DATA on Orthodox Churches WORLWIDE
MENSCHENWUERDE UND FRIEDEN statt VERSPOTTUNGSFREIHEIT UND WELTWEITER BUEGERKRIEG ???
see also (in German):
Christliche Verantwortung in der Welt - zu Politik und Krieg
!!! MASSAKER
an der ZIVILBEVÖLKERUNG kommen aus der LUFT !!!
Steinmeier/Struck regieren gegen die Mehrheit
der Deutschen
77 % der deutschen Bevölkerung gegen "Kanonenboot-Politik am
Hindukusch"
Andachten für Opfer des NATO-Angriffs auf Serbien
(BELGRAD) Am vergangenen Samstag wurden, mit dem Segen des Serbischen
Patriarchen Pavle I.,
in allen serbischen orthodoxen Kirchen Totenandachten für
Opfer des NATO-Bombardements von 1999 zelebriert.
In Belgrad zelebrierte Vikarbischof Atanasije von Hvosno die Totenandacht
in der dortigen Markuskirche.
Im NATO-Angriff auf Serbien, beziehungsweise das damals noch existierende
Staatenbündnis Serbien-Montenegro,
starben rund 2.500 Zivilisten,
darunter 89 Kinder.
Auch 1.002 Soldaten und Polizisten kamen in Erfüllung ihrer Pflicht der
Landesverteidigung ums Leben.
Rund 10.000 Menschen wurden verwundet oder verletzt.
Quelle:
SOK AKTUELL
Informationsdienst der Kommission Kirche und Gesellschaft der Serbischen
Orthodoxen Diözese für Mitteleuropa
Mengendamm 16c
D-30177 Hannover
Anmerkung der Internet Herausgeber:
Dieser Terror-Mord-"Einsatz" der Luftwaffen mehrerer NATO-Staaten
gegen einen bündnisfreien Kleinstaat -mitten in Europa- wurde mit dem
Geld der deutschen Steuerzahler finanziert.
!!! STOP
MASSACRES of INNOCENT PEOPLE in GAZA!!!
Patriarch des Westens, BENEDIKT XVI., Papst von Rom 10.09.2006 in Muenchen:
"...
Die Völker Afrikas und Asiens bewundern zwar die technischen Leistungen des
Westens und unsere Wissenschaft, aber sie erschrecken vor einer Art von
Vernünftigkeit, die Gott total aus dem Blickfeld des Menschen ausgrenzt und dies
für die höchste Art von Vernunft ansieht, die man auch ihren Kulturen beibringen
will. Nicht im christlichen Glauben sehen sie die eigentliche Bedrohung ihrer
Identität, sondern in der Verachtung Gottes und in dem Zynismus, der die
Verspottung des Heiligen als Freiheitsrecht ansieht und Nutzen für
zukünftige Erfolge der Forschung zum letzten Maßstab erhebt. Liebe Freunde!
Dieser Zynismus ist nicht die Art von Toleranz und von kultureller Offenheit,
auf die die Völker warten und die wir alle wünschen. Die Toleranz, die wir
dringend brauchen, schließt die Ehrfurcht vor Gott ein – die Ehrfurcht vor
dem, was dem anderen heilig ist. Diese Ehrfurcht vor dem Heiligen der
anderen setzt aber wiederum voraus, daß wir selbst die Ehrfurcht vor Gott wieder
lernen. Diese Ehrfurcht kann in der westlichen Welt nur dann regeneriert werden,
wenn der Glaube an Gott wieder wächst, wenn Gott für uns und in uns wieder
gegenwärtig wird.
..."
... dialogue between religious faiths is possible only
if both sides respect the rule of reason.
As he went on, developing that theme, the Pope issued a much stronger
challenge to the modern secular world, arguing that
a form of reason that excludes religious faith is as dangerous
as a faith that denies reason.
SOME OF LifeSiteNews.com -
Thursday September 21, 2006 forwarded by Dave
dparry@toucansurf.com of "AA
Service"
For complete message and to
subscribe for daily updates, RUN
www.LifeSiteNews.com
Anna Politkowskaja, Persona non grata
Die russische Journalistin in einem ihrer letzten
Interviews
Wegen ihrer Aufrichtigkeit und schonungslosen Kritik an der
zaristisch-imperialistischen Politik Putins wurde Anna Politkowskaja nicht
nur zur Gegnerin des Kreml, sondern auch zu einer Außenseiterin innerhalb
der vielfach gleichgeschalteten Medienlandschaft ihres Landes - eine
Journalistin, die bis zuletzt aufrecht für Menschenrechte, Meinungsfreiheit
und Wahrheit eintrat.
Im Vorjahr hatte sie im Wiener Akademietheater einen ihrer letzten
öffentlichen Auftritte im Westen, genauer gesagt im Akademietheater in Wien.
Rubina Möhring, Präsidentin von Reporter ohne Grenzen Österreich, sprach mit
ihr.
"Ich bin eine Persona non grata" - so definierte sich Anna Politkowskaja
selbst. Tausende Menschen haben in Moskau der getöteten russischen
Journalistin die letzte Ehre erwiesen.
Es ist manchmal tödlich ...
Anna Politkowskaja auf der Bühne des Akademietheaters am 11. Dezember 2005
in Wien: "Es ist manchmal tödlich, ein Informant von mir zu sein, ein
Berichterstatter, einer, der mir Informationen weitergibt. Die Menschen
bezahlen wirklich mit dem Leben; und das passiert alle zwei, drei Monate,
dass jemand verschwindet, der sagt, was er sich denkt.“ Heute, angesichts
ihrer Ermordung wirken diese Worte bestürzend prophetisch.
Das Gespräch auf der Bühne des Wiener Akademietheaters im vergangenen Jahr
war einer ihrer letzten öffentlichen Auftritte im Westen. Anna Politkowskaja
ging zwar davon aus, dass ihre Popularität in der Welt zugleich auch ihr
Schutzschild gegen Übergriffe und Anschläge seitens ihrer Feinde in Russland
war. Dennoch liebte sie jegliches Aufheben um ihre Person nicht. Sie machte
sich rar, war lieber in ihrem Land, um dort, wie sie es ausdrückte, "zur
Stelle und nützlich zu sein".
Bis zum letzten Tag vor der Veranstaltung war unsicher, ob sie tatsächlich
kommen werde. Dass sie tatsächlich kam, ist Gertraud Auer, der
Generalsekretärin des Bruno Kreiskyforums für Internationalen Dialog, zu
verdanken. Täglich war Gertraud Auer damals mit ihr in Kontakt und hatte so
ihr Vertrauen geworden. Noch vor wenigen Tagen, kurz vor Annas gewaltsamen
Tod, hatten die beiden über Ferien gesprochen. Anna fühlte sich matt und
wollte sich endlich einmal ausruhen.
Mit einem Augenlächeln gegen den Strom
Es fällt mir immer noch schwer, von Anna in der Vergangenheit zu sprechen.
Ihre Präsenz, ihre Stärke und ihr unprätentiöses, warmes Wesen nimmt jeden
sofort gefangen, und man glaubt, schon immer in ihrer Nähe gewesen zu sein.
Mit ihren großen dunklen Augen schaute sie einen an; ihr Blick war ganz
gerade und offen - wie der Blick von Kindern, die noch nicht gelernt haben,
sich zu verstellen und deren Vertrauen in die Welt noch nicht erschüttert
wurde. Anna hatte sich trotz aller Gefährdung und trotz all der Gräuel, die
sie recherchierte und beschrieb, bis zuletzt ihre Zuversicht und Liebe zu
den Menschen erhalten.
Sie folgte einer Mission, wenn sie so eindringlich über die Situation in
Russland sprach, über die Aussichtslosigkeit des Krieges in Tschetschenien,
die eingeschränkte Presse- und Meinungsfreiheit in ihrem Land und die
Isolation jener, die wie sie gegen den Strom schwimmen. Doch bei aller
Ernsthaftigkeit lag in ihrem Blick stets dieses besondere Augenlächeln, das
nur jenen Menschen zuteil ist, die in sich ruhen und durch und durch
authentisch sind.
Anna wirkte wie eine Kerze, die von beiden Seiten brennt. Sie war eine
Getriebene in Sachen Menschenrechte und Pressefreiheit. Sie war ein Mensch
von einer solchen - letztlich tödlichen - Konsequenz, die auch nachdenklich
darüber macht, welche Risiken wir selbst innerhalb unserer saturierten
Demokratien aufzunehmen bereit wären.
Keine Fremde in der Fremde
Anna Politkowskja war einem Traum gefolgt. Ihr Traum hieß Pressefreiheit und
Meinungsvielfalt in ihrem Land Russland. Und sie lebte diesen Traum. Trotz
Gefährdung blieb sie in ihrem Land. Sie wollte keine gefeierte Emigrantin
sein. Sie wollte trotz vielfacher Bedrohung nicht fliehen. Sie wollte keine
Fremde in der Fremde sein. Sie wollte stattdessen von zuhause über ihr
Zuhause Russland berichten. Sie wollte ihrem Land zugehörig bleiben, sie
wollte authentisch bleiben. Sie wollte sie sein! Und weil sie so war, wie
sie gewesen ist, wurde sie ermordet, hingerichtet.
