Speech at the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin after the Transfer of the Copy of the Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, 28 August 2004

Brothers Archpastors, Holy Fathers, Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrating the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. On this day we especially vividly feel the closeness of the Most Holy Mother of God to human beings, to the Christian people. It is significant that on this day we are receiving the ancient image which has finished its travel over many countries and is coming home to Russia.

I am cordially thanking Your Eminence and all members of the Delegation of the Roman Catholic Church and through you her Primate John Paul II and her whole plenitude for the image of the Most Holy Mother of God of Kazan presented to us.

For the recent decade numerous shrines which seemed to be lost forever during the tragic times of fighting against God have returned to our Church. However, indeed, now it is 'a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together' (Eccl.3:5). Today's renewal of the Russian Orthodoxy is marked with return of dozens of holy icons, among which a special place belongs to images of the Most Holy Mother of God.

Now Russia is welcoming one of the most venerable images of the Mother of God of Kazan. This icon has passed a long and difficult route over many countries and cities. Orthodox and Catholic faithful, Christians of other denominations prayed before it. For a long time this icon was carefully kept in Vatican and warmed up the love to the Most Holy Mother of God, to Russia, to her culture and her cultural heritage in the hearts of numerous Catholics. According to the Divine Providence, this holy image is coming home.

The original of the icon of the Mother of God appeared in the XVI century. For subsequent centuries that icon 'which shone forth and granted miracles over the whole land of Russia' was a symbol of incessant help of the Mother of God to our compatriots who prayerfully appealed to her and called her 'zealous intercessoress of Christian people'. It was no mere chance that the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan has remained one of the most respected and venerated images of the Mother of God in Russia, while the copies of this icon can be seen practically in all Orthodox churches in Russia.

The veneration of the Mother of God is an inalienable part of spiritual life in the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches. This mutual veneration of the Mother of God which is traced back to the origin of Christianity reminds us of the times of the Ancient Universal Church.

I am asking you, Your Eminence, to pass to His Holiness Pope John Paul II our warmest gratitude for this gift. Hopefully, this would testify the firm intention of the Vatican authorities to come back to sincere and respectful relations between our Churches, relations which would be deprived of unkind competition and would be filled with the desire to brotherly help one another.

I would like to cordially congratulate all those who co-celebrated with us today, who prayed with us on the occasion of the most holy feast of the All-Glorious Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God and of the patronal feast of this holy Cathedral. Since the XV century this Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Mother of God has been the main cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. Many generations of the Orthodox faithful prayed within these walls in hard times and in times of joy. God blessed us to continue these prayers even today. It is gratifying that divine services have been resumed in this Cathedral for fifteen years and that this Cathedral is again the Patriarchal Cathedral of our Holy Church.

I am cordially greeting the delegation of the Lutheran Church of Norway headed by Bishop Gunnar Stalsett of Oslo. Our fraternal relations with this Church are becoming ever stronger, and we are thankful to Bishop Stalsett for help to our compatriots who happened to live in diaspora. In Oslo there is an Orthodox church where our compatriots, Orthodox people who live in the capital of Norway, receive spiritual guidance. To my mind, it is a very good example of co-operation which should be followed and which should be used in the relations between Churches.

Today many of those present here have received Holy Communion. I am congratulating them on this occasion.

Once again I am congratulating you all, our welcomed and dear guests, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church of Norway, on the occasion of the Feast which we are celebrating together. Let God strengthen us in our mission and in our mutual help to one another.

Happy Feast to you all, my beloved!
  
    
Letter of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia to His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Your Holiness,

I wholeheartedly thank you for having handed the Kazan Icon of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary over to the Russian Orthodox Church. On August 28, 2004, the Feast of the most glorious Dormition or the Theotokos, the representative delegation of the Roman Catholic Church led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, presented us with this icon after a solemn divine service at the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin, which was overcrowded with the faithful who came on this sacred day to lift up their prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos.

The transfer of this holy icon brought over by your envoys is seen by the Plenitude of the Russian Orthodox Church as both an act of the restoration of justice and an act of good will on the part of Your Holiness. I believe that your decision to hand over the icon points to the sincere desire to overcome the difficulties existing in relations between our two Churches. May this event become our common contribution to the overcoming of negative consequences of the 20th century history marked with persecution against the faith of Christ unprecedented in scale.

The veneration of the Mother of God as "the zealous intercessor for the Christian race" (Akathistos to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God) -the veneration common to the Orthodox and Catholic Churches -brings us back to the times of the Early Church when there were no divisions between East and West so visible, regretfully, in our days. The Russian Orthodox Church, always, even in the most difficult moments in her relations with the Roman Catholic Church, has invariably stated her willingness to develop these relations in the spirit of sincere cooperation. We see in the transfer of the Kazan Icon a step in the right direction in the belief that in the future everything that is possible will be done to settle certain problems standing between our Churches.

Good relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, which "the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Is 9:6) calls us to realize not in words but in deeds, are extremely important for the future of Europe and the whole world. The preaching of Christian values to the secularized society will be successful only if all Christians fulfil the Saviour's commandment of love: "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34). Openness in relations among Christians of various confessions presupposes respect for one another, knowledge of their common history and sensitivity in carrying out any actions in territories where other Christian tradition has existed far centuries.

Once again, I would like to thank Your Holiness from my heart for the gift and to express hope that the Most Holy Theotokos as "a swift and selfless healer of infirmities and divisions" (Akathistos to the Kazan Icon of the Theotokos) will send Her grace and mercy upon the faithful of our two Churches.

With love in the Lord,

+ Alexy
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
  
    
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad: Principle of Religious Freedom cannot be Taken as Absolute

Speech at the enlarged meeting of the leading officials of the Central Federal District, Kursk, 21 July 2004

At present there is no doubt that religious convictions influence the formation of a person and determine human behaviour in all aspects and spheres of life.

Indeed, the Church teaches to form a good family, to work honestly and creatively, to love one's Motherland, to respect law and authorities, to take care of disabled. These principles, in terms of the Christian system of values, are basic for every human person.

Today the Russian statesmen and politicians, all those who are interested in the destiny of our country, realize that a firm moral ground is necessary for the formation of social ideals and creation of a civilized society.

However, a question arises: couldn't a broad spiritual and moral representation of different confessions in public life lead to a dangerous competition and even clashes between different religious communities? I put this question because it is always mentioned when some people try to limit social mission of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The principle of religious freedom which is expressed in the Act on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations is, no doubt, significant and necessary. At the same time, one should realize that the only one principle, no matter how perfect it could be, is unable to cover all richness, diversity and complexity of real life, as well as potentialities for future development.

Besides, there exist at least two more principles which are necessary for the normal religious life in our country.

The first principle presumes the difference between the notions of 'equality' and 'equal rights'. The Russian Orthodox Church stands for equal rights for different religious organizations according to the law. And if a certain legal initiative infringing legal rights of certain religious communities is introduced, our Church, which herself quite recently suffered from terrible persecutions, will be the first to protect these communities.

At the same time, the role of any confession in the modern life and history of the country, in the formation of spiritual and moral values, is to be naturally taken into account. For example, it goes without saying that the creative contribution of the Bolshoi Theatre into the cultural life of Russia differs a priori from the contribution of a local house of culture, though the Bolshoi and this house of culture are equal as legal entities. It would be quite unjust to diminish the rights of small amateur groups. Nevertheless, the state authorities have the right and moral duty to render assistance to those entities which determine the cultural level of the country.

About 80 per cent of the population of our country consider themselves Orthodox. Orthodoxy is a religion which determines our national identity, our national self-identification. That is why supporting the principle of freedom of conscience, it is impossible to ignore the real contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church into spiritual and intellectual life of Russia and the Russian people.

Now it has become fashionable to criticize local legislation regulating legal relations in the religious sphere for its 'discriminatory' character. Probably, certain shortcomings and contradictions with the federal norms can be found there. However, to my mind, it is regions that demonstrate today real understanding of the fact that the principle of religious freedom is to be realized in accordance with other imperatives of the national formation and that the violation of this factor leads to the appearance of extremism and national and religious tensions.

