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updated 08/03/2010 "Remember not O Lord, the sins of my youth" (Psalms 25:7)

The Ambitions Of A Would-Be Orthodox Pope

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill waves during his visit to Odesa on July 20.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill waves during his visit to Odesa on July 20.

July 28, 2010
By Vitaliy Portnikov   Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
The current visit to Ukraine by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill -- and his statements before his departure from Moscow and during his stops in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kyiv -- have probably evoked greater interest than any previous visit to Ukraine by a head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is not simply because it's mid-summer and there is so little other news. It has become evident that the new patriarch adheres to a clear political line with regard to Ukraine, one that entails regular and lengthy visits -- and possibly even dividing his time between Moscow and Kyiv.

To understand why the patriarch is showing a level of interest in Ukraine that can hardly be compared with scant attention paid by his predecessor, Aleksy II, we need to look at Kirill's biography. He is almost certainly the most influential cleric within the Russian church today. Within the Holy Synod, none of the clerics of Kirill's generation can compete with him in terms of erudition, "media savvy," and administrative ability.

What's more, the majority of the current leaders of the church eparchies, including Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr, are already well on in years. The process of rejuvenating the church hierarchy depends on the new patriarch: The new young metropolitans and archbishops will be chosen from Kirill's circle.

Nikodim's Pupil

But the patriarch is not a lone priest who developed independently and mustered enough support to enable him to become head of the Russian Orthodox Church without any serious competition. Kirill was the favorite pupil of one of the most influential figures within the Russian Orthodox Church during the Soviet era, Leningrad Metropolitan Nikodim.

 
Pope Benedict (left) greets Metropolitan Kirill to the Vatican in 2006.
Nikodim always aspired to the patriarchate himself, but he was so independent and charismatic that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was afraid of him. But they were only too happy to make use of the learned and respected Nikodim within the pro-Soviet peace movement and the World Council of Churches.

Other clergymen -- including Nikodim's friend, Kyiv Metropolitan Filaret -- were apprehensive about his enthusiasm for the Roman Catholic Church. But by all accounts what attracted Nikodim was not the church as such, but the Vatican's administrative machine.

One could argue that in the last years of his life Nikodim de facto headed the Russian Orthodox Church, and that his death -- in St. Peter's, while on a trip to the Vatican to congratulate new Pope John Paul I -- was symbolic. At that point, Kirill, despite his youth, was already rector of the Theological Academy in Leningrad and was regarded as Nikodim's spiritual successor. For that reason, his recent statements in an interview with Ukrainian journalists about his support for the moral positions staked out by Pope Benedict XVI were little surprise to anyone.

But it must be borne in mind that for decades after the death of Metropolitan Nikodim, Kirill (who soon succeeded his teacher in the post of church "foreign minister," the head of the department for relations with foreign churches) lived in an atmosphere of constant apprehension. He was suspected of aspiring to the patriarchate, of secretly sympathizing with Catholicism, of putting business interests above those of the church, and, worst of all, of reformist views.

Russia's John Paul II

Judging by his later career, those suspicions were not without foundation.

That Kirill wanted to become patriarch is, to my mind, a given. What is more, despite Aleksy's reservations about him, he managed to emerge as the only real candidate for that post.

The media have had a field day writing about Kirill's imputed business activities while he was metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. But the church is a closed organization, and one can only guess at what is true and what is simply the fabrications of those both within and outside the church who have no great affection for him. (Those outside the church are a separate subject of discussion, insofar as the Kremlin had its own prospective candidates for the patriarchy and was forced to concede defeat.) Accusations of sympathy for Roman Catholicism and reformist views are simply manifestations of fear before Kirill the able administrator.

 
Kirill visits Belarus in 2009.
Kirill really does want to reform the Russian Orthodox Church as an organization, possibly even on the Vatican model, and he is capable of doing so. He wants to make the church more "telegenic” and open it up to the Internet, which is inevitable if the Russian Orthodox Church really wants to become not simply a cover and friend of the authorities in Russia, but a genuine church that can compete with the many Protestant confessions.

But from the theological and social standpoint, this apparent reformer remains an arch-conservative. In this respect, I would compare him with Pope John Paul II. He is, in fact, the John Paul II of the Russian church, a man who is not afraid of television cameras or crowded stadiums, who can express himself not just on religious topics, but also on history and politics.

But there is one key difference: The Russian patriarch is not the pope. Kirill, however, refuses to admit this fact. He is trying to subordinate to himself the entire administrative machine of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Battle For The Ukrainian Church

In this context, Kirill's frequent visits to Ukraine are entirely justified. During Aleksy's tenure as patriarch, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate evolved into a completely independent organization, headed by one of the Russian Orthodox Church's most influential clerics, Metropolitan Volodymyr, who is a member of the Holy Synod and a former candidate for the patriarchy.

What's more, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, which split from the Russian Orthodox Church, is headed by yet another former aspirant to the Russian Patriarchate, Filaret, the representative of the patriarchal throne and the de facto head of the church in Patriarch Pimen's time. So we can see the serious and, more important, informed younger contemporaries of Nikodim that Kirill has to contend with. For the moment, he is simply waiting.

 
Kirill will wait Metropolitan Volodymyr (left) out.
The real battle for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will get under way only after the departure of these two elderly clerics. Kirill will not risk an open confrontation with Metropolitan Volodymyr, although his decision to deliver a sermon in Kyiv's Cathedral of St. Sofia is a gesture intended to show the clergy that Volodymyr's successor will be the Moscow patriarch.

