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NÖK - Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen Mit
freundlicher Unterstützung
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Ausgabe 31/07, 23.08.07 Teil B |
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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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Ostmitteleuropa |
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Südosteuropa |
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Russland/ GUS/Baltikum |
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1. |
Political elections should not threaten Russian society’s basic values - Russian Church |
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Moscow,
August 20, Interfax - The political elections in Russia should not become
another ‘dramatic event’ for her society, a spokesman for the Russian
Orthodox Church opines. ‘No political election may endanger the society’s basic values. Politics is only a superstructure while the basic values can't be subject to political compromise,’ the chair of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad said Monday midday during the hearings of the World Russian People’s Council in Moscow. According to him, all Russia’s recent elections were a kind of ‘dramatic event’ for the citizens’ since they were ‘very much afraid’ that any possible political change may threaten the core values of the society. However, he said, ‘seeing the basic values and consolidating around them’ that results from a broad discussion ‘may reduce the level of confrontation in society even during an election campaign.’ |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 20.08.07 |
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2. |
MOSCOW SCHOOLS TO TEACH "FOUNDATIONS OF WORLD REIGIONS" |
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Vremia novostei, 20 August 2007 Beginning 1 September, a subject under the title "Foundations of world religions" will appear in the tenth and eleventh grades of several Moscow schools. The leadership of the capital's Department of Education emphasizes that the study of this discipline will, in the first place, be voluntary and, in the second place, have little in common with the subject of "Foundations of Orthodox culture," over which so many lances have been broken. "Training of teachers is already being conducted at the Moscow Institute of Open Education," the press secretary of the department, Alexander Gavrilov, told Vremia novostei." A textbook also has been prepared, a 400-page resource edited by the director of the Institute of World History of RAN, Academician Alexander Chubarian. "As they told me at the Ministry of Education and Science, for now this subject will be taught as an elective, on a trial basis. This course is not contained in the rubric of the curriculum and the textbook does not have the recommendation of the ministry. For now it is called an educational resource," Academician Chubarian explained. During the academic year the developers of the textbook will conduct monitoring. "We will learn what pedagogues think about this and in the future the subject will be included in the curriculum," the academician explained. The director of the group of developers of the textbook predicts that religious studies may become a part of the curriculum in the next academic year, beginning September 2008. "Although, of course, the timing does not depend on me but on the ministry," Chubarian added. "Inclusion of the subject in the curriculum at the regional level will be carried out gradually and carefully," the press secretary of the Department of Education of the government of Moscow, Alexander Gavrilov, stressed. Previously the director of this department, Olga Larionova, reported that "Foundationas of world religions" can be taught only with the consent of the school council and pupils' parents. "Foundations of world religions" will be a strictly secular discipline. According to Alexander Chubarian, the resource that was developed under his editorship describes to an equal degree the foundations of six confessions, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, protestantism, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. However, as the academician noted, even the authors of the "Foundations of Orthodox culture" course emphasize, this subject is culturological and not theological or even in the realm of religious studies. "It seems to me that it is time to acknowledge that one can consider that teaching about any religion separately in the schools has been removed from the agenda," Alexander Adamsky shared his opinion. About two weeks ago the Ministry of Education and Science, in the person of the director of the Department of State Policy in Education, Isaak Kalina, and the Russian Orthodox church, in the person of the chancellor of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment, signed a provisional agreement relative to the teaching of "Foundations of Orthodox culture." The document, which was distributed to the provinces, establishes the voluntary nature of the study of a religious studies course. In the opinion of the director of the Moscow Center of education No. 1811, a master teacher of Russia, Alexander Ryvkin, the main weight of responsibility