The Russian Bishops' Council to express concern about actions of Constantinople and Romanian Patriarchates within its canonic territory

27 June 2008, 23:42

Moscow, June 27, Interfax - The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church reminded the Constantinople Patriarchate that it was inadmissible to deviate from the unshakable foundations of inter-church relations, as disregarding of canons leaded to "dangerous consequences for the Orthodox unity."

"The Council deems inadmissible for hierarchs and clerics to transfer from one local church to another without the relevant release document and insists on the strict compliance with the Orthodox canonic traditions which violent interpretation is subject to criticism," reads the statement of the Bishops' Council held these days in Moscow.

The above is the participants' comment of the Constantinople Patriarchate's decision to accede under its jurisdiction the former temporary administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate's Diocese of Sourozh Bishop Basil (Osborne) in 2006. The Holy Synod of the Russian Church referred to this decision as invalid and non-compliant with the church canons.

The Council denied any attempts made by Constantinople to feign the pan-Orthodox recognition of its church structure in Estonia as the autonomous local church with no regard to opinions and interests of absolute majority of Orthodox believers in Estonia.

The document expresses concern regarding the Romanian Orthodox Church which has established new dioceses within Moldavia and adjacent Ukrainian territories as part of "Bessarabian Metropolia". The Council understands it as "a new threat to the church integrity and social consensus."

The Bishops' Council stated the inviolability of canonic borders of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church. In April 2008, the Holy Synod of the Russian Church has denounced the decision of the Constantinople Patriarchate to include China in its Hong-Cong Metropolia.

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