On July 19, 2010, a Moscow-Kiev video bridge took place at the RIA-Novosti press center about His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia’s visit to Ukraine.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Synodal department for church-society relations; V. Legoida, head of the Synodal information department, and Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, participated. The participants in Kiev were Archbishop Mitrofan of Belotserkovsk and Boguslavsk, chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archimandrite German, dean of the Pochayev Laura of the Dormition, and V. Anisimov, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s press service.

Mr. Legoida opened the meeting, speaking about the program of the Patriarchal visit to Ukraine. ‘It is the second primatial visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to Ukraine. It will take place from July 20 to 28, on the invitation of the Holy Synod and dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This year His Holiness Kirill will visit the dioceses of Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Kiev’, he said. He indicated that the purpose of the visit is to meet with the flock, to venerate shrines, to celebrate in Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Kiev. There will also be a meeting with the public in Odessa, a visit to the state-run Makarov Machine Building Plant in Dnepropetrovsk and a foundation ceremony for a church to be built in the territory of the plant and other events.

Archbishop Mitrofan spoke from the studio in Kiev about the expectations placed on the patriarchal visit. ‘The Orthodox Ukraine is looking forward to the arrival of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. We remember his visit last year. It showed how strong the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is today in spite of the existing problems of schism. Everybody – all the episcopate, clergy and the faithful who assembled to pray together with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill showed that our people have an enormous spiritual potential. The last year’s visit of His Holiness culminated in the service on the Day of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God at the Pochaev Laura of the Dormition’, he said.

He also expressed hope that this year’s visit of His Holiness Kirill to Ukrainian dioceses will contribute to the consolidation of the Orthodox Ukraine. ‘I believe we will identify possible ways for us to move forward in the efforts to overcome the sad phenomenon of schism. At the same time, we expect to settle some problems existing in the church-state relations. But the most important thing is that people will have an opportunity for praying together with their Primate’, he said, adding that an enormous number of people were calling to the metropolia these days, asking about the program of the visit and how to take part in events together with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. ‘People are looking forward to meeting His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in Ukraine, and we hope that just as last year this visit will be beneficial for both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and our state and those who unfortunately is still out of the canonical communion with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church and the Universal Orthodoxy’, he said.

Mr. Anisimov pointed to a number of publications which had appeared in the Ukrainian mass media before the visit, especially an interview given by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine about the program of the Patriarchal visit. His Beatitude said, ‘The visit of His Holiness the Patriarch is discussed as a feast for the Orthodox in Ukraine. Last year, His Holiness visited over ten monasteries, and this year he will focus on meetings with the youth and intellectuals’. Metropolitan Vladimir noted that His Holiness the Patriarch is an outstanding preacher, and many would like to talk with him. In every city he will visit, meetings and discussions are planned. Mr. Anisimov also stressed that the Patriarchal visit to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be mostly of missionary significance.

He also said the Patriarch will give special attention to the social service of the Orthodox Church in visits to charities, meetings with youth and public figures. ‘I believe, during these meetings the conceptual attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to the most burning problems of today will be voices, and this, to my mind, will be the most interesting and important thing’, he said.

Recalling the visit of Patriarch Kirill to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church last year, Archbishop Mitrofan stressed that the visit made tangible the unity of the episcopate, clergy and the faithful around the Primate of the Church. ‘At the same time, the problems existing in relations between church and state got moving. The words His Holiness the Patriarch addressed to the leaders of our state and ordinary believers show that the Church realizes first of all the mission commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to lead people to salvation. The visit showed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in spite of all the problems she has to settle, successfully carried on this mission under the leadership of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir’, he said.

According to Archbishop Mitrofan, the visit of Patriarch Kirill gave a new impetus to searching for ways of overcoming the schism among the Orthodox in Ukraine. ‘Even those who are outside the church fold have a different attitude today to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church and the personality of His Holiness the Patriarch’, he noted.

