Macedonia Celebrates 45th Anniversary of the Restoration of Autocephaly

In its recent session earlier this month the Holy Synod of the independent Macedonian Orthodox Church reaffirmed the year's programs celebrating the 45th anniversary of the restoration of the Archdiocese of Ohrid's autocephaly in 1967, noting that the celebrations will include the glorification in Kicevo of the New Martyrs Eusebius, Paisius, and Avercius of the Turkish Yoke, who suffered for the Lord in 1558. More in Macedonian here.

"The OCA and Spiritual Maturity"

Fr. Theodore Bobosh, pastor of St. Paul's Church in Dayton, Ohio, has a wonderful reflection on the recent events in the American Orthodox Church (OCA) posted on his blog.

Czechoslovak Orthodox Church Marks 60 Years of Autocephaly in Prague

The Czechoslovak Orthodox Church has marked the 60th anniversary of its autocephaly, observing the anniversary this past Thursday with celebratory services led by Metropolitan Krystof (Pulec) of Prague and concelebrated by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk and other hierarchs of the Czechoslovak and Polish Orthodox Churches. More here.

The Orthodox Church in the Czech and Slovak Republics was initially under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but gained its autocephaly from the Russian Orthodox Church following World War II.

Abkhaz Orthodox Faction Calls for Quick Autocephaly, Use of Abkhaz

Abkhazian Orthodox remain divided between two pro-autocephaly factions, one hoping for the help of the Moscow Patriarchate in negotiating autocephaly for the Church of Abkhazia from the Georgian Orthodox Church and the other pressing more strongly for immediate autocephaly and the wider use of the Abkhaz language in the divine services. More here.

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.

St. Cyrion the New Martyr of Mtskheta

Joyous feast! Today we commemorate Catholicos-Patriarch St. Cyrion (or Kirion) II of Mtskheta and All Georgia. St. Cyrion was the first catholicos-patriarch to be enthroned following the restoration of the Georgian Orthodox Church's autocephaly in 1917. Born in Russian-occupied Georgia, St. Cyrion undertook theological studies there and in Ukraine and gradually rose until he was consecrated to the episcopacy.

Due to the Saint's strong support for the restoration of the Georgian Orthodox Church's independence the imperial government had him transferred to new eparchies frequently, with the result that he shepherded flocks in what today are Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Abkhazia, and Belarus between his consecration in 1901 and the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917.

Following the February Revolution the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church in Georgia moved quickly to proclaim the restoration of the Georgian Orthodox Church's autocephaly and by popular demand St. Cyrion, then Archbishop of Polotsk, returned to Georgia to be elected and enthroned as catholicos-patriarch in Mtskheta. In 1918 Georgia declared its independence in the midst of the great political upheavals and conflicts engulfing the former Russian Empire.

In the same year that Georgia regained its independence St. Cyrion was found murdered in his residence near Mtskheta, having served as patriarch for less than a year. Due to Georgia's annexation by the Soviet Union it wasn't until 2002 that the Georgian Orthodox Church glorified the passion-bearing patriarch as a saint. More on St. Cyrion's life can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!

Russian Orthodox Professor Expresses Support for Macedonian Autocephaly

A professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Deacon Andrei Kuraev, has expressed his belief that the independent Macedonian Orthodox Church ought to be considered autocephalous by the world Orthodox Churches and that it is only political issues in Greece and Serbia that are keeping the Serbian and Greek Orthodox Churches from recognizing the independence of the Church of Macedonia. More (in Macedonian) here.

Moscow Patriarchate Rejects Abkhazian Orthodox Attempt to Organize a Metropolia at New Athos

The Moscow Patriarchate has rejected an attempt by the Abkhazian Orthodox clergy and laity to establish a metropolitanate for the Church of Abkhazia, reaffirming the necessity of an existing hierarchy for the organization of an independent Orthodox Church. More here.

Two Levels of Autocephaly?

Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople is being accused of indirectly laying the foundations for the creation of two levels of autocephaly within Orthodoxy by distinguishing between the Orthodox Churches recognized by the councils of the Roman Empire (whose first hierarchs have been invited to a synaxis later this year) and those Orthodox Churches organized outside the borders of the Roman Empire. More (in Greek) here.

Abkhazian Orthodox Conference Appeals to World Orthodox Churches

The Georgian Orthodox Church has called on a national conference of the Abkhazian Orthodox Church to give up its call for the restoration of its past autocephaly and submit to the Georgian-dominated Patriarchate of Mtskheta-Tbilisi. The conference itself organized the Orthodox Church in Abkhazia as an archdiocese with its see at the New Athos Monastery and appealed to the first hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches to work together to resolve the status of the Church of Abkhazia. More here.

Czechoslovak, Russian Orthodox Churches Prepare for Autocephaly Celebrations

During his visit to Moscow Metropolitan Christopher (Pulec) of Prague met with Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk to discuss the Russian Orthodox Church's participating in the upcoming anniversaries of the 60th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church's autocephaly and the 1150th anniversary of the mission of Sts. Cyril and Methodius to what today is the territory of the Czech and Slovak Republics. More here.

126th Anniversary of the Romanian Orthodox Church's Autocephaly

Bright Monday this year marked the 126th anniversary of the granting of autocephaly to the Romanian Orthodox Church on the territory of the former Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (then newly united as the Kingdom of Romania). Romania's tomos of autocephaly was granted by Patriarch Joachim IV of Constantinople as its faithful were at that time part of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church. More (in Romanian) here.

