On Sunday, 13 May, during divine worship in the Moscow church of the Holy Ascension, Archbishop Tiran Kiuregian of the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic church announced the departure of the Association of Armenian Apostolic Churches of Moscow from the jurisdiction of Patriarch Catholicos Garegin II of all-Armenians. The reason for this was the decision of the patriarch naming a new ruling bishop for Moscow, who turns out to be the patriarch's own brother.
Archbishop Tiran Kiuregian has headed the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic church over the course of almost 25 years. However on 11 April of this year Patriarch Catholicos Garegin II named a new administrator for the diocese, Archimandrite Ezras Nersesian, Garegin's own brother.
As the Kommersant newspaper reports in its issue for 14 May, the Moscow Armenian church community has been split into two parts; some of its members support the patriarch's decision removing Archbishop Tiran while others decisively oppose it.
The real subtext of the intrachurch conflict are questions about the degree of autonomy for the diocese and the disbursement by the foundation for the support of construction in Moscow of a cathedral church of the Holy Cross, whose head is Archbishop Tiran Kiuregian. According to the plan for construction of the cathedral and cultural-educational center which was established by the government of Moscow, the foundation is responsible for the collection of funds and the immediate supervision of the construction of the church. It can easily be understood why it was Moscow that the patriarch chose as the new place of ministry for his brother, who until recently was the rector of the church in St. Petersburg.
Addressing yesterday the parishioners of the church of the Holy Ascension with his announcement of departure of the Association of the Armenian Apostolic Churches of Moscow from under the jursidiction of the diocese and catholicos, Archbishop Tiran accused the patriarch and Archimandrite Ezras of subjecting him to restrictions over the course of the past seven months up to the point of prohibiting public statements. On this basis the archbishop declared that he refuses to submit to the catholicos and archimandrite and he forbids the administrator of the diocese from performing any actions in Moscow churches other than praying as a parishioner. In his turn, Archimandrite Ezras declared that the current incident does not signify that a schism has occurred within the Armenian Apostolic church, since the Association of Armenian Apostolic Churches of Moscow still recognizes itself as under the jurisdiction of the supreme body of church authority, the national church council. At the same time he characterized what has happened as criminal arbitrariness with far-reaching consequences.
In the words of Archbishop Tiran, he is prepared for the possibility he may be excommunicated from the church and he suggests that this may happen in the near future, but he does not intend to submit to the catholicos whose authority he no longer recognizes. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
SOCIETY OF VISSARION TAKES "TUBINSKIE VESTI" TO COURT
Mir religii, 14
May 2001
The "Church of the Last Testament" religious organization, better known as the society of Vissarion, has taken the "Tubinskie vesti" newspaper, published in Kuragin district of Krasnoyarsk territory, to court, the "Regions.ru" information agency reports. In January 2001 this newspaper published an article "The Church of the Last Testament" which, in the opinion of representatives of the society, contains statements that do not accord with reality and that discredit the organization.
"The writer of the article presents adherents of Vissarion to a broad circle of readers as weak-willed, useless, deceived people, which is impermissible," the suit states. Critical expressions in the article touch upon practically all aspects of the vital activity of the society, beginning from the time people enter it and ending with the way they dress and conduct their family life.
In all, the article contains eighteen statements which, in the opinion of the Vissarionites, are unsubstantiated and discredit their business reputation and should be refuted. In addition the Church of the Last Testament demands a penalty from the defendants of financial compensation, 30,000 rubles from "Tubinskie vesti" and 10,000 directly from the writer of the article, and it insists on recovery of the costs paid by the Vissarionites in filing the current suit.
It is curious that another defendant in this suit is supposed to be the Department of Press and Information of the administration of Krasnoyarsk territory. The plaintiff demands payment by the department of 30,000 rubles as compensation for moral damage from the aforesaid article. A preliminary court session on this suit will be held 25 May in the Krasnokamensk court of the Kuragin district. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
FIRST DAY OF WORK OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF ORTHODOX YOUTH
Sobornost, 14 May 2001
The All-Russian Congress of Orthodox Youth opened on Sunday in Moscow. After the liturgy in the church of Christ the Savior, which was concelebrated by Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all-Greece, the first plenary session was held in the Hall of Church Councils. Opening speeches to the participants and organizers of the congress were delivered by the primates of the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches.
The delegates of the congress also heard greetings from President Vladimir Putin, read by the authorized representative of the president in the Central Federal District, Georgi Poltavchenko. Greetings from the chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly, Egor Stroev, were read by the chairman of the Committee on Affairs of Public Associations and Religious Organizations, V.I. Zorkaltsev, and greetings from the chairman of the State Duma, Gennady Seleznev, were read by advisor to the chairman of the State Duma, Valery Alekseev.
On the first day of work of the congress two reports were brought to the attention of the delegates, from the Russian Minister of Education Vladimir Filippov and the chairman of the synodal Department on Youth Affairs, Archbishop Alexander of Kostroma and Galich.
