Orthodox Christianity

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy urged the President of Ukraine to stop the interference of officials in the affairs of the Church

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy urged the President of Ukraine to stop the interference of officials in the affairs of the Church Блаженнейший митрополит Онуфрий призвал Президента Украины прекратить вмешательство чиновников в дела Церкви print version March 22, 2019 20:18 March 21, 2019 The Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Most Blessed Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onuphrius took part in the meeting of the President of Ukraine PA Poroshenko with the members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), held at the initiative of the head of state. His Beatitude Bishop was accompanied by the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Borispol and Brovarsky, Anthony , as well as Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In his speech, PA Poroshenko emphasized the need to protect the principles of religious freedom. “I, as President, as the guarantor of constitutional rights, will do everything possible to protect religious freedom in Ukraine. The issue of religious freedom should be the subject of our joint activities, ”the head of state said, adding that“ violence can never be a way to solve problems. ” The Most Blessed Metropolitan Onufry, thanking P.A. Poroshenko for the opportunity to meet, said: “In these blessed days of Great Lent, the Church calls us to repentance, restraint, prayer and reconciliation with our neighbors. The task of the Church is to take care of the spiritual, moral, to lead people to God, to preach love, forgiveness and peace. The task of the state - to take care of the material side of human life, to monitor compliance with the laws and the like. However, during these days of Great Lent, as well as for a long time before it began, events are happening in the religious sphere of our country that distress us. I mean the seizure of churches, the intervention of government representatives in church affairs and other offenses. In particular, the heads of village councils, city councils, heads of administrations, deputies convene a meeting of territorial communities and arrange illegal voting to change the subordination of a religious community. This is directly contrary to the Law of Ukraine No. 2683 (draft 4128-e), where it is said that only a religious community with two-thirds vote can do it, and not a territorial one. This leads to the fact that they forcefully seize our churches, drive our communities into the streets, our communities are forced to pray in rural homes. In particular, our communities in Volyn serve in the houses: in the villages, Nychegovka, Krasnovolya, Telchi, Godomichi (this is the Manevichsky district); in the villages of Zhidychin, Klepachy, Berestyane, Kulchin (this is Lutsk region), Berestechko, Sands, Zvinyache, Skobelka (this is Gorokhov district). And this is not all data only for the Volyn region. There are a lot of such cases in different areas. The police often do not act, just passively watching. I want to emphasize that it is not we who seize temples in ourselves, it is not our communities that cut off the castles on their temples, as some people sometimes say in our media. This comes to strangers for the Church people who did not go to the temple and do not go. One of the last egregious cases was in the town of Baranovka in the Zhytomyr region, where on Forgiveness Sunday the deputy from the Radical Party Oleg Kovalsky gathered a “veche”, after which he sent about 400 people to take over the UOC church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. As a result, the crowd rushed to the temple. Parishioners, who in the amount of about 150 people were in the temple, were beaten, thrown from the church stairs and pushed out of the church fence. And for such illegal actions, provoking inter-religious hatred, for an attempt to capture, none of the officials is not responsible. But the priest of our Church, who protects our churches and defends the rule of law - I mean Archpriest Viktor Zemlyanoy from the Rivne diocese, is under pressure - they opened criminal proceedings against him and handed over suspicion under articles No. 161 (part 1) and number 300 (part 1 ). All charges are artificial. Also try to choose a measure of restraint for him. As we know, the pressure on our priest is on the orders of the head of the SBU in the Rivne region, Bedry Vasily Vasilyevich. In other regions of Ukraine there are similar criminal proceedings. We regard them as ordered, as a way of putting pressure on the clergy and believers of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and we believe that such persecution in a democratic society is unacceptable and violates the right to freedom of religion. False information about the transfer of UOC religious communities in the amount of about 450 parishes is disseminated in the media. However, according to our data, only 42 parishes decided to go to the PCU, of which 9 parishes went without a priest. The remaining 55 so-called "voluntary transitions" are characterized by cutting locks, beating believers and in fact are captures. 137 cases were registered where the territorial community voted to transfer to the HCV against the will of the religious community. In these cases, our faithful with the priests remain and serve in their churches, although the local authorities reported that the community allegedly passed. The facts of threats, intimidation, pressure on the clergymen of the UOC, discrimination and other violations of the rights and freedoms of our Church have already come to the attention of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and published in their report of 12.03.2019. Everything that is happening now in villages in different regions of Ukraine has a negative effect on both the authority of the authorities and the authority of the President. Therefore, I would ask you, Pyotr Alekseevich, to instruct local officials to stop artificially initiating a change of subordination. It will stop conflicts among people. I am sure that everything that is now happening around our Church, including among Orthodox Christians in general, is not the way we should go. This is definitely not the path that will lead us to unity. It is necessary to recognize the fallacy of this path, to draw conclusions from the mistakes, and look for other ways of church unity. Capturing and dragging wards only discards the unity process decades ago. We have already experienced this in the early 1990s. Therefore, if the situation cannot be completely rectified, then at least one should start by not worsening it. Mr. President! I want you to understand us correctly. We, that is, our Ukrainian Orthodox Church - for Ukraine, for the whole and united state. For peace, for peace, understanding and unity among our people. We have always defended it and declared. All that I cited above only harms the state. Make it stop. I am sure it is in your power! ” Responding to the words of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the head of state said that neither he nor any regional state administration gave instructions on the places for the transfer of churches from one denomination to another. P.A. Poroshenko advised in the above cases to go to court, and also offered His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onufry to hold a separate meeting to discuss these crisis issues. His Beatitude Bishop Onufry conveyed to the head of state a list of captured temples and a description of other facts of offenses committed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The president instructed his assistants to study the situation and respond on a case-by-case basis. At the end of the official part of the event, P.A. Poroshenko with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, informs the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with reference to the DECR UOC website .

