ROCOR To Elect New Primate Most Likely After June - Archbishop

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2022) The bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) will choose a new First Hierarch most likely after the month of June, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada told Sputnik.

ROCOR First Hierarch Metropolitan Hilarion (Igor Kapral) passed away at the age of 74 in New York on Monday.

"Of course, we will wait for the 40 days of repose, which will be on June 24. I would assume that nothing before that period will be decided," Archbishop Gabriel said, referring to the Russian Orthodox tradition to commemorate newly reposed people during the first 40 days after passing away.

Several days before death, on May 13, Metropolitan Hilarion took part in a Zoom call of Synod, where hierarchs decided to hold a regular ROCOR Council of Bishops in December, Gabriel added.

"Some time after (the 40 days) - perhaps in July - there will be a Council of Bishops, or maybe we will decide to wait until December," he said.

ROCOR hierarchs will conduct a meeting later to discuss the details of Metropolitan Hilarion's funeral, Gabriel said.

"I think it is probably safe to say, it will be either on Friday or Saturday of this week, and the burial of Metropolitan will be in the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York," he said.

Hilarion was a member of the convent's brotherhood and lived there for many years, he said.

Metropolitan Hilarion was born in Spirit River, Canada, in 1948. In May 2008, he was elected as the sixth head of ROCOR.

Hilarion also became the first primate of the Russian church abroad approved by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate, as the two branches of the Russian Church signed the Act of Canonical Communion on May 17, 2007.