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

• Seventeen clandestine ISIL cells uncovered in Russia in 2019 17 September 2019, 18:06
• Putin says he sees Israel as Russian-speaking country 17 September 2019, 18:04
• Parishioners of the "Russian exarchate" in Paris enthusiastic about joining the Russian Orthodox Church 16 September 2019, 17:45
• Return of 'Russian exarchate' became possible due to radical changes in Russian Church, Russia in general - Patriarch Kirill 16 September 2019, 16:26
• Russian Orthodox Church denies rumors that head of Russian Church Abroad is missing 16 September 2019, 16:25
• Israel condemns defacing of monument to Holocaust victims in Ukraine's Nikolaev Region, demands perpetrators be punished 16 September 2019, 13:20
• The Russian Church about return of “Russian exarchate” parishes under its jurisdiction: a long way is almost accomplished 14 September 2019, 21:29
• Head of "Russian exarchate" of Constantinople joins Russian Orthodox Church 14 September 2019, 18:44
• Imam Velitov, convicted for justification of terrorism, leaves colony in Astrakhan 13 September 2019, 16:52
• Ukrainian court freezes "Kiev Patriarchate" liquidation 12 September 2019, 20:25
• Priest Alexander Volkov dismissed from the post of patriarchal press secretary 12 September 2019, 20:22
• Orthodox Businessman Malofeyev to leave A Just Russia 6 months after joining it 12 September 2019, 17:23
• Common moral, ethical values of all religions in Russia ensure state stability of country - Putin 12 September 2019, 17:21
• Guilt of men charged with attempted murder of Imam Chumakov unproven - Ingushetia jury 11 September 2019, 10:53
• State Dept. announces sanctions against 2 high-ranking Surgut investigators over Jehovah's Witnesses case (updated) 10 September 2019, 18:48
• The Russian Church official call modern Russian men a "national tragedy" 09 September 2019, 11:56
• The Russian Church will accept communities of the "Russian exarchate" ready to join it 09 September 2019, 11:20
• Russian Orthodox Church to continue reunification consultations with "Russian exarchate" 09 September 2019, 11:00
• Russian Jews to unveil monument to Roma victims of Nazism 05 September 2019, 16:00
• Jerusalem Patriarch takes the side of Russian Church in the "Ukrainian question" 05 September 2019, 15:57
• Constantinople appoints head of "Russian exarchate" a metropolitan responsible for establishing new church in Ukraine 05 September 2019, 13:06
• "Russian exarchate" in Europe refused to subordinate to Constantinople 04 September 2019, 10:54
• Some 40,000 Hasidic pilgrims expected to attend Rosh Hashanah celebration in Ukraine 03 September 2019, 11:07
• ROC metropolitan denies Constantinople accusations of non-canonical actions of the Moscow Patriarchate in Southeast Asia 29 August 2019, 15:43
• World Union of Old Believers set up in Moscow 29 August 2019, 13:05
• Holocaust victims monument vandalized in southern Ukraine 28 August 2019, 16:58
• Monument to Ukrainian nationalists unveiled at Jewish cemetery in Lvov Region 26 August 2019, 19:45
• Poroshenko warns of ongoing attacks on Ukrainian army, language, faith 26 August 2019, 17:13
• Founder of Russian icon museum - among victims of helicopter crash in Greece 22 August 2019, 12:50
• Al-Assad asks for Russian language teachers in Syria to counter Western culture and Wahhabism - Russian MP 20 August 2019, 15:28

Other news