It was Kirill who organized Aleksy's trip to Ukraine to celebrate the anniversary of Rus's conversion to Christianity in 988 A.D. in Kyiv, and he did so in such a way as to transform the visit into a joint one by two patriarchs. The opportunity to legitimize a part of the Ukrainian church under the auspices of the patriarch of Constantinople was lost.

A Post-Soviet Church

The ultimate aim of all Patriarch Kirill's efforts is clear: he calls it the "Russian world," but bearing in mind that he includes within the confines of this world only Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova (which is not Slavic and is fractured by a conflict between the Russian and Romanian Orthodox churches), it is clear that what he really means is a "church empire" with himself as its head. This is a huge temptation.

The patriarch realizes that unlike Russia's leaders, he is not constrained by state frontiers, and he can display the flags of the former Soviet republics around his throne. He sees the real intellectual level of the post-Soviet leadership with whom he deals with, as opposed to the image of them shown on television.

And unlike many of those leaders, he does not have to worry about the problem of a "third term." So all he needs to do is wait for an opportune turn of events and work to bring it about sooner.

What, specifically, would constitute an opportune turn of events? First, intensified control on the part of Moscow over the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the demoralization of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate. This means waiting for a change in the leadership of both churches.

Second, dialogue with the Vatican resulting in a limit on the growth of the Greek Catholic Church and freezing the question of the Greek Catholic Patriarchy. This dialogue could equally be conducted with Pope Benedict or with his successor.

Third, political and economic instability in Russia that would convince her citizens their political idols/leaders are phantoms and focus increased attention on the patriarch.

In a society that lacks moral authorities, the patriarch could play a key role because even now he is not afraid to condemn Bolshevism and to hold the church in contrast to Soviet institutions. In the midst of this, the patriarch would then look like an "Orthodox Pope," a symbol of unity for the demoralized post-Soviet populace.

The one thing that could prevent the fulfillment of those dreams, however paradoxical this may sound, is the political and economic modernization of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. If these countries take the path of reforms, if a responsible elite and middle class emerge, then the church will be just a church, and Patriarch Kirill will have to devote his abilities not to building a new Vatican in Moscow, but to giving moral sustenance to his fellow citizens.

Vitaly Portnikov is a broadcaster with RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Russian services. The views expressed in this commentary are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL

 


Local Monastery to Observe its Patronal Feast

Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery

fd12021.jpgIn giving birth you preserved your virginity, in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Birthgiver of God. You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers deliver our souls from death.
- Tropar of the Dormition

 
 

 

23rd Annual Pilgrimage
August 14-15, 2010

Guest Hierarch
His Eminence Archbishop NATHANIEL

Schedule of Services

    Saturday, August 14
    06:30 am Matins
    09:00 am Divine Liturgy
    11:00 am Lunch
    05:00 pm Light Supper
    06:30 pm Vigil of the Feast with Lamentations
    Sunday, August 15
    09:00 am Akathist, 3rd & 6th Hour
    09:45 am Procession to the Pavilion
    10:00 am Hierarchal Divine Liturgy
    12:30 pm Lunch
    02:30 pm Mystery of Holy Unction Service
    05:00 pm Vespers Service
    06:30 pm Supper

HOME BACKED GOODS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN THE GIFTSHOP.


DAYTON, OH: EXHIBIT OF HISTORIC ICONS AT ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH

NEWS ELSEWHERE – REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS, IOCC

Iconographer Dmitri Shkolnik at work on one of St. Paul's new icons.

Representing more than five centuries of a unique artistic tradition, St. Paul the Apostle Church here will be hosting an exhibition of more than 100 icons, both ancient and new, on display in its sanctuary, located at 4451 Wagner Road in Sugarcreek Township, August 20-22, 2010. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 10 AM to 6 PM on Friday, August 20th and Saturday, August 21st, and from 12-5 PM on Sunday, August 22nd.

Icons (from the Greek word "eikon" meaning "image") are an ancient Christian artistic tradition dating from the time of the Apostles, aimed at communicating the Gospel visually. Today icons are most commonly painted with natural pigments on specially prepared wooden panels, and depict Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, or biblical events according to strict theological and artistic rules. Commonly used throughout the 250 million member Eastern Orthodox Church, icons have long been associated with miracles of healing or victory in battle.

The exhibition entitled " The Gift of Transfiguration: Changed Life and Lives" features 40 historic icons, dating from 1650 to the present, from Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Ethiopia as well as the United States. Among the treasures, taken from private collections (and on public display for the first time in Ohio) are a 17th century Russian miniature iconstasis, or "icon screen" with more than 20 individual figures, as well as a large 18th century Icon of the Virgin Mary titled " The Joy of All Who Sorrow."

The historic icons will be surrounded by 36 large icons recently installed on the walls of St. Paul’s, commissioned by the parish from noted Russian-American iconographer Dmitri Shkolnik. Born in Moscow, now based in San Francisco, Shkolnik’s original icons for St. Pauls’ detail scenes from the life of Christ, the life of St. Paul, as well saints of the 20th century - including several martyrs from the Midwest who were executed in Russia for their faith during the years of Soviet oppression.

In keeping with the theme, "The Gift of Transfiguration: Changed Life and Lives", the exhibition concludes with a number of recent icons by Daryl Cochran, an American iconographer who is currently an inmate at the London Correctional Institute in London, OH. "Daryl became an Orthodox Christian a few years ago while in prison," explains Fr. Ted Bobosh, rector of the parish. "A talented artist, Daryl is in the process of becoming a unique iconographer as well."

