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Muslim leaders support academicians' letter
"CLERICALISM IS A THREAT TO RUSSIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY"Declaration of the Muslim community of Russia regarding arguments over the letter of ten academicians of Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN)
We welcome the rebirth of the spiritual and moral influence of the church on the souls of millions of Christians. We rejoice that many who in the past were aggressive destroyers of everything sacred are today trying to orient themselves to the commands of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him). We greatly value good contacts with RPTsMP for the sake of preserving peace and stability in our common motherland, Russia.
However, we are deeply disturbed that some understand the rebirth of religion not as the opportunity for voluntary association of religious figures with the population, within the bounds of the constitution, but as an attempt to restore that kind of state-religion relations that developed in the Russian empire before the fall of the monarchy.
In addition, we suggest that it was that state of affairs that became one of the main reasons for the destruction of Russian statehood and the mass departure of the population from religion in the period from 1905 to 1916, which the Synod of RPTs identified in 1916, and the destruction of churches, subsequent revolutions, and persecution of religion on the part of the bolshevik government. In that epoch Islam was considered only "a tolerated religion of foreigners," and even in the period of World War I the government organized missions for the "Christianization" of Tatars, including Muslim soldiers who were fighting on the front.
We are categorically opposed to substituting the spiritual regeneration of multinational and multiconfessional Russia with a restoration of the feudal state monopoly on faith! We consider it to be the mercy of the Almighty that after the fall of CPSU our motherland managed to create a golden mean between the dictatorship of feudal despots and the dictatorship of militant atheists. This is that golden mean that guarantees the right of each and all to free worldview self-expression.
The letter of the ten academicians of RAN has stirred up a public discussion on this subject. The academicians gave a scientifically precise diagnosis: clericalism.
In its significance their letter became a unique continuation of the forgotten letter of Belinsky to Gogol in 1838, where complex problems were dealt with. The special alarm of the academicians was evoked by the decision of the World Russian National Assembly, which in its concluding sessions tried to challenge the concept of human rights and to introduce the concept of "confessional orientated science," as well as to insert foundations of Orthodoxy into the schools on a obligatory basis.
Science cannot be confessionally oriented. There cannot be "Orthodox physics," "Jewish mathematics," "Muslim chemistry," and the like. Science can be either true or false. The nearer it gets to the truth, the more it pleases the Creator and the more it gives to humankind useful information about the universe God created. As M.V. Lomonosov noted wittily, "a mathematician is talking nonsense if he wants to measure God's will like a circle; that is what the theology teacher is like if he wants to study the movement of the stars using the Psalms." In Islam science has never been set in opposition to faith; the Quran and Sunna approve science and acquisition of knowledge.
The academicians cite a document of RPTs: "A circular by Alexis II of 9 December 1999 said 'If one meets difficulties with the teaching of 'Foundations of Orthodox doctrine,' then call the course 'Foundations of Orthodox culture,' and this will not evoke complaints from pedagogues and directors of secular educational institutions who were trained on an atheist basis." From the quoted text it follows that under the guise of "Foundations of Orthodox culture" they are trying to introduce to us (and again in evasion of the constitution) the "Law of God."
The contents of this course confirm the rightness of the academicians; indeed in the provinces, Voronezh for example, agreements have been concluded between education departments and RPTs, where things are called by their names: "Concerning cooperation in the province for organizing the teaching of foundations of Orthodox doctrine."
For 16 years now our country has been permitting churches to teach religion in the schools on a voluntary basis, outside the parameters of the required curriculum. All parents may send their children to these classes as they wish. However a mass desire to attend such classes has not been noted. So now there appears the initiative to restore the feudal monarchical order and to force children to study Orthodox doctrine under the label "Orthodox culture." Meanwhile this is a question of the voluntary choice of the parents who have the right to teach or not to teach religion to their children in accordance with their faith.
After 1917, and more so after 1991, the population of our country has changed qualitatively. Muslims feel that they are citizens of Russia with full rights and they do not agree with the role of "tolerated minority." They do not want for their children to get things in their classes in a state school that are unacceptable for Islam. The state should guarantee the exercise of the rights of each and all to freedom from compulsion in matters of religion.
