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    "localId": "2726332",
    "label": "Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia",
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    "id": "2726332",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2726332",
    "collections": [
        "Pre-Presidential Papers of Richard M. Nixon",
        "General Correspondence"
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    "seq": 10,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "8\nand others consisted largely of missions. But all of them have\nNorth American Diocese under the executive organs of The Church\nat all times considered themselves as an integral part of The\nAbroad and that The Church Abroad was the temporary Supreme\nChurch and were governed prior to 1920 by its executive organs\nChurch Administration for all the faithful outside of Russia. This\nin Moscow.\nagreement was ratified by an All-American Sobor in 1936. There-\nThe North American Diocese was an outgrowth of the Russian\nafter until 1946 Metropolitan Theophilus and the North American\ncolonial expansion from Kamchatka through the Aleutian Islands\nDistrict acknowledged the supremacy of The Church Abroad in\nto Alaska, and down the Pacific Coast, commencing in the Eighte-\nmany ways.\nenth Century. By 1900 it was a well-organized Diocese with many\nIn November 1946, at an All-American Sobor held in Cleve-\nparishes throughout the North American continent north of the\nland, a resolution was adopted which purported to terminate the\nMexican line. It was cut off from all communication with Russia\n1935 Provisional Agreement and to sever all relationship with The\nin 1919 and more or less exsisted by itself until 1922. In that\nChurch Abroad. The effect of this resolution was to declare the\nyear Metropolitan Platon became its head Bishop and continued as\nNorth American District to be autonomous and subject only to\nsuch until his death in 1934, when he was succeeded by the defend-\nsuch relationship as it could establish with Patriarch Alexy and\nant Metropolitan Theophilus, who has continued as such Metro-\nhis Holy Synod in Moscow.\npolitan until the present time.\nThe Church in Moscow has had a peculiar history from the\nThere is considerable dispute as to the manner in which\ntime of the Revolution. The Bolsheviks were avowedly atheistic\nPlaton became the ruling Archbishop in North America. Prior to\nand their philosophy of government declared The Church to be an\n1922 he had served for a time in such capacity. He apparenty\nenemy to be destroyed. They made every effort to destroy The\nwas elected as such in 1922 by a sobor held in Pittsburgh. On\nChurch in the early years, and in large part succeeded in destroy-\nSeptember 23, 1923, the then Patriarch Tikhon wrote a letter\ning its buildings and in disrupting its services. However, it did\ndeclaring that Platon had been appointed as Metropolitan of\nnot succeed in destroying the faith of its members either in God\nthis district. In 1922 he was appointed Metropolitan of this\nor in The Church.\ndistrict by The Church Abroad. Prior to that time and for some\nIn 1923 the Soviet Government caused to be created what was\ntime thereafter Platon took an active part in the affairs of\nknown as the \"Renovated\" or the \"Living Church\" and made use\nThe Church Abroad. In 1924 a sobor was held at Detroit which\nfor that purpose of a few compliant bishops. By 1927 this Church\nby some of its enactments appeared to claim independence from\nhad ceased to exist. Thereafter a form of supreme church admini-\nThe Church Abroad. Just prior to the Detroit Sobor, Metropolitan\nstration was permitted by the Soviet Government under the\nPlaton was dismissed by Patriarch Tikhon. In 1927 he was dis-\nexecutive head of a Metropolitan and his synod, which purported\nmissed by the synod of The Church Abroad. He refused to recog-\nto be the supreme church administration for The Church. Some of\nnize either of these dismissals. From that time until 1935 two\nthe activities of The Church and its members were permitted to a\nseparate organizations existed in North America, one under Metro-\nlimited extent, but always under the rigid control of the Govern-\npolitan Platon and his successor Metropolitan Theophilus, and\nment. By 1939 the Soviets, recognizing the strength of its\nthe other under certain bishops on behalf of The Church Abroad,\nenemies particularly Germany - permitted considerable\neach claiming to represent the North American Diocese, and\nexpansion in the exercise of religious functions. This undoubtedly\neach being acknowledged by many parishes as being their\nwas due to its realization of the necessity of securing the wholehe-\nSupreme Church Administration. Many efforts were made to cure\narted support of the Russian people.\nthis unhappy situation and in 1935 a Bishops' Sobor was held in\nIn 1945 a so-called All-Russian Sobor was held in Moscow with\nKarlovski by The Church Abroad. This was attended by Metro-\nthe permission of the Soviet Government. This sobor was attended\npolitan Theophilus and one of his bishops and there was executed\na document known as the \"Provisional Statute\", about which more\nby a number of bishops, clergy and laity. It elected Metropolitan\nAlexy as Patriarch and adopted many resolutions. However con-\nwill be said later. By this it appeared that the attending\nstituted, the Moscow Administration has at all times contended\nparties had composed their differences and that Metropolitan\nthat it is the only Supreme Church Administration. It has been\nTheophilus was the ruling Archbishop for all the faithful in the"
}