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NÖK - Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen |
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Ausgabe 34/05, 25.08.05 |
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| Hinweis: Die eingehenden Nachrichten sind in dieser Mail nach Regionen und innerhalb dieser Regionen nach Eingangsdatum sortiert! |
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In dieser Ausgabe: |
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Russland/ GUS/Baltikum |
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Nachrichten |
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Russland/ GUS/Baltikum |
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1. |
August 20: Prayer for Brother Roger in the Archcathedral of Vilnius |
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| While participating in
WYD in Köln Cardinal Audrys Bačkis invited Lithuanian faithful to
pray for Brother Roger in the Archcathedral of Vilnius on Saturday,
August 20. “Brother Roger and Taize community was of particular
importance for Lithuania, the country rising from ruins of atheism”,
– said Cardinal Bačkis. Brother Roger helped many Lithuanians,
especially young adults, to find their way to God, and to perceive the
sense of life. Thousands of those who have been visiting the Taize
community experienced spiritual liberation, learned about spiritual life
and prayer, – said Lithuanian Cardinal. “We shall always remember Brother Roger’s ideas and his invitation: the Cross, which reveals salvation and God’s love for humanity; the Word of God that continuously creates divine life within us; the tent-Church of Reconciliation, where everybody can find divine mercy and deliverance from pressing guilts”, said Cardinal Bačkis on August 17, while participating in the prayer for Brother Roger in Köln. |
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Catholic Internet Service (Litauen) - www.lcn.lt/en - 20.08.05 |
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2. |
Ukrainian prelate defends controversial move to Kiev |
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| Kiev/Ukraine, 19.08.2005
(CWN) Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church,
has said that his plan to move the headquarters of the Eastern-rite
Church to Kiev should not be seen as an offense against any other
religious body. The cardinal's statements came in response to sharp protests by Ukrainian Orthodox officials, who see the transfer of the Byzantine Catholic from Lviv to Kiev as a direct challenge to the traditional Orthodox dominance in eastern Ukraine. Orthodox protesters have demonstrated outside the residence of the papal nuncio in Ukraine, demanding Vatican intervention to stop the move. But the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church insisted that the move "is not aimed against anybody, and is motivated by the real needs and development of the Byzantine Catholic Church." Cardinal Husar has explained that the Ukrainian Catholic Church-- which suffered brutal persecution during the Stalinist era, and has emerged with new vigor since the collapse of the Communist regime-- deserves representation in the country's cultural and political center. Metropolitan Volodyymyr, who heads the branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church aligned with the Moscow Patriarchate, has written to Pope Benedict XVI, asking for direct papal intervention to stop the transfer. And Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II has said that the move could have serious implications for Catholic-Orthodox relations. Appeals to the Vatican are not likely to succeed, however, since Cardinal Husar has pointedly observed that in approving the move, the Ukrainian Catholic synod of bishops neither required nor requested the approval of the Holy See. The formal transfer of the see is scheduled for August 21; as of that date, Cardinal Husar will be Archbishop of Kiev. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of the world's Eastern-rite churches in communion with the Holy See. Ukrainian Catholics have energetically lobbied the Vatican to recognize a Ukrainian patriarchate-- a move that Orthodox leaders adamantly oppose. © Catholic World News (CWS) |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 20.08.05 |
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3. |
Ecumenical Delegation to Visit Armenia |
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| Toronto/Canada,
14.08.2005 (AINA) A five-member ecumenical delegation is set to visit
Armenia from Aug. 24 to Sep. 1, 2005. The Primate of the Anglican Church
of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, will take part in this visit
which has been organised by the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Orthodox Church. This comes in response to an invitation by
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. It will be recorded as the first ever visit to Armenia by a delegation from Canada. The delegation, Led by the Primate of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, will discuss the role and mission of Christian churches in the future and cooperation between the churches in the East and West. Other members of the delegation are include Archbishop Sotirios, Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Canada, Archbishop Brendan O'Brien, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Professor Richard Schneider, President of the Canadian Council of Churches. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is located near Yerevan, the capital city of the Republic of Armenia. The Mother see is the pre-eminent centre of authority in the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church. The Armenian Orthodox Church is a member of the Orthodox family of churches which includes Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean and the (Indian) Malankara. The Anglicans and the Oriental family are currently in the midst of theological dialogue, which follows an agreed statement on Christology in November 2002 reached by the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission. Recommendations of the Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998 stemmed formal dialogue between the Anglicans and the Eastern Orthodox churches. Talks were also sparked by the decisions of the Oriental Orthodox Churches that the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue be upgraded from a forum, in 1985 to 1993, to a commission. Relationships between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church goes back 125 years, when the Anglicans offered the liturgical space and hospitality in Anglican churches to the Armenians during the absence of Armenian sanctuaries. The relationship between the Armenian Orthodox Church and the Canadian Anglicans has been strengthened to become recognised more through the Scholarship of St. Basil the Great, which is administered by the Anglican Foundation. The scholarship was established by retired bishop of Diocese of Ontario, Bishop Henry Gordon Hill, with means to facilitate exchange between members of the Anglican Church of Canada and members of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East. © Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 20.08.05 |