The inclusion of religion doctrine in the required curriculum is a direct violation of the constitution and laws of Russia and Russia's obligations under international agreements that prohibit compulsion in matters of faith. It is this compulsion toward faith that is the sign of clericalism, leading to the division of the country on the basis of religious and ethnic identity.
We also observe with alarm how the World Russian National Assembly and organizations similar to it are proposing to introduce into legislation the concept of the "rights of the majority," which is characteristic of feudal society, based on the assignment of privileges between "the great," and "the small," and especially on "chosen" classes. Privileges for the "chosen" mean the abolition of the concept of human rights as rights for each and all, and a return to the era of feudal estate society.
The leadership of the so-called "Rights protection center" of the World Assembly has sounded the idea of feudal "patronage" of the church over the "vassals" of a number of Muslims: RPTs "should reserve for itself the right to help religious leaders who are friendly toward it and to report to the authorities their problems and protect them from attacks by common enemies. Which it also is doing." It did this before the end of the eighteenth century, while Catherine II did not forbid such "patronage" with her decree "Back to feudalism."
The first reaction of the Orthodox community showed that in the main, excluding the atheist sympathies of the academicians, their letter hit the mark: official representatives of OVTsS perceived in this a regular "conspiracy," and "political order," and representatives of some parachurch "Orthodox civil" organizations even tried to put on trial an aged academician, one of the signatories, and to expel another signatory from the Public Chamber. A breeze of the medieval inquisition began blowing, of which the academicians properly warned. Labels of the type "enemies of Russia" were set in motion. The clerics themselves confirmed the rightness of the academicians by their intolerance.
We have observed with interest the reaction to the letter of an official representative of RPTs, vice-chairman of OVTsS Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin. We welcome his assertion that "the church is not trying to become a part of the governmental apparatus or an organ of authority." This attempt fully coincides with the requirements of the Russian constitution and federal legislation.
One would wish that this would be fully recognized by those military commanders who take all soldiers to church and force them to participate in Orthodox rituals. And also those teachers who require children, including Muslims, to attend Orthodox services in churches and monasteries, and all of this within the parameters of "Foundations of Orthodox culture." The Orthodox rights defense center here has a wide open field for protection of the rights of Russian citizens who do not wish to participate in rituals and to study the theology of another religion.
Clericalism inevitably engenders a conflict of interests and destroys the possibility of achieving a balance of interests as needed for the stability and prosperous development of any society. Clericalism even stirs up a war within a single confession.
Everyone knows from the history of Russia of the conflict between Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich and Nikon, the patriarch and cleric, who designated himself "the sun," whose light should be reflected by "the moon," that is, the tsar. This conflict led in 1658 to a schism in the country and, in essence, civil war among believers of a single confession.
We, Muslims, wish that there be peace and harmony within a multinational and multiconfessional country, and that there be a diversity of genuine prosperity and welfare for all peoples living in Russia on their native territory. And for this it is necessary that a reliable barrier be erected against clericalism in all its forms.
Avviasov, Shavkat, president of "Russian Islamic heritage" (Moscow)
Ashirov, Nafigulla, cochairman of Council of Muftis of Russia, head of Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims of Asian part of Russia (Moscow)
Bibarsov, Mukaddas, cochairman of Council of Muftis of Russia, head of Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims of the Volga region (Saratov)
Vostrikov, Yadkiar, doctor of medical sciences (Saratov Medical University)
Karachai, Muhammad, president of Muslim Peacemaking Center (Moscow)
Markus, Dzhannat Sergei, member of editorial board of Russian newspaper "Medina al-Islam," assistant to chief editor of "Islam in Russian federation" site
Mukhetdinov, Damir, director of publishing house "Medina" (Nizhni Novgorod)
Rashitov, Frid, doctor of historical sciences, professor (Russian State University of Trade and Economics)
Saifutdinov, Marat, chief editor of Independent Islamic Informational Channel Islam.ru, president of "Ansar" publishing house (Moscow)
Saliakhetdinov, Muhammed, president of the board of "Sobranie" Association of Cultural and Educational Public Associations (Moscow)
Khairetdinov, Damir, kandidate of historical sciences, ethnologist, chief editor of "Ramazanovskie chteniia" theological almanac (Nizhny Novgorod)
Khalidov, Denga, corresponding member of Academic of Geopolitical Problems, director of Center for Problems of Ethnopolitics and Islam 9Moscow)
Ezhaev, Aslambek, director of "Umma" publishing house (Moscow)
15 August 2007
PS. Since this is a Declaration of the community, the names of signers are published in strictly alphabetical order [in Russian]. All Muslims of Russia may support this appeal. For this it is necessary to send their data (name, surname, responsibility, occupation) to the email address podpisi@bk.ru.
