Diocese of Sourozh Annual Conference Held in Oxford

The Diocese of Sourozh annual conference was held in Oxford on 27 to 29 May 2006. This year’s theme was The Human Person: Fallen and Reborn. Meetings of clergy and people like that had been held for years, however this year it had been looked forward to with anxiety due to the crisis in the diocese. The main speaker planned to open the conference, Bishop Basil Osborne, had decided not to take part in the event.

The temporary administrator of the diocese Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, opened the conference with an address and proposed the situation in the diocese be discussed in the spirit of brotherly love.

Archbishop Innokenty reminded he had attended the similar conferences when Metropolitan Anthony was still alive. He said Metropolitan Anthony’s life and heritage was very important and precious.

The Very Revd. Benedict Ramsden addressed the meeting and said he was glad to see Archbishop Mark there and to be a witness of a church reunion he had not expected to see. He also said he would stay a loyal and grateful to the Russian Orthodox Church, which opened the Orthodoxy to him.

After him the Very Revd. Daniel Joseph, the Revd. Philip Steer, the Very Revd. Maxim Nikolsky, and the Revd. Stephen Platt were speaking.

Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, a member of the commission investigating the crisis in the Diocese of Sourozh was also speaking. He shared his memories of Metropolitan Anthony and said the metropolitan brought into the Russian Church numerous people of all ethnicities. Dividing the Church means betraying his heritage.

In the end of the conference Metropolitan Innokenty said the exchange of opinions was profitable, and he felt God’s help. He suggested they should base their work on principles of Metropolitan Anthony, keep the unity, and stay faithful to Patriarch Alexy and the Orthodox Church.

• The Statement of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church concerning the decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on receiving Bishop Basil (Osborne) into its jurisdiction
• Prayer for the rest of the soul of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
• The Diocese of Sourozh Assembly sends a message to the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church
• The meeting of the Sourozh diocesan assembly
• The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church sends a letter to the archpastors, cleric and laity of the Sourozh diocese
• Holy Synod resolution on the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to accept Bishop Basil Osborn in its jurisdiction
• Diocese of Sourozh Annual Conference Held in Oxford
• Archbishop Innokenty Meets the Archbishop of Canterbury
• A special website on the Sourozh diocese is launched
• Situation in the Diocese of Sourozh
• On the situation in the Sourozh diocese
  Information by the Communication Service of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations