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27 July 2022, 11:33Russian Church doubles the number of its clerics in Africa in seven months
Moscow, July 27, Interfax - Currently, the number of clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa is about 200 people, which is twice as much as it was at the end of last year, at the time of the creation of the African Exarchate.
"Since the establishment of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa by the Holy Synod on December 29, 2021, when 102 clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria were admitted to the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church who did not want to remain in the schism that Patriarch Bartholomew committed and Patriarch Theodore supported, the number of clergy of our Exarchate has doubled," the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Leonid of Klin wrote in his Telegram channel.
According to him, despite threats and harassment from the Greek episcopate of Africa, judicial and police persecution, expulsion of communities from churches, deprivation of housing and livelihood, pressure on families and expulsion of children from schools, "the abbots with their flock remained faithful to their choice - they belong to the Church that preserves the canons transmitted from the holy apostles and fathers".
Metropolitan Leonid said that, despite the obstacles imposed by the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the clergy of the Exarchate regularly perform services in the open air, in tents and in rented premises. Often parishes do not have a permanent place of services, thrones consecrated in honor of saints or holidays. Nevertheless, the Eucharist is celebrated here, liturgical life is established, new members of the Church are baptized, and "the preaching of the Gospel extends throughout the continent, reaching the most remote corners and settlements."
The patriarchal exarch promised that the Russian Church will do everything possible to organize parish life in Africa, help its clergy and parishioners, protect and support them, implement humanitarian programs and educational projects on the continent. "Lovers of statistical calculations and assessments of the "failure of the Exarchate's mission" will have to accept that the Russian Orthodox Church has come to Africa FOREVER," the metropolitan emphasizes.
In November 2019, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria recognized the non-canonical church of Ukraine (OCU), established by the Patriarchate of Constantinople a year earlier. Meanwhile, many clergymen of the Church of Alexandria disagreed with this and expressed a desire to transfer to the Moscow Patriarchate. At the end of December 2021, their request was granted - the Synod in Moscow received more than a hundred priests from different African countries to the Russian Church. |
