Showing posts with label Orthodox church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orthodox church. Show all posts
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Orthodox Church Gets a Say on Duma Bills
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill invited the United Russia deputies to his office to voice his angst over EU-backed plans to introduce sex education in Russian schools. He left the meeting with a promise from the pro-Kremlin party that he would be allowed to preview all legislation considered in the State Duma. The extraordinary agreement grants the Russian Orthodox Church a privilege not shared by any other religious community in Russia and not even afforded to the Public Chamber, the civil society advisory body that is supposed to have the right to examine pending legislation and influence its outcome. It raises questions about separation between church and state, which is enshrined in the Constitution, and promises to raise new concerns about the growing clout of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has seen a revival since Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000. Putin, now prime minister after eight years as president, heads United Russia. Patriarch Kirill invited two senior United Russia deputies to his office near the Christ the Savior Cathedral on Wednesday to express his worries about the Duma’s ratification of the European Social Charter on May 20. The charter, which Russia was obliged to approve as part of its membership in the Council of Europe, guarantees people’s right to housing, health, education, employment and other issues. It also requires public schools to offer sex education and member states to establish juvenile justice systems aimed at deterring minors from committing crimes — two matters that the patriarch told Deputies Andrei Isayev and Vyacheslav Volodin that he opposes strongly. Kirill said parents should be responsible for both sex education and disciplining their children, not the government. “We told the patriarch … that the ratification of the charter won’t require any changes in Russian legislature and won’t lead to circumstances that will frighten the public,” Isayev said in a statement. At the meeting, Kirill also asked whether he could preview upcoming legislation to prevent any misunderstandings in the future, and the deputies agreed. “We agreed that we would show the patriarchate the State Duma’s plan for legislative work and hold preliminary consultations on all questions that may raise doubts to avoid mutual misunderstanding,” Isayev told Interfax. Opposition politicians criticized the arrangement and called it a ploy for United Russia to boost its ratings amid the economic crisis. “They can hold discussions with whoever they want, but there is the Constitution, which says the church and government are separate,” said Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and leader of the Solidarity opposition group. He warned that the agreement could lead to closer ties between the government and church, which already work together in many areas. For example, the Federal Court Marshals Service reached a deal with the church late last month for priests to denounce unpaid debts as a sin in their sermons. Nemtsov said the church would now be able to shape the country’s laws. “Of course it will influence the party’s politics, although they are doing it for PR purposes at the moment,” he said. Communist Deputy Sergei Obukhov said he had no problem with the Orthodox church weighing in on legislation, but other faiths should be allowed to participate as well. “The problem with the State Duma is that it is not enough open to the public,” Obukhov said. “We think that all confessions should participate.” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the issue Thursday. Putin incidentally met with Kirill on Thursday in one of the churches of the Valaam Monastery on an island in Karelia. Putin was in the northwestern republic for a meeting with customs officials. Supporters of sex education say the lessons are desperately needed to fight HIV in Russia, where the rates are among the highest in the world. “Our government is separate from the clergy. Schools should do what they think is necessary,” said Olga Romanova of Project Hope, which writes books and trains teachers on sex education. But Romanova said the church probably would not have a great influence on legislature regarding sex education. “It will just lead to nothing,” she said. “Everyone wants the children to live, and most of the clergy consist of intelligent people.” Alexander Brod, a human rights activist and member of the Public Chamber, said he believed the church would not have “considerable influence” on legislation. He said the Public Chamber deserved at least the same privilege as the church to preview legislation. Calls to church representatives went unanswered Thursday. United Russia officials also were unavailable for additional comment. While the Russian Orthodox Church opposes sex education, it has taken a much milder stance on legislature concerning alcoholism and tobacco — two issues blamed for Russia’s demographic crisis and a host of social ills. The church had a booming tobacco and alcohol business that led to a scandal in the 1990s. Kirill, then the metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, was nicknamed the “tobacco metropolitan” in the media for allegedly profiteering from the church’s privilege to import cigarettes duty-free. The church’s department for external relations, which Kirill formerly headed, was at one time believed to be the biggest supplier of foreign cigarettes in Russia. The church stopped the duty-free cigarette imports in 2007.
