ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

Exarchate of Parishes of Russian
Tradition in Western Europe

Orthodox Parish of the Annunciation, Oxford

Information Sheet: 7 October 2006

This information sheet is intended to provide some clarification about events in the parish of the Annunciation since May 2006, especially as people return to Oxford after the long summer break.

The parish is now part of the Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland, which is entrusted to the pastoral care of Bishop Basil, within the Exarchate of Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe (Ecumenical Patriarchate). The head of the Exarchate is Archbishop Gabriel of Comana, based in Paris at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in rue Daru. The Exarchate includes approximately 100 communities throughout Europe, from Sweden and Norway to Italy and Spain.

The parish voted to make this move in a secret ballot on 30 June, by 55 to 11 with one abstention.

The background to the vote

This sadly led to conflict, and a campaign of open letters, petitions and internet articles and forum discussions that openly criticised the functioning, vision and leadership of the Diocese.  Many attempts were made at all levels by clergy and laity to resolve the conflict at a pastoral level, but the leadership of the Diocese were finally forced to conclude that the Moscow Patriarchate, whose first loyalty was to the Russians who have recently come to Britain, was not willing to promote resolution. A priest was sent from Moscow during Holy Week to prepare a report on the Diocese, and it became clear that some kind of action was about to be taken. 
On 24 April 2006, therefore, Bishop Basil, who is rector of the Oxford parish, and was also at that time Administrator of the Diocese of Sourozh, wrote to the Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia, Alexis II, asking for release from the Moscow Patriarchate in order that those who wished to do so could be received by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople in the Archdiocese of Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe.

Moscow’s response was swift. On 14 May 2006, Bishop Basil was sent into forcible retirement, and was later suspended by the Holy Synod. Meanwhile, on 8 June, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate received Bishop Basil and elected him Bishop of Amphipolis, with responsibility for the Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland. About two thirds of the clergy and parishes of the Sourozh Diocese have joined the Vicariate.

The effect on Oxford

It was not expected that these events would have a profound effect on parish life in Oxford. The two parishes would continue to observe their own traditions side by side as they had always done.

However, controversy arose over the question of letters of release Bishop Basil had written to his clergy before being sent into forcible retirement. About twenty priests and deacons used these letters to move to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Their parishes also held votes as to where they wished to place themselves.
In Oxford, however, problems arose when Fr Stephen Platt, in spite of having been accepted by Archbishop Gabriel, also asked Archbishop Innokentii, who had taken over as administrator of the Diocese of Sourozh for the Moscow Patriarchate, for a further letter of release. Archbishop Innokentii requested that Archbishop Gabriel should ask personally for Fr Stephen to be released. This developed therefore into a challenge to Archbishop Gabriel’s authority, at the same time throwing into relief the differing positions of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow as regards the diaspora. To have acceded to Archbishop Innokentii’s request would have cast doubt on the acceptance of the other clergy into the Exarchate, and so Archbishop Gabriel wrote to Fr Stephen withdrawing his acceptance.

On September 10th, with Archbishop Innokentii’s blessing, Fr Stephen, now once more a priest of the Diocese of Sourozh, not having suceeded in gaining re-admittance to the Exarchate, inaugurated a Moscow Patriarchal Parish of St Nicholas which currently worships at the Radcliffe Infirmary chapel. Some members of the Annunciation parish have chosen to join him.

Further background information can be found on the Vicariate website: www.exarchate-uk.org, which has an archive section as well as up to date information on the Vicariate itself. The website of the exarchate (in French, Russian, English and Dutch) is at www.exarchat.org.