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NÖK - Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen |
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Ausgabe 10/06, 09.03.06 |
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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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Russland/ GUS/Baltikum |
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1. |
...AS PUTIN SEEKS TO REASSURE ISRAEL. |
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| President Vladimir Putin's office issued a statement on March 5, saying that he discussed the Hamas visit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by telephone and that Putin assured Olmert that "Russia (will) not take any step directed against Israeli interests," lenta.ru reported. Olmert called the decision to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow "a mistake," mosnews.com reported. Elsewhere, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksii II said that he and Mish'al intend to continue "interfaith dialogue," RIA Novosti reported. PM | |||||
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE - www.rferl.org/newsline/ - 06.03.06 |
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2. |
BELARUS: PASTOR IMPRISONED FOR LEADING HOME WORSHIP |
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To Forum 18 News Service's knowledge, the ten-day prison term handed down
on 3 March to Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of the Minsk-based Christ's Covenant
Reformed Baptist Church for conducting religious worship in his own home
is the first time for some twenty years that religious worship has
incurred a prison sentence on the territory of Belarus. "We expected that
my father would be found guilty," the pastor's son Stanislav Vyazovsky
remarked on the day of the trial. "What we did not expect at all is the
punishment for his 'crime'. This was a real shock to all of us who were
present." The church tried and failed to get re-registration under
Belarus' highly restrictive 2002 religion law, which in defiance of
international human rights conventions bans all but occasional religious
worship in private homes. District administration leaders sent officials
several times to raid Vyazovsky's church "with the aim of exposing
religious organisations without registration". http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=737 |
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Forum 18 - www.forum18.org - 06.03.06 |
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3. |
Russian Orthodox Church skeptical over Nicholas II rehabilitation |
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Moscow/Russia, 03.03.2006 (Interfax) Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk and
Vice-Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church
Relations said that the idea to seek a rehabilitation of the last Russian
Tsar Nicholas II is "pettiness and lacks in substance." "The rehabilitation has already taken place. This happened when the remains found near Yekaterinburg were buried in the emperor's shrine in St. Petersburg, a ceremony that was attended by the highest officials,' he told Interfax on Friday. The fact that the Church is not certain whether the remains brought to the Petropavlovsky cathedral are the real ones is another issue, he said. "However, what was done is penance, an act of goodwill that proves the fact that Yekaterinburg witnessed lawlessness and that government, as a symbol of the nation, repented, better than in any papers and other certificates," Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk said. Moreover, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the emperor's family two years later, he said. "After this has been done the issue of rehabilitation is no longer relevant, attempts to rehabilitate the emperor now look petty and lack seriousness," the bishop said. Source: Interfax, Moscow |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 06.03.06 |
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4. |
Russian church happy with cooperation between Muslims, Christians in Palestine |
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Moscow, March 6, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed good
relations between Muslims and Christians in Palestine. "Christians have freely participated and will continue participating in the public and political life of the Palestinian people. Palestinians assured us that this cooperation will continue," deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk told the press on Sunday after Patriarch Alexy II received a delegation of the Palestinian Hamas movement in Moscow. "It was the first dialogue of such a kind," the bishop said. "The church respects the choice of Palestinians, therefore the reception was a gesture of respect to the people of Palestine with which not only Russia but also the Russian Orthodox Church maintain the warmest of relations," he said. The bishop said the Russian Orthodox Church marks Shrove Sunday today and found it symbolic that at the meeting the patriarch called for a dialogue and reconciliation, for breaking the vicious circle of violence. Political leader of Hamas Khaled Meshaal was also satisfied with the meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. "We found full understanding with the patriarch who expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and Palestinian believers and appreciated their steps regarding democratic elections," he told the Moscow press on Sunday. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 06.03.06 |
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5. |
