Moscow, July 18, Interfax—The Orthodox flock of a church being built in Pyongyang in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity will be under the canonical authority of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II.
The Russian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod made the decision on Monday during its summer session at the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius.
The Synod's decision came as a response to an address to Alexy II from Chairman of the Orthodox Committee of North Korea George Ho Ir Zin received this June.
The sanctification of the first stone of the church dedicated to the Life-Giving Trinity in Pyongyang was made in April 2003 by Archbishop of Kaluga and Borovsk Climent (now a Metropolitan and Moscow Patriarchate's administrator). The construction of the church has been successfully concluded.
Bishop of Yegoryevsk Marc ordained N.Korean students of the Moscow Spiritual Seminary Theodore Kim and John Ra as deacons for further service in North Korea in May 2003 in Moscow.
The Russian Spiritual Mission in Korea was established in July 1897. The first mission arrived in Korea in February 1900.
After World War II, Patriarch Alexy I issued a decree confirming that the mission was under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate. It continued its work until 1949, when South Korean authorities evicted the last head of the mission, Archimandrites Polikarp (Priymak), and arrested all property and land.