Metropolis of France

 History of the Metropolis of France

1960-1982 

Father Ambrose, with the blessing of Archbishop Anthony of Geneva, establishes the Deanery of French Parishes within the ROCOR 

With the help of Jean-Joseph, chief conductor and musicologist, Elder Ambrose nurtured the French mission and achieved great works of considerable beauty, including:

The translations of patristic literature (since he spoke both Greek and French)

The French editions of church services

The painting of icons.

The publishing of a periodical

Catechesis and Lectures.

The founding of parishes in three main cities: Paris, Lyon, and Montpellier.

1983-1987 

1. Father Patric and Father Joseph receive ordination from the hands of Archbishop Anthony. 

2. Father Patric sets up the Saint Gregory Palamas Brotherhood, for the purpose of fighting the pan-heresy of ecumenism and strengthening the orthodox mission in the West. 

3. First edition of La Lumière du Thabor (The Light of Thabor), the French overview of orthodox theology. 

4. Foundation of the parish at Dinan (Britanny). 

5. The ROCOR anathematizes ecumenism, but, after the repose of St. Philaret of New York, it betrays the struggle and twists the true faith, by allowing concelebration with new-calendarist priests. Metropolitan Vitaly, in his Nativity Encyclical (1986) states that ecumenistic jurisdictions do indeed hold sanctifying grace. 

6. Father Ambrose, Father Joseph, Father Patric and all the faithful believe it necessary to separate from ROCOR for reason of faith. Archbishop Auxentios receives the French mission under his omophorion. 

1988-1995 

The Holy Synod of the Genuine Orthodox Christian of Greece appoints Father Patric as an exarch for France. 

His Beatitude, Archbishop Auxentios, with Mother Xeni, Abbess of the Monasteries of Petroupoli and Kapandriti, and Father Panagiotis, Secretary of the Holy Synod, pay a visit to France. 

Archbishop Auxentios ordains to the priesthood : 

Father Philaret (20 October/2 November 1988) in the Annunciation Monastery in Oinousses (Greece). 

Father Nectary (22 May/4 June 1989) in Lyon (France).
Father Cyprianos (15/28 May 1989) in Paris and to the diaconate : Father Timothy (15/28 May 1989) 

At the 17/30 October 1989, in the church of Petroupoli (Athens), His Beatitude, together with other members of the Holy Synod, consecrate the Archimandrite Photios as Bishop of Lyon. 

Bishop Photios ordains: 

1991 : 

Father Timothy to the priesthood (22 October/4 November 1990) Daniel of Genova (Italy) as a sub-deacon (12/25 November 1990). 

Father Sergios of Moscow, together with a Monastery in Tambov and two parishes request to join the Synod with the help of Bishop Photios. 

Foundation of the parishes of Tolosa, Pau, Langon and Genova (Italy). 

Lectures on the history of the Orthodox Church by Father Patric at the École Normale Supérieure. 

Appearance of a new collection of books published by the famous firm l’Âge d’Homme in Lausanne, this series owing its name to the book, La Lumière du Thabor, and beginning with the Life of Saint Nectarios of Aegina written by Father Ambrose. Many books have been published since this date: lives of saints, translations of the Church Fathers, and so on. 

1992 

1/14 January: Repose of the Elder Ambrose of Blessed Memory, in Paris. 

12/25 December: during a pilgrimage in Greece, Father Patric, Michael the reader and little Photini, Father Patric’s daughter, die in a car accident. Eternal be their memory! 

1995 

Repose of Archbishop Auxentios of Blessed Memory. The “Giant of Orthodoxy” was a strong upholder of the French mission. 

1996-2000 

23 September/16 October 1996: Bishop Ephraim of Boston and Photios of Lyon consecrate in Paris, Archimandrite Philaret as Bishop of Paris. 

1997 

His Grace Maximos, who succeeded Archbishop Auxentios, flees the Synod to build a new and anticanonical one, after having made uncanonical consecrations.

Bishop Photios writes a Resignation Letter to Bishop Ephraim of Boston. 

Bishop Athanasios of Larissa in a letter to the American bishops, states his refusal to continue sitting with them as a member of their synod in America. 

6/19 October 1997 : Father Michael of Dinan is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Philaret. 

3/16 November 1997 : Father Moses is ordained to the diaconate by the same. 

2001-2004 

1. Repose of Mother Xeni of Petroupolis, great upholder of the French mission. 

2. The Holy Synod of the True Orthodox Christian of Greece, headed by Metropolitan Callinicos of Thaumakos, after the report of Metropolitan Christophoros of Salamina, accepts as a member Bishop Philaret. 

By the proposal of Metropolitan Efthymios of Thessaloniki, the French Diocese is raised to the rank of a Metropolis. 

2002 

17 February/2 March : His Grace Bishop Makarios of Petra tonsures rasophoroi Mother Ambrosia and Father Maximos, in Paris. 

15/30 June : His Grace Metropolitan Christophoros of the Islands travels to France with Archimandrite Germanos and, together with Metropolitan Philaret, consecrates the new church in Dinan, named after the Saints Maelor of Britanny and John, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco. 

2003 

15/28 December : Father Peter is ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Philaret in Pau (South of France). 

2004 

His Grace Makarios is enthroned as Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. Creation of La Lettre Orthodoxe, quarterly news letter of the French Metropolis. 

2013 

With the GOC of Greece entering into communion with the Holy Orthodox Church of North America, the French mission is once again united with the American Bishops. 

2019 

Since the bishops of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America refused to sign the confession of faith of the GOC, the French mission, along with Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto, decided to remain with the GOC of Greece. Metropolitan Philarete of France pays a visit to Canada along with his Monk, Fr. Auxentios, and Archbishop Makarios, in order to make clear to the faithful that he does not agree with the synod of HOCNA and firmly believes in the orthodox faith, and celebrated divine liturgy at the Holy Theotokos Convent, Stouffville, Ontario.