"The belated normalization of the status of the structures of the Catholic church in Russia testifies that the Holy See recognizes our country as a civilized, legal state that is a full-fledged member of OSCE and the Council of Europe," Hegumen Innokenty Pavlov thinks. In the Orthodox cleric's opinion, "there have been no reported cases in Russia of someone's specifically achieving the conversion to the Catholic church of persons who professed Orthodoxy." Hegumen Innokenty also recalled "the full-fledged dioceses of the Moscow patriarchate" in Catholic countries of Europe and South America, Blagovest-info reports.
"I know well the parishes of the Moscow patriarchate in Italy, where in their majority their flock and clergy consist of Italians, born in Catholic families," Fr Innokenty noted. "But I never heard that any leader of the Catholic church in that country officially or unofficially accused the Russian Orthodox church of proselytism."
The priest noted that the choice of Catholicism by neophytes who began their spiritual journey within Orthodoxy is protected by the Russian constitution. Besides this, the hegumen noted the sensitivity of Catholic conduct: "The administrative units that were transformed into dioceses are not labeled in accordance with their localities, apparently in deference to the Moscow patriarchate, which still calls its dioceses by the names of Vienna, Brussels, and Argentina."
As regards the problem of so-called "parallel structures," Fr Innokenty referred to the existence of Orthodox structures of the Old Believers' Moscow metropolia or Novozybkovsk archbishopric, which "for some reason do not evoke alarm."
The Orthodox priest expressed the hope that the normalization of the life of Catholics in Russia will be "one of the signs of a future healing of the Great Schism of 1054 and the achievement of the unity of the ecumenical church." (tr. by PDS, posted 28 February 2002)
AIRPLANE TAKES OFF TO COMBAT CATHOLICS
by Boris Kolymagin
Obshchaia gazeta, 28 February 2002
The "Orthodox Intafada" has begun.
Tensions in relations of RPTs with the Catholic church have continued to grow. On 22 February the first protest in the declared "civilian campaign of opposition" organized by the Union of Orthodox Citizens with the support of the People's Party and a number of "patriotic movements" was held at the building of the representation of the Vatican in Moscow. Police estimates set the number of participants at about 3,000 persons.
One should not be surprised at the size of this gathering. Before it, on the fundamentalist mass media such as, for example, the television program "Russkii dom" and radio station "Radonezh," there were inflammatory summons to participate in the demonstration of protest "against the spiritual aggression of Catholicism."
The crowd that on that day flooded Vadkovsky Lane where the representation is located was dominated by militantly aggressive persons. Participants in the "prayer service" held signs saying "Death to the Vatican!" "Don't eat others' bread!" and "No to Catholic expansion in Russia!"
The demonstration began with a prayer service and ended with the singing of the Creed, which resounded as a challenge (we recall that the text of the Creed used by the Catholics is somewhat different from that of the Orthodox). Speeches were made by State Duma Deputy V. Galchenko and a number of "patriots." The loudspeakers resounded from the platform with calls of "Down with the enemies of the Russian people!" Some speakers implicated the government in the "expansion of Catholics." But the majority, on the contrary, appealed to the authorities. For example, the chairman of the Union of Slavic Journalists, V. Markov, called lawmakers to create legal and financial barriers for Catholic societies and to restrict their charitable activity.
The assembled crowd was solemnly told that at the beginning of the demonstration an airplane took off carrying an icon and it then was circling the church's headquarters. This recalled the tale from the war years according to which, when the Germans approached Moscow, Stalin ordered taking a miracle working icon and flying it around the capital.
Following the meeting the chairman of the Union of Orthodox Citizens, Valentin Lebedev, advised the Vatican ambassador not to appear in public. However how can one speak now about negotiations when the "leaders" in the person of Metropolitan Kirill refuse to receive Cardinal Walter Kasper, who is responsible for Orthodox-Catholic dialogue?
"They want to compete with us intensely, and we are ready for that," recently declared the vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of RPTs, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin. However, judging from the pained reaction of the church leadership to the transformation of Catholic administrations into dioceses, it seems that such a healthy competition is just what it is not prepared for. Orthodox fundamentalism, in which many RPTs leaders have recently indulged in, has left a wilderness in its wake. Interest in Orthodoxy has fallen abruptly, to which recent sociological surveys testify. At the same time, interest in religion in general, especially nontraditional religions, has been growing.