Asked by the Ukrainian journalists about the significance of the Patriarchal visit last year for the whole of the Russian Orthodox Church and about the attitude to it in Ukraine’s western regions, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov said, ‘We all in this RIA-Novosti’s studio in Moscow and those who talk to us from Kiev participated in the last year’s visit of His Holiness. Having the honour to work with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for many years, we know how dear Ukraine is for him, what a great place it occupies in his heart and his life. And the visit last year, the first one after the Patriarchal enthronement, convinced us very vividly that it is mutual love. Many thousands of people came to pray together with His Holiness the Patriarch, to hear his word of preaching. These thousands sometimes merged into a sheer human sea, and it was especially memorable on the last day of the Patriarchal visit to the Pochaev Laura of the Dormition. We are looking forward to our new meeting with Ukraine, its shrines, its faithful. And we know that even if this kind of trip can be somewhat tiresome physically, it strengthens the Patriarch’s heart spiritually as Primate of one Church of All Russia, which began in Kiev, for which Kiev will always be its main sacred city, its heart and the font of its baptism. These feelings of unity, which no forces will ever destroy, accompanied us during the visit last year. We are confident that in the new conditions of the Ukrainian society’s life today this feeling will be even more tangible and strong’.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin remarked that in case of a Patriarchal visit to Ukraine, it is actually a coming home. ‘We normally use the word “visit” and we are accustomed to it. I myself use it with regard to a Patriarchal trip fairly often. But it seems to me it is more correct also linguistically and essentially to speak about a coming, not a visit. It is not a trip of the head of one state to another; it is not a trip of the Primate of one Church to another Church. It is an archpastor’s coming to see his flock, the Primate of a Church coming to see his archpastors and his dioceses’, Father Vsevolod said, adding, ‘His Holiness Patriarch Kirill seeks to feel at home both in Kiev, Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk. It was the same in Lutsk and Rovno a year ago. His Holiness the Patriarch is coming home to see his people – this should be understood clearly’.

He also said, ‘Our Church is a multinational one. Belonging to it are people of various nationalities, people of various walks of life, people of various cultures including those who sometimes have arguments about political matters. The Church is always beyond it, beyond the state interests of any country including the Russian Federation and Ukraine. But it is close to all peoples in its fold, all those who make up its flock, and treats them all equally. Certainly, the Ukrainian flock of our unified Church is one of its strongest parts. Father Nikolay was quite right in saying that His Holiness the Patriarch was welcomed with genuine religious enthusiasm. Scores of thousands of people came without any special organization… This spiritual enthusiasm is very inspiring. We already have reports that in Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Kiev many thousands of people will come, which is very gratifying. It certainly inspires His Holiness the Patriarch who always experiences a tremendous fit of energy when people come not just to look at him but to pray together with him and to express their good feelings. And for all our faithful in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan and in the far-abroad countries, it is a tremendous inspiration and great joy to know that people love their Patriarch so much and love their Church so much. We have a common spiritual space in which there are many centers and in which there must be no competition as to what center is more important. We have something much more important than political and administrative centers – we have common saints, common spiritual traditions… We have a mentality in common. We are such because we have come out of the Kiev baptismal font, and I believe we have every reason to preserve this unity, fearing nothing, being ashamed of nothing and remaining as we are’.

After these statements, the participants in the Moscow-Kiev video bridge answered questions from Russian, Ukrainian and European mass media people.

DECR Communication Service

On 17 July 2010, the commemoration day of the Holy Imperial Passion-Bearers, Archbishop Yelisei of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Imperial Martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in the Chiswick district of London, press service of the Sourozh diocese reports.

On 18 July 2010, the commemoration day of the Venerable Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Nun Barbara, Archbishop Yelisei celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Sourozh diocese’s Bodiam parish dedicated to the holy Duchess Elizabeth.

On 17 July 2010, the eve of the commemoration day of the invention of the precious relics of St. Sergius, Hegumen of Radonezh, Archimandrite Isidor (Minayev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem officiated at the All-Night Vigil in the Russian Convent of St. Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane where the relics of the new martyrs repose, official site of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem reports.

