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Russian president receives Constantinople patriarch

PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW VALUES HIGHLY CHURCH-STATE DIALOGUE IN RUSSIA
Interfax-Religiia, 25 May 2010

Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed the dialogue between the Russian leadership and the Russian church.

"As the Mother Church, we are happy for the flourishing, very successful cooperation of the Russian Orthodox church and the state. The Russian leadership and the leadership of the Russian Orthodox church have written a new page in history," the primate said at a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday in Moscow.

In his opinion, the dialogue of the church and the state will help "Russian society to be confirmed in the traditions of moral values and Christian ideals."

"This is the best guarantee of the future of the nation," Patriarch Bartholomew is sure.

He thanked the president of the Russian federation for the invitation to visit the Kremlin.

"We are very happy to be in Russia and we are pleased that the visit coincided with the Day of Slavic Literacy and Culture and the name day of Patriarch Kirill, whom we received with great love and respect in our patriarchate last year," the patriarch of Constantinople noted.

On his part, Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill thinks that the arrival of the primate of the Constantinople church in Russia "has great significance for bilateral relations."

"We all, the local Orthodox churches, are a part of the one Church; only one Orthodox church exists, but in each country Orthodox people experience their own particular problems, and thus it is important for the leaders to communicate and exchange pastoral experience," Patriarch Kirill noted.

He said, "There also exist common Orthodox problems, which over the course of long decades have been difficult even to begin to comprehend."

The patriarch expressed confidence that "the bilateral relations of our churches and the exchange of visits and good personal relations, which have developed between the patriarchs, will help in the resolution of these problems."

"Besides official speeches, which declare our positions to the whole world, each day we find ourselves in a dialogue of love, exchange of information and feelings, and what is most important, we pray together and serve the Divine Liturgy together. God is with us in this, and we believe that he is leading our two churches and all Orthodox persons along the path which is in his hands," the primate said. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2010)


MEDVEDEV CONSIDERS DIALOGUE OF RUSSIAN AND CONSTANTINOPLE CHURCHES IMPORTANT
Interfax-Religiia, 25 May 2010

The leadership of Russia assigns great significance to the dialogue with the Russian Orthodox church, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared at a meeting in the Great Kremlin Palace with Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill.

"Many changes have occurred in Russia in recent times and I am very glad that you will be able to become acquainted with these beneficial changes in the life of the country and in the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox church and the state," D. Medvedev said, addressing Patriarch Bartholomew.

In the president's opinion, only as a result of such dialogue is it possible to resolve the very complex tasks that face the state and the whole world in connection with the economic crisis. "Thus we greatly value the constructive and worthwhile dialogue that has developed in recent time with the Russian Orthodox church," D. Medvedev said.

He called the visit by the primate of the Constantinople church to Russia "a significant event" and expressed confidence that this visit "will facilitate the strengthening of the dialogue, which has always connected the two sister churches."

"This is especially important for Russia, since in Russia the greater part of the population is Orthodox in its confession. Thus we have attentively awaited your arrival, and now it has happened," D. Medvedev said.

The president recalled that Patriarch Kirill visited the Constantinople patriarchate last year and he again repeated that the exchange of visits by the primates "has great significance for the entire Orthodox world."

D. Medvedev hopes that during his stay in Russia Patriarch Bartholomew will be able to become better acquainted with the life of the country and of the Russian church.  (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2010)


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Russian Baptist preacher murdered

MINISTER OF ST. PETERSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH KILLED
Portal-credo.ru, 25 May 2010

Yury Petrovich Golovin, a minister of a St. Petersburg Baptist church, perished tragically on 19 May, "Mezhdunarodnaia khristianskaia gazeta" reports.

The 76-year-old preacher was beaten by hooligans in the middle of the day before his death in the entryway of a building to which he had gone in order to visit an elderly sister. She called an ambulance when the helpless minister summoned her to the door. Golovin died in the hospital from the wounds he received.

In the 1990s the late minister headed the "Gideon" mission in St. Petersburg and Leningrad province. "He personally drew me into the ministry!" Anton, a young pastor of the EKhB [Evangelical Christian-Baptist] church on Poklonnaia gora, shared his experiences. "At the time of my baptism on 17 March 1991, after he heard my testimony of how I turned to God, he invited me to participate in the 'Gideon' mission to distribute the New Testament in schools and hospitals. That was when I saw in his face the example of a really vital Christian who was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and who lived by Christ! That was my ticket to life!"

According to unconfirmed information, the murderers of the pastor were drug addicts, of which there are many in the cultural capital of Russia.

Yury Petrovich Golovin served as a preacher in the EKhB church on Poklonnaia gora, and in recent years he supervised a small church in Kirov district of St. Petersburg. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2010)

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Constantinople patriarch on ten-day visit to Russia

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW AND PRIMATE OF RPTsMP LEAD CELEBRATION OF DAY OF THE HOLY TRINITY AT ST. SERGIUS HOLY TRINITY LAVRA
Portal-credo,ro, 23 May 2010

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Kirill, the primate of RPTsMP, conducted a Divine Liturgy on 23 May, the Day of the Holy Trinity, in the Dormition cathedral of the St. Sergius Holy Trinity lavra. As the press service of the Moscow patriarchate reports, the liturgy was concelebrated with the primates by metropolitans Michael of Austria, Irinei of Miriofit and Perestasis, Emmanuel of Galatia, and Ilarion of Volokolamsk; archbishops Evgeny of Vereisk and Feognost of Sergiev-Posad; Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk; priest members of the delegation of the Constantinople patriarchate; Vice-Chairman of OVTsSMP Archpriest Nikolai Balashov; the Secretary of the Chancellor of the Moscow patriarchate Hegumen Savva; vice-chairman of the Synodal Department for Work with Youth of ROCOR-MP Archpriest Andrei Sommer; and director of the personal secretariate of the patriarch of Moscow Hieromonk Antony; and other clergy of RPTsMP.

Among the worshippers at the Divine Liturgy were the head of the administration of the Sergeiv Posad municipal district of Moscow province, V.N. Korotkov; Sergiev Posad Mayor N.V. Maslov; the head of the department of the apparatus of the Presidential Envoy for the Central Federal District, M.N. Belogubov; counsel to the president of RF for matters of innovative development and high technology, L.D. Reiman; chairman of the Synodal Information Department, V.R. Legoida; patrons of the St. Sergius Holy Trinity lavra; and a delegation of youth organizations of ROCOR-MP [Russian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaÑMoscow patriarchate].

Upon completion of the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Kirill and hierarchs and clergy of RPOTsMP conducted a Great Vespers with the reading of kneeling prayers. Patriarch Bartholomew and members of his delegation occupied the altar of Dormition cathedral during that time.

Then the primates of the Constantinople and Russian Orthodox churches exchanged words of greeting. "The harmony of the holy churches of God," Kirill said, in particular, "serves as a true sign that God's grace has not failed within us and that the archpastors who are responsible for catholic unity are moved primarily by the Holy Spirit and Christ's sacrifice has not been without fruit in our hearts. The more united we are, the more effective is our common testimony to the world, that is torn by conflicts and has lost divinely established moral directions. Our will for unity is truly able to incline God to have mercy on humankind and to divert his righteous wrath from us."

Addressing the worshippers gathered in the lavra from the balcony of his apartments, Patriarch Kirill noted:  "The visit by the patriarch of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch and primate of the church from which we received the faith is an historic event. When more than 1,000 years ago the Holy Prince Vladimir accepted baptism, he received baptism from the holy church of Constantinople. And today we rejoice that on the Day of the Holy Trinity we can be here with His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and bless you. May the Lord preserve you all! Blessings upon all of you!"

Yesterday evening Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in a private airplane at the Vnukovo airport where he was met by Russian Minister of Culture A.A. Avadeev and the presidential envoy for the Central Federal District, Georgy Poltavchenko, along with representatives of RPTsMP. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 May 2010)


PATRIARCHS STRENGTHEN ORTHODOX PEACE
By  Natalia Velk
Infox.ru, 22 MAY 2010

On 22 May 2010 begins a ten-day visit to Russia by Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew. Relations between the Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates have been strained for a long time. The ice began to melt with last year's trip by Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill to Istanbul. The return visit is summoned to strengthen friendship. Historian and religious studies specialist Aleksei Muraviev explained for Infox.ru what had impeded rapprochement and why it has become possible.

