the ''Russian Orthodox '''Greek-Catholic''' Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church'' (emphasis added).<br />
<br />
Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]], who had previously been a bishop in America, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' on [[November 20]], 1920, declaring that the bishops of the Church of Russia were to see to their own organization until such time as communication with the central church administration could be coherently organized again. The Metropolia took this as a cue to declare in 1924 a state of "temporary self-government." From that point until 1970, the Church of Russia considered the Metropolia to be in [[schism]], and many of the other Orthodox churches regarded the Metropolia as uncanonical and avoided contact with it.<br />
<br />
The bishops which came to form the ROCOR took St. Tikhon's ''[[ukaz]]'' as the basis for their own self-administration, organizing themselves in 1920. Throughout the period of Soviet rule in Russia, the ROCOR regarded the Moscow Patriarchate as compromised and refrained from communion with it, still considering itself as an integral part of the Russian Church, notably the "free part."<br />
<br />
==1917-1946: A Tale of Two Histories==<br />
In examining the historical accounts published by both bodies, a notable discrepancy comes to the fore. The OCA's histories describe the OCA as being the direct heir to the original Russian missionary work in Alaska and thus as the heir to Russian jurisdiction in America, especially seeking to dissociate itself from the ROCOR. ROCOR historians, by contrast, consistently maintain that the Metropolia was an integral part of the ROCOR, recognizing its authority and canonicity, and that the OCA thus represents a [[schism]] from the ROCOR and subsequent capitulation to the Soviet-dominated Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
It can be extremely difficult for the historian to sort out the truth of the events of the years between the onset of Bolshevism in Russia and the final break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR in 1946, mainly because there are such disparate accounts of those events. Additionally, most accounts are polemical, and those which are less polemical and rely more on primary documents tend to be out of print.<br />
<br />
===1921-1926: Initial Cooperation===<br />
In Bp. [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory Afonsky]]'s book about the history of the OCA 1917-1934, he says that "The Metropolia... has never been part of the Karlovtsy Synod in Exile"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]. Concerning this time, the first period of the cooperation and then break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR, what is known is that there was some sort of cooperation starting in 1921. Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], who had previously led the Metroplia but had taken up a see in Odessa, Ukraine, succeeded Abp. [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as the leader of the North American flock in 1922.<br />
<br />
[[Image:John Maximovitch.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. [[John Maximovitch]]]]<br />
ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young, in his history of the ROCOR, writes: "In the early 1920s, the American Church came under the jurisdiction of the Administration Abroad, which took an active administrative role in overseeing its American 'branch'&mdash;particularly on disciplinary questions such as divorce and the establishment of a new See in Alaska" (Young, p. 33). Young then writes that Platon was appointed by the Church Abroad as the leader in North America, but unbeknownst to his fellows in the Synod, "was at the same time seeking official appointment directly from Patriarch Tikhon himself. When the Patriarch refused to interfere in the decision of the Church Abroad, saying he 'did not wish to go over their heads,' Platon suddenly produced an ''ukaz'', allegedly from Tikhon, appointing him as sole and independent head of the Church in America" (ibid.). Young continues, writing, that at first the ROCOR synod accepted the decree in good faith, but its authenticity was called severely into question when in 1924 "an actual decree from the Patriarch in Moscow deposed Platon 'for having engaged in public acts of counter-revolution directed against the Soviet government'" (ibid.). An American court also ruled subsequently that the ''ukaz'' produced by Platon was a forgery. "To deal with this embarrassment, Platon convoked the Detroit ''Sobor'' in April of the same year, with the purpose of declaring the Russian Church in America 'temporarily autonomous'&mdash;that is, free of ''both'' Moscow and Karlovci" (ibid.). This sobor is listed in the archives of the OCA as the "[[All-American Sobor#Fourth All-American Sobor|4th All-American Sobor]]."<br />
<br />
In 1926 in Karlovtsy, the ROCOR bishops met together. Platon was present and asked to renounce the "temporary autonomy" that had been proclaimed by his council in 1924. Upon his refusal, the assembled bishops condemned the Detroit sobor as "extremely dangerous and harmful for the interests of the Russian Church in America" (quoted in Young, p. 34). Platon responded with another sobor in America in January of 1927 which labelled the ROCOR as "uncanonical." One of Platon's bishops, [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], dissented, proclaiming his loyalty to the ROCOR, and was expelled from the Metropolia.<br />
<br />
That the Metropolia was part of the ROCOR during this period is attested to by St. [[John Maximovitch]] in his reference to the 1926 split: "Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad — and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether — of Metropolitans [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Evlogy]] and Platon with their followers, the Russian Orthdox [''sic''] Church Outside of Russia remains the free part of the Russian Church."[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx]<br />
<br />
===1926-1934: The Way Apart===<br />
[[Image:Platon Rozhdestvensky.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]]]<br />
In 1927, the ROCOR synod deposed Platon and appointed Apollinary to lead the American flock, and he had some success in persuading many parishes to accept his authority, including some 62 parishes in the 6 years of his governance until his death in 1933. The Russian church in America was generally "in a state of desolation and chaos, with many parishes closed, and 90 percent of the Russians now 'unchurched'" (Young, p. 35). During Apollinary's administration in America, 3 [[auxiliary bishop]]s were consecrated to assist him by the ROCOR. It was during this period that the parishes which would come to be distinctly defined as the ROCOR's American representation came to be identified.<br />
<br />
In 1929, Platon declared that he would be willing to make peace with the ROCOR synod so long as it recognized his authority and not Apollinary's for the governance of the North American flock. When the synod denied his terms, Platon went on a legal campaign to seize parishes and properties throughout North America from Apollinary's authority. Most of the court cases he brought forward failed. His position worsened when in 1933, Metr. [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the patriarchal throne in Moscow, declared the "temporary self-government" of the Metropolia to be utterly void and schismatic, suspending Platon and establishing the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]].<br />
<br />
In 1934, Platon died, being succeeded by Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]], who was almost immediately suspended in his turn by Moscow, continuing the period of Moscow's regard of the Metropolia as schismatic. After Platon's death, the ROCOR synod hoped that there could be meaningful reconciliation with the Metropolia, and thus Archimandrite [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]] was consecrated in Belgrade as bishop of Detroit and sent to America to make peace. "After much travel and careful study of the Church situation in America, Bishop Vitalii reported that the reason for the American division in the Church was 'Russian stupidity,' and he called for the restoration of 'unity, organization, and discipline'" (Young, p. 36). Because of his efforts, in 1934 the ROCOR synod as a gesture of goodwill lifted its ban against the Metropolia. The patriarch of Serbia then invited all Russian bishops to meet again in Serbia to iron out their differences.<br />
<br />
===1935-1946: Reintegration===<br />
[[Image:Karlovtsy 1935.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The "Karlovtsy Synod" meeting in Serbia in 1935. Seated (L to R): Metropolitans Theophilus (then primate of the Metropolia) and Anthony, Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitans Evlogy and Anastasy. Standing: Archbishops Theophan and Germogen, Bishop Dimitri.]]<br />
In 1935, Theophilus traveled to Serbia and met there with the ROCOR hierarchs, signing with them the "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad," which divided the ROCOR into four main districts, including North America with Theophilus as its primate. In describing the agreement, Theophilus told his flock in America that "the position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been strengthened by the unity and peace which have been obtained. Now we have only one center of Church administration in the Bishops' Synod in...Karlovci, where the American Metropolitan district [the Metropolia] will be represented by our elected representative" (quoted in Young, p. 36). Thus, from the point of view of the ROCOR, and certainly it would seem from the point of view of Metr. Theophilus, the Metropolia had again been reintegrated as a component part of the ROCOR.<br />
<br />
Upon this reintegration, the Metropolia hierarchs made the following declaration to their faithful:<br />
<br />
:With great joy, we inform you, beloved, that at our Bishop's ''Sobor'' in Pittsburgh, the 'Temporary Statue of the Russian Church Abroad,' worked out in November 1935 by our Hierarchs at the conference held under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia, Kyr Varnava, was unanimously accepted by all of us.... All of our Archpastors [the Metropolia bishops], headed by our Metropolitan [Theophilus], enter into the make-up of the Bishops' Council [in Karlovci] of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which is the highest ecclesiastical organ for our whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and which remains, at the same time, an inseparable part of the All-Russian Church [in the homeland] (quoted in Young, p. 41).<br />
<br />
[[Image:Theophilus Pashkovsky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]]]<br />
However, on the OCA website in the section regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Sixth All-American Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of 1937 in New York, the claim is made that the ROCOR actually was made part of the Metropolia, confirming a 1935 agreement made in Serbia between the Metropolia's primate and the ROCOR synod:<br />
<br />
:Moreover, Metropolitan THEOPHILUS had traveled to Serbia where, under the leadership of the Serbian Patriarch, an agreement was signed by the leading hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) along with other exiled Russian hierarchs throughout the world forging a peaceful coexistence. Under this agreement, the American Church was to retain her administrative autonomy while maintaining close relations with the ROCOR Synod and being accountable to it only in matters of faith. The parallel jurisdictions of the Metropolia and ROCOR were thus eliminated and the four ROCOR hierarchs in North America along with their clergy and parishes were integrated into the Metropolia. The vote of the Sixth Sobor on this loose affiliation with the ROCOR was as follows: 105 for, 9 against, 122 abstentions. The large number of abstentions reveals that there was much apprehension on this issue at the council. However, in approving the matter, the council delegates showed respect and obedience to Metropolitan THEOPHILUS' primatial leadership.[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor]<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
The website then goes on to describe this "integration" as merely a "loose affiliation," which seems to contradict the notion that the two bodies were truly integrated, eliminating "parallel jurisdictions" and making the Metropolia accountable to the ROCOR in matters of faith. On another portion of the website, regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Seventh All-American Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] in 1946, the relationship then being severed with the ROCOR is described as having been a "temporary arrangement"[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor].<br />
<br />
The nature of the association between the Metropolia and the ROCOR is characterized quite differently by ROCOR writers:<br />
<br />
:From 1920-1926 and 1935-1946 they recognized the authority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; that this is so is almost embarrassingly obvious and true [proof of this recognition of authority can be seen in the list of hierarchs in the Russian Desk Calendar Reference for 1941—see original article for copy of this page from the calendar—PB]. From 1946-1970 they were in effect under no one, for five bishops separated themselves from the ROCOR, but would not recognize the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had absolutely no claim to calling themselves an autocephalous Church. Fully aware of the illegitimacy of their position, in 1971 some prominent theologians of the OCA brokered a deal with the Moscow Patriarchate, one that even the other Patriarchates protested was an uncanonical move.[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]<br />
<br />
Additionally, there are a number of concrete facts to support this interpretation:<br />
<br />
:In 1935 Metr. Theophilus went to Sremsky Karlovits in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Patriarch of Serbia Barnabas and under his chairmanship an agreement was worked out dividing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad into four Metropolitan Districts: Eastern European with Metr. Anastassy as the ruling Hierarch, Western European with Metr. Evlogy as ruling Hierarch, North American with Metr. Theophilus as ruling Hierarch, and Far Eastern with Metr. Meletius (in Harbin) as ruling Hierarch... There has long been a debate as to whether Metr. Theophilus subordinated himself and the Metropolia to the Karlovits Synod by this agreement. On the principle that actions speak louder than words, note has to be taken of the fact that Bishops previously under the Exile Synod [in America] accepted the authority of Metr. Theophilus and by the same token Metr. Theophilus was very careful to follow the proper ecclesiastical protocol in asking permission of the Karlovits Synod to give the higher church awards to clergymen as well as in submitting regular reports on the life of the Church in America to Metr. Anastassy and finally in having representation up to World War II in the person of a Hierarch at the regular meetings of the Exile Synod. It is further a matter of fact that at no time did the Exile Synod see fit not to honour any of the requests of Metr. Theophilus (at the same time, in this period, there [was] no acid testing of the arrangement in terms of requesting permission for the consecration of a new bishop) (Surrency, p. 45).<br />
<br />
Permission to consecrate a hierarch for the Metropolia was eventually requested from the Synod Abroad, however:<br />
<br />
:...in a letter to Metr. Anastassy dated the 22nd of December 1945, permission was asked to consecrate Archimandrite John (Zlobin) as the new Bishop of Alaska. Permission for the consecration was received and it took place on the 10th of March (Orthodoxy Sunday) and the new Bishop promised obedience both to the Metropolia and to the Synod of Bishops Abroad (ibid., pp. 54-44).<br />
<br />
In 1946, a planned All-American Sobor of the Metropolia was planned to be held in Cleveland, and a month prior to its being held, a letter was published in the Russian-American Newspaper ''Novoye Russkoye Slovo'' in New York:<br />
<br />
:Popularly known as the Letter of the Five Professors, the document analyzed the position of the Metropolia and proposed a course of action. The authors recognized that the difficult position of the Metropolia was determined by two major facts. First, it had broken its ties with the Patriarchate of Moscow in 1933 and was viewed by the mother church as being in schism. Second, the Metropolia had subordinated itself to the Synod Abroad in 1937 (FitzGerald, 66).<br />
<br />
The letter went on to encourage a break with the ROCOR, especially because it had allegedly "lost ties with the universal Church" when it moved its headquarters from Serbia to Germany in 1944 (ibid., 67). As such, the Metropolia should part ways with the ROCOR and woo Moscow. The letter goes to on address the question of the nature of the relationship of the Metropolia to the ROCOR:<br />
<br />
:Subordinating ourselves to this Synod, our Church (the Metropolia) in substance subordinates itself to a group of bishops who really have no jurisdiction themselves. Because of this, some people are inclined to speak only of our cooperation with the Synod. This term "cooperation," however is not correct because the acts of 1936-1937 definitely subjected our Church under the Synod Abroad (quoted in FitzGerald, p. 67).<br />
<br />
The letter turned out to be decisively influential in the coming sobor in Cleveland.<br />
<br />
==1946-1970: Open Hostility==<br />
In November of 1946, at the famous Cleveland Sobor (the "7th All-American"), after a call from Moscow for the Metropolia to renew its loyalty, a vote was held which resulted in the Metropolia's separation from the ROCOR and which declared loyalty to the Patriarchate. The voters, comprised of clergy and laity, voted 187 to 61 to reunite with the Patriarchate in the USSR. The pro-ROCOR faction within the Metropolia was understandably furious, as they regarded the Patriarchate as still compromised by the Soviet power.<br />
<br />
The history of St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, describes the 1946 severence of ties between the Metropolia and the ROCOR as a split within one body:<br />
<br />
:In 1946, at the Cleveland Sobor, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia indicated that the church headquarters would be moved to New York. A split then occurred in the American Metropolia, and the decision was by approximately half of the bishops to disassociate with the Russian Synod Abroad.[http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm]<br />
<br />
The five bishops which refused to submit to the vote at the council&mdash;which had not been ratified by a Bishops' Council as protocol dictated, probably because doing so would have ended up with a vote against ratification, as the Council majority was pro-ROCOR&mdash;then received a letter from Theophilus indicating their exclusion from the Metropolia. <br />
<br />
Theophilus then made a semblance of entering into negotiations with Moscow's representative (Metr. Gregory of Leningrad), but whenever Gregory thought he might meet with Theophilus, the latter was strangely unavailable. Subsequently, Theophilus preached a sermon in San Francisco on [[August 7]], 1947, saying of Gregory: "You have probably heard and read that a certain Hierarch has come here. I tell you, beloved brethren, from this holy place that this envoy would greet us in order to violate our way of life, to abolish peace, to bring dissension and discord" (Surrency, p. 57). The rumor was further spread that Gregory was carrying with him some sort of heavy trunk, possibly an atomic bomb (ibid.). In October of that year, Theophilus held a council of his bishops declaring a postponing of "forming... canonical ties of the North American Orthodox Church with the Church and Patriarch of Moscow" and to "continue, as before, maintaining full autonomy in [our] church life as stipulated by the 7th All-American Sobor at Cleveland" (ibid., p. 58).<br />
<br />
The effect of the events of 1947-48 was to declare autonomy from the ROCOR and to have Moscow believe it was about to receive its North American diocese into its fold again only to be rebuffed without explanation. The Patriarchate subsequently declared the Metropolia again in schism and called the Metropolia bishops to answer before an ecclesiastical court for canonical violations and for declaring an anathema on one of its bishops, [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], who had decided to reunite with the Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
By contrast, in the OCA-sponsored book, [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994''], the authors state:<br />
<br />
:Canonically, the jurisdictional system of ethnic churches was never stable. New jurisdictions appeared every decade with disturbing regularity, existing jurisdictions separated from their canonical authorities and joined others. The notable exception was the Metropolia. Forced to declare itself temporarily "self-governing" in 1924 to preserve itself from Communist interference, the irregular status of the Metropolia was tacitly accepted by all Orthodox in America and abroad, with the exception of the Communist-controlled Russian Orthodox Church. [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH8]<br />
<br />
Fr. Andrew Philips, an English ROCOR historian, describes the 1946 split in this way, noting with some irony that the very church which refused the Metropolia recognition was the same one which gave it autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:After 1917, they first joined together with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. However, eventually after much hesitation, a small number of Russian bishops in North America cut themselves off from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and formed an independent but uncanonical group, called the Metropolia. In 1970 this group was given autocephaly (independence) by the still enslaved Church in Russia.[http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm]<br />
<br />
The question of the nature of the relationship between the ROCOR and the Metropolia during the period of 1917-1946 has significant bearing on the jurisdictional legitimacy of both the OCA and the ROCOR as they now exist. If they never had much more than a "loose association," then the OCA's argument for Orthodox primacy in America is strengthened, as it would never have been under any jurisdictional authority other than Moscow's or its own. The period from the 1920s until 1970 of tension between it and Moscow are simply a difficult period between a mission diocese and its mother church.<br />
<br />
If, however, the Metropolia was indeed part of the ROCOR, then its claims to being the direct heir of Russia's primacy in America are thrown into question, and the legitimacy of Moscow's grant of [[autocephaly]] to the OCA in 1970 has significant problems, in that it would be favoring a rogue jurisdiction which had switched allegiances multiple times and could be said to have been in schism from its legitimate canonical authority. Far from being a "notable exception" to the canonical authority-switching of various jurisdictions, the Metropolia had gone into schism from Moscow, joined the ROCOR, gone into schism from the ROCOR, rejoined it, then gone into schism from it again, eventually to receive canonical approval in 1970 from the church in Communist Russia.<br />
<br />
In 1963, Prof. Alexander Bogolepov, a teacher of canon law at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]], published his ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church'', which not only dedicated a whole chapter arguing against the legitimacy of the ROCOR but also stated that the 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" actually "meets all the necessary requirements for the establishment of an independent Autocephalous Church" (Bogolepov, p. 93). The propagation of Bogolepov's book had a major impact on the consciousness of the Metropolia, both in uniting it against the rival ROCOR and in galvanizing it for [[rapprochement]] and the grant of autocephaly from Moscow just a few years later.<br />
<br />
==1970: Autocephaly for the OCA==<br />
<br />
In October of 1970, the synod of the ROCOR sent the following declaration to the bishops of the Metropolia, in response to the news of the Moscow Patriarchate having granted them a Tomos of autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:It is impossible for the Moscow Patriarchate, under the complete control of the Soviet atheistic regime which has set for itself the goal of destroying all religion, to do anything which could be to the overall benefit of the Church and it must be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate cannot engage in foreign affairs without a direct order of the Soviet government.... It is not our intention to inflict upon you any hurt, but rather to give you again a brotherly warning of the danger now threatening you.... The Synod of Bishops [Abroad] has not forgotten that until very recently we and you were united in one Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.... We grieved when this unity was disrupted.... In your hearts you must all know that the Moscow Patriarchate in its present form is not the true representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.... There we are addressing you all, Bishops, Pastors, and Laity, for the last time. Let all other considerations fall. Return back to the unity of the free [Church] before it is too late (quoted in Young, p. 62).<br />
<br />
Young continues: "This appeal, as all the others since the Metropolia's second schism in 1946, went unheeded, although over the next dozen years a few Metropolia parishes returned to the Church Abroad" (ibid.). The negotiations with Moscow had been completed, and the Metropolia returned to communion with the Patriarchate and immediately received a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] from it.<br />
<br />
[[Image:OCA autocephaly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tomos of Autocephaly being received by Bishop [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Alaska]] (later Metropolitan of the OCA) on behalf of the Metropolia from Metropolitan Pimen, [[locum tenens]] of the Patriarchate of Moscow, [[May 18]], 1970.]]<br />
The ROCOR's 1971 reaction was thus as follows:<br />
<br />
:The Council of Bishops, having listened to the report of the Synod of Bishops concerning the so-called Metropolia's having received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, approves all the steps taken in due course by the Synod of Bishops to convince Metropolitan Irinei and his colleagues of the perniciousness of a step which deepens the division which was the result of the decision of the Cleveland Council of 1946 which broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.<br />
<br />
:The American Metropolia has received its autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, which has not possessed genuine canonical succession from His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon from the time when Metropolitan Sergii, who later called himself Patriarch, violated his oath with regard to Metropolitan Petr, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and set out upon a path which was then condemned by the senior hierarchs of the Church of Russia. Submitting all the more to the commands of the atheistic, anti-Christian regime, the Patriarchate of Moscow has ceased to be that which expresses the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, as the Synod of Bishops has correctly declared, none of its acts, including the bestowal of autocephaly upon the American Metropolia, has legal force. Furthermore, apart from this, this act, which affects the rights of many Churches, has elicited definite protests on the part of a number of Orthodox Churches, who have even severed communion with the American Metropolia.<br />
<br />
:Viewing this illicit act with sorrow, and acknowledging it to be null and void, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which has hitherto not abandoned hope for the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in America, sees in the declaration of American autocephaly a step which will lead the American Metropolia yet farther away from the ecclesiastical unity of the Church of Russia. Perceiving therein a great sin against the enslaved and suffering Church of Russia, the Council of Bishops ''DECIDES'': henceforth, neither the clergy nor the laity [of the Russian Church Abroad] are to have communion in prayer or the divine services with the hierarchy or clergy of the American Metropolia.[http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP3.htm]<br />
<br />
In the same year (1971) that the ROCOR issued its rejection of the OCA's autocephaly (following similar rejections by all the ancient patriarchates; see ''[[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]''), the OCA took under its jurisdiction a former ROCOR parish in Australia, thus creating another parallel jurisdiction in a nation outside the borders of the OCA:<br />
<br />
:As a result of a court case between a group of parishioners and the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), four of the Clergy and one parish, as well as groups of parishioners, broke away from ROCA. They applied to the Orthodox Church in America -- then known as the Metropolia -- to be taken under its protection. This was granted immediately.[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html#anchor557188]<br />
<br />
Thus, the rivalry between the ROCOR and the OCA became ever more strident, and the reception of autocephaly from Moscow by the OCA at the same time came to be seen by many Russians in the [[diaspora]] as a capitulation to the Soviet domination of the Russian Church, expressed, for instance, in these words by the famous writer [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (newly exiled in the West) in reaction to this act: "How can this be? Out of compassion for those in bondage, instead of knocking the chains off of them, to put them also upon oneself? Out of compassion for slaves, to bend one's own neck in submission beneath the yoke?"[http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html]<br />
<br />
As the ROCOR protested the action of the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA began distributing reports regarding the ROCOR denying that the Metropolia had ever been a part of it, that the ROCOR was "uncanonical," and that it should be avoided by OCA faithful. The OCA was joined in this effort by Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], whose [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] activities in the 1960s and 1970s had seen the departure of some of his scandalized clergy to the Church Abroad, including the whole of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. Up to that point, the Greek Archdiocese had been in [[full communion]] with the ROCOR.<br />
[[Image:St Basil Simpson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church (Simpson, PA), which has been in the [[Church of Russia|MP]], the [[OCA]], and the [[ROCOR]].]]<br />
<br />
==Early 1980s: The OCA Calendar Schism==<br />
In 1982, Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]], the OCA's bishop for Eastern Pennsylvania, decreed that all of his parishes would begin using the [[Revised Julian Calendar]]. Some were already using it, but others had been using the [[Julian Calendar]] steadily up to that point. <br />
<br />
As a result of this decree, internal schisms occurred in parishes throughout the diocese, particularly in the OCA heartland of the Wyoming Valley (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area). St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield broke completely from the OCA (having come to it in 1951 from the ROCOR), and two parishes split into two congregations, creating two new parishes in Old Forge (St. Stephen's, splitting from St. Michael's and building a new church) and Simpson (St. Basil's, keeping its building, while those remaining with the OCA found new worship space). In numerous other parishes, migrations occurred of faithful, segregating themselves according to calendar preference&mdash;those preferring the Julian Calendar went with ROCOR, while those choosing the revised calendar stayed with the OCA.<br />
<br />
This division further intensified hostile feelings between the OCA and the ROCOR, which was then entering into a phase of providing a haven for disaffected parishes and clergy seeking refuge from "modernist" jurisdictions. Much of that sort of behavior ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young ascribes to the influence of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]]'s incorporation into the Russian Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
==2001-present: Warming of Relations==<br />
[[Image:Bishops Peter and Nikolai.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] ([[ROCOR]]) and [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai]] ([[OCA]]) greet one another at an OCA episcopal consecration service in May 2005.]]<br />
Since the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York]] as First Hierarch of the ROCOR and that body's subsequent ongoing rapprochement with Moscow, signs have appeared of better relations between the OCA and ROCOR. Seminarians studying at OCA seminaries have attended retreats at the ROCOR's [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)]], and ROCOR seminarians have also participated in [[OISM]] events at OCA seminaries. The first member of the OCA to study at Holy Trinity Seminary, Vitaly Efimenkov, graduated in 2002. It is also worth noting that several graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary, upon receiving their Bachelor of Theology, went on to receive Masters Degrees from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]]. The most recent graduate of both Holy Trinity and St. Vladimir's is Andrei Psarev, instructor of Russian Church History at Holy Trinity. <br />
<br />
Warmly worded letters from the OCA hierarchy have also been sent to the ROCOR hierarchy.[http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=49&SID=12] Further, pilgrims from the ROCOR have visited the OCA [[metochion]] in Moscow [http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0118.htm] and Metropolitan Laurus has received representatives of the OCA for informal discussions.[http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0113.htm] Additionally, the OCA's [[chancellor]] and one of its senior priests have attended a banquet at a ROCOR [[clergy]] conference.[http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/53/OCA%20Chancellor.htm]<br />
===Parishes concelebrate===<br />
With the reconciliation of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in 2007, the ROCOR and the OCA have resumed full communion and clergy of both jurisdictions have [[concelebration|concelebrated]] in multiple areas; one area of note is Seattle, where clergy and communicants of thirteen area parishes concelebrated within a week of the canonical reunification (see this site [http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/pastevents/2007/washing_rocor.htm] for photos).<br />
<br />
On November 16, 2009, His Beatitude, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] (OCA) hosted His Eminence, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion]], (First Hierarch of ROCOR), at the [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|OCA Chancery]]. The two Metropolitans discussed the initiation of an official dialogue between the Orthodox Church in America and ROCOR and to study ways by which they might strengthen their relationship. During their meeting, the two Metropolitans concelebrated a Memorial Litiya for His Holiness, [[Pavel (Stojcevic) of Serbia|Patriarch Pavle of Serbia]], who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, November 15, 2009. This marked the first time that the Metropolitans of the OCA and ROCOR have served together since the mid-1930s.<br />
<br />
On October 5, 2010, a two day meeting of the members of the Joint Commission of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia opened at Saint Seraphim Church (ROCOR) in Sea Cliff NY. The Joint Commission met as a result of the directives of the OCA and ROCOR hierarchs to "discuss and resolve issues that have in the past stood in the way of full Eucharistic communion and to come to an understanding of how we can pray and work together in the future, said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary." OCA representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia]] and Eastern Pennsylvania; Archpriests Alexander Garklavs, Leonid Kishkovsky and John Erickson; and Igumen Alexander (Pihach). Mr. Alexis Liberovsky served as a consultant. ROCOR representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield|George of Mayfield]]; Archimandrite [[Luke (Murianka)]]; Archpriests Alexander Lebedeff and David Moser; and Priest Peter Jackson. Archpriest Seraphim Gan, ROCOR Chancellor, also was to be present.<br />
===Hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR concelebrate===<br />
On Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time. This was the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. Concelebrating with the Metropolitans was His Eminence, Archbishop [[Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Naro-Fominsk|Justinian of Naro-Fominsk]], Administrator of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in the USA|Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]].<br />
<br />
Other concelebrating ROCOR hierarchs were His Eminence, Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael of Geneva and Western Europe]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]]; His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York; and His Grace, Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York.<br />
<br />
OCA Holy Synod hierarchs who concelebrated were His Grace, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco and the West]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York and New Jersey]]; and His Grace, Bishop [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthais of Chicago and the Midwest]].<br />
<br />
<br />
==Timeline of Parish and Monastery Transfers==<br />
