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Archbishop Hilarion becomes head of Russian Church abroad
12.05.2008, 22.58
NEW YORK, May 12 (Itar-Tass) - Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New
Zealand Hilarion has been elected the supreme hierarch of the Russian
Orthodox Church Outside of Russia /ROCOR/.
Voting for his candidacy was held Monday at a conference of ROCOR's
Council
of Bishops in New York.
Enthronement of the newly elected supreme hierarch has been scheduled for
May 18.
His Beatitude Hilarion's predecessor, Metropolitan Laurus died March 16 at
the age of 81.
Metropolitan Laurus became of the symbol of ROCOR's reunification with the
Russian Orthodox Church re****ting to Moscow Patriarchate. The event took
place May 17, 2007 - the day on which the Patriarch of Moscow and all
Russia
Alexy II and His Beatitude Laurus signed an Act on Canonical
Communications.
The do***ent put an end to the split between the two branches of the
Russian
Church that divided them for almost eight decades.
As ROCOR hierarchs were gathering for the session of the Council of
Bishops,
spokespeople for Moscow Patriarchate voiced the hope that the newly
elected
supreme hierarch would continue Metropolitan Laurus's reunification cause.
During the metropolitan's funeral in Jordanville, NY, the Most Reverend
Hilarion said it is necessary to continue moving along the course the two
Churches embarked on.
"Thanks to this unity, our Church is getting stronger by the power of
God's
mercy now," he said.
ROCOR's Bylaws says its supreme hierarch has the title of the metropolitan
and is elected by the Council of Bishops for life. Apart from chairing the
conferences of the Council of Bishops and the Synod of Archpriests, the
ruling metropolitan also takes care of the internal and external benefits
of
the Church.
He has the power to convene the Councils of Bishops and the All-Abroad
Councils where representatives of the lay take part along with clerics, to
compile re****ts on the situation in ROCOR, to communicate with other
autocephalous Orthodox Churches on the issues of church life, to maintain
contacts with secular authorities in various countries, and to address
ROCOR's
entire congregation with pastoral epistles and moral instructions.
ROCOR is governed by the Council of Archpriests that convenes annually and
has the status of the supreme body for issuing edicts, as well as
governance, adjudication and control over activities of the Church.
Apart from electing the supreme hierarch, the Council also resolves
general
issues pertaining to the creed, morals, liturgics, occupational
discipline,
educational and missionary activities, and also adjudication in the last
instance.
It handles all the affairs related to the matters of principle in what
concerns nowadays schisms and false teachings and to legal defence of
ROCOR's
interests in governmental institutes and other agencies of power.
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