The issue of accepting clergy from the Alexandrian Orthodox Church under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate was deliberated at the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on September 23-24, 2021 (Journal No. 61). The discussion of this issue took place in response to actions on the part of Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria.
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Throughout his service as Primate, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria has repeatedly publicly spoken out in support of canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Thus, in September 2018, during a visit to Odessa, which took place two weeks after the Patriarchate of Constantinople appointed “exarchs” to Kiev, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria concelebrated with Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine and bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In his sermons, Patriarch Theodore called on believers to remain faithful to the canonical Church in Ukraine and its Primate: “Remain in the Orthodox faith! Stay in the canonical Church! There have been difficult times in the history of our Church, but in Ukraine, in this blessed Orthodox country, there is a canonical Church, there is His Beatitude, our brother Onufry – a blessed man of God and a real monk”;
The Sermon of Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria on September 27, 2018 at a paraklesis service for the unity of Orthodoxy in Ukraine
“I will try with my own efforts to inform everyone about the situation in Ukraine… The Ukrainian Church must remain in its canonicity. There is no need for us to give her anything more, since she already has it as the Orthodox Church of Christ. The great sin for which we will have to answer at the Second Coming will be if even one drop of blood is shed.”
However, on the 8th of November, 2019, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, during a Liturgy in Cairo, commemorated the head of one of the Ukrainian schismatic groups among the Primates of the autocephalous Churches and announced his recognition of the so-called “orthodox church of Ukraine” – a schismatic group that received the “tomos of autocephaly” from the hands of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
On the 8th of November, 2019, in Cairo, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, while serving a Liturgy, commemorated the head of the Ukrainian schismatic group at the Great Entrance
On November the 8th of 2019, in Cairo, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria recognized the so-called “orthodox church of Ukraine”
On November 30th of the same year, Patriarch Theodore, during a visit to Phanar, concelebrated with Patriarch Bartholomew, while the “hierarch” of this schismatic Ukrainian group also took part in the Liturgy among the concelebrating bishops.
On December 26, 2019, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church recognized the impossibility of commemorating the name of Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria in diptychs, as well as continuing prayerful and Eucharistic communion with him and with those bishops of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church who supported or will in the future support the legalization of the Ukrainian schism.
At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Church began to receive numerous requests for admission into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate from clergy of the Alexandrian Church who did not agree with the decision of Patriarch Theodore to recognize Ukrainian schismatics and did not want, for this reason, to remain under his omophorion. The Russian Orthodox Church refrained from a positive response to such petitions in the hope that Patriarch Theodore would change his decision, and the bishops of the Alexandrian Church would not support the legalization of the Ukrainian schism.
Unfortunately, this did not happen. On July 28, 2021, the Primate of the Alexandrian Church sent his official representative, Bishop Theodore of Babylon, to an event organized by schismatics in Kyiv, who passed on greetings from the Patriarch of Alexandria and on August 13, 2021, Patriarch Theodore visited the island of Imbros (Turkey) and there at a Liturgy, which was led by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, concelebrated with the head of the so-called orthodox church of Ukraine, and then, during a separate meeting with him, assured him of his strong support.
On the 13th of August, 2021, on the island of Imvros in Turkey, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria concelebrated a Divine Liturgy with the head of the schismatic group
Photo: Pravoslavie.ru
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the session of September 23-24, 2021 (Journal No. 61), expressed deep sorrow due to the fact that “Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria participated in concelebration with the head of a schismatic group operating in Ukraine, which further deepens the schism between our Churches.”
Considering the above and taking into account numerous appeals from the clergy of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ with requests to accept them under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Holy Synod instructed Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania to submit proposals for further action to the Holy Synod, after carefully studying the appeals received. In addition, the Synod decided that Archbishop Leonid should become the vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ with the title “of Klin” and freed him from his role as head of the Vladikavkaz diocese, while retaining for him the positions of deputy chairman of the Department of External Church Relations and head of the Patriarchal Deanery of parishes in the Republic of Armenia.
