Russian Orthodox properties in Israel refers to real-estate owned by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Israel.
Russian Orthodox properties in Israel refers to real-estate owned by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Israel.
While the first Russian Orthodox archimandrite arrived in Palestine in 1844, [1] Russia's focus on the area began when Napoleon III took over control of France in an 1851 coup d'état and moved to seize control of properties in the Holy Land held by members of the Greek Orthodox Church (GOC). The court of the Czar had long held itself to be the main patron and protector of Orthodoxy, especially after most of the membership of the Greek Orthodox Church from 1460 until 1821 fell under the control of the Islamic Ottoman Empire (with its oppressive Devshirmeh and jizya laws). Through diplomacy and a show of force Napoleon III forced the Ottoman Empire to recognize France as the "sovereign authority" in the Holy Land. This moved control of many Christian holy sites and buildings out of Orthodox hands and under Catholicism. These events were one of the main triggers for the Crimean War of 1856. Despite defeat in the war by 1856, Russia continued actively pursuing its interests vis-à-vis the position and influence of the Ottoman Empire and its European allies. [2] Czar Alexander II continually worked to make sure Russia would have a presence in Palestine. Towards these ends a consulate was created in 1858. [1]
The Czar also funded the work of Constantin von Tischendorf in finding the Codex Sinaiticus at the Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Czar's brother, the Grand Duke Constantine, and his wife the Princess Alexandra toured the area at this time. [2] Significantly it was also around this period that Bishop Euspensy began missionary work in the area (his detractors claim he was "a czarist agent" with a "scheme of wresting the Jerusalem patriarchate away from the church's liturgical twin, the Greek Orthodox Church." [3] ). Euspensy's efforts did not produce much but a few Christian Arab converts switching from the GOC to the ROC. [3]
The Russian government began using its diplomatic influence to persuade the Ottoman sultans to refuse the berat to candidates for patriarch to any GOC bishop that disagreed with them. [1] By 1860 the Russian Palestine Society was founded. The society guided pilgrims to the Holy Land and bought property in Jerusalem and Nazareth. In addition it ran a theological seminary that also focused on teaching politics. [3] The Russian Palestine Society built hospices for Russian pilgrims and churches (where the liturgy was in Slavonic) all over the country "to the great annoyance of the Greek patriarchal element." [1] The ROC soon attracted more Arab Christians as it championed the idea that local Arab clergy should be promoted to bishops and hierarchs instead of having clergy from Greece imported and put in authority over them. [1] Also in the 1860s the Russians began building an extensive group of buildings outside the city of Jerusalem on Jaffa road, known as the Russian Compound.
These consisted of a large and elaborate church where the Russian archimandrite officiated, massive hostels for the pilgrims, a hospital and several other buildings capable of housing 1000 pilgrims, all within walking distance of the Russian consulate headquarters at the time. [1] [4] The ROC also built an ornate church at Gethsemane, and another at the site where their tradition holds that Jesus made his Ascension at the Mount of Olives. Another Russian hospice was built in the Muristan, along with an asylum for the insane, and schools. [1] Russian pilgrimages were not only encouraged, but even subsidized by the Czar's government. At the time both Russia's political enemies and many within the GOC saw these projects as an intrigue of the Czar to make himself "a center of the Greek faith [i.e. Orthodoxy] which should rival Rome itself." [4] This would all change with the fall of the Russian monarchy.
With the rise of the communists most of the church properties in Palestine remained in the hands of those at odds with the Bolsheviks, and the majority of these joined with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).[ citation needed ] Some properties of the ROC remained completely closed until 1941, when the Politburo ordered the churches reopened. An invitation was extended by the Soviets for all Orthodox prelates in the Middle East to come to Moscow to witness the installation of Patriarch Alexei I. [3]
When Israel became a state in 1948, all of the property under the control of the ROCOR within its borders was handed over to the Soviet dominated ROC in appreciation for Moscow's support of the Jewish state (this support was short-lived). The ROCOR maintained control over churches and properties in the Jordanian-ruled West Bank unmolested until the late 1980s.[ citation needed ]
In 1952 the Soviets reopened the Russian Palestine Society under the direction of Communist Party agents from Moscow, replaced Archimandrite Vladimir with communist trained Ignaty Polikarp, and won over many Christian Arabs with communist sympathies to the ROC. The members of other branches of Orthodoxy refused to associate with the Soviet led ROC in Palestine. [3]
The list might be incomplete.
