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The monastery represented the traditional views of Orthodoxy, which were not always embraced by ROCOR. In 1983, ROCOR anathamatized the heresy of ecumenism. Due to issues of faith and ecclesiology, Holy Transfiguration Monastery broke communion with ROCOR after the repose of Metropolitan Philaret.
Since After the end of the Soviet Union, ROCOR maintained its independence from the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] on the grounds that the Church inside Russia had been unacceptably compromised. Some accusations went so far as to claim that the entire hierarchy within Russia were active KGB agents. ROCOR also attempted to set up missions in post-Soviet Russia.
===Rapprochement with Moscow===[[Image:Laurus alexii signing.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"The signing Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an indissoluble part of the Act of Canonical Communion by Patr. Alexey II Russian Orthodox Church, and Metr. Laurus]]Since for the time until the election extermination in Russia of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) the atheist government, is self-governing on conciliar principles in accordance with the resolution of New York|Laurus]] as First Hierarch of ROCOR in 2001the Patriarch, the Most Holy Synod, a steady process of rapprochement occurred between ROCOR and the Highest Church Council [[Church of Russia|Moscow PatriarchateSobor]]. Multiple official visits have been exchanged between hierarchs and other clergy of both churchesthe Russian Church dated 7/20 November, and the date for restoration of [[full communion]] was officially announced by both sides1920, No. 362. "<ref>[http://www.antiochianrussianorthodoxchurch.org.auws/contentenglish/viewpages/587regulations/6rocorregulations.html Regulations Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Confirmed by the Council of Bishops in 1956 and by a decision of the Council dated 5/18 June, 1964], first paragraph, December 28, 2007</ref>
In October 2001 Patriarch Similarly, [[Alexei II Anastasy (RidigerGribanovsky) of MoscowKishinev|Alexei II]] and the [[Holy SynodMetropolitan Anastasy]] of the Moscow Patriarchate sent a letter to the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia calling for reconciliation, but without success. However, there was mutual recognition of grace in the sacraments of each church. Then, wrote in November 2003, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia consisting of three bishops and two priests paid an official visit to the Moscow Patriarchate. This signaled a warming in relations, his Last Will and in May 2004 for the first time since the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, visited Moscow and met with Patriarch Alexei. The two church leaders established a joint committee to examine ways to overcome the division between their churches. This committee met successfully on several occasions, working out the details of intercommunion between the two Church bodies.Testament:
This possibility :"As regards the Moscow Patriarchate and its hierarchs, then, so long as they continue in close, active and benevolent cooperation with the Soviet Government, which openly professes its complete godlessness and strives to implant atheism in the entire Russian nation, then the Church Abroad, maintaining Her purity, must not have any canonical, liturgical or even simply external communion with them whatsoever, leaving each one of rapprochement led them at the same time to a small [[schism]] from ROCOR, taking the self-retired Metropolitan [[Vitaly final judgment of the Council (UstinovSobor) of New York|Vitaly]] (Metropolitan Laurus's predecessor) with it (regarded by many in ROCOR as having been abducted by the schismatics)future free Russian Church. The resultant body refers to itself as the ''"<ref>[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]'' (ROCEhttp://www.orthodox.net/articles/ROCiE), though it often still uses the ''ROCOR'' nameanastasy-will. A few other communities have also broken off from ROCORhtml The last will and testament of Metropolitan Anastassy, some joining with Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist1957]] groups., December 28, 2007</ref>
