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'''Old Calendarists''' are groups of Orthodox Christians who are in various levels of "resistance" against the mainstream Orthodox churches, identified mainly by their insistence on the use of the Julian Calendar.  They are to be distinguished from the mainstream churches which simply follow the [[Julian Calendar]] yet remain in [[full communion]] with most or all of world Orthodoxy.  Many Old Calendarists today say that their concerns about [[ecumenism]] are more significant than calendar issues.
 
 
 
The mainstream churches have varying positions on different Old Calendarist churches, ranging from an active desire to restore unity to a denial of the Old Calendarists' Orthodoxy.
 
  
Some Old Calendarist groups are styled as '''True Orthodox''' or '''Genuine Orthodox''', and both terms are used in this article. Some may also style themselves '''Traditionalist Orthodox'''.
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'''Old Calendarists''' are Orthodox Christians who oppose the use of the Revised Julian liturgical calendar (a calendar with similarities to the Gregorian, combined with the Orthodox Paschalion) in the early 20th century to the extent of breaking or limiting Communion with those Orthodox who use the Revised Julian calendar. Citing the 16th-century anathemas against the Gregorian calendar issued by three Patriarchal and Pan-Orthodox Synods in Constantinople, as well as various condemnations by multiple local synods, they have become some of the most vocal critics not only of the new liturgical calendar, but of [[ecumenism]] in general, which is seen as the ultimate cause of the calendar revision.
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==History==
 
==History==
===Greece===
 
In 1924, the [[bishop]]s of the [[Church of Greece]] implemented the calendar change discussed at the pan-Orthodox congress. Afterwards, the former [[Primate]] of the Church of Greece, [[Germanos of Demetrias]], retired in protest. Lay groups and [[brotherhoods]] formed to keep the use of the [[Julian calendar]] (or the "Orthodox calendar," as they prefer it to be called) alive, despite state persecution (Greece was an Orthodox country, and the Church enjoyed certain privileges from the state) and finally, in 1935, three bishops, certain that waiting for a reversal of the calendar change was irresponsible to their flocks, immediately declared their separation from the official Church and declared that the calendar change was a schismatic act.
 
  
====The Florinite/Matthewite schism====
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In 1920, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Dorotheus of Prusa, issued the Encyclical "Unto the Churches of Christ Everywhere"<ref>[http://incommunion.org/?p=142]</ref>, which officially marked the entrance of Orthodox participation in the Ecumenical Movement. (See [[Ecumenism]].) The Encyclical, tied to the formation of the League of Nations and with that end in mind, gave eleven suggestions so "''that above all, love should be rekindled and strengthened among the churches, so that they should no more consider one another as strangers and foreigners, but as relatives, and as being a part of the household of Christ and “fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise of God in Christ” (Eph. 3:6).''"  (par. 6.) The first of the suggestions was "''By the acceptance of a uniform calendar for the celebration of the great Christian feasts at the same time by all the churches.''"
By the 1940s, two parties had formed within the Church of Greece: the [[Florinites]] (under Metropolitan [[Chrysostom of Florina]]) and the [[Matthewites]] (under Bp. [[Matthew of Bresthena]]). The issue had been the former's vacillation on whether the mysteries of the State Church were still grace-filled. Both sides had their respective justifications for their positions, and both were violently persecuted by the state. The Matthewites were holding a more consistently applied position. That they labelled the Florinites as a whole as opportunists who were trying to ingratiate themselves with the state was unfortunate, and not altogether true for the followers of Metropolitan Chrysostom, and so the parties became psychologically distinct.
 
  
In the end, a real physical division was formed, whereas a real doctrinal division ended: Bishop Matthew singlehandedly consecrated another bishop, and together they made more new bishops. After the death of Bishop Matthew, however, Chrysostom of Florina reaffirmed the decision of 1935 declaring the New Calendar State Church as [[schism]]atic. (The reasons for this are unclear, and speculations give various answers.) In any case, the Matthewites proceeded to elect Archbishop Agathagelos to the rank of Primate of Athens in 1958.
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In 1921, a council was called in Athens, led by Metropolitan [[Germanos of Demetrias]], the Vice-President of the Holy Synod, deposing Archbishop [[Meletios_IV_(Metaxakis)_of_Constantinople|Meletios (Metaxakis)]] of Athens, who had previously known for ecumenical activity, for recognizing the revolutionary Venizelos government in Greece. Meletios was recognized as Patriarch of Constantinople on November 21, 1921, where he began his programs anew, though previously his candidacy was declined by the Holy Synod of Constantinople in 1912.  
  
We will deal first with the major divisions of the Florinites, since their divisions have generally been larger and more permanent in nature, and then the Matthewites.
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In 1923, a "Pan-Orthodox Congress" (not a normal term for any Orthodox meeting of hierarchs) was held under the presidency of Meletios composed of members, specifically six Bishops, two laymen, and an archimandrite, of a few of the local Churches (none of the members of the Pentarchy save Constantinople sent representatives). [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev|Metropolitan Anastassy]] of the Russian Church Abroad attended its initial meeting, having been in the area. He declared that the Synod had given him no instructions on the matter and soon departed. In total, less than half of the local Churches were represented by anyone.<ref>http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_2.aspx Bishop Photii of Triaditsa, "The 70th Anniversary of the Pan-Orthodox Congress", Orthodox Life, 1&2, 1994</ref> The purpose of the meeting was to implement the suggestions of the 1920 document, along with other proposals that were largely rejected, such as the elevation of married men to the Episcopate and the remarriage of widowed priests (sessions three and four). Representatives of the Anglican Church were present at the final meetings, specifically former Bishop Gore of Oxford. At these meetings, it was decided that nothing stood in the way of Orthodox-Anglican ecclesiastical union. In response, a five-member commission in Greece (of whom then Archimandrite, later Archbishop, Chrysostom Papadopolous of Athens) determined to study the question of the use of the New Calendar and found that "''Not a single one of them [local Orthodox Churches] can separate from the others and adopt the New Calendar without becoming schismatic in relation to the others.''"<ref>''Journal of the Government of the Greek Kingdom'', chapter 1, 24/25. 1. 1923, No. 8, see also ''OEM'', 1989, Chapter 17, p. 73, as noted in [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_2.aspx]</ref>
  
====Divisions within the Florinites====
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==Greece==
After the death of Metropolitan Chrysostom, the Florinites had no bishops, and Metropolitan Chrysostom advised his flock to go under the protection of the Matthewite bishops. Fearing the repercussions, however, the Florinites opted to seek a new hierarchy and appealed to Bishops of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] to help them. In 1960, Archimandrite Akakios Pappas was made a bishop with the title of Bishop of Talantion for these communities without the official blessing of the ROCOR Synod by [http://www.roca.org/life_of_archbishop_seraphim.htm Archbishop Seraphim of Chicago] and Bp. Theophilos Ionescu, a Romanian New Calendar Bishop under the ROCOR. The following year, the ROCOR elected and ordained Archimandrite Petros Astyfides as Bishop of Astoria in order to serve as archpastor of the Greek Old Calendarist immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Later Bp. Akakios of Talantion and Archbishop Leonty of Chile (ROCOR) ordained five more bishops in Greece. Thus in 1961, Akakios of Talantion became the new First-Hierarch of the restored Florinite Synod. He died, however, in 1963. The Synod thus proceeded to elect Auxentios Pastras, Bishop of Gardikion, to be their new leader as Archbishop of Athens. The ROCOR under Metropolitan Philaret eventually recognized the validity of the secret consecrations in 1969.
 
  
All of the current divisions of the Florinites come from one of the groups below:
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====The True Orthodox Church of Greece====
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[[Image:1925cr1.jpg|thumb|110px|An artist's rendering of the appearance of the Sign of the Cross near Athens, 1925]]
  
'''The Auxentios Synod''':  The First Florinite Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece was fraught with problems by the 1970s, and two major separations occurred during the lifetime of Archbishop Auxentios. However, few doubt that Archbishop Auxentios himself was of a saintly character, albeit a poor bishop. Recently there have been attempts to rehabilitate his memory (Archbishop Auxentios died in 1994); most of his synod, barely held together by the 1980s, dissolved after his death into the three jurisdictions listed below. In 1986, Auxentios was removed  from the Archdiocese of Athens and the leadership of the Old Calendar Church of Greece by a majority the Florinite bishops on account of a series of controversial episcopal ordinations conducted in the early 1980s with his apparent consent. Having the support of the dissenting minority of bishops, Auxentios proceeded to re-form his Synod, appealing for help to the [[Holy Synod of Milan|Bishops of the West]], then independent, but under his omophor, for assistance. He died in 1994, having failed to reconcile with the parishes of the Florinite Synod under Chrysostom Kiousis. The remaining parishes of the Auxentios Synod, however, elected Archbishop Maximos of Kephalonia to the throne of Athens on [[January 7]], 1995. In response to Maximos' request to revisit the ROCOR investigation of Fr Panteleimon (Metropoulos) of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston, the parishes loyal to Auxentios under the American Bishops organized around Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston (see HOCNA), left the Synod, and elected Makarios of Toronto as locum tenens of the see of Athens.  
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In 1924, the [[bishop]]s of the [[Church of Greece]], under Archbishop Chrysostom (Papadopoulos), implemented the calendar change discussed at the "Pan-Orthodox Congress" of 1923. In response, Metropolitan [[Germanos of Demetrias]], retired in protest. The "Old Calendarist" movement arose to oppose the adoption of the Revised Julian calendar. The movement was sustained by Athonite monks that encouraged the rejection of the calendar change, hundreds of parish clergy that refused to recognize the calendar change, as well as dozens of monasteries throughout Greece. Lay groups and [[brotherhoods]] formed to keep the use of the [[Julian calendar]] alive, despite state persecution.
  
