kremlin.ru
In late 2019, Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria entered into communion with the schismatics of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” by commemorating “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko in the Divine services.
His decision caught the Russian Church unawares, given his previous strong support for the canonical Ukrainian Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
His commemoration of Dumenko set off a chain reaction that eventually culminated, two years later, in the Russian Holy Synod’s decision to create an Exarchate in Africa, beginning with the reception of 102 African priests who petitioned to be received into the Russian Church in protest of the Patriarch’s recognition of the schismatics.
The Russian Synod’s decision has, unsurprisingly, proved controversial both within the Russian Church and other Local Churches.
OrthoChristian presents here a brief timeline of the major events of the Moscow-Alexandria conflict and a more detailed timeline, including various statements and smaller events.
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A Brief Timeline of the Moscow-Alexandria Schism
1985-1990?:
Patriarch Theodoros, then a priest, served as the Alexandrian Patriarchal Exarch to the Russian Orthodox Church, based in Odessa, Ukraine. During his time there, he studied art history, literature, and philosophy at Odessa University and established the Institution of Hellenic Culture and the Philiki Eteria Museum where 600 children were taught a thorough knowledge of Greek.
Schisms began to form in the Ukrainian Church already during his time there.
Since then, he has often spoken about how much he loves the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and Churches. He has also spoken about how he experienced the violent nature of the Ukrainian schismatics firsthand, and about how he was forced to physically defend his church from them.
*According to biographical information online, Pat. Theodoros was in Odessa for five years. However, he repeatedly states in interviews that he was in Odessa for ten years. Thus, the exact years of his stay in Ukraine are not quite clear.
2016
12/1: Commenting on the efforts to create an independent Ukrainian church, Pat. Theodoros says that for the Alexandrian Patriarchate, Ukraine is an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
2018
9/28-30: Pat. Theodoros visits Ukraine to show his support for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He promises to speak to all Local Churches about the truth of the situation in Ukraine.
12/15: The “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” is created at the so-called “unification council” in Kiev.
2019
9/12: Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mozambique, a hierarch of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, serves together with a Ukrainian schismatic “hierarch” in Greece, although his Church hasn’t entered into communion with the schismatics.
The Patriarchate never makes any public statements about this concelebration, and Met. Chrysostomos is never rebuked.
11/8: Pat. Theodoros radically changes his position on the Ukrainian schismatics and commemorates “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko in the Divine Liturgy for the first time, meaning he recognizes him as the primate of a true Local Church.
His decision was made unilaterally, without any relevant decision from the Holy Synod of Alexandria.
In a press release issued that same day, Pat. Theodoros notes that the Orthodox Church “functions through a conciliar system.” In a letter to his bishops, he states that he commemorated Dumenko after discussions with them
and a time of prayer.
11/10: For the first time ever, Pat. Theodoros isn’t commemorated at the Sunday Liturgy at the Alexandrian representation church in Moscow. His representative, Met. Athansios of Cyrene, doesn’t serve and isn’t commemorated either.
11/30: Pat. Theodoros serves with schismatic hierarchs for the first time in Constantinople on the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called.
12/17: Twenty-seven priests from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia issue an open letter in protest of the Patriarch’s recognition of the schismatics.
They note that, “such a decision was made without asking the opinion of the African clergy, although it is the Africans who make up the majority of clergy and parishioners of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.”
12/26: The Russian Synod confirms that Pat. Kirill can no longer commemorate Pat. Theodoros due to the latter entering into communion with schismatics, but resolves to “maintain Church communion with the hierarchs of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, except for those who have supported or will support the legalization of the Ukrainian schism in the future.”
The Synod also resolves to suspend the activity of the Alexandrian representation church in Moscow, to likewise convert the Russian representation church in Cairo into a parish of the Russian Church, and to withdraw the Russian churches in Africa from the jurisdiction of the Alexandrian Patriarchate.
11/6: Archbishop Leonid, then of Vladikavkaz and later the Russian Exarch in Africa, states in an interview that the Russian Church has received more than 100 appeals from African clergy asking to be received into its jurisdiction. The Russian Church is not looking to encroach upon Alexandria’s territory, and it has warned Alexandria of trouble brewing in its clerical ranks, he says.
