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Russian Court Orders Confiscation of 13 Dissident Orthodox Congregations

By Howard M. Friedman

Eesti Elu reported yesterday that in the Russian city of Suzdal, a court has ordered government confiscation of 13 congregations belonging to the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC). ROAC is the successor to the underground Catacomb Church that was formed to resist the government-infiltrated Russian Orthodox Church during the period of Soviet Communist control. In 1990, the former Catacomb Church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. In 2007 the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate reunified, but ROAC refuses to accept that reconciliation. Now two Russian nationalist groups in Moscow are trying to force ROAC to accept control by the Moscow Patriarchate. ROAC plans an appeal to higher Russian courts and, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights. (See prior related posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on February 18, 2009 (boomark / email).