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A long-desired trip by Pope John Paul II to Russia could only occur if the Vatican renounces efforts to expand Rome-affiliated churches in traditional Christian Orthodox areas, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said.
The condition set by Patriarch Alexy II - contained Tuesday in a reply to questions from The Associated Press - reinforces previous statements and suggests Russian Orthodox leaders have not been swayed by recent Vatican overtures that have included the return of an important icon and the relics of two Orthodox saints.
Before a papal visit to Russia can be considered, "it is essential to renounce the proselytism which is being carried out ... by numerous representatives of the Catholic clergy," Alexy wrote in response to the AP's questions.
Eastern Rite churches - which retain Orthodox traditions but are loyal to the Vatican - are one of the thorniest issues blocking attempts to heal the nearly 1,000-year-old division between the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics and more than 200 million Orthodox.
The churches have grown since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and many senior Orthodox clergy accuse the Vatican of trying to encroach on historic Orthodox lands. Alexy said the Eastern Rite churches "only deepen the divisions between Orthodox and Catholics."
But the pope has pushed ahead with attempts to reach out to Orthodox. He has made a series of history-making trips into mostly Orthodox nations since the late 1990s and conducted joint worship with the world's Orthodox spiritual leader, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
Yet Russia, the most populous Orthodox nation, has remained closed to the ailing, 84-year-old pontiff, who has sharply cut back on his travels in recent years.
Alexy offered little hope the door could open. Beside a demand for a Vatican declaration on its Eastern Rite policies, Alexy stressed the importance to "normalize" the church disputes in Ukraine, where the pope visited in 2001.
The Russian Orthodox Church is angered by possible moves by the Vatican to give patriarchate status to Greek Catholics, an Eastern Rite church that has expanded into traditionally Orthodox eastern and southern Ukraine.
Alexy called it part of "unfriendly activities toward the Russian Orthodox Church."
"The concrete problems which stand between us and complicate the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue ought to be discussed and resolved in practice," he wrote.
But he welcomed the latest Vatican acts as a possible "sign of readiness" to advance discussions.
In August, the Vatican sent back to Moscow an 18th-century replica of the Mother of God of Kazan icon, a work that first appeared in the Volga River city of Kazan in 1579 and is revered by many Russian believers. The copy of the icon was smuggled to the West after the 1917 Russian Revolution and had hung in the pope's private chapel.
In November, the Vatican returned the relics of two 4th-century Orthodox saints to Istanbul, the former Byzantine capital, then called Constantinople, and the seat of the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch. (copyright The Associated Press, posted 11 January 2005)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for the Christmas liturgy at the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God that is located approximately 150 kilometers to the north of Moscow, in the village of Gorodnya. According to tradition, for Christmas the head of state attends churches in small Russian cities.
As a correspondent for the Interfax news agency reported, the divine liturgy was led by the rector of the church, Archpriest Aleksei Zlobin.
Putin arrived in Gorodnya shortly before midnight. The president gave Christmas greetings to residents of the village who had assembled at the church. The small church could not accommodate all of those who arrived for the holiday
The head of state was greeted at the doors of the church by the rector. The president and Archpriest Aleksei walked together to the monument to those who perished in the Great Patriotic war. The president laid a bouquet of flowers on the monument and then went into the church.
The head of state was not accompanied by government officials from either the capital or the local regions. Only residents of Gorodnya gathered at the church, for whom the arrival of the president came as a surprise.
When the service was concluded the president left the church and again walked over to the villagers and wished them Christmas greetings.
The church in Gorodnya is almost 600 years old. It is the only completely preserved structure of the end of the fourteenth and beginning of the fifteenth century on the territory of Tver province, ITAR-TASS reports. The church has been restored several times, during which unique Tver frescos from the fifteenth century were discovered. Serious damage was inflicted on the church during the Great Patriotic war. Now near the church, in the cemetery, there is a modest monument with the figure of a soldier with bowed head at whose feet is a marble plaque with the names of solders, sergeants, and officers who perished during the war. In the post war years repairs were made to strengthen the walls and roof of the church, but this could only partially delay the growing damage. Extensive restoration work began at the start of the 1970s and was completed in the 1980s.
Archpriest Aleksei Zlobin has been the rector of the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God for the past thirty years. On his initiative a parish school and Orthodox secondary school were established in the church. The village of Gorodnya is located in the southeast of Tver privince, in Konakovsky district. It is located at the site of an ancient Slavic town. Archaeological investigations have shown that people lived in these spots during the neolithic and bronze eras, 2,000-3,000 years before our time. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the ancient Russian city of Vertiazin was located here.
Vertiazin was the center of a small appenage principality and later it belonged to the princes of Tver. After being united to Moscow, Gorodnya retained importance as a strong center of feudal landholding and trade. In the sixteenth century in and around Gorodnya there were six monasteries and a stone cathedral church. The village also left its mark on Russian literature. It is mentioned in the book by Alexander Radishchev "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow," which contains a chapter titled "Gorodnya."
Earlier today Vladimir Putin met Patriarch Alexis II in the Kremlin. The head of state greeted the patriarch and all Orthodox Christians on the occasion of the upcoming new year and Christmas. He wished everyone the very best for this glorious holiday and for the coming months. In his turn, the patriarch expressed the hope that the coming year will be more tranquil and successful than the past one.
The head of the Russian Orthodox church also wished Vladimir Putin and all Russians the very best on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas. In greeting Orthodox Christians today Vladimir Putin stressed that "the Christmas holiday gives millions of Russians joy and hope and reenforces traditional moral values." "The Russian Orthodox church and other traditional Christian confessions play an important role in preserving the spiritual foundations of society and in consolidating civil peace and educating the rising generation. And this fruitful activity deserves the greatest respect and support," the president noted.
Putin also sent Christmas greetings to Patriarch Alexis II. "The glorious holiday of Christmas," the letter from the head of state said, in particular, "is precious to millions of Russians. In these days the concern of the Russian Orthodox church for strengthening the spiritual and moral foundations and promoting mutual respect, tolerance, and charity in society has flourished. The educational and charitable activity of the church and your personal efforts directed to the development of interconfessional dialogue and constructive cooperation between the Russian Orthodox church and agencies of the state deserve the highest esteem and support." (tr. by PDS, posted 7 January 2005)
PATRIARCH CALLS 2004 A HARD YEAR
Moscow Times 11 January 2005
Patriarch Alexy II offered blessings and prayers on Orthodox Christmas and, in a reference to the Beslan school attack, noted that 2004 had been a difficult year. "Flouting everything that is holy in their impious madness, terrorists raised their hands against children. The deaths of innocent victims has become our common grief and filled our hearts with pain and sorrow," he said at a midnight service attended by 11,000 people, including Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, at the Christ the Savior Cathedral.
"But at the same time, the horrible tragedy has shown that moral ideals are alive in the people: Facing death, many people manifested high examples of sacrificial love for their neighbors, laying down their lives for their friends, as the Holy Scripture says," he said.
The patriarch also addressed Christians worldwide and people of other faiths, saying, "Let us work together for the sake of peace and the prosperity of our peoples." Christmas falls on Jan. 7 for Orthodox Christians in Russia.
President Vladimir Putin attended a midnight service in Gorodnia, a village in Tver, 150 kilometers north of Moscow. On Christmas Day, he attended a children's concert in Klin.
Putin offered Christmas greetings to the patriarch in the Kremlin on Thursday.
"I want to again wish you a Merry Christmas, happiness and health to you and all the Orthodox Christians, to all the people who will be observing this holy holiday," Putin said. (posted 11 January 2005)
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