"Wir in Russland sind es so gewöhnt, dass alle möglichen Menschenrechte
unter dem Titel 'Terrorbekämpfung' außer Kraft gesetzt werden, sodass das
schon niemanden mehr erstaunt. Eine der schlimmsten Folgen dieses
Außerkraftsetzens der Menschenrechte ist die Tatsache, dass der Rassismus
immer stärker wird.“
Mit diesen Worten endete unser Gespräch am 11. Dezember 2005. Gemeinsam
hatten das Burgtheater, das Bruno Kreiskyforum für internationalen Dialog
und Reporter ohne Grenzen damals unter dem Titel "Warum Krieg -
Reporterinnen im Krieg" in das Wiener Akademietheater eingeladen.
Rubina Möhring ist Präsidentin von Reporter ohne Grenzen
Österreich und Vizepräsidentin von Reporters sans Frontières.
11 October 2006
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I hope this email finds you in peace and
health.
I am writing you from Damascus, where I am
attending the Holy Synod meetings of our Syrian Orthodox Church.. This evening,
we were shocked with very sad news from
Mousel, Iraq.
Our priest Father Boulos Iskander was killed.
His head was cut.
Three days ago he was kidnapped by a fanatic group as consequences of H.H. Pope
Benedict's recent speech. They forced the community in Mousel to write 30 large
posters denying what His Holiness had cited in respect with Mohammad, the
prophet of Islam. Although their request was done, the fanatics killed the
priest. The Bishop of Mousel H.G. Saliba Chamoun received the tragic news during
the evening session of the Holy Synod. He immediately left the meetings
returning to Mousel to be with the faithful at this very difficult time.
I wanted to share this news with you in
order to convey to you the image of the hard time that Christians are facing in
the region.
I kindly ask you to mention the martyr
Father Boulos Iskander in your prayers.
Please include all our churches,
especially in Iraq, in your prayers.
Sincerely yours,
Eustathius Matta Roham,
Archbishop of Jazirah & Euphrates
of the Syrian Orthodox Church
[fax (00 963 from the United Kingdom) 52 320817
!!! STOP
MURDERING INNOCENT PEOPLE !!!
Christian
leaders join in call for Middle East peace
Middle East
Council of Churches
Toll of a war
that shames the world
Understanding the Truth of Tragic
Errors
TEXTS coming
from the WAR STRIKEN AREA
see yourself:
http://rafah.virtual
see also (in German): Christliche Verantwortung in der Welt - zu Politik und Krieg
Christian
leaders join in call for Middle East peace
Middle East
Council of Churches
!!! STOP MURDERING
INNOCENT PEOPLE
!!!
Toll of a war that shames the world
Understanding the Truth of Tragic Errors
TEXTS coming from the WAR STRIKEN AREA
see yourself: http://rafah.virtual
Links aus:
|
|
|
Bulletin of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church
to the European Institutions |
|
In English:
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad:
Cooperation of Responsible Leaders of Christianity in Western and
Eastern Europe is Absolutely Necessary and Is Awaited by Millions of People
Bishop Hilarion
of Vienna and Austria:
The Need to Act
LINKS
To subscribe to this bulletin:
http://www.orthodoxeurope.org/subscribe.aspx
To unsubscribe:
http://www.orthodoxeurope.org/subscribe.aspx
For correspondence in English:
info-en@orthodoxeurope.org
The web site of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the
European Institutions:
http://www.orthodoxeurope.org
The web site of the Moscow Patriarchate:
http://www.mospat.ru
BRD: B.BARTHOLOMAIOS /
EU: B.TICHON / BEL: B.ATHENAGORAS /
USA: M.HERMAN / RUSA:
EB.LAURUS / FIN: EB.LEO
RUSEU:
M.ANTHONY /
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad:
Our Cooperation Is Absolutely Necessary and Is Awaited by Millions of People
Excerpts from the interview to Inside the Vatican
magazine.
Inside the Vatican: On May 25, 2005 in Bari, in southern
Italy, just a month after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Walter
Kasper made a proposal that caught the attention of many observers of Catholic
and Orthodox affairs: he proposed convening a type of ecumenical "council" open
to the participation of Orthodox as well as Roman Catholics. He suggested that
Bari could be the site of such a "council" which would have as its goal the
restoration of friendship between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and that
the creation of an "alliance" for a rediscovery of the "Christian roots of
Europe" could become the council's theme. What do you think about this proposal?
Metropolitan Kirill: Cardinal Walter
Kasper's idea about holding a "council" of Orthodox and Roman Catholic hierarchs
in Bari is, undoubtedly, rather interesting. At the same time, it is necessary
to bear in mind that a council as an ecclesiological reality is impossible in
the conditions of our present division. Therefore, we may speak not about a
council like ones of the Ancient Undivided Church, but about a meeting or an
assembly.
I believe that, on the way to any significant event in the
sphere of Orthodox-Catholic relations, it is necessary to tend to the solution
of specific problems complicating these relations. A joint discussion of acute
problems of the present is already under way. For instance, an International
Conference on "Christian Values in Europe" organized by the Vatican's Pontifical
Council for Culture along with the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External
Church Relations, which I head, will take place in Vienna in early May, 2006,
with assistance from the "Pro Oriente" foundation of Vienna, Austria.
Inside the Vatican: Cardinal Kasper also said, "I am
convinced that after the great efforts and significant steps made by John Paul
II, Pope Benedict XVI will open the way for such a plan in the future". What do
you think about Pope Benedict XVI? Have you ever spoken to him? Do you think
that you could meet with him in the future? Is Benedict different from John Paul
II, and if so, in what way?
Metropolitan Kirill: I respect the new Head of the Catholic
Church Pope Benedict XVI very much and I had repeatedly met him before his
election to the Roman throne. On April 25, 2005, the day after the inaugural
celebrations, His Holiness received me in the "Santa Marta" residence where he
had continued living after the end of the conclave. Our conversation was
informal and warm. However, during this brief period of time we managed to
discuss the basic questions in the relations between the Russian Orthodox and
Catholic Churches and to note our agreement concerning the need for common
action between Orthodox and Roman Catholics in upholding and proclaiming
Christian values.
I was very grateful to His Holiness for this meeting and I
see in it a sign of the special significance which a newly-elected pontiff
attached to relations with Orthodox Churches and with the Russian Orthodox
Church as the largest of them.
I would rather not compare the personalities of the two heads
of the Catholic Church - the recently deceased John Paul II and the present Pope
Benedict XVI. Both of them are, undoubtedly, really outstanding people. However,
inter-Church relations don't always depend on individual persons, even such
high-ranking ones. As is well known, there are a number of rather complicated
problems that require, on the one hand, an urgent resolution or settlement, and,
on the other, a responsible and thoughtful approach. Keeping both of these
factors in mind should assist the overcoming of existing difficulties in the
most effective way.
A major component of this important work therefore should be
a fair and open dialogue between our Churches. That is why I hope for the
continuation of fruitful meetings with leaders of the Catholic Church.
Inside the Vatican: What are the main difficulties in
relations between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Catholics? Which can be
settled relatively easily and which cannot?
Metropolitan Kirill: Problems in relations between Russian
Orthodox and Catholic Churches are well known. First of all, it is the situation
in the Ukraine, especially in the western part of it, where oppressions of
Orthodox believers by Greek Catholics continue. Unfortunately, in the last years
the situation has not changed for the better. On the contrary, it tends to
become more complicated due to the transfer of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar's see from
Lvov, with which the center of the Ukrainian Uniates has been historically
connected, to Kiev, called the "mother of Russian cities" and for centuries the
see of the heads of the Orthodox Church of Russia, and then the Ukraine.
In Russia, our believers are seriously concerned and
misunderstand missionary work done by Roman Catholic clergy among the Orthodox
population, in particular among children and youth. People often ask me: why do
Catholic priests not work more actively in the countries from which they come to
Russia and prefer to nurture Roman Catholic traditions in Russian children from
troubled families?
These problems can hardly be settled soon and easily but we
should aim for their prompt solution as there are destinies of real people,
their worries and feelings, behind them.
Inside the Vatican: Can you suggest any special
initiatives that could improve Roman Catholic-Russian Orthodox relations? Do you
support the creation of a "Catholic-Orthodox Alliance" in Europe in support of
Christian moral values, as suggested by Cardinal Kasper and the Viennese and
Austrian Diocesan Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev?
Metropolitan Kirill: Regarding the idea of the creation of an
"Orthodox-Catholic alliance" I would like to say that it is necessary to make
correct emphasis here and to agree about the terms. The concept of an "alliance"
has a more political than Church-related meaning. Therefore, I would prefer not
to use this expression.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church actively supports the
development of interaction with the Catholic Church. We agree on a majority of
the questions that the Christian world faces today. It is well known that both
Churches are very concerned about the expulsion of religious values from the
life of modern society and the need to preserve Christian ethical standards in
it. Our cooperation is absolutely necessary. It is awaited by millions of people
- believers and spiritual seekers alike. This interaction can have far-reaching
consequences for Europe and, what is especially important, for the whole system
of inter-Christian relations. It is absolutely clear that in this case we speak
not only about the Russian Orthodox Church but about all local Orthodox Churches.
