| His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus Is Interviewed by Tserkovniy Vestnik’s Chief Editor Sergei Chapnin 1. Your Eminence, the events of May 17 have already entered the history books as a day when by Divine mercy, the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church took place. How do you look back on those days now? What was the most vivid impression you were left with? The biggest impression on me was the divine service in the heart of Russian Orthodoxy, under the vaulted ceilings of the grandiose Uspensky Cathedral of the Mother of God, the resting place of the Moscow Primates. Here lies St Ermogen, a shining example of staunchness in the Orthodox Faith during the Time of Troubles. His guidance led our ancestors to stand firmly for their faith, their Fatherland, and during his imprisonment, yet with his blessing, Archimandrite Dionisy of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra and Avraamy Palitsyn, his protector, sent missives to inspire the defenders of the Muscovite state. I felt then that even after the second Time of Troubles, we must root out internecine strife and restore truth, peace and Divine truth within our hearts. Personally, I feel connection with that cathedral because here, over a hundred years ago, the second Primate of our Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) of blessed memory was ordained as Bishop of Serpukhov. At one time, I had the honor of being an altar boy when he served. During his nomination, in accordance with tradition, he gave a sermon, in which he gave a remarkably powerful and artistic outline of “the path of a true pastor of Christ,” and in a surge of inspiration foretold the bloody strife that would befall the Russian Orthodox Church in the years of the Revolution. In his epistles, he grieved over the tragedy of our common history, denounced the lies of the atheists, praised the martyrs and confessors who suffered the persecutions, and rejoiced when the religious people of Russia felt joy, support and consolation. |
| Munich: Interview of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany: " Attaining Church Unity is a Spiritual Podvig " Archbishop Mark of Berlin In late December 2005, an Orthodox Conference of the Diocese of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held. Sergei Chapnin, Editor-in-Chief of Tserkovnij Vestnik [ " Church Messenger " ], participated in the Conference at the invitation of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. His Eminence spoke to him of the attitudes in the Russian Church Abroad, and about the work of the Synodal Commission on talks with the Moscow Patriarchate in an interview with Tserkovnyj Vestnik: -Your Eminence, at what stage are the talks between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate? Which problems have been resolved and which remain before the Commissions during this period before the convening of the All-Diaspora Council? - The Commissions of each Church examined all the fundamental questions set before us at the meeting of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus and the delegation of our Church with His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and several members of his Synod. The following problems were on the agenda for years: the glorification of the New Martyrs, the relationship between the Church and state, Orthodoxy and ecumenism. In these areas we managed to achieve a great deal of complicated work. The fundamental positions were often diametrically opposed, but we still found a common tongue. As a whole, the hierarchies of both sides accepted the documents we prepared. I will note: this does not mean that the documents have been adopted by the entire Church, but by the hierarchies. In this regard I can immediately state what the desired conclusion of this process is: we foresee that the All-Diaspora Council will examine these documents and summaries of the work that was done, and only after this will the Council of Bishops make its decisions. Whether they will be adopted in the form we propose or whether changes will be required I cannot predict. |
| New magazine launched by Russian Orthodox artist association to promote contemporary Christian art Moscow, March 16, 2015 A group of Russian Orthodox artists and intellectuals has launched an arts journal in an effort to promote the role of religious art in today’s increasingly secular society. The launch of Dary, or “Gifts”, which is published in a glossy magazine format, came just before Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church publicly denounced Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square, 1915 as a “black and frightening” reflection of darkness both in the soul of the artist and in society at large. The magazine is published by Artos, an association created to promote Christian contemporary culture. “Artos” is a Greek word that the Russian Orthodox Church uses to signify “communion bread”. The association’s statement of purpose reads: “In the modern era, which some characterise as ‘post-Christian’, there are artists who are inspired by the Bible and the teachings of the Church, and who feel a strong connection with tradition. At the same time they are searching for a new figurative and artistic language.” Artos held an exhibition of contemporary Orthodox