On [[June 21]]ROCOR viewed the Russian Church as consisting of three parts during the Soviet period: 1. The Moscow Patriarchate, 20052. the Catacomb Church, it was announced simultaneously by both and 3. The Free Russian Church (ROCOR). The Catacomb Church had been a significant part of the Russian Church prior to World War II. Most of those in ROCOR and had left Russia during or well before World War II. They were unaware of the MP on their respective websites changes that had occurred immediately after World War II—most significantly that rapprochement talks were leading toward with the resumption election of Patriarch [[Alexei I (Simansky) of Moscow|Alexei I]], most of full relations between the ROCOR and Catacomb Church was reconciled with the MP and that Moscow Patriarchate. By the ROCOR would be given 1970s, due to this reconciliation, as well as to continued persecution by the status Soviets, there was very little left of the Catacomb Church. [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]] made this point in a letter to the 1974 [[autonomyAll-Diaspora Councils|All-Diaspora Sobor]]of ROCOR, in which he stated that ROCOR should not "show solidarity with a mysterious, sinless, but also bodiless catacomb."<ref>[http://www.mospatorthodoxinfo.ru/textcom/e_newsecumenism/id/9553cat_1974.htmlaspx The Catacomb Tikhonite Church 1974][http://www, The Orthodox Word, Nov.-Dec.russianorthodoxchurch, 1974 (59), 235-246, December 28, 2007.ws</01newstucture/pagesen/articles/docsref> The fact that the catacomb Church had essentially ceased to exist was de facto recognized when, as Communism was about to finally collapse in Russia, ROCOR began to establish "Free Russian" parishes in Russia, and to consecrate bishops to oversee such parishes, and never recognized any alleged Catacomb bishop as having a legitimate episcopacy.html]
In May 2006Finally, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union precipitated a crisis in ROCOR met , because the very reason that had initially resulted in its IV All-Diaspora Councilseparation from the Moscow Patriarchate had been removed, which was held at Most Holy Theotokos Joy and so the basis of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco, Californiathe consensus that had previously united ROCOR began to unravel. The council consisted of clergy and lay delegates There were those who did not believe that the Moscow Patriarchate was yet free from all dioceses the control of the ROCORKGB, and adopted a resolution, expressing "great hope that in any case they had not sufficiently renounced the policies of Metropolitan Sergius. There were also those who believed that regardless of the appropriate timepolitical situation in Russia, that the unity question of Ecumenism had become sufficient grounds for continued separation. But after the August 2000 All-Russian Church will be restored upon Sobor of the Moscow Patriarchate, in which the MP officially condemned the foundation Branch Theory of Ecumenism, and also renounced in principle, if not in name, the Truth policies of ChristMetropolitan Sergius, opening for us the possibility question of reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate become an unavoidable question that had to serve together and to commune from be resolved, one Chaliceway or another."<ref>[http://wwwpages.sobor2006prodigy.comnet/more2frjohnwhiteford/statusquo.phphtm Status Quo, ROCOR?id=99_0_3_0_M45] , December 28, 2007.</ref>
Following the IV All-Diaspora Council, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR was held===Rapprochement with Moscow===[[Image:Laurus alexii signing. According to sources close to the council, it generally agreed with the text jpg|right|250px|thumb|The signing of the proposed "[[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical UnityCommunion]] by Patr. Alexey II and Metr. Laurus]]After the election of Metropolitan [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus]]as First Hierarch of ROCOR in 2001," but remitted it back to the Committee for Dialogue with a steady process of rapprochement occurred between ROCOR and the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate to rework certain aspects of the document]].{{citation}} The exact nature Multiple official visits were been exchanged between hierarchs and other clergy of the elements to be worked out is unclear, butboth churches, according to sources close to and the Synod date for restoration of Bishops, involves, among other things, property issues in the Holy Land[[full communion]] was officially announced by both sides.{{citation}}
On September 6, 2006 The Synod In October 2001 Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Bishops of ROCOR decreed their confirmation Moscow|Alexei II]] and approval of the revised Act [[Holy Synod]] of Canonical Unity and instructed the Commission on Discussion with the Moscow Patriarchate sent a letter to work jointly with the Moscow Patriarchate to work out details Bishops' Council of the official signing Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia calling for reconciliation, but without immediate success. However, there was mutual recognition of grace in the Actsacraments of each church. [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktko.html] Subsequently on September 11 Then, in November 2003, 2006 The Synod a delegation of Bishops the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia consisting of ROCOR published on ROCOR's website a clarification of their decision three bishops and two priests paid an official visit to confirm and approve the ActMoscow