On July 18, the commemoration day of St. Sergius, Archimandrite Isidor celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with clergymen of the Missions of the Moscow Patriarchate and of the Russian Church Abroad, as well as with clerics from Russia who arrived to visit the Holy Land. After the divine service, Archimandrite Isidor congratulated hegumeness Yelisaveta, mother superior of the Gethsemane Convent, on her Nameday. Among those commemorating the Venerable Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Barbara and congratulating mother Yelisaveta were hegumeness Georgia, mother superior of the Gorny Convent, with nuns, and many parishioners.

On July 14, 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, participated in the working group on Churches in Europe of the St. Petersburg Dialogue. Below is his address to the group.

The Man of the Modernization Era

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am glad to have this opportunity to open the meeting of the Churches in Europe working group.

In recent times a special place in the public discussion has been given to the theme of modernization, especially in connection with the economic crisis. It disturbs the minds of politicians, representatives of the business community, political scientists, economists and sociologists. The very term ‘modernization’ has become perhaps the most popular in the media space. What then should be the man of the modernization era? What qualities and merits should he possess to promote progress in a particular sphere of life? Many agree that he must own such distinctive features as creative thinking, scholarship, intellectuality and erudition, efficiency, mobility and communicability. What however can be a source of all these qualities? It should be remembered that man is not only a physical but also a spiritual creature. Therefore, spiritual life becomes actually the foundation of all the positive qualities of man.

In the last two centuries, secularism has sought to persuade us that religiosity is a number one enemy of modernization. Modernization has acquired a vector directed to material wealth and temporal pleasures. As a result, the modern mass culture has turned material wealth and things into a cult, placing them above the spiritual manifestations of being and sometimes even setting them against it. Since modernization and militant secularism became allies, man has been oriented towards the continuous acquisition of material wealth. He is concerned about how to arrange his house in the best way and to buy some expensive things. During his days off, he prefers to go out to a restaurant or a place of entertainment. He has in his case a book on economics and finances, a fresh newspaper, a booklet from a travel agent rather than a work of fiction or a spiritual book.

This image of man symbolizes the process of continued secularization, which is one of the most serious challenges of today. In Europe, which traditionally has been called a Christian continent, we see the assertion of a way of public life which presupposes the secular nature of the state, ethical relativism and the existence of various spheres of thought and action hostile to the religious ideas and values. Most importantly, this way of life leads to the disappearance of such human qualities as industriousness, initiative, creativity, openness without which modernization is not possible.

A person rejecting his spiritual roots and ignoring the moral dimension of this work is weak and vulnerable. It is only a harmonious person who can realize modernization, and to become such is possible only with reliance on the solid foundation of religious tradition. To achieve it, education in family and school must contain the religious dimension. In the process of religious and ethical learning, a person becomes firm in immutable moral values, forming a clear life attitude, learning to love his homeland, the culture of his people and to respect those around him; he is introduced to the life of people worthy of emulation. All this helps to build a harmonious society in which the pursuit of prosperity is restrained by the care of one’s neighbours and charity while consumption is restrained by responsibility.

History knows of cases in which modernization was carried out with disregard of age-old spiritual and cultural values of the people. Suffice it to recall the first Russian Emperor Peter I. He carried out an economic modernization of our countries, inconceivable for his time. But what was the price of it? The social order was destroyed; the traditions of education were violated; the Church, which played a special role in the life of society, was put in humiliating conditions; unknown and alien customs and habits were imposed on people. And perhaps at precisely that time destructive mechanisms were laid to become activated in 1917.

There are also other examples of modernization rejecting the centuries-old experience of the people and their tradition, such as Bolshevism in Russia and Nazism in Germany. The Soviet state sought to achieve progress by expelling religion completely not only from public but also private life. The icons of saints were replaced with portraits of communism movement leaders. To come to church, to wear a cross, to celebrate church holidays was believed inadmissible and almost criminal for a citizen of the Soviet Union. A person was turned into a small cog in the enormous mechanism spread over one sixth of the land. But the spiritually deprived state based on fear and suppression of the person, prohibitions and restriction has proved to be nonviable and ultimately collapsed.

