In English:
The Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament meet with 21 religious leaders
Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: Statement at the meeting of the EU leadership with religious leaders of Europe
Patriarch Alexy II calls for development of relations between Orthodox and Catholics
Moscow Patriarchate believes in strategic alliance with Catholics
En français:
Le patriarche Alexis a reçu, à la cathédrale Christ-Sauveur, une délégation de l’archidiocèse de Salzburg
Patriarche Alexis: ‘L’unité de l’Eglise sera le principal sujet du prochain concile épiscopal’
Auf Deutsch:
Salzburger Erzbischof Kothgasser besucht Patriarch Aleksij II.
Bischof Hilarion Alfeyev: Schluss mit einem ‘romantischen Ökumenismus’
Letters to the Editor
The Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament meet with 21 religious leaders
On Monday 5 May 2008, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the European Council, Janez Janša, together with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, attended a meeting with religious leaders. The aim of the meeting was to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the European Union and religious communities. The discussion focused primarily on an exchange of views regarding the possibilities offered by intercultural dialogue in facing current challenges such as climate change and the issue of reconciliation. These topics are in line with the priorities to which Slovenia, as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is paying special attention.
The informal meetings between the European Union and the religious communities have been taking place since 2005. In 2007, during the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this meeting was for the first time jointly prepared by the Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.
The meeting on 5 May 2008 was attended by 21 religious leaders representing Christian churches as well as Jewish and Islamic communities in Europe.
The Orthodox Churches were represented by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the European Union, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the European Institutions, Metropolitan Nifon, Exarch of the Patriarch of Romania for the Relations with the European Institutions, and Metropolitan Athanasios of Akhaia, Director of the Representation of the Church of Greece to the EU.
The delegation of the Roman Catholic Church included Cardinal Franc Rode, Prefect of the Congregation for the Institutions of the Concerated Life and the Society of the Apostolic Life, Cardinal Michael Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew and Edinburgh, Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis, Archbishop of Vilnius, and Monsignor Adrianus van Luyn, Bishop of Rotterdam and President of the COMECE.
The Anglican Church was represented by the Right Reverend Steven Lowe, Bishop of Hulme. The Churches of the Reformation were represented by Bishop Dr Wolfgang Huber, chairman of the EKD, Archbishop of Uppsala Anders Harald Wejrid, primate of the Church of Sweden, and Pastor Dr Letizia Tomassone, vice-president of the Federation of the Evangelical Churches in Italy. The Conference of European Churches was represented by its President, Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont.
The representatives of Islamic communities included Dr Mohammed Bechari, President of the National Federation of Muslims of France, Imam Abduljalil Sajid from the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Ayatullah Abdolhossein Moezi, Director of the Islamic Centre in England.
Jewish leaders present at the meeting were Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Roma Dr. Riccardo Di Segni, Rabbi Dr. Rafael Evers, Dean of the Rabbinical Seminary in the Netherlands, and Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue in London.
During the meeting Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions, raised concern about Christianophobia in Europe and outside it, mentioning in particular the region of Kosovo and the occupied part of Cyprus, where churches are brutally destroyed and where Christian population suffers exceedingly. According to the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, the list of countries where Christians are persecuted or discriminated includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, as well as many African nations. (See the full text below).
Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: Statement at the meeting of the EU leadership with religious leaders of Europe
Brussels, 5 May 2008
On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has millions of faithful living on EU territory, I would like to commend the EU leadership for bringing together leaders of the world’s religions. I applaud those efforts of the European Institutions that invest in the promotion of tolerance and peace among representatives of different religions and world views. I appreciate the fact that the EU leadership is willing to listen to our concerns, and hope that our discussion today will not remain on the theoretical level but will have practical consequences.
Inter-religious dialogue, as well as dialogue between religion and secular ideologies, is a matter of necessity and urgency. Europe is witnessing a significant re-shaping of its religious map. In some countries, where not long ago an atheist ideology was officially imposed on the entire population, and where churches were heavily persecuted, we are now witnessing an unprecedented religious revival. In other countries, however, we see a clear decline in religious practice. Secularism is gaining momentum in nations which not long ago identified themselves as Christian, while the growth of Islam is also quite noticeable.