The Russian Orthodox church has shown itself unprepared for renewal and for active evangelistic work. And now, in circumstances of real competition with Catholics, it is forced to resort to noisy demonstrations to appeal for protection from government bureaucrats. (tr. by PDS, posted 28 February 2002)
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On Thursday there will be a meeting in the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) between attorneys and representatives of the Estonian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate (EPTsMP). The sides will discuss problems of the registration of this church on the basis of its charter.
RIA Novosti reports that the Estonian MVD already has refused eight time to register EPTsMP; in the department's opinion, the name of the church indicated in its charter does not comport with the requirements of Estonian legislation; it coincides in full or in part with the name of a church that already is registered in the country and which is within the jurisdiction of the Constantinople patriarchate.
However EPTsMP, citing linguistic experts of the Institute of the Estonian Language and the law faculty of Tartu State University prove otherwise. The dispute over the name and registration of EPTsMP is directly connected with this church's gaining juridical rights to its church property in accordance with the law.
Last summer EPTsMP sued MVD, asking this department to register it under its current name. In January of this year a Tallin court proposed that in its next session scheduled for 6 March MVD and EPTsMP would reach a mutually acceptable decision.
Several days ago Estonian President Arnold Riuitel met with the head of EPTsMP, Metropolitan Kornily Yakobs. The president emphasized the EPTsMP's right to existence and legal registration should not be placed in doubt. As regards church property, in his opinion this problem is rather complex, but resolvable. (tr. by PDS, posted 28 February 2002)
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The chief product of an all-Russian pastoral leadership conference "Entering the third millennium," which was held in Moscow, was the creation of the "Daniel" International Academy of Business and Administration (MABU), Blagovest-info reports.
Leaders of the churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith "Triumphal Zion," Alexander Dziuba (Moscow), and "Ambassadors of God," Sandei Adeladzha (Kiev), and a representative of the newly formed academy, Pastor Valentin Sergeichuk, reported that MABU will be guided in its educational activity by the words of Jesus Christ: "Without me you can do nothing."
It is planned to provide in the curriculum of the academy instruction in the "evangelical principles of the organizations of entrepreneurial activity and to help businessmen become rooted in God's house."
Three categories of academy students are foreseen: people planning to engage in business and administration or making their first steps in this area; experienced businessmen and managers who which to transform their business and reach a new level; and personnel of state, financial, industrial, and commercial structures.
The first registration of students will occur in March 2002, and regular classes will begin in April. Departments of the academy are planned for opening in Russia and countries of the near and far abroad. (tr. by PDS, posted 28 February 2002)
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An attempt by the Moscow City’s prosecutors’ office to liquidate 10,000 Christians who worship tin the city was branded an unlawful infringement of their federal, European and international human rights by defence attorney Galina Krylova today.
"Although the prosecutor, Tatyana Kondratyeva, has been unable to produce any evidence at all," Ms Krylova said, "she is urging the court to ban the worship and restrict the freedom of Jehovah’s Witnesses - Christian men, women and children who have been worshipping here as families for more than 100 years. She seeks to deny them their human right to express themselves, the right to work where they pleased, their right to choose their own religion, and their right to choose medical treatment for themselves.
"The Moscow prosecutor’s office has now haled this religious minority before six courts over seven years, without ever producing any shred of evidence of any harm done to them or by them in the exercise of their right to practice their religion," Ms Krylova told the court. "Now Moscow is seeking to violate their rights under the Constitution, the Federal Code and international law.
"This is a secular state," she said. "It is not a Russian Orthodox state. No citizen is under obligation to worship the Russian Orthodox way. Muslims, Jews, Protestants, atheists, all are free under the Constitution to ignore the Russian Orthodox church and to proclaim their own beliefs. So are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and so is anyone else."
She called for the case to be dismissed as unlawful. Judge Dubinskaya refused her motion.
Lawyer Artur Leontyev said the whole prosecution case was based on Ms Kondratyeva’s personal view of theology, not on law. The Russian Federal government applied the Law on Freedom of Conscience and of Association even-handedly. Only in Moscow was there an attempt to take away the basic rights of citizens at the whim of the prosecutor.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) the court will start hearing witnesses for the prosecution. (posted 28 February 2002)
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) of Russia considers "as an unfriendly act and interference in the internal affairs of the Russian federation" the use by the Vatican of a nonexistent territorial name in the title of a Catholic bishop, RIA Novosti reports. This refers to the use in the official title of a Catholic bishop of the designation "Apostolic administrator of Eastern Siberia and the prefecture of Karafuto." As noted in the foreign office's report, MID has received appeals from residents of Sakhalin province which express displeasure that this designation is used in the official title of Catholic Bishop Jerzy Mazur*
The "prefecture of Karafuto" existed on the territory of southern Sakhalin when it was a part of Japan (1905-1945) as a territorial administrative unit. As MID notes, resident of Sakhalin call attention to the fact that the names of geographical objects of the Russian federation are maintained by the government and the Holy See's arbitrary substitution of some geographical names with others is impermissible and could be viewed as disrespect for the laws of the Russian federation.