'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Florinite)|The Chrysostomite Synod]]''': Amidst charges of maladministration, the majority of the Florinite synod chose in 1986 a new leader in Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis), who demonstrated rather effectively that the True Orthodox in Greece were a force to be reckoned with. Choosing to take on the Greek legal system, court cases were held where it was demonstrated that the Old Calendarists of Greece were not schismatics. Though their public reputation had been tarnished over nearly two decades of divisions, their legal existence was, and is presently, safe. The synod of Chrysostom of Athens is today the largest synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece.
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In 1925, perhaps the most well-known phenomenon in the Old Calendar movement occurred: a large cross over an secret Old Calendar Church in 1925 during the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, witnessed by approximately two thousand people, including police intent on arresting the clergy of the group, many of whom converted that night.<ref>[http://www.orthodox.net/articles/cross-in-athens.html]</ref>
  
'''The [[Holy Synod in Resistance|Synod-in-Resistance]] of Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili''':  While this church's official [[ecclesiology]] is peculiar, the amount of work that Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili and his synod have done to assist True Orthodox throughout the world is impressive, and must be noted. The church itself is rather small, but has been very effective in presenting intellectual arguments against the New Calendar State Church. It is headed by another defector from the Auxentios Synod, Cyprian (Koutsoumbas) of Fili, and holds an ecclesiology of “sick" and “healthy" churches, thus avoiding the repercussions that inevitably follow referring to the majority as subject to a schismatic body. Their ecclesiology is considered heretical by the more rigorist elements of the True Orthodox who have been influenced by Matthewite positions.
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In 1935, after more than 10 years, three Metropolitans, Germanos of Demetrias, the former Metropolitan of Florina, Chrysostom (Kavouridis) and Chrysostomos (Demetriou) of Zakynthos declared the Archbishop of Athens as schismatic and declared:
  
'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Lamian Synod)|The Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens (Lamian Synod)]]''': In 1995, a resistance faction of six bishops formed within the synod of Chrysostom (Kiousis) and separated itself over what they claimed to be a series of canonical infractions, headed by Metropolitan Kallinikos of Lamia. The charges related to the trial of Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Euthymios (Orphanos), who had been charged with moral infractions, and the election of Bishop Vikentios (Malamatenios) of Avlona as Metropolitan of Peiraeus. By early 1997, the bishops headed by Kallinikos of Lamia had fragmented into three groups, one of which reconciled with Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis). A second group, Paisios Loulourgas (Met. of America) and Vikentios Malamatenios (titular Bp. of Avlona), submitted to the Ecumenical Patiarchate. Later that same year, Kallinikos of Lamia and Euthymios of Thessaloniki proceeded to ordain five [[bishop|titular bishop]]s in an attempt to create a new synod. In 2003, they finally decided to elect a primate, and elected Makarios (Kavakides) of Athens.  A good deal of their membership was then lost, as many who did not see themselves as separate from the Kiousis synod were forced to decide between the two.
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''"Those who now administer the Church of Greece have divided the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation, and have split the Greek Orthodox People into two opposing calendar parts. They have not only violated an Ecclesiastical Tradition which was consecrated by the Seven Ecumenical Councils and sanctioned by the age-old practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but have also touched the Dogma of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Therefore those who now administer the Greek Church have, by their unilateral, anticanonical and unthinking introduction of the Gregorian calendar, cut themselves off completely from the trunk of Orthodoxy, and have declared themselves to be in essence schismatics in relation to the Orthodox Churches which stand on the foundation of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the Orthodox laws and Traditions, the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Serbia, Poland, the Holy Mountain and the God-trodden Mountain of Sinai, etc....That this is so was confirmed by the Commission made up of the best jurists and theologian-professors of the National University which was appointed to study the calendar question, and one of whose members happened to be his Blessedness the Archbishop of Athens in his then capacity as professor of Church History in the National University...Since his Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens has by his own signature declared himself to be a Schismatic, what need do we have of witnesses to demonstrate that he and the hierarchs who think like him have become Schismatics, in that they have split the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation and divided the Ecclesiastical and ethnic soul of the Greek Orthodox People?"''<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/downloads/92_NEW_ZION_IN_BABYLON_PART_3.pdf] Cited in Moss, ''New Zion in Babylon'', Part 3, p. 92</ref>
  
====Divisions within the Matthewites====
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From April 23rd to April 26th 1935 the ordination of four new bishops took place. Ordained were the Archmandrites: Germanos (Barikopoulos) as Bishop of Kyklades, Christoforos (Hatzis) as Bishop of Megaris, Polycarp (Liosis) as Bishop of Diavleia, and Bishop Matthew (Karpathakes) of Bresthena).<ref>[http://www.hotca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:the-change-in-the-calendar-of-the-church-of-greece&catid=23:goc-history&Itemid=71]</ref>
For all the negative press the Matthewites have received over the years due to the strictness of their position, their church has been strangely free from long lasting schisms. Only two separations are worthy of note from the main body, and while they had the potential to destroy the unity that exists within the Matthewite True Orthodox Church of Greece, they did not.
 
  
The first Primate of Athens selected by the Matthewites was Agathangelos of Athens, who reposed in 1967.  Andreas of Athens, one of the original three bishops made, was elected to the primacy in 1972; unitl his death in 2005 he was one of the oldest and longest-reigning of Orthodox bishops in the world.
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====The Florinite/Matthewite schism====
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By the 1940s, two parties had formed within the Church of Greece: the [[Florinites]] (under Metropolitan [[Chrysostom (Kavourides) of Florina]]) and the [[Matthewites]] (under Bp. [[Matthew (Karpathakis) of Bresthena]]). The schism originated in Metropolitan Chrysostom's hesitation to consider the mysteries of the State Church as graceless, whereas the adherents of Bishop Matthew (the "Matthewites") maintained the rigorist position: that State Church was schismatic and therefore graceless.  
  
'''[[True Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)|The Synod of Archbishop Nicholas]]''': In February, 2003, Archbishop Andreas of Athens retired, and Archbishop Nicholas of Athens, considered by many to have a progressive vision for the Matthewite church, was elected. Extremely popular with younger Matthewites, Archbishop Nicholas seems generally poised to keep the Matthewite synod united. However, it has been advanced that Archbishop Andreas retired in violation of the canons.
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In 1948, Bishop Matthew singlehandedly consecrated another bishop, and together they made more new bishops, furthering the rift and causing many former Matthewite clergy to join ranks with the Florintes. After the death of Bishop Matthew, however, Chrysostom of Florina reaffirmed the decision of 1935 declaring the New Calendar State Church as [[schism]]atic. The declaration had as its motivation to heal the Matthewite schism. Nonetheless, the irenic gesture went unheeded and the Matthewites proceeded to elect Archbishop Agathagelos to the rank of Primate of Athens in 1958.
  
'''The Kirykite faction''': Not a schism proper, Metropolitan Kirykos and two other bishops of the synod refused to recognize the retirement of Archbishop Andreas or the enthronement of the new Archbishop, but continued to remain a member of the Synod of Archbishop Nicholas. The risk of schism exists, but is small&mdash;one of Kyrikos' vocal supporters have since died; another Matthewite Bishop of the Synod has passed on recently in Metr Gorgonios, and there were rumors he too supported Metropolitan Kirykos.
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'''''The Florinites'''''
  
'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)|The Gregorian Synod]]''': Under the primacy of Andreas of Athens, there were virtually no divisions in the Matthewites until 1995, when Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia separated with a small majority of the synod (five versus four), ostensibly over the issue of the "God the Father" [[icon]] and the related issues of Western-style icons in general. However, with the deaths of three of their bishops, the remaining two split, one remaining completely alone from the eldest hierarch, and the with Gregorios of Messinia naming three more bishops (Abramios, Pavlos, and Nectarios).
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After the death of Metropolitan Chrysostom, the Florinites had no bishops, and Metropolitan Chrysostom advised his flock to go under the protection of the Matthewite bishops. Fearing the repercussions, however, the Florinites opted to seek a new hierarchy and appealed to Bishops of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] to help them. In 1960, Archimandrite Akakios Pappas was made a bishop with the title of Bishop of Talantion for these communities without the official blessing of the ROCOR Synod by Archbishop [[Seraphim (Ivanov) of Chicago]]<ref>[http://www.roca.org/life_of_archbishop_seraphim.htm]</ref> and Bishop [[Theophilus (Ionescu) of Sèvres|Theophilus (Ionescu)]], an anti-communist Romanian bishop under the ROCOR, whose parishes followed the new calendar. The following year, the ROCOR elected and ordained Archimandrite Petros Astyfides as Bishop of Astoria in order to serve as archpastor of the Greek Old Calendarist immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Later Bishop Akakios of Talantion and  Archbishop [[Leontius (Filipovich) of Chile]]<ref>[http://users.sisqtel.net/williams/archbishopleonty.html]</ref> of ROCOR ordained five more bishops in Greece. Thus in 1961, Akakios of Talantion became the new First-Hierarch of the restored Florinite Synod. He died, however, in 1963. The Synod thus proceeded to elect Auxentios Pastras, Bishop of Gardikion, to be their new leader as Archbishop of Athens. The ROCOR under Metropolitan Philaret recognized the validity of the consecrations in 1969.
  