Patriarchate. [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktexplanantion.html] Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow This signaled a warming in relations, and All Russia acknowledged in May 2004 for the first time since the work foundation of the commissions and declared that Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the act First Hierarch of reunificationROCOR, while moving in the right directionMetropolitan Laurus, will take timevisited Moscow and met with Patriarch Alexei. [http://www The two church leaders established a joint committee to examine ways to overcome the division between their churches.interfax-religion This committee met successfully on several occasions, working out the details of intercommunion between the two Church bodies.com/?act=news&div=1977]
Both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia published on their respective websites the final full text This possibility of rapprochement led to a small [[schism]] from ROCOR, taking the Act of Canonical Unity self-retired Metropolitan [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html] with all relevant supporting documents [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_addendum.htmlVitaly (Ustinov) of New York|Vitaly] [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/11ensummation.html] on November 1, 2006. The Act (Metropolitan Laurus's predecessor) with it (regarded by many in ROCOR as having been approved abducted by both the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCORschismatics). The resultant body refers to itself as the ''[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]'' (ROCE/ROCiE), though it was formally signed in Moscow on May 17, 2007, followed by a concelebration of often still uses the Divine Liturgy''ROCOR'' name. A few other communities have also broken off from ROCOR, bringing the ROCOR into the Moscow Patriarchatesome joining with Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] groups.
The Act itself "repealed" On [[June 21]], 2005, it was announced simultaneously by both the ROCOR and the MP on their respective websites that rapprochement talks were leading toward the resumption of full relations between the ROCOR and the MP and that the ROCOR anathema against ecumenism, which stateswould be given the status of [[autonomy]].<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/docs.html Documents Developed at the Joint Sessions of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on Discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate.]</ref>
Those who attack In May 2006, the Church of Christ by teaching that Christ's Church is divided into soROCOR met in its IV All-called "branches" Diaspora Council, which differ was held at Most Holy Theotokos Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral in doctrine San Francisco, California. The council consisted of clergy and way lay delegates from all dioceses of lifethe ROCOR, or and adopted a resolution, expressing "great hope that in the Church does not exist visiblyappropriate time, but will be formed in the future when all "branches" or sects or denominations, and even religions unity of the Russian Church will be united into one body; and who do not distinguish restored upon the priesthood and mysteries foundation of the Church from those Truth of the hereticsChrist, but say that opening for us the baptism possibility to serve together and eucharist of heretics is effectual for salvation; therefore, to those who knowingly have communion with these aforementioned heretics or who advocate, disseminate, or defend their new heresy commune from one Chalice."<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/5ensobresolution.html Resolution of Ecumenism under the pretext IV All-Diaspora Council of brotherly love or the supposed unification Russian Orthodox Church Outside of separated Christians, Anathema!Russia]</ref>
In concert with There are twelve ROCOR monasteries for men and women in North America, the most important and largest of which is [[Church of JerusalemHoly Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]], to which is attached ROCOR also oversees the 's seminary, [[http://www.jerusalem-mission.org/ Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem]Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, headed by Hegumen Andronik (KotliaroffNew York), which acts as caretaker to three holy sites in Palestine, all of which are monasteries|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary]].
While still respecting In concert with the old calender[[Church of Jerusalem]], ROCOR is also oversees the [http://www.jerusalem-mission.org/ Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem], which acts as caretaker to three holy sites in communion with mostPalestine, if not all new calender jurisdictions. ROCOR is also openly serving with the OCA, Orthodox Church of America, a new calender jurisdictionwhich are monasteries.