art, from iconography to sculpture, video art and installations, at the Schusev State Museum of Architecture (December 2013-January 2014). The exhibition, which was also called “Dary”, was curated by Gor Chahal, a well-known conceptual artist, and Sergei Chapnin, editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, who is also a photographer with a longstanding interest in the interaction of the sacred and secular in art. Chapnin says Artos has already had several offers to organise exhibitions in Italy, as well as receiving interest from the US. Later this year, the organisation will be participating in its second joint conference in Sicily, on 30 September-4 October, with Il Baglio, an association of European Christian artists. Chapnin says that, at the first edition of the conference, Artos artists were inspired by the Byzantine mosaics in Palermo, Cefalu and Monreale, which are integral parts of the Catholic tradition there. He also remarks that Russian and Italian religious artists are often confronted by the same problem, only from opposite perspectives. “Here [in Russia] the demand is only for traditional art and anything else is regarded with suspicion. In Italy, the demand is only for the new, and anything else is regarded with suspicion.” |
| Newly published book by Fr. Schmemann makes its debut in Moscow At a large gathering marking the 30th anniversary of the repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann that took place at the “Pokrovskye Vorota” Cultural Center here on Sunday, December 15, 2013 , a newly published collection of Father Alexander’s writings, “The Liturgy of Death in Contemporary Culture,” made its debut. The book was edited and translated into Russian from various lectures by Father Alexander that had not been published previously. Moderating the program was Sergei Chapnin, Editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Church Messenger newspaper and member of the Inter-Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among the many other attendees were Archimandrite Alexander [Pihach], Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate and Dean of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr Representation Church, Moscow; Priest Sergei Kruglov; Mikhail Seleznov, Institute of Eastern Cultures and Antiquity, Russian Humanities State University; Giovani Paravinchini, Cultural Attache of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Russian Federation; Andrei Desnitsky, Senior Academic Consultant of the Institute of Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; Olga Sedakova, Consultant of the Institute for Bible Translation, poet; Alexnder Kyrlezhev, Academic Consultant of the Synodal Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church; Anna Sonkin-Dorman, Physician in Palliative Medicine; Andrei Borisovich Efimov, Director for the History of Mission, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Missiology of the Orthodox Saint Tikhon State University; and Elena Dorman, A.S. Solzhenitsyn House of the Russian Zarubezh’e, translator and editor. During the memorial gathering, Archimandrite Alexander read greetings from His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, the text of which appears below. The greeting was also read at the conclusion of a panikhida for Father Alexander celebrated at Saint Catherine Church on December 13, the 30th anniversary of his repose. |
| A New Translation of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Into Dutch is Published admin 19 November 2013 On November 16, 2013, the Church of St Nicholas in Amsteram, the Netherlands, hosted the presentation of a new translation of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom into Dutch, published in two versions, for clergymen and laity. This effort was a joint project by representatives of various Orthodox jurisdictions, parishes and monasteries in the Netherlands. After its completion, the ruling bishops of the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates, as well as the Exarchate of the Western European Russian Orthodox Churches, gave their blessing for the use of this translation as the basic liturgical text in the parishes of their Holland dioceses. His Eminence Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium opened the event, in which representatives of the Constantinople, Romanian and Serbian Patriarchates and the Exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate took part, as did the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, Sergei Chapnin. Two lectures read that day were devoted to the history of the translation of liturgical texts into Dutch, as well as the principles and exceptions of this new version. Priest Hildo Bos of St Nicholas Church in Amsterdam noted that a special situation developed with regard to the translation of liturgical texts in Holland. Over the course of 200 years, there seven versions prepared, some of which were broadly published. The very first version is no longer extant, though its search continues; it is known that it dates back to 1760 and was translated from the Greek for scholars who visited the Greek-Russian Church of St Catherine in Amsterdam. The second translation was made from a German-language original in 1829. The most well-known and most widely available translation was done by Archimandrite Adrian (Korporaal) of St John the Forerunner Monastery in The Hague in 1968. Notably, for many years Bishop John (Maximovich, known as St John of Shanghai—transl.) fervently supported translating work, and that book of translations emphasized his role as an inspiration and benefactor of the effort. |
| Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk speaks at Valdai Discussion Club meeting admin 19 September 2013 On 17 September 2013, within the framework of the 10 th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, dedicated to the theme “Russia’s Diversity for the Modern World”, the session on Inter-Religious and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue as a Reflection of the Spiritual Condition of Society took place at the Valdai Monastery of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. Among those delivering reports at the session were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Mr. Damir Mukhetdinov, the first deputy chair of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of European Russia; Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar; famous Polish film director Krzystof Zanussi; Prof. Tarek Heggy, writer and political scientist from Egypt; journalist Serge Schmemann; and Mr. Sergei Chapnin, editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. The speakers answered questions from the participants of the Valdai Club. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations, Mr. Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Information Department, and Mr. Aron Gurevich, Chief Rabbi of the Russian Army, addressed those present with short speeches. Source: Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk speaks at Valdai Discussion Club meeting admin On 17 September 2013, within the framework of the 10th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, dedicated to the theme “Russia’s Diversity for the Modern World”, the session on Inter-Religious and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue as a Reflection of the Spiritual Condition of Society took ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| Календарь Материалы 17 мая 2007 г. [Встреча с Православием/Православная библиотека] Протоиерей Александр Шаргунов Еще сегодня утром мы прощались с Пасхой, и светлая радость пасхального праздника срастворялась печалью, потому что мы прощались с Воскресшим Христом. Однако Святая Церковь знает, что Пасха Господня продолжается и Господь пребывает с нами до скончания века всей радостью, всей силой Своего Воскресения. [Сретенский монастырь/История и современность] Александр Парменов Почти два часа продолжалось братское общение в Сретенской обители. Маленькое море людей, внезапно обретших друг друга, не хотящих расходиться по домам. Братья и сестры, никогда не видевшие друг друга, но почувствовавшие себя одной семьей, единым организмом. Многие из них на следующий день причастятся из одной чаши. А потом вместе призовут имя Господне и возблагодарят Его за это не выразимое словами душевное ликование и счастье снова быть вместе. [Встреча с Православием/Святоотеческое наследие] Вознеслся еси во славе, Христе Боже наш, радость сотворивый учеником обетованием Святаго Духа, извещенным им бывшим благословением, яко Ты еси Сын Божий, Избавитель мира. [Сретенский монастырь/История и современность] Накануне исторического события в жизни Русской Православной Церкви – подписания Акта о каноническом воссоединении отечественной и зарубежной ее частей, в Сретенском монастыре произошла долгожданная встреча братии и прихожан обители с делегацией, состоящей из духовенства и мирян из-за рубежа. Чувства переполняли всех, молившихся за праздничным богослужением. Предлагаем вашему вниманию короткие интервью, которые любезно согласились дать здесь присутствовавшие. Файлы в формате МР3 English Edition [Church History] Archbishop Mark of Berlin In late December 2005, an Orthodox Conference of the Diocese of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held. Sergei Chapnin, Editor-in-Chief of Tserkovnij Vestnik [ " Church Messenger " ], participated in the Conference at the invitation of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. His Eminence spoke to him of the attitudes in the Russian Church Abroad, and about the work of the Synodal Commission on talks with the Moscow Patriarchate in an interview with Tserkovnyj Vestnik. |
| Introduction News from Moscow over the last two weeks has brought word that two figures who have figured quite prominently in Church life in Russia over the last generation have effectively been sacked from their posts. One of them is Sergei Chapnin and the other, bearing almost the same surname, is Fr Vsevolod Chaplin. As one of the few – I hesitate to say the only person – in England who knew them both, perhaps I should express some view on what lies behind their dismissal. Sergei Chapnin Sergei Chapnin was a Church journalist, the editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, an official publication of the Patriarch. When I first met him, in 1997, he was a young convert, zealous but not yet stable in the Faith. Meeting him a second time, ten years later, he had come to prominence, but his Faith, as that of some intellectual converts can do, had already by then taken, to put it mildly, a liberal turn, putting him at the margins of the