--For many years relations between the Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates have been far from rosy. The summer of 2009 has been called a turning pointÑthe visit by Patriarch Kirill to Istanbul. Since that time there has been a thaw in relations. Do you think that for now the issues that evoked disagreement have been resolved?

--There have been three conflict areas in relations between the Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates:  Ukraine, Estonia, and the question of who is "chief" in the Orthodox world.

The church of Constantinople goes back to the first centuries of Christianity. After the separation of the western church in 1054, the Constantinople patriarch became the first among primates of the Orthodox churches.

But today it is difficult to say that he is unconditionally recognized as "chief." The Constantinople patriarch has for a long time quite openly placed his bets on the administration of USA as the chief political force supporting him. It is no secret:  90% of the flock of the Constantinople patriarch lives in the United States of America and the Greek diaspora is very wealthy and he lives mainly at its expense.

If one talks in crudely political and social, and not religious, terms, then all of the modern Orthodox jurisdictions are, in essence, functions of political regimes. Accordingly, RPTs today is "under" Russian leadership and Constantinople is "under" American.

The question of who is "chief" is not so much a question of the distribution of financial resources. They have long ago been distributed. It is a question of who will lead in the international structures.

In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the role of representatives of RPTs, addressing the Council of Europe and other areas. It is evident that RPTs has entered into open competition; hitherto Bartholomew has acted in the role of international speaker. If the administration of USA now begins to participate less actively in European politics, probably this will also be reflected in its support of the Constantinople patriarchate. Accordingly, more favorable conditions for the expansion of RPTs will arise.

On the other hand, RPTs is so closely tied to the "Russian" concept. And the Constantinople patriarchate, although both Greek in origin and mainly dependent on ethnic Greeks, bears the "ecumenical" title. It is traditionally more international.  And thus it is better to talk about some reformulation of already existing relationships and not about how some people are departing while others are arriving.

Ukraine

--The conflict over Ukraine was connected with the fact that Ukrainian authorities have for a long time tried to remove Orthodox believers of their country from under the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate. Constantinople viewed in these conditions a possibility of expanding its sphere of influence. In recent years the sides have shown friendliness, by all indications. A positive role has been played by visits to Ukraine by patriarchs Bartholomew, Alexis II, and Kirill.  On 22 May the patriarch of Constantinople will arrive in Moscow. Has the question of Ukraine been more or less settled?

--Everything is not so simple there. The political question has been settled. Ukraine has returned to the Russian orbit. The additional impulse that church processes received in Ukraine during Yushchenko's time has disappeared. But there remain on the territory of the country several Orthodox jurisdictions that do not recognize one another and which aspire to supremacy, particularly the RPTs jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate and the RPTs jurisdiction of the Kiev patriarchate, which Moscow does not recognize and calls schismatic and self-appointed, and the Autonomous Ukrainian church.

Some political forces in Ukraine nourish the hope of uniting these forces under the leadership of the patriarch of Constantinople. Imagine that a large Orthodox Ukrainian church were created under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople patriarch. In such a situation the flock of the Moscow patriarchate would become much diminished, simply because if instead of several small bodies there were one large one, there would be virtually no basis for the existence of the Moscow patriarchate. I think that the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate on the territory of Ukraine would completely disappear if there were a unification under Constantinople of the Kiev patriarchate and the Autonomous Ukrainian church.

Now with the current political realities, the opposite situation has become possibleÑunification under the supremacy of Moscow. But then it will be necessary to resolve a number of problems connected with the status of the Kiev patriarchate.

The more likely scenario for the development of affairs is a freezing of the current alignment of forces for some time.

--But still this is all temporary. Are there more far-reaching prospects in view?

--Everything further will depend on the political direction in which Ukraine develops. Now Yanukovich is balancing between a pro-Moscow policy and Ukrainian independence. It is difficult to say what will happen further. Church policy will largely depend on politics as a whole.