The theme that was proclaimed in the president's address, to the effect that "working out of the principles of mutual action among the church, state, and public organizations in the area of youth politics" is the basic goal of the work of the congress, became the leitmotif of all addresses. In the words of Gennady Seleznev, the "congress is the beginning of a new stage in the working together of the Russian Orthodox church and the state in the formation of patriotism." Vladimir Filippov noted that the All-Russian Youth Union, whose creation is one of the priority tasks of the congress, "should unite youth on the basis of traditional, fundamental principles, principles of Orthodoxy." Archbishop Alexander added that "it is necessary to create a public and state doctrine on the moral education of youth."
The archbishop's report also contained specific recommendations for the implementation of youth politics of the church. Thus he called attention to the fact that "it is time to stop talking with the youth of the twenty-first century in the language of the nineteenth," and counseled the "creation of diocesan departments of youth affairs," and he also touched upon the preparation of an informational publishing program. In this regard the bishop mentioned the "Nevod" Internet project which is supposed to become a "step in the churching of Internet space."
At the conclusion of the session there was a holiday concert. There are 1500 delegates from various diocese of RPTs attending the congress of Orthodox youth, which will continue until 16 May. The "Sobornost" editors will follow all events of the congress attentively. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
Russian Religion News Current News Items
An Orthodox priest was stabbed to death in his church in Russia's southern Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Interfax news agency reported Sunday.
The suspected killer approached Igor Rosin after the morning service and stabbed him three times before running off, local police officials said, adding that investigation of the murder was under way.
Rosin, 45, had worked in the local rescue services for many years before
his initiation into the Orthodox Church, officials said. (Copyright
2001 Agence France Presse, posted 14 May 2001)
RUSSIAN PATRIARCH SAYS JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT TO RUSSIA POSSIBLE
Interfax, 13 May 2001
Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia does not rule out the possibility of a visit to Russia by Pope John Paul II.
He said at a press conference in Moscow on Sunday, however, that such a visit is possible "only on the condition that all barriers in relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches are removed."
He said he meant the position of the Orthodox believers in Western Ukraine, where Greek-Catholic assailants destroyed three Orthodox parishes in the early 1990s, as well as the Catholics' attempts to convert Russian Orthodox believers and those who are linked to the Orthodox religion by historical roots to Catholicism.
Alexy II said that the Vatican had departed from the principles of the Second Vatican Council, which proclaimed the Orthodox churches "sister churches". "Sisters are not dealt with the way Orthodox believers were treated by the Catholics in Ukraine," said the Russian patriarch. (posted 14 May 2001)
YAROSLAVL NEWSPAPER DEFENDS CATHOLICS
Mir religii, 14 May 2001
An article titled "Orthodox nationalists against Catholics" was published on the first page of the "Severny krai" Yaroslavl provincial newspaper, the "Blagovest-info" news agency reports. The article describes a picket organized at the entrance to the building of the provincial administation during the time of the visit to Yaroslavl by the apostolic administrator for Catholics of the Latin rite of the northern European part of Russia, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondruciewicz.
"On Soviet Square the Catholic archbishop was met by a picket of local Orthodox nationalists," writes the author of the article, Sergei Kulakov. "Members of the 'Slavonic Regeneration' organization, parishioners of the church of Peter and Paul of the village of Petrov, Yaroslavl district, and sympathizers protested against 'Catholic expansion' in our country."
According to the reporter, demonstration participants demanded that the provincial and city authorities not give Catholics permission to build a church in the center of Yaroslavl. Speaking in defense of the Catholics, the author of the article reminded readers of "Severny krai" newspaper that a Catholic church was opened in Yaroslavl in the middle of the past (sic) century and that it functioned until the thirties of the twentieth century, when it was closed by soviet police.
In conversation with reporters, Archbishop Kondruciewicz stressed that Catholics have not requested the return of the building that is still standing, since the small parish still is served sufficiently by the recently consecrated chapel. If the parish grows, then Catholics will ask authorities for land for building a new church, the archbishop added. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
ALEXIS II: REPORTERS SHOULD REMEMBER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR TELEVISION'S
INFLUENCE ON YOUTH
Mir religii, 14
May 2001
Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus thinks that reporters should remember their enormous responsibility for television's influence on the younger generation. An RIA Novosti correspondent reports that this was said in a letter from the head of the Russian church to participants in the Moscow festival "Orthodoxy on television" that opens Monday in Moscow.
In the patriarch's words, this seventh, by his count, festival "demonstrates the growing level of Orthodox television." "Reporters who write about Orthodoxy should be guided by the social doctrine of the Russian Orthodox church," the patriarch added. In his opinion, it is wrong to show continually on television violence and social and national discord, and to emphasize that "human life is worth nothing."
The festival organizing committee comprised 87 persons from 69 regional state and private television companies of Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, and Moldavia. The goal of this festival is to give reporters and all producers of television films and programs of Orthodox contents the possibility not only of participating in a competition but also of exchanging experiences.