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The Holy Synod considered the proposals submitted by Archbishop Leonid of Yerevan and Armenia at the session of December 29, 2021 (Journal No. 100).
Archbishop Leonid studied numerous appeals by clerics of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and held a personal meeting with community leaders – priests from a number of African countries who wished to come under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarch. At least one hundred parishes of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, via their rectors, have declared the desire to join the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Holy Synod, having stated “the impossibility of further refusing the clergy of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, who submitted appropriate petitions, acceptance into the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate,” decided to “accept into the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church 102 clerics of the Alexandrian Patriarchate from eight African countries, as per submitted petitions.”
The Synod established the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, incorporating the North African and South African dioceses.
The head of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa was given the title “of Klin”. Archbishop Leonid of Yerevan was appointed Metropolitan of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa with the role of governing the North African diocese and temporarily managing the South African diocese and was dismissed from the position of DECR deputy chairman. The Synod kept Metropolitan Leonid as the temporary head of the Yerevan-Armenian diocese.
The following countries were included within the area of pastoral responsibility of the North African Diocese: the Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, State of Eritrea, Republic of Djibouti, Federal Republic of Somalia, Republic of the Seychelles, Central African Republic, Republic of Cameroon, Republic of Chad, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Niger, State of Libya, Republic of Tunisia, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Cape Verde, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Republic of Senegal, Republic of the Gambia, Republic of Mali, Burkina Faso, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Liberia, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Ghana, Togolese Republic, Republic of Benin.
The diocese also incorporated the stavropegial parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Tunisian Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco. The Synod decreed to have the title “of Cairo and North Africa” given to the diocesan bishop.
The following countries were included within the area of pastoral responsibility of the Diocese of South Africa: Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Lesotho, Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Botswana, Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Angola, Republic of Zambia, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Mauritius , Union of the Comoros, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Uganda, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabonese Republic, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.
The diocese also incorporated the stavropegial parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Republic of South Africa. The Synod decreed to have the title “of Johannesburg and South Africa” given to the diocesan bishop.
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On January 12, 2022, a communiqué of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria was published, dedicated to the establishment of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa by the Russian Orthodox Church.
The actions of the Russian Orthodox Church were called an “invasion” of canonical territory of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the decision to establish an exarchate was explained in a distorted form, including, as a supposed reason, “the fact of the recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” by Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria.
In this regard, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a special statement on January 28, 2022.
Speaking about the fact that the Russian Church allegedly opposed the recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church, the Synod noted: “such a statement is based on a deliberately false thesis, since the Ukrainian Orthodox Church both existed and still exists as an independent, self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
“The Ukrainian Church neither asked for nor received any sort of autocephaly,” the Synod stated, emphasizing that “so-called autocephaly was granted by the Patriarchate of Constantinople not to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest denomination in Ukraine, <…> but to a group of schismatics who fell away from her, and now continue to quarrel with her.”
“It was from these people, who did not have lawful ordination and the grace of priesthood, and from their supporters, that the Patriarchate of Constantinople, contrary to the canons, formed an “autocephalous church”. And it was with this schismatic, graceless organization that His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria entered into communion,” noted the special statement of the Synod.
There was a “distortion of Orthodox ecclesiology, as seen in the establishment of so-called Ukrainian autocephaly.”
“As you know, His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore’s recognition of this schismatic organization in Ukraine was not accepted by many, including within the Alexandrian Orthodox Church itself. Many of its clergy publicly spoke out in defense of the canonical Ukrainian Church, stating their disagreement with the clearly unlawful decision by their Primate and no longer wanted to be canonically subordinate to someone who took the path of schism.
