RUSSIA
RELIGION NEWS|
|
|
The Georgian Orthodox church (GPTs) quit international ecumenical organizations under pressure from Russia and the Russian Orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate; these sensational statements were made at a press conference in Tbilisi by Georgian Archprist Vasily Kobakhidze, who has expressed his disagreement with the church hierarchy several times recently.
In the middle of July in the Tbilisi "Caucasus House" there was a press conference on problems of GPTs. It was conducted by Archpriest Vasily Kobakhidze, whose participation in a number of ecumenical events was subjected to sharp criticism from the Georgian patriarchate. According to reports from several sources, in the near future Fr Vasily may be subject to severe discipline up to excommunication from the church.
The main topic of the press conference, in which Baptist pastor Merab Gaprindashvili also participated, was the 12th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches [KEK] that was held from 25 June to 2 July in the Norwegian city of Trondheim. Fr Vasily and Mr. Gaprindashvili, who attended the assembly, described how at its opening the general secretary of the conference, Kate Klements, noted with regret the departure of the Orthodox churches of Georgia and Bulgaria from this organization in 1997 and 1999 respectively and expressed the hope that they will return in the future to cooperation with the united family of European Christianity.
In the opinion of Fr Vasily, the departure of GPTs, to which he said 98% of the population of Georgia belongs, from such an important organization means that the whole country remains outside the united family of European Christianity. "This is a purely political step, an attempt to turn believers against European civilization and culture and to force the country to depart from the path of a democratic liberal state that it had chosen. This step has nothing religious about it and it is pressure of the supreme powers ruling from Russia who by threats and by schism forced Patriarch Iliya II and the Holy Synod to make such a decision," Fr Vasily Kobakhidze declared.
The cleric described how at the meeting in Tronheim he asked the assembly to express its attitude toward the practice in Georgia of a policy of religious isolationism and to send a letter in support of Patriarch Catholicos Iliya II. "Immediately my words were interrupted by representatives of the Russian delegation, who said that GPTs is not represented here, and who tried to hush up the question. Thereby the Russian delegation has again confirmed under whose influence it was that GPTs left directly on 20 May 1997 two enormous organizations, the religious equivalent of the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, and the equivalent of the European Union, the Conference of European churches," Fr Vasily reported.
Despite the protest of the Russian side, on the suggestion of representatives of Greece and Bulgaria the assembly decided to send a letter to Patriarch Iliya II with the suggestion to review his position and to return to the family of European Christians, Archpriest Vasily Kobakhidze said further. However the reaction of Patriarch Iliya to this letter was silenced, according to Fr Vasily. "Practically all processes occurring in the church are concealed from the broad public; it will learn about all this only after the fact," Fr. Vasily noted.
The ousted priest noted with regret that if a Georgian delegation had been present at the assembly "we would have been able to influence the official declaration regarding Abkhaziia and Samachablo (South Osetia)." The departures from WCC and KEK, he noted, have produced unimaginable economic losses for Georgia; the country has been deprived of programs financed by these organizations for theological education, computer training, study of foreign languages, aid for children with cerebral palsy, interruption of the trafficking in women, etc. "The rupture from international church organizations has had little effect on church obscurantists," Fr Vasily continued. "On 17 October 2002 they raised the question of breaking relations also with Orthodox churches of Antioch, Alexandria, and Romania. With God's help we managed to avoid this, but the trend to total self-isolation of GPTs continues."
In his turn Evangelical Christian-Baptist Pastor Merab Gaprinadshvili told how at the 12th assembly it was noted that a difficult situation had developed in Georgia in the sphere of freedom of conscience. "It seems to me that the concepts of western and eastern Europe today are somewhat outdated and it is time to return to the concept of a united Europe that has rooted out religious intolerance. The assembly spoke out against discrimination against religious minorities," the Baptist pastor declared. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
In accordance with the charter of RPTsMP, Patriarch Alexis of Moscow and all-Rus presided at the session. Members of the Holy Synod reviewed a number of current questions of church life.
As noted by the chancellor of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk, in an interview with the "Tserkovnyi vestnik" newspaper, the Holy Synod expressed thanks to all those who organized the holiday in honor of the centennial of the canonization of St. Serafin of Sarov and to all who worked on the reconstruction of the church of St. Serafim in Sarov and the improvement of Diveevo.