Moscow Patriarchate critical of the idea to set up a commission for Islamic-Christians dialogue at the Council of Muftis |
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Moscow, March 6, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church does not welcome
the idea to set up a body for Islamic-Christian dialogue alternative to
the Interreligious Council. 'Thanks to the Interreligious Council, much has been done in Russia. It has become a well-known organization enjoying well-deserved respect not only inside but also outside our country. To set up an alternative body is a short-sighted view lacking any foresight', Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, said to Interfax. A possibility for setting up a commission for Islamic-Christian dialogue at the Council of Muftis in Russia was stated last week by a representative of the Council, who also announced that the commission might include representatives of Islam and various Christian confessions. 'One should realize that in our country Christian non-Orthodox organizations have always been minor communities having no serious influence on the life of the Russian people', Bishops Mark said. He emphasized that 'the establishment of such a commission is a lame and ill-considered initiative, which in fact undermines the credibility of the head of the Council of Muftis in the eyes of the Russian Orthodox Church and deprives him of the credit and respect he has enjoyed from the beginning of our cooperation'. Bishop Mark suggested that the idea of setting up a kind of ‘parallel’ Interreligious Council was 'just a painful reaction of the Council of Muftis’ to the book written by Roman Silantyev on Islam in Russia today. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 06.03.06 |
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6. |
Bishop of the Russian Church compares reading Da Vinci Code to being bogged down to a morass |
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Moscow, March 6, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church fears the filming
of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code will lead to a division in society. A statement to this effect was made to Interfax by Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. ‘I have not read this book and I am not going to do it, because, having learnt about its contents, I consider it senseless to get bogged, pardon me, to this morass’, he said. According to the bishop, the filming of Da Vinci Code will contribute to ‘a division of our people into those who respect the religious worldview and those atheistically-minded people who seek by any means to take their revenge on the fact that a growing number of people come to realize: Russia cannot exist as a stable and prosperous state without God and spiritual values’. Deacon Andrey Kurayev, a well-known Orthodox missionary, described Da Vinci Code earlier as a dangerous book. ‘The author does not have any historical arguments whatsoever. It is impossible to argue with him, as it is impossible to argue with, say, apparitions seen by a drug-addict. This is how he sees and experiences things’, Father Andrey said, reminding that specialists from the Vatican counted nearly 600 historical mistakes in the book. ‘Therefore, any confidence in such odd jobs is a sign of stupidity’, Kurayev believes. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 06.03.06 |
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7. |
School of temperance in the St.Petersburg diocese helps overcome gambling addiction |
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On 21 February 2006, the School of temperance at the St.Petersburg
diocesan department against drug addiction and alcoholism has begun a
regular study course to overcome alcohol and tobacco addiction. Ten study
courses have been held since the setting up of the school in October 2004.
There is a particular feature in the current, 11th study course. Besides
help in overcoming alcohol and tobacco addiction, the listeners could be
assisted in the deliverance from gambling addiction. ‘All the addicts want to alleviate psychological stress quickly and effortlessly and to have nice sensations by withdrawal to the world of illusions. Some prefer to use drugs to withdraw from reality, others resort to alcohol or game machines and computers, - the School of temperance leader V.A.Tsygankov says. – When passion is satisfied, one feels better for a short time. However, illusions would soon disappear, but all problems and difficulties stay and become even more dramatic... Man indulges in his passion again, as a simple and quick solution of the problems - to run into the world of illusions - has been tested. The consequences, though, are deplorable, as personality disintegrates, family relations are broken being accompanied by conflicts at work, and poverty is looming’. According to him, the number of gambling addicts in the northern capital city exceeds one hundred thousands. |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru - 06.03.06 |
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8. |
Krasnoyarsk diocese set up a regional centre against drug addiction |
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Archbishop Antoniy of Krasnoyarsk and Yeniseisk decreed to set up a
Diocesan department for drug addiction prevention and rehabilitation of
the drug addicts. It will be located in the Church of St.John the Baptist
in Krasnoyarsk and headed by a church worker Yuri Tsybin who has worked
with the drug addicts as psychoanalyst for eight years. State Drugs
Control has supported initiatives of the Orthodox Church in this field.
