ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

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Maria
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ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

Post by Maria »

I have started this thread to explore the ROCOR-A (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia-A) which is now known as ROCA (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad), so that our guests and inquirers can have an opportunity to learn more about the ROCA. Any inflammatory accusations will be promptly moved over to the Intra-TOC Polemics Private Forum.

Since other True Orthodox jurisdictions will be explored in their own threads, please keep all your discussions in this thread focused only on the ROCA jurisdiction.

Below are some questions. Please feel free to provide links and excerpts from official sites as references.

  1. What is the history of ROCA (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad)?
  2. Who are their former hierarchs and leaders?
  3. Is ROCA in communion with any other True Orthodox jurisdictions?

According to the SiR website, ROCA is now in communion with SiR, which they consider to be their "sister" church. ROCA broke with ROCOR when ROCOR joined the MP. Apparently, SiR's new relationship with ROCA shows that their relationship with ROCOR-MP has ended.

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Maria
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ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

Post by Maria »

jgress wrote:

The SiR is in communion with ROCOR-A, as well as the Romanian and Bulgarian Old Calendarists (or at least the largest jurisdictions thereof). Is that what you meant by ROCA, Maria? Or are you referring to the earlier act of communion between the SiR and ROCOR in 1994?

ROCOR, under Met Lavr, broke communion with the SiR in 2006, just before the MP union. After Met Agafangel refused to accept the MP union in 2007, he entered into negotiations with the SiR and they re-established communion. At least that is what I know of it.

I just received this PM from a member of ROCA, which is now a "sister-church" of the SiR.

ROCA and ROCOR-A are one and the same. A decision was recently made to revert to ROCA (literally the Russian Orthodox Foreign Church) as ROCA sees itself as the faithful remnant of the Russian Church beyond the boundaries.

In checking this source, I clicked the link (see E Cafe Links) under ROCOR-A. The link automatically took me to the ROCA:
http://sinod.ruschurchabroad.org/engindex.htm

So, in answer to your question, the ROCOR-A has indeed changed its name to ROCA.

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ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

Post by Dcn.Ephrem »

Yes, but we call it ROCOR-A, or simply the "Agafangelites," to distinguish it from the historical ROCA, which was always used as another name for ROCOR. In ROAC, as in all of the Russian TOCs, we do not consider the Agafangelites to be a lawful continuation of ROCOR.

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Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC)

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Re: ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

Post by Dcn.Ephrem »

An interesting, and in my opinion very accurate, view of their history from a GOC priest: http://roacusa.org/htdocs/DemiseROCOR.pdf

Fr. Deacon Ephrem Cummings
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC)

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Maria
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Re: ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history

Post by Maria »

Dcn.Ephrem wrote:

Yes, but we call it ROCOR-A, or simply the "Agafangelites," to distinguish it from the historical ROCA, which was always used as another name for ROCOR. In ROAC, as in all of the Russian TOCs, we do not consider the Agafangelites to be a lawful continuation of ROCOR.

Thanks, I was wondering about the historical ROCA. Does ROCOR-MP still use ROCA?

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Re: Synod in Resistance: Who are they? What is their history

Post by Dcn.Ephrem »

Maria wrote:

Thanks, I was wondering about the historical ROCA. Does ROCOR-MP still use ROCA?

Informally, yes.

Fr. Deacon Ephrem Cummings
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC)

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Barbara
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ROCOR-A / ROCA: Who are they? What is their history?

Post by Barbara »

Yes Deacon Ephrem has explained quite well here.
It IS confusing, Maria.

I want to remind everyone that the Agafangel group - remember that he was a Bishop, not a Metropolitan when it started out - was initially called Rocor-PSCA or something like that. Provisional Supreme Church Authority.

I never went for that, sticking with the original designation of Rocor-A for awhile.
Now for simplicity's sake and to create immediate comprehension of readers, I call them the Met Agafangel group.
Sometimes the acronyms could be confusing, particularly to inquirers, or even those from World Orthodoxy who
could possibly browse interesting threads on our site.

Last edited by Maria on Sun 30 June 2013 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: moved a portion of Barbara's thread into Intra-TOC Polemics
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