The local legislation shows the necessity to apply one more principle in realization of religious freedom in various regions of the country. I mean the problem of preserving cultural identity of the peoples of Russia. This cultural identity is not an empty word. Through this identity a person is psychologically tied with the society and the state. It influences activities and self-development of a person. Religion is the basic component of cultures of all peoples of the world and determines their identity. That is why we use such notions as 'Christian culture', 'Islamic culture', 'Buddhist culture' and so on.

All countries which realize their cultural identity take steps to preserve traditions, including religious ones. For example, in certain European cities it is impossible to construct a cult building which would exceed certain size or be in contradiction with the architectural style of the surrounding buildings. To my mind, this is a positive measure, since such approach protects and supports the love for one's own country, its history and culture.

I could show you a concrete example. The Russian Orthodox community in Switzerland asked the authorities of Zurich for the permission to build a church in Russian architectural traditions. Several versions were presented to the municipal authorities, however, they all were rejected, since such architectural style does not correspond to the cultural and historical tradition of the city. And no references to human rights and to discrimination of religious minorities were taken into account.

Recently, there was discussion in our society concerning the intention of the Society of the Conscience of Krishna to erect their temple complex near the centre of Moscow at the place which is significant and well-remembered by the Russian people. The size of the proposed temple would go far beyond the requirements of a small Moscow Krisna community at present and in future. The size of the complex would be equal to a sixteen-storeyed house, its capacity would be equal to that of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral. The authors of the project presumed that the membership of this community, exotic for Russia, would be increasing. And what would be the source of this increase? It would be members of the Orthodox, Muslim, Buddhist communities. This project would come into contradiction with the religious freedom of the majority of citizens, as well as show complete disregard of the protection of cultural and historical view of Moscow. I believe it is no mere chance that the idea of civil opposition to the intentions of the Krishna community was supported not only by active faithful, but by a wide circle of common citizens.

Problems of the kind usually arise with religious organizations of foreign origin. Usually they have comparatively small membership, but solid financial support. Material and financial resources which are at their disposal permit them to carry out missionary and social activities, which significantly overpasses their proportion in the religious life of the country or some region of the country. Some of these organizations are engaged in real proselytism under the disguise of educational, medical and charity activities. They are 'fishing souls' of our co-citizens who often live in unfavourable social situations, and are eroding and distorting the identical culture of Russia. It should be added, that they often act without any official state license. That is why, the requirement of proportionality in the approach to the religious organizations acting on the territory of Russia and of protection of identity of our people is, in fact, the requirement for justice in the protection of religious rights of our citizens and spiritual, cultural and historical identity of our country.

The existence of this problem, certainly, does not exclude the co-operation with those communities whose views on the principles of the formation of the system of interreligious and interconfessional relations in Russia coincide with those of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1998 the Interreligious Council of Russia was established. It consists of the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the largest Muslim, Judaic and Buddhist organizations. Besides, the Russian Orthodox Church is open to mutual projects of cultural and social character with other religious organizations. An example of such co-operation is a mutual anti-narcotic action 'Train to Future', carried out last year by the traditional religions of Russia together with certain Christian confessions.

Summing up the said above, I would like to emphasize once again: the principle of religious freedom cannot and should not be taken as absolute to the benefit of certain abstract considerations. It should be combined with other value orientations, such as adequacy in missionary and social activities, proportional role of certain religious organizations, active protection of cultural identity of Russia. Without this we cannot form peaceful and efficient interreligious and interconfessional relations.

Posted by DECR MP Communication Service (http://www.mospat.ru)

  
Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria: Can the Russian Orthodox Church Be Accused of Nationalism?

Reaction to the paper by Archbishop Makarios of Kenya and Irinoupolis 'Ethnic Identity, National Identity and the Search for Unity', delivered in his absence at the meting of the Plenary Commission on 'Faith and Order', Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 2 August 2004

My comments relate to the following statements made by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya and Irinoupolis in his paper:

Unfortunately the Church itself is often guilty of promoting nationalism at the expense of its 'catholicism'. We therefore speak, for example, of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Russian Orthodox Church etc. Often the Church has involved itself in national wars, in the blessing of weapons before battle, and what is even worse encouraging war and nationalism in the Name of Jesus Christ.

I am disappointed that Archbishop Makarios in his otherwise well-informed paper cites the Russian Orthodox Church alongside with the Church of England and the Church of Scotland as examples of churches that 'promote nationalism', apparently implying that it is these churches that are involved in national wars, in the blessing of weapons before battle etc. I regret that Archbishop Makarios is not present here to clarify what was his intention in naming these specific churches and what particularly he had in mind when referring to the Russian Orthodox Church.

When the Nazi army invaded Russia in June 1941, the whole nation - men and women, believers and non-believers, Christians and non-Christians, Russians and non-Russians, soldiers and civilians - stood in defence. More than twenty million people, mostly men, were lost during the war, and the demographic consequences of this loss are noticeable even today.

The Russian Orthodox Church by the beginning of the war had been devastated by the severest persecutions of the 1920s and 1930s, when ninety-five per cent of its clergy and monastics had been executed, imprisoned or exiled, all monasteries and theological schools closed, and thousands of churches blown up or transformed into secular buildings.

In spite of being almost completely annihilated, the Russian Orthodox Church - or rather what remained of it - from the very first day of the war joined the nation in its struggle for liberation. Indeed, priests blessed the troops and weapons before battles, gave absolution to the dying soldiers, and were involved - alongside with thousands of ordinary believers - in the patriotic activity in many other ways.

But can one responsibly claim that these actions were sinful? When a nation defends itself against foreign invasion, should the Church stay aside and let its children die without absolution? Or should the soldiers be deprived of the Church's blessing before the battle?

In the year 2000 the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a lengthy document entitled 'The Basic Social Concept', where separate chapters are dedicated to war and peace, nationalism and patriotism. The document, in particular, condemns nationalism, when stating:

…National sentiments can cause such sinful phenomena as aggressive nationalism, xenophobia, national exclusiveness and inter-ethnic enmity. At their extremes, these phenomena often lead to the restriction of the rights of individuals and nations, wars and other manifestations of violence. It is contrary to Orthodox ethics to divide nations into the best and the worst and to belittle any ethnic or civic nation. Even more contrary to Orthodoxy are those teachings which put the nation in the place of God or reduce faith to one of the aspects of national self-awareness (II.4).

While strongly condemning aggressive nationalism, the document mentions various ways in which a true Christian patriotism could be displayed:

The patriotism of the Orthodox Christian should be active. It is manifested when he defends his motherland against an enemy, works for the good of the motherland, cares for the good order of people's lives through, among other things, participation in the affairs of government. The Christian is called to preserve and develop national culture and people's self-awareness (II.3).

In examining the problem of war and peace, the Russian Orthodox Church states in its 'Basic Social Concept' that any war is a result of human sin. However, it makes an important distinction between defensive and aggressive war. The Church does not call its faithful to refuse military service and participation in a military action of defensive character. In other words, it does not proclaim pacifism as a fundamental principle:

While recognizing war as an evil, the Church does not forbid its members from participating in military action if they are aimed at defending one's neighbors or restoring justice that has been violated. In such cases war, though undesirable, is considered a forced means of action (VIII.2).

It is to be hoped that Archbishop Makarios becomes more acquainted with the tragic experience of the Russian Orthodox Church in the past and with its contemporary official statements on nationalism and patriotism in order perhaps to be more sensitive and less judgmental in his interpretation of history.
  
       
Die Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter, das Geschenk von Papst Johannes Paul II ist in Moskau eingetroffen
  
Am 27. August überbrachte eine Delegation der Römisch-Katholischen Kirche, geleitet vom Vorsitzenden des Päpstlichen Rates für die Einheit der Christen, Kardinal Walter Kasper und den amerikanischen Kardinal Theodor Mc Carrick das Bildnis der Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter nach Moskau, die Ikone wurde von Papst Johannes Paul II der Russischen Kirche übergeben.

Am 28. August am Hochfest der Himmelfahrt der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter, feierte Seine Heiligkeit der Patriarch von Moskau und Ganz Russland, Alexij II, die göttliche Liturgie in der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale im Kreml. Kozelebranten waren der Erzbischof von Istra Arsenij, der Erzbischof von Kursk und Rylsk German, der Bischof von Dmitrow Alexander und der Bischof von Egorievsk Mark.

