Do the traditionalist Churches recognize each other?

[Pilgrim]

My question for those of the traditionalist Churches, such as ROCie, RTOC, STOC, etc.

Do the traditionalist Churches recognize each other? That is, does, say, the Serbian True Orthodox Church recognize and give communion to the Russian True Orthodox Church?

[GOCPriestMark]

Hello Pilgrim,

The answer to your question will depend on who you talk to. It is easier if one is familiar with the origin of each of these "TOC"s. That will help more than trying to approach it from a geographical/national direction.

To help you with this, there are 3 main groups to take note of;

1.) The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Outside of Russia) usually called ROCOR or ROCA which has recently, within the past 15 years, split into various groups usually known in shorthand with abbreviations such as ROCOR/MP, ROAC, ROCiE/V, ROCiE/A, RTOC, ROCOR-PSCA etc, which all have their own version of history and reasons why they separated.

2.) The "Florinites", named for the Metropolitan of Florina Chrysostomos (1955), who left the Orthodox Church in Greece and accepted/followed the new-calendar until 1935 when he returned to the Church and helped consecrate bishops for her. The current hierarchs of the various factions of this group all stem from ROCOR.

3.) The "Matthewites", named for Archbishop Matthew of Bresthena (+1950) who was consecrated in 1935. Those who claim to be in his lineage have also split, once in 1995 and again in 2005.

For anyone to consider joining any of these groups it is important to investigate their hierarchical lineage and Confession of faith to determine if they are the true continuation of the Orthodox Church.

This timeline will be helpful to understand the history, at least from my stand-point:
http://www.genuineorthodoxchurch.net/goctimeline.html
(others will disagree, but they can right their own post and site their own histories.)

Oh yes, and the straight answer to the question is NO, they do not commune together except for those in the same lineage who recognize each other and have the same faith and origins.

[Pilgrim]

then i suppose they do not recognize the 'official' orthodox Church as a true Orthodox church with true sacraments?

How much dialogue is being done between these and the 'official' Orthodox churches?

[GOCPriestMark]

It is the position of my synod that the "world orthodox" are graceless. There has been some discussion over the past 80 years, they know well our position. When they are willing to come back to the Church, on the Church calendar and anathematize ecumenism then we can talk. They would definitely have to renounce this:
http://www.plasticsusa.com/ortho/enc1920.htm

[Vladimir Moss]

There is unofficial communion between the True Orthodox Church of Greece (Kiousis), the Serbian True Orthodox Church (which is under the TOC of Greece) and the Russian True Orthodox Church (Archbishop Tikhon). At the RTOC Council in Odessa in November, 2008 Abbess Euphrosyne of the Serbian TOC and I, a layman of the Greek TOC, received communion from the Russians with the full knowledge and blessing of hierarchs on both sides.

[Suaidan]

Pilgrim asked: "My question for those of the traditionalist Churches, such as ROCie, RTOC, STOC, etc.
Do the traditionalist Churches recognize each other? That is, does, say, the Serbian True Orthodox Church recognize and give communion to the Russian True Orthodox Church?"

That's a very nuanced question; there is a difference between recognition and formal communion. Recognition generally extends a lot more broadly, especially among the laity of different jurisdictions. So there is somewhat of a difference between who recognizes other jurisdictions, and who is in communion. In that sense, the issue of formal communion is somewhat minimized in many cases. For example, many have differing opinions on members of different jurisdictions of the TOC of Greece, but how these members treat each other varies.

I've generally found that when it comes to laity communing, the question is much more relaxed in most of the jurisdictions than reception as clergy, et cetera.

Formal communion, however, is a different animal. When two jurisdictions fully recognize each other, Glory to God, their members can fully confess and commune at each other's churches without the questions related to recognition. It is a hope that all the True Orthodox may one day be unified in practice as in faith; but the times don't lend themselves to such a hopeful outcome.

It is indeed better to consider that there are still True Orthodox Bishops left on earth to join.

[Cyprian]

There is unofficial communion between the True Orthodox Church of Greece (Kiousis), the Serbian True Orthodox Church (which is under the TOC of Greece) and the Russian True Orthodox Church (Archbishop Tikhon). At the RTOC Council in Odessa in November, 2008 Abbess Euphrosyne of the Serbian TOC and I, a layman of the Greek TOC, received communion from the Russians with the full knowledge and blessing of hierarchs on both sides.

Very interesting to learn this. Thank you for your post.

Would it be correct to assume that this unofficial communion between the synod headed by Abp. Chrysostom (Kiousis), and the synod headed by Abp. Tikhon, extends to the synod here in the States headed by Met. Pavlos as well?

Thank you.