ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

Exarchate of Parishes of Russian
Tradition in Western Europe

Report on the OGA, Paris, 30 April – 1st  May 2007

I was privileged to attend the Ordinary General Assembly (OGA) of the Archdiocese in Paris over the cusp of April and May this year, as the delegate for the Parish of St Aidan & St Chad, Nottingham.

This Assembly takes place every three years, involving all parishes and communities associated with it. For us it was a very important event, being our first opportunity to attend as part of the Archdiocese following our Bishop’s reception into the Patriarchate of Constantinople on 8th June last year.  

There was a strict and formal agenda, as is necessary when there is much to be done, but at the very start Archbishop Gabriel said that we are primarily an ecclesial community, rather than an administrative one. Therefore these potentially dry and dull proceedings must be seen in the context of our joint lives in Christ. It was obvious to me that we are being integrated into a body that is very clear about its purpose, history and structures, and I was again reassured that this is the right place for us.

The OGA took place at the Saint Sergius Theological Institute. Finding it was a journey in itself. You go down a rather unpromising looking side street in Paris, looking for the numbers on the houses. You get to 91, and you think, where is 93? You continue to the end of the street, near the park, you consult your map, from which you know that it must be behind the tall, unpromising, modern building directly opposite. But how to get into the secret garden? Eventually, the only solution is to look out for cassocks and follow them. Mystery solved. Number 93 is indeed displayed on the wall, but when you are not noted for your height, you cannot see it since it is about six feet up the wall. You go through a narrow entrance, you are met by an attractive, icon-bearing house, then go out into a surprisingly large triangular courtyard, on two levels. Facing you is the church itself.  My first impression was, oh, a Swiss cottage! It is made of wood with an overhanging gable roof. On the bottom floor is the meeting room, which is unremarkable, but the church itself is built on top of that and reached by two symmetrical wooden staircases going up each side of the front of the building. The whole structure is elaborately decorated.

On arrival at the Institute, I met many friends and acquaintances in a buzz of happy and informal conversation. Entry to the meeting room was anything but informal, however. For each session, every time we went into the room, we had to present our invitation card and sign the register. When votes were taken later this could not be done without presentation of this card. In fact one person, even though he was well known, was not allowed to vote because he had forgotten his card.

The first session began at 2.30pm on the Monday afternoon, with a Molieben. Archbishop Gabriel opened the assembly, stressing that it is an ecclesial meeting, not a political one, and our task was to ‘hear the Lord’s voice’, for ‘God is the president of this assembly’. This is why the book of the Gospels is displayed in the middle of the church.

Archbishop Gabriel  gave a report on the three year period since the last assembly. This report is available on the website of the Archdiocese in French. Here I give brief details of it. [Click here for a full translation of the report]

'How good it is', he said, 'for brothers to dwell together in unity'. He was delighted to see so many of us here, over a hundred lay people and nearly seventy in orders, so many, in fact, that the venue had had to be changed to the Institute from the cathedral in rue Daru. This was a sign of growth, and cause for rejoicing. He made a particular point of welcoming those of us who had recently joined the Exarchate. He had many events to report, including the canonisation of new saints, as well as some worrying tensions in which he hoped the Lord would help us. He gave particular thanks to the archdiocesan administration.

New parishes had been opened, clergy ordained, churches consecrated, clergy received. Some had died in this period and at the announcement of their names we were invited to sing Vechnaya Pamyat for them.

He went on to urge us to focus on the essentials, which are our own personal and ecclesial lives, and to reactivate our own baptismal vows in love, which is the essence of the Church. We would enter into the new life, the new birth, in the Holy Spirit, united around our bishop even in tragedy and divisions. This unity is crucial and is not limited to one jurisdiction. We look eventually for the unity of all Christians in Western Europe, and ultimately of all Christians.

Where there is division, he said, resolution will not come through negotiation but in prayer, and all such division is contrary to the fundamental church principle of unity. Alluding to the difficulties in Nice and Biarritz tabled for later discussion, he summarised Bishop Basil’s unbearable situation and his recent formal release by Moscow Patriarchate, which means that concelebration between him and the Moscow Patriarchate is now possible.

He spoke of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church, stressing the individual responsibilities of each person. It was not possible to run everything from Paris; the regions must take some responsibility. In respect of the apostolic dimension he noted that there is a catechetical programme being run in Paris for recent immigrants, and stressed that the Church is not elitist, not a private club; we are enjoined to ‘go…. and teach all nations’ (Matthew 28;19)

In summing up he asked us to consider what this means for us. It is to focus on the essentials of life in Christ, the Eucharistic image and life of God, given for the life of the world.

I did not envy the next speaker, having to follow such an inspiring talk.