Vor Beginn der heiligen Liturgie überbrachte die Delegation der Römisch-Katholischen Kirche das Abbild der Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter in die Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale, während der vergangenen 11 Jahre war die Ikone in den Privatgemächern von Papst Johannes Paul II aufbewahrt. Kardinal Walter Kasper und Kardinal Theodor Mc Carrick legten die Ikone auf den Analoi vor dem Altar der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale nieder, rechts vom Königstor.

Nach den Expertisen der Fachleute, die gemeinsam von Vertretern des Vatikans, mit Spezialisten des Kulturministeriums Russlands und des Kirchlichen wissenschaftlichen Zentrums "Orthodoxe Enzyklopädie" erstellt wurden, ist das Abbild der Ikone, das in den Gemächern des Papstes von Rom aufbewahrt war im 18. Jahrhundert "mit einem Beschlag" hergestellt worden, und nach dem reich geschmückten Gewand zu schließen, gehörte das Bildnis einer sehr wohlhabenden Familie.

An dem Gottesdienst nahm auch das Oberhaupt der Katholiken Russlands Metropolit Tadeusz Kondrusziewicz teil, das Oberhaupt der Lutherischen Kirche Norwegens, der Bischof von Oslo Gunnar Stalsett und andere Vertreter der Kirche Norwegens, der Botschafter Griechenlands in Russland, Demitrios Paraskevopoulos und zahlreiche andere Ehrengäste.

Zum Ende der göttlichen Liturgie richtete Kardinal Walter Kaspar im Namen von Papst Johannes Paul II und der Delegationsmitglieder der Römisch-Katholischen Kirche, die die Kasaner Ikone der Gottemutter nach Moskau gebracht hatte, eine Grußbotschaft an das Oberhaupt und die Gesamtheit der Russisch Orthodoxen Kirche.

Nachdem er das Abbild der Kasaner Ikone angenommen hatte, betete der Hochheilige Patriarch Alexij vor dem Heiligtum, das nach Russland zurückgekehrt war. Die Ikone wurde auf den Altar der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale niedergelegt. Danach wandte sich der Hochheilige Patriarch Alexij an die Anwesenden mit seinem Hirtenwort. (Siehe nachstehend).

Nach Abschluss der göttlichen Liturgie fand ein Gespräch des Hochheiligen Patriarchen von Moskau und Ganz Russland, Alexij II und Kardinal Walter Kasper, dem Vorsitzenden des Päpstlichen Rates für die Einheit der Christen sowie den Haupt der Lutherischen Kirche Norwegens, Bischof Gunnar Stalsett statt.

Botschaft des Hochheiligen Patriarchen von Moskau und Ganz Russland, Alexij II, gegeben in der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale des Moskauer Kremls am Hochfest der Himmelfahrt der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter

Liebe Brüder und Hirten, ehrwürdige Väter, liebe Brüder und Schwestern!

Heute feiert die Russisch-Orthodoxe Kirche die Himmelfahrt der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter. An diesem Fest fühlen wir ganz besonders die Nähe der Allerseligsten Jungfrau Maria zum Menschengeschlecht und zur Christenheit. Es ist bemerkenswert, dass wir gerade an diesem Tag die verehrungswürdige Ikone erhalten, die eine Reise durch viele Länder und Städte zurückgelegt hat und nunmehr nach Russland heimgekehrt ist.

Ich danke Eurer Eminenz und allen Delegationsmitgliedern der Römisch-Katholischen Kirche und in Ihrer Person ihrem Oberhaupt, Papst Johannes Paul II und der gesamten Kirche für die uns übergebene Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter.

Im letzten Jahrzehnt wurden zahlreiche Heiligtümer unserer Kirche zurückgegeben, die wie es schien, für immer verloren waren in den tragischen Zeiten der Verfolgung und der Vertreibungen im Kampf gegen Gott. Doch in der Tat "es gibt eine Zeit Steine zu werfen, und eine Zeit Steine zu sammeln" (Eccl. 3.5). Die heutige Renaissance der Russischen Orthodoxie ist begründet dadurch, dass Dutzende heilige Ikonen in die Heimat zurückgekehrt sind, unter ihnen nehmen die Ikonen der Gottesmutter einen besonderen Platz ein.

Heute begrüßt Russland eines der verehrtesten Abbilder der Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter. Dieses Bildnis hat einen langen und schweren Weg durch viele Länder und Städte hinter sich. Vor dieser Ikone haben orthodoxe Gläubige, Katholiken, Christen anderer Konfessionen gebetet. Lange Zeit hat man sie sorgfältig im Vatikan aufbewahrt, das hat bei vielen gläubigen Katholiken die Liebe zur Allerseligsten Jungfrau Maria, zu Russland und zur Russischen Kirche geweckt, zu ihrer Kultur und zu ihrem geistigen Erbe. Nach dem Willen Gottes ist nun nach Jahren dieses heilige Bildnis nach Hause zurückgekehrt.

Die ursprüngliche Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter erschien unserem Volk im 16. Jahrhundert. Im Verlauf aller nachfolgender Jahrhunderte war diese Ikone "die das ganze russische Land durch das Licht ihrer Wunder erhellte" ein Symbol der steten Hilfe der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter für unser Volk, das sich im Gebet an Sie wandte und Sie " die Stete Fürsprecherin für das christliche Volk" nannte. Nicht zufällig war und ist die Kasaner Ikone eines der am meisten geliebten und verehrten Bildnisse der Allerseligsten Jungfrau in Russland, und Abbilder dieser Ikone kann man in fast jeder Kirche unserer Russisch-Orthodoxen Kirche sehen.

Die Verehrung der Gottesmutter ist ein unabdingbarer Bestandteil des geistigen Lebens in der Orthodoxen Kirche, ebenso wie in der Katholischen Kirche. Diese gemeinsame Verehrung der Allerheiligsten gottesmutter, die zu den Quellen des Christentumes zurückgeht, gemahnt uns an die Zeiten der ungeteilten Alten Kirche.

Ich bitte Eure Eminenz, Seiner Heiligkeit, Papst Johannes Paul II unserer tiefe Dankbarkeit zu überbringen für seine Gabe. Ich hoffe, dass dies ein Zeugnis ist über den ernsten Wunsch der Leitung des Vatikans zurückzukehren zu echten, in gegenseitiger Achtung stgehe4nden Beziehungen zwischen unseren Kirchen, Beziehungen, die frei sein sollten von ungutem Wetteifern, sondern erfült von dem Wunsch einander brüderlich zu helfen.

Ich möchte alle herzlich beglückwünschen, die heute mit uns gefeiert haben, die mit uns gebetet haben, nicht nur zum Hochfest der Himmelfahrt der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter, sondern auch zum Kirchweihfest dieser Kathedrale. Seit dem 15. Jahrhundert ist diese Kathedrale, geweiht zu Ehren der Himmelfahrt der Gottesmutter, eine der Hauptkirchen der Russisch-Orthodoxen Kirche. Zahllose Generationen orthodoxer Menschen beteten in diesem Mauern in den Jahren der Prüfung und in den Jahren der Freude. Durch Gottes Güte können wir dieses Gebet heute fortsetzen. Es ist eine Freude, dass bereits wieder seit 15 Jahren in der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale Gottesdienste gefeiert werden, dass sie wieder eine Patriarchatskathedrale unserer Heiligen Kirche geworden ist.

Ich begrüße herzlich die Delegation der Lutherischen Kirche Norwegens mit dem Bischof von Oslo, Gunnar Stalsett an der Spitze. Mit dieser Kirche verbinden uns brüderliche gegenseitige Beziehungen und wird danken Bischof Stalsettt für die Hilfe für unsere Landsleute, die derzeit in der Diaspora erwiesen wird. Wir haben in Oslo eine orthodoxe Kirche, in der unsere Landleute geistig gebildet werden, Orthodoxe, die in der norwegischen Hauptstadt leben. Ich glaube, dass dies ein sehr gutes Beispiel einer Zusammenarbeit ist, dem man folgen sollte, das man in den Beziehungen zwischen den Kirchen aufgreifen sollte.