Church. Sadly, in the last few years, he had become quite notorious and there had been at least one petition asking for his removal on account of personal views which less and less represented the views of the Church. His increasing modernism and ecumenism and finally, his views expressed only weeks ago in a forum sponsored by the US Embassy, notorious for its attempts to undermine and protestantize the Russian Orthodox Church, were the last straw. He now has time for repentance and so the opportunity to reintegrate the mainstream of the Church, returning from his errors. Fr Vsevolod Chaplin Fr Vsevolod was for a generation more or less a spokesman for the Church and a prominent member of a host of committees where he represented the Church’s views on political affairs. Obviously, such a sensitive position brought temptations and dangers, particularly the risk of secularization, seen for example, in his smoking, never a good sign in a priest. Speaking to Fr Vsevolod eight years ago, I became aware of a strong, indeed, militant personality. It is this that has been his downfall. |
| We intend to continue the salvific service to God and to the people of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. 5. How do your parishioners in America view the Russian Orthodox Church? Do they have enough information to independently form their own opinions? The image of the Russian Orthodox Church is one of the martyrs and confessors of Russia gradually rising out of the ruins of the Church. This is exactly how many think. Although there is more than enough information about church life in Russia, not all the older immigrants have access to the internet, where such materials are published. That is why I would say that they do not have enough information, but most of all they lack the living contact with clergymen and people of the Church in Russia. Without that it is difficult for people to form an objective opinion. That is why we ask that you come to us, as we for several years have been coming to Russia. 6. In your view, what are the perspectives for further developing contact between the Church Abroad and the Orthodox parishes in Russia? What spiritual and practical ecclesiastical benefits could such contacts bring? There are two prime areas where parishes abroad can cooperate with those of the Fatherland to their mutual benefit—first of all, in the area of church schools and work with youth, and secondly in establishing parishes and parish life. I envision joint summer children’s camps, youth choir competitions, visiting parish schools, etc. There has already been an exchange of textbooks: the Law of God, by a priest of the Church Abroad, Fr Seraphim Slobodskoy, is now distributed everywhere in Russia today, and the teaching of Russian language, literature and history abroad is now unimaginable without teaching materials from Russia. For more effective cooperation, we need living contact between parish priests, the exchange of experiences. Conferences for priests of both the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate, joint youth conferences, these are projects that we should take on. |
| After the fall of the communist regime, we began to have some contact—true, it was unofficial—but in any case we again had the chance to see each other, meet and talk. This informal contact helped us get to know each other, learn about church life of the other side, and see that we are all children of the Russian Orthodox Church. The enemy then began to retreat, and, with God’s help, we arrived at unity. Divine services and meetings which were held in our dioceses before the Reigning Icon convinced many of this unity, many came to see that we all—on both sides—love and suffer for our Russian Orthodox Church. Thank God, we have found within ourselves the strength to restore ecclesiastical unity. Now we must strengthen it through common prayer, brotherly meetings and constructive cooperation. 4. What is the relationship within your flock between those who are of Russian descent and those who accepted Holy Orthodoxy having come from other Christian churches? How do you think their relationships might change, if they do? The old emigrants and their descendants comprise the majority of our parishioners; then the new immigrants and their children; then the newly-converted, who mainly participate in the life of our missions. Will their relationships change? It is difficult to say. In any case, we work with all of them, preserving and increasing the great legacy of Holy Russia that we have been given. Thank God, our parishes have Russian parish schools in which children are taught the basic truths of our faith, Russian language, Russian literature and history; there are youth circles led by good pastors, who call upon young people to love the Church and the Fatherland. There are summer camps and youth conferences throughout the globe. Parents try to speak only Russian with their children and follow the Russian Orthodox way of life. This is a great feat, performed under difficult circumstances. In a word, our goal is not only to preserve but to increase among our children that which we have, to serve the Russian Orthodox Church, help her witness the Truth of Christ and speak the great word of Holy Russia to the whole world. |
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