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Kiev abbot visits hospitalized metropolitan

METROPOLITAN PAVEL INFORMS UPTsMP HEAD OF STATE OF AFFAIRS IN KIEV CAVES LAVRA AND KIEV DIOCESE
Portal-credo.ru, 9 March 2012

Metropolitan of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl Pavel Lebed, on 7 March, visited the primate of UPTsMP, Metropolitan Vladimir, who is undergoing rehabilitation in one of the clinics of the city of Kiev, the website of the Holy Dormition Kiev Caves lavra reports.

Metropolitan Pavel was accompanied by the treasurer of the cloister, Arkhimandrite Varsonofii, and the director of the Southwest Railway, Aleksei Krivopishin.

Metropolitan Pavel informed Metropolitan Vladimir of the state of affairs in the Kiev Caves lavra and the Kiev diocese.

The abbot of the Holy Dormition Kiev Caves lavra also received Metropolitan Vladimir's blessing for awarding church medals to monks of the lavra. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Ukrainian conflict hits streets

SUPPORTERS OF UPTsMP HEAD BARRICADE CAVES LAVRA
by Artem Skoropadskii
Kommersant-Ukraine, 7 March 2012

Today in Kiev occurred a rally of solidarity of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate (UPTsMP) and Ukrainian citizens of other confessions with the first hierarch of the church, Metropolitan Vladimir.

We recall that after the hospitalization of the head of UPTsMP, there developed a struggle between two groups of bishops and priests who, in the opinion of experts, represent two groups in the church—a pro-Moscow group and proponents of the independence of UPTsMP from the Russian Orthodox Church—which culminated in the removal of the closest associate of Metropolitan Vladimir, Archbishop Alexander Drabinko.

In order to express their dissent from the action of pro-Moscow hierarchs in UPTsMP, rally participants gathered near the Kiev Caves lavra, where they symbolically barricaded the entrance to the monastery with cardboard boxes. "We want to call attention to the problem of the raiders' seizure of the Ukrainian church by the Russian Orthodox Church, which, in essence, is an affiliate of the Russian FSB [Federal Security Service]. We are not interfering with the internal affairs of the church; we oppose that Moscow and Patriarch Kirill have decided the fate of Ukrainian Orthodoxy for Ukrainians. The balanced action of Metropolitan Vladimir has led to the point where the UPTsMP must become a truly Ukrainian church," one of the rally participants, Ruslan Sekela, declared.

After the protesters erected a symbolic wall of cartons almost five meters tall, they also unfurled against its background posters:  "Ukrainian national shrines for Ukrainians," "Stop, Kirill!" and "Stop, Agafangel!" After they erected "barricades" against the background participants began to chant "Get the church raiders." The protest lasted less than a half hour; after Mr. Sekela's speech the protesters dispersed, having previously dismantled their improvised barricade. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Jehovah's Witnesses' building attacked

VANDALISM OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES' HOUSE OF WORSHIP IN ADYGEI
Portal-credo.ru, 8 March 2012

On the evening of 28 February in the settlement of Krasnooktiabrsk, Adygei, unidentified persons smashed a window and broke handles on entry doors and gates, and they defaced with paint the wall of the house of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Police officers who arrived at the scene conducted an inspection and interviewed neighbors, the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia reports. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Rights protector defends Jehovah's Witnesses

VLADIMIR LUKIN POINTS CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF REQUIREMENT OF STATE PERMISSION FOR CONDUCTING SERVICES IN RENTED PREMISES
SOVA, 7 March 2012

On 7 March 2012 it was learned that Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin filed a complaint in the Russian Constitutional Court regarding the violation of the Russian constitution by point 5, article 16 of the law "On freedom of conscience and religious associations."

The article cited says that religious organizations have the right "to conduct without impediment worship services and other religious rituals and ceremonies:"

"2. [ . . . ] within cult buildings and premises and territories attached to them, in other places designated for religious organizations for their purposes, in places of pilgrimage, in institutions and enterprises of religious organizations, in cemeteries and crematoria, and in living quarters.

"3. [ . . . ] in medical treatment and hospital institutions, children's homes, homes for the elderly and invalids, and in institutions of criminal punishment for deprivation of liberty. . . ."

Point 5, Article 16 says that "In other situations public religious services and other religious rites and ceremonies are conducted according to the procedure established for conduct of rallies, processions, and demonstrations."

In Vladimir Lukin's opinion, it is this requirement that contradicts articles 28, 29, and 31 of the Russian constitution, which guarantee "freedom of conscience and religious confession," "freedom of thought and speech," as well as establishing "the right to assemble peacefully without weapons, to conduct meetings, rallies and demonstrations, and processions and pickets."

The ombudsman's appeal to the Constitutional Court was based on numerous complaints from Jehovah's Witnesses against the impossibility of conducting congresses in rented facilities without prior consent of authorities.

We recall that the conduct of Jehovah's Witnesses' congresses was impeded in Kirov, Ulianovsk, Arkhangelsk, and Kaliningrad provinces and in St. Petersburg and other regions of Russia. (tr.by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Ukrainian official praises Orthodox leader

UKRAINIAN VICE-PREMIER VISITS METROPOLITAN VLADIMIR, "SOURCE OF WISDOM AND SPIRITUALITY"
Interfax-Religiia, 7 March 2012

The deputy prime minister for humanitarian affairs and Ukrainian Minister of Health Raisa Bogatyreva visited Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Vladimir in the hospital.

"There was a sincere and constructive conversation. At the center of attention were problems of the search for ways out of the church crisis, overcoming poverty, developing a dialogue between the state and religious confessions, and the maintenance of Orthodox traditions in Ukrainian society," the press service of the Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.

R. Bogatyreva noted that in March, by order of the president of Ukraine, an All-Ukrainian Scientific-Practical Conference on Problems of the Humanitarian Development of the Country will be conducted, and wide circles of the intelligentsia will be invited to participate. "The participation in this event of representatives of church circles is extremely important for all of us," she said.

In reply Metropolitan Vladimir congratulated R. Bogatyreva on her appointment to office and wished her success in her work and expressed the hope that the conference will facilitate a strengthening of community and the achievement of harmony and mutual understanding in society.

"Such meetings and such conversations are really the source of wisdom and spirituality. We all need to learn to listen and to understand people who are the unconditional moral authority in our society," R. Bogatyreva noted after her conversation with the primate of UPTs.  (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Ukrainian leader views options

METROPOLITAN VLADIMIR THINKS ABOUT SUCCESSOR WHO CAN CONTINUE HIS LINE IN UPTs
Religiia v Ukraine, 7 March 2012

One of the chief topics at a meeting of the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate (UPTs), Metropolitan Vladimir, with a group of journalists—personnel from Radio Liberty, the Ukrainian Association of Religious Freedom, and Den newspaper—was the question of the future of UPTs in the context of recent events, Religiia v Ukraine reports.  "The unity of the church is one of the problems that needs our attention and conscientious responsibility. Only the Lord can unite the church. It is necessary to protect the church because the enemy does not sleep, the enemy of our salvation. Of course, there may be disagreement within the clergy, but I believe that the church must withstand," Metropolitan Vladimir responded to a question from journalists about the threat of schism in UPTs.

The head of UPTs also explained why there is no question of UPTs' being completely independent from the Moscow patriarchate:  "We know that behind this stands a new division, new hatred. This is especially scary. It could lead to religious contradictions and even conflict situations. The church has been given the opportunity to reconcile, think wisely, and admonish. It is very unfortunate that there are clergy who profess one Christ, one church, one faith, but they cannot achieve the mutual understanding that should be. We hope in God, and our hope, I think, will not make us ashamed."

To the question whether he thinks that there will ever be in Ukraine a united local Ukrainian church, Metropolitan Vladimir said:  "I do not think anything specifically, because I know that everything is in God's hands. The time will come; we will see what happens. But it is necessary to pray that the Lord will give the strength, patience, and wisdom not to serve as the occasion for division, but to unite our forces: national, religious, philosophical, and others for the ministry of the church."

The head of UPTs emphasized that Patriarch Kirill has his own vision of the future development of UPTs, although he has not shared it with Metropolitan Vladimir. "Frankly, we have not talked. This question is not ready. Time will put everything in its place," the primate of UPTs said.

Finally, answering the question whether he has in mind a person who could continue his line in the leadership of the church, as recently occurred, for example, in UGKTs, Metropolitan Vladimir stated:  "There are many such people and that is reality. People are recognized just in complicated circumstances. It is possible to spot a person who is actively opposing or supporting and to recall his conduct somewhat earlier and even then philosophy begins. This pertains not only to the church but to all of life. There are always people. It is just necessary to find in a timely fashion that person who would work honestly and devotedly. There are many such persons in the Kiev diocese as well as in other dioceses. And I need to be prepared for such an option. In life, everything could be.

--And have you thought about this?

--Yes.  (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

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Concerns about Moscow's attempt to control Ukrainian church

UPTs CHIEF OF STAFF PROPOSES "CHURCHWIDE DISCUSSION" OF POSSIBLE CHANGES AND ADDITIONS IN BY-LAWS
Religiia v Ukraine, 5 March 2012

On 5 March 2012 the chief of staff of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPTs), Archbishop of Belaia Tserkov and Boguslav Mitrofan, published on the official website of UPTs his own response to an appeal by Patriarch Filaret to the bishops, clergy, and faithful of UPTs.

In his appeal, Patriarch Filaret declared that today there exists "a real threat of the loss by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate of its independence and autonomous administration." Patriarch Filaret based his concern, in particular, on the fact that at a session of the synod of UPTs on 26 January, the membership of a commission which was instructed to work out changes and additions to the by-laws concerning the administration of UPTs was approved. Patriarch Filaret stated that the commission plans to introduce into the by-laws a rule that UPTs cannot independently select and install its own bishops, and this will signify the end of the independence of UPTs.

In response to the appeal of the head of UPTsKP, Archbishop Mitrofan recalled that the decision regarding creation of the commission in question was made by a bishops' council of UPTs on 8 July 2011. This decision "was connected with the fact that during the work of the council, its participants expressed many desires regarding the by-laws. And it was in order to collect all these desires and to analyze them and work out reasonable proposals for possible improvement of the existing by-laws on administration of UPTs that it was decided to create a special commission headed by Metropolitan of Donets and Mariupol Ilarion." Although the synod of UPTs confirmed the membership of the commission on 26 January, according to Archbishop Mitrofan this commission "still has not held a single session and thus it is premature to talk about its decisions."

As Archbishop Mitrofan stated, in creating the commission the council of UPTs "expressed the hope that its work will be conducted in a spirit of fraternal discussion." The chief of staff of UPTs also stated that all bishops, priests, and laity of UPTs "may send to the commission their own wishes relative to possible changes and additions to the by-laws."

Archbishop Mitrofan also recalled that the commission in and of itself cannot make decisions about changes to the by-laws. It can only formulate its own suggestions, which then will be submitted for review by a bishops' council of UPTs.

In addition, Archbishop Mitrofan gave assurance that "all suggestions that the commission formulates will be presented for churchwide discussion." The chief of staff of UPTs gave assurance that the hierarchy of UPTs "is interested in seeing that this whole process be maximally transparent for members of the church."

As regards the status of UPTs, Archbishop Mitrofan recalled that the UPTs council on 8 July officially stated:  "The status of UPTs as an independent, self-administered church with broad rights of autonomy granted by decree of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Ukraine [sic] Alexis II on 27 October 1990 and approved by a local council of the Russian Orthodox Church on 28 January 2009 for now is optimal . . . and its give (to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church) the possibility of conducting its saving ministry . . . and it is the guarantee of the maintenance of its internal unity and is the foundation of the revival of Ukrainian Orthodoxy." Archbishop Mitrofan also recalled that this status of UPTs has been frequently confirmed by Patriarch Kirill in his official statements.

Thus in the opinion of the chief of staff of UPTs, there is no basis for believing the concerns expressed by Patriarch Filaret.

Archbishop Mitrofan called UPTs believers to increase their prayers for the health of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir and "not to submit to provocations."

The "Religiia v Ukraine" website has also frequently called readers' attention to the fact that the commission for review of possible changes and additions to the by-laws, that was created in UPTs, could become an instrument by which Patriarch Kirill and his inner circle could try to restrict the rights of the Ukrainian church. To the present day, neither the head of the commission, Metropolitan Ilarion, nor his secretary, Bishop of Belgorod and Dnestr Aleksii, nor members of the commission have commented in any way about their work. Official sources have disclosed very sparse information relative to the commission and the tasks assigned to it. However, the fact that the commission's membership does not include many of those who participated in developing the new edition of the by-laws of UPTs in 2007, while including the secretary of the Odessa Bishop, Andrei Novikov, who has often advocated a review of the status of UPTs directed to reducing its independence, has engendered a suspicion that the creation of this commission was actually initiated by the leadership of the Moscow patriarchate.