For all intents and purposes, it would appear that there are still only two actual Matthewite synods.
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''Divisions within the Florinites''
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The Restored Florinite Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece was fraught with problems by the 1970s, and two major separations occurred during the lifetime of Archbishop Auxentios. However, few doubt that Archbishop Auxentios himself was of a saintly character, albeit a poor bishop. Recently there have been attempts to rehabilitate his memory (Archbishop Auxentios died in 1994); most of his synod, barely held together by the 1980s. In 1979, two Florinite Metropolitans, Kallistos of Corinth and Antonios of Attica, unilaterally consecrated seven Archimandrites to the episcopacy in an attempt to counteract the irregularities they perceived in the administration of Archbishop Auxentios. This led to the formation of the short-lived '''Kallistite Synod''', most of whose members reconciled themselves with the main body of the Florinite Synod by 1985.  
  
====Other groupings====
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'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Florinite)|The Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece]]''': In 1986, Archbishop Auxentios was removed  from the Archdiocese of Athens and the leadership of the Old Calendar Church of Greece. The Florinite Synod chose in 1986 a new leader in Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis), who demonstrated rather effectively that the True Orthodox in Greece were a force to be reckoned with. Choosing to take on the Greek legal system, court cases were held where it was demonstrated that the Old Calendarists of Greece were not schismatics. Though their public reputation had been tarnished over nearly two decades of divisions, their legal existence was, and is presently, safe. The synod of Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens represents today the main body of the True Orthodox Church of Greece. IN 2010, Archbishop Chrysostomos fell asleep in the Lord and was succeeded by Archbishop Kallinikos (Sarantopoulos).
There was once a list posted of over 30 True Orthodox Greek Churches. This is in fact an unrealistic number. The number comes from an Old Internet listing of Bishops and Synods, some of whom had no following, and had one, if any Bishop. A demented compilation designed to confuse as well as [[convert]], this infamous list indicated even temporary unions as existing jurisdictions. As well, even the Moscow Patriarchate was involved in the formation of one of these Bishops (Joachim Souris), and so the author is limiting the discussion to True Orthodox Churches with actual memberships and hierarchies-- in other words, actual Churches.
 
  
===Russia===
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'''The Auxentios Synod''': Archbishop Auxentios was removed in 1986 by the Florinite Synod on account of a series of controversial episcopal ordinations conducted in the early 1980s with his apparent consent. Having the support of the dissenting minority of bishops, Auxentios proceeded to form a counter Synod.  He died in 1994, having failed to reconcile with the Florinite Synod under Archbishop Chrysostom. The remaining parishes of the Auxentios Synod, however, elected Archbishop Maximos of Kephalonia as president in 1995. However, after a series of questionable ordinations and maladministration by Archbishop Maximos, the Auxentios Synod dissolved in the mid 1990's. In 2006, clergy and a bishop (Metropolitan Athanasios of Larissa) from the Auxentios Synod reconciled themselves with the main body of the Old Calendar Church in Greece and were admitted into the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom. In North America, the parishes loyal to Auxentios under the American Bishops organized around Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston (HOCNA), left the Synod, and elected Makarios of Toronto as locum tenens of the see of Athens. Since 2008, HOCNA has been in a cordial dialogue with the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom in hope of establishing closer ties.    
====Inside Russia====
 
With the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius in 1927, Orthodox bishops in Russia began to apply [[Ukaz No. 362]] of Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]] and became administratively independent until such time as they could operate freely.
 
  
Ukaz No. 362 was written to preserve the Orthodox Church in times of persecution so that the Churches could survive. It gives the bishops of the Russian Church, temporarily, the right to self-govern apart from each other until such time as they can organize. It is considered by some to be a masterpiece of self-preservation in a time where the rules of canonical order could not be followed to the letter due to the difficulty of travel and so forth.
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'''The [[Holy Synod in Resistance|Synod-in-Resistance]] of Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili''':  The Synod in Resistance has its origins in the short-lived Kallistite Synod of 1979-1985. While its official [[ecclesiology]] is peculiar, the amount of work that Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili and his synod have done to assist the True Orthodox Church of Greece throughout the world is impressive, and must be noted. The church itself is rather small, but has been very effective in presenting intellectual arguments against the Church of Greece. It is headed by another defector from the Auxentios Synod, Cyprian (Koutsoumbas) of Fili, and holds an ecclesiology of “sick" and “healthy" churches, thus avoiding the repercussions that inevitably follow referring to the majority as subject to a schismatic body. Their ecclesiology is considered heretical by some of the more rigorist elements of the True Orthodox, although they were condemned on an ecclesiological basis by the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens in 1986. In 2008, the Synod in Resistance and the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom met for a number of high-profile meetings in the hope of developing closer ties.<ref>[http://www.synodinresistance.org/Administration_en/E1a4028AnakoinosisDialogoy2-08.pdf]</ref>
  
The number of catacomb churches in Russia is to date fairly large, and even today no one knows where all of them are. The history of the different catacomb [[episcopate]]s since 1927 is still not completely documented. There are also questions as to the legitimacy of certain catacomb bishops. Sadly, these questions will have to be determined by a future all-Russian Council.
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'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Lamian Synod)|The Makarian (Lamian) Synod]]''': In 1995, a resistance faction of six bishops formed within the synod of Chrysostom (Kiousis) and separated itself over what they claimed to be a series of canonical infractions, headed by Metropolitan Kallinikos (Hatzis) of Lamia. The charges related to the trial of Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Euthymios (Orphanos), who had been charged with moral infractions, and the election of Bishop Vikentios (Malamatenios) of Avlona as Metropolitan of Peiraeus. By early 1997, the movement had fragmented into three groups, one of which reconciled with Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis). A second group, Paisios Loulourgas (Met. of America) and Vikentios Malamatenios (titular Bp. of Avlona), submitted to the Ecumenical Patiarchate. Later that same year, Kallinikos of Lamia and Euthymios of Thessaloniki proceeded to ordain five [[bishop|titular bishop]]s in an attempt to create a new synod. In 2003, they finally decided to elect a primate, and elected Makarios (Kavakides) of Athens. A good deal of their membership was then lost, as many who did not see themselves as separate from the Kiousis synod were forced to decide between the two.
  
====The True ("Free") Russian Orthodox Church and its divisions====
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'''''The Matthewites'''''
In 1990, ROCOR had announced that a bishop had secretly been consecrated to assist the believers in Russia (Bishop Varnava of Cannes), who then proceeded, with the blessing of the Synod, to make more bishops for Russia, the most prominent being Bishop Valentine of Suzdal and Lazarus of Tambov.
 
  
'''[[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church|The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church]]''': The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC) is by far the largest of the Russian True Orthodox Churches, with hundreds of parishes in Russia and abroad, and also one of the most controversial.  Headed by Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal and Vladimir, the synod has twelve bishops and is enjoying a period of intense persecution on the part of the [[Church of Russia|state church]]. One bishop, Gregory (George/Abu Asaly) of Colorado, recently parted ways with the ROAC synod after having been both canonically retired and excommunicated. He initially took 2 parishes in America with him but they have now left him along with most of his monastics and parishionersHis group is the self-styled the '''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of America]]'''<sup>[http://www.gocamerica.org/]</sup> (Not to be confused with the newly autonomous Genuine Greek Orthodox Church in America headed by Metropolitan Pavlos of Astoria that is in communion with its mother Church, the GOC headed by Archbishop Chrysostomos II.) Gregory and his believers numbering in the teens believes himself to be the last bishop left in America.
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For all the negative press the Matthewites have received over the years due to the strictness of their position, their church has been strangely free from long lasting schisms. Only two separations are worthy of note from the main body, and while they had the potential to destroy the unity that exists within the Matthewite True Orthodox Church of Greece, they did not. The first Primate of Athens selected by the Matthewites was Agathangelos of Athens, who reposed in 1967Andreas of Athens, one of the original three bishops made, was elected to the primacy in 1972; unitl his death in 2005 he was one of the oldest and longest-reigning of Orthodox bishops in the world.
  