The German Nazism preached the idea of the domination of one nation over others, the unification of people on the basis of a pattern developed by the Third Reich’s propaganda. Moral norms and values were replaced by artificial virtues, such as faithfulness to the Reich and its leader, concern for the acquisition of life space for their own nation by eliminating and enslaving other nations. And it was only through military means that the people of the Earth put an end to this anti-humane ideology.

Clearly, a human civilization without spiritual guidelines is an idol with feet of clay. The lack of spirituality devalues all the material wealth of man. The state cannot rely on functionaries concerned only for the pursuit of profit. Similarly, businessmen cannot build their life only on the rate of dollar and euro and the Dow Jones index. A person needs to feel responsible before other people, before his nation and the world. And for this he needs a certain system of values to be inculcated in him and to serve as a guideline, the guiding beacon in his life and professional activity.

In Russia an experiment is carried on for building a system of teaching spiritual and ethical culture in school. This attempt at modernization has provoked serious discussions in our society. We are ready for a comprehensive discussion on the parameters of this experiment, especially with our German colleagues, since in Germany the problem of religious formation and education is also very relevant. In February 2010, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate held a conference on Teaching Religion in Public School: Topical Discussion in Russia and Germany, which laid foundations for a discussion on this problem. We are called to continue elaborating this theme, exerting efforts for preserving the spiritual and cultural traditions of our two countries.

Il 10 luglio 2010, durante la trasmissione televisiva “La Chiesa e il tempo”, il presidente del Dipartimento per le relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, metropolita Hilarion di Volokolamsk, su richiesta di numerosi telespettatori ha risposto a domande riguardanti il rito nella vita della Chiesa russa.

Prima di tutto, il metropolita ha indicato la differenza essenziale tra il modo di capire e vivere la liturgia nella tradizione ortodossa e quello di una parte del mondo protestante: “Il rito è una parte essenziale dell’intera visione del mondo di un fedele ortodosso e della Chiesa ortodossa. Alcune chiese protestanti in Occidente sono del tutto prive di ogni simbologia cristiana, non hanno né icone, né croci. E anche la funzione liturgica è quasi totalmente priva dell’aspetto rituale: il popolo canta inni e salmi, il pastore fa il sermone, qualcuno suona l’organo e con questo tutto si conclude. Nella Chiesa ortodossa c’è una visione completamente diversa della liturgia: per noi essa significa innanzitutto entrare in comunione col mondo di lassù. Crediamo infatti che la funzione che noi celebriamo qui sulla terra non è che una parte di quel sacro Mistero divino che è celebrato di continuo in cielo e al quale anche noi possiamo partecipare. Durante la liturgia, quando il sacerdote entra nel santuario, cioè nella parte più sacra del tempio, al di là dell’iconostasi, rivolge una preghiera a Dio: “Fa’ che col nostro ingresso avvenga l’ingresso dei santi angeli”; dunque gli angeli entrano nel santuario insieme al sacerdote. Tutta la nostra funzione liturgica, come un’icona, ha un profondo carattere simbolico. Di qui nascono i vari riti, ciò che si può definire la “coreografia della celebrazione”, per esempio gli inchini fatti dai sacerdoti o dai diaconi, l’incensazione, e così via. La liturgia è come una sintesi di tutte le arti, di cui fanno parte anche gli affreschi della chiesa, le icone, i canti”.

Alla domanda fino a che punto il rito può essere avvicinato alla vita reale, affinché risulti più comprensibile ai nostri contemporanei, il metropolita ha risposto: “Il lato liturgico della vita della Chiesa si è sempre sviluppato e continua a evolvere ancora oggi. Le funzioni che celebriamo oggi non sono esattamente identiche a come erano celebrate a Bisanzio nel VI o nel XII secolo. Molte cose sono rimaste immutate, i testi delle preghiere, soprattutto nella Liturgia eucaristica (anche se oggi i fedeli laici non sentono più alcuni testi, che sono pronunciati dal sacerdote nel santuario sottovoce). Ma molte cose, invece, sono cambiate; il rito ha una vita sua, e nel suo interno avviene continuamente un certo sviluppo”.