Heute haben viele der Anwesenden die Kommunion empfangen. Ich gratuliere ihnen allen zum Empfang des Leibes Christi.

Ich beglückwünsche nochmals Sie alle, unsere verehrten und lieben Gäste, die Vertreter der Römisch-Katholischen Kirche und der Lutherischen Kirche Norwegens, zu diesem Feiertag, den wir gemeinsam mit ihnen allen feiern. Möge der Herr uns alle stärken in unserem Dienst und in unserer gegenseitigen Hilfe füreinander.

Meine Lieben, ich wünsche Ihnen allen einen frohen Feiertag!

Übersetzung: Barbara Hermann

Bischof Hilarion von Wien und Österreich: Die Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter und die orthodox-katholischen Beziehungen

Interview für Radio Stephansdom am 27. August 2004

Welche Bedeutung hat die Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter für die Russisch Orthodoxe Kirche?

Die Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter ist eines der meistverehrten Heiligtümer des russischen Volkes. Zuerst im 16. Jahrhundert in Kasan erschienen, hat diese wundertätige Ikone sowie auch ihre zahllosen Kopien, die über ganz Russland verbreitet waren, mehrmals das Land vor eindringenden feindlichen Fremden gerettet. Als Moskau 1612 von den Polen erobert wurde, beteten die russischen Truppen drei Tage vor der Kasaner Ikone der Gottesmutter, erst danach gingen sie zum Gegenangriff über, der mit der Vertreibung der Polen aus Russland endete.

Vor zweihundert Jahren, 1812 am Festtag der Kasaner Ikone brachten die russischen Truppen den französischen Invasoren die erste entscheidende Niederlage bei. Das Original der Ikone wurde 1904 aus Kasan geraubt und man nahm damals an, dass es vernichtet wurde. Allerdings waren in Moskau, in Petersburg und in vielen andren russischen Städten wundertätige Kopien dieser Ikone erhalten geblieben. Eine dieser Kopien gelangte in den Vatikan, wo sie sich in den Privatgemächern von Papst Johannes Paul II. befand.

Dass diese Ikone heute nach Russland zurückkehrt, hat eine tiefe symbolische Bedeutung. Die Rückkehr der Ikone wurde möglich dank einer persönlichen Initiative des Papstes von Rom, dem sie besonders teuer war. Wir alle hoffen, dass diese edelmütige Geste ein weiterer Schritt auf dem Wege der Annäherung zwischen den beiden Kirchen, der Römisch-Katholischen und der Russisch-Orthodoxen Kirche ist.

Wie wird der hohe Feiertag Maria Himmelfahrt in Russland und in der Wiener russisch-orthodoxen Gemeinde gefeiert?

Maria Himmelfahrt ist einer der beliebtesten und hochverehrtesten Feiertage in Russland. In Moskau leitet der Patriarch den Gottesdienst in der Maria Himmelfahrtskathedrale im Kreml. In dieser Kathedrale wird der Leiter der Päpstlichen Kommission für die Einheit der Christen, Kardinal Kasper, dem Patriarchen die Ikone überreichen, die bisher im Vatikan aufbewahrt wurde. In unserer Wiener Gemeinde findet am Vorabend des Feiertages eine feierliche Vesper statt, und am Feiertag selbst, am Samstag, den 28. August um 10 Uhr morgens findet eine feierliche Liturgie statt. In vielen Kirchen Russlands wird auch der Ritus der Grablegung der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter zelebriert, bei dem das Grabtuch mit der Darstellung der Allerheiligsten Gottesmutter rund um die Kirche getragen wird.

Was sind die hauptsächlichen Hindernisse auf dem Weg zur Einheit zwischen Katholiken und Orthodoxen?

Es gibt sowohl ekklesiologische als auch zahlreiche psychologische Hindernisse. Die wichtigste ekklesiologische Frage, die die beiden Kirchen trennt, ist die Frage über den Primat des Bischofs von Rom. Die Orthodoxen können nur so ein Modell einer einigen Kirche akzeptieren, wo der Papst nicht als ihr einziges Oberhaupt, sondern als der Erste unter Gleichen (primus inter pares) der Patriarchen von Konstantinopel, Alexandria, Antiochia, Jerusalem, Moskau und anderer anerkannt wird. Die Frage des Primats wird wahrscheinlich Gegenstand von Erörterungen im Orthodox-katholischen Dialog sein, der derzeit zwar zum Stillstand gekommen ist, der aber sehr wahrscheinlich in nächster Zeit wieder aufgenommen wird.

Die Überwindung der psychologischen Hindernisse der Einheit wird ebenfalls nicht leicht sein. Misstrauen und Abneigung gegenüber den Katholiken haben sich bei den Griechen, Russen und Vertretern anderer orthodoxer Völker im Verlauf von Jahrhunderten aufgestaut. Das ist verbunden mit der Geschichte der Kreuzzüge und anderer Eroberungskriege, die Katholiken auf orthodoxen Territorien geführt haben. Ein ernsthaftes Hindernis in der Frage der christlichen Einheit waren in der Zeit des 15. bis 17. Jahrhunderts die damals stattgefundenen Versuche einer gewaltsamen Hinwendung der Orthodoxen zum Katholizismus mithilfe der Union. Obwohl diese Ereignisse weit in der Vergangenheit liegen, sind ihre Folgen bis heute noch nicht endgültig beseitigt. Zum Beispiel ist es für niemanden ein Geheimnis, dass die Beziehungen zwischen der Orthodoxen und der Katholischen Kirche sich in den letzten Jahren schwieriger gestaltet haben, insbesonders wegen der bedeutenden Aktivitäten der Unierten auf dem Gebiet der Westukraine und in einigen anderen Regionen.

Trotz des oben gesagten, bin ich zutiefst überzeugt davon, dass es für die Orthodoxen und die Katholiken keinen anderen Weg gibt als das Streben nach einer Annäherung und einer Überwindung der Differenzen.

Uns vereint viel mehr als uns trennt. Uns eint der gemeinsame Glaube an die Heilige Dreifaltigkeit, an Jesus Christus den Gott und Heiland, die Verehrung der Gottesmutter und der Heiligen, wir haben ein kompatibles Verständnis von Kirche, von den Sakramenten und der apostolischen Sukzession.

Darüber hinaus leben wir in einer Welt die bestrebt ist die christlichen geistigen und ethischen Orientierungen abzulegen. Während die Orthodoxen und die Katholiken ihre gegenseitigen Beziehungen zu klären versuchen, feiern Säkularismus, Liberalismus und Atheismus immer neue Siege im Kampf um die Seelen der Menschen. Wir können diesem Kampf nur gewinnen, wenn wir zusammenstehen und gemeinsam die Werte der christlichen Zivilisation verteidigen.


La remise de l'icône de la mère de Dieu de Kazan au Patriarche Alexis par deux cardinaux de l'Église catholique romaine

Le 28 août (15 août selon le calendrier julien), pour la fête de la Dormition de la Mère de Dieu, deux cardinaux de l'Église catholique, Walter Kasper, président du Conseil pontifical pour l'unité des chrétiens, et Theodore McCarrick, l'archevêque de Washington, ont remis au Patriarche Alexis de Moscou et de toute la Russie l'icône de la Mère de Dieu de Kazan qui depuis onze dernières années était conservée dans les appartements privés du pape Jean-Paul II. La cérémonie s'est déroulée à la cathédrale de la Dormition de Kremlin, le coeur de l'Orthodoxie russe.

Dans son discours aux cardinaux le Patriarche Alexis a exprimé sa reconnaissance au pape Jean-Paul II: «Je vous remercie cordialement, Éminence, vous et tous les membres de la délégation de l'Église catholique romaine, et en votre personne le pape Jean-Paul II et le Plérôme de votre Église, pour l'icône de la Mère de Dieu de Kazan que vous nous avez transmise». Le Patriarche a rappelé les temps d'avant le schisme entre les Églises orthodoxe et catholique auquel remonte la tradition des chrétiens de vénérer la Vierge: «La vénération de la Mère de Dieu est une composante essentielle de la vie spirituelle dans les Églises orthodoxe et catholique romaine. Cette commune vénération de la Très-sainte Théotokos, remontant aux sources du christianisme, nous rappelle le temps de l'antique Église indivise».