The best television broadcasts and films presented to the competition will be awarded special prizes from the "Slavonic house at the source of the three great rivers--Volga, Dnepr, and Western Dvina" charity foundation. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
GLOBALIZATION AND ORTHODOXY INCOMPATIBLE
Mir religii, 14
May 2001
Participants in a scientific-practical conference "Spiritual and social problems of globalization," which was held at the department of sociology of St. Petersburg State University and the St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Academy, declared the complete incompatibility of the doctrine of globalization and the Orthodox world view, the "Blagovest-info" news agency reports.
The concluding document of the forum, whose final text was published several days after the completion of the conference, notes that globalization is not just economic intergration and technological progress. Its basic danger is in the global concentration of power which "is the essence of the ideology of 'mondialism' ["mondial" (fr.), "worldwide"]" which uses "planetary adoption of informational and financial technology as an instrument of achieving world leadership."
Conference participants see the historic vocation of Russia and the Russian Orthodox church as becoming the "main impediment on the path of aspirations for world domination." Among the manifestation of the processes of globalization in Russia the concluding document specified "the universal accustoming of Russian citizens to voluntary and compulsory acceptance of tax identification numbers (personal codes) that replace the human name in all governmental and social relations." The document calls the assigning to all Russian citizens of a tax number "a clear and gross violation of existing legislation," which "has an anticonstitutional, that is a self-destructive and anti-state character." The concluding document quotes the words of the spiritual advisor of the Saint Sergius Holy Trinity lavra, Archimandrite Kirill: "In accepting INN a person joins the system of evil."
Forum participants assert that promises by representatives of the tax agencies of Russia, that have been given to Patriarch Alexis II often in the course of negotiations and published in the media, "subsequently have been completely unfulfilled and now have been openly rejected by the government of RF."
In commenting on the results of the conference, the "For the right to live without INN" movement noted that from the documents of the forum it follows that "voluntary acceptance of identification numbers signifies the actual entrance of a person into the antichristian system of the 'new world order,' and threatens the danger of the loss of one's God-given freedom and harm to one's own soul and personal salvation."
The movement also called attention to the fact that in several reports at the forum were quoted "official reports about disturbing cases of participation of religious organizations, including RPTs, in structures of the World Bank." (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
Russian Religion News Current News Items
The district court of Prokhladnoe, Kabardino-Balkaria, issued a decision for the liquidation of the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Blagovest-info" news agency reports. The trial was initiated by the Prokhladnoe Inter-district procurator. In his opinion, the congregation has grossly violated the law in conducting religious activity beyond the borders of the district.
It was reported at the Russian Administrative Center of the Jehovah's Witnesses that on 27 November 2000 the Prokhladnoe Inter-district procurator filed in court a request for the liquidation of the congregation on the basis of article 14 of the law "On freedom of conscience and religious associations." The interests of the Jehovah's Witnesses were represented in court by attorney Artur Leontiev.
The court took into account that the congregation was a member of the centralized organization of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has the right to conduct religious activity throughout the territory of the Russian federation. Despite documents presented in court showing that the congregation had given aid to its fellow believers beyond the borders of the Prokhladnoe district upon the request of the administrative center, the court decided to satisfy the procurator's petition. In the words of Artur Leontiev, during the trial pressure was exerted upon Judge Svetlana Kliueva.
"The decision of the Prokhladnoe court seems especially strange in view of the fact that on 24 April 2001 the Nalchiksky city court ordered the Department of the Ministry of Justice of RF for the Kabardino-Balkaris republic to conduct reregistration of three associations of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the religious association of the city of Prokhladnoe," the administrative center stated. In Leontiev's opinion, the decision that was issued "is the logical culmination of the campaign of religious intolerance that has emerged on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, in the course of which several attempts at juridical restriction of the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses have been made."
It was reported in the administrative center that Jehovah's Witnesses of Kabardino-Balkaria have been subjected to attacks and threats; recently a number of lease agreements in several residential areas have been cancelled.
The association of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokhladnoe comprises more than 500 persons, among whom are rehabilitated victims of political repression. "If the decision to prohibit the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses becomes legally effective this will refute statements of the federal government about guaranteeing freedom of conscience throughout the territory of the Russian federation," employees of the administrative center assert.
The congregation in Prokhladnoe intends to appeal the decision of the district court. In connection with the situation in Kabardino-Balkaria representatives of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses have decided to appeal to the office of the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in the Russian federation. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2001)
Russian Religion News Current News Items
In Russia, members of the Jesuit order who pledge special obedience to the pope of Rome are struggling for their rights. According to popular tradition they are considered Vatican spies. The Russian division of the Jesuit order is the smallest one. It comprises 58 persons in all, the majority of whom are foreigners--Argentinians, Poles, Koreans.
The Jesuit house is the only place where the members wear their clerical garb. Jesuits generally try to dress like everybody else. They wear jeans so as not to upset passersby with the sight of their cassocks.
At one time Brother Igor studied at Voronezh university. "That was when I began to think about God for the first time," Igor Liubimov says. "And I was helped in this by the course in Scientific Atheism. It was so well taught that I actually began to think that God exists."