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4. |
Patriarch und Papst - mit Predigten gegen Aids |
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| Von Karsten Packeiser, Moskau. Mit Predigten gegen den Sittenverfall will die Orthodoxe Kirche gegen Aids vorgehen. Aber Kondome bleiben auch weiterhin unerwünscht - für den Patriarchen wie auch für Papst Benedikt XVI. Während auf dem katholischen Weltjugendtag in Köln junge Gläubige der Reformbewegung "Wir sind Kirche" bislang vergeblich die Aufhebung des Kondom-Verbotes fordern, bleibt auch die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche ablehnend gegen Präservativ-Nutzung, scheint aber allmählich das Aids-Problem zu erkennen. Eine von der Kirchenleitung abgesegnete Konzeption über den Beitrag der Orthodoxie zum Kampf gegen die Seuche rückt Aids erstmals ins Zentrum des kirchlichen Lebens. Bisher hatte die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche Aids im wesentlichen nur verdrängt. Rettender Hafen und fürsorgliche Familie Das vielseitige Grundsatzpapier fordert die Kirchengemeinden jetzt dazu auf, sich aktiv um HIV-Infizierte und Aids-Kranke zu kümmern. Keinesfalls dürften diese Menschen in der Gemeinde auf Kälte oder gar Feindseligkeit stoßen. HIV-Infizierte müssten in der orthodoxen Kirche vielmehr einen „rettenden Hafen und eine fürsorgliche Familie“ finden, heißt es in der kirchlichen Anti-Aids-Konzeption. Die Kirche lehre, dass man die Sünde, aber nicht den Sünder hassen solle. Kein Gläubiger dürfe daher wegen einer HIV-Infektion vom Abendmahl oder anderen kirchlichen Sakramenten ausgeschlossen werde. Einige orthodoxe Gemeinden in Moskau, St. Petersburg, Kiew und anderen GUS-Großstädten betreuen bereits seit Jahren Betroffene und ihre Familien. Dort werden regelmäßig Gebete eigens für HIV-Infizierte und Aids-Kranke abgehalten. Nicht nur um den Körper, auch um die Seele kämpfen Außerhalb der eigenen Mauern will die Kirche mit allen zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln „traditionelle Werte“ propagieren. „Wir sagen seit Langem: Das beste Mittel gegen Aids ist die Predigt eines Lebens in einer festen Familie, mit ehelicher Treue und ohne Drogen“, sagt Wsewolod Tschaplin, der stellvertretende Leiter des kirchlichen Außenamtes. AIDS-Hilfe-Organisationen reagierten verhalten positiv auf das Erscheinen des Kirchen-Dokuments. „Das sind alles vernünftige Ideen“, meint Igor Sadrejew vom Moskauer Büro der Stiftung „Aids Foundation East West“, „bleibt zu hoffen, dass auch alles umgesetzt wird“. Auch die Orthodoxe Kirche betont in ihrer Anti-Aids-Konzeption die Bedeutung der Zusammenarbeit mit gesellschaftlichen Organisationen, setzt der Partnerschaft zugleich aber enge Grenzen: Eine Kooperation mit Organisationen, die „mit der christlichen Moral unvereinbares“ Verhalten unterstützen, sei unmöglich, heißt es in dem Papier. Keine Kooperation der Kirche mit „unmoralischen“ Organisationen Damit bleiben die auch bei den russischen Behörden stark umstrittenen Kampagnen zum Spritzentausch bei Drogensüchtigen oder für die Verwendung von Kondomen weiter im Sperrfeuer kirchlicher Kritik. Die Orthodoxe Kirche lehnt zwar Verhütungsmittel nicht ganz so kategorisch ab wie die Katholische, verurteilt jedoch grundsätzlich außerehelichen Sex. „Wenn ein Mensch nicht an Aids erkrankt, weil er ein Kondon oder eine Einwegspritze verwendet, so führt er doch auch weiterhin ein sündhaftes Leben“, so Wsewolod Tschaplin. „Auf jeden Fall ist es besser, auch um die Seele der betroffenen Menschen zu kämpfen und nicht nur um seinen Körper.“ Offiziell 318.000 Aids-Infizierte in Russland Offiziell leben in Russland derzeit 318.000 mit dem Immundefizit-Virus infizierte Menschen, die Weltgesundheits-Organisation WTO geht aber bereits von einer tatsächlichen Zahl von etwa einer Million aus. Der Eiserne Vorhang sorgte lange dafür, dass die Aids-Epidemie Russland erst viele Jahre nach den anderen Regionen der Erde erreichte. Die Seuche breitete in den Nachfolgestaaten der Sowjetunion bislang vor allem unter Drogensüchtigen aus. Inzwischen erfolgen aber nach Angaben der „Aids Foundation East West“ bereits über die Hälfte aller Neuansteckungen durch Intimkontakte. Quellen: epd, Frankfurt am Main; Russland-Aktuell.ru / 19.08.2005 |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.05 |
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5. |
Moskauer Polizei beendet evangelischen Gottesdienst |
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| Moskau/Russland, 17.08.2005 In
Moskau hat die Polizei einen protestantischen Gottesdienst gestört, die
Gläubigen zum Verlassen des Gemeindesaals gezwungen und anschließend
den Raum amtlich versiegeln lassen. Angeblich hatten sich Anwohner über
die lauten Gesänge der Gemeinde beschwert, teilte die Bürgerrechtsbewegung
„Kowtscheg“ („Arche“) mit, die sich für Rechte religiöser
Minderheiten einsetzt. Die Beamten hätten keinerlei offizielle
Dokumente vorlegen können, die ihr Vorgehen gerechtfertigt hätten. Die
Baptisten-Gemeinde sei dagegen offizieller Eigentümer der Kelleretage
eines Wohnhauses im Stadtteil „Textiltschiki“ gewesen, die von vier
christlichen Gruppen als Versammlungsraum genutzt wird. Quellen: epd, Frankfurt / Russland-Aktuell.ru |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.05 |
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6. |
Oberhaupt der Russischen Altgläubigen-Kirche gestorben |
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| Moskau/Russland, 11.08.2005 Das
Oberhaupt der russischen Altgläubigen-Kirche, Metropolit Andrian von
Moskau und Russland, ist gestorben. Er erlag bei einer Pilgerprozession
im Voruralgebiet überraschend einem Herzversagen. Der erst 54 Jahre alte Andrian, der mit bürgerlichem Namen Alexander Tschetwergow hieß, hatte die Führung der Russischen Orthodoxen Altgäubigen-Kirche mit 500.000 Mitgliedern erst im Februar 2004 übernommen. Er hatte in den vergangenen Jahren bereits mehrere Herzinfarkte erlitten. Kreuzzeichen mit drei statt zwei Fingern Die Altgläubigen hatten sich im 17. Jahrhundert von der orthodoxen Staatskirche Russlands abgespalten, weil sie die Kirchenreform des Patriarchen Nikon ablehnten. Dieser hatte unter anderem eine Vereinfachung der Gottesdienstordnung durchgesetzt. Die Kirchenreform sah außerdem vor, dass orthodoxe Gläubige sich künftig mit drei statt bisher mit zwei Fingern bekreuzigen sollten. Die Altgläubigen verweigerten sich den Neuerungen und nahmen über Jahrhunderte hinweg brutale Repressionen durch die zaristische Obrigkeit hin. Auf die Initiative von Metropolit Andrian hatte die äußerst konservative Kirche in den letzten Monaten erste vorsichtige Kontakte zu staatlichen Behörden aufgenommen und eine Annäherung an das Moskauer Patriarchat begonnen. Quellen: epd, Frankfurt / Russland-Aktuell.ru |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.05 |
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7. |
Die letzte Chance - Drogenentzug im Kloster |