2021
8/13: Pat. Theodoros serves with Pat. Bartholomew and the schismatic Dumenko in Turkey. This is the first time he serves with the primate of the schismatic church, and it is seen as a point of no return in Russian-Alexandrian relations.
November: Abp. Leonid visits Africa and meets with a number of priests who desire to join the Russian Church. It’s later revealed that the clergy were asked to sign oaths declaring that they are switching to the Russian Church voluntarily, “not in pursuit of personal financial benefit, but for the sole purpose of saving my soul from spiritual danger of associating with the schism in Ukraine.” The oath also states, “I pledge to remain faithful to the Patriarch of Moscow and to a bishop appointed by him to my dying day, being in obedience, as is required by the canons of the Orthodox Church.”
12/29: The Russian Synod resolves to receive 102 African priests and to create an Exarchate consisting of two dioceses covering the whole of the African continent, including Egypt. Abp. Leonid, who visited African the month before, is named Patriarchal Exarch in Africa.
2022
1/10-12: The Alexandrian Holy Synod responds to the creation of the Russian Exarchate, saying such a move from the Russian Church was “unexpected.” It also characterizes the Russian Synod’s actions as “direct retaliation,” “blackmail,” and “revenge,” and states that the Russian Church is distorting ecclesiology and evangelical love under the influence of ethnophyletism and “neo-colonialsm.”
The borders of every Local Church are clear, and the Alexandrian Patriarchate has never encroached upon the territory of another Church, the Synod states.
The Patriarchate will inform Pat. Bartholomew and the other primates about the situation in Africa.
spzh.news
A Detailed Timeline of the Moscow-Alexandria Schism
1985-1990?:
Patriarch Theodoros, then a priest, served as the Alexandrian Patriarchal Exarch to the Russian Orthodox Church, based in Odessa, Ukraine. During his time there, he studied art history, literature, and philosophy at Odessa University and established the Institution of Hellenic Culture and the Philiki Eteria Museum where 600 children were taught a thorough knowledge of Greek.
Schisms began to form in the Ukrainian Church already during his time there.
Since then, he has often spoken about how much he loves the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and Churches. He has also spoken about how he experienced the violent nature of the Ukrainian schismatics firsthand, and about how he was forced to physically defend his church from them.
*According to biographical information online, Pat. Theodoros was in Odessa for five years. However, he repeatedly states in interviews that he was in Odessa for ten years. Thus, the exact years of his stay in Ukraine are not quite clear.
2011
3/1: Meeting with a group of students, Met. Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the Chairman of the Russian Church’s Department for External Church Relations, emphasizes respect for the canonical limits of Local Churches as an important principle of inter-Orthodox relations.
He states: “The whole of Africa is the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Therefore, we can help the Patriarch of Alexandria in his missionary work, but we don’t plant our structures there, although many of our compatriots live in the region.”
2012
1/21: Pat. Kirill gives Pat. Theodoros the Patriarch Alexei II Award “For Outstanding Work to Strengthen the Unity of Orthodox Peoples” at the 12th annual award ceremony of the International Public Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples in Moscow.
2013
July: Pat. Theodoros visits Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus for the celebration of the 1,025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’.
In an interview, he says: “When I was studying theology at the University of Thessaloniki, I read a book about the Russian St. Seraphim of Sarov. And for seven years in a row, I prayed to St. Seraphim every evening that I would get to know the Russian land. And since then, I’ve always said that my heart now and forever belongs to Russia. God finally heard me, and I lived in Odessa for ten years…
I’m glad that among the ancient Patriarchates, ours is perhaps the only one that Russia has always had very close and friendly relations with.”
2015
8/28: Meeting with Pat. Kirill in Moscow, Pat. Theodoros tells the Russian primate:
I know the Ukrainian people and Ukraine well, because I have been to different cities many times, including those where the war is now going on. I ate the same bread that these people eat, stayed in their modest homes. I was in monasteries, talked with their inhabitants, sang with them. Believe me, Your Holiness, my heart is full of pain. I know the true Ukrainian people: they steadfastly adhere to Orthodoxy and remain faithful to their Mother, the Russian Church…
I would like to assure you that the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Church of Alexandria follows the ancient established order: We always support the canonical Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. And if in the future you need our help, you will definitely receive it, because in our Church we adhere to the canonical order. We must respect and keep this order if we want the Lord to shed His love upon us. Politicians come and go, but Orthodoxy and our faith remain. We are writing history.
