Church News Nov-Dec 1996

8/14/2019 Church News Nov-Dec 1996

1/12

$HUN$HHgU$AN INDEPENDENTUBLICATION F ORTHODOX HURCHOPINIONNovember-December,996

Vol.6;2 (No.56)Republication ermitted ponacknowledgementf source

With this second ssue(No. 56) of Volume6 we will endeavor o continue he regularpublication f an exacEnglish ranslation f the Russian ersionof "ChurchNews"whichwe began n the fall of ' l9BB.We havereceivedmanyrequests rom members f our ChurchAbroadwho do not speak Russian o beginpublishingn English We hopewithyoursupport o issue n Englishbi-monthlyThe Russian ersionof this publication xistsentirelydue to the voluntary upportof our readers. We do nohave a fixed subscriptionee, but we would ike our prospective eaders o realize hat in order o provide nformatiofrom varioussources.we have to maintainnumeroussubscriptronshat are not cheap. In addition. here are theexpensesof producing he text and, of course,postal ees.We intendwithEnglish ubscriptionso follow he samepolicyof gratefully ccepting onationso helpcoverourexpenses.

CHURCH EWS639CenterStreetOradell.NJ 07649


2/12

- 1 -

THERECENTCOUNCILOF THE BI$HOPSOF THE RUSSIANORTHODOX HURCHOUTS]DE USSIAFinally,after he passageof more han two months, he Russian anguagepublication Pravoslavnaya us" ofOctober 15/28 (whichwas receivedby our publicationonly on Novem ber5/18) published he Council's held fromSeptember rd to 15th)main resolutions nd its Epistle. For the first time in t he entire historyof the ChurchAbroad,there is nothing o commenton in this Epistle,so empty and colorless s it. At best it can be deemeda sermonofmediocrequality. Therefore,we do not feel it necessary o reprint t. But those interestedmay send us a self-addressed

envelope nd $1.00 o coverpostageand handling nd it wrllbe sent o them.From he Chancellery f the Synodof Bishops,September.1996.

The Councilof Bishopswas held rn New York Crty lts sessionswere openedon Aug.21lSept.3, 1996, ollowinga molieben beforestartrnga good work" All meetingswere held in the Synod'sCathedral n the presence f the mrraculoushe Kursk-Rootconof the Theotokos f the Sign.The first meetingstartedwith the singingof the strkhrra Today he grace of the Holy Spiritgatheredus,.." Thefollowingbishopswerepresent the presidrng ishop,Metr.Vitalyand the membersof the Council: heireminences rchbishops nthonyof San Francisco nd WesternAmerica,LaurusofSyracuse nd Trinity,AlipyOf Chicagoand Detroit.Mark of Berlrnand Germany,Seraphim f Brusselsand Western Europe, Hilarion of Sydney and Australraand New Zealand, bishops BenjaminofChernomorsk nd Kuban,Evtikhyof lshimaand Srberra Barnabas f Cannes.Danielof Erie,CyrillofSeattle.Metrophan f Boston,Ambroseof Vevey,Agathangel f Simferopol.Gabrielof Brisbane, ndMichaelof Toronto.ArchbishopAnthonyof San Franciscowas chosenas vice chairman,and ArchbishopHilarionand bishopsEvtikhyand Gabriel as secretaries f the Council In hrs openingaddressMetr Vitalypointedout hatduring he periodbetween he councils the astcouncilwas heldat the convent n Lesnain Novemberof 1994) the archbishopsPaul and Anthony and the brshopsJohn Gregory andConstantine assed ntoeternity.Archbishop nthony ommentedhat dunng hiscurrent ear sixtyyearspassed rom he day ofthe reposeof Metr Anthony Khrapovitsky).he founderof our ChurchAbroad In this connectron.hemembers f the council ntoned EternalMemory" o Metr Anthonyand he reposedbishopsAt the requestof ArchbishopAnthony Archbrshop aurusdescrrbed is tr ip to Belgrade o thecounciland his servingof a pannihikhda t the tombof Metr Anthony n lvironChapel. Followrnghisthe pilgrimswerereceived y he SerbianPatriarchPaul rn he patriarchate eadquarters.VladykaLaurus hen offered a proposedagenda which was accepted aftera few corrections. ltwas then noted hat during his periodbetweencouncils, he followrng onsecrations ere performed:archpastors gathangel f Sirnferopol. abrielof Brisbane and Michaelof Toronto. The Council henresolved o approve he acceptanceof these above mentionedbishops nto the fold of the episcopateofthe ROCA.Then the reports of the bishops concerning church life in their dioceses were heard. Inconnectionwith the reposeof ArchbishopAnthonyof Los Angeles, t was resolved o annex he Dioceseof Southern California o the Diocese of Western America Bishop Hilarion of Washingtonwasappointed o the widowedDioceseof Australiaand was elevated o the rank of Archbishopwith he tii leof Archbishop of Sydney and Australiaand New Zealand The following changes were made in theDioceseof EasternAmerica:BishopGabrielof Brisbanewas appointedVicar of the Dioceseof EasternAmericawith the title Bishopof Manhattanwith the proviso hat he wouldalso assume he dutiesof theDeputy Secretary of the Synod. Bishop Michael of Toronto was appointed Vicar of the Diocese ofCanada o assist Metr.Vitaly.On Aug. 24lSept. 6 ArchbishopSeraphim ormerly of Caracas and Venezuela arrived for thernomingsession. He lives in retirementat the Novo DiveyevoConvent in New York state. Vladyka$eraphim chatted with all the archpastors,exchangedexperiencesof pastoralministry. istened o thereportsand after a trapeza eturned o NovoDiveyevo.On Aug. 271 Segt.9 the membersof the Council heard the report of ArchbishopHilarion aboutthe martyrdomof PriestMaximSandovitch,who was shot for his Orthodoxpastoraland patrioticwork inLemkovshchinanow within the bordersof the present Poland). The executionof the new-martyrwasexecuted on Aug. 24lSept.6, 1914, n the courtyardof GorlitskayaPrison. The Councilof Bishops,afterhearing his reportof the martyricdeathof Fr. Maximresolved: o include n the ranks of the New Martyrsof Russia he St. Priest-martyrMaximSandovitchwho sufferedunder the Latins. His commemorationsto be celebrated on Aug. 24,/Sept.6 Then the bishops sang the magnification o the Priest-martyr