Igor's decision to become a Jesuit was a surprise to his associates. "It was a shock for them. They immediately began to recall such labels: 'Igor, how could you become a Vatican spy? You led the Inquisition in the middle ages. Where do you keep your cyanide capsule?' These were questions that really shocked me," he acknowledged.
Father Bji Karpinsky holds the position of "provincial of the Russian division of the order of Jesuits." Only the father superior general and the pope of Rome are above him. Every Sunday Fr Bji conducts mass for homeless persons. A hundred persons come to the Jesuit service. Others come at the end of the service for a free meal. Regular participants in the liturgy know the prayers by heart and even assist during the service. [. . .]
The Jesuits do not have their own monastery in Moscow. They live in ordinary apartment buildings where every monk has his own room and another for guests. To be sure, women, even nuns, do not have the right to spend the night here.
In all the world there now are more than 20,000 Jesuits. In the Soviet Union there were three underground schools where Jesuits were trained--in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Karaganda. In addition at various times Jesuits tried to penetrate the territory of USSR under alien family names. The most famous of these was Walter Ciszek, who was arrested in 1941 for spying. After he got out of the camp he wrote the book "With God in Russia," which became a bestseller in the West. "Long terms of confinement are no surprise for Jesuits," Lolla Zamoisky says. "Now in the Congo one of the former Jesuits who was imprisoned in China is in prison."
The former head of the Russian Jesuits, Fr Stanislav Opela, last year managed to reregister the order in the Ministry of Justice. To do this he even appealed to the Constitutional Court. The judges supported the Jesuits. But entry into Russia is now forbidden for Fr Opela. He is denied a visa and the Jesuits suspect that there is a reason: they often are called Vatican spies. Officially the Vatican has no structure that engages in intelligence, but what happens unofficially nobody knows. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 May 2001)
RUSSIAN COURT ORDERS REGISTRATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
IN KABARDINO-BALKARIA
Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 25
April 2001
On 24 April 2001, a judge in southern Russia ordered the Department of Justice in Kabardino-Balkaria to register three congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. This republic, with a mixed Orthodox and Muslim population, is close to Chechnya and the Republic of Georgia and is part of the Russian Federation. Judge Takhir Bichekuev found that the actions of the local Department of Justice in evading registration under Russia's 1997 religion law were illegal. "We are delighted," said Sergei Svetkin, attorney for Jehovah's Witnesses. "The Department of Justice was dragging its heels for almost two years, not even providing a formal response. We joined three applications into one procedure and requested the court to order registration in three cities=Nal'chik, Nartkala and Prokhladny. Prosecutors in Prokhladny and nearby Maiskiy now have reason to think twice about their pending applications to ban Jehovah's Witnesses." Prosecutor applications to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Maiskiy and Prokhladny are set to be heard on May 3 and 4. These applications "remind one of the Moscow prosecution earlier this year," said Svetkin. "The trial court in Moscow, after five weeks of evidence, found that Jehovah's Witnesses were no threat to Russian society but that they were a responsible Christian religious minority and should not be banned." Jehovah's Witnesses are legally registered under the 1997 religion law in 365 communities across Russia, including federal registration of their Administrative Center near St. Petersburg. Jehovah's Witnesses numerically place fourth among Russian religions, with about 280,000 associated.
UNION OF ORTHODOX CITIZENS AND ZHIRINOVSKY FOLLOWERS CONDUCT JOINT DEMONSTRATION
ON PUSHKIN SQUARE
Mir religii, 12
May 2001
Today in Moscow a protest action against the planned June visit by Pope John Paul II to Ukraine was held. According to information from capital police, around 1500 persons took part in the demonstration organized by the Union of Orthodox Citizens and LDPR, Radio Liberty reports.
Yesterday leaders of the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches criticized the pope's plan to visit Ukraine. Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all-Greece think that the trip by the Roman pontiff to Kiev is undesirable so long as conflicts between the Catholic and Orthodox churches persist.
At the time of the demonstration its organizers distributed an appeal in which they called Orthodox Christians and "everybody to whom the unity of the Russian church and fatherland is dear to act against the pope's visit to ancient Kievan Rus."
The march began at noon at Pushkin Square in Moscow along Tver Street, in the direction of the Kremlin. As "Interfax" reports," the demonstration was led by young drummers and a military orchestra, followed by deputies of the State Duma, among whom were vice speaker of the State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and his party associates Aleksei Mitrofanov and Oleg Finko.
"The Roman pontiff is coming as an uninvited guest since all bishops of the canonical Ukrainian church of the Moscow patriarchate, led by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev, appealed to the pope not to come. But their opinion was cynically ignored," the appeal says.
Participants in the demonstration expressed confidence that John Paul II's visit "will solidify the results of the bloody destruction of Orthodoxy in western Ukraine where in recent years by means of massive violence three Orthodox dioceses have been destroyed and thousands of churches have been seized."
Liberal Democrats and Orthodox citizens walked in single file. It is interesting to note that the Union of Orthodox Citizens quite intentionally decided to conduct its action along with the Zhirinovsky people, trying to give to this action a broad character. Information about the planned action was distributed by the Communications Service of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, which signals direct involvement of the leadership of RPTs in the upcoming demonstration.
