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On the Situation Around the Russian Church in Biarriz
Statement of the Communication Service of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations

The city court in Bayonne, France, settled on December 12, 2005, the lawsuit filed by a small group of parishioners of the church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God and St. Alexander Nevsky in Biarriz by annulling the earlier decision of the parish meeting to reunite with the Russian Orthodox Church. On January 25, 2006, the city court of Pau let the immediate execution of the court decision stand in spite of the fact that the appeal filed by the parish has not been considered yet.

A year ago, on December 26, 2004, the parish meeting of the church in Biarriz led by its rector, Archpriest Georges Monjoch, resolved by a majority of votes to ask the Moscow Patriarchate for its reunification with the Mother Church. A minority of the parish members and the leaders of the exarchate of the Russian parishes in Western Europe, which is in the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, did not accept the decision of the parishioners. Archbishop Gabriel of Comana assigned a new rector to the parish and filed a lawsuit over the legitimacy of the choice made by the parish meeting. The court granted the declaration, referring to some procedural violations made in preparing the meeting of the association.

Without invading the field of competence of the French justice, it should be underlined that the court did not refute the indubitable fact that most of the parishioners repeatedly reconfirmed their desire to be reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Many circumstances revealed in the court show that the case was carried to a political plane as allegations were made that it was a common action of the Russian Government and the Russian Church to seize property that stood behind the parishioners’ decision.

Therefore, it was a politicized atmosphere and formal grounds alone that influenced the decision to reject the parishioners’ authentic aspirations consonant with the canonical truth. For it should not be forgotten that the Russian church in Biarriz was torn away from the Moscow Patriarchate only temporarily, when, following in the steps of Metropolitan Yevlogy (Georgiyevsy), it stopped its subordination to the Russian Church in 1931. The forced separation effected without the appropriate canonical release and the acceptance of the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople were only conditional until the restoration of unity with the Mother Church. This is what Metropolitan Yevlogy himself declared in 1931, saying, ‘It is not a rupture with the Russian Church, but only a temporary interruption in official administrative relations caused by certain circumstances of the present-day life’.

With regard to the reports circulated by the leaders of the exarchate in the Constantinople’s jurisdiction concerning the defrocking of Archpriest Georges Monjoch, the Communication Service is authorized to state the following. A notice to this effect was sent to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia by His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in spring 2005. Since Archpriest Georges Monjoch is a cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church in which he was ordained, a request was sent to Constantinople to present the church court proceedings on the basis of which the above-mentioned action was taken. No response to this request followed. Therefore, the Russian Orthodox Church cannot consider this action of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to be canonically valid.

As a remainder, on December 24, 2004, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved that ‘the canonical bans be considered unjustified and invalid if imposed on clergy only for their openly-confessed desire to follow the policy of the Most Reverend Metropolitan Yevlogy, who declared his intention to return to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church as soon as the normal conditions for her life are restored and who proved the truth of his words.

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Французский суд передал Константинопольскому Патриархату русский храм
Община русского Покровского и Свято-Александро-Невского храма в Биаррице (Франция) воссоединилась с Матерью-Церковью
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The Bible will be translated into Mordovian

The World Institute of the Bible Translations in Helsinki plans to publish the Bible in one of the dialects of the Mordovian language – the Mokshansky dialect. The director of the ‘Krasny Oktiabr’ Republican Publishing House Valery Gryzulin says the Finnish participants will finance the whole project.

Thanks to the financial support and participation of Finnish translators letters of the apostles were published two years ago.

The Mordovian version of the Byble is under the control of the Saransk Diocese. Archbishop Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia gave his blessing to the edition and wrote an introductory article.

Pnz.Ru Information

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http://www.mospat.ru/index.php?page=29735

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad continues his visit to Latin America

On 16 February 2006, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, accompanied by the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Argentina and South America of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Platon, arrived at the Brazilian town of Santa Rosa where he visited the parish of Ss. Peter and Paul.

Archpriest Anatoly Topala, rector of the church, and parishioners and Rev. Nikolai Kapusta, rector of the Church of St. John the Theologian, and his parishioners from the town of Cambina das Missao, welcomed the high guests.

Parishioners of the both churches are descendants of Russian and Ukrainian emigrants who came to Cambina das Missao in 1909 and made it the first place for our compatriots to migrate in Latin America early in the 20th century.

After conducting a prayer service, Metropolitan Kirill addressed all the present with a greeting word. He paid special attention to the feat of those, who left Russia for Brazil almost a hundred years ago and set up first Orthodox parishes here.

On the same day, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad left for the Argentinean Republic.

In the evening, Honorable Consul of the Russian Federation in the city of Obera (Argentinean Republic, Misiones province) Ms Zenona Sabchuk gave a reception in honor of the Russian delegation. Among the present also were Hegumen Bartholomew (Oviedo), rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Obeda, and Archpriest Orest Pavzuk.

On 17 February 2006, Metropolitan Kirill met with Obeda mayor Mr. Evaldo Rinflech and representatives of the Misiones leadership. Also participating were Metropolitan Platon of Argentina and South America and Honorable Consul of the Russian Federation in Obera Ms Zenona Sabchuk.

Both sides highly appreciated the level of regional Russian-Argentinean relations. Obera mayor told the high Russian guest about the experience of interreligious and international cooperation in Misiones. In his response address Metropolitan Kirill thanked the governors of the town and province for the support of Orthodox communities.

Metropolitan Kirill answered the questions of local TV and radio journalists.

First time in history of the Orthodox Church in Latin America Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate visited several parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Argentinean province of Misiones. Metropolitan Kirill was accompanied by Metropolitan Platon of Argentina and South America, Hegumen Bartholomew (Oviedo) and Deacon Georgy Kirindas, head of the DECR MP Protocol Department.

