View source for Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate

[[File:Signing of the Act of Canonical Communion.jpg|thumb|300px|Metropolitan Laurus (left) and Patriarch Alexy II (right) sign the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, 17 May 2007.]]
The '''Act of Canonical Communion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia with the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate''' ({{langx|ru|Акт о каноническом общении Русской Православной Церкви Заграницей с Русской Православной Церковью Московского Патриархата}}) reunited the two branches of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]: the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) and the [[Moscow Patriarchate]].<ref name="LA Times">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-18-fg-orthodox18-story.html|date=2007-05-18|title=Russian Orthodox split is mended|author=David Holley|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The accord was signed on 17 May 2007, which for the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] in that year was the Feast of the [[Ascension of Jesus]].<ref name="LA Times"/>
The ceremony which officially reestablished the fullness of communion between the Moscow Patriarchate, headed by [[Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow|Patriarch Alexy II]], and ROCOR, headed by [[Laurus Škurla|Metropolitan Laurus]], took place at the [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]] in Moscow. The two church leaders met on the episcopal [[cathedra]] in the centre of the church. The Patriarch then read a prayer, which said in part:
{{blockquote|As Thou liftedst Thy prayers to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy disciples, that they all be as one, gaze now with Thy merciful eyes upon Thy people, who have sinned and disobeyed Thy will, bless now our good intention and the unification of the Church to Thy Glory, create this Thyself, dampen all church temptations and divisions. Having given to us Thy law to love Thee, our God, and our neighbor, deliver us from all insult and disruption, may brotherly love reign among the children of our Church, in the Fatherland and in the diaspora. Grant that we may now enter Thy temple and bring Thy bloodless sacrifice, that we may be unified in one body through communion with Thy Life-creating Body and Thy Honorable Blood and bring praise with all our hearts to Thy ineffable love for mankind.}}
The two [[hierarch]]s then proceeded to the [[Ambon (liturgy)|Ambo]], where they signed the Act of Canonical Communion. After official statements by both hierarchs, the service continued with the joint celebration of the [[Divine Liturgy]] by clergy of both churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/enrt07/enakt.html |title=The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - Official Website |accessdate=2007-05-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527073850/http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/enrt07/enakt.html |archivedate=2007-05-27 }} "The Act of Canonical Communion is Signed and the First Joint Celebration of Divine Liturgy by the Primates of the Two Parts of the Russian Orthodox Church Takes Place in Christ the Savior Cathedral", Retrieved 2011-10-16</ref>
Among the dignitaries present was [[President of Russia]] [[Vladimir Putin]], [[Mayor of Moscow|Mayor]] of [[Moscow]] [[Yuriy Luzhkov]], presidential envoy [[Georgy Poltavchenko]], and other government officials. Putin has been hailed by the [[Primate (bishop)|primate]] of the Russian Orthodox Church, [[Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus']] [[Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow|Alexy II]] as instrumental in healing the 80-year schism between it and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in May 2007.<ref name="LA Times" />
==Reaction==
Some opponents of the Act, who have left ROCOR, claim that the reconciliation of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was the result of an intelligence operation of the Russian [[Federal Security Service|FSB]].<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118469533202469128 Cold War Lingers At Russian Church In New Jersey] By SUZANNE SATALINE, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', July 18, 2007</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070614175937/http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enmat_akt.html Act of Canonical Communion] text—official English translation (ROCOR Website)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070527073850/http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/enrt07/enakt.html The Act of Canonical Communion is Signed] Article and photos (www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185239/http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/rtpic/akt_218.jpg Photo of signing] Metropolitan Laurus (left) and Patriarch Alexei (right)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175908/http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/rtpic/rt_uspensky_136.jpg Metropolitan Laurus and Patriarch Alexei making commemorations together during the Divine Liturgy]
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[[Category:History of the Russian Orthodox Church]]
[[Category:Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]]
[[Category:2007 in Russia]]
[[Category:2007 in Christianity]]
[[Category:21st-century Eastern Orthodoxy]]
[[Category:2007 documents]]