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| Von Karsten Packeiser, Brjansk. Brjansk/Russland, 16.08.2004 Kein Alkohol, kein Ausgang und viel körperliche Arbeit. Mit strikter Disziplin versuchen zehn junge Männer, in einem orthodoxen Kloster von den Drogen wegzukommen. Im Kloster von Ploschtschanskaja Pustyn gibt es viele Verbote und einen streng geregelten Tagesablauf. Nicht alle jungen Männer, die hier herkommen, ertragen die strikte Disziplin. Aber die meisten verstehen, dass die Monate hinter den alten, weißen Klostermauern ihre letzte Chance sind, vom Heroin wegzukommen und zu einem normalen Leben zurückzufinden. Georgi kommt aus Moskau, ist 30 und hat schon viel versucht, um seine Heroin-Abhängigkeit zu überwinden. Er war im Entzug in staatlichen und privaten Drogenkliniken, holte sich Rat bei Psychologen. „Dabei ist all das nur dazu da, um Geld aus den Eltern herauszuquetschen“, sagt er im Rückblick. Inzwischen hat er sich wie die orthodoxen Mönche einen Bart wachsen lassen, steht jeden Tag um sieben Uhr auf und geht zum Arbeiten in die Käserei des 450 Kilometer südwestlich von Moskau gelegenen Klosters. Hilfe nur von Wunderheilern Nach dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion verbreiteten sich Drogen lawinenartig in Russland. In den Metropolen bis hin in abgelegene Provinzstädte gibt es landesweit inzwischen Millionen Drogenabhängige. Von den überforderten staatlichen Drogenkliniken und Wunderheilern abgesehen, gibt es nur wenige Organisationen, die Abhängigen echte Hilfe leisten. Sein Kloster habe 1997 eher zufällig damit begonnen, sich mit der Rehabilitierung von Drogensüchtigen zu befassen, erzählt Vater Diomid, während er in seiner bescheiden, aber gemütlich eingerichteten Zelle Tee kocht. Damals habe ein Mann um Aufnahme auf Zeit gebeten, später kamen andere. Nach einiger Zeit bat Diomid den Abt, die Betreuung der jungen Leute übernehmen zu dürfen. „Die taten mir leid“, sagt er. Immer wieder fließen Slang-Begriffe aus dem Junkee-Millieu in die Sätze des Mönches ein. Mit einem charmant-überlegenen Lächeln fragt er gelegentlich: „Verstehst Du eigentlich, was ich gerade gesagt habe?“ Kontakt zu den alten Freunden verboten Die derzeit zehn jungen Männer, die hoffen, im Kloster ein neues Leben zu starten, dürfen grundsätzlich so lange in einem Altbau auf dem Gelände leben, wie sie wollen. Von allen wird allerdings erwartet, dass sie bei der Aufnahme dem Christentum offen gegenüber stehen, zumindest an Sonn- und Feiertagen den Gottesdienst besuchen und vor dem Essen beten. Kontakte mit alten Freunden sind verboten, Besuche enger Verwandter nur gelegentlich gestattet. Außerdem muss jeder bei den täglichen Arbeiten mithelfen. Und Arbeit gibt es auf dem Gelände genug. Nach der Oktoberrevolution war auch das vor vielen Jahrhunderten von Einsiedler-Mönchen aus Kiew gegründete Kloster Ploschtschanskaja Pustyn geschlossen und zweckentfremdet worden. Seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg ist sein einst wichtigstes Heiligtum, eine wundertätige Ikone der Madonna von Kasan, verschollen. Vermutlich befindet sie sich heute in Deutschland. Noch in den 60-er Jahren ließen die Behörden im Rahmen einer antireligiösen Kampagne eine der Kirchen auf dem Gelände sprengen. 1994 zogen wieder die ersten Mönche in die Ruinen, die von dem einst reichen Kloster zurückgeblieben waren und begannen den Wiederaufbau. Drei Wege: Ins Grab, in den Knast, zu Gott „Es kommt natürlich vor, dass die Eltern ihre Söhne hier her schieben“, sagt Vater Diomid und setzt noch eine Kanne Tee auf. Diese Männer würden es aber meist nicht lange hinter den Klostermauern aushalten. Die Mönche trennen sich ohne viel Zögern von Gästen, die gegen die strengen Regeln verstoßen, denn „unsere Arbeit gründet sich auf gegenseitigem Vertrauen.“ Igor ist einer, der trotz der spartanischen Bedingungen unbedingt bleiben will. “Irgendwann ist jeder am Boden angekommen”, sagt der 26-Jährige aus St. Petersburg, der vor sechs Jahren zum ersten Mal Heroin nahm, “Dann gibt es für dich nur noch drei Wege: Einer führt in den Knast, der zweite ins Grab und ein dritter – schmal und voller Brennnesseln – zu Gott.” Sergej hat seinen Körper in einem Reha-Zentrum in Odessa am Schwarzen Meer entgiften lassen, aber ohne Drogen habe er anschließend nur noch eine große Leere in sich gefühlt. “Hier im Kloster wird diese Leere wieder gefüllt.” Ein Jahr sei eine gute Zeit, um weit ab von der Außenwelt von den Drogen loszukommen, findet Vater Diomid, der versucht, zu allen Ehemaligen Kontakt zu halten. Schon nach drei Monaten, so seine Erfahrung, würden die jungen Männer langsam damit beginnen, über ihre eigene Zukunft nachzudenken. “Einige wollten zeitweise selbst Mönch werden, doch letztendlich fuhren sie alle wieder zurück in ihre Städte”. Viele seien aktive Mitglieder ihrer Kirchengemeinde geworden. Und über die Hälfte seiner Schützlinge habe nie wieder Drogen angefasst. Quellen; epd, Frankfurt / Russland-Aktuell.ru |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.05 |
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8. |
Moskauer Patriarchat setzt "Signale der Versöhnung" |
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| Moskau/Russland, 19.08.2005
(KAP) Das Moskauer Patriarchat setzt "Signale der Versöhnung"
im Verhältnis zur römisch-katholischen Kirche: So berichtete der
offizielle Pressedienst des Außenamts der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche über
eine Begegnung zwischen Bischof Georgij (Danilow) von Nischnij Nowgorod
und dem Apostolischen Nuntius in Moskau, Erzbischof Antonio Mennini. Das
Treffen fand im orthodoxen bischöflichen Palais in Nischnij Nowgorod
statt; inhaltlich ging es laut Pressedienst um die "Situation der römisch-katholischen
Pfarrgemeinden" in Russland sowie um die "Zusammenarbeit
zwischen Orthodoxen und römischen Katholiken in der Russischen Föderation". In Nischnij Nowgorod hatte es Auseinandersetzungen um die Ansiedlung eines katholischen Frauenklosters gegeben. In der Mitteilung des Pressedienstes des Außenamts der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche wurde darauf nicht Bezug genommen. An der Begegnung nahmen auch der Protokollchef der orthodoxen Diözese Nischnij Nowgorod, der Priester Andrej Milkin, und der Pfarrer der katholischen Mariä-Himmelfahrt-Pfarre in der Stadt, Mario Beverati, teil. Quelle: Kathpress, Wien (192/2005) |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 22.08.05 |
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9. |
Orthodox Protest against Greek Catholic Move to Kyiv will Continue, Says UOC-MP Rep |
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| Moscow, 22 August 2005,
Interfax - The protest of Orthodox believers against the move of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s headquarters from Lviv to Kyiv will