The ruling bishop recommended all church rectors to render active assistance in setting up centres against drug addiction, alcoholism and smoking in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, the Siberian News Agency reports. |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru - 06.03.06 |
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9. |
New Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishop to be Ordained |
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Lviv – It was reported both in the Vatican and Ukraine that on 2 March
2006 at 14:00 (Kyiv time) Pope Benedict XVI blessed the decision of the
bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) to appoint
Redemptorist Fr. Yaroslaw Pryriz, archsyncellus (archchancellor) of the
Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy of the UGCC, as auxiliary bishop of Sambir and
Drohobych. The date of his ordination has not yet been set. Source: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/ukr/press-releases/article;3068/ |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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10. |
General Consul of France Pascal Mober visits St.Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy |
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On 3 March 2006, General Consul of France in St.Petersburg Pascal Mober
and press attache Emmanuel Berard visited the St.Petersburg Theological
Academy. The high guests had an excursion of the museum of church history, visited the library and auditoriums and attended a lecture on liturgics at which they talked with an assistant professor archpriest Bogdan Soiko. Rector of the St.Petersburg Theological Academy Archbishop Konstantin of Tikhvin received the high guests and answered many questions they asked. |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru - 06.03.06 |
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11. |
Action against abortions to be held in the Voronezh diocese |
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‘The Gift of Life’ action will be held in Voronezh later in March with the
blessing of Metropolitan Sergy of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk, rector of the
Church of St.Nicholas in Voronezh and assistant of the ruling bishop Rev.
Petr Petrov informed a correspondent of National News Agency. By this
action the diocese intends to bring its contribution into the struggle
against demographic crisis in the country in general and in the Voronezh
region in particular. Informational campaign in the regional mass media is planned with an emphasis on the inadmissibility of abortions. Besides, special exhibitions will be arranged and lectures on the topic will be delivered in higher education establishments of Voronezh. |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru - 06.03.06 |
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12. |
Governors of the Sumy and Chernigov regions venerated holy shrines in Chernigov |
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On 3 March 2006, governors of the Sumy and Chernigov regions visited the
Cathedral church of the Holy Trinity where they met with Bishop Amvrosy of
Chernigov and Nezhin, who told them about the history of the church and
the holy shrines of Chernigov. The guests venerated the relics of Ss Feodosy and Lavrenty of Chernigov. Bishop Amvrosy blessed the governors and their suite and gave them small icons of the Chernigov saints, ‘Orthodoxy in Ukraine’ web-site reports. |
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DECR Communication Service - www.mospat.ru - 06.03.06 |
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13. |
UOC-KP Orthodox Synod Opposes Church Involvement in Ukraine’s Elections |
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Kyiv– The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate
(UOC-KP) has affirmed that the UOC-KP does not want the church to be
involved in Ukraine’s 26 March parliamentary election or to heat up
religious disputes. These and other issues were discussed at a session of
the synod held in Kyiv from 28 February to 1 March 2006. The synod listened to reports from hierarchs about the life of certain eparchies of the UOC-KP, made new appointments, defined the position of non-interference of the UOC-KP in the election campaign, and called upon the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate not to allow the church to be involved in political campaigning. ”As some representatives of the UOC(-MP)… in particular in Crimea. Donetsk, Transcarpathia, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and other regions, are heating up animosity against the Kyivan Patriarchate during the election campaign… the Synod has decided to approve an address to the hierarchs of the UOC(-MP) with the call not to allow the church to be dragged into political campaigning and not to break civil laws or church canons and regulations,” reads the announcement of the synod. In response to the request of Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), for dialog towards unity, the synod entrusted ordered Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the UOC-KP, to send Patriarch Lubomyr a letter explaining the position of the UOC-KP. Since Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has proclaimed 2006 to be the Year of Children, the synod has asked the faithful to pray for orphans and called upon all Orthodox Christians of Ukraine to support the initiatives of the president and government in solving social problems. Sources: http://www.uaorthodox.org/news.php?pid=697 http://www.cerkva.info/index.php?newsid=1141213496 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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14. |