in the introduction of "Foundations of world religions" lies upon the directors of schools. It is they who have to convince the department of education, the teaching cadre, and the parents of pupils whether there is any sense in the particular school's including itself in the experiment. "I am not suffering anything because of this innovation, since we have qualified teachers who will not permit something to be done if they are not methodologically prepared for it," Ryvkin emphasized. In 2006 the "Foundations of Orthodox culture" subject was introduced as a part of the regional curricula of schools in Belgorod, Briansk, Kaluga, and Smolensk provinces. Beginning 1 September 2007, OPK will be taught in Tver province. In these regions the teaching of the foundations of Orthodox was introduced into the required school curriculum. (tr. by PDS, posted 21 August 2007) |
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Russia Religion News - www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/ - 20.08.07 |
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3. |
Die Baukombinate in der Region Moskau haben in den letzten 15 Jahren 1.000 orthodoxe Kirchen restauriert und 200 neue orthodoxe Gotteshäuser gebaut. |
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| Diese Zahlen gab Metropolit Juwenalij von Krutitsi und Kolomna bei einer Feier zum 50-Jahr-Jubiläum des Moskauer regionalen Baukonzerns bekannt, bei der er zugleich die Segenswünsche von Patriarch Alexij II. überbrachte. Das Erscheinungsbild der russischen Metropole habe sich seit dem Jahr 2000 durch die kirchliche Bautätigkeit wesentlich verändert. (kap) | |||||
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Newsletter von Radio Vatikan - www.radiovaticana.de/ - 20.08.07 |
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4. |
Russian Orthodox Church Awaits Academicians Confession |
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Orthodox functionaries would like to associate with Sakharov and
Solzhenitsyn by Anastasiia Novikova Moscow/Russia, 14-.08.2007 (Gazeta) The head of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill, yesterday officially called all academicians who signed the "letter of the ten" to enter into dialogue. Despite the modest suggestion of one of the authors of the letter to the president against "clericalization of society," Academician Andrei Vorobiev, to cease discussion, the argument of scholars and priests has reached an unprecedented scale. The last two weeks roundtables and conferences on the occasion of the "letter of the ten" have been held, but at them the academicians have spoken in unison. Last week Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin thanked the academicians for giving a remarkable informational opportunity and "drawing attention of society to the problems of the church." Patriarch Alexis II, at a meeting with Udmurtia President Alexander Volkov on 5 August, unequivocally expressed his position with regard to the demands of the scholars and said that the teaching of foundations of Orthodox culture in the schools is necessary. But now the position of RPTs has moderated some. Metropolitan Kirill stated that he wants to talk with all the writers of the letter "in calm circumstances, without any unnecessary PR," that is, he is ready to seek a compromise with the scholars. "I do not think that this is a concession by the church. It is our duty to enter into dialogue," Deacon Andrei Kuraev told "Gazeta." "It is necessary to continue discussion until the achievement of public consensus so that there will be no more mutual recriminations." Metropolitan Kirill, in his statement, emphasized that the church would relate to the academicians' letter in a different manner if it had been signed by Academician Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who during soviet times "raised their voices in defense of people's rights." "In my opinion that's a stupid statement," Nobel laureate and author of the "letter of the ten" Vitaly Ginzburg told a Gazeta" correspondent. "Sakharov has been dead for twenty years and Solzhenitsyn is a believer, and he was not even asked to sign the letter. We could have collected another 100 signatures, but we did not try to have a "letter of the hundred." I am sure that of the 1,200 members of RAN, 1,000 do not believe in God." Ginzburg reported that the academicians themselves still have not received an official invitation from representatives of the church. The authors of the letter are ready to work further against the introduction of foundations of Orthodox culture into the schools and the inclusion of theology in the list of academic specialties. Source: Gazeta, Moscow/Russia, 14 August 2007 |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.07 |
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5. |
“Is There a Place for Baptists in Russia?” |
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Open letter of pastor of church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in
