DECISION

Of the Vth All-Diaspora Council

On Sergianism

Our Council considers it necessary to note that Metropolitan Sergius’ Declaration, issued in 1927, which caused schism and has been renounced by the Church Abroad and Catacomb Church bodies of the Russian Church, has not yet been properly judged within the Moscow Patriarchate. The contradictory and diffuse opinions put forth by several representatives of the Patriarchate cannot be considered a general repudiation of the aforesaid Declaration.

At the same time from the Patriarchate, we still hear statements and witness actions which glorify not only Metropolitan Sergius, but his church policy as a whole. The ambiguity of this question is the reason that the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate remain divided. We continue to await a conciliar, clear and definite renunciation of the Declaration of 1927 from the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as the undesirable consequences and practises that resulted.