Monday, March 25, 2019

Priests of a number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church take part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan

Priests of a number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church take part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan Священнослужители ряда епархий Русской Православной Церкви принимают участие в памятных мероприятиях по случаю 30-летия вывода советских войск из Афганистана print version February 14, 2019 15:35 On February 15, Russia celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Russians, who performed their official duties outside the country. In 1989, it was on this day that the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed. In the Russian regions are events dedicated to this date. More than 4.5 thousand people from Smolensk region fought on the territory of Afghanistan. On the eve of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of a limited contingent of Soviet troops from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, a solemn event was held in Smolensk in the cultural center "Gubernsky". The event was attended by member of the Federation Council Committee of the Federal Assembly of Defense and Security, head of the Russian Union of Afghan Veterans Franz Klintsevich, deputy governor of the Smolensk region Konstantin Nikonov, head of the regional Duma Igor Lyakhov, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor , leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Smolensk region , generals and officers, heads of law enforcement agencies of the region, representatives of public veteran organizations, intern soldiers tsionalisty, employees of internal affairs, wives, mothers and relatives of soldiers who performed their international duty, yunarmeytsy, Smolensk military academy cadets, students of the Cadet Corps. Metropolitan Isidor conveyed the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to those gathered. Addressing the participants of the event, the head of the Smolensk Metropolis said: “This is an event, the 30th anniversary of which we celebrate, joyful and at the same time sorrowful. Joyful, because it became an important event in national history, underlined the heroism of our people, who are able to carry out the peacekeeping mission. This event is sad because we have lost forever our great heroes — the defenders of the Fatherland — from our lives. ” Franz Klintsevich in his address to the participants of the event spoke about the intention to erect in Smolensk a temple-monument, on the walls of which 15028 names and surnames of soldiers-internationalists who died in Afghanistan will be immortalized. Next to the temple is planned to plant an apple orchard of 90 seedlings, according to the number of Smolensk residents who died in Afghan soil. After the official part, the concert began, in which the ensemble of the military-patriotic song “Tracer”, the folk group “Kudesy” and other Smolensk creative groups performed. February 12 in Tambov, the opening of the monument to the people of Tambov who died during the execution of military duty in the Republic of Afghanistan in 1979-1989 took place. The event was attended by Metropolitan of Tambov and Rasskazovsky Feodosy , chairman of the Tambov Regional Duma E.A. Matushkin, First Deputy Head of Administration of the Tambov Region O.O. Ivanov, Chairman of the Tambov City Duma V.V. Putintsev, the head of the city Tambov S.A. V. Chebotarev, Deputy Commander of the 40th Army of the OXV in the Republic of Afghanistan V.A. Vasenin, representatives of the TRO OOO Russian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan. In total, the opening ceremony of the monument was attended by more than three thousand people, including soldiers, men, soldiers of TSTU, cadets, students of educational institutions of the city, members of the public. The consecration of the memorial complex was performed by Metropolitan Theodosius. Prayer chants were performed by the choir of the Tambov Theological Seminary conducted by priest Maxim Nasonov. Welcoming the participants, the head of the Tambov Metropolis noted that the monument testifies to the deep respect of the people of Tambov for the Afghan soldiers who are both alive and those who are not with us today. Vladyka Theodosius said that in 1979 he was drafted into the ranks of the Armed Forces and served in the Nizhny Novgorod region. That year, Soviet troops were brought into the territory of the DRA, and the archpastor recalled how dozens of his earlier call-in colleagues, who already had military service experience, were called upon to do their duty in Afghanistan. The opening of the monument is timed to the anniversary date - the 30th anniversary since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the Republic of Afghanistan. The monument is located on the alley leading to the TSTU building on Michurinskaya Street. The memorial complex was erected with funds raised by deputies, managers and employees of enterprises, entrepreneurs, residents of the region. He commemorated 96 soldiers-internationalists. The author of the project is a student of TSTU, Dmitry Kotov. In the city of Kumsangir (Khatlon Oblast of the Republic of Tajikistan), Afghan veterans, representatives of the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Tajikistan, the command of the 201st Russian military base, representatives of Russian compatriots' organizations, uniformedians and schoolchildren took part in the commemorative events. The Dushanbe Diocese was represented by the rector of the Iversky-Narva military church, the assistant commander for work with religious believers in the 201st Russian military base, priest Roman Chebonenko, and the acting priest of the Archangel Michael church in the city of Bokhtar (Khatlon region), Hieromonk Tikhon (Kireev). Orthodox priests took part in laying flowers to the monument to fallen soldiers and attended a festive concert. The clergy spoke with the Russian-speaking population of the city. In the near future, a worship service will be organized for Orthodox residents in Kumsangir. These days, the clergy of a number of other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church are taking part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

An agreement was signed in Belgrade on the continuation of Russian participation in the beautification of the Cathedral of St. Sava

An agreement was signed in Belgrade on the continuation of Russian participation in the beautification of the Cathedral of St. Sava В Белграде состоялось подписание соглашения о продолжении российского участия в благоукрашении собора святителя Саввы print version March 25, 2019 11:37 On March 23, 2019, a ceremony was held at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Belgrade to sign an agreement to continue Russian participation in the mosaic design of St. Savva’s Cathedral on Vracar, the largest church of the Serbian Orthodox Church , named after its founder and first Primate, Archbishop of Serbian Savva ( † 1236). The agreement provides for the transfer of charitable assistance to the Serbian Orthodox Church to cover the costs associated with the mosaic decoration of the altar of the Cathedral of Saint Sava. From the Serbian Orthodox Church, the document was signed by the Most Holy Patriarch of Serbia, Irinei , and from the benefactor, Gazpromneft Joint-Stock Company, the general director of the Foundation for Social Initiatives “Hometown” O.V. Andreeva. Participants of the ceremony were warmly welcomed by the