Patriarch Kirill: Petition of Archbishop John reunified Russian Church

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus. Photo: tass.ru

On September 15, 2019, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus, after the Divine Liturgy in the church of St. Princess Olga in Ostankino, commented on the reunion with the Russian Orthodox Church of the head of the Western European Archdiocese, Archbishop John, as well as clergy and parishes who wished to follow him, RIA Novosti reports.

“Archbishop John, who is based in Paris and leads the very part of the Russian emigration that belongs neither to the Russian Church Abroad nor to the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, sent me a petition on reunification with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Yesterday was September 14th and September 1st in the old church style. This is the beginning of the church new year or, as we say, the beginning of the church indiction. When opening this petition, I realized that this act suggests a lot of meanings, because the implementation of this petition closes the topic of the division of the Russian Church abroad and the division of Russians living abroad.

And the very fact that this happened on the first day of the ecclesiastic new year helps to understand that this reunion is forever, for the future that lies before us,” said Patriarch Kirill.

He emphasized, "This is not just a church act – this is the last act that closes the drama of revolution and civil war, the drama of the separation of our people."

As reported by the UOJ, on September 14, 2019, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to admit Archbishop John (Renneteau), as well as all interested clergy and parishes of the Archbishopric of Orthodox Russian Churches in Western Europe to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The decision was made after considering the petition of Archbishop John, in which he reported on the desire of the majority of clergy and parishes of the Archbishopric to preserve its existence by entering the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and asked for accession to the Moscow Patriarchate along with clergy and parishes wishing to follow him.

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