This is a landmark event for the Russian Orthodox Church. The so-called "Russian exarchate" in Western Europe was made its part today. For almost a century, churches and parishes of emigrants, who left Russia after the revolution, were subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Not long ago, representatives of the exarchate decided to become part of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Dmitry Kaistro has the details of that important reunion.
Russia and all of the Western European parishes of Russian tradition looked forward to this milestone event. The clergy and the parishes of the archdiocese became an integral part of the Moscow Patriarchate. Today’s decision bridged the long-term gap in Russian tradition abroad.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow: "This archdiocese was one of the parts of the Russian Orthodox emigration provoked by the revolution and the civil war. The Paris clerical emigration made a very difficult way before they decided to become a part of the Moscow Patriarchate. We all made that way. It became possible also because a lot has changed in Western Europe, and a lot has changed in the life of our country and our church".
After the revolution in Russia, the diocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was created only on a temporary basis. It was based on the parishes formed by emigrants from Russia in Western Europe after the civil war. In the autumn of 2018, Constantinople made a unilateral decision to dissolve the Russian exarchate. They suggested that its clergy subordinate to the local Greek bishops. The archdiocese didn't agree with the decision and turned to Patriarch Kirill with a request to admit it into the Moscow Patriarchate.
What's important, parishes preserve the liturgical, language, managerial traditions, and financial autonomy. But the main thing is that the reunion became the last act in the one-century long drama of the revolution.
Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Department for Church's Society and Mass Mediа Relations: "This historic event put an end to this schism. Its meaning is beyond the clerical but is also a common temporal result".
In 2007, the Moscow Patriarchate reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. And today, the reunion process was completed. The Western European parishes of Russian tradition unite Orthodox Christians of various origins in many European countries, such as France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain. There are over 100 parishes, 11 active churches, 2 monasteries, 7 hermitages.
The decision on the transition at the request of the archbishop John, who is ethnically a Frenchman, who doesn't speak Russian, was supported by an absolute majority of clergy and parishioners, including representatives of many nations living according to the Russian church tradition.
"Many people looked forward to it. It's a landmark event for everyone. Churches, people, parishioners will only benefit from it. That's a very good event".
The event, among other things, also means that such masterpieces as the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris are to be conveyed to the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a sacred place. The life of Russian emigrants was connected with it. Many other temples in Western Europe are to be returned, which have become part of the Russian Church today.
Dmitry Kaistro, Anastasia Tyurina for Vesti.
