A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 21 - Tuesday, May 25th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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RESULTS OF CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE AND THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE RUSSIA Blagovest-info, 19 May 2004 - The head of the Department of External Church Relations [OVTsS] of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill Gundiaev, and Archbishop of Berlin and Germany Mark Arndt reported their satisfaction with the outcome of conversations between delegations of the Russian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate [RPTs] and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia [ROCOR] at a press conference in Moscow. They met with journalists in the evening of 18 May in the conference hall of the "Danilovskaia" hotel. "The tasks of the first stage of negotiations have been fulfilled. A door to the negotiation process has been opened," Metropolitan Kirill stated. He explained to reporters that it was not the task of these conversations to reunite the church; their chief outcome was that a common language was found and agreement was reached on approaches and the sides expressed a common desire "to overcome the tragic division of our people that came about as a consequence of revolution and civil war and to achieve a restoration of eucharistic fellowship and canonical unity within a united local Russian Orthodox church of which ROCOR always considered itself an inseparable part." Metropolitan Kirill sees the "spiritual meaning" of the conversations in the way that, thanks to personal meetings, "face to face, eye to eye, in common prayer," they managed to advance to "melting the remnants of the ice that have existed between us." Archbishop Mark also thinks that as a result of the negotiations "all conditions for common labor have been created." As noted in the press release, the commissions which were established by the hierarchies of both sides in December 2003 have been charged with working out a common understanding of the following subjects: principles of mutual relations between the church and state, principles consistent with the tradition of the church of mutual relations between the Orthodox church and non-Orthodox communities and interconfessional organizations, the status of ROCOR as a self-governing part of RPTs, and canonical conditions for establishing eucharistic fellowship. Metropolitan Kirill noted that the commissions, which earlier had worked separately, will begin joint work at the end of June in Moscow out of which should come a statement that will be presented for confirmation by the hierarchies of the Moscow patriarchate and ROCOR. In the conversations it was also recognized that it is necessary to continue joint academic and historical study of the ecclesiastical events of the twentieth century and particularly of the sacred work of the Russian holy new martyrs and confessors and the experience of the church's existence under circumstances of persecution. Responding to a question about the time that will be required for completing the negotiation process, Archbishop Mark refused to make a precise prediction, considering this "irresponsible." He pointed out that the process has "its own internal dynamic that is not determined by us but by God." Nevertheless, in speaking of the time, the bishop mentioned the bishops' council of RPTs that is coming at the end of this year, and the council of ROCOR that will be held in 2005. The reporters were interested in specific questions connected with the anticipated reunification. Speaking about ROCOR parishes on Russian territory, Archbishop Mark noted that this problem should be discussed by the commissions, taking into account the existence of "parallel structures in the West" (before the 1950s-1960s only parishes of ROCOR existed there, he explained). Metropolitan Kirill stated that "it will not be very difficult to conform to a canonical standard." The press also was interested whether the number of bishops will be reduced or the number of dioceses will be increased. Metropolitan Kirill stressed that the sides in the negotiations were governed specifically by spiritual priorities; they did not approach problems "as managers or directors," but he gave assurances that no reductions are planned and he promised that reforms will proceed in a way so that "there will be no cause for anybody to suffer." Responding to questions about ecumenism, the representative of ROCOR stressed that his church recognizes mutual action with other faiths only to the extent that it bears witness "to the exclusivity of Orthodoxy." In the archbishop's opinion, ecumenism is dangerous where it "erases boundaries," and concelebration by Orthodox clergy with other faiths is "a seduction" for Orthodox folk. Archbishop Mark noted that his church is ready to share about experience of fellowship with other faiths with the Moscow patriarchate. As regards representatives of other religions and nonbelievers, he said that it is possible to have "moral and cultural" cooperation. Questions at the press conference were posed regarding relations between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Archbishop Mark thinks that discussion of a meeting between Patriarch Alexis II and Pope John Paul II is "inappropriate" because "there is too much opposition and proselytism by Catholics on the territory of RPTs, particularly in Ukraine." Only a resolution of these essential questions will make possible, in his opinion, a meeting of the heads of the two churches. In this regard, Metropolitan Kirill recalled the positive results of the recent visit to Russia by Cardinal Walter Kasper, during which they managed to get beyond the "stalemate" and recognize the existence of problems on both sides and to plot a path to dialogue.
The reporters
were told of further plans for the ROCOR
delegation's stay in Russia. On 19 May the guests
will attend the patriarchal consecration of the
church of the Life-Giving Trinity at Borisovo
Ponds in Moscow, and on the next day will attend
the patriarchal liturgy in the church of the Great
Ascension at the Nikita Gates. On 21 May the
delegation will go to Ekaterinburg, where they
will pray at the site of the murder of the tsarist
passion-bearers. The schedule for the visit also
includes stops at shrines in St. Petersburg, Sarov,
Diveevo, and Kursk. The delegation will leave
Russia on 28 May. (tr. by PDS) |
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