3/12

-2-Maxim. This coincideswith the grievous 400th anniversaryof the Union of Brest (of 1596) whichsanctioned he persecutionsof the OrthodoxChurch and her chi ldren by the [RomanCatholics] n thewestern regionsof Russiawhich have persisteddown to the presentday.Next he Councilof Bishopsheard a reporton the holy Chinesenew-martyrswho were martyredduring he BoxerRebellion n Peking. The mainday on which222 OrthodoxChinesewere martyredwasJune 11, 1900. Especially loriouswas the "podvig"of the PriestMetrophanTzi Chun and his enti refamily and that of the Orthodoxcatechizer, he servantof God Paul Wang. lt was resolved o celebratethe memoryof the Chinese New-martyrs n 11124June,as was the custom n the RussianEcclesiasticalMissionn China.On Aug. 29/ Sept. 11, the day of the commemoraiion f the Beheadingof St. John theForerunner, a solemn service was conductedand in the afternnon at 4 PM a funeral service wasperformed or the generalsA. P. Kutepovand E. K. Miller who were abducted n France n the 1930's.Now this has been verifiedon the basis of documents rorn he RussianArchives The celebrantsof thefuneral service. ncludingnumerousarchpastorsand clergy. were headed by Metr. Vitaly. The servicewas also attended y representativesf various pre-soviet] ussianmilitary, ivilorganizations nd laitytravelling romvarious ocations.A honourguardstoodwith hebannersof the Russran rmy.ArchbishopSeraphimof Brusselsand WesternEuropeaddressed hose present n a sermondescribinghis ragedyand afier he service oncluded sermonwas delivered y Metr.Vitaly.Concerninghe parishes nder he ROCA n Russia. he councilof bishops esolved:1) To leave he regionswhich ormerlybelonged o the Odessa-Tambov nd Suzdaldioceses,as well as thoseof Ukraineand Belorussiao the pastoral are of Russianbishopswithoutdefining heinternalboundaries f the diocesesand to leave he subsequent ifferentiati on f them to the Russianbishops hemselves.2) To delegate he possibleproblems onnectedwith the pastoralcare of the parishes n theabove egions o resolution y the EpiscopalConference f RussianBishops3) To reserye o the EpiscopalConference f RussianBishopsall the r ightsand obligatrons sprovided n the resolutions f the Councilof Bishops n 1994wrth he exception of that stipulating]ha ttheir representative ussianbishopbe presentat the Synodof Bishops f the ROCA.In referenceo the caseof the suspendedBishopValentine,ormerly f Suzdaland Vladimrr t isresolved: o accept the draft resolution endered by commi ttee. Bishop Valentine s considereddefrocked nd his so-called acraments re considerednvalid. (A complete esolution n thrsmatterwillbe publishedn "Tserkovnaya hizn" n Nos.5-6, 1996.)On the last day of the Council,Aug. 31/Sept.13 the Act regarding he glorification f HolyHierarch onahof Manchuria.The festivalof the glorifications to be conducted n SundayOct 7120.19S. in San Franciscoand in Chicagobecause he majorportionof his former lock resides n SanFranciscoResolved 1) To honorHoly Hierarch onah,Bishopof Honkouas a holy saintof God n thechoirof All the Saintsof Russia.2\ To delegate o Archbishop nthonyand BishopCyrillall preparationsor this celebration3) To request that Metr Vitaly head the glorification eremony to be held on the daycommemorating t. Jonah Oct 712A.n San Francrsco r Chicago.4) To consider hrsday as the day or the commemorationf the newlyglorified aintOn the eveningof Aug. 31iSept.13 by whrch ime somebishopshad already eft or home. hesad news of the reposeof ArchbishopSeraphimof Caracasand Venezuelawas received. Vladykapassed away in the conventof Novo Diveyevo. The funeral servicewas performed n Holy TrinityMonasteryn Jordanville n Sept.3/'16, 996."The resolutionof the Council concerning he three consecrations,which ends with the phrase "to approve theof the abovebishops nto the fold of the episcopateof the ROCA".causes considerable urprisesince one ofrules prior to the election of a new bishop is the common consent to this by the entire Council.Agathangelwasnot re-consecrated, ut a year previouslysignedan oath of loyalty o only the ROCA Synod,Gabriel and Michael were consecratedwith the knowledgeof only the Synod.)As is obvious from the abovehis rule has not been observedby the Synod and, consequently. he whole Councilof Bishops had to ratifyex post facto.As is obvious rom the resolutions egarding he Russianbishopsand their parishes, he Councilof Bishopsdisavows hem. Thus, after first creating otal chaos in their church ife. then, after a delay of almost ive years"given independencewithout even the participationof their representative n the Synodl Yet, the Council ofdid not define or which "OrthodoxEpiscopateof the RussianChurch"(thisform of commorationwas introducedROCA after the death of the head of the RussianChurch,Metr. Peter of Krutitsa n 1937) hey will now be praying.


