See the original of the Ukaz here


The Russian Orthodox Church in Exile

23 October / 5 November 2001
Holy Ap. Jacob [James], the Brother of the Lord

DECREE (UKASE)

To All the Faithful Pastors and Sons and Daughters of the Church of Christ

It is with profound sorrow that, seeing the apostasy of the hierarchs of ROCOR, we strive and desire, with God’s compassion and succor, to preserve and maintain the spiritual heritage and testaments of Patriarch St. Tikhon, of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, and of our First-Hierarchs: Antony, Anastassy and Philaret.

Through God’s allowance, the Russian Church, enduring persecution, was chased into the catacombs in Russia and scattered throughout the entire world with a providential purpose: to preserve and restore Christ’s unblemished teaching to [our] Native Land, as well as to carry on missionary service in the non-Orthodox world. Our Church Abroad has always been thought of as being in temporary exile from our Fatherland. Therefore, placing our hopes and trust in God’s will – and not being desirous of "rending the unity of the Church by schism" (as the false-teachers claim), but, on the contrary, attempting "to preserve the Church from schisms and divisions" (in accordance with Canon 15 of the First-Second Council of Constantinople) –

WE HEREBY HAVE RESOLVED:

to restore the former name of our Church, which indicates Her actual status, and henceforth to call [Her]: "The Russian Orthodox Church In Exile," for we Orthodox all now find ourselves in spiritual (and even in physical) exile – within [our] Native Land, as well as Abroad.

In connection with the requests that have arisen to be taken under the omofor of Metropolitan Vitaly – both from clergy and members of the flock, who are not in agreement with the new pernicious course, directed toward union with the Moscow Patriarchate, upon which the hierarchs abroad have embarked – WE HEREBY INSTRUCT:

all those clergy, who are faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and to His Holy Truth, to commemorate the name of Metropolitan Vitaly at all Divine Services, on the basis of the given Ukaz, with a change in his title to that of "First-Hierarch Of the Russian Orthodox Church In Exile."

In order that the hearts of the clergy of our Church might not be troubled and dismayed, WE DECLARE that all so-called "depositions," "bans," "declarations," "resolutions," etc., on the part of the apostates who have seized power in the Synod, are considered to be invalid and void, in accordance with the word of the Holy Psalmist and Prophet David: "He shall break their bonds and remove their yoke from us. He Who liveth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall mock them" (Ps. II, 3-4).

+Metropolitan Vitaly
First-Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile
(signature)

+Bp. Varnava of Cannes
(signature)

+Bp. Sergii of Mansonville
(signature)

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