An explanation given on this matter in the press by a representative of the Roman Catholic church at the level of a parish priest is considered by Russia's MID as "unconvincing and insufficient." (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
POPE TO MAKE VIRTUAL VISIT TO RUSSIA VIA VIDEO LINK
Associated Press, 26 February 2002
Russia's Roman Catholics will have a long hoped-for opportunity to see Pope John Paul II in their own cathedral this week when he appears over a video link from the Vatican, the Moscow diocese announced on Tuesday.
The pope will lead young Catholics at Moscow's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in prayers on Saturday during an hour-long video link, said Viktor Khrul, editor of the Russian Catholic newspaper Svet Yevangeliya. In addition to Rome and Moscow, young people in Athens, Budapest, Strasbourg, France; Vienna and Valencia, Spain, will also participate, Khrul said.
The video link, however, will focus on Moscow, Khrul said. The pope raised the church's official status this month and renewed tension with the dominant Russian Orthodox Church.
The pope's decision to convert the four apostolic administrations that had operated in Russia since 1991 into full-fledged dioceses angered the Orthodox leadership, which accused the Vatican of encroaching on its historical territory. It claimed Catholic clergy engage in aggressive proselytizing in Russia.
Also Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement objecting to Bishop Jerzy Mazur's use of the title of "apostolic administrator of eastern Siberia and Karafuto prefecture."
Karafuto was the name of the southern part of Sakhalin island when it was under Japanese control from 1905 until 1945.
The foreign ministry said it considered use of that title an "unfriendly act and an interference in the internal affairs of Russia," the statement said. (Copyright Associated Press, posted 27 February 2002)
RUSSIAN CHURCH VIEWS POPE'S VIRTUAL VISIT WITH IRONY
Mir religii, 27
February 2002
The Russian Orthodox church (RPTs) is treating the virtual visit to Moscow by the pope of Rome with irony. The visit will take the form of a telebridge with parishioners of the Catholic cathedral of the Russian capital.
"One can only be struck by the irrational persistence and stubbornness with which the Vatican is trying various means, however symbolic, to signify the presence of the pope in Russia," the vice chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriachate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, told Interfax on Wednesday.
In his opinion, "one gets the impression that this in the only question that nowadays is really stirring up the Vatican. As regards the mass of serious problems that exist in relations between our churches, it seems that they simply do not interest the upper Catholic leadership."
"In circumstances of such high anxiety about this one question, I would not be surprised if in order to get the pope's virtual presence in Moscow they were to use the Internet, satellite communications, three-dimensional holographic imaging, sculpture, laser design, and other modern technology," the representative of the Russian church admitted. "If someone wants to do all of this," he added, "well, of course, they have the right by law. But how seriously one can take all this, I don't know." (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
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The Russian Orthodox church (RPTs) does not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the pope of Rome and the patriarch, but it emphasizes that for this to happen it is necessary to resolve a number of problems in advance, RIA Novosti reports. This was stated by the director of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
Metropolitan Kirill said that a meeting between John Paul II and Alexis II was planned back in 1997 in one of the monasteries not far from Vienna. Work was done on a text of a joint declaration and its draft contained two provisions that the "important in principle" for RPTs: condemnation of proselytism (missionary activity on the canonical territory of another confession) and condemnation of uniatism, the metropolitan noted. However several weeks before the planned meeting it was announced that the Vatican "at the very highest level had introduced corrections" into the draft document and mention of proselytism and the problem of uniatism was removed. As a result, the meeting did not take place.
The metropolitan also recalled that in the run up to the pope's visit to Ukraine assurances were sounded that its outcome would include a resolution of all problems. This did not happen and several aspects of that visit "complicated the situation even more," he stressed.
