| 267 О. Иоанн имеет в виду возвращение восточных патриархатов к православию после Флорентийской унии (Прим. пер.). 268 Об этом есть основательные дореволюционные исследования на русском языке. См., в частности, Иконников В. О культурном значении Византии в русской истории. К., 1869; Муравьев А. Н. Сношения России с Востоком по делам церковным. СПб., 1858, и Каптерев Η. Ф. Характер отношений России к православному Востоку в XVI и XVII столетиях. Сергиев Посад, 1914. Первая часть «Путей русского богословия» Г. Флоровского (русский оригинал, Париж, 1937; англ, перевод Belmont МА, Nordland, 1979) также полна интересных наблюдений относительно истории интеллектуальных сношений России с «христианским Востоком». 269 О преп. Максиме существует обильная вторичная литература, на которую ссылается Д. Оболенский в своей блестящей зарисовке в Six Byzantine Portraits. Oxford, 1988. P 201–219; ср. также Haney J. V. From Italy to Muscovy. The Life and Works of Maxim the Greek. Munich, 1973. Перечень писаний и переводов преп. Максима составляет более 365 названий (ср. Иванов А. Т. Литературное наследие Максима Грека . Л., 1969. С. 39–215); из них опубликована в некритическом издании (Казань, 1859–1862) лишь половина. 271 Упомянутое уже исследование Н. Ф. Каптерева содержит исчерпывающую информацию о политике Никона. См. также Pascal Р. Avvakum et les debuts du Raskol. Paris, 1983. 272 Тексты у Tachiaos А. Е. Op. cit. Р. 227–231, 234–264. В Соборе участвовали патриарх Паисий Александрийский и Макарий Антиохийский, а также несколько других греческих иерархов. 273 Ср. прекрасное исследование Batalden S. К. Catherine II’s Greek Prelate: Eugenios Voulgaris in Russia (1771–1806) (East European Monographs, Boulder CO. Columbia: University Press, 1982). 277 Изданное митрополитом Петром Могилой и позже подтвержденное (с некоторыми изменениями) восточными патриархами, Исповедание, в оригинале написанное по- латыни, было переведено на греческий и славянский языки (ср. англ, перевод R. Р. Popivchak, Ann Arbor: University Microfilms 1975). Целью его была реакция на кальвинистское Исповедание константинопольского патриарха Кирилла Лукариса (1629), но как по сути, так и по форме это документ латинской контрреформации («и план, и содержание, и сами выражения Исповедания Православия пришли с Запада»; Маииу А., 40;ulUer М. La Confession orthodoxe de Pierre Moghila. Rome: Oriental Institute, 1927). P. XCIL. |
| Le Fig: This doesn’t prevent the Russians themselves from experiencing strong ethnic and cultural tensions, does it? DeVilliers: The difference with French-style integration is clear. There are in Russia 20 million Muslims out of 140 million inhabitants. Vladimir Putin applies the ancient prudent principle: “We lives in Rome like the Romans; we lives in Russia like the Russians.” In France those who wish to believe that secularism and human rightsism are enough to resolve the problem are manipulators or cowards. There is but one way to integrate our country, by becoming French! Le Fig: Now that negotiations between the European Union and Greece are stalled, might Tsipras turn towards Russia? DeVilliers: As far as the European oligarchy is concerned, Tsipras is in a state of mortal sin. He will soon be sacrificed on the Parthenon since he doesn’t kneel before the euro and he admits to a penchant toward Russia. He finds some virtues in the devil. But the worshippers of Brussels and Frankfurt have never understood that redemption by the euro doesn’t work for European economies. Greece will leave the euro: the negotiations will only postpone it. The European Union of today is an insane attempt at miracle-working, to annihilate the nation-state, national borders and to turn the peoples and industrial activities over to the masters of internationalization, who get immense profits from it. Le Fig: What will the Europe of tomorrow look like? DeVilliers: The idea concocted today, by the Eurocrats and the one-world elites, of a free trade agreement with the US will make Europe into a market annexed to America, turns its back on the future and on common sense. What I fault in their Europe is being an American Europe — a simple extension, both economic and cultural, of the United States. To predict the future, we could say “The European Union is dead! Long live Europe!” The true Europe, the Greater Europe, is from the Atlantic to the Pacific and that will rediscover the cradle of her cultural and ancestral alliances. The Europe of Queen Anne of Kiev, the Russian queen who married a French king. The Europe that rediscovers the old and good ideas that have led the world ever since men invented the triptych, sovereignty, borders and identities. |