Smolensk province to the president of Russia. The pastor of the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (EKhB) of the village of Kasplia of Smolensk region, Vladimir Ivanovich Kalinin, wrote an open letter to the president of Russia Vladimir Putin. Before becoming pastor in 1998, Kalinin served 28 years in the army, readching the rank of lieutenant-colonel and he was assistant commander of a regiment. The letter was evoked by the tense situation in the village where the village administration, paying attention to the local Orthodox priest, is hindering the activity of the EKhB church. “I was told directly that if I am a Russian then I am simply required to be Orthodox, and that there is no place whatever for us Baptists here,” the pastor writes in his letter. “The wife of the head of the administration goes to the families of those who attend our church and warns them that they should leave our church, and she publicly threatens ‘to wring my neck’ and to burn down the house of worship.” The head of the village administration also does not want to have Baptists under his nose. The pastor quotes his words in his letter: “We do not want for you (Baptists) to be here, and secondly they told me ‘up above’ that if there is a house of worship, there are problems, and if there is no house of worship, there are no problems.” At a time when the Orthodox church is freely providing various services in the village, the Baptist church is prohibited from doing so. In the summer of 2006 when the “Youth against drugs” bicycle race was held, which was permitted by the administration of Smolensk province, about 200 people gathered in Kasplia, but this event was opposed by the Orthodox priest and the head of the administration of the village prohibited holding the planned event. The pastor called attention to the social service that the church brought to the village: “For four years our church cooperated with the local technical school. We provided enormous help to children without parents, we bought shoes, things, supplies, New Year’s gifts, and we bought food for 6 to 8 persons every month, we conducted concerts and joint athletic competitions, and we often took whole busloads to museums and shows, etc., etc. But a bureaucrat from Smolensk, T.P. Dovgii, the assistant director of the Department of Education, Science, and Youth Policy, learned from the report of the assistant director of the School for Educational Work, E.M. Grishaenkovaia, that we are Baptists and ordered that we be banished as sectarians. At the same time the Orthodox opened a chapel there. Where is equality? After all, we showed religious films and gave lectures about the harm of smoking, alcohol, and drug prevention, extramarital relations, abortions, and we wanted to assist the moral establishment of children and in no case did we recruit them for our faith. They banished us and we left. Where is freedom of conscience? “Why am I, an officer who defended his motherland, the vanished Soviet Union, for about thirty years—Central Asia, the Baltics, and Russia, who often faced danger and who won dozens of expressions of gratitude, citations, valuable gifts, and various medals, including from the Soviet Union President M.S. Gorbachev, and who for several years in a row was the best aviation commander of the Moscow Military District, forced to prove my correctness, while resisting the anticonstitutional actions on the part of the secular authorities, who according to the Russian constitution must protect the rights of people equally, regardless of views. I love my country and I am ready to defend her in the event of danger. I am a law-abiding citizen and I want to serve my country, but now as a clergyman. “Our church is seven years old,” the pastor continues. “We want to help the local authorities in the moral, ethical, patriotic and spiritual training of children, youth, and adults. But how can we do this if they do not admit us into the schools and the assistant director of the school declares that in our country the traditional state religion is Orthodoxy. I want peace and calm; I want good relations; I want to help people to find another life, honest, orderly, loving family, loving country, and helping it get onto its feet. But how can we do this when in our democratic country only one confession is promoted. I have often visited the office of the head of the administration, trying to help him understand who we are and why we are here. I suggested that he attend our worship service and I asked him to invite me to the council of local deputies, and I suggested joint cooperation. “Is there no place for us in the center of Russia?” Pastor Kalinin concludes his letter. “After all, our Evangelical Christians-Baptists confession has been in Russia, officially, 140 years. Appealing to biblical truths, we have always done everything so that people change their way of life for the better. They have broken down our fences, smashed our windows, and threatened to shoot down the cross on our prayer house, and destroy our prayer house and commit other outrages. What’s next?” Source: Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Moscow/Russia The pastor of the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (EKhB) of the village of Kasplia of Smolensk region, Vladimir Ivanovich Kalinin, wrote an open letter to the president of Russia Vladimir Putin. Before becoming pastor in 1998, Kalinin served 28 years in the army, readching the rank of lieutenant-colonel and he was assistant commander of a regiment. The letter was evoked by the tense situation in the village where the