Photo: kupolhrama.ru
West European Russian Exarchate, previously abolished by Patriarch of Constantinople, refused to follow this decision, RIA Novosti reports. Voting was organized at the extraordinary assembly, which took place in Paris at the end of last week. Out of more than 206 participants, 191 decided that they would not obey Constantinople. Now they have to choose a further canonical path.
It should be recalled that the Center of Western European Exarchate of Russian parishes is located in Paris. The archdiocese includes parishes that were created by Russian emigres of the first wave, who were forced to leave Russia after the October Revolution in the first half of last century. Today, the Exarchate has 65 parishes, over 30 communities, about a dozen churches, two monasteries and 7 sketes. Patriarch of Constantinople announced its dissolution at the end of last year.
As Russkiy Mir
reported, Russian Orthodox Church considers that believers and clergymen will most likely have to choose. They need to either join Greek Diocese, or return to Russian Church.
The archdiocese refused to comply with the orders of Greek metropolitans earlier. Exarchate noted that many clerics have received letters in which they were ordered to stop remembering their archbishop and join the clergy of Greek metropolis instead. Russian Exarchate considered that this was nothing but Constantinople’s intervention in its internal affairs.
Russkiy Mir
