VERTOGRAD
Orthodox Journal
Newsletter No. 29, Friday, July 1, 2005. 11:15 P.M.
THE SECOND SESSION OF THE THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION OF ROAC TOOK PLACE IN SUZDAL
(Vertograd: Suzdal)
The second session of the theological commission of ROAC took place in Suzdal on June 20–21, conducted by the chairman of the commission, the administrator for the ROAC Synod, Archbishop Theodore of Borisovsk and Otradnoe. Presented were Bishop Irinarch, Hegumen Theophan (the secretary of the commission), Alexander Soldatov, the editor in chief of "Vertograd" Orthodox Journal, and Sergey Suvorov, the warden of the Moscow Church of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas and New Martyrs of Russia. The commission was formed by the Hierarchical Synod of ROAC in October of 2004.
At the beginning of the session the joint documents developed by the MP and the ROCOR(L) were discussed. It was agreed that the things like recognition of "podvig of the First-Hierarchical service of Patriarch Sergius" and justification of his "Declaration" presented in these documents mean the same for the ROCOR(L) as the Declaration itself meant for the MP. The only difference is that the Declaration was issued under the grave persecutions, while the present documents were signed by the ROCOR(L) voluntarily for quite pragmatical reasons.
The theological commission discussed the preparation of two important documents of confession of Faith of the Russian Orthodox Church: liturgical one (a Synodicon of Orthodoxy) an the didactic one (Homologia). The discussion of these two documents is planned to be continued at the following session.
The commission implored the Hierarchical Synod with a petition to add to its membership Bp Irinarch of Tula and Bryansk, Protopriest Roman Novakovsky, Hegumen Proclus (Vasiliev), Hegumen Gregory (Lourie), Priest Oleg Borodenkov and Priest Michael Dudarev.
The report of Alexander Soldatov and Olga Mitrenina on the relations with TOC groups in Russia and abroad was discussed. The commission recommended to the Hierarchical Synod the program of practical measures for the contacts with the True Orthodox Churches.
The project of the procedure of reception into the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church people from World Orthodoxy was discussed in details. It is planned to continue working on it at the following session.
Sergey Suvorov, the warden of the Moscow Church of the ROAC made a report "On the elderess Matrona of Moscow". He stated that the available sources did not clarify the attitude of elderess Matrona to Met Sergius. According to some witnesses she was with the Catacomb church, and the MP introduced the news version of her life later. It was decided to continue the research, to question more witnesses and to study more documents.
Fr Michael Ardov transmitted his report about the sacrament of anonting of the sick. His point is that it should not be received by the healthy people otherwise it leads to various superstitions.
Special attention was paid to the report of nun Martha (Senina) about the veneration of the saints of the 20th century. The commission found no obstacles for the glorification by the ROAC St. Nectarios of Aegina, St. New Martyr Catherine Routis, St Glikerios of Romania, St. Alexander Zharkov of Pertograd and St. Joseph the guardian of the Iveron icon of Mother of God. The commission also agreed to include to the church calendar St. Ignatius of the Caucasus and St. Arseniy of Rostov, the confessor. It was decided to continue the study of lives and evidences about Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Florina and Bishop Matthew of Bresthena, the founders of the hierarchy of the Greek Old–Calendarisits. The final decision about the glorification of the saints will be taken by the Hierarchical Sobor.
The commission discussed a number of other reports and practical questions. The third session of the theological commission of ROAC is scheduled on July 19–20.
(C) Vertograd, 2004--2005. http://www.vertograd.blogspot.com/
To unsubscribe, email uns-eng @ om6099. spb. edu