Dioceses

Diocese of Singapore

History

The beginning of the development of Orthodox communities in Malaysia and the Republic of Singapore should be considered a visit in 2003 to these countries by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia). In 2009, Bishop Sergiy (Chashin) noted: “Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, while still chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, visited many countries of Southeast Asia several years ago: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and others. During this trip, he repeatedly met with our compatriots. Each time they asked him to create Orthodox communities where they could gather and pray. Vladyka Kirill perfectly understood how important it is not to forget and to support Russians living outside their native country in every possible way. But, apparently, the time has not yet come. It was not clear what to tackle first and what to do next. Just imagine that in all of Southeast Asia live about a tenth of the entire population of the world’s population! There is simply an incredible density of population, which does not at all seek to find any other, non-national culture. Therefore, one desire was not enough, decisive actions were needed on the part of the people living there.”

The first parish of the future Diocese of Singapore was formed on October 12, 2007 and accepted under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. By order of the Holy Synod, the archpastoral care of the parish in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Republic of Singapore was entrusted to Bishop Sergiy (Chashin) of Ussuri, Vicar of the Diocese of Vladivostok.

Since 2009, the clergy of the Dormition Parish in Singapore began to hold regular services at the premises of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2012, the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in the name of the Archangel Michael of God moved to its permanent place in the center of the Malaysian capital.

On December 26, 2012, by decision of the Holy Synod, Bishop Sergius was also entrusted with the archpastoral care of the parish in honor of the Archangel Michael.

On November 13, 2018, a solemn ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the Russian Cultural Center and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin took place in Singapore.

On December 28, 2018, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church formed the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia with its headquarters in Singapore; with the title of diocesan bishop “Singapore and Southeast Asia”. At the same time, the newly established Exarchate was not divided into dioceses and de facto was a single diocese with its center in Singapore.

On February 26, 2019, the Holy Synod formed the Diocese of Singapore within the boundaries of the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Indonesia and Malaysia.

On November 2, 2019, the clerics of the Indonesian Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, formerly part of the ROCOR Diocese of Sydney, decided to move under the single spiritual leadership of the Diocese of Singapore due to the absence of ROCOR diocesan structures in Indonesia and on the basis of pastoral considerations.

On August 25, 2020, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to include the Democratic Republic of East Timor and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea in the sphere of pastoral responsibility of the Diocese of Singapore.

Ruling Archpastor

Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia

Vicar
Bishop Pitirim of Jakarta (since August 25, 2020)

Korean diocese (대한교구)

History

The missionary activity of the Russian Church among the Koreans began in 1856, when St. Innokenty (Veniaminov) began to send preachers to the South Ussuri region, where a stream of Korean settlers was heading. Some Koreans who converted to Orthodoxy then returned to Korea. In 1884, Russia established diplomatic relations with Korea, and in 1885, an agreement was concluded between both countries, the 4th article of which stated that in Korean ports open to foreigners, Russian citizens “are given the right to freely worship.”

The Orthodox mission in Korea was opened in 1897. The following year, the newly appointed head of the mission, Archimandrite Ambrose, went to his place of service. But the first head of the Korean Orthodox mission did not manage to visit Korea. Due to unfavorable political conditions, the arrival of Russian missionaries was postponed for a while: Russian leaders left Korea this year: financial adviser, instructors and employees at the Russian-Korean bank. Archimandrite Ambrose settled in Novokievsk, from where he was soon recalled back to European Russia for a new position. Archimandrite Ambrose was replaced by Archimandrite Khrisanf, a candidate of the Kazan Theological Academy, who arrived at his place of service at the beginning of 1900. Thus, this year should be considered the first year of the actual existence of the Russian spiritual mission in Korea.

The Orthodox mission that operated on the territory of modern North Korea and the Republic of Korea from the time of its foundation was under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, in 1908 – the Archbishop of Vladivostok, from 1922 to 1941 – the Archbishop (since 1931 – Metropolitan) of Tokyo and Japan. From 1941 to 1945, the mission was temporarily independent, under the control of its direct chief.

On June 11, 1946, by the decree of Patriarch Alexy I, the East Asian Metropolitan District was created by transformation, which was formed after reunification with the Russian Orthodox Church in December. 1945 Harbin diocese and included the parishes of China and Korea. Harbin became the center of the Exarchate, since a large Russian diaspora lived in the Harbin diocese.

During the Japanese occupation and the civil war in China (1932-1949), the Orthodox Church in the canonical territory of the East Asian Exarchate suffered heavy losses: some churches, especially on the lines of the Chinese Eastern Railway, were lost, and many priests were subjected to repression. A particularly difficult situation developed in Korea, since its southern part at that time was part of the zone of American occupation and the head of the Korean spiritual mission, Archimandrite Polikarp (Priymak), was persecuted by the American and South Korean authorities, who were trying to tear the mission away from the Russian Orthodox Church.