| Archive In conclusion of his visit to Strasbourg Patriarch Kirill answered questions from journalists 27 May 2019 year 22:14 On May 27, 2019, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, completed his visit to Strasbourg, France. At the airport, His Holiness was seen off by Metropolitan Ioann of Chersonese and Western Europe, Russian ambassador to France A. Meshkov, Russian permanent representative to the Council of Europe I. Soltanovsky, Russia’s consul general in Strasbourg Yu. Solovyov, Moscow Patriarchate representative to the Council of Europe and rector of the Parish of All Saints in Strasbourg Archimandrite Philip (Riabykh). Before the departure, the Primate of the Russian Church answered questions from mass media reporters: – Why is it so important to open an Orthodox church in Strasbourg, which is called the European capital city? – In opening new churches, we, first of all, respond to people’s wish, for it is impossible to build a church in a place in which there are no believers. For this reason, the opening of a church in Strasbourg is our response to the numerous requests of the Orthodox people, including Russians, Ukrainians – those who reside in Strasbourg and those who often come to this city. The consecration of the church in the presence of a great number of people was a visible testimony of the fact that they need this church. I would like to thank the city authorities, the Catholic Archbishop of Strasbourg, the public who have supported the idea of building a Russian Orthodox church. The construction was carried out in a benevolent and good setting. And, of course, the consecration of this church and a prayer together with Strasbourg townsfolk became an important event for me. – What were you talking about during your meeting with the Council of Europe general secretary? Did you discuss the future of the relations between Russia and the Council of Europe? – Today, there was a positive and substantial talk [with the Council of Europe Secretary General Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland]. We discussed many issues including the participation of Russia in the Council of Europe. In the attitude of the secretary general I saw nothing that could prevent Russia from resuming her participation in the work of this organization. I do not want to go into details of this topic, for it lies in the political sphere. I try to avoid making comments of this kind. But I very much hope that Russia will take her place in the Council of Europe, will continue cooperation with it because the decisions of this organization are important also for ordinary people living in Europe. Besides, it is a remarkable platform for broad and diverse dialogue between representative of Russia and the Council of Europe. I hope that everything will return to its course and this page of misunderstanding will be turned over. |
| God has wanted us to be called Antiochians in this Europe, which is well-known for its deep cultural roots, unique civilization and history, and which owes much to Christianity for so many of its brilliant facets. Today, Europe follows the secular pattern preventing any interpenetration between religion and the state. Although the practice differs from one country to another, this system has proved its capacity to uphold and develop society. Therefore, we respect it and benefit from its achievements. What I would like to draw attention to, however, is that Europe nowadays is going through a number of transformations, not only through the joint effort towards a larger Europe, which entails an expansion towards the East, but also through its expansion towards countries which have a rich Orthodox tradition. In addition, Europe is experiencing great transformations in terms of social structure, legislation and morality. Being Antiochians in Europe should mean, first of all, that the Antiochians can show the world how they emanate from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We read, in the Acts of the Apostles, that the disciples were called Christians “first at Antioch”. This does not mean ‘belonging to the city of Antioch’ merely in the geographical sense. For although Antioch was the capital of the Oriental Province of the Roman Empire, and despite the importance of geography and our cultural belonging to that spot of the world, which is the birthplace of Christianity and other monotheistic religions, it means that geography started to pertain to Jesus and that every cultural identity assumed by Christians everywhere would be nothing but a blowing breeze if it does not emanate from Jesus and isn’t founded on Him. Hence, if we indeed want to be Antiochians, our mission in Europe should be to witness to this Christian identity that finds its roots in the Gospel and that is, at the same time, open and welcoming to all. For if the Gospel is the focal point of Christian identity, we would become Antiochians in Europe only when we pertain to the Gospel and let it illuminate us. It is part of our mission to look at the changes happening in Europe without fear or complexes while we keep our life based on the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that the social and cultural changes before us as well as the scientific developments all around us impose new challenges on our Orthodox mind and ecclesiastical practices. |
