His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Reunification of the Archdiocese of parishes of Russian tradition with the Mother Church has become possible due to profound changes in the life of Russia and the Russian Church

On 7 October 2019, after the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia made his comments on its decisions.

“Today the Holy Synod took a historic decision. The Archdiocese of parishes of Russian tradition with its centre in Paris, which until recently was in the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, has joined the Russian Orthodox Church.

“The Archdiocese was a part of the Russian Orthodox emigration – a result of the Revolution and Civil war. The ‘Paris’ church emigration has gone a very complicated way from confrontation with the Russian Church determined by political circumstances to the decision to join the Moscow Patriarchate. Yet, all of us have gone a certain way, and our reunification has become possible not only due to many changes in Western Europe, but also due to a lot of changes in the life of our country and our Church.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate our brothers and sisters in Western Europe and also all of us with the reunification of the until recently separated part of the Russian Church with its Mother,” His Holiness said in conclusion.