Report of the Archdiocesan Council and Diocesan Adminisitration

This was given by Michel Sollogoub, the Secretary. He reminded us that the Council is made up of the bishops, six clerics and six lay people, elected by the OGA, as part of this agenda. They had met 25 times in the last three years and details are published on the website as noted above. 

The Diocesan administration, which is made up of Archbishop Gabriel, the Secretary, and the Treasurer, assisted by Fr Job (Getcha) and Antoine Nivière, meets much more frequently, usually once a week. They publicise and administer the Archdiocese, keeping records and issuing certificates such as for marriages and baptisms. They are compiling a database, they maintain the website and publish the triennial newsletter. They indicated that help for this would be most welcome.

They have undertaken visits to other parishes (and would be very happy to receive further invitations) and government departments, have been involved in the reorganisation of the St Sergius Institute, and in the legal actions in Nice and Biarritz. There was no desire to go to court, and where it was possible to withdraw, they did so, but supported the local ‘associations’ in the actions they wished to take. He noted that there was considerable shock within the local community at the actions of the Moscow Patriarchate in Nice.

M. Sollogoub also spoke about the welcoming of immigrants, and again encouraged more people to get involved in this.

Bishop Basil then gave a report on the situation of our Vicariate. This involved big changes for people both in France and in England, despite the effect of the English Channel, which cuts Europe off from us!

He reprised the history of the Russian tradition in Great Britain. Almost everywhere in the Russian emigration, there were three groups: the Moscow Patriarchate, the rue Daru/OCA and ROCOR. But in Great Britain this was not the case, and this was solely due, Bishop Basil said, to the presence of Metropolitan Anthony, who was able to unite the tradition of the emigration with a personal loyalty to the Moscow Patriarchate. Strangely, this worked, as long as communism lasted. Then in 1991, when the borders were opened, the situation of the émigrés in Great Britain changed overnight.

Bishop Basil told us about a conversation Metropolitan Anthony had had with Patriarch Alexis II, which was later reported to him by the Patriarch. The Patriarch said, ‘You have to expect tens of thousands of Russians to come to Great Britain', to which Metropolitan Anthony instinctively replied, 'This will ruin everything I’ve done!’

Over the next fifteen years there were huge socio-political changes, and Metropolitan Anthony did his best to integrate them. ‘I do not think,’ said Bishop Basil, ‘that he believed he succeeded. He had invited Bishop Hilarion to London, in the hope that it would help. It didn’t; and at the end of his life he was discouraged and tired.’

After Metropolitan Anthony’s death in 2003, Bishop Basil was appointed as administrator, and Bishop Hilarion’s supporters began to work as before. The clergy, the deans, the bishop all wrote to   Patriarch Alexis, saying, we need help.

There was no reply. Matters worsened. Just before Easter 2006, people simply stopped helping in the Cathedral and there was effectively a strike. The day was saved only by the influx of Georgians who gave their help.

At this point, said Bishop Basil, I decided this could not go on. He wrote to Patriarch Alexis asking for release for him and all who wished to follow him into the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

There had, then, developed over the last seventy or eighty years two traditions, both Russian in origin but difficult to integrate. Although he had not made this explicit at the time, Bishop Basil said that he felt that he, and therefore the diocese, was being drawn into the world of the Russian State and the oligarchs. It became clear to him that the Patriarch’s letter of 1 April 2003 was less about reconciliation than about power; and this was a very important element in his perception of the situation. It was difficult not to connect our situation with the decision of Metropolitan Evlogy in 1931, when he too appealed to the protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 

In Great Britain, the hope is to continue the line established by Metropolitan Anthony, with an openness to the surrounding culture, dialogue within communities and remembering that we have a job to do with other Christians.

He ended by saying that we in Great Britain now have a feeling of relief and relaxation, and now feel able to work in real and realistic ways within Great Britain and the world.

Internal Statute of Vicariate of Great Britain & Ireland  We came now to the presentation of this important document underpinning the way the Vicariate functions. For the UK delegation this was of course an important moment.

This presentation was given by Antoine Nivière. The draft statute had been circulated to delegates for reference before our arrival, so we had time to peruse it. The question has been asked, what is a Vicariate, and why have one? Without going into more detail than I am qualified to do, the point is that a Vicariate is a geographical group of parishes and communities under the authority of an assistant bishop. Provision for such a structure was made in the Council of Moscow 1917-18 and was part of the previous practice of the Archdiocese. There was therefore no need to change the structures of the Archdiocese for us to be integrated into it.

There had been a small amount of opposition to the creation of our Vicariate, which was duly and formally expressed previously to Archbishop Gabriel, but the OGA voted overwhelmingly in favour of it, less than a dozen people voting against or abstaining.

