Russian Church speaks about reasons of creating its Exarchate in Africa

Metropolitan Hilarion. Photo: pravmir.ru

The Chairman of the DECR ROC, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, spoke about the reasons that prompted the Russian Church to create its Exarchate in Africa, the official website of the ROC reports.

Metropolitan Hilarion suggested that the decision to create two dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa would entail accusations from those who have been fighting against the Russian Orthodox Church for a number of years.

“These forces are led by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which adopted illegal and anti-canonical decisions concerning the Ukrainian Church,” Vladyka Hilarion noted.

He stressed, "We would not have entered Africa if it had not been for the persistent requests of the African clergy, who addressed us shortly after Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria joined the schism."

“The first such appeal was made two years ago. We waited patiently. We studied the appeals of the clergy who submitted their petitions to us. We sent various signals to the Patriarch of Alexandria that we didn’t want to invade the territory of Africa,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.

And only “when our proposals were rejected, when the Patriarch of Alexandria showed that he was not going to change his position on Ukraine, what could we do? Therefore, now we have accepted those who wished to get affiliated with us,” stressed the head of the DECR ROC.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the ROC formed its Patriarchal Exarchate in Africa.

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