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Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus congratulated Yury Luzhkov on his inauguration as mayor of Moscow, "Rosbalt" agency reports. "From now on Moscow and the whole life of Muscovites are in reliable hands," the patriarch declared on 17 December at the inauguration ceremony which was held at the city hall.
Alexis II noted the "contribution of the capital authorities in satisfying the spiritual needs of Muscovites." "For this purpose, with the support of Luzhkov, destroyed churches, mosques, and synagogues have been restored," the patriarch emphasized. In particular he mentioned the restoration of the church of Christ the Savior. "The restoration of the church and all the panels with the names of heroes reminds us of their feats and calls us to new feats," Alexis II said. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 December 2003)
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The Korean Methodist church in Moscow may lose the right to its church building since the local administration has juridically permitted a change in the owners of the building without the knowledge of the religious organization situated in it, the "Forum 18" agency reports.
Guards defending the interests of the new owners of the building broke into the premises of the church and seized it. As a result of the seizure of the building the pastor and several church members who were in the building at the time are trapped. The Methodists have tried by all means to prevent the illegal change of owners of the premises, but in their opinion the authorities have not paid the least attention to their protests.
The "Kwan Lim" United Methodist church was formed and registered in 1991. The religious organization underwent reregistration in 1999. The congregation of the church, which unites around 180 parishioners, built the church in 1995 with means from South Korean Methodists; it is located in the northern part of Moscow. Worship services have been conducted in the church in Russian and Korean. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 December 2003)
METHODIST CHURCH UNDER BANDITS' SIEGE.
Appeal of the Moscow "Kwan Lim" Methodist church
On 9 December the church building belonging to the Moscow "Kwan Lim" United Methodist church, which it had built, was seized and blockaded by units specializing in the seizure of buildings. In order to defend the church, believers did not leave the building even at night in hopes that no one would dare to throw elderly people and children out onto the street by force.
The swindlers, the "Hunt" enterprise, acquired right of ownership of the building by means of a counterfeit stamp and fictitious documents.
Our complaints against the inaction in investigation of the criminal case of swindling against the prosecutor of the Northern Administrative District, E.V. Zalegin, to the prosecutor of Moscow and to the Prosecutor General brought only an unfounded closing of the criminal case and a rescinding of the decision of the court recognizing the church as the victim. This immediately led to the seizure of the building.
The prosecutor of the northern district acknowledged the swindlers' right of ownership, although they did not even pay the price of the building. During the investigation, four investigators were replaced and one of the swindlers, whom the investigation supposedly was unable to find, was present at the time of the seizure of the building. In all of this we perceive complicity with the swindlers on the part of the prosecutor of the northern district, who is supposed to uphold the law.
We protest against the tyranny, against the trampling of the right of believers to serve God in his church, against the offense to the feelings of believers, and the trampling of the right to freedom of religious confession. We are confident that God will not permit in the future that believers will break through a barrier to get to worship services. In the troubles that have befallen us we have profoundly realized how valuable for us is the support and participation of many who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and of nonbelieving people.
Appeal was signed by more than 100 parishioners of the Kwan Lim church.
(tr. by PDS, posted 16 December 2003)
Posted on the Portal-credo.ru, site, 16 December 2003
Related article: "Moscow Methodists try to protect church building"
Other information on this matter is available at Forum 18
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Today in Jordanville outside New York the four day session of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia was completed. This quite routine event would hardly deserve extended commentary were it not for the appeal by Alexis II to its participants. In a letter published on 14 December the patriarch acknowledged for the first time that during the entire soviet period of its history RPTs was subjected "to direct pressure of nonchurch forces."