The exhibition will take place during a weekend of celebration that will also see a visit by the His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, who will bless and consecrate the parish’s new icons. Bishop Melchisedek, a native Daytonian, will preside at Vespers on Saturday evening, August 20, at 7 PM. That same evening at 8 PM, he will offer a reflection on the meaning of icons, followed by a small reception. On Sunday Auugst 21, the Bishop will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 AM, followed by a service of blessing for the new icons at 11:00 AM, and a reception in the parish hall at 11:30 AM. The public is welcome to all events.

The exhibition and consecration of the new icons is part of the year-long 25th anniversary celebrations of St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Christian Church, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

For more information on the exhibition, or the associated events, please contact St. Paul Orthodox Church at 937-320-9977, or Fr. Ted Bobosh at 937-297-3060, or visit the parish website at www.stpdayton.org.


 

IOCC: "KITS FOR KIDS" CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Looking for a great back-to-school service project that will provide kids around the world with supplies that they desperately need? International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is challenging its supporters to assemble 10,000 school kits by September 2010 as part of its "Kits for Kids" campaign.

Parish youth leaders and Sunday School teachers can use "Kits for Kids" as a powerful way for children to learn how to serve others while providing supplies for some of the millions of children who lack items as basic as pencils and paper. Complete instructions for assembling an IOCC School Kit can be accessed at www.iocc.org/schoolkits.

"The kits are so valuable, especially from the simple perspective of the kids getting something new and clean and useful that they could call their own," said an Orthodox priest in Haiti who works at a school that is supported by IOCC and who recently received a shipment of school kits.

IOCC, which has sent tens of thousands of school kits to children in need throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East, through a partnership with Church World Service (CWS), is reporting very low supplies of school kits at the warehouse in Maryland where they are stored.

Become part of the "Kits for Kids" campaign today! Help IOCC get 10,000 school kits to 10,000 children who need them desperately all over the world! Complete instructions are at www.iocc.org/schoolkits.

You can help people around the world by making a financial gift to IOCC. To make a gift, please visit www.iocc.org, call toll free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, PO Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $330 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.


Kursk Root Icon to visit St. Tikhon's Monastery for patronal feast day August 12-13

OCA - Posted 07/22

 Kursk Root Icon to visit St. Tikhon's Monastery for patronal feast day August 12-13South Canaan, PA [OCA] -- With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the 700-plus year old Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God will visit Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery here on the evening of August 12 until after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on August 13, the monastery's patronal feastday.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah and His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania will be present and concelebrate the Divine Liturgy.

The Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God was discovered on September 8, 1259, by a hunter outside the town of Kursk, Russia. He found the icon lying face down by the root of a tree. Lifting it up, he discovered that the icon was similar to the Novgorod "Znamenie" Icon. Simultaneously, as the hunter lifted up the holy icon from the earth, a spring of pure water gushed forth. Deciding not to leave the icon in the forest, the hunter placed it in a small, ancient chapel.

The icon was transferred to the city of Ryl'a and placed in a new church erected in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. But the icon soon disappeared and returned to the place in which it first appeared. The people of Ryl'a made several attempts to return the icon to their city, but it repeatedly returned to its former place. Everyone then realized that the Theotokos preferred the place of the icon's appearance.

The special help granted by the Mother of God through this icon is associated with many important events in Russian history. Several copies of the icon were made, which also were glorified.

Abbot Sergius and the monastic brotherhood invite the faithful to join them, to worship with them at the Vigil and Liturgy, and to be inspired and blessed by the truly miraculous presence of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.


Orthodox Taxis Drive a Fine Line

03 June 2010, The Moscow Times
 By Alexander Bratersky 

Moskovskaya Troika, a taxi service run by and catering to Russian Orthodox believers, has attracted both customers and criticism.
Moskovskaya Troika, a taxi service run by and catering to Russian Orthodox believers, has attracted both customers and criticism.

When Nikolai Maslov, 29, decided to start his own taxi service, he knew he'd need a niche to compete with Moscow's unruly swarms of private cabs and the few large companies that dominate the official market.

Moskovskaya Troika, the company he launched just two months ago, has already built a dedicated following among the city's Russian Orthodox. Its drivers are all devout believers, who are more likely to share a prayer than rant about traffic or the weather.

The cabs come equipped with pre-recorded services from the Orthodox Radonezh radio station, as well as literature from the church.

“Jesus came to Jerusalem riding a donkey, and this was a sort of transportation, too," Maslov said in an interview. "An Orthodox believer can spend time on the road to his soul's advantage. If he's stuck in a traffic jam, he's with an Orthodox driver and listening to church prayers."

The company, which timed its launch to coincide with Palm Sunday, now has 50 privately owned taxis, ranging from Mercedes cars to minivans. Its offices in southern Moscow are alongside a tourist agency providing trips to religious destinations in Russia and abroad.

But as Maslov cashes in on a resurgent interest in the Russian Orthodox Church, he also has had to parry complaints that Moskovskaya Troika is more about excluding others than catering to a few.

Last month, a host on the popular radio station Serebryany Dozhd called the taxi company to book a car to a mosque, giving a Muslim name and speaking with a Caucasus accent.

The station later played the recording of Moskovskaya Troika's dispatcher telling the host, Alex Dubas, that her bosses do not allow the company "to take non-Orthodox passengers."

The recording led to considerable criticism on blogs and in the press, but Maslov maintains that his company is ready to do business with anyone, regardless of faith.

"We are not the Orthodox taxi for Orthodox believers, but an Orthodox taxi for everyone," he said, adding that the company had fired the dispatcher involved in the radio incident and posted an apology on its web site.

Maslov also complained about an article in Afisha magazine, written by reporter Yevgenia Kuida, who pretended she wanted to work as a driver.

In her story, Kuida quoted a company manager present at her interview as saying they do not hire “Georgians or Armenians, only decent, Orthodox people."

