Russian Orthodox Diocese of Thailand

The Diocese of Thailand (Russian: Таиландская епархия) is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church which covers the territory Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. It is part of the Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia.

Diocese of Thailand
Location
TerritoryThailand
Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar
Ecclesiastical provincePatriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia
MetropolitanSergius (Chashin)
Statistics
Parishes10 in Thailand, 3 in Cambodia, 1 in Myanmar
Information
DenominationEastern Orthodox Church
RiteByzantine
Established2019
LanguageChurch Slavonic, English, Thai,[1] Khmer[2]
Current leadership
Parent churchRussian Orthodox Church
Bishop of Bangkok and Phnom PenhSergius (Chashin) locum tenens
Website
http://www.orthodox.or.th/

History

Eastern Orthodoxy in the region

Since the mid-1990s, a large number of immigrants from the former Soviet Union came to Thailand. At that time, there was no Orthodox parishes in the entire territory of the Kingdom. As recalled about the beginning of his service in the Kingdom, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin) said: "this was the end of the 1990s; then in Thailand came Russians to engage business. In Russia back then it was very hard, and in Thailand it was possible to live well. But we had no churches in the vast expanses of the South-East — from Russia to Australia [...] There was only one Orthodox Church in Hong Kong, and it was not under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The opening of the parish in Thailand is an initiative of Russians who lived in this country."[3] In response to numerous appeals of Russian Orthodox believers, mostly citizens of the former USSR countries, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 28, 1999 decided to open the Nicholas parish in Bangkok. By the same decision, the first rector of the newly formed parish was appointed: hegumen Oleg (Cherepanin).[4]

On December 27, 2001, having considered the activities of St. Nicholas parish in Bangkok, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to open a Representative Office of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in the Kingdom of Thailand. Hegumen Oleg (Cherepanin) was chosen to be the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, he was also blessed to carry out spiritual care of Orthodox believers in the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.[5] The mission carried out control and administrative supervision and spiritual care of Orthodox parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Thailand, the Cambodia and the Laos, and determined the General concept of the development of Orthodoxy in these countries on the basis of instructions and directions of the authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church.[6]

Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand

After the registration of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand in 2008, it became possible to open parishes throughout the country, which became 10 by 2018, and for all of them permanent churches were built. In addition, a Theological College was built and opened on the island of Phuket to train clergy from the native people of South-East Asia who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. Three parishes in Cambodia were established, with permanent churches were built for two of them. Attempts were made to begin missionary work in Laos.

On 21 October 2016, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established the Patriarchal deanery within the Kingdom of Thailand, appointing Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin) as Dean of these parishes. At the same time, parishes in Cambodia and Laos, fell under the jurisdiction of Bishop Sergius (Chashin) of Solnechnogorsk.

Creation of the PESEA

28 December 2018 Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established the Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia (PESEA) with Sergius (Chashin) as its primate.[7] On February 26, 2019, the Holy Synod abolished the Deanery of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Thailand and established the Diocese of Thailand comprising the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The bishop of the diocese of Thailand bears the title of bishop "of Bangkok and Phnom Penh".[8]

In March 2019, Eastern Orthodox believers in Myanmar formed an Eastern Orthodox community in the country.[9]

Ruling bishops

References
  1. "Text of Presanctified Liturgy published in Thai language | A Russian Orthodox Church Website". www.pravmir.com.
  2. "Patriarchal Exarch for Southeast Asia celebrates Liturgy in the capital of Cambodia / News / Patriarchate.ru". Patriarchate.ru.
  3. "Иеромонах Михаил (Чепель). Направления современной православной миссии в Таиланде (1999-2014 годы) / Православие.Ru". www.pravoslavie.ru. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  4. "Определения Священного Синода от 28 декабря 1999 года : Русская Православная Церковь". mospat.ru. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  5. "Заседание Священного Синода 26-27 декабря 2001 года : Русская Православная Церковь". mospat.ru. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  6. "ОТЧЕТ О ЖИЗНИ И ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ПРЕДСТАВИТЕЛЬСТВА РУССКОЙ ПРАВОСЛАВНОЙ ЦЕРКВИ В ТАИЛАНДЕ ЗА 2012 ГОД ( в сокращении)" (PDF).
  7. "Patriarchal Exarchates established in Western Europe and South-East Asia | The Russian Orthodox Church". mospat.ru. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  8. "Образованы епархии в составе Патриаршего экзархата в Юго-Восточной Азии". patriarchia.ru. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  9. "Православные верующие в Союзе Мьянма образовали православную общину в стране". orthomission.ru. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  10. "Russian Orthodox Church to set up 4 dioceses in SE. Asia". www.interfax-religion.com. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  11. Furukama, Eiji; Kaneko, Natsuki (31 March 2019). "Orthodox church schism extends Putin's reach in Asia". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 4 April 2019. "Four dioceses have been formed as part of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Southeast Asia: the Singaporean, Korean, Thai and Filipino-Vietnamese," Vladimir Legoyda, head of the Russian church's Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations, told reporters in February.
    "It has been decided that Metropolitan Sergei of Singapore and Southeast Asia will be the governing archbishop of the Singaporean diocese, and he has also been entrusted with the temporary running of the other three," Legoyda said.
  12. "Состоялось первое в 2019 году заседание Священного Синода Русской Православной Церкви / Новости / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-02-27.
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