Photo credit: press service of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) plans to expand its presence abroad, Interfax reports. It will be extended to East Timor and Papua New Guinea. The corresponding decision was made by the Holy Synod at its meeting, which took place the day before, on August 25.
These two countries will include the ROC Asian Exarchate in the Singapore Diocese. The Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia of the Russian Church was established at the end of 2018; its center is located in Singapore.
The decision to create an exarchate in this region is a response to the actions of Constantinople in Ukraine, which contradict the canons of the Orthodox Church.
Both oceanic countries, where the ROC plans to develop its activities from now on, have not yet become an object of interest for Orthodox missionaries. The overwhelming majority of East Timor residents are Catholics. More than 95% of the population of Papua New Guinea also consider themselves to be followers of Christianity. Among them are Catholics, Lutherans, some Adventists, Pentecostals, Anglicans. However, many Papuans combine the Christian faith with the traditional beliefs of the indigenous peoples.
Russkiy Mir
