Pat. Kirill

Catholic Herald: In Russia, the path to unity is defrosting

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Roman Catholic reporting about union between Rome and Orthodoxy tends to be over optimistic. The Catholics seem to want union much more than the Orthodox do. A clearer assessment might be that Moscow sees cooperation with Rome as necessary to re-Christianize Europe, to help Europe rediscover its moral and religious moorings. Nevertheless, a significant thaw is occurring.

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Neville Kyrke-Smith has visited Eastern Europe for the past 25 years. Now, he believes the end of the schism with the Orthodox is in sight

“The Lefebvrists, the Anglicans… will it be the Orthodox next?” asked one slightly bewildered Catholic priest recently. Pope Benedict XVI is turning out to be ecumenically audacious. For this he has faced criticism, misunderstanding and accusations of insensitivity. But Pope Benedict and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church seem now to be making progress in preparing the ground to overcome the Great Schism of 1054.

Pope Benedict meets Met. Kyrill in 2007 before he became Patriarch of Moscow

Pope Benedict meets Met. Kyrill in 2007 before +Kyrill became Patriarch of Moscow

When I was in Russia late last year the Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, commented on the imperative aim of both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to build “a dialogue of truth and charity” with the Orthodox. He emphasised how vital this was and thanked Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for its work in supporting Catholic, Orthodox and ecumenical projects in Russia:

“We have to encourage the Catholic community to show solidarity to the Orthodox. The initiative of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI is so important. Thank you for all that the charity does for the Church and for building relations with the Orthodox, in line with the will of the Holy Father… and Our Lord!”

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Patriarch Bartholomew Will Visit Russia in May

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It’s no secret that Moscow doesn’t take kindly to Pat. Bartholomew’s claims of universal authority (see: A Letter To The Ecumenical Patriarch Concerning The Situation Of The Diaspora by Patriarch Alexios written in 2005) so the sentence below “within the canonical order that was installed over centuries of church tradition” (quotes in Russian original) undoubtedly references this difference in ecclesiological understanding. This should be interesting.

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His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

On 20 May, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is scheduled to arrive in Russia for an official visit. At a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of the Department of External Church Relations of the MP, said that Patriarch Bartholomew, in particular, intends to visit Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladimir, and Suzdal. In July 2009, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias went to Turkey, his first official visit to another Local Orthodox Church as the First Hierarch of the MP. Then, at a meeting with Patriarch Kirill in Istanbul, Bartholomew expressed a willingness to work together with him “within the canonical order that was installed over centuries of church tradition. We extend to you the right hand of sincere and unfeigned love”, Patriarch Bartholomew said, noting that Patriarch Kirill always showed himself “an outstanding scholar and an honest labourer for the Gospel” and the Russian people were “pious and blessed by the Lord”. Patriarch Bartholomew also noted that “clouds” from time to time arose in the relations between the two “fraternal Churches”, but that they were only “temporary” and “quickly dissipated”. He emphasised, “No one can deprive us of the unity that we have in the common chalice”.

Wave of Clergy Killings in Russia

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Voice of America. H/T Orthodox News

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill (center) conducts the funeral service for slain priest Daniil Sysoyev in a Moscow church, 23 November 2009 (AP)

Twenty-six Orthodox priests murdered since 1990, including 39-year-old Alexander Filippov on Tuesday

The second murder of a Russian priest in as many months has prompted a call by the Orthodox Church for Russians to think about their country’s spiritual and moral condition. The killings follow more violence this year directed against Muslim clerics in Russia’s troubled Caucasus region.

Tuesday’s shooting death of 39-year-old priest Alexander Filippov is alleged to be the act of two intoxicated men in the village of Satino-Russkoye near Moscow. His widow is quoted as saying Filippov had reproached the suspects for relieving themselves at the entrance of their apartment building.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, called Filippov a bright and clean-living individual who leaves behind three daughters.

Kirill says the priest was killed because he was not indifferent to disgusting human behavior and took a principled stand against it in accordance with his calling.

The Interfax News Agency says a total of 26 Orthodox priests have been murdered in Russia since 1990. Many others have been assaulted. They include Vitaly Zubkov, who was kicked and beaten last month, just days after the murder of his friend, Father Daniil Sysoyev in Moscow. Sysoyev had received death threats for his outspoken criticism of Islam and attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity.

News reports quote Orthodox Church Spokesman Vladimir Legoida as saying that recent events show Russians must think of the spiritual and moral situation they live in.

Read the entire article on the Voice of America website.

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Patriarch Kirill believes main achievement of August 1991 is revival of faith

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Kursk, September 24, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia believes that the main achievement of August 1991 is revival of religious life and end of atheistic persecutions in Russia.

“Perhaps, the Lord allowed destroying churches, insulting shrines, shedding blood and suffering in order to open divine logics of life and mystery of God’s will to our people and through our long-suffering history to the whole world,” Patriarch Kirill said in his sermon after festival service in the Kursk Root Hermitage on Thursday.

The Patriarch noted that the way of hardships our country passed in the 20th century was not taken in vain, as the whole society was able to “redeem its guilt before God, to redeem the sin of apostasy with suffering, blood and misfortunes.”

“On certain moment of history the Lord – as there was no any human will in it – on the day of His glorious Transfiguration tempered justice with mercy and stopped more than 70-year atheistic captivity,” the Patriarch said.

Thus, he reminded believers that events which took place in the country on August 19, 1991, happened on the feast of Transfiguration.

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