head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad, and for international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) E.V. Mitrofanova. “In Russia, cultural affinity between our peoples is very much appreciated, and work on the decoration of the interior of the church of Saint Sava is one of the clearest manifestations of these feelings,” she said, noting that, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo is the coordinator of this project and make every effort to ensure that this temple appears before the thousands of believers in all its glory as soon as possible. E.V. Mitrofanova expressed confidence that this temple is of great importance not only for believers living in Serbia and Russia, but also for the entire Orthodox world. “It is symbolic that our event takes place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of the NATO military operation against the Republic of Yugoslavia,” she said. - The memory of these events makes us with a special feeling and deep responsibility to treat the issues of preserving the unshakable values of peace, harmony and mutual respect. It seems to me not accidental that an example of the joint efforts of Russia and Serbia is such a constructive and pious deed as the decoration of the interior of this magnificent temple. I am sure that by our joint work, combining faith, knowledge and creativity, we will contribute to this common noble cause. ” Then came the speech of the Secretary General of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Serbia, N. Selakovic. In his conviction, the continuation of works on the decoration of the church of St. Savva of Serbia will be "a confirmation of the proximity of the Serbian and Russian peoples, the friendly states of Serbia and Russia." “I am very grateful that we are building this temple together,” said N. Selakovich. “It will be a place of prayers, a place of peace, a place where our fraternal unity will be established.” The Russian Orthodox Church at the event on behalf of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov , DECR vice-chairman, who addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. It noted the outstanding importance of the Cathedral of St. Sava for the Serbian Orthodox Church and the peoples who had been nourished by it, which manifested itself with particular force in the days of the bombing of Belgrade that began 20 years ago by NATO forces. The Russian Orthodox Church and its faithful children in those terrible days were in their heart and soul with their fellow Serbian brothers, Father Nikolai reminded. “The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy, the blessed intimates , в visited the capital of Yugoslavia and Radonitsu - on the day of the Paschal commemoration of the departed - in April 1999, together with the ever-memorable Patriarch Serbian Pavel, the Divine Liturgy in the St. Savva Cathedral under construction. Many thousands of people gathered then for a memorial prayer under his vaults, and even more - on the square in front of the temple, where the divine service ended. For these people, as well as for many millions of Orthodox Serbs, the temple, built up by several generations, became an image of the spiritual home of Serbian Orthodoxy, a symbol of the rebirth of faith, an ark of hope and salvation. For me and my compatriots, it is a great honor that now the Russian state, the Russian people, the Russian Orthodox Church have been participating in the beautification of this magnificent cathedral for a number of years, ”the deputy chairman of the DECR said. Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church to the leadership of the Russian company Gazprom Neft for the generous donation to create the mosaic decoration of the altar of the Cathedral of St. Savva in Belgrade, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, in particular, said: “The altar is the most important and most sacred part of the Orthodox church; a heart; to him every man who crosses the threshold of the church directs his gaze. We are confident that friendship and mutual support of Russia and Serbia, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church occupy the same place in our lives - the core and the sacred. ” In his closing remarks, His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia Irinei called the signing of an agreement to continue decorating the church of Saint Sava, a historic moment, as a historic moment. “Russian and Serbian peoples are connected not only by friendship - they are united and brought together by faith, historical and cultural heritage,” said His Holiness. - Russia is a powerful state, you are a big people. We are a small people, but the Serbs have always tied their small boat to the great Russian ship. ” His Holiness Patriarch Iriney also noted the importance of fraternal ties between the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. His Holiness noted with gratitude the contribution of all those who took part in this charitable work, highlighting the participation of the Russian state and the Russian Orthodox Church in the project, noting the charitable assistance from Gazprom Neft. “We will never forget your participation,” testified the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. “And not only we — history will never forget this.” We will convey a feeling of gratitude for this help to the next generations. ” “When the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Sava is completed, it will not only be our church - it will be a church in both Serbia and Russia,” said His Holiness Patriarch Irenaeus. His Holiness paid special attention to the significance of the construction of this magnificent and beautiful cathedral in our days, when spiritual values are supplanted from the life of the modern world. “Already, tourists who come to Serbia are asked to show them the temple of Saint Sava. But it is still under construction, and I can guess what the interest of all people will be when its beautification will be fully completed. I think it will be a miracle of faith that will serve the glory of Orthodoxy, ”said His Holiness Patriarch Serbian Irenaeus. The signing ceremony was also attended by the senior priest of the Cathedral of Saint Savva in Belgrade, Bishop Stephen Remezyansky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Serbia AV Chepurin, Minister of Innovation of Serbia N. Popovich, rector of the Compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, Archpriest Vitaly Tarasyev, Vice-President of the Moscow International Foundation for UNESCO UNESCO M.V. Popova, as well as People's Artist of the Russian Federation N.A. Mukhin - the head of the group of artists engaged in the implementation of the project of creating the internal mosaic of the Cathedral of St. Sava. On the same day, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, accompanied by N.A. Mukhina and M.V. Popova got acquainted with the course of artwork in the church of St. Sava and had a conversation with his rector, Bishop of Remezyan Stephan, and also visited the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, the compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, where large-scale restoration is currently underway, and discussed with Archpriest Vitaly Tarasiev. further development of cooperation between the Moscow and Serbian Patriarchates.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

