Epistle

of the Provisional Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority

of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad

Christ is Risen!

Honorable Fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

A year has passed since the signing of the Act of Eucharistic Communion between a part of the Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate. It can now be said definitively that the belief that ROCA will not be able to preserve its original traditions within the conditions set forth by this Act is justified, and the hopes of the many supporters of union to the possibility of influencing the Moscow Patriarchate in a positive way from within have proven to be unrealistic. The gradual swallowing up and repression of those who were until recently our brothers is becoming more evident, and the day is probably near when those who merged will begin to resemble those whom they may have wanted to genuinely change for the better.

We become surer of the correctness of our decision to safeguard the principles of the Church Abroad’s way of life. Therefore in the future, it is imperative to apply all possible effort to keep the ROCA’s traditional standards of belief, which were developed for over 80 years during the very difficult period of existence of our part of the Russian Church. The challenge now is not to somehow correct or “improve” our beliefs, but to hold on to and save the legacy of the pure and intact Orthodoxy passed on from our beloved First Hierarchs, archpriests and priests, and the many monastics and laypeople. We must preserve and pass on this valuable inheritance to those who will come after us.

May God help us in this endeavor!

Truly He is Risen!

+Agafangel

Bishop of Taurida and Odessa, Chairman of the ROCA PSEA

+Andronik

Bishop of Ottawa and North America, Vice Chairman of the ROCA PSEA

+Sofroniy

Bishop of St. Petersburg and Northern Russia

Fr. Vladimir Petrenko

(representing PSEA member Archpriest Georgiy Petrenko)

Hieromonk Arseniy

PSEA Secretary

15 May 2008