En conclusion le Patriarche a rappelé que tous les problèmes qui existent dans les relations entre Orthodoxes et Catholiques ne sont pas résolus: «Je vous prie, Éminence, de transmettre à Sa Sainteté le pape Jean-Paul II notre profonde reconnaissance pour le don qu'il a fait. J'espère qu'il témoignera du désir définitif de la direction du Vatican de revenir aux relations sincères et respectueuses entre nos deux Églises, aux relations qui ignoreraient toute concurrence et seraient emplies du désir fraternel de s'aider mutuellement».

Le même jour après la cérmonie, le Patriarche Alexis a reçu la délégation de l'Église catholique dans le palais patriarcal du Kremlin, ainsi que l'évêque luthérien d'Oslo.


La lettre du Patriarche Alexis de Moscou et de toute la Russie à Jean-Paul II, Pape de Rome, du 29 août 2004

Sainteté,
De tout coeur je vous remercie d'avoir transmis à l'Église orthodoxe russe la réplique de l'icône de la Mère de Dieu de Kazan. Pour la fête de la glorieuse Dormition de la Mère de Dieu, le 28 août de cette année, la délégation de l'Église catholique romaine, présidée par le cardinal Walter Kasper, président du Conseil ponitifical pour l'unité des chrétiens, nous a remis cette icône après la liturgie solennelle dans la cathédrale de la Dormition de Kremlin, remplie de fidèles qui sont venus en ce jour adresser leurs prières à la Sainte Théotokos.

Le retour de la sainte icône, apportée par vos envoyés, est perçu par le Plérôme de l'Église orthodoxe russe comme un acte de justice et en même temps comme un geste de bonne volonté de la part de Votre Sainteté. Je crois que la décision que vous avez précise d'offrir l'icône témoigne du désir sincère de dépasser les difficultés qui existent entre nos deux Églises. Que cet évènement soit notre apport commun au dépassement des conséquences négatives de l'histoire du XX siècle, marqué par les persécutions sans précédent contre la foi en Christ.

La vénération de la Mère de Dieu, «Protectrice assurée des chrétiens», commune aux Églises orthodoxe et catholique nous fait revenir à l'époque de l'Église antique qui ignorait la division entre l'Orient et l'Occident que nous avons l'affliction de connaître de nos jours. Même aux moments les plus difficiles, l'Église orthodoxe russe a toujours affirmé son désir de poursuivre le dialogue avec l'Église catholique dans l'esprit d'une véritable collaboration. Nous considérons le retour de l'icône de Kazan comme un pas dans la bonne direction et nous croyons que dans l'avenir il sera fait le nécessaire pour la résolution véritable des problèmes entre nos Églises que nous connaissons.

Les bonnes relations entre les Églises orthodoxe et catholique, que «le Chef du monde et le Père de l'éternité» nous invite à restaurer non pas en paroles, mais en actes, sont extrêmement importantes pour l'avenir de l'Europe et du monde entier. La proclamation des valeurs chrétiennes face à la société sécularisée n'aura du succès que lorsque les chrétiens auront accompli le précepte du Sauveur: «Comme je vous ai aimés, aimez-vous les uns les autres». L'ouverture entre les chrétiens des confessions différentes suppose le respect mutuel, la connaissance de l'histoire commune, l'activité délicate sur le territoire où une autre tradition existe depuis des siècles.

Encore une fois j'exprime à Votre Sainteté ma reconnaissance pour le don que vous avez fait et espère que la Sainte Théotokos, «le remède prompt et gratuit aux maladies et divisions», enverra sa grâce et sa miséricorde sur les fidèles de nos Églises.

Traduit du russe par le hiérodiacre Alexandre (Siniakov)

Nouvelles de l'Église orthodoxe russe en bref (août 2004)

La délégation de l'Église orthodoxe russe en Chine
Le 21 août la délégation de l'Église orthodoxe russe, présidée par l'évêque Marc d'Egorievsk, vice-président du Département des relations extérieures du Patriarcat de Moscou, est arrivée à Pékin. Le 22 août une divine liturgie a été célébrée sur le territoire de l'Ambassade de Russie qui autrefois appartenait à la Mission orthodoxe. Ce fut la première liturgie orthodoxe célébrée par un évêque en Chine depuis 1957, la fermeture de la Mission et l'abolition de l'Exarchat d'Asie orientale. Le 24 août l'évêque Marc a été reçu par le vice-directeur de l'Administration d'État pour les affaires religieuses.

Réunion du Saint-Synode
Le 17 août le Saint-Synode de l'Église orthodoxe russe s'est réuni à Moscou. Habituellement, la réunion estivale du Synode a lieu à la fête de S. Serge de Radonezh, le 5 juillet. Cette année, elle a été rapportée au mois d'août à cause de la maladie du Patriarche, président du Saint-Synode. Rappelons que le Saint-Synode du Patriarcat de Moscou est composé du Patriarche et douze membres, dont six permanents en vertu de leur siège (les métropolites de Kiev, Minsk, Chisinau, Kroutitsy et Saint-Pétersbourg), deux membres permanents en vertu de leur fonction (le président du Département des relations extérieures et l'Administrateur du Patriarcat) et de cinq membres invités (tous les évêques sont invités à tour de rôle à participer aux réunions du Synode).

Lors de la dernière réunion du Saint-Synode il a été décidé de décliner la demande de démission présentée par le métropolite Vladimir de Saint-Pétersbourg après son 75e anniversaire (tous les évêques déposent une demande de démission après avoir atteint 75 ans). En revanche, le Synode a autorisé le métropolite Juvénale de Kursk à se retirer de sa chaire. Le Synode a élaboré le projet du Règlement du prochain Concile épiscopal qui se tiendra du 3 au 8 octobre à Moscou.

Le patriarche Alexis a envoyé ses voeux à Yasser Arafat
Le patriarche Alexis de Moscou et de toute la Russie a envoyé ses voeux à M. Yasser Arafat à l'occasion de son 75e anniversaire. Dans sa lettre le patriarche Alexis remercie le dirigeant palestinien de jouer «le rôle important dans la préservation des sanctuaires chrétiens et d'assurer l'accès aux lieux saints des pèlerins orthodoxes».

Rencontre du métropolite Kirill avec le ministre de la justice de l'État de Kuweit et le Président du conseil des muftis de Russie
Le 3 août le métropolite Kirill, Président du Département des relations extérieures du Patriarcat de Moscou a rencontré le ministre de la justice de l'État de Kuweit et le Président du conseil des muftis de Russie. Le principal sujet de la discussion a été la collaboration des communautés religieuses dans la lutte contre le terrorisme dans le monde. L'identité de la position du Christianisme et de l'Islam et leur engagement pour la promotion de la paix ont été particulièrement soulignés. De même, il a été décidé de développer un dialogue actif et régulier entre l'Église orthodoxe russe et les Musulmans du Kuweit.
   
  
Letters to the Editor / Lettres à l'éditeur

If you are interested in Christian news or other hard hitting stories please REGISTER NOW with our recently launched BosNewsLife news service for decision makers wanting to make a difference in this fast changing world. The internet address is: http://www.bosnewslife.com. I very much would like to encourage you to register with us. It gives you access to Daily E-mail News, Daily Headlines Summary and the Breaking News Alert.

In addition BosNewsLife is developing BosNewsLife Web Services, custom made news feeds for each country of the world, derived from trusted sources and designed to save money and time for travelling compassionate professionals. It is designed to give you more political, cultural and business insights on nations of the people we cover, including those persecuted for their faith. The service will also provide you with up-to-date information on the local, political and cultural situation of any country as well as weather, maps, exchange rates and hotel information among other features, for a small fee, to keep BosNewsLife on the World Wide Web.

You can contact me in the near future via our "Contact us" box. Very soon we shall have our web site live discussions with authors, newsmakers and readers on news events and BosNewsLife articles.

Please check our "Live chat" box in which we will publish the dates and times of this open forum.

Thank you very much for your interest and time.