Ruling ===Vicar bishops:===* Metropolitan Bishop [[Laurus Theodosius (SkurlaIvashchenko) of New York|Laurus (Skurla)Seattle]] of New York and Eastern America, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Ruling Bishop of the Syracuse-Holy Trinity DioceseSeattle, ''[[Locum Tenens]]'' of the Eastern part Vicar of the Diocese of Montreal and Canada* Archbishop [[Alypy (Gamanovich) of Chicago|Alypy (Gamanovich)]] of Chicago and Mid-Western America* Archbishop Bishop [[Mark George (ArndtSchaefer) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)Canberra]] of BerlinCanberra, Germany and Vicar of Great Britain* Archbishop [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion (Kapral)]] of Sydney, [[the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Australia and New Zealand]]* Archbishop Bishop [[Kyrill Nicholas (DmitrieffOlhovsky) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)Manhattan]] of San Francisco and Western Manhattan, Vicar of the Diocese of Eastern America* Bishop Alexander of Vevey, Locum Tenens Vicar of the Diocese of Western part Europe* Bishop Luke of Syracuse, Vicar of the Diocese of Montreal and CanadaEastern America* Bishop [[Michael (Donskoff) James of Sonora, Vicar of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]] the Diocese of Geneva and Western EuropeAmerica
Vicar ===Retired bishops:===* Bishop [[Evtikhii Michael (KurochkinDonskoff) of IshimGeneva|Evtikhii Michael (KurochkinDonskoff)]] of Domodedovo, Patriarchal Vicar for the service of Synodal parishes in Russia* Bishop [[Daniel (Alexandrow) of Erie|Daniel (Alexandrow)]] of Erie, Vicar of the President of the Synod of Bishops for the service of Old Believers* Bishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]] of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern American and New York Diocese* Bishop [[Agapit (Gorachek) of Stuttgart|Agapit (Gorachek)]] of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese* Bishop [[Peter Jerome (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter (LoukianoffShaw)]] of Cleveland, Vicar of the Chicago Diocese
Retired bishops:==First Hierarchs==* Bishop Metropolitan [[Ambrose Anthony (CantacuzèneKhrapovitsky) of GenevaKiev|Ambrose Anthony (CantacuzèneKhrapovitsky)]](reposed on August 10, 1936, Retiredin Sremsky Karlovtsy, formerly of Geneva and Western EuropeSerbia)* Bishop Metropolitan [[Varnava Anastasy (ProkofievGribanovsky) of CannesKishinev|Varnava Anastasy (ProkofievGribanovsky)]](reposed on May 22, Retired, formerly of Cannes, Vicar for the Western European diocese Suspended bishops:1965)* Bishop Metropolitan [[Agafangel Philaret (PashkovskyVoznesensky) of SimferopolNew York|Agafangel Philaret (PashkovskyVoznesensky)]](reposed on November 21, suspended. Formerly bishop of Odessa and the Crimea Former bishops:1985)* Bishop Metropolitan [[Alexander Vitaly (MileantUstinov) of Buenos AiresNew York|Alexander Vitaly (MileantUstinov)]] of Buenos Aires and South America (reposed on September 25, 2006, in Mansonville, Canada)* Metropolitan [[September 13Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Škurla)]](reposed on March 16, 2005 [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/news05/balexdeath.html]2008)* Bishop Metropolitan [[Mitrophan Hilarion (Znosko-BorovskyKapral) of BostonNew York|Hilarion (Kapral)]], (reposed February 15on May 16, 20022022).* Metropolitan [[Nicholas_(Olhovsky)_of_Manhattan|Nicholas (Olhovsky)]].
Minor changes to reflect the election of Metropolitan Nicholas as protohierarch of ROCOR since the repose of Metropolitan Hilarion.