Monday, 2 February 2009
New Church Head Elected
Metropolitan Kirill was elected the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia by a Congress of 702 clerics and parishioners on Tuesday, and one of his first public statements came as a bit of a surprise.
The All-Russia Congress convened for three days to elect a successor to Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December last year. Metropolitan Kirill was expected for the position when he was appointed throne-keeper, or acting patriarch. Kirill also worked as the head of Moscow Patriarchy's Foreign Relations Department. The Congress proved Kirill's popularity - he got 508 of 702 votes cast, winning over another contender, Metropolitan Kliment, who was seen as a representative of more conservative movements inside the church. The third contender - Metropolitan Filaret - withdrew his candidacy before the final poll and urged his supporters to vote for Kirill. It is also important that the Congress did not use the right to suggest another candidate or to draw lots as allowed by the rules. Thus the vote became pre-decided - the majority of bishops, monks and parishioners voted for Kirill, whom they saw as the rightful heir to Patriarch Alexy II .
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have sent congratulations to the newly elected Patriarch, indicating that cooperation between the State and the Church will continue and possibly grow. President Medvedev "expressed hope that the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the state in the country's further development and strengthening spiritual and moral values will continue," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Medvedev's spokeswoman as saying.
62-year old Metropolitan Kirill, born Vladimir Gundyaev, comes from a family of a priest and from early childhood dedicated himself to the church. Very early he started working on the Russian Church's relations with foreign confessions and in 1971 Kirill became Russia's representative in the World Council of Churches - one of the largest ecumenical organizations in the World. In 1975 Kirill was elected to the Central Committee of the Council and in 1976 he became a member of the Russian Synod's commission for Christian unity.
Kirill's work in the field of strengthening the ties with other confessions, especially with Vatican, drew criticism from die-hard orthodox clerics. The standoff reached its peak last year when Archbishop Diomede of Chukotka declared an anathema on Kirill and several other top hierarchs including Patriarch Alexy II. However, he was remanded for this move and demoted to a simple monk, which many saw as a favorable development for relations between Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
These hopes, however, suffered a swift setback after one of the Congress members suggested to change the Church charter and to make the Patriarch a "guarantor" of maintaining spiritual values, Kirill said that such an approach was unacceptable and called the initiative "a Catholic heresy." He then praised the unity of the Russian Orthodox church and called for the Congress to resist Catholic and Protestant proselytizing - a word used to describe the spread of foreign confessions on Russian territory.
The Pope did not immediately react to these comments, instead sending congratulations in which he praised Kirill's "efforts to maintain communion among the Orthodox Churches and to seek that fullness of communion which is the goal of Catholic-Orthodox collaboration and dialogue."
The Moscow News addressed Dean Andrey Kurayev, a former spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy and a preacher and theologist, for comments about the possible development of relations between the Moscow Patriarchy and the Vatican. Father Andrey said that in his view the relations would become more complicated, because Kirill was the main driving force behind the ecumenical tendencies in the patriarch.
"The statement at the Congress indicates that from now on Patriarch Kirill will be more oriented on how his words are perceived inside the church, rather than international reaction," Father Andrey said.
Fears of a new schism, hyped up by the ultra-Orthodox opposition statements (Russian news agencies quoted some supporters of the demoted archbishop Diomede as saying that Kirill's election to the Patriarch's throne would lead to a nuclear war - the God's punishment for ignoring the abovementioned anathema), were avoided. "There are people who consider themselves to be super-orthodox, they protest against any Patriarch. In my opinion, it will be better if such people simply leave our church," Father Andrew said. "The vote at the Congress was very consolidated and this is an indication that any schism inside the church is impossible," he added.
The All-Russia Congress convened for three days to elect a successor to Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December last year. Metropolitan Kirill was expected for the position when he was appointed throne-keeper, or acting patriarch. Kirill also worked as the head of Moscow Patriarchy's Foreign Relations Department. The Congress proved Kirill's popularity - he got 508 of 702 votes cast, winning over another contender, Metropolitan Kliment, who was seen as a representative of more conservative movements inside the church. The third contender - Metropolitan Filaret - withdrew his candidacy before the final poll and urged his supporters to vote for Kirill. It is also important that the Congress did not use the right to suggest another candidate or to draw lots as allowed by the rules. Thus the vote became pre-decided - the majority of bishops, monks and parishioners voted for Kirill, whom they saw as the rightful heir to Patriarch Alexy II .
