The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Vitaly, First Hierarch of the ROCOR, declares:
Some measures recently adopted by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad have been met with mixed reactions by our God-loving flock and have caused anxiety and worry among our faithful children. For the sake of preserving unity, peace and love in our Church, we humbly admit that there was recklessness in the decisions we made.
Our Church must continue to be called the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and as before, the name of His Eminence Vitaly, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, must be exalted according to the rite as the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad with the corresponding name of the Ruling Bishop. Regardless of the arguments put forward in favor of renaming our Church, the fundamental position must be that we have not changed in any way the course of our Church in the area of confessing the Orthodox faith, observing its rules and faithfulness to the Russian Orthodox Church, which lie on the foundation of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition in accordance with the Decree of November 7/20, 1920, No. 362 of Saint Tikhon, the last legitimate Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
In the Decree of October 26/November 8, 2001, decision point 2, regarding the cessation of Eucharistic communion with the Synod in Resistance under the Chairmanship of Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili, was taken on the basis of statements by archpastors and clergy who expressed their confusion and disagreement with the teaching on the Church of Christ set forth in the work entitled “ecclesiological theses”. On the basis that this decision was taken without proper study by the relevant Theological Commission, expressly appointed by the Bishops’ Council, and the presentation of its findings for discussion by the Bishops’ Council, the implementation of this decision is suspended.
With God's blessing on the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Metropolitan Vitaly, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (signature)
Barnabas, Archbishop of Cannes and Europe (signature)
Sergius, Bishop of Mansonville (signature)
Vladimir, Bishop of Sacramento (signature)
Bartholomew, Bishop of Grenada (signature)
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