4/12

-3-Stnce hey have renroved rom the ectenias he vvord suffei'ing" liierally: persecuted")n regard o the RussianChurch,cne hopes this is not a prayer fcr the Moscow Patriarchate. But pe,'haps his refers ts even Bishcps Beniarnin,Evtikhyand Agathngel? In addition, t is unclearhow the hrer"archyf lhe R-OCA valuates he hierarchyof the Free RussianOrthodoxChurchwho nave unexpectedly eceiveoautonomyon their natiyecanonicai erritory lt is very doubrful hatthe ROCAwiii inailyacknowiecigen fact and noi oniy on oaperi hai i is oniy a oortionof a hugeRussianChurch.One's attentiorr s caught by the fact that in the published esolutionsof the Councilof Bishopsnoi a word is saidabout he course of BishopArsenius'{who ieft the Free RussianCrthodox Church)acceptance nto the ChurchAbi.oadOn June 3116he applied o be accepteC ntc the folC of the ROCA. lt seerns hat he rras accepted, n principle,becauseshortly before the Counc of Bishops convened he personallyr rr. to New yor-k But at that point the Council ofBtshopsrefused htrn,as is obviot-rsrom the text of lhe resoluttonof hrs drocesanextraordtnarymeettngIn whtch hecompiainsabout he inconsistency f ihe acrionsof ihe ChurchAbroacj.As for the case of the ciefrockingof ArchbishopVaientine. iiris iesoiuiiorr ras no vaiieiity, egarcliessof the^ , ' h l ; ^ - r ; ^ ^ ^ 5 + h ^ ^ ^ - F l ^ r ^ . A ' , r : - I ' T - - - 1 . ^ , ' ^ - 1 t ^ . - 7 U : - a t r J , . ^ + ^ - - , . r L ^ - - t - ^ ^ - ^ ^ - , t t 4 - ^ F r L : ^ - a ^ \ r ^ t ^ A a , ^ ^Puur f K t f u l I \J l tt l E \ , \ r t I P lu rE tc^ t ri | 5 t ; { ^UVl ldy A LI l tL l i . U iJg i i j & i ru l i lU i t i i E i i rL j i i5 . i i r l fcnDisnop Vaien i l i t t ; Wi jS nevefadvisedof any accusatory ction 2'; lr ';acccrdarrcevithcanci't a,,vthc 74thApostolic r:C hc 28th cf the CcuncilofCarthage) n accusedbtshophas to be persona lynvitedby tv.,o ,rshopshree inneso the ccurt session. Only in thecase of his nonattendance an a counc larrive at its sentence.even ro the ncvntof defrcrckingn absentla. There was nocourt session n his case, and no one advised nim of a oate for one lt rs comoieteiy ertain hat tnis canonicarequiremeni as noi mei bv ihe Counciiof Bishops. f thiswere noi so ihe Counciiwouidhave o base ts decisions oton a "draft esoir-;tionenderedby commitiee", ut on ihe refusaiof Archbishop alentine o stand riai before he couri.2 \ - f - l ^^ ^^^^^r^^^^ -ri t ne acceplanceof the draft 'esclutionendei'edby this comnirtiee rts membersand its goals being unknown) ngeneral s an unprecedenteCction. No cancns cf the Ecumenrcal cuncilsprovrde or the creatlonof a committeeespecially or a trtalof a bishop, et alone n ab'sentia 4) ArchbisnopMarkand BishopBamabasparticipatedn someclegree n the resoluttons i tne Councrl bout ne detrockrng t Arcnbrshoo alenttne AboutBlshopBarnabas ne tatetsishopGregorymacjeseverai eporisbaseo on canonrcaiorrncipies o the Synoci. he Councii.anci he Meiropoiiianhimself. irr hernhe consideredt neeessaryo bring beforean ecciesiastrcaiouri thosewho transgressed gainst he16ih AposiolicCanonconcei"ninghe recepiionof ciergysuspended 'yone's bishop. Cf such ii is said "Fleshail beexc*mmunicated as a teacher cf discrder". All of Blshcp Gregcrys repcrts remained unansv,,ered. oi. evenacknowledgedas received.

GENERAL EBEDAT THE SYNODOF BISHOPSOF THE ROCAOn lvlondayNov. iB it becameknownduring he aftei-noonhai on Tuesday.Nov. 19.at aboui 2 noonGeneralAlexander ebed vcuidarriveat the Synodof Bishops n New Yoi'kand hat here vouldbe pressconferenceA.t he senre ime e totaliy lncredibleaspect becenne leer the "Russianspeaking"crganizer of thrs presscofferenee Mr Y Miloslavsky ho in principle ad permissiono use1heSynod'smeetinghall or this purpose. rd no ttnlnK t necessary o tnform he two vicar brshopsof the MetropotrtanGaDrret nd Mrehaeliwho restde n tne SynoObuildingof the time ancidaie of the Generai'sarrivai. Thev becameawareof ihis pressconferenceoniy on ihe afiernoonof the day before Some tinre laier. it becaine known 'rhatihe "RuSSiariarrguage" adio station in Brighton Beachi^s^.A^A rt-^:- 4^tt^.., .i r iu i i l r cu i i i t r i i ie t ru 'v l r ta t iona lsabo l i t th isevent .i i sposs ib le iha i iheGene; 'a limse i fwasnota i la ieo f ihe fac i iha tonRussian anguage urnalistswoulCbe presentat thispressccnferenceGeneralLebedwas invlted o the USA bry he Councit or- nter-nationaloreignRelations. hile laily r.efusingtsotfer to pay the travel expenses Theseexpenseswere coveredby supportersof lhe generalarnongstwhom are somesubstantial ersons. The GeneraivisiiedTexaswhere ne mer wirn ormerPresideniBush.his assistaniB. ScrowcroftformerSecreiary f StateBaker,and H. Kissinger.The Generai 'efused ilsecretserviceproteciion ffere


5/12

4-Almosteighty years have alreadypassedsince mci'e han a million{cr perhaps wo rnillion)Russianpeopleout of love for their country led into exile fronnour much suffer"ing ussian and. ln thismanner heywere saved rorn otal annhilationby the godless[SovietJ overnment.The ship of the Church,under he wise leadershipof the first of the First Hierarchsof the ChurchAbroad, Metr. Anthony Khrapovitsky] nd the Councilof Bishops.also fled into exile. With the blessingof Patriarch St. Tikhon, the Confessor, he Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russiaremained preserved abroad. The image of Russia was also preserved abroad as an inseparableportion, or some three generationsnow, of the Russianpeoplescattered hroughout he world and who