village administration, paying attention to the local Orthodox priest, is hindering the activity of the EKhB church. “I was told directly that if I am a Russian then I am simply required to be Orthodox, and that there is no place whatever for us Baptists here,” the pastor writes in his letter. “The wife of the head of the administration goes to the families of those who attend our church and warns them that they should leave our church, and she publicly threatens ‘to wring my neck’ and to burn down the house of worship.” The head of the village administration also does not want to have Baptists under his nose. The pastor quotes his words in his letter: “We do not want for you (Baptists) to be here, and secondly they told me ‘up above’ that if there is a house of worship, there are problems, and if there is no house of worship, there are no problems.” At a time when the Orthodox church is freely providing various services in the village, the Baptist church is prohibited from doing so. In the summer of 2006 when the “Youth against drugs” bicycle race was held, which was permitted by the administration of Smolensk province, about 200 people gathered in Kasplia, but this event was opposed by the Orthodox priest and the head of the administration of the village prohibited holding the planned event. The pastor called attention to the social service that the church brought to the village: “For four years our church cooperated with the local technical school. We provided enormous help to children without parents, we bought shoes, things, supplies, New Year’s gifts, and we bought food for 6 to 8 persons every month, we conducted concerts and joint athletic competitions, and we often took whole busloads to museums and shows, etc., etc. But a bureaucrat from Smolensk, T.P. Dovgii, the assistant director of the Department of Education, Science, and Youth Policy, learned from the report of the assistant director of the School for Educational Work, E.M. Grishaenkovaia, that we are Baptists and ordered that we be banished as sectarians. At the same time the Orthodox opened a chapel there. Where is equality? After all, we showed religious films and gave lectures about the harm of smoking, alcohol, and drug prevention, extramarital relations, abortions, and we wanted to assist the moral establishment of children and in no case did we recruit them for our faith. They banished us and we left. Where is freedom of conscience? “Why am I, an officer who defended his motherland, the vanished Soviet Union, for about thirty years—Central Asia, the Baltics, and Russia, who often faced danger and who won dozens of expressions of gratitude, citations, valuable gifts, and various medals, including from the Soviet Union President M.S. Gorbachev, and who for several years in a row was the best aviation commander of the Moscow Military District, forced to prove my correctness, while resisting the anticonstitutional actions on the part of the secular authorities, who according to the Russian constitution must protect the rights of people equally, regardless of views. I love my country and I am ready to defend her in the event of danger. I am a law-abiding citizen and I want to serve my country, but now as a clergyman. “Our church is seven years old,” the pastor continues. “We want to help the local authorities in the moral, ethical, patriotic and spiritual training of children, youth, and adults. But how can we do this if they do not admit us into the schools and the assistant director of the school declares that in our country the traditional state religion is Orthodoxy. I want peace and calm; I want good relations; I want to help people to find another life, honest, orderly, loving family, loving country, and helping it get onto its feet. But how can we do this when in our democratic country only one confession is promoted. I have often visited the office of the head of the administration, trying to help him understand who we are and why we are here. I suggested that he attend our worship service and I asked him to invite me to the council of local deputies, and I suggested joint cooperation. “Is there no place for us in the center of Russia?” Pastor Kalinin concludes his letter. “After all, our Evangelical Christians-Baptists confession has been in Russia, officially, 140 years. Appealing to biblical truths, we have always done everything so that people change their way of life for the better. They have broken down our fences, smashed our windows, and threatened to shoot down the cross on our prayer house, and destroy our prayer house and commit other outrages. What’s next?” Source: Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Moscow/Russia |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 21.08.07 |
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6. |
Particles of St. Alexander Nevsky’s relics given to the long range air force |
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Moscow, August 21, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church gave some
particles of St. Alexander Nevsky’s relics to the chapel of the