Estonia

--Let's talk now about a second potential problem territoryÑEstonia.

--The situation with Estonia is frozen. An Estonian church has been created under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople patriarchate, and it is openly anti-Moscow and even to some degree anti-Russia. There exists a traditional Estonian church of the Moscow jurisdiction. Previously it was strongly supported by Alexis II because he was himself from there. For Kirill, I think, Estonia is strategically not so important. He could completely sacrifice it in exchange for Ukraine. Of course, the situation is unlikely, but it is hypothetically possible. One must remember that there also has existed in Estonia a third large Orthodox jurisdiction, the Old Believers. Preconditions exist for the current situation to continue in their current form.

Foreign parishes

--Several years ago there occurred the unification of the Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow RPTs. But not all of the foreign Orthodox church accepted the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate. Can the parishes that have not unified be viewed as a field of competition between Moscow and Constantinople?

--Both the foreign RPTs and the Muscovite RPTs are remnants of the pre-Revolutionary Greek-Russian Orthodox church. The split occurred not simply over the principle of recognition or nonrecognition of the soviet regime. Two wings arose: a more conservative and a less conservative. The foreign Orthodox church is traditionally conservative. Its less conservative wing has long been under Constantinople. Those who have not yet made a choice in Constantinople's favor will be embarrassed by its very strong pro-western and even pro-Catholic sympathies. Let's recall that Patriarch Bartholomew studied in a Catholic college and he had friendly relations with the late Roman Pope John Paul II and representatives of the Constantinople patriarchate have frequently concelebrated with Catholic prelates. I think that the sympathies of the Constantinople patriarchate with respect to Catholics will not satisfy the conservative emigrant Russian public. It seems to me that Constantinople has already used up all or almost all of the possible potential in the Russian foreign church. Those Russian emigrants who wanted to have already united with it. And those who still have not done so will be unlikely to do it.

I doubt that they will united under Moscow. It seems to me that these people are critical of contemporary Russian politics. For them, to go under RPTs would mean to go under Russia in a political sense.

That is under the contemporary political construct this flock is not a potential for either Constantinople or Moscow. Most likely, these parishes that do not want to be under Moscow will find Constantinople too liberal, and they will seek for themselves a possibility of uniting with one of the alternative Orthodox synods.

Significant visit

--Great significance is being given to the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew, which is the first in recent years (if one does not count the tragic occasion of the head of the Constantinople patriarchate coming for the funeral of Alexis II). How do you assess the role of this event?

--This is without question a significant event, the end of a confrontation. Apparently the visit means that the sides have come to an agreement and have found some formula for resolving these three question of which I have spoke. I suggest that it means that at least for Ukraine Constantinople has rejected any kind of independent policy. Although for now this is only a hypothesis. We await the meeting. Probably some of the details of the negotiations will be read in the press. We shall see.  (tr. by PDS, posted 24 May 2010)

Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 22 May 2010


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Orthodox diocese takes preventive action against child evangelism

EVANGELISM DEPARTMENT OF CHELIABINSK DIOCESE REQUESTS REPORTS ABOUT FREE SUMMER RECREATION
Portal-credo.ru, 19 May 2010

Prior to the beginning of summer vacation, the Evangelism Department of Cheliabinsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate issued an appeal to directors of education boards and educational institutions, teachers, educators, and parents that contained a call "to give maximum attention to dealing with structures offering services for organizing children's vacation time," a correspondent of Portal-credo.ru reports.

The document indicates that the Evangelism Department predicts a "sharp surge" "by destructive cults in the sphere of organizing children's vacation time and recreation during the summer." In addition to organizing summer camps in the countryside, these structures "will undertake attempts, in the guise of various charitable programs, to penetrate children's educational institutions (schools, lyceums, gymnasia, etc.) in which they will begin to operate children's recreational centers during the vacation period."

Organizations that offer the opportunity for children's recreation pose, according to the appeal, "an extreme danger of subjecting the impressionable psyches of children to the influence of highly effective manipulation techniques."

Diocesan evangelists are teaching parents to recognize the methods of "destructive cults." According to the appeal, these organizations often offer "free or low cost transportation to children's camps. And they very often promise that as a bonus the children will be helped to master foreign languages and other knowledge and to discover and develop some special skills."