Participants in the protest action called "Orthodox Christians of Great, Little, and White Rus to use all legal means to prevent the papal visit to Ukraine" by means of "organizing pickets, demonstrations, and marches by Orthodox believers." There also were heard calls for acts of civil disobedience in Ukraine; however nobody explained why the demonstration against the pope's visit to Kiev was conducted in Moscow. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 May 2001)
Russian Religion News Current News Items
According to information distributed by the Interfax information agency, at noon on 12 May 2001 a protest march by Orthodox Christians will begin on Pushkin Square in Moscow, the Communications Service of OVTsSMP reports. This protest march is directed against the visit by the Pope John Paul II to Ukraine, against the massive acts of violence by nationalistic-minded Ukrainian schismatics in dealings with clergy and parishioners of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate, and against the threat to Orthodox unity from the policy of the Constantinople patriarchate in Ukraine and Estonia.
The protest march will be conducted by the Union of Orthodox Christians
along with the Liberal Democratic party, with support from the "Orthodox
Russia," "Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods," "Union of Orthodox Standardbearers,"
and "Union of Christian Regeneration" movements, as well as other organizations.
In connection with the planned conduct of a peaceful action of protest
a text of an "Appeal of the Union of Orthodox Citizens to Orthodox Christians
of Great, Little, and White Rus" has been distributed.
The appeal issues a call for organizing pickets, demonstrations, and
marches by Orthodox Christians in order "by all legal means to prevent
the papal visit to Ukraine." (tr. by PDS, posted 11 May 2001)
HOLIDAY SALUTE BECOMES OCCASION FOR SEMINARY REVOLT
Mir religii, 11
May 2001
On 9 May students of the St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Academy and Seminary were for the first time not permitted to view the holiday salute in commemoration of Victory Day, the "Blagovest-info" agency reports. In previous years students of the Petersburg church schools were permitted on this day to travel to the district of the Peter and Paul fortress in order to watch the salute, which occurs at ten in the evening.
However on this current Victory Day the assistant to the prorector for academic work, Hieromonk Damian Zaletov, required that students be in the church for evening prayers before ten and then to go to bed.
These actions of the assistant provoked an "uprising" in the schools since, in the words of the students, dissatisfaction with the actions of Fr Damian had reached the point where students and pupils of the church schools protested with shouts and stomping of feet at the doors of the dormitory rooms. Hieromonk Damian himself, afraid of the consequences, took off in an unknown direction.
Calm was restored only with the appearance of the top seminary administration.
However life has shown that for current young people who have chosen an
ecclesiastical career, holiday fireworks are more important than evening
prayer. (tr. by PDS, posted 11 May 2001)
SCANDAL IN KISHINEV ECCLESIASTICAL SEMINARY THREATENS TO GROW OVER INTO
NEW SCHISM
Mir religii, 11
May 2001
A conflict provoked by the refusal of teachers and students of the Kishinev Ecclesiastical Seminary (KDS) of the Russian Orthodox church (RPTs) and the brothers of the Novo-Niametsky Kitskansky Ascension of the Savior monastery, on the grounds of which KDS is located, to accept the new rector of the seminary appointed by the Holy Synod of RPTs, Bishop Yustinian of Tiraspol and Dubossari, "flared up at the end of April" and the beginning of May, the Blagovest-info agency reports.
Bishop Yustinian accused his opponents of disobedience to the hierarchy and of pro-Romanian attitudes; seminarians and residents of the monastery accused the bishop of close ties with the administration and special services of the unrecognized Dnestr Moldovan republic; and Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin sent a request to Patriarch Alexis II for cooperation in resolution of the conflict.
On 3 May in the capital of the Dnestr Moldovan republic, Tiraspol, Bishop Yustinian held a press conference at which he distributed his official statement in connection with the conflict regarding KDS. The bishop accused the brothers of the Ascension monastery and teachers of KDS of "numerous violations of intrachurch discipline and church canon law." The author of the statement called attention to the situation that the seminary and monastery, despite the blessing of the head of RPTs, still have not undertaken state registration, which the abbot of the monastery and director of the seminary explain by the "nonrecognition" of the Dnestr Moldovan republic, on whose territory the cloister is located, by the world community and, in particular, by Moldova and Romania.
Also Bishop Yustinian accused the residents of the monastery of regular participation "in political debates regarding recognition or nonrecognition" of the republic and of completely ignoring the requirements and laws of this country. Nonrecognition of the Dnestr republic, Bishop Yustinian considers, is "only one of the manifestations of nationalistic pro-Romanian attitudes prevailing in the seminary. Another of their manifestations is "abolition of the Russian language" from the seminary.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Dnestr republic conducted an "operation of examination of the passport system" in KDS in order "to prevent disorders" on the grounds of the monastery, for which Bishop Yustinian expressed his gratitude to the Dnestr law enforcement agencies. In addition the bishop categorically denied that a seizure of the monastery by force had occurred.
