South Ossetian Government Supports Ossetian Orthodox Autocephaly

The South Ossetian government has confirmed its support for the eventual independence of the Orthodox Church in South Ossetia from both the Georgian and Russian Orthodox Churches. Ossetian Orthodox Christians hope for the recognition of their ecclesiastical independence on the basis of the early conversion of their ancestors, the Alans, to Orthodoxy in the 300s. More here.

Russian, Georgian Orthodox Patriarchs Meet in Kiev

Meeting in Kiev yesterday Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow and Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Mtskheta-Tbilisi confirmed the close ties between the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches despite the political tensions between the Russian and Georgian governments over Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

While the patriarchs agreed that the newly independent Transcaucasian states remain part of the canonical territory of the Church of Georgia, it was apparent that disagreements over how to approach the care of the Abkhazian and Ossetian Orthodox faithful remain as it was left to future negotiations to decide details in the pastoral oversight of the Churches of Abkhazia and Ossetia, the first of which is served primarily by Russian Orthodox clergy and the second of which has submitted to one of the Old Calendrist synods in Greece.

On issues concerning the Orthodox Churches as a whole discussed at the Kiev meeting the patriarchs were in agreement. More on their talks can be found here and here.

South Ossetian Orthodox Bishop Retired

The Old Calendrist 'Holy Synod in Resistance' of the Greek Orthodox Church has granted the head of the Orthodox Church in South Ossetia, Bishop George of Alania, retirement due to his ongoing health issues. Bishop Ambrose of Methone, an auxiliary to the first hierarch of the Synod in Resistance, has been appointed locum tenens of the Diocese of Alania. More here.

Ilia II Calls for Prayers for Submission of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

At the Sunday Liturgy this past weekend Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Mtskheta called on the Georgian Orthodox faithful to pray for the reunion of the Abkhazian and Ossetian Orthodox Churches with the Church of Georgia, saying that God will forgive them for their separation from Georgia and that he plans to visit Abkhazia "soon." More here.

South Ossetian Bishop on Leave

According to the website of the Synod in Resistance of the Greek Orthodox Church Bishop George of Alania, the only Orthodox Christian hierarch caring for the Orthodox faithful in South Ossetia due to the tensions between the Churches of Russia and Georgia over their canonical status, is on a year's leave of absence from his diocese due to health issues. In the meantime Bishop Ambrose of Methone is responsible for the care of the diocese. More here.

Pictured is Bishop George of Tskhinvali and Alania [South Ossetia].

Orthodoxy in Abkhazia and Ossetia

The United States has criticized restrictions on religious freedom in independent Abkhazia and Ossetia, formerly autonomous republics that were united to Georgia under Joseph Stalin and officially remained parts of Georgia until 1999 and 1991 respectively. In both countries independent Orthodox Churches have been established due to the phyletism of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which had established jurisdiction over both republics following the restoration of its autocephaly in the early 1900s.

In Abkhazia the Abkhazian Orthodox Church declared its separation from the Church of Georgia in 2009, reestablishing the Catholicosate of Pitsunda that had existed from the 1470s till its abolition by the Russian government in 1814 and had exercised jurisdiction over the western Georgians, Abkhaz, and Ossetians. As far as I'm aware the Abkhazian Orthodox Church remains without hierarchs as it is waiting for the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches to negotiate recognition of Local Orthodox Churches in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

In Ossetia the Ossetian Orthodox faithful were initially care for after South Ossetian independence by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (...in Russia :-) ), but later submitted to the the Holy Synod in Resistance as the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in the former USSR fractured into various synods. The Holy Synod in Resistance has organized the Ossetian Orthodox as a self-governing eparchy, the Diocese of Alania (the ancient name for Ossetia).

More on the US report can be found here. The official website of the the Ossetian Orthodox Church can be found here. Interfax's report on the Abkhazian Orthodox Church's appeal for an autocephalous Orthodox Church of Abkhazia can be found here.

Pictured is an Orthodox church in Ossetia.