| John Anthony McGuckin Western Europe, Orthodoxy in JOHN A. MCGUCKIN Orthodoxy in Western Europe remains a small, but significant, church minority and presence. Though there were earlier Orthodox visitors, the establishment of a permanent and noticeable Orthodox presence in Western Europe (chiefly France, Britain, and Germany) really came about as a result of two specific waves of Orthodox immigration in the early and the late 20th century. In both cases the Orthodox presence was in the form of “diaspora” communities. The diaspora consists of the Orthodox faithful of the patriarchal, autocephalous, or autonomous Orthodox Churches (often referred to as “the jurisdictions”) who have moved elsewhere in the world and are, in their new countries, looked after by bishops appointed by the home synods of their originating churches. Only in America has there been any move to establish an indigenous Orthodox Church out of a diaspora community (the Orthodox Church of America). Throughout Western Europe the Orthodox institutional presence entirely relates back to missionary communities of the older churches. All Greeks (including Cypriots) living in the diaspora (a large number indeed) now fall under the jurisdictional care of the patriarchate of Constantinople, which has exarchates and missions in most western countries, given that the modern Greeks (like their ancient forebears) traveled far and wide. The Russian Orthodox also had a large diaspora population, especially after the great political upheavals caused by the Russian Revolution. Its diaspora institutions have also been profoundly complicated by those political troubles. The other larger churches that had a considerable number of faithful living abroad either set up pastoral missions for them, or knew that they could be pastorally cared for by the existing Greek and Russian ecclesiastical provisions. In more recent times, following on the collapse of totalitarian communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and also on the lifting of border restrictions within the parameters of the European Union, there has been considerable mobility in Western Europe among younger Romanians and naturally an extension of the pastoral provision for Romanian Orthodox in Europe and America has followed. It has been organized by the Patriarchal Synod of Romania, with specific reference to the pastoral needs of the Romanians in the diaspora, with an archbishop in Western and Central Europe, respectively, and also one in America. All of them are members of the Patriarchal Synod. |
| Of course, I do not think that the political and civilizational processes in contemporary Europe depend on the confessional denomination of its residents. But, I do indicate the possibility of manipulation and one-sided pretensions to have the pars represent the totum. An even worse manipulation was present in the attempts to project the conflicts in the area of ex-Yugoslavia in terms of inter-confessional and inter-religious confrontation. In the aforementioned context, Yugoslavia has drawn the most tragic lot: onetime East of the West and West of the East, today she finds herself in the ‘twilight zone’ (not in final darkness, I hope), nowhere and everywhere, everybody’s and nobody’s – with a sense for freedom and dignity, but isolated, impoverished, wounded, with a million refugees on her not so large territory … These remarks (which are doubtlessly subjective, but not isolated in their basic intent) have sense only if they serve as a basis for the exposition of my viewpoint on the effects of the aforementioned tragedy for the Churches of Europe. Particularly in relation to what we, as Christians, could do on the field of common witness of the Gospel of love and peace. In the circumstances of the newest world disorder, doubtlessly not the first or the last, and deep divisions and antagonisms in Europe, the Churches can and must – in accordance with their prophetic mission and apostolic responsibility precisely in our time and our world – emphatically promote and practically realize the ideal of one Europe. One in being and in its goal, but multifarious and multifaceted in terms of the confessional, national, cultural and socio-political identity of its residents. Not one European resident and not one European nation may become victims of anyone’s or any sort of ostracism. They can not be easily ‘thrown out’ from Europe. In Europe, no one has a monopoly on European-hood. The European Union is a thing of the future. For the time being, in fact, we only have the union of Western Europe. |