Georgia is predominantly Orthodox, while most Armenians follow the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“Afisha magazine has not officially interviewed our company staffers, and a made-up story from a journalist cannot be a source of quotations," according to a statement on the company's web site.

The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on gender or religion, but for an individual to sue a business, he or she would need a written refusal to prove the grounds for the denial of service, said Eduard Sukharev, a Moscow-based civil lawyer.

The Labor Code also prohibits employers from refusing to hire people because of their religious beliefs.

But Maslov said Moskovskaya Troika was not in violation of the law, and that despite the largely hostile reaction in the press, business has been good.

“I had this idea to make money as I saw a market niche that hadn't been occupied yet,” he said. The idea came to him several years ago when he met an Orthodox believer working as a private taxi driver.

"He gave me a business card saying he was an Orthodox man who provides a taxi service for the faithful," recalled Maslov, adding that he had since hired him.

The company distributes leaflets inside churches to attract clients, and 30 percent of its orders come from people who are looking for a ride to church or back home after a service. The rates are comparable to other major services in Moscow, charging 300 rubles, or about $10, for the first half hour and 9 rubles for each additional minute.

Maslov declined to say how much he has invested. He runs the business with a partner, whom he identified only as a former executive at one of Moscow's taxi companies.

The businessman personally interviews would-be drivers, who he said must be baptized Orthodox and should have a car, preferably a Western model in good condition. "Most of our drivers are deeply religious people," Maslov said.

One of them is Pyotr Yurenkov, 43, who joined the company as soon as it was hiring.

“I worked as a driver for a private company, but then it collapsed, thank God. I was glad to find a place where you can work honestly and have a free schedule,” he said.

Like all cars in the company's fleet, Yurenkov’s Honda Civic was blessed by a priest.

Sometimes the company will offer a free ride to a senior church official, Maslov said, recalling how the company had driven a bishop and an icon painter around for a tour of Moscow churches for an entire day.

Galina Yastrebova, a priest’s assistant in the Spas Nerukotvorny Church at Andronikov Monastery in southwestern Moscow, said she welcomed the idea of an Orthodox taxi but doubted that many churchgoers would use the service.

“Most of them are taking the metro or ask for a lift from other churchgoers,” she said.

But she added that if she ever needed a taxi, she'd rather choose an Orthodox one. “Orthodox people understand each other better,” she said.

The Russian Orthodox Church also was supportive of the idea, although cautioning that the service should be respectful of others' beliefs.

“This is a good idea in general, because people who are usually reluctant to take cabs would feel comfortable sharing a car with a fellow believer," said Vsevolod Chaplin, who heads the church's department for relations with the state. "But I would advise the owners not to treat people with other religious beliefs with disregard."

Maslov said he planned to expand the business to include transportation and moving services for corporate clients.

“There are people who are looking for businesses with an Orthodox view, who will not be able to cheat,” he said.


29, 2010
New York, NY: The Meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America is Brought to a Close

grphto..jpg (85817 bytes)On Friday morning, May 28, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Greek Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, thereby bringing to a close the meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America. The Assembly of bishops of North and Central America was conducted according to the decisions of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference in Chambésy, Switzerland, held June 7-13, 2009. There the decision was made to create regional Episcopal Assemblies of every canonical Orthodox bishop. The region of North and Central America includes Orthodox Church structures in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the countries of Central America.

As reported by the official website of the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA, "The stated goal of creating the Episcopal Assemblies was care for the unity of Orthodoxy and development of mutual cooperation between representatives of the various Orthodox Church jurisdictions active in the territories of one or another region, in the areas of pastoral care of the faithful, missionary work, the development of theological education, and Orthodox witness in the face of heterodoxy. All of these issues were discussed in New York at the meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America."


Photos: P. Lukianov

Message of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America

We glorify the name of the Triune God for gathering us at this first Episcopal Assembly of this region in New York City on May 26-28, 2010 in response to the decisions of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland, from June 6-12, 2009, at the invitation of His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Gathered together in the joy of the Feast of Pentecost, we humbly recognize our calling, in our unworthiness, to serve as instruments and disciples of the Paraclete, who "holds together the whole institution of the Church" (Hymn of Vespers of Pentecost).

We honor and express gratitude to the Primates and Representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches who assembled at the Ecumenical Patriarchate from October 10-12, 2008 to affirm their "unswerving position and obligation to safeguard the unity of the Orthodox Church" (Chambésy Rules of Operation, Article 5.1a) and emphasized their will and "desire for the swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements" (Message of the Primates 13.1-2).

We call to mind those who envisioned this unity in this region and strove to transcend the canonical irregularities resulting for many reasons, including geographically overlapping jurisdictions. For, just as the Lord in the Divine Eucharist is "broken and distributed, but not divided" (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), so also His Body comprises many members, while constituting His One Church.

We are grateful for the gift of the doctrinal and liturgical unity that we already share, and we are inspired by our leaders, the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who proposed that which we painfully yearn for in this region, i.e., the "swift healing of every canonical anomaly" (Message of the Primates 13.2). We are also grateful that they established a fundamental process toward a canonical direction and resolution.

We are thankful to almighty God for the growth of Orthodoxy, for the preservation of our traditions, and for the influence of our communities in this region. This is indeed a miracle and a mystery.

During our gathering, and in accordance with the rules of operation of Episcopal Assemblies promulgated by the Fourth Pan-Orthodox Pre-Conciliar Conference, we established:

1. A registry of canonical bishops (Article 6.1).

2. A committee to determine the canonical status of local communities in the region that have no reference to the Most Holy Autocephalous Churches (Article 6.2).

