MP News

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http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29412

Metropolitan Kirill meets with the students of the Youth Ministry School of the Patriarchal Centre for spiritual education of children and youth at the Danilov monastery in Moscow

On 31 January 2006, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations met with the students of the Youth Ministry School in the conference hall of the Patriarchal Centre for spiritual education of children and youth at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow.

Taking part in the meeting also were the abbot of the Danilov Monastery archimandrite Alexi (Polikarpov) and the leader of the Youth Ministry School of the Patriarchal Centre for spiritual education of children and youth hegumen Petr (Meshcheryakov).

Metropolitan Kirill spoke about Christian understanding of freedom, Christian resistance to secular tendencies of the contemporary Western society and about moral and spiritual responsibility of Christians for their lives. He also spoke about the presence of the Church in politics and the system of education. He shared his vision of the problems, tasks and responsibility of the Orthodox youth organizations in their ministry to the Church and answered many questions.

Youth ministry school was set up at the Patriarchal Centre of spiritual education of children and youth in 2003 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

Studying in the school are young people aged 16-27 who want to become church people and who have an acknowledged wish to serve the Orthodox Church. They study the ‘Foundations of Christian philosophy of life’ in the School, which also trains active young people for educational, social and missionary work and catechization, organization of leisure time and holidays of children and youth.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29418

Russian President thinks that businessmen, while realizing their commercial projects, should respect the feelings of believers

President Vladimir V. Putin advised businessmen to respect the interests of religious associations of the country and not to undertake commercial projects that could offend the feelings of believers, ITAR-TASS reports. The leader of the state was asked at the news conference held in the Kremlin on 31 January 2006 about his attitude to the attempts of business structures to take away a part of a church representation in Sokolniki and use it as a casino. Putin described these actions as erroneous.

Putin underscored that ‘there is nothing good in that. I am confident that gambling business develops rapidly because of large profit. It is not necessarily to adapt certain premises to solve their tasks, especially in the sphere of gambling.’

[Kollyvas]

http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29414

Monument to the heavenly protector of the city is set up in Kronstadt

The monument to St. John of Kronstadt will be set up in Kronstadt.

The ITAR-TASS reports the bronze sculpture of the saint was made in one of the best foundries in Russia - in the town of Solnchenogorsk, Moscow Region, and then delivered to Kronstadt. The monument will become a center of a memorial complex, which was set up in 2004, when the city celebrated its 300year anniversary.

The monument to St. John of Kronstadt was made on the donations of people. The residents of the city collected some 650 thousand rubles. The monument will be set up this spring, when the snow melts and it is possible to make a foundation – half-meter granite slab with the names of all donators.

The author of monument sculptor Andrei Sokolov refused to receive the author's emoluments for his work which took him three years – from collecting material about Fr. Ioann of Kronstadt to making the sculpture.

The work was carried out with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.

The Culture GTRK

[Kollyvas]

http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29440

Metropolitan Kirill chairs a regular session of the Working group on draft document stating church-society position on human rights

On 2 February 2006, Metropolitan Kirill chaired a regular session of the Working group of the World Russian People’s Council on the draft document stating position of the Church and society on human rights and dignity. The participants continued to discuss the draft document, worked out by responsible authors.

Among the participants were: DECR MP Deputy Chairman Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, DECR Chairman’s Assistant Rev. Yuri Riabykh, Deacon Sergy Govorun, Hieromonk Makary (Markish), DECR staff-members, WRPC executive secretary O. Yefimov, church publicist V. Semenko, and V. Kipshidze, group’s secretary and DECR staff member.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29429

The late Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czeck Lands and Slovakia will be buried on February 4

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Czeck Lands and Slovakia reports that the the order of burial of the late Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czeck Lands and Slovakia – Metropolitan Nikolai will be conducted in the Cathedral of St. Alexander of Neva in Preshov on February 4, 2006. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and Germany will participate in the burial on behal of the Russian Orthodox Church.

As was reported earlier, Metropolitan Nikolai passed away on January 30 at the age of 79. He was the Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czeck Lands and Slovakia for six years.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01n ... chehia.htm

His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus Expresses Condolences to the Locum Tenens and Holy Synod of the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church

I hereby express my profound condolences and empathy to Your Eminence, the Locum Tenens of the First-hierarchal Throne, the Members of the Holy Synod, the clergymen and flock, the spiritual children and followers of the newly-departed Metropolitan Nikolaj, who zealously tended to the flock of the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church.

During the difficult years of the exile of the Russian émigrés, the print shop of the Brotherhood of Pochaev Lavra, headed by Archimandrite Vitaly (Maximenko), who later became an archbishop in the USA, found a welcoming haven on Slovakian territory. Since then, the Russian Church Abroad, and especially the residents of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, have prayed with great love for the Reverend Archpastors, pastors and Orthodox faithful who carry on the work of God and those who seek salvation. We often remember the good-hearted and fraternal attention to us of the late Vladyka, whose departure from the earthly life is immeasurably tragic for us as well.

II pray to the All-Merciful God for the peace of His Eminence's soul in the abode of the righteous.

With love in the Lord, asking your holy prayers,

+Metropolitan Laurus,

First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

January 17/30 2006

St Anthony the Great

[Kollyvas]

http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29436

Particle of St. Sergius of Radonezh relics is brought in Birobidzhan

On 30 January 2006, the shrine with the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, one of the most venerated Russian saints, was brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation. As Birobidzhan Diocesan administration reports to the Regnum Information Agency, the particles of the relics were brought to the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Region from the Vysotsk Monastery, Serpukhov. The shrine is to stay in the city for several days.