Head of Russian Orthodox Exarchate in Western Europe Retires

Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana, head of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe under the Church of Constantinople, has announced his retirement as ruling hierarch of the exarchate due to ongoing health issues. The archbishop's retirement is effective 15 January, although he will be commemorated by the Exarchate until the Ecumenical Patriarchate appoints a locum tenens. More here. Archbishop Gabriel's announcement of his retirement can be found here.

Historic Concelebration in Paris

A historic concelebration has taken place between the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of New York, and the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe, Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana. The concelebration, which took place in Paris' Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva, was the first between a first hierarch of the ROCOR and a head of the Exarchate since the latter broke away from the ROCOR in 1927 to join the Moscow Patriarchate (and later the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church). More here.

French Court in Nice Orders Transfer of Cathedral Keys

A French court in Nice has ordered the city's parish of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe to hand over the keys of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas to the parish established under the Moscow Patriarchate's Diocese of Korsun following the cathedral's transfer to the ownership of the Russian government. The parish has been given 7 days to turn over the keys, with fines of €6,000 to be levied for each additional day taken. More here.

Russian Orthodox Exarchate Maintains Parish Occupation of Cathedral in Nice

The Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe is appealing the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Korsun to expel its parish in Nice on the grounds that the change in ownership of St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Nice should not mandate a change in the jurisdictional affiliation of the parish. More here.

Paris Cathedral Celebrates 150th Anniversary

The Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva in Paris has celebrated the 150th anniversary of its consecration this past Sunday. The celebratory services were led by Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana, ruling hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe, and concelebrated by four other ruling and auxiliary hierarchs of the Constantinopolitan, Antiochian, and American Orthodox Churches and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Four other hierarchs of the Constantinopolitan, Serbian, and Romanian Orthodox Churches were also present at the services.

The celebrations were well attended, and following the Sunday Liturgy the ruling metropolitan of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church in France, Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of Paris, read a congratulatory message to the cathedral parish from Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis). More (in French) here.

Paris Exarchate Rejects Attempts to Change Nice Parish Affiliation

The Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe has released a French-language response to the efforts of the Russian government to have of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Nice, France, transferred to the care of the patriarchal Russian Orthodox diocese in France, the Eparchy of Korsun. The response notes in part the long association of the parish in Nice with the Exarchate and rejects the right of the Russian government, which now owns the cathedral, to expel the Exarchate's parish association. The full release (in French) can be found here.

Interestingly enough, when the Exarchate was first organized by Patriarch Photius II of Constantinople it was established as a "provisional exarchate" to provide a "provisional canonical settlement" for the Russian Orthodox parishes in Western Europe led by Metropolitan Eulogius of Paris, with a reference at the close of its organizing tomos to Patriarch Photius' hope for an end to the disunity of the Russian Orthodox Church, presumably so that the provisional arrangements that had been made would be just that.

Nice Cathedral Remains Independent of Moscow Patriarchate

Controversy continues to surround the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Nice, France, where the former parish association of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe continues to refuse to transfer de facto control over the cathedral to its legal owner, the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Korsun, which has care of the cathedral, has already appointed new clergy to serve the Nice cathedral and ordered that the entrance fees previously charged on visitors to the cathedral be abolished. More here.

Rue Daru Cathedral to Celebrate 150th Anniversary of Consecration

The Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe under the Ecumenical Patriarchate is preparing to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the consecration of its diocesan seat, the Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva in Paris. The cathedral has long been a center of the large Russian community in the French capital and was the first Orthodox church to be built in the city. The upcoming anniversary of the cathedral's founding will be commemorated this September, with Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana leading the celebrations. More (in French) here.

All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference Begins in France

The All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference has opened in France, on its second day celebrating the feast of St. John of Paris and San Francisco with a festal Divine Liturgy concelebrated by Bishops Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva and Theodosius (Ivaschenko) of Seattle of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and observed by Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe. More here.

French Court Confirms Russian Ownership of Cathedral in Nice

France's highest court of appeals has confirmed that St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Nice belongs to the Russian government as the representative of the former imperial government and to the Moscow Patriarchate as the highest authority of the Russian Orthodox Church, to which the cathedral previously belonged (the cathedral parish affiliated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Russian Orthodox exarchate after the Bolshevik Revolution). St. Nicholas' is currently the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral outside the former Russian Empire and is visited by some 200,000 tourists annually. More here.

Archbishop of Comana Affirms Exarchate's Union with Constantinople

In his address to Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople during his recent visit to France, Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe reaffirmed his exarchate's union with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, saying that the latter has given it "full freedom to continue to follow [its] vocation to prepare the way for the establishment of a local church." More (in French) here.

Ecumenical Patriarch Visits St. Sergius' in Paris

As part of his ongoing travels in France Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople has visited the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe's St. Sergius' Theological Institute in Paris. The patriarch was welcomed to St. Sergius' by Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana, head of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate. More in Greek here.

Russian Orthodox Exarchate, Korsun Diocese Discuss Relations

At the recent meeting of the archdiocesan council of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe, Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun participated as an observer at the invitation of Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana. During the meeting relations between the Exarchate and the Diocese of Korsun were discussed, apparently to the benefit of both as the upcoming All-Diaspora Youth Conference will now include members of Exarchate parishes. More here.

Archbishop Gabriel of Comana Resumes Duties

Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana has resumed his duties in the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe of the Ecumenical Patriarchate following surgery on one of his lungs, but will scale back his activities until he has fully recovery from the operation and chemotherapy that has followed it. More here.

Archbishop Gabriel Undergoes Surgery

Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe underwent surgery this past Thursday in Maastricht. Please pray for his quick recovery.