At the same time, Metropolitan Kirill pointed out that if the problems remaining in relations between RPTs and the Vatican are resolved, and models for carrying out these decisions are worked out, then "there will not remain any impediments" for a meeting between the pope and patriarch and for a visit by John Paul II to Russia. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
METROPOLITAN KIRILL: CATHOLICISM IN WEST IS IN "PROFOUNDEST CRISIS"
Mir religii, 27
February 2002
The Catholic church in the countries of western Europe is experiencing a crisis, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill, thinks. "Today over there there are empty churches, there is the profoundest crisis, spiritual and religious. That is where the chief efforts of the Catholic church should be focused, on their own people, Italians, French," the metropolitan declared in an interview with NTV television company on Tuesday evening, "Interfax" reports.
The metropolitan said that the Catholic church "has work to do on its own canonical territory, which God has entrusted to it for pastoral care," and it should not direct its efforts to Russia.
Metropolitan Kirill also said that there are empty churches in Latin America. "I recently travelled around the countries of Latin America and met with cardinals. They are appalled by what is happening," he noted. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
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Leaders of four large protestant associations have decided to create the Consultative Council of Heads of Protestant Churches of Russia. They include the West Russian Union of Seventh-Day Adventist Churches (TsKhASD), the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RSEKhB), the Russian Associated Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith (ROSKhVE), and the Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) in Russia (SKhVER), "Blagovest-info" reports.
According to information from the Department of External Church Relations of ROSKhVE, the council plans to conduct work for improving existing confessional legislation of Russia and working out a united policy of Russian protestants in relations with state agencies, mass media, and public organizations. Participants in the work of the council will be the respective leaders of the organizations named: Vasily Stoliar, Petr Konovalchik, Sergei Riakhovsky, and Vladimir Murza. The presidential functions on the council will rotate among the heads of the unions. On 5 March members of the Consultative Council of Head of Protestant Churches of Russia will conduct an open press conference devoted to prospects for the development of the council. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
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A list of the most dangerous "totalitarian sects" operating on Ukrainian territory was confirmed at the concluding session of the "Orthodoxy and the threat of totalitarian sects in Ukraine" conference that was held in Zaporozhie with the blessing of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate (UPTsMP), Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan, "Blagovest-info" reports.
The list includes the Church of Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Unification Church (Moonies), Society of Krishna Consciouness, Brahma Kumaris, Falung Gong, Church of Christ, neopentecostals, Church of the Full Gospel, Church of the Derzhavnaia Mother of God, White Brotherhood, Church of the Last Testament (Vissarion), cult of Porfiry Ivanov, cult of Anastasy, wahhabites, followers of Carlos Castaneda, and many others.
Forum participants created the "Dialogue" All-Ukrainian Center of Religious Security and Aid for Victims of Destructive Sects, with the Zaporozhie "Dialogue" Center director, Pavel Broide, as president.
As is noted in the concluding document of the conference, "those groups of people who have fallen away from Christ in the countries of the West are not bringing the proclamation of their pseudochristian, neopagan, and occultic doctrines to Ukraine." In addition, forum participants recognized that "many occultic, neopagan, and totalitarian movements have come to life in Ukraine and other postsoviet countries." Orthodox believers of Ukraine accuse "totalitarian sects" of deception, evasion, persistant propaganda, censorship of information, psychological pressure, and intimidation. "Thus," conference participants conclude, "totalitarian sects violate the human right to free, informed choice of worldview and way of life."
"We testify to the antichristian and destructive character of various cults that have arisen on the basis of the 'New Age' movement, theosophy, anthroposophy, followers of the Rerikh family movement, and astrological, UFO, neopagan, and nativistic cults, sorcery, witchcraft, neoshamanism, Luciferianism, and satanism.," the concluding document says. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 February 2002)
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We, leaders of Russian science, culture, and art, and representatives of civil society are amazed and grieved that the Vatican, without consulting with the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox church, created four Catholic dioceses united in a "church province" on the territory of our country.
Of course we recognize the right of Russian Catholics to their own religious life, although it was developing in a normal way even before the establishment of Catholic dioceses in Russia. The Vatican's action testifies that it is still harboring plans of spiritual expansion in our fatherland. Judging by all, we think that the Vatican considers Russia a "spiritual wilderness" as it did in the past. We do not agree with Catholic missionaries entering a country with a thousand-year Christian tradition in the role of conquistadors. Arriving in a "new spiritual space," they operate in accordance with the principle that whoever has seized the ground more quickly is in the right. However, to take advantage of the way that over the course of long decades our people were torn away from Orthodoxy by force and to try to convert them to one's own faith is absolutely unchristian. The step that the Vatican has taken signals a direct challenge to a country whose whole life is based on the integral bond with the Orthodox tradition.