3. A registry of canonical clergy (Article 6.3).

4. Committees to undertake the work of the Assembly, among others including liturgical, pastoral, financial, educational, ecumenical, and legal issues (Articles 11 and 12).

5. A committee to plan for the organization of the Orthodox of the region on a canonical basis (Article 5.1).

In addition to the above, we agreed that a directory would be created and maintained by the Assembly of all canonical congregations in our region.

We as the Episcopal Assembly understand ourselves as being the successors of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), assuming its agencies, dialogues, and other ministries.

Moreover, at the formal request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Canada, the Assembly will submit to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in accordance with the rules of operation (Article 13), a request to partition the present region of North and Central America into two distinct regions of the United States and Canada. Additionally, at the request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Mexico and Central America, the Assembly will likewise request to merge Mexico and Central America with the Assembly of South America.

As Orthodox Hierarchs in this blessed region, we express our resolve to adhere to and adopt the regulations proposed by the Pan-Orthodox Conferences and approved by the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and to do everything in our power by the grace of God to advance actions that facilitate canonical order in our region.

We confess our fidelity to the Apostolic Orthodox faith and pledge to promote "common action to address the pastoral needs of Orthodox living in our region" (Chambésy, Decision 2c). We call upon our clergy and faithful to join us in these efforts "to safeguard and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church of the region in its theological, ecclesiological, canonical, spiritual, philanthropic, educational and missionary obligations" (Article 5.1) as we eagerly anticipate the Holy and Great Council.

The Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Friday, May 28, 2010 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York City. During the Liturgy prayers were offered for the repose of the eleven victims of the current ecological disaster in the Gulf Coast, for the consolation of their families, for all those adversely affected by this catastrophe, as well as for all people living under conditions of war, persecution, violence, and oppression.

Of the sixty-six hierarchs in the region, the following 55 were present at this Assembly:

Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman
Metropolitan Philip, Vice Chairman
Archbishop Justinian, Vice Chairman
Bishop Basil, Secretary
Archbishop Antony, Treasurer
Patriarchate of Constantinople
Metropolitan Iakovos
Metropolitan Constantine
Metropolitan Athenagoras
Metropolitan Methodios
Metropolitan Isaiah
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Alexios
Metropolitan Nikitas
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Gerasimos
Metropolitan Evangelos
Metropolitan Paisios
Archbishop Yurij
Bishop Christopher
Bishop Vikentios
Bishop Savas
Bishop Andonios
Bishop Ilia
Bishop Ilarion
Bishop Andriy
Bishop Demetrios
Bishop Daniel
Antiochian Archdiocese
Bishop Antoun
Bishop Joseph
Bishop Alexander
Bishop Thomas
Bishop Mark
Russian Church
Metropolitan Hilarion
Bishop Job
Bishop Gabriel
Bishop Peter
Bishop Theodosius
Bishop George
Bishop Jerome
Serbian Church
Metropolitan Christopher
Bishop Maxim
Romanian Church
Archbishop Nicolae
Bishop Ioan Casian
Bulgarian Church
Metropolitan Joseph
Orthodox Church in America
Metropolitan Jonah
Archbishop Nathaniel
Archbishop Seraphim
Bishop Nikon
Bishop Tikhon
Bishop Benjamin
Bishop Melchisedek
Bishop Irineu
Bishop Irinee
Bishop Michael

  Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese


Reconstruction of Kronstadt Cathedral to add to Russia’s clout

The reconstruction of the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt will contribute considerably to Russia’s military and cultural clout. A statement to this effect was made by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill during his speech at a session of the Guardian Council for the Restoration of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt on May 29.

With restoration works currently in full swing, the Cathedral remarkably remains an eye-catcher, our correspondent Milena Simonova (The Voice of Russia) says, pointing to the fact that the current session of the Guardian Council coincides with a visit by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to St.Petersburg. On Saturday, Patriarch Kirill, in turn, heaped praise on what he called an important link between Russian and Byzantine Orthodoxy.

The Kronstadt Cathedral is a replica of the St.Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople, which in turn added substantially to Prince Vladimir’s final decision on baptism of the Kievan Rus in ancient times, Patriarch Kirill explains.The Cathedral’s construction was initiated by St.John of Kronstadt in the early 1900s. Overlooking the Gulf of Finland, the Cathedral remarkably helped sailors to navigate in  the area at the time , experts explain, particularly pointing to the Cathedral’s eye-catching interior.The Cathedral was closed in 1929, and was then converted to a cinema, a House of Officers, a concert hall and a branch of the Central Museum of the Russian Navy. It owes its reconstruction to the Russian Orthodox Church, which started to grapple with the issue in the late 1990s. Repossessing the Cathedral is yet to be resolved by the Moscow Patriarchate, which, meanwhile, continues the facility’s reconstruction in a close cooperation with the state.  For his part, Patriarch Kirill voiced hope that upon being restored, the Kronstadt Cathedral will turn into a major shrine of the Russian military.

It was the Kronstadt Cathedral where our forefathers were blessed to uphold the independence of their Motherland, Patriarch Kirill says, specifically piling praise on the Soviet people’s immortal feat-of-arms during World War Two.  A symbol of Russia’s revival, the soon-to-be-restored Cathedral is all but certain to contribute to the Russian Armed Forces’ overhaul, Patriarch Kirill concludes.ANNOUNCER: Experts say that the reconstruction of the Naval Cathedral of St.Nicholas in Kronstadt is due to be completed by 2013, when the centenary of its consecration will be celebrated.

