Moscow Patriarchate Priest Marries Homosexual Couple!!!

[bogoliubtsy]

This newspaper is called Komsomolskaya Pravda. I'd be skeptical.

[Natasha]

Surprise homosexual Marriage

MOSCOW (MT) -- The first homosexual marriage in the Russian Orthodox Church has been carried out after a man told a priest he wanted to marry his bride in secret but turned up with his boyfriend instead, local media reported.

Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Borozov were married in a ceremony at a church in Nizhny Novgorod, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported Wednesday.

Gogolev had first approached the priest, Father Vladimir, and told him he wanted to keep his bride's identity secret until the last minute because her parents did not agree with their wedding.

But he arrived at the ceremony with his boyfriend, Borozov, and asked the priest to carry on with the wedding service.

Father Vladimir initially protested that he had been expecting Gogolev to arrive with a woman but finally married the couple, the newspaper said.

Church officials condemned Father Vladimir's actions. "The Russian Orthodox Church does not accept homosexual marriage. An Orthodox priest simply does not have the right to marry a homosexual couple," Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate's external relations department, was quoted by Vlasti.net as saying.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2 ... 5/031.html

[Logos]

Thank you for posting this Natasha. I would assume that the priest is in deep trouble. I amazed at how some rushed to judegement before all the facts came out.

[尼古拉前执事]

Orthodox priest banned for same sex wedding
RPTs UNMARRIES homosexual COUPLE
by Sergei Ivashko, Tatiana Mikhailova
Gazeta.ru, 4 September 2003

A Nizhny Novgorod priest who married a homosexual couple will most likely be deprived of his ordination. This will become clear after the conclusion of the work of a commission that is investigating this incident. For now he is forbidden to conduct any church rituals.

On Thursday the leadership of the Nizhegorod diocese forbade Fr Vladimir, who married two men in accordance with the Orthodox ritual, to serve in church. As a "Gazeta.ru" correspondent reports from Nizhny Novgorod, today an official statement was distributed in which it is said that "the priest who conducted a 'same sex marriage' committed a most gross violation of church discipline and on 2 September 2003 he was banned from clerical ministry for having committed blasphemous actions." As representatives of the diocese explained to "Gazeta.ru," until the completion of the investigation he remains within the bosom of the church although he is forbidden to conduct any rituals that pertain to clerical ministry.

"The Russian Orthodox church unconditionally condemns the very idea of 'same sex marriage' and it traditionally condemns homosexual relations as a mortal sin in accordance with Holy Scripture and the tradition of the church. The commission that was appointed by the ruling bishop of the diocese, Bishop Georgi, conducted an investigation that showed that under no circumstances can what was done be considered a marriage," the statement says.

Whatever the results of the investigation, the diocese considers this action as a preconceived provocation that was intended to bring sensational attention to the problem of same sex marriages.

According to information in the local news media, Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Morozov were married in one of the wooden chapels located in the center of Nizhny Novgorod on Monday, 1 September, at 4:00 p.m. According to the youths, the priest, Fr Vladimir, consented immediately to conducting the ritual in accordance with all canons of the church. For this he received 15,000 rubles, ten times what is usually paid by Nizhnygorod youth for conducting the ritual.

Mikhail acted in the capacity of the groom while Denis acted in the capacity of the bride Dionisiia. Now the commission is trying to ascertain all of the circumstances of this event.

The marriage is not the first escapade of the male couple. Back in the spring of this year they declared themselves, when Mikhail decided to participate in the "Miss Nizhny Novgorod" contest. However fortunately he was not admitted into the competition.

The Orthodox church completely rejects same sex marriage, declared the vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin. And he added that the priest who conducted such rituals of marriage must certainly be unfrocked.

On this question the Catholic church is in complete agreement with the Orthodox church. On 31 July 2003 the Vatican published a document in which it condemned same sex marriage. In addition, the leadership of the Roman Catholic church views the registration of same sex marriages by civil authorities negatively. Jews, evangelicals, and Muslims also have spoken out against the registration of same sex marriages. (tr. by PDS, posted 4 September 2003)

RUSSIAN CHURCH IN homosexual WEDDING ROW
BBC, 4 September 2003

The Russian Orthodox Church has defrocked a priest for conducting the country's first reported homosexual wedding.