| European man has reached his destiny—determining and head-spinning heights. He has set the superman at the summit of his Tower of Babel, seeking therewith to crown his structure, but the superman went mad just short of the apex and fell from the tower, which is crumbling away and collapsing in his wake, and being broken down by wars and revolutions. Homo europaeicus had to become a suicide. His “Wille zur Macht” (lust for Power) became “Wille zur Nacht” (longing for night). And night, an onerous night, descended upon Europe. The idols of Europe are crashing down, and not far distant is that day when not a stone will remain upon a stone of European culture—a culture that builds cities and destroys souls; which deifies creatures and casts away the Creator… The Russian thinker Herzen, enamored of Europe, lived there a long time. But in the sunset of his life, one hundred years ago, he wrote: “For quite some time did we study the worm-eaten organism of Europe. In all its strata, everywhere, we saw the signs of death… Europe is advancing toward a frightful catastrophe… Political revolutions are collapsing beneath the weight of their inadequacy. They have wrought great deeds, but have not accomplished their task. They have destroyed faith, but have not secured liberty. They have kindled in men’s hearts such desires as were not fated to come to pass… Before all others, I turn deathly pale and am frightend of the impending night… Farewell, dying world! Farewell, Europe!” The heavens are empty, there is no God in them; the Earth is empty, there is no immortal soul upon it. European culture has turned all its slaves into corpses and has itself become a graveyard. “I want to journey to Europe,” said Dostoyevsky, “and I know that I am going to a graveyard.” (F. M. Dostoyevsky, Winter Notes On Summer Impressions ). Prior to the First World War, Europe’s impending perdition was sensed and foretold only by melancholic Slavic seers. Following it, some Europeans also take notice of and sense this. The boldest and most sincere of them, doubtless, was [Oswald] Spengler, who shook the world with his book Untergang des Abendlandes (O. Spengler, vol. 1, Image and Actuality ) In it, through all the means that European science, philosophy, politics, technology, art, religion, etc., could provide him, he shows that the West is perishing. Ever since the First World War, Europe has been emitting her death-rattle. Western, or Faustian, culture, which according to Spengler had its origins in the tenth century, is now passing away and crumbling down, and is destined to perish completely in the twenty-second century. (At present it would seem that this process has become accelerated.) In the wake of European culture, Spengler foresees the coming of the culture of Dostoyevsky, the culture of Orthodoxy. |
| Archive Пн Patriarch Kirill meets with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights 27 May 2019 year 21:51 On May 27, 2019, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Dunja Mijatovi. Taking part in the meeting were also: from the Russian Orthodox Church – Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR); Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Archimandrite Philip (Riabykh), Moscow Patriarchate representative to the Council of Europe and rector of the Parish of All Saints in Strasbourg; from the Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs – Mr. I. Soltanovsky, permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe. The CE Commissariat for Human Rights was represented by Mr. Bojan Urumov, deputy director of the Commissioner for Human Rights secretariat; and Mr Furkat Tishaev, adviser to the Commissioner. Addressing Ms. Mijatovic, Patriarch Kirill noted the important role played by the Council of Europe as an organization that proclaimed human rights advocacy as its primary goal. “It is very important that the Council of Europe has a potential and specialists capable of helping people resolve concrete problems connected with human rights violations”, His Holiness said, “You certainly know better than I do that the problem of human rights violations exists on various levels, for instance, when the rights of whole large groups of people are violated on national, ethnic, religious, cultural grounds and when the rights of an individual are violated. There are various national structures, which should protect human rights, and I hope they are effective enough in their work, but it is important that there is also a super-national body – the Council of Europe, which deals with these problems”. As His Holiness pointed out, for already many years the Russian Orthodox Church has paid close attention to the problem of human rights. In particular, in the 90s, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill (then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad) wrote two articles setting forth his view of the problem of human rights. These thoughts were later laid in the basis of the document on “Basic Teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church on Human Dignity, Freedom and Rights”. |
