Religion

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

• China to close border with Kyrgyzstan for Eid al-Fitr holiday 25 July 2014, 15:10
• Berel Lazar urges Jews to support Israelis by studying the Torah and multiplying good affairs 25 July 2014, 12:24
• Sounds of explosions accompany church consecration in Donbass 24 July 2014, 16:28
• Islamist sentenced in Uzbekistan 23 July 2014, 13:40
• Moscow worried by persecution of religious minorities in Iraq - Foreign Ministry statement 23 July 2014, 10:31
• Banner with the Savior on it consecrated for home guards army in Donetsk church 22 July 2014, 16:30
• Islamists recruiting rebels to combat in Syria sentenced in Kazakhstan 22 July 2014, 16:07
• Russian Church calls on people responsible for plane crash in Ukraine to say truth before God, people 22 July 2014, 13:26
• Fight with Armenian priest takes place in Tbilisi near Armenian church 21 July 2014, 16:33
• Donbass won't forgive Kiev murders of peaceful citizens, the UOC spokesman believes 21 July 2014, 15:15
• Patriarch Kirill is concerned with attempts to legally destroy human morality 21 July 2014, 13:32
• Russia poses no military threat - Patriarch Kirill 21 July 2014, 10:03
• Putin expects Orthodox Church to contribute to Middle East settlement 21 July 2014, 10:01
• Russia's strength in long-standing values - Putin 18 July 2014, 17:33
• Patriarch Kirill believes sanctity is Russians' national idea 18 July 2014, 14:41
• Sea Arctic Expedition launched in frames of celebrations dedicated to St. Sergius 700th anniversary 17 July 2014, 14:55
• Support for separation of Ukrainian Church from Moscow Patriarchate weak among bishops - Metropolitan Hilarion 17 July 2014, 10:12
• Russian Church chagrined by Church of England vote allowing women to be bishops 17 July 2014, 10:04
• Russia creates system to monitor inter-ethnic, inter-confessional relations 16 July 2014, 12:35
• Former Archbishop of Canterbury's opinion on euthanasia makes him an opponent of his own Church - renowned priest 16 July 2014, 11:24
• Rabbi supports program of building Orthodox churches in Moscow 15 July 2014, 16:08
• Russian church official believes fight for God's truth is going in Ukraine 15 July 2014, 16:06
• Hundreds of children kneel down to pray for peace in Ukraine in Yaroslavl monastery 15 July 2014, 15:28
• Ukrainian Church repeats Moscow patriarch will not attend Christianization of Russia events 15 July 2014, 09:51
• Russia's chief rabbi thanks Putin for support to Jewish community 10 July 2014, 12:09
• Russian Jews concerned over rehabilitation of Nazism in Ukraine 10 July 2014, 10:50
• Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin urges to learn a spiritual lesson of Brazil-Germany match 09 July 2014, 18:04
• Azeri leader calls for stronger Islamic solidarity 09 July 2014, 17:48
• Russia's Jews point to important agenda of Putin's upcoming meeting with rabbis 09 July 2014, 10:00
• Putin to discuss neo-Nazism, anti-Semitism with foreign rabbis 08 July 2014, 15:32

Other news