| 4. The uncanonical granting of false autocephaly to the schismatic structures of Ukraine in no way has returned the Ukrainian people to canonical regularity, as the Ecumenical Patriarch asserts, since the overwhelming majority of the Ukrainian Orthodox people continue to remain loyal to the canonical Church with the metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onuphrius at its head. The actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on the contrary, have caused as a result a catastrophic division of the Ukrainian Church and a painful schism of her pleroma in Christ. As a consequence of this, the destructive schism threatens all of the ecumenical Body and world Orthodoxy. 5. The unilateral, unauthorized and uncanonical decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant the status of autocephalous Church to the schismatic groupings of Ukraine, apart from engendering a serious ecclesiastical problem and threatening unity through a hateful schism, at the same time irreversibly undermines the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the coordinating centre of the Orthodox Patriarchates and autocephalous Churches. 6. The rupture in eucharistic communion between the two Churches, when it has been caused by dogmatic reasons or the violation of the divine and sacred canons, is not only permissible but is prescribed by the very canons as ages-old ecclesiastical practice. Consequently, in applying the sacred canons (the 10th and 15th canons of the Apostles, the 5th canon of the First Ecumenical Council, as well as the 2nd canon of the Council of Antioch), the Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate has acted correctly in breaking off communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the hope, of course, that the reasons which have led to the impossibility of the sharing of the chalice will soon be removed, and relations between the two Churches will once more restored “in faith and love”, a natural consequence of which would be the restoration between them of eucharistic communion. 7. Against the background of these events surrounding the Ukrainian question is yet one more canonical claim that for world Orthodoxy the archbishop of Constantinople the Ecumenical Patriarch is not the “first among equals” but the “first without equals”. This fact of “primacy of ministry” becomes the “primacy of authority”, which leads to the violation of the principle of conciliarity which has been part of life of the Orthodox Church since time immemorial. |
| The roll-call is impressive, conjuring up centuries of customs that developed, intertwined, combined, separated out again and recombined, and that gave shape and meaning to the lives of millions over a wide geographical area: Adonis, Attis, Isis and Osiris, Dionysus, Demeter and Persephone, corn-kings and corn-mothers in profusion; and, away to the wild north, Balder the beautiful, son of the great god Odin At the heart of the cults was the ritual re-enactment of the death and rebirth of the god, coupled with sundry fertility rites. The productivity of the soul, and of the tribe or nation, was at stake; by getting in touch with the mysterious forces that underlay the natural world, by sympathetic and symbolic re-enactment of them, one might hope to guarantee both crops and offspring. The myth which accompanied these rituals was indeed the story of resurrection, of new life the other side of death. Ibid., p. 80 Again, the focus of these cults and their “rituals” was to ensure—or rather, to attempt to ensure—that their crops would be fruitful at the time of harvest. The movement of these “gods” and “goddesses” from life to death was symbolic of, and intimately connected with, the life and death of their crops (and the resulting offspring). This, of course, begs the question: What does this have to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only-begotten Son of God the Father? The resurrection of Christ certainly suggests the rebirth or regeneration of the cosmos , as various Saints have argued over the centuries. However, what of the bodily resurrection of humanity? Or what about the trampling down of death-by-death, and the union of humanity with divinity ( Theosis )? To this end, these aforementioned mystery cults have nothing in common with either Christian theology or with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Wright summarizes: Did any worshipper in these cults, from Egypt to Norway, at any time in antiquity, think that actual human beings, having died, actually came back to life? Of course not. These multifarious and sophisticated cults enacted the god’s death and resurrection as a metaphor, whose concrete referent was the cycle of seed-time and harvest, of human reproduction and fertility. Sometimes, as in Egypt, the myths and rituals included funerary practices: the aspiration of the dead was to become united with Osiris. But the new life they might thereby experience was not a return to the life of the present world. |
| Theology as a Hope for the Future of the Church Address of His Holiness, Irinej, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Kalovci, Serbian Patriarch on the occasion of the Presentation of the Doctorate Honoris Causa at St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary, September 11, 2015 Your Eminences, Most Blessed President of the Board of Trustees, Very Reverend Dean, Very Reverend Chancellor, Executive Chair of the Board, Esteemed Professors, Dear Students, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very grateful for the honor you are giving me this evening. The bestowal of an honorary doctorate shows that, in effect, you are receiving me into your academic family, together with Patriarch Pavle of blessed memory, who also received an honorary doctorate from you. Such a reception, I would venture to say, obliges me to be mindful of the many gifts our Orthodox Church of Serbia has received from this school. For many decades the School of St Vladimir’s, thanks to Fr. John Meyendorff and Fr. Alexander Schmemann of blessed memory, with its theological “climate,” has been for many of our countrymen a real seminary, a “nursery,” and a point of reference. For over seventy-five years you have been nourishing