Showing posts with label Moscow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moscow. Show all posts
Monday, February 02, 2009
Friday, December 05, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI's Condolences for Death of Patriarch Alexis II
2008-12-05
VATICAN CITY, 5 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church for the death of His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All the Russias.
"I was profoundly saddened to receive news of the death of His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and of All the Russias, and with fraternal affection I wish to convey to the Holy Synod and to all the members of the Russian Orthodox Church my most sincere condolences, assuring you of my spiritual closeness at this very sad time. In my prayer I beseech the Lord to welcome into His Kingdom of eternal peace and joy this tireless servant, and to grant consolation and comfort to all those who mourn his passing, Mindful of the common commitment to the path of mutual understanding and co-operation between Orthodox and Catholics, 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 defence of human and gospel values, especially in the European continent, and I trust his commitment will bear fruit in peace and genuine progress, human, social and spiritual. At this sad time of loss, as his mortal remains are consigned to the earth in the sure hope of the resurrection, may the memory of this servant of Gospel of Christ be a support for those who are now in sorrow and an encouragement for those who will benefit from his spiritual legacy as leader of the venerable Russian Orthodox Church".
For his part, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has issued a note expressing his own sadness at the death of the patriarch, who "was called to guide the Russian Orthodox Church in a period of great change. ... His leadership has enabled that Church to face the challenges of transition from the Soviet era to the present with renewed interior vitality".
The cardinal recalls his "many meeting with His Holiness, who always made a point of expressing his goodwill towards the Holy Father and his desire to strengthen collaboration with the Catholic Church. His personal commitment to improving relations with the Catholic Church, in spite of the difficulties and tensions which from time to time have emerged, has never been in doubt".
TGR/DEATH PATRIARCH ALEXIS II/...VIS 081205 (430)
VATICAN CITY, 5 DEC 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church for the death of His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All the Russias.
"I was profoundly saddened to receive news of the death of His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and of All the Russias, and with fraternal affection I wish to convey to the Holy Synod and to all the members of the Russian Orthodox Church my most sincere condolences, assuring you of my spiritual closeness at this very sad time. In my prayer I beseech the Lord to welcome into His Kingdom of eternal peace and joy this tireless servant, and to grant consolation and comfort to all those who mourn his passing, Mindful of the common commitment to the path of mutual understanding and co-operation between Orthodox and Catholics, 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 defence of human and gospel values, especially in the European continent, and I trust his commitment will bear fruit in peace and genuine progress, human, social and spiritual. At this sad time of loss, as his mortal remains are consigned to the earth in the sure hope of the resurrection, may the memory of this servant of Gospel of Christ be a support for those who are now in sorrow and an encouragement for those who will benefit from his spiritual legacy as leader of the venerable Russian Orthodox Church".
For his part, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has issued a note expressing his own sadness at the death of the patriarch, who "was called to guide the Russian Orthodox Church in a period of great change. ... His leadership has enabled that Church to face the challenges of transition from the Soviet era to the present with renewed interior vitality".
The cardinal recalls his "many meeting with His Holiness, who always made a point of expressing his goodwill towards the Holy Father and his desire to strengthen collaboration with the Catholic Church. His personal commitment to improving relations with the Catholic Church, in spite of the difficulties and tensions which from time to time have emerged, has never been in doubt".
TGR/DEATH PATRIARCH ALEXIS II/...VIS 081205 (430)
Memory Eternal
Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II dies
By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, who presided over a vast post-Soviet revival of faith but was accused of making the church a force for nationalism, died Friday at age 79, the church headquarters said.
The Moscow Patriarchate said he died at his residence outside Moscow, but did not give a cause of death. Alexy had long suffered from a heart ailment.
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 Masses 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 poach adherents among people who he said should have belonged to the Orthodox church.
These complaints focused on the Roman Catholic Church, and Alexy refused to agree to a papal visit to Russia unless the proselytization issue was resolved.
"Patriarch Alexy II was tasked with leading the Church at a time of great transformation," the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Monsignor Brian Farrell, told the ANSA news agency. "He was able to carry out this task with a great sense of responsibility and love of the Russian tradition."
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 ROCOR 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.
He 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.
also
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II died
05.12.2008, 13.11
MOSCOW, December 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Tolling of bells in the bell-towers of Moscow City's 600 or so churches has officially announced to the lay the passing away of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, His Holiness Alexy II.
The bells were tolled in strict comformity with the regulations the canon of the Russian Orthodox Church envisions for such cases.
