Russian True Orthodox Church
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The Russian True Orthodox Church is a denomination that separated from the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of communist rule in the Soviet Union.
While the True Orthodox Church in Russia was never a single organization, many of its followers were labeled Josephites, after Metropolitan Joseph (Ivan Petrovykh) of Leningrad, the leader of its largest branch.
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[edit] Origin
Following the death of Patriarch Tikhon, there was unrest in the Russian Orthodox Church. The designated successors of Patriarch Tikhon were arrested by the civil authorities and Metropolitan Sergius was named "locum tenens"[clarify] of the Patriarchate. In 1927, Metropolitan Sergius issued a formal declaration to all members of the Church that called for loyalty toward the Soviet government. This event sparked division among the hierarchy, clergy and laity and led to the formation of the True Orthodox Church in Russia.
Opposition to Metropolitan Sergius's declaration was not simply based on his political concessions, which they felt were too extreme, but was also on canonical and theological issues. His alliance with the authorities allowed him to turn over to the civil authorities all hierarchs and clergy who were at odds with him on political issues as well as purely church-related issues.
[edit] Underground
A considerable part of the Church in Russia stood in opposition to Metropolitan Sergius and took the stand of the True Orthodox Church. The opposition, however, remained primarily on a church-related basis. The overwhelming majority of the True Orthodox Church tried to observe Soviet law. This, however, was not enough. The authorities had taken their stand in the dispute and were prepared to use whatever means necessary to bring the bishops under the obedience of Sergius. This caused the numerous True Orthodox Church eparchies and communities to go underground for the length of the Soviet period.
In the period from the 1970s-80s, many of the True Orthodox Church communities had lost their last bishops and much of their clergy. Many of these groups were forced to exist and celebrate services in the absence of a priest.
[edit] Emergence
After the change in political conditions in the late 1980s, the True Orthodox Church began to emerge from the underground. Various churches solved the question of their future existence in different ways. Some of the communities joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which by that time had begun to open communities within Russia. Others renewed their episcopacy and clergy through arrangements made with other jurisdictions. The Russian True Orthodox Church - Metropolia of Moscow chose the latter.
In 1996 an initiative group of Russian Orthodox clergy and laity approached Patriarch Dymytriy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), asking him to assist them in the canonical restoration of a hierarchy for the True Orthodox Church. It was decided that the name for the restored church would be the Russian True Orthodox Church. In June of 1996, with the blessing of Patriarch Dymytriy, Archbishop Roman and Bishop Mefodiy (later Metropolitan Mefodiy) of the UAOC ordained Hieromonk John a bishop of the Russian True Orthodox Church in order to restore apostolic succession. In December of 1996 Bishops John and Mefodiy ordained Archimandrite Stefan a bishop for the Russian True Orthodox Church. These two bishops, John and Stefan, would pass the apostolic succession to the rest of the bishops of the Russian True Orthodox Church.
[edit] Contemporary church
In 2000 the Russian True Orthodox Church officially added "Metropolia of Moscow" to its name in order to distinguish it from other groups within Russia.
Today, the Church is led by Metropolitan Vyacheslav of Moscow and Kolomensk together with Archbishop Mikhail of Bronitsk and Velensk, Archbishop Alexy (Bondarenko) of Archdiocese of North America, Bishop Haralampos (Western Rite) and Bishop Vladimir.
[edit] External links
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