The evangelism subdivision of the Cheliabinsk diocese declares its readiness to provide so-called "informational and consultative help" to all persons who turn to it. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 May 2010)

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New trial prepared for Jehovah's Witnesses

CHELIABINSK JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CHARGED WITH EXTREMISM
Portal-credo.ru, 14 May 2010

Massive persecution of the "Jehovah's Witnesses" religious organization is continuing. The site of the Administration of the Investigative Committee of the prosecutor's office for Cheliabinsk province reports that a criminal case has been opened with respect to the branch of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cheliabinsk, for incitement of religious enmity,.

The case was opened on the basis of point "v" of part 2 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of RF (Incitement of enmity or strife accompanied by demeaning of human dignity). Five searches have been conducted in apartments of activists of this religious organization and six searches have been conducted in offices. The activity of the congregation of deaf Jehovah's Witnesses in Cheliabinsk has been paralyzed, which in 2007 won a case in the European Court for Human Rights. And just as happened then, their worship service was interrupted, the Press Service of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia reports.

Early in the morning of 12 May 2010, police officers and OMON troops broke into the Kingdom Hall (house of worship) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cheliabinsk in order to conduct a search. They seized video equipment belonging to the congregation of deaf believers, which was used for conducting services.

In the course of the searches, printed materials were confiscated, along with video and audio tapes, including materials that were not ruled by the Rostov court to be extremist and are not on the corresponding list of the Ministry of Justice. According to the claims of persons conducting and searches and seizure of materials, they were to be sent for linguistic expert analysis.

According to investigators, in 2008-2009 representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses who were preaching in the "Kirovets" cinema theater were guilty of expressions that insulted people on the basis of their religious identity. Jehovah's Witnesses adherents distributed the books "What does the Bible really teach?" "The book for everybody," and "What is the meaning of life? How does one find it," which the Rostov provincial court on 11 September 2009 found to be extremist and were entered into the federal list of extremist materials whose printing and distribution are prohibited.

The branch of Jehovah's Witnesses has been functioning in Cheliabinsk since 2003, "Grani.ru" reports. In the fall of 2008 a correspondent of the "Yuzhnouralskaia panorama" newspaper, posing as a new convert, penetrated the meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses in the "Kirovets" cinema. A report about this investigation has already been removed from the publication's site, but it is preserved in the "Yandeks" data bank. The report states that, in addition to adult residents of Cheliabinsk, the meeting was attended by children and by visitors from other cities. The meeting's participants studied books and interpreted biblical texts, under the leadership of a preacher, in a way that seemed to the correspondent to be distorted. They were not permitted to ask the preacher any questions. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 May 2010)

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Harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses

CHELIABINSK LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS IGNORE DECISION OF EUROPEAN COURT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 12 May 2010

On 12 May 2010, police again paralyzed the activity of a congregation of deaf Jehovah's Witnesses of the city of Cheliabinsk, which in 2007 gained a victory in the European Court for Human Rights because of the interruption of their worship service. Early in the morning, several operational groups arrived for searches in believers' residences, in their house of worship, and also in the work places.

It is not known what the police were seeking behind the lavatories and radiators in the Kingdom Hall (house of worship), but in the end only video equipment belonging to the congregation of deaf believers, which was used for conducting their worship services, was seized. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 May 2010)

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE TRANSFERRED TO CHILDREN
Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 10 May 2010

On 5 April 2010 in school No. 49 of the city of Kurgan, two pupils of the sixth grade beat up twelve-year-old S. Kiselev when they learned that his family attends religious meetings of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Since the child received serious injuries, his family reported to police after which he was sent for a forensic medical examination.

Although, at the request of the children's parents, the family of S. Kiselev decided to withdraw the police report, one of the attackers, A. Danilov, was given school discipline. Paradoxically, when an official of the "Pervomaisk" police department learned of the reason for the beating, she said to the mother of S. Kiselev: "The Jehovah's Witnesses should have been prohibited long ago." (tr. by PDS, posted 12 May 2010)

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