The MP Confirms Roman Catholic Church as her Sister Church!

[尼古拉前执事]

According to the Russian Information Agency and Vertograd, "Patriarch"
Alexis has again confirmed that the Roman Catholic Church is the "Sister
Church" of the MP.

In his meeting with Cardinal Walter Casper on February 22, he complained
about the Greek-Catholic Uniates' expansion onto the "canonical territory" of
the MP. He pointed out that many of uniate clergy had been formerly members
of the MP, and trained in MP seminaries, so when they left the MP "they should
have said thank you to the sister-Church". But instead, there was a
persecution of the Orthodox in the Western Ukraine. In his words, one could not
have
imagined such behaviour in the 21st century towards a sister-Church, which is
what the MP calls the Catholics.

The patriarch asked the cardinal not to take him "for a person of
anti-Catholic feelings". "But what is happening is happening on the canonical
territory of the Church which the Lord has judged me to be the head, I cannot
fail
to speak about that," concluded the Patriarch. In the words of the Patriarch,
the proselytising activity of the Catholic monastic order often leads to
confrontation between people in Russian and the CIS. "We cannot look on this
with
indifference, because it is proselytism, which cannot be between sister
Churches", concluded Alexis II.

So ROCOR beware! Your future "patriarch" regards the Catholics as a
"sister-Church"!

Vladimir Moss

[Joseph D]

The reasons why I am not a Catholic are certain, but few in number. Circumstance has little to do with it. So it is by choice that I am Orthodox, which makes me part of a growing trend both in the west and in the east. We are called to love one another, but the Catholics put us Orthodox to the gravest shame in this particular descipline of piety. We could learn something from them, I should think. Besides, what use is it for us to pretend that Patriarch Alexey's statecraft has any bearing at all on our own salvation.

Sincerely,
Joseph, just a would-be Catholic

[TomS]

According to the Russian Information Agency and Vertograd, "Patriarch"
Alexis has again confirmed that the Roman Catholic Church is the "Sister
Church" of the MP.

But Nick, how is this incorrect?

You may not disagree with your sister, or even like her, but if you both came from the same family with the same parent -- she is still your sister.

[Daniel]

According to the Russian Information Agency and Vertograd, "Patriarch"
Alexis has again confirmed that the Roman Catholic Church is the "Sister
Church" of the MP.

But Nick, how is this incorrect?

You may not disagree with your sister, or even like her, but if you both came from the same family with the same parent -- she is still your sister.

Tom,
That is only true if you have the same parentage. Christ is the head of the Orthodox Church. The Latins have the Pope as theirs. We are not sisters!

[TomS]

Ahhhh..I see what you are saying. If you phrase it that way -- then I must agree with you.

[尼古拉前执事]

And here are the news on the official Web-cite of Mosocw Patriarchate (btw,
do you know why did they add the Kremlin and red star to their logo?)
http://www.mospat.ru/text/news/id/6412.html

They put it in a softer way and removed the most heretical phrases, but
still you can see that Patriarch openly divides "canonical territory" with
Catholics and condemns "proselytism" between two "sister-churches".

Also the following phrases are remarkable:
"The Head of Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that ecclesiological
principle, that was formulated by the Second Vatican Council concerning two
Sister-Churches, should be actualized" or "We archived the agreement that
during the creation of new structures of Roman Catholic Church on the
Canonical territory of Moscow Patriarchate (!!!!!!!), the Hierarchy of
Russian Orthodox Church will be informed"

Olga makes a good point. For those in ROCOR now claiming the MP to be their "Mother Church", does that make the Roman Catholic Church it's "Aunt Church" and ROCOR a Niece Church of the Pope's church? LOL!

[CGW]

It seems to me that the Latins and the Easterners were born and raised, as it were, under the same roof.