Stefan J. Bos, Hungary

*

Congratulations upon your honest and timely article (in Europaica 46), probing the nature of the 'union' between Christian Churches (http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/14/46.aspx#3). I think that you are right that there are two opposed forms of Christianity in the modern world and that they have little to do with one another.

First there is 'liberalism', which bears no resemblance to the ancient Church or the Apostolic Faith: it is characterized by 'liberality' concerning doctrine and denies the dogmatic basis of Christianity, alleging that dogmas were added to the primitive Christian Faith by the Church Fathers and that they have little to do with the simple teaching of Jesus, who taught, in a vague kind of way, the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of Man. There is little that is truly liberal about it, in the sense of being interested in intellectual freedom, as one soon learns when one challenges the ideology of liberalism intellectually. Far from a calm debate, as one might expect in the tradition of liberal humanism, one must be prepared to be called 'bigoted', a 'campaigner' or even a 'fundamentalist.' Liberalism was designed to achieve the survival of Christianity in a modern world, where the secular state was often hostile and where education seemed to contradict the teaching of the Bible. It was and is the religion of the middle-aged and the middle-classes, of nice people who have the wealth and security to contemplate the modern world with complacency. Such people like adventures with ideas, stimulating discussions, discussions, that is, that stimulate them to yet further discussion. They will lecture you on the importance of having an open mind. Liberals often say that liberalism will be more attractive to the young. Actually this is the view of the middle-aged or the genteelly-ageing about what the young might want.

Second there is dogmatic religion: what characterizes Protestant Evangelicalism and the Roman Catholic Church. We share their outlook about the importance of truth first and unity only in terms of truth. However, the historic dogmatic differences do remain. In this respect, we are no further on than before the modern Ecumenical Movement was born. You are right, Bishop Hilarion, to see intercommunion and agreement of belief and praxis to be vitally connected. This is always the sticking point of modern Ecumenism. There is a division between those who, along with the ancient Church, would not admit to Communion any one who did not profess the same belief - and, on the other hand, those who argue that promiscuous sharing communion despite dogmatic differences will, as if by magic, achieve the desired-for unity.

Now, however, Orthodoxy is very much on the scene in W. Europe. Orthodoxy teaches the Apostolic faith in its purity. Its dogmas are few, compared with Catholicism or the various Reformed Protestant bodies and it has not added to the Faith of the early Church as set down in the Creeds. Orthodoxy teaches the Two Natures of Christ and the Doctrine of the Trinity. Its faith may be demonstrated to a great extent from Scripture. Most important, its dogmas are to be lived out in its spirituality. Its Theology is practical in the sense of being concerned with living the life in Christ under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It has retained monasticism and monastic theologians. Its liturgy has been, on the whole, unmarked by the disastrous liturgical modernizations which have repelled so many traditionalist believers everywhere and driven them out of their Churches.

But we are not making progress, in the re-christianization of Europe, despite the great advantages of a pure Faith. Why is this? I suggest that it is because liberalism has started creeping into the Orthodox Church. Converts have not been properly prepared to join a rigorous Church which demands sacrifice. Priests have not been trained in Orthodox Theology, nor has their suitability been given enough thought. Ordinations take place in direct infringement of the Canons of the Church, without any good reason for the exercise of 'economy.' Conferences abound: Western Orthodoxy has become a talking shop for those who have moved their premises quite recently from other Christian Faiths. Rather than selling their goods and starting again, they have brought their shop-soiled wares into the Orthodox Church and are passing them around. This is why there is so much talk of 'relevance', 'modernity' and 'the Church of the Future' rather than of truth, asceticism, holiness and Tradition.

Consequently, Orthodox people who are serious about the kind of Orthodoxy which you, Bishop Hilarion, describe, must be prepared for a battle even in their own local Churches or Dioceses. The true spirit of dogma, that is, dogma lived in experience by a holy life, will be impossible if the agenda is a kind of 'liberal Orthodoxy.' Yet that is just what we are facing: in France, in the USA and in the UK.

In their struggle for faith, Orthodox people look to their Hierarchs, to the monastics and especially to the Hegumens of monasteries to uphold the faith without compromise and to support the people in their struggle, - a counter-cultural struggle against a culture of greed and pride.

I believe that, in general, the Hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in Western countries are letting down their people and the Orthodox Faith, whilst monasteries, traditionally the engine-room of the Church, from whom dispassionate and holy Bishops could be called, are few. The Bishops do not speak with one voice. Rivalries between jurisdictions are ugly and plain for all to see. Bishops openly express their ambitions and play Church-politics to the scandal of the laity. Some hierarchs are even on the side of a liberal agenda: it may be a pale shadow of Liberal Protestantism but it is still the spirit of the wrong kind of compromise. The Orthodox Church is not unanimous in Western Europe in preaching the Church of the Apostles and Martyrs.

It is a great mistake to think that a religion will not grow if it demands sacrifices. If Orthodoxy is the truth, it is the smart move to give one's life for it. If it is advocated in a lukewarm manner, it will not make converts, it will not grow into the full measure of the stature of Christ. It will go the way of all flesh - and that is what theological liberalism is: a human way of thinking about Christianity which is prepared to accommodate Tradition to the ways of the world.

Stephen Thomas, UK

*

For some reason, the friend who prints out the Europaica Bulletin for me did not receive No 39 on time. If it is not too late for further letters on the subject, the following comments relate to the article by Stephen Thomas on Secularism versus the Sacred (http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/14/39.aspx#7). In this article I failed to see his point in mentioning the Hellenistic gymnasium in connection with the head-covering of Moslem women. The gymnasium and Pan-Hellenic Games had ceased to exist centuries before the Moslem religion made its appearance in history, and in any case, the gymnasium was for men only. As well as satisfying the Greek ideal of a healthy mind in a healthy body, it kept men fit and prepared for the almost constant wars among the Greek City States, as well as wars against outside enemies. The training was severe in the extreme. In fact our English word 'agony' comes from the Greek word for the struggle involved in the games.

Women, on the other hand, were expected to stay at home, see to the efficient running of the household, retire to their own quarters when their husbands entertained guests to dinner, and generally keep quiet. Doubtless the ancient Greeks would have been in agreement with those who fought on both sides of the battle of Lepanto concerning the public position and behaviour of women.

It may well be true, as he suggests, that the French controversy on the wearing of headscarves by Moslem girls in schools (and also, I believe, the wearing of Christian crosses) together with the present immodest fashions in women's dress in the West, springs from an 'atheist-religion', which wishes to pit itself against every memory of the sacred. Perhaps it might also be true to say that the instinctive covering of the body in most cultures goes back well beyond the Judaeo-Christian ethic and reflects some kind of deem universal memory of the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man.

Mention was made in the article of the Nazis forcing the Jews to wear the yellow Star of David. Let us not forget the Serbian Orthodox Christians forced by the Croau Ustashi - the allies of the Nazis - to wear armbands with the letter P, standing for Pravoslav, Orthodox. Three quarters of a million Orthodox Serbs would be exterminated by the Ustashi.

In our present Western society, religious symbols and clothing are worn for a variety of reasons - from conviction, as part of a religious 'uniform', as a fasion symbol, because of superstition, as a means of drawing attention to oneself, to give a feeling of reassurance that comes from belonging to a group, and so on. The wearing of headscarves or completely covering garments will not, of itself, make girls and women pious Moslems, any more than the wearing of a cross will make the wearer a devout Christian. It is what goes on in the heart that matters, and that surely is what counts with God. Without an inner commitment to live according to the Laws of God both the head-covering and the cross will be worn in vain.

Miriam Lambouras, UK

*

On November 4, 2003, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, arrived in Rome. The Vatican that day was celebrating the Holy Father's saint's name day, the feast of St. Charles Borromeo. On that same day in Russia, the Orthodox Church was celebrating the feast day of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, one of the most revered icons in Russian history. On the next day, November 5, President Putin was received by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Although the Holy Father had previously met Putin and had met with countless heads of state during the 25 years of his pontificate, this meeting included a unique aspect. At the beginning of the meeting, the Holy Father requested that an icon of Our Lady be brought from his personal apartment to be present during the meeting. When the icon was brought into the room, the Pope blessed the icon, kissed it, and showed it to President Putin, who also kissed it. For the duration of the 30-minute meeting, the icon remained in a place of honor between the chairs of the Russian president and the Pope. The icon was a beautiful image of Our Lady of Kazan.