His Holiness' letter should make a powerful impression on the "diaspora churchmen." Throughout the thirteen years of his primacy (plus the preceding nearly thirty years of his episcopacy) Alexis II maintained the point of view that he and his brethren "saved the church" by their cooperation with the theomachistic authorities. In earlier times nobody would dispute with the patriarch over the "salvation" (everybody lived by the law: "Whatever is necessary to survive"). But His Holiness has composed an original understanding of what saves and what harms the souls of the Christian in the stormy 90s. Thus this was not by any means understood by all, not only outside Russian but also inside Russia. After all, from an Orthodox point of view "Christ alone" will save the church. Now finally the thing that the head of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, and participants in the council in Jordanville have the right to consider a fulfilment of one of their conditions for reunification of the two parts of the split church has happened: the Moscow patriarchate has repented of the sin of "sergianism" (named for Metropolitan Sergius, who became patriarch in 1943 by the kindness of comrade Stalin). "Living in a world that was divided 'by an iron curtain,'" Alexis II wrote to Jordanville, "on both sides of it we were, each in our own ways, subjected to the self-serving influence of opposing political systems. Neither of them was Christian or Orthodox. . . ."
Every word here is measured with an apothecary's precision. Sins of pastors in Russia are equated with sins of priests in the diaspora. The accusation of self-service is applied impersonally to "political systems," and not, say, to Brezhnev or Reagan, much less to one or another bishop of RPTs and ROCOR. But the deed has been done: the patriarch acknowledged guilt before those whom he recently called "schismatics" and "enemies of mother church." It is a document of great, without exaggeration, politics. It is what separates great politics from the ordinary that can produce a powerful impression.
The political significance of the patriarch's letter is magnified by the situation that within the bosom of the diaspora church the haste with which reconciliation with Moscow was begun is not by any means unanimously approved. Even at the pastoral conference of ROCOR held before the council, discussions sometimes took on such a sharp character that obstinate priests had to be reminded about the obligation of obedience: "Our first hierarch, Metropolitan Laurus, occupies a special place among our bishops. He is a living bearer of the traditional spirit of our diaspora church and of ministry to Russia, and we have special love and trust in him." Translated into secular language that says: "Father knows best."
Let's add: two years ago ROCOR itself split. A substantial part of it remained loyal to the aged Metropolitan Vitaly who had been subjected to intrigues. In recent months accusations have begun to the effect that the "Laurites" are simply being bought off by the Moscow patriarchate.
Repentance came from the lips of Alexis II, as we have seen, at the right time. But not at all suddenly.
First, let's recall that it has been awaited for at least thirteen years. Second, during the November conversations with the patriarch and members of the synod of RPTs Archbishop of Berlin and Germany Mark, according to his own words, twice "asked for forgiveness for previous extremism, offensive words, and excesses" (one will agree that the bolshevik wording "excesses" on the tongue of a German by birth and a convinced bolshevism fighter is striking). In response Metropolitan Kirill, whose activity in the field of international cooperation by RPTs enjoys no sympathy on the part of the diaspora churchmen, also asked for forgiveness from his antagonist, Archbishop Mark, and his companions. Further, like dominoes, on the eve of the council Metropolitan Laurus stated in an interview with a journalist from Russia: "I have had occasion to hear the opinion that Patriarch Alexis II and those clergy who were forced to cooperate with agencies of KGB, should repent publicly. . . On the other hand, people in Russia often say, 'We suffered and endured calamity here, while you lived abroad in prosperity. And now we are supposed to repent!' I think that the whole Russian people, all Orthodox Russian people both in the fatherland and beyond its borders should repent because we departed from the laws and rules of piety. And just how much we violated these laws and rules, each one knows for himself."
Nothing else remained for the patriarch but to repent. And in this case his action deserves respect. What comes after it is another matter.
Church history has the capacity to become myths more rapidly that simple history. At the end of the summer a fable was going around Moscow to the effect that during his severe illness some saint appeared to the patriarch, calling him to repent for the sins of which the "diaspora churchmen" accused him. Now, lo and behold, they say that His Holiness' repentance is directly connected with the miraculous appearance. On their part, the diaspora churchmen embellish the current events preceding the January visit of Metropolitan Laurus to Moscow with all possible splendor and significance. An icon of the "Miracle of the healing of St. Serafim of Sarov" was painted, in which the boy Prokhor, the future saint, was healed by the icon of the Kursk Root Mother of God. The Kursk Root icon is the chief sacred object of ROCOR, which was taken out of the country at the time of the civil war. So now on the new icon this sacred object is held by two priests, one in red and the other in white garments, clearly symbolizing "soviet Rus" and "emigrant Rus."
A bad peace is better than a good fight. Reunification of the two parts of Russian Orthodoxy is a pleasant process. But for its initiators it will be hard to conceal from the flock that the "process has occurred" only due to the efforts made by the president of Russia. The patriarch invited the diaspora clergy to Moscow often, but they responded only after Vladimir Putin issued to them another invitation. For both RPTs and ROCOR and also the president of the Russian federation the main argument in favor of reunification is that if our motherland is a super state, it should have a super church. Metropolitan Laurus' visit will exceed in its pomp and attention on the part of the authorities all previous visits by persons of ecclesiastical rank. One can joke: in place of the pope's name let's write "Laurus." Especially for the head of ROCOR the time for the next World Russian People's Council will be displaced and its agenda will be changed; instead of "National Security," there will be "The Ways of the Russian Diaspora."
As in the 1970s the parishes of RPTs abroad served as centers of foreign intelligence, so tomorrow ROCOR may become the outpost of Russian geopolitics. Its churches will be something of a fifth column. "We have been entrusted with a joint message to modern humanity," the patriarch writes to the Jordanville sages. "Practically everything that divided our people has today vanished into the past. Only one unhealed wound remains. . . . The priority of its healing is understood both inside and outside church circles."
"We were completely in the right to be extremely critical of the Moscow patriarchate ten or fifteen years back," Archbishop Mark says. "But in that time radical changes occurred (including the qualitative and quantitative condition of the episcopacy). . . . We have no reason for excluding ourselves from this process. . . ." We can cite the much more direct expression of a teacher from the Holy Trinity Ecclesiastical Seminary of ROCOR in Jordanville, Mr. Psarev, who visited Moscow. "What is very striking is the external might of the Russian church structure. The comparison of such might with the small and--in comparison with this strength--weak manifestation of the Russian church abroad sometimes overwhelms me. . . ."
Unfortunately, such a comparison overwhelms the minds of not only the prudent politicians of ROCOR, who dream, like the leadership of RPTs, of expanding their sphere of influence. Of consolidating their power. A majority of their parishioners also want to see a church (whereever they go, like their neighbors who are Catholics and Mormons) that makes a powerful impression.
But this is the attraction of Orthodoxy, that its "strength is created in weakness." Some apostle put it that way. And that's just what was said by an actor in a film that is popular both in Russia and among emigrants: "Where's your strength, American? Do you think it is in money? No. It is in the truth." (tr by PDS, posted 16 December 2003)
Posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 16 December 2003
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Much esteemed Vladimir Mikhailovich
At the present time the legislation of our country contains substantial problems pertaining to the legal regulation of religious education. Standards are lacking which would strengthen the rights of parents to choose and implement religious education and training of children. The possibility for the implementation of this right is established in international documents on human rights and it provides that in fulfilling any of its functions that the state takes upon itself in the area of education and training it will respect the right of parents to choose for their own children such education and training that corresponds to their own religious convictions.
We consider that substantive legal standards must be established in the legislation of the Russian federation, in particular, in the Code of the Russian Federation on Education that is now being prepared or in making changes and additions to the federal law "On education."
We append suggestion for improving the legislation of the Russian federal on education that was prepared by specialists of the Interreligious Council of Russia.
With profound respect,
Head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangkha of Russia, Pandito Khambo Lama
Damba Aliusheev;
Chairman of the Coordinating Center of Muslims of Northern Caucasus,
Mufti Sheikh Ismail Berdiev;
Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin;
Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow
patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad;
Chief rabbi of Russia (FEOR) Berl Lazar;
Chairman of the Central Ecclesiastical Administration of Muslims of
Russia, Supreme Mufti Sheikh-ul-Islam Talgat Tajuddin;
Chief rabbi of Russia (KEROOR), S. Shaevich;
Suggestions of Interreligious Council of Russia for improvement of the legialation of the Russian federation on education.
The establishment in the legislation of the Russian federation of the procedure for implementation of the rights of pupils to gain knowledge about religion and the procedure for studying religion in state and municipal educational institutions will permit the protection of the rights of both believers and nonbelievers and preclude violations of freedom of conscience and of freedom of religious confession. Changes and additions in the legislation of the Russian federation can be made in the form of introducing changes and additions into the Russian federation law "On education" by a separate chapter or in the form of an addition to the Code of the Russian Federation on Education that is now being discussed, or in the form of a separate federal law (with such possible titles as "On religious education," or "On the human right to receiving religious education and guarantees of its implementation")
It seems expedient to establish in the legislation specific legal indicators of secularity (the secular character) of education in state and municipal educational institutions.
In our opinion, it is important to improve the legislation in the following directions:
1. Establishing a system of measures and forms of support by the state of nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations) that conduct educational programs in accordance with state standards; establishing educational financing from the budgets of component elements of the Russian federation for state accredited nongovernmental institutions of general education for their execution of basic educational curricula in accordance with state educational standards; maintenance of standards for exemption of educational institutions, regardless of their organizational legal form, with the exception of entrepreneurial activity, from all forms of taxes on their activity, including payment for land (part 3 of article 40 of Russian law "On education," such a standard is absent from the draft of the Russian Code on Education); establishment for pedagogical workers of nongovernmental educational institutions that have state accreditation of the rights to all social guarantees and privileges established for pedagogical workers of state and municipal educational institutions; equalization of the status of persons studying in nongovernmental educational institutions that have state accreditation with respect to social and academic rights with the status of those studying in state educational institutions, with the exception of the right to receive a state stipend; providing agencies of governmental authority and agencies of local administration the possibility of aiding the educational and other activity of nongovernmental educational institutions (and organizations), including setting minimal levels of rental fees in leases of state or municipally owned buildings (premises), concluded by authorized agencies with nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations); extension to nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations) tax privileges on heating and energy and on payment for communal services for the use of communications services provided for state educational institutions under federal jurisdiction.
2. Establishing in the legislation of the Russian federation a procedure of exercizing the rights of pupils of state and municipal educational institutions to receive religious education in the forms of theological education in higher schools, and of teaching information about religious culture in secondary schools and preschool institutions on a voluntary basis, as well as teaching religion by religious organizations in state and municipal educational institution outside of the framework of the required curriculum.
3. Establishing standards for admission into state and municipal educational institutions of religious education by religious organizations constituting an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia.
4. Establishing the requirement of an obligatory taking account of the position of religious organizations constituting an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia at the time of resolving educational problems that affect them. In particular, establishing the procedure for consulting with religious organizations over textbooks and teaching resources authorized and recommended by the Russian Ministry of Education that contain information about religions that constitute an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia. To avoid ideological one-sidedness and errors in presenting to pupils information about religion it is necessary to establish a procedure and enumeration of instances for the obligatory inclusion of conclusions of experts and taking them into account by state agencies of administration of education, which have been prepared by authorized agencies or representatives of religious organizations.
5. Establishment of standards for state accreditation of institutions of professional religious education (ecclesiastical educational institutions) of religious organizations in the area of their fulfilment of state educational standards.
6. It seems expedient to maintain the requirement of practicing culture-forming training in state and municipal educational institutions, that is, relating the content of education to the cultural and moral traditions, values, and distinctives of Russian society, and directing education to acquainting the individual with the values of Russian and world culture.
10 November 2003
(tr. by PDS, posted 15 December 2003)
Posted on State and Religion in Russia site, 5 December 2003
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More than forty deputies of the State Duma of the third convocation sent a request to Russian Minister of Education Vladimir Filippov and Moscow's elected mayor Yury Luzhkov to introduce "Foundations of Orthodox Culture" into the federal component of education and to remove hindrances to teaching this subject in Moscow. "For several years now the elective "Foundations of Orthodox Culture" subject has been taught successfully in a number of regions of Russia," write the authors of the appeal, whose text was delivered Thursday to Interfax. In their opinion, the subject "is an organic part of national education and is supported by both the pupils, their parents, and pedagogues." In Kursk province, for example, the deputies note that 97% of those questioned expressed support for the teaching of "Foundations." The authors of the appeal state that "everywhere that this subject has been taught--in Moscow, Smolensk, Kursk, Kaliningrad, and many other provinces--practically nobody, including representatives of other traditional religions and nationalities, has opposed it."
The deputies express the opinion that study of the foundations of Orthodox culture "is the best inoculation against moral degradation, alcoholism, and drug addiction which are ensnaring our youth." Regretting that "as a result of pressure and intrigue of a few opponents of 'Foundations of Orthodox Culture,' permission for teaching this subject was reduced from a regional to a school educational component," the deputies who signed the appeal request the ministry to introduce this elective into the federal component of the educational system. The deputies who issued the appeal are members of the interfractional deputies group "In support of traditional spiritual and moral values," which has existed in the State Duma of the third convocation. Some of them were reelected to the lower house of the fourth convocation. The authors of the appeal include the leader of the "Rodina" (Motherland) bloc, Sergei Glaziev, his colleague Alexander Chuev, the first vice chairman of the National party Valery Galchenko, and other deputies. (tr. by PDS, posted 15 December 2003)
Posted on Russkaia liniia site, 12 December 2003
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On 9 December, the Pan-Diaspora Pastoral Conference of ROCOR, which began the day before, continued its work. After the Divine Liturgy in the church of the Protection in Nyack, in which the conference is being held, reports continued in the auditorium of the parish school and a round table and discussion were held, the official site of ROCOR reports.
The second day of the conference was opened by a report by Archpriest Nikolai Artemov (Germany) on the topic "Sergianism and the condition of the Russian Orthodox church according to decree No. 362." Fr Nikolai called for making nonacceptance of "sergianism" "indulgent and more comprehensible for believers in Russia." In his opinion, it is necessary to take account of differences of understanding of several basic concepts that have developed in order to facilitate correction of contradictions between ROCOR and RPTsMP. A number of older priests called attention to earlier letters from councils of ROCOR on the issue of "sergianism," and to the need for clear determinations on this subject, and they also touched on the question of the illegality of discipline by Metropolitan Sergius against those who disagreed with his position.
At the round table on "The Russian Orthodox church (Moscow patriarchate) in the years of soviet rule" four priests spoke. Fr Andrei Papkov (diocese of Eastern America) spoke of the inhuman conditions of life in the militantly atheist country. Archpriest Mikhail Protopopov (diocese of Australia) confirmed this and also reminded conference participants about the parable of the prodigal son. Archpriest Ioann Shaw (diocese of Chicago) shared his opinion about the appearance of "sergianism" outside of Russia, when many did not agree with such phenomena in church and parish life, but were silent. Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov (St. Petersburg, RPTsMP) touched on the question of continuity of church authority in Russia after St. Patriarch Tikhon. He spoke of three tendencies among the opposition to Metr. Sergius. In conclusion Fr Georgy pointed out that RPTsMP now "acknowledges the truth of the ecclesiastical path" of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the catacomb church (in the person of hierarchs who did not accept the way of Metropolitan Sergius, metropolitans Agafangel, Kirill, and others) and the best evidence of this, he said, is the fact that opponents of the way of Metropolitan Sergius were enrolled in the canon of saints by the Moscow patriarchate. The glorification of these saints in 2000 was a turning point in the ecclesiology of RPTsMP. In the course of discussion, the following questions were touched upon: the juridical "rehabilitation" of new martyrs, the attitude of RPTsMP to the White movement, Russian Liberation Army, and Russian Corps, as well as the trip of the delegation of the Moscow patriarchate to ecumenical worship in Assisi.
After lunch Archpriest Peter Perekrestov (diocese of Western America) presented the views of the holy prelate Ioann, the Shanghai and San Francisco wonder worker, on the Russian church in the 20th century. Fr Peter noted three basic propositions that penetrate the thoughts of St. Ioann with regard to the church in general and the Russian church in particular: 1) the church is universal and one of its main tasks is to spread the faith of Christ among those who do not yet know the truth, 2) the gates of hell will not overcome the church despite all heresies and schisms and despite the unworthiness and apostasy of many of the even most highly places ministers of the church, and 3) the council of the ungodly took possession of Russia but through repentance and renewal it will arise again.
Conference participants went to the synodal cathedral of the Presentation in New York for the all-night vigil on the occasion of the patronal feast in honor of the miracle-working Kursk Mother of God icon. One hundred forty priests greeted Metropolitan Laurus. The vigil was served by Archpresbyter Valery Lukianov. At the time of the polyeleos Metropolitan Laurus exited with a host of archpastors and priests. A song of praise was sung to the Mother of God and to St. Serafim of Sarov. A special icon had been painted for the holiday, the healing of the young Prokhor (the future St. Serafim) before the Kursk icon. Before the veneration of the icons the first hierarch delivered a sermon devoted to the holiday.
On 10 December the liturgy was concelebrated with Metropolitan Laurus by Archbishop of Berlin and Germany Mark, Archbishop of Sidney, Australia and New Zealand Ilarion and bishops Kirill of San Francisco and Western America, Ambrose of Geneva and Western Europe, Evtikhy of Ishim and Siberia, Alexander of Buenos Aires and South American, Gavriil of Manhattan, Mikhail of Boston, Agapit of Stuttgart, and Peter of Cleveland. At the minor entrance the treasurer of the synodal cathedral Fr Andrei Sommer was awarded the rank of archpriest and synodal priest Fr Serafim Gan was awarded a gold pectoral cross.
After the song of prayer to the Mother of God and St. Serafim, a festive meal was held in the hall of the synodal building. At the meal Metropolitan Laurus gave festal greetings to all and reminded all of the words of St. Serafim: "Save yourself and thousands around you will be saved." (tr. by PDS, posted 12 December 2003)
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Ceremonies devoted to the 90th anniversary of the first Pentecostal congregation in Russia were held 10 December in the office of the Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith--Pentecostals (KhVEP) in Moscow.
As "Blagovest-info" reported, citing the information department of the Union of KhVEP, representatives of various protestant churches from Russia and abroad and representatives of agencies of state authority attended the festival session, including Alexander Sarychev from the staff of the Presidential Administration of Russian federation and Mikhail Odintsov from the staff of the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights in RF. The president of the Union of KhVEP in Russia, Bishop Pavel Okara, and his first deputy, Pavel Bak, delivered addresses of greetings to those assembled. The president of the Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, Bishop Sergei Riakhovsky, gave jubilee greetings to those assembled. A congratulatory letter from the president of the West Russian Union of Seventh-day Adventists, Vasily Stoliar, was read by the director of the Department for Public Relations of this union, Viktor Vitko. The director of the Slavic Legal Center, Vladimir Riakhovsky and director of the Institute of Religion and Law, Anatoly Pchelintsev, also spoke.
All of the speakers assessed the jubilee of the Pentecostal church as a general holiday for all protestant churches of Russia. Forum participants spoke about the need for uniting efforts and fruitful cooperation and mutual aid. Sergei Riakhovsky noted especially the successful cooperation in working out the "Social Doctrine of Evangelical Christians of Russia," which will be presented on 18 December.
The first Pentecostal organization on the territory of the Russian empire arose in 1907, in Finland, which was a part of the St. Petersburg province. The first Pentecostal congregation in the capital of the empire appeared in 1913. At the present time, 1350 congregations with a total of more than 300,000 parishioners are registered in Russia.
The jubilee celebrations were the occasion for drawing conclusions. Those assembled spoke about the active participation of Pentecostals in resolving the most acute social problems: the struggle with drug addiction, preventing the spread of AIDS, and aid for the homeless, orphans, and prisoners. At the present time in various regions of the Russian federation 123 rehabilitation centers are functioning. In them not only drug and alcohol dependent people undergo rehabilitation and return to useful life, but also persons without a permanent place of residence. Hundreds of volunteers take the gospel and words of consolation into prisons. Every summer hundreds of Christian camps are set up to which children from underprivileged families are invited. Visitation and delivery of free help to homes for the elderly, children's homes, and prisons are a regular practice of churches of the union.
As the web site of the Union of KhVEP (www.hve.ru) reports, the celebrations in Moscow were a distinctive climax of the jubilee events that were conducted during 2003 in the Far East, Siberia, Urals, and in republics and national regions. Jubilee worship services that were held in the largest stadiums and playing fields of the country were attended by tens of thousands of persons. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 December 2003)
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This news item was inauthentic. RRN has been informed by sources within ROCOR and by Portal-credo.ru that this story was based on a satirical piece. RRN also has been informed by someone claiming to be the author of the satirical piece that there is no truth to the story. Portal-credo.ru has removed the original item and requested the RRN remove the translation. That has been done. (posted 12 December 2003)
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