The ecclesiological approach of Eugraph Kovalevsky

This article examines the ecclesiological thought of Eugraph Kovalevsky, a prominent figure of Western Orthodoxy in the twentieth century. Through an analytical study, Natalie Depraz reconstructs and interrogates the conception of the Church developed by Kovalevsky, founder of the Orthodox Catholic Church of France. The main idea lies in the way Kovalevsky articulates an ecclesiology rooted in the Orthodox tradition while situating it within a Western context, seeking to reconcile the universality of faith with a liturgical expression proper to the Christian West. The contribution of this article is twofold: it sheds light on a singular theological trajectory that is often overlooked and contributes to contemporary reflection on the conditions for an Orthodox inculturation in the West, thereby laying useful groundwork for understanding the ecclesiological issues specific to Orthodox communities outside their traditional canonical territories.