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First day of Bishops' Council contentious

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK.
All indicatoions are that Bishops' Council of RPTsMP, whose opening was marked by an indecorous incident, will proceed in future in uneasy circumstances
by Andrei Stenin, Grigory Tumanov
Gazeta.ru, 24 June 2008

Both the ultraconservative "Diomidites" and the "Nashi" [Ours] virtuosi of street scandals promised to return and to continue their "God-pleasing" showdown.

Excitement ruled the area around the church of Christ the Savior from morning on. Participants of the council in black robes hastened to the session. Supporters of Bishop Diomid, whose case was supposed to cause disorder in the high conclave, stood from ten a.m. on the embankment beside the church of Christ the Savior with icons and placards in support of him:  "Fear God, persecutors of Bishop Diomid." Police officers approached and inquired, and the believers explained that "the prayer vigil" is not a picket line so permission for it is not required. The police with megaphones asked the "Diomidites" several more times to disperse, but in the end they themselves left.

"The time of Antichrist has begun," was said repeatedly in the crowd.

Soon supporters of Diomid organized a processional of the cross around the church, where at the very same time the session of the council was beginning, and they managed to complete more than ten circuits. During the next circuit the "Diomidites" ran into activists of the Kremlin youth movement "Nashi."

The Nashi folk were carrying placards saying "We are with the council. We are with the patriarch." "We will not permit you to insult His Holiness." The Diomidites didn't see anything funny. Several believers tore a couple of paper signs out of the hands of the young statists, scaring the young girls half to death, who constituted the framework of the so-called "Orthodoxy" corpus. The signs were trampled under foot with glee and the processional went off on another circuit, while "Nashi" gathered for a conference.

"I have been bruised; who will fix me up?" the girls complained to their more experienced colleagues.

The commissars called to the conscience of "Nashi." This time a column of processional participants, having made an about face, showed up from around the corner. "Nashi" started gathering. Someone declared that he was going home. Police officers appeared and began to put up a complex cordon around the church in order to prevent a new confrontation. As a result of these maneuvers the columns of "Nashi" and supporters of Diomid were separated by a couple of meters.

"We will get our people and return," "Nashi" said, going over to the Engels monument.

Backups began arriving swiftly.

The square was approached by Orthodox banner carriers, warriors of "Nashi" from the "Volunteer Youth Guard," the leader of the Union of Orthodox Citizens Kirill Frolov with his obedient Orthodox citizens, and the leader of the Orthodox "Nashi" corpus Boris Yakemenko, assuming the leadership of the campaigns. In all, on the square there assembled more than 200 persons. The assembly again unfurled banners in support of the patriarch and condemning Bishop Diomid and they began chanting slogans. The "Diomidites" strolling nearby again tried to tear up the signs, but they were stopped by the "warriors." But the defenders of the patriarch thought better of returning to the church where the "Diomidites" were based. The defenders of the patriarch dispersed after standing around until six o'clock.

All indications are that the Bishops' Council will proceed subsequently in tense conditions.

Supporters of Diomid reported to "Gazeta.ru" that tomorrow the action (including a processional of the cross) will continue. Yakemenko said that "Nashi" also plan to occupy the square around the Engels monument from 9:00, where the prefect has given them permission for a series of demonstrations until 28 June, that is, the day of the closing of the council.

While the battles around the church of Christ the Savior were going on, Patriarch Alexis II addressed the council with the disapproval of a bishop.

"I want to recall firmly; discussion of complex questions of church life should not cause sorrow in the hearts of the faithful or drive its well wishers from the church and cause its enemies to gloat over her," Interfax quoted Alexis II as saying. The patriarch noted that in recent times the problem for RPTs had become "the almost open opposition of several representatives of the clergy and laity to the hierarchy," and he called it a sad fact that some bishops have supported such attitudes. "Indeed, each bishop may and is called to propose for discussion by the conciliar archpastors questions that are disturbing him, but in these cases there has not been displayed a readiness for such discussion and the primate of the church and the bishops have been ignored," the hierarch commented with respect to Diomid's action.

However the conduct of the bishop, despite the ado, was not the only topic raised on Tuesday at the council, for which ruling bishops from all Russian regions, countries of CIS, and foreign dioceses of RPTs had gathered, along with vicar bishops heading synodal institutions and ecclesiastical academies.

The basic topic of the council, as expected, was the unity of the church, concerning which the patriarch talked in the first place in his report, RIA Novosti reports. Alexis II expressed dissatisfaction "with internal disorders, vacillations, intruding persons who are not completely churched and enlightened, who display zeal without wisdom, and sometimes isolate themselves from the life of the church, the head of which is Christ." He also complained of bishops who try, in arrogance, to resolve problems of church life apart from the leadership of RPTs.

Continuing to talk about unity, Alexis II noted also the problem of nationalism which, in his opinion, is threatening the integrity of RPTs. "We should relate with equal attention to our historic heritage and to the new circumstances of the time and remember both the aspirations of the people of God and the natural interests of independent states, not permitting a mixing up of righteous Christian patriotism with destructive nationalistic desires," the agency quoted the patriarch as saying.

At the same time Alexis II managed to condemn civil marriages, calling them "adulterous cohabitation."

He also noted that cases of civil marriages, "where the birth of a child is not even expected," have increased. In response, Alexis II called for "decisive resistance to attempts to erode the concept of family, which can only be the legal union between a man and a woman."

Questions of a political characters also came up at the council.

In particular, Alexis II recalled the tragedy of famine and "its use for political goals."

"We must not forget these sad pages of history. Memory of suffering persons should serve not as an occasion for political speculation but inspire the spiritual unity of nations who have a common history and common fate," the patriarch emphasized.

In addition, he condemned attempts at interference by representatives of state authority in Ukraine in the resolution of church problems, accusing politicians of a schism of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. According to Alexis II, many bishops, clergy, and laity have already been upset by attempts at pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox church in favor of independence from the Moscow patriarchate.

And at the end of his report Alexis II declared that he doubts his own participation in a meeting of patriarchs in Istanbul, which will occur in the fall of this year.

He said that the unfriendly actions of the Constantinople patriarchate on the canonical territory of the Moscow patriarchate in Estonia and in Ukraine, as well as in China, pose a threat to the participation of a delegation of RPTs in a meeting of the heads of local Orthodox churches of the world that will occur in Istanbul. Alexis II thinks that in the course of recent years representatives of the Constantinople patriarchate have tried to gain, on an pan-Orthodox level, recognition of its own church structure in Estonia as an autonomous local church, although only one eighth of Estonian believers belong to it. Whether the patriarch will go to Kiev for celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus remains unknown, considering that Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I has also been invited.

The fate of the rebellious bishop Diomid also remains unresolved.  (tr. by PDS, posted 25 June 2008)

Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 25 June 2008

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Patriarch assesses relations with non-Orthodox denominations

ALEXIS II CALLS VATICAN TO PUT AN END TO PROSELYTISM IN RUSSIA AND CIS
Interfax, 24 June 2008

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II noted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, but at the same time he noted the existing problems, such as proselytism of Catholics in Russia and CIS and the actions of Greek Catholics in Ukraine.

"In recent times a positive dialogue with the Roman Catholic church has developed about a whole series of critical questions of modernity, especially such things as defense of traditional Christian values, the role of religion in the life of society, moral problems, and relations with the family," the patriarch said at the Bishops' Council on Tuesday in Moscow.

Meanwhile, he continued, the agenda of bilateral relations of the Moscow patriarchate and the Catholic church "retains problems demanding realistic resolution, including  the question of missionary activity by Catholics in the traditional Orthodox lands of Russia and other countries of CIS."

A joint working group for reviewing problematic situations existing in mutual relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches was created in 2004 for a discussion of these topics, Alexis II recalled.

