Moscow, Russia - Kommersant learned that a group of Russian Foreign Church clerics in New York, who earlier spoke sharply against uniting with the Russian Orthodox Church, have now formed a new church organization named the Temporary Supreme Church Administration. So, the formation of an alternative Foreign Church has started. It might unite up to one third of all clerics who earlier were part of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA). Moscow Patriarchate urged the new dissenters to “think twice, before it’s too late”.
Around 40 clerics of the Foreign Church, discontent with the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) and the Russian Orthodox Church, gathered in St. Tikhon Cathedral in New York and formed a new church organization, the Temporary Supreme Church Administration. The dissenters believe that uniting the two parts of the Orthodox Church, which took place in May 2007, happened too early.
The opposition group is headed by Agafangel, the Bishop of Odessa and the Crimea. The new organization plans to summon in 2008 the Fifth All-Abroad Convocation, where a new pontifical synod will be formed and a new head of the Foreign Church will be chosen. Nearly one third of the clerics, who were part of the ROCA, will join the new organization.
The new church administration urged other churches which separated from the ROCA to begin uniting. So, the formation of an alternative Foreign Church has begun. Meanwhile, the official authorities of the Foreign Church say that the dissenter group’s actions are illegal.