For two years, the Russian Church did not respond to the appeals it received from African clergy, but patiently waited for His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore to change his decision. However, during this time, His Beatitude did not limit himself to commemorating the head of one of the Ukrainian schismatic groups in the diptychs among Orthodox Primates, but entered into Eucharistic communion with him and other “hierarchs” from this organization. These sorrowful events convinced the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of the need to respond to the requests it received, and to form, in these exceptional circumstances, the Patriarchal Exarchate in Africa,” stated the Holy Synod of the Russian Church.
This decision “is in no way an expression of a claim to the canonical territory of the ancient Church of Alexandria, but has the sole purpose of giving canonical protection to those Orthodox clergy in Africa who do not want to participate in the lawless legitimization of the schism in Ukraine.”
The Holy Synod called on “His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and the hierarchs of the Holy Church of Alexandria to renounce their support for the Ukrainian schism and return to the canonical path in order to preserve the unity of Holy Orthodoxy.”
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On July 27, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ spoke at the plenary session of the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg.
In his speech, His Holiness noted that despite geographical remoteness, the people of Russia and African countries have long-standing good relations.
“Russia has never viewed the African continent as a space for profit or as an object for colonization, and has never spoken to the people of Africa in an arrogant tone, from a position of superiority and strength. In difficult historical moments, we have always tried to show solidarity and provide mutual assistance to each other,” said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill spoke about the historical presence of the Russian Church in Africa:
“The presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa is not some unprecedented innovation. Russian parishes began to appear on the continent in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
For example, in 1889 and 1896 Russian churches were built in Abyssinia. A permanent parish of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in 1914 in Egypt. After the revolution in Russia, due to the start of a wave of refugees from our country, more and more parishes began to appear in Africa: in 1920 a church was consecrated in Tunisia, in 1922 a parish was established in Algeria; in 1927, Russian Orthodox parishes were opened in Morocco. In 1998, I had the opportunity to consecrate the first Russian church in the Republic of South Africa.
In the position of Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and then as Patriarch, from 1971 to 2016, I visited 18 countries on the African continent: in the north, in the south, in the east, in the west and in the very center. I consider meeting Mr. Nelson Mandela at his home in Soweto in November 1990 as especially important. <…>
It’s deeply regrettable that in 2019, the Primate of the Alexandrian Church, Patriarch Theodore, under external pressure of course, decided to recognize that schismatic group in Ukraine. These unfortunate circumstances, I repeat, were what prompted the Russian Orthodox Church to create the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa in December 2021. The Patriarch of Alexandria, following directions from certain Western forces, decided to create a new schism in Orthodoxy, and we had to respond to this act. So, we decided to establish an Exarchate on the African continent. Among our flock are not only Russians who live in Africa, but also local residents who profess Orthodoxy and today are members of our Church.
Over the past year and a half, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa has opened more than 200 parishes in 25 African countries. In addition to the development of liturgical life, it was possible to begin the implementation of many humanitarian and educational projects, in particular, the translation of books into local languages and much more. The establishment and active works of the Exarchate aroused great interest in the Russian Orthodox Church among Africans.”
“For many, it is valuable that we are a Church that carefully preserves apostolic succession in teaching, sacraments and spiritual experience, a Church that does not distort God-ordained moral standards to suit fashionable ideological trends,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill especially noted.
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On October 11, 2023, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church made a judgment on the state of affairs in the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa (Journal No. 93).
The Holy Synod decided, due to a request sent from His Grace Metropolitan Leonid of Klin to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, outlining reasons preventing him from further fulfilling his duties as Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, to discharge Metropolitan Leonid, with gratitude for his labours, from his position, while still keeping him tasked with temporarily governing the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese.
His Grace, Bishop Constantine of Zaraisk was appointed acting Patriarchal Exarch of Africa.
On the 16th of February 2024, the Synod of the Alexandrian Patriarchate made a decision “defrocking” the acting Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at the session on the 12th of March decreed to consider this decision “illegal and invalid”, and also confirmed Bishop Konstantin as Patriarchal Exarch of Africa (Journal No. 30).
On March 24, 2024, during the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill elevated Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk to the rank of Metropolitan.
