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Russian Orthodox Church believers not to be allowed to worship on Mount Athos

Patriarch Kirill’s spokesman said that Athos "is the canonical territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople with all that it implies"

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russian Orthodox Church believers will not be able to worship and receive communion at Mount Athos churches and cathedrals because of the severance of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Alexander Volkov, press secretary to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, told TASS on Monday.

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Russian Orthodox Church breaks contacts with Constantinople

"Mount Athos is the canonical territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople with all that it implies," he said, adding that the rupture of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople that was announced by the Russian Orthodox Church’s Synod earlier on Monday means that from now on Russian Orthodox Church believers will not be allowed to take part in services, receive communion and worship at the Constantinople Patriarchate churches until either of the Patriarchates changes its position.

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