UOC-KP Orthodox Open to Dialogue with Ukrainian Greek Catholics |
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Kyiv – In response to the address of Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of
the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in the name of the Holy Synod
of Bishops of the UGCC requesting to hold dialog on Christian union,
Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan
Patriarchate (UOC-KP), in the name of the Holy Synod of the UOC-KP sent a
reply to the head of the UGCC, confirming the UOC-KP’s readiness and
openness to cooperate. cerkva.info posted the news on 2 March 2006. According to Patriarch Filaret’s letter, the only possible way to the unification of churches is “return to the unity of faith between the Christian West and the East broken in 1054.” As for the UOC-KP, it will “adhere to the Eastern Orthodox dogmatic and canonical tradition.” On the occasion of the coming anniversary of the events of 1946, when the UGCC was liquidated by the Soviet regime, the UOC-KP has condemned the interference of the state in church matters. According to Patriarch Filaret’s letter, “the revival of brotherly feelings between Orthodox and Greek Catholics is possible on the basis of Christian love. Such love, strengthened with actions, can further the union of Orthodox Rus and Greek Catholic Rus which Metropolitan Petro Mohyla and Metropolitan Yosyf Rutskyi had high hopes for.” RISU note: Metropolitans Mohyla and Rutskyi were, respectively, Orthodox and Greek Catholic church leaders in Ukraine in the 17th century. Source: http://www.cerkva.info/index.php?newsid=1141230773 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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15. |
Christian Democratic Head Lists Religious Problems in Ukraine |
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Chernivtsi – Vitalii Zhuravskyi, head of the Christian Democratic Party of
Ukraine (CDPU), went on a two-day trip to southwestern Ukraine’s
Chernivtsi region. At his meeting with journalists he gave much attention
to religious problems. RISU’s Ukrainian-language site posted the news on 2
March 2006. The Christian Democrats, according to Zhuravskyi, support the return of church land and property, the execution of court decisions, non-interference of the government in church matters, giving the church the status of a juridical person, and giving religious communities the right to give religious education to children and adults. “Today Ukraine has 129 ‘hot spots,” said Zhuravskyi. “Half of the conflicts could be solved immediately if there were a decision of the court. But court decisions are not fulfilled.” According to Zhuravskyi, according to part 5, article 12 of Ukraine’s law “On payment for land,” religious organizations are freed from paying for land, but de facto it is impossible to make use of this benefit, as religious organizations have no right to the permanent use of land. The Christian Democrats demand that the land issue concerning the beneficial use of land by religious organizations be solved on the state level immediately. Apart from that, said Zhuravskyi, the government should fulfill its obligations before the Council of Europe and return former church land, buildings and property to the church. According to Zhuravskyi, over 300 church buildings which belonged to the representatives of various denominations are now used by the military and sports organizations and for archives. In 2002 former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma ordered Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers to return church property taken away during Soviet times which is now the property of the state and not used appropriately. In summer 2005 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko promised to monitor this process personally. “As a result, we have what we have: Liturgies are celebrated in basements and back rooms. According to the Kyiv City Administration, in Kyiv alone there are plenty of worship and church buildings not used appropriately,” says Zhuravskyi. Zhuravskyi considers it normal that religious ministers are running in the 26 March parliamentary elections, as they are citizens of Ukraine and, according to the Constitution, have the right to run for elections and even to campaign. Also, the Christian Democratic Party Bloc requests that the activity of totalitarian religious sects be banned in Ukraine. |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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16. |
Ukrainian Greek Catholics Concerned about Sacred Monuments |
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Lviv – Archbishop Ihor Vozniak of Lviv of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church (UGCC) has issued a decree on the preservation of sacred monuments.
