Of the Orthodox Church in France
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article by Father Jean Roberti offers a historical and ecclesiological study of the Orthodox presence in France, from the first Russian and Greek emigrations following the First World War to the Serbian and Romanian migratory waves of recent decades. Taking an analytical and critical approach, the author traces the stages of Orthodox settlement in France, marked by persistent jurisdictional divisions, tensions between ethnic communities, and sometimes controversial attempts at inculturation, notably through the experience of the Orthodox Catholic Church of France. The article highlights the considerable theological influence exerted by the Russian emigration — through thinkers such as Berdyaev, Lossky, and Afanasiev — on Western Christian theology. It also underscores the current structural limitations of French Orthodoxy, particularly the absence of a unified local Church, and advocates for a coherent canonical organization capable of overcoming the jurisdictional fragmentation inherited from history.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
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