the global Orthodox Church with criteria of a theological orientation, deeply marking the consciousness of the Orthodox Church. In this spirit I submit for your consideration certain reflections on the way the Christian Church understands its theological witness in the beginning of the new millennium. The customary brief lecture that I shall now deliver is titled: Theology as a Hope for the Future of the Church . I. Theology as a Hope for the Future of the Church As the unforgettable St. Justin of elije said, “if the Church of Christ does not solve the profound questions of the human spirit, it is not necessary .” This School has preserved theology as the primary expression of the Church’s experience without ignoring either sociological concerns or the natural sciences. It is a theology that, through its patristic and liturgical foundations, claims to have a vision of cosmic transformation, of a transfiguration of the world and the conversion of the human individual into a true person living in the image of the Holy Trinity. We cannot train Orthodox theologians without opening up their eyes to all aspects of existence. But, this can be done only with a sound Dogmatic theology. As the late Fr. Georges Florovsky said, “Without sober guidance, without the stable element of sound doctrine, our feelings would but err and our hearts would be blinded.” |
| When the Arian controversy caused a crisis in the 4th-century church over the precise nature of fundamental truths (the divinity of Christ, the Trinity), the Orthodox fathers reacted instinctively by appealing to an older process of solving problems from the end of the 2nd century: that is, by holding regional synods where the church leaders would decisively address problems and offer solutions in a synodal consensus. At first, the “international” (ecumenical) synodical principle had a hopeful beginning, but soon the restless policy changes of the Imperial house and the party strife of bishops left the aspirations for public harmony in tatters. The 4th century saw the hope of an ecumenically led principle of synodical government heavily compromised as one synod countermanded and anathematized another. The question of how to recognize the identifying marks of tradition rose again acutely at the end of the Arian period, over the issue of the deity of the Holy Spirit. Here, significant theologians such as Sts. Athanasius, Basil, and Gregory of Nazianzus all consciously theologized about the way in which tradition could make new statements about fundamental matters of faith that had not been explicitly witnessed hitherto. Gregory’s Oration 31 describes his own role in proclaiming the homoousion of the Holy Spirit (despite any lack of precedent) as a herald of God speaking in the time of a new “seismic shaking” of the world order. Similarly, Basil (typically, more cautiously) appeals to the range of “unwritten traditions” in the church’s liturgical life (On the Holy Spirit 27) to justify the principle that the real inner life of the church (its core tradition) is something more extensive than its canonical or written traditions. This more or less stabilized the nexus of the ancient church’s overall doctrine of tradition, apart from two last movements: one eastern and the other western. The christological crisis of the 5th century was so fast, furious, and subtle, that many of the same problems over discerning “true tradition” that had occupied Irenaeus rose again in this period. The 5th-century answer (as manifested in the Acts of the Councils from Ephesus in 431 to Nicea II in 787) was to assemble dossiers of patristic evidences. The very notion of “patristic theology” was born in this era. Fathers of the church were regarded as possessing significantly elevated authority, and when accumulated in a florilegium, collectively they made a powerful testimony for authentic tradition. After this period, most Latin and Greek theology was constructed on the basis of assembling florilegia. |
| His Holiness told the guests about the life of the Coptic Church at present. Its Egyptian flock numbers more than fifteen million, plus two million in diaspora. There are over one hundred Coptic dioceses in the world. Becoming even more important for the church ministry is the work with children and the youth, including young families on which the future of the nation depends. Metropolitan Dionisiy of Voskresensk conveyed greetings and good wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus " to His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II and expressed gratitude for warm hospitality always accorded to the church delegations from Russia. He noted that it was his privilege as the chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate and the first Patriarchal vicar to come to Egypt for the first time as head of the delegation of Russian monastics and meet the Primate of the Coptic Church. “Egypt, sanctified by the Most Holy Theotokos, the Lord and the Righteous Joseph, is a holy land for all Christians. It is the cradle of monasticism and homeland of its founders. The Russian Orthodox Church has always held spiritual experience of Egyptian zealots in veneration, but today she is getting acquainted with it anew. We see in your country not only ancient roots of Christian faith, but the living Coptic Church which remains faithful to its heritage and brings good fruits to our Lord. Egyptian Christianity has given the multitude of zealots to the world, and in modern times your faithful continue to set examples of holiness, including martyrdom and profession of faith, bringing Paschal joy of the Resurrection of Christ to the world and generously sharing His love with us. We felt brotherly love and hospitality as soon as we set foot on the Egyptian land,” said the chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate. He noted a lot of potential for further strengthening of friendly and trust-based relationships between the two Churches that have been actively developing in the recent decade with direct involvement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II. Metropolitan Dionisiy continued to say that it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the Commission for Dialogue set up in 2015 with the blessing of the Primates of the two Churches. This Commission carries out unique projects in scholarly, theological, administrative, media, social, youth and other spheres pertaining to the church ministry in today’s world. A special place in this fruitful cooperation belongs to mutual visits of the delegations of monastics to Egypt and Russia. Metropolitan Dionisiy shared personal reminiscences of his meetings with the Coptic delegations in Moscow and expressed his hope for successful continuation of cooperation. |