The sermon of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after the great compline on Monday of the first week of Great Lent in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The sermon of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after the great compline on Monday of the first week of Great Lent in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior Проповедь Святейшего Патриарха Кирилла после великого повечерия в понедельник первой седмицы Великого поста в Храме Христа Спасителя print version March 11, 2019 22:24 On the evening of March 11, 2019, on Monday of the first week of Great Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia made a great eternity with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Nicholas. Andrei of Crete in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the flock with a sermon. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! In the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, we ask the Lord to protect us primarily from idleness, for idleness is a vice that destroys human life. And then comes a plea to God to deliver us from despondency. Probably, there are no people who would not have experienced this feeling in their lives. St. John of the Ladder says that despondency is a relaxation of the soul and exhaustion of the mind. Despondency is accompanied by a difficult state of mind: it seems to a person that he cannot do much, cannot achieve much, has lost much in his life. And this negative self-esteem is so destructive that people lose their presence of mind, the ability to work actively, realistically assess the events surrounding them and really fall into a difficult mental state. Sometimes despondency is confused with depression. The external manifestations of both are quite similar. But if depression is the result of poor mental health, that is, a consequence of the disease, then depression is not. The concept of "despondency" in general can be defined and described only in the system of religious coordinates. If a person loses faith in God, if he begins to doubt in many respects, if he loses some vital coordinates associated with his religious choice, then, as a result, despondency occurs, the hardest state of mind. Despondency cannot be treated with medication, it is impossible to come out of despondency through suggestion from the outside. This is a condition that only a person can overcome, relying on the power of God. And how is it possible to make such a feat? There are two indispensable conditions: a person must believe in God and believe that everything that happens to him is ultimately an act of Divine providence — either God's permission, if what is happening is sad and sad, or a manifestation of Divine grace, if something joyful and good When a person learns to betray himself into the hands of God, despondency disappears, because instead of despondency one gains the deepest confidence in the strength and intelligence of Divine Providence. I had to meet with people who have passed the hardest way of life, including those who have passed through the conclusion, exile, camp only because they believed in God. And what is surprising: these people have never been discouraged. Even during obedience in Smolensk, I met with one person. He visited me, recognizing my last name, and said that with some young man who bore the same last name, he sailed from then-Leningrad to Nagayeva Bay, and then along the Kolyma highway was taken to the detention center. And he said that the young man had never been in a bad mood - he always remained calm, peaceful and even joyful. And when they asked him why he was in such good mood, the answer was simple: “But I’m going for the sake of Christ where I am sent. And can a bad life for Christ be? ” We need to largely reconsider our attitude to the world, to ourselves. The more comfort in life, the more material opportunities, the weaker a person becomes. He has something to lose, he is afraid of lowering the level of his consumption and comfort and therefore becomes very vulnerable. And not only because excitement covers only with the thought that life can change for the worse, but also simply because very often such a person becomes disheartened. And despondency is where faith disappears and where fear comes to the place of faith. That is why, in the prayer of St. Ephraim Sirin, the request to the Lord to deliver us from despondency comes in second place - the need to get rid of despondency as a state of mind incompatible with genuine human well-being is emphasized in a special way. Each of us in one way or another, under certain circumstances, is subject to this feeling. And for each of us, who at least once was subject to this feeling, today the heartfelt words of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian are heard with a request to save us from despondency. And to get rid of despondency is to change your outlook on life, to give up fears, to give up perplexities, to try to see the future, without having any opportunity to really do it. This means to surrender into the hands of God with full confidence in the Lord, without any fear, but with great hope in God's mercy. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian teaches us all this. And, repeating these words, we will ask the Lord that He will deliver us, including from pernicious despondency, and will enable us to find joy and peace in the soul. I cordially congratulate all of you on the end of the first day of Great Lent. Amen. Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Monday, March 11, 2019

The conference “Causes and Challenges of the Current Crisis of Inter-Orthodox Relations” was held at St. Tikhon University

The conference “Causes and Challenges of the Current Crisis of Inter-Orthodox Relations” was held at St. Tikhon University The conference “Causes and Challenges of the Current Crisis of Inter-Orthodox Relations” was held at St. Tikhon University print version March 7, 2019 14:11 On February 25-26, 2019, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, an Orthodox conference “Causes and Challenges of the Current Crisis of Inter-Orthodox Relations” was held at the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanities University . The forum opened with a welcoming speech from Archbishop Ambroise of Verei , the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy . In his speech, the bishop presented the problem of autocephaly in Ukraine in a larger context - as “the question of canon law in general”. The current crisis, according to Vladyka Ambrose, reiterated the need for “creating a single legal field,” after which it will only be possible to have a “constructive conversation about certain issues arising in the framework of the life of modern Orthodox Christians”, including the “question of primacy in the Church ", which is" only one of the sides of a global problem. " Archbishop Ambrose, who lived through the separation in the Orthodox Church, primarily explains political motives, and the support for the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine, which one encounters in the Greek-speaking Churches, is “ignorance of the history of the 90s in Ukraine, the reluctance to look into the root of this schism, to understand This was the reason for the fact that he tried to “heal” the Patriarch of Constantinople with his broad will. ” The first meeting, devoted to the theological side of the church crisis, began with a presentation by Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin, a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, on the theme “The causes and nature of the crisis caused by the anti-canonical actions of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Ukraine”. The speaker drew the attention