Patriarchal Exarchate For Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe - History

History

The Exarchate had its origins in the years after the onset of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, when Russian Orthodox Christians based outside Russia and those who fled there from the communist regime found themselves in a difficult situation. More particularly, the exarchate can be traced to the episcopal service of Metropolitan Eulogius (Georgiyevsky) of Paris who had been entrusted by Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow in 1921 to head the ‘Provisional administration of the Russian parishes in Western Europe’.

During the early 1920s the vast majority of Russian Orthodox abroad, united by their opposition to the Soviet government, were members of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), in whose synod Eulogius sat. In 1927 Eulogius broke with the ROCOR (along with Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York, leader of the Russian Metropolia in America) and was subsequently condemned by them, splitting the Russian émigré community in Western Europe.

In 1928, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), then locum tenens of the Patriarchate of Moscow, demanded declarations of loyalty to the Soviet regime, a proposition which Eulogius initially supported but subsequently repudiated. In 1930, after taking part in a prayer service in London in supplication for Christians suffering under the Soviets, Eulogius was removed from office by Sergius and replaced. Most of Eulogius' parishes remained loyal to him, however, as they were generally against the Soviet government. Eulogius then petitioned Ecumenical Patriarch Photius II to be received under his canonical care. He and his community were received in 1931, becoming an exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

In 1945, shortly before his death, Eulogius led the exarchate in a return to the Moscow patriarchate. However, after his death a further break occurred with a large number of parishes once again entering the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The Exarchate was closed by Patriarch Athenagoras I through a letter dated 22 November 1965, with an assembly meeting 16–18 February 1966 noting that such provisional ethnic structures were no longer necessary, given that the passage of several generations had allowed immigrants to become accustomed to their new lands, which were now made up of more and more converts to the faith.

The Exarchate remained closed until 22 January 1971, when it was reinstated by the same Patriarch Athenagoras I - again under the Omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople, but with internal autonomy of organisation. This status was blessed by Patriarch Bartholomew I on 19 June 1999 who, according to the Exarchate's own account "recognised the full autonomy of the Archdiocese in administrative, pastoral and material terms".