Sunday Marked 41st Anniversary of Signing of OCA Tomos

This past Sunday was the 41st anniversary of the signing of the tomos that granted the American Orthodox Church independence from the Russian Orthodox Church as an autocephalous Local Orthodox Church. More here.

Chambesy Meeting Ends

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission has finished its meeting in Chambesy, coming to a unanimous agreement on the granting of autocephaly (that it should be studied further, but that in principle all the Local Orthodox Churches should sign a tomos granting autocephaly) and autonomy (that it is granted by the mother Orthodox Church) and failing to come to any agreement on the order of the diptychs. The Albanian and Polish Orthodox Churches both appealed for the establishment of a single order in the diptychs, whilst the Georgian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches appealed for an elevation in their rank.

All of the Local Orthodox Churches were represented by hierarchs with the exception of the Church of Romania, which sent the secretary of its Holy Synod. More here.

Consensus on Autocephaly, Autonomy Procedures; Diptychs Remain Unresolved

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission meeting in Chambesy, Switzerland, has confirmed that autonomy will be granted to a particular region by its mother Orthodox Church, whilst autocephaly shall be granted by the mother Orthodox Church following the receipt of the approval of all the first hierarchs of its sister Local Orthodox Churches. The main issue still under discussion at Chambesy at the moment would appear to be the ranking of the first hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches in the diptychs. More here.

Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission Meets in Chambesy

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission begins meeting today in Chambesy, Switzerland, to discuss the procedure from granting/recognizing autocephaly (which has been varied over the centuries) and the order of the diptychs (which currently place young churches like Romania over much older churches like Georgia and Bulgaria). Fourteen of the fifteen autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches will be represented at the meeting.

The Russian Orthodox delegation to Chambesy includes Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Moscow Patriarchate and Archbishop Mark (Arndt) of Berlin of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. More here.

Holy Synod of the OCA on Autocephaly

The Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) recently released an epistle to its flock on the Russian Orthodox Church's granting of independence (autocephaly) to its daughter in North America. The epistle reminded the American Orthodox faithful of the purpose of the OCA not to master the jurisdictions of the other Local Orthodox Churches currently present in the Americas, but rather to be the servant of their unity, to work with them to achieve a unity that will be acceptable to all the sister Orthodox Churches in the Old World as well as to the New World's only autocephalous church, the OCA. The full epistle can be found here.

Georgia, Abkhazia, and Autocephaly

I'm brushing up on my Abkhazian history as it's been a while since I read anything of that genre and I find it most fascinating that at one point the Local Orthodox Churches recognized the Catholicos-Patriarchs of both Mtskheta and All Georgia and Pitsunda and All Imereti, Abkhazia, Ossetia, and the North [Caucasus] as shepherding autocephalous churches. And this despite the fact that both were unilaterally granted their independence by the patriarchs of Antioch, not the ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople. In our times one of these churches has regained its recognition and the other is seeking it.

It's all very interesting as regardless of what happens in Abkhazia, Georgia sets a very clear precedent for the granting of autocephaly by a mother church to its daughter. I'm sure there's another example of this somewhere, but it escapes my mind right now. Hm...well, I'm sure that if this happened again, His All-Holiness Bartholomew would be sure to recognize the action of a sister Orthodox Church in granting autocephaly to her daughter church. He is, after all, a great force for conciliarity and unity within the Church...

Pictured are St. Andrew the Apostle's Cathedral (upper right) in Pitsunda, Abkhazia, the former patriarchal see of the Imeretian/Abkhazian Orthodox Church, and St. Nicholas of Myra's Cathedral (lower left) in Washington, DC, the current primatial see of the American Orthodox Church (OCA).

40th Anniversary of the OCA's Acronym Change

Apparently today marks the fortieth anniversary of the name change of the newly autocephalous Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America (ROGCCA) to being the "Orthodox Church in America." Am I embarrassed that I belong to the only Local Orthodox Church that prefers to be known by an acronym like some trendy 1970s club? Yes. Do I generally try to avoid using our sad acronym-name where possible? Yes. Am I thankful for autocephaly? Yes :-). Guess we're stuck with the acronym-name for the time being. Maybe I'll start calling myself an "OCAer Orthodox" or "OCAan Orthodox" instead of American Orthodox...

The AFR Interview with Seyidna Philip and Autocephaly

As a follow-up to my last post on Ancient Faith Radio's interview with Metropolitan Philip, I must confess to find myself appalled that a hierarch of the Church of Christ could flippantly refer to having millions of dollars and to being the sole overseer of those millions. Discretionary accounts to take care of particular needs are one thing, but millions of dollars? Given to a hierarch for use in the Church? Somehow it seems like such sums should be in the Archdiocese's name, not the metropolitan's.

More and more I wonder how different Orthodoxy in the New World is from Orthodoxy in the East. Anyone who says we're not ready for autocephaly is just wrong. After all, we have all of the Old World's vices (wealthy hierarchs, the abuse of the canons, sexually abusive priests being transferred from place to place) AND also a conciliarity born of both the All-Russian Council of 1918 and the New World's democratic values. What's missing? Intercommunion with non-Orthodox? I know of at least one parish where the priest gives Communion to Episcopalians or Roman Catholics (one or the other - can't remember which) with the blessing of his bishop. So we're set! Whatever your take on everything, autocephaly is possible in our times. There's no need to wait...