continue, said Fr. Mikhail Dudko, an official of the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). "The meeting and pickets held in Kyiv in the last three days are only the beginning of the process showing the extent to which Orthodox believers are discontent with this step of the Greek Catholic Church,” Fr. Dudko said. He is convinced that the protests will continue. “Other steps to be taken by faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) are inevitable,” he underlined. Fr. Dudko reaffirmed that the move of the Greek Catholic see that officially took place on 21 August is “a step inadequate to the place occupied by the Greek Catholics in today’s Ukrainian society and in the Ukrainian religious spectrum as a whole.” In this connection, the priest recalled that only 10% of the Ukrainian population are adherents of the Greek Catholic Church. “It is a considerable number, but the Uniate (Greek Catholic) communities live predominantly in western Ukraine, and this has not been questioned thus far by the Greek Catholics themselves, whose see was located in Lviv,” Fr. Dudko said. In his opinion, “it is clear that the transfer of the Uniate see has not been necessitated by practical considerations such as pastoral care of their flock but rather political ones and perhaps proselytism as well, aimed to acquire new supporters where the Greek Catholic position has been so far much weaker then in western Ukraine.” Fr. Dudko expressed regret at the fact that “the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church has not been heard either by the Greek Catholics or representatives of the Vatican.” Answering a question about prospects for the development of relations with the Holy See in the light of the recent move of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics, Fr. Dudko said that “the tendency is very unfavorable.” Source: http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=230 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 22.08.05 |
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10. |
Greek Catholic Move to Kyiv “Their Own Business,” Says President Yushchenko |
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| Commenting on 21 August
2005 on the official move that day of the administrative center of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from Lviv to Kyiv, Ukrainian President
Viktor Yushchenko said that it’s the Greek Catholics’ “own
business.” Visiting an exhibition of honey in Pyrohovo, Yushchenko told the Novy (New) Channel reporters he was convinced that the move of Greek Catholics from Lviv to Kyiv was their own business. “This is the Greek Catholics' own business," said Yushchenko. He stressed that nobody had a right to force people which faith to choose and decide where that church should be. The president thinks the Greek Catholic Church has “a right to choose the place for its chair and act in accordance with their ideas." "If we follow the Bible, if we think we are Christians, let us love our neighbors with their feelings and their faith," said Yushchenko. “This is the only way to maintain peace among churches." Source: http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/data/1_2327.html |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 22.08.05 |
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11. |
Greek Catholic Seat Moves to Kyiv |
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| Kyiv— Patriarch Lubomyr
Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), has said that
with his move to Kyiv from western Ukraine he hopes to have better
opportunities to facilitate the process of reconciliation between
different religious groups in Ukraine and to meet with the head of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Metropolitan
Volodymyr (Sabodan). The patriarch held his first service in Kyiv on 21
August 2005 amid angry protests by radical political forces and UOC-MP
faithful. The following is an excerpt from a report by Ukrainian
television TV 5 (Presenter) On 20 August 2005 the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Cardinal (Patriarch) Lubomyr (Husar), who also has the title of metropolitan of Kyiv and Halych, announced that his church will move its center from Lviv to Kyiv. (Passage omitted: more of presenter's introduction) (Correspondent) Modern Ukraine has not had any serious religious conflicts in a while. After the notorious burial of Patriarch Volodymyr Romaniuk (Kyiv Patriarchate leader who was not allowed to be buried at the Sophia Cathedral), all the disputes involved only ownership rights for church buildings and criticism of the church for involvement in politics. Today the faithful got a new reason to be concerned. The move of the UGCC to Kyiv is not simply the moving of the patriarch's residence. It means construction of the main cathedral of the Greek Catholic Church right across from the Kyivan Monastery of the Caves (main Orthodox temple), and most importantly, on the left bank of the Dnipro river, territory that has historically been Orthodox only. Each of the aforementioned factors by itself is not to the liking of the Moscow Patriarchate or pro-Russian politicians. Combined, they united absolutely different groups of people - the Bratstvo (radical party) of Dmytro Korchynskyy, the Progressive Socialists of Natalia Vitrenko, activists of the Derzhava party led by Hennadii Vasylyev and Orthodox believers of Metropolitan Volodymyr Sabodan (head of pro-Moscow church). (Protesters chanting) Uniates (Greek Catholics) out! Uniates out! Uniates out! (Correspondent) The picketers were waiting for the arrival of Patriarch Lubomry. Bratstvo activists blocked all the roads to the unfinished cathedral and got ready to throw eggs, demonstrating their protest this way. The service began at the scheduled time, and it was led by Patriarch Lubomyr, who arrived ahead of time and waited for the ceremony in a small chapel. Police prevented the 300 protesters from getting to the cathedral. All they could do was to begin their rally and to vent their frustration in arguments with passers-by. (Man, addressing picketers in Russian) Why are you chanting "Bandera (Ukrainian nationalist leader) out"? Moskals (derogatory term for Russians) out! Bandera out? (Correspondent) The noise from the rally did not disrupt the religious service. Several thousand believers, who have been waiting for this day for many years, listened to Husar. They were especially pleased to see Autocephalous and Kyiv Patriarchate Orthodox priests standing together with them. (Father Yevstratii, press secretary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Kyivan Patriarchate) We consider this an internal matter of the Greek Catholic Church. If they have made this decision, they have this right. Our church hopes that the Greek Catholic Church will respect the fact that most believers in Ukraine are Orthodox, and that the UGCC will not engage in proselytization, a practice which has been condemned by all the Christian faiths, which means it will not convert Orthodox Christians to the Greek Catholic faith. (Correspondent) Both events ended simultaneously. The Greek Catholics left the territory of the church, and belligerent Orthodox faithful vacated the square in front of it. Their actions did not bring any trouble, and did not prevent the blessing of the cathedral, either. They promised to continue their fight and said they will announce an all-Ukrainian mobilization of the Orthodox church if needed. (Woman, in Russian) He should go his Galicia and bless his Galicians there. There is no place for him here in Kyivan Rus. Kyivan