havepreserved he OrthodoxFaith.We welcome you to this small piece of Russia. of which there are now many throughout heworld. ln your person we welcome the Russian officer who belreves that "a holy cause must beaccomplished ith cleanhands,witha puresoulandwith ove" These it seems.areyourown words.May the Lord save you and grantyou the strengthand patience o serve his holy cause. hatRussia which is preserved n our hearts, hat is, the service of God and the Russranpeoole whonowadays re humiliated. espised, nd untended.As rssaid. Be patient, ossack, nd youwill be atamanl"I welcome ou n the hope hat n a month's ime,whenyou wil l v is i tagain you wil l ndeedbegreetedby our FirstHierarch.In the interim would like to present o you a grft rom His Eminence, ryobooks of his ow npublicatron, n a theme close to your heart. I believe, St. Grand Duke AlexanderNevsky", DimrtryDonskoi" and also he commemorativeditionof "The RussianOrthodoxChurchAbroad,1918-1968".We wish you,Many YearslFollowingVladyka'swelcomingspeech. he General offered hose presentan opportunity o put questions o himwhich poured orth in great abundance rom the "Russian anguage"press,and also from representatives f the RussianCadetsAssociation who presentedhe honoredguestwith issuesof thei r magazine).he RussranYouthOrganizationthe Congressof Russian-Americans,he lmperialOrder, he TolstoyFoundation.he Fund or Assistanceo the ROCAsomeclergy,and stil lothers. Therecan be no doubt hat f the visitof the Generalhad beenannounced headof timethe hall couldnot have contained ll thosewho wouldhave iked o see him Nevertheless. espite he unexpectednesof his appearance.herewereno less han 150peoplepresent.The Generalcontinuedanswering he numerousquestions or more than two hours. Among them was oneconcerninghe General's ttitude owards he ackof moralityn today'sRussiaThe General's esponsewas not the standardanswerand for a layman.one can say, one wrth humilityandfrankness "The ssueof morality sa diffrcult uestion I have sought t moralrtyeverywhere, ven within he OrthodoxChurch. ...1am a worldlyman and one must say a very sinful one and'amongst paratrooperst's difficult o be anangel',but I suddenly ealized hat there were thosewho accordtng o t heir statusshould be pious, and should eadothers o the ightof reason. et were moresinful han I Thrsdoes not refer o the ChurchAbroad.but he Orthodox nthe homeland.They havebecomemired n varioussrns I drewclose o them.but hendrew back. I cannotoo furtherbecauseof them."These words prompteda short commentary rom the rectorof the parish n Nyack,MiteredArchpriestFr. GeorgeLarinwho explainedwhy the ROCAhas refused ommunion rth he MoscowPatriarchate.The "Russian anguage"press. n particular NovoyoeRussokoeSlovo"on Nov. 20 publishedan outrageousarticle nforming ts readers hat "the Generalwas. touchingly badlydressed..." nd "bad taste n dress s a personahabitof the General", hat"he is a rather areand dangerousHomoSapiens" nd similarepithetswhicha certainkind ofpress were not stingy n offering. They had a few for us, the Russianpeople,as well. "For this address o the public",vwitesone namelesscorrespondent,Vho would have gathered o meet this rebelliousGeneral at the Synod, on g3rdand Park Ave., other than, of course, he press? Naturally,piqu6waistcoats ? ] - that is, membersof the CongressofRussian-Arnericans horn long afier his departure.think of it. were still debating whether Chernomorskwould bedeclared a free city. When words like "Russia", Orihodoxy", officer",and "double-headedeagle" were mentioned, helittle old rnen burst out in rapturousapplause. This is understandable,or many of them evoked pity for their spottedforeheadswith whisps of wellgroomed grey hairs. Seeing hose shaky hands and voices. one felt that Alzheimerswasnot rareamong hem.""The Orthodoxclergy who received he General kept a proper silence, inglingfrom time to time their car keysattached o the belts of their cassocks...[?l]" "ln this unusuallyhealthy, but narrow-shoulderedman of 46 years, onedoes not expect he senilityof old age, but his reactionsurprisingly oincidedwith that of the little old men. And if, with

Or in otherwcrds, Be patient, oldier, nd youwill be a general "


6/12

-5-the words "Russia, Orthodoxy, he People". hey poured out warm old tears. then in the blue Tartar-slantedeyes ofLebed,an icy moisturemadean appearance. What this is; how much his is feigned s unknowable.This moisturewouldshine like crystal and form in his eyes - this was oh so visible every time in the light of all those televisioncameras --vrfteneverhe talk would turn to patriotic hemes. 'l am a patriot',Lebedharshlydeclared. and I am not ashamedof thisword."' It is evident that the "Russian language"descendantsof the initiatorsof our revolutionwere very seriouslannoyedby the RussianpatriotGeneral Lebed who in the courseof the press conference wice drew a very fine linedemonstratinghat he knowswell the differencebetween he Russianemmigrantsand thosewho only speak he Russianlanguage. lt was very surprising hat none of the representatives f the press raised any questionsabout the Jews andtheir so-called holocaust".Ai the end of the conference,which lasted for more ihan two hours, Vladyka offered the General and hisenlouragea smallbuffet.

IMPIETY ROM CHRISTOF THE HILLS"MONASTERYChristof the HillsMonastery,n BlancoTexas accepted ome imeago into he fold of the ROCAby ArchbishoHiliarion. oes not hesitate o discredit t with nvented miracles" r salespitches. At this time,as the Nativity f Chrisapproaches,hey havesentout an advertisement rthpictures f two American tyleSantaClauses which hey erm"StNicholas"): ne of these cornmercial lown-like igureshas a green robe and the other a red one. Each of them isholdinga holy con : he greenone,one of Christ he Savrour and the red one, one of the All-holyTheotokos Alongwiththe SantaClauses n the photograph re largerholy rconsof Chrrstand the Theotokos On anotherpage of this same

ineverent dvertisementhereare photographsagarn. f Chrrst nd he Theotokos ext o Russian oywoodendollsOne cannothelpbut be amazed hat he Synodof Bishops s takrngno measureso stop hisdisgraceful aseofcharlatanism nd mpiety y a rnonastery nder ts urrsdrctronlFROMTHELIFEOF THERUSSIAN RTHODOX REECHURCH

