Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe (Moscow Patriarchate)

The Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe (PEWE, French: Exarchat patriarcal en Europe occidentale,[1][2] Russian: Патриарший экзархат в Западной Европе) is an exarchate created by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) on 28 December 2018.

Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe
Патриарший экзархат в Западной Европе
AbbreviationPEWE
ClassificationEastern Orthodox Church
PrimateMetropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk) of Chersonesus and Western Europe
HeadquartersParis
TerritoryAndorra, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and Switzerland
FounderHoly Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
Origin28 December 2018
Moscow
Recognitionby the Russian Orthodox Church (28 December 2018), as an exarchate

The primate of the PEWE is Metropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk) who holds the title of "Metropolitan of Chersonesus and Western Europe".[3]

History

1945-1991

On September 7, 1945, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the ROC, The Western European Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate was established, headed by Metropolitan Eulogius (Georgievsky), then seriously ill. On the death of the latter on August 8, 1946 by decision of the Synod and the decree of Patriarch Alexius I of Moscow, Metropolitan Seraphim (Lukyanov) was appointed new Exarch of Western Europe. However, in France, almost the entire clergy and flock of Metropolitan Eulogy wished to remain under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.[4]

From 1947 to 1989 a quarterly journal, the "Herald Of the Russian Patriarchal Exarchate" (French: Messager de l'Exarchat du patriarche russe en Europe occidentale[5]), was published in Paris.[6]

Throughout the postwar period until the early 1990s, the situation of the communities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe was difficult: Augustine Roberts, one of the priests, wrote to Patriarch Alexius I in 1956: "in most Western European countries, belonging to the jurisdiction of Moscow is a difficult matter. We seem politically suspicious to our Orthodox and non-Orthodox brothers, and many people who are interested in Orthodoxy as such do not want to have anything to do with the "Soviet" Church, that is, the "bolshevik" one. Our pastoral and missionary work suffers from the fact that we belong to this jurisdiction. The isolation of the Russian Church in the West is catastrophic for the whole future of Orthodoxy in the West".[7]

In 1960, the Diocese of Chersonesus was established with its center in Paris; in 1962, the Diocese of Sourozh was established with its center in London. The Diocese of The Hague was established in 1972.[8]

The Council of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 30 — 31, 1990, among others overseas Exarchates of the Russian Orthodox Church, abolished the Western European Exarchate. Its dioceses were directly subjected to the Moscow Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.[8]

Background
See also: 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism and Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe § Dissolution and its aftermath

On 27 November 2018 the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to dissolve the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe (AROCWE) "thereby entrusting its faithful to the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne in Europe".[9] This decision was made without any official requests from the hierarchs of the AROCWE and caused confusion. On 15 December Pastoral Assembly of AROCWE decided to call an extraordinary General Assembly, scheduled for 23 February 2019. This General Assembly will discuss the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to dissolve the AROCWE.[10][11] ROC officials responded with a reminder of the 2003 proposal of Alexy II to the AROCWE to move to the Moscow Patriarchate.[12]

On 29 November, after the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate had ended, the same communiqué which had been released one day prior concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision to dissolve the AROCWE was released, in French, on the official website of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.[13] The Ecumenical Patriarchate "never explicitly justified" its decision to dissolve the AROCWE.[14]

On 30 November, the council of the AROCWE declared in a communiqué that this decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was "unforeseen". The communiqué added that since the AROCWE had not requested this decision, two things should be done before the AROCWE would comply to this decision: the primate of the AROCWE Archbishop John of Charioupolis, as the head of the AROCWE, will have to "invite the priests of the Archdiocese to a pastoral assembly, on December 15, 2018, to discuss with those who carry with him the spiritual responsibility of the parishes and faithful of the Archdiocese" and the AROCWE council will have to "convene a general assembly of the Archdiocese, in which all the clergy and lay delegates elected by the parishes and communities, which are the adherent associations of the Diocesan Union, will take part." The communiqué concluded that since John of Charioupolis had not requested this decision, he still remained fully in pastoral charge of the Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe.[15][16]

Creation of the PEWE

On 28 December 2018, in response to the Ecumenical Patriarchate's actions in Ukraine,[17] the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to create "a Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe with the center in Paris" whose "pastoral sphere of responsibility includes" Andorra, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and Switzerland. During the same synod, the decision was also taken to create "a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in Spain and Portugal with the center in Madrid" as well as "a Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia [PESEA] with the center in Singapore."[18][19][20][21][2] On the same day, in an interview with Russia-24 channel,[22] Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations of the ROC, declared the ROC "will now act as if they [Constantinople] do not exist at all because our purpose is missionary, our task is to educate, we are creating these structures for ministerial care about our flock, there can be no such deterring factors here", and that the ROC will take charge of the Eastern Orthodox faithfuls of its diaspora instead of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.[23][24]