headquarters of the long range air force. ‘The long range air force personnel face difficult tasks these days. The Orthodox Church is with us to help and support us. Today we are receiving another shrine, so that there will be not only St. Theodore Ushakov’s relics but also St. Alexander Nevsky’s in our chapel,’ the deputy commander of the long range air force Maj.-Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev. According to him, all strategic bombers has been blessed by the Russian Orthodox Church. ‘When the aircraft is named, they bless she,’ he said. All Russian strategic bombers have personal names. The ceremony of giving of the relics was led by Patriarch Alexy II’s vicar Bishop Amvrosy of Bronnitsy. The bishop greeted the long range air force on the occasion of recommencement patrolling faraway regions and the fifth anniversary of dedication of St. Elijah’s Chapel at the headquarters. In September 2007 St. Alexander Nevsky’s relics will be temporally brought to St. Petersburg from Moscow, the bishop added. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 21.08.07 |
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Russian Orthodox Church institutes another women’s prize, Order of St. Euphrosyne, the first saint of Moscow |
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Moscow, August 21, Interfax - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox
Church during its meeting on Wednesday instituted an Order and a Medal of
St. Euphrosyne, the grand princess and the first saint of Moscow, the wife
of the holy prince Dimitry of the Don. According to the synod’s decree, the new decorations will be given to women for special contributions into strengthening of spiritual and moral traditions in the society, development of the church’s social activities, maintaining relations between church and state or church and society, and other fields of work for the betterment of the Orthodox faith. The Order of St. Euphrosyne will become the second women’s decoration of the Russian Orthodox Church after the Order of St. Olga. Euphrosyne is the monastic name of Grand Princess Eudoxia of Moscow. She is known as the new Muscovite Russia’s first saint who combined ascetic life of a nun with her role as princess. Her husband, Grand Prince Dimitry of the Don, dedicated his whole life to uniting Russian principalities around his capital, Moscow. In 1378 he defeated the Mongol horde in the Battle of Kulikovo on the river Don challenging Mongol rule over Russia. Upon his death in 1389, Dimitry was the first grand prince to bequeath his titles to his son Basil without consulting the khan. He was canonized in 1988. In 2007, the 600 anniversary of Euphrosyne’s passing away is celebrated. The new order and medal were instituted to mark this jubilee. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 21.08.07 |
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Russian Church to annually honor early British Isles saints |
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Moscow, August 21, Interfax - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox
Church instituted a holiday to honor Christians who lived on the islands
of Great Britain and Ireland and were canonized before the 1054 schism
that divided Christendom into the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
Churches. The holiday will be an annual event observed on the third Sunday after Pentecost in the Julian Calendar. The Synod, which met on Tuesday, also ordered that these saints' names be included in the Menology after their Christian exploits have been studied. The Synod's decision follows an appeal of March 3, 2007, in which the diocese of Sourozh, a Russian Orthodox diocese having the islands of Great Britain and Ireland for its territory, asked the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, and its Holy Synod to institute a holiday for pre-1054 British and Irish saints. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 21.08.07 |
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9. |
CRIMINAL CASE OPENED FOR PUBLICATION OF ARTICLE CRITICIZING PENTECOSTALS |
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| The
prosecutor of the Altai republic initiated a criminal case because of the
appearance of an article about the activity of a religious society in one
of the local newspapers, Interfax reports. The case was opened with regard to part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of RF (actions directed toward incitement of hatred and enmity, and offense to the dignity of a group of persons on the basis of relationship to religion committed by use of news media), the republic's prosecutor reports. "The criminal case was opened after the conduct of an investigation on the basis of a statement by the ruling bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith, P.N. Okara, in whose opinion the article "Religious expansion or religious extremism," published in the "Chuiskie zori" newspaper of 24 May 2007, by an author using a pseudonym "V. Kaliagin", gave a negative report of the activity of Pentecostals, which could lead to enflaming of interreligious or interethnic hostility," the report stated. According to information of the prosecutor's office, the article arrived at the newspaper's editorial office by electronic post. The identity of the author has not been established. The newspaper is distributed on the territory of Kosh-Agach region of the republic. According to the conclusion of a linguistic investigation, the author of this article really intended to arouse hatred and enmity toward the group of believers professing "neopentecostalism." (tr. by PDS, posted 21 August 2007) |
