The Holy Synod

Although we are an independent canonical Orthodox jurisdiction, we thank His All Holiness BARTHOLOMEOS , Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch for his Blessing upon us, our hierarchs, clergy and faithful. The Ecumenical Patriarchate provided the UAOC a canonical episcopate in 1942 in Kiev from the Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne in Warsaw, himself having been consecrated by the Patriarch of Antioch and eight hierarchs of the Moscow Church, including Metropolitan St. ANTHONY Krapovitsky of Kiev.
 

The hierarchs of the American Orthodox Church (OCA-UAOC) were acknowledged as canonical by Archbishop MICHAEL, Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne in America. Archbishop CHRISTOPHOROS Contogeorge was recognized by Order of the Ecumenical Patriarch in a document signed by Archbishop ATHENAGORAS, Exarch, and his three bishops. Archbishop IAKOVOS, Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne in America recognized our canonical Ukrainian hierarchs.
 

Some of our hierarchs served as Exarchs in the Americas of the Ancient and Venerable Patriarchate of Alexandria, and of Jerusalem.
 

We want to clarify that we are in no way under the jurisdiction of the current Exarch in Americas of the Ecumenical Throne, Archbishop ELPIDOPHOROS, since we are not part of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but are a self-governing canonical Orthodox Church as determined by the Sacred Canons and by civil law.
 

We have been recognized as canonical by the predecessors of the current Exarch: Archbishop ATHENAGORAS (later Ecumenical Patriarch), Archbishop MICHAEL, Archbishop IAKOVOS.
 

We have served as Exarchs of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Our hierarchs assisted in the consecration of a Serbian hierarch. We also concelebrated with Bishop JOHN Martin of the American Carpatho Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Diocese, Metropolitans MICHAEL Shaheen and PHILIP Saliba of the Antiochian Orthodox Patriarchate, Metropolitan JOSEPH of the Bulgarian Patriarchate and Archbishop MAKARIOS, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, and one time President, of Cyprus among with many other canonical Orthodox groups.
 

Our Jurisdiction has been recognized as canonical by patriarchs, including Patriarch NICHOLAS VI of Alexandria and Archbishop MAKARIOS of Cyprus.  It must also be noted that Archbishop DIONYSIOS Makrocambrakis, the last serving Exarch of the Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Alexandria before it was granted autocephaly by Patriarch NICHOLAS VI, was consecrated by three of our bishops who also consecrated Archbishop AMVROSIJ, who now himself heads the autocephalous former Exarchate of Alexandria in the Americas.

Our OCA-UAOC Hierarchs and Jurisdiction was also recognized by His Eminence IRENEY, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All-America and Canada for the Orthodox Church in America.
 

His Beatitude, Archbishop AMVROSIJ, was recognized by Patriarch MYSTYSLAV I of Kiev as being in the Apostolic Succession from himself through Metropolitan HRYHORIJ, whom AMMVROSIJ succeeded, and as direct successor of Archbishop CHRISTOPHOROS Contogeorge and as Primate of the Exarchate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria in the Americas.