 


Moscow turns ownership of public monasteries over to Orthodox Church

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered the handover of about 20 Moscow-area monasteries to the Russian Orthodox Church, returning properties seized during the Bolshevik Revolution almost a century ago.

Novodevichy convent, Moscow: The oldest structure at the Russian Orthodox Church monastery is the five-domed Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk, built in the 1500s. In Soviet times, it was turned into a state museum and apartments. Nuns were allowed to return in 1994. by Fred Weir, Correspondent / May 27, 2010  CSMonitor.com

Moscow The stunning 16th-century fortified convent of Novodevichy, a pearl of Russian architecture nestled in a broad bend of the Moskva River about three miles from the Kremlin, is at the heart of a tense battle. Cultural secularists want the UNESCO Heritage Site to remain a state-run museum, but the Kremlin has made a political decision to return the entire complex to the stewardship of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In January, Prime Min­ister Vladimir Putin ordered the handover, which will make Novodevichy a fully functioning convent for the first time since the Bolsheviks seized the property almost a century ago. But the directive may also force museums to relinquish thousands of icons and other worship-related items that originally belonged to the site, so they, too, can be used once again in religious ceremonies.

Novodevichy is the last of about 20 Moscow-area monasteries to be returned to the church, along with hundreds of similar buildings around the country, in a process that church spokespeople and nationalist politicians in the State Duma hail as "historical justice."

But critics allege the mass giveaway of art and real estate to the church endangers precious artifacts, removes vast swaths of Russia's heritage from the public sphere, and cements a controversial political compact between church and Kremlin.

"Novodevichy is an outstanding historical monument, and it should be left to professionals to preserve it," says Alexei Lebedev, with the Institute of Cultural Studies in Moscow, which is run by the Ministry of Culture. "This process of 'demuseumification' that's going on now is a sign of serious social illness. The church is not an institution dedicated to preserving the heritage of history and culture, it has a different mission. It's not going to be their keeper, and that's a potential tragedy."

Church leader: 'This is a sacred place''

Church leaders, however, insist the returned assets are needed to serve Russia's huge Orthodox community, who associate the historical buildings and objects with the foundations of their faith.

"Novodevichy is an ancient convent that has been at the center of our nation's spiritual life for centuries," says Sergei Zvonaryov, a spokesman for the patriarch, who is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. "It was created for this purpose, and every Russian believer knows of it. This is a sacred place, and with its transference Novodevichy will again become a place of prayer, a place one can associate with God."

No one is exactly sure how many churches and monasteries have been given back since "restitution" began in earnest about a decade ago. But the director of Russia's State History Museum, Alexander Shkurko, says about two-thirds of all former church buildings nationalized by the Communists have already been returned, and he would like to see the new legislation being drafted in the State Duma set some limits on the handovers and require the church to cooperate with the museum service.


Moscow Patriarchate expresses condolences over death of eldest Romanov
Oleg Lastochkin

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow Patriarchate expressed its condolences on Monday over the death of Grand Duchess of Russia Leonida Georgievna Romanov.

"Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna, who had lived a very dramatic, complicated and long life, never forgot Russia," archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who is in charge of the Russian Orthodox Church's relations with society, said.

The de-jure empress, the eldest representative of the Romanov family, died late on Sunday at the age of 95 in Madrid.

"Yesterday, the senior priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate in Madrid, Father Andrei Korodchkin, visited her and administered the Holy Mysteries. Towards evening, there was deterioration [in her health], and the monarchess was taken to hospital," spokesman for the Romanov house Alexander Zakatov said.

He said Leonida Georgievna's daughter and Head of the Romanov Dynasty Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, remained by her mother's side until the end.

Leonida Georgievna was the last representative of the Romanov Imperial House born before the Russian Revolution in 1914. She was descended from the House of Mukhrani, a collateral branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. Her family ruled ancient Georgia and Armenia from the early Middle Ages until the beginning of the 16th century.

Leonida Georgievna left the Soviet Union in 1931, with the help of Russian writer Maxim Gorky.

She married Sumner Moore Kirby in 1934, and gave birth to her first daughter Helen. After divorcing Kirby, the princess married Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov, who claimed to be the Russian Emperor from 1938 to his death.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna is the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir and has styled herself as the heir to the Russian imperial throne since her father died in 1992.

Zakatov said Leonida Georgievna would be buried in Russia near Duke Vladimir, in St. Petersburg's Peter and Paul Cathedral. The date of the burial has not yet been set.

Chaplin said the decision to bury the late grand duchess in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where many other members of the Romanov family are buried, was "natural and right."

Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II, his wife, their four daughters and son, and several servants, were shot dead by the Bolsheviks in a basement in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in the early hours of July 17, 1918.

The murdered Romanovs were canonized in 2000.


Holy cloister to go back to the Russian Church
May 25, 2010  The Voice of Russia

One of the oldest Orthodox cloisters is going back to the Russian Church. The other day the Metropolitan’s Chamber of the famous Krutitsi Patriarch’s residence in Moscow were turned over to the Russian Church.

The Krutitsi Cloister was called so because it is situated on “krutitsi”, the old name for the hills on the left bank of the River Moskva. The first buildings on the grounds of the future Patriarch’s residence appeared as early as the late 13th century, says the cloister Father Superior archpriest Sergey Shastin.

“The Krutitsi Cloister is one of the oldest places in Moscow. Once, by request of the Prince St. Alexander Nevsky and on the initiative of Metropolitan Kirill of Kiev, the Sarsko-Podonskaya diocese was established on the “krutitsi”. The name was derived from the Golden Horde capital city name of Saray. The bishops who were at the head of that diocese attended to Russian prisoners in the Golden Horde. And in the 17th century a Krutitsi diocese was established. Its area was equal to that of today’s France,” said Farther Sergey.

