Nathaniel: "Hello former KGB Preobrazhenksy." "Hello Dr. Magerovsky
of ROCOR." "Hello Subdeacon Nathaniel." Below is a 3 way telephone
conversation between us:
A THREE WAY TELEPHONE CONVERSATION ABOUT ABP MARK OF BERLIN (ROCOR)
Nathaniel: "There is concern amongst the faithful that Abp Mark of
Berlin is leading the entire ROCOR into the abyss of the MP
Sergianist Pit. What's the story on Abp Mark anyways?"
Dr. Magerovsky: "In the year 2000 Abp Mark became the President of
the Committee on the Unity of the Russian Church. In 2003 he became
the President of the Commission on talks with the Moscow Patriarchy."
K. Preobrazhensky: "Everybody in ROCOR knows that Mark is the
driving force behind the pending MP-ROCOR union and has been since
the early nineties."
Dr Magerovsky: "We know it was no later than 1993 - that's when Mark
con celebrated with an MP bishop for the first time."
Nathaniel: "The official biography of Abp Mark states that he is of
German extraction. Is there resentment among the Anti MP faithful
towards Abp Mark in that he being a German is leading the Russian
emigre' Church into something they are very much against?"
Dr. Magerovsky: "I wouldn't call it resentment. Maybe being insulted
is a better word."
K. Preobrazhensky: "I agree. What's more, Mark knows little about
how the Russian people think. A German is very different than a
Russian."
Nathaniel: "Let's explore this a bit. I recall in Dostoevsky's "The
Gambler" a chapter dedicated to the national characteristics of
various ethnic groups. I can attest to this being Jewish. For
instance, a Jew can laugh at himself quite easily. A Russian would
finds this almost impossible. Am I right?"
Dr Magerovsky: "Yes that's true. In the case of Mark of Berlin, the
way he approaches issues, his outlook on life and his understanding
of Russian history is not Russian at all but rather typically
German. Everything is clearly defined for him and it all rests in an
orderly and well-developed theoretical structure, without any
relation to reality."
Nathaniel: "How is the Russian different form this 'theoretical'
approach to things?"
Mr. K. Preobrazhensky: "The Russian is methodical sure enough. But
the Russian operates from a completely different motivation, that
is, he sees himself in the context of his entire surroundings
including the world society. That gives the Russian a broader
approach to life."
Nathaniel: "And how does that apply to the anti MP Russian?"
Dr Magerovsky: "The anti-MP Russian sees the whole picture. He first
sees the historical context of the Church reaching as far back as
the Apostles. He understands Russian history and the Russian Church
in that history. Most importantly, the anti-MP Russian knows better
than anyone all the stratagems of the Soviet System and how it has
insinuated itself into the church called the MP. Unfortunately, Abp
Mark is far away from even coming close to understanding this."
Nathaniel: "I don't really want to get into this now too much but I
heard that Abp Mark may be a KGB agent."
K. Preobrazhensky: "In 1979 the KGB arrested Abp Mark when he was a
ROCOR layman named Mark Arndt. He was arrested at Leningrad airport
for smuggling anti-Soviet material and then released. Some Russian
emigres today might ask: ‘What if the KGB only frightened Mark and
then simply let him go?'" As a former KGB officer,this could not
have happened. A deal must have been struck. My opinion is that
since 1979, Abp Mark has been operating under a code name."
Nathaniel: "I got involved recently in investigating the MP
property takeovers of two ROCOR monasteries in the Holy Land. I
learned that Abp Mark was behind the whole thing. What can either of
you tell me about this?"
Dr Magerovsky: "It's true. In July 1997, the Palestinians seized
control of the ROCOR’s monastery in Hebron, Israel. Abp Mark
headed up the ROCOR’s commission to investigate. He placed all the
blame on Abbess Juliana who had canonically refused to allow
Patriarch Alexis into the monastery. First he put two known KGB
agents dressed in black robes into the monastery and secured Abbess
Juliana's expulsion and all the ROCOR’s anti Soviet clerics from the
Holy Land. Then he forced Vitaly to make an apology to Yasser
Arafat."
Nathaniel: "Was the MP working behind the scenes?"
Dr Magerovsky: "Yes indeed. It turned out that earlier in the year
Archbishop Mark had had a secret meeting with Patriarch Alexy. And
the Hebron newspaper El Mascobbiyeh reported that since February,
1997 the monastery had secretly been transferred to the MP through
the head of the MP Russian ecclesiastical mission in Jerusalem,
Vasily Vasnev."
Nathaniel: "Another issue. In recent conversations with some of my
contacts abroad, I was told that there is a possibility that Abp
Mark is a practicing homosexual. Of course this is all heresay and I
don't put much stock in it. Do either of you know anything about
this with regard to Abp Mark?"
K. & Dr. M: "No."
K. Preobrazhensky: "Let me say something here. The KGB will dig up
whatever factual dirt regarding sexual immoralities they can find on
their prey. Then they work out a deal or solidify a deal."
Nathnaniel: "I had heard that Abp Mark a former Lutheran was never
bapitzed into the Church. Is this true?"
Dr Magerovsky: "The practice at that time was to apply myrhh to the
forehead."
Nathaniel: "In closing, I would like to ask the good Dr. for a
parting comment and we'll wrap this up."
Dr Magerovsky: "Somehow and for some reason, Abp Mark
was converted to Orthodoxy, but he was unable, clearly, to
shed his Germano-Soviet background. Actually, it would have
been far better if he remained a good German and did not meddle
in Russian affairs.
Especially, as his involvement in ROCOR-MP matters can be called "episodic."
If it was not for his meddling in Russian affairs,
with which he is quite frankly not that familiar,I would not give
all of this any more thought and would simply move on. But as
they say, "where there is smoke, there is fire."
For the Holy New Martyrs of Russia,
ROAC Subdeacon Nathaniel Kapner
The Eleveth Hour
October 19/November 1, 2005
The Commemoration of the Holy New Martyrs of Russia
How many of our Bishops actually were born in Russia? How many have lived there in the past 30 years? :ohvey: