The Diocese of Sourozh Assembly sends a message to the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Diocese of Sourozh Assembly sends a message to the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Moscow Patriarchate Diocese of Sourozh Assembly met for its regular session on June 17, 2006, at the Cathedral of the Dormition and All Saints in London.

The Assembly sent the following letter to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy:

To His Holiness, Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia

Your Holiness,

In the name of those members, clergy and lay, of the Assembly of the Diocese of Sourozh, who gathered on 17th June, 2006, I write to express our gratitude for Your Holiness’s, letter to us, and for Your pastoral encouragement at this difficult time.

As Your Holiness’s letter observes, ours was a sad meeting in that many former members of the Assembly were absent. Nonetheless, we expressed our resolve to continue the life, witness and ministry of this diocese in accord with traditions and approaches taught to us by Metropolitan Anthony, in continuous communion with the mother church to which he was always faithful throughout his long and remarkable ministry.

We formally welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun as the new Administrator of our diocese, and the appointment of the Commission to identify the problems that are troubling us. We took steps to replace those officers of the Assembly who have recently withdrawn their services, so that the Diocese’s ministry to all its members, both old and new, may continue.

Despite the sadness, we were all much comforted that among the members of Your Holiness’s Commission, present as guests, was His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin. He was a reminder to us all that at this time of division and indeed schism in our own diocese there is nonetheless a great work of reconciliation and unification going on. We congratulate your Holiness on this great joy for the Russian Church.

Over many decades we were encouraged by the late Metropolitan Anthony to see in the Russian Orthodox Church, under Your Holiness’s jurisdiction, a mother who welcomed and embraced all, a mother church which encouraged its daughter churches to grow, helping them to maturity in church life, and eventually to appropriate levels of self-government. At previous meetings, our assembly welcomed Your Holiness’s letter addressed to the late Metropolitan Anthony in the last weeks of his life: a letter which looked forward to the creation of a Metropolia for Western Europe. We are greatly encouraged that Your Holiness reiterated these intentions in your present letter to us.

We ask Your Holiness’s continued prayers for our Assembly, and for our whole diocese as we struggle in our present difficulties, and I also ask Your Patriarchal blessing and holy prayers.

On behalf of the Diocesan Assembly,

Archpriest Benedict Ramsden
17th June, 2006

• 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