"One would wish also to see long-anticipated progress in the question of relations of Greek Catholics and Orthodox in those regions of western Ukraine where adherents of the Unia constitute a numerical majority. Unfortunately we have not observed a positive dynamic in this matter and representatives of canonical Orthodoxy in a majority of cases continue to experience oppression from their Greek Catholic neighbors," the patriarch emphasized.

Touching on the topic of bilateral contacts with foreign protestants he noted that in this sphere the Russian church "has maintained stable, good relations with its long-time partners, the Evangelical church in Germany and the Evangelical Lutheran church of Finland and productive sessions of theological dialogue with them were held in 2005 and 2008."

"Conversations and joint social work with these churches could serve as a model for mutual relations with Christians of other confessions," Alexis II thinks.

He also pointed to attempts of proselytism on the part of "many protestant associations in Russia. The situation is complicated further by the fact that some protestant missionaries carry on proselytizing activity under the guise of charity and anonymously, without naming their denomination," the patriarch thinks.  (tr. by PDS, posted 24 June 2008)

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Orthodox church unity transcends international boundaries

ALEXIS II CALLS BISHOPS NOT TO LET NATIONALISTS DESTROY UNITY OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
Interfax, 24 June 2008

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II declared the necessity of strengthening church unity throughout the expanse of historic Rus.

"In the twenty years that have passed since the celebration of the great jubilee, the millennium of the Baptism of Rus, when there was still a united country, enormous changes have occurred in the life of our country. . . In the expanse of historic Rus new boundaries have been erected and sovereign states have been formed," the patriarch recalled in his address to the participants of the Bishops' Council, which opened Tuesday in Moscow.

According to Alexis II, the Russian church "treats the new political realities with respect."

"At the same time, we recognize that in current conditions the unity preserved by our church is not a simple task; it faces new trials and threats, and strengthening it has become the most important of church tasks which participants of the present council must think seriously about," the patriarch added.

In his opinion, "we must deal equally attentively with our historic heritage and with the new circumstances of the time and recall both the aspirations of the people of God and the natural interests of the independent states, without permitting a mixing up of righteous Christian patriotism with destructive nationalistic demands." (tr. by PDS, posted 24 June 2008)

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Orthodox and Baptists fight over local church building

LIPETSK DIOCESE OF RPTsMP TRIES TO EXPEL CHURCH OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS-BAPTISTS FROM TRINITY CHURCH IN ARBITRATION COURT
Slavic Legal Center, 24 June 2008

Representatives of the Lipetsk and Eletsk diocese of RPTsMP are trying to evict the Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists from the building of the Trinity church which they have occupied since 1989, through Arbitration court, the press service of the Slavic Legal Center reports.

At the present time, a parish council of the Trinity church (Babushkin St.) is registered; it has delivered several times to the Baptists ultimatums that they should give up the church building without any compensation. The warden of the Orthodox parish of Trinity church, registered by the Department of Justice of Lipetsk province, is the priest Georgy Kondratiuk. In addition, the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, which meets in the Trinity church, was excluded this year by the tax service from the United State Register of Legal Entities because it allegedly did not submit a declaration to the tax inspectorate. The Federal Registration Service was not informed that the EKhB church has been dropped from the register, that is, in essence it was liquidated as allegedly nonexistent.

The pastor of the EKhB church, Vladimir Ilovaisky, noted in an interview with the press service of the Slavic Legal Center that the Orthodox diocese began acting more aggressively than previously after an order came out from the government of the Russian federation on 19 April 2007, over the signature of [Prime Minister] Mikhail Fradkov, in which Rosimushestvo was directed to transfer the church building to the ownership of the Orthodox parish.

The pastor said that not only have prayer demonstrations with banners and icons been held near the Trinity building, but also there have been incidents by Orthodox Cossacks and nationalists (for example, from the Lipetsk division of the "Slavic Union"), who obviously had been sent by representatives of the diocese. As Ilovaisky noted, the congregation is prepared to give up the church building, but only when it is given compensation or another building.  The Baptists are ready also to fight further for a building for services, although they understand that it might be seize by deceit and trickery. The EKhB church that meets in the Trinity building has more than 100 members.

