сынок wrote:Good Morning,
As part of my search into my family's Russian Orthodox faith. I ask you if there could be such a directory. I am interested in getting information on the (then) ROCA priest who performed my baptism in 1953. He was the rector of my church from the mid to late '40's through the mid '60s when he reposed in the Lord.
I see mention of his name on the main ROCOR web site but, nothing else. Here's another example of my confusion: Back then, my church WAS officially a ROCA - not - ROCOR. This is proven by the stamp on my birth certificate and was confirmed in talking to the current priest at the church (which is now ROCOR MP). Why then, is his name listed on the western ROCOR site under Met. Hilarion's leadership when clearly Met. Hilarion's western ROCOR is part of MP? I thought there was 100% avoidance of any or all mention of each other except to slander and ridicule?
I'm sorry but, I'm having a terrible time trying to sort these groups into any sensible order.
In Christ,
сынок
Someone correct me if I'm wrong (since I'm not 100% sure) but ROCOR under Metropolitan Hilarion is often called "ROCOR-MP" (although they do not refer to themselves as such) because they entered into communion with the Moscow Patriarchate in the year 2007, viewing the Moscow Patriarchate as no longer being Sergianist as it once was. So while ROCOR-MP has entered into communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, ROCOR-MP is not in the Moscow Patriarchate.
Also, I remember reading (again if I'm wrong please correct me) that ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) started also referring to themselves as ROCA (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad) when they began establishing parishes in Russia. So it sounds like your priest was in ROCOR after ROCOR had begun establishing churches in Russia. Overall, ROCOR & ROCA are two different names referring to the same synod.
All of the ROCOR/ROCA synods that exist today share a common history. Since ROCOR-MP views themselves as being the only true ROCOR/ROCA synod, the history that all of the various ROCOR/ROCA synods share in common, the ROCOR-MP claims as being their own. So even though your priest was not in communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, since ROCOR-MP still considers themselves as being the only true ROCOR/ROCA synod, they claim him as one of their own.
We on this forum of True Orthodox Christians understand that the current Moscow Patriarchate is still very much Sergianist & also Ecumenist & therefore we view ROCOR-MP as departing from the true spirit of ROCOR/ROCA.