“La vita liturgica della Chiesa è come la vita dell’uomo: tutto in essa deve avvenire naturalmente. Alcuni riti col tempo possono scomparire, cadere in disuso, altri possono aggiungersi. E’ molto importante che l’autorità ecclesiastica vigili a che la creatività liturgica non diventi un fatto arbitrario, e che in posti diversi non nascano riti sostanzialmente diversi, cosa che invece capita già. Una certa varietà di per sé non è un fatto negativo, purché i chierici e i laici non si inventino dei riti loro con la pretesa che questi diventino parte della tradizione. Alcuni fedeli pensano che certe tradizioni liturgiche, che si sono affermate negli ultimi tempi, facciano parte del canone della Chiesa, mentre non è così”.

Il Presidente del Dipartimento per le relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca ha spiegato ai telespettatori dove passa la frontiera tra l’amore per il culto nella fede ortodossa e il “culto del culto”, che diventa in fin dei conti una forma di superstizione. “Il culto del culto è quando la persona si concentra non sulla vera essenza della fede ortodossa, ma su elementi esteriori periferici della tradizione della Chiesa. E’ quando la persona pensa che essere ortodosso è fare il bagno nel fiume alla festa del Battesimo di Cristo, fare i dolcetti e dipingere le uova a Pasqua, visitare il cimitero alla festa dei defunti, e per lui l’Ortodossia si riduce a compiere dei riti. E con ciò dimentica che essere ortodosso significa vivere da cristiano, costruire la propria famiglia conformemente alla morale evangelica, vivere la vita professionale secondo i propri principi religiosi, e così via. La superstizione e il culto del culto cominciano quando ciò che è accessorio e secondario prende il primo posto, mentre ciò che è essenziale e fondamentale resta ignorato”.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has sent a congratulatory message to the newly-elected President of the Republic of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski. Below is the text of the message.

Your Excellency,

Please accept my sincere and cordial congratulations on your election as President of the Republic of Poland.

You have dedicated all your life to the work for the good of your country and people. I am confident that your manifold political experience and personal qualities will help you to carry out the difficult service of a head of state in a proper manner.

These extraordinary presidential elections took place after the tragedy that happened near Smolensk when President Lech Kaczynski together with prominent state, church and public leaders died in a plane crash. The Russian Orthodox Church grieved and empathized with the Polish people.

Today the Republic has regained the national leader. The people of the country associate with you a hope for prosperity and stability as well as development of friendly relations with neighbouring states.

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland are united by many things: Slavic brotherhood, Christian tradition, common history including the sorrowful events of the 20^th century sealed in the blood given by our peoples’ sons and daughters.

Remembering the past and thinking about the future the Russian Orthodox Church in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church in Poland is exerting efforts to strengthen good relations between our two countries. I hope you will make a weighty contribution to this important task.

I wish you physical strength, God’s help and success in the service you are to carry out on the high and important post of President of Poland.

Respectfully,

+ Kirill

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

A Russian-Polish youth seminar took place from July 5 to 7, 2010, in Moscow, under the theme ‘Russia and Poland Today and Tomorrow: A View of the Younger Generation’. It was attended by members of the public, young scientists, students from Russia and Poland, as well as representatives of the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches. The Department for External Church Relations was represented by Hegumen Philip Riabykh, DECR vice-chairman.

On July 6, participants in the seminar visited St. Sergius’ Laura of the Holy Trinity. The Polish guests were taken on a tour of the monastery. They were told about the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who laid the foundation of Orthodox monastic tradition in northern Russia, the history of the monastery, its architectural features as well as today’s life of the monastery and the work of the Theological Schools. After the tour the guests visited the church archeology chamber in Moscow Theological Academy to see Old Russian icons and other exhibits.

DECR Communication Service

On July 6, at his residence, His Beatitude Christopher, Archbishop of Prague, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, awarded Mr. Dmitry Malyshev, adviser to the chairman of Gazprom Neft’s board, and Mr. Igor Vozykov, a well-known sponsor and former top manager of the Transneft company, the highest church order – the Grand Order of Sts Cyril and Methodius, in recognition of their support for the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and financial contribution to the painting of murals in the cathedral of the Michalovcie and Kosica diocese.

