ROCA elects new leader

(RISU) - On 18 November 2008, in the town of Well Cottage, New York State ( USA), the fifth All-Abroad Sobor (Council) of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) opened. Metropolitan Ahafanhel of southern Ukrainian Odesa was on 19 November elected the sixth hierarch of the ROCA by the vast majority of votes.

The sobor was attended by 55 persons, including several honorary guests, Greek and Romanian bishops, representatives of the Old Believers, and an observer from the Russian True Orthodox Church. Forty-six delegates had the right to vote. They represented part of the parishes which refused to follow Metropolitan Lavr, who united the ROCA with the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate on 17 May 2007. The opposition, which gathered around now Metropolitan Ahafanhel, has retained the old name of the church, ROCA.

Hot debates arose about the question of the timeliness of establishing the synod of the ROCA and electing a chief hierarch in the rank of metropolitan.