Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Template:Infobox Christian denomination
The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC,) is a non-canonical Russian Orthodox church body. ROAC referred itself as part of True Orthodoxy. It was formed in 1994 when a number of ROCOR parishes left it and formed an independent jurisdiction.
Their synod is located in Suzdal, Russia. The ROAC rejects the "Sergianist heresy" and holds that the sacraments of the Moscow Patriarchate (considered distinctly from the Russian Orthodox Church existing before the Bolshevik revolution) are anathema or invalid and ineffectual for salvation.[1] The ROAC upholds in principle and emphasizes the ROCOR anathema against ecumenism[2] (1983). The ROAC has 10 bishops, including five Archbishops (Seraphim, Hilarion, Victor, Timothy and Andrei),[3] led by Metropolitan Theodore.
The ROAC has a section in Latvia called the Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church.
History
The ROAC split from ROCOR in 1994. It was then called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA).
The ROAC was also historically referred to as the Karlovci Synod or "Karlovatsky group."[4]Template:Clarify