July 9, 1950, a few days after the start of the Korean War of 1950-1953. and the entry of the Korean People’s Army into Seoul, A. Kim was arrested in his apartment in the mission area, deported to the north of the country, and probably died. During the battles for Seoul, the building of the Russian consulate was destroyed, the buildings belonging to the mission were damaged, the church was blown up.

Most of the Russian émigrés left Seoul before the start of the war, and the few remaining left during or after the war. In 1953, the Greek chaplain Archimandrite Andrew (Chalkiopoulos), who was in Korea as part of the UN armed forces, discovered an Orthodox church and a small community in Seoul. Through his efforts, the church building was restored, and on November 29, 1953, the church was consecrated. Since that time, divine services have been regularly performed in it.

The entry into the Japanese Diocese of the North American Metropolis seemed unacceptable to the Orthodox of South Korea, who, after the end of the Second World War, considered any dependence on Japan impossible. This was the main reason that held on 24 December. In 1955, a congress of Korean Orthodox believers decided to join the Patriarchate of Constantinople, for which a corresponding petition was sent to Istanbul. The petition was granted, and since 1956 the Korean community of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople in North and South America. Later, all the property and territory of the temple, which belonged to the Korean diplomatic mission, at the request of the Orthodox Korean community, in accordance with the court decision, were transferred to its ownership. In December 1966, priest Boris Moon († 1977) and the leadership of the community in Seoul sold the St. Nicholas Church, which historically belonged to K.D.M., with a plot of land, and built a new St. Nicholas Cathedral with the proceeds.

Since 1970, the Orthodox the parishes of Korea were under the jurisdiction of the 8 Jan. 1970 of the New Zealand Metropolis of the K-Polish Patriarchate, which united the Orthodox Church under its control. temples in Nov. Zealand, India, South. Korea, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong.

In 2000, celebrations were held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Korea, led by the Patriarch of Constantinople

sky Bartholomew. From the Russian Orthodox Church, the celebration was attended by Archbishop (currently Metropolitan) of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment (Kapalin), First Deputy Chairman of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate. In 2000 Bishop Sotiry of Zil (Trambas) asked to send a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to Korea in view of the significant increase in the number of Russian-speaking parishioners. In the same year, Hieromonk (since 2006 abbot) Feofan (Kim; later Bishop of Kyzyl and Tuva; Archbishop of Korea) was sent to Seoul and served until 2011.

In 2002, during his stay in Russia, Kim Jong Il, chairman of the State Defense Committee of the DPRK, expressed a desire to build an Orthodox church in Pyongyang. In 2003, the Orthodox Committee was formed as part of the Society of Believers of the DPRK, with Georgy (Ho Ir Zin) as its chairman. In Apr. In 2003, the ROC accepted students from the DPRK for training at the IBC – candidates for further pastoral service in North Korea.

On June 24, 2003, Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin) of Kaluga and Borovsk consecrated the first stone of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Pyongyang. In response to the appeal of the Chairman of the Orthodox Committee of the DPRK, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on July 17, 2006, the Orthodox Church was established under the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Parish of the Trinity Church in Pyongyang.

On April 20, 2004, by the decision of the Synod of the K-Polish Patriarchate, a separate Korean Metropolis was formed on the territory of South Korea, Met. Sotiry (Trambas). In May 2008, Metropolitan Sotiry was replaced as head of the Korean Metropolis by Metropolitan Ambrose (Zographos), who had served in South Korea as archimandrite for more than 10 years.

August 13, 2006 Met. Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad ((Gundyaev) later Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) led the consecration of the Trinity Church, on August 13 and 14, 2006 he ordained priests Theodore Kim and John Ra, graduates of the Moscow Seminary.

On September 30, 2008, during the visit of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to Russia, he met with Patriarch Alexy II, at which they discussed the possibility of building new churches of the Russian Orthodox Church in South Korea.

On November 3, 2013, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk, head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, in concelebration with Bishop Feofan of Kyzyl and Tyva, celebrated the liturgy at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Busan.

On October 21, 2016, by decision of the Holy Synod, Archbishop Sergiy (Chashin) was appointed administrator of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Southeast Asia and East Asia. On June 15-18, 2017, Archbishop Sergius, together with members of the delegation, visited Seoul to participate in the presentation of the book of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill “Freedom and Responsibility” in Korean. This event took place at the Embassy of the Russian Federation on June 15 and was prepared by the efforts of Archpriest Pavel Kang, Administrator of the ROCOR Korean Mission.