Rus has always been Rus, and it will remain Orthodox. (Man) If we are moving towards Europe, I find it simply unpleasant to hear this uproar. These people have not made a single step towards Europe. (Correspondent) The head of the UGCC himself intends to facilitate the easing of tension. The cardinal said that today's events were emotional and will be forgotten fast. He is convinced that his move to Kyiv will only help find understanding between different churches. (Husar) I hope that here I will have more opportunities. I have to admit that for four or even five years I have not had a chance to meet Metropolitan Volodymyr personally in a quiet atmosphere, exchange opinions with him, and explain our viewpoints. We are not enemies. The leader of the Derzhava party, former Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Hennadii Vasyliev, has called Greek Catholics "aggressors" and said his party must "make them abandon their plans", the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on 21 August. Sources: TV 5, BBC Monitoring Service, Action Ukraine Report |
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12. |
Polish Foreign Minister Honors Ukrainian Greek Catholic Leaders |
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| (Ihor Bachun, Ukrinform,
Kyiv, 19 August, 2005)-- Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Adam Daniel
Rotfeld visited western Ukraine’s Lviv region to pay the tribute of
homage to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's (UGCC) spiritual leaders.
His trip's particular objective was the Holy Dormition Lavra (Major
Monastery) in Univ. When he was three he was saved from the Nazi
invaders by the lavra's monks, who reared him for six years until his
parents found him in 1947. As the Polish minister commented on the years spent with the monks, there were many Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish kids among the lavra's juvenile residents. All of them were saved largely thanks to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, head of the UGCC in the first half of the 20th century. Adam Rotfeld also laid flowers at the Monument to Polish soldiers at the Lychakivskyi Cemetery in Lviv. In the evening the Polish foreign minister was supposed to hold a meeting with activists of Lviv City's Polish organizations. Sources: Ukrinform, Action Ukraine Report |
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13. |
Bishop from Ecuador Withdraws from Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church-Canonical |
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| According to the Centre
for Orthodox Unity, on 15 August 2005, Bishop Chrysostomos Celi, Ph.D of
Ecuador submitted his formal withdrawal from the Ukrainian Autocephalous
Orthodox Church-Canonical (UAOC-C) to the church’s head, Patriarch
Moisei (Kulyk) and asked for incardination into the Autonomous Ukrainian
Orthodox Church in America. Bishop Chrysostomos joins an archbishop from
Ukraine, one bishop from Ukraine and one from the U.S. in leaving the
UAOC-C. Among the reasons which Bishop Chrysostomos cites in his letter to Patriarch Moisei are placing the Eucharist, not the relics of martyrs, in the antimensia which the patriarch distributed to his bishops and the patriarch’s not disclosing the fact that he (Moisei Kulyk) had been married and has children living in the United States. Bishop Chrysostomos states, in his letter: “1. Inside the ‘antimensia’ which you personally gave to each bishop present at the June sobor (Assembly) in Kyiv, there are no relics of martyrs, but possible holy gifts. You personally attested, to me, that the antimensia contained real relics from Jerusalem and on my own, as a bishop, I decided to open your ‘antimensia’ and test directly what I found to be ‘portions’ of bread, and I tasted and confirmed that these are bread and not bones. To reaffirm this fact, I asked a laboratory of an Orthodox investigator, and he confirmed that fact scientifically: the antimensia distributed by you contained bread, not relics of saints. For me and for the holy tradition of the church it is FORBIDDEN to use the holy gifts as ‘relics’ even if we believe in the real presence of our Lord in the consecrated bread, but your use of the Eucharist in antimensia is not sustained or supported in any document of the traditions, or by any synod of our church. It is unacceptable and against our spirit of respect and the true interpretation of the canons to practice this kind of use of the holy gifts. Apart from this troubling fact, I myself feel deceived by you, because you personally told me that the antimensia contained relics from Jerusalem. You lied to me. “2. My priests and I are shocked to have heard here in Central and South America that you were married with a wife and two children in Michigan. You never revealed this fact to any of your bishops. You personally told me at the Monastery of the Caves that you ‘have no have problem accepting married bishops and that you are thinking about accepting some into our church.’ If you are ‘thinking’ in this way, we want to let you know that we are not in agreement with you, because if at certain times in the Orthodox Church married bishops were accepted, today, this is not the case. One day, you clearly stated to me: ‘Filaret (Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate) is a married man,’ putting him in a bad way. For me and for all of my clergy, a married bishop is totally unacceptable. If you were married and later took monastic vows, this is possible, but you held your marriage a secret and disclosed it to none of your bishops. For us, this is yet another deception which you practiced. We do not want to remain under a married bishop. “Because of all the terrible lies, untruths and abuses exposed and discovered about you and your church, and because the biggest scandal for me came as a result of your attitudes, the people and clergy under my mantle decided to petition formally, for the well-being and health of our souls, incardination under Archbishop Ioan of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America with the support of the legal and canonical Tomos of Autonomy given by Metropolitan Thomas (Logue), who himself has broken eucharistic communion with you and your church. I ask you formally to remove my name and image from your web page,” reads the letter of Bishop Chrysostomos. RISU note: The antimension (Greek "instead of the table") is one of the furnishings of the altar. It is a rectangular piece of cloth, of linen or silk, with representations of the entombment of Christ, the four evangelists, and scriptural passages related to the Eucharist. It often has a small relic sewn into it. News source, source of note, and previous related RISU news: Centre for Orthodox Unity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimension http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;6847/ http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;6807/ |
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14. |
The Russian Orthodox Church hopes the election of Theophile will help strengthen her relations with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem |
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| Moscow, August 22,
Interfax - The Moscow Patriarchate expects to intensify its relations
with the Church of Jerusalem with the election of her new primate,
Theophile III. ‘We hope that relationships between the Russian Church and the Church of Jerusalem will now become more intensive in their development, which has somehow slowed down in the last months and years because of crises in the Church of the Holy City’, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations secretary for inter-Orthodox relations, told Interfax on Monday. He noted that ‘the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church have developed a very special attitude to the Church of Jerusalem as Russian people used to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land for centuries, and certainly the Holy City of Jerusalem, especially the Lord’s Sepulchre, was their main goal for which ordinary Russian peasants exerted tremendous efforts walking hundreds of kilometres, enduring travel dangers and donating their last savings’. ‘For our people therefore the Church of Jerusalem was and is first of all the guardian of the greatest shrines for the entire Christendom’, Father Nikolay stressed. He also reminded that Russian czars and diplomats worked hard for centuries to protect and support Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, who suffered oppression from the Ottoman Empire authorities. In Russia, considerable funds were collected to ‘ransom’ the shrines of the Lord’s Sepulchre from non-Orthodox rulers, who, in the 16th, 17th centuries and in subsequent times repeatedly raised such demands and threatened to discontinue access to the shrines. ‘Russian czars are commemorated in the churches in Jerusalem up to this day as major donators to the restoration of Palestinian holy places, and these donations were raised throughout Russia’, the priest noted. ‘Therefore’, he continued, ‘when conflicts and disorders arose in Jerusalem this year, it was especially painful for our hearts. Patriarch Alexy and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed hope last month that these disorders would be soon overcome’. Reckoning that the election of Patriarch Theophile by unanimous vote strengthens this hope, Father Nikolay made a special mention of the fact that the new primate of the oldest Orthodox Church, which is described as ‘Holy Zion, the Mother of Churches’ in Russian liturgical hymns, ‘is well known as he spent two years in Moscow as representative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia’. Last February, already Exarch of the Lord’s Sepulchre in Qatar, Father Theophile came to Moscow for the 8th World Russian People’s Council, which discussed Russia and the Orthodox World under the chairmanship of Patriarch Alexy. Finally, when he was appointed rector of the church of the Lord’s Sepulchre and elected later Archbishop of Tabor, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission maintained active cooperation with him, the results of which, according to Father Nikolay, ‘were positive’. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 22.08.05 |
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15. |
Mila Jovovic makes a pilgrimage to the Kiev Monastery of the Caves |
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| Kiev, August 22, Interfax
- Film star Mila Jovovic, a Kiever by birth, prayed at the church of the
Elevation of the Cross at the Kiev Monastery of the Caves and at the
relics of the Saints of Kiev Caves at the Near Caves, the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church press service reports. ‘It is really a holy place. I feel so light that I do not want to go anywhere from this place to kee this wonderful state of the soul you find here’, said the actress, who came to Ukraine for the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Artek summer camp. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 22.08.05 |
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16. |
His Holiness the Patriarch greets the participants in the exhibition dedicated to the Kulikovo Battle jubilee |
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| On August 22, an
exhibition dedicated to the 625th anniversary of the Kulikovo Battle
opened in the 'New Manezh' state exhibition hall. The extensive and diverse exhibition, which recreates the great historic event of 1380, was sponsored by St.Daniel's Monastery in Moscow and the Government of Moscow. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent the following welcoming message to the organizers, supervisors and visitors of the exhibition. To the participants in the exhibition dedicated to the 625th anniversary of the Kulikovo Battle Dear brothers and sisters! In 2005 the Russian Orthodox Church together with all Russian society commemorates the 625th anniversary of a major event in the history of our Fatherland - the Kulikovo Battle. This historic event commenced the liberation of Russia from foreign dominion and the gathering of all Russian principalities, which united around Moscow and defended the native land, Christian sacred places and objects and Orthodox faith of the fathers from foreign enemies. By the Providence of God the Russian troops were led by an outstanding commander and ardent Christian, the holy and right-believing Prince Dimitry Donskoy. The Russian people, who scorned death for the sake of the Fatherland in the hard times of trial courageously fought the Mamai troops. The Battle of Kulikovo is historically linked with St.Sergius of Radonezh, hegumen of the Trinity Monastery and wonderworker, who blessed the Russian troops for the battle and strengthened warriors by his prayers. The names of these holy men glorified by the Church remind us in this jubilee year of our responsibility as the children of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church. This responsibility prompts us to be thoughtful in our care for cultural and historical property of our Fatherland, to be good successors of our great ancestors as it was by their energy and faith that the Russian state and great Russian culture have been created. While blessing the opening of the exhibition dedicated to the Battle of Kulikovo, I greet you with the feast, cordially thank the government of Moscow, management and personnel of the 'New Manezh', state museums and archives who gave material for the exhibition and wish them God's grace and help in all good works and initiatives. +ALEXY, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru/e_startpage - 22.08.05 |
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17. |
Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church officiates at the Divine service on the occasion of bringing the relics of St. George the Victorious from Mount Athos to Moscow |
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| On 22 August 2005, His
Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia officiated at the
All-Night Vigil service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and led
the meeting of the shrines with the holy relics of the Great Martyr St.
