Granting of Autocephaly to Orthodox Church in America in the Light of the Documents of Church Archives

• Main Author: Kostriukov Andrei
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 2016-06-01
• Series: Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ II. Istoriâ, Istoriâ Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi
• Subjects: Orthodox Church in America; the Patriarchate of Moscow; Patriarch Aphinogor; Patriarch Alexis the First; Metropolitan Irinaeus (Bekish); Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov); Archpriest A. Shmeman; Protopresbyter I. Maindorf.

In 1970 the Patriarchate of Moscow gives autocephaly to Orthodox Church in America. This event is not suffi ciently reflected in the literature and many documents on this subject are not available. On materials of Russian and foreign archives some details of granting of autocephaly is shown. In particular, the Patriarchate of Moscow for a long time was refusing from reconciliation with North American metropolia on its terms. In the end of 1960s the situation did not change. The Patriarchate of Moscow began to fear that North American metropolia will draw together with Ecumenical Patriarch Aphinogor. In these conditions Church authority of Moscow had make concessions of North American metropolia. Besides, after antichurch reforms of Khrushchev Patriarchate of Moscow can’t support its American parishes. The guidance of Russian Church believed that giving these parishes to American Church solved fi nancial problems.