Signing of the Act of Canonical Communion

The Act of Canonical Communion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia with the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate () reunited the two branches of the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

: the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (), also called Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Pat ...

(ROCOR) and the

Moscow Patriarchate The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus (), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the Primate (bishop), primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the Ordinar ...

. The accord was signed on 17 May 2007, which for the

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in that year was the Feast of the

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate ) is the Christianity, Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus entering heaven alive, ascended to Heaven. Christian doctrine, as reflected in the major Christian creeds and confessional stateme ...

. The ceremony which officially reestablished the fullness of communion between the Moscow Patriarchate, headed by Patriarch Alexy II, and ROCOR, headed by Metropolitan Laurus, took place at the

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (, ) is a Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height of , it is the ...

in Moscow. The two church leaders met on the episcopal

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

in the centre of the church. The Patriarch then read a prayer, which said in part: The two

hierarch An ordinary (from Latin ''ordinarius'') is an officer of a church or civic authority who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute laws. Such officers are found in hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ...

s then proceeded to the Ambo, where they signed the Act of Canonical Communion. After official statements by both hierarchs, the service continued with the joint celebration of the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...

by clergy of both churches. Among the dignitaries present was

President of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

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Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Yuriy Luzhkov, presidential envoy

Georgy Poltavchenko Georgy Sergeyevich Poltavchenko ( rus, Гео́ргий Серге́евич Полта́вченко, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ pɐlˈtaftɕɪnkə; born on 24 February 1953) is a Russian politician. He has the federal state c ...

, and other government officials. Putin has been hailed by the

primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

of the Russian Orthodox Church,

Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus (), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the Primate (bishop), primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the Ordinar ...

Alexy II as instrumental in healing the 80-year schism between it and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in May 2007.

Reaction

Some opponents of the Act, who have left ROCOR, claim that the reconciliation of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was the result of an intelligence operation of the Russian FSB.Cold War Lingers At Russian Church In New Jersey
By SUZANNE SATALINE, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', July 18, 2007

References

External links

Act of Canonical Communion
text—official English translation (ROCOR Website)

Article and photos (www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws)
Photo of signing
Metropolitan Laurus (left) and Patriarch Alexei (right)
Metropolitan Laurus and Patriarch Alexei making commemorations together during the Divine Liturgy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Act Of Canonical Communion With The Moscow Patriarchate History of the Russian Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia 2007 in Russia 2007 in Christianity 21st-century Eastern Orthodoxy 2007 documents