The EU leadership makes laudable efforts to help immigrants from Islamic countries to embrace European values and to fully integrate into European society. An environment of tolerance is being created, whereby every person, regardless of his or her beliefs, must feel at home.
I believe, however, that secular ideologies should not be regarded as the main basis for creating a society of tolerance and mutual respect. A secular or atheist ideology cannot serve as a common denominator for all of the different world views that exist in Europe.
I also believe that tolerance should not be promoted at the expense of Christians, who continue to constitute the majority in Europe’s population. Instances of Christianophobia and of discrimination against Christians should be officially condemned. The public display of Christian symbols should nowhere in Europe be prohibited, and the celebration of Christian feasts should nowhere be discouraged in the name of falsely-understood tolerance.
One would expect from the EU authorities that they will do more to protect Europe’s Christian heritage. This relates, in particular, to the Kosovo region, where churches are being brutally destroyed, and thousands of Christians are left homeless or forced into exile. It also relates to that part of Cyprus which is still unlawfully occupied by Turkish military forces, where churches are being ruined and the remaining Christian population continues to suffer excessively.
Turkey aspires towards membership in the European Union, while at the same time continuing to neglect the needs of its Christian population. Turkey’s refusal to reopen the theological school on Halki, in spite of repeated requests from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is but one of many examples of such neglect. This largely anti-Christian policy is presently enforced by the official denial of the atrocities committed against Christians in the past, such as the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians. I hope that the EU will use the mechanism of negotiation with Turkey in order to ensure that crimes of the past will never be repeated in the future, and that religious minorities in Turkey will be treated according to civilized standards.
Much more could and should be done by the EU leadership to protect Christian populations outside of Europe, notably in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and in many other Islamic countries. In Iraq, the killing and abduction of Christian clergy is a daily reality. In Afghanistan, conversion to Christianity may lead to the death sentence. In Saudi Arabia, no single Christian church exists and Christian workers are not allowed to read the Bible or to come together for worship. Alarming news about the persecution and killing of Christians comes from Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, as well as from many African nations.
I would like to conclude my short contribution by affirming that Christian Churches in the European Union, notably the Orthodox Churches, will continue to co-operate fully with the EU leadership in order to create a world founded on the principles of tolerance, justice and equality.
Patriarch Alexy II calls for development of relations between Orthodox and Catholics
Moscow, 28 April 2008, Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has called for the development of relations between Orthodox and Catholics at a meeting with Salzburg Archbishop Alois Kothgasser, the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations told Interfax-Religion on Monday.
"This relationship is particularly important for the promotion of traditional moral values, Christian ideas of social and family relations, human rights and dignity in modern Europe," Alexy II said.
The archbishop is visiting Moscow with a delegation of Salzburg clerics and believers. He met with Patriarch at the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on Sunday.
"We attribute a huge significance to the development of friendly relations with the Catholic diocese of Salzburg. This is not just because your city has cultural and historical importance," Alexy II said.
He confirmed the good relations between the Catholic Church in Austria and the local diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
"We are grateful to representatives of the Roman Catholic Church for their unwavering attention and assistance to the church life of our flock in Austria," he said.
Moscow Patriarchate believes in strategic alliance with Catholics
Sofia, 21 April 2008, Interfax - The Orthodox and Catholic Churches could form a strategic alliance for the protection of Christian values, Russian Orthodox Church Representative to European International Organizations Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria said in an interview with the Bulgarian magazine Christianity and Culture.
"We must realize that Orthodox and Catholic believers are no longer rivals. We are allies. The rivalry must be gone once and for all. If we understand that, proselytism will stop," he said.
‘The romantic ecumenism’ personified by the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches is not viable, the bishop said. In his opinion, it would be much better to form bilateral strategic alliances or partnerships, for instance, between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
"I don’t mean union, administrative merger or compromise in theological teaching, I mean strategical partnership," the Moscow Patriarchate’s representative said.
According to Bishop Hilarion, joint Orthodox-Catholic "front" is required both to oppose to the challenges of secularism and to protect traditional Christianity and dialogue with other world religions.
He believes that many Protestants unlike the Orthodox and the Catholic have created "a light version of Christianity, without apostolic succession, without sacraments, without strict dogmatic teaching and what is also important they don’t require sticking to Christian moral norms."
