Bishop of ROCOR: Orthodoxy in Germany should strive for the status of a Local Church

At a conference in Blutenburg to mark the centenary of the German diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR), Vicar Bishop Job of Stuttgart outlined the key challenges of the future and the strategic vector for the development of the Orthodox presence in the country. According to the UOJ in Germany, the main goal of the communities should be to overcome the «guest mentality» and realize themselves as a full-fledged part of the local spiritual life.

During his keynote address, the bishop presented an analysis of the six historical stages of the Orthodox presence in Germany: from the diplomatic chapels of the tsarist era to the modern wave of Ukrainian refugees. The bishop emphasized that there is a common thread behind all the changes — the Church’s desire to take root on German soil and become a natural part of the local landscape.

«Together with the other Orthodox Churches represented in Germany, we have the right and should also understand ourselves as the Church in place, as a Local Church,» Bishop Job said, clarifying that this status is not a claim, but a legitimate goal of development. Special attention was paid to the issue of preserving the faith among the descendants of migrants. According to the bishop, the gradual loss of the Russian language in new generations requires the active development of German-speaking Orthodoxy, which should become an integral element of modern church life.

Earlier we reported that Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk and the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia ( ROCOR ) had an official meeting with the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR ) of the Moscow Patriarchate in Germany. During the visit, the parties discussed topical issues of church interaction and took part in anniversary events in Germany.