Commenting on the results of the session, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad emphasized in an interview with "Tserkovnyi vestnik" that the synod adopted an important resolution regarding the church situation in Abkhaziia. First, RPTsMP recognized Abkhaziia as part of the canonical territory of the Georgian patriarchate. The Holy Synod expressed the conviction that in the face of conflicts the Orthodox church should always play a peacemaking role, and the Russian church, on its part, is ready to cooperate in peaceful dialogue of the sides in this region for the improvement of the pastoral care of believers.
A number of important personnel decisions pertaining to foreign parishes were made at the session. In particular, in connection with his request Metropolitan Antony of Surozh was granted retirement. Profound thanks were expressed to him for his work. Bishop Vasily of Sergiev was named administrator of the Surozh diocese.
At the conclusion of the session of the Holy Synod Bishop Georgy of Nizhnyi Novgorod and Arzamas and the governor of Nizhnyi Novgorod province signed, in the presence of the patriarch, an agreement "On bases for cooperation of the government of Nizhnyi Novgorod province and the Nizhnyi Novgorod diocese of the Russian Orthodox church," the official site of the Nizhegorod diocese of RPTsMP reports. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
VLADIMIR PUTIN ARRIVES IN SAROV FOR CELEBRATION OF CENTENNIAL OF CANONIZATION
OF ST. SERAFIM OF SAROV
Portal-credo.ru,
31 July 2003
Vladimir Putin arrived on 31 July in Sarov, where he will participate in ceremonies devoted to the centennial of the canonization of St. Serafim of Sarov. As a correspondent of RIA Novosti reports, the head of state will visit the church of St. Serafim of Sarov, where he will meet with Patriarch Alexis II, attend a ceremony of blessing of the procession of the cross by Alexis II, and participate in other events of the celebration.
In addition, a trip by the president to the Russian federation's nuclear center is planned. Besides other events, Vladimir Putin will have a meeting there with scholars of the center. In the course of the trip, a separate meeting of the president with Nizhny Novgorod provincial governor Gennady Khodyrev is planned. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
VLADIMIR PUTIN VISITS CHURCH OF SAINT SERAFIM
Portal-credo.ru,
31 July 2003
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the church of St. Serafim of Sarov. The head of state, who upon entering the church met Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus, viewed the altar area and kissed the relics of St. Serafim of Sarov.
In addition, in the company of Alexis II Vladimir Putin viewed Serafim's cell. The patriarch told how it had been restored libtrally in accordance with pictures and several objects were able to be replaced. For example, a book from that time lies in the cell along with old hand-sewn mats. Looking at them, Vladimir Putin noted that "as far as I can recall as a child we had such mats in our house."
After looking around the church, Vladimir Putin and Alexis II walked to the ceremony of blessing the procession of the cross which brought the relics of Serafim of Sarov to the site of their permanent location in the village of Diveevo, RIA Novosti reports. (tr. by PDS, posed 31 July 2003)
PATRIARCH ALEXIS II THANKS PRESIDENT FOR GIFT OF BELL TO SAROV MONASTERY
Portal-credo.tu,
30 July 2003
On Wednesday Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus expressed thanks to President Vladimir Putin for a bell weighing 4.5 tons presented to the Sarov monastery, RIA Novosti reports.
After consecration of the restored church built over the cell of St. Serafim in Sarov and the divine liturgy the primate of the Russian Orthodox church thanked everybody who contributed their mites to the restoration of the first church in the world honoring a saint who is one of the most respected in Russia and abroad.
The patriarch noted that the church of St. Serafim, which was desecrated during the years of soviet rule and turned over to the Sarov drama theatre, was returned "to its legal owner, the believing people" thanks to the initiative of employees of the federal nuclear center located in Sarov and its director Rady Ilkaev.
Alexis II also expressed gratitude for help in organizing the anniversary celebration on the occasion of the centennial of the canonization of Serafim of Sarov to the presidential envoy for the Volga federal district, Sergei Kirienko, who attended the consecration of the church. According to the patriarch, work on restoring the Sarov hermitage is continuing and at the present time the cave church of Antony and Feodosy of the caves is being restored. Also being restored is the so-called Near Hermitage, where Serafim of Sarov daily received several thousands of suffering souls who came to him for advice and healing. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS MEET PROCESSION OF THE CROSS WITH RELICS OF SERAFIM
OF SAROV ON WAY FROM SAROV TO DIVEEVO
Portal-credo.ru,
31 July 2003
Thousands of pilgrims met the procession of the cross with the relics of St. Serafim of Sarov on its way from Sarov to the Saint Serafim Diveevo monastery near the village of Tsyganovko, RIA Novosti reports.
