The current primate of the Diocese of Chersonesus isMetropolitanAnthony (Sevryuk) since May 30, 2019.[7] The primate of the diocese of Chersonesus is also the primate of thePEWE.[6]
From 1979 to 1990, the Diocese of Chersonesus did not have aruling Bishop, because the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate from theUSSR were considered by the French authorities to be Soviet agents, and obtaining a visa for them was very difficult. In addition, the financial situation of the priests of theExarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate was quite difficult.[13]
By the decision of the Council of Bishops of the ROC on January 30–31, 1990, the Western European Exarchate was abolished, and its dioceses, including the Chersonesus one, were subordinated directly to theHoly Synod and thePatriarch of Moscow.[9]
Only after the fall of theIron Curtain did this situation change. New emigrants from theformer USSR rushed to the countries under the jurisdiction of the Diocese,[14] which made it possible to replenish the already existing parishes and create new ones.[15][16][17] In addition, some parishes of the diocese were established in Spain and Portugal, where there were no parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate previously.[18] The 2000s were characterized by an increase in the number of parishes and parishioners – primarily due to migrants from the countries of the former USSR, the aggravation of the relations with theWestern European Exarchate of Russian parishes and the normalization of relations with theDiocese of Geneva and Western Europe [ru] of theRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).[19] On December 27, 2007, by the decision of theHoly Synod, thepatriarcal parishes in Italy were separated from the diocese of Chersonesus and "subordinated to the canonical jurisdiction of the Bishop who bears thetitle "of Bogorodsk" [ru]".[20]
On April 15, 2008, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church ordered to open an Orthodox Seminary in France near Paris. BishopInnocent (Vasiliev) [ru] of Chersonesus was appointed Chancellor of the Seminary.[21][22]
On May 30, 2019, theHoly Synod of the ROC decided to appoint archbishopAnthony (Sevryuk) of Vienna and Budapest as primate of the PEWE and of the diocese of Chersonesus.[7][27][28][29] At the same time,John (Roshchin), who was until then the primate of the PEWE and of the diocese of Chersonesus, was appointed as primate of the ROC diocese of Vienna and Budapest to replace archbishop Anthony.[7][28][29]
On May 31, 2019, archbishop Anthony was consecratedmetropolitan because of his appointment as exarch of the PEWE.[30][31][32]
^Определения Священного Синода [1990.02.19–20: в связи с упразднением зарубежных Экзархатов Московского Патриархата освободить митрополита Ростовского и Новочеркасского Владимира, б. Экзарха Западной Европы, от вр. управления Корсунской и Гаагско-Нидерландской епархиями РПЦ] // Журнал Московской Патриархии. М., 1990. – №5. – С. 16.
^Определения Священного Синода [1990.02.19–20: впредь до назначения епархиальных Преосвященных на Корсунскую и Гаагско-Нидерландскую кафедры вр. управление означенными епархиями поручить архиепископу Смоленскому и Калининградскому Кириллу, председателю ОВЦС] // Журнал Московской Патриархии. М., 1990. – №5. – С. 16.