DECR Communication Service

On July 5, 2010, a Russian-Polish youth seminar on Russia and Poland Today and Tomorrow: The View of the Younger Generation took place at the Higher School of Economics (HSE). It was organized with the support of the Russian-Polish Public Forum and the Federal Agency for Youth.

In the beginning of the seminar, its participants were addressed by L. Drachevsky, cochair of the Russian-Polish Public Forum, Polish Ambassador to Russia Jezhe Bar and V. Shevelenko, executive director of the Business Council for Cooperation with Poland. A message of greetings from Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, was brought by DECR vice-chairman Hegumen Philip Riabykh.

Father Philip together with Rev. Leszek Adamowicz of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin chaired the section on New Europe and Traditional Values.

In his introductory remarks, Father Philip stressed that ‘values are not some decorative attributes of a society. It is impossible to build a social system on the principle ‘only business, nothing personal’. A human being as a spiritual creature cannot motivate his actions only by needs dictated by his body. A person needs a higher motivation going into eternity. The Christian Churches of our nations are precisely those who keep the fundamental values which can inspire a person for an active and creative work. Unfortunately, since the Enlightenment the potential of religion in Europe has been repeatedly challenged, while faith has been presented as a source of conflicts and aggression. For this reason our Churches today has a common mission of bearing witness to the positive role of Christianity in building new Europe’.  Father Philip told the participants about the dialogue initiated by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Poland to promote good-neighbourly relations between the Russian and Polish people and among the peoples of Eastern Europe as a whole.

Rev. Leszek Adamowicz in his remarks spoke about the values foundation of united Europe, saying in particular that Christianity helps to assert in a society such notions as personality, truth and freedom. These, he said, are the measure of life for all Europeans. Young representatives from various cities in Russia and Poland actively joined the discussion on values uniting the two nations today, identifying as such religious traditions, family, human rights and law-governed state.

Summing up the work of the section, Father Philip said, ‘We had an important exchange of opinions about the significance of freedom for the people in Russia and Poland. Freedom is a gift of God and its mystery lies in the way it is realized. The most difficult thing is to apply one’s freedom to the assertion of the good. Who can explain why St. Peter renounced Christ after vowing fidelity to Him? Was he really insincere in his commitment to the Lord? No, he was sincere but out of cowardice and fear betrayed his Master at a moment when he should have persisted in the truth to the end. Later St. Peter repented of his misdeed, and after the Resurrection he was commanded by Christ to strengthen his brothers in the faith. We know that when St. Peter found himself in a situation of choice once again, he chose faithfulness to the Lord and died for Him’.

Father Philip suggested that this situation from the Gospel should be seen as a key to the understanding of relations between today’s Russia and Poland, saying, ‘Our common task is not only to identify common values but also to find ways of realizing them together. As Russia and Poland have survived militant atheism, our countries have a clear understanding of the positive role that Christianity plays in a society. Together we can help build a powerful spiritual and cultural potential in Europe which shows to Western Europe the need to protect Christian heritage and to launch a new evangelization of its people. As a Russian citizen, I am proud that my country has come out as a third party in the re-examination of the Lautsi versus Italy case in the European Court of Human Rights. Who could have imagined that one day the Orthodox Russia would identify with the Catholic Italy? This points to a truly tectonic shift in the awareness of the Europeans. However, this action of Russia does not mean that she has abandoned her own Orthodox tradition, but has only shown Christian solidarity in the efforts to preserve common civilizational roots in face of militant secularism. Indeed, the demand to remove crucifixes from Italian schools reminds us, Russians and Poles, of the struggle with religion we have survived and of its sad consequences. We know that this struggle does not bring anything but spiritual and moral degradation. Unfortunately, Poland did not join us as a third party in these proceedings, like nine other European countries did, including Russia. I think it is because Poland has concentrated on her domestic affairs after the tragic event on April 10 in Smolensk. But I hope in the future Russia and Poland will be able to defend together Europe’s Christian heritage and give a convincing example of how fundamental Christian values can remain in harmony with advanced development in economy and social life and with our societies’ openness to people of other faiths and convictions’.

The final part of the seminar was devoted to a discussion on the role of the national mass media in forming the idea of each other.

