| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Hilarion’s interview to National Catholic Register How important for the Orthodox Church is the Pan-Orthodox Council planned for 2016? Is it to be seen as something similar to Vatican II in the history of the Catholic Church? The Pan-Orthodox Council is important in that, after the era of Ecumenical Councils, it will be the first Council representing all the Orthodox Churches recognized today. For the last 12 centuries, there were Councils of various levels attended by representatives of various Churches, but this one will be the first Pan-Orthodox Council to be convened in this period. This Council is a fruit of long work carried out by Local Orthodox Churches for over 50 years. It is hardly appropriate to compare it with Vatican II because their agendas are utterly different. Besides, we do not expect it to introduce any reforms making a substantial impact on the life of Orthodoxy. Patriarch Kirill said that the Pan-Orthodox Council should deal with such issues as expulsion of Christians from the Middle East and North Africa regions, cult of consumerism, destruction of the moral foundations and the family, cloning and surrogate motherhood. How important are these issues for you, and would you like to have other themes, such as unity with the Catholic Church, included in the Council’s agenda? These statements by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill reflect the position of the Russian Orthodox Church whereby the Pan-Orthodox Council’s agenda needs to be supplemented with themes topical for today’s society and requiring a response from the world Orthodoxy. Besides, there is a list of ten themes on which documents have been drafted by the Local Orthodox Churches during the many years of preparatory pre-Council work. All Orthodox Churches have already reached unanimity on eight of them and, after some improvement, these documents will be submitted to the Council. Among them is also the theme of the Orthodox Church’s attitude to the continuation of dialogue with other Christian confessions including Catholicism. |
| Jordanville, NY: First Hierarch of Russian Church Abroad leads Reburial of Bishop Constantine (Essensky) Source: Eastern American Diocese, ROCOR On Monday, December 1, the reburial of His Grace, Bishop Constantine (Essensky), once vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, was held at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. Bishop Constantine fell asleep in the Lord on May 31, 1996, at “Christ of the Hills” Monastery in Blanco, TX. All of the work in organizing the exhumation and transfer of the body to Holy Trinity Monastery, as well as preparing the reburial, was taken up by the monastery’s abbot, Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), along with the brethren. At 1:00 PM, the coffin with the hierarch’s body arrived at the cathedral, and was taken into the church to the peal of bells. Upon opening the casket, the gathered clergy, monastery brethren, seminarians, and faithful laity could see the hierarch’s incorrupt body, which was especially remarkable, explained Fr. Luke, considering that Bishop Constantine’s resting place had been entirely flooded, which had caused his former coffin and his vestments to be eaten away. The panihida for the reposed bishop was led by His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. His Eminence was co-served by Fr. Luke, Archpriest Victor Potapov (dean of the South, rector of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC), Archpriest Serge Lukianov (Eastern American Diocesan secretary), Archpriest Michael Taratuchin (rector of St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Church in Utica, NY), Archpriest Alexis Duncan (rector of Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Albany, NY), Archpriest Alexandre Antchoutine (member of the Diocesan Council, rector of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY), and monastery clerics Hieromonks Cyprian (Alexandrou) and Gabriel (Astrahankine), Hierodeacon Seraphim (Nikoloski), and Deacon Peter Markevich. Before the start of the panihida, Metropolitan Hilarion, who knew Bishop Constantine personally, addressed those gathered with a brief sermon, in which he touched on the hierarch’s earthly journey . |
| Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamskon the Issue of Primacy in the Universal Church Source: DECR What is the importance of the gathering for the discussion of primacy in the Church? It defined a theological consensus which was formulated during the years of preparation for the Pan-Orthodox Council. The essence of this consensus is that primacy at the universal level is recognized to be important for the Church. However, the forms and content of this primacy remain debatable, for they are thought of in different local traditions in various ways. 1. The topic of primacy in the Universal Church is one of the most important in Christian ecclesiology alongside the topics of conciliarity and the unity in the Church. The history of the theological interpretation of primacy was dominated for a long time by the subject of papal primacy posed by the Roman Catholic Church. As a result the Orthodox teaching on primacy found itself wholly dependent on this discussion and was represented mainly as an anti-papal polemic. In the twentieth century the situation changed: there appeared in Orthodox theology attempts at a positive (non-polemical) opening of the problem of primacy in the Churchits. These attempts engendered a