| Saint Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia and Patron-Saint of England Commemorated November 20/December 3 Dmitry Lapa Icon of St. Edmund, with Life. Today, the best-known patron saint of England is the Great-martyr St. George the Victory-Bearer. However, the country has also its own native patron saint—Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia, one of the most venerated early Orthodox saints of the country to whom over 60 ancient churches were dedicated. Let us recall his life. The early English kingdom of East Anglia was formed in about 520 AD. It corresponded to the present-day English counties Suffolk and Norfolk (and from the mid-seventh century—also eastern Cambridgeshire). Orthodox Christianity was introduced into East Anglia under King Raedwald who ruled from c. 599 till 624. The Christianization of this kingdom was carried out chiefly in the 630s and 640s and eventually this region became one of the most religious ones in the whole of England, with a host of monasteries, convents, churches and saints. Many of them are still remembered in local place names. Before St. Edmund, East Anglia produced two holy kings, both of whom were martyrs: Sigebert (+ c. 635) and Ethelbert (+ 794). The founders of the royal dynasty of East Anglia were the Wuffingas; however, after the martyrdom of Ethelbert this dynasty ceased to exist. As the ninth century was marked by the Danish raids on England which caused the destruction of many churches, archives and documents, it is not known exactly to which dynasty St. Edmund belonged. It is known that after 794, East Anglia was largely taken over by the powerful kingdom of Mercia, and then Wessex. However, it managed to survive. King Aethelweard of East Anglia died in c. 855 and Edmund, who presumably was his son, became his successor. There is very little contemporary evidence on St. Edmund. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 890 writes that “in 870 the Danish Army went across Mercia into East Anglia and took winter quarters at Thetford, and the same winter St. |
| ‘An Extraordinary Experience of Holiness’: Pilgrimage Through Orthodox Ireland Successfully Concludes Source: Orthodox Europe The castle and church atop the ancient Rock of Cashel. Photo: orthodox-europe.org The first pilgrimage through Ireland organised within the Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe concluded successfully on Sunday, bringing to a close a full week of prayerful visits to sites associated with the numerous Orthodox Saints who have shone forth on the island of Ireland. Organised by the Mission Parish of St John the Wonderworker in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the pilgrimage was well-subscribed despite the instability of international travels, with over twenty participants from various parts of the world, including Europe, the UK, the United States of America and the Russian Federation. The pilgrimage was pleased to welcome participants not only from the Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe, but also the German Diocese and American Dioceses of the Russian Church Abroad, as well as various dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate in Europe, and the Orthodox Church in America. After commencing with Confession and the Divine Liturgy in the parish of St Colman in Stradbally last Sunday, on the summer feastday of St Seraphim of Sarov, the pilgrimage group set out by coach for the first of its visits – to Glandalough and various holy sites associated with St Kevin, the great ascetic and monastic founder, including the ‘monastic city’ of Glandalough and the near and far lakes where the saint practiced his asceticism. His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe joined the pilgrims, together with clergymen who were themselves pilgrims – Archpriest Michael Carney and Priest Patrick Burns – and spoke to the participants about the saints they were encountering and the sites on which they would set foot, as well as leading the group in various Divine Services and prayers at each. Following Glandalough, the southern-most holy well of St Patrick, the Apostle to Ireland, was visited and the Blessing of Waters performed there – participated in both by pilgrimage participants as well as local residents who came out to take part. The pilgrims then travelled to Ardmore, where the great St Declan founded his monastery, praying for the repose of their departed loved ones in its remains and before the site of the saint’s original grave – as well as visiting his far hermitage and holy well. At the remote lake hermitage of St Finbarr, the pilgrims again blessed the waters of a holy well and served a moleben upon the ruins of the saint’s cell – a prayerful pattern then repeated in the monastery of St Finian on Inishfallen Island, to which the pilgrims voyaged by way of a short boat journey. |
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