George the Victorious brought to Moscow from the Kutlumush monastery on
the Holy Mount Athos. Concelebrating with His Holiness were Metropolitans Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna and Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, Archbishops Arseny of Istra and Alexy of Orekhovo-Zuevo, Bishop Savva of Krasnogorsk, Alexander of Dmitrov, Veniamin of Lubertsy and Mark of Yegorievsk. Upon arrival in Moscow the relics of St.George the Victorious were brought to the wooden church dedicated to the 'Derzhavnaya' Icon of the Mother of God near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Metropolitan Yuvenaly accompanied by the monks from Mount Athos, Moscow clergymen and the Kremlin guards of honour carried the shrines with the holy relics to the doors of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, where they were met by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and the concelebrating hierarchs. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church anointed the worshippers and distributed small icons of St.George with an inscription 'In commemoration of bringing the holy relics of the great Martyr St.George the Victorious from the Holy Mount Athos to the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church', It is remarkable that the particles of the relics of the holy protector of the Russian warriors are brought to Russia in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Great Victory. The shrines with the relics of St.George will stay in Russia from August 22 to September 28. For three days they will be open for veneration in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and then transferred to the Novodevichy Convent. Present at the ceremony also was head of administration of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region A.G.Gladyshev, who initiated the bringing of the holy relics from the Holy Mount Athos. A church of St.George the Victorious is being built in Odintsovo, and it will be the first town near Moscow to receive the relics of the protector of the Christ-loving warriors. Inhabitants of Podolsk, Kolomna, Yegorievsk, Shchelkovo, Mytishchi, Volokolamsk and Ruza will also have an opportunity to venerate the relics. On September 28 the shrines with the relics of St.George will be brought to St.Petersburg. Message of Metropolitan Yuvenaly on the bringing of the relics of St.George the Victorious with the dates of their stay in the towns near Moscow is published on the official site of the Moscow diocese www.meparh.ru |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru/e_startpage - 22.08.05 |
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18. |
Ukrainian cardinal says moving see will improve ecumenical relations |
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| http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20050823.htm#head6 | |||||
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Catholic News Service - www.catholicnews.com - 23.08.05 |
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19. |
Alexy II predicts an aggravation in relations between the Russian Church and the Vatican as the Greek Catholic see has been moved to Kiev |
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| Moscow, August 23,
Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has stated that
the transfer of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic see to Kiev will aggravate
relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican. ‘These are certainly unfriendly step, which will introduce even greater tension in relations with the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church and the See of Rome’, Alexy II is cited as saying by the Moscow Patriarchate press service. The primate noticed that ‘these actions cannot be justified either from the historical point of view or from the point of view of church rules and canons’. ‘The See of Kiev from the very first years of its existence was one of the church capitals of the Russian Orthodox Church, first as the center of a metropolia, later as the primary see among the Ukrainian dioceses’, the patriarch explained. According to Alexy II, ‘the policy of proselytism carried out by the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine as its agent’, among other negative consequences, makes the time of his possible meeting with the Pope of Rome Benedict XVI ever more distant. The fate of Orthodoxy and Uniatism in western Ukraine has proved to be closely intertwined, the patriarch reminded, as after the Greek Catholic parishes were closed in 1946 the Uniates came to Russian Orthodox churches for pastoral care. ‘In this we saw a testimony to the fact that the Russian Church has a gracious attitude to those who turn to it for spiritual help without belonging to it in proper sense’, the patriarch said. He also reminded that some people who remained Greek Catholics at heart were trained in orthodox theological seminaries and academies. ‘I remember only too well’, the patriarch continued, ‘how many natives of Western Ukraine used to study at the theological schools in Leningrad in my time. And after the political situation changed and the Greek Catholics were able to open churches of their own, we expected that our relations would develop in the same spirit of good and peaceful coexistence’. According to the Patriarch, ‘the Russian Church has deserved at least a word of gratitude for the care of the Uniates which she accorded them throughout the post-war decades. Instead, the Greek Catholic Church returned to the practice of the 16th-17th centuries when the Unia was imposed by force with support of anti-Orthodox authorities’. These developments, Alexy II notes, ‘could not but complicated our relations with both the Greek Catholics directly and with the Roman Catholic Church’. ‘We have repeatedly stated our position on this issue; it remains the same, and we hope for a well-balanced and reasonable approach on the part of the Roman Catholic Church’, Patriarch Alexy underlined. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 23.08.05 |
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20. |
A monument to St. Andrew the First-Called to be erected on one of the disputed Kuril island to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II |
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| Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, August
23, Interfax - A monument to St. Andrew the First-Called, cast in Moscow
on special commission, will be erected on the Kuril Island of Iturup. As the press service of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called reports, the opening and blessing of the monument will take place on September 2 during the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The monument represents a cross with the apostle crucified on it. The cross is made of base metals, while the figure of the apostle is cast in bronze. The design of Vadim Tsyganov, a well-known actor and producer, has been executed by sculptor Andrey Smirnov. The pedestal for the monument has been already completed. On Tuesday, the monument has been brought to Sakhalin from Krasnoyarks by plane. Cast in Moscow, it had been brought to Siberia by train. It will be taken to its destination on the Island of Iturup by a motor ship. The project has been initiated by the National Center of Russia’s Glory and the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called. The Russian Orthodox Church has supported the initiative. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 23.08.05 |
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21. |
Union of Orthodox Citizens appeals to Alexy II to break all relations with the Vatican and start missionary work in Europe and America |
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| Moscow, August 23,
Interfax - As the Uniates have become more active in Ukraine the
Orthodox public have appealed to Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All
Russia to end all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and begin
missionary work in Europe and America. ‘It is necessary to accept in the fold of the Orthodox Church all the Old Catholic communities who wish to join it, to establish a Russian Orthodox school for training Latin-rite clergy for service in Europe and America and to develop intensive Orthodox missionary work there’, an appeal of the Union of Orthodox Citizens to Patriarch Alexy states. The authors of the appeal, the text of which was given to Interfax, believe that any relations with the Vatican should be interrupted since the Catholic Church is believed to use them only for her own purposes. ‘In our view, any agreement with the RCC pursues exclusively the Vatican’s interests and prevents the Church of Christ from carrying out the service commanded by the Lord. There is only one way to beat a card-sharper - not to sit at a card-table with him’, the Union of Orthodox Citizens maintains. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 23.08.05 |
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22. |
UKRAINE CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY. |