(tr. by PDS, posted 15 August 2007)
Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru. site, 15 August 2007
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Last week in review
ANALYSIS OF RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN RUSSIA FOR 6-10 AUGUSTANN Analytical group, 10 August 2007
Representatives of the Vatican hope that the prospects for a meeting of Roman Pope Benedict XVI and Moscow Patriarch Alexis II are becoming ever more realistic, but they fear excessive haste in resolving this problem.
RPTs and Vatican
"We are going toward that goal. The pace is quickening but we cannot force this event," said the vice-dean of the college of cardinals, honorary president of the papal council "Justice and Peace," Roger Echegaray, on Tuesday after meeting with Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus.
The cardinal added that "it is impossible not to think about this meeting." "The patriarch and pope are thinking about it. But this meeting must be conducted in truth and sincerity and not be a populist meeting and it should be held when there are the best conditions for it," the cardinal said. He noted that between Orthodox believers and Catholics there should be "a profound dialogue," and a meeting of the Roman pope and Alexis ii should "express the depth of these relations."
As regards "dialogue" and its "depth," Alexis II again called the Vatican in "the quickest possible way" to put an end to the practice of drawing Orthodox believers into Catholicism on the territory of Russia and other countries of CIS: "I think it is important that activity of structures of the Catholic church in these countries not be turned into proselytizing."
In addition, according to the primate of the Russian church, "the problem remains critical of the complex relations between Orthodox and Greek Catholics in Ukraine, which are complicated by the Uniate expansion into those Orthodox regions of this country where the Unia had never existed historically." The patriarch also called attention of his guest from the Vatican to the fact that today "expansion of the Unia is going on in other countries of CIS." Consequently, a resolution of these problems will serve the future development of positive trends in Orthodox-Catholic relations.
Dispute between scholars and priests continues
For yet another week atheists and believers conducted arguments and dialogues. The week was anticipated by a relevant statement by the patriarch that he made in Izhevsk: "The church strictly observes the constitutional principle. The church does not interfere in political life of the government and the government does not interfere in the church's life." In this connection Alexis II emphasized that "the church in our country is separated from the state, but it is not separated and cannot be separated from society and the people."
Speaking about the statements of the authors of the "letter of the ten" against teaching theology in institutions of higher education and "Foundations of Orthodox culture," Alexis II noted that theology is taught in institutions of higher education of the whole world. "Voices can be heard which demand not permitting the teaching of the Law of God in the schools, but 'Foundations of Orthodox culture' is not the Law of God but a culturological subject. I think that everyone should know the history of his own people and his own culture," the patriarch emphasized.
On Wednesday there was a press conference devoted to the open letter of the ten members of the Russian Academy of Sciences to the Russian president.
Academician Andrei Vorobiev explained at the conference in Moscow the appearance of the "letter of the ten" with information about the introduction of the Law of God into the schools and attempts to strengthen this on the legislative level. "I am far from giving an exhaustive assessment of the role of faith in people's conduct. But science and the ministry of the church are different matters. Education of school children should be based on receiving scientific knowledge. At the same time I am not opposed to the study of the history of religions in the schools." With these words Vorobiev began the press conference.
