Metropolitan Jonah, OCA representatives, guests of ROCOR Synod of Bishops

Metropolitan Jonah and Bishop Tikhon, left, with Metropolitan Hilarion and hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

NEW YORK, NY [OCA]—His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, met with members of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia [ROCOR] at the invitation of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, ROCOR First Hierarch, here on Wednesday, December 8, 2010.

The meeting marked the first of its kind since December 11, 1950.

Also representing the Orthodox Church in America at the meeting were His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, and Mr. Alexis Liberovsky, OCA Archivist, all of whom participated in the drafting of the Joint Statement of the Commissions of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, titled “Relations Between the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.”

[The statement, drafted by members of the OCA and ROCOR Commissions at a their meeting in Sea Cliff, NY October 5-6, 2010—see www.oca.org/news/2289 and www.oca.org/news/2285 for background information—was approved by the ROCOR Synod of Bishops on October 25 and the OCA Holy Synod during its fall session November 16-18, although it was agreed that the official English text would not be released until the Russian translation had been finalized and approved. The statement was posted on the OCA web site at www.oca.org/news/2353 on Tuesday, December 14, while the Russian text was posted concurrently on the ROCOR web site at www.synod.com/synod/2010/12rocorocastatement.html.]

Metropolitan Jonah addressed the ROCOR hierarchs, after which fruitful and positive discussion took place. Other issues, in addition to the joint statement, touched upon included the continuation of mutual work of OCA and ROCOR Commissions, the concelebration of hierarchs, the Episcopal Assembly, and cooperative efforts in the areas of liturgical translation, publications, and hospital, prison, youth, and other ministries.

Informal discussion and fellowship continued during the luncheon which followed the Synod session.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is observing its 90th anniversary in December 2010.

Additional information and photos may be found on the ROCOR web site at www.synod.com/synod/eng2010/12encommunique.html.