Sarov, where the federal nuclear center is located, is a closed city. Thus the columns of believers stretched for several kilometers along the road from Sarov, beyond the closed zone, to the curve at the spring of Serafim of Sarov in Tsyganovko. The hands of every other pilgrim held an icon with the image of the great ascetic of the Russian Orthodox church, St. Serafim of Sarov, whose centennial of his canonization is being celebrated 29 July to 1 August.
Along the course of the sixteen kilometers from Sarov to the Diveevo cloister was met another multitude of groups of pilgrims coming to meet the procession of the cross. In the evening in the Saint Serafim Diveevo monastery an all-night vigil was held along with the solemn meeting of the relics of St. Serafim, which will be permanently kept in the Trinity cathedral of the cloister. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
PUTIN HONORS METROPOLITAN AND BISHOP
NEWSru.com,
31 July 2003
On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order for bestowing upon Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, patriarchal exarch for all Belarus and permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox church, the order "For service to the Fatherland," 4th degree. The head of state also signed a decree for bestowing on Bishop Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, the administrator of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese of RPTs, the order of Friendship.
They are deserving of the awards "for great contribution to the regeneration of the spiritual and moral traditions and strengthening friendship and cooperation among nations," the announcement reaching ITAR-TASS from the press service of the president of RF said.
On the same day President Putin personally delivered the awards to Metropolitan Filaret and Bishop Georgy. At that time he stated that he was very pleased to fulfill this honorary duty and in the days of the celebration of the centennial of the canonization of St. Serafim of Sarov to deliver state awards to representatives of the Russian Orthodox church, people who are well known in the Orthodox world and who are well respected not only among the fathers of the Russian Orthodox church but also among believers.
Vladimir Putin thanked Metropolitan Filaret and Bishop Georgy for regeneration of the traditions, for strengthening the moral foundations of the Russian state, and for strengthening harmony in our multinational country. "I want to express to you words of sincere gratitude for your service to both God and the people," the head of state said. He said, "any award says that we hope for and expect from you great new deeds for the benefit of ministry to the church and to all of our people. But today's event is a recognition of your service that you already have performed," the president stressed, addressing the ones being decorated. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 July 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Today the church-state celebrations devoted to the centennial of the canonization of St. Serafim of Sarov began in Sarov and Diveevo. For the first time after a period of an emphatic polite distancing from the Russian Orthodox church, the president of Russia came to the festivities. The president's policy with regard to religious organizations in recent times could be characterized as equidistant. In this, despite definite sympathies of the highest state leadership for Orthodoxy, RPTs was no exception.
Putin himself, in contrast with his predecessor, could not often be seen with a candle at official patriarchal liturgies; he celebrated this past Christmas in Siberia, and Easter, in Dushanbe. At the same time Putin constantly visits the patriarch at his residence and support for the conduct of the Sarov celebrations was allotted from federal, provincial, and local budgets. The total budget for the holiday, including restoration work in Sarov and Diveevo, came to 335 million rubles, including most from extrabudgetary sources.
Serafim of Sarov, whose secular name was Prokhor Moshnin, is one of the most revered saints of Russian Orthodoxy. He was a contemporary of Pushkin; he died in 1833 and within 70 years was enrolled in the list of saints. In 1903 Nicholas II himself participated in ceremonies devoted to his glorification conducted in Sarov, where the ascetic was honored by the people as a saint during his lifetime. That is, at that time this ceremony was given a national status. Today history is being repeated.
The president's visit to Sarov, scheduled for the morning of 31 July, has been in doubt until very recently. Now, when it has been determined that the patriarch, having recovered after a long illness, will be present it is possible to say with almost complete assurance that Vladimir Putin also will attend the ceremonies.
The first version of why the president decided to support the church with his presence at Sarov lies on the surface. In the upcoming elections, both parliamentary and presidential, the head of the state is raising his personal rating by "strengthening" his Orthodoxy. It seems that it is possible to recall only two recent church events of such a high level, when the state took an active part in church ceremonies: the millennium of the baptism of Rus and the celebration of the two-thousandth anniversary of Christianity.
