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St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Rue Daru, Paris*
The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in its session of November 27, 2018, has decided to revoke the Patriarchal Tomos of 1999 by which it had granted the pastoral care and administration of the Orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe to its Archbishop-Exarch.
This decision responds to the pastoral and spiritual needs of our era, with the greatest respect for canon law and for the spiritual responsibility which falls to us. Indeed the historical circumstances leading to the creation of such a structure in the wake of the October 1917 Russian Revolution, just a hundred years ago, have evolved profoundly. We give thanks to God for the tireless courage which your communities have shown over time in preserving the rich spiritual tradition which had come from Russia in the aftermath of the bloody persecutions committed by the new atheist regime. We rejoice especially that the Mother Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate took the responsibility to offer her canonical protection to these communities and so permit them to enjoy, in accordance with ecclesial order, a freedom synonymous with life in the Holy Spirit. Read More
Archbishop John of Charioupolis
The diocesan administration communicates to all the members of the Archdiocese that, on November 27, 2018, the Holy Synod of our Patriarchate decided to abolish the status of our Archdiocese as an Exarchate.
This decision of the Holy Synod, which has yet to be received officially at the see of the Archdiocese, was in no way requested by the Archdiocese. His Eminence, Archbishop John, was not consulted prior to this decision.
In Istanbul/Constantinople with the secretary of the Archdiocesan Council, Nicholas Lopoukhine, for a meeting of the synodal commission, Archbishop John learned of this decision during a private meeting with the Patriarch. Read More
Dearest Brother in Christ and Co-celebrant,
“My soul is sorrowful.” A deep pain, worry and embarrassment engulf us too, as we follow the developments in the Ukraine issue, after the decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (11.10.2018) and of the Orthodox Church of Russia (15.10.2018), which You record in Your letter of the 29th of October 2018.
Unfortunately, they corroborate the fears we had expressed to the representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (30th of July 2018), namely that the currently planned granting of autocephaly to Ukraine will be a “march in a minefield” with painful repercussions for all.
At the same time, however, we ought to remark that the latest decision of the Church of Russia is also a source of great concern. It is unthinkable that the Divine Eucharist, the mystery par excellence of the infinite love and the utter humiliation of Christ, could be used as a weapon against another Church. Is it possible that the decision and order of the Hierarchy of the Church of Russia may cancel the energy of the Holy Spirit in the holy Orthodox churches that operate under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate? Is it possible that the Divine Eucharist performed in the Churches of Asia Minor, Crete, the
Holy Mountain, and elsewhere on earth, may now become unsubstantiated for the faithful Russian Orthodox? And if they come forth “with the fear of God, faith, and love” to partake of the Sacred Gifts, is it possible that they commit “a sin,” which they should confess? Read More
