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On December 29, the Moscow Patriarchate introduced a shocking resolution – for the primary time in its historical past, it fashioned a patriarchal exarchate in Africa. Formally, that is performed via the admission of “100 and two clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria” serving in eight African nations. The brand new church construction will include two dioceses – North and South Africa – and might be headed by the Bishop Leonid (Gorbachev).
The choice of the Moscow Synod is an undisguised felony act towards the Patriarchate of Alexandria for recognizing the autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine in 2019, and the Patriarch of Alexandria in August final 12 months. Theodore served for the primary time with the Kiev metropolitan Epiphanius.
In apply, the Russian Exarchate creates a rift in Africa, not simply the parallel existence of two Orthodox jurisdictions. Any longer, there might be no Eucharistic communion between native African clergy. Firstly, as a result of the Moscow Patriarchate has unilaterally lower off Eucharistic communion with the Church of Alexandria (the same resolution by the Church of Alexandria is also anticipated), and secondly, as a result of lots of the African clergy joined have unsettled canonical standing. the remainder are to be punished by the Church.
Background
As early as the tip of September 2021, the Russian Synod made this plan public. The explanation was additionally introduced – requests had been obtained from African clerics who need to be a part of the Moscow Patriarchate. At this stage, the choice supplied for a “examine of the appeals obtained”, and this process was entrusted to Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz.
In fact, no data was obtained in regards to the outcomes of this “examine”, which supplied data on the canonical standing of the clergy – whether or not they had been beneath guardianship or overthrown, or whether or not they belonged to the clergy of the canonical Church of Alexandria.
It’s apparent that the canons on this case are of secondary significance – the Russian facet is able to settle for any clergyman, so long as it creates even a minimal “administrative foundation” for the unfold of the brand new construction of the continent.
The reality is that this concept started to be launched within the media (by way of Interfax) even a 12 months earlier, by the identical archbishop. Leonid, and this clearly mirrored already lively processes.
On this context, the phrases of the official assertion of the Patriarchate of Alexandria that she was blackmailed sound comprehensible: “Within the final two years” we’ve got all of a sudden confronted the anti-canonical and immoral invasion and intrusion (into our territory) of the Russian Church ” with the intention to blackmail and avenge us. “
The reactions
The Patriarchate of Alexandria reacted nearly instantly. In his assertion, the Alexandrian St. The Synod described Moscow’s actions as a “non-fraternal blow by fellow Russians,” however mentioned it was not stunned by two years of makes an attempt to intervene within the patriarchate’s inner affairs. Nevertheless, the primary instrument for “affect” on the African clergy by the Russian Church is clearly outlined – the monetary one. For 2 years, the Moscow Patriarchate has been making an attempt to bribe our clergy, the bishops mentioned.
With out saying whether or not the variety of 100 and two, introduced by the Ministry of Justice, corresponds to his data, the Synod of Alexandria states that this group consists “of self-separated clergymen beneath ecclesiastical punishment, or of different, of unknown origin, self-proclaimed Orthodox however by no means belonged to the Patriarchate of Alexandria. ” Extra particular was the Cameroonian miter. Gregory, who mentioned many of those clerics belong to totally different Outdated Calendar factions which have settled in several African nations for many years. Mockingly, he famous that Russian church coverage prefers to not delve into the canonicity of the ordination of those individuals, and they are going to be accepted with out inspecting the schismatic construction from which they arrive.
There may be additionally a theological argument within the opinion: the Russian church motion is “an try to vary the Orthodox ecclesiology in lots of its options, however particularly with regard to the query of the boundaries of the executive division of Christ Church buildings by standards removed from Orthodox Custom. We discover with ache that each one these items are attributable to sinful causes contaminated with the “virus of ethnophiletism” condemned by the Council of 1872.