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Russia Religion News - www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/ - 21.08.07 |
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Christian Bloc to run for Ukrainian parliament |
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Kiev, August 21, Interfax - The Ukrainian Social Christian Party has
united with the All-Ukrainian Political Party for Ecology and Social
Protection to form a new political entity named Christian Bloc. It was announced by the bloc’s newly elected leader, the head of the Ukrainian Political Party for Ecology and Social Protection Sergey Balyuk during a press conference given in Kiev on Tuesday. According to him, the new political coalition of Christians of various traditions aims at bringing about order to the nation. The bloc’s leaders are Sergey Balyuk, the Social Christian head Anton Ruzhnitsky, and the coalition’s secretary Zoya Vybornaya. The coalition leaders plan, if elected, to solve a range of problems they believe to be most important, including amending laws on enterprise, changing the tax code, and reforming courts of law. ‘Justice should be just not paid,’ Balyuk said. The Christian Bloc supports removal of the immunity of the members of parliament, but considers this issue to be speculative, Ruzhitsky added. The Social Christian party ran for the parliament in 2006 gaining 0.09 percent of votes. |
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Interfax Religion - www.interfax-religion.com - 21.08.07 |
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Ostmitteleuropa |
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11. |
Der neue Weihbischof für Budapest-Esztergom, Ferenc Cserhati, wurde am Fest Mariä Himmelfahrt von Kardinal-Primas Peter Erdö zum Bischof geweiht. |
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| Cserhati, der vor 50 Jahren in Rumänien geboren wurde, ist mit der Seelsorge für die Auslandsungarn in aller Welt beauftragt. In seiner Ansprache sagte er, es sei lange nicht vorgekommen, dass der Papst einen Priester, der in Rumänien geboren ist und in Deutschland unter Ungarn gelebt und gearbeitet hat, zum Bischof in Ungarn ernennt. Diese Konstellation sei aber ein Zeichen dafür, dass die ganze ungarische katholische Gemeinschaft im sich einigenden Europa zusammengehöre. (kap) | |||||
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Newsletter von Radio Vatikan - www.radiovaticana.de/ - 16.08.07 |
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12. |
Polen: Katholische Bischöfe kritisieren Politik |
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Czestochowa/Polen, 16.08.2007 (ORF/APD) Polnische katholische Bischöfe
haben in ihren Predigten zum Fest Mariä Himmelfahrt am 16. August auch auf
die politische Situation des Landes Bezug genommen. Der Primas der
katholischen Kirche Polens, Kardinal Jozef Glemp, beklagte vor rund
200.000 Menschen am Marienheiligtum Jasna Gora (Heller Berg) in
Tschenstochau (Czestochowa) die Regierungskrise, die zur Ankündigung
vorgezogener Neuwahlen geführt hat. Durch politische Streitereien und die
schlechte Stimmung werde das Land unregierbar, sagte der Alterzbischof von
Warschau. Kritik am Sprachgebrauch "Lächerlich, Torheit, Lüge, Nichtsnutz - diese Sprache benutzen Politiker", sagte der Kardinal mit Blick auf die öffentlichen Fehden zwischen Politikern in den vergangenen Wochen: "Jeder ist mit einem anderen verfeindet, das erzeugt eine nervöse Stimmung." In seiner Predigt beim Festgottesdienst, an dem auch der Apostolische Nuntius in Polen, Erzbischof Jozef Kowalczyk, teilnahm, wies Glemp Vorwürfe an die Kirche zurück, sie schweige zu der Regierungskrise: "Man hört die Stimme der Kirche vor lauter Rufen nicht, da sie die Rufe nicht übertönen will." Mit Sicherheit aber sei "das Flüstern von Gebeten für Polen und seine Regierenden zu hören". Für Polen beten Mit einem Appell, für Polen zu beten, wandte sich auch der amtierende Warschauer Erzbischof Kazimierz Nycz an die Gläubigen: "Es scheint, dass unser Land das in diesen Tagen sehr nötig hat", erklärte er. Wallfahrten nach Tschenstochau Aus allen Teilen des Landes pilgern im August die Gläubigen nach Tschenstochau, um das Fest Maria Himmelfahrt bei der berühmten Ikone der Schwarzen Madonna feiern zu können. Viele Pilger sind länger als zehn Tage zu Fuß unterwegs. Manche kommen auch mit dem Fahrrad oder zu Pferd. Höhepunkt ist das Fest Mariä Himmelfahrt. |
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Adventistischer Pressedienst - www.stanet.ch/APD/ - 19.08.07 |
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Südosteuropa |
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13. |
KOSOVAR SERB BISHOP SAYS 'IMPOSED' INDEPENDENCE PREFERABLE TO PARTITION |