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have sent congratulations to the newly elected Patriarch, indicating that cooperation between the State and the Church will continue and possibly grow. President Medvedev "expressed hope that the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the state in the country's further development and strengthening spiritual and moral values will continue," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Medvedev's spokeswoman as saying.
62-year old Metropolitan Kirill, born Vladimir Gundyaev, comes from a family of a priest and from early childhood dedicated himself to the church. Very early he started working on the Russian Church's relations with foreign confessions and in 1971 Kirill became Russia's representative in the World Council of Churches - one of the largest ecumenical organizations in the World. In 1975 Kirill was elected to the Central Committee of the Council and in 1976 he became a member of the Russian Synod's commission for Christian unity.
Kirill's work in the field of strengthening the ties with other confessions, especially with Vatican, drew criticism from die-hard orthodox clerics. The standoff reached its peak last year when Archbishop Diomede of Chukotka declared an anathema on Kirill and several other top hierarchs including Patriarch Alexy II. However, he was remanded for this move and demoted to a simple monk, which many saw as a favorable development for relations between Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
These hopes, however, suffered a swift setback after one of the Congress members suggested to change the Church charter and to make the Patriarch a "guarantor" of maintaining spiritual values, Kirill said that such an approach was unacceptable and called the initiative "a Catholic heresy." He then praised the unity of the Russian Orthodox church and called for the Congress to resist Catholic and Protestant proselytizing - a word used to describe the spread of foreign confessions on Russian territory.
The Pope did not immediately react to these comments, instead sending congratulations in which he praised Kirill's "efforts to maintain communion among the Orthodox Churches and to seek that fullness of communion which is the goal of Catholic-Orthodox collaboration and dialogue."
The Moscow News addressed Dean Andrey Kurayev, a former spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy and a preacher and theologist, for comments about the possible development of relations between the Moscow Patriarchy and the Vatican. Father Andrey said that in his view the relations would become more complicated, because Kirill was the main driving force behind the ecumenical tendencies in the patriarch.
"The statement at the Congress indicates that from now on Patriarch Kirill will be more oriented on how his words are perceived inside the church, rather than international reaction," Father Andrey said.
Fears of a new schism, hyped up by the ultra-Orthodox opposition statements (Russian news agencies quoted some supporters of the demoted archbishop Diomede as saying that Kirill's election to the Patriarch's throne would lead to a nuclear war - the God's punishment for ignoring the abovementioned anathema), were avoided. "There are people who consider themselves to be super-orthodox, they protest against any Patriarch. In my opinion, it will be better if such people simply leave our church," Father Andrew said. "The vote at the Congress was very consolidated and this is an indication that any schism inside the church is impossible," he added.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Death Of Patriarch Alexy II Leaves Many Divisions Unresolved, Including With Ukrainian Church
MOSCOW, Russia -- In his nearly two decades at the head of the world's largest Orthodox church, Patriarch Alexy II oversaw a religious revival in Russia and healed a major church rift, but his death leaves a long-running dispute with the Vatican unresolved.