'''[[Russian True-Orthodox Church (Lazarus)|The True Russian Orthodox Church]]''': Bp. Lazarus of Tambov, himself well-known in Russia, rejoined the ROCOR after the Free Russian Orthodox Church broke communion with ROCOR then later left again after the formation of Metropolitan Vitaly's [[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]] (ROCOR-V). He and Bishop Benjamin of Kuban consecrated a new set of bishops and currently have a couple dozen parishes in Russia.
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''Divisions within the Matthewites''
  
====Russian True Orthodoxy today====
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'''[[True Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)|The Synod of Archbishop Nicholas]]''': In February, 2003, Archbishop Andreas of Athens retired, and Archbishop Nicholas of Athens, considered by many to have a progressive vision for the Matthewite church, was elected. Extremely popular with younger Matthewites, Archbishop Nicholas seems generally poised to keep the Matthewite synod united.  However, it has been advanced that Archbishop Andreas retired in violation of the canons.
Today the situation is considerably clearer than it was 20 years ago; many of the groups that exist today have either been merged into other jurisdictions or have formed small, independent groups, administratively separate from the rest of the church. Much of their current history is tied together with ROCOR, as most of the original Catacomb bishops had been killed during state persecutions or died in hiding.
 
  
====Outside Russia====
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'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)|The Gregorian Synod]]''': Under the primacy of Andreas of Athens, there were virtually no divisions in the Matthewites until 1995, when Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia separated with a small majority of the synod (five versus four), ostensibly over the issue of the "God the Father" [[icon]] and the related issues of Western-style icons in general. However, with the deaths of three of their bishops, the remaining two split, one remaining completely alone from the eldest hierarch, and the with Gregorios of Messinia naming three more bishops (Abramios, Pavlos, and Nectarios).
The History of the Russian church outside Russia is best summarized by St. [[John Maximovitch|John (Maximovitch)]], Archbishop of Shanghai and San Fransisco, who reposed in 1966:
 
  
:In November of 1921 in Sremsky-Karlovtsy in Yugoslavia the first Sobor abroad was held, in which in addition to 24 bishops, representatives of the clergy and laity took part. Being thus the voice of all Russians who had succeeded in leaving the Soviet authority, the Sobor considered itself obligated to express its opinion regarding the situation in Russia, where all the rest of the population of Russia was languishing under the oppression of that authority. The Sobor appealed to the Genoa Conference with the request not to support the Bolshevik regime and to help the Russian people to become free of it.
+
'''[[Genuine Orthodox Church (Matthewite)|The Synod of Metropolitan Kirykos]]''': Originally not a schism proper, Metropolitan Kirykos and two other bishops of the synod refused to recognize the retirement of Archbishop Andreas or the enthronement of the new Archbishop, but continued to remain a member of the Synod of Archbishop Nicholas. Finally, in 2005, after several attempts, the Synod of Abp Nicholas endeavored to depose Metropolitan Kirykos, who has since added five Bishops to his Synod in a number of countries.<ref>[http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/ The Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece under the Omophorion of Metropolitan Kirykos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis].</ref>
  
Thus was formed the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR), which held, until recently, the banner of Russian True Orthodoxy outside of the Russian territory.
+
==Romania==
 +
====[[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania|The True Orthodox Church of Romania]]====
 +
In 1924, Metropolitan Miron of the Church of Romania introduced the New Calendar for use in the Church. Although most Romanians accepted the change, the skete of the Protection of the Theotokos in northern Moldavia rejected it. In 1925, led by Hieromonk Glicherie, some of the brethren left the skete to start an Old Calendarist group. When, in 1926 and 1929, Metropolitan Miron ordered Pascha to be celebrated according to the Gregorian Paschalion, a large number of faithful, including Russian émigrés, left the Church of Romania and joined the Old Calendarists. By 1936, the Old Calendarists numbered about 40 parishes. Beginning in 1935, at the order of Metropolitan Miron, the Old Calendarists were under persecution. By 1940, ten Old Calendarist priests had died in prison, and all of the Old Calendar churches had been shut down. Hieromonk Glicherie was imprisoned, but, at the beginning of World War II, released. By 1950, with the release of Hmk Glicherie and other priests from prison, many of the churches were rebuilt. In 1955, Metropolitan Galaktion left the Church of Romania to serve the Old Calendarists, and immediately ordained new priests and deacons. However, he was soon arrested, and placed under house arrest in Bucharest. While under house arrest, Metropolitan Galaktion consecrated three other bishops, including Hmk Glicherie, who, in 1957, became the Metropolitan of the True Orthodox Church of Romania. Since 1980, the Synod has been in full communion with the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece presided by Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth, then with the Holy Synod in Resistance presided by Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili. The Synod also maintains communion with the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, headed by Bishop Photii. From 1994 to 2007 there was full communion with the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR), but with the rapprochement between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate, communion with the ROCOR was severed.
  
====Divisions within Russia abroad====
+
==Bulgaria==
The Russian Church Abroad (ROCOR) enjoyed relative stability until after the death of Metropolitan Philaret of New York (+1985) and is currently in the process of uniting with Moscow. Since the death of Metropolitan Philaret (regarded as a [[saint]] by many Old Calendarists), three major groupings of True Orthodox Churches can be categorized.
+
The majority of the faithful are in communion with the Synod in Resistance (see "Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili" above) and the Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church, but are an autonomous Church - The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria - and comprise a few dozen parishes under Bishop Photii of Triaditsa.
  
'''[[Holy Orthodox Church in North America|The Holy Orthodox Church in North America]]''': In 1986, after the monks of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA were accused of moral crimes and called to spiritual court.  The entire New England Deanery of ROCOR, with the exception of one priest, had repeatedly asked for a canonical investigation of the trustworthiness of the persons  making the moral accusations for a period of 11 months.[[http://www.homb.org/archives/Clergy%20Letter,%20Sept.%2016-29,%201986.pdf]] These same clergy had also expressed concerns over violations of the Anathema Against Ecumenism which all the bishops of ROCOR had signed in 1983.[[http://www.homb.org/archives/November%208.pdf]]  Several days before the monks were called to spiritual court [[http://www.homb.org/archives/Dec.%209,%201986.pdf]] they left the ROCOR [[http://www.homb.org/archives/Departure%20from%20ROCOR%20Letter.pdf]] 
+
=Ecclesiastical status=
and were received by Metopolitan Akakios and Metropolitan Gabriel, two bishops who had not attended the Synod meetings of Archbishop Auxentios because of various administrative problemsThe monks had lost confidence that the bishops would be unbiased since they were receiving testimony from witnesses that cannot make accusations against a clergyman according to the Sacred Canons (see above)Several weeks later approximately one-thirteenth of the North American parishes of the ROCOR and one-sixth of the clergy, following Holy Transfiguration Monastery's example, also went under Metropolitans Akakios and Gabriel.  
+
The ecclesiastical and canonical status of the various Old Calendarist jurisdictions is complexSome regard themselves as being the only true Orthodox Christians and thus view the mainstream Orthodox Church as being in [[apostasy]]. As such, they do not share either communion or concelebration with the mainstream churches. Other Old Calendarists (typically those "in resistance") have suspended concelebrations with mainstream clergy, but will still commune the faithful of mainstream jurisdictionsThey thus see themselves as a reform movement within the Orthodox ChurchThe question of canonicity follows much the same sort of patterns.
  
Later, when cooperation ceased between Metropolitans Akakios and Gabriel in 1997, the clergy of HOCNA asked to be received directly under the then allegedly deposed Archbishop Auxentios. Although the Synod of Archbishop Chrysosostom II in 1986 considered Archbishop Auxentios deposed, in 1998 they rehabilitated him [[http://www.homb.org/archives/Archbishop%20Auxentios~Deposition~.pdf]].  Another group of bishops formerly under Archbishop Chrysostom II, but now known  as the Lamian Synod presently under Archbishop Makarius also declared the deposition of Archbishop Auxentios uncanonical and void on April 1/14, 1997.[[http://www.homb.org/archives/Lamia%20on%20Auxentios.pdf]] It is worthy of note that HTM changed its opinion on Archbishop Auxentios after Akakios and Gabriel broke communion with each other-- raising the obvious question of whether they were intent on creating their own Synod.   
+
Views from the mainstream Orthodox on the Old Calendarists range from trying to heal the various breaks in communion or concelebration to outright declarations that such groups are themselves apostates, that is, no longer Orthodox.
 
 
After obtaining 2 bishops and two suffragan bishops, the group left the successor of Archbishop Auxentios, Archbishop Maximos, after claiming they had deposed him for uncanonically consecrating two individuals to the episcopate without the permission of the rest of the synod.[[http://www.homb.org/archives/Maximus%20defrockment.pdf]] It is worth noting that Maximos claimed the "Americans were trying to take control" by not assisting in the consecrations of Bishops for Greece, which at this point were becoming sorely needed.  After the "defrockment" (it is virtually impossible to defrock the first-hierarch without a majority of the votes, which in this case would have been required, as well as a canonical trial, which was also not done) they elected Athanasios of Larisa to be their Bishop, until Athanasios learned that members of the "American Church" had questioned his qualifications as a Bishop. Alone at last, the American parishes incorporporated themselves as Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA) in 1987.  Currently the HOCNA synod, which in 2001 declared itself administratively independent of its extant mother Church in Greece, has five bishops. 
 