Church authorities in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow, said the ceremony was a blasphemous act and a gimmick to attract public attention to single-sex unions.

"The Russian Orthodox Church is against single-sex marriages and condemns homosexual relations as a deadly sin," the diocese press service said in a statement.

Misha and I want to show that gays can and should live in Russia, and quite openly   Denis Gogolev

A spokesman for the diocese described the priest who conducted the service, Father Vladimir, as a "black sheep".

Partners Denis Gogolev and Misha Morozov have described the ceremony, which took place on Monday, as the first ever homosexual church wedding in Russia.

"Misha and I want to show that gays can and should live in Russia, and quite openly," Mr Gogolev said.

'Spouses'

They took their vows in a small chapel, exchanging rings, circling the altar and donning crowns as in a traditional Orthodox wedding.

Newspaper reports said there was some confusion during the service, with the priest asking who was the husband and who was the wife.

Mr Gogolev replied that they did not mind and both wished to be considered "spouses".

Homosexual relations between men were considered a crime in Soviet times.

They were legalised in 1993 - though a group of members of the Russian parliament last year tried to reverse the move in what they said was a campaign to restore traditional moral values.

Excommunication

The Russian Orthodox Church also opposes euthanasia, abortion and artificial insemination.

A priest who conducts a homosexual wedding could face excommunication, Father Alexander of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese told the Reuters news agency.

Both the men married by Father Vladimir are standing in December's parliamentary elections.

They are putting their hopes in the female vote.

"Women love and respect us," Denis said. "They even idolise us."

[尼古拉前执事]

Russia church sacks priest for first homosexual wedding
September 4, 2003
By Jeremy Page

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Orthodox Church has defrocked a priest in a
provincial city for marrying two men in the country's first reported homosexual
wedding amid intense global debate over the Christian church's attitude to
homosexuality.

Russian news agency reports Thursday said the Nizhny Novgorod Orthodox
diocese in central Russia had also condemned same-sex relations as a
"deadly sin" and proclaimed the wedding of Denis Gogolev and Mikhail
Morozov invalid.

"This blasphemous act cannot be considered a marriage under any
circumstances," Interfax news agency quoted a statement from the diocese as
saying.

"The Russian Orthodox Church is against single-sex marriages and, guided by
the Holy Scriptures and church traditions, is condemning homosexual
relations as a deadly sin."

The tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said Father Vladimir married the couple on
Sept. 1 for $450. It published pictures of the couple, wearing traditional
wedding crowns and exchanging rings.

Father Alexander from the diocese in Nizhny Novgorod, a historic city on
the Volga River, confirmed the marriage had taken place.

"There's always a black sheep in the family," he said of the renegade
priest.

The Russian church's controversy comes as the 70 million-strong Anglican
Church faces one of the biggest crises in its history over the appointment
of homosexual bishops. It is also torn over its attitude toward same-sex unions.

And plans to legalize homosexual marriages in Canada threaten to blow up in the
government's face due to opposition from church and family groups.

Debate over same-sex weddings is rare in Russia, which remains deeply
homophobic although homosexual relations between men, a crime in Soviet
times, were legalized in 1993. Homosexuality between women was never
officially outlawed.

Last year, a group of deputies in the lower house of parliament, the State
Duma, proposed reintroducing prison sentences for homosexuals as part of
what they said was a campaign to restore traditional moral values in Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which has also called for a return to
traditional values, advocates barring gays and lesbians from working as
teachers or taking up senior positions in the army and prison management.

It is also opposed to euthanasia, abortion and artificial insemination.

Father Alexander could not confirm the media reports that Father Vladimir
had been defrocked but said homosexual weddings were not permitted.

"Of course not," he told Reuters. "A priest can be excommunicated for
things like that."