Throughout the mutual history of the ROCOR and the OCA, especially since the split in 1946, numerous communities have changed hands back and forth between the two bodies, usually following a dispute between the community and its bishop. Typically, not all parishioners switched jurisdictions together, and transfers usually were accompanied by a parish split, whether just a few individuals or a major portion of the parish. Below is a chart listing many of these transfers.<br />
<br />
{| border="1" class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%; text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:150%;" | ROCOR & OCA Community Transfers<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| '''Year'''<br />
| '''Community'''<br />
| '''From'''<br />
| '''To'''<br />
|-<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1951 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1964 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1970 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1971 <br />
| St. Nicholas Church (Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1972 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| OCA<br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1976 <br />
| Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill]] and the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile|Bulgarian Diocese]]:<br><br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Burton, MI)<br />
*St. Paul Cathedral (Dearborn Heights, MI)<br />
*St. Elia the Prophet Church (Akron, OH)<br />
*Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Lorain, OH)<br />
*St. George Cathedral (Rossford, OH)<br />
*Holy Ghost Church (Youngstown, OH)<br />
*St. John Rilski Church (Niagara Falls, ON)<br />
*St. George Church (Toronto, ON)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1977 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Basil the Great (Simpson, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Stephen (Old Forge, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1994 <br />
| [[All-Merciful Saviour Monastery (Vashon Island, Washington)|Monastery of the All Merciful Savior (Vashon Island, WA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1997<br />
| [[Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, Georgia)|Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, GA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*Bogolepov, Alexander A. ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church''. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001.<br />
*Budzilovich, P.N. [http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html A Summary-View of the Three Previous ROCA Sobors], 2000<br />
*FitzGerald, Thomas E. ''The Orthodox Church''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998.<br />
*Lebedeff, Fr. Alexander. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America]<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-4th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 4th All-American Sobor] (1924)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 5th All-American Sobor] (1934)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 6th All-American Sobor] (1937)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 7th All-American Sobor] (1946)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-council Synopsis of the 5th All-American Council] (1977)<br />
*Matusiak, Fr. John. [http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*Maximovitch, St. John. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] (from ''The Orthodox Word'', 1971)<br />
*[[Andrew Phillips|Phillips, Fr. Andrew]]. [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm The Last Days of Rue Daru?], 2005<br />
*Rodzianko, M. [http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf ''The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad''], 1954 (tr. 1975)<br />
*Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Fr. Leonid. [http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994'']<br />
*Surrency, Archim. Serafim. ''The Quest for Orthodox Church Unity in America'', 1973<br />
*Woerl, Michael. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)]<br />
*Young, Fr. Alexey. ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology'', 1993<br />
<br />
===Parish histories===<br />
* [http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm History of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral] (Mayfield, PA)<br />
*[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html History of the Holy Orthodox Church: Part IV - Orthodoxy in Australia], [http://holytrinity-la.org/ Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church] (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ssppoc.org/news_071210_1.html ROCOR hierarch served Divine Liturgy in an OCA parish] first since the time of the Cleveland Sobor of 1946.<br />
===OCA===<br />
*[http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/fr-kishkovsky/rocor-mp-reconciliation ROCOR/MP Reconciliation], Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky<br />
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/oca-rocor-metropolitans-hierarchs-concelebrate-the-divine-liturgy-at-rocors OCA and ROCOR concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 70 years].<br />
<br />
===ROCOR===<br />
*[http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad], by M. Rodzianko<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)], a ROCOR layman critiques a history by an OCA bishop<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America], by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/briefhistory.html A Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 1922-1972], by Protopriest Sergii Shchukin<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20111212_ensynod.html backround] Statement by the Synod of Bishops, NEW YORK: December 10, 2011<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:ROCOR şi OCA]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=ROCOR_and_OCA&diff=128598ROCOR and OCA2020-07-13T20:04:29Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* 1970: Autocephaly for the OCA */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Tikhon of Moscow.jpg|right|thumb|St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]]]]<br />
'''The ROCOR and the OCA''' have a complicated history of cooperation, rivalry, and sometimes outright hostility. These two [[jurisdiction]]s, the '''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]''' (ROCOR) and the '''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''' (OCA), both have their origins in the [[Church of Russia]] (a.k.a. the ''Moscow Patriarchate'' or ''MP''), and their histories as clearly distinct and identifiable entities both stem from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the early 20th century.<br />
<br />
In examining this history, other names are used for the pre-1970 OCA, the ''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America'' (its official name) and the ''Metropolia'' (its common name). The ROCOR is also referred to as the ''Karlovtsy Synod'' (from its seminal [[All-Diaspora Councils#I All-Diaspora Council|formations in Serbia]]) or simply ''the Synod'', the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', or ''ROCA''.<br />
{{rocor-oca}}<br />
__TOC__<br />
==Prologue: Contrasts and Stereotypes==<br />
Numerous stereotypes exist regarding the ROCOR and the OCA. The ROCOR is monarchist ("white"), while the OCA is associated with Russian Communism ("red"). The OCA is modernist, but the ROCOR is traditionalist. The ROCOR is "Great Russian," while the OCA is "Little Russian." These stereotypes have their origins in the history of Russian Orthodoxy in the West, a history which, like much of the history of the Russians, is complex and often sad.<br />
<br />
The beginnings of the OCA and the ROCOR as distinct from the Church of Russia are in the early 20th century Soviet takeover of the Russian state. When the monarchy in Russia fell and the Church of Russia began being persecuted, a group of Russian [[bishop]]s fled from northern Russia, joining with some in the southern portion of the country and organizing themselves via meetings in Constantinople and Serbia. These came to be known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Metropolia, the Russian [[diocese]] in America, which was becoming increasingly less Russian and more Carpatho-Russian (with the reception of many thousands of former [[Uniate]]s under the leadership of St. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]), began a winding path toward independence from the jurisdiction of Moscow. The increasingly Carpatho-Russian/ex-Uniate character of the Metropolia is seen in its choice to name itself in 1906 as the ''Russian Orthodox '''Greek-Catholic''' Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church'' (emphasis added).<br />
<br />
Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]], who had previously been a bishop in America, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' on [[November 20]], 1920, declaring that the bishops of the Church of Russia were to see to their own organization until such time as communication with the central church administration could be coherently organized again. The Metropolia took this as a cue to declare in 1924 a state of "temporary self-government." From that point until 1970, the Church of Russia considered the Metropolia to be in [[schism]], and many of the other Orthodox churches regarded the Metropolia as uncanonical and avoided contact with it.<br />
<br />
The bishops which came to form the ROCOR took St. Tikhon's ''[[ukaz]]'' as the basis for their own self-administration, organizing themselves in 1920. Throughout the period of Soviet rule in Russia, the ROCOR regarded the Moscow Patriarchate as compromised and refrained from communion with it, still considering itself as an integral part of the Russian Church, notably the "free part."<br />
<br />
==1917-1946: A Tale of Two Histories==<br />
In examining the historical accounts published by both bodies, a notable discrepancy comes to the fore. The OCA's histories describe the OCA as being the direct heir to the original Russian missionary work in Alaska and thus as the heir to Russian jurisdiction in America, especially seeking to dissociate itself from the ROCOR. ROCOR historians, by contrast, consistently maintain that the Metropolia was an integral part of the ROCOR, recognizing its authority and canonicity, and that the OCA thus represents a [[schism]] from the ROCOR and subsequent capitulation to the Soviet-dominated Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
It can be extremely difficult for the historian to sort out the truth of the events of the years between the onset of Bolshevism in Russia and the final break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR in 1946, mainly because there are such disparate accounts of those events. Additionally, most accounts are polemical, and those which are less polemical and rely more on primary documents tend to be out of print.<br />
<br />
===1921-1926: Initial Cooperation===<br />
In Bp. [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory Afonsky]]'s book about the history of the OCA 1917-1934, he says that "The Metropolia... has never been part of the Karlovtsy Synod in Exile"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]. Concerning this time, the first period of the cooperation and then break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR, what is known is that there was some sort of cooperation starting in 1921. Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], who had previously led the Metroplia but had taken up a see in Odessa, Ukraine, succeeded Abp. [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as the leader of the North American flock in 1922.<br />
<br />
[[Image:John Maximovitch.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. [[John Maximovitch]]]]<br />
ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young, in his history of the ROCOR, writes: "In the early 1920s, the American Church came under the jurisdiction of the Administration Abroad, which took an active administrative role in overseeing its American 'branch'&mdash;particularly on disciplinary questions such as divorce and the establishment of a new See in Alaska" (Young, p. 33). Young then writes that Platon was appointed by the Church Abroad as the leader in North America, but unbeknownst to his fellows in the Synod, "was at the same time seeking official appointment directly from Patriarch Tikhon himself. When the Patriarch refused to interfere in the decision of the Church Abroad, saying he 'did not wish to go over their heads,' Platon suddenly produced an ''ukaz'', allegedly from Tikhon, appointing him as sole and independent head of the Church in America" (ibid.). Young continues, writing, that at first the ROCOR synod accepted the decree in good faith, but its authenticity was called severely into question when in 1924 "an actual decree from the Patriarch in Moscow deposed Platon 'for having engaged in public acts of counter-revolution directed against the Soviet government'" (ibid.). An American court also ruled subsequently that the ''ukaz'' produced by Platon was a forgery. "To deal with this embarrassment, Platon convoked the Detroit ''Sobor'' in April of the same year, with the purpose of declaring the Russian Church in America 'temporarily autonomous'&mdash;that is, free of ''both'' Moscow and Karlovci" (ibid.). This sobor is listed in the archives of the OCA as the "[[All-American Sobor#Fourth All-American Sobor|4th All-American Sobor]]."<br />
<br />
In 1926 in Karlovtsy, the ROCOR bishops met together. Platon was present and asked to renounce the "temporary autonomy" that had been proclaimed by his council in 1924. Upon his refusal, the assembled bishops condemned the Detroit sobor as "extremely dangerous and harmful for the interests of the Russian Church in America" (quoted in Young, p. 34). Platon responded with another sobor in America in January of 1927 which labelled the ROCOR as "uncanonical." One of Platon's bishops, [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], dissented, proclaiming his loyalty to the ROCOR, and was expelled from the Metropolia.<br />
<br />
That the Metropolia was part of the ROCOR during this period is attested to by St. [[John Maximovitch]] in his reference to the 1926 split: "Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad — and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether — of Metropolitans [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Evlogy]] and Platon with their followers, the Russian Orthdox [''sic''] Church Outside of Russia remains the free part of the Russian Church."[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx]<br />
<br />
===1926-1934: The Way Apart===<br />
[[Image:Platon Rozhdestvensky.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]]]<br />
In 1927, the ROCOR synod deposed Platon and appointed Apollinary to lead the American flock, and he had some success in persuading many parishes to accept his authority, including some 62 parishes in the 6 years of his governance until his death in 1933. The Russian church in America was generally "in a state of desolation and chaos, with many parishes closed, and 90 percent of the Russians now 'unchurched'" (Young, p. 35). During Apollinary's administration in America, 3 [[auxiliary bishop]]s were consecrated to assist him by the ROCOR. It was during this period that the parishes which would come to be distinctly defined as the ROCOR's American representation came to be identified.<br />
<br />
In 1929, Platon declared that he would be willing to make peace with the ROCOR synod so long as it recognized his authority and not Apollinary's for the governance of the North American flock. When the synod denied his terms, Platon went on a legal campaign to seize parishes and properties throughout North America from Apollinary's authority. Most of the court cases he brought forward failed. His position worsened when in 1933, Metr. [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the patriarchal throne in Moscow, declared the "temporary self-government" of the Metropolia to be utterly void and schismatic, suspending Platon and establishing the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]].<br />
<br />
In 1934, Platon died, being succeeded by Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]], who was almost immediately suspended in his turn by Moscow, continuing the period of Moscow's regard of the Metropolia as schismatic. After Platon's death, the ROCOR synod hoped that there could be meaningful reconciliation with the Metropolia, and thus Archimandrite [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]] was consecrated in Belgrade as bishop of Detroit and sent to America to make peace. "After much travel and careful study of the Church situation in America, Bishop Vitalii reported that the reason for the American division in the Church was 'Russian stupidity,' and he called for the restoration of 'unity, organization, and discipline'" (Young, p. 36). Because of his efforts, in 1934 the ROCOR synod as a gesture of goodwill lifted its ban against the Metropolia. The patriarch of Serbia then invited all Russian bishops to meet again in Serbia to iron out their differences.<br />
<br />
===1935-1946: Reintegration===<br />
[[Image:Karlovtsy 1935.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The "Karlovtsy Synod" meeting in Serbia in 1935. Seated (L to R): Metropolitans Theophilus (then primate of the Metropolia) and Anthony, Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitans Evlogy and Anastasy. Standing: Archbishops Theophan and Germogen, Bishop Dimitri.]]<br />
In 1935, Theophilus traveled to Serbia and met there with the ROCOR hierarchs, signing with them the "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad," which divided the ROCOR into four main districts, including North America with Theophilus as its primate. In describing the agreement, Theophilus told his flock in America that "the position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been strengthened by the unity and peace which have been obtained. Now we have only one center of Church administration in the Bishops' Synod in...Karlovci, where the American Metropolitan district [the Metropolia] will be represented by our elected representative" (quoted in Young, p. 36). Thus, from the point of view of the ROCOR, and certainly it would seem from the point of view of Metr. Theophilus, the Metropolia had again been reintegrated as a component part of the ROCOR.<br />
<br />
Upon this reintegration, the Metropolia hierarchs made the following declaration to their faithful:<br />
<br />
:With great joy, we inform you, beloved, that at our Bishop's ''Sobor'' in Pittsburgh, the 'Temporary Statue of the Russian Church Abroad,' worked out in November 1935 by our Hierarchs at the conference held under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia, Kyr Varnava, was unanimously accepted by all of us.... All of our Archpastors [the Metropolia bishops], headed by our Metropolitan [Theophilus], enter into the make-up of the Bishops' Council [in Karlovci] of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which is the highest ecclesiastical organ for our whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and which remains, at the same time, an inseparable part of the All-Russian Church [in the homeland] (quoted in Young, p. 41).<br />
<br />
[[Image:Theophilus Pashkovsky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]]]<br />
However, on the OCA website in the section regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Sixth All-American Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of 1937 in New York, the claim is made that the ROCOR actually was made part of the Metropolia, confirming a 1935 agreement made in Serbia between the Metropolia's primate and the ROCOR synod:<br />
<br />
:Moreover, Metropolitan THEOPHILUS had traveled to Serbia where, under the leadership of the Serbian Patriarch, an agreement was signed by the leading hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) along with other exiled Russian hierarchs throughout the world forging a peaceful coexistence. Under this agreement, the American Church was to retain her administrative autonomy while maintaining close relations with the ROCOR Synod and being accountable to it only in matters of faith. The parallel jurisdictions of the Metropolia and ROCOR were thus eliminated and the four ROCOR hierarchs in North America along with their clergy and parishes were integrated into the Metropolia. The vote of the Sixth Sobor on this loose affiliation with the ROCOR was as follows: 105 for, 9 against, 122 abstentions. The large number of abstentions reveals that there was much apprehension on this issue at the council. However, in approving the matter, the council delegates showed respect and obedience to Metropolitan THEOPHILUS' primatial leadership.[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor]<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
The website then goes on to describe this "integration" as merely a "loose affiliation," which seems to contradict the notion that the two bodies were truly integrated, eliminating "parallel jurisdictions" and making the Metropolia accountable to the ROCOR in matters of faith. On another portion of the website, regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Seventh All-American Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] in 1946, the relationship then being severed with the ROCOR is described as having been a "temporary arrangement"[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor].<br />
<br />
The nature of the association between the Metropolia and the ROCOR is characterized quite differently by ROCOR writers:<br />
<br />
:From 1920-1926 and 1935-1946 they recognized the authority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; that this is so is almost embarrassingly obvious and true [proof of this recognition of authority can be seen in the list of hierarchs in the Russian Desk Calendar Reference for 1941—see original article for copy of this page from the calendar—PB]. From 1946-1970 they were in effect under no one, for five bishops separated themselves from the ROCOR, but would not recognize the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had absolutely no claim to calling themselves an autocephalous Church. Fully aware of the illegitimacy of their position, in 1971 some prominent theologians of the OCA brokered a deal with the Moscow Patriarchate, one that even the other Patriarchates protested was an uncanonical move.[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]<br />
<br />
Additionally, there are a number of concrete facts to support this interpretation:<br />
<br />
:In 1935 Metr. Theophilus went to Sremsky Karlovits in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Patriarch of Serbia Barnabas and under his chairmanship an agreement was worked out dividing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad into four Metropolitan Districts: Eastern European with Metr. Anastassy as the ruling Hierarch, Western European with Metr. Evlogy as ruling Hierarch, North American with Metr. Theophilus as ruling Hierarch, and Far Eastern with Metr. Meletius (in Harbin) as ruling Hierarch... There has long been a debate as to whether Metr. Theophilus subordinated himself and the Metropolia to the Karlovits Synod by this agreement. On the principle that actions speak louder than words, note has to be taken of the fact that Bishops previously under the Exile Synod [in America] accepted the authority of Metr. Theophilus and by the same token Metr. Theophilus was very careful to follow the proper ecclesiastical protocol in asking permission of the Karlovits Synod to give the higher church awards to clergymen as well as in submitting regular reports on the life of the Church in America to Metr. Anastassy and finally in having representation up to World War II in the person of a Hierarch at the regular meetings of the Exile Synod. It is further a matter of fact that at no time did the Exile Synod see fit not to honour any of the requests of Metr. Theophilus (at the same time, in this period, there [was] no acid testing of the arrangement in terms of requesting permission for the consecration of a new bishop) (Surrency, p. 45).<br />
<br />
Permission to consecrate a hierarch for the Metropolia was eventually requested from the Synod Abroad, however:<br />
<br />
:...in a letter to Metr. Anastassy dated the 22nd of December 1945, permission was asked to consecrate Archimandrite John (Zlobin) as the new Bishop of Alaska. Permission for the consecration was received and it took place on the 10th of March (Orthodoxy Sunday) and the new Bishop promised obedience both to the Metropolia and to the Synod of Bishops Abroad (ibid., pp. 54-44).<br />
<br />
In 1946, a planned All-American Sobor of the Metropolia was planned to be held in Cleveland, and a month prior to its being held, a letter was published in the Russian-American Newspaper ''Novoye Russkoye Slovo'' in New York:<br />
<br />
:Popularly known as the Letter of the Five Professors, the document analyzed the position of the Metropolia and proposed a course of action. The authors recognized that the difficult position of the Metropolia was determined by two major facts. First, it had broken its ties with the Patriarchate of Moscow in 1933 and was viewed by the mother church as being in schism. Second, the Metropolia had subordinated itself to the Synod Abroad in 1937 (FitzGerald, 66).<br />
<br />
The letter went on to encourage a break with the ROCOR, especially because it had allegedly "lost ties with the universal Church" when it moved its headquarters from Serbia to Germany in 1944 (ibid., 67). As such, the Metropolia should part ways with the ROCOR and woo Moscow. The letter goes to on address the question of the nature of the relationship of the Metropolia to the ROCOR:<br />
<br />
:Subordinating ourselves to this Synod, our Church (the Metropolia) in substance subordinates itself to a group of bishops who really have no jurisdiction themselves. Because of this, some people are inclined to speak only of our cooperation with the Synod. This term "cooperation," however is not correct because the acts of 1936-1937 definitely subjected our Church under the Synod Abroad (quoted in FitzGerald, p. 67).<br />
<br />
The letter turned out to be decisively influential in the coming sobor in Cleveland.<br />
<br />
==1946-1970: Open Hostility==<br />
In November of 1946, at the famous Cleveland Sobor (the "7th All-American"), after a call from Moscow for the Metropolia to renew its loyalty, a vote was held which resulted in the Metropolia's separation from the ROCOR and which declared loyalty to the Patriarchate. The voters, comprised of clergy and laity, voted 187 to 61 to reunite with the Patriarchate in the USSR. The pro-ROCOR faction within the Metropolia was understandably furious, as they regarded the Patriarchate as still compromised by the Soviet power.<br />
<br />
The history of St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, describes the 1946 severence of ties between the Metropolia and the ROCOR as a split within one body:<br />
<br />
:In 1946, at the Cleveland Sobor, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia indicated that the church headquarters would be moved to New York. A split then occurred in the American Metropolia, and the decision was by approximately half of the bishops to disassociate with the Russian Synod Abroad.[http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm]<br />
<br />
The five bishops which refused to submit to the vote at the council&mdash;which had not been ratified by a Bishops' Council as protocol dictated, probably because doing so would have ended up with a vote against ratification, as the Council majority was pro-ROCOR&mdash;then received a letter from Theophilus indicating their exclusion from the Metropolia. <br />
<br />
Theophilus then made a semblance of entering into negotiations with Moscow's representative (Metr. Gregory of Leningrad), but whenever Gregory thought he might meet with Theophilus, the latter was strangely unavailable. Subsequently, Theophilus preached a sermon in San Francisco on [[August 7]], 1947, saying of Gregory: "You have probably heard and read that a certain Hierarch has come here. I tell you, beloved brethren, from this holy place that this envoy would greet us in order to violate our way of life, to abolish peace, to bring dissension and discord" (Surrency, p. 57). The rumor was further spread that Gregory was carrying with him some sort of heavy trunk, possibly an atomic bomb (ibid.). In October of that year, Theophilus held a council of his bishops declaring a postponing of "forming... canonical ties of the North American Orthodox Church with the Church and Patriarch of Moscow" and to "continue, as before, maintaining full autonomy in [our] church life as stipulated by the 7th All-American Sobor at Cleveland" (ibid., p. 58).<br />
<br />
The effect of the events of 1947-48 was to declare autonomy from the ROCOR and to have Moscow believe it was about to receive its North American diocese into its fold again only to be rebuffed without explanation. The Patriarchate subsequently declared the Metropolia again in schism and called the Metropolia bishops to answer before an ecclesiastical court for canonical violations and for declaring an anathema on one of its bishops, [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], who had decided to reunite with the Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
By contrast, in the OCA-sponsored book, [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994''], the authors state:<br />
<br />
:Canonically, the jurisdictional system of ethnic churches was never stable. New jurisdictions appeared every decade with disturbing regularity, existing jurisdictions separated from their canonical authorities and joined others. The notable exception was the Metropolia. Forced to declare itself temporarily "self-governing" in 1924 to preserve itself from Communist interference, the irregular status of the Metropolia was tacitly accepted by all Orthodox in America and abroad, with the exception of the Communist-controlled Russian Orthodox Church. [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH8]<br />
<br />
Fr. Andrew Philips, an English ROCOR historian, describes the 1946 split in this way, noting with some irony that the very church which refused the Metropolia recognition was the same one which gave it autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:After 1917, they first joined together with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. However, eventually after much hesitation, a small number of Russian bishops in North America cut themselves off from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and formed an independent but uncanonical group, called the Metropolia. In 1970 this group was given autocephaly (independence) by the still enslaved Church in Russia.[http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm]<br />
<br />
The question of the nature of the relationship between the ROCOR and the Metropolia during the period of 1917-1946 has significant bearing on the jurisdictional legitimacy of both the OCA and the ROCOR as they now exist. If they never had much more than a "loose association," then the OCA's argument for Orthodox primacy in America is strengthened, as it would never have been under any jurisdictional authority other than Moscow's or its own. The period from the 1920s until 1970 of tension between it and Moscow are simply a difficult period between a mission diocese and its mother church.<br />
<br />
If, however, the Metropolia was indeed part of the ROCOR, then its claims to being the direct heir of Russia's primacy in America are thrown into question, and the legitimacy of Moscow's grant of [[autocephaly]] to the OCA in 1970 has significant problems, in that it would be favoring a rogue jurisdiction which had switched allegiances multiple times and could be said to have been in schism from its legitimate canonical authority. Far from being a "notable exception" to the canonical authority-switching of various jurisdictions, the Metropolia had gone into schism from Moscow, joined the ROCOR, gone into schism from the ROCOR, rejoined it, then gone into schism from it again, eventually to receive canonical approval in 1970 from the church in Communist Russia.<br />
<br />
In 1963, Prof. Alexander Bogolepov, a teacher of canon law at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]], published his ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church'', which not only dedicated a whole chapter arguing against the legitimacy of the ROCOR but also stated that the 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" actually "meets all the necessary requirements for the establishment of an independent Autocephalous Church" (Bogolepov, p. 93). The propagation of Bogolepov's book had a major impact on the consciousness of the Metropolia, both in uniting it against the rival ROCOR and in galvanizing it for [[rapprochement]] and the grant of autocephaly from Moscow just a few years later.<br />
<br />
==1970: Autocephaly for the OCA==<br />
<br />
In October of 1970, the synod of the ROCOR sent the following declaration to the bishops of the Metropolia, in response to the news of the Moscow Patriarchate having granted them a Tomos of autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:It is impossible for the Moscow Patriarchate, under the complete control of the Soviet atheistic regime which has set for itself the goal of destroying all religion, to do anything which could be to the overall benefit of the Church and it must be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate cannot engage in foreign affairs without a direct order of the Soviet government.... It is not our intention to inflict upon you any hurt, but rather to give you again a brotherly warning of the danger now threatening you.... The Synod of Bishops [Abroad] has not forgotten that until very recently we and you were united in one Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.... We grieved when this unity was disrupted.... In your hearts you must all know that the Moscow Patriarchate in its present form is not the true representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.... There we are addressing you all, Bishops, Pastors, and Laity, for the last time. Let all other considerations fall. Return back to the unity of the free [Church] before it is too late (quoted in Young, p. 62).<br />
<br />
Young continues: "This appeal, as all the others since the Metropolia's second schism in 1946, went unheeded, although over the next dozen years a few Metropolia parishes returned to the Church Abroad" (ibid.). The negotiations with Moscow had been completed, and the Metropolia returned to communion with the Patriarchate and immediately received a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] from it.<br />
<br />
[[Image:OCA autocephaly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tomos of Autocephaly being received by Bishop [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Alaska]] (later Metropolitan of the OCA) on behalf of the Metropolia from Metropolitan Pimen, [[locum tenens]] of the Patriarchate of Moscow, [[May 18]], 1970.]]<br />
The ROCOR's 1971 reaction was thus as follows:<br />
<br />
:The Council of Bishops, having listened to the report of the Synod of Bishops concerning the so-called Metropolia's having received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, approves all the steps taken in due course by the Synod of Bishops to convince Metropolitan Irinei and his colleagues of the perniciousness of a step which deepens the division which was the result of the decision of the Cleveland Council of 1946 which broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.<br />
<br />
:The American Metropolia has received its autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, which has not possessed genuine canonical succession from His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon from the time when Metropolitan Sergii, who later called himself Patriarch, violated his oath with regard to Metropolitan Petr, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and set out upon a path which was then condemned by the senior hierarchs of the Church of Russia. Submitting all the more to the commands of the atheistic, anti-Christian regime, the Patriarchate of Moscow has ceased to be that which expresses the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, as the Synod of Bishops has correctly declared, none of its acts, including the bestowal of autocephaly upon the American Metropolia, has legal force. Furthermore, apart from this, this act, which affects the rights of many Churches, has elicited definite protests on the part of a number of Orthodox Churches, who have even severed communion with the American Metropolia.<br />
<br />
:Viewing this illicit act with sorrow, and acknowledging it to be null and void, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which has hitherto not abandoned hope for the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in America, sees in the declaration of American autocephaly a step which will lead the American Metropolia yet farther away from the ecclesiastical unity of the Church of Russia. Perceiving therein a great sin against the enslaved and suffering Church of Russia, the Council of Bishops ''DECIDES'': henceforth, neither the clergy nor the laity [of the Russian Church Abroad] are to have communion in prayer or the divine services with the hierarchy or clergy of the American Metropolia.[http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP3.htm]<br />
<br />
In the same year (1971) that the ROCOR issued its rejection of the OCA's autocephaly (following similar rejections by all the ancient patriarchates; see ''[[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]''), the OCA took under its jurisdiction a former ROCOR parish in Australia, thus creating another parallel jurisdiction in a nation outside the borders of the OCA:<br />
<br />
:As a result of a court case between a group of parishioners and the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), four of the Clergy and one parish, as well as groups of parishioners, broke away from ROCA. They applied to the Orthodox Church in America -- then known as the Metropolia -- to be taken under its protection. This was granted immediately.[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html#anchor557188]<br />
<br />
Thus, the rivalry between the ROCOR and the OCA became ever more strident, and the reception of autocephaly from Moscow by the OCA at the same time came to be seen by many Russians in the [[diaspora]] as a capitulation to the Soviet domination of the Russian Church, expressed, for instance, in these words by the famous writer [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (newly exiled in the West) in reaction to this act: "How can this be? Out of compassion for those in bondage, instead of knocking the chains off of them, to put them also upon oneself? Out of compassion for slaves, to bend one's own neck in submission beneath the yoke?"[http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html]<br />