I think the place of Christian values in the world will in many ways depend on
the character of Orthodox-Catholic relations, at least on the European continent
<…>
The full text of the interview will be published in the
May issue of Inside the Vatican magazine.
Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria: The Need to Act
Excerpts from the interview to Inside the Vatican
magazine.
Inside the Vatican: A major conference involving
Catholics and Orthodox is scheduled to take place in Vienna in early May. Can
you tell us something about the background of this conference, and its chief
purpose?
Bishop Hilarion: The theme of the conference is "Christian
Values in Europe." The initiative to organize this conference belonged to
Metropolitan Kirill, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of
the Moscow Patriarchate. Invited are distinguished Church leaders and
theologians from the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches. There will be
about 25 participants on each side.
The discussion on Christian values acquires special relevance
and urgency in the context of the process of globalization, which is affecting
more and more of the world's population. Globalization is a multi-dimensional,
multi-faceted and multi-layered process. It exerts influence on the world as a
whole and on separate countries and regions, on the entire human community and
on concrete human beings. It affects politics and economics, morals and law, the
sciences and arts, education and culture. Globalization leaves its imprint on
practically all areas of human endeavor, with the possible exception of one:
religion. Today only religion is systematically resisting the relentless attack
of globalization, entering into an unequal battle to defend those values it
considers fundamental and which are being challenged by globalization.
Only religion is able to counter the ideology of
globalization with its own system of spiritual and moral orientation based on
the centuries-long experience of generations acquired during the
pre-globalization age. In the modern battle for values, people find themselves
more often than not on opposite sides of the barricades, with those inspired by
religious ideals on the one side and those whose world-view is formed by secular
humanism on the other.
At the core of the modern globalization ideology is the
humanistic idea of the absolute dignity of the human person and of the existence
of universal, "common human" values, which are proposed as the foundation of a
single world civilization. By "common human" values, however, are understood not
only those spiritual and moral tenets which are common to all religions or which
are equally obligatory for both religious and non-religious people ("thou shall
not kill", "thou shall not steal", "thou shall not bear false witness", etc.),
but also many ideas that are questionable from the religious point of view and
which are rooted in liberal-humanistic morality. To this latter group belong, in
particular, the affirmation of the right of each individual to his or her own
way of life, which extends insofar as it does not cause harm to others. From the
viewpoint of humanistic morality, the only limitatio n on human freedom is the
freedom of other people: the moral person is one who does not harm the interests
of others, while the immoral person is one who infringes upon their freedom. The
idea of absolute moral norms as well as the notion of sin are completely absent
from modern humanistic ethics <…>
The potential explosiveness of today's inter-civilizational
situation is to a significant degree caused by the fact that the Western
liberal-humanistic ideology, acting on the idea of its own universality, is
imposing itself on people who were raised in other spiritual and moral
traditions and have different value systems. These people see in the total
dictate of the Western ideology a threat to their identity. The evidently
anti-religious character of modern liberal humanism brings about non-acceptance
and rejection by those whose behaviour is religiously motivated and whose
spiritual life is founded on religious experience.
The question here is not only about individuals for whom
faith is a matter of personal choice, but also about entire nations, cultures
and civilizations formed under the influence of religious factors. It is at the
international, inter-cultural and inter-civilizational levels that the
opposition between secularism and religion can grow into an open conflict. All
these questions must be addressed by both the Catholics and the Orthodox during
the Vienna conference on Christian values in Europe.
Inside the Vatican: Catholics and Orthodox are
Christians, divided since 1054. Can that division be healed? How?
Bishop Hilarion: <…> The schism of 1054 was <…> the result of
quite a long development, and not simply a matter of misunderstanding between
the papal envoys and the members of the Church of Constantinople, as it is
sometimes presented. Obviously, dogmatic and ecclesiological differences between
East and West in the first millennium did not necessitate the complete breach of
eucharistic relations between the two traditions, but they definitely
contributed to the alienation that resulted in this breach.
The second millennium was marked by a continual struggle
between East and West, and by the numerous attempts of the Pope to bring
disobedient Easterners under his control.
The Crusades were the most striking and outrageous example of
the use of violence against the Orthodox by their Western fellow-Christians. The
memory of the Crusades is still alive among the Greeks: the wound is still
bleeding. The late Pope John Paul II apologized for the Crusades before the
Archbishop of Athens, which by itself was a noble action. One has to admit,
however, that the apology was delayed by eight centuries. It must also be
recognised that numerous remnants of the Crusaders' activity still survive,
including, for example, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which was created
at the time of the Crusades in order to replace the respective Orthodox
Patriarchate.
Other blows dealt repeatedly to the Orthodox were the
numerous attempts to bring them under the jurisdiction of Rome by means of "union".
The first such attempt, made in Lyon in the 13th century, was followed the Union
of Ferrara-Florence in 1439, on the eve of the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
Nothing has remained of these two "unions". But the Union of Brest, proclaimed
in 1596, gave birth to ecclesiastical structures that still exist and whose
recent revival has contributed to aggravating Catholic-Orthodox relations.
Parallel to these processes, a continuing theological
alienation between Orthodox and Catholics also grew. This was to a significant
degree conditioned by the introduction of new doctrines in the Catholic Church,
which were (and are still) regarded by the Orthodox as dogmatic innovations. The
belief in the infallibility of the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra is the most
striking example. A teaching that was the consequence of many centuries of
theological debate within the Catholic Church, it was strongly censured by the
Orthodox. Indeed, this doctrine was rejected also by some traditional circles
within the Western Church: hence the appearance of the Old Catholic movement,
which for many decades conducted a dialogue with the Orthodox.
The struggles between the two Christian traditions in the
first half of the 20th century did not differ from those of previous times in
that they continued at various levels. There were, however, some latent streams
within both traditions which predetermined a rather rapid rapprochement in the
second half of the 20th century. Already in the 1930s and 1940s theologians from
both sides began to meet on a more regular basis, and for the very first time in
Christian history the possibility emerged for each to cross the borders of its
own context.
The theological exchange that took place at that time
contributed to the remarkable change on the part of the Catholics towards the
Orthodox which was most evidently manifested during the Second Vatican Council.
At this Council, the Orthodox Church was recognized as possessing the fullness
of the divine grace that leads people to salvation. It is from Vatican II that
the term "sister Church" with reference to the Orthodox Church stems.
This same Council predetermined the significant achievements
attained by the Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches, which was created in 1980. The work
of this Commission lasted for 20 years and then was interrupted in 2000 because
of a strong disagreement on the question of Uniatism. After a five-year break
the Coordinating Committee of this Commission met in the fall of 2005 in Rome to
prepare the plenary session, which is to be held in Serbia in 2006.
Thus, the theological dialogue has now resumed, and it is a
good sign. However, there is not much ground for excessive optimism, since the
questions to be discussed are quite difficult and quite numerous. The issue of
the primacy of the bishop of Rome, which will be addressed by the Commission in
2006, is among the most difficult ones, not only because it remains the main
cause of disagreement between the Catholics and the Orthodox, but also because
there is no unity among the Orthodox on the understanding of primacy in the
Universal Church. I envisage long and difficult discussions, many years of
assiduous work, and no immediate and visible results.
Inside the Vatican: If the division cannot be healed, can
Catholics and Orthodox nevertheless work together on certain social problems,
like caring for abandoned children, or supporting marriage and family life? What
possibilities do you see for this type of collaboration?
Bishop Hilarion: I think there are many possibilities for
such collaboration, and I regret that until now we have done very little
together in the field of Christian charity. Sometimes our missions and
charitable organizations act almost as competing structures, while we
desperately need to learn to work together.
Caring for abandoned children and supporting marriage and
family life are among the most urgent tasks in such countries as Russia. It is
important, however, that these noble activities not be used for the aims of
proselytism, which devalues them and makes them an obstacle, rather then a means
for Christian unity.
I hope some way of closer collaboration of the Catholics with
the Orthodox in the field of promoting and defending Christian values in Europe
will be found in the near future. Over a year ago, on the pages of your
periodical, I called for a European Catholic-Orthodox alliance to be created,
and I still think this idea is quite relevant.
There are now two obvious essentially-differing versions of
Christianity - the traditional and the liberal. The abyss that now exists
divides not so much the Orthodox and Catholics, or the Catholics and Protestants,
as the "traditionalists" and "liberals" (with all the conventions of such labels).
Of course, there are defenders of traditional values in the Protestant camp (especially
in the Southern churches, that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America). But a liberal
attitude prevails among the Protestants.
In this situation, I suppose that a consolidation is needed
in the efforts of those churches which consider themselves "Churches of
Tradition," that is, the Orthodox, Catholics and the Oriental Orthodox. I am not
speaking about the serious dogmatic and ecclesiological differences which exist
between these Churches and which can be considered within the framework of
bilateral dialogue. I am speaking about the need to reach an agreement between
these Churches on some strategic alliance, pact or cooperation for defending
traditional Christianity as such - defending it from all modern challenges, be
it militant liberalism, militant atheism or militant Islam. When I expressed
this idea for the first time, I used the word "alliance' to describe the body
which, in my opinion, needs to be created. Some subsequent critics, while
enthusiastic about the idea itself, did not like the term "alliance" for the
military or political co nnotations which, allegedly, could be discerned in it.