type=Semi-autonomous|
founded=1922|
bishop=[[Laurus Nicholas (SkurlaOlhovsky) of New YorkManhattan|Metr. LaurusNicholas (Olhovsky)]], First Hierarch|
see=New York|
hq=New York, New York|
music=[[Russian Chant]]|
calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|
population=60480,000 to 100<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1206001825245730.xml&coll=2 Cleveland Plain Dealer: Metropolitan Laurus,000helped reunify Russian Orthodox Church], Thursday, March 20, 2008</ref>|
website=[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm ROCOR]
}}
===The Church of the Refugees (1922-1991)===
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
In 1927, ROCOR declared "The part of the Russian Church that finds itself abroad considers itself an inseparable, spiritually united branch of the Great Russian Church. It does not separate itself from its Mother Church and does not consider itself autocephalous," indicating that ROCOR considered itself to speak for all of the Russian Orthodox outside of Russia. The Church Abroad also considered itself to be the free voice of the enslaved Mother Church in the Soviet Union.<ref>For more on how ROCOR viewed its relationship to the Mother Church, see [http://web.archive.org/web/20030430123024/http:/orthodoxinfo.com/resistance/mpmother.htm Is the Moscow Patriarchate the "Mother Church" of the ROCOR?] by Protopresbyter Alexander Lebedeff, December 28, 2007</ref>
After the end of World War II, the [[Church of Russia|Patriarchate of Moscow]] broached the possibility of reunification between Moscow and ROCOR, presumably at the behest of the Soviet government, which had adopted a more conciliatory attitude towards religion during the war and was presumably trying to capitalize on its wartime alliances to win a more respectable position internationally. This was not deemed possible at that time by ROCOR, given that Russia was still under communist dictatorship and the Church was still persecuted and controlled by the atheist authorities.
===Holy Transfiguration Monastery and ROCOR===
In the 1960s, ROCOR took under its care [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]] (today the principal [[monastery]] of [[HOCNA]]) after the latter had broken communion from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] due to its ecumenical leanings. At some point later, they gradually assumed responsibility for much of ROCOR's external communications and publications. (The monks of Holy Transfiguration were English-speaking and the ROCOR bishops in America mainly were not.) It is believed by many that the allegedly sectarian spirit of ROCOR came into its flowering during this time and under the influence of this monastery, which frequently misrepresented the official policies and views of the Synod of Bishops. In the early 1980s the hierarchs of the Synod began to correct and censor the narrow-minded and incorrect views of the followers of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Subsequently this group broke communion with ROCOR (regarding allegations of sexual abuse by the monastery's leadership), styling themselves the [[HOCNA|Holy Orthodox Church in North America]] (HOCNA). They became affiliated with the [[True Orthodox Church of Greece]], a Greek Old Calendarist group which broke from the [[Church of Greece]]. According to Fr. Alexey Young (author of ''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: A History and Chronology''), the association of ROCOR and Holy Transfiguration Monastery resulted in deep damage to ROCOR.<ref>For more on the history of this schism, see [http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/hocna_facts.htm Articles for those who wish to know the Truth about the Panteleimonite Schism and the so called "Holy Orthodox Church in North America"], December 28, 2007</ref>
===After the Soviet fall===
This did not prevent all communication, however. For many years there had been unofficial and warm contacts between the two groups. In 2001, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow and ROCOR exchanged formal correspondence. The Muscovite letter held the position that previous and current separation was over purely political matters. ROCOR's response expressed concern over continued Muscovite involvement in [[ecumenism]], which was seen as compromising Moscow's Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, this was far more friendly discourse than had been seen previously.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia continued to establish itself in its homeland, although today, all of those parishes are either reconciled with the Moscow Patriarchate, or have gone into schism with one "Free Russian" group or another. ===Views on the Moscow Patriarchate===After the declaration of Metropolitan Sergius of 1927, there were a range of opinions regarding the Moscow Patriarchate within ROCOR. A distinction must be made between the various opinions of bishops, clergy, and laity within ROCOR, and official statements from the Synod of Bishops. It now has about 100 worshiping communities There was a general consensus in Russia ROCOR that the Soviet government was manipulating the Moscow Patriarchate to one extent or another, and that under such circumstances administrative ties were impossible. other countries There were also official statements made that the elections of the Commonwealth patriarchs of Independent StatesMoscow which occurred after 1927 were invalid because they were not conducted freely (without the interference of the Soviets) or with the participation of the entire Russian Church.