The Orthodox Church in America was granted autocephaly by Patriarch Alexis I of Moscow on April 10, 1971. After the North American Metropolia severed ties with the ROCOR at the 7th All-American Sobor in Cleveland in 1946, it exercised de facto independence and self-governance. Its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate remained difficult until official contacts were resumed in the late 1960s. Negotiations on the OCA's independence began in 1969 and culminated in Moscow's granting of autocephaly on April 10, 1971. The drive towards independence motivated in part by the OCA’s understanding of itself as an American Local Orthodox Church and the successor to the original Russian Missions to North America in the 18th century found a reflection in the address of the bishops of the OCA to their flock in 1970: “Conscious of being a local American Church, our Metropolitanate has often and publicly stated its belief that Orthodoxy cannot develop in America except in unity and independence… Today, as the Mother Church, which established the mission 175 years ago, solemnly recognizes our autocephaly, a threefold task opens up for us: the task of uniting all Orthodox Christians of America into one Church; the task of witnessing freely to the true Christian faith in the whole world; the task of growing spiritually from strength to strength through the prayers of holy Father Herman of Alaska.” This embracing vision has never materialized. The OCA remains unrecognized by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the largest Orthodox Church in North America (for it the OCA remains the Russian Metropolia). The other churches do not rush to integrate themselves into the OCA. Nevertheless, the fifty years of the OCA's existence proved that this church has its role: ministering to this nation. The reception of the autocephaly from the Moscow Patriarchate triggered the discussion in the Russian Church abroad about who the Mother Church was to the Russian “jurisdictions” abroad. As a result, at the Montreal Council in 1971, the ROCOR proclaimed the Catacomb Church its kyriarchal church. On a personal level, the acceptance of autocephaly was perceived in the Russian Church Abroad as submission to the Soviet regime (the Moscow Patriarchate did not exist legally as an entity). The ties between the ROCOR and the OCA began developing after the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate reunified in 2007. In October 2010, the commissions of both churches issued a joint statement on relations between the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, putting to rest the historical disputes in a spirit of mutual forgiveness. No canons are guiding the granting of autocephaly. The Russian Church perceives autocephaly similarly to state sovereignty, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate issues autocephaly, which looks more like autonomy from the Russian point of view. Be this as it may, the emergence of a new Orthodox church affects all other Orthodox churches, and therefore, it makes sense to discuss the granting of autocephaly with all members of the family of Orthodox Churches. Sources: “Tomos of Autocephaly,” https://www.oca.org/history-archives/tomos-of-autocephaly. Alexis Liberovsky, “The Relationship of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and ROCOR from 1950 to the Present According to Documents in the OCA Archives”, ROCOR Studies.https://www.rocorstudies.org/2021/06/27/the-relationship-of-the-orthodox-church-in-america-oca-and-rocor-from-1950-to-the-present-according-to-documents-in-the-oca-archives/ (abstract of a talk given at the conference in the centennial of the ROCOR, Belgrade, Nov. 2021). “The Path to Autocephaly and Beyond,” https://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/theodosius.html. Relevant Resources: Maria A. Jordan, “Reminiscences,” Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad. Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky, “There is Room for Conversation Even in the Midst of a Severe Conflict,” Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad. | 