Metropolitan Kirill visited the Church of the Holy Trinity in Obeda, the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin in the village of Bajo Troncho, the Church of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Amegino, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the village of Jaleju, the Church of All Russian Saints in the town of Lopos.

Metropolitan Kirill conducted a requiem service in the Orthodox cemetery near the village of Amegino, where Archpriest Stephan Kazimirov, who was the rector of churches in Obera and Amegino for 13 years, was buried.

Metropolitan Kirill inspected the site for building a church of the Russian Orthodox Church in the town of Miandro en Alem.

A ceremonial reception was given in honor of the Russian Orthodox delegation in the evening. On behalf of the Orthodox believers S. Kategora, head of the Russian-speaking community in Misiones, welcomed the high guests. In his response word, Metropolitan Kirill underscored the importance of parochial life for preserving faith, culture and language in the second and third generation of emigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia. Metropolitan Kirill conveyed the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia to all the present.

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Начался визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в страны Латинской Америки

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Orthodox Church and Moscow Patriarchate meet in New York
Interfax

New York, February 21, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate have taken another step towards unification.

The dialogue commissions of both sides held a session on Monday night in Nayak, New York.

"The main objective of the meeting was to finalize documents and to specify the conditions for complete canonical contacts between the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate," Nikolay Balashov, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate commission, told Interfax.

"The expansion of pastoral interaction in foreign countries and the removal of obstacles to the further rapprochement" of the two churches were also discussed at the meeting, he said.

On Sunday evening members of the commission met head of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia Metropolitan Laurus.

Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun heads the commission of the Moscow Patriarchate and Archbishop Mark of Berlin the commission of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia.

The commissions held joint meetings in Moscow in June and November 2004, and in July 2005, in Munich in September 2004 and in France in March 2005.

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Metropolitan Kirill officiates the order of great consecration of the Church of St. Zinaida in Rio-de-Janeiro

On 19 February 2006, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, conducted the order of great consecration of the Church of St. Zinaida in Rio-de-Janeiro. Among his concelebrants were Metropolitan Platon of Argentina and South America, Rev. Pavel Feoktistov, rector of the church, Archpriest Dimitrios Nikolaidis (Patriarchate of Constantinople) and other clergymen of the Diocese of Argentine and South America.

Among those who prayed at the divine service were Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Brazil P. Turdenev, RF Consul General in Rio-de-Janeiro A. Labetsky with the spouse, and staff members of diplomatic representations of Russia and Byelorussia in Brazil.

After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Kirill congratulated the parishioners and guests of the church on the important event in life of modern Russian Orthodoxy in Latin America – consecration of the church of St. Zinaida restored by the efforts of the rector and parishioners and with the DECR financial assistance.

Metropolitan Kirill conveyed all the present the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia and addressed the believers his archpastoral word.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, Metropolitan Kirill handed over to Rev. Pavel Feoktistov the medal of St. Sergius.

After the divine service, archpastors and clergymen shared fraternal dinner.

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Закончился визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в Аргентинскую Республику
Продолжается визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в Латинскую Америку
Начался визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в страны Латинской Америки

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Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad accomplishes its visit in the Argentinean Republic

On 18 February 2006, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad visited the community of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Argentinean city of Vanda. Metropolitan Kirill conducted a prayer service on the site where the church of the Russian Orthodox Church would be built and addressed the believers with a welcome speech underlining the importance of the God’s church in spiritual life of an Orthodox Christian.

On the same day Metropolitan Kirill left the Argentinian Republic for Rio-de-Janeiro.

Among those who met Metropolitan Kirill and Metropolitan Platon of Argentina and South America in the airport of Rio-de-Janeiro were RF Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Brazil P. Turdenev, RF Consul General in Rio-de-Janeiro A. Labetsky, Rev. Pavel Feoktistov, rector of the Church of St. Zinaida, clergymen of the Diocese of Argentina and South America of the Russian Orthodox Church and numerous believers.

In the evening, the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in South America gave a reception in honor of the high church delegation.

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Митрополит Кирилл возглавил чин великого освящения храма святой мученицы Зинаиды в Рио-де-Жанейро
Продолжается визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в Латинскую Америку
Начался визит митрополита Смоленского и Калининградского Кирилла в страны Латинской Америки

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Alexy II celebrates his birthday and name-day
Interfax

President Vladimir Putin congratulates Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II on his birthday in Patriarch's residence, Moscow, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS/Presidential Press Service, Vladimir Rodinov)
For the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the 23rd of February is first of all a personal event; it is his birthday. This year Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia marks his 77th birthday.

The patriarch has devoted all his life to the service of God and the Church, and every new year in his life therefore is a logical continuation of his preceding efforts for the sake of the spiritual welfare of millions of his Orthodox compatriots.

Daily meetings with public figures, the need to keep abreast of the latest events, the responsibilities of the diocesan bishop of the capital city, the work with numerous documents, and divine services, of course - all this sets the tempo of living so fast that even his young assistants find difficult to keep up.

But even amidst the tumult of various events, His Holiness would give special attention to everyone who comes to communicate with him. Throughout his patriarchal office, he has been able to maintain good relations with every political, public and religious leader. And the authority he as patriarch carries with ordinary people is greater by order then the ratings of most of the Russian politicians. His word is weighty not only for his own flock as Orthodox first pastor but also for the faithful of other confessions.

Deep faith in God and sensitive concern for every human soul is what helps Patriarch Alexy to draw ever new strength for his progress along the hard path on which he believes to have been put by the Lord. ‘Thank God for everything’ - with these words the patriarch has encountered even the most severe and at first sight insurmountable difficulties throughout his priestly ministry, for his whole life is an example showing what miracles can be worked by diligence and ardent prayer.