The heritage of the UGCC consists of many churches, monasteries and other
valuable buildings and monuments which are protected by the state. The
document was issued on the basis of the decree of the Ukrainian Parliament
“On informing Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers about the current situation
and prospects for protection of the cultural heritage of Ukraine, as well
as historical and cultural monuments of the Ukrainian people abroad,” as
the press service of the UGCC reported on 1 March 2006. The archbishop’s decree emphasizes the need to provide the church’s Sacred Art Committee with the construction plans of churches and chapels and documents confirming the property rights or the right to use of sacred constructions and their surrounding area. The syncellus (chancellor), the ekonom (treasurer), and the Sacred Arts Committee will be responsible for the execution of this decree and for helping the communities. Source: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/ukr/news/article;3052/ |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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17. |
Numerous Orthodox Clergy in Ukraine Run for Election |
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Kyiv – Numerous Orthodox clergy throughout Ukraine of the two biggest
jurisdictions are candidates in the upcoming 26 March elections.
cerkva.info posted the news on 1 March 2006. Ukraine’s Power of the People political bloc has four Orthodox priests on its list for the upcoming 26 March parliamentary elections. cerkva.info states it might seem that priests should enter the election lists of the so-called “clerical parties” with explicit religious coloring such as the Social-Christian Party. But, instead, the members of this party are not clergy. Fr. Mykhailo Zharovskyi of the Church of All Saints, Fr. Oleksandr Kachanovskyi of the Church of St. Luke, Fr. Taras Hryshchenko of the Church of St. Panteleimon, and Fr. Borys Lohvynchuk of the Church of the Holy Dormition have agreed to be the candidates for deputies of the city council in northwestern Ukrainian Rivne (RCC). Of the six candidates of the Ukrainian Republican Party Sobor (Assembly), one is a priest, Fr. Serhii Luchanin of the eparchial administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) in Rivne. The Ukrainian People’s Bloc of Kostenko and Plushch (UPBKP) has one deacon, who is a candidate to the RCC, Fr. Deacon Vitalii Porovchuk, a current deputy of the RCC. One more candidate of the UPBKP for deputy of the Rivne Regional Council is Fr. Ihor Shvets, rector of the Rivne Seminary. Fr. Shvets said that he is going into politics to represent the interests of the church. “Of course, a priest will be the best candidate to defend the rights of the church by raising at sessions church issues which secular people are trying to avoid,” said Fr. Shvets. “The Ukrainian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to vote and be elected, and clergymen are no exception. Moreover, we know many examples when ministers were elected deputies. For instance, Oleksandr Turchynov, head of the election staff of Yulia Tymoshenko’s Bloc and a former deputy, who returned his mandate because he was appointed the head of Ukraine’s Security Service, is pastor of a Protestant community in Kyiv.” According to cerkva.info, the UOC-KP has said it will not interfere in politics but will support those political forces which back national positions and the union of the Orthodox into a single national church. Only the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church forbids its clergy to run for office. RISU note: Oleksandr Turchynov is not and was not the pastor of a church. He is an Evangelical Baptist believer. Source: http://www.cerkva.info/index.php?newsid=1141195238 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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18. |
UOC-MP Orthodox Hold Seminar in Kyiv on Human Trafficking |
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Kyiv – The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on 28
February 2006 held a seminar in Kyiv on the problem of human trafficking.