Alexy's death Friday at age 79 deprives the Russian Orthodox Church of its dominant figure, whose stern, bearded mien gave him an almost medieval aura of inflexible righteousness.He often complained that Roman Catholics were poaching adherents among a people who traditionally would have been Orthodox if atheistic Soviet rule had not impeded them.Yet he and the church held many discussions with the Vatican, aiming to reach an agreement that would allow the church to accept a papal visit to Russia.Without Alexy at the helm, the church's initiatives on that question may go dormant for several months. The church's Holy Synod is to choose a placeholder leader on Saturday, but election of a new patriarch is likely to take six months.Metropolitan Kirill, the church's foreign relations chief who has had extensive contact with the Vatican, appears to be one of the top candidates.The Moscow Patriarchate said Alexy died at his residence outside Moscow, but did not give a cause of death. Alexy had long suffered from a heart ailment, although on Thursday he had appeared comparatively well while conducting services.His funeral was tentatively slated for Tuesday, according to Russian news agency Interfax, which cited his spokesman Vladimir Vigilyansky.Alexy became leader of the church in 1990, as the officially atheist Soviet Union was loosening its restrictions on religion. After the Soviet Union collapsed the following year, the church's popularity surged.Church domes that had been stripped of their gold under the Soviets were regilded, churches that had been converted into warehouses or left to rot in neglect were painstakingly restored, and hours-long services on major religious holidays were broadcast live on national television.By the time of Alexy's death, the church's flock was estimated to include about two-thirds of Russia's 142 million people, making it the world's largest Orthodox church.But Alexy often complained that Russia's new religious freedom put the church under severe pressure and he bitterly resented what he said were attempts by other Christian churches to build their flocks. These complaints focused on the Roman Catholic Church.Those tensions aside, Pope Benedict XVI praised Alexy on Friday.''I am pleased to recall the efforts of the late patriarch for the rebirth of the church after the severe ideological oppression which led to the martyrdom of so many witnesses to the Christian faith. I also recall his courageous battle for the defense of human and Gospel values,'' the pope said in a message of condolence to the Russian church.Alexy lived long enough to see another major religious dispute resolved. In 2007, he signed a pact with Metropolitan Laurus, the leader of the breakaway Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, to bring the churches closer together.The U.S.-based Church Outside Russia had split off in 1927, after the Moscow church's leader declared loyalty to the Communist government.Alexy successfully lobbied for the 1997 passage of a religion law that places restrictions on the activities of religions other than Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. Under his leadership, the church also vehemently opposed schismatic Orthodox churches in neighboring Ukraine, claiming the Ukrainian church should remain under Moscow's control.A top representative of Russia's Muslims praised Alexy's efforts to restore religion's prominence in post-Soviet Russia.''All the activities of this man were devoted to unifying our country, developing state-religion relations and the dialogue of Russia's traditional faiths,'' said Albir Krangov, a deputy chairman of the Muslim Central Spiritual Administration, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency.In a demonstration of the close relations between church and state, President Dmitry Medvedev canceled plans to travel from India to Italy, so he can return for the funeral.''He was a great citizen of Russia. A man in whose destiny the whole difficult experience of our country's changes in the 20th century are reflected,'' Medvedev said.President George W. Bush offered his condolences, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.''The president's heart is with the community of Russian believers as they continue to rebuild the rich spiritual traditions of Russia,'' Perino said.Under Alexy, the church's influence grew strong enough that some public schools instituted mandatory religion courses -- a move that human rights advocates criticized as likely to increase xenophobia.''The church strengthened nationalism, without a doubt,'' said Alexander Verkhovsky of the Moscow human rights group SOVA. But he also gave the church under Alexy credit for speaking out against violent, radical nationalists.The patriarch was born Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger on Feb. 23, 1929 in Tallinn, Estonia. The son of a priest, Alexy often accompanied his parents on pilgrimages to churches and monasteries, and he helped his father minister to prisoners in Nazi concentration camps in Estonia. It was during those visits that Alexy decided to pursue a religious life.Under Soviet rule, this was not an easy choice. Lenin and Stalin suppressed religion and thousands of churches were destroyed or converted to other uses, such as museums devoted to atheism or, in some cases, stables. Many priests and parishioners were persecuted for their beliefs.The persecution eased somewhat during World War II, when Stalin discovered that the church could be used as a propaganda tool in the fight against the Nazis. But the Soviet authorities never fully loosened their grip, penetrating the church at the highest levels.Alexy was ordained in 1950, progressed through the Orthodox hierarchy, and was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia in 1961.The British-based Keston Institute, which monitors religious freedom in former Communist countries, has cited research suggesting that Alexy's career may have been aided by assistance he gave the KGB while a young priest in Tallinn. Orthodox Church officials vehemently denied the allegations.
