ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION BETWEEN STOC AND ROCA

On the 18th of September 2020, through God’s mercy, talks were held remotely between representatives of the Serbian True Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The STOC was represented in the talks by Bishop Akakije and Abbess Euphrosynia (Molchanov), while representing ROCA, were: Archbishop Andronik, Archbishop Sophroniy, Bishop Andrei, Protopriest Nikita (Grigoriev), George Lukin and Mark Kotlaroff.

It’s with great joy and gratitude to God we announce that our talks were concluded with an agreement to establish a Eucharistic communion between our Churches.  

Earlier, both sides were in discussion on the 9-10 November 2018 in Paris. At the time, all the participants were convinced that there were no serious obstacles for our unification, and expressed a desire that a communion be enacted. Now, this wish has been realized. This unification will undoubtedly bring great joy to our faithful, and hearten them in these current times.

We live in an era of great apocalyptic changes, when the powers of evil have begun to act with extraordinary audacity, barely disguising their plan to establish antichrist’s new world order.

It is apparent that the all-encompassing advance for the final subjugation of humanity has begun for its total de-spiritualization and dehumanization, so that being broken spiritually, it will worship the antichrist.

The situation in the world obliges us, true-orthodox Christians, to close ranks for the sake of a more active opposition to evil. Orthodox forces of one mind have to unite for a concordant witness of the Orthodox Truth. 

This year, we are commemorating an important jubilee – 100 years of the founding of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. We regard this event important not only for Russian Orthodoxy but for the whole universal Orthodoxy, and especially for the Serbian Church. 

Through God’s Providence, ROCA became the major bearer of the idea of opposing the mystery of lawlessness and the great apostasy (2 Thes. 2). In the gloom of apostasy, akin to a lighthouse, She showed the path to True Orthodoxy as a safe haven and foundation of Truth (1 Tim. 3:15).

Inasmuch as the ROCA in the beginning of Her historical path was formed and received Her development in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, we consider it appropriate and meaningful for our church communion to commence in Serbia with a joint celebration of the 100 year jubilee of ROCA. If it is God’s will, for this purpose a delegation of the ROCA will arrive in Serbia.

The celebrations will begin with the visit of Blessed Metropolitan Anthony’s (Khrapovitsky) grave and other holy places, which are associated with the activities of ROCA in Serbia, and they will conclude with a solemn concelebration of the Hierarchs and clergy of STOC and ROCA on Sunday 28 September / 11 October, on the day of the finding of the relics of St. John of Shanghai, in the Holy Spirit cathedral at the Uteshitelevo episcopal see.

We ask our fellow pastors and their God-loving flock to uplift their prayers to our Lord for success to this God-pleasing matter.

STOC

Bishop Akakije

Bishop Nektarije

ROCA

Archbishop Andronik

Archbishop Sophroniy

Bishop Andrei