of the audience to the low level of argumentation presented by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to justify its lawless invasion of the territory of Ukraine. Father Vladislav exemplary examples from the historical canonical study prepared by Bishop Macropolis Khristupolsky for the meeting of the bishops of the Constantinople Orthodox Church in September last year. Other statements by the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, showing a demonstrative and provocative retreat of Fanar from the canonical tradition shared by other Local Churches, were also quoted. According to Father Vladislav, such statements, confirmed in practice, are incompatible with the situation in the Orthodox Church, which is traditionally recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, inflict irreparable damage to its authority and make it impossible for the Russian Church to unite and fraternal communion with it. Archpriest Vadim Leonov, Associate Professor at Sretenskaya Theological Seminary , presented a report on the theme “The Ecclesiological Crisis in the Life of the Modern Orthodox Church and the Way to Overcome It”. In the first part of the speech, the main deviations of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from Orthodoxy, expressed in concrete actions, documents and public statements of its hierarchs, were successively set forth. The speaker drew attention to the fact that the recently published Tamos of the newly created in Ukraine "CCS" contains heretical papal provisions alien to Orthodox ecclesiology. Through this tomos, the right of the Constantinople hierarchs to intervene in the internal affairs of not only the SCU, but also of all Local Churches, which will agree to recognize it, is legalized. The report noted attempts by Constantinople theologians to distort the Orthodox triadology towards subordinationism, in order to somehow substantiate the primacy of their patriarch over all Primates of the Local Churches. Father Vadim noted that a general Orthodox assessment of transcendental ecumenism, actual racism and a number of other deviations of the Constantinople Patriarchate from Orthodoxy has long been required. In the second and third parts of the report, the reasons for the current ecclesiological crisis were indicated and ways to overcome it at the spiritual, theological, church-administrative, and social-organizational level were proposed. Researcher of the Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral named after Saints Cyril and Methodius A.V. Shishkov presented a report on the “Ecclesiological causes of the church crisis in relations between the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchs”. According to the speaker, the cause of today's church crisis lies in the field of ecclesiology. The modern Orthodox Church is institutionally a union of autocephalous Local Churches, which are completely independent of each other in government. However, there is no single normative ecclesiological theory that would unambiguously describe this device. There are at least two such descriptions, and they compete with each other. The key to these theories is the question of sovereignty. Who is the supreme power? Where is it located? Is this power centralized or distributed among individual sovereigns? The competing ecclesiological models, on the basis of which the corresponding church policy is built, can be called the “first without equal” and “equal without the first”. Another feature of the modern structure of the Orthodox Church is the lack of legal relations between autocephalous Churches - an analogue of international law. Consequently, there are no church institutions that could protect some autocephalous churches from the tyranny of other autocephalous churches. According to the speaker, the main question of Orthodox ecclesiology today is how to combine, on the one hand, the desire for pan-Orthodox unity, and on the other, the protection of the independence of autocephalous churches. None of the above models can solve this dilemma. A.V. Shishkov believes that the solution to the existing problem should be sought in the normative republican theory, which is based on the principle of freedom as non-dominance. The question of the supreme power in the republican theory is solved through the delegation of sovereignty to the institution of law - the power of laws, and not the power of the people. Such a normative image of the Orthodox Church can be called "the republic of autocephalous churches." PSTU associate professor Priest Pavel Yermilov in the report “The Ukrainian Autocephaly as the Beginning of the Regional Level Reform of the Church Structure” suggested considering the actions of the Constantinople Church in Ukraine not as a “revengeful” reaction to the failure of the Cretan Council, but as a continuation of the same program launched in Crete and continued in Ukraine. According to the speaker, both steps pursue a common goal - reforming the structure of the Orthodox Church. The Cretan Council was a failed attempt to reform the structure at the “universal” level, and the talent of the Ukrainian autocephaly was a still unsuccessful attempt to reform the “regional” church structure. Constantinople’s vision of the position of autocephalous churches was reflected in tomos about the autocephaly of the "Holy Church of Ukraine", the status of which, according to many experts, more closely resembles wide autonomy than full-fledged church independence. Father Pavel explains this peculiarity of the supposedly autocephalous status of the new Ukrainian “Church” by an attempt to adapt regional church structures to the projected new regionalization within the European Union, when the member states lose their self-governing status and represent the regional elements of a single political space. Thus, the creation of a new “church” of Ukraine can be viewed as the first step towards the creation of a single united church space of a united Europe. However, according to the speaker, the desire to lower the status of the Churches of the European Union countries from the level of high-grade autocephaly to the level of broad autonomy is in line with another more global process - Orthodox-Catholic rapprochement, the logic of which, as explained by the speaker, is also responsible for the regional level autonomy of the Orthodox Church and development super-church structures in the "universal" scale. Father Pavel is convinced that the ongoing reforms should be stopped, since they not only violate the collegial principle of church transformations, but also are based on ecclesiological ideas that are not shared by the fullness of the Orthodox Church. The correct reaction could be the condemnation of the tomos about the autocephaly of the "Most Holy Church of Ukraine" as a document distorting the foundations of Orthodox ecclesiology. Consequently, the future of world Orthodoxy depends on the fact of recognition or non-recognition of the models of the Cretan Council and the new Ukrainian “church”. The report of the assistant professor of the history department of Moscow State University P.V. Kuzenkova “The Ecumenical Church in the Orthodox tradition” was offered an analysis of the tradition of using the word “ecumenical”, which is included in the title of Patriarch of Constantinople. As the speaker showed, the texts of the sources indicate that, both in the times of the apostles and in the patristic era, the understanding of this term was completely different than it is attempted to present in our day. The universe (oikumena) was