Bishop Basil took questions about the Vicariate, and spoke briefly about the number of parishes and communities, the newly launched Vicariate journal The Messenger, and the coming annual conference.

Protodeacon Peter Scorer then spoke briefly. In essence he said that the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain was returning to its home in the Exarchate, where it had been at one time situated.  He went on to say that those close to Metropolitan Anthony knew that he was unhappy to be under a church controlled by the State, and that, although sometimes relations with the Exarchate were not perfect, they were sure he would have approved of Bishop Basil’s actions.

Before concluding with Vespers, we were introduced to the names of the candidates for election to the Council and to the procedure for election.

There was also an interesting presentation about the work of the Institute.

Day 2: Tuesday 1 May

The next day, Tuesday, we began very early with the Divine Liturgy in the beautiful church above the meeting hall. My British body clock soon forgot how early it was as I stood with many new friends in the church awaiting the entrance of the Archbishop. I noticed that the sun shone through a small window and directly illuminated the face of Christ on one of the icons. It was an arresting sight. All my senses were involved – this sight, the fragrant incense, the powerful male choir, the effort of keeping still.

Archbishop Gabriel was vested in his archiepiscopal garments, each one, symbolising aspects of his office, placed by others upon his still, willing figure. This is always for me a most moving sight, and I realise again the heavy responsibility our bishops bear for us. At the end of the Liturgy Archbishop Gabriel spoke briefly again of the over-riding importance of unity in Christ.

Elections: After a brief period for light refreshment we began the business of the day.

As well as the members of the Council described above, there was the task of electing another assistant bishop. Archimandrite Johannes Johansen from Oslo was the recommended candidate, and Archbishop Gabriel will in due course present his name to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The candidates for the Council gave short personal presentations, and then the vote took place. Our names were called out in alphabetical order, and our ballot papers collected one by one, on presentation of the invitation card.

We were also asked to vote for six alternates to those elected.

Those elected included our own Fr Alexander Fostiropoulos, which was good news for the Vicariate. A full list of the council members will be available on the website of the Archdiocese.

After a really splendid buffet lunch, where there was opportunity for much informal but important conversation, there were some further presentations about other activities of the Archdiocese. Nikita Struve described his work as president of the archive commission, which includes the conservation of the historical record of the emigration. Fr Alexis Struve gave some feedback on the questionnaires that had been sent round. Fr Boris Bobrinskoy described the material and medical help being given to families, some of whom were homeless. Michel Sollogoub described the work of liturgical translation that is going on within the Archdiocese, and stressed the need for co-ordination and co-operation in this task.

The Treasurer’s report was given. This was all in order, as the auditors confirmed, although I, as a former treasurer myself, was shocked at the large amount of money that was contributed towards the legal actions in Nice and Biarritz.

Fr Michael Fortounatto gave a short presentation about a French speaking liturgical conference that is being arranged for choir directors. This will be open outside the Archdiocese as well.  A pilgrimage to Ravensbruck is planned for the late autumn, leaving from Paris on 1st November.

Archbishop Gabriel summed up the meetings. First he addressed some words to those clergy he had himself ordained. It is very moving to see you all here, he said. I was lucky in my own bishops, particularly Vladyka Serge, who was such a great help to me. There was fraternity, fellowship, joy in the service of the church. I am a joyful bishop, he said, thanks to my priests. There is a deep connection, I never forget you. It is hard to be alone in a parish, he said, do not hesitate to seek support and advice from other priests. Transmit this joy to the people, he said. If there is tension between priests, the parishioners will know it. You must be the exemplar, in love, not with artificial effort. Some priests, he said, are fearful, possessive of their own parishes, and do not want to open up. You must influence the young people, but don’t make clones of them. Prepare for the future, looks for vocations in your parishes, especially amongst the young. Be an example, a joyful priest, not tired and complaining. Think about the future of the church. It is the Lord who says this, not me, the Lord will knock at your door. Many of you are retired, he said, but at sixty  you have another twenty years, think what you will do for the church!

Now, he said, I speak to the laity. You have to respect your priests. We all have a vocation to become saints, and you must help and support them, or they will become tired. There is much to do – cleaning, making prosphora, preparing the services. You are not consumers, you must share these responsibilities. It is also important to respect the founders of your parishes, indeed some are still with you. Keep the archives, all the documents, know your history and that of the Exarchate. Let’s be proud of our past and share it.

The greatest richness of the church is the Liturgy. Some are happy for this to be only once a month. This is not enough, he said, I insist on at least twice a month. God is with us, he said, and He will keep His promises.

Barbara Bates, May 2007