Second version: we can talk about a new stage in the convergence of the church and state. Massive church-state ceremonies and the meeting of secular and ecclesiastical leaders at them are supposed to demonstrate that these events go beyond the bounds of purely church holidays. For conducting the present celebrations at Sarov, an "Organizing Committee for providing cooperation for conducting socially significant cultural educational events devoted to the celebration by the Russian Orthodox church of the centennial of the canonization of St. Serafim of Sarov" was created by order of the government over the signature of Prime Minister Kasianov. The presidential envoy in the Volga federal district, Sergei Kirienko, from the state, and Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk, from the church, were named its cochairmen. Envoy Kirienko affirms that the holiday is necessary since it gives evidence of both the spiritual and the physical might of the country (the Russian federal nuclear center, which was built in 1946 for making nuclear weapons is located in Sarov). In his turn, Metropolitan Filaret thinks the holiday is a national one, uniting the Russian Orthodox people and thus reaching beyond purely church boundaries.
However, the first version does not rule out the second. The holiday really has already become a nationwide event and has shows that not only does the church need the state, but the state needs the church. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2003)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
The text of an order "On creation of a working group for preparing model curriculum of the elective 'Orthodox Culture' course for general educational institutions" signed by Minister of Education V.M. Filippov on 9 June 2003 has been published. The working group headed by Deputy Minister L.S. Grebnev was created, according to the text of the order, "in connection with the growing interest of society in religious as a most important culturological phenomenon and in the role and place of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia and the establishment of its spiritual culture, as well as in accordance with the goals and tasks of humanities education and moral training and the need for improving the quality of the programmatic and methodological provision of the given issues."
Despite the fact that in accordance with the plan for work that was adopted the methodological recommendations for teaching the course are supposed to be ready by August 2003, the working group still has not held a single session. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2003)
TEXT OF ORDER
[ . . . ] I order 1) to create a working group for preparing a model curriculum of the elective "Orthodox Culture" course for general education institutions and to confirm its composition (appendix 1); 2) to establish a plan for preparing the model curriculum of the elective "Orthodox Cutlure" course for general education institutions (appendix 2); 3) Oversight responsibility for fulfilment of this order I place upon myself.
Minister V.M. Filippov
Appendix 1 Composition of working group for preparing model curriculum for elective "Orthodox Culture" course for general education institutions
1. Grebnev, Leonid Sergeevich (chairman), deputy minister of education,
Russian federation
2. Beznosov, Alexander Eduardovich, teacher of gymnasium No. 1560,
Moscow
3. Vasileva, Olga Yurievna, director of Department of Religious Studies,
Academy of State Services of presidential administraion of Russian federation
4. Garmash, Liubov Stepnovna, chief specialist of the Department of
Educational Curricula and Standards of Professional Education of the Ministry
of Education of Russia
5. Kotelnikov, Yury Semenovich, director of school No. 320, Moscow
6. Kudriavtsev, Alexander Ilich, director of Department for Affairs
of Public and Religious Associations of the Ministry of Justice of the
Russian federation
7. Kulakov, Andrei Evgenievich, senior scientific associate of Institute
of Public Education of the Ministry of Education of Russia
8. Menshikov, Vladimir Mikhailovich, director of Department of Culturology
of Kursk State University
9. Metlik, Igor Vitalievich, senior scientific associate of State Institute
of the Family and Education of the Russian Academy of Education
10. Odintsov, Mikhail Ivanovich, director of Department for Religious
Questions and Cultural Rights of the apparatus of the Plenipotentiary for
Human Rights in the Russian federation
11. Perevezentsev, Sergei Viacheslavovich, secretary of the Administration
of the Union of Writers of Russia
12. Petrakova, Tatiana Ivanovna, senior scientific associate of Institute
of Public Education of the Ministry of Education of Russia
13. Archpriest Andrei Oskarovich, deputy director of the Chief Directorate
of Internal Policy of the presidential administration of the Russian federation,
director of Department for Cooperation with Religious Organizations
14. Sebentsov, Andrei Evgenievich, director of Department for Work
with Citizens' Appeals of the apparatus of the government of the Russian
federation
15 Slobodchikov, Viktor Ivanovich, director of Institute of Pedagogical
Innovations of the Russian Academy of Education, corresponding member of
Russian Academy of Education, member of Coordinating Council for Cooperation
of the Ministry of Education of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church
16. Tkshiaeva, Tapira Ivanovna, chief specialist of Department of Public
Education of Ministry of Education
17. Shakhov, Mikhail Olegovich, deputy director of department of Religious
Studies of Russian Academy of State Service
18. Fomina, Liudmila Filippovna, chief specialist of Directorate of
Education and Continuing Education of Children and Youth of Ministry of
Education of Russia, member of Coordinating Council for Cooperation of
Ministry of Education of Russia and Russian Orthodox Church
Published on Informika. ru site
Appendix 2: Plan for work of working group for preparing elective "Orthodox Culture" course for general education institutions.