The dilapidated building of the Life-giving Trinity was turned over to the EKhB congregation by decision of the executive committee of the Pravoberezhny regional Soviet of People's Deputies on 11 August 1989. The Baptists restored the damaged church, expending on its reconstruction 22 million rubles (value as of 27 December 1993). According to Vladimir Ilovaisky, the Orthodox diocese did not express any opposition in 1989 to the Baptists' acquiring the destroyed building.

In 1993, a commission was created in the city administration for transfer of the building to RPTs. The commission ruled that the Baptists should share the parcel of land and that the Orthodox diocese should pay the congregation some money and build a building. According to the presbyter of the EKhB church, in the official documents of this commission, representatives of the diocese of RPTs wrote that they refused to pay and they want the church returned to them by another way.

The Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists also appealed to Bishop of Lipetsk and Eletsk Nikon, who has frequently declared in the local news media that the Baptists seized the Orthodox church and will not surrender it. The leadership of the union of Baptists suggested discussing the situation that has developed and asked for a meeting between representatives of the union and the leadership of the Lipetsk diocese. However no response from representative of the Lipetsk diocese was forthcoming. Instead of dialogue, the Orthodox demand that the governor of the province simply take the building from the believers, leaving them without a house of worship.  (tr. by PDS, posted 24 June 2008)

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Russian Orthodox church continues growth

PATRIARCH ALEXIS II ANNOUNCES FRESH STATISTICS ABOUT CURRENT STATE OF RPTsMP
Portal-credo.ru, 24 June 2008

At the present time more than 30,000 representatives of the clergy minister in the Russian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate (RPTsMP), Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II reported in his report at the opening of the Bishops' Council on 24 June.

He said that the Moscow patriarchate unites 156 dioceses in which 196 bishops serve (of these, 148 are diocesan and 48 are vicar bishops).

The number of parishes of the Moscow patriarchate today has reached 29,141, and the total number of clergy is 30,544.

The Moscow patriarchate has 769 monasteries (372 for men and 392 for women).

The number of parish Sunday schools is 11,051. In addition, there are 463 youth centers operating in the church.  (tr. by PDS, posted 24 June 2008)

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Anti-protestant Orthodox priests may learn from patriarch's example

HEAD OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS-BAPTISTS ASSESSES MEETING OF ALEXIS WITH GENERAL SECRETARY OF WORLD BAPTIST ALLIANCE POSITIVELY
Blagovest-info, 23 June 2008

The president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Yury Sipko, gave a high evaluation of the meeting of Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II with the general secretary of the World Baptists Alliance, Neville Callam, which took place on 18 June in the patriarchal residence in the St. Daniel's monastery.  In an interview with Blagovest-info, Yury Sipko noted that "the patriarch again assured us of the unity of our biblical values and pursuit of them." "We recall the speech of the patriarch to the European Parliament which gave a high assessment of our relations," Sipko said.

In the opinion of the Baptist leader, this meeting has important significance also for parish clergy, on whose part there exist 'tense relations with protestants.' It is a good signal of a Christian attitude toward one another," Sipko said.

He said that the leadership of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists regularly conducts "working meetings through the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate." In four years three conferences were held. At the present time a revival of the activity of the Christian Interconfessional Consultative Committee is being prepared, within the framework of which the first meeting is planned for September or October of this year.  (tr. by PDS, posted 23 June 2008)

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All Russian Orthodox bishops gather in Moscow

BISHOPS' COUNCIL OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OPENS IN MOSCOW
Interfax, 23 June 2008

A Bishops' Council of the Moscow patriarchate will open on Tuesday in the church of Christ the Savior and continue until Sunday, 29 June.

Ruling bishops of all Russian regions, countries of CIS, and foreign dioceses of the Russian Orthodox church arrived in the capital for participation in the council, along with vicar bishops who head synodal institutions and ecclesiastical academies. This will be the first time that a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, headed by Metropolitan of North America and New York Ilarion, will take part in the council.

A festive ceremony of opening of the Bishops' Council will precede the divine liturgy in the church of Christ the Savior.

