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

• Court fines Pussy Riot member Nikulshina for event in support of LGBT in Moscow 23 November 2020, 13:35
• There's some progress in Alexander Metochion issue - Israeli ambassador to Russia 23 November 2020, 10:00
• Putin urges preservation of historic sites, sacred religious places in Karabakh conflict zone 20 November 2020, 19:55
• Patriarch Kirill ceases liturgical commemoration of archbishop of Cyprus for backing schism in Ukraine 20 November 2020, 17:47
• Putin offers condolences to president of Serbia on death of Patriarch Irinej 20 November 2020, 17:35
• Russian Orthodox Church mourns death of Serbian Patriarch Irinej 20 November 2020, 13:05
• Metropolitan of Tatarstan dies of Covid-19 <>(updated) 20 November 2020, 11:37
• Armenian church leader thanks Putin for preserving Armenian cultural heritage in Karabakh 20 November 2020, 10:58
• Russian Orthodox Church denies Serbian Patriarch Irinej deceased 19 November 2020, 17:40
• Free visits may be arranged for believers to ancient Christian monastery in northern Karabakh - Russian military 16 November 2020, 17:34
• Karabakh archbishop hospitalized after heart attack 16 November 2020, 14:23
• Putin calls for preserving churches in the transferred territories of Karabakh 16 November 2020, 11:23
• Azerbaijanis desecrated cathedral in Shushi - Armenian Church 16 November 2020, 11:11
• Metropolitan Hilarion speaks of risks of start of third world war 16 November 2020, 11:09
• Russian Orthodox Church expects Biden to stop supporting abortion, sex change operations 16 November 2020, 10:49
• Spiritual Muslim Board of Russia denies existence of overwhelming support for ban on marrying non-Muslim women 11 November 2020, 19:21
• Novosibirsk court outlaws Khakassia branch of Chinese sect Falun Gong for first time in Russia 10 November 2020, 15:32
• Coronavirus-induced self-isolation helps reduce ethnic and religious violence - human rights activist 10 November 2020, 10:23
• Moscow religious organizations have weak influence on local migrants - mufti 10 November 2020, 10:21
• Performance artist posing as Christ detained near FSB headquarters in Moscow 06 November 2020, 10:25
• Putin said inadmissible to hurt feelings of believers, to allow extremism - Peskov 05 November 2020, 13:29
• Russian Orthodox Church warns against danger of unsanctioned exorcism 05 November 2020, 10:40
• Patriarch Kirill mourns over victims of Vienna terrorist attack 05 November 2020, 10:38
• Inter-ethnic relations situation exacerbated in several countries, Russia must not allow this - Putin 05 November 2020, 10:37
• Putin backs idea of int'l ban on insulting religious feelings 05 November 2020, 10:33
• Russia's Chief Rabbi Lazar opposed to phrase 'Islamic terrorism' 03 November 2020, 19:00
• Freedom of speech mustn't hurt religious feelings - Russia's Matviyenko 03 November 2020, 18:27
• Lukashenko calls on Catholic Church to play constructive role in Belarus 03 November 2020, 15:56
• Expert on Islam calls the terrorist attack in Vienna an echo of the caricature scandal in France 03 November 2020, 13:00
• People illegally held in village church parish in Russia's Ivanovo Region, criminal case opened 03 November 2020, 12:16

Other news