<ref>See, for example, [http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/concerning-patriarch-pimen. Currently four html Resolution of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Concerning the Election of Pimen (Isvekov) as Patriarch of Moscow, September 1/14) 1971], December 27th, 2007</ref> However, these statements only declared that ROCOR did not recognize the Patriarchs of Moscow who were elected after 1927 as being the legitimate primates of the Russian Church -- they did not declare that the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate were illegitimate bishops oversee these parishes, or without grace. Two There were, however, under the umbrella of them broke with Metropolitan [[Vitaly this general consensus, various opinions about the Moscow Patriarchate, ranging for those who held the extreme view that the Moscow Patriarchate had apostatized from the Church (Ustinovthose in the orbit of Holy Transfiguration Monastery being the most vocal advocates of this position) , to those who considered them to be innocent sufferers at the hands of New York|Vitaly]] the Soviets, and all points in New York between. Advocates of the more extreme view of the Moscow Patriarchate became increasingly strident in April 1994. They founded their own temporary administration called the 1970''Free s, at a time when ROCOR was increasingly isolating itself from much of the rest of the Orthodox Church due to concerns over the direction of Orthodox involvement in the Ecumenical Movement. Prior to the collapse of Russiathe Soviet Union, there wasn't a burning need to settle the question of what should be made of the status of the Moscow Patriarchate, although beginning in the mid 1980' s (as the period of Glaznost began in the Soviet Union, which culminated in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet government in 1991), these questions resulted in a number of schisms, and ordained three additional bishopsincreasingly occupied the attention of those in ROCOR. There are certain basic facts about the official position of ROCOR that should be understood. They were reconciled in November 1994Historically, and the ordination ROCOR has always affirmed that it was an inseparable part of the three new bishops Russian Church, and that it's autonomous status was declared invalidonly temporary, based upon [http://www.pomog.org/index.html?http://www.pomog.org/ukaz. Howeverhtm Ukaz 362], some tensions remain.until such time as the domination of the Soviet government over the affairs of the Church should cease:
Following the IV All-Diaspora Council, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR was held. According to sources close to the council, it generally agreed with the text of the proposed "[[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate|Act of Canonical Unity]]," but remitted it back to the Committee for Dialogue with the Moscow Patriarchate to rework certain aspects of the document.{{citation}} The exact nature of the elements to be worked out is now officially unclear, but, according to sources close to the Synod of Bishops, it involved, among other things, property issues in communion the Holy Land.{{citation}} On September 6, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR decreed their confirmation and approval of the revised Act of Canonical Unity and instructed the Commission on Discussion with the Moscow Patriarchate to work jointly with those groups it the Moscow Patriarchate to work out details of the official signing of the Act.<ref> [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktko.html The Synod of Bishops Makes a Decision on the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Subsequently on September 11, 2006, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR published on ROCOR's website a clarification of their decision to confirm and approve the Act.<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9enaktexplanantion.html Clarifications on the Negotiation Process and the "Act on Canonical Communion"]</ref> Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia acknowledged the work of the commissions and declared that the act of reunification, while moving in the right direction, will take time.<ref> [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1977 Unification of Orthodox Church with its branch abroad will not be fast - Alexy II]</ref> Both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia published on their respective websites the final full text of the Act of Canonical Unity <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html Act of Canonical Union]</ref> with all relevant supporting documents <ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_addendum.html Addendum to the Act of Canonical Communion], [http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/11ensummation.html Summation of the Joint Work of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate]</ref> on November 1, 2006. The Act having been approved by both the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR, was formally anathematizedsigned in Moscow on May 17, 2007, followed by a concelebration of the Divine Liturgy, bringing the ROCOR into the Moscow Patriarchate.