<br />
As the ROCOR protested the action of the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA began distributing reports regarding the ROCOR denying that the Metropolia had ever been a part of it, that the ROCOR was "uncanonical," and that it should be avoided by OCA faithful. The OCA was joined in this effort by Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], whose [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] activities in the 1960s and 1970s had seen the departure of some of his scandalized clergy to the Church Abroad, including the whole of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. Up to that point, the Greek Archdiocese had been in [[full communion]] with the ROCOR.<br />
[[Image:St Basil Simpson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church (Simpson, PA), which has been in the [[Church of Russia|MP]], the [[OCA]], and the [[ROCOR]].]]<br />
<br />
==Early 1980s: The OCA Calendar Schism==<br />
In 1982, Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]], the OCA's bishop for Eastern Pennsylvania, decreed that all of his parishes would begin using the [[Revised Julian Calendar]]. Some were already using it, but others had been using the [[Julian Calendar]] steadily up to that point. <br />
<br />
As a result of this decree, internal schisms occurred in parishes throughout the diocese, particularly in the OCA heartland of the Wyoming Valley (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area). St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield broke completely from the OCA (having come to it in 1951 from the ROCOR), and two parishes split into two congregations, creating two new parishes in Old Forge (St. Stephen's, splitting from St. Michael's and building a new church) and Simpson (St. Basil's, keeping its building, while those remaining with the OCA found new worship space). In numerous other parishes, migrations occurred of faithful, segregating themselves according to calendar preference&mdash;those preferring the Julian Calendar went with ROCOR, while those choosing the revised calendar stayed with the OCA.<br />
<br />
This division further intensified hostile feelings between the OCA and the ROCOR, which was then entering into a phase of providing a haven for disaffected parishes and clergy seeking refuge from "modernist" jurisdictions. Much of that sort of behavior ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young ascribes to the influence of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]]'s incorporation into the Russian Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
==2001-present: Warming of Relations==<br />
[[Image:Bishops Peter and Nikolai.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] ([[ROCOR]]) and [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai]] ([[OCA]]) greet one another at an OCA episcopal consecration service in May 2005.]]<br />
Since the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York]] as First Hierarch of the ROCOR and that body's subsequent ongoing rapprochement with Moscow, signs have appeared of better relations between the OCA and ROCOR. Seminarians studying at OCA seminaries have attended retreats at the ROCOR's [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)]], and ROCOR seminarians have also participated in [[OISM]] events at OCA seminaries. The first member of the OCA to study at Holy Trinity Seminary, Vitaly Efimenkov, graduated in 2002. It is also worth noting that several graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary, upon receiving their Bachelor of Theology, went on to receive Masters Degrees from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]]. The most recent graduate of both Holy Trinity and St. Vladimir's is Andrei Psarev, instructor of Russian Church History at Holy Trinity. <br />
<br />
Warmly worded letters from the OCA hierarchy have also been sent to the ROCOR hierarchy.[http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=49&SID=12] Further, pilgrims from the ROCOR have visited the OCA [[metochion]] in Moscow [http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0118.htm] and Metropolitan Laurus has received representatives of the OCA for informal discussions.[http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0113.htm] Additionally, the OCA's [[chancellor]] and one of its senior priests have attended a banquet at a ROCOR [[clergy]] conference.[http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/53/OCA%20Chancellor.htm]<br />
===Parishes concelebrate===<br />
With the reconciliation of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in 2007, the ROCOR and the OCA have resumed full communion and clergy of both jurisdictions have [[concelebration|concelebrated]] in multiple areas; one area of note is Seattle, where clergy and communicants of thirteen area parishes concelebrated within a week of the canonical reunification (see this site [http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/pastevents/2007/washing_rocor.htm] for photos).<br />
<br />
On November 16, 2009, His Beatitude, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] (OCA) hosted His Eminence, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion]], (First Hierarch of ROCOR), at the [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|OCA Chancery]]. The two Metropolitans discussed the initiation of an official dialogue between the Orthodox Church in America and ROCOR and to study ways by which they might strengthen their relationship. During their meeting, the two Metropolitans concelebrated a Memorial Litiya for His Holiness, [[Pavel (Stojcevic) of Serbia|Patriarch Pavle of Serbia]], who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, November 15, 2009. This marked the first time that the Metropolitans of the OCA and ROCOR have served together since the mid-1930s.<br />
<br />
On October 5, 2010, a two day meeting of the members of the Joint Commission of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia opened at Saint Seraphim Church (ROCOR) in Sea Cliff NY. The Joint Commission met as a result of the directives of the OCA and ROCOR hierarchs to "discuss and resolve issues that have in the past stood in the way of full Eucharistic communion and to come to an understanding of how we can pray and work together in the future, said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary." OCA representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia]] and Eastern Pennsylvania; Archpriests Alexander Garklavs, Leonid Kishkovsky and John Erickson; and Igumen Alexander (Pihach). Mr. Alexis Liberovsky served as a consultant. ROCOR representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield|George of Mayfield]]; Archimandrite [[Luke (Murianka)]]; Archpriests Alexander Lebedeff and David Moser; and Priest Peter Jackson. Archpriest Seraphim Gan, ROCOR Chancellor, also was to be present.<br />
===Hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR concelebrate===<br />
On Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time. This was the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. Concelebrating with the Metropolitans was His Eminence, Archbishop [[Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Naro-Fominsk|Justinian of Naro-Fominsk]], Administrator of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in the USA|Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]].<br />
<br />
Other concelebrating ROCOR hierarchs were His Eminence, Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael of Geneva and Western Europe]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]]; His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York; and His Grace, Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York.<br />
<br />
OCA Holy Synod hierarchs who concelebrated were His Grace, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco and the West]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York and New Jersey]]; and His Grace, Bishop [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthais of Chicago and the Midwest]].<br />
<br />
<br />
==Timeline of Parish and Monastery Transfers==<br />
Throughout the mutual history of the ROCOR and the OCA, especially since the split in 1946, numerous communities have changed hands back and forth between the two bodies, usually following a dispute between the community and its bishop. Typically, not all parishioners switched jurisdictions together, and transfers usually were accompanied by a parish split, whether just a few individuals or a major portion of the parish. Below is a chart listing many of these transfers.<br />
<br />
{| border="1" class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%; text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:150%;" | ROCOR & OCA Community Transfers<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| '''Year'''<br />
| '''Community'''<br />
| '''From'''<br />
| '''To'''<br />
|-<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1951 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1964 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1970 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1971 <br />
| St. Nicholas Church (Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1972 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| OCA<br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1976 <br />
| Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill]] and the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile|Bulgarian Diocese]]:<br><br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Burton, MI)<br />
*St. Paul Cathedral (Dearborn Heights, MI)<br />
*St. Elia the Prophet Church (Akron, OH)<br />
*Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Lorain, OH)<br />
*St. George Cathedral (Rossford, OH)<br />
*Holy Ghost Church (Youngstown, OH)<br />
*St. John Rilski Church (Niagara Falls, ON)<br />
*St. George Church (Toronto, ON)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1977 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Basil the Great (Simpson, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Stephen (Old Forge, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1994 <br />
| [[All-Merciful Saviour Monastery (Vashon Island, Washington)|Monastery of the All Merciful Savior (Vashon Island, WA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1997<br />
| [[Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, Georgia)|Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, GA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*Bogolepov, Alexander A. ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church''. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001.<br />
*Budzilovich, P.N. [http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html A Summary-View of the Three Previous ROCA Sobors], 2000<br />
*FitzGerald, Thomas E. ''The Orthodox Church''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998.<br />
*Lebedeff, Fr. Alexander. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America]<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-4th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 4th All-American Sobor] (1924)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 5th All-American Sobor] (1934)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 6th All-American Sobor] (1937)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 7th All-American Sobor] (1946)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-council Synopsis of the 5th All-American Council] (1977)<br />
*Matusiak, Fr. John. [http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*Maximovitch, St. John. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] (from ''The Orthodox Word'', 1971)<br />
*Moss, Vladimir. [http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP1.htm ''The Orthodox Church in the Twentieth Century'']<br />
*[[Andrew Phillips|Phillips, Fr. Andrew]]. [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm The Last Days of Rue Daru?], 2005<br />
*Rodzianko, M. [http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf ''The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad''], 1954 (tr. 1975)<br />
*Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Fr. Leonid. [http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994'']<br />
*Surrency, Archim. Serafim. ''The Quest for Orthodox Church Unity in America'', 1973<br />
*Woerl, Michael. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)]<br />
*Young, Fr. Alexey. ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology'', 1993<br />
<br />
===Parish histories===<br />
* [http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm History of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral] (Mayfield, PA)<br />
*[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html History of the Holy Orthodox Church: Part IV - Orthodoxy in Australia], [http://holytrinity-la.org/ Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church] (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ssppoc.org/news_071210_1.html ROCOR hierarch served Divine Liturgy in an OCA parish] first since the time of the Cleveland Sobor of 1946.<br />
===OCA===<br />
*[http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/fr-kishkovsky/rocor-mp-reconciliation ROCOR/MP Reconciliation], Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky<br />
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/oca-rocor-metropolitans-hierarchs-concelebrate-the-divine-liturgy-at-rocors OCA and ROCOR concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 70 years].<br />
<br />
===ROCOR===<br />
*[http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad], by M. Rodzianko<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)], a ROCOR layman critiques a history by an OCA bishop<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America], by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/briefhistory.html A Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 1922-1972], by Protopriest Sergii Shchukin<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20111212_ensynod.html backround] Statement by the Synod of Bishops, NEW YORK: December 10, 2011<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:ROCOR şi OCA]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=ROCOR_and_OCA&diff=128597ROCOR and OCA2020-07-13T20:02:59Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* 1970: Autocephaly for the OCA */ removing material from a schismatic author</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Tikhon of Moscow.jpg|right|thumb|St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]]]]<br />
'''The ROCOR and the OCA''' have a complicated history of cooperation, rivalry, and sometimes outright hostility. These two [[jurisdiction]]s, the '''[[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]''' (ROCOR) and the '''[[Orthodox Church in America]]''' (OCA), both have their origins in the [[Church of Russia]] (a.k.a. the ''Moscow Patriarchate'' or ''MP''), and their histories as clearly distinct and identifiable entities both stem from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the early 20th century.<br />
<br />
In examining this history, other names are used for the pre-1970 OCA, the ''Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America'' (its official name) and the ''Metropolia'' (its common name). The ROCOR is also referred to as the ''Karlovtsy Synod'' (from its seminal [[All-Diaspora Councils#I All-Diaspora Council|formations in Serbia]]) or simply ''the Synod'', the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', or ''ROCA''.<br />
{{rocor-oca}}<br />
__TOC__<br />
==Prologue: Contrasts and Stereotypes==<br />
Numerous stereotypes exist regarding the ROCOR and the OCA. The ROCOR is monarchist ("white"), while the OCA is associated with Russian Communism ("red"). The OCA is modernist, but the ROCOR is traditionalist. The ROCOR is "Great Russian," while the OCA is "Little Russian." These stereotypes have their origins in the history of Russian Orthodoxy in the West, a history which, like much of the history of the Russians, is complex and often sad.<br />
<br />
The beginnings of the OCA and the ROCOR as distinct from the Church of Russia are in the early 20th century Soviet takeover of the Russian state. When the monarchy in Russia fell and the Church of Russia began being persecuted, a group of Russian [[bishop]]s fled from northern Russia, joining with some in the southern portion of the country and organizing themselves via meetings in Constantinople and Serbia. These came to be known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Metropolia, the Russian [[diocese]] in America, which was becoming increasingly less Russian and more Carpatho-Russian (with the reception of many thousands of former [[Uniate]]s under the leadership of St. [[Alexis of Wilkes-Barre]]), began a winding path toward independence from the jurisdiction of Moscow. The increasingly Carpatho-Russian/ex-Uniate character of the Metropolia is seen in its choice to name itself in 1906 as the ''Russian Orthodox '''Greek-Catholic''' Church in North America under the Hierarchy of the Russian Church'' (emphasis added).<br />
<br />
Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]], who had previously been a bishop in America, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' on [[November 20]], 1920, declaring that the bishops of the Church of Russia were to see to their own organization until such time as communication with the central church administration could be coherently organized again. The Metropolia took this as a cue to declare in 1924 a state of "temporary self-government." From that point until 1970, the Church of Russia considered the Metropolia to be in [[schism]], and many of the other Orthodox churches regarded the Metropolia as uncanonical and avoided contact with it.<br />
<br />
The bishops which came to form the ROCOR took St. Tikhon's ''[[ukaz]]'' as the basis for their own self-administration, organizing themselves in 1920. Throughout the period of Soviet rule in Russia, the ROCOR regarded the Moscow Patriarchate as compromised and refrained from communion with it, still considering itself as an integral part of the Russian Church, notably the "free part."<br />
<br />
==1917-1946: A Tale of Two Histories==<br />
In examining the historical accounts published by both bodies, a notable discrepancy comes to the fore. The OCA's histories describe the OCA as being the direct heir to the original Russian missionary work in Alaska and thus as the heir to Russian jurisdiction in America, especially seeking to dissociate itself from the ROCOR. ROCOR historians, by contrast, consistently maintain that the Metropolia was an integral part of the ROCOR, recognizing its authority and canonicity, and that the OCA thus represents a [[schism]] from the ROCOR and subsequent capitulation to the Soviet-dominated Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
It can be extremely difficult for the historian to sort out the truth of the events of the years between the onset of Bolshevism in Russia and the final break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR in 1946, mainly because there are such disparate accounts of those events. Additionally, most accounts are polemical, and those which are less polemical and rely more on primary documents tend to be out of print.<br />
<br />
===1921-1926: Initial Cooperation===<br />
In Bp. [[Gregory (Afonsky) of Sitka|Gregory Afonsky]]'s book about the history of the OCA 1917-1934, he says that "The Metropolia... has never been part of the Karlovtsy Synod in Exile"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]. Concerning this time, the first period of the cooperation and then break between the Metropolia and the ROCOR, what is known is that there was some sort of cooperation starting in 1921. Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]], who had previously led the Metroplia but had taken up a see in Odessa, Ukraine, succeeded Abp. [[Alexander (Nemolovsky) of the Aleutians|Alexander (Nemolovsky)]] as the leader of the North American flock in 1922.<br />
<br />
[[Image:John Maximovitch.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. [[John Maximovitch]]]]<br />
ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young, in his history of the ROCOR, writes: "In the early 1920s, the American Church came under the jurisdiction of the Administration Abroad, which took an active administrative role in overseeing its American 'branch'&mdash;particularly on disciplinary questions such as divorce and the establishment of a new See in Alaska" (Young, p. 33). Young then writes that Platon was appointed by the Church Abroad as the leader in North America, but unbeknownst to his fellows in the Synod, "was at the same time seeking official appointment directly from Patriarch Tikhon himself. When the Patriarch refused to interfere in the decision of the Church Abroad, saying he 'did not wish to go over their heads,' Platon suddenly produced an ''ukaz'', allegedly from Tikhon, appointing him as sole and independent head of the Church in America" (ibid.). Young continues, writing, that at first the ROCOR synod accepted the decree in good faith, but its authenticity was called severely into question when in 1924 "an actual decree from the Patriarch in Moscow deposed Platon 'for having engaged in public acts of counter-revolution directed against the Soviet government'" (ibid.). An American court also ruled subsequently that the ''ukaz'' produced by Platon was a forgery. "To deal with this embarrassment, Platon convoked the Detroit ''Sobor'' in April of the same year, with the purpose of declaring the Russian Church in America 'temporarily autonomous'&mdash;that is, free of ''both'' Moscow and Karlovci" (ibid.). This sobor is listed in the archives of the OCA as the "[[All-American Sobor#Fourth All-American Sobor|4th All-American Sobor]]."<br />
<br />
In 1926 in Karlovtsy, the ROCOR bishops met together. Platon was present and asked to renounce the "temporary autonomy" that had been proclaimed by his council in 1924. Upon his refusal, the assembled bishops condemned the Detroit sobor as "extremely dangerous and harmful for the interests of the Russian Church in America" (quoted in Young, p. 34). Platon responded with another sobor in America in January of 1927 which labelled the ROCOR as "uncanonical." One of Platon's bishops, [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]], dissented, proclaiming his loyalty to the ROCOR, and was expelled from the Metropolia.<br />
<br />
That the Metropolia was part of the ROCOR during this period is attested to by St. [[John Maximovitch]] in his reference to the 1926 split: "Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad — and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether — of Metropolitans [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Evlogy]] and Platon with their followers, the Russian Orthdox [''sic''] Church Outside of Russia remains the free part of the Russian Church."[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx]<br />
<br />
===1926-1934: The Way Apart===<br />
[[Image:Platon Rozhdestvensky.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Metr. [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]]]<br />
In 1927, the ROCOR synod deposed Platon and appointed Apollinary to lead the American flock, and he had some success in persuading many parishes to accept his authority, including some 62 parishes in the 6 years of his governance until his death in 1933. The Russian church in America was generally "in a state of desolation and chaos, with many parishes closed, and 90 percent of the Russians now 'unchurched'" (Young, p. 35). During Apollinary's administration in America, 3 [[auxiliary bishop]]s were consecrated to assist him by the ROCOR. It was during this period that the parishes which would come to be distinctly defined as the ROCOR's American representation came to be identified.<br />
<br />
In 1929, Platon declared that he would be willing to make peace with the ROCOR synod so long as it recognized his authority and not Apollinary's for the governance of the North American flock. When the synod denied his terms, Platon went on a legal campaign to seize parishes and properties throughout North America from Apollinary's authority. Most of the court cases he brought forward failed. His position worsened when in 1933, Metr. [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]], ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the patriarchal throne in Moscow, declared the "temporary self-government" of the Metropolia to be utterly void and schismatic, suspending Platon and establishing the [[Russian Exarchate of North America]].<br />
<br />
In 1934, Platon died, being succeeded by Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]], who was almost immediately suspended in his turn by Moscow, continuing the period of Moscow's regard of the Metropolia as schismatic. After Platon's death, the ROCOR synod hoped that there could be meaningful reconciliation with the Metropolia, and thus Archimandrite [[Vitaly (Maximenko) of Jersey City|Vitaly (Maximenko)]] was consecrated in Belgrade as bishop of Detroit and sent to America to make peace. "After much travel and careful study of the Church situation in America, Bishop Vitalii reported that the reason for the American division in the Church was 'Russian stupidity,' and he called for the restoration of 'unity, organization, and discipline'" (Young, p. 36). Because of his efforts, in 1934 the ROCOR synod as a gesture of goodwill lifted its ban against the Metropolia. The patriarch of Serbia then invited all Russian bishops to meet again in Serbia to iron out their differences.<br />
<br />
===1935-1946: Reintegration===<br />
[[Image:Karlovtsy 1935.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The "Karlovtsy Synod" meeting in Serbia in 1935. Seated (L to R): Metropolitans Theophilus (then primate of the Metropolia) and Anthony, Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitans Evlogy and Anastasy. Standing: Archbishops Theophan and Germogen, Bishop Dimitri.]]<br />
In 1935, Theophilus traveled to Serbia and met there with the ROCOR hierarchs, signing with them the "Temporary Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad," which divided the ROCOR into four main districts, including North America with Theophilus as its primate. In describing the agreement, Theophilus told his flock in America that "the position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been strengthened by the unity and peace which have been obtained. Now we have only one center of Church administration in the Bishops' Synod in...Karlovci, where the American Metropolitan district [the Metropolia] will be represented by our elected representative" (quoted in Young, p. 36). Thus, from the point of view of the ROCOR, and certainly it would seem from the point of view of Metr. Theophilus, the Metropolia had again been reintegrated as a component part of the ROCOR.<br />
<br />
Upon this reintegration, the Metropolia hierarchs made the following declaration to their faithful:<br />
<br />
:With great joy, we inform you, beloved, that at our Bishop's ''Sobor'' in Pittsburgh, the 'Temporary Statue of the Russian Church Abroad,' worked out in November 1935 by our Hierarchs at the conference held under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia, Kyr Varnava, was unanimously accepted by all of us.... All of our Archpastors [the Metropolia bishops], headed by our Metropolitan [Theophilus], enter into the make-up of the Bishops' Council [in Karlovci] of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which is the highest ecclesiastical organ for our whole Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and which remains, at the same time, an inseparable part of the All-Russian Church [in the homeland] (quoted in Young, p. 41).<br />
<br />
[[Image:Theophilus Pashkovsky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Metr. [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus (Pashkovsky)]]]]<br />
However, on the OCA website in the section regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Sixth All-American Sobor|6th All-American Sobor]] of 1937 in New York, the claim is made that the ROCOR actually was made part of the Metropolia, confirming a 1935 agreement made in Serbia between the Metropolia's primate and the ROCOR synod:<br />
<br />
:Moreover, Metropolitan THEOPHILUS had traveled to Serbia where, under the leadership of the Serbian Patriarch, an agreement was signed by the leading hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) along with other exiled Russian hierarchs throughout the world forging a peaceful coexistence. Under this agreement, the American Church was to retain her administrative autonomy while maintaining close relations with the ROCOR Synod and being accountable to it only in matters of faith. The parallel jurisdictions of the Metropolia and ROCOR were thus eliminated and the four ROCOR hierarchs in North America along with their clergy and parishes were integrated into the Metropolia. The vote of the Sixth Sobor on this loose affiliation with the ROCOR was as follows: 105 for, 9 against, 122 abstentions. The large number of abstentions reveals that there was much apprehension on this issue at the council. However, in approving the matter, the council delegates showed respect and obedience to Metropolitan THEOPHILUS' primatial leadership.[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor]<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
The website then goes on to describe this "integration" as merely a "loose affiliation," which seems to contradict the notion that the two bodies were truly integrated, eliminating "parallel jurisdictions" and making the Metropolia accountable to the ROCOR in matters of faith. On another portion of the website, regarding the [[All-American Sobor#Seventh All-American Sobor|7th All-American Sobor]] in 1946, the relationship then being severed with the ROCOR is described as having been a "temporary arrangement"[http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor].<br />
<br />
The nature of the association between the Metropolia and the ROCOR is characterized quite differently by ROCOR writers:<br />
<br />
:From 1920-1926 and 1935-1946 they recognized the authority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; that this is so is almost embarrassingly obvious and true [proof of this recognition of authority can be seen in the list of hierarchs in the Russian Desk Calendar Reference for 1941—see original article for copy of this page from the calendar—PB]. From 1946-1970 they were in effect under no one, for five bishops separated themselves from the ROCOR, but would not recognize the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had absolutely no claim to calling themselves an autocephalous Church. Fully aware of the illegitimacy of their position, in 1971 some prominent theologians of the OCA brokered a deal with the Moscow Patriarchate, one that even the other Patriarchates protested was an uncanonical move.[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx]<br />
<br />
Additionally, there are a number of concrete facts to support this interpretation:<br />
<br />
:In 1935 Metr. Theophilus went to Sremsky Karlovits in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Patriarch of Serbia Barnabas and under his chairmanship an agreement was worked out dividing the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad into four Metropolitan Districts: Eastern European with Metr. Anastassy as the ruling Hierarch, Western European with Metr. Evlogy as ruling Hierarch, North American with Metr. Theophilus as ruling Hierarch, and Far Eastern with Metr. Meletius (in Harbin) as ruling Hierarch... There has long been a debate as to whether Metr. Theophilus subordinated himself and the Metropolia to the Karlovits Synod by this agreement. On the principle that actions speak louder than words, note has to be taken of the fact that Bishops previously under the Exile Synod [in America] accepted the authority of Metr. Theophilus and by the same token Metr. Theophilus was very careful to follow the proper ecclesiastical protocol in asking permission of the Karlovits Synod to give the higher church awards to clergymen as well as in submitting regular reports on the life of the Church in America to Metr. Anastassy and finally in having representation up to World War II in the person of a Hierarch at the regular meetings of the Exile Synod. It is further a matter of fact that at no time did the Exile Synod see fit not to honour any of the requests of Metr. Theophilus (at the same time, in this period, there [was] no acid testing of the arrangement in terms of requesting permission for the consecration of a new bishop) (Surrency, p. 45).<br />
<br />
Permission to consecrate a hierarch for the Metropolia was eventually requested from the Synod Abroad, however:<br />
<br />
:...in a letter to Metr. Anastassy dated the 22nd of December 1945, permission was asked to consecrate Archimandrite John (Zlobin) as the new Bishop of Alaska. Permission for the consecration was received and it took place on the 10th of March (Orthodoxy Sunday) and the new Bishop promised obedience both to the Metropolia and to the Synod of Bishops Abroad (ibid., pp. 54-44).<br />
<br />
In 1946, a planned All-American Sobor of the Metropolia was planned to be held in Cleveland, and a month prior to its being held, a letter was published in the Russian-American Newspaper ''Novoye Russkoye Slovo'' in New York:<br />
<br />
:Popularly known as the Letter of the Five Professors, the document analyzed the position of the Metropolia and proposed a course of action. The authors recognized that the difficult position of the Metropolia was determined by two major facts. First, it had broken its ties with the Patriarchate of Moscow in 1933 and was viewed by the mother church as being in schism. Second, the Metropolia had subordinated itself to the Synod Abroad in 1937 (FitzGerald, 66).<br />
<br />
The letter went on to encourage a break with the ROCOR, especially because it had allegedly "lost ties with the universal Church" when it moved its headquarters from Serbia to Germany in 1944 (ibid., 67). As such, the Metropolia should part ways with the ROCOR and woo Moscow. The letter goes to on address the question of the nature of the relationship of the Metropolia to the ROCOR:<br />
<br />
:Subordinating ourselves to this Synod, our Church (the Metropolia) in substance subordinates itself to a group of bishops who really have no jurisdiction themselves. Because of this, some people are inclined to speak only of our cooperation with the Synod. This term "cooperation," however is not correct because the acts of 1936-1937 definitely subjected our Church under the Synod Abroad (quoted in FitzGerald, p. 67).<br />
<br />
The letter turned out to be decisively influential in the coming sobor in Cleveland.<br />
<br />
==1946-1970: Open Hostility==<br />
In November of 1946, at the famous Cleveland Sobor (the "7th All-American"), after a call from Moscow for the Metropolia to renew its loyalty, a vote was held which resulted in the Metropolia's separation from the ROCOR and which declared loyalty to the Patriarchate. The voters, comprised of clergy and laity, voted 187 to 61 to reunite with the Patriarchate in the USSR. The pro-ROCOR faction within the Metropolia was understandably furious, as they regarded the Patriarchate as still compromised by the Soviet power.<br />
<br />
The history of St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, describes the 1946 severence of ties between the Metropolia and the ROCOR as a split within one body:<br />
<br />
:In 1946, at the Cleveland Sobor, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia indicated that the church headquarters would be moved to New York. A split then occurred in the American Metropolia, and the decision was by approximately half of the bishops to disassociate with the Russian Synod Abroad.[http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm]<br />
<br />
The five bishops which refused to submit to the vote at the council&mdash;which had not been ratified by a Bishops' Council as protocol dictated, probably because doing so would have ended up with a vote against ratification, as the Council majority was pro-ROCOR&mdash;then received a letter from Theophilus indicating their exclusion from the Metropolia. <br />
<br />
Theophilus then made a semblance of entering into negotiations with Moscow's representative (Metr. Gregory of Leningrad), but whenever Gregory thought he might meet with Theophilus, the latter was strangely unavailable. Subsequently, Theophilus preached a sermon in San Francisco on [[August 7]], 1947, saying of Gregory: "You have probably heard and read that a certain Hierarch has come here. I tell you, beloved brethren, from this holy place that this envoy would greet us in order to violate our way of life, to abolish peace, to bring dissension and discord" (Surrency, p. 57). The rumor was further spread that Gregory was carrying with him some sort of heavy trunk, possibly an atomic bomb (ibid.). In October of that year, Theophilus held a council of his bishops declaring a postponing of "forming... canonical ties of the North American Orthodox Church with the Church and Patriarch of Moscow" and to "continue, as before, maintaining full autonomy in [our] church life as stipulated by the 7th All-American Sobor at Cleveland" (ibid., p. 58).<br />
<br />
The effect of the events of 1947-48 was to declare autonomy from the ROCOR and to have Moscow believe it was about to receive its North American diocese into its fold again only to be rebuffed without explanation. The Patriarchate subsequently declared the Metropolia again in schism and called the Metropolia bishops to answer before an ecclesiastical court for canonical violations and for declaring an anathema on one of its bishops, [[Makary (Ilyinsky) of New York|Makary (Ilyinsky)]], who had decided to reunite with the Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
By contrast, in the OCA-sponsored book, [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994''], the authors state:<br />
<br />
:Canonically, the jurisdictional system of ethnic churches was never stable. New jurisdictions appeared every decade with disturbing regularity, existing jurisdictions separated from their canonical authorities and joined others. The notable exception was the Metropolia. Forced to declare itself temporarily "self-governing" in 1924 to preserve itself from Communist interference, the irregular status of the Metropolia was tacitly accepted by all Orthodox in America and abroad, with the exception of the Communist-controlled Russian Orthodox Church. [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH8]<br />