Indeed, what matters most is not the terminology, but the
idea. Perhaps we could speak about a Catholic-Orthodox Committee on Cooperation
in Europe, or about a European Catholic-Orthodox Consultative Board. In any case,
for the body in question, we need a word which has no ecclesiastical
connotations: words like "council" or "union" should be avoided. Otherwise one
may suspect that a new type of Uniatism is envisaged.
I would like to make clear that we do not need another union
of the type of Ferrara-Florence, a union aimed at restoration of full
Eucharistic communion but based on a theological compromise. What we do need at
this stage, in my opinion, is a close and efficient strategic cooperation, for
the challenge is made to traditional Christianity as such. This is especially
noticeable in Europe, where de-Christianization and liberalization are occurring
as persistently as the gradual and unswerving Islamization. The liberal,
weakened "Christianity" of the Protestant communities cannot resist the
onslaught of Islam; only staunch, traditional Christianity can stand against it,
ready to defend its moral positions. In this battle, the Orthodox and Catholics
could, even in the face of all the differences accumulated over the centuries,
form a united front.
The primary purpose of the strategic cooperation that I
propose should be the defense of traditional moral values such as the family,
childbirth, spousal fidelity. These values are subjected to systematic mockery
and derision in Europe by liberals and democrats of all types. Instead of
spousal fidelity, "free love" is promoted, same-sex partnerships are equated
with the union of marriage, childbirth is opposed by "family planning."
Unfortunately, we have serious differences in these matters with most
Protestants, not to speak of fundamental differences of theological and
ecclesiological character <…>
Inside the Vatican: Is there a specific structure you
have in mind for this type of collaboration?
Bishop Hilarion: A European Catholic-Orthodox Alliance, or
Committee on Cooperation, or Consultative Board, whatever name is given to the
body that is proposed, should consist of the official representatives of both
Catholic and Orthodox Churches. If, for example, the 25 representatives of the
European Bishops' Conferences, who now constitute the COMECE (the European
Catholic bishops' conference), could be joined by some 15 Orthodox bishops,
representing the Orthodox Churches that have dioceses and parishes in Europe,
this could become an authoritative and creative body for defending traditional
Christian values in Europe. But I presume there could be some other, perhaps
less ambitious structures of a smaller scale.
Whatever is the structure and whatever is its name, I am
convinced that we must act speedily, since the challenges that traditional
Christianity faces are numerous and are growing. We should not wait until
Christianity is swallowed by Islam, or defeated by militant secularism, or
crushed by consumerism and relativism prevailing in modern society. We must
think very seriously about common ways of facing all these modern challenges,
and I greatly hope that the Vienna conference will be just the first step on the
path which we will travel together.
The full text of the interview will be published in the
May issue of Inside the Vatican magazine.
NICHT "NUR"
GOTTLOS ... : ...
GEGEN DIESE EU-Verfassung !!!
NICHT "NUR" GOTTLOS ... :
GEGEN DIESE EU-Verfassung !!!
- weil sie einen
Versuch darstellt "unsere Wurzeln abzuschneiden" !!!
Anders gesehen (Günther Nenning in
KronenZeitung-Wien)
ABGESCHNITTENE WURZELN
Was bitte, brauchen die Menschen dringender:
die liebe EU-Verfassung oder den lieben Gott ?
Beides probiert, kein Vergleich !
Es wäre natürlich beides zusammen erhältlich:
Die EU-Verfassung und ein einleitender Satz, oder gar mehrere, in denen Gott
vorkommt, das Christentum, sonstige Religionen, der Humanismus, die
Menschenrechte usw. - das gehört ja alles zusammen.
Aber nein, das darf nicht sein.
Egoismus, Zynismus, Verachtung aller höheren und höchsten Dinge - sie haben sich
in den komplizierten Verhandlungen zum Verfassungstext unverhüllt gezeigt, und
nichts deutlicher als in dem geringen oder gar keinem Interesse, das die
verhandelnden Personen und Mächte gezeigt haben, als es um den Gottesbezug in
der Verfassung ging.
So wurde die EU-Verfassung ein doppelter Pfusch:
zweitens ein Kompromiss-Kauderwelsch, unverständlich für den normalen Bürger -
erstens ein (angeblich) historisches Dokument, in welchem Gott nicht vorkommen
darf.
Also der liebe Gott hält das ja leicht aus, dass er in vergänglichem Papierwerk
nicht vorkommt.
Im Übrigem ist es eine Schande und eine Entlarvung.
Da gibt es im EU-Parlament eine deutliche Mehrheit von Abgeordneten der
europäischen Volksparteien (EVP), die sich doch zum Christentum, zur
christlichen Soziallehre usw. (angeblich) bekennen.
Da gibt es quer durch alle europäischen Gruppierungen und Institutionen
vermutlich eine große Zahl von religiös Gesinnten.
Keinen hat der fehlende Gottesbezug ernsthaft aufgeregt. Alle sind voll
verstrickt und gefangen im ständigen Hin und Her ihrer sonstigen Interessen.
Gesiegt hat eine kleine, aber mächtige Zahl von praktizierenden Atheisten und
Antiklerikalen, die eisern entschlossen waren:
alles, aber Gott darf nicht herein.
Da war es wieder einmal der Papst, der klare Worte gesprochen hat. Es ist schon
so: Er ist der einzige mannhafte Politiker, den wir haben. Er sagte:
"Man schneidet nicht die Wurzeln ab, aus denen man geboren wurde."
Dazu der orthodoxe Patriarch Bartholomaios:
"Niemand, der sich mit Europa befasst, kann die christlichen Wurzeln Europas
leugnen."
Oh doch, man kann. Und so schaut dann dieses Europa auch aus.
Gewiss kommt es auf das Herz an und nicht auf das Verfassungspapier.
Aber ebenso gewiss ist: Diese EU-Verfassung trägt das Kainsmal eines Europa ohne
Gott.
Wenn der Papst fordert, Europa dürfe sich nicht die Wurzeln abschneiden - meint
er nicht nur einen historischen Tatbestand: ein Europa, das seine christlichen
Wurzeln verleugnet - er meint auch etwas sehr Aktuelles und sehr Persönliches:
Jeder Einzelne von uns, der sein Leben nur noch auf wirtschaftliche
Interessen, auf Egoismus, Fit and Fun reduziert - lebt falsch.
Ohne Wurzeln gibt es kein Glück.
e-mail: guenther.nenning@kronenzeitung.at
NICHT "NUR" GOTTLOS ... :
GEGEN DIESE
EU-Verfassung
- weil sie -gegen
jede Erfahrung der europäischen Völker- zur Konfliktlösung auf
Militarismus setzt !!!
Stellungnahme
des
Ständigen Ausschusses
der
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Bayern
zum
ENTWURF einer VERFASSUNG der EU
Der Ständige Ausschuss der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Bayern (AcK i.B.) hat sich bei seiner Sitzung am 12. und 13. März 2004 in Nürnberg
mit dem Entwurf für die künftige Verfassung der Europäischen Union beschäftigt.
Mit Verwunderung haben wir wahrgenommen, dass der Verfassungsentwurf eine Reihe von Aussagen zu einer europäischen Sicherheitspolitik enthält, die bisher in der Öffentlichkeit nicht diskutiert worden sind.
Im Ergebnis laufen sie darauf hinaus, dass
1. eine Verpflichtung zur militärischen Aufrüstung der EU festgeschrieben wird,
2. die Bereitschaft zu weltweiten Militäreinsätzen zur Pflicht erhoben wird,
3. die Entscheidung über den
Einsatz der künftigen EU-Soldaten den Europäischen Parlament entzogen und allein dem Ministerrat übertragen werden soll,
4. die Prävention als Grund für militärischen Eingreifen angegeben wird.
Wir haben den Eindruck, dass hier eine Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitspolitik formuliert wird, die den bisherigen Weg verlässt und Europa
zu einer militärischen Weltmacht mit enormem Interventionspotential machen will.
Der Ständige Ausschuss der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Bayern protestiert gegen diese Bestrebungen und fordert dazu auf,
dass in allen unseren Mitgliedskirchen und in der Öffentlichkeit der Verfassungsentwurf in diesen Teilen zur Kenntnis genommen und abgelehnt wird.
Der Verfassungsentwurf widerspricht den Bemühungen vieler Christinnen und Christen um eine friedliche Welt und dem Friedensauftrag der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Europa hat ein halbes Jahrhundert Erfahrung darin, seine Konflikte ohne den Einsatz von militärischer Gewalt zu lösen, und war darin
so erfolgreich wie nie zuvor in der Geschichte. Auf diesem Weg sollte Europa weiterschreiten.
Nürnberg, 13. März 2004
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Bayern, Marsstrasse 19, 80335 MÜNCHEN
e-mail: ackbayern@yahoo.de , www.ack-bayern.de ,
Tel.: 089-54828397, Fax: 089-54828399
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OrthodoxCatholicDialogueZENIT04G01 1 July 2004 in Dave Parry's files
For
more information from ZENIT run http://www.zenit.org/ and see at end of
this
message.
Christian Unity Will Give Credibility to Evangelization,
Say
Pope and Patriarch
Joint Declaration at Conclusion of Patriarch Bartholomew I's
Visit to Rome
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Christians must
recover their lost
unity to witness to the Gospel "in a more credible way,"
John Paul II and
Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I say in a joint
declaration.
