This is the official website and authoritative voice of the RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AUTONOMOUS CHURCH OF AMERICA (ROAC). No other English language based website (other than the sites linked herein) claiming to speak for His Eminence, Metropolitan Theodore of Suzdal and Vladimir, or any of the individual Hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AUTONOMOUS CHURCH (ROAC), should be considered as genuine or valid.
TERMS OF USE
The content on this website is provided for religious, educational, and informational purposes only.
By accessing or using this website, you agree to the following Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.
1. Purpose of the Website
This website exists to communicate information related to the life, faith, theology, history, and activities of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church of America (“the Church”) within an Orthodox Christian context. All content is provided for religious and educational purposes only.
2. Ecclesiastical and Theological Nature of Content
All content published on this website is theological, pastoral, historical, or ecclesiastical in nature. Statements regarding doctrine, canon law, church history, or ecclesiastical status represent religious opinions or interpretations and are not secular assertions of fact.
Users acknowledge that religious disagreements and differing interpretations exist within Christianity and that the Church does not claim universal secular authority over such matters.
3. No Professional or Legal Advice
Nothing on this website constitutes legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Users should seek appropriate qualified professionals for matters outside the religious and pastoral scope of the Church.
4. Intellectual Property and Historical Materials
This website contains a combination of original content produced by the Church and historical, archival, or third-party materials reproduced or referenced for religious, educational, and documentary purposes. Some materials hosted on this site are part of a reconstruction or preservation of content originally published online or in print in or around 2012 and are presented in good faith for historical and ecclesiastical reference.
The Church does not claim ownership of third-party content unless explicitly stated. Where authorship, copyright ownership, or usage permissions are known, reasonable efforts have been made to acknowledge them. If any content is believed to be reproduced in error or without appropriate attribution or permission, the Church welcomes notice and will review such concerns promptly and in good faith.
All original content created specifically for this website remains the property of the Church unless otherwise indicated.
5. Use of Content and Interpretive Responsibility
Users agree to engage with the content of this website in good faith and within its intended religious and ecclesiastical context. The Church rejects the use of its content in ways that deliberately mischaracterize theological, historical, or ecclesiastical discussions as personal attacks, secular accusations, or civil judgments.
Content addressing matters of doctrine, church history, discipline, jurisdiction, or ecclesiastical disagreement is theological in nature and is not intended as defamatory, abusive, or harassing speech toward any individual or group in a secular sense. Disagreement with religious or ecclesiastical positions expressed on this site does not, by itself, render such content defamatory or abusive.
The Church reserves the right to respond to, clarify, or correct misinterpretations of its content when such misinterpretations materially alter its ecclesiastical meaning.
6. Third-Party and Hosted Materials
This website hosts certain documents, PDFs, and other materials that were created by third parties or originally published outside the Church. Such materials are provided for historical, theological, educational, or reference purposes and do not necessarily reflect the current official views or positions of the Church unless explicitly stated.
The inclusion of externally created materials does not constitute endorsement of every statement contained therein, nor does it imply ongoing affiliation with their authors or publishers. These materials are presented in their historical or documentary context as part of the Church’s educational and archival mission.
If a hosted document is believed to be improperly attributed, outdated, or presented without sufficient context, the Church welcomes notice and will review the matter in good faith.
7. Content Modification
The Church reserves the right to edit, update, or remove website content at any time without notice, including content that is outdated, inaccurate, or inconsistent with its mission.
8. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Church shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages arising from the use or inability to use this website or reliance upon its content.
9. Governing Principles
These Terms of Use are intended to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the religious mission and ecclesiastical nature of the Church and in accordance with applicable civil law, without requiring secular adjudication of theological matters.
10. Acceptance of Terms
Continued use of this website constitutes acceptance of these Terms of Use.