<br />
Fr. Andrew Philips, an English ROCOR historian, describes the 1946 split in this way, noting with some irony that the very church which refused the Metropolia recognition was the same one which gave it autocephaly:<br />
<br />
:After 1917, they first joined together with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. However, eventually after much hesitation, a small number of Russian bishops in North America cut themselves off from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and formed an independent but uncanonical group, called the Metropolia. In 1970 this group was given autocephaly (independence) by the still enslaved Church in Russia.[http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm]<br />
<br />
The question of the nature of the relationship between the ROCOR and the Metropolia during the period of 1917-1946 has significant bearing on the jurisdictional legitimacy of both the OCA and the ROCOR as they now exist. If they never had much more than a "loose association," then the OCA's argument for Orthodox primacy in America is strengthened, as it would never have been under any jurisdictional authority other than Moscow's or its own. The period from the 1920s until 1970 of tension between it and Moscow are simply a difficult period between a mission diocese and its mother church.<br />
<br />
If, however, the Metropolia was indeed part of the ROCOR, then its claims to being the direct heir of Russia's primacy in America are thrown into question, and the legitimacy of Moscow's grant of [[autocephaly]] to the OCA in 1970 has significant problems, in that it would be favoring a rogue jurisdiction which had switched allegiances multiple times and could be said to have been in schism from its legitimate canonical authority. Far from being a "notable exception" to the canonical authority-switching of various jurisdictions, the Metropolia had gone into schism from Moscow, joined the ROCOR, gone into schism from the ROCOR, rejoined it, then gone into schism from it again, eventually to receive canonical approval in 1970 from the church in Communist Russia.<br />
<br />
In 1963, Prof. Alexander Bogolepov, a teacher of canon law at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]], published his ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church'', which not only dedicated a whole chapter arguing against the legitimacy of the ROCOR but also stated that the 1924 declaration of "temporary self-government" actually "meets all the necessary requirements for the establishment of an independent Autocephalous Church" (Bogolepov, p. 93). The propagation of Bogolepov's book had a major impact on the consciousness of the Metropolia, both in uniting it against the rival ROCOR and in galvanizing it for [[rapprochement]] and the grant of autocephaly from Moscow just a few years later.<br />
<br />
==1970: Autocephaly for the OCA==<br />
<br />
In October of 1970, the synod of the ROCOR sent the following declaration to the bishops of the Metropolia:<br />
<br />
:It is impossible for the Moscow Patriarchate, under the complete control of the Soviet atheistic regime which has set for itself the goal of destroying all religion, to do anything which could be to the overall benefit of the Church and it must be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate cannot engage in foreign affairs without a direct order of the Soviet government.... It is not our intention to inflict upon you any hurt, but rather to give you again a brotherly warning of the danger now threatening you.... The Synod of Bishops [Abroad] has not forgotten that until very recently we and you were united in one Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.... We grieved when this unity was disrupted.... In your hearts you must all know that the Moscow Patriarchate in its present form is not the true representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.... There we are addressing you all, Bishops, Pastors, and Laity, for the last time. Let all other considerations fall. Return back to the unity of the free [Church] before it is too late (quoted in Young, p. 62).<br />
<br />
Young continues: "This appeal, as all the others since the Metropolia's second schism in 1946, went unheeded, although over the next dozen years a few Metropolia parishes returned to the Church Abroad" (ibid.). The negotiations with Moscow had been completed, and the Metropolia returned to communion with the Patriarchate and immediately received a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] from it.<br />
<br />
[[Image:OCA autocephaly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tomos of Autocephaly being received by Bishop [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius of Alaska]] (later Metropolitan of the OCA) on behalf of the Metropolia from Metropolitan Pimen, [[locum tenens]] of the Patriarchate of Moscow, [[May 18]], 1970.]]<br />
The ROCOR's 1971 reaction was thus as follows:<br />
<br />
:The Council of Bishops, having listened to the report of the Synod of Bishops concerning the so-called Metropolia's having received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, approves all the steps taken in due course by the Synod of Bishops to convince Metropolitan Irinei and his colleagues of the perniciousness of a step which deepens the division which was the result of the decision of the Cleveland Council of 1946 which broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.<br />
<br />
:The American Metropolia has received its autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Moscow, which has not possessed genuine canonical succession from His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon from the time when Metropolitan Sergii, who later called himself Patriarch, violated his oath with regard to Metropolitan Petr, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and set out upon a path which was then condemned by the senior hierarchs of the Church of Russia. Submitting all the more to the commands of the atheistic, anti-Christian regime, the Patriarchate of Moscow has ceased to be that which expresses the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this reason, as the Synod of Bishops has correctly declared, none of its acts, including the bestowal of autocephaly upon the American Metropolia, has legal force. Furthermore, apart from this, this act, which affects the rights of many Churches, has elicited definite protests on the part of a number of Orthodox Churches, who have even severed communion with the American Metropolia.<br />
<br />
:Viewing this illicit act with sorrow, and acknowledging it to be null and void, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which has hitherto not abandoned hope for the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in America, sees in the declaration of American autocephaly a step which will lead the American Metropolia yet farther away from the ecclesiastical unity of the Church of Russia. Perceiving therein a great sin against the enslaved and suffering Church of Russia, the Council of Bishops ''DECIDES'': henceforth, neither the clergy nor the laity [of the Russian Church Abroad] are to have communion in prayer or the divine services with the hierarchy or clergy of the American Metropolia.[http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP3.htm]<br />
<br />
In the same year (1971) that the ROCOR issued its rejection of the OCA's autocephaly (following similar rejections by all the ancient patriarchates; see ''[[Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly]]''), the OCA took under its jurisdiction a former ROCOR parish in Australia, thus creating another parallel jurisdiction in a nation outside the borders of the OCA:<br />
<br />
:As a result of a court case between a group of parishioners and the Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), four of the Clergy and one parish, as well as groups of parishioners, broke away from ROCA. They applied to the Orthodox Church in America -- then known as the Metropolia -- to be taken under its protection. This was granted immediately.[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html#anchor557188]<br />
<br />
Thus, the rivalry between the ROCOR and the OCA became ever more strident, and the reception of autocephaly from Moscow by the OCA at the same time came to be seen by many Russians in the [[diaspora]] as a capitulation to the Soviet domination of the Russian Church, expressed, for instance, in these words by the famous writer [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (newly exiled in the West) in reaction to this act: "How can this be? Out of compassion for those in bondage, instead of knocking the chains off of them, to put them also upon oneself? Out of compassion for slaves, to bend one's own neck in submission beneath the yoke?"[http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html]<br />
<br />
As the ROCOR protested the action of the Moscow Patriarchate, the OCA began distributing reports regarding the ROCOR denying that the Metropolia had ever been a part of it, that the ROCOR was "uncanonical," and that it should be avoided by OCA faithful. The OCA was joined in this effort by Abp. [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America|Iakovos (Coucouzis)]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]], whose [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] activities in the 1960s and 1970s had seen the departure of some of his scandalized clergy to the Church Abroad, including the whole of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. Up to that point, the Greek Archdiocese had been in [[full communion]] with the ROCOR.<br />
[[Image:St Basil Simpson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|St. Basil the Great Russian Orthodox Church (Simpson, PA), which has been in the [[Church of Russia|MP]], the [[OCA]], and the [[ROCOR]].]]<br />
<br />
==Early 1980s: The OCA Calendar Schism==<br />
In 1982, Bishop [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko) of Philadelphia]], the OCA's bishop for Eastern Pennsylvania, decreed that all of his parishes would begin using the [[Revised Julian Calendar]]. Some were already using it, but others had been using the [[Julian Calendar]] steadily up to that point. <br />
<br />
As a result of this decree, internal schisms occurred in parishes throughout the diocese, particularly in the OCA heartland of the Wyoming Valley (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area). St. John's Cathedral in Mayfield broke completely from the OCA (having come to it in 1951 from the ROCOR), and two parishes split into two congregations, creating two new parishes in Old Forge (St. Stephen's, splitting from St. Michael's and building a new church) and Simpson (St. Basil's, keeping its building, while those remaining with the OCA found new worship space). In numerous other parishes, migrations occurred of faithful, segregating themselves according to calendar preference&mdash;those preferring the Julian Calendar went with ROCOR, while those choosing the revised calendar stayed with the OCA.<br />
<br />
This division further intensified hostile feelings between the OCA and the ROCOR, which was then entering into a phase of providing a haven for disaffected parishes and clergy seeking refuge from "modernist" jurisdictions. Much of that sort of behavior ROCOR historian Fr. Alexey Young ascribes to the influence of [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]]'s incorporation into the Russian Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
==2001-present: Warming of Relations==<br />
[[Image:Bishops Peter and Nikolai.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bishops [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter]] ([[ROCOR]]) and [[Nikolai (Soraich) of Sitka|Nikolai]] ([[OCA]]) greet one another at an OCA episcopal consecration service in May 2005.]]<br />
Since the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York]] as First Hierarch of the ROCOR and that body's subsequent ongoing rapprochement with Moscow, signs have appeared of better relations between the OCA and ROCOR. Seminarians studying at OCA seminaries have attended retreats at the ROCOR's [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)]], and ROCOR seminarians have also participated in [[OISM]] events at OCA seminaries. The first member of the OCA to study at Holy Trinity Seminary, Vitaly Efimenkov, graduated in 2002. It is also worth noting that several graduates of Holy Trinity Seminary, upon receiving their Bachelor of Theology, went on to receive Masters Degrees from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]]. The most recent graduate of both Holy Trinity and St. Vladimir's is Andrei Psarev, instructor of Russian Church History at Holy Trinity. <br />
<br />
Warmly worded letters from the OCA hierarchy have also been sent to the ROCOR hierarchy.[http://www.oca.org/Docs.asp?ID=49&SID=12] Further, pilgrims from the ROCOR have visited the OCA [[metochion]] in Moscow [http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0118.htm] and Metropolitan Laurus has received representatives of the OCA for informal discussions.[http://www.st-catherine.ru/en/news/0113.htm] Additionally, the OCA's [[chancellor]] and one of its senior priests have attended a banquet at a ROCOR [[clergy]] conference.[http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/53/OCA%20Chancellor.htm]<br />
===Parishes concelebrate===<br />
With the reconciliation of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate in 2007, the ROCOR and the OCA have resumed full communion and clergy of both jurisdictions have [[concelebration|concelebrated]] in multiple areas; one area of note is Seattle, where clergy and communicants of thirteen area parishes concelebrated within a week of the canonical reunification (see this site [http://www.antiochianladiocese.org/pastevents/2007/washing_rocor.htm] for photos).<br />
<br />
On November 16, 2009, His Beatitude, [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Metropolitan Jonah]] (OCA) hosted His Eminence, [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Metropolitan Hilarion]], (First Hierarch of ROCOR), at the [[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|OCA Chancery]]. The two Metropolitans discussed the initiation of an official dialogue between the Orthodox Church in America and ROCOR and to study ways by which they might strengthen their relationship. During their meeting, the two Metropolitans concelebrated a Memorial Litiya for His Holiness, [[Pavel (Stojcevic) of Serbia|Patriarch Pavle of Serbia]], who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, November 15, 2009. This marked the first time that the Metropolitans of the OCA and ROCOR have served together since the mid-1930s.<br />
<br />
On October 5, 2010, a two day meeting of the members of the Joint Commission of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia opened at Saint Seraphim Church (ROCOR) in Sea Cliff NY. The Joint Commission met as a result of the directives of the OCA and ROCOR hierarchs to "discuss and resolve issues that have in the past stood in the way of full Eucharistic communion and to come to an understanding of how we can pray and work together in the future, said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary." OCA representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia]] and Eastern Pennsylvania; Archpriests Alexander Garklavs, Leonid Kishkovsky and John Erickson; and Igumen Alexander (Pihach). Mr. Alexis Liberovsky served as a consultant. ROCOR representatives included His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield|George of Mayfield]]; Archimandrite [[Luke (Murianka)]]; Archpriests Alexander Lebedeff and David Moser; and Priest Peter Jackson. Archpriest Seraphim Gan, ROCOR Chancellor, also was to be present.<br />
===Hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR concelebrate===<br />
On Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time. This was the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. Concelebrating with the Metropolitans was His Eminence, Archbishop [[Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Naro-Fominsk|Justinian of Naro-Fominsk]], Administrator of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in the USA|Patriarchal Parishes in the USA]].<br />
<br />
Other concelebrating ROCOR hierarchs were His Eminence, Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]; His Eminence, Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel of Montreal and Canada]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael of Geneva and Western Europe]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]]; His Grace, Bishop [[George (Schaefer) of Mayfield]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York; and His Grace, Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]], Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York.<br />
<br />
OCA Holy Synod hierarchs who concelebrated were His Grace, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of San Francisco and the West]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia|Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania]]; His Grace, Bishop [[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael of New York and New Jersey]]; and His Grace, Bishop [[Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago|Matthais of Chicago and the Midwest]].<br />
<br />
<br />
==Timeline of Parish and Monastery Transfers==<br />
Throughout the mutual history of the ROCOR and the OCA, especially since the split in 1946, numerous communities have changed hands back and forth between the two bodies, usually following a dispute between the community and its bishop. Typically, not all parishioners switched jurisdictions together, and transfers usually were accompanied by a parish split, whether just a few individuals or a major portion of the parish. Below is a chart listing many of these transfers.<br />
<br />
{| border="1" class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%; text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:150%;" | ROCOR & OCA Community Transfers<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| '''Year'''<br />
| '''Community'''<br />
| '''From'''<br />
| '''To'''<br />
|-<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1951 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1964 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| ROCOR <br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1970 <br />
| Protection of the Holy Virgin (Ottawa, Canada) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1971 <br />
| St. Nicholas Church (Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1972 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| OCA<br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1976 <br />
| Bp. [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill]] and the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile|Bulgarian Diocese]]:<br><br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
*St. Nicholas Church (Burton, MI)<br />
*St. Paul Cathedral (Dearborn Heights, MI)<br />
*St. Elia the Prophet Church (Akron, OH)<br />
*Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church (Lorain, OH)<br />
*St. George Cathedral (Rossford, OH)<br />
*Holy Ghost Church (Youngstown, OH)<br />
*St. John Rilski Church (Niagara Falls, ON)<br />
*St. George Church (Toronto, ON)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1977 <br />
| Holy Ghost Church (Bridgeport, CT)<br />
| ROCOR<br />
| OCA<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Mayfield, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Basil the Great (Simpson, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1982 <br />
| St. Stephen (Old Forge, PA) <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1994 <br />
| [[All-Merciful Saviour Monastery (Vashon Island, Washington)|Monastery of the All Merciful Savior (Vashon Island, WA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|- style="vertical-align: top;"<br />
| 1997<br />
| [[Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, Georgia)|Monastery of the Glorious Ascension (Resaca, GA)]] <br />
| OCA <br />
| ROCOR<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*Bogolepov, Alexander A. ''Toward an American Orthodox Church: The Establishment of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church''. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001.<br />
*Budzilovich, P.N. [http://gnisios.narod.ru/rocorsobors.html A Summary-View of the Three Previous ROCA Sobors], 2000<br />
*FitzGerald, Thomas E. ''The Orthodox Church''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998.<br />
*Lebedeff, Fr. Alexander. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America]<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-4th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 4th All-American Sobor] (1924)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 5th All-American Sobor] (1934)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-6th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 6th All-American Sobor] (1937)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-7th-all-american-sobor Synopsis of the 7th All-American Sobor] (1946)<br />
*Liberovsky, Alexis. [http://oca.org/history-archives/aacs/the-5th-all-american-council Synopsis of the 5th All-American Council] (1977)<br />
*Matusiak, Fr. John. [http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*Maximovitch, St. John. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] (from ''The Orthodox Word'', 1971)<br />
*Moss, Vladimir. [http://uk.geocities.com/guildfordian2002/History/OrthodoxChurch20thCenturyP1.htm ''The Orthodox Church in the Twentieth Century'']<br />
*[[Andrew Phillips|Phillips, Fr. Andrew]]. [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/ruedaru.htm The Last Days of Rue Daru?], 2005<br />
*Rodzianko, M. [http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf ''The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad''], 1954 (tr. 1975)<br />
*Stokoe, Mark and Kishkovsky, Fr. Leonid. [http://oca.org/history-archives/orthodox-christians-na ''Orthodox Christians in North America 1794 - 1994'']<br />
*Surrency, Archim. Serafim. ''The Quest for Orthodox Church Unity in America'', 1973<br />
*Woerl, Michael. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)]<br />
*Young, Fr. Alexey. ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology'', 1993<br />
<br />
===Parish histories===<br />
* [http://www.stjohnsroc.org/History.htm History of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral] (Mayfield, PA)<br />
*[http://holytrinity-la.org/engl/pages/general/hist4.html History of the Holy Orthodox Church: Part IV - Orthodoxy in Australia], [http://holytrinity-la.org/ Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church] (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ssppoc.org/news_071210_1.html ROCOR hierarch served Divine Liturgy in an OCA parish] first since the time of the Cleveland Sobor of 1946.<br />
===OCA===<br />
*[http://oca.org/questions/namerica/russian-orthodox-church-in-america Q&A: Russian Orthodox Church in America]<br />
*[http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/fr-kishkovsky/rocor-mp-reconciliation ROCOR/MP Reconciliation], Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky<br />
*[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/oca-rocor-metropolitans-hierarchs-concelebrate-the-divine-liturgy-at-rocors OCA and ROCOR concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 70 years].<br />
<br />
===ROCOR===<br />
*[http://www.monasterypress.com/anonftp/pub/Rocatruth.pdf The Truth About the Russian Church Abroad], by M. Rodzianko<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/bookrev_woerl.aspx Book Review: A History of the Orthodox Church in America (1917-1934)], a ROCOR layman critiques a history by an OCA bishop<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/amer_jur.aspx Orthodox Jurisdictions in America], by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/briefhistory.html A Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 1922-1972], by Protopriest Sergii Shchukin<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20111212_ensynod.html backround] Statement by the Synod of Bishops, NEW YORK: December 10, 2011<br />
<br />
[[Category:Church History]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:ROCOR şi OCA]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=New_Martyrs_of_Butovo&diff=127761New Martyrs of Butovo2020-05-05T18:12:18Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''[[New Martyrs]] of Butovo''' were Orthodox faithful who were [[martyr]]ed at the Butovo Shooting Range during Stalin's purges of the mid 1930s.<br />
<br />
Seventeen miles south of Moscow, there is a place that is known as the Butovo Shooting Range, which was an execution ground and mass burial site near the village of Butovo, used by the Soviets during Stalin's purges. This site is often referred to as the "Russian Golgotha".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/world/europe/08butovo.html?fta=y New York Times: Former Killing Ground Becomes Shrine to Stalin’s Victims], Sophia Kishkovsky, June 8, 2007</ref> Executions took place there on an industrial scale during the Great Terror. On some days they executed 500 people or more. Records show that 20,765 people were executed and buried at Butovo between August 1937 and October 1938, during the peak of Stalin's repressions, of that number, about 1,000 people were known to have been executed because of their Orthodox faith. There is now a church dedicated to the New Martyrs on the site.<ref>[http://www.bath-orthodox.org.uk/html/new_martyrs_of_russia.html The New Martyrs of Russia, Mother Sarah, March 2007]</ref> In 2004, [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Patriarch Alexei II]], and [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Metropolitan Laurus]] jointly laid the cornerstone of this Church, which was the first joint liturgical action of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad since the 1920's, and on May 19th, 2007, they consecrated the Church together, two days after the signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]], which formally reconciled the two parts of the Russian Church.<ref>Dmitry Solovyov,<br />
[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070519-0522-russia-church-.html Reuters: Unified Russian church honours Soviet era martyrs], May 19, 2007; see also this account of the consecration of the Church at Butovo, which includes video of the service:[http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2007/05/moscow-trip-part-4.html Fr. John Whiteford: Moscow Trip, Part 4].</ref> The Synaxis of the Martyrs of Butovo is celebrated on the 4th Saturday after Pascha.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
*[http://www.martyr.ru/ New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Parish Web site, Butovo, Russia (in Russian)]<br />
*[https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2007/05/moscow-trip-part-4.html An account of the consecration of the Church of the New Martyrs at Butovo]<br />
*[http://www.pravmir.com/synaxis-of-the-new-martyrs-of-butovo/ The Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Butovo]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Russian Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Saints]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=New_Martyrs_of_Butovo&diff=127760New Martyrs of Butovo2020-05-05T18:11:25Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Removing a dead link and adding a good one</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''[[New Martyrs]] of Butovo''' were Orthodox faithful who were [[martyr]]ed at the Butovo Shooting Range during Stalin's purges of the mid 1930s.<br />
<br />
Seventeen miles south of Moscow, there is a place that is known as the Butovo Shooting Range, which was an execution ground and mass burial site near the village of Butovo, used by the Soviets during Stalin's purges. This site is often referred to as the "Russian Golgotha".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/world/europe/08butovo.html?fta=y New York Times: Former Killing Ground Becomes Shrine to Stalin’s Victims], Sophia Kishkovsky, June 8, 2007</ref> Executions took place there on an industrial scale during the Great Terror. On some days they executed 500 people or more. Records show that 20,765 people were executed and buried at Butovo between August 1937 and October 1938, during the peak of Stalin's repressions, of that number, about 1,000 people were known to have been executed because of their Orthodox faith. There is now a church dedicated to the New Martyrs on the site.<ref>[http://www.bath-orthodox.org.uk/html/new_martyrs_of_russia.html The New Martyrs of Russia, Mother Sarah, March 2007]</ref> In 2004, [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Patriarch Alexei II]], and [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Metropolitan Laurus]] jointly laid the cornerstone of this Church, which was the first joint liturgical action of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad since the 1920's, and on May 19th, 2007, they consecrated the Church together, two days after the signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]], which formally reconciled the two parts of the Russian Church.<ref>Dmitry Solovyov,<br />
[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070519-0522-russia-church-.html Reuters: Unified Russian church honours Soviet era martyrs], May 19, 2007; see also this account of the consecration of the Church at Butovo, which includes video of the service:[http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2007/05/moscow-trip-part-4.html Fr. John Whiteford: Moscow Trip, Part 4].</ref> The Synaxis of the Martyrs of Butovo is celebrated on the 4th Saturday after Pascha.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
*[http://www.martyr.ru/ New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Parish Web site, Butovo, Russia (in Russian)]<br />
*[https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2007/05/moscow-trip-part-4.htmll An account of the consecration of the Church of the New Martyrs at Butovo]<br />
*[http://www.pravmir.com/synaxis-of-the-new-martyrs-of-butovo/ The Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Butovo]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Russian Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Saints]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Luke_(Voino-Yasenetsky)_of_Simferopol_and_Crimea&diff=126858Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) of Simferopol and Crimea2019-07-27T17:55:50Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: clarification of feast day</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Agios Loukas.jpg|right|thumb|230px| Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) of Simferopol]] <br />
Saint '''Luke, Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea, the Blessed Surgeon''', was born '''Valentin Felixovich Voino-Yasenetsky''' (''Валентин Феликсович Войно-Ясенецкий'', polish spelling ''Wojno-Jasieniecki''; [[April 14]], 1877 and died [[June 11]], 1961. <br />
<br />
Doctor of Medicine, Professor, and State Prize winner, since 1944 he was the Archbishop of Tambov and Michurinsk, and later of Simferopol and the Crimea. While he was serving the church as an [[Archbishop]], he was also practicing as a surgeon and taught and published many books and articles on regional anesthesia and surgery. He is now known to be a world-famous pioneering surgeon. <br />
<br />
In November of 1995 he was announced as a [[Saint]] by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church]], and was officially glorified by the [[Church of Russia|Patriarchate of Russia]] [[May 25]], 1996. He is commemorated by the church [[June 11]] n.s. / [[May 29]] o.s. the anniversary of his falling asleep in the Lord. <br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
[[Image:LukeSimferopol2.jpeg|right|thumb|430px|St Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) of Simferopol]]<br />
Born with the name Valentine Felixovitch Voino-Yassentsky on [[April 27]], 1877 in Kerch (east Crimea), his family members were civil servants to Lithuanian and Polish Kings. The family was impoverished over time but Saint Luke remembers that he received his religious inheritance from his pious father. His first true understanding of the Christian faith came from the [[New Testament]] given to him at his high school graduation by his principal.<br />
<br />
===Education===<br />
He had an outstanding secular training. Having exceptional drawing abilities, he graduated the Kiev Academy of Fine Arts.<ref group="note">[http://www.naoma.edu.ua/ National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture].</ref> He decided however against pursuing art in favor of a career where he could help people who suffer, and chose to be a physician. <br />
<br />
In 1903 at the age of 26, he graduated from Great Prince St. Vladimir Medical School at the [[w:Kiev University|University of Kiev]], and for a long time worked as a local district physician. An extraordinary medical student, he excelled at anatomy. His superior knowledge of anatomy served him throughout his surgical career. <br />
<br />
Out of compassion to the blindness that beggars were experiencing due to [[w:Trachoma|trachoma]], Saint Luke studied ophthalmology at the Kiev ophthalmologic clinic. In a very short time he acquired a significant amount of ophthalmologic training. His knowledge of this subspecialty helped him treat not only his trachoma patients, but many other serious eye conditions as well. <br />
<br />
===Marriage===<br />
Another important event in Valentine’s life was the marriage to his wife Anna, a nurse. They had four children. The family was transferred frequently to various regional health care facilities and from the very beginning Valentine never requested funds from his patients, nor would he turn anyone away because of his ethnic background or personal beliefs. When his wife died, God in setting the path for Valentine’s Sainthood provided the family with Sofia Sergeevna who would be the joyful surrogate mother of his children during the harsh times ahead. Valentine never remarried.<br />
<br />
===Career===<br />
During his early career he published many scientific treatises and eventually became the head surgeon and professor of surgery at the hospital in [[w:Tashkent|Tashkent]] in March 1917. In October, Lenin took over the government and civil war erupted in Tashkent in January 1919. Lenin’s government disfavored any religious witness. Valentine was under constant threat, especially when treating party members but he refused to operate under any circumstances without the Icon of the [[Mother of God]]. His results were outstanding. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>“I ought to tell you that what God did to me as amazing and incomprehensible...My pursuing surgery completely satisfied the goal I always had to serve the poor and the suffering, to dispose all my strength for the comfort of their pains, and to help them in their needs.”</blockquote><br />
<br />
These are some of the introductory comments from the memoirs of Saint Luke, that were kept by his secretary, E.P. Leikfeld. His words are not vainglorious, but a commentary on how God's plan was fulfilled through the life and example of Saint Luke. Living in the Ukraine during the oppressive period of communism, St. Luke stood out among his fellow physicians both as a surgeon and as a Christian. Even the communists coveted his talents for healing the body.<br />
<br />
===Ordination and Persecution===<br />
[[Image:Лука (Войно-Ясенецкий).jpg|right|thumb|Bishop Luke, 1923.]]<br />
Despite the dangers from the Lenin regime he fearlessly attended theological discussions arranged by [[Archpriest]] Mikhail Andeev. During this period when [[clergy]]men and pious people would prove their faith in [[blood]], providence led the Archpriest to invite Valentine to the [[priest]]hood. Thus in 1921 at the age of 44 Valentine was [[Ordination|ordained]] a priest. For two years, this exceptional individual was active not only in his pastoral work but in public and scientific activity.<br />
<br />
Eventually Fr. Valentine was arrested and put on trial, falsely accused of giving inappropriate surgical care to injured Red Army soldiers. At his trial in his characteristic fearless way he denounced the prosecutors claims by explaining:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>“I cut people to save them. You, Mr. Public Prosecutor, why do you cut their heads off?”</blockquote><br />
<br />
Certainly the charges were never proven but since the Party had to be infallible Fr. Valentine was convicted to sixteen years imprisonment. <br />
<br />
===Doctor, Scientist, Bishop, Imprisonments===<br />
Noting Fr. Valentine’s spiritual gifts, prior to his departure from Tashkent (arrest and exile to Siberia), in 1923 Bishop of Ufa Andrew (Ukhtomsky) administered [[monasticism|monastic]] [[tonsure]] and facilitated his consecration as [[Bishop]].<ref group="note">When consecrated [[Bishop]], he was given the name [[Apostle Luke|Luke]] after the Apostle who similarly, in addition to being a physician and [[evangelist]], was a talented [[iconographer]].</ref> Almost immediately Saint Luke was sent to the first of his three imprisonments. <br />
<br />
Due to his talent as a surgeon there would always be placement at a remote medical facility where the attending colleagues would be astounded that a professor with such impeccable academic credentials would be subservient to the whims of the local civil authorities. Despite the criticisms of lesser surgeons Saint Luke would practice his medical skills. With the grace of God he amazed his colleagues with excellent medical outcomes in ophthalmologic and surgical cases that others deemed incurable. <br />
<br />
In 1926, Bishop Luke returned to Tashkent, but in 1930 was again arrested and sentenced to three years of exile. <br />
<br />
Upon his release, he once again returned to Tashkent, and spent his time in medical practice. As a physician and professor he trained many students and colleagues in the art of surgery, and as a scientist he found the time to publish many articles. A fruit of this work was the appearance in 1934 of his book ''"[http://medlib.ws/hirurgiya/197-ocherki-gnojjnojj-khirurgii.html Notes on Purulent Surgery]"'',<ref group="note">''“[http://medlib.ws/hirurgiya/197-ocherki-gnojjnojj-khirurgii.html Essays on the Surgery of Pyogenic Infections],”'' or ''“Purulent Surgery Essays,”'' published in 1934.</ref> which laid the foundation for an entire medical specialty. For that work, Bishop Luke was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medical Science in 1936, and his work continues to be used in medicine to this day. This monograph and the subsequent revisions was the “gold standard” reference for his colleagues at the time. <br />