2016
12/1: Commenting on the efforts to create an independent Ukrainian church, Pat. Theodoros says that for the Alexandrian Patriarchate, Ukraine is an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He emphasizes that: “There is no place for politics in Church matters.”
He also recalls when he had to defend the Alexandrian church in Odessa from schismatics: “Then, when the schismatics attempted to forcibly enter, without invitation, into the Holy Trinity church which was then a representation of the Alexandrian Church in Odessa, I stood in the doorway and said: ‘It’s not going to happen.’”
2017
5/23: Pat. Theodoros writes to Pat. Kirill, expressing his support for the canonical Ukrainian Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry against the Ukrainian Parliament’s attempts to legalize church seizures and give the government a say in episcopal appointments.
“The state cannot adopt laws about the Church on its own without the participation of the Church itself, especially in a country that claims to respect European values,” the Patriarch writes. In his opinion, Ukrainian leadership needs to “take a neutral position and not be controlled by irresponsible nationalist circles.”
2018
6/29: Pat. Theodoros concelebrates with Met. Luke of Zaporozhye of the Ukrainian Church in Veria, Greece, and the two hierarchs speak about the movement to create an autocephalous Ukrainian church.
Pat. Theodoros emphasizes that the Ukrainian issue must be resolved conciliarly, since only general support can contribute to its solution.
He also insists that Philaret Denisenko, former canonical Metropolitan of Kiev, then the defrocked and anathematized ideological leader of the Ukrainian schismatic movement, must return to the canonical Ukrainian Church: “Let us pray to God, Who does all for our good, that He would instruct us all for a solution to these problems. If the schismatic Denisenko wants to return to the bosom of the Church, then he must turn to where he left from. That which has fallen away must return to where it fell from. God is merciful to those who repent, and the Church forgives and receives in its motherly embrace all who repent.”
7/28: Met. Dimitrios of Irinoupolis represents Pat. Theodoros at the Baptism of Rus’ celebrations in Kiev, expressing support for the canonical Ukrainian Church and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
7/30: Pat. Theodoros celebrates the 1,030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ in Moscow with Pat. Kirill and representatives from a number of other Local Churches.
During his time there, he comments to RIA-Novosti that the Church must be governed by the sacred canons. “In this sense, the Patriarchate of Alexandria agrees with the view of the Russian Church that political pressure should not be allowed. When States are divided, and then the Church—this is wrong.”
9/19-9/23: Pat. Theodoros visits the Church of Poland. He and Met. Sawa of Poland issue a joint statement about the Ukrainian crisis (as Constantinople has already begun by this time to prepare for its so-called “unification council”), calling upon all involved parties to do everything possible to restore peace and Church order.
9/28: Pat. Theodoros then visits Ukraine in a show of solidarity with the canonical Ukrainian Church under Met. Onuphry. While serving in Odessa, where he had served for many years, he encourages the faithful to remain loyal to the canonical Church, saying: “Remain in the Orthodox faith, in the canonical Church… In these difficult days in Ukraine there is a canonical Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry—a blessed man of God and a true monk… We will be together with those who want the unity of Orthodoxy in Ukraine because my love is always with you.”
9/29: Continuing his visit to Odessa, Pat. Theodoros promises to speak to all Local Churches for the protection of the canonical Church: “I will do my best to inform everyone about the situation in Ukraine—all the primates of the local Churches, so that the canonical Church remains the only canonical Orthodox Church, and that the Lord would always grant it His blessings.”
The Alexandrian primate also adds that “it will be a great sin at the Second Judgment if even one drop of blood is spilled.”
9/30: Pat. Theodoros concelebrates the consecration of the rebuilt Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Bolgrad together with Met. Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. “Here I lived and shed tears for this country,” the Patriarch says. “I have come here to say that I am always with you.”
Reiterating his statement from 2016, he emphasizes that there is no room for politics in the Church: “I will also tell all the Patriarchs that the Church does not bow to politicians. The Church has the Apostolic rules… The canonical Church is guided by the canons. It lives by and will live by the canons.”
