VERTOGRAD
Orthodox Journal
Newsletter No. 28, Friday, June 24, 2005. 11:45 P.M.
IN THIS ISSUE:
– Academic Year is Completed in Suzdal Diocesan Institute for Orthodox Education
– MP and ROCOR(L) Published the First Joint Documents
– Priest N of St.–Petersburg Diocese of Moscow Patriarchate: "We hoped that the Church Abroad would help us to change the existing situation for the better"
TRUE ORTHODOX NEWS
ACADEMIC YEAR IS COMPLETED IN SUZDAL DIOCESAN INSTITUTE FOR ORTHODOX EDUCATION
(Suzdal Diocese Herald – Vertograd: Suzdal)
Academic year finished in Suzdal Diocesan Institute For Orthodox Education on June 7. The first–year and third–year students, as well as extra-mural students passed the exams of "Bible History", "History of Ancient Church" and "Church Ustav". They had also been listening the courses on the Book of Psalms and the Book of Isaiah
Suzdal Diocesan Institute For Orthodox Education was formed by the decision of the Synod of ROAC in 2002. The course is 5 years long. The head of the Institute is Hegumen Theophan (Areskin), five teachers work in the Institute.
WORD ORTHODOX NEWS
MP AND ROCOR(L) PUBLISHED THE FIRST JOINT DOCUMENTS
(Official site of ROCOR(L) – Vertograd: Moscow)
MP and ROCOR(L) published the first documents developed at the Joint Sessions of the Commissions on negotiations. The following four documents were published at the official web–sites of ROCOR(L) and MP on June 21:
- On the Joint Work of the Commissions of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
- On the Attitude of the Orthodox Church Towards the Heterodox and Towards Inter-Confessional Organizations
- On the Relationship Between the Church and State.
- Commentary on the Joint Document of the Commissions of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Entitled "On the Relationship Between Church and State."
The activity of Met Sergius (the founder of Sergianism) was qualified as "podvig" in the fourth document: "A critical view of the above document [Declaration of Met. Sergius about the loyalty to Soviet Power -- Vd] does not equate to a condemnation of His Holiness Patriarch Sergius, and does not express an effort to besmirch his person and mitigate the podvig [this word presents only in the Russian text] of his First-Hierarchical service in the difficult years of the Church's life in the Soviet Union".
The document also says: "After the Church Council of 1945 [MP council gathered by Stalin who elected a patriarch neglecting the opinion of most of the bishops –– Vd], a significant portion of the "non-commemorating" clergy and laity entered the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate". This statement marks the crucial change of the official position of the ROCOR(L) on the Catacomb church.
INTERVIEW:
PRIEST N OF ST.–PETERSBURG DIOCESE OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE: "WE HOPED THAT THE CHURCH ABROAD WOULD HELP US TO CHANGE THE EXISTING SITUATION FOR THE BETTER"
– Question: What is your opinion about the published documents that were elaborated jointly by the Moscow Patriarchate commission for dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (the ROCOR) and the ROCOR (L) commission for negotiations with the Russian Orthodox Church of the MP, and that were approved by the Hierarchs of the ROC MP and the ROCOR(L)?
– Answer: I am deeply frustrated and disappointed. We hoped that the Church Abroad would help us to change the existing situation for the better. But there have remained untouched our two most important problems – ecumenism and the servility with respect to the secular authority. But those were exactly the two issues on which the ROCA was known for its strongly held positions. We had no forces for changing those problems from the inside, and it was our feeling that in that filed the hierarchs of the Church Abroad would be able to provide some assistance to us. It has now become evident that the ROCA will accept all the conditions
– In what way could the ROCA(L) change the attitude of the ROC MP hierarchs towards ecumenism and secular authority?
– To make our hierarchs cease concelebration with non-Orthodox confessions and to discontinue communion with those who think otherwise. There are many Orthodox, including bishops, who would like to do so. But this is a difficult task from the diplomatic point of view. Had the Church Abroad been more firm in its stand, it would have provided a good pretext to us.
– How could the ROCA help with respect to the attitude towards secular authorities?
– By merely assuming a different stand. An attractive stand is contagious, so many of our clerics would begin to follow suit. It is necessary to crowd out gradually those hierarchs who have soiled themselves. Retirement of some of those could have been made a condition for the unification. I would not like to name names.
– Why do you ask not to name you?
– Would you like me to lose my post and speak next time as a representative of "Alternative Orthodoxy"?
Interview for Portal-Credo.Ru by Vladimir Ginsburg
(C) Vertograd, 2004--2005. http://www.vertograd.blogspot.com/
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