Patriarch Alexy II took office in 1990, when resurrection of the Church and spiritual life in Russia was just at the beginning. During his stay at the helm of Moscow Patriarchate, this country has seen a de fact rebirth of the Orthodox Christian faith, as thousands of churches and monasteries were restored from complete decay or built anew, millions of people got baptized and the Church re-emerged as a full-fledged social and juridical organization.
He died at the age of 79 Friday morning at this residence in Peredelkino, to the southwest of Moscow. According to medical reports, he suffered from a number of chronic illnesses.
and
Head of Russian Orthodox Church Dies at 79
5 December 2008, Friday
Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexy II, died at his home outside Moscow on Friday at the age of 79, the church reported.
"This is an irretrievable loss for all Russian Orthodox people, wherever they live," speaker of the upper house of the parliament, Sergei Mironov, declared.
Patriarch Alexy II was an establishment figure who restored the authority of the church after decades of Soviet repression and had been a moral authority among millions of Russian believers.
The patriarch had led the world's biggest Orthodox church since 1990.
and also
Russian Orthodox Church leader Alexy II dies
05/12/2008 12:57 MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Patriarch Alexy II, who led the Orthodox Church for almost 20 years, died at the age of 79 in his residency near the Russian capital on Friday morning, a Moscow Patriarchy official said.
The cause of death has not been reported, but the patriarch was known to have suffered from heart disease.
On Thursday evening, Alexy II held a church service in one of Moscow's central cathedrals to mark a major religious holiday.
The church's ruling body, the Holy Synod, is due to gather for an urgent meeting in Moscow on Saturday following the patriarch's death.
Alexy II suffered a severe stroke in 2002. In April 2007, media reports said he was in a Swiss clinic in a serious condition or even dead. Church officials then confirmed the patriarch had undergone medical treatment in Switzerland, but denied the seriousness of his condition.
By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, who presided over a vast post-Soviet revival of faith but was accused of making the church a force for nationalism, died Friday at age 79, the church headquarters said.
The Moscow Patriarchate said he died at his residence outside Moscow, but did not give a cause of death. Alexy had long suffered from a heart ailment.
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 Masses 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 poach adherents among people who he said should have belonged to the Orthodox church.
These complaints focused on the Roman Catholic Church, and Alexy refused to agree to a papal visit to Russia unless the proselytization issue was resolved.
"Patriarch Alexy II was tasked with leading the Church at a time of great transformation," the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Monsignor Brian Farrell, told the ANSA news agency. "He was able to carry out this task with a great sense of responsibility and love of the Russian tradition."
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 ROCOR 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.
He 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.
also
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II died
05.12.2008, 13.11
MOSCOW, December 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Tolling of bells in the bell-towers of Moscow City's 600 or so churches has officially announced to the lay the passing away of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, His Holiness Alexy II.
The bells were tolled in strict comformity with the regulations the canon of the Russian Orthodox Church envisions for such cases.
Patriarch Alexy II took office in 1990, when resurrection of the Church and spiritual life in Russia was just at the beginning. During his stay at the helm of Moscow Patriarchate, this country has seen a de fact rebirth of the Orthodox Christian faith, as thousands of churches and monasteries were restored from complete decay or built anew, millions of people got baptized and the Church re-emerged as a full-fledged social and juridical organization.
He died at the age of 79 Friday morning at this residence in Peredelkino, to the southwest of Moscow. According to medical reports, he suffered from a number of chronic illnesses.
and
Head of Russian Orthodox Church Dies at 79
5 December 2008, Friday
Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexy II, died at his home outside Moscow on Friday at the age of 79, the church reported.
"This is an irretrievable loss for all Russian Orthodox people, wherever they live," speaker of the upper house of the parliament, Sergei Mironov, declared.
Patriarch Alexy II was an establishment figure who restored the authority of the church after decades of Soviet repression and had been a moral authority among millions of Russian believers.
The patriarch had led the world's biggest Orthodox church since 1990.
and also
Russian Orthodox Church leader Alexy II dies
05/12/2008 12:57 MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Patriarch Alexy II, who led the Orthodox Church for almost 20 years, died at the age of 79 in his residency near the Russian capital on Friday morning, a Moscow Patriarchy official said.
The cause of death has not been reported, but the patriarch was known to have suffered from heart disease.
On Thursday evening, Alexy II held a church service in one of Moscow's central cathedrals to mark a major religious holiday.