The declaration, published today by the Vatican press
office, culminated the
visit of Orthodoxy's "first among equals" to Rome, on
the occasion of the
solemnity of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul, feast of
the Rome Diocese.
"In the face of a world suffering all kinds of
divisions and imbalances,
today's meeting is an effort to recall in a
concrete way and with force the
importance that Christians and Churches live
among themselves in peace and
harmony, to witness concordantly the message of
the Gospel in a more
credible and convincing way," the declaration
says.
"Many are the challenges to be addressed together to contribute to
the good
of society: to heal with love the wound of terrorism, to infuse a
hope of
peace, to contribute to cure so many painful conflicts; to restore to
the
European continent the awareness of its Christian roots," the two
religious
leaders continue.
In the statement, Orthodox and Catholics
in effect commit themselves "to
construct a real dialogue with Islam, because
from indifference and
reciprocal ignorance only diffidence and even hatred
can ensue."
The text reaffirms the need to "nourish the awareness of the
sacredness of
human life" and to "operate so that science will not deny the
divine spark
that every man receives with the gift of life."
The Pope
and ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople point out that the unity
of
Christians is also necessary "to collaborate so that this earth of ours
is
not disfigured and creation is able to preserve the beauty that God has
given
it."
But "above all" John Paul II and Bartholomew I indicate, it is
necessary
that Orthodox and Catholics be united "to proclaim with renewed
commitment
the evangelical message, showing contemporary man how much the
Gospel can
help him to find himself and to build a more humane
world."
As a key step to advance on the path toward full unity between
Orthodox and
Catholics, separated by an almost 1,000-year schism, both the
Bishop of Rome
and the Patriarch of Constantinople decided to relaunch the
work of the
Mixed International Commission for Theological Dialogue between
the Catholic
Church and the Orthodox Church. The commission, established in
1979, is
perceived as having lost its rhythm of work in recent
years.
The Holy Father and the patriarch acknowledge that "problems
and
misunderstandings" from the past continue, as well as "fears" that
have
arisen recently given the changes that have taken place after the fall
of
the Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Given these
situations, the two Christian leaders repeated the advice that
St. Paul gave
to the Corinthians: "May everything be done among you
in
charity."
"The long practice of the 'dialogue of charity' comes to
our aid precisely
in these circumstances, so that the difficulties may be
addressed with
serenity and not slow down and darken the path undertaken
toward full
communion in Christ," the joint declaration
concludes.
Bartholomew I's visit served to celebrate with John Paul II
the 40th
anniversary of the historic embrace in Jerusalem between
Patriarch
Athenagoras I of Constantinople, and Pope Paul VI.
Later, on
Dec. 7, 1965, the day before the closing of the Second Vatican
Council, Paul
VI and Athenagoras I made a joint declaration deploring and
lifting the
mutual "anathemas" that gave rise to the 1054 schism between the
Churches of
the East and West.
Pope Accepts Invitation to Orthodox See
Bartholomew
I Extends Offer for Visit to Istanbul
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2004
(Zenit.org).- At the end of his visit to Rome,
Patriarch Bartholomew I of
Constantinople invited John Paul II to visit the
see of the ecumenical
patriarchate, in Turkey.
The invitation was made today during a farewell
luncheon, after the
patriarch's four-day stay in Rome as the guest of the
Pope.
The Holy Father was pleased to accept the invitation to visit the
see of the
patriarchate, which is in Fanar, in Istanbul, Vatican Radio
reported.
Earlier, the two religious leaders signed a joint declaration
in which they
reaffirm their commitment to work toward the full unity of
Christians in
order to proclaim the Gospel in a "more credible and
convincing" way. They
also relaunched the work of the International Mixed
Commission for
Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the
Orthodox Church.
This morning, the Greek-Orthodox community of Rome
attended the inauguration
of the liturgical use of the Church of St. Theodore
on the Palatine, at
which Bartholomew I presided. The restored church was
given to the Orthodox
as a gift by John Paul II during the Jubilee year
2000.
The ecumenical patriarch, the "first among equals" of Orthodoxy,
was
accompanied by Metropolitan Gennadios of Italy. In his address during
the
sacred liturgy, the patriarch said that on the path toward full
unity
between Catholics and Orthodox "still have a long way to go," Vatican
Radio
reported.
"Let us go forward despite so many difficulties
through the dialogue of
charity and truth," he added.
The celebration
was attended by a papal delegation which included, among
others, Cardinal
Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian
Unity; Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope's vicar for
Rome; and Archbishop
Leonardo Sandri, substitute for general affairs of the
Vatican Secretariat of
State.
On Wednesday, Patriarch Bartholomew I met with the members of the
lay Commun
ity of Sant'Egidio, in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew, on the
island of the
Tiber in Rome, a church that in the year 2000 John Paul II
dedicated to the
memory of the 20th-century martyrs.
"The martyrdom of
the last century -- the century with the greatest number
of martyrs for the
faith in human history -- has become a significant
meeting place and space
for unity in prayer among Christians," a subsequent
press statement
explained, issued by the Sant'Egidio
Community.
ZE04070106
Joint Statement of Pope and Ecumenical
Patriarch
"We Have Continued the 'Dialogue of Charity'"
VATICAN CITY,
JULY 1, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Joint
Declaration
signed by John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
of
Constantinople and published today.
* * *
"Be watchful,
stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all
that you do be
done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).
1. In the spirit of faith in
Christ and of the reciprocal charity that
unites us, we thank God for the
gift of this our new meeting, which takes
place on the feast of the Holy
Apostles Peter and Paul, evidencing our firm
resolve to continue on the path
toward full communion between us in Christ.
2. Many are the positive
steps that have characterized this common path,
especially beginning with the
historical event that we recall today: the
embrace between Pope Paul VI and
Patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem, on
the Mount of Olives, on January 5-6
of 1964. Today, we, their Successors,
meet again together to commemorate
worthily before God, in fidelity to the
memory and the original intentions,
that blessed meeting, now part of the
history of the Church.
3. The
embrace of our respective Predecessors of venerated memory in
Jerusalem
expressed visibly a hope present in the heart of everyone, as the
Statement
referred: "With our eyes turned to Christ, archetype and author,
with the
Father, of unity and peace, they pray to God that this meeting be
the sign
and prelude of things to come for the glory of God and the
illumination of
his faithful people. After so many centuries of silence,
they have now met
with the desire to fulfill the will of the Lord and to
proclaim the ancient
truth of his Gospel entrusted to the Church."1
4. Unity and Peace!
The hope lit by that historical meeting has illuminated
the path of these
last decades. Aware that the Christian world has been
suffering for centuries
the tragedy of separation, our Predecessors and we
ourselves have with
perseverance continued the "dialogue of charity," with
our gaze turned to
that luminous and blessed day in which it will be
possible to commune at the
same chalice of the holy Body and the precious
Blood of the Lord.2 The many
ecclesial events, which have characterized the
last forty years, have given
foundation and consistency to the commitment of
fraternal charity: a charity
that, bearing lessons of the past, will be
ready to pardon, incline to
believe more readily in the good than in the
evil, that will attempt first of
all to conform itself to the Divine
Redeemer, and to allow itself to be drawn
and transformed by Him.3
5. I thank the Lord for the exemplary gestures
of reciprocal charity, of
participation and sharing, which he has given us to
fulfill, among which it
is proper to recall the visit of the Pope to
Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios
in 1979, when, in the See of Fanar, the
creation of the "International Mixed
Commission for Theological Dialogue
between the Catholic Church and the
Orthodox Church in their ensemble" was
announced, a further step to support
the "dialogue of charity," the "dialogue
of truth"; the visit of Patriarch
Dimitrios to Rome in 1987; our meeting in
Rome, on the feast of Sts. Peter
and Paul in 1995, when we prayed in St.
Peter's, though separating painfully
during the celebration of the
Eucharistic Liturgy, because it was not yet
possible to drink from the same
chalice of the Lord. Then, more recently,
the meeting in Assisi for the "Day
of Prayer for Peace in the World" and the
Joint Declaration for the
Safeguarding of Creation, signed in 2002.
6. Despite our firm resolve to
continue on the path toward full communion,
it would have been unrealistic
not to expect obstacles of various kinds:
doctrinal first of all, but also
deriving from the conditioning of a
difficult history. Moreover, new problems
arose from the profound changes
that took place in the European
sociopolitical realm, which were not free
from consequences in relations
between the Christian Churches. With the
return to freedom of Christians in
Central and Eastern Europe, old fears
were reawakened, making dialogue
difficult. St. Paul's exhortation to the
Corinthians, "May everything be done
among you in charity," must still,
however, resound within and among
us.
7. The "International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue
between the
Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in their ensemble," begun
with so
much hope, has marked the steps in the last years. It can still
remain as an
ideal instrument to study the ecclesiological and historical
problems, which
are at the base of our difficulties, and find possible
solutions. It is our
duty to continue in the decided commitment to reactivate
the works as soon
as possible. In recognition of the reciprocal initiatives
in this connection
of the Sees of Rome and of Constantinople, we turn to the
Lord so that he
will sustain our resolve and convince all of how
indispensable it is to
continue the "dialogue of truth."