Indeed, living in a multinational and multiconfessional country, we deal with other faiths, cultures, and traditions with respect. But just as in Catholic countries which they are not ashamed to call their own, we do not hesitate to call Russia an Orthodox country, we value it, and we want to talk about this openly. Our history, culture, and national character are literally embued with the spirit of Orthodoxy. Our national spirituality is respected throughout the world, and it is, first of all, an Orthodoxy spirituality. And now it is painful and offensive for us to hear that there is an attempt to make Russia some kind of "spiritual province" of the Roman Catholic church.
We declare that the Russian people is not a wild tribe, and the very presence on Holy Rus of Catholic missionaries is an insult to our ancient Christian culture.
We are convinced that a mission by those of a different faith distorts the appearance of our people, again divides East and West, and drives Christians not to cooperation but to competition, which turns interchurch relations into a "religious market." What else will the present reorganization of Catholic structures in Russia lead to?
History testifies that all attempts of the Roman Catholic church to develop "enlightening" activity in Russia are destined to failure. No matter what noble goals the Vatican tries to use to justify its action, and no matter what political and financial resources it devotes to the achievement of its far-reaching plans, we are ready today just as in all times of Catholic expansion directed against Rus to respond to it with the words of the holy, pious Prince Alexander Nevsky: "God is not in might but in right." And thus Orthodox Russia is dealing with this unfriendly step with civic decency, hoping that the error of the decision the Vatican has made will become evident to the leadership of the Roman Catholic church in the near future.
Seeing clearly and recognizing all that has happened, we support the position taken by the Moscow patriarchate in the question of the establishment of Catholic dioceses in Russia and we associate ourselves with the declaration of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox church, whose words are replete with sad truth.
V.A. Andreev, artistic director of the Ermolova Theatre, people's artist of USSR, laureate of State Prize of Russia
I.A. Arkhipova, president of the International Union of Musical Leaders, people's artist of USSR, laureate of the Lenin and State prizes.
Yu.K. Borizova, hero of socialist labor, laureate of state prizes, people's artist of USSR
I.S. glauzunov, rector of the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, professor, people's artist of USSR, full member of Russian Academy of Art, academic, laureate of state prize of Russia
S.N. Golovkina, people's artist of USSR, laureate of USSR State Prize, full member of Academy of Humanities, professor
T.V. Doronina, artistic director of Gorky MkhAT, people's artist of USSR
V.M. Zeldin, people's artist of USSR, laureate of State Prize of Russia
L.G. Zykina, artistic director of "Russia" State Academic Ensemble of Russian Folk Song, hero of socialist labor, laureate of Lenin and State prizes of USSR, people's artise of USSR, professor
V.N. Krupin, writer
A.S. Lazarev, people's artist of Russia
V.S. Lanovoy, laureate of Lenin prize, people's artist of USSR
O.V. Lepeshinskaia, people's artist of USSR, laureate of USSR State Prize, professor
I.A. Moiseev, artistic director of State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance, hero of socialist labor, laureate of Lenin and State prizes
N.N. Nekrasov, artistic director and head conductor of Academic Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments, people's artist of USSR
S.V. Nemoliaeva, people's artist of Russia
N.d. Nikandrov, president of Russian Academy of Education
B.A. Pokrovsky, artistic director and head conductor of Moscow Chamber Music Theatre, people's artist of USSR, professor
V.I. Piavko, first vice president of International Union of Musical Leaders, people's artist of USSR, academic
N.I. Selezneva, people's artist of Russia
Yu.M. Solomin, artistic director of State Academic Little Theatre of Russia, people's artist of USSR, laureate of State Prize of Russia, professor
M.A. Ulianov, artistic director of Evgeny Vakhtangov Academic Theatre, hero of socialist labor, laureate of Lenin and State prizes of USSR and Russia, people's artist of USSR
(tr. by PDS, posted 26 February 2002)
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A demonstration of protest against the Vatican's decision to establish in Russia a metropolia and four Catholic dioceses was held at the building of the representation of the Holy See in Moscow. As RIA Novosti reports, the demonstration was organized on the initiative of the People's Party of Russia and a number of Orthodox organizations; around 1,500 persons participated.
The vice chairman of the People's Party, State Duma Deputy Valery Galchenko, declared to those assembled that "the cold war against Russia is continuing." He accused the Vatican of conducting a "war with our identity and with the Russian Orthodox church." In addition, the deputy thinks, "an attempt is being made to undermine the spiritual foundations of Russia."