When Christian community starts "revising theological or moral teaching of Christianity in order to make it more "modern" or "politically correct", it’s a direct way to spiritual death," Bishop Hilarion said.
Le patriarche Alexis a reçu, à la cathédrale Christ-Sauveur, une délégation de l’archidiocèse de Salzburg
Le 27 avril 2008, dimanche de la Pâque, le patriarche Alexis de Moscou et de toute la Russie a reçu dans la cathédrale Christ-Sauveur de Moscou Mgr Alois Kothgasser, archevêque catholique de Salzburg, accompagné d’une importante délégation du clergé et de laïcs de son diocèse. Le patriarche Alexis a fait part de sa joie de recevoir une délégation de l’Eglise catholique d’Autriche au moment où l’orthodoxie fête la Pâque. Il a souligné également les bons rapports qui existent en Autriche entre l’Eglise catholique et le diocèse de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe. "Nous sommes reconnaissants aux représentants de l’Eglise catholique romaine pour leur attention indéfectiblement bienveillante envers nos fidèles qui vivent en Autriche et pour l’aide qui leur est accordée", a affirmé le primat de l’Eglise russe.
"Nous accordons une grande importance au développement des rapports amicaux avec l’archidiocèse catholique de Salzburg non seulement à cause de l’importance culturelle et historique de votre ville, mais surtout parce qu’il est temps de faire avancer la collaboration entre orthodoxes et catholiques", a noté le patriarche Alexis.
L’archevêque A. Kothgasser a fait part de sa joie d’avoir assisté à la célébration pascale dans la cathédrale de Moscou: "Quelle magnificence, quelle joie de la résurrection de notre Seigneur. Nous sommes témoins d’une véritable résurrection de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe après de longues années de captivité babylonienne". Il a raconté également sa visite le Vendredi Saint au polygone Boutovo où de nombreux chrétiens ont trouvé la mort: "L’Eglise orthodoxe russe est une Eglise-martyre, a-t-il affirmé. C’est avec une profonde émotion que nous vénérons tous ses témoins de la foi dont le sang est et sera toujours la semence de nouveaux chrétiens".
A la fin de la rencontre, Mgr Kothgasser a invité le patriarche à visiter Salzburg.
Patriarche Alexis: ‘L’unité de l’Eglise sera le principal sujet du prochain concile épiscopal’
Le 23 avril 2008, à l’occasion de la fête de Pâques, célébrée cette année le 27 avril, le patriarche Alexis a donné une conférence de presse aux journalistes russes et étrangers.
L’attention des journalistes portaient sur de nombreuses questions de l’actualité religieuse en Russie et en particulier sur l’ordre du jour du prochain concile épiscopal de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe qui aura lieu à Moscou du 24 au 29 juin 2008. Le patriarche a noté que ce concile devra faire le bilan de la vie ecclésiale des quatre années qui se sont écoulées depuis le dernier concile, tenu en 2004. Son sujet principal sera cependant l’unité de l’Eglise. "Préserver l’unité de l’Eglise est le devoir commun des évêques, des ministres de l’Eglise et de tous les chrétiens orthodoxes. C’est dans l’unité que réside notre force."
Le patriarche Alexis a été interrogé également sur la célébration de Pâques la plus mémorable dans son ministère ecclésial. Pour le primat de l’Eglise russe, la Pâque qui lui a laissé le souvenir le plus fort est celle qu’il a célébrée en 1945, lorsqu’il était enfant de choeur à la cathédrale Saint-Alexandre-Nevski à Tallinn: "C’était la première célébration pascale dans la cathédrale après quatre ans d’interruption. J’en ai gardé un souvenir extrêmement fort, parce que j’avais participé aux préparatives de la réouverture de la cathédrale", fermée par les nazis dès le début de la guerre.
Salzburger Erzbischof Kothgasser besucht Patriarch Aleksij II.
Trotz der Festtagsdifferenzen zwischen Ost- und Westkirche sollte die Chance auf gegenseitige Begegnungen genutzt werden, betonte der russisch-orthodoxe Patriarch Aleksij II. beim Besuch des Salzburger Erzbischofs Dr. Alois Kothgasser in Moskau.