8. Our
meeting today in Rome also enables us to address fraternally some
problems
and misunderstandings that have arisen recently. The long practice
of the
"dialogue of charity" comes to our aid precisely in these
circumstances, so
that the difficulties may be addressed with serenity and
not slow down and
darken the path undertaken toward full communion in
Christ.
9. In the
face of a world suffering all kinds of divisions and imbalances,
today's
meeting is an effort to recall in a concrete way and with force
the
importance that Christians and Churches live among themselves in peace
and
harmony, to witness concordantly the message of the Gospel in a
more
credible and convincing way.
10. In the particular context of
Europe, on the way toward higher forms of
integration and enlargement towards
the East of the Continent, let us thank
the Lord for this positive
development and express the hope that in this new
situation collaboration
between Catholics and Orthodox will grow. So many
are the challenges to be
addressed together to contribute to the good of
society: to heal with love
the wound of terrorism, to infuse a hope of
peace, to contribute to cure so
many painful conflicts; to restore to the
European continent the awareness of
its Christian roots; to construct a real
dialogue with Islam, because from
indifference and reciprocal ignorance only
diffidence and even hatred can
ensue; to nourish the awareness of the
sacredness of human life; to operate
so that science will not deny the
divine spark that every man receives with
the gift of life; to collaborate
so that this earth of ours is not disfigured
and creation is able to
preserve the beauty God has given it; but above all,
to proclaim with
renewed commitment the evangelical message, showing
contemporary man how
much the Gospel can help him to find himself and to
build a more humane
world.
11. Let us pray that the Lord give peace to
the Church and the world and
that he vivify with the wisdom of his Spirit our
path toward full communion,
"ut unum in Cristo simus."
* *
*
REFERENCES ON NEXT PAGE:-
1 Joint Statement of Pope Paul VI and of
Patriarch Athenagoras I, Agapis
Volumes, Vatican, Fanar, 1971, n. 50, p.
120.
2 See Allocution of Patriarch Athenagoras I to Pope Paul VI ,
(January 5,
1964), ibid., n. 48, p. 109.
3 See Allocution of Pope Paul
VI to Patriarch Athenagoras I, (January 6,
1964), ibid., n. 49, p.
117.
[Translation by ZENIT]
ZE04070103
John Paul II's Homily
on Solemnity of Peter and Paul
"If We Want the Unity of Christ's Disciples
."
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the
homily
John Paul II delivered on Tuesday, during Mass in St. Peter's Square,
on the
solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul. On hand was Orthodox
Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
* * *
1.
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).
Questioned
by the Lord, Peter, also in the name of the other apostles, makes
his
profession of faith.
In it is affirmed the sure foundation of our path
toward full communion. If,
in fact, we want the unity of Christ's disciples,
we must start afresh from
Christ. As with Peter, so are we asked to confess
that He is the
cornerstone, Head of the Church. In the encyclical letter "Ut
Unum Sint" I
wrote: "To believe in Christ means to desire unity; to desire
unity means to
desire the Church; to desire the Church means to desire the
communion of
grace that corresponds to the Father's plan from all eternity"
(No. 9).
2. "Ut unum sint!" From here arises our commitment to communion,
in response
to Christ's ardent desire. It is not about a vague relationship
of good
neighborliness, but about the indissoluble bond of theological faith
by
which we are destined not to separation but to communion.
That
which in the course of history has severed our bond of unity in Christ,
we
now live with sorrow. In this perspective, our meeting today is not just
a
gesture of courtesy, but a response to the Lord's command. Christ is the
Head
of the Church and we want, together, to continue to do all that is
humanly
possible to overcome what still divides us and impedes us from
communing in
the same Body and Blood of the Lord.
3. With these sentiments I wish to
express my heartfelt gratitude to you,
Holiness, for your presence and for
the reflections you proposed to us. I am
also happy to celebrate with you the
memory of Saints Peter and Paul, which
this year falls on the 40th
anniversary of the blessed meeting, which
occurred in Jerusalem on January
5-6, 1964, between Pope Paul VI and
Patriarch Athenagoras I.
Holiness,
I wish to thank you from my heart for having accepted my
invitation to make
visible and reaffirm today, with this meeting of ours,
the spirit that
animated those two singular pilgrims, who directed their
steps toward one
another, and decided to embrace for the first time,
precisely in the place
where the Church was born.
4. That meeting cannot be only a memory. It is
a challenge for us! It
indicates a path of reciprocal rediscovery and
reconciliation. A path that
is certainly not easy, or free of obstacles. In
the moving gesture of our
predecessors in Jerusalem, we can find the strength
to overcome every
misunderstanding and difficulty, to consecrate ourselves
tirelessly to this
commitment to unity.
The Church of Rome has
journeyed with a firm will and great sincerity on the
path of full
reconciliation through initiatives which have revealed
themselves, every now
and again, possible and useful. Today I wish to
express the hope that all
Christians will intensify, each on his own part,
the efforts so that the day
will hasten in which the Lord's desire will be
fully realized: "That they may
be one" (John 17:11,21). May our conscience
not reproach us for having
omitted the steps, neglected the opportunities,
and not tried all the
paths!
5. We know it well: the unity we seek is first of all a gift of
God. We are
aware, however, that the hastening of the hour of its full
realization
depends also on us, on our prayer, on our conversion to
Christ.
Holiness, as for myself, I must confess that in the search
for unity I have
always let myself be guided, as by a sure compass, by the
teaching of the
Second Vatican Council. The encyclical letter "Ut Unum Sint,"
made public a
few days before the memorable visit of Your Holiness to Rome in
1995,
reaffirmed precisely what the Council had enunciated in the decree
on
ecumenism, "Unitatis Redintegratio," of which this year is celebrated
the
40th anniversary of its promulgation.
On other occasions I have
been able to stress, in solemn circumstances, and
I request it also today,
that the commitment assumed by the Catholic Church
with the Second Vatican
Council is irrevocable. We cannot give it up!
6. The rite of the
imposition of the pallium on the new metropolitans
contributes to complete
the solemnity and joy of today's celebration, to
make it richer in spiritual
and ecclesial content.
Dear brothers, the pallium, which you will receive
today in the presence of
the ecumenical patriarch, our brother in Christ, is
a sign of the communion
that unites you in a special way to the apostolic
testimony of Peter and
Paul. It links you to the Bishop of Rome, Successor of
Peter, called to
carry out a peculiar ecclesial service in favor of the
metropolitan Churches
spread in several countries. I am pleased to accompany
you with affection
and prayer.
7. "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God!" How many times these
words, which constitute Peter's profession
of faith, come up in my daily
prayer! In the beautiful icon given by
Patriarch Athenagoras I to Pope Paul
VI on January 5, 1964, the two Holy
Apostles, Peter the leader and Andrew
the "Protoclito," embrace in an
eloquent language of love, beneath the
glorious Christ. Andrew was the first
to place himself in the following of
the Lord, Peter was called to confirm
his brothers in the faith.
His embrace under Christ's gaze is an
invitation to continue on the path
undertaken toward the goal of unity that
together we are trying to achieve.
May no difficulty stop us. Rather, let
us go forward in hope, supported by
the intercession of the apostles and by
the maternal protection of Mary,
Mother of Christ, Son of the living
God.
[Translation by ZENIT]
ZE04070122
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S.Hl. Patriarch ALEKSIJ:
Statement
on
the
tragic
events
in Kosovo
Despite
UN,
NATO,
EU:
ATROCITIES
AGAINST
CHRISTIAN
PEOPLE
and
CULTURE
in
KOSOVO
!!!
Kosovo-Decani:
Latest
News
Message.List
List of Kosovo Pogrom Events March 15-20
News
Update
06.04.04 Kosovo Pogrom Events March 15-20
________________________________________________________________________________
HOLY
MOUNT
ATHOS
HILANDAR
MONASTERY
ON
FIRE
!!!
_________________________________________________________________
ANNÄHERUNG
der
RUSSISCHEN ORTHODOXEN KIRCHE AUSSER LANDES
und der
RUSSISCHEN ORTHODOXEN KIRCHE - MOSKAUER PATRIARCHAT
www.pravoslavie.ru
www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws
The
decision of
the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
on the Relations with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, 6 October
2004
Having heard and discussed the report of His
Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia, the report of Metropolitan
Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External
Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the report of Archbishop
Innokenty of Korsun on the successfully developing dialogue with the Russian
Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Bishops' Council thanked the All-Gracious
Lord for the considerable improvement of relations with our brothers and
unanimously resolved:
1. That the steps in the direction of overcoming divisions, which have existed
in the body of the Russian Orthodox Church for decades, be considered
exceptionally important;
2. That satisfaction be expressed with the
visits of the official delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of
Russia to the Russian Orthodox Church, including the delegation headed by the
first hierarch His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, as well as with the successful
common work of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on Dialogue with the
Russian Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox
Church Outside of Russia on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate;
3. That the contents of the documents prepared
by the Commissions and presented to the Council for consideration be approved;
4. That after the completion of the
Commissions' work and bilateral agreement of the prepared documents the Holy
Synod be charged with a canonical act by which the Eucharistic communion and
unity be restored on the basis of the adopted decisions.