 
 
From 1999 to 2001 the Lamian Synod approached HOCNA to establish full administrative unity, but this attempt failed for various reasons. [[http://www.homb.org/Archived_Docs_HTM/LamiansToHOCNA.pdf]]
 
'''The True ("Free") Russian Orthodox Church''': In 1994, the majority of the parishes of the Free Russian Orthodox Church (see above) broke communion with the ROCOR over their sudden inclination towards union with the Moscow Patriarchate, made manifest by their desire to "break apart" the Russian parishes. In time, a number of American parishes have joines the FROC, now known as the ROAC.
 
 
 
In 2001, after the ROCOR made a clear commitment to union with the Moscow Patriarchate, the head of the ROCOR synod, Metropolitan Vitaly, retired from the proceedings.
 
 
 
Almost immediately afterwards, Metropolitan Vitaly, Archbishop Varnava of Cannes, and two of the Russian bishops of ROCOR, separated with the rest of the ROCOR synod and made new bishops. The proceedings that led up to these events are well documented on the Internet and the treatment of the retired head of the ROCOR has been regarded as shameful by many in the majority group, including allegations that Vitaly is unfit for service and is being used as a figurehead.  Since then, Metropolitan Vitaly has headed the reorganized ROCOR from his home in Mansonville.  Until recently, they were known as the [[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]], having since returned to the original name of ROCOR in many documents.
 
 
 
'''[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile|The Russian Church in Exile]]''': The Russian Church in Exile has since primarily split into three parts&mdash;the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (North America), an independent European branch that the other branches to not accept, and the [[Russian True-Orthodox Church (Lazarus)|True Russian Orthodox Church in Russia]].  Both claim to be under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Vitaly.  However, the Russian Church in Exile immediately made new bishops for Russia; most of the Russian parishes of the ROCOR are still under the RTOC.  Most recently, in 2004, the community of [[Esphigmenou Monastery (Athos)|Esphigmenou]] (the sole monastery of the [[Mount Athos|Holy Mountain]] that still refuses to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch since the calendar change) has declared its recognition of Metropolitan Vitaly as the only possible legitimate First-Hierarch of ROCOR.
 
 
 
'''The "continuing Russian Orthodox Church Abroad" parishes under Bishop Agafangel of Odessa''': After the signing of the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Communion]] in 2007, the majority of parishes within the Ukraine, and  a minority of parishes elsewhere, went under Bishop Agafangel of Odessa and Ukraine, and are currently preparing to ordain new Bishops for their rival synod.
 
 
 
====Other groupings====
 
The amount of confusion among the remaining Russian True Orthodox parishes is not really worthy of note, as most have almost no visible membership, though two groups of historical value are the church under Ambrose (Von Sievers) and the [[Seraphimo-Gennadite Orthodox Church]].  Questions about their legitimacy and ecclesiology abound, however, and due to their small membership, there is a serious question as to how much discussion such groups actually merit, since they are usually reabsorbed into larger churches. Another new group that is worthy of note is the [[Russian True-Orthodox Church (Vyacheslav)|Russian True-Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Vyacheslav)]] which actually derives its episcopate from the [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church|Ukrainian Autocephalous Church]].
 
 
 
===Other national churches===
 
Other countries have been given True Orthodox hierarchies by the above groups.
 
 
 
====Romania====
 
The history of True Orthodoxy in Romania has a rich history and goes back to 1924.  Most of the faithful are currently under the omophor of Metropolitan Vlasie of Romania and his subordinate bishops. Romania was given Bishops by the synod under Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili (see above).
 
 
 
One parish is under the Lamian Synod (see above).
 
  
====Bulgaria====
+
===Alternative Hierarchies===
The majority of the faithful are under the Cyprianites (see "Cyprian of Fili" above) and comprise a few dozen parishes, their bishop being Photios of Triaditsa.
+
These churches refrain from both [[concelebration]] and [[full communion|communion]] with the mainstream Orthodox churches, regarding the hierarchies of the official churches to have apostasized and placed themselves outside Orthodoxy.  In response, they have fully developed Synods in contrast to the official Church: for example, as there is an Archbishop of Athens, a rival Archbishop of Athens is elected to the see. With few exceptions, the Russian groups have not done the same due to the political climate, although the Rus-OC under Metropolitan Damascene of Moscow claims jurisdiction over the territory of the Patriarch of Moscow.  
 
Two churches are under Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal, and two left with Bishop Gregory of Colorado during his departure.
 
  
====Georgia====
+
Such a claim is usually accompanied by the position that the corresponding official body is completely [[schism]]atic.
In Georgia, dozens of [[monastics]] fled the official Patriarchate of Georgia in protest over [[ecumenism]] in 1998. HOCNA (see above) absorbed many of them, and they style themselves the [[True Orthodox Church of Georgia]]. They currently have no bishop and are administratively under North America.
 
  
====Ukraine====
+
===Churches "in resistance" or "walled off"===
The situation in Ukraine deserves its own paper and is beyond the scope of this article. The churches there deserve mention, however, since most of the Russian groups have parishes in Ukraine (ROAC has two Bishops in Ukraine.) Worthy of note is the [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]] (UAOC) under Metropolitan Methody Kuriakov; while the ecclesiology of the UAOC is not particularly firm, they consecrated bishops for at least one True Orthodox group in Russia.
+
These churches refrain from [[concelebration]] with the mainstream Orthodox churches, but do not consider themselves schismatic, nor have they formally declared the mainstream churches without grace. In general, they set up alternative hierarchies that use the names of sees that are not used by the state Church in question<ref>[http://www.synodinresistance.org/Theology_en/Resistance.html]</ref>.  
  
==Churches "in resistance"==
+
It is said that they would also communicate the faithful of those churches after confession. A notable exception is the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania, who receive members of the New Calendar Churches by Chrismation.
These churches refrain from [[concelebration]] with the mainstream Orthodox churches, but do not consider themselves [[schism]]atic, nor have they declared a break in [[full communion|communion]] with the mainstream churches.  They will also commune the faithful of those churches.
 
  
* [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] ("Cyprianites"), a [[Florinites|Florinite]] church
+
=Churches listed by Country or Jurisdiction=
* [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]]
 
* [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]]
 
* [[Holy Synod of Milan]], a [[Florinites|Florinite]] church
 
 
 
==Churches which are "walled off"==
 
These churches refrain from both [[concelebration]] and [[full communion|communion]] with the mainstream Orthodox churches, regarding the hierarchies of the official churches to have apostasized and placed themselves outside Orthodoxy.  The view of these Old Calendarists, commonly self-designated as "True Orthodox" towards official Orthodox priests and laity varies.
 
  
 
===Greece===
 
===Greece===
 
*[[Florinites]]
 
*[[Florinites]]
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Florinite)]] ("Chrysostomite Synod"), under Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens
+
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Florinite)| Synod of Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens]]
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Lamian Synod)]], under Archbishop Makarios of Athens
+
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece| Makarian/Lamian Synod]]
 
+
** [[Holy Synod in Resistance| Cyprianite Synod)]]
 +
''
 
*[[Matthewites]]
 
*[[Matthewites]]
**[[True Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)]], under Archbishop Nicholas of Athens
+
**[[True Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)| Synod of Archbishop Nicholas]]
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)]], under Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia
+
**[[Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite)| Synod of Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia]]
  
===Russia===
+
===Romania===
*[[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church]], FROC/ROAC ("Suzdalites"), under Metropolitan Valentin of Suzdal
+
*[[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]] ''
*[[Seraphimo-Gennadite Orthodox Church]], under Metropolitan Theodosie
 
*[[Russian True-Orthodox Church (Lazarus)]], under Archbishop Lazarus of Tambov
 
*[[Russian True-Orthodox Church (Vyatcheslav)]], under Metropolitan Vyatcheslav
 
  
===America===
+
===Bulgaria===
*[[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church in America]], the FROC/ROAC in the United States of America
+
*[[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] ''
*[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]] (ROCE), also known as ROCOR (V), under Metropolitan Vitaly of Montreal
 
*[[Genuine Orthodox Church of America]], under Archbishop Gregory of Denver
 
*[[Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America]], under Metropolitan Pavlos of Astoria, the "Chrysostomite" Metropolitan Diocese for America
 
*[[Holy Orthodox Church in North America]] (HOCNA), under Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto
 
  
===Elsewhere===
+
===North America===
*[[True Orthodox Church of Georgia]]
+
These are the dioceses of larger Synods in North America:
 +
*[[Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America]], Metropolitan Diocese of America (Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom)
 +
*[http://ctosonline.org The Center For Traditionalist Orthodox Studies:] Spiritual and monastic center for the Synod in Resistance in the U.S.
 +
*[http://www.orthodox-christianity.net/ Matthewite Parishes in America under Abp Nicholas of Athens]
 +
*[http://www.genuineorthodoxchurch.net/america.html Matthewite Parishes in America under Metr Kirykos of Mesogaia]
  
