For a long time, as a result of the Declaration of the former leadership of Albania as an “atheistic state”, the Church existed in a depressed state. The ban on its activities was not lifted and in the last years of the XX century. with the democratization of Albanian society began to revive Church structures. A notable role in this is played by The Albanian diocese, which is part of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America.

Polish Orthodox church. The mass spread of Christianity in Poland began in 966.. And it is connected with the name of Prince Mieszko (Mieczyslaw). The baptism of Poland in the Latin rite led to a confrontation between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

In the XII century. in the cities of Holm and Przemysl, which then belonged to the Galician-Volyn Principality of Kievan Rus, was founded Orthodox dioceses, and in 1840. – The diocese of Warsaw. The first proclamation of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Poland (1921) for political reasons was not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church, under the jurisdiction of which was the Orthodox population of Poland. Only in 948.. She was granted autocephaly, which was recognized by other Orthodox churches. The modern Polish Orthodox Church has 5 dioceses, 21 deaneries and more than 200 parishes, has three monasteries, 311 churches and chapels.

Church personnel are trained by the Christian theological Academy, a higher inter-confessional educational institution and a theological Seminary. Printed publications – the magazine “Vedomosti Autocephalous Orthodox Church”, which is an official body, and the newspaper “Tygodnik podleski”. The Church is headed by a Bishop, which is the title of Metropolitan of Warsaw and all of Poland. His residence is in Warsaw.

Orthodox Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The emergence of Orthodoxy on the territory of modern Czech Republic and Slovakia is associated with the activities of the enlighteners Cyril and Methodius. The mass baptism of the peoples of great Moravia began in 863.. Over time, these lands became the scene of confrontation between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In the early 20s of the XX century, the Czech-Slovak Orthodox Church was established here under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Church. During the Second world war, the Nazis defeated it. The reason was the Church’s active support for the anti-fascist movement.

In the post-war period, the restoration of Church structures and their full-fledged activities began. First, the Exarchate was created, and in 1951 it was created.. The autocephaly of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church was proclaimed. In our time, the Church has more than 150 thousand Believers, up to 250 parishes United in 4 dioceses. The Church is headed by a Metropolitan, who is elected by the Council. He holds the title of Beatitude Metropolitan of Prague and all of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It has a Synod and a Metropolitan Council. The official organ is the Voice of Orthodoxy magazine. The Metropolitan’s residence is located in Prague.

Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America. There are up to two million Orthodox Christians in the United States, who are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch, Romania, and Moscow. There is also A Romanian diocese, The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church abroad, and other Church structures that do not recognize the superiority of their respective patriarchs.

The spread of Orthodoxy in the North of the American continent is associated with the names of the Valaam monks who arrived on Kodiak island in 1794. one of them, the elder Herman, gave more than forty years of his life to missionary work, is celebrated as Saint Herman of Alaska.

The first diocese on the lands of America was founded in 1840, its development is associated with the name of the Bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian innocent, the future Metropolitan of Moscow. After Russia sold Alaska (1867), both States recognized the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) over local parishes and Church institutions. The first Orthodox parishes in the United States appeared in the 60s of the XIX century. the Strengthening of Orthodoxy is associated with the migration of the population from the European part of the Russian Empire. In 1898-1907, the American diocese was headed by the future Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow. Even then, there was a question of a significant expansion of its autonomy.

After 1917. Orthodox Church structures in America became the subject of disputes between the ROC and the Ecumenical Patriarch Melentius IV, who tried to subdue all the Orthodox churches of the Diaspora. However, according to the decisions of the all-American Council in Detroit (1924), a Temporary Metropolitan district was created on the basis of the former American diocese.

In the 30s of the XX century, the American diocese of the Church Abroad and the Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate, which was under the spiritual care of the ROC, were formed in the United States. Subsequently, for political reasons, a third ecclesiastical jurisdiction was created, also subordinate to the ROC. During the Second world war, there were opportunities for the unification of these three centers, but the Foreign Church did not go for it. The revived American metropolis immediately raised the question of autocephaly, which it received from the ROC in 1970. This created the threat of its absorption of other Orthodox jurisdictions, and then led to the non-recognition of the granted autocephaly by the interested Orthodox churches.