...MORE...
Osterbotschaft 2004
S.Hl. des Patriarchen ALEKSIJ II von Moskau und der ganzen Rus´
Latest
News:
His Eminence Metropolitan LAURUS is scheduled to arrive in Russia on
2004 May 14.
In addition to official meetings, His Eminence will make pilgrimages to venerate holy sites in the fatherland.
===>
to
official
site
of
the
Synod
of
Bishops
of
the
Russian
Orthodox
Outside
of
Russia
http://www.mospat.ru/text/e_news/id/6909.html
His
Holiness
Patriarch
Alexy
of
Moscow
and
All
Russia
has
received
Metropolitan
Laurus,
Chairman
of
the
Bishops'
Synod
of
the
Russian
Church
Outside
Russia,
on
May
14,
2004,
at
his
working
residence
at
Chisty
Pereulok.
Metropolitan
Laurus
has
arrived
in
Moscow
for
his
first
official
visit
at
the
invitation
of
the
Russian
Orthodox
Church.
At
their
meeting,
which
was
held
in
a
warm
atmosphere
of
mutual
understanding,
the
Patriarch
and
the
Metropolitan
were
joined
by
Metropolitan
Clement
of
Kaluga
and
Borovsk,
Chancellor
of
the
Moscow
Patriarchate,
Archbishop
Innocent
and
Archbishop
Kyrill
of
San
Francisco
and
Western
American
Diocese
of
the
Russian
Church
Outside
Russia.
reference
to
'DECR
Communication
Service'
Official
Site
of
the
Russian
Orthodox
Church
http://www.mospat.ru
Москва
14
мая
2004
г.
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/cgi-bin/news.cgi?item=2r040514142241
 |
| Митрополит Лавр |
В
Россию
впервые
в
истории
с
официальным
визитом
сегодня
прибыл
первоиерарх
Русской
Православной
Церкви
Заграницей
(РПЦЗ)
митрополит
Восточно-Американский
и
Нью-Йоркский
Лавр.
Он
приехал
по
приглашению
Патриарха
Московского
и
всея
Руси
Алексия,
переданному
в
Нью-Йорке
лично
Владимиром
Путиным.
Цель
визита
-
знакомство
с
жизнью
церкви
в
отечестве
и
встреча
с
предстоятелем
Русской
Православной
Церкви
и
членами
Священного
Синода.
Митрополит
Лавр
(мирское
имя
-
Василий
Шкурла)
родился
1
января
1928
года
на
территории
нынешней
Словакии,
по
национальности
карпаторосс.
В
1946
году
переехал
в
США,
где
затем
в
русском
Свято-Троицком
монастыре
в
Джорданвилле
принял
монашеский
постриг.
В
1967
году
он
был
рукоположен
в
сан
епископа
Манхэттенского.
25
октября
2001
года
Архиерейским
Синодом
РПЦЗ
избран
первоиерархом
с
титулом
митрополита
Восточно-Американского
и
Нью-Йоркского.
reference
to
'DECR
Communication
Service'
Official
Site
of
the
Russian
Orthodox
Church
http://www.mospat.ru
/
01.06.2004
/
President
of
Russia
met
with
His
Holiness
Patriarch
Alexy
II
of
Moscow
and
All
Russia
and
with
the
First
Hierarch
of
the
Russian
Church
Outside
of
Russia
Metropolitan
Laurus
01.06.2004
/
His
Holiness
Patriarch
Alexy
met
with
His
Eminence
Metropolitan
Laurus
and
the
delegation
of
the
Russian
Church
Outside
of
Russia
DOKUMENTE in:www.pravoslavie.ru/english
DOKUMENTE aus:
www.pravoslavie.ru/english (hier: kopierte Texte)
Osterbotschaft
S.Hl. des Patriarchen ALEKSIJ II von Moskau und der ganzen Rus´
zu Veröffentlichungen beider Seiten
zu den Photos
Stellungnahme von Erzbischof MARK
Quelle des folgenden Textes:
Orthodoxer Informationsdienst der Russischen Orthodoxen Gemeinde der Hl. 3 Hierarchen, Garfield, New Jersey, USA
"http://www.3saints.com"
Übersetzung:
DELEGATION der RUSSISCHEN ORTHODOXEN KIRCHE AUSSER LANDES BESUCHT MOSKAU
Eine Delegation der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes bestehend aus Erzbischof MARK von Berlin und Deutschland, Erzbischof HILARION von Sydney, Australien und Neuseeland, Bischof KYRILL von San Franzisko und West-Amerika, Erzpriester NIKOLAI ARTEMOFF, Sekretär der deutschen Diözese und Erzpriester PETER HOLODNY, Schatzmeister des Heiligen Synods der Bischöfe der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes, traf auf Einladung der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche – Moskauer Patriarchat am 17. November 2003 in Moskau ein.
Am 18. November 2003 empfing Seine Heiligkeit Patriarch ALEXY II von Moskau und Ganz Russland die Bischöfe der Delegation an seinem Dienstsitz in Chisty Pereulok. Die Probleme der Einheit der Kirche wurden in warmer und herzlicher Atmosphäre diskutiert.
Am 19. November 2003 führte Seine Heiligkeit Patriarch ALEXY II den Vorsitz bei den Gesprächen in der Residenz des Patriarchen im Hl. DANIELs-Kloster zwischen der vollzähligen Delegation der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes und den ständigen Mitgliedern des Heiligen Synods der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche Metropolit PHILARET von Minsk und Slutsk, Patriarchal-Exarch von Ganz Belarus (Weissrussland), Metropolit JUVENALY von Krutitsy und Kolomna und Metropolit KYRILL von Smolensk und Kaliningrad, dem Vorsitzenden der Abteilung für Aussenbeziehungen der Kirche.
Ebenfalls an diesem Gespräch nahmen Archimandrit TICHON, der Abt des Sretensky-Klosters in Moskau und Erzpriester NIKOLAY BALASHOV, Sekretär für Inter-Orthodoxe Beziehungen teil.
Beide Seiten brachten ihren Willen zum Ausdruck die Einheit im Gebet und in der Eucharistie einzurichten. Es wurde entschieden Kommissionen einzurichten, die die Lösung der Probleme, die sich in vielen Jahren angehäuft haben, erleichtern sollen. Die Teilnehmer brachten ihren Willen zum Ausdruck den Weg zu gehen, der zur Einheit der Kirche führt, im Geist echter Buße und Umkehr auf der Basis der gemeinsamen kanonischen Tradition und in Berücksichtigung der kirchlichen und administrativen Realitäten, die sich im 20. Jahrhundert herausgebildet haben.
So eine Annäherung, von ganzem Herzen von den Gläubigen der Russischen Kirche sowohl in der Heimat als auch in der Diaspora erwartet, wird der wichtigste Beitrag zur spirituellen Überwindung der tragischen Konsequenzen der Revolution und des Bürgerkriegs in Russland sein, die lange Jahrzehnte Konfrontation und Missverständnisse gebracht hatten.
Die Fragen, die bei diesem Treffen diskutiert wurden, werden bei den Sitzungen des Heiligen Synods und des Rates der Bischöfe der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche und der Synode der Bischöfe und des Rates der Bischöfe der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes beraten werden.
Ein Besuch des Vorstehers des Synods der Bischöfe der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes Metropolit LAURUS Anfang 2004 in Moskau wird zum wichtigsten Meilenstein auf dem Weg zur Einheit werden. Es wird erwartet, dass während des Besuches eine Übereinkunft unterzeichnet wird, durch welche die Grundlagen der kanonischen, seelsorgerischen und kirchlich-praktischen Einheit der Russischen Kirche festgelegt werden.
Während der Gespräche, die in warmer und herzlicher Atmosphäre geprägt von gegenseitigem Verständnis, Respekt und Freimütigkeit gehalten wurden, wurde der Wunsch ausgedrückt, dass die Annäherung nicht durch neue Hindernisse in Form von Zumutungen und Handlungen, die Beschädigung des Prozesses der Annäherung begründen könnten, behindert werden möge.
Während ihres Besuches in Moskau besuchte die Delegation der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche ausser Landes die Hl.Dreieinheits-Hl.Sergius-Kloster-Lawra und die Christus-Erlöser-Kathedrale. Die Delegation wird bis 22. November 2003 in Moskau bleiben.