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| The leading Serbian Orthodox cleric in Kosova said on August 15 that he would prefer "imposed" independence for Kosova rather than a partition of the contested Serbian province. "Everything that is imposed is temporary, but when something is agreed upon, then that it is permanent," Bishop Artemije told the daily "Dnevnik." "Imposed independence would be looked at as a form of occupation, and every occupation of a territory lasts a period of time and ends," Artemije continued. Artimije repeated the Serbian Orthodox Church's view that Serbia cannot "disown" Kosova under any conditions or at any price. "And we must support this idea for 1,000, 2,000 years, if necessary. They are offering us entrance into the European Union. But, what good will that do when the EU is the one that is ripping apart our national identity?" Artemije asked. The bishop also predicted that current talks will produce no agreement. "(Ethnic) Albanians have a clear signal that independence is guaranteed, so they will accept nothing less than independence, and in such conditions the negotiations are doomed in advance to fail," he said (see "RFE/RL Newsline," August 13, 14, and 15, 2007). AG | |||||
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RFE/RL Russian Foreign Policy and Security Watch - www.rferl.org/securitywatch/ - 16.08.07 |
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14. |
Montenegro: Orthodoxe Kirche gesprengt |
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| (CETINJE)
Unbekannte haben in der Nacht vom Donnerstag auf Freitag die Kirche der
Hl. Neumärtyrer auf dem Berg Pardus nahe Podgorica in der Serbischen
Orthodoxen Metropolie von Montenegro gesprengt. Die Explosion hat dem noch
nicht fertigen Kirchenbau sowohl am Dach als auch an Wänden und im
Innenraum großen Schaden zugefügt. Reste des Sprengsatzes wurden gefunden. In einer Mitteilung betont die Metropolie, dass in Montenegro von einigen Politikern der Eindruck erweckt werde, dass man die orthodoxen Kirchen und Priester unbestraft angreifen könne. Die Metropolie von Montenegro schreibt, dass alle ihre Kirchen, und Klöster und die der anderen orthodoxen Diözesen im Land, ausschließlich zum Beten an den Lebendigen und Wahren Gott dienen, nicht der Politik, den Parteien und Ideologien. Die Metropolie appelliert an die verantwortlichen Staatsorgane, möglichst kurzfristig die Täter zu finden und zu bestrafen, damit solche Ereignisse in der Zukunft nicht vorkommen würden. Metropolit Amfilohije von Montenegro besuchte bereits am Samstag die verwüstete Stätte. Er sagte, er bete für die Erbauer, Stifter und Spender, aber auch für die Zerstörer, weil Sie großes Unheil auf sich geladen hätten. Die Kirchenzerstörer hätten "keine Vernunft, kein Gewissen und nichts Menschliches in sich", so der Hierarch. Die Tat sei ein Symbol der Zeit und der Menschen, die in ihr Leben, sagte Metropolit Amfilohije von Montenegro. Er sagte, er hoffe, dass das Böse nun den Höhepunkt erreicht habe, so dass die Tat von Pardus jeden vernünftigen Menschen zum Nachdenken über sich selbst und die eigene Seele sowie über das Schicksal Montenegros bringen würde, damit sich solche Terrorakte nicht wiederholen mögen. In Montenegro sei es noch nie vorgekommen, dass man mit einem Kirchenbau beginne und ihn nicht beende. Sogar unter Fremdenherrschaft sei das nie passiert, so dass es insbesondere unangemessen sei, dass das in Zeiten passiert, als das Volk von Montenegro seinen Staat, seine Verfassung und seine Rechte habe. Metropolit Amfilohije sagte auch, dass man den Kirchenbau auf Pardus mit Gottes Hilfe fortsetzen würde und rief den Staat auf, alles zu tun, um die Verfolgung der Kirche, namentlich der Metropolie von Montenegro, einzustellen. Derjenige, der für die Sprengung der Kirche verantwortlich sei, hätte die Tat nie begangen, hätte man in Montenegro nicht zuvor ein "antikirchliches, gottloses Klima" geschaffen, das sogar von einigen der wichtigsten Vertreter der Staatsgewalt unterstützt worden sei. Auch beschuldigte der orthodoxe Hierarch die Medien, dass sie die Polarisation und den Hass in Montenegro fördern. Der montenegrinische Innenminister Jusuf Kalamperovic hat inzwischen mitgeteilt, er erwarte, dass die montenegrinische Polizei die Täter finden werde. Der Angriff auf das orthodoxe Gotteshaus sei ein Verbrechen, sagte er. Kalamperovic kündigte an, mit höchsten Vertretern der Staatsführung, dem Staatspräsidenten Filip Vujanovic und Premierminister Zeljko Sturanovic, über den Vorfall zu sprechen. (ID SOK ME) |
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Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa - www.serbische-diozese.org - 16.08.07 |
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15. |
Bischof Vasilije von Zvornik-Tuzla über die Lage der Serben in der Region Srebrenica |
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(BANJA LUKA, ZVORNIK) Der serbische orthodoxe Bischof Vasilije von
Zvornik-Tuzla (Ostbosnien) hat sich diese Woche über die schlechte Lage
der Serben in der Region beklagt. Er sagte in einem Interview, die
Serbische Orthodoxe Kirche (SOK) und die Serben werden nirgendwo so
diskriminiert wie in der Region Srebrenica. Dort "leben sie in
untergeordneter Position". Die serbischen Dörfer hätten keine Straßen,
keinen Strom und keine Bedingungen für die Rückkehr und das normale Leben,
unterstrich der Bischof. "Wir können nicht über Toleranz und Gerechtigkeit
reden, wenn wir sehen, dass man in einem Dorf die bosniakischen Häuser
wieder aufbaut und die serbischen nicht", sagte Bischof Vasilije für die
Zeitung "Glas Srpske". Er betonte, dass man in der Region Srebrenica
keinen Frieden haben werde, wenn es keine Eintracht zwischen Menschen