==Ecclesiastical status==
+
===Groups claiming "Autonomous" status within America===
The ecclesiastical and canonical status of the various Old Calendarist jurisdictions is complex.  Some regard themselves as being the only true Orthodox Christians and thus view the mainstream Orthodox Church as being in apostasy.  As such, they do not share either communion or concelebration with the mainstream churches. Other Old Calendarists (typically those "in resistance") have suspended concelebrations with mainstream clergy, but will still commune the faithful of mainstream jurisdictions.  They thus see themselves as a reform movement within the Orthodox Church.  The question of canonicity follows much the same sort of patterns.
+
These are bodies which claimed independence from their parent churches.  
 +
*[[Genuine Orthodox Church of America]], under Archbishop Gregory of Denver
  
Views from the mainstream Orthodox on the Old Calendarists range from trying to heal the various breaks in communion or concelebration to outright declarations that such groups are themselves apostates, that is, no longer Orthodox.
+
==References==
 +
<references/>
  
 
==Sources==
 
==Sources==
*[http://www.geocities.com/joesuaiden/trueorthodox/trueorthodoxchurch.html The True Orthodox Church: A Brief Overview] (major portions of text used by permission)
+
*[http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/downloads/234_NEW_ZION_IN_BABYLON_PART_2.pdf| Vladimir Moss, ''New Zion in Babylon: A History of the Orthodox Church throughout the World in the Twentieth Century'' (2010), Part II]
 +
*[http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/downloads/217_NEW_ZION_IN_BABYLON_PART_3.pdf| Vladimir Moss, ''New Zion in Babylon: A History of the Orthodox Church throughout the World in the Twentieth Century'' (2010), Part III]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/anti-patristic-stance-old-calendarist-zealots.aspx Anti-Patristic: The Stance of the Zealot Old Calendarists] by Monk Basil of the Holy Monastery of Saint Gregory (Grigoriou), Mount Athos
+
 
* [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg.aspx?eccpageID=53&IndexView=toc Eastern Christian Churches: The Old Calendar Orthodox Churches] by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar
+
===General Information===
 
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodox-tradition/ Paradosis: The Original Internet E-mail Forum for Traditionalists]
 
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodox-tradition/ Paradosis: The Original Internet E-mail Forum for Traditionalists]
* [http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/ The Euphrosynos Café: A Portal and Forum for all Old Calendar Orthodox Churches] by Father Nikolai Stanosheck, a [[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church|ROAC]] deacon
+
* [http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/ The Euphrosynos Café: A Portal and Forum for all Old Calendar Orthodox Churches]
 
**[http://euphrosynoscafe.com/map/ Map of some Old Calendarist parishes in the West]
 
**[http://euphrosynoscafe.com/map/ Map of some Old Calendarist parishes in the West]
 +
* {{el icon}} [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens]]. ''"[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/books/book1/kef5_per2_meros2.htm ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΠΕΜΠΤΟΝ. - ΙΙ. ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ 1935-1947: Η ανταρσία των τριών Μητροπολιτών και αι μακροπρόθεσμοι συνέπειαι αυτής]."'' In: ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΗ ΘΕΩΡΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΛΑΙΟΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΤΙΚΟΥ ΖΗΤΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΓΕΝΕΣΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΕΞΕΛΙΞΙΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΙ. Myriobiblos.gr. Retrieved: 2013-08-14.
 +
::(Discussion of the three bishops who in 1935 declared their separation from the official Church of Greece: Metr. Germanos (Mavrommatis) of Demetrias (1907–1935); Metr. Chrysostom (Kavourides) of Florina (1926–1932), a retired bishop; and Metr. [[Chrysostomos of Zakynthos|Chrysostomos (Demetriou) of Zakynthos]])
  
===Jurisdictions===
+
===Relevant Articles===
* [http://www.roac.ru/ Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church]
+
*[http://www.hotca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=203%3Athe-calendar-question&catid=50%3Aorthodox-awareness&Itemid=62| The Calendar Question], by Fr. Basil Sakkas
* [http://www.roacusa.org/ Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church in America]
+
*[http://www.synodinresistance.org/pdfs/2013/12/30/20131230aTheOldCalendarGreekOrthodoxChurch-ABriefHistory.pdf The Old Calendar Greek Orthodox Church: A Brief History], by Bishop Ambrose of Methone
* [http://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/ Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece], official website of Chrysostomite Synod
+
*[https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzJKrDVZPwcvWlZialAwa1d0UWM/edit?pli=1 1973-2003: Thirty Years of Ecclesiastical Developments], by Bishop Makarios of Petra
** [http://www.thegreekorthodoxchurch.com/ Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America], diocesan website of the Metropolis of America (Chrysostomite)
+
*[http://www.synodinresistance.org/Theology_en/E3a3a001EkklesiologikaiTheseis.pdf An Ecclesiological Position Paper for Orthodox Opposed to the Panheresy of Ecumenism], by Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle
* [http://www.ortodoxakyrkan.se/ Swedish Exarchate of the Holy Synod in Resistance]
+
*[http://bulgarian-orthodox-church.org/ch-life/official/EcclesiologicalPosition-en.pdf The Ecclesiological Position of the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria], by Bishop Photii of Triaditsa
 +
*[http://hotca.org/pdf/TrueOrthodoxOppositionEcumenism.pdf The True Orthodox Church in Opposition to the Heresy of Ecumenism: Dogmatic and Canonical Issues], a text drawn up by the True Orthodox Churches of Greece and Romania, and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
 +
*[http://www.hotca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78%3Athe-problem-of-conservative-new-calendarism&catid=50%3Aorthodox-awareness&Itemid=62| The Problem of Conservative New Calendarism], by Hieromonk Maximos (Maretta)
 +
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/eldergabriel_calendar.aspx Abbot Gabriel of Dionysiou Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece], on the calendar issue and the Old Calendarists
 +
*[http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/anti-patristic-stance-old-calendarist-zealots.aspx Anti-Patristic: The Stance of the Zealot Old Calendarists], by Monk Basil of the Holy Monastery of Saint Gregory (Grigoriou), Mount Athos
 +
*Old Calendarist Responses to the above link:
 +
**[http://www.hotca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=236%3Awhy-the-true-orthodox-are-truly-orthodox&catid=50%3Aorthodox-awareness&Itemid=62| A Rejoinder to Fr. Basil Gregoriates and an Apology for Breaking Communion with Ecumenist Bishops]. by Hieromonk Maximos (Maretta)
 +
**[http://www.synodinresistance.org/Annals_en/E2d029barnes.pdf The Deficient Scholarship of Monk Basil’s Comments on the Allegedly Anti-Patristic Stand of the So-Called Old Calendarist Zealots], by Hieromonk Patapios (Barker)
 +
*A Response to the above article by Hieromonk Patapios:
 +
**[http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/patapios_rejoinder.html A Rejoinder to Hieromonk Patapios’ essay: “The Deficient Scholarship of Monk Basil’s Comments on the Allegedly Anti-Patristic Stand of the So-Called“Old Calendarist Zealots”], by Fr. John Whiteford
 +
 
 +
===Official Websites===
 +
* [http://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/ Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece| Official website of the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens]
 +
* [http://www.synodinresistance.org/ Official website of the Holy Synod in Resistance]
  
 
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
 
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
 
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
 
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
 +
[[Category: Schisms]]
 
[[Category:Old Calendarist Jurisdictions|*]]
 
[[Category:Old Calendarist Jurisdictions|*]]
 +
 +
[[fr:Orthodoxes vieux-calendaristes]]

Revision as of 14:30, April 15, 2014

Old Calendarists are Orthodox Christians who oppose the use of the Revised Julian liturgical calendar (a calendar with similarities to the Gregorian, combined with the Orthodox Paschalion) in the early 20th century to the extent of breaking or limiting Communion with those Orthodox who use the Revised Julian calendar. Citing the 16th-century anathemas against the Gregorian calendar issued by three Patriarchal and Pan-Orthodox Synods in Constantinople, as well as various condemnations by multiple local synods, they have become some of the most vocal critics not only of the new liturgical calendar, but of ecumenism in general, which is seen as the ultimate cause of the calendar revision.

History

In 1920, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Dorotheus of Prusa, issued the Encyclical "Unto the Churches of Christ Everywhere"[1], which officially marked the entrance of Orthodox participation in the Ecumenical Movement. (See Ecumenism.) The Encyclical, tied to the formation of the League of Nations and with that end in mind, gave eleven suggestions so "that above all, love should be rekindled and strengthened among the churches, so that they should no more consider one another as strangers and foreigners, but as relatives, and as being a part of the household of Christ and “fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise of God in Christ” (Eph. 3:6)." (par. 6.) The first of the suggestions was "By the acceptance of a uniform calendar for the celebration of the great Christian feasts at the same time by all the churches."