On February 26, 2019, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church formed the Korean Diocese within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea with the title of “Korean” diocesan bishop, and is included in the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia. At the time of its formation, it was the smallest of the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church and consisted of only two parishes (in Pyongyang and Seoul). On July 9, 2019, at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, they were accepted into the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Seoul and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Busan.

Ruling Archpastor

Archbishop Feofan of Korea

Thailand diocese

History

The diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, uniting ten parishes, a monastery and a religious school in the territory of the Kingdom of Thailand, as well as parishes in the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. It is part of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia.

Previously, it acted as the Patriarchal Deanery in the Kingdom of Thailand (or the Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Thailand), formed on October 21, 2016 by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church; was in direct canonical subordination to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

In response to numerous appeals from Orthodox believers, mostly citizens of the former USSR, on December 28, 1999, the Holy Synod decided to open a St. Nicholas parish in Bangkok. By the same decision, the cleric of the Yaroslavl diocese, hegumen Oleg (Cherepanin), was appointed the first rector of the newly formed parish: “It was the end of the 1990s; then Russians began to come to Thailand to do business. It was very difficult in Russia then, but in Thailand it was possible to live well. But there were no our churches in the vast expanses of the South-East – from Russia to Australia. <…> There was only one Orthodox church in Hong Kong, and even that was not under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The opening of a parish in Thailand is exclusively an initiative of Russians living in this country.”

On December 27, 2001, having considered the activities of the Nicholas parish in Bangkok, the Holy Synod decided to open a representative office of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in the Kingdom of Thailand for spiritual care, as well as control and administrative supervision of Orthodox parishes in the territory of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The representation determined the general concept of the development of Orthodoxy in these countries on the basis of instructions and instructions from the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Hegumen Oleg (Cherepanin) was determined to be the representative.

With the registration of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand in 2008, it became possible to form parishes throughout the country, of which there are currently ten, and permanent churches have been erected for all of them. In addition, on about. Phuket built and opened a spiritual school for the training of clerics from the indigenous people of Southeast Asia who converted to Orthodoxy.

In the same period, three parishes were created in the Kingdom of Cambodia and temples were built for two of them. Attempts were also made to start missionary work in Laos.

On October 21, 2016, the Holy Synod formed the Patriarchal Deanery, consisting of parishes located in the Kingdom of Thailand; Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), who at that time was the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Thailand, was appointed dean. At the same time, parishes in the Kingdom of Cambodia and Laos, previously subordinate to the representation, were transferred to Bishop Sergius (Chashin) of Solnechnogorsk.

On March 7, 2018, the Holy Synod included eight parishes in the deanery of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kingdom of Thailand: Trinity (Phuket), All Saints and Intercession (Pattaya), Voznesensky (Koh Samui), Sergievsky (Chang), Royal Passion-Bearers (Hua Hin), Vladimirsky (Chiang Mai), Serafimovsky (Phangan Island).

On February 26, 2019, the Holy Synod abolished the deanery of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kingdom of Thailand and formed the Diocese of Thailand within the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, with the title of diocesan bishop of Bangkok and Phnom Penh. Metropolitan of Singapore and Southeast Asia Sergius (Chashin), Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia, has been appointed interim administrator.

In March 2019, Orthodox believers in Myanmar formed the first Orthodox community in the country.

Ruling Archpastor

interim administrator

Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia

Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese

History

The first Orthodox community in Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, was formed by a group of emigrants from Russia who were forced to leave their homeland after the Civil War, back in 1923.

In 1934, on the basis of an appeal from the Russian diaspora, Bishop Viktor (Svyatin) of China and Beijing, a parish was established in Manila in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. The Iberian temple existed until 1945, when it was destroyed by American troops during the liberation of the city from the Japanese invaders.

In 1949, after the Communists came to power in China, about six thousand Russian refugees left Shanghai. Of all the countries in the world, only the Republic of the Philippines agreed to temporarily accept them. The Russians were stationed on a small about. Tubabao. One of the first built buildings were two churches – in honor of the Archangel Michael and in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and the former American field church was converted into the Holy Mother of God Cathedral. Among the refugees was St. John (Maximovich), Bishop of Shanghai, who periodically traveled from the Philippines to other countries, primarily to the United States, to organize the transfer of refugees there. And it worked out: in 1951, the Russians mostly left the Philippines.

The next liturgy was served at Fr. Tubabao only in 2013. However, in November, the chapel erected by the first Filipino monk of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Philip (Balingit), where the Orthodox church used to be, was destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda. With humanitarian aid from Taiwan to about. Priest Kirill Shkarbul, who ministers to the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Taiwan, arrived in Tubabao.