Alexy's death Friday at age 79 deprives the Russian Orthodox Church of its dominant figure, whose stern, bearded mien gave him an almost medieval aura of inflexible righteousness.He often complained that Roman Catholics were poaching adherents among a people who traditionally would have been Orthodox if atheistic Soviet rule had not impeded them.Yet he and the church held many discussions with the Vatican, aiming to reach an agreement that would allow the church to accept a papal visit to Russia.Without Alexy at the helm, the church's initiatives on that question may go dormant for several months. The church's Holy Synod is to choose a placeholder leader on Saturday, but election of a new patriarch is likely to take six months.Metropolitan Kirill, the church's foreign relations chief who has had extensive contact with the Vatican, appears to be one of the top candidates.The Moscow Patriarchate said Alexy died at his residence outside Moscow, but did not give a cause of death. Alexy had long suffered from a heart ailment, although on Thursday he had appeared comparatively well while conducting services.His funeral was tentatively slated for Tuesday, according to Russian news agency Interfax, which cited his spokesman Vladimir Vigilyansky.Alexy became leader of the church in 1990, as the officially atheist Soviet Union was loosening its restrictions on religion. After the Soviet Union collapsed the following year, the church's popularity surged.Church domes that had been stripped of their gold under the Soviets were regilded, churches that had been converted into warehouses or left to rot in neglect were painstakingly restored, and hours-long services on major religious holidays were broadcast live on national television.By the time of Alexy's death, the church's flock was estimated to include about two-thirds of Russia's 142 million people, making it the world's largest Orthodox church.But Alexy often complained that Russia's new religious freedom put the church under severe pressure and he bitterly resented what he said were attempts by other Christian churches to build their flocks. These complaints focused on the Roman Catholic Church.Those tensions aside, Pope Benedict XVI praised Alexy on Friday.''I am pleased to recall the efforts of the late patriarch for the rebirth of the church after the severe ideological oppression which led to the martyrdom of so many witnesses to the Christian faith. I also recall his courageous battle for the defense of human and Gospel values,'' the pope said in a message of condolence to the Russian church.Alexy lived long enough to see another major religious dispute resolved. In 2007, he signed a pact with Metropolitan Laurus, the leader of the breakaway Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, to bring the churches closer together.The U.S.-based Church Outside Russia had split off in 1927, after the Moscow church's leader declared loyalty to the Communist government.Alexy successfully lobbied for the 1997 passage of a religion law that places restrictions on the activities of religions other than Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. Under his leadership, the church also vehemently opposed schismatic Orthodox churches in neighboring Ukraine, claiming the Ukrainian church should remain under Moscow's control.A top representative of Russia's Muslims praised Alexy's efforts to restore religion's prominence in post-Soviet Russia.''All the activities of this man were devoted to unifying our country, developing state-religion relations and the dialogue of Russia's traditional faiths,'' said Albir Krangov, a deputy chairman of the Muslim Central Spiritual Administration, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency.In a demonstration of the close relations between church and state, President Dmitry Medvedev canceled plans to travel from India to Italy, so he can return for the funeral.''He was a great citizen of Russia. A man in whose destiny the whole difficult experience of our country's changes in the 20th century are reflected,'' Medvedev said.President George W. Bush offered his condolences, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.''The president's heart is with the community of Russian believers as they continue to rebuild the rich spiritual traditions of Russia,'' Perino said.Under Alexy, the church's influence grew strong enough that some public schools instituted mandatory religion courses -- a move that human rights advocates criticized as likely to increase xenophobia.''The church strengthened nationalism, without a doubt,'' said Alexander Verkhovsky of the Moscow human rights group SOVA. But he also gave the church under Alexy credit for speaking out against violent, radical nationalists.The patriarch was born Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger on Feb. 23, 1929 in Tallinn, Estonia. The son of a priest, Alexy often accompanied his parents on pilgrimages to churches and monasteries, and he helped his father minister to prisoners in Nazi concentration camps in Estonia. It was during those visits that Alexy decided to pursue a religious life.Under Soviet rule, this was not an easy choice. Lenin and Stalin suppressed religion and thousands of churches were destroyed or converted to other uses, such as museums devoted to atheism or, in some cases, stables. Many priests and parishioners were persecuted for their beliefs.The persecution eased somewhat during World War II, when Stalin discovered that the church could be used as a propaganda tool in the fight against the Nazis. But the Soviet authorities never fully loosened their grip, penetrating the church at the highest levels.Alexy was ordained in 1950, progressed through the Orthodox hierarchy, and was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia in 1961.The British-based Keston Institute, which monitors religious freedom in former Communist countries, has cited research suggesting that Alexy's career may have been aided by assistance he gave the KGB while a young priest in Tallinn. Orthodox Church officials vehemently denied the allegations.
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