10/15: A priest in Egypt reveals in an interview that, “There is an initiative from Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria to intervene and put an end to the conflict and to keep the Ukrainian Church in the bosom of the Moscow Patriarchate.”
11/26: Greek outlets report that it’s expected that the Alexandrian Synod will discuss the Ukrainian issue and possibly adopt a statement about it. However, no statement ever comes from the Alexandrian Synod.
12/15: The “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” is created at the so-called “unification council” in Kiev.
12/24: Pat. Bartholomew writes to the primates of the Local Churches, calling on them to recognize the newly-created OCU and Epiphany Dumenko as its primate. No primates, including Pat. Theodoros, respond positively to this call.
2019
4/18: Pat. Theodoros meets in Cyprus with the primates of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Cyprus to discuss the Ukrainian issue. They issue a statement calling on all involved to work towards full Eucharistic unity in the Church. The four primates affirm their intention to continue working for the good of the Church.
6/14: Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe becomes perhaps the first Alexandrian hierarch besides Pat. Theodoros to publicly address the Ukrainian crisis, with an article entitled, “The Issue of Ukraine and the Conciliar Institution.” He states that Constantinople should have reached an understanding with Moscow before acting.
He writes that history will consider the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Russia responsible for threatening Church unity, but “especially the Protos [Patriarch of Constantinople—O.C.] and his holy brothers the primates who failed to persuade the first among them that there should be a prior understanding between the Phanar and Moscow on the issue of Ukraine.”
He calls for a return to the conciliar functioning of the Church, such as occurred in Geneva in 2016, with the participation of all Local Churches.
6/15: In an interview with Romfea, Pat. Theodoros says that while he believes Constantinople has the right to grant autocephaly, it was given to the wrong people: “These people who received autocephaly are what divides the Church.”
“The ties between the Alexandrian Patriarchate and the Russian Church are great and it is impossible to break them,” he says.
He reveals that at the meeting with the other primates in April, they implored Abp. Chrysostomos of Cyprus to meet with Pat. Bartholomew to ask him to meet with Pat. Kirill to seek a solution to the ongoing crisis. Then all the primates of the Local Churches could meet to approve the solution reached by Patriarchs Kirill and Bartholomew, Pat. Theodoros says. No such meeting between the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Moscow ever materializes.
6/25: Metropolitan Meletios of Carthage of the Alexandrian Patriarchate travels to Ukraine to celebrate Met. Onuphry’s name’s day.
“Our presence here means nothing more than support for your canonical Church, which will be manifested by our unity at the Eucharistic Chalice during the Divine Liturgy,” he says.
9/12: Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mozambique, a hierarch of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, serves together with a Ukrainian schismatic “hierarch” in Greece, although his Church hasn’t entered into communion with the schismatics.
The Patriarchate never makes any public statements about this concelebration, and Met. Chrysostomos is never rebuked.
9/16: The OCU declares on its official site that the concelebration in Greece “confirmed the Eucharistic unity and, consequently, the de facto recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine by another Local Church—the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.”
9/17: Met. Hilarion, head of the Russian Church’s Department for External Church Relations, writes to Met. Chrysostomos of Mozambique, expressing great disappointment that he concelebrated with a schismatic, emphasizing that such actions only confuse the faithful and do nothing to facilitate a solution to the schism.
Several hierarchs of the Alexandrian Patriarchate respond harshly to Met. Hilarion, calling him “totally incompetent to intervene in this style,” and rebuking him for the “magnitude of his audacity.”
10/3: In an interview with Romfea, Met. Seraphim of Zimbabwe warns of what could happen if the Local Orthodox Churches don’t come together in dialogue to solve the issue, which threatens “the greatest schism that the Orthodox Church will know in the course of her history.”
He also warns that the Russian Church might send clergy into the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and of any Church that eventually recognizes the schismatics.
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11/8: Pat. Theodoros radically changes his position on the Ukrainian schismatics and commemorates “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko in the Divine Liturgy for the first time, meaning he recognizes him as the primate of a true Local Church.