The church's ruling body, the Holy Synod, is due to gather for an urgent meeting in Moscow on Saturday following the patriarch's death.
Alexy II suffered a severe stroke in 2002. In April 2007, media reports said he was in a Swiss clinic in a serious condition or even dead. Church officials then confirmed the patriarch had undergone medical treatment in Switzerland, but denied the seriousness of his condition.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Is it Truth or Is It Propaganda?
Hat tip to Rorate Caeli for noticing the following article from the Religious Information Service of Ukraine.
Read it, and let it sink in before continuing...
Note that "1st century" should read "1st millennium".
If the Patriarch really were speaking along the lines this article suggests, he would be revealed as a Zogbyite! (Not that that's such a bad thing....) But until I see an accurate reportage of the original interview I will pray and leave it to our Lord. However, I can't help but think Moscow will not be favorable to this option unless it is seen as merely asking all us "Uniates" to come to our senses and return to the Orthodox fold.
Time will tell.
Read it, and let it sink in before continuing...
Patriarch of Constantinople Proposes Eastern Catholicism’s Return to OrthodoxyNow before anyone gets too excited (or concerned), I checked the original KATH.net story, and it doesn't seem quite so irenic. My German is quite a bit rusty, so I hope someone will produce a translation.
19.06.2008, [12:10] // Inter-Christian relations //
Munich—In a recent interview with the German ecumenical journal Cyril and Methodius, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople Bartholomew I invited Eastern Catholic Churches to return to Orthodoxy without breaking unity with Rome. He noted that “the Constantinople Mother-Church keeps the door open for all its sons and daughters.” According to the Orthodox hierarch, the form of coexistence of the Byzantine Church and the Roman Church in the 1st century of Christianity should be used as a model of unity. This story was posted by KATH.net on 16 June 2008.
At the same time, the patriarch made positive remarks about the idea of “dual unity” proposed by the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Lubomyr (Husar). Patriarch Bartholomew I noted in particular that this model would help to overcome the schism between the Churches.
Note that "1st century" should read "1st millennium".
If the Patriarch really were speaking along the lines this article suggests, he would be revealed as a Zogbyite! (Not that that's such a bad thing....) But until I see an accurate reportage of the original interview I will pray and leave it to our Lord. However, I can't help but think Moscow will not be favorable to this option unless it is seen as merely asking all us "Uniates" to come to our senses and return to the Orthodox fold.
Time will tell.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Inter-Orthodox Disagreements Impede Dialogue
Moscow Patriarchate Quits Orthodox-Catholic Talks
Churches Issue Document After Meeting Concludes
RAVENNA, Italy, OCT. 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic-Orthodox panel that met to discuss the sacramental nature of the Church approved a joint document, but their meeting was marked by the withdrawal of the Moscow patriarchate from the discussions.
The week long 10th plenary assembly of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox ended Sunday. The group studied the "ecclesiological and canonical consequences of the sacramental nature of the Church -- conciliarity and synodality in the Church" and agreed upon a joint document, the Vatican reported today.
A communiqué from the panel affirmed that "the document offers a solid basis for the future work of the commission," noting that the work on the statement had already begun in September 2006.
However, a communiqué from the commission, made public at the end of the conference, explained that the head of the delegation from the Patriarchate of Moscow, Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Vienna and Austria, presented his Church's decision to withdraw from the discussions.
He said his Church was withdrawing because "of the presence thereon of delegates from the Church of Estonia, which has been declared 'autonomous' by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a status not recognized by the Patriarchate of Moscow," the Vatican press office reported.
This happened, the report continued, "despite the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with the agreement of all the Orthodox members present, had offered a compromise solution, that of recording the non-recognition by the Patriarchate of Moscow of the autonomous Church of Estonia."
Russia-Rome
A statement from the Russian Orthodox delegation said: "Before leaving the meeting, Bishop Hilarion addressed members of the Mixed Commission. In his address he emphasized that the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate is unable to continue its participation in the meeting because it does not recognize 'the Estonian Apostolic Church,' which was invited by the Patriarchate of Constantinople […] Bishop Hilarion also underlined that the Moscow Patriarchate attaches great importance to the dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, and expressed his regret" at the impossibility of the Moscow delegation's participation in the meeting.
The Interfax news service reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke today of the relationship between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants at the Petersburg Dialogue forum in Wiesbaden, Germany.