Participating were clergy from various regions of Ukraine, teachers from
Sunday schools and catechism courses, and organizers of Orthodox youth
camps. As orthodoxy.org.ua reports, today many Ukrainian women go abroad to earn money. According to the police, nobody makes them do this. As a rule, this is their voluntary decision. The representatives of the eparchial missionary departments claimed that there are more and more cases when police address them with the request to discuss with young people issues connected with human trafficking. The participants of the seminar came to the conclusion that it is necessary to create a special center which would serve as a mediator between the church and police in order to counteract human trafficking. Source: http://orthodoxy.org.ua/uk/node/933 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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19. |
Ukrainian President Wants Regional Advisory Councils on Spirituality |
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Kyiv – Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has recommended that the
heads of regional administrations, the Kyiv and Sevastopol city
administrations, and the head of the Crimean Council of Ministers create
advisory councils on issues of culture and spirituality. These
recommendations were laid out in a presidential decree of 28 February 2006
as an addition to his decree “On urgent measures to enrich and develop the
culture and spirituality of Ukrainian society” of 24 November 2005. Sources: http://kievpress.info/read/20842.html http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/4064.html |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 06.03.06 |
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20. |
ABKHAZ AUTHORITIES ARREST GEORGIAN FILMMAKERS. |
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| The State Security Service of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia has opened a criminal case against three Georgian journalists who entered Abkhazia in avoidance of border procedures, apsny.ru reported on March 6. Georgian media reported that the three, who were detained on March 1, planned to shoot a film about churches and monasteries, but Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said on March 6 that they filmed railway stations and bridges instead. The Georgian Foreign Ministry and Georgia's ombudsman, Sozar Subar, condemned the journalists' arrest in separate statements on March 6 and called for their immediate release, Caucasus Press reported. LF | |||||
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE - www.rferl.org/newsline/ - 07.03.06 |
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21. |
Russische Adventisten feiern 120-jähriges Kirchenjubiläum |
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Moskau/Russland, 07.03.2006 / APD Gespräche mit Delegation von Präsident Putin Aus Anlass der Jubiläumsfeierlichkeiten zum 120-jährigen Bestehen der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten in Russland weilte der Präsident der weltweiten Adventistenkirche, Pastor Jan Paulsen, Mitte Februar in Moskau. In einer Grussbotschaft an adventistischen Gemeindemitglieder und Leiter der Freikirche sagte er: "Viele Jahre wurden wir im Westen ermutigt durch den Glauben und Mut der russischen Adventisten." Während seines fünftägigen Aufenthaltes traf Paulsen sich auch mit Vertretern der Russischen Förderation und einer Delegation des Präsidenten Vladimir Putin. An den Gesprächen nahmen von Regierungsseite teil: Michael Ostrovsky und Sergei Melnikov vom Innenministerium und Alexander Kudriavtsev vom Ausschuss für Beziehungen zu religiösen Organisationen. Ostrovsky sagte am Beginn der Gespräche, er sei zufrieden mit den Aktivitäten der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten auf dem Gebiet der multi-konfessionellen Russischen Förderation. Bei den Gesprächen mit Regierungsstellen war Paulsen begleitet von Pastor Artur Stele (Moskau), Präsident der Euro-Asia Division der Weltkirchenleitung, Pastor Victor Vitko, Direktor für öffentliche Angelegenheiten und Religionsfreiheit der Euro-Asia Division, Pastor Vasily Stoliar, Präsident der Westrussischen Region sowie Oleg Goncharov, Direktor für öffentliche Angelegenheiten und Religionsfreiheit für die Westrussische Region. Paulsen sagte: "Diese Begegnung war in der Hinsicht nützlich, dass die Administration des russischen Präsidenten Einblicke in das Leben und Wirken der Adventistenkirche bekam und wir die Beziehungen zwischen Staat und Kirche erörtern konnten." Pastor Paulsen sprach über die weltweite protestantische Kirchengemeinschaft und ihre Tätigkeiten auf dem Gebiet der Erziehung, Medizin und Wohlfahrtsarbeit. Er betonte, dass ADRA, das adventistische Entwicklungs- und Katastrophenhilfswerk, allen Menschen ohne rassische, religiöse oder soziale Einschränkungen Hilfe leistet. Er sagte, Adventisten würden sich bemühen, in jeder Nation gute Bürger zu sein und gute Werke für ihr Land zu tun. Paulsen nahm auch an einer Feier zum 15-jährigen Bestehen der Euro-Asia-Divison teil. Er wies darauf hin, dass in dieser Division in den vergangenen 15 Jahren grosse Veränderungen geschahen und ein kraftvolles Gemeindewachstum stattfand. Die Zahl der erwachsen getauften Mitflieder wuchs in diesem Zeitraum von 37.453 auf 143.459. Die Euro-Asia-Division umfasst 6 Kirchenverbände, 21 regionale Vereinigungen und 15 Missionsgebiete. Russland war eines der ersten Länder in denen die Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten ihre weltweite Mission begannen. Bereits im Jahre 1886 begann ein adventistischer Prediger die biblische Botschaft der Wiederkunft (Advent) in Russland zu verkündigen. 