His decision was made unilaterally, without any relevant decision from the Holy Synod of Alexandria.
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In a press release issued that same day, Pat. Theodoros notes that the Orthodox Church “functions through a conciliar system.” In a letter to his bishops, he states that he commemorated Dumenko after discussions with them and a time of prayer.
11/9: The day after he first commemorated Dumenko, Pat. Theodoros arrives to Cyprus for a previously scheduled visit. Cypriot hierarchs specifically ask him not to commemorate Dumenko in their churches, in their dioceses.
11/10: For the first time ever, Pat. Theodoros isn’t commemorated at the Sunday Liturgy at the Alexandrian representation church in Moscow. His representative, Met. Athansios of Cyrene, doesn’t serve and isn’t commemorated either.
11/11: Pat. Theodoros tells Romfea that his sudden decision to commemorate Dumenko won’t lead to any divisions in the Church, but in fact to a solution to the ongoing Ukrainian crisis.
He also expresses the conviction that Pat. Krill won’t stop commemorating him at the Divine services, even though he had already stopped commemorating Pat. Bartholomew and Abp. Ieronymos of Athens.
11/12: Pat. Theodoros ignores the request of the Cypriot hierarchs, of Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol in particular, and commemorates the schismatic Dumenko in a church in the Limassol Diocese.
A few days later, Met. Athanasios reveals that Pat. Theodoros had, in fact, promised him that he wouldn’t commemorate Dumenko, but then broke his promise.
11/19: Pat. Theodoros explains in an interview that he began to commemorate Dumenko “out of respect for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its history.”
11/21: After his election and enthronement as primate in January, Dumenko sent irenic letters to all the primates of the Local Churches. Nearly a year later, Pat. Theodoros responds to this letter, thereby cementing his recognition of the schismatics.
Demonstrating his complete change of position, he writes of Dumenko’s “sacrificial heart” and that his ministry will “contribute as much as possible to the unity of the fullness of the Church of Ukraine and fraternal relations in Christ of all Christians living in your Church sphere.”
11/30: Pat. Theodoros serves with schismatic hierarchs for the first time in Constantinople on the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called.
12/17: Twenty-seven priests from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia issue an open letter in protest of the Patriarch’s recognition of the schismatics.
They note that, “such a decision was made without asking the opinion of the African clergy, although it is the Africans who make up the majority of clergy and parishioners of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.”
12/26: It’s reported that the priests who signed the open letter are facing threats from their Alexandrian hierarchs. They are demanded to sign a statement in support of the schismatics, and when they refuse, they are suspended and threatened with defrocking.
Among the given hierarchs is Met. Dimitrios of Irinoupolis, who just the year prior had celebrated the Baptism of Rus’ with the canonical Ukrainian Church, declaring how he felt at home with them.
12/26: The Russian Synod confirms that Pat. Kirill can no longer commemorate Pat. Theodoros due to the latter entering into communion with schismatics.
However, given that the decision to recognize the schismatics was unilateral, not Synodal, the Russian Synod also resolves “To maintain Church communion with the hierarchs of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, except for those who have supported or will support the legalization of the Ukrainian schism in the future.”
Thus, Communion was not broken with the entire Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The Synod also resolves to suspend the activity of the Alexandrian representation church in Moscow, to likewise convert the Russian representation church in Cairo into a parish of the Russian Church, and to withdraw the Russian churches in Africa from the jurisdiction of the Alexandrian Patriarchate.
2020
3/11: Met. Seraphim of Zimbabwe publishes a text reemphasizing “that those who do not have canonical ordination simply do not have the grace of the Holy Spirit and therefore they lead us to schisms and heresies.”
He also writes that the Ukrainian issue has led to the Eucharist being abused “as worldly blackmail for matters of ecclesiastical jurisdiction.”
The Church must return to the conciliar process developed over the past century, he states.
11/6: Archbishop Leonid, then of Vladikavkaz and later the Russian Exarch in Africa, states in an interview that the Russian Church has received more than 100 appeals from African clergy asking to be received into its jurisdiction. He explains that the Russian Church adheres to the “rules of relations that were established between the Churches” and isn’t looking to expand into any other Church’s territory. Thus, they try to restrain the African clergy in their desire to join the Russian Church, and they inform the Alexandrian Patriarchate that it has trouble brewing in its clerical ranks.