Now Archbishop Mitrofan has officially declared that all suggestions of the commission will be submitted for churchwide discussion and the whole process of its work will be "maximally transparent." If these promises of the chief of staff of UPTs are actually fulfilled, then bureaucrats of the Moscow patriarchate will find it much more difficult to achieve restriction of the rights of UPTs through this commission. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 March 2012)

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Religious leaders congratulate Putin

RUSSIANS CHOSE STABLE AND CONSISTENT DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA—PATRIARCH KIRILL
Interfax-Religiia, 5 March 2012

Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill congratulated Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for his election to the post of president. "The mighty support shown to you by the majority of Russian voters, among whom are bishops, pastors, and many faithful servants of the Russian Orthodox Church, testified once again to the respect for you as a national leader," the patriarch's says in a telegram, which was released on Monday by his press service.

"People correctly appreciated the positive changes in the life of the country that occurred to a great extent because of your efforts and your position," the primate declared.

In his opinion, a large role in Putin's current success was played by his vision of the country's future that he presented and his ways of resolving the problems that it faces in the complex contemporary world.  "The choice that was made is the choice in favor of the stable and consistent development of Russia, and it gives our nation marvelous opportunities for multiplying the achievements that have been made and for building the life of our fatherland in justice, peace, and prosperity," the congratulations stated.

The primate gave assurance that the Russian church will continue its cooperation with the government "in order to establish in the country true spiritual and moral ideals and the unchanging values on which Russia has been built for centuries—justice, mercy, honesty, conscientiousness, love for the motherland and for neighbor, and readiness to serve them by one's own labors."

The patriarch wished the newly elected president health, strength, and worthy associates. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 March 2012)

HEAD OF RUSSIAN PENTECOSTALS COMPARES PUTIN TO SOLOMON
Interfax-Religiia, 6 March 2012

The head of the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals), Bishop Sergei Riakhovskii, compared the choices of the Russian president and King Solomon. "Thus, as once was the case of the biblical King Solomon, you have been selected as ruler of a numerous people, and I prayerfully wish that the Lord will grant you, like Solomon, 'a wise heart to judge the people and to distinguish what is good and what is evil,'" the bishop said in congratulations to the newly elected president, Vladimir Putin, a copy of which was received on Tuesday at Interfax-Religiia.

As S. Riakhovskii stated, the overwhelming majority of evangelical Christians of Russia view Putin's election to the office of head of state "as a good sign that the building of inter-religious and inter-confessional peace in our country will be successfully continued."

"In your service both in the post of president and in the post of prime minister you have always seen in Russian protestants faithful servants of God in Russia, who profess sincere faith and demonstrate in their life holiness and biblical purity. We strictly follow God's word which says: 'Fear God, honor the king,'" the document notes.

Pentecostals are the largest of the protestant communities in Russia; experts estimate their numbers to be approximately 400,000. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 March 2012)


CHURCH CONSIDERS FAITHFUL CHILDREN LOYAL VOTERS
RPTsMP and other traditional confession congratulate Putin on decisive victory
by Mikhail Moshkin
Moskovskie novosti, 5 March 2012

The Russian Orthodox Church was barely the first public structure not only to congratulate Vladimir Putin upon his electoral victory but also to congratulate Russians who cast their votes for the victorious candidate. Patriarch Kirill, in his statement yesterday, did not fail to mention that among a majority of voters who gave substantial support to Putin were "bishops, pastors, and many faithful servants" of RPTs. Traditional confessions with whose leaders Putin met on the eve of the election are counting on reciprocity from the state, particularly in regard to protection from offense against religious feelings.

The congratulations of the primate of RPTs appeared on the website of the patriarchate two hours after the Central Election Commission announced preliminary results of the presidential election. Appealing to Vladimir Putin, the patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus mentioned the mighty support that again testified to voters' recognition of the national leader. Patriarch Kirill gave assurance that RPTs "will continue cooperation with the state for the sake of confirming in the country true spiritual and moral ideals."

However the position of the church with regard to the official results of the presidential election was first given on Monday morning by the head of the synodal Department for Relations between Church and Society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin . "The choice of the majority of people is evident," Fr Vsevolod told the Interfax-Religiia news agency. "Our people are not mindless cattle, as some would like to see." The wisdom of the people, according to the head of the synodal department, is manifested in the fact that "people understand what a historic chance Russia has been given, and how easy it is to lose it under the influence of puppeteers who do not wish our country well." And if in 1917 Russia made the wrong choice and lost its brilliant prospects, now in March 2012 "the people and the better part of the people in power have understood one another," Fr Vsevolod added. The representative of RPTs also paid tribute to Vladimir Putin personally, in terms that are not often heard from the lips of functionaries of "United Russia": "The power of this personality is obvious, and the popular trust is obvious which is of a length unprecedented in the history of Russian democracy."

