Moderator: Mark Templet
From what I have heard and read there was a fallout among ROCOR traditionalists in 2001 (or so) over the Holy Synod of ROCOR's communion with the Serbian Church. What kind of numbers did this include...either percentage or an actual number.
Many Thanks,
Nektarios
I don't know... from what I've heard the "mass exodus" (or 1994 or of 2001) was for the most part a myth. Some probably did leave (in 2001), and the ones that left were probably talking on the internet, making the "move" out of ROCOR seem bigger or more significant than it was. There seems to have always been this type of problem--a small but vocal group leaves ROCOR, leaving the impression that the split is bigger than it actually is. The problem is that they are now coming closer and closer together. Back in 2001 (addressing the reaction of some to ROCOR's 2000 documents), ROCOR said the following:
Thus, with regret our whole Church has had to endure powerful disturbances hitherto unseen. As if from deep within the bosom of the body of the Church cracks began to appear, though they have not yet developed into deep fissures. We look on with fear as in places they are trying to transform these chinks into rifts which split apart not only the flock, but even the clergy.
I think this fear has been validated. That doesn't necessarily mean there was a mass exodus, though. If there was, I too would like to know how many left, and also where they went to? I know of no jurisdiction (traditionalist or otherwise) that speaks of suddenly having an influx of thousands upon thousands of disgruntled ROCORites around 2000/2001.
ROCiE was created then, no? So I imagine if you counted the number of people in ROCiE that would be that Mass exodus. Although I know that there were some people that left them for ROAC as well. I know the count of people that left, mostly in Russia, to the newly founded ROAC in 1994 is in the thousands, with about 100 parishes, so that's no small number either.
When did ROCiE get 100 parishes? I was under the impression that they were extremely small. Like a couple dozen at most. Or are the "parishes and missions," where "mission" could be defined as some lay person doing reader services?
Regarding ROCOR, when I looked at the stats a couple months ago, I figured that ROCOR had about 343 Churches, (Real) Missions, and other "Communities" worldwide, along with about 29 monasteries.