"The Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches have certain differences, yet, as far as I understood from meetings with the Pontiff and our patriarch, they think alike on fundamental issues and values," he said. "I did not see any difference in their attitudes to Christian and moral values. That is the foundation for debates."
The Vatican announced that the theme of the next meeting of the Joint International Commission will be the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church in the first millennium. The date and location are to be announced soon.
The commission statement said its members "strongly commend the continuing work of the dialogue to the prayers of the faithful."
Churches Issue Document After Meeting Concludes
RAVENNA, Italy, OCT. 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic-Orthodox panel that met to discuss the sacramental nature of the Church approved a joint document, but their meeting was marked by the withdrawal of the Moscow patriarchate from the discussions.
The week long 10th plenary assembly of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox ended Sunday. The group studied the "ecclesiological and canonical consequences of the sacramental nature of the Church -- conciliarity and synodality in the Church" and agreed upon a joint document, the Vatican reported today.
A communiqué from the panel affirmed that "the document offers a solid basis for the future work of the commission," noting that the work on the statement had already begun in September 2006.
However, a communiqué from the commission, made public at the end of the conference, explained that the head of the delegation from the Patriarchate of Moscow, Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Vienna and Austria, presented his Church's decision to withdraw from the discussions.
He said his Church was withdrawing because "of the presence thereon of delegates from the Church of Estonia, which has been declared 'autonomous' by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a status not recognized by the Patriarchate of Moscow," the Vatican press office reported.
This happened, the report continued, "despite the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with the agreement of all the Orthodox members present, had offered a compromise solution, that of recording the non-recognition by the Patriarchate of Moscow of the autonomous Church of Estonia."
Russia-Rome
A statement from the Russian Orthodox delegation said: "Before leaving the meeting, Bishop Hilarion addressed members of the Mixed Commission. In his address he emphasized that the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate is unable to continue its participation in the meeting because it does not recognize 'the Estonian Apostolic Church,' which was invited by the Patriarchate of Constantinople […] Bishop Hilarion also underlined that the Moscow Patriarchate attaches great importance to the dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, and expressed his regret" at the impossibility of the Moscow delegation's participation in the meeting.
The Interfax news service reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke today of the relationship between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants at the Petersburg Dialogue forum in Wiesbaden, Germany.
"The Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches have certain differences, yet, as far as I understood from meetings with the Pontiff and our patriarch, they think alike on fundamental issues and values," he said. "I did not see any difference in their attitudes to Christian and moral values. That is the foundation for debates."
The Vatican announced that the theme of the next meeting of the Joint International Commission will be the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church in the first millennium. The date and location are to be announced soon.
The commission statement said its members "strongly commend the continuing work of the dialogue to the prayers of the faithful."
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
More on the Pope and the Patriarch
Benedict XVI Sends Letter to Alexy II
ZE07082008 - 2007-08-20
VATICAN CITY, AUG. 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Roger Etchegaray delivered a letter written by Benedict XVI to Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, but says "trust must be built" before the two leaders can meet.
The retired president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said this on Vatican Radio upon returning from his trip to Russia. He visited Siberia, Irkutsk and Novosibirsk, and celebrated Mass on the feast of the Assumption in the Catholic cathedral in Moscow.
The cardinal said of Alexy II that "in the last 30 years we have worked a lot together for Europe. I can say that I feel very close to him: I consider him as a brother."
"We talk as friends, and among other things I delivered to him a personal message sent by Benedict XVI. It was a message that Alexy II appreciated very much. All this demonstrates the fluid relationship that exists between us two," Cardinal Etchegaray added.
The 84-year-old cardinal said that a possible meeting between the Holy Father and the Russian patriarch has been "talked about for a long time. I am sure that the patriarch and Benedict XVI, just as Pope John Paul II before him, sincerely and ardently desire this encounter, but no one knows when it will take place."
"No one can say," he confirmed, "because for both men, the greatest concern is that it be an encounter in truth and not a mediagenic spectacle, so that it can simply be said that the met."
The prelate said the desire of both is "that the meeting be well-prepared and that it take place in the best conditions of truth."
"Many times," added Cardinal Etchegaray, "the media exaggerate events, simplify or idealize the reality, which, it must not be forgotten, is normally quite complicated."
The prelate said he spoke with the patriarch about "the numerous projects that Catholics and Russian Orthodox run together, and it is impressive all that is done in various ways: It is a great novelty. Therefore it is necessary to not speak so much of the date and time of the meeting: Trust must be built."
ZE07082008 - 2007-08-20
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