His Eminence NICHOLAS, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad |
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is an inalienable, self-governing part of the Local Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is independent in pastoral, educational, administrative, managerial, property and civil matters, abiding at the same time in canonical unity with the entire Fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church, in accordance with the Act of Canonical Communion, confirmed by the Council of Bishops on 2/15 May, 2006, and executed on 4/17 May, 2007. Until the extermination in Russia of the atheist government, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was self-governing on conciliar principles in accordance with the resolution of the Patriarch, the Most Holy Synod, and the Highest Church Council [Sobor] of the Russian Church dated 7/20 November, 1920, No. 362. (Regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 2008, Paragraph 1)
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