Joint MP/ROCOR Assemby Held in Germany

The Krefeld assembly. Source: ROCOR

KREFELD — On October 2, 2025, a general pastoral assembly of the German dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (ROC-MP) and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) convened at the Church of Saint Great Martyr Barbara in Krefeld. According to a report by the Holy Synod of ROCOR, the meeting was opened by Archbishop Tikhon of Ruza (ROC-MP) and Bishop Job of Stuttgart (ROCOR) and featured a welcoming message from Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany (ROCOR), read by Archpriest Nikolai Artemoff.

Marking the upcoming 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 2025, the assembly included reports on its relevance by Archpriest Evgeny Murzin and its pastoral significance by Archpriest Professor Ioan Moga of the Romanian Orthodox Church. On the second day, the Divine Liturgy celebrated the feast of All German Saints, followed by discussions on confession by Archpriest Ilya Limberger and ecclesiology by Priest Alexey Veselov.

Clerics engaged with hierarchs on pastoral and diocesan issues. Archbishop Tikhon praised the event’s organizers and celebrated the important work accomplished there. The assembly concluded with a pilgrimage to Kamp Monastery, where a prayer service was held at the relics of Holy Martyr Agatha.

The event marks an important step towards the complete reintegration of Russian Orthodoxy in Europe.

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