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By mid-2006, a number of ROCOR parishes had made clear that they wanted no part of reconciliation between the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR, wishing to retain the status quo as it had been for most of ROCOR's existence. When it became clear that the reconciliation would occur after it had been approved by the [[All-Diaspora Councils#IV All-Diaspora Council|4th All-Diaspora Sobor]], various [[clergy]] began to make plans for the establishment of a rival [[Synod]].
Following the signing of [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|the Act of Canonical Communion]] in Moscow, Russia, on [[May 17]], 2007, bishop Agathangel (Pashkovsky) declared that he did not accept the document and would "continue to abide by the previous Bylaws of the ROCOR, considering any actions of the Moscow Patriarchate to be unlawful". He accused the Moscow Patriarchate of "sins of Sergianism and ecumenism". On [[May 22]], 2007, Bishop Agafangel issued a statement that he and Bishop [[Daniel (Alexandrow) of Erie|Daniel of Erie]] were organizing a Provisional Supreme Church Authority for those who "have remained in the ROCOR", citing authority of [[Ukaz No. 362|Ukase No. 362]] of Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, dated [[November 20]], 1920. While Bishop Daniel had previously expressed reservations about the Act of Canonical Communion, there is no evidence that he ever intended to break with the ROCOR Synod; rather, the elderly [[vicar]] for the care of [[Old Believers|Old-Ritualists]] continued to remain in communion with Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York |Laurus]]. There were claims that Bishop Daniel had been placed under a form of house arrest on some internet journals<ref>http://elmager.livejournal.com/56905.html</ref>, but this these statements were untrue.
Agathangel found himself alone, supported by a handful of [[clergy]] and the majority of his parishes in Ukraine, which had refused to join the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and thus would have no part of the reconciliation.
On [[May 20]], 2007, the members of the ROCOR synod, meeting in Moscow, suspended Bishop Agathangel for inciting [[schism]], disobeying lawful authority, and refusing canonical transfer to the Buenos Aires [[cathedral]].
At an emergency meeting of the ROCOR synod on [[June 28]] and [[June 29|29]], 2007, a "final letter of warning" was issued to Bishop Agathangel, calling on him to cease all schismatic activity. The synod also approved the [[suspension]] of hegumen [[Andronik (Kotliaroff)]], former head of the Russian Ecclesiastic Mission in Jerusalem, and other clerics that supported Agathangel. However on [[December 7]], 2007, with the aid of [[bishop]]s from the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]], with whom ROCOR had been in communion until about a year prior to reconciliation with Moscow (though relations had been strained since, and episcopal concelabrations had essentially ceased after 1998), Agafangel carried out the [[consecration of a bishop|consecration]] of hegumen Andronik (Kotrliaroff) as Bishop of Richmond Hill and New York and [[Hieromonk]] Sophronius (Musienko) as Bishop of Saint Petersburg and Northern Russia. These ordinations marked the final breach of the new organization with the ROCOR synod, calling itself the Provisional Supreme Church Authority.
* Bishop Irenaeus (Klipenstein) of Lyon and Western Europe
* Bishop Nicholas (Modebadze) of Poti
==References==
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==External link==