A resolutionaken at the extraordinary onference f the Briansk-Tula ioceseof the RusslanOrthodoxFree ChurchWe. the understgned lergy monastics nd larty motrvated y a senseof unrtyand love trusttngin our brethrenwho are carrytngout their mintstrybeyond the borders of hrstoricalRussia. n theinterests f the good of the renaissance f our much-sufferingnd persecutedRussianChurchon 3/'16June,1996 appealedor receptionn thefoldof the ROCAwith ontr i t ion.In transferringo the urisdiction f the Synod of Bishopsof t he ROCA we collidedwith what rntheir turn are the far fromecclesiastical ctionson the partof the Representative f the Synod of Bishopsof the ROCA. ArchbishopValentine,who imposedupon all clergy unlawfulsuspensions or our transferio the SynodAbroadWrthgreat sadnesswe have had to verify he insincereattitudeof the hierarchyabroad towardsits own assurances nd resolutions.The Councilof Bishops ed by the nose by ArchbishopValenune.hing deceivedby his "arguments nd acts",deniedour application nd n this mannerbringshimself othe threshold f a triumphant ictory n the destruction f the parishes n Russiaunder he ROCA. Andthus he also keeps the clergy n fear and subjectionwho have any desire o depart for the ROCA. Withsuch an attitude towards the problemsof the suffering Russian Orthodox Church. the Synod Abroaddemonstratedo the entireOrthodoxworld its apostaticdeparture romthe Truth of Christ.ln connectionwith the abovesituation, nd if the Synodof the ROCA eavesus withoutspiritualcare,we shallbe compelledo follow he Ukaseof His Holrness atriarch ikhon,of the mostHolySynodand the SupremeChurchCouncil# 362 of 7120Nov., 1920,and to apply his statutewith all the rightsand obligaticns hat result rom it.Finding surselves in this situation,we do not abandon the hope that all the difficulties andobstacleswill be overcomewithin a short time and that all the various parts of the Russian OrthodoxChurch will unite their efforts in order to stand against Sergianism.ecumenism,church modernism,renovationismn all its forms and in this way with our commonpowerbring he RussianChurch o a free,local,Russia-wide ouncilof the OrthodoxChurch_September 4. 1996.Signedby BishopArseniusand with him nine priests, hreedeacons,and "monasticsand laity".

This resolutionanived at by the conferenceof Briansk-TulaDioceseunder the chairmanshipof BishopArseniuscan evoke nothingbut grievedbewilderment


7/12

-6-1) We do not know the reasonswhy the Councilof Bishops refused o accept His Grace BishopArsenius,butthere are strong reasons o believe hat the rnain ole in rtwas playednot by ArchbishopValentine,but BishopEvtikhy.2) ArchbishopValentine,when suspending he clergy lured from him into schismby Bishop Arsenir:s,acted inperfectaccordwith the regulationsof canon aw.3) The referenceby BishopArsenius o the decreeof Patr"Tikhon to justifyhis independentexistencedoes notstand in the face of any eritiquewhatsoever The patriarchaldecree had in view nothing,but the unity of neighborindiocesesand by no means a schism. BishopArsenius drivenby his personalunfriendlinessowards his First Hierarchillegally eftan alreadyexistingand solid churchadministration. n otherwords, BishopArseniushas done nothingbu t

create a sch ism.Another Monasterv n SuzdalIn our last tssue {# 6, 55) we related informationabcut the dispersal by Metr. Methodiusof Voronezh of St.Tikhon-Transfiguratrononvent near Zadonsk as a resultof ordering he founder and father confessorof this conventArchrn.Peter. to be transferredand his appointment f an abbesswhom the 110 nuns unanimously equestedbyremoved. As a result, he conventsplit n half. Submittingo force,57 nuns remainedand 65 headedby their spirituadirector.Archm. Peter moved o Suzdal and were acceptedby ArchbishopValentine Archm, Peter s reknowned or hisvery high evelof spiritualityFortunately.htsautumnArchbishop alentrne uceeded n puttinga roofon a large wo storyhouse n whichheintended o have pastoralcourses with live-in students After fixing up the first floor to make it liveable,he put up therefugeenuns. ArchbrshopValentinealreadyhas a conventof more than 20 nuns who live in a house he had built a few

years ago. The remainderwho could not be accomodatedby this buiiding eside n privateapartments. ln other words,Arshbishop alentine as underhis supervision ome85 nunsA Letter o the Editorsof "ChurchNews'

Permitme to relay o you some sad facts rn the lrfeof an Orthodoxpriest iving n a Russianprovince. I believe t might be of som e interest o the readers of 'Church News" to know by whatmethods he representatives f the MoscowPatnarchate onduct heir war against he communities fthe RussianOrthodoxFreeChurchIn the beginning f 1996 by appointment f Archbrshop alentine f Suzdaland Vladimirarr ived n the vi l lageof Rashkinon TorzhokCounty n Tver Provrnce In this v i l lage here are st i l lpreserved ome ruinsof a churchdedicated o the Kazan con of the Theotokos nd the villagershavefor some ime sought o organizea parish. The Patriarchate rshop f Tver and Kashin,Victor Oleinik)was apparently ot opposed o this, but then in 1991 he resp onded o the parishioners etttionwith aresolution hich reads n part ( l leave ntactal l the pecul iarr tresf the or iginal) : . . .As ar as help isconcerned. warnyou aheadof time, hat o hope or our help rs useless, ecausewe will not distr ibuteany fundsand our fundsare lrmited.sic]keep his rn mind and do not deceiveyourselveswith illusionsof our help In addition there s the necessrty f a priest whichdoes not exist n the dioceseand it isdoubtful hatsuchwrllbe for several earsyet."After wo years. inally, he parishwas regrstered, hrleno priestwas sent,but neverthelessherepresentatives f BishopVictor showedup in the villageas soon as I arrived. Seeing hat the laitygradually began to discern the essence of the Patriarchate nd its leadership, hey instigatedaslanderous ampaignagainstme personallyand agatnst he en tire Free RussianChurch. In this thegreatestzeal was shownby the priest rom KuvshinovoAnatoly Volgin, rom whose parish peoplebeganto come o me. Similarly everal imessome"missionaries"rom he diocesanheadquarters ame o thevillagewho tried to persuade he peoplewhere the "true"church s and where he "false"one.ln August after I had managed o register the Parish of St. Tikhon Patriarchof Moscaw theCsnfessor,BishopVictor himselfcould no longerrestrainhimself He arrived n Kuvshinovo a town notfar frorn Rashkino)shortlybefore the Dormitionand delivered a sermon in Trinity Church in which hetermed me a "non-Russianwho was planted from abroad" for the propagandizingof a "non-Russianfaith". ln addition, he called the Free Russian Church schismaticand without Grace and all theMysteriesperformedby me he deemed accursed. He repeated hese same things in a radio interviewbroadcast by the local station on the very day of the Feast. A few days later, a local newspaper"Zfiamya" "TheBanner")publishedan article by one of the activistmembersof the Kuvshinovoparishofthe Moscow Patriarchateby the name of Nezhivikh [which literally in Russian means "Lifeless"]describing vividly the visit of his Vladyka and repeating he basic assertionsof his "expose address".However, managed o force the editors o publisha retractionwhichsaid that the apostolicGraceof thehierarchsof the ROFC was perfectlycanonicallyreceivedfrom the bishops of the ROCA. Evidently