"For the respected academicians who signed the letter, it remains unknown that a phrase concerning the separation of the church from the schools does not exist in Russian legislation," Deacon Andrei Kuraev answered to the scholar. He called baseless claims that "padres are fighting for power" although he acknowledged that the academicians had something right in the letter: "Too much obscurantism has been disseminated in the name of the church." Andrei Kuraev also called the patriarch's statement in Izhevsk a "civil and humane achievement." After Academician Vorobiev declared that a definition of "Orthodox culture" cannot be found in a single encyclopedia, the deacon referred him to the works of Sergei Averintsev, Yury Lotman, and Mikhail Bakhtin.
The president of the Russian Academy of Education, Nikolai Nikandrov, went further, speaking from his own "special juridical" point of view. "According to the constitution, in Russia the free dissemination of religious convictions is permitted. In the text of the basic law there are no restrictions on time and place when they may be disseminated. And that means that even a teacher in a secular state school has the right to disseminate her religious conviction. That is the constitution," Nikandrov concluded.
"Scientism must not be imposed as an obligatory ideology. The twentieth century showed the insubstantiality of the worldview system of the so-called Enlightenment," Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, vice-chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, declared following Nikandrov. "If we do not introduce Foundations of Orthodox culture today, then in thirty years our children will be turned into beasts under the influence of the cult of decadence." Academician Vorobiev, sitting next to him, only covered his eyes with his hand. When he was asked what he thought regarding Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin's words, the academician answered: "Discussion must cease. It is dividing society. But what my neighbor says absolutely convinces me of the correctness of what I have said."
Representatives of RPTs explain their position by the fact that the number of Orthodox believers in Russia amounts to 60 to 70%. Academician Vorobiev could only reply that science is not determined by the opinion of the majority. The discussion participants dispersed, leaving each to his own opinion. But which subject will be taught in the Russian schools, "Foundations of Orthodox culture" or "History of world religions," or even both, remained unknown.
Meanwhile, Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov, one of the authors of the letter in which the church is accused of clericalization of society, declared that some are trying to give a political character to this appeal and that the discussion has taken "an extremely sharp, unjust, and intolerant character." He emphasized that he adopts the principled position that science and religion have completely different bases: knowledge, in the first instance, and faith in the second. "We are always united in the struggle for high moral ideals and cultural and spiritual values."
Satistics
According to a survey conducted by the Russian Academic of State Service, 68% of the population trust the president and only 10% do not trust him. The church is trusted by 54% and not trusted by 14% of the inhabitants of Russia, according to Thursday's "Vedomosti" newspaper. At the same time the index of trust for other structures, for example, prosecutors, police, and parties is negative, that is, a greater number of citizen do not trust them.
More than half of Russians surveyed affirm their adherence to Orthodoxy (56%), and a third consider themselves atheists, and the rest of the participants in the survey indicate their adherence to other religious organizations.
These data were reported to Interfax on Wednesday at the Analytical Center of Yury Levada, a sociologist who in July conducted a representative survey of more than 2,000 Russians.
His results showed that a majority of respondents (59%) do not attend religious services at all. Only 2% reported that they did so weekly, 4% monthly, 19% several times a year, and 16% once a year or less.
Comparison of the data collected with similar parameters of a 2005 investigation shows that the frequency of Russians' attending divine worship has fallen a bit, with 4% more of respondents now reporting that they do not participate in religious services. In two years the number of those who attend services every week or several times a year also has fallen (by 1-2 points).
According to the data of the Levada Center, among respondents who associate themselves with one of the Christian confessions or do not consider themselves to be believers, the overwhelming majority (79%) have received the ritual of baptism. At the same time 78% stated that they have never taken communion. Only 3% of Russian do this more or less regularly.
Meanwhile, as the Rossiiskie vesti newspaper reported in May of this year, according to data of VTsIOM, which conducted a similar survey, two thirds of Russians (63%) associate themselves with Orthodoxy and 6% with Islam.
No more than1% of respondents consider themselves Buddhists, Catholics, protestants, or Jews respectively. Another 12% believe in God but do not profess any religion and 16% are nonbelievers. In one year these proportions have remained practically unchanged.