theological discussion in the Orthodox milieu. At present the topic of primacy is one of the fundamental topics in the Pan-Orthodox pre-Council preparatory process and in Orthodox-Catholic theological discussions. The practical importance of the topics of primacy and conciliarity at the Pan-Orthodox level was demonstrated in Istanbul from 6th to 9th of March this year by the gathering of the First Hierarchs of the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches. The heads of the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches took the joint decision of holding a Pan-Orthodox Council in 2016, provided that unforeseen circumstances do not arise. It is very important that the decisions at the Pan-Orthodox Council are arrived at by consensus – in this manner no single Church will find herself in a minority and no decisions will be taken that do not meet with the approval of at least one of the Local Churches. |
| On 28 th November 2019, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, attended the 2nd Conference in Defence of Christians in Budapest and delivered the following address. I extend my heartfelt greetings to all the participants in the 2nd Conference in Defence of Christians. It is a very good thing that this forum, initiated by the Hungarian government, has seen continuation. It means that in the world community there are the forces concerned for the fate of Christians who are subjected to persecution and have to endure the consequences thereof. On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church I would like to express my gratitude to Hungary for its numerous efforts undertaken for the defence and support of Christians in the Middle East and for its help in restoring churches in Iraq. We value highly the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban with the heads of the Christian Churches of the Middle East which took place on 30 th October 2019. It is very important that Christian communities which suffered persecution should feel support from fraternal Christian peoples. The Christian population has every reason to consider itself a fundamental part of the ethno-religious map of the Middle East. In spite of the sharp reduction in the numbers of Christians in Iraq, Syria and other countries of the region, many of those who believe in Christ intend to stay till the last in the land of their forefathers. Almost two thousand years ago they raised up communities, built churches and monasteries and laid the foundations for Christian dogma. We have never heard from the leaders of the Middle Eastern Christian Churches any call to leave homeland. On the contrary, they say unanimously that Christians ought to remain in their homeland, where they are the indigenous population. That is why among those who have left, many want to return. It is essential that we support them in their aspirations and enable the process of the return of refugees. The restoration of churches and infrastructure, security guarantees and development of international relations all play a key role in the cause of the return of Christians to the Middle East and preservation of the Christian presence. |
| Patriarch Kirill’s Address on the 75th Anniversary of the Department for External Church Relations Source: DECR Photo: Oleg Varov/foto.patriarchia.ru His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and the staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations on the 75 th anniversary of the foundation of this Synodal institution. Your Eminences! Dear staff members of the Department! Dear brothers and sisters! Christ is Risen! With these joy engendering words I cordially greet you all and congratulate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and the staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations on a significant date – the 75 th anniversary of the foundation of this oldest Synodal institution in the Russian Orthodox Church. In the distant 1946, when for a brief period of time the state policy of godless authorities regarding religious organizations somewhat softened, there appeared a possibility for the Church to establish an administrative body for its relations with the outside world. No one could have imagined then what role the Department would play for the future life of the Church. For the past three fourths of a century our state and society have seen many fast-going changes, and all this time the Department has been defending our church frontiers playing a highly important role in building up relationship of our Church with the authorities and people in the countries of our canonical responsibility, as well as with the leadership of other states, with our compatriots abroad, with Local Orthodox Churches, with non-Orthodox world and representatives of other religions. The activity of the Department was taking different forms, and its staff was growing, but the goal remained unchanged. The Department’s ministry has always been dedicated to the edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12). This is not just a metaphor. Preserving and strengthening the unity of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, defending its canonical foundations as well as taking care of the purity of the Orthodox doctrine have always been high-priority tasks for the Department. |