8/12

- { -irritated he localpriest n the extreme,becauseon Ocl. 9 at a bus stop. one of his spiritualchildrenwitha bushy beard cameup to me screaming you dressedup doll" and tried to hit me. Several ownspeoplewho were witnessesof this scene pulled this hooliganaway from me. That evening when I returnedhome, I found my aged parents n a state of distressbecause hey had only ust endureda visit from Mr.Nezhivikh. He appearedon a bicycleand entered heir quarterswaving some sort of certificationandbegan to yell that he representedsome agency of the FSB [?j and if I did not leave the town soon, Iwould ace someunpleasantness.I lodgeda complaintabout his incident o the iocalprosecutorwho promisedan investigation uton serlouspunishment il l comeof it. (SinceNezhivikh s a mentally l l personwho belongs o a groupof patientswhom it is very conveniento use in the fight agarnstus.)Unfortunatelyhe authoritiesdo not always, o say the feast. reat our parishnormally n any wayand the main problemof handingover the ruins of the Kazan Church seeminglywill not be resolvedrnour favour. On the one hand, he administration f the Tver Province eaffirms he separationof churchand state and their unwillingnesso resolve infrachurch" roblems On the other,using as a coveraninfamous egulation ccordingo whichall the prerevolutionaryhurchbuildingsmustbe handedover othe Moscow Patriarchate,hey blatantlysupport he latter The "harmony"between he Communistgovernment nd the "spiritual" uthorities f the Stalrnist hurchevidentlywas welcomedheartand soulby the advocates f democracy nd in this cacophony he localpolrtrcranscurried o occupy he placesof honor once reservedat pontifical ervices or governors nd mayors Honestly bureaucrats id notbecomemoreOrthodox s a resultnor the Patrrarchateessbureaucratic Consequently t ihis pointou rparish s forced o lookaround or a privatehome hat will do for a church God grant hat we find somegood olkwho will aid us in this endeavorSincerelyyours, Priest VladimirAbolentsev.Rector of the St Tikhon Patr of Moscow theConfessor, ommunity0n the same heme:The mtnutes f a Meeting f the Synodof Bishops f the ROFC romOct. 1114, 996. tate hat he Chancellor fthe Synodof Bishopsof the ROFC,His Grace Theodore,Bishopof Borisovskoye nd Sanino"rnformedhose presentofa telegramreceivedby the Synod of Bishops of ROFC from Deacon Vladimir Moukhin rom the town of Syzran in theSamaraProvince.The telegram lates hat DeaconVladimirMoukhin, memberof the clergyof the SuzdalDioceseandhis wife were beaten up in the presenceof their two children by membersof the police force and also of the forciblepiacing of Fr. Vladimirunder psychiatric bservation n a clinic in the town of Syzran. This beating continues hecampaignof abuse and persecution f the parishesof the SuzdalDioceseof the ROFCon the part of the governmenand the MoscowPatriarchate."For his reason t was resolved. to lodgeprotests n the nameof the Synodof tsishops f the ROFCconcerningthe matters et forth n the telegram f DeaconVladimirMoukhinwith the loca iand federalgovernments s well as theCommissionn TieswithRelrgrous roups f the FederalDumaAbout he Daugavprls nd LatvianDioceseHis graceVictor,Bishopof Daugavpils nd Latvra - despiteendlesseffortsand appeals o differentministers fLatvia, he Committeeor HumanRights, he president f the republic the directorof the Department f Religion n theMinistryof Justice and other state and local offices -- strll cannot offroally egisterhis diocese n Latvia. As thenewspaper LatgalesLaiks"of Oct. 26 states,theDeputyDirectorof the Departmentof ReligiousAffairsof the MinistryofJustice,Mr. Y. Zalitis, ound that "the community f St. PrinceVladrmrr. qual o the Apostles. ... intends o operateautonomously.The statutesof the LatvianOrthodoxChurch state hat all Orthodoxcommunitiesound on the territoryofLatviaare ncluded n the LatvianOrlhodoxChurchandwill be guidedby the Canonsof the Church. We haveconcludedthat the cornmunityn Liepaor in Daugavpils ntend o operateoutside he LatvianOrthodoxChurch and proceedagainstthe canons of the Church. Consequently, he law about religiousorganizationsdo not permit the operation of suchautonomouscommunities.An Orthodoxcommunitymust act according o the canonicalnormsof their confessionandapostacy rom them gives grounds or doubting he bond of these communitieswith Orthodoxy. This was the basis forthe Ministryof Justice reaching he decisionnot to register he Orthodoxcommunityof St. PrinceVladimir,Equal to theApostles, n Daugavpils" ccording o the statementmadeby the Ministryon Jan.24. 1996.None of the documentation resentedby BishopVictor stating hat the MoscowPatriarchate, fficially egisteredin Latvia,has violated he eanons,was institutedby an atheist ike Stalin s of any avail.Meanwhile,BishopVictor has started receiving etters hreateninghim with reprisals. One of these was pennedby a personwithin he circlesof the "OrthodoxChurch of Latvia"with a signature amiliar o the bishop A whole seriesofthreatswere made o HieromonkPhilaret, he right hand manof Bishopvictor.