The regular observance of religious rituals (no less than once a month) is characteristic for 11% of respondents. A quarter of those questioned (26%) observe only the basic religious holidays and another quarter (24%) observe them from time to time. (tr.by PDS, posted 14 August 2007)
Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 14 August 2007
CHURCH AWAITS ACADEMICIANS CONFESSION
Orthodox functionaries would like to associate with Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn
by Anastasiia Novikova
Gazeta, 14 August 2007
The head of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill, yesterday officially called all academicians who signed the "letter of the ten" to enter into dialogue. Despite the modest suggestion of one of the authors of the letter to the president against "clericalization of society," Academician Andrei Vorobiev, to cease discussion, the argument of scholars and priests has reached an unprecedented scale.
The last two weeks roundtables and conferences on the occasion of the "letter of the ten" have been held, but at them the academicians have spoken in unison. Last week Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin thanked the academicians for giving a remarkable informational opportunity and "drawing attention of society to the problems of the church." Patriarch Alexis II, at a meeting with Udmurtia President Alexander Volkov on 5 August, unequivocally expressed his position with regard to the demands of the scholars and said that the teaching of foundations of Orthodox culture in the schools is necessary.
But now the position of RPTs has moderated some. Metropolitan Kirill stated that he wants to talk with all the writers of the letter "in calm circumstances, without any unnecessary PR," that is, he is ready to seek a compromise with the scholars.
"I do not think that this is a concession by the church. It is our duty to enter into dialogue," Deacon Andrei Kuraev told "Gazeta." "It is necessary to continue discussion until the achievement of public consensus so that there will be no more mutual recriminations."
Metropolitan Kirill, in his statement, emphasized that the church would relate to the academicians' letter in a different manner if it had been signed by Academician Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who during soviet times "raised their voices in defense of people's rights." "In my opinion that's a stupid statement," Nobel laureate and author of the "letter of the ten" Vitaly Ginzburg told a Gazeta" correspondent. "Sakharov has been dead for twenty years and Solzhenitsyn is a believer, and he was not even asked to sign the letter. We could have collected another 100 signatures, but we did not try to have a "letter of the hundred." I am sure that of the 1,200 members of RAN, 1,000 do not believe in God."
Ginzburg reported that the academicians themselves still have not received an official invitation from representatives of the church. The authors of the letter are ready to work further against the introduction of foundations of Orthodox culture into the schools and the inclusion of theology in the list of academic specialties. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 August 2007)
Russian original posted on Interfax-religiia site, 14 August 2007
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Anti-Moscow Ukrainian Orthodox promote "Orange Revolution"
ADHERENTS OF KIEV PATRIARCHATE PLAN TO CREATE POLITICAL PARTYNovyi region, 13 August 2007
The so-called Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kievan patriarchate (UPTsKP), which is unrecognized in the Orthodox world, intends to create its own political party. This was stateted by the head of the division of the Kievan patriarchate" in Chernigov province, Sevastian Vozniak, according to the press service of UPTsKP.
"For next month's elections UPTsKP plans to put forward candidates from their own party," the press service's report says.
As one example of the necessity for the creation of their own party, the Kievan patriarchate cites the situation in Chernigov, where for several months there have been ongoing conflicts between the schismatics [i.e. UPTsKP] and believers of the canonical church who do not want to permit the adherents of UPTsKP into the church of St. Catherine. Supporters of the false patriarch of Kiev, Filaret Denisenko, maintain that the siloviki of Chernigov pay insufficient attention to them.
For the upcoming special elections to the Supreme Soviet, the Kievan patriarchate is supporting the pro-presidential block, "Our UkraineÑNational Self-Definse. The logo of the "Orange" megablock is posted on the official site of UPTsKP with an indication that the program of Our Ukraine includes a point about creation "of a united local Orthodox church," independent of the Moscow patriarchate.
In April the leader of the Kievan patriarchate, Filaret Denisenko, took part in demonstrations of the "Orange" opposition with the demand of President Viktor Yushchenko that he sign a decree dissolving the Supreme Soviet and calling early elections. Filaret also was present at Maidan during the time of the "Orange Revolution" of 2004. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2007)
Russian original posted on pro-Moscow patriarchate Sedmitsa.ru site, 13 August 2007
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Metropolitan discusses church's action in society
KIRILL: NO CLERICALIZATION IN RUSSIAPortal-credo.ru, 13 August 2007
There is no kind of clericalization happening in Russia, metropolitan Kirill declared at a press conference at RIA Novosti. Although there is no clericalization, but church will not permit itself to be run into isolation, the head of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill, declared.