The principle motive why, in response to the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the “Russian invasion” in its jurisdiction is not going to succeed is the colonial spirit that these actions carry and to which the native inhabitants is especially delicate. The success of the mission of the Patriarchate of Alexandria is as a result of “sacrificial spirit of Orthodox and Holy Custom”, which is feasible as a result of evangelization will not be accompanied by egocentric financial and political pursuits of any colonial energy – as is the case with the Moscow Patriarchate.
The official assertion additionally mentioned that the Patriarchate of Alexandria would ship letters to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and native church buildings describing our “plague” assault on “Christ-born kids”, believing Africans, on account of overt and covert actions. of approved representatives of the Russian Church. ” Unofficially, data appeared within the Greek media that synaxis was potential (assembly on the degree of primates), however just for the so-called “historical patriarchates” of the Pentarchy – the Ecumenical, Alexandrian, Jerusalem, Antioch, and the Cypriot Church, as based mostly on common truthful.
All violators might be topic to “the provisions of the divine and sacred canons of ecclesiastical punishment,” the synod mentioned in a press release. Analysts level out that violators embody each native clergy who transfer to the brand new exarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate, represented by “Patriarchal Exarch Klinski Leonid “, whose actions, nevertheless, are nonetheless pending. In ecclesiastical phrases, it isn’t the said intention that issues, however the efficiency of worship in a international jurisdiction – which isn’t but a truth on his half.
Just a few phrases in regards to the biography of the brand new African exarch
The brand new African exarch, Leonid (Gorbachev), might be named “Klin, Cairo and North African, patriarchal exarch for all of Africa.” Formally, he’s Deputy Chairman of the Division for Exterior Church Relations of the Ministry of Justice, headed by the Mayor of Volokolamsk. Hilarion (Alfeev), and is at the moment his proper hand man.
The “church biography” of Metropolitan Leonid is fascinating. His first mission overseas as a priest was as a part of an airborne brigade with the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He went on missions to Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Cairo, the place he at all times labored with Russian embassies and intelligence providers.
In 2013 he turned Bishop of Argentina and South America. It was then that he first got here to the eye of the Russian media on an disagreeable event – in reference to the most important drug scandal in current Russian historical past, when in 2016 twelve suitcases of cocaine had been discovered on the Russian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The principle figures are two “Russian Orthodox patrons” who carry medicine disguised as church utensils. Within the case he was interrogated and ep. Leonid, who says he has nothing to do with the “patrons” and even refused to signal a “Memorandum for the provision of church utensils” with them. Shortly afterwards, nevertheless, he was recalled to Russia and headed the Vladikavkaz diocese of the ROC.
In the previous few years, Archbishop. Leonid turned the best hand of the Volokolamsk miter. Hilarion (Alfeev) and his private vicar. The particular “specialization” of his international church service is spectacular: he was despatched to “head” new church buildings of the Russian Church exterior the normal lands of its exercise with a disputed jurisdiction.
In October 2021, for instance, he headed the brand new “Yerevan-Armenian Diocese” of the ROC, surprisingly established. The explanations for the formation of this new construction exterior Russia had been once more political and “punitive” – the choice was provoked by the Armenian-Azerbaijani battle and got here simply two days after a failed assembly of religious leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow.
The fruit of the identical “line” is the Russian-Georgian scandal of early 2021, when a priest of the identical Vladikavkaz diocese “entered” not with out the consent of his bishop within the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church, serving Christmas in Tskhinvali Cathedral , Abkhazia. The act provoked a pointy response from the Georgian Patriarchate and accusations of violating jurisdiction.
It’s fascinating to notice that in December 2019 Archbishop Leonid was additionally in Bulgaria, the place he served within the Russian court docket in Sofia and met with the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria to “focus on problems with mutual curiosity.”
In accordance with Metropolitan of Klin Leonid, already as exarch in Africa, “the core of the brand new construction might be solid in Moscow” and thus will search “an answer to the personnel concern, which is paramount.” Which means the Ministry of Justice intends to make use of the native parishes which have joined them as a base to ship Russian monks. This coverage is in clear contradiction with populist guarantees to native clergy that separating them from the Alexandrian Patriarchate is a path to the formation of an autocephalous African church.