The Russian Orthodox Church, alternatively legally known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is the largest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The primate of the ROC is the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'. The ROC, as well as its primate, officially ranks fifth in the Eastern Orthodox order of precedence, immediately below the four ancient patriarchates of the Greek Orthodox Church: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
Magdala was an ancient Jewish city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Tiberias. In the Babylonian Talmud it is known as Magdala Nunayya, and which some historical geographers think may refer to Tarichaea, literally the place of processing fish. It is believed to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Until the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, a small Palestinian Arab village, al-Majdal, stood at the site of ancient Magdala, while nowadays the modern Israeli municipality of Migdal extends to the area.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, and sometimes known as the Church of Zion, is an autocephalous church within the wider communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Established in the mid-fifth century as one of the oldest patriarchates in Christendom, it is headquartered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, currently Theophilos III. The Patriarchate's ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes roughly 200,000 to 500,000 Orthodox Christians across the "Holy Land" of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.
The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), covering the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Since 28 December 2018, the Diocese of Sourozh is part of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe.
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, also called Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Currently, the position of First-Hierarch of the ROCOR is vacant since the death of Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) on May 16, 2022. The acting head of ROCOR is Mark, Metropolitan of Berlin and Germany.
The Russian Compound is one of the oldest districts in central Jerusalem, featuring a large Russian Orthodox church, the Russian-owned Sergei's Courtyard and the premises of the Russian Consulate General in Jerusalem, as well as the site of former pilgrim hostels, some of which are used as Israeli government buildings, and one of which hosts the Museum of Underground Prisoners. The compound was built between 1860 and 1890, with the addition in 1903 of the Nikolai Pilgrims Hospice. It was one of the first structures to be built outside the Old City of Jerusalem.
The timeline of Eastern Orthodoxy in North America represents a timeline of the historical development of religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in North America.
Al-Majdal was a Palestinian Arab village, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Tiberias and south of Khan Minyeh. It is identified with the site of the ancient Jewish town of Magdala, reputed to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish-Roman War.
The Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), encompassing all of western Europe but with communities primarily on territories of the United Kingdom, Switzerland and France.
Archimandrite Joasaph was an American scholar and priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in the last year of his life. From February 2009 until his death he served as Chief of the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
The Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem was founded in the 19th century to serve as a representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and to oversee the facilities caring for the thousands of pilgrims then flocking to the Holy Land from the Russian Empire.
Archbishop Elisey is the archbishop of the diocese of The Hague and the Netherlands of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). His monastic name, "Elisey", is the equivalent of the Latin Eliseus and the English Elisha.
Metropolitan Mark is the Metropolitan of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and Overseer of the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church, located at the heart of the so-called Russian Compound in central Jerusalem. The cathedral was built in 1860–1872 by a Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, when the Holy City was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Archimandrite Roman is Archimandrite of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and current chief of the ROCOR Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
On 15 October 2018, the Russian Orthodox Church broke the communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate because of a dispute concerning the canonical jurisdiction over Ukraine. This led to the 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism. Numerous Orthodox churches took position concerning the dispute over the canonical jurisdiction over Ukraine, whether before or after this schism.
Russian Orthodox properties in the State of Palestine refers to real-estate owned by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Judea and Samaria.
Agrefeny was a Russian monk and archimandrite who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1370 and left an account of his travels.
Metropolitan Leonid is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. He holds the title "Metropolitan of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa".
Antonin Kapustin was a monastic clergyman of the Church of Russia. He was a noted Byzantologist and honorary member of many academies and scientific societies. He is noted for his activities in Greece and the Holy Land establishing ecclesiastical facilities and support for Russian pilgrims.