In 1921, a council was called in Athens, led by Metropolitan Germanos of Demetrias, the Vice-President of the Holy Synod, deposing Archbishop Meletios (Metaxakis) of Athens, who had previously known for ecumenical activity, for recognizing the revolutionary Venizelos government in Greece. Meletios was recognized as Patriarch of Constantinople on November 21, 1921, where he began his programs anew, though previously his candidacy was declined by the Holy Synod of Constantinople in 1912.

In 1923, a "Pan-Orthodox Congress" (not a normal term for any Orthodox meeting of hierarchs) was held under the presidency of Meletios composed of members, specifically six Bishops, two laymen, and an archimandrite, of a few of the local Churches (none of the members of the Pentarchy save Constantinople sent representatives). Metropolitan Anastassy of the Russian Church Abroad attended its initial meeting, having been in the area. He declared that the Synod had given him no instructions on the matter and soon departed. In total, less than half of the local Churches were represented by anyone.[2] The purpose of the meeting was to implement the suggestions of the 1920 document, along with other proposals that were largely rejected, such as the elevation of married men to the Episcopate and the remarriage of widowed priests (sessions three and four). Representatives of the Anglican Church were present at the final meetings, specifically former Bishop Gore of Oxford. At these meetings, it was decided that nothing stood in the way of Orthodox-Anglican ecclesiastical union. In response, a five-member commission in Greece (of whom then Archimandrite, later Archbishop, Chrysostom Papadopolous of Athens) determined to study the question of the use of the New Calendar and found that "Not a single one of them [local Orthodox Churches] can separate from the others and adopt the New Calendar without becoming schismatic in relation to the others."[3]

Greece

The True Orthodox Church of Greece

An artist's rendering of the appearance of the Sign of the Cross near Athens, 1925

In 1924, the bishops of the Church of Greece, under Archbishop Chrysostom (Papadopoulos), implemented the calendar change discussed at the "Pan-Orthodox Congress" of 1923. In response, Metropolitan Germanos of Demetrias, retired in protest. The "Old Calendarist" movement arose to oppose the adoption of the Revised Julian calendar. The movement was sustained by Athonite monks that encouraged the rejection of the calendar change, hundreds of parish clergy that refused to recognize the calendar change, as well as dozens of monasteries throughout Greece. Lay groups and brotherhoods formed to keep the use of the Julian calendar alive, despite state persecution.

In 1925, perhaps the most well-known phenomenon in the Old Calendar movement occurred: a large cross over an secret Old Calendar Church in 1925 during the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, witnessed by approximately two thousand people, including police intent on arresting the clergy of the group, many of whom converted that night.[4]

In 1935, after more than 10 years, three Metropolitans, Germanos of Demetrias, the former Metropolitan of Florina, Chrysostom (Kavouridis) and Chrysostomos (Demetriou) of Zakynthos declared the Archbishop of Athens as schismatic and declared:

"Those who now administer the Church of Greece have divided the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation, and have split the Greek Orthodox People into two opposing calendar parts. They have not only violated an Ecclesiastical Tradition which was consecrated by the Seven Ecumenical Councils and sanctioned by the age-old practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but have also touched the Dogma of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Therefore those who now administer the Greek Church have, by their unilateral, anticanonical and unthinking introduction of the Gregorian calendar, cut themselves off completely from the trunk of Orthodoxy, and have declared themselves to be in essence schismatics in relation to the Orthodox Churches which stand on the foundation of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the Orthodox laws and Traditions, the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Serbia, Poland, the Holy Mountain and the God-trodden Mountain of Sinai, etc....That this is so was confirmed by the Commission made up of the best jurists and theologian-professors of the National University which was appointed to study the calendar question, and one of whose members happened to be his Blessedness the Archbishop of Athens in his then capacity as professor of Church History in the National University...Since his Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens has by his own signature declared himself to be a Schismatic, what need do we have of witnesses to demonstrate that he and the hierarchs who think like him have become Schismatics, in that they have split the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation and divided the Ecclesiastical and ethnic soul of the Greek Orthodox People?"[5]

From April 23rd to April 26th 1935 the ordination of four new bishops took place. Ordained were the Archmandrites: Germanos (Barikopoulos) as Bishop of Kyklades, Christoforos (Hatzis) as Bishop of Megaris, Polycarp (Liosis) as Bishop of Diavleia, and Bishop Matthew (Karpathakes) of Bresthena).[6]

The Florinite/Matthewite schism

By the 1940s, two parties had formed within the Church of Greece: the Florinites (under Metropolitan Chrysostom (Kavourides) of Florina) and the Matthewites (under Bp. Matthew (Karpathakis) of Bresthena). The schism originated in Metropolitan Chrysostom's hesitation to consider the mysteries of the State Church as graceless, whereas the adherents of Bishop Matthew (the "Matthewites") maintained the rigorist position: that State Church was schismatic and therefore graceless.

In 1948, Bishop Matthew singlehandedly consecrated another bishop, and together they made more new bishops, furthering the rift and causing many former Matthewite clergy to join ranks with the Florintes. After the death of Bishop Matthew, however, Chrysostom of Florina reaffirmed the decision of 1935 declaring the New Calendar State Church as schismatic. The declaration had as its motivation to heal the Matthewite schism. Nonetheless, the irenic gesture went unheeded and the Matthewites proceeded to elect Archbishop Agathagelos to the rank of Primate of Athens in 1958.

The Florinites

After the death of Metropolitan Chrysostom, the Florinites had no bishops, and Metropolitan Chrysostom advised his flock to go under the protection of the Matthewite bishops. Fearing the repercussions, however, the Florinites opted to seek a new hierarchy and appealed to Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia to help them. In 1960, Archimandrite Akakios Pappas was made a bishop with the title of Bishop of Talantion for these communities without the official blessing of the ROCOR Synod by Archbishop Seraphim (Ivanov) of Chicago[7] and Bishop Theophilus (Ionescu), an anti-communist Romanian bishop under the ROCOR, whose parishes followed the new calendar. The following year, the ROCOR elected and ordained Archimandrite Petros Astyfides as Bishop of Astoria in order to serve as archpastor of the Greek Old Calendarist immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Later Bishop Akakios of Talantion and Archbishop Leontius (Filipovich) of Chile[8] of ROCOR ordained five more bishops in Greece. Thus in 1961, Akakios of Talantion became the new First-Hierarch of the restored Florinite Synod. He died, however, in 1963. The Synod thus proceeded to elect Auxentios Pastras, Bishop of Gardikion, to be their new leader as Archbishop of Athens. The ROCOR under Metropolitan Philaret recognized the validity of the consecrations in 1969.

Divisions within the Florinites

The Restored Florinite Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece was fraught with problems by the 1970s, and two major separations occurred during the lifetime of Archbishop Auxentios. However, few doubt that Archbishop Auxentios himself was of a saintly character, albeit a poor bishop. Recently there have been attempts to rehabilitate his memory (Archbishop Auxentios died in 1994); most of his synod, barely held together by the 1980s. In 1979, two Florinite Metropolitans, Kallistos of Corinth and Antonios of Attica, unilaterally consecrated seven Archimandrites to the episcopacy in an attempt to counteract the irregularities they perceived in the administration of Archbishop Auxentios. This led to the formation of the short-lived Kallistite Synod, most of whose members reconciled themselves with the main body of the Florinite Synod by 1985.

The Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece: In 1986, Archbishop Auxentios was removed from the Archdiocese of Athens and the leadership of the Old Calendar Church of Greece. The Florinite Synod chose in 1986 a new leader in Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis), who demonstrated rather effectively that the True Orthodox in Greece were a force to be reckoned with. Choosing to take on the Greek legal system, court cases were held where it was demonstrated that the Old Calendarists of Greece were not schismatics. Though their public reputation had been tarnished over nearly two decades of divisions, their legal existence was, and is presently, safe. The synod of Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens represents today the main body of the True Orthodox Church of Greece. IN 2010, Archbishop Chrysostomos fell asleep in the Lord and was succeeded by Archbishop Kallinikos (Sarantopoulos).

The Auxentios Synod: Archbishop Auxentios was removed in 1986 by the Florinite Synod on account of a series of controversial episcopal ordinations conducted in the early 1980s with his apparent consent. Having the support of the dissenting minority of bishops, Auxentios proceeded to form a counter Synod. He died in 1994, having failed to reconcile with the Florinite Synod under Archbishop Chrysostom. The remaining parishes of the Auxentios Synod, however, elected Archbishop Maximos of Kephalonia as president in 1995. However, after a series of questionable ordinations and maladministration by Archbishop Maximos, the Auxentios Synod dissolved in the mid 1990's. In 2006, clergy and a bishop (Metropolitan Athanasios of Larissa) from the Auxentios Synod reconciled themselves with the main body of the Old Calendar Church in Greece and were admitted into the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom. In North America, the parishes loyal to Auxentios under the American Bishops organized around Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston (HOCNA), left the Synod, and elected Makarios of Toronto as locum tenens of the see of Athens. Since 2008, HOCNA has been in a cordial dialogue with the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom in hope of establishing closer ties.