On the first day there will be three plenary sessions. Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II will deliver a report to the assembled persons.

The basic theme of the council will be, as expected, the unity of the church. One of the main points of its agenda will be discussion of problems of church schism and the status of the canonical church in Ukraine. The Bishops' Council coincides with the church-wide celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, which will officially open during the time of its work on Saturday, 28 June.

Council participants also will adopt a document expressing the position of the Russian Orthodox church on human rights and a resolution on the formation of a church court, and will review the question of church-wide glorification of the holy primate of Shanghai Ioann Maksimovich, a former first hierarch of ROCOR, who was canonized by it in 1994.

It is not ruled out that participants of the Bishops' Council will deal with a number of ethical and moral questions, particularly expressing a negative position on so-called same-sex marriages.

Patriarch Alexis previously declared readiness "for the sake of church unity" to raise at the council any question and he noted the openness of the Russian Orthodox church to discussion of all social problems.

The Bishops' Council is the supreme organ of church administration, according to the bylaws of the Russian Orthodox church, and it is convened at least once every four years. The last Bishops' Council was held in 2004.  (tr. by PDS, posted 23 June 2008)


BISHOPS' COUNCIL TO REVIEW LETTERS AND APPEALS OF BISHOP DIOMID
Interfax, 23 June 2008

The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox church, which opens on Tuesday in Moscow, will review, among other questions, letters and appeals by Bishop of Chukotka Diomid, which contain criticism of official church policy.

The results of a theological and canonical analysis of the letters and appeals of Master Diomid were reviewed on Monday at a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian church in the patriarchal residence on Chisty Lane in Moscow.

Having heard a report of the patriarchal exarch for all-Belorussia, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret, members of the synod made a decision "to remand the results of the work of the commission to the review of the Bishops' Council," the journals of the synod report.

During the course of 2007 Bishop Diomid spoke out several times in public appeals to believers, which contained criticism of Patriarch Alexis and other representatives of the clergy for contacts with authorities and ecumenical dialogue.

Meanwhile representatives of the Moscow patriarchate and Orthodox community frequently accused the Chukotka bishop of trampling on the canons and of a desire to inject pain and division into the church and to deceive believers. (tr. by PDS, posted 23 June 2008)


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Orthodox conflict in Ukraine

YUSHCHENKO CALLS RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO CELEBRATION OF 1020TH ANNIVERSARY OF BAPTISM OF RUS
by Pavel Krug
NG-religiia, 4 June 2008

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II and Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I may meet in Kiev in July of this year. In any case, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has invited both hierarchs to the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. The invitation for Bartholomew was delivered on 20 May to the delegation from Constantinople led by Metropolitan of Gaul Emmanuel, who was visiting in the Ukrainian capital. At the same time Yushchenko called Ukrainian Orthodox believers "to advance towards coming together with the mother church of the Constantinople patriarchate."

The next day, 21 May, the Ukrainian president met with the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church (UAPTs) Metropolitan Mefody and the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kievan patriarchate (UPTsKP) Patriarch Filaret, and he talked by telephone with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate (UPTsMP) Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Vladimir. Yushchenko wants all of them to participate together in the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of Vladimir's baptism. Obviously, Ukrainian authorities attach great significance to this event.

Earlier, while on a visit in Moscow on 21 February, Yushchenko invited Patriarch Alexis II to Kiev. Just before Paskha the primate of RPTs, meeting with Vladimir Putin, confirmed that he intends to visit the Ukrainian capital. However until now a schedule for the patriarchal visit is unknown, although usually trips of this kind are planned long before the proposed event. "Planning of the visit is going on. Details with be announced subsequently. I suppose that topics connected with church questions in Ukraine will be dealt with at the upcoming Bishops' Sobor of the Russian Orthodox church, which will be held in June," the secretary for inter-Orthodox relations of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, told NGR. However it is not known what kinds of actions the Moscow patriarchate will take if representatives of the "schismatics" participate in the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of Vladimir's baptism.

