True Orthodox Church in Russia
True Orthodox Church in Russia (TOCiR) is a Russian catacomb church, which traces its history back to the Tomos of Patriarch Tikhon after the rise of the Bolchiveks in Russia. Its currant primate is Metropolitan Seraphim (Motovilov) of Moscow.
The church began in 1996 as a jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church under Patriarch Dimitri (Yarema), by whom now Metropolitan Seraphim was consecrated, having been named the "Bishop of the Krasnoyarsk". The UAOC oversaw the RTOC, but a disagreement between Bishop Ioan and Patriarch Dimitri led to the former being defrocked.
That same year, the UAOC accepted the leadership of then Bishop now Metropolitan Seraphim as the new head of True Orthodoxy in Russia. Some sources suggest Metropolitan Seraphim received "re-ordination" in 1997 from Metropolitan Krutitskii Ambrose (Katamadzeh), Archbishop of Dmitrov Stefan (Linitsky) and Bishop Gaynatsky and Imertinsky Moses (Hodzhava) as bishop of Volokolamsk.
On February 25, 1998, a Council of Bishops of the True orthodox churches was held in Moscow, which was attended by catacomb Bishops previously separated from the Free Russian Orthodox Church.
These Bishops expressed their desire to enter communion with Russian true orthodox church, entering into its structure with their dioceses, clergy and congregation. Bishops of the RTOC accepted them and included both structures in one Holy Synod of the RTOC.
A schism occurred in 1999, amidst false accusations, ending in two different legal jurisdictions, the TOCiR under Metropolitan Seraphim, and the RTOC under now Metropolitan Tikhon.
In July 2003, at the "Unified Council of Bishops of the True Orthodox Church in Russia," several additional catacomb jurisdictions united, and elected Metropolitan Seraphim as "Metropolitan of Moscow" with which the title of "Patriarchal Locum Tenens". In 2005, his title was amended to "Archbishop of Moscow, Metropolitan of All-Russia" and elected "First Hierarch".
The True Orthodox Church in Russia is in communion with The Holy Metropolitan Synod of Genuine Orthodox Christians of the Patristic Calendar, and the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles.