The Synod-in-Resistance of Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili: The Synod in Resistance has its origins in the short-lived Kallistite Synod of 1979-1985. While its official ecclesiology is peculiar, the amount of work that Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili and his synod have done to assist the True Orthodox Church of Greece throughout the world is impressive, and must be noted. The church itself is rather small, but has been very effective in presenting intellectual arguments against the Church of Greece. It is headed by another defector from the Auxentios Synod, Cyprian (Koutsoumbas) of Fili, and holds an ecclesiology of “sick" and “healthy" churches, thus avoiding the repercussions that inevitably follow referring to the majority as subject to a schismatic body. Their ecclesiology is considered heretical by some of the more rigorist elements of the True Orthodox, although they were condemned on an ecclesiological basis by the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens in 1986. In 2008, the Synod in Resistance and the Synod of Archbishop Chrysostom met for a number of high-profile meetings in the hope of developing closer ties.[9]

The Makarian (Lamian) Synod: In 1995, a resistance faction of six bishops formed within the synod of Chrysostom (Kiousis) and separated itself over what they claimed to be a series of canonical infractions, headed by Metropolitan Kallinikos (Hatzis) of Lamia. The charges related to the trial of Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Euthymios (Orphanos), who had been charged with moral infractions, and the election of Bishop Vikentios (Malamatenios) of Avlona as Metropolitan of Peiraeus. By early 1997, the movement had fragmented into three groups, one of which reconciled with Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis). A second group, Paisios Loulourgas (Met. of America) and Vikentios Malamatenios (titular Bp. of Avlona), submitted to the Ecumenical Patiarchate. Later that same year, Kallinikos of Lamia and Euthymios of Thessaloniki proceeded to ordain five titular bishops in an attempt to create a new synod. In 2003, they finally decided to elect a primate, and elected Makarios (Kavakides) of Athens. A good deal of their membership was then lost, as many who did not see themselves as separate from the Kiousis synod were forced to decide between the two.

The Matthewites

For all the negative press the Matthewites have received over the years due to the strictness of their position, their church has been strangely free from long lasting schisms. Only two separations are worthy of note from the main body, and while they had the potential to destroy the unity that exists within the Matthewite True Orthodox Church of Greece, they did not. The first Primate of Athens selected by the Matthewites was Agathangelos of Athens, who reposed in 1967. Andreas of Athens, one of the original three bishops made, was elected to the primacy in 1972; unitl his death in 2005 he was one of the oldest and longest-reigning of Orthodox bishops in the world.

Divisions within the Matthewites

The Synod of Archbishop Nicholas: In February, 2003, Archbishop Andreas of Athens retired, and Archbishop Nicholas of Athens, considered by many to have a progressive vision for the Matthewite church, was elected. Extremely popular with younger Matthewites, Archbishop Nicholas seems generally poised to keep the Matthewite synod united. However, it has been advanced that Archbishop Andreas retired in violation of the canons.

The Gregorian Synod: Under the primacy of Andreas of Athens, there were virtually no divisions in the Matthewites until 1995, when Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia separated with a small majority of the synod (five versus four), ostensibly over the issue of the "God the Father" icon and the related issues of Western-style icons in general. However, with the deaths of three of their bishops, the remaining two split, one remaining completely alone from the eldest hierarch, and the with Gregorios of Messinia naming three more bishops (Abramios, Pavlos, and Nectarios).

The Synod of Metropolitan Kirykos: Originally not a schism proper, Metropolitan Kirykos and two other bishops of the synod refused to recognize the retirement of Archbishop Andreas or the enthronement of the new Archbishop, but continued to remain a member of the Synod of Archbishop Nicholas. Finally, in 2005, after several attempts, the Synod of Abp Nicholas endeavored to depose Metropolitan Kirykos, who has since added five Bishops to his Synod in a number of countries.[10]

Romania

The True Orthodox Church of Romania

In 1924, Metropolitan Miron of the Church of Romania introduced the New Calendar for use in the Church. Although most Romanians accepted the change, the skete of the Protection of the Theotokos in northern Moldavia rejected it. In 1925, led by Hieromonk Glicherie, some of the brethren left the skete to start an Old Calendarist group. When, in 1926 and 1929, Metropolitan Miron ordered Pascha to be celebrated according to the Gregorian Paschalion, a large number of faithful, including Russian émigrés, left the Church of Romania and joined the Old Calendarists. By 1936, the Old Calendarists numbered about 40 parishes. Beginning in 1935, at the order of Metropolitan Miron, the Old Calendarists were under persecution. By 1940, ten Old Calendarist priests had died in prison, and all of the Old Calendar churches had been shut down. Hieromonk Glicherie was imprisoned, but, at the beginning of World War II, released. By 1950, with the release of Hmk Glicherie and other priests from prison, many of the churches were rebuilt. In 1955, Metropolitan Galaktion left the Church of Romania to serve the Old Calendarists, and immediately ordained new priests and deacons. However, he was soon arrested, and placed under house arrest in Bucharest. While under house arrest, Metropolitan Galaktion consecrated three other bishops, including Hmk Glicherie, who, in 1957, became the Metropolitan of the True Orthodox Church of Romania. Since 1980, the Synod has been in full communion with the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece presided by Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth, then with the Holy Synod in Resistance presided by Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili. The Synod also maintains communion with the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, headed by Bishop Photii. From 1994 to 2007 there was full communion with the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR), but with the rapprochement between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate, communion with the ROCOR was severed.

Bulgaria

The majority of the faithful are in communion with the Synod in Resistance (see "Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili" above) and the Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church, but are an autonomous Church - The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria - and comprise a few dozen parishes under Bishop Photii of Triaditsa.

Ecclesiastical status

The ecclesiastical and canonical status of the various Old Calendarist jurisdictions is complex. Some regard themselves as being the only true Orthodox Christians and thus view the mainstream Orthodox Church as being in apostasy. As such, they do not share either communion or concelebration with the mainstream churches. Other Old Calendarists (typically those "in resistance") have suspended concelebrations with mainstream clergy, but will still commune the faithful of mainstream jurisdictions. They thus see themselves as a reform movement within the Orthodox Church. The question of canonicity follows much the same sort of patterns.

Views from the mainstream Orthodox on the Old Calendarists range from trying to heal the various breaks in communion or concelebration to outright declarations that such groups are themselves apostates, that is, no longer Orthodox.

Alternative Hierarchies

These churches refrain from both concelebration and communion with the mainstream Orthodox churches, regarding the hierarchies of the official churches to have apostasized and placed themselves outside Orthodoxy. In response, they have fully developed Synods in contrast to the official Church: for example, as there is an Archbishop of Athens, a rival Archbishop of Athens is elected to the see. With few exceptions, the Russian groups have not done the same due to the political climate, although the Rus-OC under Metropolitan Damascene of Moscow claims jurisdiction over the territory of the Patriarch of Moscow.

Such a claim is usually accompanied by the position that the corresponding official body is completely schismatic.

Churches "in resistance" or "walled off"

These churches refrain from concelebration with the mainstream Orthodox churches, but do not consider themselves schismatic, nor have they formally declared the mainstream churches without grace. In general, they set up alternative hierarchies that use the names of sees that are not used by the state Church in question[11].

It is said that they would also communicate the faithful of those churches after confession. A notable exception is the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania, who receive members of the New Calendar Churches by Chrismation.

Churches listed by Country or Jurisdiction

Greece

Romania

Bulgaria

North America

These are the dioceses of larger Synods in North America:

Groups claiming "Autonomous" status within America

These are bodies which claimed independence from their parent churches.

References

  1. [1]
  2. http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_2.aspx Bishop Photii of Triaditsa, "The 70th Anniversary of the Pan-Orthodox Congress", Orthodox Life, 1&2, 1994
  3. Journal of the Government of the Greek Kingdom, chapter 1, 24/25. 1. 1923, No. 8, see also OEM, 1989, Chapter 17, p. 73, as noted in [2]
  4. [3]
  5. [4] Cited in Moss, New Zion in Babylon, Part 3, p. 92
  6. [5]
  7. [6]
  8. [7]
  9. [8]
  10. The Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece under the Omophorion of Metropolitan Kirykos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis.
  11. [9]

Sources

External links

General Information

Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens. "ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΠΕΜΠΤΟΝ. - ΙΙ. ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ 1935-1947: Η ανταρσία των τριών Μητροπολιτών και αι μακροπρόθεσμοι συνέπειαι αυτής." In: ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΗ ΘΕΩΡΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΛΑΙΟΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΤΙΚΟΥ ΖΗΤΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΓΕΝΕΣΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΕΞΕΛΙΞΙΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΙ. Myriobiblos.gr. Retrieved: 2013-08-14.
(Discussion of the three bishops who in 1935 declared their separation from the official Church of Greece: Metr. Germanos (Mavrommatis) of Demetrias (1907–1935); Metr. Chrysostom (Kavourides) of Florina (1926–1932), a retired bishop; and Metr. Chrysostomos (Demetriou) of Zakynthos)

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