| on one hand, and defrocking, depositions, suspensions from celebration and other penances, on the other, are automatically recognized and become valid in all the Churches without exception. If this principle of internal cohesion and mutual penetration of Churches is removed, the whole structure and function system of the church organism is immediately violated. The right observance of the above-mentioned principle first of all excludes any dialogue with schismatics ‘as equals’ on one hand while on the other it leads them to return with repentance to unity with the Church and to canonical order. Then they can and have the right to make their demands and also to appeal for autocephaly first to their own Church and then, through her, to the whole Church. However, the worst and the saddest thing is that the declared goal of the operation called Ukraine – the abolishment of the schisms and the unification of the Orthodox Christians in Ukraine – is doomed to failure. Schisms cannot be overcome through half-measures based on a formal and affected appeal of the schismatics who are actively supported by the secular authorities and obscure external political centers that usually act secretly. At most, the outcome will include a decrease in the number of schismatic groups; instead of three entities existing at present, there will possibly or probably be a new ‘confederation’ poorly connected, recognized by some and not recognized by other Churches, whereas the canonical majority Church will remain where she is now: under the protection and aegis of the Moscow Patriarchate. And this same Mr. Denisenko, once Metropolitan Philaret and once one of the most probable candidates to the Patriarchal Throne of Moscow and today the self-proclaimed ‘Patriarch of Kiev (will he reserve this title?) confirms the truth of my words stating that in the future the Russian-speaking people will belong to Moscow, as they are today, while the Ukrainian-speaking ones will belong to him (whom else?). This man, worthy of respect for his age but otherwise a miserable and pitiable person, forgot to mention only one detail: almost all the people in Ukraine are Russian-speaking, while there are quite a few of those who also speak Ukrainian. I assume that the old age in case of Mr. Denisenko and the approaching elections in case of Mr. Poroshenko are the driving forces which explain the haste and impatience of the both. But at the same time, I cannot understand why Constantinople is in a hurry? What will Orthodoxy benefit from all this? Is it worthy of putting at risk its unity for the sake such a perspective? I very much doubt it. The schism will remain anyway, either in the form of three entities or in the form of one. Therefore, the Great Church of Christ is working in vain. And I very much hope that she sees the rattling sword of schism not only in Ukraine but also through the whole Orthodox world. Heaven forbid! |
| His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II noted the importance of awarding the ancient and glorious Church of Alexandria in the person of her Pope and Patriarch and expressed his confidence that this award reflects “our relations of cordial love in Christ, cooperation and unanimity to the glory of our God.” His Beatitude added that that the prize was recognition of the contribution of the Church of Alexandria to the shaping of Christian theology and of her missionary efforts undertaken for the spreading of Good News on the blessed African continent. The President of the Palestinian National Administration Mahmoud Abbas underscored in his address that he highly appreciated the life and spiritual heritage of the late Patriarch Alexy II. He expressed his joy over receiving the prize from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill whom he considers a worthy successor of Patriarch Alexy II. Mahmoud Abbas said that the prize would be an incentive for continuing his efforts directed to the spreading of the culture of peace and dialogue among civilizations, religions and nations and to the support of the values of tolerance. He is convinced that the adherence to these values is particularly important in the period of the current structural transformations in the Arab world. “We feel a particular and great responsibility for Palestine’s preserving its civilization role in the region and in the world, as Palestine is the land of Divine Messages. We continue our efforts focused on the achievement of peace with justice and establishment of the independent State of Palestine, living near Israel, within the borders of 1967,” he said. In conclusion of his speech, Mahmoud Abbas thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the IFUOCN leaders for the award and said that he would give prize money to Palestinian students who study in Russia. Novak Djokovic, who could not attend the ceremony, said in his video address that an international award given to him in Russia is great privilege to him. “The Russian Orthodox Church gives a worthy example to the entire Orthodox world. There had been hard times in her history, she was persecuted, but no one managed to break it. At present it flourishes. This is an example for us, the Serbs, and we cherish hope that hard time for us will soon be over,” he said. He thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the IFUOCN on behalf of himself and the Serbian people for high award. |
