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Orthodox Churches in America

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) is only part (although a very important one) of the Orthodox churches that keep aloof of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and reject rapprochement, such as the autocephalous Orthodox Church in America and the Constantinople Patriarchy. While the ROCOR is present in many parts of the world, the core of its population is in North America. There exists within North America the "Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church." These parishes, perhaps 50 in number, are within the canonical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, although there is no diocesan structure in North America. ROCOR has more parishes than the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, but not as many as the over 600 parishes and communities of the Orthodox Church in America. Many ROCOR parishes also use English in liturgical worship, especially those parishes with a considerable number of converts; some parishes employ English exclusively in worship.

Orthodox Church in America

The basis of this Church was formed by the Valamo monks-missionaries who arrived at the Kadiak island in 1794 by order of the Holy Synod of the Russian Church. One of monks - Juvenaly had the martyr death in 1795. The other - starets Herman (+1837) successfully continued missionary making in America for more than forty years.

In 1840 the diocese of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian was founded where the apostle of America St.Innokenty (Veniamin) (1879) worked. At the end of XIX century and in the beginning of the XX century orthodox flock in America was ruled by archbishop Tikhon (subsequently the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia)(+1925). Under him the temple in the name of St. Nikola, consecrated in 1905 was constructed in New York.

When communications with the jailed Patriarch ended in 1924, administrative independence was declared after Metropolitan Platon separated from the Russian bishops who were abroad, but in 1935, Metropolitan Theophilus, with the intercession of Patriarch Varnava of Serbia, made peace with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), and there was again one Russian Church in America. This continued until 1946, when there was not only a break with the Church Abroad, but with the Moscow Patriarchate. The Orthodox Metropoliate of America became, de facto, independent.

Prior to 1970, what is today known as the "Orthodox Church in America" was known as the "Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America." The name change took place because the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate, the Bulgarian Orthodox Archdiocese, and the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese had become members of the Orthodox Church in America immediately before or after the granting of autocephaly in 1970, thereby making the Church pan-Orthodox and certainly no longer limited to parishes of "Russian" origin.

On April 14, 1970, Metropolitan Ireney of New York received a telegram from Patriarch Alexis of Moscow (who died a few days later) stating that the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America, with about 850,000 members and 175 years of history, had been granted autocephaly (independence) under the title of "Orth­odox Church in America," with exclusive ecclesiastical jurisdiction in North America, including Hawaii. Canonic territory - the USA; jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America is distributed also to some parishes to Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Australia. As a result of the agreement, the patriarchate has agreed to dissolve its exarchate in North America and to recall the patriarchal exarch from the territory of the American Church. The parishes of the ex­archate have been advised by the patriarchal authorities to join the newly created autocephalous church.

The Episcopacy of the American Church totals 14 bishops. The 3rd Head of the American Church was His Fidelity Metropolitan Feodosy (Lazor) born on October 27, 1933 in Canonsburg, state Pennsylvania, the USA. On May 6, 1967 he was consecrated in bishop of Washington, the vicar of Metropolitan of All America and Canada. He was elected the Head of the Orthodox Church in America on October, 25, 1977, enthronement took place on October, 30 the same year. The residence of the Head is in Sajosset (suburb of New York), the cathedral in the name of St. Nikola is in Washington.

Forty-nine-year-old Metropolitan Jonah was elected to the post in a vote held on 14 November 2008 at the Pittsburgh Hilton. About 650 clerics and lay people participated in the vote to replace Metropolitan Herman. He retired Sept. 4 amid a multimillion dollar financial scandal.

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR)

On 17 May 2007 the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) signed the Act of Canonical Communion in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Alexy II, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of ROCOR, signed the act in the presence of President Vladimir Putin. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the subsequent Civil War forced part of hierarchs to join the Bolsheviks' opponents who fled Russia.

The movement towards communion accelerated when Metropolitan Laurus became the First Hierarch of the ROCOR in 2000. The only thing that hindered it was the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family by Bolsheviks in 1918. The ROCOR hierarchs believed that the Moscow Patriarchy must speak clearly and passionately about the murder of the tsar's family, the defeat of the anti-Bolshevik movement, and the execution and persecution of priests. They also accused the top officials in the ROC of servility and were alarmed by the ROC's ties with other branches of Christianity, notably Catholicism.

Some of these complaints were laid to rest at the jubilee Council of Bishops in 2000, which canonized the last Russian emperor and his family, along with more than a 1,000 martyrs and confessors. It also passed a document on relations between the church and the secular authorities, which censored potential servility and complaisance, and also rejected the possibility of any connection between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR does not intend on merging with the Orthodox Church in America, only establishing brotherly, prayerful relations. For many in the Church Abroad, the new calendar, which the the Orthodox Church in America adopted, is unacceptable. This is a painful question, because many of ROCOR clergymen and laypersons would not wish to participate in a service where ecclesio-liturgical order is violated.