The Shepherd, May 2008
NEWS SECTION
CONSTANTINOPLE-MOSCOW RIFT OVER CHINA
PATRIARCHIA-RU publicized a statement of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Patriarchate of Constantinople Holy Synod’s decision to establish an eparchial structure on the territory of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church on 15th April. In January, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople redefined the boundaries of the Metropolis of Hong Kong (established in 1996), having included the People’s Republic of China and a number of Southeast Asian nations in it. In that way, according to the Russian Church, they are instituting a new eparchial structure on the territory of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, and they noted this “with great pity.” According to Moscow, it “is an infringement on the rights of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church. The decision was taken unilaterally, without the knowledge of Orthodox believers living in China.” The Moscow statement goes on to explain that the “pastoral activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in China began in the 17th century, when a Russian priest Maxim Leontev came to Beijing. In 1713, the Russian Spiritual Mission in China was established. Through the efforts of the Russian Orthodox missionaries, the Orthodox Faith penetrated into China. The loyal attitude of the Orthodox (being pious to Chinese authorities and traditions) caused a prolonged and peaceful existence of believers in the Chinese environment. In 1902 according to the nomination by Holy Synod, the Chief of the 18th Spiritual Mission in Beijing Archimandrite Innokenty (Figurovsky) received a dignitary (sic) of bishop with the assignment of the name ‘Pereslavsky.’ [The] Creation of the Chinese Orthodox Church was strengthened by 222 Chinese Martyrs who died for their faith in 1900 and who were glorified by the Moscow Patriarchate in April 22, 1902 (decree No.2874).” [This appears to be an error there was no Moscow Patriarchate in 1902 - ed.].
There follows a history of the Moscow Patriarchate’s activities in China, ending: “The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in a statement made on February 17, 1997 noted, that as long as the Chinese Autonomous Church did not have its own head and pending the ability of the local council of the Chinese Orthodox Church in choosing its own head, the pastoral care, according to canon law, should be exercised by the chief of the Mother Church Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia. The Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations was put in charge of solving practical questions regulating Orthodox life in China.” Then, after speaking of the work of the MP’s Chinese mission, the Synodal Statement ends: “The longstanding spiritual connections between the Russian Orthodox and China now obliged the Holy Synod to protect the rights of believers in the Chinese Orthodox Church, that was weakened during the period of heavy persecution, and to declare that the decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to be unfair and canonically illegitimate.”
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