On 28 April a demonstration of monks and seminarians, headed by the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Paisy, and director of KDS, Fr Viktor Gangan, denied the rector entrance to the grounds of the seminary. As a result Bishop Yustinian temporarily banned from ministry the ordained teachers of the seminary and excommunicated the lay teachers.
In his letter to Patriarch Alexis II, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin assessed the events at KDS and the Novo-Niametsky monastery in this way: "What happened evoked varied reactions both among the residents of the sacred cloister and among the overwhelming majority of parishioners and residents of nearby settlements. The situation was especially troubled after 26 April when Dnestr special forces literally broke into the monastery and conducted there unceremonious searches, examinations, and the like. The same thing was repeated in subsequent days using other Dnestr special services and even army squads."
Vladimir Voronin sees a political undercurrent in events: "These dangerous actions of the Dnestr leadership . . . testify to the continuing attempt of the Tiraspol administration to create all sorts of impediments to the negotiation process for a peaceful and final settlement of the Dnestr conflict. One of these impediments is the acute situation that threatens to develop over the fate of the Kitskansky monastery." The Moldovan president asked the primate of RPTs "to state, if possible, the attitude of the leadership of the Russian Orthodox church on these events."
The brothers of the Novo-Niametsky monastery and the teachers and students of KDS stressed in their appeal: "Unity of the church and ecclesiastical peace in Moldavia are today being subjected to serious trials." Accusing Bishop Yustinian of "church destruction," the authors of the appeal noted his political activity: "He actively participates in extremist manifestations of Dnestr separatism, inciting hostility against the Moldavian people and personally against Metropolitan Vladimir, whom Bishop Yustinian already has accused of creating schism in the Russian Orthodox church." (tr. by PDS, posted 11 May 2001)
Russian Religion News Current News Items
On 8 May a press conference "Orthodoxy and the youth of Russia at the turn of the century" was held in the Internet Hall of the Central House of Journalists, preceding the opening of the Congress of Orthodox Youth, which is scheduled for Sunday, 13 May. The press conference was devoted to problems of the relations between church and state in matters of youth politics.
The informational hiatus during the May holidays brought out to the press conference a rather broad spectrum of reporters. They were addressed by Archbishop Alexander Mogilev of Kostroma and Galich, Russian Deputy Minister of Secondary and Professional Education Yury Basilevich Kovrizhnykh, and Valery Alekseev, an advisor to the chairman of the Russian State Duma and president of the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples. The announcement of the press conference said that Vsevolod Bogdanov, chairman of the Union of Russian Journalists, and Archbishop Evgeny of Vereisk, rector of the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy, would be there, but they did not attend.
All the speakers had a different approach but they agreed on one thing: the basic goal of the upcoming congress is the creation of a public association of Orthodox youth that is supposed to become the joint offspring of church and state structures. Representatives of the state spoke of how an effective youth politics is impossible without an orientation toward traditional Orthodox values, and the clergy expressed the hope for state support. As a concrete example of cooperation in this direction, Archbishop Alexander, the chairman of the synodal Department for Youth Affairs, and Yu.V. Kovrizhnykh united in citing the revival of the "Golden Puck" hockey tournaments, which, in the words of the bishop, had become for the church "an attempt at creating a new form of work with youth and joint activity with athletic organizations."
Kovrizhnykh, who heads the Ministry of Education's Department of Youth Politics, thinks that the Russian Orthodox church should help society in matters of charity, prevention of crime among youth, and the struggle with drug addiction. Archbishop Alexander repeated several times that "our youth is unjustly called 'a lost generation,' while it can become for the church the 'found generation,' " but for this we need "to activate evangelism among youth" and "develop an 'apostolate of laity,' that is, the participation of laity in church life."
By all indications there is not on either side a clear idea of how to translate these theoretical intentions into practice and, what it most important, how to bring the mutual expectations of church and state into agreement. However, as Archimandrite Gennady, the rector of the Kostroma Ecclesiastical Seminary, noted at the press conference, "like in the past there exists a gap between representatives of the church and the state, which is especially evident in the provinces," and youth politics is the area in which the interests most coincide and in which it would be easiest to find a common language , so that it is necessary to act "together."
The first concrete step should be the Congress of Orthodox Youth. It will be a unique test for the new synodal Department of Youth Affairs, created less than a year ago by decision of the bishops' council. The congress is the first event of such a scale conducted by this department. At it 1500 participants will gather from all Russia, to be addressed in the Hall of Church Councils of the church of Christ the Savior by Patriarch Alexis II, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all-Greece, who is visiting in Moscow, Russian government Deputy Premier Valentina Matvienko, authorized representatives of the president Georgi Poltavshenko and Sergei Kirienko, and the chairmen of all synodal departments of the Moscow patriarchate. The plenary sessions will resound with reports from clergy and representatives of public movements that are engaged in youth work. The rectors of all theological educational institutions of RPTs will attend the congress.
If one judge's from the press conference, the organizing committee has exerted every effort to see that the congress justifies the hopes placed upon it. There is practically no doubt that the level of organization and the splendor of the events accompanying it will be memorable for both participants and reporters covering their work, and it also will create an alternative to the Christmas Readings, the outstanding event of the year in the life of the church and public.
