By a decree published on February 26, 2020, metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul appointed Archpriest Alexis Struve as a vicar in order to coordinate the organization of the vicariate of the parishes of the Russian tradition, which remained in the Patriarchate of Constantinople after the departure of the Western European Archdiocese to the Russian Orthodox Church. This is reported by orthodoxie.com.

Metropolitan Emmanuel also confirmed that on April 24, a meeting of the clergy will take place in Monastère Notre Dame de Toute Protection in the commune of Bussy-en-Othe, and in June – the constituent assembly of the vicariate.

Archpriest Alexis is 61 years old, he was ordained as a deacon in 1995, as a priest in 1999. He was a cleric and rector of a French-speaking parish, and was also involved in social and scientific activities. Since 1994 he has worked for the state agency Business France. His previous work from 2014 to 2019 was in Kyiv, where he served as Director of the Business France office and commercial consultant at the French Embassy in Ukraine.

On August 31, 2019, Patriarch Bartholomew, having “fired” Archbishop Jean of Chariopolis (Renneteau) – the administrator of the Archdiocese of Orthodox parishes of the Russian tradition, at the same time “removed” him from the abbot in the cathedral in Paris. The head of the Phanar appointed Alexis Struve in his place as the abbot. All these orders remained unfulfilled due to inconsistency with the charter of the Archdiocese and the departure of the exarchate to the ROC.