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| Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and other senior state officials attended a prayer for Ukraine in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on 24 August to inaugurate official ceremonies marking the 14th anniversary of Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union, the "Ukrayinska pravda" website (http://www.pravda.com.ua) reported. The prayer was recited by representatives of various denominations that are present in Ukraine. St. Sophia Cathedral is officially designated a museum and does not belong to any specific church. On 24 August 1991, following a state coup in Moscow five days earlier, the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet adopted an act of the independence of Ukraine, declaring that, "From this day forward, on the territory of Ukraine only the Constitution and laws of Ukraine are valid." JM | |||||
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE - www.rferl.org/newsline/ - 24.08.05 |
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23. |
11 Hierarchs Leave Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church-Canonical |
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| According to the Press
Office of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America (AUOCA),
11 hierarchs have left the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox
Church-Canonical (UAOC-C) and joined the AUOCA. RISU received the news
on 22-23 August 2005. To date, the following eleven hierarchs have left the UAOC-C and its head, Patriarch Moisei (Oleh Kulyk), to join the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America: (1) Archbishop Chrysostomos, (2) Bishop Martin, (3) Bishop Gregory, (4) Metropolitan Thomas Logue, (5) Metropolitan-emeritus Yuri, (6) Archbishop Isaakii, (7) Archbishop Vasilii, (8) Archbishop Ioan, (9) Bishop Vsevolod, (10) Bishop Kyrillos (from Brazil), and (11) Mitred Archpriest Petros (Michael). According to the AUOCA press office, “The UAOC-C and (Patriarch Moisei) Oleh Kulyk have still refused to take the photos of these hierarchs off the UAOC-C website, this despite the formal letters of these hierarchs informing them of their having broken eucharistic communion with him as well as their repeated demands to him to be removed off his website. “The Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America is shocked to learn that deposed Patriarch Moisei continues to act irresponsibly, as on the Feast of the Transfiguration, he ordained a twenty-three-year-old priest, Father Daniel of Ivano-Frankivsk, to the episcopacy in Ukraine because of the withdrawal of the above-specified hierarchs and to build the UAOC-C's remaining hierarchy with what we consider to be uncanonical boy-bishops,” writes the AUOCA press office. RISU note: On 22 August, RISU erroneously reported that Archbishop Chrysostomos had joined three other hierarchs in leaving the UAOC-C. Source and previous related RISU news: Press Office of the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America http://www.uaocamerica.org http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;6941/ |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 24.08.05 |
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24. |
PRO-KREMLIN YOUTH GROUPS DABBLE IN RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS. |
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| Sixteen youth organizations, including the pro-Kremlin youth groups Nashi and Walking Together, took part on 21 August in a protest in central Saransk, the capital of Mordovia, to demand a ban on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the republic, Blagovest-Info and ITAR-TASS reported on 23 August. According to local police estimates, some 500 protestors assembled. Organizers of the event believe that the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses seriously conflict with state policy since its supporters are "banned from serving in the army, receiving an education or medical help and participating in elections." Viktor Khokhlov, director of the missionary department at the Saransk Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, told ITAR-TASS that "Jehovah's Witnesses conduct anti-Christian activities and break up families." JAC | |||||
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE - www.rferl.org/newsline/ - 24.08.05 |
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25. |
Greek Catholics Move Center to Kyiv |
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| The administrative center
of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) officially moved from
western Ukrainian Lviv to central Ukrainian Kyiv on 21 August 2005. The
event was marked by a ceremonial Liturgy in front of the construction
site of the UGCC Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection. The celebration began with an official announcement of the transfer of the see of the major archbishop of the UGCC from Lviv to the capital, read by the church’s elder bishop, Sofron Mudryi. Divine Liturgy was celebrated after the announcement. Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the UGCC, presided. Concelebrants were the members of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC; Fr. Wojcech Zalucky, chargé d'affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine; and more than 100 clergy. More than 3000 faithful participated in the Liturgy. Representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Georgian Orthodox Church, Protestant churches and religious organizations, and representatives of the government came as guests to the celebration. In his homily Patriarch Lubomyr considered the thesis that Kyiv is a cradle of Christianity. He suggested that this definition provides us with a chance to learn, for “a cradle is an external element which gains importance only when the baby is inside. Who is the baby who was resting in the Kyivan cradle? Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, when we say that this city is a cradle from which Christianity spread all over the Christian East, it is not the merit of the city itself but the work of the love of Christ who wanted to make this city a cradle of Christianity in this part of the world.” The head of the UGCC also discussed the issue of the division of Christians. In the patriarch’s opinion, when considering the division among denominations we throw up our hands and think we will never be able to improve the situation. Still, in this issue we should count not on ourselves and on human means but on God, who of course wills such unity, and his will gives us strong hope for that. “Let our hearts be filled with hope today,” said Patriarch Lubomyr. Patriarch Lubomyr’s official title as head of the UGCC changed after his move to Kyiv. Now he will be called “major archbishop of Kyiv and Halych.” Previously he was “major archbishop of Lviv for Ukrainians. The church territory will be called “the Kyiv-Halych major archbishopric.” RISU note: The title of “patriarch” is not considered to be official for the head of the UGCC, though it is used during Liturgies in most communities of the UGCC. In a commentary for RISU, Patriarch Lubomyr indicated that he does not forbid people to call him “patriarch,” but he himself never uses the title “patriarch” officially. RISU uses this title along with others for the head of the UGCC, which reflects the vision of most clergymen and laity of this church in Ukraine and beyond its borders. Source: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/ukr/patriarchat/documents/article;1340/ |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 24.08.05 |
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26. |
Autocephalous Orthodox Join Greek Catholics in Blessing Tablet in Kharkiv |
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| Kharkiv– A memorial
tablet to Patriarch Josyf (Slipyj), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church (UGCC) from 1944 to 1984, was blessed in northeastern Ukrainian
Kharkiv on 17 August 2005. Clergy and faithful of the UGCC were joined
in the event by members of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC). At the initiative of Vladislav Pronenko, a Kharkiv scholar and RISU correspondent, and funded by the World Congress of Ukrainians, the memorial tablet was placed on the building of the former transit prison in Kharkiv (on Malynovskoho Street, 5) where Patriarch Josyf was held. The tablet was made according to a sketch of Valerii Bondar, a Kharkiv artist. Askold Lozynskyj, president of the World Congress of Ukrainians, and Vasyl Tretetskyi, deputy head of the Kharkiv Regional Administration, unveiled the tablet. The tablet was blessed by Fr. Mykola Semenovych and Fr. Onufrii Ripetskyi of the UGCC, as well as Archbishop Ihor (Isichenko), Fr. Vitalii Zubak and Fr. Oleh Kozub of the UAOC. In his sermon, Archbishop Ihor mentioned the respect the late Patriarch Dymytrii of the UAOC had for Patriarch Josyf. He added: “It is not state officials who lead us to true Christian union but godly men, whose prayers are united before the throne of God.” Source: Press Center of the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 24.08.05 |
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