Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Transdniestria

Metropolitan Ahafangel (Savvin) of Odessa of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church has traveled to the internationally unrecognized Transdniestrian Republic on the territory of eastern Moldova to serve the reburial of an imperial Russian general in the republic. During his time in Transdniestria Metropolitan Ahafangel met with the Transdniestrian president, praising him for ensuring "that the friendship between the peoples of Kievan Rus' should be eternal and unshakable." More here.

Synod of Metropolitan Agathangel Meets in the USA

Last week a meeting of the Synod Abroad of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) under Metropolitan Agathangel (Pashkovskiy) of Odessa was held at the Tolstoy Foundation in Valley Cottage, New York. At the meeting the assembled hierarchs, most of whom have been consecrated since Metropolitan Agathangel's schism from the mainstream ROCOR in 2007, agreed to publish an appeal to their clergy and faithful not to return to the Moscow Patriarchate. The Synod also approved plans for the establishment of a new international headquarters and residence for its first hierarch in New York. The consecration of the new headquarters' church, which will be dedicated to St. Philaret (Vosnesenskiy) the Confessor of New York, is to be celebrated on 19 November.

During the meeting Metropolitan Agathangel informed the Synod of his conversation with deposed Patriarch Irinaios (Skopelitis) of Jerusalem, claiming that he was deposed for his anti-ecumenical stance and could therefore continue to remain in communion with the schism as the ROCOR had been in communion with him prior to the 2007 reunion with Moscow. (This despite the fact that the strongly anti-ecumenical Patriarch Diodorus (Karivalis) of Jerusalem was never deposed during his patriarchate and the fact that the ROCOR remained in communion with Jerusalem when Patriarch Theophilos III (Giannopoulos) was enthroned in 2005.) This is pending the agreement of the Synod in Resistance of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Lastly, the Synod considered an appeal from Old Calendrist parishes in Georgia for reception into the ROCOR. More on the Synod's discussions can be found here.

Metropolitan Agathangel Visiting the USA

The leader of a 2007 schism from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Agathangel (Pashkovskiy) of Odessa, is visiting the United States to meet with the clergy who followed him into schism and hold a session of his synod of bishops, most of whom have been consecrated since 2007. More here.

ROCOR Schism Commemorating Deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem

The recent 2007 schism from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad led by Metropolitan Agathangel (Pashkovskiy) of Odessa has begun commemorating deposed Patriarch Irinaios of Jerusalem, apparently with his blessing. What this means, if anything, for the unity of the Church of Jerusalem, if anything, remains to be seen. More here.

Hierarch of the ROCOR-A Hospitalized

Archbishop Andronik of Ottawa, a hierarch of the 2007 schism from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR) led by Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa, was hospitalized over the weekend. Please pray for his recovery and return to the Church.