Photogallery

The delegation of the World Council of Churches met with the DECR staff on July 1, 2010. Participating in the meeting were DECR vice-chairman Hegumen Philip Riabykh, DECR acting secretary for inter-Christian relations Rev. Dimitry Sizonenko, DECR communication service director Rev. George Zavershinsky, DECR translation service director Rev. Arseny Chernikin; as well as Rev. Alexander Vasyutin of the DECR secretariat for inter-Christian relations, and other DECR staff members. The WCC delegation included WCC deputy general secretary Georgios Lemopoulos (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand (Serbian Orthodox Church), WCC commission for interchurch cooperation executive secretary Archpriest Daniil Buda (Patriarchate of Romania), Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi (Anglican Church of Burundi), Metropolitan Bishoi (Coptic Church), Prof. Dr. Dagmar Heller, Ecumenical Institute Bossey, and others.

Welcoming the guests, Father Philip told them about the history of the DECR, the oldest Synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as its secretariats and work. He also introduced DECR staff to the guests. He noted that at present the Russian Orthodox Church is going through a rebirth as most of the Russian population claim to be Orthodox. At the same time, catechism and church initiation remain urgent problems.

Speaking on behalf of the WCC delegation, Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi thanked the DECR staff for having organized their meeting with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and state officials and for the talks the delegation had with the DECR chairman Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The archbishop underscored the importance of joint Christian preaching.

The DECR staff members answered questions from the WCC delegation, speaking in particular about the educational programs carried out for youth, charitable and social work of the Church and other activities in church life in Russia. Special attention was given to the work of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School.

In conclusion of the meeting Archbishop Ntahoturi thanked the DECR staff for hospitality and gave them tokens of the meeting.

DECR Communication Service

Foto

Il 30 giugno 2010 si è svolto a Mosca nell’albergo “Danilovskaja”  l’incontro ufficiale tra il Presidente del Dipartimento per le relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, metropolita Hilarion di Volokolamsk, e il Segretario generale del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese, pastore Olav Tveit. All’incontro hanno preso parte il Vicepresidente del Dipartimento, igumeno Philipp Rjabych, il responsabile ad interim del Segretariato per i rapporti intercristiani del Dipartimento, sacerdote Dmitrij Sizonenko, e i membri della delegazione del Consiglio ecumenico delle Chiese, il vicesegretario generale Georgios Lemopoulos (del Patriarcato di Costantinopoli) e il segretario esecutivo della Commissione del Consiglio per la collaborazione interecclesiale, arciprete Daniil Buda (del Patriarcato di Romania).

Nel corso del colloquio, il pastore Olav Tveit ha espresso soddisfazione per la visita effettuata e riconoscenza alla Chiesa Russa per l’ospitalità a lui dimostrata. E’ stato rilevato che durante l’incontro con Sua Santità il Patriarca di Mosca e tutte le Russie Kirill e con personalità della vita politica russa, la delegazione del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese ha potuto apprezzare il ruolo di guida che la Chiesa svolge nella società russa contemporanea e il suo partenariato poliedrico e fecondo con lo Stato.

Olav Tveit ha parlato dei problemi cui deve far fronte oggi il Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese e ha espresso l’interesse comune di tutti i suoi membri che la Chiesa Russa continui a collaborare al lavoro di questa organizzazione in quanto, secondo la sua testimonianza, nelle condizioni attuali per il mondo protestante è di vitale importanza saper ascoltare la voce delle Chiese ortodosse.

A sua volta, il presidente del Dipartimento per le relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, ha espresso la propria soddisfazione per i risultati della visita del segretario generale del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese e ha confermato che la Chiesa Russa non rinuncia alla propria appartenenza al Consiglio, nonostante varie difficoltà che attualmente impediscono un dialogo teologico proficuo.

Nel colloquio si è parlato anche delle prospettive di collaborazione con l’Istituto di studi ecumenici di Bosset e della partecipazione di rappresentanti della Chiesa Ortodossa Russa al lavoro del Forum cristiano mondiale e alle iniziative del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese  in favore della pace.