<br />
As a capable [[hierarch]] he strengthened the [[parish]]es and supported priests and church councils. As Saint Luke’s surgical and pastoral popularity would increase, the communist authorities would transfer him. When blatant injustices would be committed against Christians and fellow political prisoners he would initiate hunger strikes.<br />
<br />
In 1937, Vladyka was arrested, and spent more than two difficult years undergoing tortuous interrogation and humiliation.<ref group="note">On [[December 5]], 1937, after being sleep deprived and interrogated for three weeks he broke down in a state of hallucination and signed a confession that he was a counterrevolutionary.</ref> Nonetheless, resting his hope in the Lord, he courageously endured those trials, not only refusing to agree to false accusations against him, but engaging in active protests – refusing to eat, and sending complaints to the highest authorities against the prosecutors’ illegal actions. He would say to his fellow prisoners, <br />
<blockquote>“They demand that I remove my ryassa. I will never do so. It, my ryassa, will be with me to my very death… I help people as a physician, and I help them as a servant of the Church….”</blockquote><br />
<br />
The people who met him during his ordeals bore witness to his true character. As a physician he was [[Saint titles|Unmercenary]] and never asked for money treating all his patients with immense love. He shared his patients’ pain and anguish for he saw each person as an image of God, unique and unrepeatable. <br />
<br />
In 1940, Bishop Luke was sentenced to five years of exile in the Krasnoyarsk area. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Bishop Luke offered the authorities his services as a doctor, and in 1941 was appointed consultant to the hospitals of Krasnoyarsk. <br />
<br />
In 1942, Vladyka was elevated to the rank of [[Archbishop]] and appointed to the Krasnoyarsk kathedra, which at the time did not have a single church. Through Archbishop Luke’s efforts, in 1943 a church was opened in a suburb of Krasnoyarsk. He wrote to Patriarch [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]]:<br />
<blockquote>“All of Eastern Siberia, from Krasnoyarsk to the Pacific Ocean, gave no sign of church life…If churches in various parts of the Krasnoyarsk area are not opened in the near future, there is a risk that the people will lapse into religious savagery....”</blockquote><br />
[[Image:St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol 2.jpg|right|thumb|St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol]]<br />
In 1944, the archbishop was appointed to the kathedra in Tambov. <br />
<br />
In 1946, for outstanding scientific work in the area of medicine, he was awarded the “[[w:USSR State Prize|Stalin Award]]” for all his scientific publications. He donated almost all of the money to help children who had suffered as the result of the War. <br />
<br />
Also in 1946 Vladyka was appointed to the kathedra of Crimea, where at first he combined archpastoral service with medical assistance to the people, but later dedicated himself to Church service, zealously working to build up Christ’s vineyard, something that, under the conditions of life under Communist authorities, then demanded great courage and faith.<br />
<br />
As a Bishop he preached incessantly not only about the need to live Orthodoxy but against the perils of the “[[Living Church]]”. The latter was a defiled heretical sect propagated by the communist regime. He is credited with 1250 sermons over 38 years of priesthood and episcopal service, of which 750 are preserved in twelve volumes. When he practiced surgery from this point on, he wore his bishop's cassock in the operating room, and refused to perform surgery without an [[icon]].<br />
<br />
As the regimes of Lenin, Stalin, and Khrushchev came and went, Saint Luke’s persecutions and frequent transfers only increased his popularity. Despite public slander, he was known as an unselfish, loving, physician and spiritual father. This posed a great propaganda threat to each regime and towards the end of his life Saint Luke was restricted in his travels and his medical responsibilities to remedial services. This also was in God’s plan, as towards the end of his life Saint Luke lost his vision to glaucoma. He could now devote his time exclusively to matters of faith. He performed many healing [[Miracle|miracles]] and had many spiritual children.<br />
<br />
===Death and Funeral===<br />
[[Image:The Reliquary of St. Luke of Simferopol in Sagmata Monastery.jpg|right|thumb|The Reliquary of St. Luke in Simferopol]]<br />
Towards the end of his life he was worried if it would be permitted to chant “Holy God” at his funeral. He last celebrated the [[Divine Liturgy]] on the feast of the [[Nativity]] of Christ in 1960, and his last sermon was on Forgiveness Sunday. His repose was [[June 11]], 1961, the day of commemoration for “All Saints who shone forth in the Land of Russia”.<br />
<br />
The government made every effort to make Saint Luke’s funeral as inconspicuous as possible. Buses were provided to hurry the funeral procession along the side-streets to the gravesite so there would be little fanfare and recognition. God had different plans for Saint Luke and a popular uprising occurred at the funeral. The faithful refused to be hurried. They boldly ignored, at peril to life and limb, the roadblocks to the central corridors. The mayor was angered because of the roses spread on the roads, and flung a basket away claiming that the roses were litter and trash on the streets.<ref group="note">He soon after had a very ugly death.</ref> To the dismay of the government and to avoid an uprising, they conceded to allow the funeral to proceed for three and a half hours without interference. The roads were full and cars stopped everywhere. People had climbed on balconies, onto rooftops of houses. Such a funeral was a tribute of honor. The authorities wanted a silent event. It was witness to God’s Glory that throughout the walk there was a constant chant of ''“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us”.'' <br />
<br />
Saint Luke’s prayers to have “Holy God” chanted at his funeral during the atheistic times were answered!<br />
<br />
===Glorification===<br />
On [[March 17]], 1996, St. Luke's remains were disinterred, with an estimated 40,000 people taking part. It is said that an indescribable aroma arose from his [[relics]], while his heart was discovered incorrupt, a testament to the great love he bore towards Christ and his fellow men. Three days later on [[March 20]], 1996, his relics were transferred to the Church of the Holy Trinity.<br />
<br />
His relics continue to work countless miracles, in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Simferopol, at Sagmata Monastery in Greece, and throughout the world.<br />
<br />
==Legacy==<br />
Holy Hiero-[[Saint titles|confessor]] St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) was a precious vessel of Divine grace. Like his heavenly patron, the Holy Apostle [[Apostle Luke|St. Luke]], he was a physician who continued Apostolic work; like the [[Apostle Paul]] he preached Christ’s [[Gospel]] not only in church but in prison, in exile, to friends, to persecutors, to well-wishing supporters, and while enduring sorrows at the hands of false friends. He was one of those people of unique importance to people who cannot do something for themselves alone, who cannot limit themselves their activities to only what pleases them. For such people, the duty of serving one’s neighbor is not an empty phrase, and for that reason in their activities they do not make choices by mere chance, do not build on a foreign foundation, but strive to find what needs to be done, right here and right now, and what will benefit all society. These are builders and workers who boldly come out onto the field of life in response to the Lord’s challenge. To the ten talents given them by the Lord they return an additional ten. And that is the embodiment of the Gospel model for all of us. <br />
<br><br />
<br><br />
{{start box}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=Innoсent (Pustynsky)|<br />
title=Bishop of Tashkent and Turkestan|<br />
years=1923-1927|<br />
after=Sergius (Lavrov)}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=Anthony (Milovidov)|<br />
title=Archbishop of Krasnoyarsk and Yeniseysk|<br />
years=1942-1944|<br />
after=Bartholomew (Gorodtsov)}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=Gregory (Chukov)|<br />
title=Archbishop of Tambov and Michurinsk|<br />
years=1944-1946|<br />
after=Joasaph (Zhurmanov)}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=Joasaph (Zhurmanov)|<br />
title=Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea|<br />
years=1946-1961|<br />
after=Alypius (Khotovitsky)}}<br />
{{end box}}<br />
<br />
==Excerpts from a 1956 sermon by St. Luke==<br />
St. Luke gave a sermon in Alushta, in Crimea, on August 12, 1956 <ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/69201.htm «Препоясать чресла наши правдой». Живое слово святителя Луки Крымского / Православие.Ru]</ref>, of which an audio recording exists<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juseOs-tTCo Проповедь свт. Луки Крымского о борьбе с духами злобы 12 августа 1956 г]</ref>. Various verses from Ephesians and excerpts of this sermon have been loosely translated and paraphrased into Greek and English, and the resulting passage is often incorrectly described as St Luke's last words in many Greek-language and English-language websites and publications<ref>[http://anastasiosk.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_8734.html Αναστάσιος: Τα τελευταία λόγια του Αγίου Λουκά Συμφερουπόλεως]</ref><ref>[http://churchofagianapa.blogspot.com/2010/12/blog-post_09.html Εκκλησία Παναγίας Αγίας Νάπας: Τα τελευταία λόγια του Αγίου Λουκά Συμφερουπόλεως]</ref><ref>[http://logia-tou-aera.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-post_7148.html Α ΛΟΓΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΕΡΑ: Τελευταία λόγια του Αγίου Λουκά]</ref>.<br />
<br />
'''Original excerpts in Russian'''<ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/69201.htm «Препоясать чресла наши правдой». Живое слово святителя Луки Крымского / Православие.Ru]</ref><br />
* «Братия мои, укрепляйтесь Господом и могуществом силы Его, облекитесь во всеоружие Божие, чтобы вам можно было стать против козней диавольских»<ref>Ephesians 6:10-11</ref><br />
* «Наша брань не против крови и плоти, но против начальств, против властей, против мироправителей тьмы века сего, против духов злобы поднебесных»<ref>Ephesians 6:12</ref><br />
* И да, конечно, для бесов, для самого диавола в высшей степени выгодно, чтобы в них не верили, чтобы никогда о них не думали, чтобы никогда не ощущали близости их, ибо скрытный, неведомый враг гораздо опаснее врага видимого.<br />
* О, как огромна эта окаянная армия бесовская! О, как неизмерима их черная толпа! – неуклонно, неустанно, день и ночь стремящаяся к тому, чтобы нас, всех нас, верующих во имя Божие, совратить на путь неверия, совратить на путь зла и нечестия!<br />
* И эти враги Божии, бесчисленные, ставят своей единственной задачей, день и ночь заботятся о том, чтобы губить нас, чтобы толкать нас на путь зла, на путь неверия, на путь нечестия.<br />
* Эти высшие чины ведут борьбу с самыми твердыми, с самыми верными слугами Христовыми – со святыми, с праведными. И трудна, чрезвычайно трудна эта задача их, ибо именем Христовым отражают святые и праведные все нападения их.<br />
<br />
'''In Greek''' (loose translation)<br />
:"Παιδιά μου πολύ σας παρακαλώ,<br />
:Ντυθείτε με την πανοπλία που δίνει ο Θεός για να μπορέσετε να αντιμετωπίσετε τα τεχνάσματα του διαβόλου.<br />
:Δεν μπορείτε να φανταστείτε πόσο πονηρός είναι.<br />
:Δεν έχουμε να παλέψουμε με ανθρώπους, αλλά με αρχές και εξουσίες, δηλαδή με τα πονηρά πνεύματα.<br />
:Προσέξτε!<br />
:Τον διάβολο δεν τον συμφέρει να δεχθεί κανείς την ύπαρξή του, να σκέφτεται και να αισθάνεται ότι είναι κοντά στον άνθρωπο.<br />
:Ένας κρυφός και άγνωστος εχθρός είναι πιο επικίνδυνος από έναν ορατό εχθρό.<br />
:Ο πόσο μεγάλος και τρομερός είναι ο στρατός των δαιμόνων.<br />
:Πόσο αμέτρητο είναι το μαύρο τους πλήθος!<br />
:Αμετάβλητα, ακούραστα, μέρα και νύχτα, επιδιώκουν να σπρώξουν όλους εμάς που πιστεύουμε στο όνομα του Χριστού, να μας παρασύρουν στό δρόμο της απιστίας της κακίας και της ασέβειας.<br />
:Αυτοί οι αόρατοι εχθροί του Θεού,εχουν βάλει ως μοναδικό τους σκοπό μέρα και νύχτα να επιδιώκουν την καταστροφή μας.<br />
:Όμως μη φοβάστε,πάρτε δύναμη από το όνομα του Ιησού"<br />
<br />
'''English Translation from Greek passage'''<br />
:“My children, very much do I entreat you,<br />
:Arm yourselves with the armor that God gives, That you may withstand the devil's tricks.<br />
:You can't imagine how evil he is.<br />
:We don't have to fight with people but with rulers and powers, in effect the evil spirits.<br />
:Take care!<br />
:It's no use to the devil for anyone to think and feel <br />
:that he is close to him. <br />
:A hidden and unknown enemy is more dangerous than a visible enemy. <br />
:O how large and terrible is the army of the demons. <br />
:How numberless is their black horde!<br />
:Unchanged, untiring, day and night, seeking to push all of us who believe <br />
:in the name of Christ, to lure us on the road of unbelief, of evil and of impiety.<br />
:These unseen enemies of God have made their sole purpose, day and night to seek our destruction.<br />
:But do not be afraid, take power from the name of Jesus.”<br />
<br />
==The Troparion of St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol==<br />
:'''''Troparion of St. Luke of Simferopol - Tone 1'''<br />
:''O herald of the way of salvation,'' <br />
: ''confessor and archpastor of the Crimean flock,'' <br />
: ''faithful keeper of the traditions of the fathers,'' <br />
: ''unshakeable pillar and teacher of Orthodoxy,''<br />
: ''pray unceasingly to Christ our Saviour''<br />
: ''to grant salvation and strong faith to Orthodox Christians,'' <br />
: ''O holy hierarch Luke,''<br />
: ''physician wise in God.''<ref>Archdeacon Vasily Marushchak. ''[http://www.monasteryofstjohnstore.org/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=15&CLSN_3049=12248293183049daeb8b57f80b37aeb0 The Blessed Surgeon: The Life of Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol]''. 2nd Edition. [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|Divine Ascent Press]], 2008. (Contains the life and service of St. Luke)</ref><br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<references group="note" /><br />
<br />
==Further Reading==<br />
* Archdeacon Vasily Marushchak. ''[http://www.monasteryofstjohnstore.org/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=15&CLSN_3049=12248293183049daeb8b57f80b37aeb0 The Blessed Surgeon: The Life of Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol]''. 2nd Edition. [[St. John of San Francisco Monastery (Manton, California)|Divine Ascent Press]], 2008. (ISBN 978-0-97143924)<br />
<br />
* Canadian Orthodox Messenger (OCA, Archdiocese of Canada). ''[http://www.archdiocese.ca/news/com/141.2003.Winter.pdf Lives of the Saints: Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol]''. (Glorified 17-19 March 1996). New Series 14:1 Winter 2002/2003. pp.13-15.<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
'''Wikipedia'''<br />
* [[w:Luka Voyno-Yasenetsky|Luka Voyno-Yasenetsky]] <br />
* [[w:Pyogenic infection|Pyogenic infection]]<br />
'''Other'''<br />
* Photographs of St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol [http://www.rel.gr/photo/thumbnails.php?album=59]<br />
* Dr. Alexander Roman. [http://www.ukrainian-orthodoxy.org/saints/saints_new/list.htm Saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: New Martyrs and Confessors of the Soviet Yoke]. (''List of glorified Ukrainian Orthodox New Martyrs and Confessors'').<br />
* Russian Orthodox Church (MP). [http://www.mospat.ru/archive/ne208121.htm His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia Visits the Tambov Diocese]. 28 October, 2002.<br />
* The St.Petersburg Times. [http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=3475 City Teacher, Nurse, Actress Gave War a Female Face]. Issue #1067 (33), Friday, May 6, 2005.<br />
* Evgueny I. Arinin. [http://www.metanexus.net/magazine/ArticleDetail/tabid/68/id/8848/Default.aspx Essence of Organic Life In Russian Orthodox and Modern Philosophical Tradition: Beyond Functionalism and Elementarism]. <br />
* NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=6161 6161 Vojno-Yasenetsky (1971 TY2)]. (''Main-belt Asteroid 6161, discovered on Oct. 14 1971 by L.I. Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, was named in memory of Valentin Feliksovich Vojno-Yasenetsky (1877-1961), surgeon and bishop'')<br />
* V Kogan. ''[http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ymai/medline/record/MDLN.11620503 Two letters of V.P. Filatov to V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky]''. In '''Agapit.''' January 1996, Issue 4, pp.65-69. (''History, 20th Century; Portraits; Religion and Medicine; Ukraine'')<br />
* [http://www.impantokratoros.gr/8C1597E5.en.aspx "Science and Religion"] An article by St Luke on the compatibility of science and religious faith.<br />
* {{fr icon}} Orthodoxologie. ''[http://orthodoxologie.blogspot.com/2008/07/saint-archevque-luc-voino-yasenetskyde.html Saint Archevêque Luc ( Voino-Yasenetsky) de Simféropol].'' Dimanche 27 Juillet 2008.<br />
* {{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3756/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Λουκᾶς Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κριμαίας].'' 11 Ιουνίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.<br />
* {{el icon}} "Ρωμηοσύνη". ''[http://www.romiosini.org.gr/CDF1B836.el.aspx Η Μ.Κ.Ο. "ΡΩΜΗΟΣΥΝΗ" ΣΥΜΜΕΤΕΧΕΙ ΣΕ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΑΓΙΟ ΛΟΥΚΑ ΤΟΝ ΙΑΤΡΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΥΠΡΟ].'' 24-10-2008 (Γρηγοριανόν); 11-10-2008 (Ιουλιανόν). <br />
* {{el icon}} [http://agiosloukas.org/ Αγιος Λουκάς Συμφερουπόλεως - Κριμαίας].<br />
<br />
'''YouTube Videos (in Greek)'''<br />
*[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0cU-LHwC-jE Αγιος Λουκάς Κριμαίας μέρος 1ο][http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=wwJXUoJEvAI μέρος 2ο]<br />
*[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=emObdkofrAE&feature=related Στο Ησυχαστήριο της Αδελφότητας των Δανιηλέων στα Κατουνάκια Αγίου Όρους ο '''Πάτερ Δανιήλ Αγιογραφεί''' τον Άγιο Λουκά τον Ιατρό Αρχιεπίσκοπο Συμφερουπόλεως και Κριμαίας.]<br />
*[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=K3UuAuOf6Cw&feature=related Veneration of his sacred & holy relics outside Russia - 1] [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=66edFUqh3Lw 2]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<div class="small"><references/></div><br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
*[http://www.theologoi.com/agiosloukas/index.htm Saint Luke of Crimea the Doctor] (in Greek); [http://www.theologoi.com/agiosloukas/russia.htm (in Russian)]<br />
*[http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/saints/e_0609_luke_vj.htm Hiero-confessor Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)] (''Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Washiongton D.C.'')<br />
*NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=6161 6161 Vojno-Yasenetsky (1971 TY2)]. <br />
<br />
[[Category:Bishops]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]<br />
[[Category:Bishops of Tashkent|Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)]]<br />
[[Category:Bishops of Yeniseysk|Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)]]<br />
[[Category:Bishops of Tambov|Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)]]<br />
[[Category:Bishops of Simferopol and Crimea]]<br />
[[Category:Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Ukrainian Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Russian Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Modern Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Unmercenaries]]<br />
[[Category:Wonderworkers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century saints]]<br />
<br />
[[el:Λουκάς Συμφερουπόλεως]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Our_Lady_of_Kazan&diff=125779Our Lady of Kazan2018-11-04T12:10:36Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Adding Link</p>
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<div>[[Image:Our_Lady_of_Kazan.jpg|right|frame|Our Lady of Kazan]]<br />
'''Our Lady of Kazan''' is an [[icon]] of the [[Theotokos]] popular in Russia since the 16th century. A close-up variant of the [[Panagia Hodegetria|Hodegetria]] (Directress) style, it is noted mainly for the Child standing, with the Virgin chest-length. The Kazan icons are traditionally small, following the original (9×11 inches). The Kazan icon of the Virgin remains popular, especially as a wedding gift, and is sometimes associated with Russian nationalism.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The image of Our Lady of Kazan is said to have come to Russia from Constantinople in the 13th century. After the Tatars besieged Kazan and made it the capital of their khanate in 1438, the icon disappeared, and it is not mentioned again until the 16th century, some years after the liberation of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible in 1552.<br />
<br />
After a fire destroyed Kazan in 1579, the Virgin appeared in a prophetic dream to a 10-year-old girl named Matrona and told her where to find the precious image again. As instructed, Matrona told the [[archbishop]] about her dream, but he would not take her seriously. After two more such dreams, on [[July 8]], 1579, the girl and her mother themselves dug up the image, buried under the ashes of a house, where it had been hidden long before to save it from the Tatars. The unearthed icon looked as bright and beautiful as if it were new. The archbishop repented of his unbelief and took the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas, where a blind man was cured that very day. [[Hermogenes_of_Moscow|Hermogen]], the [[priest]] at this church, later became [[Metropolitan]] of Kazan. He brought the icon to Kazan's [[Cathedral]] of the Annunciation and established [[July 8]] as a feast in honor of the Theotokos of Kazan. It is from Hermogen's chronicle, written at the request of the tsar in 1595, that we know of these events.<br />
<br />
By 1612, when Moscow was occupied by Polish invaders, Hermogen had become [[Patriarch]] of Moscow and All Russia. From prison, he called for a three-day [[fast]] and ordered the icon of Our Lady of Kazan to be brought to Princes Minin and Pozharsky, who were leading the resistance to the occupation. This icon&mdash;possibly the original, but more likely a copy&mdash;was carried before their regiments as they fought to regain the capital from the Poles. When the Polish army was finally driven from Moscow on October 22, 1612, the victory was attributed to the [[intercession]] of the Mother of God, and the Kazan icon became a focal point for Russian national sentiments. Later that year, when Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich came to the throne, he appointed both July 8 and [[October 22]] as [[feast day|feasts]] in honor of Our Lady of Kazan.<br />
<br />
The victorious Prince Dmitry Pozharsky financed the construction of a small wooden [[church]] dedicated to the Virgin of Kazan in the Moscow Kremlin. The icon was kept there until the small church burnt down in 1632. The tsar ordered the construction of a larger brick [[cathedral]] to replace it. After its completion in 1638, the icon remained there in Moscow's Kazan Cathedral for nearly two centuries. It was regularly borne in solemn liturgical processions along the city walls as the protectress of Moscow. The intercession of Our Lady of Kazan was successfully invoked against a Swedish invasion in 1709, and again when Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812. To commemorate this latter victory, the Kazan icon was moved to the new Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg in 1821.<br />
<br />
By this time, the Kazan icon had achieved immense popularity, and there were nine or ten separate miracle-working copies of the icon around the country. There is considerable disagreement about which of these, if any, was the original. Some claim the original remained housed in Kazan, while others hold that the one moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg was the original. Many experts, however, believe the original was lost and both of the [[veneration|venerated]] Kazan icons were early copies. In any case, both icons disappeared in the early 20th century. The one in Kazan was stolen in 1904 and probably destroyed by the thieves, who were more interested in its jeweled gold covering. The one in St. Petersburg disappeared after the October Revolution of 1917. Some say it was smuggled out of the country to protect it from the Bolsheviks, while others suggest the Communists themselves hid it and later sold it abroad. But during World War II, an icon of the Virgin of Kazan surfaced in Leningrad to lead a procession around the fortifications of the Nazi-besieged city.<br />
<br />
The wonderworking icons Our Lady of Sitka and Our Lady of Soufanieh are both of the Kazan type.<br />
<br />
==Hymns==<br />
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 4) [http://users.netmatters.co.uk/davidbryant/C/TropKon/July.htm#Jul8]<br />
:O fervent intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High,<br />
:thou dost pray to thy Son Christ our God and savest all who seek thy protection.<br />
:O Sovereign Lady and Queen,<br />
:help and defend all of us who in trouble and trials,<br />
:in pain and burdened with sins, stand in thy presence before thine icon,<br />
:and who pray with compunction, contrition, and tears and with unflagging hope in thee.<br />
:Grant what is good for us,<br />
:deliverance from evil, and save us all, O Virgin Mother of God,<br />
:for thou art a divine protection to thy servants.<br />
<br />
[[Kontakion]] (Tone 8) [http://users.netmatters.co.uk/davidbryant/C/TropKon/July.htm#Jul8]<br />
:O peoples, let us run to that quiet good haven,<br />
:to the speedy helper, the warm salvation, to the Virgin's protection.<br />
:Let us speed to prayer and hasten to repentance.<br />
:For the Mother of God pours out her mercy, anticipates needs, and averts disasters<br />
:for her patient and God-fearing servants.<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://orthochristian.com/114554.html The Complicated History of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God] (Orthodox Christianity)<br />
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101967 Appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God] ([[OCA]])<br />
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103037 Commemoration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the deliverance from the Poles] (OCA)<br />
*[http://kazan.eparhia.ru/www/english/index.htm Kazan Diocese]<br />
*[http://www.pallasweb.com/ikons/theotokos2.html Ikon History - Our Lady of Kazan]<br />
*[[w:Our Lady of Kazan|''Our Lady of Kazan'' at Wikipedia]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:About Icons|Kazan]]<br />
[[Category:Icons of the Theotokos|Kazan]]<br />
[[Category:Theotokonymia|Kazan]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=125756User:Frjohnwhiteford2018-09-14T03:03:00Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: updates</p>
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<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford2.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Archpriest John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://www.saintjonah.org/pics/pascha2015.jpg this photo].<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Ecumenism and Roman Catholicism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/the_pope_and_the_patriarch clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Fundamentalism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/orthodox_fundamentalism_what_is_it_and_does_it_exist clicking here].<br />
<br />
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[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia&diff=124977Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia2017-10-12T11:41:40Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: correcting name</p>
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<div>{{diocese|<br />
name=Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia|<br />
jurisdiction=[[Church of Russia|Russia]] |<br />
type=Semi-autonomous|<br />
founded=1922|<br />
bishop=[[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]], First Hierarch|<br />
see=New York|<br />
hq=New York, New York|<br />
territory=United States, worldwide|<br />
language=[[Church Slavonic]], English, German|<br />
music=[[Russian Chant]]|<br />
calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|<br />
population=480,000<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1206001825245730.xml&coll=2 Cleveland Plain Dealer: Metropolitan Laurus, helped reunify Russian Orthodox Church], Thursday, March 20, 2008</ref>|<br />
website=[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm ROCOR]<br />
}}<br />
The '''Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia''' (also called the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', ''ROCA'', ''ROCOR'', ''the Karlovsty Synod'', or ''the Synod'') is a semi-[[autonomy|autonomous]] [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Moscow Patriarchate]] originally formed in response against the policy of Bolsheviks with respect to religion in the Soviet Union soon after the Russian Revolution. The ROCOR exists overlapping with previously existing [[diocese]]s of the Moscow Patriarchate throughout the [[diaspora]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Formation and early years===<br />
In 1920, the Soviet government had revealed that it was quite hostile to the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]. Saint [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]], Patriarch of Moscow, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' (decree) that all Russian Orthodox Christians abroad currently under the authority and protection of his Patriarchate organize and govern themselves independently of the Mother Church, until such time that the Patriarchate would again be free.<br />
<br />
Among most Russian [[bishop]]s and other hierarchs, this was interpreted as an authorization to form an emergency [[synod]] of all Russian Orthodox hierarchs to permit the Church to continue to function outside Russia and provide spiritual care for nearly three million Russian emigres. To add urgency to the synod's motives, in May of 1922, the Soviet government proclaimed its own "[[Living Church]]" as a "reform" of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]].<br />
<br />
On [[September 13]], 1922, Russian Orthodox hierarchs in Serbia gave their blessing to the establishment, in Serbia, of a Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, the foundation of ROCOR. In November of 1922, Russian Orthodox in North America held a synod and elected Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon]] as the primate of an autonomous Russian exarchate in the Americas (also known as the ''Metropolia'', which eventually became the [[Orthodox Church in America]]). Although the hierarchs of the Metropolia participated as full equals in the Synod Abroad, eventually a three-way conflict in the United States erupted between the patriarchal exarchate, ROCOR (sometimes known as "the Synod" in this period), and the [[Living Church]], which asserted that it was the legitimate (i.e., Russian-government-recognized) owner of all Orthodox properties in the USA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]])<br />
<br />
===The Church of the Refugees (1922-1991)===<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
In 1927, ROCOR declared "The part of the Russian Church that finds itself abroad considers itself an inseparable, spiritually united branch of the Great Russian Church. It does not separate itself from its Mother Church and does not consider itself autocephalous," indicating that ROCOR considered itself to speak for all of the Russian Orthodox outside of Russia. The Church Abroad also considered itself to be the free voice of the enslaved Mother Church in the Soviet Union.<ref>For more on how ROCOR viewed its relationship to the Mother Church, see [http://web.archive.org/web/20030430123024/http:/orthodoxinfo.com/resistance/mpmother.htm Is the Moscow Patriarchate the "Mother Church" of the ROCOR?] by Protopresbyter Alexander Lebedeff, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
After the end of World War II, the [[Church of Russia|Patriarchate of Moscow]] broached the possibility of reunification between Moscow and ROCOR, presumably at the behest of the Soviet government, which had adopted a more conciliatory attitude towards religion during the war and was presumably trying to capitalize on its wartime alliances to win a more respectable position internationally. This was not deemed possible at that time by ROCOR, given that Russia was still under communist dictatorship and the Church was still persecuted and controlled by the atheist authorities.<br />
<br />
===Holy Transfiguration Monastery and ROCOR===<br />
In the 1960s, ROCOR took under its care [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]] (today the principal [[monastery]] of [[HOCNA]]) after the latter had broken communion from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. At some point later, they gradually assumed responsibility for much of ROCOR's external communications and publications. (The monks of Holy Transfiguration were English-speaking and the ROCOR bishops in America mainly were not.)<br />
<br />
It is believed by many that the allegedly sectarian spirit of ROCOR came into its flowering during this time and under the influence of this monastery, which frequently misrepresented the official policies and views of the Synod of Bishops. In the early 1980s the hierarchs of the Synod began to correct and censor the narrow-minded and incorrect views of the followers of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Subsequently this group broke communion with ROCOR (regarding allegations of sexual abuse by the monastery's leadership), styling themselves the [[HOCNA|Holy Orthodox Church in North America]] (HOCNA). They became affiliated with the [[True Orthodox Church of Greece]], a Greek Old Calendarist group which broke from the [[Church of Greece]]. According to Fr. Alexey Young (author of ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology''), the association of ROCOR and Holy Transfiguration Monastery resulted in deep damage to ROCOR.<ref>For more on the history of this schism, see [http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/hocna_facts.htm Articles for those who wish to know the Truth about the Panteleimonite Schism and the so called "Holy Orthodox Church in North America"], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===After the Soviet fall===<br />
After the end of the Soviet Union, ROCOR maintained its independence from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] on the grounds that the Church inside Russia had been unacceptably compromised. Some accusations went so far as to claim that the entire hierarchy within Russia were active KGB agents. ROCOR also attempted to set up missions in post-Soviet Russia.<br />
<br />
This did not prevent all communication, however. For many years there had been unofficial and warm contacts between the two groups. In 2001, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow and ROCOR exchanged formal correspondence. The Muscovite letter held the position that previous and current separation was over purely political matters. ROCOR's response expressed concern over continued Muscovite involvement in [[ecumenism]], which was seen as compromising Moscow's Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, this was far more friendly discourse than had been seen previously.<br />
<br />
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia continued to establish itself in its homeland, although today, all of those parishes are either reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate, or have gone into schism with one "Free Russian" group or another. <br />
<br />
===Views on the Moscow Patriarchate===<br />
After the declaration of Metropolitan Sergius of 1927, there were a range of opinions regarding the Moscow Patriarchate within ROCOR. A distinction must be made between the various opinions of bishops, clergy, and laity within ROCOR, and official statements from the Synod of Bishops. There was a general consensus in ROCOR that the Soviet government was manipulating the Moscow Patriarchate to one extent or another, and that under such circumstances administrative ties were impossible. There were also official statements made that the elections of the patriarchs of Moscow which occurred after 1927 were invalid because they were not conducted freely (without the interference of the Soviets) or with the participation of the entire Russian Church.<ref>See, for example, [http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/concerning-patriarch-pimen.html Resolution of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Concerning the Election of Pimen (Isvekov) as Patriarch of Moscow, September 1/14) 1971], December 27th, 2007</ref> However, these statements only declared that ROCOR did not recognize the Patriarchs of Moscow who were elected after 1927 as being the legitimate primates of the Russian Church -- they did not declare that the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate were illegitimate bishops, or without grace. There were, however, under the umbrella of this general consensus, various opinions about the Moscow Patriarchate, ranging for those who held the extreme view that the Moscow Patriarchate had apostatized from the Church (those in the orbit of Holy Transfiguration Monastery being the most vocal advocates of this position), to those who considered them to be innocent sufferers at the hands of the Soviets, and all points in between. Advocates of the more extreme view of the Moscow Patriarchate became increasingly strident in the 1970's, at a time when ROCOR was increasingly isolating itself from much of the rest of the Orthodox Church due to concerns over the direction of Orthodox involvement in the Ecumenical Movement. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, there wasn't a burning need to settle the question of what should be made of the status of the Moscow Patriarchate, although beginning in the mid 1980's (as the period of Glaznost began in the Soviet Union, which culminated in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet government in 1991), these questions resulted in a number of schisms, and increasingly occupied the attention of those in ROCOR.<br />
