Archbishop Mark (Arndt), the key figure in negotiations between ROCOR(L) and MP
Archbishop Mark (Arndt) of Berlin and Germany, ruling over the Archdiocese of Great Britain of ROCOR was born in German Democratic Republic, in the territory of Soviet control of the former Reich. Before the tonsure his name was Michael Arndt.
In a rather in young age, just after he turned 18, he became one of the numerous refugees who made it to flee from the GDR to the West Germany. He educated in the Heidelberg University and upheld a thesis on the literature of the Tver’ principality in XIV century. After his conversion to Orthodoxy, Michael Arndt has become an activist of the NTS, an Anti-Soviet émigré organization. His nickname in the organization was "The Brave Eagle". According to some sources, it was him who contacted the USSR intelligence agencies after an attempt to distribute Anti-Soviet propaganda sheets in USSR was made. After his tonsure his was given a name Mark. He became a prior of Russian Church in Wiesbaden, was soon promoted to the archimandrite rank, and in the 1981 was consecrated bishop in Germany by the Russian Church Abroad. Three years later he became an Archbishop of Berlin and Germany. He lives in the monastery of St. Job of Pochaev in Munich, and his lifestyle is rather ascetic.
Despite the fact that Arndt studied Russian for years, he couldn’t master his skill in this. Even now when preaching in Russian one can hear the mistakes in style or in syntax of his speech. This effect is doubled by the Archbishop’s tongue-tie and his peculiar pronunciation. That is the cause for that most of all Arndt prefers preaching to Germans whose knowledge of the Orthodoxy is quite superficial.
The first years after having been promoted to the Archbishop rank Mark was thought to be very sympathetic to all Russian, evidently applying to himself a traditional ROCOR Archbishop style this way. He fought the Soviet regime as much as he could, and his successful developing in learning Russian allowed him to obtain positive attitude from the top priests of ROCOR. During the first period of his Archbishop service Mark was definitely intolerant to the Moscow Patriarchate, either in the ideological battles or personal relations. Once, on a formal meal held by the Mayor of Munich, Mark was encountered by Irinei, the Metropolitan of Vienna and Austria, the Vicar of the Diocese of Austria and Bavaria, residing in Munich. The Metropolitan tried to engage Mark to a friendly talk, but his reply was: "I don’t understand German".
The latest issue of Mark’s Diocese paper, ‘German Diocesan News’, features the Archbishop proudly speaking about the meeting of Russian President Putin and the members of ROCOR Synod. In the first lines he claims the event to by the result of the work that took years. In an interview given to a Russian TV channel, Archbishop Mark looked a bit funny when hurrying to report that though he has seen a lot of prime authorities, that is in the person of former FSB head Putin where he beheld a "truly Orthodox Russian man".
It was no more than ten years ago that the Archbishop's point of view was a bit different. In the early 90's a host of émigré refugees from Russia and the former USSR republics sought their salvation in Germany. But these people, poor and bloody-minded, found no sympathy from Archbishop Mark. That time he was convinced that the people of USSR were "Soviet", so there was no room for Orthodoxy is their minds. The runaways, according to Mark, had to repent continuously the sin of regicide and other sins of Soviet regime. The repentance was realized in the form of free labour for the profit of the Diocese. There was a real labour colony supervised by the Archbishop. The same behaviour pattern was applied to the ROC MP priests; they all, according to Mark, should have had accompanied the émigrés in permanent repentance.
Archbishop Mark thought Russia to be a savage territory, highly appropriate for the missionary task. But his authority faltered when it became clear that the Russian presence in Germany was going to be an autonomous force. The quantity of Russian émigrés in Germany tended to multiply, as well as the quantity of Moscow Patriarchate Churches. The worshippers were attracted rather by a plain and clear, Russian-like faith than by Mark's ascetic ideals. It was quickly realized that a mighty rival for the audience of worshippers in Germany has arrived.
Once when Archbishop Mark visited Moscow privately, for no official invitation from the Church or the State could have been made, a phone call was received in the apartment the Archbishop was in. It was a call from Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan), head of the UOC of MP, who had eyes for a conversation with the Archbishop. But instead of talking to the Metropolitan, Mark ruled out this possibility asking to reply: "I would speak to Metropolitan Vladimir only if we shall speak about his repentance. I have no intention to discuss any other subjects with him".
Then Mark's policy changed dramatically. It was him now who looked for the meeting with Patriarch Alexis. Then, after a quarrel with the high Priests of ROCOR, including Metropolitan Vitaly, given a certain vote distribution in Synod, Mark was through with his revolutionary ideas. After a schism in the ROCOR with the change of course towards the ecumenical union with the MP, Mark has become visibly closer to the realization of his career plans.
The present trip of Archbishop Mark to Moscow is of different level than the previous ones. It is for the first time that Mark is at head of an official delegation invited by the Patriarch. It is for the fist time that he is a guest of the Patriarch, so his mission his clearly on its way.
by Maxim Zubov