Before that, the Diocese of Chersonesus was taking charge of the Orthodox communities of the Moscow Patriarchate in France, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain.[25]

The person chosen to be the primate primate of the PEWE as well as of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Chersonesus was Bishop John (Roschchin) of Bogorodsk.[1][26] Bishop John was granted the title of "of Chersonesus and Western Europe".[18][19] Bishop John was granted the title of Metropolitan on 3 January 2019 by Patriarch Kirill at Moscow's Dormition Cathedral.[26][27][28]

Metropolitan Anthony as ruling bishop

On 30 May 2019, the Holy Synod of the ROC decided to appoint archbishop Anthony (Sevryuk) of Vienna and Budapest as primate of the PEWE and of the diocese of Chersonesus.[29][30][31][32] At the same time, John (Roshchin), who was until then the primate of the PEWE and of the diocese of Chersonesus, was appointed as primate of the ROC diocese of Vienna and Budapest to replace archbishop Anthony.[29][31][32]

On 31 May 2019, archbishop Anthony was consecrated metropolitan because of his appointment as exarch of the PEWE.[33][34][35]

The nomination of Anthony as primate of the PEWE on 30 May 2019 was, according to Novaya Gazeta, related to the fact that Anthony would be negotiating the integration of the AROCWE into the Moscow Patriarchate.[36]

On December 4, 2019, the first meeting of the Synod of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe took place in the building of the Korsun Diocesan Administration in Paris.[37]

Structure

Since 26 February 2019, the PEWE is divided into 6 dioceses:[38]

Exarchs

See also

References
  1. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges (29 December 2019). "L'évêque Jean de Bogorodsk est nommé chef de l'Exarchat patriarcal en Europe occidentale" [Bishop John of Bogorodsk is appointed head of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe]. Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  2. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges (29 December 2018). "Le Saint-Synode de l'Église orthodoxe russe décide de créer l'Exarchat patriarcal en Europe occidentale" [The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decides to create the Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe]. Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  3. "Внутреннее положение о Патриаршем экзархате Западной Европы / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru" [Internal Regulations of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe]. Патриархия.ru (in Russian). 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-03. [Translation:] 7. The supreme ecclesiastical authority in the Exarchate belongs to the Synod of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe (hereinafter referred to as the "Synod of the Exarchate"), headed by the Metropolitan of Chersonesus and Western Europe, the Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe (hereinafter referred to as the “Exarch”), and consisting of diocesan bishops of the dioceses of the Exarchate.
  4. Кострюков А. А. К истории воссоединения с Московским Патриархатом приходов Западноевропейского экзархата в послевоенные годы (1945—1946 гг.) // // Вестник ПСТГУ. Серия II: История. История Русской Православной Церкви. 2013. - Вып. 6 (55). - С. 72-84.
  5. "Messager de l'Exarchat du patriarche russe en Europe occidentale (1947–1989) | Boutique | Éditions Sainte-Geneviève du Séminaire orthodoxe russe en France". www.editions-orthodoxes.fr. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  6. Свящ. Александр Троицкий. «ВЕСТНИК РУССКОГО ЗАПАДНОЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО ПАТРИАРШЕГО ЭКЗАРХАТА» // Православная энциклопедия. — М. : Церковно-научный центр «Православная энциклопедия», 2004. — Т. VIII. — С. 42-43. — 752 с. — 39 000 экз. — ISBN 5-89572-014-5.
  7. Александрович, Кострюков Андрей (2016). "О некоторых причинах неудачи православия западного обряда". Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета. Серия 2: История. История Русской Православной Церкви (2 (69)). ISSN 1991-6434.
  8. "ЗАПАДНОЕВРОПЕЙСКИЙ ЭКЗАРХАТ РУССКОЙ ПРАВОСЛАВНОЙ ЦЕРКВИ". www.pravenc.ru. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  9. "IT'S OFFICIAL: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DISSOLVES RUSSIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF WESTERN EUROPE". ORTHODOXY IN DIALOGUE. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  10. "Communiqué of the Council of the Archdiocese of 30th November 2018 | Deanery of Great Britain and Ireland". www.exarchate.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  11. "Communiqué of the Council of the Archdiocese of 15th December 2018 | Deanery of Great Britain and Ireland". www.exarchate.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  12. "Russian Church reminds Constantinople's Russian parishes in Western Europe about the propose of transition to Moscow Patriarchate". interfax-religion.com. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  13. "Communiqué au sujet des églises orthodoxes de tradition russe en Europe occidentale". www.patriarchate.org. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  14. Sautreuil, Pierre (2019-01-08). "Les structures de l'orthodoxie française en pleine mutation" [The structures of French Orthodoxy in complete transformation]. La Croix (in French). Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  15. "Communiqué of the Council of the Archdiocese of 30th November 2018 | Deanery of Great Britain and Ireland". www.exarchate.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  16. "Archevêché des églises russes en Europe occidentale - Communiqué du Conseil de l'Archevêché du 30 novembre 2018". www.exarchat.eu. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  17. "Russian Orthodox Church Synod forms patriarch's exarchates in Europe, Asia in response to Constantinople's actions". www.interfax-religion.com. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  18. "Patriarchal Exarchates established in Western Europe and South-East Asia | The Russian Orthodox Church". mospat.ru. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  19. "ЖУРНАЛЫ заседания Священного Синода от 28 декабря 2018 года (публикация обновляется) / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). 28 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  20. Cazabonne, Emma (2018-12-29). "The Moscow Patriarchate creates a Western Europe exarchate for headquarters in Paris". Orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  21. "Russian Orthodox Synod decides to set up exarchates in Western Europe and Southeast Asia". TASS. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  22. Россия 24, Программа "Церковь и мир" от 28 декабря 2018 года - Россия 24, retrieved 2018-12-30
  23. "Structures of Russian Orthodox Church to open in all localities that have Constantinople parishes". www.interfax-religion.com. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  24. "Митрополит Иларион: Верующих канонической Украинской Православной Церкви пытаются силой загнать в созданную на Украине новую раскольничью структуру | Русская Православная Церковь" [Metropolitan Hilarion: they try to force believers of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church into the new schismatic structure created in Ukraine]. mospat.ru (in Russian). 4 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-18. Сейчас мы отовсюду вышли и теперь будем создавать наши приходы и епархии, те или иные структуры в дальнем зарубежье без всякой оглядки на Константинополь. Мы будем действовать так, как будто их не существует вообще, потому что наша задача – миссионерская, просветительская. Мы создаем эти структуры для пастырского окормления наших верующих, и здесь не может быть подобного рода сдерживающих факторов.
  25. Service de presse (26 December 2007). "Quelques mots sur le diocèse de Chersonèse". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  26. Cazabonne, Emma (2019-01-05). "Biography of Metropolitan John of Chersonese and Western Europe". Orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  27. Cazabonne, Emma (2019-01-04). "Bishop John of Chersonese and Western Europe elevated to the dignity of Metropolitan. Bishop Nestor of Madrid and Lisbon to the dignity of Archbishop". Orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  28. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges (3 January 2019). "Mgr Jean, évêque de Chersonèse et d'Europe occidentale, a été élevé à la dignité de métropolite". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  29. "ЖУРНАЛЫ заседания Священного Синода от 30 мая 2019 года / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  30. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges. "Mgr Antoine, archevêque de Vienne et de Budapest, est nommé chef de l'Exarchat patriarcal en Europe Occidentale". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  31. Cazabonne, Emma (2019-06-01). "The Russian Orthodox Church has appointed a new exarch in Paris and a vicar bishop for Moldovan parishes in Italy". Orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  32. "Archbishop Anthony of Vienna and Budapest appointed Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe". www.sourozh.org. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  33. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges. "L'archevêque Antoine de Chersonèse et d'Europe Occidentale a été élevé à la dignité de métropolite". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  34. presse, Service De. "Mgr ANTOINE (Sevryuk), métropolite de Chersonèse". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  35. "Предстоятель Русской Церкви освятил Воскресенский собор Новодевичьего монастыря в Санкт-Петербурге / Новости / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  36. "L'Église orthodoxe russe nomme un nouvel archevêque à Paris" (in French). 2019-06-05. ISSN 0242-6056. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  37. "The first meeting of the Synod of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe". Diocese of Sourozh. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  38. "Внутреннее положение о Патриаршем экзархате Западной Европы / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru" [Internal Regulations of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe]. Патриархия.ru (in Russian). 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  39. "Корсунская епархия / Организации / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  40. "Внутреннее положение о Патриаршем экзархате Западной Европы / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru" [Internal Regulations of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe]. Патриархия.ru (in Russian). 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-07. [Translation:] 14. The Exarch is the diocesan bishop of the Chersonesus Diocese and heads the administration of the Exarchate on the basis of the canons, the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, the present Statute and the Charter of the Exarchate.
  41. "Иоанн, митрополит Корсунский и Западноевропейский (Рощин Георгий Евгеньевич) / Персоналии / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  42. "ЖУРНАЛЫ заседания Священного Синода от 30 мая 2019 года / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  43. SHESHKO, Prêtre Georges. "Mgr Antoine, archevêque de Vienne et de Budapest, est nommé chef de l'Exarchat patriarcal en Europe Occidentale". Eglise orthodoxe russe en France (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  44. "Антоний, митрополит Корсунский и Западноевропейский (Севрюк Антон Юрьевич) / Персоналии / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-06-01.
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