<br />
There are certain basic facts about the official position of ROCOR that should be understood. Historically, ROCOR has always affirmed that it was an inseparable part of the Russian Church, and that it's autonomous status was only temporary, based upon [http://www.pomog.org/index.html?http://www.pomog.org/ukaz.htm Ukaz 362], until such time as the domination of the Soviet government over the affairs of the Church should cease:<br />
<br />
:"The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an indissoluble part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and for the time until the extermination in Russia of the atheist government, is self-governing on conciliar principles in accordance with the resolution of the Patriarch, the Most Holy Synod, and the Highest Church Council [Sobor] of the Russian Church dated 7/20 November, 1920, No. 362."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/regulations/rocorregulations.html Regulations Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Confirmed by the Council of Bishops in 1956 and by a decision of the Council dated 5/18 June, 1964], first paragraph, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
Similarly, [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Metropolitan Anastasy]] wrote in his Last Will and Testament:<br />
<br />
:"As regards the Moscow Patriarchate and its hierarchs, then, so long as they continue in close, active and benevolent cooperation with the Soviet Government, which openly professes its complete godlessness and strives to implant atheism in the entire Russian nation, then the Church Abroad, maintaining Her purity, must not have any canonical, liturgical or even simply external communion with them whatsoever, leaving each one of them at the same time to the final judgment of the Council (Sobor) of the future free Russian Church."<ref>[http://www.orthodox.net/articles/anastasy-will.html The last will and testament of Metropolitan Anastassy, 1957], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
ROCOR viewed the Russian Church as consisting of three parts during the Soviet period: 1. The Moscow Patriarchate, 2. the Catacomb Church, and 3. The Free Russian Church (ROCOR). The Catacomb Church had been a significant part of the Russian Church prior to World War II. Most of those in ROCOR had left Russia during or well before World War II. They were unaware of the changes that had occurred immediately after World War II&mdash;most significantly that with the election of Patriarch [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexei I]], most of the Catacomb Church was reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate. By the 1970s, due to this reconciliation, as well as to continued persecution by the Soviets, there was very little left of the Catacomb Church. [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] made this point in a letter to the 1974 [[All-Diaspora Councils|All-Diaspora Sobor]] of ROCOR, in which he stated that ROCOR should not "show solidarity with a mysterious, sinless, but also bodiless catacomb."<ref>[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/cat_1974.aspx The Catacomb Tikhonite Church 1974], The Orthodox Word, Nov.-Dec., 1974 (59), 235-246, December 28, 2007.</ref> The fact that the catacomb Church had essentially ceased to exist was de facto recognized when, as Communism was about to finally collapse in Russia, ROCOR began to establish "Free Russian" parishes in Russia, and to consecrate bishops to oversee such parishes, and never recognized any alleged Catacomb bishop as having a legitimate episcopacy.<br />
<br />
Finally, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union precipitated a crisis in ROCOR, because the very reason that had initially resulted in its separation from the Moscow Patriarchate had been removed, and so the basis of the consensus that had previously united ROCOR began to unravel. There were those who did not believe that the Moscow Patriarchate was yet free from the control of the KGB, and that in any case they had not sufficiently renounced the policies of Metropolitan Sergius. There were also those who believed that regardless of the political situation in Russia, that the question of Ecumenism had become sufficient grounds for continued separation. But after the August 2000 All-Russian Sobor of the Moscow Patriarchate, in which the MP officially condemned the Branch Theory of Ecumenism, and also renounced in principle, if not in name, the policies of Metropolitan Sergius, the question of reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate become an unavoidable question that had to be resolved, one way or another.<ref>[http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/statusquo.htm Status Quo, ROCOR?], December 28, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
===Rapprochement with Moscow===<br />
[[Image:Laurus alexii signing.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]] by Patr. Alexey II and Metr. Laurus]]<br />
After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus]] as First Hierarch of ROCOR in 2001, a steady process of rapprochement occurred between ROCOR and the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. Multiple official visits were been exchanged between hierarchs and other clergy of both churches, and the date for restoration of [[full communion]] was officially announced by both sides.<br />
<br />
In October 2001 Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] and the [[Holy Synod]] of the Moscow Patriarchate sent a letter to the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia calling for reconciliation, but without immediate success. However, there was mutual recognition of grace in the sacraments of each church. Then, in November 2003, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia consisting of three bishops and two priests paid an official visit to the Moscow Patriarchate. This signaled a warming in relations, and in May 2004 for the first time since the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, visited Moscow and met with Patriarch Alexei. The two church leaders established a joint committee to examine ways to overcome the division between their churches. This committee met successfully on several occasions, working out the details of intercommunion between the two Church bodies.<br />
<br />
This possibility of rapprochement led to a small [[schism]] from ROCOR, taking the self-retired Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly]] (Metropolitan Laurus's predecessor) with it (regarded by many in ROCOR as having been abducted by the schismatics). The resultant body refers to itself as the ''[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]'' (ROCE/ROCiE), though it often still uses the ''ROCOR'' name. A few other communities have also broken off from ROCOR, some joining with Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] groups.<br />
<br />
On [[June 21]], 2005, it was announced simultaneously by both the ROCOR and the MP on their respective websites that rapprochement talks were leading toward the resumption of full relations between the ROCOR and the MP and that the ROCOR would be given the status of [[autonomy]].<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/docs.html Documents Developed at the Joint Sessions of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on Discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate.]</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2006, the ROCOR met in its IV All-Diaspora Council, which was held at Most Holy Theotokos Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, California. The council consisted of clergy and lay delegates from all dioceses of the ROCOR, and adopted a resolution, expressing "great hope that in the appropriate time, the unity of the Russian Church will be restored upon the foundation of the Truth of Christ, opening for us the possibility to serve together and to commune from one Chalice."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/5ensobresolution.html Resolution of the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]</ref> <br />
<br />
Following the IV All-Diaspora Council, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR was held. According to sources close to the council, it generally agreed with the text of the proposed "[[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Unity]]," but remitted it back to the Committee for Dialogue with the Moscow Patriarchate to rework certain aspects of the document.{{citation}} The exact nature of the elements to be worked out is unclear, but, according to sources close to the Synod of Bishops, it involved, among other things, property issues in the Holy Land.{{citation}}<br />
<br />
On September 6, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR decreed their confirmation and approval of the revised Act of Canonical Unity and instructed the Commission on Discussion with the Moscow Patriarchate to work jointly with the Moscow Patriarchate to work out details of the official signing of the Act.<ref> [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktko.html The Synod of Bishops Makes a Decision on the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Subsequently on September 11, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR published on ROCOR's website a clarification of their decision to confirm and approve the Act.<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktexplanantion.html Clarifications on the Negotiation Process and the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia acknowledged the work of the commissions and declared that the act of reunification, while moving in the right direction, will take time.<ref> [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1977 Unification of Orthodox Church with its branch abroad will not be fast - Alexy II]</ref><br />
<br />
Both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia published on their respective websites the final full text of the Act of Canonical Unity <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html Act of Canonical Union]</ref> with all relevant supporting documents <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_addendum.html Addendum to the Act of Canonical Communion], [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/11ensummation.html Summation of the Joint Work of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate]</ref> on November 1, 2006. The Act having been approved by both the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR, was formally signed in Moscow on May 17, 2007, followed by a concelebration of the Divine Liturgy, bringing the ROCOR into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
===ROCOR Today===<br />
ROCOR currently has 349 [[parish]]es and 21 [[monastery|monasteries]] for men and women in 32 countries throughout the world, served by 462 clergy. The distribution of parishes is as follows: 152 parishes and 8 monasteries in the United States; 42 parishes in Germany; 31 parishes and 4 monasteries in Australia; 21 parishes and 3 monasteries in Canada; 22 parishes in Indonesia; and a handful of institutions in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, South America, and New Zealand.<ref>[http://www.synod.com/ Source: Official ROCOR parish directory]</ref><br />
<br />
There are twelve ROCOR monasteries for men and women in North America, the most important and largest of which is [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]], to which is attached ROCOR's seminary, [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]].<br />
<br />
In concert with the [[Church of Jerusalem]], ROCOR also oversees the [http://www.jerusalem-mission.org/ Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem], which acts as caretaker to three holy sites in Palestine, all of which are monasteries.<br />
<br />
==Ecclesiastical status before 2007==<br />
Until the reconciliation with Moscow in 2007, the ROCOR was in relative [[Eucharist]]ic isolation from much of the Orthodox world, not always exchanging [[full communion]] with the majority of Orthodox [[jurisdiction]]s. It maintained good relations, intercommunion, and [[concelebration]] with the [[Church of Serbia]], the [[Church of Jerusalem]], and the [[Church of Sinai]].<br />
<br />
Before the reconciliation, ROCOR's status with regard to [[full communion]] was not entirely clear-cut. There was never a formal declaration of a break in communion made between ROCOR and most other Orthodox churches, though in many dioceses [[concelebration]] had been suspended. In others, concelebration was active. A formal declaration of breaking communion with the OCA was issued by the ROCOR Synod after the Moscow Patriarchate issued the Tomos of Autocephaly to the OCA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]].) Generally Orthodox Christians from all local Orthodox churches were welcome to the chalice in ROCOR churches. There was never a declaration from the ROCOR synod that grace did not exist in the [[New Calendar]] jurisdictions, in spite of statements to the contrary by the followers of Holy Transfiguation Monastery in Boston when they were still with the Synod.<br />
<br />
ROCOR formerly maintained communion with a few [[Old Calendarist]] jurisdictions, including the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] (True Orthodox Church of Greece, so-called "Cyprianites"), the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]] (Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie), and the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] (Bishop Photii). In 2006, communion with the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] was suspended, after the ROCOR Synod received a letter from Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili stating that Metropolitan Laurus' name had been "struck from the [[Diptychs|diptych]]."<ref>[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2006/2ensynodmeeting.html A Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops is Held]</ref> Relations with the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie and with Bishop Photii of Triaditza were subsequently severed as well. <br />
<br />
As of 2007, with the reconciliation with Moscow, the ROCOR is now in communion with [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|all of mainstream Orthodoxy]] by virtue of its incorporation into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
==The Episcopacy==<br />
: ''See '''[[List of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]'''''<br />
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia currently has thirteen [[bishop]]s serving nine [[diocese]]s throughout the world, along with one retired bishop.<br />
<br />
===Ruling bishops===<br />
* Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America, First Hierarch of the ROCOR, Archbishop of Sydney, [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Australia and New Zealand]]<br />
* Archbishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter (Loukianoff)]] of Chicago and Mid-America<br />
* Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]] of Berlin, Germany and of Great Britain<br />
* Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)]] of San Francisco and Western America<br />
* Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]] of Montreal and Canada<br />
* Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]] of Geneva and Western Europe<br />
* Bishop [[John (Bērziņš) of Caracas|John (Bērziņš)]] of Caracas and South America<br />
<br />
===Vicar bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Agapit (Gorachek) of Stuttgart|Agapit (Gorachek)]] of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Theodosius (Ivashchenko)]] of Seattle, Vicar of the Diocese of Western America.<br />
* Bishop [[George (Schaefer)]] of Mayfield, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Olhovsky)]] of Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Irenei (Steenberg)]] of Bishop of Sacramento Vicar of the Western American Diocese<br />
<br />
===Retired bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Varnava (Prokofiev) of Cannes|Varnava (Prokofiev)]], Retired, formerly of Cannes, Vicar of the Western European diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw)]] of Manhattan, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
<br />
===Suspended bishops===<br />
* [[Benjamin (Rusalenko)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Black Sea and Kuban<br />
* [[Agathangel (Pashkovsky) of Odessa|Agathangel (Pashkovsky)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Odessa and the Crimea<br />
<br />
==First Hierarchs==<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Khrapovitsky)]] (reposed on August 10, 1936, in Sremsky Karlovtsy, Serbia)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Anastasy (Gribanovsky)]] (reposed on May 22, 1965)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret (Voznesensky)]] (reposed on November 21, 1985)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly (Ustinov)]] (reposed on September 25, 2006, in Mansonville, Canada)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]] (reposed on March 16, 2008)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]<br />
<br />
==Notes== <br />
<div class="small"> <br />
<references /> <br />
</div><br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/ Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, Russian)<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, English)<br />
*[http://www.roca.org/ ROCA: A collection of Russian Orthodox Materials] (Unofficial site)<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad], by St. [[John Maximovitch]]<br />
*[http://gnisios.narod.ru/bisrocor.html Bishops of the ROCOR]<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/svassasobor.htm "Glory be to God, Who Did Not Abandon His Church": The Self-Awareness of ROCOR at the Third All-Diaspora Council of 1974], by [[Vassa (Larin)|Nun Vassa (Larin)]]<br />
<!--- * [http://www.pravos.org/index.htm Commission Dialogue Moscow Patriarchate-Church outside Russia] ---><br />
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/voicesofreason.htm Voices of Reason], a collection of articles in response to those who oppose the reconciliation of ROCOR with the MP<br />
<br />
[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
[[Category:Moscow Patriarchate Dioceses]]<br />
<br />
[[pt:Igreja Ortodoxa Russa no Exterior]]<br />
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din afara Rusiei]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia&diff=124976Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia2017-10-12T11:41:04Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Updated list of bishops</p>
<hr />
<div>{{diocese|<br />
name=Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia|<br />
jurisdiction=[[Church of Russia|Russia]] |<br />
type=Semi-autonomous|<br />
founded=1922|<br />
bishop=[[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]], First Hierarch|<br />
see=New York|<br />
hq=New York, New York|<br />
territory=United States, worldwide|<br />
language=[[Church Slavonic]], English, German|<br />
music=[[Russian Chant]]|<br />
calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|<br />
population=480,000<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1206001825245730.xml&coll=2 Cleveland Plain Dealer: Metropolitan Laurus, helped reunify Russian Orthodox Church], Thursday, March 20, 2008</ref>|<br />
website=[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm ROCOR]<br />
}}<br />
The '''Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia''' (also called the ''Russian Orthodox Church Abroad'', ''ROCA'', ''ROCOR'', ''the Karlovsty Synod'', or ''the Synod'') is a semi-[[autonomy|autonomous]] [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Moscow Patriarchate]] originally formed in response against the policy of Bolsheviks with respect to religion in the Soviet Union soon after the Russian Revolution. The ROCOR exists overlapping with previously existing [[diocese]]s of the Moscow Patriarchate throughout the [[diaspora]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Formation and early years===<br />
In 1920, the Soviet government had revealed that it was quite hostile to the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]. Saint [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]], Patriarch of Moscow, issued an ''[[Ukaz No. 362|ukaz]]'' (decree) that all Russian Orthodox Christians abroad currently under the authority and protection of his Patriarchate organize and govern themselves independently of the Mother Church, until such time that the Patriarchate would again be free.<br />
<br />
Among most Russian [[bishop]]s and other hierarchs, this was interpreted as an authorization to form an emergency [[synod]] of all Russian Orthodox hierarchs to permit the Church to continue to function outside Russia and provide spiritual care for nearly three million Russian emigres. To add urgency to the synod's motives, in May of 1922, the Soviet government proclaimed its own "[[Living Church]]" as a "reform" of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]].<br />
<br />
On [[September 13]], 1922, Russian Orthodox hierarchs in Serbia gave their blessing to the establishment, in Serbia, of a Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, the foundation of ROCOR. In November of 1922, Russian Orthodox in North America held a synod and elected Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon]] as the primate of an autonomous Russian exarchate in the Americas (also known as the ''Metropolia'', which eventually became the [[Orthodox Church in America]]). Although the hierarchs of the Metropolia participated as full equals in the Synod Abroad, eventually a three-way conflict in the United States erupted between the patriarchal exarchate, ROCOR (sometimes known as "the Synod" in this period), and the [[Living Church]], which asserted that it was the legitimate (i.e., Russian-government-recognized) owner of all Orthodox properties in the USA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]])<br />
<br />
===The Church of the Refugees (1922-1991)===<br />
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}<br />
In 1927, ROCOR declared "The part of the Russian Church that finds itself abroad considers itself an inseparable, spiritually united branch of the Great Russian Church. It does not separate itself from its Mother Church and does not consider itself autocephalous," indicating that ROCOR considered itself to speak for all of the Russian Orthodox outside of Russia. The Church Abroad also considered itself to be the free voice of the enslaved Mother Church in the Soviet Union.<ref>For more on how ROCOR viewed its relationship to the Mother Church, see [http://web.archive.org/web/20030430123024/http:/orthodoxinfo.com/resistance/mpmother.htm Is the Moscow Patriarchate the "Mother Church" of the ROCOR?] by Protopresbyter Alexander Lebedeff, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
After the end of World War II, the [[Church of Russia|Patriarchate of Moscow]] broached the possibility of reunification between Moscow and ROCOR, presumably at the behest of the Soviet government, which had adopted a more conciliatory attitude towards religion during the war and was presumably trying to capitalize on its wartime alliances to win a more respectable position internationally. This was not deemed possible at that time by ROCOR, given that Russia was still under communist dictatorship and the Church was still persecuted and controlled by the atheist authorities.<br />
<br />
===Holy Transfiguration Monastery and ROCOR===<br />
In the 1960s, ROCOR took under its care [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]] (today the principal [[monastery]] of [[HOCNA]]) after the latter had broken communion from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. At some point later, they gradually assumed responsibility for much of ROCOR's external communications and publications. (The monks of Holy Transfiguration were English-speaking and the ROCOR bishops in America mainly were not.)<br />
<br />
It is believed by many that the allegedly sectarian spirit of ROCOR came into its flowering during this time and under the influence of this monastery, which frequently misrepresented the official policies and views of the Synod of Bishops. In the early 1980s the hierarchs of the Synod began to correct and censor the narrow-minded and incorrect views of the followers of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Subsequently this group broke communion with ROCOR (regarding allegations of sexual abuse by the monastery's leadership), styling themselves the [[HOCNA|Holy Orthodox Church in North America]] (HOCNA). They became affiliated with the [[True Orthodox Church of Greece]], a Greek Old Calendarist group which broke from the [[Church of Greece]]. According to Fr. Alexey Young (author of ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology''), the association of ROCOR and Holy Transfiguration Monastery resulted in deep damage to ROCOR.<ref>For more on the history of this schism, see [http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/hocna_facts.htm Articles for those who wish to know the Truth about the Panteleimonite Schism and the so called "Holy Orthodox Church in North America"], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===After the Soviet fall===<br />
After the end of the Soviet Union, ROCOR maintained its independence from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] on the grounds that the Church inside Russia had been unacceptably compromised. Some accusations went so far as to claim that the entire hierarchy within Russia were active KGB agents. ROCOR also attempted to set up missions in post-Soviet Russia.<br />
<br />
This did not prevent all communication, however. For many years there had been unofficial and warm contacts between the two groups. In 2001, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow and ROCOR exchanged formal correspondence. The Muscovite letter held the position that previous and current separation was over purely political matters. ROCOR's response expressed concern over continued Muscovite involvement in [[ecumenism]], which was seen as compromising Moscow's Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, this was far more friendly discourse than had been seen previously.<br />
<br />
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia continued to establish itself in its homeland, although today, all of those parishes are either reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate, or have gone into schism with one "Free Russian" group or another. <br />
<br />
===Views on the Moscow Patriarchate===<br />
After the declaration of Metropolitan Sergius of 1927, there were a range of opinions regarding the Moscow Patriarchate within ROCOR. A distinction must be made between the various opinions of bishops, clergy, and laity within ROCOR, and official statements from the Synod of Bishops. There was a general consensus in ROCOR that the Soviet government was manipulating the Moscow Patriarchate to one extent or another, and that under such circumstances administrative ties were impossible. There were also official statements made that the elections of the patriarchs of Moscow which occurred after 1927 were invalid because they were not conducted freely (without the interference of the Soviets) or with the participation of the entire Russian Church.<ref>See, for example, [http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/concerning-patriarch-pimen.html Resolution of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Concerning the Election of Pimen (Isvekov) as Patriarch of Moscow, September 1/14) 1971], December 27th, 2007</ref> However, these statements only declared that ROCOR did not recognize the Patriarchs of Moscow who were elected after 1927 as being the legitimate primates of the Russian Church -- they did not declare that the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate were illegitimate bishops, or without grace. There were, however, under the umbrella of this general consensus, various opinions about the Moscow Patriarchate, ranging for those who held the extreme view that the Moscow Patriarchate had apostatized from the Church (those in the orbit of Holy Transfiguration Monastery being the most vocal advocates of this position), to those who considered them to be innocent sufferers at the hands of the Soviets, and all points in between. Advocates of the more extreme view of the Moscow Patriarchate became increasingly strident in the 1970's, at a time when ROCOR was increasingly isolating itself from much of the rest of the Orthodox Church due to concerns over the direction of Orthodox involvement in the Ecumenical Movement. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, there wasn't a burning need to settle the question of what should be made of the status of the Moscow Patriarchate, although beginning in the mid 1980's (as the period of Glaznost began in the Soviet Union, which culminated in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet government in 1991), these questions resulted in a number of schisms, and increasingly occupied the attention of those in ROCOR.<br />
<br />
There are certain basic facts about the official position of ROCOR that should be understood. Historically, ROCOR has always affirmed that it was an inseparable part of the Russian Church, and that it's autonomous status was only temporary, based upon [http://www.pomog.org/index.html?http://www.pomog.org/ukaz.htm Ukaz 362], until such time as the domination of the Soviet government over the affairs of the Church should cease:<br />
<br />
:"The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an indissoluble part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and for the time until the extermination in Russia of the atheist government, is self-governing on conciliar principles in accordance with the resolution of the Patriarch, the Most Holy Synod, and the Highest Church Council [Sobor] of the Russian Church dated 7/20 November, 1920, No. 362."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/regulations/rocorregulations.html Regulations Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Confirmed by the Council of Bishops in 1956 and by a decision of the Council dated 5/18 June, 1964], first paragraph, December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
Similarly, [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Metropolitan Anastasy]] wrote in his Last Will and Testament:<br />
<br />
:"As regards the Moscow Patriarchate and its hierarchs, then, so long as they continue in close, active and benevolent cooperation with the Soviet Government, which openly professes its complete godlessness and strives to implant atheism in the entire Russian nation, then the Church Abroad, maintaining Her purity, must not have any canonical, liturgical or even simply external communion with them whatsoever, leaving each one of them at the same time to the final judgment of the Council (Sobor) of the future free Russian Church."<ref>[http://www.orthodox.net/articles/anastasy-will.html The last will and testament of Metropolitan Anastassy, 1957], December 28, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
ROCOR viewed the Russian Church as consisting of three parts during the Soviet period: 1. The Moscow Patriarchate, 2. the Catacomb Church, and 3. The Free Russian Church (ROCOR). The Catacomb Church had been a significant part of the Russian Church prior to World War II. Most of those in ROCOR had left Russia during or well before World War II. They were unaware of the changes that had occurred immediately after World War II&mdash;most significantly that with the election of Patriarch [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexei I]], most of the Catacomb Church was reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate. By the 1970s, due to this reconciliation, as well as to continued persecution by the Soviets, there was very little left of the Catacomb Church. [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] made this point in a letter to the 1974 [[All-Diaspora Councils|All-Diaspora Sobor]] of ROCOR, in which he stated that ROCOR should not "show solidarity with a mysterious, sinless, but also bodiless catacomb."<ref>[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/cat_1974.aspx The Catacomb Tikhonite Church 1974], The Orthodox Word, Nov.-Dec., 1974 (59), 235-246, December 28, 2007.</ref> The fact that the catacomb Church had essentially ceased to exist was de facto recognized when, as Communism was about to finally collapse in Russia, ROCOR began to establish "Free Russian" parishes in Russia, and to consecrate bishops to oversee such parishes, and never recognized any alleged Catacomb bishop as having a legitimate episcopacy.<br />
<br />
Finally, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union precipitated a crisis in ROCOR, because the very reason that had initially resulted in its separation from the Moscow Patriarchate had been removed, and so the basis of the consensus that had previously united ROCOR began to unravel. There were those who did not believe that the Moscow Patriarchate was yet free from the control of the KGB, and that in any case they had not sufficiently renounced the policies of Metropolitan Sergius. There were also those who believed that regardless of the political situation in Russia, that the question of Ecumenism had become sufficient grounds for continued separation. But after the August 2000 All-Russian Sobor of the Moscow Patriarchate, in which the MP officially condemned the Branch Theory of Ecumenism, and also renounced in principle, if not in name, the policies of Metropolitan Sergius, the question of reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate become an unavoidable question that had to be resolved, one way or another.<ref>[http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/statusquo.htm Status Quo, ROCOR?], December 28, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
===Rapprochement with Moscow===<br />
[[Image:Laurus alexii signing.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]] by Patr. Alexey II and Metr. Laurus]]<br />
After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus]] as First Hierarch of ROCOR in 2001, a steady process of rapprochement occurred between ROCOR and the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]]. Multiple official visits were been exchanged between hierarchs and other clergy of both churches, and the date for restoration of [[full communion]] was officially announced by both sides.<br />
<br />
In October 2001 Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] and the [[Holy Synod]] of the Moscow Patriarchate sent a letter to the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia calling for reconciliation, but without immediate success. However, there was mutual recognition of grace in the sacraments of each church. Then, in November 2003, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia consisting of three bishops and two priests paid an official visit to the Moscow Patriarchate. This signaled a warming in relations, and in May 2004 for the first time since the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, visited Moscow and met with Patriarch Alexei. The two church leaders established a joint committee to examine ways to overcome the division between their churches. This committee met successfully on several occasions, working out the details of intercommunion between the two Church bodies.<br />
<br />
This possibility of rapprochement led to a small [[schism]] from ROCOR, taking the self-retired Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly]] (Metropolitan Laurus's predecessor) with it (regarded by many in ROCOR as having been abducted by the schismatics). The resultant body refers to itself as the ''[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]'' (ROCE/ROCiE), though it often still uses the ''ROCOR'' name. A few other communities have also broken off from ROCOR, some joining with Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] groups.<br />
<br />
On [[June 21]], 2005, it was announced simultaneously by both the ROCOR and the MP on their respective websites that rapprochement talks were leading toward the resumption of full relations between the ROCOR and the MP and that the ROCOR would be given the status of [[autonomy]].<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/docs.html Documents Developed at the Joint Sessions of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on Discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate.]</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2006, the ROCOR met in its IV All-Diaspora Council, which was held at Most Holy Theotokos Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, California. The council consisted of clergy and lay delegates from all dioceses of the ROCOR, and adopted a resolution, expressing "great hope that in the appropriate time, the unity of the Russian Church will be restored upon the foundation of the Truth of Christ, opening for us the possibility to serve together and to commune from one Chalice."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/5ensobresolution.html Resolution of the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]</ref> <br />
<br />
Following the IV All-Diaspora Council, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR was held. According to sources close to the council, it generally agreed with the text of the proposed "[[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Unity]]," but remitted it back to the Committee for Dialogue with the Moscow Patriarchate to rework certain aspects of the document.{{citation}} The exact nature of the elements to be worked out is unclear, but, according to sources close to the Synod of Bishops, it involved, among other things, property issues in the Holy Land.{{citation}}<br />
<br />
On September 6, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR decreed their confirmation and approval of the revised Act of Canonical Unity and instructed the Commission on Discussion with the Moscow Patriarchate to work jointly with the Moscow Patriarchate to work out details of the official signing of the Act.<ref> [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktko.html The Synod of Bishops Makes a Decision on the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Subsequently on September 11, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR published on ROCOR's website a clarification of their decision to confirm and approve the Act.<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktexplanantion.html Clarifications on the Negotiation Process and the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia acknowledged the work of the commissions and declared that the act of reunification, while moving in the right direction, will take time.<ref> [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1977 Unification of Orthodox Church with its branch abroad will not be fast - Alexy II]</ref><br />
