FOURTH JOINT MEETING OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA AND THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE HELD

The fourth joint working meeting of the Committee of the Moscow Patriarchate on discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate was held from March 2-4, 2005, in the outskirts of Paris. The sessions, which were accompanied by mutual prayer, were held in an atmosphere of brotherly love, yet with frankness in their discussions and a common genuine effort to overcome divisions.

The participants of the meeting on the part of the Moscow Patriarchate included the President of the Committee, Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, Archbishop Evgeny of Verey, Protopriest Vladislav Tsypin, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) and Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, the Secretary of the Committee. Representing the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia were Committee President Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, Bishop Ambroise of Vevey, Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, the Committee's Secretary, and Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff.

Work continued over preparing documents which would present a view of the questions connected with the tragic fate of the Russian Church in the 20th century, the relationship between the Church and the state, the canonical status of the Russian Church Abroad as an self-governing part of the Local Russian Orthodox Church, and the canonical requisites for the reestablishment of full communion.

At the beginning of the joint work of the committees, it was decided that the documents it will draft, upon approval by the Hierarchies of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, would be published at the end of the entire discussion process. Still, for reasons of pastoral expediency, it was deemed beneficial to publish documents already adopted before then. Members of the committees presume that the documents drafted at this present meeting may be published upon their approval by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. At the same time, it is proposed to publish documents already prepared by the committees and adopted by the Hierarchies of Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Other matters were discussed during the meetings regarding the progress of the reestablishment of unity.

The next joint session of the committees is scheduled for the summer of 2005.