Pat. Alexei denies there is persecution in the USSR
"In the Soviet Union, citizens are never arrested for their religious or ideological convictions"---uttered when he was Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia (Keston News Service, #94, March 21, 1980 p. 1).
Of course he said that when there was communism. What would be better, for him to denounce it publicly and get everyone killed or work underground?
anastasios
Disclaimer: Many older posts were made before my baptism and thus may not reflect an Orthodox point of view.
Please do not message me with questions about the forum or moderation requests. Jonathan Gress (jgress) will be able to assist you.
Please note that I do not subscribe to "Old Calendar Ecumenism" and believe that only the Synod of Archbishop Kallinikos is the canonical GOC of Greece. I do believe, however, that we can break down barriers and misunderstandings through prayer and discussion on forums such as this one.
no one is forgetting that but many people who wanted to survive joined the KGB. My wife's grandma joined the Communist Party in Slovakia even though she hated communists so they could have food to eat! I hate when people are so judgemental of others whose experience they cannot begin to understand. The only people who can judge the collaborators are the confessors such as the Catacomb Christians, who chose the opposite path (I highly value their witness).
anastasios
Disclaimer: Many older posts were made before my baptism and thus may not reflect an Orthodox point of view.
Please do not message me with questions about the forum or moderation requests. Jonathan Gress (jgress) will be able to assist you.
Please note that I do not subscribe to "Old Calendar Ecumenism" and believe that only the Synod of Archbishop Kallinikos is the canonical GOC of Greece. I do believe, however, that we can break down barriers and misunderstandings through prayer and discussion on forums such as this one.
First of all, stating
Pat. Alexei denies there is persecution in the USSR
is rather ??? Well, I can't think of a word that some might not take as an insult. The sentence quoted is in the present or perfect tense. This makes no sense since the USSR does not exist anymore. Rather, it seems as if it was written this way for polemical reasons. Why not write it more honesty?
Something like, The former Metropolitan X, now Patriarch Alexei of Moscow, stated in 1980 that there was no persecution at that time." Of course, that isn't as polemical.
Secondly, Mr. Zollars states as unqualified fact that Patriarch Alexei "was a known KGB Agent (Agent Drozdov to be specific)". I have always thought of this as a rumor more than a fact. Where is the evidence from an unbiased source that this is fact and not a rumor? That the KGB would have a code name for him would not surprise me in the least since they would have code names for many high ranking people. That he could be in some way a KGB agent would not be shocking. However, what are the facts?
p.s. A story from the BBC, or the NY Times or Washington Post, Reuters, etc. I would consider a reputable source. The uncorroborated testimony of an agent of ROAC I would not consider a reputable source.
Lawrence Van den Post tells how young idealistic Allied officers were very keen and determined to punish the Nazis, whereas the victims wanted to forgive them. Where is God to allow this ? - asked one young lieutenant as he entered Dachau. A survivor answered: We know where God is. But where is man?