Schedule:
1. Summary of suggestions and comments from offices of administration
of education and representatives of the public: May 2003
2. Preparation of the draft version of the model curriculum of
the elective "Orthodox Culture" course and attached explanatory notes:
June 2003
3. Academic and pedagogical and legal expert analyses of the draft
version of the model curriculum of the elective "Orthodox Culture" course:
July-August 2003
4. Preparation of the methodological recommendations for offices of
administration of education of the component elements of the Russian federation
and teachers of general education institutions for teaching the elective
"Orthodox Culture" course: August 2003. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2003)
Published on the Informika.ru site
Russia Religion News Current News Items
On 24 July the chairman of the administration of the Public Committee for Human Rights, T.A. Kvitkovskaia, sent letters to Minister of Education V.M. Filippov, Moscow City Prosecutor M.A. Avdiukov, and Russian Prosecutor General V.V. Ustinov of virtually similar contents. In the first of them, Kvitkovskaia requests "removing the 'recommended' stamp of the Ministry of Education immediately from the xenophobic textbook of Nikolai Vitalievich Shaburov that incites religious and national hostility. Shaburov is the writer and head of the writers' group, that is, he bears responsibility for the entire production of the writers' group of 'Religions of the World, 10-11 grades; Resource for general educational institutions" (M., "Drofa" and "Natalis," 1997, 272 pp.)." In the two other letters sent to the prosecutors Kvitkovskaia also requests the opening of a criminal case against N.V. Sahburov on the basis of article 282, incitement of interethnic and interreligious strife.
She argues for her request in the following way: "In the indicated textbook on page 153 it says literally the following: 'these Jews who have ceased to be Jews, unwittingly have facilitated the execution of Hitler's plans. Jews are supposed to live while remaining true to their own laws. . . . They are obliged to believe in their own God.' This thesis appears in the section of the textbook devoted to Judaism and therefore the phrase 'have ceased to be Jews' is inserted here in the sense of 'have ceased to be Judaeans.'" Thus the textbook of Shaburov, which is recommended by the Department of Public Secondary Education of the Ministry of Public and Professional Education of the Russian federation has denied Jews the right to freedom of conscience, thereby affecting their civil rights, which violates the constitution of the Russian federation, the Criminal Code of the Russian federation, the federal laws "On freedom of conscience and religious associations" and "On combating extremist activity," and the Russian federation law "On Education."
According to N.V. Shaburov it turns out that Jews who profess Judaism or Christianity thereby "facilitate the execution of Hitler's plans."! And "N.V. Shaburov imposes such xenophobic ideas of medieval obscurantism on pupils in state and municipal educational institutions."
According to T.A. Kvitkovskaia, the expressions she quoted contain "propaganda of the defectiveness of citizens (Jews) on the basis of their relationship to religion (to other religions besides Judaism). In Moscow a rather high percentage of Orthodox priests are Jews. And does that make them, according to Shaburov's textbook, accomplices of Hitler? It is obvious that this is complete nonsense and extremism."
Besides the opening of a criminal case and removal of the ministry's "recommended" stamp from the textbook, Kvitkovskaia also requests "holding accountable officials of the Ministry of Education through whose criminal negligence or intentional actions the ministerial stamp was awarded to the aforesaid xenophobic textbook." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2003)
*tr. note: Shaburov's role in the textbook debate appears in the following excerpt:
"In the opinion of the director of the Center for the Study of Religion of the Russian State Humanities University, N.V. Shaburov, who presented expert conclusions to the Meshchansk court regarding "Foundations of Orthodox Culture," "this textbook represents not a textual resource for the foundations of Orthodox culture but a confessional apology for Orthodoxy. Only by reference to an apologetical intent is it possible to explain the equation of the concepts "Russian" and "Orthodox."
"Shaburov also thinks that "the notion is intentionally created in the reader that Judaism is a false religion that has been corrected by Christianity." The scholar also is concerned about "inaccurate representations that facilitate the incitement of religious and national discord."
"In addition, an antisemitic interpretation of Christianity can be found in the text. Such expressions as "Nestorian" and "monophysite heresy" applied to the Armenian Apostolic church, with which the Russian Orthodox church has the best of relations, offend millions of believers, in Shaburov's opinion. " (from "Textbook Has Just Appeared. Discord Has Already Begun,")
Related article: "Supporters of Orthodox culture textbook continue campaign against critics"
Russia Religion News Current News Items