Veröffentlichungen beider Seiten:
RUSSISCHE ORTHODOXE KIRCHE AUSSER LANDES:
in englisch: Metropolit LAURUS, Synod der Bischöfe, New York, USA
in russisch: Metropolit LAURUS, Synod der Bischöfe, New York, USA
in englisch: Stellungnahme von Erzbischof MARK
in deutsch: Stellungnahme von Erzbischof MARK
DER BOTE der deutschen Diözese der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche im Ausland
DER BOTE der deutschen Diözese der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche im Ausland: Einladung
RUSSISCHE ORTHODOXE KIRCHE - MOSKAUER PATRIARCHAT
“WE HAVE A JOINT DESIRE TO OVERCOME THE DIVISION CAUSED BY THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY”
Summary of the first results of the visit of the official delegation of the Russian Church Outside of Russia
MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA
PRAYED AT THE PATRIARCHAL DIVINE SERVICE IN THE CATHEDRAL OF THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL IN THE KREMLIN
"RAPPROCHEMENT DEMANDS TIME AND PATIENCE"
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy on the Prospects of Relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia
METROPOLITAN KIRILL: "I BELIEVE IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH AND IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE"
Chairman of the DECR MP made comments on the results of the conversations between the Authorities of the Moscow Patriarchate with the delegation of the Russian Church Outside of Russia
mit Dank an obige Quellen:
PHOTOS aus MOSKAU
mehr Photos, Botschaften und Berichte
hier: un-autorisierte Übersetzung des englischen Textes aus der Veröffentlichung
auf der
Homepage des Synods der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche Ausser Landes, New York, USA
Erzbischof MARK:
Erklärung von Erzbischof Mark in der Sitzung des Synods der Bischöfe,
11./24. Oktober 2003
Ich halte es für wichtig, eine Erklärung zu den möglichen Perspektiven und Zielen unseres ekklesialen Weges zu geben, so wie ich es sehe
In unserem Verständnis, gab es niemals Zweifel, dass wir Teil der einen Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche sind. Wir haben auch immer das Moskauer Patriarchat als einen anderen Teil der selben Russischen Kirche anerkannt. Aus diesem Grund haben wir auch in der Praxis immer ihre Mysterien (=Sakramente, Anm.d. Übersetzers) anerkannt.
In unseren "Regulations" hat unsere Authorität einen temporären (=zeitlich begrenzten, Anm.d. Übersetzers) Charakter. Wann sich das Regime in Russland Ändert und die Kirche mehr Handlungsfreiheit bekommt, sind wir aufgerufen an dem Prozess der Wiedergeburt des Glaubens teilzunehmen und daher verpflichtet die Einheit der Russischen Kirche zu suchen.
Ohne Zweifel hatten wir die volle Authorität das Moskauer Patriarchat noch vor 10 - 15 Jahren mit grosser Kritik zu sehen. Aber inzwischen sind grundlegende Änderungen erfolgt (auch Änderungen in Qualität und Quantität im Episkopat). In aller Klarheit hat der Prozess der Erholung begonnen und dauert an. Es gibt keinen Grund uns von der Mitwirkung an diesem Prozess auszuschliessen oder, noch schlimmer, uns in Opposition zu diesem Prozess zu stellen.
Wir sind keine politische Organisation, sondern der Leib Christi - und deshalb müssen wir einander auch behandeln als Teile eines Leibes, in den Worten des Apostels: "Dass keine Spaltung im Leib sei, sondern die Glieder einträchtig füreinander Sorge tragen. Leidet ein Glied, so leiden alle andern Glieder mit; erfährt ein Glied Ehre, so freuen sich alle andern Glieder mit." (1Kor12:25-26)
Da wir uns als einen Teil der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche sehen, sollten wir auf der Basis des kanonischen Rechtes der Russischen Kirche selbst (Ukase Nr. 362 und andere) das Moskauer Patriarchat als einen der sich selbst regierenden Teile der selben Russischen Kirche anerkennen und es einem zukünftigen All-Russischen Konzil überlassen, die mögliche Existenz noch anderer Teile dieses einen Leibes unserer Kirche zu beurteilen.
In der Suche nach Einheit, dürfen wir nicht sprechen über "Unterordnung", "Vereinigung", "Wiedervereinigung", "Verschlucken", etc. sondern nur von der gegenseitigen Anerkennung in aller Bescheidenheit des Status als Teil der einen Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche. Der Weg der Suche nach der Einheit selbst ist nur als konziliare Aufgabe denkbar, in dem alle Teile der einen Kirche ihre Herkunft von der einen Quelle erkennen und dabei sowohl unseren eigenen zurückgelegten Weg durch die schrecklichen Ereignisse des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts als auch die Wege aller anderen Teile der Russischen Kirche berücksichtigen, einzigartige Umstände, Umstände bisher ungehört in der Geschichte der Kirche.
Gleichzeitig nehmen wir alles auf diesem Weg erreichte Positive dankbar an und lehnen alles ab, das sich Negativ und un-kirchlich im Leben unserer Kirche entwickelt hat, alles, das der Kirche fremd ist und ihr von aussen aufgezwungen wurde. Wir sind unter den gegenwärtigen Umständen aufgerufen uns um ein Ziel zu bemühen: zur Einheit in den Mysterien, in Übereinstimmung mit dem Geist, der Lehre und der Tradition unserer Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche, während wir die Eigenarten unserer ekklesialen Erfahrungen auf unseren Wegen und auf Basis der gegenwärtigen organisch gewachsenen Strukturen bewahren. Unser Ziel kann nicht die Auslöschung der Erfahrung irgendeines Teils der Russischen Kirche sein; es liegt in der koordinierten Erfahrung des missionarischen Dienstes der Kirche Christi, sowohl in unserer historischen Heimat und im Ausland, zum Wohl der Gläubigen in der Kirche, die in den Ländern der ganzen Welt eine gemeinsame Herde der Russischen Kirche bilden.
Die Basis unseres Lebens, sein Eckstein, ist Christus Selbst.
In Ihm allein können wir unsere Einheit finden,
im Ringen des Glaubens, der Hoffnung und der Liebe.
Erzbischof Mark von Berlin und Deutschland
München
9./22. Oktober 2003
LONDON / GREAT BRITAIN, 4 August 2003,
REPOSE
of
METROPOLITAN ANTHONY of SOUROZH
more...
DES EWIGEN GEDENKEN !
WETCHNAYA PAMYAT !
ETERNAL MEMORY !
25.
Mai 2004:
KONSTANTINOPEL
-
BONN
-
KASTORIA
-
FRANKFURT
Wahl
von
Archimandrit
Bartholomaios
Kessidis
zum
Vikarbischof
der
Griechisch-Orthodoxen
Metropolie
von
Deutschland
AXIOS !
AXIOS !
AXIOS !
Die
Griechisch-Orthodoxe
Metropolie
von
Deutschland
gibt
bekannt,
daß
die
heilige
Synode
des
Ökumenischen
Patriarchates
den
bisherigen
Archimandriten
Bartholomaios
Kessidis,
Pfarrer
unserer
Kirchengemeinde
des
hl.
Propheten
Elias
in
Frankfurt
am
Main,
am
Dienstag,
dem
25.
Mai,
zum
Vikarbischof
unserer
Metropolie
von
Deutschland
gewählt
und
ihm
den
Titel
der
historischen
Diözese
von
Arianz
verliehen
hat.
Der
designierte
Bischof
Bartholomaios
von
Arianz,
mit
weltlichem
Namen
Ioannis
Kessidis,
kam
am
12.
August
1968
in
Kastoria
in
Makedonien,
Griechenland,
als
drittes
Kind
von
Georgios
und
Ekaterini
Kessidis
zur
Welt.
Grundschule
und
Gymnasium
absolvierte
er
in
seiner
Heimatstadt.
An
der
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen
Fakultät
der
Rheinischen
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
in
Bonn
studierte
er
Chemie
und
an
der
theologischen
Fakultät
der
Aristoteles-Universität
in
Thessaloniki
Theologie.
Am
4.
März
1995
wurde
er
von
Metropolit
Augoustinos
von
Deutschland
zum
Diakon
geweiht
und
am
10.
Juni
desselben
Jahres
zum
Erzdiakon
ernannt.
Die
Priesterweihe
empfing
er
ebenfalls
von
Metropolit
Augoustinos
am
8.
September
1996
und
wurde
noch
am
selben
Tag
in
den
Rang
eines
Archimandriten
erhoben.
Als
Erzdiakon
diente
er
bis
zu
seiner
Priesterweihe.
Als
Priester
blieb
er
bis
heute
Pfarrer
der
Gemeinde
des
hl.
Propheten
Elias
in
Frankfurt
am
Main.
Er
war
Mitglied
dreier
Kommissionen
der
Griechisch-Orthodoxen
Metropolie
von
Deutschland:
der
Kommission
für
Publikationen,
der
Redaktion
der
Zeitschrift
³Orthodoxe
Gegenwart³
und
des
Jahreskalenders
der
Metropolie
und
der
Subkommission
für
besondere
ökonomische
Angelegenheiten
der
Metropolie.
Er
nahm
teil
an
der
großen
Kleriker-
und
Laiensynode
des
Ökumenischen
Patriarchats
in
Konstantinopel
(Istanbul)
im
November
2000.
Er
hat
den
Metropoliten
Augoustinos
von
Deutschland
bei
zahlreichen
öffentlichen
Veranstaltungen
im
Bundesland
Hessen
vertreten.
Seine
Bischofsweihe
wird
am
Donnerstag,
den
10.
Juni
2004,
in
der
Metropolitankathedrale
Agia
Trias
zu
Bonn
stattfinden.
Bonn
am
26.
Mai
2004
Griechisch-Orthodoxe
Metropolie
von
Deutschland
zum
neuen
Vikar-Bischof
SOFIA / BULGARIA, 6 July 2003,
CONSECRATION OF ARCHIMANDRITE
T I C H O N
to
BISHOP OF TIVERIOPOL
as AUXILIARY BISHOP to METROPOLITAN SIMEON of WESTERN- and CENTRAL EUROPE
BULGARIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
DOSTOYN !
DOSTOYN !<