<br />
Both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia published on their respective websites the final full text of the Act of Canonical Unity <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html Act of Canonical Union]</ref> with all relevant supporting documents <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_addendum.html Addendum to the Act of Canonical Communion], [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/11ensummation.html Summation of the Joint Work of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate]</ref> on November 1, 2006. The Act having been approved by both the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR, was formally signed in Moscow on May 17, 2007, followed by a concelebration of the Divine Liturgy, bringing the ROCOR into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
===ROCOR Today===<br />
ROCOR currently has 349 [[parish]]es and 21 [[monastery|monasteries]] for men and women in 32 countries throughout the world, served by 462 clergy. The distribution of parishes is as follows: 152 parishes and 8 monasteries in the United States; 42 parishes in Germany; 31 parishes and 4 monasteries in Australia; 21 parishes and 3 monasteries in Canada; 22 parishes in Indonesia; and a handful of institutions in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, South America, and New Zealand.<ref>[http://www.synod.com/ Source: Official ROCOR parish directory]</ref><br />
<br />
There are twelve ROCOR monasteries for men and women in North America, the most important and largest of which is [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]], to which is attached ROCOR's seminary, [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]].<br />
<br />
In concert with the [[Church of Jerusalem]], ROCOR also oversees the [http://www.jerusalem-mission.org/ Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem], which acts as caretaker to three holy sites in Palestine, all of which are monasteries.<br />
<br />
==Ecclesiastical status before 2007==<br />
Until the reconciliation with Moscow in 2007, the ROCOR was in relative [[Eucharist]]ic isolation from much of the Orthodox world, not always exchanging [[full communion]] with the majority of Orthodox [[jurisdiction]]s. It maintained good relations, intercommunion, and [[concelebration]] with the [[Church of Serbia]], the [[Church of Jerusalem]], and the [[Church of Sinai]].<br />
<br />
Before the reconciliation, ROCOR's status with regard to [[full communion]] was not entirely clear-cut. There was never a formal declaration of a break in communion made between ROCOR and most other Orthodox churches, though in many dioceses [[concelebration]] had been suspended. In others, concelebration was active. A formal declaration of breaking communion with the OCA was issued by the ROCOR Synod after the Moscow Patriarchate issued the Tomos of Autocephaly to the OCA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]].) Generally Orthodox Christians from all local Orthodox churches were welcome to the chalice in ROCOR churches. There was never a declaration from the ROCOR synod that grace did not exist in the [[New Calendar]] jurisdictions, in spite of statements to the contrary by the followers of Holy Transfiguation Monastery in Boston when they were still with the Synod.<br />
<br />
ROCOR formerly maintained communion with a few [[Old Calendarist]] jurisdictions, including the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] (True Orthodox Church of Greece, so-called "Cyprianites"), the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]] (Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie), and the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] (Bishop Photii). In 2006, communion with the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] was suspended, after the ROCOR Synod received a letter from Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili stating that Metropolitan Laurus' name had been "struck from the [[Diptychs|diptych]]."<ref>[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2006/2ensynodmeeting.html A Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops is Held]</ref> Relations with the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie and with Bishop Photii of Triaditza were subsequently severed as well. <br />
<br />
As of 2007, with the reconciliation with Moscow, the ROCOR is now in communion with [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|all of mainstream Orthodoxy]] by virtue of its incorporation into the Moscow Patriarchate.<br />
<br />
==The Episcopacy==<br />
: ''See '''[[List of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]'''''<br />
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia currently has thirteen [[bishop]]s serving nine [[diocese]]s throughout the world, along with one retired bishop.<br />
<br />
===Ruling bishops===<br />
* Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America, First Hierarch of the ROCOR, Archbishop of Sydney, [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Australia and New Zealand]]<br />
* Archbishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter (Loukianoff)]] of Chicago and Mid-America<br />
* Archbishop [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]] of Berlin, Germany and of Great Britain<br />
* Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)]] of San Francisco and Western America<br />
* Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]] of Montreal and Canada<br />
* Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]] of Geneva and Western Europe<br />
* Bishop [[John (Bērziņš) of Caracas|John (Bērziņš)]] of Caracas and South America<br />
<br />
===Vicar bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Agapit (Gorachek) of Stuttgart|Agapit (Gorachek)]] of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Theodosius (Ivashchenko)]] of Seattle, Vicar of the Diocese of Western America.<br />
* Bishop [[George (Schaefer)]] of Mayfield, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
* Bishop [[Nicholas (Olhovsky)]] of Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Irenei (Steenberg)|Irenaeus (Steenberg)]] of Bishop of Sacramento Vicar of the Western American Diocese<br />
<br />
===Retired bishops===<br />
* Bishop [[Varnava (Prokofiev) of Cannes|Varnava (Prokofiev)]], Retired, formerly of Cannes, Vicar of the Western European diocese<br />
* Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw)]] of Manhattan, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America.<br />
<br />
===Suspended bishops===<br />
* [[Benjamin (Rusalenko)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Black Sea and Kuban<br />
* [[Agathangel (Pashkovsky) of Odessa|Agathangel (Pashkovsky)]], suspended. Formerly bishop of Odessa and the Crimea<br />
<br />
==First Hierarchs==<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Khrapovitsky)]] (reposed on August 10, 1936, in Sremsky Karlovtsy, Serbia)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Anastasy (Gribanovsky)]] (reposed on May 22, 1965)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret (Voznesensky)]] (reposed on November 21, 1985)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly (Ustinov)]] (reposed on September 25, 2006, in Mansonville, Canada)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]] (reposed on March 16, 2008)<br />
* Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of New York and Eastern America<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]<br />
<br />
==Notes== <br />
<div class="small"> <br />
<references /> <br />
</div><br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/ Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, Russian)<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official site, English)<br />
*[http://www.roca.org/ ROCA: A collection of Russian Orthodox Materials] (Unofficial site)<br />
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad], by St. [[John Maximovitch]]<br />
*[http://gnisios.narod.ru/bisrocor.html Bishops of the ROCOR]<br />
*[http://www.synod.com/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/svassasobor.htm "Glory be to God, Who Did Not Abandon His Church": The Self-Awareness of ROCOR at the Third All-Diaspora Council of 1974], by [[Vassa (Larin)|Nun Vassa (Larin)]]<br />
<!--- * [http://www.pravos.org/index.htm Commission Dialogue Moscow Patriarchate-Church outside Russia] ---><br />
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/voicesofreason.htm Voices of Reason], a collection of articles in response to those who oppose the reconciliation of ROCOR with the MP<br />
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[[Category:Featured Articles]]<br />
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]<br />
[[Category:Moscow Patriarchate Dioceses]]<br />
<br />
[[pt:Igreja Ortodoxa Russa no Exterior]]<br />
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din afara Rusiei]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Irenei_(Steenberg)_of_Sacramento&diff=124975Irenei (Steenberg) of Sacramento2017-10-12T11:39:18Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: updated to reflect current status</p>
<hr />
<div>His Grace, '''Bishop Irenei''' (or '''Irenaeus''', secular name '''Matthew Craig Steenberg''') is an [[bishop]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]. BA, M.St., D.Phil.<br />
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== Biography ==<br />
Matthew Craig Steenberg was born in 1978 on the American Naval Base in Okinawa, Japan, where he lived the first year of his life before moving to the United States. Growing up, he lived in many places both in the United States and abroad, including the city of Moscow, Idaho in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. At university, he majored in Classics and Religion, graduating with BA degrees in both. Afterwards, on a Marshall Scholarship, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he obtained a Masters Degree and then Doctorate in Patristic Studies and Church History from the University of Oxford. Upon completion of these degrees, he became a teaching Fellow of Religion at Oxford, a post he held until 2007, when he became Chair and Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Leeds Trinity University, a post which he held until 2010.<br />
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In September 2000, he established the website, Monachos.net, a website dedicated to "Orthodoxy through Patristics, Monastic, and Liturgical Study". As part of this site, a discussion board to keep conversation on Orthodoxy going was created. <br />
<br />
While in Oxford, Fr. Irenei was tonsured a [[reader]] as well as served in the capacity of choir director. In 2006, he helped found the parish of [[St. Nicholas Church (Oxford, England)|St. Nicholas Church, Oxford]] after the already-established Orthodox parish in Oxford switched jurisdiction. <br />
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He was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] in London on [[August 28]], 2007, by [[Bishop]] [[Elisey (Ganaba) of Sourozh|Elisey of Bogorodsk]], serving in the [[Diocese of Sourozh]].<br />
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In January 2010, Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]] received Deacon Matthew Steenberg into the ranks of clergy of the Western American Diocese from the Diocese of Sourozh and assigned him to the St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Church in San Francisco and as the new principal of St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy in San Francisco<ref>[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ShuMKn4LJA0J:frsergei.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/what-is-your-name-brother/+Steenberg+monk+March+8+2010&cd=8&hl=ru&ct=clnk&gl=ru Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov What is Your Name, Brother?]</ref><ref name=wadiocese>http://www.wadiocese.com/enews.php?id=C50_99_14</ref>.<br />
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On [[March 8]], 2010, he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] with the name [[Irenaeus]] (for St. [[Irenaeus of Lyons]]) by Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America<ref name=wadiocese/>.<br />
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On [[March 14]], 2010, Hierodeacon Irenaeus was ordained a [[priest]] at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco by Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America.<br />
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On March 2010, he became a Visiting Professor in Orthodox Christian Studies, Santa Clara University.<br />
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Since 2011, he was the Dean and Founder of the Sts Cyril & Athanasius Institute for Orthodox Studies, San Francisco.<br />
<br />
On August 26, 2011, at the Divine Liturgy for the patronal feastday of St. Tikhon's Church in San Francisco, Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America elevated Hieromonk Irenaeus to the rank of [[archimandrite]] and lay the [[mitre]] upon his head<ref>http://www.wadiocese.com/enews.php?id=C20_103_14</ref>.<br />
<br />
On July 1, 2016, the Synod of Bishops of [[ROCOR]] elected Archimandrite Irenaeus (Steenberg) to be the Bishop of Sacramento and Vicar of the Western American Diocese. This election was submitted to Patriarch [[Kyrill (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kyrill]], and it was subsequently confirmed by the Holy Synod of the Church of Russia on July 15<ref>http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4561903.html</ref>. The consecration took place on November 7, 2016, and was officiated by Archbishop Kyril of San Francisco, along with Archbishop Peter of Chicago, Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, and Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk.<ref>http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2016/20161107_ensffeast.html</ref>.<br />
<br />
== Writings ==<br />
===Recent Books, Book Contributions & Scholarly Articles===<br />
* ‘God’, in J. Bingham (ed.), The Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought (New York: Routledge, 2009). <br />
* Of God and Man: Theology as Anthropology from Irenaeus to Athanasius (T&T Clark, 2009). <br />
* [http://books.google.ru/books/about/Irenaeus_on_Creation.html?id=HQ8Mqk_I0pEC&redir_esc=y Irenaeus on Creation: The Cosmic Christ and the Saga of Redemption (Brill, 2008). ]<br />
* A Century on Prayer, Orthodox Word no. 268 (2009).<br />
* The Orthodox Study Bible: Septuagint Old Testament (California: Thomas Nelson Publishers, February 2008) — editor, translator, and chair of prophetical books translations. <br />
* ‘The Church’, in M. Cunningham - Corran and E. Theokritoff (eds.), Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Theology (Cambridge: The University Press, 2008). <br />
* ‘An exegesis of conformity: textual subversion of subversive texts’, in K. Cooper and J. Gregory (eds.), Discipline and Diversity (Studies in Church History, vol. 43; Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2007). <br />
* ‘Scripture, graphe, and the status of Hermas in Irenaeus’, St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 53.1 (2009) 29-66. <br />
* ‘Taking Stock of our Struggle’, Orthodox Word 44.263 (2008[9]).<br />
* ‘Impatience and Humanity’s Sinful State in Tertullian of Carthage’, Vigiliae Christianae 62 (2008) 107-132. <br />
* ‘Sinful nature as second nature in Tertullian of Carthage’, Studia Patristica (2010). <br />
* ‘Two-natured man: an anthropology of transfiguration’, Pro Ecclesia 14.4 (2005) 413-432. <br />
* ‘To test or preserve? The prohibition of Gen 2.16-17 in the thought of two second-century exegetes’ [Irenaeus and Theophilus], Gregorianum 86 (2005) 723-741. <br />
* ‘Children in Paradise: Adam and Eve as “infants” in Irenaeus of Lyons’, Journal of Early Christian Studies<br />
* ‘The role of Mary as co-recapitulator in St Irenaeus of Lyons’, Vigiliae Christianae 58.2 (2004) 117-137. <br />
* ‘The Mother of God as mediatrix in Orthodox and Roman Catholic thought’, Sobornost, incorporating Eastern Churches Review, 26.1 (2004) 6-26. <br />
* ‘Gnomic will and a challenge to the true humanity of Christ in Maximus Confessor’, Studia Patristica 42 (2006) 237-242. <br />
* ‘Self and the Church: A review of E. Moore’s “Defining Orthodoxy: Is it Possible?”’, Theandros: An Online Journal of Orthodox Christian Theology and Philosophy <www.theandros.com> 1/1 (September 2003). <br />
* ‘Rediscovering Old Testament Christianity’, Again 23.3 (2001) 4-11.<br />
<br />
===Introductory Studies===<br />
* A World Full of Arians<br />
* Epinoia & Ennoia: The Cappadocian Fathers on essence/energy and the human knowledge of God<br />
* Modelling the Trinity after the man: Human nature and the Trinity in the Cappadocian Epistle 38<br />
* Athanasius of Alexandria: Sacrifice, Sanctification, Salvation<br />
* Dionysius the Areopagite: Self-Surpassing Knowledge<br />
* Gregory of Nyssa: Luminous Darkness<br />
* Gregory Palamas: An Historical Overview<br />
* [http://preachersinstitute.com/2010/02/23/gregory-palamas-knowledge-prayer-vision-m-c-steenberg/ Gregory Palamas: Knowledge, Prayer, and Vision]<br />
* Hesychios the Priest: On Watchfulness and Holiness<br />
* John Klimakos: On Repentance that Leads to Joy<br />
* Maximos the Confessor: On the Free Will of Christ<br />
* Symeon the New Theologian: On the Divine Light<br />
* Origen: the Final Restoration ... a Question of Heresy?<br />
* Antony of Egypt: the Basics of His Spirituality<br />
* A Gospel Motivation for the Monastic Life<br />
* Ex Oriente Lux: John Cassian on Eastern Monasticism in the West<br />
<br />
=== Devotional Writings ===<br />
* The Advent of Love: Reflections on the Nativity of Christ (2004)<br />
* 'He bowed the heavens and came down': The nativity of Christ (2003)<br />
* On the Nativity Fast - Preparation of the Soul<br />
* Not like other men: Reflections on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee<br />
* 'All to no purpose have I left my true home': Reflections on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son<br />
* Sunday of the Last Judgement: Reflections on the fear of God<br />
* At the threshold of the Fast: Reflections on the Sunday of Forgiveness<br />
* 'Yea, the time has come': Holy Pascha and the mystery of the liturgical present (2004)<br />
* The personal mystery of Pascha (2003)<br />
* A brief word on celibacy<br />
* She in whom salvation was begun: The Mother of God and the incarnation<br />
* To see the cross universally: Images of the cross in the Old Testament<br />
* Prayer as the act from which all good comes<br />
<br />
==Interviews==<br />
<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/80648.htm "The Only Voice with which any Orthodox Christian is Entitled to Speak is the Voice of the Church" A Conversation with Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg), part 1] [[July 15]], 2015; Pravoslavie.ru<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/80649.htm "If Only We Would Take Seriously our Spiritual Lives, We Would All be Saints" A Conversation with Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg), part 2] [[July 15]], 2015; Pravoslavie.ru<br />
<br />
== References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
* [http://www.wadiocese.com/news_160717_1.html Moscow: The Holy Synod confirmed the election of Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg) as Bishop of Sacramento, July 15, 2016]<br />
* http://www.monachos.net/mcsteenberg/M.C._Steenberg/Academics.html<br />
* http://www.sforthodoxinstitute.org/administration/101-faculty/184-irenei<br />
* http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/33615524?versionId=45343317<br />
* [http://www.wadiocese.com/retreat/steenberg.htm A Note on Dr. Matthew Steenberg]<br />
* [http://www.stnicholas-oxford.org/#!parish-background/c7o9 St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Oxford] Parish Background<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/holyfathers Podcast series: A Word from the Holy Fathers]<br />
* [http://monachos.net/ Monachos.net]<br />
[[Category: Monastics]]<br />
[[Category: Priests]]<br />
[[Category: Modern Writers]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124937George Maximov2017-09-05T10:40:03Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Additional biographic information</p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, a member of the Church of Russia's Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualization of Inter-Religious Relations, a member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism, a member of the Theological Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate's Interconciliar Presence, the Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society, and is noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
*[[January 6]], 2015: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[priest|priesthood]].<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Peter_(Loukianoff)_of_Chicago&diff=124810Peter (Loukianoff) of Chicago2017-05-10T02:20:57Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Correcting caption of photo</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Bishop_Peter.jpg|right|thumb|350px|His Grace, Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Chicago and Mid-America]]<br />
His Grace, '''Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff)''' is the ruling [[bishop]] of the [[Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America (ROCOR)|Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America]] for the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].<br />
<br />
== Life ==<br />
The future bishop, in the world Pavel Andreyevich Loukianoff, was born [[August 9]], 1948 in San Francisco, California. There he studied at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Russian Church gymnasia and school. On [[August 19]], 1965 he was [[tonsure]]d [[reader]] by St. [[John (Maximovitch) of San Francisco]]. He served as an [[acolyte]] for St. John and assisted him in archpastoral duties. In September 1966 he enrolled in [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]] in Jordanville, New York. Between 1971 and 1976 he worked at the Synod of Bishops as an aide to Bp. [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus of Manhattan]]. After completing [[seminary]], he graduated from Norwich University and the department of theology of Belgrade university. In 1988 he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] and [[ordination|ordained]] a [[hierodeacon]] by Abp. Laurus On [[April 25]], 1989 he was ordained a [[hieromonk]]. He then worked as an instructor of Church history and world history at Holy Trinity Seminary as well as holding the position of the seminary's inspector. In 2000 he was appointed director of the Russian Ecclesiastic Mission in Jerusalem and in 2002, administrator of the [[Diocese of Chicago and Detroit (ROCOR)|Diocese of Chicago and Detroit]] (now Chicago and Mid-America). In 2003 the [[Synod]] of Bishops approved his consecration as Bishop of Cleveland.<br />
<br />
The consecration was appointed for [[July 12]], 2003, the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. It took place at the Protection of the Theotokos [[cathedral]] in Des Plaines, Illinois. At the conclusion of the All-Night Vigil, the order of naming was performed by Metropolitan Laurus assisted by Abp. [[Alypy (Gramanovich) of Chicago|Alypy of Chicago and Detroit]] and Bp. [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America]]. The next morning, at the [[Divine Liturgy]], the bishop-elect presented his confession of faith and the consecration took place and was performed by the same bishops. Present at the Liturgy were Archbishop [[Job (Osacky) of Chicago|Job of Chicago and the Midwest]] ([[OCA]]) and representatives of other local churches. Also present was Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Louisa, sister of King Simeon of Bulgaria with representatives of the Bulgarian Royal house, which was commemorated at the Great Entrance.<br />
<br />
In 2008, Bp. Peter became a permanent member of the Synod of Bishops. In September 2009, he was appointed Treasurer of the Synod of Bishops.<br />
<br />
In July 2016, on the retirement of Abp Alypy, Bp Peter was appointed to the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America and elevated to the rank of Archbishop.[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2016/20160705_ensfsynodmeeting.html]<br />
<br />
==Source==<br />
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engrocor/enbio_bppeter.html Bishop Peter]<br />
<br />
== External links == <br />
*[http://www.roca.org/OA/108/108e.htm Remembering Vladika John, By Hieromonk Peter Loukianoff] <br />
*[http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/features/remembrances_of_st._john_of_shanghai Remembrances of St. John (AFR podcast)]<br />
{{start box}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=[[Alypy (Gramanovich) of Chicago|Alypy (Gamanovich)]]|<br />
title=Bishop of Cleveland (ROCOR)|<br />
years=2003-2016|<br />
after=&mdash;}}<br />
{{succession|<br />
before=[[Alypy (Gramanovich) of Chicago|Alypy (Gamanovich)]]|<br />
title=Archbishop of Chicago and Mid-America (ROCOR)|<br />
years=2016-present|<br />
after=&mdash;}}<br />
{{end box}}<br />
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[[Category:Bishops]]<br />
[[Category:Bishops of Cleveland]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Sophianism&diff=124792Sophianism2017-04-29T02:01:42Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* See also */ Adding important article on the topic</p>
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<div>'''Sophianism''' (from Greek Σοφια "wisdom") is a [[heresy]] which has been condemned by the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. Sophianism has roots in Wisdom theology, nineteenth and twentieth century Russian theology, preeminently [[Sergius Bulgakov]] through the influence of [[w:Vladimir Solovyov (philosopher)|Vladimir Solovyov]]. Russian Orthodox priest [[Georges Florovsky]] and Orthodox theologian [[Vladimir Lossky]] opposed the interjection of the deity Sophia. Lossky stated that it was a misguided uniting together of the [[Holy Spirit]] and the [[Virgin Mary]] into a single deity or hypostasis of [[God]].<br />
<br />
==Official Pronouncements Condemning Sophianism==<br />
<br />
===Decree of the Moscow Patriarchate===<br />
<br />
:"By our decision of 24 August, 1935, No.93 it was determined:<br />
<br />
:i) The teaching of Professor and Archpriest S.N. Bulgakov -- which, by its peculiar and arbitrary (Sophian) interpretation, often distorts the dogmas of the Orthodox faith, which in some of its points directly repeats false teachings already condemned by conciliar decisions of the Church, and the possible deductions resulting from which could even prove dangerous to spiritual life -- this teaching is to be recognized as alien to the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ, and all its faithful servants and children are to be cautioned against an acceptance of this teaching.<br />
<br />
:ii) Those Orthodox Reverend Archpastors, clergy and laity who have indiscreetly embraced Bulgakov's teaching and who have promoted it in their preaching and works, either written or printed, are to be called upon to correct the errors committed and to be steadfastly faithful to "sound teaching"."<br />
<br />
===Decree of ROCOR===<br />
<br />
Decision of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad of the 17/30 October 1935 concerning the new teaching of Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov on Sophia, the [[Holy Wisdom|Wisdom]] of God:<br />
<br />
:"i) To recognize the teaching of Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov on Sophia the Wisdom of God as heretical.<br />
<br />
:ii) To inform [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Metropolitan Evlogy]] of this Decision of the Council and to request that he admonish Archpriest Bulgakov with the intention of prompting him to publicly renounce his heretical teaching concerning Sophia and to make a report about the consequences of such admonition to the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.<br />
<br />
:iii) In the event that Archpriest Bulgakov does not repent, the present Decision of the Council which condemns the heresy of Sophianism is to be made known to all Autocephalous Churches." <ref>[http://ecumenizm.tripod.com/ECUMENIZM/id17.html The Sophian Heresy and Attempts to Feminize God], December 13, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
The 1935 decision of the Church Abroad was based on Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Boguchar’s Novoe uchenie o Sofii (Sofia, 1935), as well as on the arguments of St. [[John Maximovitch|John (Maximovitch)]].<ref>Protopresbyter George Grabbe, ''Toward a History of the Ecclesiastical Divisions Within the Russian Diaspora'', Living Orthodoxy, Vol. XIV, No. 4, July-August, 1992, p. 38</ref> St. John, in his book ''The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God'', discusses at length why the [[sophianism]] of Sergius Bulgakov is [[heresy]], specifically one as destructive as [[Nestorianism]]. Speaking of those who attempt to deify the Theotokos, he wrote: <br />
:In the words [of Fr. Sergius Bulgakov], when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the Virgin Mary, she acquired "a dyadic life, human and divine; that is, She was completely deified, because in Her hypostatic being was manifest the living, creative revelation of the Holy Spirit" (Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov, The Unburnt Bush, 1927, p. 154). "She is a perfect manifestation of the Third Hypostasis" (Ibid., p. 175), "a creature, but also no longer a creature" (P. 19 1)....But we can say with the words of St. Epiphanius of Cyprus: "There is an equal harm in both these heresies, both when men demean the Virgin and when, on the contrary, they glorify Her beyond what is proper" (Panarion, "Against the Collyridians"). This Holy Father accuses those who give Her an almost divine worship: "Let Mary be in honor, but let worship be given to the Lord" (same source). "Although Mary is a chosen vessel, still she was a woman by nature, not to be distinguished at all from others. Although the history of Mary and Tradition relate that it was said to Her father Joachim in the desert, 'Thy wife hath conceived,' still this was done not without marital union and not without the seed of man" (same source). "One should not revere the saints above what is proper, but should revere their Master. Mary is not God, and did not receive a body from heaven, but from the joining of man and woman; and according to the promise, like Isaac, She was prepared to take part in the Divine Economy. But, on the other hand, let none dare foolishly to offend the Holy Virgin" (St. Epiphanius, "Against the Antidikomarionites"). The Orthodox Church, highly exalting the Mother of God in its hymns of praise, does not dare to ascribe to Her that which has not been communicated about Her by Sacred Scripture or Tradition. "Truth is foreign to all overstatements as well as to all understatements. It gives to everything a fitting measure and fitting place" (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov)."<ref>St. John Maximovitch, [http://www.ortodoks.dk/On_Orthodox_Veneration_of_the_Mary.htm ''The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God''], (Platina, Ca: St. Herman Press, 1978), p. 40f</ref><br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Sergei Bulgakov, ''Sophia, the Wisdom of God: An Outline of Sophiology (Library of Russian Philosophy)'', Lindisfarne Books, 1993. (ISBN 0940262606, ISBN 978-0940262607) <br />
* Vladimir Lossky ''The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church'', SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-31-1) James Clarke & Co Ltd, 1991. (ISBN 0-227-67919-9)<br />
* Oleg A. Donskikh, ‘Cultural roots of Russian Sophiology’, ''Sophia'', 34(2), 1995, pp38-57<br />
* Brenda Meehan, ‘Wisdom/Sophia, Russian identity, and Western feminist theology’, ''Cross Currents'', 46(2), 1996, pp149-168<br />
* Thomas Schipflinger, ''Sophia-Maria'' (in German: 1988; English translation: York Beach, ME: Samuel Wiser, 1998) ISBN 1578630223<br />
* Mikhail Sergeev, ''Sophiology in Russian Orthodoxy: Solov’ev, Bulgakov, Losskii, Berdiaev'' (Edwin Mellen Press, 2007) ISBN 0773456090 and ISBN 9780773456099, 248 pages<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.rocorstudies.org/2017/04/26/georges-florovsky-and-the-sophiological-controversy/ Alexis Klimoff, On the Sophiological Controversy of the 1930s] - ROCOR Studies, March 25, 2017<br />
==See also==<br />
[[w:Sophiology|Wikipedia: Sophiology]]<br />
<br />
[[Sergius Bulgakov]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Heresies]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Talk:Panentheism&diff=124721Talk:Panentheism2017-03-24T22:44:46Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: This article should be deleted or completely redone.</p>
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<div>This article cites no sources, and is based on a highly questionable premise. I believe it should be overhauled or deleted.</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Pericope&diff=124534Pericope2016-11-02T03:16:19Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Correcting link</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''pericope''' ([[w:Greek language|Greek]] περικοπή; [[w:Church Slavonic language|Slavonic]]: Зачало (''Zachalo''), "a cutting-out") is a portion of text selected to be read aloud, such as the [[Epistle]] and [[Gospel]] readings.<br />
<br />
This is also a term used in biblical studies in reference to distinct textual units, which are sections of scripture with a definable beginning and ending, for example, a parable in the Gospels is a distinct textual unit, as are particular accounts of miracles that Christ worked.<br />
<br />
[[Lectionary|Lectionaries]] are normally made up of pericopes containing the [[Epistle]] and [[Gospel]] readings for the liturgical year. A pericope consisting of passages from different parts of a single book, or from different books of the Bible, and linked together into a single reading is called a ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concatenation concatenation]'' or ''composite reading''.<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150325033805/http://www.godward.org/archives/bs%20notes/bible%20study%20notes%20no%20one%20pericope1.htm What is a "Pericope"?]<br />
*[http://virtualreligion.net/primer/pericope.html "Pericope"] from ''A [[Synoptic gospels|Synoptic Gospels]] Primer''<br />
*To hear the correct pronunciation of the word, [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pericope?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=p&file=perico01 click here]<br />
[[Category:Texts]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124355George Maximov2016-08-06T00:30:30Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
*[[January 6]], 2015: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[priest|priesthood]].<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124354George Maximov2016-08-06T00:30:12Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: ordination date</p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
*[[January 6]], 2015: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[priest|priesthood.<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124353George Maximov2016-08-06T00:28:31Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124352George Maximov2016-08-06T00:28:08Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Date of ordination to the priesthood</p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
*2015: Ordained to the Priesthood, on January 6th.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=George_Maximov&diff=124351George Maximov2016-08-06T00:24:44Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Now a priest</p>
<hr />
<div>The Reverend '''George (Yuri) Maximov''' is a Moscow-based religious scholar and lecturer, noted for his expertise in Islamic studies, in addition to his literary and [[missionary]] work.<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
Yuri Valerevich Maximov was born on [[April 2]], 1979. His secondary education was in film studies.<br />
<br />
*2001: Graduated from the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian, after studies in the Biblical-Patristics Faculty.<br />
*2002: Started lecturing at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Seminary]], teaching a History of Religions course focusing on [[Islam]]. Often involved as an advocate/opponent on boards considering Islam-focused thesis papers for the ''kandidatura'' (PhD).<br />
*Head of the Sixth Day missionary Educational Society<br />
*16-26 Dec 2008: Working visit to Thailand, helping development of Orthodoxy there.<br />
*George was very close to Fr. [[Daniel Sysoev]].<br />
*2009: After Fr. Daniel Sysoev's death, George headed Fr. Daniel's missionary school.<br />
<br />
==Church life==<br />
* [[May 22]], 2010: [[ordination|Ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Abp. [[Eugene (Reshetnikov) of Vereya]].<br />
<br />
Fr. George is currently serving as:<br />
* Member of the [[Church of Russia]]'s Synodal Working Group on the Elaboration of the Conceptualisation of Inter-Religious Relations<br />
* Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Federation's Justice Ministry on the Countering of Religious Extremism<br />
* Member of the Theological Commission of the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate's]] Interconciliar Presence<br />
* Head of the Sixth Day Missionary Educational Society<br />
<br />
Formerly:<br />
* Edited the Russian-language website ''Orthodoxy and Islam''<br />
<br />
George has published several works against [[atheism|atheistic]] concepts of evolution, proposing an Orthodox interpretation, alongside a large number of magazine articles and several books on religious studies. Due to many of his publications dealing with the history of Islam and difficulties in relations with Islam, Fr. George is noted for his outstanding expertise in Islamic studies.<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
''n.b. a partial list''<br />
