The Polish Orthodox Church marked its centennial anniversary of autocephaly on Wednesday.
Following World War I, Orthodox Christians in Poland worked diligently to gain independence for their Church from the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1922, a synod was convened to proclaim the Polish Orthodox Church’s autocephaly, an initiative officially recognized by Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory VII on November 13, 1924.
The Russian Orthodox Church subsequently acknowledged the Polish Church’s autocephaly in 1948, after the end of World War II.
The Polish Orthodox Church is organized into eight dioceses, including one designated for the military and another for the Polish diaspora in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and Italy.
Anniversary Events
On the anniversary day, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Warsaw, joined by members of the Holy Synod. The day was set to conclude with a choral concert of church music.
During the Divine Liturgy, a special message from the Holy Synod was read, with thanks expressed to both ecclesiastical and state authorities.
As part of the festivities, the Museum of the Warsaw Metropolis organized an outdoor exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of autocephaly. In the evening, a commemorative concert was held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw at 5:00 p.m., featuring works by Polish Orthodox composers and traditional Byzantine and ancient Bulgarian music.
Photo: orthodox.pl
