www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Question about ROCOR

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia publishes an annual Calendar - Typicon, with a booklet listing the hierarchs, parishes, monasteries, and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. It's printed at Jordanville and can be obtained from the monastery directly (the Typicon, which is excellent, is used by many clergy and parishes which are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), and probably from the cathedral bookshop in New York. Worth having.

Fr. Serge

I have a question regarding the ROCOR, I hope it is not too far off topic....

The Church of the Nativity in Erie, PA is an Old Rite (is that the correct term) parish in communion with the ROCOR. I was wondering, how many Old Rite parishes does the ROCOR currently have? Also, would anyone happen to know if there are Old Rite parishes that have entered communion with the ROC-MP or the OCA? (I am having way to much fun with these initials/acronyms!) Thanks very much!

God bless and keep you....

I believe that the Erie parish is the only Old Rite parish in the Russian Church Abroad, though I think that the Synod of Bishops hoped it would be the first of many. After all they consecrated a Bishop for the Old Rite.

The Church in Russia, I understand, has many more Old Rite parishes, but I have no information on these.

Fr David Straut

Dear Father David,

"Many" is a relative term - if I may use another relative term, I would offer the view that the Moscow Patriarchate has a few Old-Rite parishes. The Russian Orthodox Old-Ritualist Church has by far the largest number of parishes by comparison with the Moscow Patriarchate, the small Novozybkov jurisdiction, and a couple of still smaller groups.

But hold the phone (so to speak): there are persistent reports that the Pomortsi want to restore the Priesthood, so much will depend on if - and how - the Pomortsi accomplish this. [What seems to have moved them is the thought that a constant "state of emergency" which has already lasted over 350 years begins to lose a certain credibility.]

Prostite menia Khrista radi.

Fr. Serge

At one point the Pomortsi in the Baltic were informally talking with Bp Daniel of Erie which is natural, of course, because of the history of the Erie parish. That seemingly came to nothing. (Perhaps others can bring a ray of light here with some positive news.)

This seems no great surprise as the people in Erie are not permitted to venerate Old Believer saints (and of course New Rite saints are not liturgically commemorated) and seem isolated from all other Old Believers. The Belokrinitsy in Oregon are considered ignorant, uneducated people and contact shunned, even though there were those in the parish who thought that they could learn from the litugical experience and wisdom of the 'Oregonovsti'. Having said that, I'm not sure how they would have been received in Oregon...

Fr Serge - do you know how many Pomortsi are involved in the present dialogue with the 'Popovschina'?

Spasi Khristos - Mark, unworthy monk

Are there any differences between the liturgical practices of the Erie Old Rite Orthodox and the Oregonovsti?

For that matter, I hope somebody here could post a detailed description of Old Believer parish life today -- the cycle of prayer, the liturgical and social practices, the manner by which life's milestones are marked, etc.

There are bound to be stylistic differences such as chant melodies, perhaps pronunciation of Slavonic (when it is used in Erie) because of the very conservative Pomortsi legacy, the Erie preservation of sung kathismas for festivals (again part of their Pomortsi heritage)and other minor details.

I think the issue for those who wanted to experience worship in Oregon was to see priestly worship that wasn't LEARNED 'po ustavu' -'from the book', but INHERITED as part of an ongoing, living Tradition.

Spasi Khristos - Mark, monk and sinner.

P.S. If anyone has any chant snippets of the chanted Kathismas, can I beg... ?!