===Online Articles===<br />
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/33041.htm]<br />
*[http://incendiarious.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/serbian-conversations-part-1/]<br />
<br />
===Books===<br />
* Святые Православной Церкви, обратившиеся из ислама (Orthodox Saints Who Converted from Islam) (Moscow, 2002)<br />
* Святые Отцы об исламе (The Holy Fathers on Islam) (Moscow, 2003)<br />
* Религия Креста и религия полумесяца (The Religion of the Cross and the Religion of the Crescent) (Moscow, 2004)<br />
* Православное Религиоведение: Ислам, Буддизм, Иудаизм (Orthodox Religious Studies: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) (Moscow, 2005)<br />
* Православие и ислам (Orthodoxy and Islam) ([http://azbyka.ru/religii/islam/pravoslavie_i_islam_00-all.shtml online, in Russian])<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
* [http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87&oldid=36201028 Russian-language Wikipedia article]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category: Clergy]]<br />
[[Category: Deacons]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=124089User:Frjohnwhiteford2016-06-04T02:25:10Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: fixing image</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford2.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://www.saintjonah.org/pics/pascha2015.jpg this photo].<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Ecumenism and Roman Catholicism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/the_pope_and_the_patriarch clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Fundamentalism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/orthodox_fundamentalism_what_is_it_and_does_it_exist clicking here].<br />
<br />
{{Template:User ROCOR}}<br />
{{Template:User clergy}}<br />
{{Template:User en}}<br />
{{Template:User ru-0}}<br />
[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg&diff=124088File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg2016-06-04T02:04:51Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Frjohnwhiteford uploaded a new version of File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:User Images]]<br />
This is from a photo taken by a parishioner of St. Jonah's, for use on the St. Jonah web site, and is used with permission.</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=122640User:Frjohnwhiteford2015-11-28T19:46:58Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://www.saintjonah.org/pics/pascha2015.jpg this photo].<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Ecumenism and Roman Catholicism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/the_pope_and_the_patriarch clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can listen to a discussion on Ancient Faith Today on the subject of Fundamentalism by [http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/orthodox_fundamentalism_what_is_it_and_does_it_exist clicking here].<br />
<br />
{{Template:User ROCOR}}<br />
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[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=122639User:Frjohnwhiteford2015-11-28T19:36:05Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://www.saintjonah.org/pics/pascha2015.jpg this photo].<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
{{Template:User ROCOR}}<br />
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[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=122638User:Frjohnwhiteford2015-11-28T19:35:12Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://www.saintjonah.org/pics/pascha2015.jpg this photo] with Fr. [[Elias Wen]] (who turned 110 in 2006, reposed on June 9th, 2007, and was the oldest living priest in the Orthodox Church at that time).<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
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[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg&diff=122637File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg2015-11-28T19:27:12Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: uploaded a new version of &quot;File:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg&quot;</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:User Images]]<br />
This is from a photo taken by a parishioner of St. Jonah's, for use on the St. Jonah web site, and is used with permission.</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Pericope&diff=122487Pericope2015-11-09T05:02:30Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* External links */</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''pericope''' ([[w:Greek language|Greek]] περικοπή; [[w:Church Slavonic language|Slavonic]]: Зачало (''Zachalo''), "a cutting-out") is a portion of text selected to be read aloud, such as the [[Epistle]] and [[Gospel]] readings.<br />
<br />
This is also a term used in biblical studies in reference to distinct textual units, which are sections of scripture with a definable beginning and ending, for example, a parable in the Gospels is a distinct textual unit, as are particular accounts of miracles that Christ worked.<br />
<br />
[[Lectionary|Lectionaries]] are normally made up of pericopes containing the [[Epistle]] and [[Gospel]] readings for the liturgical year. A pericope consisting of passages from different parts of a single book, or from different books of the Bible, and linked together into a single reading is called a ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/concatenation concatenation]'' or ''composite reading''.<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150325033805/http://www.godward.org/archives/bs%20notes/bible%20study%20notes%20no%20one%20pericope1.htm What is a "Pericope"?]<br />
*[http://virtualreligion.net/primer/pericope.html "Pericope"] from ''A [[Synoptic gospels|Synoptic Gospels]] Primer''<br />
*To hear the correct pronunciation of the word, [http://www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php?file=perico01&word=pericope&text=\p%C9%99-%3Cspan%20class%3D%22unicode%22%3E%CB%88%3C%2Fspan%3Eri-k%C9%99-p%C4%93\ click here]<br />
[[Category:Texts]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=New_Martyrs_of_Butovo&diff=121810New Martyrs of Butovo2015-05-21T17:48:02Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''[[New Martyrs]] of Butovo''' were Orthodox faithful who were [[martyr]]ed at the Butovo Shooting Range during Stalin's purges of the mid 1930s.<br />
<br />
Seventeen miles south of Moscow, there is a place that is known as the Butovo Shooting Range, which was an execution ground and mass burial site near the village of Butovo, used by the Soviets during Stalin's purges. This site is often referred to as the "Russian Golgotha".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/world/europe/08butovo.html?fta=y New York Times: Former Killing Ground Becomes Shrine to Stalin’s Victims], Sophia Kishkovsky, June 8, 2007</ref> Executions took place there on an industrial scale during the Great Terror. On some days they executed 500 people or more. Records show that 20,765 people were executed and buried at Butovo between August 1937 and October 1938, during the peak of Stalin's repressions, of that number, about 1,000 people were known to have been executed because of their Orthodox faith. There is now a church dedicated to the New Martyrs on the site.<ref>[http://www.bath-orthodox.org.uk/html/new_martyrs_of_russia.html The New Martyrs of Russia, Mother Sarah, March 2007]</ref> In 2004, [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Patriarch Alexei II]], and [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Metropolitan Laurus]] jointly laid the cornerstone of this Church, which was the first joint liturgical action of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad since the 1920's, and on May 19th, 2007, they consecrated the Church together, two days after the signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]], which formally reconciled the two parts of the Russian Church.<ref>Dmitry Solovyov,<br />
[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070519-0522-russia-church-.html Reuters: Unified Russian church honours Soviet era martyrs], May 19, 2007; see also this account of the consecration of the Church at Butovo, which includes video of the service:[http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2007/05/moscow-trip-part-4.html Fr. John Whiteford: Moscow Trip, Part 4].</ref> The Synaxis of the Martyrs of Butovo is celebrated on the 4th Saturday after Pascha.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia]]<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
*[http://www.martyr.ru/ New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Parish Web site, Butovo, Russia (in Russian)]<br />
*[http://www.allsaintsofamerica.org/martyrs/nmruss.html New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia (Icon and Explanation of the Icon)]<br />
*[http://www.pravmir.com/synaxis-of-the-new-martyrs-of-butovo/ The Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Butovo]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Russian Saints]]<br />
[[Category:Saints]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=120434User:Frjohnwhiteford2014-12-09T00:09:56Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Dutch, German, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://saintjonah.org/pics/freliaswen.jpg this photo] with Fr. [[Elias Wen]] (who turned 110 in 2006, reposed on June 9th, 2007, and was the oldest living priest in the Orthodox Church at that time).<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
{{Template:User ROCOR}}<br />
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[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Prophetologion&diff=120330Prophetologion2014-11-16T21:34:53Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Prophetologion''' (Slavonic: ''Paremijnik'') is a text that contains the [[Old Testament]] [[Lectionary]] readings appointed at [[Vespers]] and at other services during the Church year. There is a very well done [http://www.lulu.com/shop/rdr-peter-gardner-ed/the-prophetologion/hardcover/product-21776016.html Prophetolgion by Reader Peter Gardner], which uses the Boston Psalter for prokimena, and traditional English for the readings. There have also been texts containing the [[Lent]]en Lectionary which have been published in English. One classic text that contains the most commonly used portions of the entire Lectionary is [http://www.light-n-life.com/shopping/order_product.asp?ProductNum=BOOK110 "Divine Prayers and Services of the Catholic Orthodox Church of Christ" by Fr. Seraphim Nassar] &mdash; commonly known as "The Nassar Five-Pounder."<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
*[[Lectionary]]<br />
*[[Liturgical books]]<br />
<br />
== External links==<br />
*[http://www.monachos.net/library/Lectionary_of_Lenten_Readings_for_Weekday_Services Lenten Lectionary]<br />
*[http://www.anastasis.org.uk/prophetologion.htm Prophetologion (Arch. Ephrem (Lash))]<br />
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/library.htm Practical Tips on How To Build a Liturgical Library]<br />
*[http://www.lulu.com/shop/rdr-peter-gardner-ed/the-prophetologion/hardcover/product-21776016.html Prophetolgion by Reader Peter Gardner]<br />
[[Category:Scripture]]<br />
[[Category:Texts]]<br />
[[Category:Old Testament]]<br />
[[Category:Liturgics]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Frjohnwhiteford&diff=120143User:Frjohnwhiteford2014-10-21T12:02:39Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Frjohnwhiteford.jpg|right|Fr. [[John Whiteford]]]]<br />
<br />
My name is Fr. John Whiteford, and I pastor [http://www.saintjonah.org St. Jonah Orthodox Church], in [[w:Spring, Texas|Spring, Texas]]. <br />
<br />
I was born in [[w:Riverside, California|Riverside, California]] in 1966, and lived in [[w:Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace, California]]. My family moved to [[w:Murray, Kentucky|Murray, Kentucky]] in 1976, and then to [[w:Houston, Texas|Houston, Texas]] in 1978. <br />
<br />
I was raised in [[w:Church of the Nazarene|the Church of the Nazarene]], but began studying Orthodoxy while working on my B.A. in Theology at [[w:Southern Nazarene University|Southern Nazarene University]] in [[w:Bethany, Oklahoma|Bethany, Oklahoma]]. I decided to convert not long after graduating from there in 1990. I was baptized at [http://www.russianorthodoxoklahoma.org/ St. Benedict Orthodox Church] in [[w:Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City]] on November 10th, 1990.<br />
<br />
I wrote an article entitled [http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx Sola Scriptura: In the Vanity of Their Minds], which laid out many of the theological reasons for my conversion. This article was published in the Christian Activist in 1995, and then was published in a revised and somewhat expanded form by [[Conciliar Press]] in 1996, under the title [http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Sola-Scriptura.html Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology]. This essay has been translated into [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm Russian, Serbo-Croat, Romanian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Swedish]. The Russian text was published as a [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/book/catalog.pdf booklet] by the [http://www.anb.nnov.ru/ Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod], in 2000.<br />
<br />
I married Wendy Woo in 1988, who was baptized in 1991 and took the name "Patricia". I now have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, and you can see them all in [http://saintjonah.org/pics/freliaswen.jpg this photo] with Fr. [[Elias Wen]] (who turned 110 in 2006, reposed on June 9th, 2007, and was the oldest living priest in the Orthodox Church at that time).<br />
<br />
I was ordained a deacon by [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Metropolitan Hilarion]] on March 4th, 1995, and a priest by [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Archbishop Gabriel]] on January 14th, 2001.<br />
<br />
I was a representative of the [[ROCOR]] [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] at [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow, on May 17, 2007]]. For more on that trip, you can [http://www.saintjonah.org/moscowpilgrimage.htm click here].<br />
<br />
I currently am the general editor of the [http://www.stinnocentpress.com/products/liturgical_calendar.html St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar], and also post [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/ liturgical texts on our parish web site].<br />
<br />
I am the current president of the [http://www.orthodoxhouston.org/index.php Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas].<br />
<br />
I am also the dean of the southern deanery (Texas and Louisiana) of the [http://www.chicagodiocese.org/ Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America] [[ROCOR]].<br />
<br />
You can read some articles I have written over the years by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles.htm clicking here], and listen to sermons by [http://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons.htm clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can read my spiritual autobiography: "A Pilgrim's Podvig" by [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear an interview I did on the subject of Sola Scriptura on the Illumined Heart Podcast by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/speaking_of_sola_scriptura_faith_alone clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can hear a discussion on the same show on the issue of Orthodoxy, Socialism, and Capitalism by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/orthodox_christianity_and_capitalism_revisited clicking here].<br />
<br />
You can also hear a discussion on Ancient Faith today on the issue of Gay "Marriage" by [http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/same_sex_marriage clicking here].<br />
<br />
{{Template:User ROCOR}}<br />
{{Template:User clergy}}<br />
{{Template:User en}}<br />
{{Template:User ru-0}}<br />
[[Category:User Pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Nikolai_Berdyaev&diff=119884Nikolai Berdyaev2014-09-24T23:19:55Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* Studies */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev''' (Николай Александрович Бердяев) (1874-1948) was a prominent Russian philosopher. <br />
<br />
{{stub}}<br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
Berdyaev was born at Kiev on [[March 18]] (O.S. March 6), 1874, of an aristocratic family. His father, an officer in the Imperial Guard, was from a military family. His mother, Princess Kudashev, was a Polish noblewoman who was half French. <br />
<br />
He disliked military school and began studying law at the University of Kiev in 1894. He became a Marxist while at university and was exiled to Vologda in northern Russia in 1898-1901. Returning to Kiev, he became friends with [[Sergius Bulgakov]], who was an economics professor at the time. He studied for a term at the University of Heidelberg in 1903, but returned to Russia where he married Lydia Yudifovna. The couple established their home in St Petersburg. There, Berdyaev assisted Bulgakov with editing the journal, ''Novi Put'' (The New Way). <br />
<br />
The family moved to Moscow where they were to remain for 14 years. Berdyaev received an appointment as a philosophy professor at the University of Moscow in 1920, but his independence led to his being jailed twice and finally expelled by the Soviet government in 1922. He moved to Berlin, where he taught for two years before relocating to Clamart, near Paris. He established the Religious–Philosophical Academy and started a journal dedicated to religious philosophy, ''Put'' (The Way). This gave him the opportunity to renew his friendship with Bulgakov, who had become the dean of the [[St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Paris, France)|St. Sergius Institute]].<br />
<br />
Berdyaev lived through the German occupation of Paris without great difficulty, although the Gestapo questioned him several times. His wife died in 1945. Cambridge University awarded him an honorary doctorate in divinity in 1947. Berdyaev died on [[March 23]] or [[March 24]], 1948, at Clamart.<br />
<br />
==Writings==<br />
*''The Beginning and the End'' (Harper, 1957). <br />
*''The Bourgeois Mind and Other Essays'' (Sheed & Ward, 1934). <br />
*''Christianity and Anti-Semitism'' (Philosophical Library, 1954).<br />
*''The Destiny of Man'' (Scribner, 1960). <br />
*''Dostoevsky'' (Meridian, 1957). <br />
*''Dream and Reality: An Essay in Autobiography'' (Macmillan, 1951). <br />
*''The End of Our Time'' (Sheed & Ward, 1933). <br />
*''The Fate of Man in the Modern World'' (Hesperides Press, 2006). ISBN 978-1406734300.<br />
*''Freedom and the Spirit'' (G. Bles, 1944). <br />
*''The Meaning of the Creative Act'' (Colier, 1962). <br />
*''The Meaning of History'' (Transaction Publishers, 2006). ISBN 978-1412804974.<br />
*''The Origin of Russian Communism'' (University of Michigan Press, 1960). ISBN 978-0472060344.<br />
*''The Russian Revolution'' (University of Michigan Press, 1961).<br />
*''Slavery and Freedom'' (Scribner, 1975). ISBN 978-0684717111.<br />
*''Solitude and Society'' (Centenary, 1938).<br />
*''Spirit and Reality'' (G. Bles, 1946). <br />
*''Truth and Revelation'' (G. Bles, 1953).<br />
*''The Spiritual Crisis of the Intelligentsia" (1910), English tran. Fr. Stephen J Janos ([http://www.berdyaev.com/bookfind.html Vilnius Press], 2014). ISBN: 978-1-940136-17-2.<br />
<br />
==Studies==<br />
*Matthew Spinka, ''Nicolas Berdyaev: Captive of Freedom'' (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1950). <br />
*Michel Alexander Vallon, ''An Apostle of Freedom: Life and Teachings of Nicolas Berdyaev'' (Philosophical Library, 1960).<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
<br />
[http://www.berdyaev.com/ Berdyaev Online Bibliotek Library]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Modern Writers]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:Nikolai Berdiaev]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Nikolai_Berdyaev&diff=119883Nikolai Berdyaev2014-09-24T23:17:50Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* Writings */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev''' (Николай Александрович Бердяев) (1874-1948) was a prominent Russian philosopher. <br />
<br />
{{stub}}<br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
Berdyaev was born at Kiev on [[March 18]] (O.S. March 6), 1874, of an aristocratic family. His father, an officer in the Imperial Guard, was from a military family. His mother, Princess Kudashev, was a Polish noblewoman who was half French. <br />
<br />
He disliked military school and began studying law at the University of Kiev in 1894. He became a Marxist while at university and was exiled to Vologda in northern Russia in 1898-1901. Returning to Kiev, he became friends with [[Sergius Bulgakov]], who was an economics professor at the time. He studied for a term at the University of Heidelberg in 1903, but returned to Russia where he married Lydia Yudifovna. The couple established their home in St Petersburg. There, Berdyaev assisted Bulgakov with editing the journal, ''Novi Put'' (The New Way). <br />
<br />
The family moved to Moscow where they were to remain for 14 years. Berdyaev received an appointment as a philosophy professor at the University of Moscow in 1920, but his independence led to his being jailed twice and finally expelled by the Soviet government in 1922. He moved to Berlin, where he taught for two years before relocating to Clamart, near Paris. He established the Religious–Philosophical Academy and started a journal dedicated to religious philosophy, ''Put'' (The Way). This gave him the opportunity to renew his friendship with Bulgakov, who had become the dean of the [[St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Paris, France)|St. Sergius Institute]].<br />
<br />
Berdyaev lived through the German occupation of Paris without great difficulty, although the Gestapo questioned him several times. His wife died in 1945. Cambridge University awarded him an honorary doctorate in divinity in 1947. Berdyaev died on [[March 23]] or [[March 24]], 1948, at Clamart.<br />
<br />
==Writings==<br />
*''The Beginning and the End'' (Harper, 1957). <br />
*''The Bourgeois Mind and Other Essays'' (Sheed & Ward, 1934). <br />
*''Christianity and Anti-Semitism'' (Philosophical Library, 1954).<br />
*''The Destiny of Man'' (Scribner, 1960). <br />
*''Dostoevsky'' (Meridian, 1957). <br />
*''Dream and Reality: An Essay in Autobiography'' (Macmillan, 1951). <br />
*''The End of Our Time'' (Sheed & Ward, 1933). <br />
*''The Fate of Man in the Modern World'' (Hesperides Press, 2006). ISBN 978-1406734300.<br />
*''Freedom and the Spirit'' (G. Bles, 1944). <br />
*''The Meaning of the Creative Act'' (Colier, 1962). <br />
*''The Meaning of History'' (Transaction Publishers, 2006). ISBN 978-1412804974.<br />
*''The Origin of Russian Communism'' (University of Michigan Press, 1960). ISBN 978-0472060344.<br />
*''The Russian Revolution'' (University of Michigan Press, 1961).<br />
*''Slavery and Freedom'' (Scribner, 1975). ISBN 978-0684717111.<br />
*''Solitude and Society'' (Centenary, 1938).<br />
*''Spirit and Reality'' (G. Bles, 1946). <br />
*''Truth and Revelation'' (G. Bles, 1953).<br />
*''The Spiritual Crisis of the Intelligentsia" (1910), English tran. Fr. Stephen J Janos ([http://www.berdyaev.com/bookfind.html Vilnius Press], 2014). ISBN: 978-1-940136-17-2.<br />
<br />
==Studies==<br />
*Matthew Spinka, ''Nicolas Berdyaev: Captive of Freedom'' (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1950). <br />
*Michel Alexander Vallon, ''An Apostle of Freedom: Life and Teachings of Nicolas Berdyaev'' (Philosophical Library, 1960).<br />
<br />
[[Category:Modern Writers]]<br />
<br />
[[ro:Nikolai Berdiaev]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Vices&diff=119436Vices2014-08-16T15:47:24Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* The Seven Deadly Sins */</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''Vice''' is a particular type of sin. The eastern Fathers usually spoke of '''eight principle vices.''' This list is very similar to the "Seven Deadly Sins". The idea of there being eight principle vices comes from the golden age of Egyptian Monasticism, and is first found in the writings of [[Evagrius Ponticus|Evagrius of Pontus]].<ref>Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, ''Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever,'' (Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press, 2007), p.8f, note 10.</ref> This is also discussed at great length in St. [[John Cassian]]'s "Conferences". <br />
<br />
==The Eight Principle Vices==<br />
<br />
1. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
2. Fornication (lust).<br />
<br />
3. Avarice (greed, covetousness).<br />
<br />
4. Anger.<br />
<br />
5. Sadness.<br />
<br />
6. Despondency ([[sloth]], acedia).<br />
<br />
7. Vainglory (boastfulness, cenodoxia).<br />
<br />
8. [[Pride]].<br />
<br />
St. John Cassian says that the first six are connected to one another, like a chain:<br />
<br />
"Of these eight vices then, although they are different in their origin and in their way of affecting us, yet the first six -- namely, gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, dejection, and despondency, have a sort of connection with each other, and are, so to speak, linked together in a chain, so that any excess of the one forms a starting point for the next. For from an excess of gluttony, fornication is sure to spring, and from fornication avarice, from avarice, anger, from anger, sadness, and from sadness, despondency" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:1]).<br />
<br />
And of the two remaining vices, he says: <br />
<br />
"But the two remaining vices, -- namely, vainglory and pride, are connected together in a somewhat similar way as the others of which we have spoken, so that the growth of the one makes a starting point for the other (for an excess of vainglory produces an incentive to pride); but they are altogether different from the six former faults, and are not joined in the same category with them, since not only is there no opportunity given for them to spring up from these, but they are actually aroused in an entirely different way and manner. For when these others have been eradicated these latter flourish the more vigorously, and from the death of the others they shoot forth and grow up all the stronger: and therefore we are attacked by these two faults in quite a different way" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:3].<br />
<br />
==The Seven Deadly Sins==<br />
<br />
1. [[Pride]].<br />
<br />
2. Anger.<br />
<br />
3. Lust.<br />
<br />
4. Envy.<br />
<br />
5. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
6. Avarice (Greed).<br />
<br />
7. [[Sloth]] (Despondency).<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
*[[Sin]]<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[Category:Spirituality]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Vices&diff=119435Vices2014-08-16T15:46:19Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: </p>
<hr />
<div>A '''Vice''' is a particular type of sin. The eastern Fathers usually spoke of '''eight principle vices.''' This list is very similar to the "Seven Deadly Sins". The idea of there being eight principle vices comes from the golden age of Egyptian Monasticism, and is first found in the writings of [[Evagrius Ponticus|Evagrius of Pontus]].<ref>Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, ''Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever,'' (Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press, 2007), p.8f, note 10.</ref> This is also discussed at great length in St. [[John Cassian]]'s "Conferences". <br />
<br />
==The Eight Principle Vices==<br />
<br />
1. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
2. Fornication (lust).<br />
<br />
3. Avarice (greed, covetousness).<br />
<br />
4. Anger.<br />
<br />
5. Sadness.<br />
<br />
6. Despondency ([[sloth]], acedia).<br />
<br />
7. Vainglory (boastfulness, cenodoxia).<br />
<br />
8. [[Pride]].<br />
<br />
St. John Cassian says that the first six are connected to one another, like a chain:<br />
<br />
"Of these eight vices then, although they are different in their origin and in their way of affecting us, yet the first six -- namely, gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, dejection, and despondency, have a sort of connection with each other, and are, so to speak, linked together in a chain, so that any excess of the one forms a starting point for the next. For from an excess of gluttony, fornication is sure to spring, and from fornication avarice, from avarice, anger, from anger, sadness, and from sadness, despondency" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:1]).<br />
<br />
And of the two remaining vices, he says: <br />
<br />
"But the two remaining vices, -- namely, vainglory and pride, are connected together in a somewhat similar way as the others of which we have spoken, so that the growth of the one makes a starting point for the other (for an excess of vainglory produces an incentive to pride); but they are altogether different from the six former faults, and are not joined in the same category with them, since not only is there no opportunity given for them to spring up from these, but they are actually aroused in an entirely different way and manner. For when these others have been eradicated these latter flourish the more vigorously, and from the death of the others they shoot forth and grow up all the stronger: and therefore we are attacked by these two faults in quite a different way" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:3].<br />
<br />
==The Seven Deadly Sins==<br />
<br />
1. [[Pride]].<br />
<br />
2. Anger.<br />
<br />
3. Lust.<br />
<br />
4. Envy.<br />
<br />
5. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
6. Avarice (Greed).<br />
<br />
7. [[Sloth]] (Despondency).<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[Category:Spirituality]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Sin&diff=119434Sin2014-08-16T15:44:13Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* See also */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Sin''' in the Orthodox Christian understanding is "missing the mark" (the literal meaning of the Greek word for sin, ''hamartia''), falling short of the glorious purpose for which [[God]] created mankind. It is also understood as separation from God, since intimate communion with God is the normal state of mankind from which most people have fallen. Sin is imperfection, anything which fails to live up to the fullness of life in [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] for which man was created.<br />
<br />
The [[Bible]] sometimes uses legal metaphors to refer to sin, likening it to crime, that is, crime against God's law. For Orthodox Christianity, while making use of legal imagery, the more dominant imagery used for sin is also drawn from [[Holy Scripture|Scripture]], and that is that sin is a kind of disease, an affliction for which [[salvation]] is the cure.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*the [[original sin]]<br />
*[[Vices]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Theology]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[mk:Грев]]<br />
[[ro:Păcat]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Principle_Vices&diff=119433Principle Vices2014-08-16T15:28:19Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Redirected page to Vices</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Vices]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Eight_Principle_Vices&diff=119432Eight Principle Vices2014-08-16T15:27:56Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Redirected page to Vices</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Vices]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Sins&diff=119431Sins2014-08-16T15:27:35Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Redirected page to Vices</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Vices]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Seven_Deadly_Sins&diff=119430Seven Deadly Sins2014-08-16T15:27:12Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Redirected page to Vices</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Vices]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Vices&diff=119429Vices2014-08-16T15:25:56Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: /* The Eight Principle Vices */</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''Vice''' is a particular type of sin. The eastern Fathers usually spoke of '''eight principle vices.''' This list is very similar to the "Seven Deadly Sins". The idea of there being eight principle vices comes from the golden age of Egyptian Monasticism, and is first found in the writings of [[Evagrius Ponticus|Evagrius of Pontus]].<ref>Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, ''Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever,'' (Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press, 2007), p.8f, note 10.</ref> This is also discussed at great length in St. [[John Cassian]]'s "Conferences". <br />
<br />
==The Eight Principle Vices==<br />
<br />
1. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
2. Fornication (lust).<br />
<br />
3. Avarice (greed, covetousness).<br />
<br />
4. Anger.<br />
<br />
5. Sadness.<br />
<br />
6. Despondency (sloth, acedia).<br />
<br />
7. Vainglory (boastfulness, cenodoxia).<br />
<br />
8. Pride.<br />
<br />
St. John Cassian says that the first six are connected to one another, like a chain:<br />
<br />
"Of these eight vices then, although they are different in their origin and in their way of affecting us, yet the first six -- namely, gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, dejection, and despondency, have a sort of connection with each other, and are, so to speak, linked together in a chain, so that any excess of the one forms a starting point for the next. For from an excess of gluttony, fornication is sure to spring, and from fornication avarice, from avarice, anger, from anger, sadness, and from sadness, despondency" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:1]).<br />
<br />
And of the two remaining vices, he says: <br />
<br />
"But the two remaining vices, -- namely, vainglory and pride, are connected together in a somewhat similar way as the others of which we have spoken, so that the growth of the one makes a starting point for the other (for an excess of vainglory produces an incentive to pride); but they are altogether different from the six former faults, and are not joined in the same category with them, since not only is there no opportunity given for them to spring up from these, but they are actually aroused in an entirely different way and manner. For when these others have been eradicated these latter flourish the more vigorously, and from the death of the others they shoot forth and grow up all the stronger: and therefore we are attacked by these two faults in quite a different way" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:3].<br />
<br />
==The Seven Deadly Sins==<br />
<br />
1. Pride.<br />
<br />
2. Anger.<br />
<br />
3. Lust.<br />
<br />
4. Envy.<br />
<br />
5. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
6. Avarice (Greed).<br />
<br />
7. Sloth (Despondency).<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[Category:Spirituality]]</div>Frjohnwhitefordhttps://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Vices&diff=119428Vices2014-08-16T15:25:07Z<p>Frjohnwhiteford: Will flesh this out more later</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''Vice''' is a particular type of sin. The eastern Fathers usually spoke of '''eight principle vices.''' This list is very similar to the "Seven Deadly Sins". The idea of there being eight principle vices comes from the golden age of Egyptian Monasticism, and is first found in the writings of [[Evagrius Ponticus|Evagrius of Pontus]].<ref>Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, ''Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever,'' (Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press, 2007), p.8f, note 10.</ref> This is also discussed at great length in St. [[John Cassian]]'s "Conferences". <br />
<br />
==The Eight Principle Vices==<br />
<br />
1. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
2. Fornication.<br />
<br />
3. Avarice (greed, covetousness).<br />
<br />
4. Anger.<br />
<br />
5. Sadness.<br />
<br />
6. Despondency (sloth, acedia).<br />
<br />
7. Vainglory (boastfulness, cenodoxia).<br />
<br />
8. Pride.<br />
<br />
St. John Cassian says that the first six are connected to one another, like a chain:<br />
<br />
"Of these eight vices then, although they are different in their origin and in their way of affecting us, yet the first six -- namely, gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, dejection, and despondency, have a sort of connection with each other, and are, so to speak, linked together in a chain, so that any excess of the one forms a starting point for the next. For from an excess of gluttony, fornication is sure to spring, and from fornication avarice, from avarice, anger, from anger, sadness, and from sadness, despondency" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:1]).<br />
<br />
And of the two remaining vices, he says: <br />
<br />
"But the two remaining vices, -- namely, vainglory and pride, are connected together in a somewhat similar way as the others of which we have spoken, so that the growth of the one makes a starting point for the other (for an excess of vainglory produces an incentive to pride); but they are altogether different from the six former faults, and are not joined in the same category with them, since not only is there no opportunity given for them to spring up from these, but they are actually aroused in an entirely different way and manner. For when these others have been eradicated these latter flourish the more vigorously, and from the death of the others they shoot forth and grow up all the stronger: and therefore we are attacked by these two faults in quite a different way" ([http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.vi.x.html Conferences 5:10:3].<br />
<br />
==The Seven Deadly Sins==<br />
<br />
1. Pride.<br />
<br />
2. Anger.<br />
<br />
3. Lust.<br />
<br />
4. Envy.<br />
<br />
5. Gluttony.<br />
<br />
6. Avarice (Greed).<br />
<br />
7. Sloth (Despondency).<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<div class="references-small"><br />
<references /><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[Category:Spirituality]]</div>Frjohnwhiteford