The Council of Muftis of Russia, which spoke in the name of the second largest religious community in Russia, demonstrated a more pragmatic approach. "In voting for you, we have chosen the equality of the traditional religions of Russia and the qualitative result in state-confessional relations," the congratulations say, which the council sent to the winner in the presidential race. Then the Council of Muftis expressed the hope that the millions of votes cast for Vladimir Putin "by representatives of the Muslim community of our country will lead in the end to a substantial breakthrough in the form of the construction of a Muslim infrastructure and advancement of the training of specialists in Islam and output of Muslim literature." The specific occasion for such hopes is this:  we recall that in November of last year the incumbent President Dmitry Medvedev promised in the course of the next 3 years to allot one billion rubles for developing Muslim education in Russia. On 2 March, the head of the council, Mufti Ravil Gainutdin, having assembled the leadership of the Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims of the European Part of Russia (DUMER), called the faithful to take an example from RPTs as regards expansion of influence. "Nurseries, kindergartens, schools, technical institutes, colleges, universities, army, navy, prisons, news media (including press, radio and television), regional and federal agencies at all levels of government—nothing is left outside the attention of the church and its pervasive influence is seen everywhere," Gainutdin enumerated. "It is possible to conclude that the leadership of RPTs has not wasted time and it is preparing for a mighty leap forward," the mufti added, recalling that the Orthodox long ago resolved the question of the return of church property confiscated by the state. In contrast with the Council of Muftis, the other major Islamic association, the Central Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims (TsDUM), led by Talgat Tajuddin, has still not commented on the election.

The Jewish and Buddhist religious organizations also did not shy away from commentaries. While it is known that the head of the traditional Buddhist Sangkha of Russia, Pandito Khambo lama Damba Aiusheev, cast his vote exactly at noon in precinct No. 240 in Verkhnaia Ivolga, Buriatiia, where and when the chief rabbi (of the Federation of Jewish Organizations of Russia [FEOR]) Berl Lazar voted has been kept secret. On the eve of the election, the head of FEOR made a loud and vague statement; in an interview with the Haaretz Israeli newspaper the chief rabbi of Russia promised that the majority of Russian Jews would vote for Vladimir Putin in the presidential election. "It is possible that if there were a larger choice of candidates, they would vote for someone else," Berl Lazar noted, and he added:  "But I personally do not know a single Jew who would vote for Prokhorov, for example." Among other things, the chief rabbi chided his compatriots who gathered on the Saturday before the election, 3 March, in protest rallies rather than attend synagogue.

We note that the head of the Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Relations between Church and Armed Forces, Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov warned to similar terms. "His Holiness the patriarch said that churched Orthodox believers do not go to rallies," Fr Dimitry emphasized in an interview on 29 February. Along with this the head of the synodal department supported the idea of the creation of an Orthodox party, adding that "without government support nothing will work for us." In his turn, Fr Vsevolod Chaplin wished success to the group that decided to create the "Party of the Ten Commandments."

The reaction of the leaders of religious confessions to the election of Vladimir Putin was completely predictable, thinks religious studies scholar Boris Falikov. "On 9 February, at the preelection meeting of Putin with the leaders of religious organization, there was concluded a kind of mutually beneficial agreement between the authorities and the heads of confessions," the expert noted in a conversation with a MN correspondent.  Religious leaders, in Falikov's opinion, promised support to the candidate, and they counted on some concessions, and there are certain confirmations of this. On 2 March a deputy from "United Russia," Alexander Sidiakin, introduced for discussion in the State Duma the draft of amendments to the Code of Administrative Violations of Law, according to which the fine for desecration of religious objects venerated by believers and for offending religious feelings would be increased tenfold, from 1,000 to 10,000 rubles. The same draft law proposed to introduce administrative detention of up to 15 days for desecration of church buildings. Deputy Sidiakin makes no secret that the occasion for his initiative was the notorious protest of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot in the church of Christ the Savior. "On the other hand, religious authorities can show support to the authorities in a situation of a crisis of legitimacy," Boris Falikov suggests. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 March 2012)

Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 9 March 2012

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