The authorities tried to close the Krutitsi cloister in Moscow many times, fearing its power and influence on parishioners. But it managed to withstand those attempts and to become one of the most respected spiritual centres. Here, on the rather small grounds, real gems of Russian architecture were constructed. The Assumption Cathedral is a smaller version of its name-sake in the Kremlin. The Krutitsi wooden house “teremok” with covered-in suspended passages of special historical and artistic interest are the Metropolitan’s Chamber, which is a peculiar palace of the Krutitsi Metropolitans, and a tent-shaped Resurrection Church with the tombs of many Russian high priests in the basement.

In the 1920s the Bolsheviks managed to close the Krutitsi cloister. For many years its buildings became army barracks and the grounds were called a military zone. In mid-1950s the Architecture Committee of the Council of Ministers decided to start restoring the cloister and 30 years later, in mid-1980s, the State History Museum deposits were housed on the grounds.

The process of returning the cloister to the Russian Orthodox Church has been continuing for 20 years and is still going on. At present most of the unique buildings have been turned over to the Russian Orthodox Church. The Moscow Patriarchate plans to become the only legitimate owner of the cloister by the end of this year. Though, it does not rule out further cooperation of the Church with the museum, the Father Superior archpriest Sergey Shastin is convinced.

“The State History Museum arranged numerous exhibitions in the Metropolitan’s Chamber. And now we have an agreement that after the restoration of the Chamber the museum will keep doing it. This cooperation will favour people’s spiritual and cultural education,” said Sergey Shastin.

“The problem of returning church property to the Russian Church is very important today”, says Father Sergey. “I am sure that on the example of the Krutitsi cloister the state authorities will understand that the Church is willing to continue cooperation with museums and other cultural organizations, and the long-awaited law will be finally adopted.
Pope to visit Ukraine in 2012; Moscow patriarchate cool toward plan

Pope Benedict XVI plans to visit Ukraine in 2012.

Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzyck of Lviv has announced that the Pope accepted an invitation to visit Ukraine, "and a concrete date is now being set." The papal visit would come as Ukrainian Catholics celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Lviv archdiocese.

A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, while declining to make any formal comment until the papal visit is officially announced, said that the Catholic anniversary celebration "is not the best occasion for the Pontiff's visit." The Moscow patriarchate has frequently complained about Catholic activity in Ukraine, which Moscow regards as "the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church." Serious tensions persist between the Orthodox Church in the Ukraine and the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was brutally persecuted by the Soviet government but vigorously revived after the fall of the Communist regime.

The announcement of the papal visit to Ukraine comes at a time when, as George Weigel notes for First Things, the Russian nation and the Russian Orthodox Church is moving to reassert traditional influence in Ukraine. Weigel notes that at the recent inauguration of President Viktor Yanukovych, it was Patriarch Kirill of Moscow-- not a Ukrainian prelate, much less an ecumenical delegation-- that led an official prayer service.


Orthodox and Catholic Bond Deepens: Will the Two Lungs of the Church Breathe Together Again?
By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/20/2010,  Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Move toward full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches most important development of the Third Christian Millennium

The move toward full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is prompted by the Holy Spirit. It is the most important development of the Third Christian Millennium. It has extraordinary implications for the West, indeed for the whole world, at a critical time in history. Let us pray that it happens - for the sake of a world still waiting to be set free and reborn into the New World of the Church.  

Metropolitan Hilarion met with Cardinal Walter Kasper the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Council's library in the Vatican. They discussed the work of the Joint Commission for Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. That work has involved fruitful mutual discussions on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium.

ROME, Italy (Catholic Online) - First, I must lay all my cards on the table. I long for the full communion of the Orthodox and Catholic Church.  I pray daily for the full communion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. I do so because I believe it is the will of God that "All May be One" (John 17: 21).  I also believe that the healing of the division between the two churches would unleash a profound renewal of the entire Church at the dawn of what I believe is a new missionary age. I believe that the gifts found in the whole Church will enrich both East and West and assist us in the mission which we must face together in our One Lord.

I long for this full communion because I believe that as the West implodes under the fierce ravages of what Pope Benedict XVI properly called a "Dictatorship of Relativism" it is only the real humanism found in the fullness of truth revealed in Jesus Christ which can save the West from rushing over a cliff to its own demise. The West needs the Church to once again become its soul in this age which has lost its moral compass. 

I long for this full communion because, as a "revert", one who returned to my Catholic faith as a young man, I walked the way home by way of the early Church Fathers. Had I not had been baptized a Catholic of the Latin Rite; I might have become an Eastern Christian. As the decades of my life have unfolded, including my theological studies and ordination to the Order of Deacon, my vision and theological viewpoint are profoundly Eastern. So too is my worship. I have long prayed with icons and love the Divine Liturgy. However, I cherish the unity that comes with the Chair of Peter.

Let me be clear, I am deeply and happily ensconced in the Roman Catholic Church. I am glad that I have authorization to serve the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Church. For a number of years I had the privilege of regularly serving the Divine Liturgy and I miss it. I love the Liturgy, East and West, however I find the depth of the Mystery is beautiful captured in the Liturgy of the East. There is a Latin maxim that addresses the centrality of worship in the life, identity and mission of the whole Church; "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi". It means that the law of prayer or worship is the law of belief and the law of life. Or, even more popularly rendered, as we worship, so will we believe and live! 