gebe, sowie wenn die Serben und die Bosniaken nicht die gleiche Behandlung
genießen. Die Menschen in der Gegend hätten "große Angst" und müssen sich
davon befreien. Daran müssen sowohl Politiker als auch religiöse Führer
arbeiten, so der Hierarch. Er sagte auch, dass die "Region Srebrenica eine
Märtyrergegend für alle Völker und Ethnien" sei, eine "furchtbare
Schlachtstätte, auf welchem das Volk der Bosniaken, aber auch das der
Serben gelitten hatte". "Eine mütterliche Träne ist gleich, egal ob sie
bosniakisch oder serbisch ist", betonte der Bischof. Er fügte hinzu: "Aber
wir können nicht über Gerechtigkeit reden, wenn man über die Leiden der
Serben in dieser Region schweigt." Bischof Vasilije von Zvornik-Tuzla gab auch Beispiele der ungleichen Behandlung der Serben: In Potocari hätten die lokalen Machthaber den Bau einer neuen Kirche verboten. In Srebrenica habe der Bürgermeister dem Imam Baumaterial in unbegrenzten Mengen bewilligt, während er auf der anderen Seite den Bau des orthodoxen Pfarrhauses im Zentrum von Srebrenica eingestellt habe. Der Bischof erinnerte, dass die Serben in Srebrenica nicht als Neuankömmlinge betrachtet werden dürfen. Noch im Jahre 1242 sei dort eine Diözese gegründet worden - damals als Metropolie Srebrenica. Auf dem Territorium der Gemeinde Srebrenica habe es fünf Klöster gegeben, in der Stadt selbst vier Kirchen, betonte Bischof Vasilije von Zvornik-Tuzla. (ID SOK ME) |
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Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa - www.serbische-diozese.org - 16.08.07 |
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16. |
Neue Kirche in Montenegro |
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(CETINJE)
Am vergangenen Sonntag weihte Metropolit Amfilohije von Montenero eine dem
Hl. Stephan gewidmete, neue Kirche in Gornje Lipovo bei Kolasin. In seiner Predigt bezog er sich auf einen parlamentarischen Beschluss aus dem Jahr 1992 nach welchem Montenegro ein "ökologisches Land" geworden sei. Wenn der Mensch die Natur lediglich als Quelle zur Befriedigung seiner Bedürfnisse und seiner Selbstsucht auffasse, dann sei es auch natürlich, dass die Natur wegen des verloren gegangenen Respekts ihr gegenüber rebelliere. Der Metropolit erwähnte einen traditionellen Weihnachtsbrauch als Beispiel des Respekts der Natur gegenüber. (ID SOK ME) |
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Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa - www.serbische-diozese.org - 16.08.07 |
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17. |
Neuer Hoher Repräsentant in Bosnien besucht Bischof Grigorije von Zahumlje-Herzegowina |
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(TREBINJE)
Der serbische orthodoxe Bischof Grigorije von Zahumlje-Herzegowina hat
vergangene Woche den erst kürzlich in sein Amt eingeführten Hohen
Repräsentanten der Internationalen Gemeinschaft und Sondergesandten der
Europäischen Union in Bosnien, den Slowakischen Diplomaten Miroslav Lajcak,
empfangen. Die Diözese von Zahumlje-Herzegowina berichtet, dass nach einem
"offenen und herzlichen Gespräch" festgestellt wurde, dass die Kirchen und
Glaubensgemeinschaften in Bosnien-Herzegowina "eine sehr wichtige Rolle in
gemeinsamem Suchen" nach einer Lösung für ein besseres Leben der Bürger
spielen. Miroslav Lajcak ist im vergangenen Juli Hoher Repräsentant der Internationalen Gemeinschaft in Bosnien-Herzegowina geworden. In diesem Amt ist er Nachfolger des deutschen Politikers Christian Schwarz-Schilling. Von 2001 bis 2005 war Lajcak slowakischer Botschafter in Belgrad, akkreditiert auch in Makedonien und Albanien. Das Amt des Hohen Repräsentanten der Internationalen Gemeinschaft ist mit bedeutenden Rechten ausgestattet und spielt eine Schlüsselrolle in der Gewaltverteilung in Bosnien-Herzegowina. (ID SOK ME) |
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Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa - www.serbische-diozese.org - 16.08.07 |
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18. |
Bischof Grigorije von Zahumlje-Herzegowina empfängt US-Botschafter |
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(TREBINJE)
Am vergangenen Freitag empfing Bischof Grigorije von Zahumlje-Herzegowina
den Botschafter der USA in Bosnien-Herzegowina, Douglas McElhaney. Es
wurde über die Intensivierung des interreligiösen Dialogs "auf allen
Ebenen" gesprochen, der zum besseren "Kennenlernen der Menschen
verschiedener Konfessionen und Religionen dienen" solle, heißt es in einer
Mitteilung der Diözese. Bischof Grigorije betonte, dass die Orthodoxen für jeden ehrlichen Dialog offen seien sowie dass dieser Dialog gut zu organisieren sei. Dabei sei unter anderem auch die Wahl des Moderators eines solchen Dialogs sehr wichtig. Der US-amerikanische Botschafter sagte, dass die US-Botschaft in Sarajevo jeden Dialog und jede Begegnung dieser Art unterstützen würde. Douglas McElhaney ist Botschafter der USA in Bosnien-Herzegowina seit 2004. (ID SOK ME) |
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Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa - www.serbische-diozese.org - 16.08.07 |
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Informationen Um NÖK zu erhalten, ... Um NÖK nicht mehr zu erhalten,... |
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