But the main question to which it will be necessary to give an answer upon completion of the work of this forum is the extent of the effectiveness of such a form of work with youth and whether the congress will have such real fruits or it will become just another demonstration of warm relations between church and state and the PR actions of a new synodal department. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 April 2001)
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Ukrainian society views the future visit by Pope John Paul II "somewhat positively," according to information from sociological surveys conducted from February to April by "Sotsis," the "Blagovest-info" news agency reports. As a scholar of "Sotsis," Alexander Stegny, reported at a press conference, "unconditionally positive" attitudes toward the prospects of the papal visit were expressed by 44% of respondents and approximately 4% had negative attitudes, while 23% were indifferent. Respondents who did not know anything about the visit constituted 16% of the survey, while 14% had difficulty answering.
Thus, in the sociologist's opinion, the campaign against the Roman pope's visit to Ukraine "has a simply politicized character and does not enjoy decisive public support of Ukrainian society." In his words, the politicized nature is demonstrated by articles in certain of the mass media. "The threat of the catholicization" of Ukraine as the result of the pope's visit" is "quite unrealistic," and articles in the media regarding such a danger have "confessional and political motives," he stressed. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 May 2001)
POPE TO BE ASSISTED BY 650 PRIESTS IN KIEV
"Echo of Moscow"/Radiotserkov,
8 May 2001
A six-meter podium will be constructed in the shape of a boat for the divine service that Pope John Paul II will conduct at the "Chaika" airport outside Kiev during his visit to Ukraine. This was reported at a press conference in Kiev on Friday by the chairman of the coordinating commission on planning of the pope's visit, Fr Teodoci Yankiv. The podium will be adorned with three icons of the Theotokos that were preserved on the surviving wall of Holy Wisdom cathedral, as well as with images of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Organizers expect that about 400,000 persons will participate at two services in Kiev, while in Lvov there will be about one million. At the time of the liturgy, on the podium's stage the pontiff will be joined by up to 250 cardinals and bishops, who will assist him in conducting the liturgy, and around 400 priests alongside the podium will give communion to believers. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 April 2001)
MOSCOW TO RECIEVE ITS OWN WAILING WALL
Interfax, 8 April 2001
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov will participate on 16 May in a ceremony opening the Moscow choral synagogue after the restoration of its cupola, sources in city hall told "Interfax" on Tuesday. On the same day, across from the synagogue on Spaso-Glinishchevsky lane (formerly Arkhipov street) a so-called "Wailing Wall" will be opened, approximate 15 meters in length and around three meters tall. It will be made of hewn stone.
The idea for the creation in Moscow of a Wailing Wall similar to the one existing in Jerusalem belongs to Yury Luzhkov. The Wailing Wall represents a fragment of the Jerusalem temple destroyed by the Romans. It is the most sacred place on earth for Jews, where every year a huge number of believers gather.
The Moscow choral synagogue was built at the end of the nineteenth century. According to legend, the Moscow city commander was once riding along the street and by mistake crossed himself when he saw the cupola, whereupon he ordered that it be demolished. The cupola was restored during renovation of the synagogue.
Responding to reporters' questions whether the mayor was supporting the Moscow Jewish community in this way because he was himself Jewish, Yury Luzhkov declared: "I am a Russian man, I am baptized, and I never have denied either my nation or faith." He stressed that he would not permit anyone to "speculate on this." "Russian people always have been religiously tolerant and internationalist, and therefore we should follow these principles," the mayor said. He also recalled that in the past decade in Moscow the church of Christ the Savior has been restored and numerous other Russian Orthodox churches have risen from the ruins, Muslim mosques and Jewish synagogues have been built, and Buddhist datsans are slated for construction. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 April 2001)
PRESIDENT STRESSES SIGNIFICANCE OF INTER-ORTHODOX COMMUNICATIONS
strana.ru,
8 April 2001
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday received in the Kremlin the head of the Greek Orthodox church, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all-Greece. During the meeting Vladimir Putin expressed the opinion that communication between the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches facilitates the development of cooperation between the two countries.
He especially stressed that interchurch relations are "an important substantive element of Russian-Greek relations." At the same time Vladimir Putin gave high praise to the services of the head of the Greek Orthodox church, as well as Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus, in the work of strengthening relations of the two nations.
The president recalled that Russian-Greek relations have "a good material basis." Thus, exchange of trade between the two countries exceeded 1.2 billion dollars. The president expressed the hope that the head of the Greek Orthodox church will use his authority and influence for the development of relations between Greece and Russia in the future.
In his turn, the archbishop of Athens and all-Greece delivered to Vladimir Putin warm greetings in connection with the observation on Wednesday of the Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. He noted "Russia's enormous services and sacrifices that it bore for the sake of peace in all the world." According to the head of the Greek Orthodox church, both the Russian and Greek nations during the Second World War "demonstrated unprecedented heroism which humanity values highly."