Worship is not an "add on" for a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian. It is the foundation of Catholic and Orthodox identity; expressing our highest purpose. Worship reveals how we view ourselves in relationship to God, one another and the world into which we are sent to carry forward the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. How the Church worships is a prophetic witness to the truth of what she professes. Good worship becomes a dynamic means of drawing the entire human community into the fullness of life in Jesus Christ, lived out in the communion of the Church. It attracts - through beauty to Beauty. Worship informs and transforms both the person and the community which participates in it. There is reciprocity between worship and life.

Finally, I long for this coming full communion of East and West because my oldest son is an Orthodox Christian. He, his wife and their children are all practicing Orthodox Christians. I must admit that the more I visit them these days the more I appreciate the beauty of the interweaving of faith and life which comes with Eastern Christianity and its practices. Yet, the more painful our separation at the Altar, the Eucharistic Table, also becomes.I believe it gives me a glimpse into the very heart of the Lord who longs for our unity. 

So, yes, I watch for every sign that the two lungs of the One Church are beginning to fill with the one breath of Divine Life, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit alone can animate the One New Man, Jesus Christ, to heal the division which has gone on for too long in His Body. Yes, I watch with the eyes of living faith. Some say I see these developments with what they would call "Rose Colored glasses". If I do see through the color of rose, it is because the color symbolizes the hope which comes from faith in the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. It is also because of my bedrock conviction concerning His one plan for His One Church.

This past week, on May 19 and 20, 2010 the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Moscow Patriarchate cosponsored a Day honoring Russian Culture and Faith in the Vatican. It was one of a growing number of meetings between the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of external affairs for the Moscow Patriarchate and one of the brightest and most dynamic leaders of the Orthodox Church delivered a message of greeting from Patriarch Kirill at a concert of Russian music in the Vatican attended by the Pope. Archbishop Hilarion is an accomplished musician and an extraordinary theologian and scholar.

The concert presented music by Russian composers. It included a work by Metropolitan Hilarion called the "Song of the Ascension." It highlighted the spirit of the meetings which were filled with hope. Last September, Metropolitan Hilarion and Pope Benedict XVI agreed to foster such meetings. They are  part of a growing collaboration between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Together we face the wasteland of Western Culture resulting from the collapse of Christian influence and we have rediscovered one another as brothers. Together we greeting the "post-modern/neo-pagan" challenge of our age, not with despair but with a solid mutual commitment to re- evangelize the West and do what the Church is called to do in every age.

There is more than speculation surrounding an upcoming meeting between Patriarch Kirill I and Pope Benedict XVI. The Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II is only one of the several leaders trying to arrange it. He has offered Cyprus as a place where such an historic summit could occur. Archbishop Chrysostomos II counseled the Orthodox Christians in that land to stay calm in the face of pushback from the dissident Pancyprian Orthodox Christian Movement. They are strongly opposed to the growing relationship between the Catholic and Orthodox leadership. However, they will not be able to stem the momentum of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cyprus on June 4 - 6, 2010 and engage in discussions with Orthodox leaders.  The Pope's visit to Cyprus will end with a Mass at the Eleftheria Stadium in Nicosia. During his Cyprus trip the Pope will set forth in more detail the topics which will be discussed in an upcoming meeting of the Synod of Bishops on the Middle East which is scheduled for October.

Metropolitan Hilarion favors a formal meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill I in the near future. He told a recent Press conference that this meeting  "should be a historic event, not just because it is the first meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, but especially because such a meeting must be sign of the intention to move our relations forward".

During the two days of cultural meetings in Rome, Metropolitan Hilarion presided over the Divine Liturgy at the burial site of St. Peter in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Concelebrating were Archbishops Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov and Feognost of Sergiev Posad. We have chosen that extraordinary photo as the main image to accompany this article. It is a profound visual reminder that the One Church existed, with legitimate diversity in the bond of unity, for the entire First Millennium of Christianity. It is a reminder as well that it can exist that way once again in the Third Millennium of Christianity.  In the words of the Angel given to the Mother of God "Nothing is impossible with God". (Luke 1:37)

On Wednesday May 19, 2010 Metropolitan Hilarion met with Cardinal Walter Kasper the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Council's library in the Vatican. They discussed the work of the Joint Commission for Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. That work has involved fruitful mutual discussions on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium. Attending the talk along with Bishop Hilarion and Cardinal Kasper were the vice-president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Council the Revd. Milan Zust, DECR deputy chairman hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh), and acting DECR secretary for Inter-Christian relations priest Dimitry Sizonenko.

At the meeting, Cardinal Kasper presented Metropolitan Hilarion with his books 'The God of Christians" and "Jesus Christ." Metropolitan Hilarion presented Cardinal Kasper with his book "The Mystery of Faith". The warmth and brotherly affection which characterized that exchange of gifts is a symbol of the work underway, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The move toward full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is prompted by the Holy Spirit. It is the most important development of the Third Christian Millennium. It has extraordinary implications for the West, indeed for the whole world, at a critical time in history. It will continue and it will result in the healing of the wounds which for too long have separated the Church.

Yes, the Orthodox and Catholic Bond Deepens. Will the Two Lungs of the Church, East and West Breathe Together Again? As we approach the celebration of Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church, let us pray that it does indeed happen - for the sake of a world still waiting to be set free and reborn into the New World of the Church.


Now is the time to make plans to attend summer camp!

Posted 05/14

SYOSSET, NY [OCA] -- In a few weeks, the school year will come to an end, and Orthodox Christian children and teens will begin filling over two dozen OCA-sponsored camps across North America.

Several camps, listed below, responded to the request for information posted on the OCA web site in February 2010.

Participation is not limited to members of OCA parishes.

For details on OCA camps that did not respond to the request for information, as well as other pan-Orthodox camps, please check your local parish, deanery, or diocese.

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