| Photo: mospat.ru On October 30 th , 2021, on The Church and the World TV program, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, answered questions from the program’s host, Ekaterina Gracheva. E. Gracheva: Vladyka, in the United States of America, the state of Texas is now quite literally fighting off an appeal by the federal Department of Justice, which demands the repeal of the so-called “heartbeat law” adopted in Texas. It states that it is forbidden to have an abortion from the time when the baby’s heartbeat is heard. In your opinion, why is the administration of President Biden – who is a Roman Catholic – so insistent on repealing this law, especially in the state of Texas? Metropolitan Hilarion: Each time when President Biden is spoken of as a Roman Catholic, I wonder what in fact Joe Biden’s catholicity is like and about. The Roman Catholic Church is against abortions, whereas President Biden supports them. Does he act as a Catholic believer or as the President of the United States? Is he guided by his conscience or by current political conjuncture? A man cannot claim to be a Catholic while breaking the fundamental norms of Christian morality and calling others for doing the same. The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church, opposes abortions. If in one of the U.S. states there still exists a law protecting at least in some way the rights of unborn children, the Catholic Church as well as the Orthodox Church cannot but welcome this law. But the American administration is now trying to fit all states to one standard, which is guided by liberal norms. According to liberal norms, the life of the unborn baby is worth nothing and needs no protection, but the preservation of the rights of women is what matters. In other words, the woman has the right to dispose of her own body and take decision on the abortion, and no one should prevent her from doing so. All the legislation of Western countries is moving in this direction. |
| Second version of Metropolitan Hilarion’s " St. Matthew Passion” Oratorio performed at Moscow Conservatoire : Богослов.RU Комментарии Я, как и Василий Великий, верю в реальность того, что Глава Церкви - Христос. Вы - подозреваю - в этом не уверены. Поэтому не понимаете, само собой разумеющихся, вещей. Поэтому - я спорю с Вашим... Владимир — 13 апреля На: Космография и «дни» Творения в творениях святых отцов IV–V вв. Часть 2. Святитель Василий Великий и святитель Григорий Нисский Миф? Миф должен иметь основание, хотя бы, в фольклоре. Не совсем понятно, какой смысл Вы вкладываете в этот термин. В богословии, то о чём Вы говорите, называется не миф о глобальной катастрофе, а... Владимир — 13 апреля На: Космография и «дни» Творения в творениях святых отцов IV–V вв. Часть 2. Святитель Василий Великий и святитель Григорий Нисский Учение о предопределении (в более, конечно, глобальном смысле, чем у Вас) - католическое. У католиков нет духовного опыта отношения с Творцом - Словом, как с Главой Церкви. Поэтому, возможно, им... Владимир — 13 апреля На: Космография и «дни» Творения в творениях святых отцов IV–V вв. Часть 2. Святитель Василий Великий и святитель Григорий Нисский 3. Автор цикла отнюдь не претендует на «решение догматических вопросов». Как явствует из названия цикла и из «Введения», включённого в состав 1-ой части, автор видел свою задачу в том, чтобы собрать... Алексей Владимирович Гоманьков — 13 апреля На: Космография и «дни» Творения в творениях святых отцов IV–V вв. Часть 2. Святитель Василий Великий и святитель Григорий Нисский 2. «Известная цитата», касающаяся того, что первый «день» Творения якобы состоял из 24 часов, не приведена в статье, потому что она не имеет никакого отношения к ПРОДОЛЖИТЕЛЬНОСТИ этого «дня». Любой... Алексей Владимирович Гоманьков — 13 апреля На: Космография и «дни» Творения в творениях святых отцов IV–V вв. Часть 2. Святитель Василий Великий и святитель Григорий Нисский Сети богословия « Богослов.Ru в Дзен » 01 декабря 2022 « Богослов.Ru в Telegram » 01 декабря 2022 « Богослов.Ru на YouTube » 01 декабря 2022 « Богослов.Ru во ВКонтакте » 01 декабря 2022 Мнение Богословие и личное благочестие никогда не должны разлучаться Дорогие читатели портала! Годичный богослужебный круг почти завершил свой оборот, и мы вновь вошли в период Великого поста, который служит преддверием Пасхи, воскресения Христова. Читать дальше |
| The problem of religiously motivated extremism and terrorism is very acute and presents a common threat both to Christians and Muslims. The events in Ukraine have diverted the world community’s attention from the global problem of persecution against Christians, steadily growing in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa. One in four Christians in the world is subjected to persecution today. People are ousted from their native lands; their rights are infringed; they are kidnapped and killed on the grounds of faith. The scale of the unfolding historical drama, its causes and ways of overcoming the escalation of the violence, the aid given to persecuted Christians in Syria and other countries are discussed in an interview given to RIA-Novosti journalist Olga Lipich by the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. – It is not for the first year that we hear from church representatives disturbing reports about a decrease in the Christian population in the Middle East and North Africa. This problem was also discussed by heads of Orthodox Church during the celebrations marking the 1025 anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ in Moscow, Kiev and Minsk and during the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Korea and during the March pan-Orthodox meeting in Istanbul. Is there any progress in this matter? – Christianity remains the most persecuted religion in the world. According to statistics received in the latest studies, since 2007 the number of countries, in which Christians are persecuted, has doubled from 24 in 2007 to 47 in the late 2012. Today, one in four Christians in the world is subjected to discrimination on religious grounds. The problem of the oppression of religious minorities is very acute in many regions. One of the most problem regions is the Middle East – the cradle of Christianity. We can see that where extremists become influential, there religious minorities are subjected not only to discrimination and oppression but often to full-scale persecution. |