This extraordinary gesture confirms the great attachment that the Holy Father has for this icon. For the past ten years, the Pope has done much of his work and writing in front of this icon. For example, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's Secretary of State, commented last year to the Italian newspaper Avvenire: "The image of the Virgin of Kazan is impressive. I often see it when I go to the Holy Father's office: it is, precisely, in front of the desk of the Pope, who venerates it with particular devotion."

Although there is no dispute that the Holy Father has a great devotion to this icon, the Russian Orthodox Church in recent statements has downplayed the importance of the Holy Father's icon. In a meeting with British journalists on January 20, 2004, Patriarch Aleksy of Moscow and All Russia stated: "On April 1, 2003, an authoritative commission made up of specialists from the Russian Ministry of Culture and experts from the Vatican, having examined the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God kept in the Pope of Rome's domestic chapel [actually usually kept in the Pope's private study], came to a unanimous conclusion that this icon was one of the numerous copies, made in the 18th century by a provincial icon-painter after the early 17th-late 18th pattern. Neither its size, nor its artistic manner suggests that this icon can be identified with the historically famous, miracle-working icon that appeared in 1579 in Kazan. Almost every Orthodox church necessarily has a copy of this icon venerated by the people of God. The icon in the Vatican belongs to this series, and there is nothing sensational in this fact." The Patriarch added that he hoped that the Holy Father's icon would be eventually returned to Russia. However, he emphasized that the return of the icon must be kept separate from the subject of a possible papal visit to Russia.

The Patriarch's desire to keep the issue of the return of the icon separate from the issue of a papal visit is not surprising. The issue of a papal visit is a difficult one for the Russian Orthodox Church because many Orthodox in Russia are not ecumenically inclined and retain an anti-Catholic animus that dates back centuries to the struggles between Catholic Poland and Orthodox Russia. There may also be a tendency by the Russian Orthodox Church to understate the importance of the Holy Father's icon because of the disputes that presently exist between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Russia.

However, the past tendency of the Russian Orthodox Church to downplay the significance of the icon does not mean that the Patriarch's remarks about the commission were incorrect. During the week of March 31 - April 4, 2003, a commission established by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation did in fact examine the Holy Father's Kazan icon at the Vatican. The impetus to establish the commission came from the Russian government and not from the Russian Orthodox Church. There is reason to believe that President Putin, who is anxious that the dispute in Russia between Orthodox and Catholics be resolved, was personally involved in its establishment. The commission included experts from the Russian Ministry of Culture and from the Andrei Rublyov Museum of Old Russian Culture and Art in Moscow. The city of Kazan was represented on the commission by Dmitri Khafizov, a historian from Kazan, and the Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Sergei Kravets, the head of the "Orthodox Encyclopedia" research center in Moscow. The Catholic component of the commission included experts from the Vatican Museum and Father Jozef Maj S.J. from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Much of the surface of the Holy Father's icon is covered by a rizza consisting of precious metal, pearls, and jewels. In the examination, the commission was allowed to remove the rizza and to examine the entire painted surface of the icon. After a careful examination, the commission concluded that the Holy Father's icon was neither the lost Kazan icon from the city of Kazan nor the lost Kazan icon from Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. It matched the dimensions of neither of these famous icons. Furthermore, the painting style of the Holy Father's icon indicated that it was painted in the middle of the 1700s as opposed to the late 1500s. On Wednesday, April 2, the members of the commission met with the Holy Father immediately after his Wednesday general audience. The commission also paid great respect to the Holy Father's icon by participating in a service where the Akathist, the ancient hymn of the Eastern Church in honor of Our Lady, was sung before the icon.

Although the commission's findings are disappointing, they do not mean that the Holy Father's icon lacks spiritual significance. Prior to the examination of the icon, the city of Kazan, which is celebrating in 2005 the millennium of its founding, was extremely anxious that the Holy Father's icon be given to the city. After the examination, the city of Kazan has continued to desire the icon, and Dmitri Khafizov, the representative of Kazan on the commission, has continued to work tirelessly to obtain the icon for the city. The city has informed the Vatican that if the icon is given to the city, the city will reconstruct the destroyed convent church where the original icon was kept for many years. From the Catholic perspective, the very fact that the Holy Father has done so much of his work before this icon and has such a great devotion to it, in itself, makes this icon very spiritually significant.

Still, the mystery remains as to the identity of the Holy Father's icon. Certain facts are known, but other questions remain. There is, however, an interesting theory suggested by Natalia Chugreeva, an art historian in Moscow, that should be further explored. If this theory is correct, the Holy Father's icon is in fact an important one in the spiritual history of Russia. Before discussing this theory, it would be helpful to provide certain known facts concerning the original icon and the Holy Father's icon.

The original icon of Our Lady of Kazan was found in 1579 by a ten-year-old girl, Matrona, who discovered the icon under the ashes of a burnt house in Kazan. The Mother of God had appeared to Matrona and told her to dig at that location. Shortly after the discovery of the icon, its miracle-working nature was confirmed when two blind men, Josif and Nikita, had their sight restored by the icon. In 1612 the icon was instrumental in the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. Either the original of the icon or a copy of it accompanied the Russian volunteer army of Prince Dmitri Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin which liberated the city. The icon used by the liberating army was later placed in a cathedral especially constructed for it, the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow.

Because it was unclear whether Pozharsky and Minin took the original of the icon or a copy of it, it was subsequently unclear whether Kazan or Moscow had the original. Unfortunately, both icons disappeared in the early part of the twentieth century. In 1904 thieves stole the icon in Kazan, presumably for its jewels. Fragments from the icon itself were later discovered by police. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the icon from the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square also disappeared. The commission which examined the Holy Father's icon in April 2003 determined that the Holy Father's icon was neither of these two lost icons. If the commission's finding is correct, the original of the Kazan icon probably no longer exists.

With respect to the Holy Father's Kazan icon, its recent history can only be traced back with certainty to December 1946. In that month, a book written by Cyril G. E. Bunt and entitled Russian Art from Scyths to Soviets was published in London. The book at page 146 contains a full-page photograph of what is now the Holy Father's icon. The book contains no reference to the owner of the icon or the source of the photograph. The icon was apparently owned at that time by a London jewel merchant, Norman Weisz. In any event, it is known that in 1950 the icon was sold by Weisz to an Englishman, Frederick Mitchell-Hedges. In the early 1960s, the Russian Orthodox Church in America (now the Orthodox Church in America) conducted a campaign to purchase the icon, and in connection with this campaign the icon was displayed at the Orthodox pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. When this campaign was unsuccessful, the icon was sold in 1970 by Mitchell-Hedges' daughter to a Catholic organization, the Blue Army. The Blue Army placed the icon in its Byzantine chapel in Fatima, Portugal, where it remained for many years. In 1993 the icon was given by the Blue Army to the Holy Father.

The theory suggested by Natalia Chugreeva was described in an article that was written by her and published in the Moscow periodical Mir Bozhij in 2001. Chugreeva is an art historian and senior researcher at the Andrei Rublyov Museum of Old Russian Culture and Art in Moscow. She advanced her theory after examining photos, x-rays, and information provided to her by the Vatican. The theory she suggested is that the Holy Father's icon is the Kazan icon that was intimately connected with the founding of the famous Diveyevo Convent in Russia.

Although most Catholics have probably not heard of the Diveyevo Convent, Russian Orthodox are very familiar with it. The convent is located approximately 250 miles east of Moscow and south of the city of Nizhzy Novgorod. It was founded in the 1760s by Mother Alexandra Melgunova, who had received a vision from the Mother of God to start a convent at that location. The Mother of God told Mother Alexandra, "I shall found here my convent which has not and will not have an equal anywhere in the world." The convent of a few nuns grew so that by 1890 there were approximately 900 at the convent. In 1927 the communists completely closed the convent, and it was not reopened until 1991. Since its reopening, its growth has been spectacular. There are now almost 400 nuns and novices at the convent. It is the largest convent in Russia and perhaps in the world.