(Additional reporting by Tanya Mosolova)

[尼古拉前执事]

CLERIC OF NIZHEGOROD DIOCESE OF RPTsMP WHO "MARRIED" GAYS TRIES TO CLAIM THAT HE PERFORMED A SIMPLE PRAYER SERVICE AND NOT THE "RITE OF MARRIAGE"
Portal-credo.ru, 4 September 2003

As reported earlier, the Nizhny Novgorod homosexual couple Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Morozov were married on 1 September in one of the Orthodox chapels of Nizhny Novgorod. The ritual of marriage was performed by Orthodox priest Vladimir for 15,000 rubles. After the information regarding this was published by news media, the leadership of the local diocese of RPTsMP banned Fr Vladimir from ministry.

Meanwhile, reporters became interested in the Nizhny Novgorod gays, including those of foreign news media. "Literally all of the large foreign television companies have telephoned," Denis Gogolev told Komsomolskaia pravda. "Immediately after the article, an ambassador of one of the European countries called and said that if persecution of us begins, they will offer political asylum."

Fr Vladimir, who "married" the homosexuals, told "Regions.ru" that he went with them into a chapel simply to conduct a prayer service, and at the end of the prayer service they unexpectedly donned crowns and were photographed. At that time Fr Vladimir had not yet seen the published pictures where he was personally putting a ring on Mikhail Morozov's hand. Komsomolskaia pravda writes that it is in possession of the negatives of all photographs, since it cannot be ruled out that there could be a falsification. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 September 2003)

[尼古拉前执事]

Conflicting versions of "homosexual wedding" ATTACK OF THE DEVIL. PRIEST PERFORMED MARRIAGE IN HIS WORK
by Tatiana Vitebskaia
Izvestiia, 6 September 2003

A shocking event is being discussed in Nizhny Novgorod. Two young people who had declared their nontraditional sexual orientation have openly announced that they were married by an active priest of the Russian Orthodox church. From the start the story about the marriage of two gays, Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Morozov, seemed like a silly "hoax." However, in reality everything turned out much more serious. The events that occurred in one of the Nizhegorod chapels on 1 September have become different in their retelling by the priest and the "spouses" themselves.

The first version, the Orthodox one, was presented to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese by the priest himself. Father Vladimir serves in one of the most beautiful Nizhegorod churches, the Stroganov church. He recently became acquainted with Denis and Mikhail; they summoned Fr Vladimir to bless their apartment. Then they went to his church to be baptized. The priest performed the rituals of baptism and blessing. And then, on 1 September Mikhail and Denis appeared at the chapel on one of the streets of Nizhny Novgorod. They had come to an agreement with the priest beforehand. Fr Vladimir maintains that he did not know the intentions of the young men to be married; he simply consented to conduct a prayer service (or in another version, to hear their confessions). At some point he turned around. And then from out of who knows where there appeared crowns on the heads of Denis and Mikhail. Fr Vladimir asked them to remove the crowns and at this point everything was over. There was no ritual of marriage.

"Everything was there--the ritual, the wine, the crowns; and we were led around the altar three times," Denis says. "We have the photographs of how the rings were put on our hands."

The couple maintains that they paid the priest 15,000 rubles for the ceremony. They explain their action by saying that "we got tired of the accusations that we are cohabiting together in sin."

We went to the Stroganov church. Fr Vladimir was not there. According to Izvestiia's information, he was whisked away to the Makary monastery before all the circumstances of the affair were examined and the church's rector's health was severely shaken after the information was heaped on him.

"The Russian Orthodox church unconditionally condemns the very idea of 'same sex marriage' and it has traditionally condemned homosexual relations as a mortal sin in accordance with Holy Scripture and the tradition of the church," the official statement of the Nizhegorod diocese says. According to Father Igor Pchelintsev, the press secretary of the diocese, everything that happened in the Nizhegorod chapel with Mikhail and Denis cannot be considered a marriage. "This is an attack by the devil," Fr Igor declared. "Fr Vladimir has been officially banned from ministry. He now is not a priest. As regards these young people, the church will not persecute them and, if they sincerely repent, it will receive them 'with open arms.' But soon nobody will be interested in these people. They will be forgotten quickly."

