News

The Sukhumi-Abkhazian diocese seeks to join the Russian Church

Sukhumi, September 5, Interfax - The Abkhazian Church wants to be self-governed Church under the Moscow Patriarchate, administrator of the Sukhumi-Abkhazian Diocese Fr. Vissarion Aplia told journalists.

Orthodox believers of Abkhazia asked the Moscow Patriarchate for it "more than once before, but the republic wasn't recognized and it was the main obstacle for settling the question," he noted.

"We were in a very hard situation after Georgian-Abkhazian war of 1992-93 and it was the Russian Orthodox Church that extended help to the Abkhazian Church, though we asked the whole Orthodox world for help," the diocesan head said.

"Today when Russia recognized Abkhazia's independence, we intend to ask for settling this question again," Fr. Vissarion further said.

The Russian Orthodox Church stated late in August that though Russia had politically recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it didn'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," deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told Interfax-Religion.

However, the priest further 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 (Russian and Georgian -IF) Churches."

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Russia puts Jehovah's Witnesses on prohibited organization list 17 August 2017, 14:10
• Vatican secretary of state to hold talks in Russia 17 August 2017, 13:14
• Vatican secretary of state won't discuss prospects for pope's Russia visit in Moscow - Russian Catholic official 17 August 2017, 12:33
• Increase of number of repatriates from Russia to Israel unrelated to actual relocation – FJCR 17 August 2017, 10:00
• Russian Jews call on Trump to suppress anti-Semitic outbreaks in U.S. 16 August 2017, 19:29
• State Duma dubs U.S. Dept of State's report on oppression of religious minorities in Russia as unprofessional 16 August 2017, 10:11
• Russia tops list of countries by emigration to Israel 16 August 2017, 10:07
• Patriarch Kirill, Vatican state secretary to discuss Ukraine situation 16 August 2017, 10:00
• Number of Russian Muslims to undertake hajj increases by 3,000, to 23,500 people, this year 11 August 2017, 13:38
• Priest from Yevpatoria asks to set up a nudist beach in Crimea 10 August 2017, 10:51
• March of the Living to be held in Rostov region to commemorate Jews massacred by Nazi 09 August 2017, 10:00
• Erdogan to attend OIC summit in Astana 08 August 2017, 15:09
• Protestant pastor jailed for 3 years for extremism in Tajikistan 08 August 2017, 10:17
• Priest detained in Vitebsk brothel to be temporary banned from ministry - Russian Orthodox Church 08 August 2017, 10:14
• Russian Jews appalled by reproaches of trying to monetize Holocaust tragedy 08 August 2017, 10:00
• Head of Russian old believers does not believe in overcoming schism with the Moscow Patriarchate 07 August 2017, 13:53
• Over 100 Georgian prisoners imprisoned in Istanbul demand to set up a corner for prayers 07 August 2017, 11:12
• Russian MP congratulates Georgian patriarch on his name day in Tbilisi – media 04 August 2017, 12:15
• Govt prioritizes stronger inter-ethnic, inter-religious accord – Putin 03 August 2017, 15:23
• FJCR President welcomes law on the Victory Day adopted by the knesset 28 July 2017, 14:10
• Kremlin receives no notice from Kadyrov on readiness to resign as Chechnya head to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque 28 July 2017, 13:26
• Kadyrov suggests holy sites on Temple Mount be returned under Jordan's control 28 July 2017, 10:31
• Israeli ambassador to Russia hopes Moscow to support security measures on Jerusalem's Temple Mount 26 July 2017, 18:19
• Russia could assume role in resolving conflict around Temple Mount in Jerusalem - Palestinian ambassador 26 July 2017, 17:12
• Israel commits to preserve full access to holy places in Jerusalem - ambassador to Russia 26 July 2017, 17:07
• FJCR convinced that scandal surrounding Temple Mount is anti-Semites' work 25 July 2017, 18:38
• Almost 80% of Russians approve of Jehovah's Witnesses ban in country – poll 25 July 2017, 10:00
• A total of 182,000 believers go on pilgrimage to Nicholas the Wonderworker's relics in St. Pete over past week 20 July 2017, 18:03
• LGBT problem doesn't exist in Chechnya - Russian envoy to OSCE 20 July 2017, 10:05
• Washington urges Russia to lift ban on Jehovah's Witnesses' activities 20 July 2017, 10:00

Other news