1909 wurde ungeachtet des Widerstandes seitens der Regierung die Gemeinschaft organisiert. Während der Herrschaft der Sowjets wurde die Gemeindestruktur grossflächig zerstört. Erst 1990 konnten die adventistischen Gemeinden in Russland wieder organisatorisch mit der weltweiten Generalkonferenz der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten vereint werden. Im Jahre 1988 eröffneten die Adventisten in Zaokski bei Tula, rund 100 Kilometer südlich von Moskau, mit dem Theologischen Seminar die erste protestantische Ausbildungsstätte in Russland und eine höhere Fachschule für Landwirtschaft, Finanzwesen, Pädagogik und Musik. Das Theologische Seminar Zaokski ist seit 1991 als höhere Ausbildungsstätte staatlich anerkannt. Im Jahre 2003 wurden die verschiedenen kirchlichen Bildungseinrichtungen neu in der Adventistischen Universität von Zaokski zusammengefasst: Die Universität hat inzwischen die akademische Anerkennung durch das Erziehungsministerium der Russischen Föderation und das Erziehungsdepartement der Region Tula erhalten. |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 07.03.06 |
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22. |
Russian patriarch praises former Soviet leader Gorbachev |
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| Warsaw (ENI). The head of Russia's Orthodox church has paid tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev on his 75th birthday, recalling the efforts of the last leader of the Soviet Union to salvage the country's spiritual legacy and international image. "It was through your personal involvement that co-operation with the Russian Orthodox church began to develop," Patriarch Alexei II said in a message of greetings. "This has born good fruits to this day in our joint efforts to restore the sacred things from the past which were ruined, and to build a spiritually strong and healthy Russian state." (303 words, ENI-06-0222) | |||||
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Ecumenical News International - www.eni.ch - 07.03.06 |
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23. |
BELARUS TENSION MOUNTS AS CANDIDATE ARRESTED, PASTOR JAILED |
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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06030047.htm By Alex Murashko Special to ASSIST News Service MINSK, BELARUS (ANS) -- Strong-arm tactics by the Belarus government appear to be on the increase against political challengers and religious leaders as a presidential election looms, and prospects of a revolution are mulled over by analysts. In recent weeks, a challenging candidate was beaten and then arrested when trying enter a Soviet-style congress held in Minsk. Also, a pastor from Minsk was given a 10-day prison term for conducting a religious worship in his home, according to reports from several news services. Under the current regime of President Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed by some as Europe's last dictator, political opponents are having difficulty running a campaign and religious people are having a hard time assembling for worship. The election is scheduled for March 19. Opposition candidate Alexander Kozulin was knocked to the ground by plain clothes officers and beaten after he tried to get into the All-Belarussian People's Assembly, according to BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg. Kozulin was then dragged off and taken into custody, witnesses said. Outside the police station, a number of Kozulin's supporters and journalists were detained, too. One newspaper photographer at the scene was beaten up by police, according to the BBC report. He received a concussion and a broken nose. Another presidential candidate from the opposition, Alexander Milinkevich, also had problems. Milinkevich attempted to hold an election rally in the Minsk city centre, but authorities declared the activity illegal and sent in the security forces. Hundreds of riot police blocked off the roads and dispersed a crowd of several thousand Milinkevich supporters, according to the BBC report. Lukashenko, whose ties and fondness for communist principles are well documented, has been president of Belarus since 1994. In 1996 he persuaded voters to approve a new constitution that gave him sweeping additional powers, including the right to prolong his term in office. Evidence of Lukashenko's iron hand and police state surfaced again on March 3 when Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of the Minsk-based Christ's Covenant Reformed Baptist Church was sentenced to ten days' imprisonment for conducting religious worship in his home, according to Forum 18 News Service. "The accusations against him were that people were reading the Bible, praying and singing hymns in his house," Vladimir Bukanov, a fellow Reformed Baptist pastor who was at the hearing, told Forum 18. The judge at Partisan District Court gave no explanation for the sentence, he added, "Only that it was not open to appeal." This is the