| We, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America express our deep sorrow and distress over these developments and, in particular, by the rupture in communion between the Church of Moscow and the Church of Constantinople. It is our sincere hope and fervent prayer that a way forward be found for restoration of communion that is in accord with both the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Sacred Canons of the Church established by the Fathers which have protected and promoted the unity of the Church through the centuries. In light of the above new developments, by means of this pastoral letter, we re-affirm the substance and content of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon’s letter. To demonstrate our commitment to upholding unity in the Church, we express our desire and intention to maintain full communion with all the universally recognized autocephalous Orthodox Churches. We exhort our clergy and faithful to fervently offer prayers that the unity and communion of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine be restored and that all schisms be resolved according to the canonical tradition and discipline of the Church. We also remind our clergy and faithful that it is the people of Ukraine, our brethren in Christ, who are suffering from the effects of the broader ecclesial conflicts and it is for them, in particular that we shall offer prayers. We furthermore exhort our clergy and faithful to offer fervent prayers so that unity and communion be maintained within the fullness of the Orthodox Church throughout the world. Recalling the words of Saint Cyprian of Carthage “… and this unity we ought firmly to hold and assert, especially those of us that are bishops who preside in the Church, that we may also prove the episcopate to be one and undivided,” it is our earnest hope that a conciliar process be initiated by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in union with his brothers, the Primates of the Churches. Thus, a Church-wide discussion of primacy and synodality can be undertaken outside of the context of this specific ecclesiastical dispute. With respect to the Church in Ukraine, the Holy Synod of Bishops has determined at this time: |
| ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION The commemoration of the Dormition of the Theotokos and the preparation for the Feast begin on August 1 with a period of fasting. A strict fast is followed on most of the days (no meat, dairy, oil, or wine), with the exceptions of fish on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the day of the Dormition. Oil and Wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. On the weekdays before the Feast, Paraklesis services are held in most parishes. These consist of the Great Paraklesis and the Small Paraklesis, both services of supplication and prayer for the intercessions of the Theotokos. The Feast of the Dormition is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom which is conducted on the morning of the Feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the Feast. Scripture readings for the Feast of the Dormition are the following: At Vespers: Genesis 28:10-17 ; Ezekiel 43:27-44:4 ; Proverbs 9:1-11 . At the Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56 . At the Divine Liturgy: Philippians 2:5-11 ; Luke 10:38-42 ; 11:27-28 . HYMNS OF THE FEAST Apolytikion (First Tone) In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions. Kontakion (Second Tone) Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life. RESOURCES Festival Icons for the Christian Year by John Baggley (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2000), pp. 160-166. The Festal Menaion. Translated by Mother Mary (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1969) pp. 63-65. The Incarnate God: The Feasts of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, Catherine Aslanoff, editor and Paul Meyendorff, translator (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1995). |
| It is time for us, beloved, to bless ourselves with the Cross of Christ — the cross of self-sacrifice and love in the spirit of light filled Christian understanding. It is time for us to improve in all aspects of our lives. Let us contemplate this during these holy days, referred to as “Christmas-tide”, and make a firm decision to become better, closer to God and to each other. I take this opportunity with great pleasure to announce the upcoming XIII All-Diaspora Youth Conference to be held in San Francisco from June 27 to July 4 this year. This forum will be devoted to missionary work in the field of philanthropy and will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the glorification of St. John the Wonderworker (Maximovich) by the Russian Church Abroad. This great hierarch of the Russian diaspora exemplified a life of prayer, a life active in selfless good deeds. On behalf of the Synod of Bishops and Archbishop Kyrill, the ruling bishop of the Western American Diocese, I extend a heartfelt invitation to our clergy and representatives of our youth to this gathering. I hope that this conference called “In the Footsteps of St. John” will spiritually and intellectually enrich all the participants. Concurrent with the Youth Conference a Council of Bishops will be held to discuss the pressing issues of internal Church life and the external ministry of our dear Church. This will also give our Archpastors the opportunity to participate in important discussions with our young people. May these general Church gatherings, for which we prayerfully prepare, vouchsafe us the mercy and blessings from God: inexhaustible heroism, courage, vigilance of spirit, a selfless, captivating and inspiring faith, and other gifts of grace, so necessary in serving the Church, in serving God and people in our complex world. May the coming New Year, beloved Archpastors, pastors, brothers and sisters, be one of Christian renewal of our hearts – a year of spiritual sobriety and ennoblement of our entire life! Let us become genuinely and deeply aware of the necessity of spiritual struggle, dictated by the spirit of life, and concern ourselves with the conscientious fulfillment of all our Christian duties: whether they are personal, family or employment responsibilities, or our duty as Orthodox Christian members of the Church, i.e. performing generous charitable works. May the feast be for us a time of prayer, the strengthening of our internal energies, the refreshment of our soul with Christian ideals, feelings and activities! |
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