Moscow, February 27, 2019
A parish community in Singapore. Photo: mospat.ru
Four dioceses were created for the Patriarchal Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Southeast Asia at today’s meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, reports the Synodal Department for Relations with Society and the Media.
The Exarchate itself was established by the Holy Synod on December 28, with the sphere of pastoral responsibility including: Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. Metropolitan Sergei of Solnechnogorsk was appointed head of Exarchate with the title of Archbishop of Singapore and Southeast Asia.
At today’s meeting, the bishops resolved to establish the Dioceses of Singapore, Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines-Vietnam. Met. Sergei was appointed as the ruling bishop of the Singapore Diocese and was entrusted with the temporary management of the other three dioceses.
According to the site of the ROCOR Philipppine Mission, the Diocese of Singapore covers Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia; the Diocese of Korea covers North and South Korea; the Diocese of Thailand covers Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar; and the Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam covers just the Philippines and Vietnam.
The Synod also approved the internal regulations of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Southeast Asia, which can be read at the Philippine Mission site.
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