Make no mistake. The Philippines is a contested country. The Greek Metropolis that also has parishes there has no problem "excommunicating" the Russian Church's priests and laity operating in the country. It's a sad situation, but also moving and uplifting to see so many baptisms and conversions going on all the time there.
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(Mospat.ru) - On March 24, 2016, the working group for organizing, coordinating and supporting the Russian Orthodox Church’s missionary work in the Philippines met for its second session at the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR). The working group has been established by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The meeting, which was chaired by Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, was attended by Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, Hegumen Serapion (Mitko), deputy head of the synodal mission departments (SMD), the Rev. George Maximov, Moscow; the Rev. Stanislav Rasputin, head of the Petrozavodsk diocesan mission department; Hieromonk Philip (Balingit), head of the Philippines deanery of the diocese of Australia and New Zealand (Russian Church Outside Russia); Hieromonk Lev (Sklyarov), SMD press secretary, the Rev. Ioann Moroz, CMD; and D. Petrovsky, DECR.
The meeting considered a wide range of issues concerning the organization of missionary work in the Philippines and restoration of the historical presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in that country.
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In the distant future, if reunion is ever achieved, Filipinos will no doubt have these foreign bishops removed as fast as possible.
ReplyDeleteYou should also note that the Patriarchate of Antioch also has parishes and missions in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteFr. John W. Mprris
What the Russians & Greeks must learn is that "Church Colonialism" isn't CANONICAL. All churches can perform missionary activities, but establishing the AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES is the ONLY CANONICAL alternative. Foreign bishops and/or Patriarchs have no authority outside their own territory. This includes Moscow, Damascus, Istanbul, etc.
ReplyDeleteAre there enough well established parishes in the Philippines to justify a Philippine Orthodox Church? O.o
ReplyDelete