Auf Einladung des Patriarchen hat der Salzburger Erzbischof gemeinsam mit einer „Pro-Oriente“-Delegation am Wochenende an den orthodoxen Osterfeierlichkeiten in der überfüllten Moskauer Erlöserkathedrale teilgenommen. Auch der in dieser Woche aus dem Amt scheidende russische Präsident Wladimir Putin, sein Nachfolger Dmitrij Medwedjew und deren Gattinnen fanden sich unter den zahlreichen Gläubigen.
Im Anschluss an die Ostersonntag-Vesper lud der Patriarch die Gäste aus Österreich zu einem Gespräch, in der Aleksij II. den Gedanken der Wiederauferstehung des Glaubens nach dem „Golgatha Russlands“ erneut ansprach. Erzbischof Kothgasser hat bereits zuvor bei einer Begegnung nach dem Gottesdienst in der Erlöserkirche die Überlegungen von einem „Wunder der Auferstehung des christlichen Glaubens nach der langen Zeit der babylonischen Gefangenschaft Russlands“ in den Jahrzehnten des Kommunismus in den Mittelpunkt gestellt. Diese damals herrschende Staatsform habe über nahezu drei Generationen hinweg „eine totale Auslöschung der russischen Kirche, der Klöster und des Namens Gottes" versucht, so Aleksij II. Dabei seien tausende Pfarren, hunderte Klöster vernichtet und Millionen Menschen ermordet worden. Das Volk habe trotz dieser Ereignisse seinen Glauben bewahrt und neu belebt: Nach ersten Schätzung feierten heuer rund 70 Millionen Russen die Osterliturgie aktiv mit.
Aleksij II. verwies bei dem Gespräch auch auf den unterschiedlichen Festtagskalender der Ost- und Westkirche. Heute seien vor allem das gemeinsame Gebet und die Stärkung christlicher Werte wichtig.
Dem religiösen und gesellschaftlichen Wandel Russlands gilt ein besonderer Schwerpunkt des Besuchs von Erzbischof Kothgasser, der am Mittwoch mit einer Begegnung mit dem Leiter des Außenamts des russischen Patriarchats, Metropolit Kyrill von Smolensk, zu Ende gehen wird. Schon kurz nach seinem Eintreffen hatte Kothgasser die Gedenkstätte Butowo am Stadtrand von Moskau besucht, wo während des stalinistischen Terrors mehr als 30.000 Menschen erschossen worden waren. Auch die Moskauer "Christus-Erlöserkathedrale" kann als Sinnbild der jüngeren russischen Geschichte gelten: Die aus dem 19. Jahrhundert stammende Kathedrale wurde unter Stalin abgerissen, sie sollte zunächst einem gigantischen "Volkspalast" weichen, dessen Bau sich aus statischen Gründen aber als undurchführbar erwies. Jahrzehntelang wurden die Fundamente der Kathedrale dann als Schwimmbad missbraucht, ehe sich der neue russische Staat zu einer Wiedererrichtung in alter Pracht entschloss.
Im Dezember will Patriarch Aleksij II. nach Österreich kommen, um in Wien die russisch-orthodoxe Nikolauskathedrale im 3. Bezirk nach ihrer Restaurierung neu zu weihen. Der 79-Jährige bedauerte es, dass sein fortschreitendes Alter und die Fülle seiner Aufgaben einen zusätzlichen Besuch in Salzburg leider nicht ermöglichen.
Erzdiözese Salzburg/epd/ah
Bischof Hilarion Alfeyev: Schluss mit einem ‘romantischen Ökumenismus’
Der russisch-orthodoxe Bischof von Wien und Österreich plädiert für eine Allianz zwischen der Orthodoxie und der römisch-katholischen Kirche
Hilarion Alfeyev, der russisch-orthodoxe Bischof von Wien und Österreich, hat in einem Interview den „romantischen Ökumenismus“ kritisiert, der durch den Weltkirchenrat angestrebt wird. Das meldet die Nachrichtenagentur Interfax.