At the same time, on about. Mindanao, a group of Aglipay priests (followers of the Philippine Independent Church of Gregory Aglipaya, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church over 100 years ago) began to take an interest in the history of Orthodoxy. The Aglipay communities asked Father Cyril to visit them with a lecture on Orthodoxy. Thus began the work of the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church among the Filipinos. Following the catechesis in 2015, a series of mass baptisms took place in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, with thousands of people joining the Orthodox Church. Priest George Maksimov played an active role in organizing the work of the mission. He and Father Kirill periodically flew to the Philippines, served Divine Liturgies, conducted catechism. Father George organized a fundraiser in Russia for the work of the mission.

In October 2016, the Holy Synod appointed the head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Sergiy (Chashin) of Solnechnogorsk as administrator of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the DPRK and Republic of Korea. Vladyka began work by resuming the activities of the parish in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in Manila in April 2017, on Easter. The parish united Orthodox of many nationalities, and Orthodox Filipinos, who are interested in Russian culture, became the backbone of it.

In the same 2017, at the request of believers, communities of the Russian Orthodox Church were founded in Tagaytay and Cebu. In Tagaytay, the Orthodox community arose on the basis of the Grubbs family charitable foundation FMI. The head of the foundation, David Grubbs (USA), who converted to Orthodoxy in 2000 after ten years of work in Russia, was ordained a priest in 2019.

In December 2018, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia was formed, in which four dioceses were created: Singapore, Korea, Thailand and Philippine-Vietnamese. Metropolitan Sergius (Chashin), with the title of “Metropolitan of Singapore and Southeast Asia”, was appointed head of the Exarchate.

In August 2019, by the decision of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Pavel (Fokin) of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut was entrusted with the title of “Metropolitan of Manila and Hanoi” to be the ruling bishop of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese.

In September 2019, several Filipinos were ordained to the priesthood as headmen of the affiliated parishes. In February 2020, Metropolitan Pavel ordained five more elders of church communities to the rank of deacon, Fr. Mindanao; consecrated place for the construction of the temple in the village. Kinabalan. On February 22, for the first time in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Philippines, Metropolitan Pavel consecrated a church in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Macalangot with a great rite.

During the archpastoral visit in February 2020, Metropolitan Pavel also officiated the Divine Liturgy at the Iberian parish in Manila and held talks with Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin.

During the same visit, on February 22, 2020, after the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov (Macalangot, Mindanao), a Diocesan Assembly of the clergy and laity of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese was held under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Pavel.

Weekly Divine Liturgy is celebrated in seven parishes of epars

hi. Divine services are held in several languages: Russian, English, Tagalog and Cebuano, the main liturgical texts have already been translated into the latter. Eight Filipino students are studying at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary.

As part of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, five deaneries were formed – Manila (Luzon and Cebu islands), Davaovskoye (Mindanao and Leyte islands), General Santovskoye, Davao del Surskoye and Vietnamese.

Development of the Orthodox Mission in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The Russian Orthodox Church in Vietnam is represented by the parish in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Vung Tau, where about 1000 Russian-speaking employees of the Vietsovpetro JV live and work, as well as parishes in the name of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg in Hanoi and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Vung Tau. Ho Chi Minh. The blessing for the opening of parishes was given on July 17, 2002 by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The first of the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church to visit Vietnam in November 2001 at the head of a delegation from the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate was Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia). During the trip, Metropolitan Kirill met with compatriots, held pastoral talks, performed prayers in the years. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Vung Tau. The first Divine Liturgy and Easter services in Vietnam were celebrated in the spring of 2002 in the city of Vung Tau.

Representatives of the Department for External Church Relations regularly (once or twice a year) visited the parish in Vung Tau. Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi for worship during Easter and other church holidays.

Also visiting Vietnam were clerics of the Vladivostok diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, who in the spring of 2009 celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the capital, Hanoi.

In February 2017, Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Chashin), Administrator of the Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in East and Southeast Asia, visited Vietnam. At the same time, Archbishop Sergius met with the Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Duong Ngoc Tan. During the conversation, the parties exchanged views on the organization of the pastoral care of the Russian Orthodox Church for Russian-speaking compatriots in Vietnam.

In October 2018, by order of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Priest Yevgeny Tsukalo, appointed rector of the parish in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, arrived in Vung Tau for pastoral service, with the assignment of ministering to the Orthodox communities of Messrs. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

In Vung Tau, regular services are held on holidays and Sundays, on Wednesdays there is an akathist reading to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her Kazan image, as well as prayers and memorial services.

On July 9, 2019, the Holy Synod included the parishes in the name of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg in Hanoi and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Ho Chi Minh City under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In Hanoi, services are held monthly. On Sundays, the Orthodox gather in the Catholic chapel to celebrate Mass by the lay rite.

In Ho Chi Minh City, services are held every 2-3 weeks on the territory of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation.

Ruling Archpastor

Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi (since August 30, 2019)