understood as the Roman Empire, and the concept of "universal" meant a nation-wide. Moreover, all five patriarchates were called ecumenical — the main departments of the empire, and not one of Constantinople. This tradition was also reflected in the Russian practice of the 16th-17th centuries, when the All-Russian Councils were called “ecumenical”. The speaker pointed out the complete groundlessness of the claims of Constantinople to global jurisdiction, allegedly stemming from its ancient title. In the report of the leading researcher of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University M.V. Gratian's "Ecclesiological sources of modern claims of Constantinople for primacy in the Orthodox Church" conducted a church-historical analysis of ecclesiological foundations that justify the actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople towards Ukraine. Building on the official documents of the Russian Orthodox Church, in which the motives for the actions of Fanar are characterized as “papal”, the speaker showed that the modern ecclesiology of the Church of Constantinople copies the theory and practice of the Roman Church of the first millennium, based on the concept of the essential superiority of the authority of the Pope compared to the prerogatives of the Primates Local Churches. The papal claims are based on the systematic use of falsified Nicene canons, the idea of the special role of the apostle Peter as the supposedly first Roman bishop, and in a later period the use of another fake - the Konstantinov dara compiled in the West. According to the view of the popes on their own prerogatives, arising from the interpretation of falsified or simply false documents, the pope is ranked first among the bishops of the Ecumenical Church. By virtue of this, he has authority over all other "lower bishops." The pope has the right of trial over all the Primates of the Local Churches, approves their election, their rights in relation to the bishops of their regions and the powers of the Local Councils. The pope declares himself the “center of communication”: the criterion of Orthodoxy (or catholicity) is the fact of communication with the Pope. Outside of this fellowship, no one can be considered a bishop. In contrast to the East, Rome develops a three-tier system of episcopal authority, in which each level is headed by the first bishop: in the city, in the region (diocese) and at the universal level, i.e. in Rome. Thus, the Pope is the preeminent ecumenical bishop - the head of the Ecumenical Church. The combination of these views, reflected in the church-political practice of the first millennium, led to a natural split between the Roman and Eastern Churches and the subsequent condemnation of papism. The modern actions of the Church of Constantinople entirely fall under these definitions, and, accordingly, stopping the communion of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Church of Constantinople is natural and justified. Attempts by Constantinople to legalize their own actions through the pan-Orthodox adoption of documents developed in the framework of the “Mixed International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches” should receive a proper assessment. The second meeting, devoted to the view of the current crisis from abroad, opened with the report of Georgi Todorov (Sofia, Bulgaria) “The Millennial War: The Meaning and Work of the Current Church Conflict in Ukraine”. The speaker suggested that the church conflict in Ukraine be viewed from a macro-historical and civilizational point of view as part of the millennial war that non-Orthodox Western secularizing society fights against Orthodoxy. The speaker also noted that Ukraine, due to its geographical position, has always been a battleground in this war. Archpriest Darko Jogo, a professor at the Faculty of Theology in Srbinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), gave a presentation “The Ukrainian Question and the Inter-Orthodox Crisis through the Eyes of Serbian Theologians”. The speaker presented an overview of recent speeches by Serbian theologians on the issue of church unity and church status in Ukraine. Father Darco’s report also retrospectively covered the thematicization of the historical fate of Russia / Russia in the theology of Bishop Nikolai (Velimirovich) and Rev. Justin (Popovich) and analyzed the approach of modern Serbian theologians to the assessment of the Ukrainian church crisis. The speaker noted that the Serbian theologians see a way out of the inter-Orthodox crisis in convening a meeting of representatives of all the Local Churches, as well as creating church institutions that would serve as an expression of the principle of conciliarity. Archpriest John Whiteford, rector of the church of sv. Jonah Hankowsky in the city of Spring (Texas, USA) made a presentation entitled “A Look at Church Separation from the USA”. In his opinion, the separation with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, aggravated by the rupture of Eucharistic communion, is experienced in America no less intensively than in Russia, since American Orthodoxy exists against the background of many intertwined ecclesiastical jurisdictions, and this conflict has a strong influence on church life. The speaker spoke about the existence of an opposition to the policy of Fanar among the Greek Orthodoxy in the United States. In his speech, Father John drew parallels between the aggressive non-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine, with a different, less noticeable, but no less revealing deviation from the Orthodox tradition by prominent Greek theologians in the United States in their attitude to the problems of homosexuality and abortion, which they speak publicly with full tolerance by the local hierarchy. Father John considers these parallels to be symptomatic and reveal the general liberal attitude characteristic of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. According to the speaker, Fanar’s support for the Russian Renovationists in the first half of the 20th century was due not only to political reasons, but also based on sympathy for the Reformed program of the renovation movement. Since then, modernism has deeply rooted in the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the current behavior of Fanar in Ukraine is one of the clearest manifestations of this mentality. Associate Professor of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University, AG Zoitakis, in his report entitled Perception of the Modern Politics of Fanara in Greek Society, presented an overview of public speeches in the Greek press and blogosphere, containing an assessment of the actions of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Ukraine. Throughout the 20th century, the modernist policies of Constantinople produced splits and conflicts in Greece, but despite this and jurisdictional and property disputes between the Greek Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, a significant number of Greek top clergy tended to support non-canonical autocephaly in Ukraine, which some hierarchs openly stated. According to A. Zoitakis, the position of the episcopate is different from the mood of most of the priesthood and the people. The overwhelming number of publicly speaking clerics, monks and laity does not recognize the new "Ukrainian church" and calls for this hierarchy. Those who reject the illegal invasion of Constantinople into Ukraine, as a rule, are critical of both the Cretan Council, and Fanar’s ecumenism and its secular policy. Many authors