| “The voice of many millions of Orthodox believers should be heard and taken into account” Source: DECR Address by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk to the 1st Inter-parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. On June 26, the opening of the 21st Inter-parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy took place in the State Duma under the theme “Parliamentary Democracy – Orthodoxy: Values and Meanings”. Below is the address to the Assembly by the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’ department for external church relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. Photo: mospat.ru Esteemed Participants and Guests of the Assembly, I am glad to greet the parliament members from various countries of the world and numerous guests united by participation in the 21 st General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. For the years of its existence, the Assembly has turned into an authoritative body of international parliamentary cooperation, assembling under its aegis representatives of national parliaments bound up by common values of Orthodox Christianity. It has become possible thanks to the laborious efforts of those who stood at the foundation of the Assembly. I cannot but note the contribution made by Russian parliament members – Victor Zorkaltsev, who was IAO president at the dawn of its formation and later, Sergey Popov, present long-standing president of the organization, as well as their colleagues from Greece and other countries who took an active part in the work of the Assembly. The Inter-parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy was established with the aim to unite parliament members from various parts of the world. Unfortunately, secular norms of international cooperation continue to prevail in the European continent, seeking to exclude religion from the public sphere. It is my conviction that this state of affairs is imposed on most citizens in European countries and other regions of the world, who wish to see agents of values stemming from religion in the global space. |
| Accettare Il sito utilizza i cookie per aiutarvi a visualizzare le informazioni più aggiornate. Continuando ad utilizzare il sito, l " utente acconsente all " uso dei metadati e dei cookie. Gestione dei cookie L’ambasciatore italiano alla liturgia di Pentecoste Domenica 23 giugno 2013, solennità della Pentecoste e festa della Santissima Trinità, il metropolita Hilarion di Volokolamsk ha celebrato la Divina Liturgia nella chiesa moscovita dell’icona della Madre di Dio «Gioia di tutti i sofferenti». Col metropolita hanno concelebrato i chierici della parrocchia. Alla Liturgia era presente l " ambasciatore della Repubblica italiana in Russia Antonio Zanardi Landi. Al termine del servizio sono stati celebrati i grandi vespri con la lettura delle solenni preghiere allo Spirito Santo in ginocchio. Dopo il servizio di preghiera, il metropolita ha condiviso con i fedeli le proprie riflessioni sulla festa. «Nella preghiera che abbiamo appena ascoltato, la festa di Pentecoste è definita l’ultima festa. Essa conclude un lungo periodo dell " anno liturgico, che inizia con il Natale e passa per la Quaresima, la Settimana Santa e la Pasqua di Risurrezione. E poi, finalmente, insieme con tutta la Chiesa si arriva alla Pentecoste. Si chiama ultima festa perché il giorno di Pentecoste termina la missione di Gesù Cristo su questa terra. Egli non è più fisicamente presente con i Suoi discepoli, e con la Sua carne umana siede alla destra di Dio Padre. Anche durante l " Ultima Cena Cristo aveva promesso agli apostoli che avrebbe dato loro un altro Consolatore, e nel giorno della Pentecoste invia loro lo Spirito Santo. Quel giorno è avvenuto un miracolo che va oltre ogni comprensione umana: tutte le persone presenti hanno sentito predicare gli apostoli, hanno capito ogni parola pronunciata dalla bocca degli apostoli, da qualsiasi paese provenissero. E gli stessi apostoli in questo giorno di Pentecoste hanno finalmente capito quello che il Signore aveva detto loro, ma che non avevano capito perché le loro orecchie erano chiuse: che essi sono chiamati alla missione apostolica. Il Signore li aveva chiamati non a ritornare alle loro reti da pesca, dopo la Sua resurrezione e ascensione, ma a divenire pescatori di uomini, affinché in quella rete divina l’umanità potesse trovare la salvezza. Pertanto «la loro voce è andata per tutta la terra e le loro parole fino agli estremi confini del mondo» (Salmo 18, 5): iniziata a Gerusalemme il giorno di Pentecoste, la predicazione degli apostoli si è diffusa in tutto il mondo. E quando gli apostoli stessi non poterono continuare la predicazione, la continuarono i loro discepoli, allo stesso modo in cui il Signore Gesù Cristo, quando la Sua vita terrena era terminata, inviò a predicare i suoi discepoli. |
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