The Shepherd, September 2005
The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, 4
Among those who did not recognise Metropolitan Sergius’ Declaration of loyalty to the Soviet regime were the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Peter (whose Substitute Metropolitan Sergius was), Metropolitans Agathangel. of Yaroslavl and Cyril of Kazan (who had been indicated by Patriarch Tikhon as possible Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne in case Peter should be unable to exercise his office), Metropolitan Joseph of Petrograd, and many other well-known hierarchs. Indeed, Metropolitan Sergius himself had thought exactly like them not long before his signing of the Declaration for the reasons already mentioned.
The Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius brought no benefit to the Church. The persecutions not only did not cease, but they even increased. To the other accusations which the Soviet regime made against clergy and laymen was added yet one more - not recognising the Declaration. At the same time, churches without number were closed throughout Russia. Within a few years almost all churches were destroyed or put to various other uses. Whole provinces remained without a single church. Concentration camps and places of forced labour held thousands of clergy, a significant part of which never regained freedom, being executed there or dying from excessive labours and deprivations. Even the children of priests and all believing laymen were persecuted.
The Russian Church Abroad was spiritually one with these persecuted believers. Except for the several hierarchs already mentioned, all the rest, headed by Metropolitan Antony, flatly refused to give signatures of loyalty to the Soviet regime, and they came out with in open denunciation: moreover, Metropolitan Antony, who very much loved Metropolitan Sergius and inwardly suffered for his beloved disciple and friend, wrote him personally a letter of admonition, which probably never reached him or in any case was no longer able now to influence his behaviour.
Like the bishops and faithful inside Russia who did not recognise the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius, so too the part of the Russian Church that was abroad did not cease to belong to the Russian Church. They all, just as before, remained in spiritual union with the LocumTenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Peter, who was languishing in a desert place - the far north. His name was commemorated in all Russian churches abroad.
In all these churches there were also prayers for the suffering brethren in the homeland, for their deliverance from the atheist regime, and for the repose of those who had been martyred by the regime. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Evlogy, who had given the signature of loyalty to the Soviet regime which had been demanded by Metropolitan Sergius, was invited to a service of prayer in England for the suffering Russian Church, and he took part in it. This was interpreted as an act against the Soviet regime, and he was forbidden to serve by Metropolitan Sergius. Not wishing to submit to this decree, but at the same time not wishing to acknowledge his guilt before the Russian Synod Abroad, Metropolitan EvIogy asked the Patriarch of Constantinople to receive him and his flock temporarily into the jurisdiction of the Œcumenical Patriarchate, which was done.
Notwithstanding the departure from the Church Abroad - and, one may say, from the Russian Church altogether - of Metropolitans Evlogy and Platon with their followers, the Russian Church Abroad remains the free part of the Russian Church. She has enjoyed the attention of the Most Holy Patriarchs and the other hierarchs of her sister Orthodox Churches. Patriarch Varnava of Serbia showed special attention to her and strove to return to the Russian Church Abroad those bishops who had separated from her, and he was likewise an intermediary between her and Metropolitan Sergius, whom he respected and loved as the rector of his days in the Academy. However, soon he had to become convinced that Metropolitan Sergius was in the hands of the Church’s enemies and that his actions were harmful to her, concerning which he wrote to him directly.
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