believe that the general Orthodox consensus turns out to be much more important today than dialogue with non-Orthodox, moreover, the need to stop the interference of the nationalist factor in church affairs is stressed.The need to preserve the conciliarity of the Church and its universal character is openly declared. Many authors emphasize that supporting the non-canonical actions of Phanar can lead to the temptation of ethnophyletism. At the end of the meeting a report of the Athos monks Paisii Kareotis and Epiphanius Kapsaliotis “The current church crisis and its theological background” was read. The authors of the report could not come to Moscow, but sent the text of their speech. The second day of the conference continued with a section on the historical side of the church crisis in Ukraine, which was opened by the report of the PSTU professor Priest Alexander Schelkachev on the topic “The Experience of Protecting the Unity of the Russian Church Against the Schism in Ukraine Based on the Discussion at the Local Council 1917-1918 and the definition of the Council of Constantinople in 1593 ". Father Alexander recalled that when discussing the issue of restoring the Patriarchate at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, special attention was paid to the 34th Apostolic Rule, which points to the main canonical principle of organization of higher church administration, historically established first for the metropolitan, then for the Local Churches. The more important participants of the Council were represented not so much by the canonical service of the first bishop described in the canon as the second part of it, limiting the activities of the first bishop: not only the bishops of the region should not do anything in affairs that go beyond the administration of their diocese without first bishop reasoning, but nothing should not do without reasoning other. According to the speaker, the same restrictive principle should be preserved at the level of Universal Orthodoxy. Refusal of him leads to papism, rejected by the Orthodox Church. Father Alexander also touched on the topic of the territory of modern Ukraine, which does not coincide with the territory of the Kiev Metropolis, appearing in the charter in 1686. This letter itself was compiled only because then, according to the terms of peace between Russia and Poland, not the whole territory of the Kiev Metropolis was withdrawing to Russia, and some bishops were afraid of joining the Moscow Patriarchate. The speaker recalled that the expansion of the Russian Church was determined by the special ministry and veneration of the only Orthodox Tsar in the world, the Russian Tsar, which was repeatedly proclaimed by all Orthodox patriarchs, in particular, at the Council of 1593, which finally formed the autocephaly of the Russian Church. At this Council it was confirmed that the Orthodox of all the Local Churches should commemorate the Moscow Tsar of Russia and all the northern countries. The expansion of the canonical borders of the Russian Church and the creation of missionary dioceses in other countries took place with the consent of all the Orthodox Local Churches. The Council of 1593 confirmed the equality of all patriarchs established in the first millennium "in rank and dignity". Just as the Patriarch of Constantinople retains all the rights granted to him as bishop of the royal city after the fall of Constantinople, the rights of the Russian Church remain unchanged after the czar's government in Russia ceases. According to Father Alexander, the question of autocephaly in Ukraine should be decided by the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church in its entirety, i.e. with the participation of the canonical Ukrainian Church. Professor PSTGU I.I. Petrushko in his report “The Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Fates of Orthodoxy on the Territory of Ukraine and Poland in the Post-Revolutionary Period” recalled that the destructive influence of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on church life in the territory of post-revolutionary Russia was reflected primarily in the support of the forces that were acting to achieve the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine . Already under the hetman Skoropadsky, the autocephalist tried to induce the Ukrainian authorities to turn to the Patriarch of Constantinople for a blessing to declare the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church. The contacts of the autocephalist with Fanar under the Petliura regime, which on January 1, 1919, declared the autocephaly by law, advanced even further. However, by the spring of 1920 the question had lost its relevance, since by that time Soviet power had been established in most of Ukraine. Since the western regions of Ukraine, on which a significant number of Orthodox people lived, became part of the revived Polish state, the Polish authorities set the task of removing the Orthodox dioceses located on its territory from the jurisdiction of the Russian Church. On March 13, 1923, the Patriarch of Constantinople Melety (Metaxakis) approved the election of Dionysius (Valeinsky) as Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church. St. Patriarch Tikhon refused to bless the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Poland as achieved in violation of the canons. However, Patriarch Gregory VII of Constantinople on November 13, 1924, signed the Tomos on the gift of autocephaly of the Polish Church, officially proclaimed in Warsaw on September 17, 1925. In this case, Fanar’s act was closely combined with overt corruption: the Polish authorities paid £ 12,000 for this act to Patriarch Gregory. In the Tomos about the autocephaly of the Polish Church, Patriarch Gregory VII declared that only the Ecumenical Patriarch could take the decision to grant independence to any Local Church. He also effectively invalidated the act of transferring the Kiev Metropolis to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate at the end of the 17th century. Gregory also tried to justify his actions by the “canonical duty entrusted to our Holy Universe, to take care of the holy Orthodox Churches in need.” Thus, in the case of granting autocephaly to the Polish Orthodox Church, the Patriarchate of Constantinople used for the first time almost the entire set of arguments that were voiced again by Patriarch Bartholomew during a synagogue in Istanbul in September 2018 when it came to justifying the decision on the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Archpriest Rostislav Yarema, Acting Abbot of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on the Alekseevskaya city of Moscow, presented a report on the theme “Church schisms in Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the XX-XXI centuries”, in which he offered an overview of the history of church schisms in Ukraine over the past hundred years. Based on documentary evidence, the speaker demonstrated the uncanonical nature of modern autocephalist. The report described in detail the formation of the “Kiev Patriarchate”, all branches of the UAOC, the origin of their “hierarchy”, their contacts with the Ukrainian diaspora and Catholic structures, as well as attempts to legalize through the Constantinople Patriarchate at earlier stages. Professor PSTGU priest Alexander Mazyrin in his report "Fanar and Renovationism against the Russian Orthodox Church: historical lessons and parallels with the current situation" outlined the history of relations between the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the 