first time since before the Soviet era of perestroika twenty years ago that religious worship has incurred a prison sentence on the territory of Belarus, Forum 18 reports. The church held its Sunday service on March 5 without its pastor. Vyazovsky is scheduled to be released from jail March 13, according to the Forum 18 report. Radio Free Europe senior regional analyst Julie Corwin writes in a recent story that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Nikolai Patrushev is suggesting that foreign intellegence services are seeking ways to overthrow the current Belarusian government. This observation has focused new attention on Belarus's political opposition and possible parallels to the recent colored revolutions in the region, Corwin states. In her story, Corwin tackles the question of a possible Belarus revolution with various political leaders. Asked whether Belarus has some of the key elements that made the Rose and Orange revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine possible, Olha Stuzhinskaya, coordinator of We Remember!, an independent news gathering organization dedicated to informing the Belarusian and international community about the course of investigations into disappearances, noted that Ukraine was already a lot more democratic than Belarus: it had opposition members in the parliament and at least one independent television station. "We do not expect the same scenario in Belarus," Stuzhinskaya said. "Probably there will be much more blood." Note: Forum 18 information can be found at www.forum18.org/ Radio Free Europe information can be found at http://www.rferl.org/ BBC International News information can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/ |
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KESTON NEWS SERVICE SUMMARY - www.keston.org/ - 08.03.06 |
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24. |
UOC-MP Orthodox Priests Won’t Run in Ukraine’s Parliamentary Elections |
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Kyiv – Priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)
will not be permitted to be candidates for parliament in the 26 March
elections, though they “are permitted to run for local councils.” So said
Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), head of the UOC-MP, on 2 March 2006. “By the decision of the hierarchal sobor (assembly), only laity of the UOC-MP can be candidates for the Ukrainian Parliament, while priests are permitted to run for local councils,” said Metropolitan Volodymyr. “We have priests in regional, city, district and village councils, where they, mostly, work in the social committees. The heads of the councils claim that they have done a great job. Therefore, there are no reasons to ban them from running in the elections and working in representative bodies,” said the head of the UOC-MP. The UOC-MP “abstains from giving recommendations concerning on which party lists the priests should be included in the elections to local councils… We will pray for those forces to win who will unite our nation and not divide it, and for the quick reconstruction and revival of governmental structures started by political reform, so that they begin construction,” said Metropolitan Volodymyr. Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/news/060301163137 |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 08.03.06 |
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25. |
Ukraine’s Religion Department Comments on Registration of Autonomous Orthodox |
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Kyiv— A request to register the statutes of the Ukrainian archeparchy of
the Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America (AUOC-A) has been
received by the State Department on Religious Matters and the submitted
documents are being considered according to legislative norms. So said
Mykola Novychenko, first deputy head of the department, responding to a
letter of 22 February sent to the US Embassy in Ukraine criticizing the
matter. RISU received Novychenko’s commentary on 2 March 2006. Novychenko wrote that “in order to avoid accusations of prejudiced attitude, the department gave the submitted materials to a scholarly-expert council, an independent body consisting of leading national experts on religion, to prepare an expert conclusion on the possibility of registering the statutes in question. “After the documents are studied and the council makes its conclusions, the decision concerning the registration of the statutes of the religious center of the Ukrainian archeparchy of the (AUOC-A) will be carried out in set order at a session of the board of the State Department on Religious Matters. “Therefore, the information provided in the statement of the head of the (AUOC-A) regarding the refusal of the State Department on Religious Matters to register the jurisdiction of this church in Ukraine does not correspond to reality,” reads Novychenko’s commentary. Previous related RISU story: http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;9260/ |
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Religious Information Service of Ukraine - www.risu.org.ua/ - 08.03.06 |
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Informationen Um NÖK zu erhalten, ... Um NÖK nicht mehr zu erhalten,... |
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