VERTOGRAD
Orthodox Journal
Newsletter No. 22, Sunday, May 22, 2005. 11:50 P.M.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Metropolitan Valentine's Namesday Celebrated in Suzdal
Nuns of Suzdal Convents of ROAC Threatened with Eviction
The Throne of the Myrrhbearers Temple is Blessed in Suzdal
Matthewite Exarch in Russia Reportedly Released From His Post
TRUE ORTHODOX NEWS
METROPOLITAN VALENTINE'S NAMESDAY CELEBRATED IN SUZDAL
(Vertograd: Suzdal)
The Feast day of the Holy Martyrs Pasicratus and Valentine, which falls on May 7 (new style), this year fell on Bright Saturday. The Holy Hieromartyr Valentine is the Heavenly Patron of Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal and Vladimir, and the ROAC celebrated the namesday of its First-Hierarch on May 7.
The Divine Liturgy during this holiday in the Tsar-Constantine Cathedral was done by Vladika Valentine. Present at the service were Archbishops Theodore of Borisovskoe and Otradnoe, Seraphim of Sukhimi and Abkhazia, and Bishops Irinarch of Tula and Bryansk. The faithful of Suzdal congratulated their Archpastor.
After Divine Service all the participants were directed to the nearby Joy of All Who Sorrow church for a lovely holiday dinner, where Hegumen Theophan (Areskin) read the life of the holy martyrs Pasikratus and Valentine. At the end of meal, the Dean for the Suzdal region, Archpriest Arkady Makovetsky, wished the Metropolitan the "Many years" hymn.
NUNS OF SUZDAL CONVENTS OF ROAC THREATENED WITH EVICTION
(Vertograd: Suzdal)
The local police took part in the routine "investigations of the official government" arranged at the end of the Great Lent and Bright Week at the convents of Free Russian Orthodox Church in Suzdal. In two Suzdal convents - the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God and St John of Shanghai - live about 20 nuns, mostly older catacomb nuns.
The primary reason for the searches in the convents by the police is that many nuns refuse to exchange their old passports for the new ones, which contain invisible and electronically read record on a computer chip. At the same time, though old passports are being exchanged regularly, the old passports are still legally valid, so the threat of eviction on such a basis has no legal foundation.
At monasteries in Suzdal intense psychological pressure. Thus, on the night of May 6, unknown people began banging loudly at the doors for long periods of time at the gates of the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God convent, attempting to force them open. The next night, on the namesday of Metropolitan Valentine, May 7, local thugs smashed a lamp at the entrance in the private house of the monastery of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia next to the Synodal house.
THE THRONE OF THE MYRRHBEARERS TEMPLE IS BLESSED IN SUZDAL
(Vertograd : Suzdal)
The First Hierarch of the ROAC, Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal and Vladimir, blessed the throne of the Church of the Holy Myrrhbearers in Suzdal. The service was done with a holy water blessing, a procession and liturgy.
The "winter" temple known as the Holy Myrrhberarers Church composes a single complex with the "summer" temple of the Saints Cosmas and Damian: according to tradition, temples in Suzdal were constructed by pairs. Next to the spacious "summer" temples they were located the small, well-heated "winter" temples, where the services were done in cold weather.
The complex of the temples of the Sts Cosmas and Damian and the Holy Myrrhbearers was transmitted to the Free Russian church in the beginning of the 1990's by the provisional government. The first director of the temple was Hegumen Nikolai (that was tonsured into monasticism in honor of the Holy Tsar- martyr). Father Nikolai was known for his selfless life, and earned respect among the Suzdal clergy and laity. After the Death of Fr Nikolai in 1999, the rector of church became Hieromonk (now Hegumen) Trofim, who has done numerous works to restore the temples entrusted to him.
MATTHEWITE EXARCH IN RUSSIA REPORTEDLY RELEASED FROM HIS POST
(Livejournal - Fr Nektary (Yashunsky) : Livejournal - Fr Andrey Sidnev : Vertograd)
According to the LiveJournal of Kallinkite priest Archimandrite Nektary (Yashunsky), Metropolitan Kirykos of Mesogea and Lavriotiki has been released from his post as Exarch of the "Matthewite" Synod of the TOC of Greece in Russia. Metropolitan Kirykos, a member of the Matthewite Synod, was in charge of several parishes in Russia and Belarus and was noted for his "contradictory" opinions in relation to his own synod and its First Hierarch, Archbishop Nicholas of Athens.
Metropolitan Kirykos' alleged resignation from his post of exarch was reported by Fr Nektary, a St Petersburg priest of the "Kallinikite" Synod of the TOC of Greece, but the priest of Metropolitan Kirykos, Father Andrey Sidnev, living in Greece, has not confirmed this information in his Journal.
Fr Nektary quotes "Kiryx Gnisios Orthodoxos" from November past 2004 which states: "... regarding the pastoral and other needs of church in Russia, the Holy Synod has decreed the continuation of the pastoral care of local parishes and institutions who continue to commemorate the name of Archbishop Andrew of Athens and to send such information to the Orthodox in Russia in paternal messages, so that Church's mission for the best would come to the Russian clergy and faithful. On the actions and communications of His Eminence Kirykos of Mesogeia and Lavreotiki concerning the Russian Church, it was emphasized, they are being done without the blessings and permission of the Holy synod and appear to be anti-canonical activities, which - since they are done in secret from the Holy Synod - more greatly it burdens the Hierarch mentioned above. It was clarified, though this goes without saying, that His Eminence Kirykos in no way represents the Holy Synod, from which - as he himself in writing declares - it "walling–off", ceasing long ago to inform the Holy Synod about his trips to Russia and to assume to himself blessings and rights of His Beatutide Andrew of Athens."
(C) Vertograd, 2004--2005. http://www.vertograd.blogspot.com/
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