For now, H.E. Leonid is not going to make an “archpastoral go to to Africa” as a result of “epidemic scenario”. Then again, he obtained the “courtyard of the African Exarchate in Moscow”, the place his residence might be.
“The place there’s alternative and wish, Russian temples might be inbuilt Africa,” he was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. He promised {that a} “community of theological colleges” can be constructed for its personal employees.
The Russian Synod may additionally take into account appointing new bishops in Africa, each Russian and native, however for now locals are solely required to signal an “oath of allegiance” that threatens everlasting condemnation and lack of salvation. clerics promise by no means to depart the Moscow Patriarchate on any event.
The Orthodox mission in Africa right now
Among the many retaliatory measures of the Patriarchate of Alexandria is the inner reorganization of the bishop – within the first days of the brand new 12 months the Synod of Alexandria introduced plenty of adjustments equivalent to election of bishops, promotion of bishops to metropolitans and switch of minor metropolitans to main metropolises ( that is permissible beneath the statutes of most Orthodox church buildings). Hierarchs with a powerful missionary cost and administrative abilities had been despatched to extra crucial factors. Among the many new names is the longtime missionary in Africa, Archim. Chrysostom (Maidonis) from the Diocese of Ierisso and Mount Athos, who is understood for his in depth expertise of working with younger individuals, which is the predominant flock of the Church of Alexandria.
At current, the Orthodox mission on the African continent is supported by way of employees and funds, principally by the Greek Church. The Greek state can also be concerned. In 2006, for instance, the Greek authorities solved the issue of medical, pre-hospital and hospital therapy of the clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria via a particular legislative change. The Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore, then expressed his nice satisfaction with the phrases: “Thanks very a lot to our Greece, which at all times helps the apostolic work of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.”
Lay individuals – women and men, monks, nuns and clergy from Greece and Finland previously twentieth century labored very onerous for the Orthodox schooling of the native inhabitants. The Orthodox mission additionally bears fruit such because the well-known missionary nun Tekla, referred to as the “mom of Tanzania’s kids”, who has spent thirty-five years of her life serving the poorest and most deprived. Enormous funds had been raised and invested from donations for the development of church buildings and colleges, medical facilities, water provide, and so on. The Orthodox Church buildings of Greece, Cyprus and Finland participated with each employees and plenty of funds in assist of Orthodox Africans. Thus, a whole lot of hundreds of inhabitants of the “black continent” had been interested in the Orthodox religion, tens of their younger individuals graduated in theology in Greece, Russia, Romania, america and different nations and have become clergy amongst their tribes and peoples. There are already a number of native bishops within the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, though many of the bishops are from Greece and Cyprus with an nearly completely African flock.
Aside from the historically robust missionary cost of the Orthodox Church buildings within the talked about nations, an vital prerequisite for the success of the mission is the truth that the locals don’t discover within the Orthodox missionaries representatives of any colonial energy that seeks to broaden its political and financial affect. and seizing the sources of the Black Continent – a historic trauma for the African inhabitants, however nonetheless a urgent concern.
That’s the reason the phrases of the Cameroonian miter don’t sound unfounded. Gregory, who expresses his skepticism in regards to the success of the “Russian mission” in Africa exactly due to ignoring the peculiarities of the native mentality and historical past: “Given the unsuitability for the African mentality of the so-called Africa Corp “Africa” I foresee the failure of the whole Russian theological arsenal used to date for propaganda functions towards the popularity of the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine and towards the Ecumenical Patriarch, in addition to the autumn of the generals. Even Rommel was defeated in Africa, having one of the vital disciplined and arranged armies on the earth. Fortunate are those that have already determined to put in writing a doctorate on the Russian operation. “
* This textual content with writer Zlatina Ivanova was printed in Bulgarian for the primary time within the journal Christianity and Tradition, concern. 1 (168), 2022, pp. 69-74 (Еd. Word).
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