9/12

-8-

COMMERCIAL FFAIRS N THE MOSCOWPATRIARCHATEThe newspaper "The Moscow Times" of Nov. 5 in its Business Review section describes the commerciaactivitiesof the MoscowPatriarchate. t turns out that in spite of its continualcomplaintsof near poverty, it is foundingbanks. importingduty free cigarettes n a program that has cost the governrnent$40 million n lost revenuesand is apartner n an oil exporting usiness hathas an estimatedurnover f $2 billionannually."Priest John Economtsev old reporter^shat a banking business is prohibitedby the Bible, but it is commoknowledge hat the Patriarchate wns banks These commercialactivitiesare conducted hroughvariousdepartrnentsthe Patriarchate,n part the Departmentof ForeignRelationsThe reportersnoted hat irregardless f commerce which s commonknowledge. n tobacco.alcohol.heatingoilbankingoperations nd other commodities n the officralaccountingshere s nothing o be found,althoughWesternbusinessmen ho havedealingswrth he Patriarchate peakof these hingsquiteopenly.A huge inccmecomes rom the Patriarchate lant rn Sofrrnowhich produceschurcharticlesand the "DaniloHotel" ocated n its erritory n he centerof Moscowand allrngunder he Patriarchate'sirectcontrolThe MoscowPatriarchateefuses o reveal o reporters ny information oncerning ts budget or 1gg6and itschiefaccountantNataliaDeryuzhkina. tated hat Patriarch lexey l "willpublish nformation bouthis budgetwhen hedeems t necessaryand this only throughhis own meansof mass information."But some of the employeesof thePatriarchate cknowledgedhat ts ncome or 1996come o $2 mrllron Also. t is known hat he MoscowPatriarchatesone of the ounders f the International conomicPartnershrpnd that BishopVictor s a memberof itsboardof trusteesEvtdently he commercialnterests f the MoscowPatriarchate ave turned nto an int ernational candal. Thenewspaper TheMoscowNews"on Sept.29 publrshedhe ollowing etter

It is with sadness hat we read in'The MoscowNews" #35. 1996) hat the RussianOrthodoxChurch s one of the main mporters or the Russianmarketof Western abaccoproducts At first,webeiieved his newswas a crude slandersince such a thrngwould not enter the mrndof an OrthodoxChristian. However, o our great dismay. he employeesof the Depa rtment or ForergnRelationsconfirmed he realityof this deal which has the ostensivearm of provrdrnginanoal support or therestoration f churchesand monasteries.But rs rt reallypossible he Dept for ForergnRelatrons oesnot understandhat this undermineshe good nameof the entireRussianOrthodoxChurch? This wrllscandalizemany mill ionsof "the least in thi s world' Now rndeedour Church can be accused.withcomplete ustification. y everyoneof hypocrisy While there are strlla few mrssionariesn our Churchtrying o instil l n our people who have,as it is. becomemrred nall sortsof immorality - the conceptofthe Churchas the Kingdomof Heavenon earth.as the conscience f the nation. he salt of the earththanks o which he averagepersoncan turn hrsgaze owards he Church n the quest or truth In fact tappears thal every impofted cigareftesmoked rn Russla s so/d by the RussranOrthodox ChurchllIt can hardly be that any means available s appropriate or the adornmentof our churchbuildings?The Clergyand Laityof the RussianOrthodoxChurch MoscowUnfortunately with the fiimsy excuse of supposed poverty. the Moscow Patriarchate n no way is restoringchurches nd monasteries She knowsonly how o squeeze he astdrop of bl oodout of her parisheswho are strugglingat greatpersonal acrifice o restore he ruinsof their ocalchurchesONCEAGAINABOUTTHE"GREATSILENTCOLLABORATORS''

Not ongago,a religiousnformation erviceMetaphrasis entout he ollowing otice."On Oct. 10 the Holy Synod heard the final report of the commissionon the questionof thecanonizationof the lmperialFamily. Now the hierarchof the RussianOrthodoxChurch needs o study itand then a resolutionabout the canonizationcan be introducedat the local Council. The date forconvening he Council snot set, however.one can expect hat it will occurr no later han 1998."Translating his out of bureaucraticargon into somethinghuman ts meaningbecomesclear: heMoscow Patriarchatehas once more postponed he canonizationof the Royal Martyrs or an indefiniteperiod. One can imaginehow much disappointmenthis will cause or mill ionswho for some ime nowhavewanted o place iconsof the Most ReveredPassionBearers n their churchesand offer prayers othem. For those of us who do not belong to the Moscow Patriarchateand who recognize thecanonizationof the RoyalMartyrswhich was accomplished15 years ago by the ROCA, here is nothing


10/12


11/12

-10-Signed: ArchpriestMichaelArdov, Rectorof the Church of Tsar Martyr Nicholas l and All theNew Martyrsand Confessorsof Russia. ocated n GolovineCemetery n Moscow.

THE BIBLESTOPSBEINGA BESTSELLERAccordingto the BusinessSectionof the "The New York Times" of Sept. 29 the publishersof all the Bibletranslationshave taken a substantial oss becausesales were unexpectedly own 48% from last year. June is the mosprofitablemonth or Biblesales, t being customary n America o give Biblesas graduationgifts, o newlyweds.or for any

aniversaries.The average ncome rom thesesalescomes o $3.7 million.HargisThomas, he director of sales and marketing or the farnousOxfordUniversityPress said. "l have neverseen a time in which well positionedand well financed and well done translationshave entered the marketwith suchhorrible esults. I think hatwe have reacheda saturation oinl. ' ,By now there exist severalhundredvarietiesof the Bible whichare touted o Christians s "new translations(rnoreaccurately,alsifications)while the numberof peoplewho are interested n this Book of all books grows ever lessand less- The largestBible publishing ompany ThomasNelson, nc.)declared hat it has tost his yelr $1.4 mill ionThe Bible s suddenlyonly ourth n popularity mongnewlypublished ooks.A LOVINGHEADOF THEGREEKARCHDIOCESENAMERICAAccording o "The BostonGlobe" of Sept. 22 theenthronementook placeof a new headof the GreekExarchateof the Ecumenical Patriarchate n America, ArchbishopSpyridon, and it takes note gladly of his tolerance towards