The archbishop wished Vladimir Putin success in his activity for the good of the country and Russian people. He also noted the efforts expended by the head of the Russian state for the welfare of the Russian Orthodox church. Counting on the confidence and support of his people the president of Russia has facilitated the regeneration of the spiritual and cultural traditions of Orthodoxy, according to the primate of the Greek Orthodox church.
Patriarch Alexis II and Metropolitan Kirill Gundiaev also participated in the meeting. Then President Vladimir Putin, Patriarch Alexis, Archbishop Christodoulos, and Metropolitan Kirill attended a holiday concert devoted to Victory Day.
The special attention that the president showed to meeting with Archbishop Christodoulos is fully justified. Orthodoxy is the official religion in Greece, where the overwhelming bulk of the population belongs to this church, and in Russia as well Orthodoxy plays a leading role in the religious life of the country. Thus the way in which relations of the two nations develop depends on the way in which relations of the two churches develop. The historic experience of relations between the Russian and Greek peoples testifies that Orthodoxy always has been a leading factor for uniting them since the ancient close ties of the two peoples have been based on unity of faith. It is also very important that the president invited Patriarch Alexis II to take part in the meeting, thereby emphasizing that the sphere of relations with Christian churches by the state authority is unthinkable without the participation of Patriarch Alexis and without taking into account the position of the Russian Orthodox church. The fact of the patriarch's participation in the meeting also emphasizes that Archbishop Christodoulos is making an official visit to the Russian Orthodox church at its invitation. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 April 2001)
AROUND 18,000 NEW RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN UKRAINE SINCE BEGINNING
OF 2000
by Svetlana Stepanenko,
Radiotserkov, 7 May 2001
According to information from the State Committee on Religious Affairs, last year was a record year for Ukraine in numbers of newly formed religious organizations.
At the present time 24,500 religious organizations are active in the country, and a bit more than 1,000 of them are not registered. In the past ten years the greatest number of new religious societies have appeared in central and eastern Ukraine. More than a third of the total growth of religious organizations has been protestant societies. According to a statistical account published by the Ukrainian State Committee on Religious Affairs, among protestant churches the largest number of societies constitute the All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists. The number of churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) is around 1,500, including 250 unregistered congregations. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 April 2001)
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On 7 May Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna received a report from the dean of churches of the Voskresensk district, Moscow province, Hegumen Innokenty. The report from the city of Voskresensk stated: "Over the course of the past seventeen years, on the holiday of Victory Day the clergy of Voskresensk have invariably taken part in the city-wide celebrations, performing the litany for the dead, attending the laying of wreathes at the grave of the unknown soldier, and greeting veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The church's participation in the national day of remembrance gave to it special solemnity and brought comfort to the families of dead heroes, and thus it was received with gratitude by residents of our city.
"However this year the head of the administration of Voskresensk district, Z.A. Panova, prohibited the clergy's participation in the holiday ceremony devoted to the 9 May holiday. This was justified by the claim that 'the city has its events and the church, its own,' and in general 'believers have their churches so let them pray there, inasmuch as the church is separated from the state.'
"Besides this, on 11 May, in Voskresensk there will be a festival of children's choirs from schools of music in which the children's choir of the Sunday school of the St. John Chrysostom church was invited to participate. But this choir will not be permitted to participate in the festival. 'We do not need church songs,' declared the head of the administration of culture, A.A. Masterov, citing the head of the administration of Voskresensk district, Z.A. Panova.
"In such actions we see infringement of the civil rights of Orthodox believers, violation of the principle of freedom of consciene, and the danger of the incitement of religious discord. In these circumstances that are difficult for the Orthodox population of Voskersensk we prayerfully hope for the support and help of Your Eminence."
In response to the appeal, Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna sent on 8 May 2001 an urgent telegram to Hegumen Innokenty: "Dear Father Hegumen Innokenty. I received your report with enormous incomprehension and concern. This is the first and, I hope, last case in our diocese of such barbarian infringement of human rights on the part of the official authorities of the city of Voskersensk, Moscow province. I am informing immediately Governor B.V. Gromov of this incident, that is clouding the nationwide holiday."
Simultaneously Metropolitan Yuvenaly sent to Moscow provincial Governor B.V. Gromov a telegram whose text is reproduced here in full: "Deeply esteemed Boris Vsevolodovich! I regret that I an interrupting the holiday with my message. I am forced to send you materials that becloud this day. I await your response so that the traditions of Victory Day, the ninth of May, in Voskresensk will not be disrupted."
A half hour later Moscow provincial Governor B.V. Gromov sent the head of the administration of Voskresensk district, Z.A. Panova, a governmental telegram with the following contents:
"Esteemed Zoya Alexandrovna! I have received an alarming telegram stating that you personally and the head of the administration of culture of the government of Voskresensk district, A.A. Masterov, decided to restrict severely the participation of representatives of the church in ceremonies devoted to the celebration of Victory Day.
I firmly request that you restore participation in all city-wide celebrations
on 9 May of this year by the clergy of the city of Voskersensk, as well
as participation of the children's choir (O.E. Boichenko, director)." (tr.
by PDS, posted 8 April 2001)
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