He also reveals that Pat. Theodoros had promised the Russian Church in the fall of 2019 that he wouldn’t recognize the schismatics. A month later, he broke that promise, under pressure from the Greek Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department, the Archbishop says.
2021
8/13: Pat. Theodoros serves with Pat. Bartholomew and the schismatic Dumenko in Turkey. This is the first time he serves with the primate of the schismatic church, and it is seen as a point of no return in Russian-Alexandrian relations.
9/23-24: Following Pat. Theodoros’ concelebration with Dumenko, the Russian Synod decides to consider the appeals coming from African clergy. It instructs Abp. Leonid to thoroughly study them and submit a proposal to the Holy Synod.
“The Russian Orthodox Church refrained from responding positively to such petitions in the hope that Pat. Theodoros would change his decision, and the bishops of the Church of Alexandria would not support the legalization of the Ukrainian schism. Unfortunately, this did not happen,” the Synodal report reads.
November: Abp. Leonid visits Africa and meets with a number of priests who desire to join the Russian Church. It’s later revealed that the clergy were asked to sign oaths declaring that they are switching to the Russian Church voluntarily, “not in pursuit of personal financial benefit, but for the sole purpose of saving my soul from spiritual danger of associating with the schism in Ukraine.” The oath also states, “I pledge to remain faithful to the Patriarch of Moscow and to a bishop appointed by him to my dying day, being in obedience, as is required by the canons of the Orthodox Church.”
12/21: Vladimir Legoida, head of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, explains in an interview that while the Russian Church has fully broken communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the same can’t be said of the Churches of Alexandria, Greece, and Cyprus, where the primates chose to enter into communion with the schismatics without the backing of their Synods.
“That is why Eucharistic communion has been preserved with some bishops and clerics of these Churches,” Legoida explained.
12/29: The Russian Synod resolves to receive 102 African priests and to create an Exarchate consisting of two dioceses covering the whole of the African continent, including Egypt. Abp. Leonid, who visited African the month before, is named Patriarchal Exarch in Africa.
12/30: The Patriarchate of Alexandria issues a brief statement expressing its sorrow over the Russian Synod’s decision and announcing that it will respond more fully at its Synodal session in January.
The Patriarchate will continue in its pastoral duties, “which fall under the spiritual legacies of the great Greek Fathers of the Church, who, according to the modern Russian theologian the late Fr. George Florovsky, left an indelible mark on Orthodox Theology and the Church,” the statement reads.
12/30: Abp. Leonid states on a radio interview that 102 African priests have already been received into the Russian Church, though many more are expected. The Russian Church will not step back from its Exarchate, even if Pat. Theodoros repents, he says, but rather, it will only move ahead.
He also states that the whole Ukrainian crisis was planned by politicians who know nothing about Orthodoxy, and that Pat. Theodoros acted under pressure from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In an interview with RIA-Novosti, he states that the “question of the reaction of the leadership of the Alexandrian Church no longer exists for us.” He also reveals that he is planning another trip to Africa.
2022
1/2: Met. Hilarion of Volokolamsk explains in an interview that that while the Russian Synod previously emphasized the non-conciliar character of Pat. Theodoros’ decision, it now considers that all Alexandrian hierarchs are in agreement with it, given that they haven’t publicly protested or addressed the matter Synodally.
He notes that after Abp. Leonid’s visit to Africa, the Russian Church received several rude letters from Alexandrian hierarchs, declaring that, “Our priests don’t even know where Ukraine is.”
He also states that, “We cannot deny pastoral care to the Orthodox believers of Turkey in conditions when the Patriarch of Constantinople took the side of the schism,” which pro-Constantinople media takes as a declaration of the intention to create a Turkish Exarchate.
The conciliar mind of the Church can heal the schism, he says, “But we have to look at things realistically: In conditions when the conciliar mechanisms at the inter-Orthodox level are destroyed, this is difficult to expect.”
Speaking on the Church and the World program, he states that the Russian Church patiently waited for two years for some positive development in the Alexandrian Patriarchate, but that Pat. Theodoros proved by concelebrating with Dumenko that he has no intention of changing his position.