"One cannot talk about any clericalization. The church will never resort to such nonsense," the metropolitan said on 13 August at a press conference in RIA Novosti, commenting on the open letter of ten academicians of RAN to the Russian president, which has stirred up a storm.
"They are frightened of clericalization. But clericalization is when the clergy take secular authority into their own hands. Well, if in our country a metropolitan was named minister of science, that would be clericalization," the hierarch noted.
The metropolitan also commented on the letter by Bishopo of Chukotka Diomid that appeared about six months ago and which criticized the hierarchy of RPTsMP with calls for clergy and believers to isolate themselves, refusing dealings with the authorities and people of other confessions.
The metropolitan said that the two documents were of a piece, stressing that they appeared in the run-up to elections to the State Duma and Russian presidential elections.
"How could the Russian Orthodox church, living in a multinational society, go off into isolation?" the representative of the Moscow patriarchate said. According to him, going off into isolation would entail rejection of the "mission of transforming society."
Metropolitan Kirill is convinced that the church must listen to the voices of others (Catholics, protestants, Muslims) and it must conduct a dialogue with the state, in order to establish correct relations with them. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2007)
KIRILL: WE DO NOT CONDEMN METROPOLITAN SERGIUS FOR DECLARATION
Portal-credo.ru, 13 August 2007
The question about the religious and historical evaluation of "sergianism" in the context of the reunification of the Russian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate (RPTsMP) and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR[L]) was raised on 13 August at a press conference at RIA Novosti, which the head of OVTsSMP, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill Gundiaev devoted to initial results of the reunification, Blagovest-info reports.
"Sergianiam" is the word used to characterize the kind of church-state relations that developed in USSR after the "Declaration" by Metropolitan Sergius Stragorodsky in 1927 regarding the loyalty of the church to the soviet regime. The problem of "sergianism" was one of the main "stumbling blocks" in the process of reunification on the part of ROCOR. We recall that no official document with an evaluation of "sergianism" has been adopted by the Synod of RPTsMP. However Metropolitan Kirill noted at the press conference that "a modern assessment of the 'Declaration' by Metropolitan Sergius is reflected in those agreements that we managed to achieve" in the process of preparation for the signing of the Act on Canonical Communion.
The head of OVTsSMP explained: "Metropolitan Sergius' 'Declaration' reflected the abnormal political situation in which it appeared. The Russian church was in the circumstances of a totalitarian atheist government. The standards of this 'Declaration' cannot be viewed as norms according with the Tradition of our church. That was an exceptional event." The hierarch declared that "we do not condemn Metropolitan Sergius; we do not condemn our clergy, the majority of whom proved their loyalty to the church by their martyrs' blood."
While Sergius' "Declaration" is not the norm, that is, the real norm for church-state relations on which one should operation, it is contained in the "Bases for the Social Doctrine of RPTs." "We will maintain this standard and train the generation of our clergy and people in accordance with it," Metropolitan Kirill noted.
The subject of relations between church and state was continued in Metropolitan Kirill's responses to questions about the "letter of Diomid" and "letter of the academicians." "Even during soviet times the church's attempts to influence and to Christianize our society were never interrupted," he recalled. To suggestions "to sunder all relations with the government" which are contained in both letters, the head of OVTsSMP answered with a number of rhetorical questions: "Why did the holy fathers not sunder relations with the pagan government? Why did they treat the authorities who persecuted the church with respect? Why, in Byzantine times, did the Constantinople patriarch never sunder relations with Muslim authorities for even a minute? Why has the church never abandoned dialogue with the government, and why should it do this now, in the run-up to the December elections for parliament and the presidential election?"
Metropolitan Kirill is convinced that "behind this there is a desire to isolate the church." "If we go off into a ghetto, as they suggest we do, they will close the door behind us and lock it." He said "going off into isolation will mean for the church to abandon the mission of transforming society." (tr. by PDS, posted 13August 2007)
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