By Country / Russia
Orthodox Church Abroad Votes To Rejoin Moscow
May 12, 2006
Moscow Patriarch Aleksy II has pushed for the merger (epa)
A final decision is expected next week, when the branch's 11 bishops
will vote on the matter. Many church officials had been wary about embracing
the Moscow church, noting that many clergy collaborated with
the Soviet-era KGB secret police.
Regardless of the outcome, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad is expected to keep administrative control over its more than
400 parishes worldwide, including in the United States, Germany, and Australia.
(AP)