He also states that from the Russian Synod’s point of view, the creation of the Exarchate constitutes neither an invasion of Alexandrian territory nor an attempt to weaken the Alexandrian Patriarchate, but an opportunity for Orthodox believers to receive the Sacraments from canonical priests.
1/3: African hierarchs begin circulating letters, calling on priests to reconsider their decision to join the Russian Church.
The letter from the Diocese of Gulu and Eastern Uganda reads: “I retain my promise to continue serving as a dedicated, humble, obedient, honest, disciplined, and happy priest of our Metropolis/Diocese of _____ under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.”
The letter from Bp. Marcos of Kisumu states that those who switch to the Russian Church place their priesthood in jeopardy.
1/6-14: Responding to the creation of the Russian Church’s African Exarchate, hierarchs from various Local Churches reemphasize the danger of Churches acting unilaterally and the great need for a pan-Orthodox Council.
The Synod of Constantinople also issues a brief statement in support of Alexandria against the decision of the Russian Synod.
1/10-12: The Alexandrian Holy Synod responds to the creation of the Russian Exarchate, saying such a move from the Russian Church was “unexpected.” It also characterizes the Russian Synod’s actions as “direct retaliation,” “blackmail,” and “revenge,” and states that the Russian Church is distorting ecclesiology and evangelical love under the influence of ethnophyletism and “neo-colonialsm.”
The borders of every Local Church are clear, and the Alexandrian Patriarchate has never encroached upon the territory of another Church, the Synod states.
The Patriarchate will inform Pat. Bartholomew and the other primates about the situation in Africa.
1/12: Fr. George Maximov, a Moscow priest who has traveled to Africa and is personally acquainted with several of the priests who have joined the Russian Exarchate, offers a report in Moscow entitled, “Orthodoxy in Africa: Problems and Perspectives,” in which he explains that there were already Russian Churches in Africa before the Patriarchate of Alexandria expanded its territory to all of Africa in 1930.
He also notes that many African priests are ready to switch to the Russian Church because of “the extremely unhealthy, inadequate, and erroneous arrangement of Church life, which took shape under the Greeks in the last 10-20 years.”
The Patriarchate of Alexandria is dominated by Hellenism, Fr. George says, which results in the African priests being neglected and/or mistreated.
1/12: In response to the recent statement from the Synod of Constantinople, Met. Leonid states that the Russian Church did not violate canonical order, but is rather restoring canonical order in Africa.
1/12: In another interview with RIA-Novosti, Met. Hilarion states that once canonical order is restored in Ukraine, then we can start talking about restoring canonical order elsewhere.
1/12: It’s reported that an Alexandrian delegation will head to Constantinople with a request that Pat. Bartholomew convene a meeting of the primates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Cyprus—the “ancient Churches”—to deal with the recent actions of the Russian Church. OrthoChristian confirmed this report with its own sources. Some outlets describe this as an attempt to revive the Pentarchy.
The same report claims the Russian Church is offering the African clergy nearly four times the salary they receive as Alexandrian priests.
1/14: Pat. Theodoros issues an encyclical to the priests and faithful of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, in which he characterizes the Russian Synod as “false prophets” and “savage wolves” who sow confusion in Africa with “dirty money.”
He says that throughout history, problems in the Church were always resolved by Constantinople together with Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The boundaries of these Local Churches are clearly laid out by the Ecumenical Councils, he argues.
Pat. Theodoros states that the Russian Church violently “enslaved” the Metropolis of Kiev, which, he claims, has “always belonged to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.” But “our Ukrainian brothers” asked Constantinople for autocephaly, which it granted in 2019, the Alexandrian primate writes. (This is in line with Constantinople’s claim–just before granting a tomos of autocephaly to the schismatic Ukrainian bishops–that it never really released the Kievan Metropolia, even though it was in fact transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate in 1686.[1])
He calls on the clergy and faithful to remain loyal to the Alexandrian Patriarchate.
1/15: Bp. Neofitos of Nyeri and Mt. Kenya quotes Pat. Theodoros as saying that by recognizing the Ukrainian schismatics, “I thought I was helping to foster peace, unity and reconciliation. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the opposite.
