ROC: Establishing Exarchate in Africa aims to protect Orthodox from schism
In response to the Greek hierarch, the DECR ROC Communications Service stated that the Russian Church does not claim the territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
In response to the accusations of Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri, the DECR of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that the creation of the African Exarchate is not an expression of claims to the canonical territory of the ancient Church of Alexandria. This is reported in the official commentary of the Department posted on mospat.ru.
The Greek hierarch was also reminded that the reasons and circumstances for the creation of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Africa are described in the Statement of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated January 28.
“In particular, it was emphasized that the creation of this exarchate ‘is not an expression of claims to the canonical territory of the ancient Church of Alexandria, but pursues the sole aim of providing canonical protection to those Orthodox clerics in Africa who do not wish to participate in the lawless legitimization of the schism in Ukraine’,” the DECR ROC noted.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the DECR ROC published a refutation of the accusations made against the Russian Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri.
