Istanbul, January 23, 2024
Photo: mospaturk.ru
The Moscow Patriarchate has launched an official website for its parish communities that function on the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey.
The Russian Church began forming communities in Turkey after the Patriarchate of Constantinople entered into communion with the Ukrainian schismatics in October 2018 and created the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” later that year.
Recall that the Russian Holy Synod responded by severing communion with Constantinople a few days later in October 2018.
Interestingly, while the Synod broke communion with Constantinople but has never characterized the Patriarchate itself as schismatic, the page for the parish community in Antalya, states: “The history of the emergence of the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Antalya is connected with the schism of the Patriarchate of Constantinople” (emphasis added).
The new site provides addresses, service schedules, and more for 14 Russian communities, the majority of which are served by Fr. Georgy Sergeev, who arrived in Turkey on November 14, 2018, “to minister to believers throughout the entire Turkish Republic.”
The site is currently available in Russian. Turkish and English versions are under development.
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