helerodoxspouses n mixed marriages. According o "The New York Times" of sept.21, not all the Greeks ar eenthuslasiic about their new leader. Thls comes as no surprise. Archbishop Spyridon has too many ecumenicaexperirnents nder his belt to makea Greek with even rather iberalchurchviews happy. He has served or an extensiveperiodat the centerof the Ecumenical atriarchaten Chambesi Switzerland. nd then n Rome. lronically. e lodged nthe buildingwhich ormerlybelonged o a parishof the ROCAwhich n the 80's eft or the Ecumenical atriarchate.Anevent n which he playeda significant ole.ln sptte of the significant eformsaccomplishedn Amerrcaby PatrrarchBartholomewhis protegeArchbishopSpyridon ntends o continue he usual relationship ith SCOBA.hoprng o "continue nd contributemore o Orthodoxunity." lnitiatinga new attltude or the Greek Archdrocese n Amerrcaafter the rettrement f Archbishop akovosSpyridon atherquicklygot in touchwith the Old CalendarGreeksand as a startoffered hem only friendly elations fgoodneighborswithno stringsattaehed.According o the Greek-AmericanNationalHerald"of Nov 11 "ln a cordial atmosphere new conventionameeting ook place [perhaps his should ead: In the new cordialand relaxedatmosphere meeting ook place]of theleadership f the GOC wrth he newArchbishop f America.His Grace Spyrrdon Metr.Paisros ccompanied y Metr.Vikentios,who was visitrnghe USA,went o the Archdiocese here heywelcomed he new spiritual eaderof the GreekAmericans.Theycongradulated im or his unanimous lection nd heywrshed im everysuccess n his mission.,'"ArchbishopSpyridon eceivedboth hierarchsof the Greek OrthodoxChurchwith great love and kindness,andeventwhich establishesa new relationshipbetween he AmencanArchdioceseand the leadershipof the GOC, a matterwhichshouldhave akenplace ongago. On the otherhand, t is traditionalor the Ecumenical atriarchateo acceptal lpeoplesand to promote he Spiritof JesusChrist."lf the retiredArchbishopakovoswas outrageouswith his constant cumenical tatements, is new replacemenwill doubtless e an even moredangerous nemyof Orthodoxy y far'The Greeksare cunningevenup to our days"one of the ancientRussian hronicles otes n passinglFROMTHE LIFEOF THEROMANIAN HURCH"Pravoslavlye".an official publicationof the $erbian Patriarchate eported in the October issue that at thebeginningof this year in Bucharesta meeting was held at which the financial problemsof the RomanianOrthodoxChurch were discussed. Thirty-fourdelegates rom the Patriarchateparticipated n this meeting and2l dioceseswererepresentedby 3 delegateseach"a priestand two laymen. Altogether herewere g7 representatives.At this meetinga whole host of problems,not only those concerning inancialproblems,were discussedsuch asthe teachingof God'sLaw in the schools. PatriarchTheoktistof Romaniasharplycriticized he stateof religiousstudies'n Church ownedschools,noting hat they are permeatedwith a secularspirit. Seminariesand ecclesiastical cademiesshouldstrive o acceptonly thosecandidateswho have a calting or pastorship,or it was noted hat the qualityof clergyhas loweredsignificantly. t was resolved o open a schoolof ecclesiastical rt and to foster he revivalof iconography.


12/12

- 1 -During 1995 there were 550 ordinations,while 1000 studentsgraduated rom seminaries. In spite of all this,there are 1500 parisheswithoutpriests. The salariesvary greatly,but the priests n Transylvaniahave it most difficult.In that region a parishwith even 1500 s not able to supporta decent monthlysalary or its priest.It is interesting o note that the RomanranChurch alone among all the OrthodoxChurches has raised thequestionof the artificial nseminationof women. We regret to say we have no informationas to what was resolvedregarding his question.ABOUTTHE CATHOLICS N WALESAND ENGLANDAccording o the bulletin "EcumenicalNews International" f Nov. 8 a poll conductedby "The Catholic Herald",Roman Catholics n Englandwould like to put an end to the compulsorycelibacy of their priests Twenty-onepercenthope t will occurrsoon,60% expect he change eventually" nd only 19% believe t will neverhappen.A societywhose membersconsistof marriedCatholicpriests odged a protestwith the Catholicbishopsciting hefact that marriedAnglicanpriestswho are accepted nto Catholicism re permitted o remainmarriedIt is interestinghat modernism mongCatholics as becomeblaiantlymanifestnot only among he laity. Notlong ago, a Catholicbtshop.GiuseppeCasaleof Foggia, taly,declared hat in his church or quitesome ime laymenwere permitted o become cardinals. and at the same time that limitations ike those on cardinaisat present did notalways exist. On this basissomeCatholicshave reached he conclusion hat women could becomecardinals. However,one can foresee here some difficulties n such a reform,since,beginning n the 12thcentury. he Catholicsmade t a rulethat only the cardinalscan select he Pope.An interestingdea: hatone cannotexclude he possibility f seeinga woman n a cardinal's at.l"ORTHODOXY" ND THE SEVENTHDAYADVENTISTS"Ecumenical ews nternational" f Nov 22 reporls hat at the end of October he representalivesf the sect of$eventhDay Adventists isited he Phanar the administrativeenterof the Ecumenical atriarchate This s consideredby the ecumenists majorstep orward n the ssueof dralogue etween he 'Orlhodox"and hesehereticsThis sect was founded n America n 1833 by a certainMillerwho began o predict he 'specrfic"date for theSecond Comingof Chrrst All therr eachrngs re based on a "shufflrng" f Brblrcalacts At one time, before heRevolution,heybecame ather opular nRussiaespecial lynSt PetersburgThese sectartans redrctedChrist'sSecondComrngseveral rmes but of course,havrngbeen provenwrong,theynow no longermakeany suchpredictrons.As the bulletin tates. thegoalof this visitwas to achievebettermutualunderstanding nd to breakdown alsestereotypes nd to discover ointsof frrction etween he Orthodox ndAdventrst hnstrans."A spokesman or the EcurnenicalPatriarchaten Geneva declared hat the meetlng on Oct 25 had been "frankand open. lt was a breakt hroughn the debateconcerning roselytismn EasternEurope. lt was also agreed hat suchexploratorymeetingsshouldcontinue."These heretic celebrate Saturday instead of Sunday and are called in Russian "subbotniki" ("Sabbathorshippers")The betrayersof Orthodoxy n the Phanar have no qualmsabout negotiatingwith heretics.no matterhow wildtheir doctrines.

Church News Nov-Dec 1996

Documents

Transcript of Church News Nov-Dec 1996