102 African Orthodox clergy enter Moscow Patriarchate
December 30, 2021
» Continue to this story on Orthodox Times
CWN Editor's Note: Over 100 clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria (CNEWA profile), who minister in eight African nations, have left their Patriarchate for the Moscow Patriarchate. Both patriarchates are among the 15 autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches.
The Moscow Patriarchate has created the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, along with the Diocese of North Africa and the Diocese of South Africa, as Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical structures in Africa.
The Orthodox Times previously reported that the Moscow Patriarchate was seeking to impose “consequences” on the Patriarchate of Alexandria for supporting the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in the controversy over the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Until recently, Ukraine’s Orthodox faithful were divided into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, with only the first canonically recognized by other Orthodox churches. In December 2018, the latter two bodies united to form the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, granted canonical recognition to the OCU in 2019—a decision condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