In his turn, State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov called the Vatican "not to bring its service book to our monastery." He accused the hierarchy of the Catholic church of "an attempt to fracture our faith."
Simultaneously with the demonstration a prayer service also was held at the walls of the Vatican's representation. The assembled believers were singing Orthodox prayers. The demonstrators did not commit any excesses and the protest action went peacefully. (tr. by PDS, posted 22 February 2002)
ORTHODOX RESPOND CALMLY TO CREATION OF CATHOLIC DIOCESES IN NOVOSIBIRSK
AND IRKUTSK
Religiia v
Rossii, 22 February 2002
Novosibirsk provincial Governor Viktor Tolokonsky commented on Friday about the decision of the Roman Catholic church to open a Catholic representation in Novosibirsk. He said that the strengthening of the internal structure of Catholic parishes in Russia does not worsen relations among religious confessions operating in Novosibirsk.
In the Novosibirsk governor's opinion, that the capital of Siberia was selected for the creation of the Roman Catholic diocesan administration "confirms the political leadership of Novosibirsk." Viktor Tolokonsky also noted that while "freedom of religious confession must be maintained," the Orthodox diocese remains the basic one since the overwhelming majority of Novosibirsk citizens are of the Orthodox confession.
At the same time, representatives of the Irkutsk Orthodox diocese refused to comment on the situation, citing the fact that the Moscow patriarchate has already made an official statement on this matter and there is no separate statement from people of Irkutsk. However parishioners in Irkutsk Orthodox churches are discussing the strengthening of the position of Catholicism in the city, claiming that a clear and active advance and expansion of the Catholics' activity really is noticeable. In the Irkutsk Polish Catholic church, which functioned as an organ concert hall for many years, Catholic services now are permitted. Besides this, Catholics have built a new, contemporary church in the city and have installed there a "technological wonder," an electronic organ, and a statue of St. Joseph, for whom the Irkutsk diocese is named.
But on the whole, based on surveys conducted by the Irkutsk television company AIST on the streets of the city, people of Irkutsk are reacting rather calmly to what the Moscow patriarchate called an "unfriendly act." The general opinion is, "We will get by so long as there is no aggressive disposition on the part of the Catholics." Of course, there are those who call what has happened "expansion." In the main, these are educated folks of middle age.
The Irkutsk Catholic diocese is headed by Bishop Jerzy Mazur. In his opinion, the present transformation is of a strictly administrative, technical nature. The bishop maintains that about a million Siberians out of the sixteen million living on the territory of his diocese have Catholic roots. These are descendants of exiles on whom Catholic priests also rely. So far weekday divine services, in distinction from feast days, in the Catholic church of Irkutsk are celebrated in a half-empty church. (tr. by PDS, posted 22 February 2002)
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The Moscow government is using a legal Catch 22 to frustrate a Christian group’s attempts to rent or buy places of worship there, St Petersburg attorney John Burns claimed today.
"Under the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Association, every faith, every congregation, had to apply for re-registration both federally and municipally," Mr Burns said. "Throughout the Russian Federation the law has, on the whole, been administered in a just and even-handed way; they have re-registered about 400 of our congregations so far. But in Moscow municipality, they are making it as difficult as they can for non-Russian Orthodox faiths to function.
"The Moscow government, in defiance of the Federal Government, is using an ingenious Catch 22 situation to blur the distinction between prosecution and persecution: to buy or rent premises here, a church must be re-registered under the 1997 Law; but a church can’t be re-registered while it’s involved in a trial ? in this case an onerous five-year legal process headed by Moscow City prosecutor Tatyana Kondratyeva.
"Our Moscow brothers and sisters have already been held in these revolving doors for five years or more. In the meantime, we have 10,000 Muscovite Christians with just one place of worship! It’s cynical, it’s tyrannical, and it’s a disgrace to Russian justice. Judge Vera Dubinskaya has it in her power to call an end to the grotesque mockery of a trial in Golovinsky Intermunicipal District Court and bring Moscow into line with Russia and the European Union. I call upon her to have the magnanimity and courage to do so."
Human rights observers expect the case to last another three or four weeks, after which a panel of ‘experts’ would study The Watchtower and other Witness literature for a year or two, before the judge reached a decision. If that decision were not to liquidate the Witnesses, it might well be referred back again by Moscow City Court to keep the doors revolving.
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