===ROCOR Today===
ROCOR currently has over 400 349 [[parish]]es as well as and 21 [[monastery|monasteries]] for men and women in 40 32 countries throughout the world, served by nearly 600 [[priest]]s462 clergy. In North America, it has approximately 133 The distribution of parishes is as follows: 152 parishes in the US and 22 in Canada. There are three ROCOR communities 8 monasteries in the United Kingdom States; 42 parishes in Germany; 31 parishes and 21 4 monasteries in [[Diocese of Australia ; 21 parishes and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Australia and New Zealand]]. There are also roughly 100 communities which owe allegiance to ROCOR 3 monasteries in Canada; 22 parishes in Russia Indonesia; and the other nations a handful of institutions in France, Switzerland, the former Soviet Union. There are five ROCOR monasteries for men and women in North United Kingdom, South America, the most important and largest of which is New Zealand.<ref>[[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]], to which is attached http://www.synod.com/ Source: Official ROCOR's seminary, [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminaryparish directory]].</ref>
==Ecclesiastical status before 2007==
Before the reconciliation, ROCOR's status with regard to [[full communion]] was not entirely clear-cut. There was never a formal declaration of a break in communion made between ROCOR and most other Orthodox churches, though in many dioceses [[concelebration]] had been suspended. In others, concelebration was active. A formal declaration of breaking communion with the OCA was issued by the ROCOR Synod after the Moscow Patriarchate issued the Tomos of Autocephaly to the OCA. (See: [[ROCOR and OCA]].) Generally Orthodox Christians from all local Orthodox churches were welcome to the chalice in ROCOR churches. There was never a declaration from the ROCOR synod that grace did not exist in the [[New Calendar]] jurisdictions, in spite of statements to the contrary by the followers of Holy Transfiguation Monastery in Boston when they were still with the Synod.
ROCOR formerly maintained communion with a few [[Old Calendarist]] jurisdictions, including the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] (True Orthodox Church of Greece, so-called "Cyprianites"), the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania]] (Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie), and the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] (Bishop Photii). In 2006, communion with the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] was suspended, after the ROCOR Synod received a letter from Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili stating that Metropolitan Laurus' name had been "struck from the [[Diptychs|diptych]]." <ref>[http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2006/2ensynodmeeting.htmlA Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops is Held] </ref> Relations with the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie and with Bishop Photii of Triaditza were subsequently severed as well.
As of 2007, with the reconciliation with Moscow, the ROCOR is now in communion with [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|all of mainstream Orthodoxy]] by virtue of its incorporation into the Moscow Patriarchate.
==The Episcopacy==
: ''See '''[[List of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]'''''The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia currently has 13 thirteen [[bishop]]s serving 11 nine [[diocese]]s throughout the world, along with one retired bishop.
===Ruling bishops===
* Metropolitan [[Mark (Arndt) of Berlin|Mark (Arndt)]] of Berlin and Germany
* Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill (Dmitrieff)]] of San Francisco and Western America
* Archbishop [[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]] of Montreal and Canada
* Archbishop [[Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland|Peter (Loukianoff)]] of Chicago and Mid-America
* Bishop [[John (Bērziņš) of Caracas|John (Bērziņš)]] of Caracas and South America
* Bishop [[Irenei (Steenberg) of London|Irenei (Steenberg)]] of London and Western Europe
==See also==
*[[ROCOR and OCA]]
==Notes==
<div class="small">
<references />
</div>
==External links==
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad], by St. [[John Maximovitch]]
*[http://gnisios.narod.ru/bisrocor.html Bishops of the ROCOR]
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurchsynod.wscom/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/svassasobor.htm "Glory be to God, Who Did Not Abandon His Church": The Self-Awareness of ROCOR at the Third All-Diaspora Council of 1974], by [[Vassa (Larin)|Nun Vassa (Larin)]]
<!--- * [http://www.pravos.org/index.htm Commission Dialogue Moscow Patriarchate-Church outside Russia] --->
*[http://pageswww.prodigysaintjonah.netorg/frjohnwhitefordarticles/voicesofreason.htm Voices of Reason], a collection of articles in response to those who oppose the reconciliation of ROCOR with the MP
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
[[Category:Moscow Patriarchate Dioceses]]
[[pt:Igreja Ortodoxa Russa no Exterior]]
[[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din afara Rusiei]]