26 June/ 9 July 2005
The Appearance of the «Tikhvin» Icon of the Mother of God

It is with a heavy heart that we have become acquainted with the (hitherto unproclaimed) «jointly agreed upon documents of the Commission on dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate». If, previously, there was some sort of hope that the episcopate headed by Metropolitan Laurus would come to their senses, then now this hope has vanished.

What has now occurred is not only a change in the canonical position of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, but also a consummation of spiritual betrayal by Her supposed representatives, who accepted all the conditions imposed by the head of the Moscow Patriarchate and cast aside their own conditions, expressed last time in the «Appeal of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad to the Russian Orthodox People» dated 18 February/2 March 2000.

Being firmly convinced of the fact that many continue to follow their hierarchy due to an insufficient understanding of what is transpiring, we, the members of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, again lovingly call upon all pastors and laity to recall Canon 15 of the First-Second Council of Constantinople, which absolves every Orthodox Christian from submission to an unfaithful episcopate.
Today, all believers who find themselves under the omofor of Metropolitan Laurus must choose – whether to go under the omofor of the pseudo-church known as the MP or, attending to the voice of their conscience, to remain in the Russian Church Abroad, which is unfailingly headed by Metropolitan Vitaly.

+ Metropolitan Vitaly
+ Bishop Sergii
+ Bishop Vladimir
+ Bishop Bartholomew
+ Bishop Antony (L.A. & S.A.)

Secretary: Mitred Protopriest Benjamin Zhoukoff

Note. From Canon 15 of the First-Second Council of Constantinople:
«...But as for those who ... sever themselves from communion with their president, that is, because he publicly preaches heresy and with bared head teaches it in the Church, such persons are not only not subject to canonical penalty..., but are worthy of due honor among the Orthodox. For not bishops, but false bishops and false teachers have they condemned, and they have not fragmented the Church's unity with schism, but from schisms and divisions have they earnestly sought to deliver the Church».