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Political decisions don't change Church canonical territories, the Moscow Patriarchate says as Abkhazia and S.Ossetia are recognized independent

Moscow, August 27, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church believes the military conflict divided Georgians and South Ossetians, but political decisions don't mean changes of canonical territories of the Moscow and Georgian Patriarchates.

"The political decision has been taken and we must respect it because it is based on the unanimous opinion of MPs from both chambers of the Russian parliament, who yesterday were informed of Abkhazians and Ossetians difficulties," deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told Interfax-Religion.

According to him, "it's evident that mass victims and destructions in the area of Georgian-Ossetian conflict violently divided the nations," though the interviewee of the agency notes, "it's clear for any unprejudiced person it was Georgian side that started using force after many years of relative peace."

The priest hopes today's decision won't prevent both Churches - Georgian and Ossetian - from joint work for peace, building it, and helping the victims of the recent bloodshed. "We have serious potential for this," he stressed.

Responding the question on whether Abkhazia and South Ossetia are to join the canonical territory of the Russian Church, the priest said, "Political decisions don't define church jurisdictions and spheres of pastoral responsibility. These questions should be settled canonically in course of dialogue between the two Churches."

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