Gegenüber einem bulgarischen Magazin meinte er, diese Ideen seien nicht „existenzfähig“. Es sei besser, bilaterale und strategische Allianzen aufzubauen. Der orthodoxe Kirchenmann sieht diese vor allem in einer Allianz zwischen der römisch-katholischen und der orthodoxen Kirche.
Wörtlich sagte er: „Wir müssen begreifen, dass orthodoxe und katholische Gläubige nicht länger Rivalen sind. Wir sind Verbündete. Diese Rivalität muss ein für allemal aufhören. Wenn wir das verstehen, wird auch der Proselytismus aufhören.“
Viele Protestanten hätten eine „light Version des Christentums“ entwickelt, das „ohne apostolische Sukzession, ohne Sakramente, ohne dogmatische Lehren und auch ohne Bindung an christliche Moralnormen auskommt“, kritisierte er.
Jahrhunderte alte Sünden würden von diesen nicht nur ignoriert, sondern sogar unterstützt. Wörtlich sagte Bischof Hilarion: „Sobald christliche Gemeinschaften damit beginnen, theologische oder moralische Lehren des Christentums zu ändern und versuchen, diese ‘moderner’ oder ‘politisch korrekter’ zu machen, ist dies der direkte Weg zum geistlichen Tod.“
Interfax, Kath.net
Letters to the Editor
Respected Mr. Hilarion Alfeyev,
I have come across your biography and your online articles during my study research. In this letter I wish to address you as a scholar and a human being. There is much I wish to say, but I will try to make it as short as possible.
First I wish to express my admiration of your musical creativity. It really touched my heart and lifted it up high. One could hear and feel the influence of J.S.Bach on your work, but you have succeeded in making it more accessible to the hearts of contemporary people. They mirror you too, as a sensitive and gentle person.
Furthermore, I wish to say something about contemporary society and its relation to religion as an answer to some of your articles on orthodoxeurope.org. As I have mentioned before, your work is touching hearts of people of nowadays. If it would have been written some centuries ago, it would not be as understood and accepted as it is today, no matter that the real value of it would always be the same - a beautiful piece of art. It means that demands of let’s call it “today” are different than of “yesterday”. There is a need and desire for God today; humanity could never be separated from search for God. These terms stand side by side. But, this search has got another form due to the influences of modern age and education. It is not that churches or even religions need to change, but their approach to people needs to take another dimension. Good example from world religions’ history is modern Hinduism. Religion itself, its essence, did not change, but due to western education of some prominent personalities (like Gandhi or Vivekananda) it took a new dimension which brought many changes and much good.
Secondly, people of today are terrified of institutions; there is even a famous saying: God brought religion and devil institution.
Thirdly, people of today are discouraged with many “bad examples” from celibates struggling with their vow of celibacy and in that way doing more harm than good. People are like children; they learn best by example, not by theory. And naturally, the hunger of the people of today was not satisfied by existing religious institutions and bad examples, and they went to search for their own help: different sects appeared and immorality blossomed.
The days of old could not have been kept and the change was necessary. Even this immorality period will bring some good. It will form new approaches and ways of coming closer to the people and bringing God to them on the way they could understand and accept. This might include taking away rules about celibacy, priests reaching more out to people and going among them, teaching people to learn to first accept God in their lives, and then to learn to love themselves too. How could anyone of us follow the message of Christ to love one another, when we cannot even love ourselves? We cannot give away what we do not have.
Orthodox Christianity is a beautiful jewel, but it is really difficult to find an openhearted orthodox scholar who would share his insights openly with other people.
There is a big chance that you will never read this letter. People of your knowledge would need to have more contact with “ordinary” people in order to give them what they have learned and realized. And in this way they would have bigger opportunity for spiritual growth too. Holiness is not shown by being out of the world; but by being in the world and at the same time out of it.
Alexandra Hölblinger, Austria
*
Gentlemen,
May I respectfully point to a rather bad "own goal" in the Europaica no. 143 (or 3/04/2008).
The writer of the article on the 90th anniversary of the Estonian Orthodox Church berates Metropolitan Stephanos who "to this day does not speak Estonian".
I would respectfully point out that the Moscow Patriarchate's Archbishop in Brussels does not speak either of the country's main national languages.
In English we say: "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones".
Michael Lomax, Brussels, Belgium