1920s and 1940s and compared it with current events in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to the speaker, the renovation split was not of a church, but of a political nature, as well as modern autocephalist splits in Ukraine (Kyiv Patriarchate, PCU-SSU, etc.). Like the “living churches” of the 1920s, modern Ukrainian schismatics, headed by the anathemated MA Denisenko, carry out the political order of the government, which is hostile to the Orthodox Church. Then the Orthodox (“Tikhonovtsy”) were accused of having links with foreign enemies of the Soviet state. Now similar accusations of schismatics are being made against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The main reason for the support of these schisms from Fanar is the Greek cultural and religious chauvinism (the so-called Hellenism), which causes the desire of the Constantinople Patriarchate to assert its hegemony in the Orthodox world, primarily through the fragmentation of the Russian Church and the subordination of its parts to itself. The geopolitical factors pushing and pushing the Patriarchate of Constantinople on rapprochement with anti-Christian forces were also important. According to the speaker, the Orthodox Church can withstand the aggression of Fanar and the schismatics supported by it with the power of truth and holiness, this is how it stood during the times of Saint Tikhon. Currently, standing in truth and holiness will help the Church overcome the crisis. Leading Researcher PSTGU A.A. Kostryukov made a presentation on the “Russian Church Abroad against the canonical violations of Fanar”, in which he spoke about countering the anti-canonical innovations of the 1923 Pan-Orthodox Congress and attempts of Constantinople to convene an Ecumenical Council with the participation of Soviet Renovationists. If in 1920-1923 the leadership of the Russian Church Abroad treated the Constantinople Patriarchate with respect and gave it support, then, after a series of blatant canonical violations of Fanar, it came out with sharp denunciations. During the 1920s and 1930s, when the Moscow Patriarchate was systematically exterminated, it was the Russian Church Abroad at the international level that defended the rights of the All-Russian Church. The second day of the conference continued with a round table on the current church situation in Ukraine. The participants of the event told what the clergy and believers in Ukraine face, what are the attitudes and expectations of Orthodox Ukrainians. Special attention was paid to the role of external forces in the unfolding church crisis, first of all - the Vatican and the Ukrainian Greek Catholics. At the end of the conference, the participants testified their support to the faithful children of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by its Primate, the Most Blessed Metropolitan Onufriy, and expressed the hope that a fearless and open discussion of the modern church crisis, both within the framework of the conference and in other formats, is necessary step in the search for the right way out of it.

The conference “Causes and Challenges of the Current Crisis of Inter-Orthodox Relations” was held at St. Tikhon University

On the memorial day of the blessed Varvara of Skvorchikhinskaya

On the memorial day of the blessed Varvara of Skvorchikhinskaya, the bishops of the Bashkortostan metropolis consecrated a temple in her honor В день памяти блаженной Варвары Скворчихинской архиереи Башкортостанской митрополии освятили храм в ее честь print version February 28, 2019 16:44 On February 27, on the day of blessing, blessed Barbara, hermitage of the Ufim in s. Skorchikha (Ishimbay district of the Republic of Bashkortostan). Then the archpastors celebrated the Liturgy in the newly consecrated church. The ruling bishops of the Dioceses of the Bashkortostan Metropolis were served by the vicar of the Pokrovo-Ennatsky Monastery of the Men s. Dedovo Archimandrite Nikolai (Chernyshev), secretary of the Salavat eparchy, priest Vyacheslav Smolnikov, secretary of the Birsk diocese, archpriest Serge Ryzhakov, dean of the ecclesiastical district of the city of Ufa archpriest Romil Gareev, other clerics of the Ufa , Birsk and Salavat eparchies. Mother Superior of the Martha-Mariinsky Convent of the Monastery p. Ira schiigumeniya Seraphim (Mishura), Abbess Eutropia (Moskalets), Abbess of the Annunciation Convent of Sterlitamak Abbess Marionilla (Yarmoshyna), elder sister of the Varvarinsky skete with. Starling nun Vera (Moskalets), sister of the monasteries. The liturgical chants were performed by the male choir of the Bashkortostan metropolis (choir director - deacon Dionysius Korzh). Petitions for the unity of the Orthodox Church and for peace in Ukraine were lifted. After the end of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Nikon led a prayer service with the akathist to the blessed Varvara and addressed the pilgrims with a sermon. As a gift to the newly consecrated church, Metropolitan Nikon presented an icon with relics of St. Daniel and Cornelius of Pereyaslavl. On the same day, the first Bishops' Council of the Bashkortostan Metropolis in 2019 was held. The participants discussed the work of Sunday schools and the pastoral care of convicts. Dates of joint episcopal services in the current year are scheduled, the diocesan website reports. *** Blessed Varvara Skvorchikhinskaya (Arkhangelskaya Varvara Vasilyevna) is a holy local in the Ufa diocese (commemorated 14 February). She came from a priest's family, lost her parents in early childhood, was brought up by her grandmother, who served as a malice at the temple. She worked as a teacher, despite the decree of the Soviet government “On separation of the church from the state and the school from the church” and the prohibition of teaching Orthodox schools in schools, she taught children to the Law of God at all places of ministry. Around 1928-1929 stopped working at school and took on the feat of foolishness. I began to lead a reclusive life: I curtained the windows of my house, I rarely went out into the street, only at dusk or at night, I tried not to show myself to people. To her came hundreds of people, blissful to the visitors did not go out, talked through the door. She handed out almost everything that was brought to her: she helped children, supported families whose breadwinners fought on the front. In the 20-30s. she was briefly arrested several times. In the fall of 1962, the blissful house burnt down. The ascetic settled in a dilapidated barn, where they used to hold cattle, lived there for three years without heat and light, and slept on the ground in summer, in the winter in snow on straw, or sitting on a chest, leaning back against the wall of the barn. February 26, 1966 in the barn where she lived, there was a fire, the old man was pulled out of the fire. Despite the fact that the burns were not strong, the next day Barbara died, was buried in the cemetery in Skvorchiha. The popular worship of the blessed over the years has not weakened. In December 2000, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II , the relics of Barbara Skorchikhinsky were found, and now they are located in the Mother of God Kazan Cathedral in Meleuz (the metochion of Enatsky in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God of the monastery). In 2001, Patriarch Alexy II blessed to glorify the ascetic in the face of the locally honored saints of the Ufa diocese, the rank of glorification was made by the archbishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak Nikon.