The Diveyevo Convent is most famous because of its very close association with St. Serafim of Sarov, one of the greatest Russian saints. Pope John Paul II is very much aware of this great mystic. In his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, the Holy Father lists five saints who exemplified the fullness of mystical prayer, St. Francis, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Serafim of Sarov. Before Mother Alexandra died in 1789, she entrusted to St. Serafim, who was then a monk at the nearby monastery at Sarov, the spiritual care of her nuns. Especially during the eight years before his death in 1833, St. Serafim devoted much effort to the spiritual guidance of the sisters at Diveyevo. St. Serafim was visited twelve times by the Mother of God. In some of these visits the Mother of God gave instructions for the Diveyevo Convent. St. Serafim made certain prophecies concerning the Convent including one that the sisters would be dispersed for a period of time and that his body would be brought to Diveyevo.

In 1921, the communists took and hid the relics of St. Serafim so that they could no longer be an object of veneration by believers. In 1990 his relics were discovered in a remote storage area of St. Petersburg's Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral which had been used by the communists as a museum of atheism. In 1991 Patriarch Aleksy brought the relics to the Diveyevo Convent in a special motorcade from Moscow. Since then the Convent has become the shrine to St. Serafim and has been visited by countless pilgrims. Recently, Mother Alexandra was canonized as an Orthodox saint. Last year, 2003, the biggest event in Russia for the Russian Orthodox Church was the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the canonization of St. Serafim. This celebration culminated on August 1, 2003, at the Diveyevo Convent and was attended by Patriarch Aleksy and many hierarchs, including the Archbishop of Canterbury. This summer the 250th anniversary of the birth of St. Serafim was celebrated at Diveyevo. This summer's celebrations included the consecration of the reconstructed Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, located at the Convent.

The history of the Diveyevo Convent prior to 1903 was described in the Chronicle of the Serafimo-Diveyevo Monastery, written by Archimandrite Serafim Chichagov and published in 1903. Chichagov later became Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, was martyred by the communists in 1937, and has now been canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Natalia Chugreeva, in her article about the Holy Father's icon, relies upon the Chronicle for the early history of the copy of the Kazan icon associated with the Diveyevo Convent. When Mother Alexandra began her convent, its church was dedicated to the Kazan icon of the Mother of God. According to the Chronicle, it was doubtlessly the Mother of God who had directed Mother Alexandra to honor this icon in the new convent church. In the 1770s or early 1780s, Mother Alexandra traveled to the city of Kazan and obtained a beautiful copy of the Kazan icon. This icon became the most precious sacred object of the early Diveyevo Convent. When Mother Alexandra was dying, she requested that this Kazan icon be placed on her bosom.

For the recent history of Mother Alexandra's Kazan icon, Natalia Chugreeva relies upon an update to the Chronicle written by Archpriest Stefan Nicolaevich Lyashevsky. Lyashevsky was a frequent visitor to the Convent prior to its closure and after its closure had maintained contact with many of its dispersed sisters. In 1924 he had received the blessing of Metropolitan Serafim Chichagov to write an update to his Chronicle. The update was not written until 1978 at which time Father Lyashevsky was living in the United States. The update was published in Russia in 1997 under the title Chronicle of the Serafimo-Diveyevo Monastery, Second Part (1903-1927). According to the update, Mother Alexandra's Kazan icon was given by one of the sisters to Hieromonk Serafim Smykov when the Convent was closed in 1927. Smykov subsequently lived in Krasnodar for many years and then fled from the Soviet Union in 1943. When fleeing the Soviet Union, Smykov stayed for a period of time with Father Lyashevsky in the southern Russian city of Taganrog. During that stay, Father Lyashevsky had an opportunity to study carefully Mother Alexandra's Kazan icon that Smykov was carrying with him. Smykov was later arrested in Yugoslavia, and the icon was taken from him.

In 1976 Father Lyashevsky saw a color photograph of the Holy Father's Kazan icon which was then owned by the Blue Army and located at Fatima. As he wrote in his update of the Chronicle, "there can be no mistake" that this was Mother Alexandra's Kazan icon which he had often seen at the Convent and which he had an opportunity to examine carefully when Smykov stayed with him in Taganrog. There is other evidence that Father Lyashevsky's conclusion may be absolutely correct.

The expert commission that examined the Holy Father's icon concluded that the icon was probably painted in the middle of the 1700s by a provincial icon-painter. Chugreeva concluded that the style of the icon is that of the Volga region. Both of these conclusions are totally consistent with Mother Alexandra's icon which was obtained by her in the Volga River city of Kazan in the 1770s. The commission stated that the icon had been used liturgically, and this was certainly true for Mother Alexandra's icon. The commission stated that the present rizza is not the original rizza for the icon. According to Chugreeva, the original rizza of Mother Alexandra's icon had been removed and placed on another icon. Smykov's loss of Mother Alexandra's icon in Yugoslavia near the end of World War II is consistent with the icon appearing in London in 1946.

Father Lyashevsky's conclusion based on his personal examination of Mother Alexandra's icon at Diveyevo and his careful studying of the icon at Taganrog is direct evidence that Mother Alexandra's icon and the Holy Father's icon are the same. However, the question remains as to whether Father Lyashevsky's observations and recollection are reliable. Father Lyashevsky's credentials are fairly impressive. The martyred Metropolitan Serafim Chichagov of St. Petersburg considered Lyashevsky his "spiritual son." Immediately after World War II, Father Lyashevsky and his wife Maria found themselves refugees in Germany, where Father Lyashevsky founded the Russian Orthodox churches in Hamburg and Lübeck. His wife was an iconographer. They subsequently immigrated to the United States where Father Lyashevsky was the pastor at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church in Baltimore, Maryland from 1959-65. Later he wrote a number of scholarly books that have recently been published posthumously in Russia. Aside from the update of the Chronicle, he wrote two books on very early Russian history (published in Russia in 2002 and 2003) and a book on science and the Bible (published in Russia in 1997). Two of the books were written after he made his observation concerning the icon at Fatima, which demonstrates that his age had not diminished his mental acuteness when he made the observation. Furthermore, Father Lyashevsky is a person who is highly regarded by the sisters at the Diveyevo Convent. The history of the Convent found on the Convent's Russian website (www.diveevo.ru) includes portraits of six individuals --- one is Mother Alexandra and one is Father Lyashevsky. His written testimony concerning the icon, based on his own repeated personal observations, must be given considerable weight.

On July 9, 2004, Patriarch Aleksy made the surprise announcement that a delegation from the Vatican would give the Holy Father's Kazan icon to the Patriarch at the Patriarch's celebration of Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Assumption. This will occur in the Assumption Cathedral, the most famous church in the Moscow Kremlin. For the Russian Orthodox, who use the old Julian calendar, this feast occurs on August 28. The day after the Patriarch's announcement, the Vatican spokesperson, Joaquin Navarro Valls, confirmed that the icon would be returned. He added, "The Holy Father hopes this Roman pilgrimage of Our Lady of Kazan will contribute to the hoped for unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches."

At the time of the writing of this letter, there has been no word as to where the Holy Father's icon will reside after it is returned to Russia. This will be a difficult decision for the Patriarch to make. Since the Patriarch's announcement that the icon would be returned, both the Mayor of Kazan and the President of Tatarstan (the Russian republic in which the city of Kazan is located) have expressed their hope that the city of Kazan would be the recipient of the icon. Their hope is that the Holy Father's icon would be a replacement of the Kazan icon that was destroyed in 1904. The Holy Father's icon would be doubtlessly greatly revered in that city. The enthusiasm of Kazan for the icon should be an important factor in the Patriarch's decision. On the other hand, if it is determined that the Holy Father's icon is from Diveyevo, the icon would have great historical significance. The presence of the Holy Father's icon at Diveyevo would place it at one of the greatest spiritual and pilgrimage centers in Russia. The giving of the Holy Father's icon either to Kazan or to the Diveyevo Convent would be wonderful.

(I have also submitted this letter to the Catholic magazine Immaculate Heart Messenger which will be publishing it next month with an update and photographs).

Peter Anderson, USA