Perhaps ordinary residents of Nizhny Novborod will forget, but not Father Vladimir and his son. Denis and Mikhail have already read in one of the newspapers the emotional statement of the son about how he is ready to kill Mikhail and Denis if something happens to Father Vladimir. The "spouses" reacted instantly. "We wrote a statement to the Department of Internal Affairs of Kanavinsky district concerning the threat of physical repression," Denis and Mikhail declare.

All things considered, they do not realize the weight of their sin. (tr. by PDS, posted 6 September 2003)

PRIEST WHO MARRIED "GAYS" SECRETLY DISAPPEARS
by Marina Bulgakova, Yulia Kapitanova
Komsomolskaia pravda, 6 September 2003

And his son threatens the "young people."

The scandalous marriage of a homosexual couple that was reported Wednesday has had quite predictable consequences. Representatives of the Orthodox church did not believe the reality of the ritual from the start. And even colleagues in the newspaper guild hastened to accuse "Komsomolka" of publishing unverified facts.

Alas. In fact, nothing had been fabricated. The whole truth is in the pictures (the negatives are in the editorial office): Father Vladimir and the couple with crowns over their heads; he leads the "young people" around the lectern; he puts the rings on.

The incident also was confirmed by the Nizhegorod diocese in yesterday's statement: "The priest concluded a same sex marriage and committed a most gross violation of church discipline and he has been banned from clerical ministry for commission of blasphemous actions."

At that time the disgraced Father Vladimir was missing. Neighbors say that some things were being taken out of his apartment all night, and in the morning he himself left. To where?

According to our information, on 2 September the priest was sent to the Makary convent. Into exile? But then why choose a functioning convent?

"In the evening of 3 September a 'Volga' approached the walls of the convent and took the padre off in an unknown direction," the nuns informed us and then crossed themselves.

Yesterday the married gays, Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Morozov, opened the local tabloid and read threats from the priest's son Kirill: "If something happens to my father, I also will commit a sin; I will kill these scum." Reporters of "Namedni" who were at that moment in the homosexual couple's apartment whistled. The whole gang then went to the Department of Internal Affairs where Denis wrote a statement about the threats. Incidentally, the sweet couple were received like stars at the department. Police officers came running from nearby departments in order to meet personally the notorious personalities.

And there is more. The whole team went to the Wedding Palace. The director of the palace, Svetlana Kosheleva, smiled kindly and explained that she was not authorized to register a same sex marriage. But she advised going to the provincial registry department for permission.

"You see, we are required to register a civil marriage officially," Denis declared. Reporters only threw up their hands. (tr. by PDS, posted 6 September 2003)

"WEDDING" ENDS IN SCANDAL
by Alexander Korolev
Trud, 6 September 2003

By decision of Bishop Georgi of Nizhegorod and Arsamas, Archpriest Vladimir, rector of the Nizhny Novgorod church of the Nativity, was removed from his position and banned from ministry for having recently married a homosexual couple who are well known in the provincial center, Denis Gogolev and Mikhail Morozov, in one of the chapels. And although, according to the priest, he had become the victim of deception on the part of these young people (he supposedly was performing at their request not a marriage but a prayer service, but when he was distracted for a second they suddenly raised crowns on themselves and at that moment they were photographed), it cannot be ruled out that the guilty Fr Vladimir will be unfrocked. A special diocesan commission is now engaged in a study of how everything actually happened.

Commenting for "Trud" on the "marriage" of homosexuals that is unprecedented for the Russian church, the director of the Secretariat for Relations between Church and Society, Father Mikhail Dudko, said in particular:  "Holy Scripture and the teaching of the church unequivocally condemn homosexual sexual relations, seeing in them an immoral distortion of divinely created human nature. The Orthodox church acts from the unchanged conviction that the divinely established marital union of a man and a woman cannot be equated with perverse manifestations of sexuality. Thus in the official statement of the diocesan leadership with regard to what happened, it is absolutely stated: 'Under no conditions can what was done be considered a marriage.' "

In addition, it has become known that the "married persons" received telephone calls from embassies of several foreign countries. The callers expressed readiness to offer the "young marrieds" political asylum in the event that they were suddenly "subjected to any persecution." (tr. by PDS, posted 6 September 2003)