The RPTs is very unhappy that Yushchenko invited Patriarch Bartholomew to Kiev without its consent, since it considers Ukraine to be its canonical territory.  "The invitation of the Constantinople patriarch to the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus should, according to church rules, be issued by the patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus," Archpriest Nikolai Balashov declared in an interview with Interfax on 21 May.  "The Russian Orthodox church did not send an invitation to the patriarch of Constantinople," he confirmed for NGR a week later. To a question about what is the likelihood of a meeting of the two patriarchs in Kiev, Balashov confirmed that "in bilateral relations between the two patriarchates, this topic has not been raised."

Obviously, RPTs does not approve of the activity of Constantinoople on the banks of the Dnepr and it points to the "conduct of several hierarchs of the Constantinople patriarchate with respect to the schismatic groups that exist in Ukraine and are not within the ecclesiastical fellowship that does not correspond to church rules." In Moscow anger was expressed over the meeting of the Constantinople delegation with representatives of the self-proclaimed Kievan patriarchate, which occurred 20 May. RPTs, which is ever more noticeably considering itself the church of the "Third Rome, does not share the claims of the Constantinople patriarchate to be the "supreme judge" in inter-Orthodox disputes and its interference on this basis in the Ukrainian affair.  "When the Kievan metropolitans were being appointed by Constantinople, which was the Orthodox center of an Orthodox empire, then it was normal to depend upon the Constantinople patriarchs, but now this is, to put it mildly, a bit strange," Deacon Andrei Kuraev, professor of the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy, expressed his attitude.

In the opinion of a number of observers, the visit of the delegation of the Constantinople patriarchate to Kiev was the beginning of an operation under the label of "Ukrainian autocephaly." Viktor Yushchenko is a consistent advocate for the unification of the three Ukrainian Orthodox churches, who do not recognize one another, into a single local church. However earlier representative of UPTsMP refused to sit down at the negotiating table with "schismatics." The situation was changed somewhat in December of last year after the Bishops' Council of UPTsMP in the Kiev cave lavra. The Moscow patriarchate felt that if it did not take the initiative now, then it would depart for Constantinople. And it joined the planning for the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, emphasizing that the idea of marking this event had arisen within the canonical church.

For Ukrainian authorities, the celebration of the jubilee is just another attempt to consolidate the nation by means of an "assembling" of the churches. In order to give special significance to this sacred event, Viktor Yushchenko invited all religious leaders who are somehow related to it to Kiev. He did not even reject the suggestion to invite to Ukraine this year (separate from the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus) Pope Benedict XVI. To be sure, the Holy See respectfully rejected the invitation, which was delivered through Vatican state secretary Tarchizio Bertoni, who was visiting in Ukraine on 21-25 May.

Planning for the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus is being done by a special organizing committee headed by the first president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk. The committee includes official representatives of UPTsMP, UAPTs, UPTsKP, and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church. At the same time, the Russian Orthodox church has its own commission for planning the celebration. One gets the impression that each wants to mark the jubilee in its own way. After all, UPTs Metropolitan Vladimir has several times refused to participate in official events at which representatives of UPTsKP and UAPTs were present, for which it has been criticized in the Ukrainian press. Even the blessed flame was delivered twice to Kiev for Paskha and separatelyÑby an official delegation headed by the president's brother, Peter Yushchenko, and by a delegation of the Moscow patriarchate. Will it turn out this time that the holiday will not unite but further divide the Orthodox people of Ukraine?

Moscow wants to turn the celebration into a demonstration of the unity of the fraternal peoples of Russia and Ukraine under the lead of the Moscow patriarchate. For this Patriarch Alexis II even intends to go to the Ukrainian land. Kiev wishes to use this event for creating a single local church, which will unite the Ukrainian nation, and it hopes that Patriarch Bartholomew I will assure the canonicity of this operation. Thus, the Ukrainian problem has become one of the greatest in the mutual relations of the two patriarchates, which are complex even without it. There's no question here of a holidayÑit's pure politics.  (tr. by PDS, posted 21 June 2008)


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