RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
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Favorable ruling for Salvation Army
SALVATION ARMY PERMITTED TO CARE FOR RUSSIAN POOR;OR HOW THE EUROPEAN COURT ON HUMAN RIGHTS EXPOSED THE ILLEGALITY OF RUSSIAN JURISPRUDENCE
by Mikhail Sitnikov
Portal-credo.ru, 26 October 2006
Few reporters showed up at a press concference on the topic "European Court for Human Rights and the Salvation Army in Russia," which was held at the Independent Press Center in Moscow on 25 October. It turned out that this event conflicted with a "direct line" by Vladimir Putin which was conducted by him with Russians and representatives of the new media in question-answer format. After all, it is of course interesting to communication with the president at such an event, and this for a fifth time. But those representatives of the media who preferred to meet with the leadership of the Salvation Army of Russia and the Slavic Legal Center, certaining did not lose out. The meeting, despite the sad conclusions presented, was a very rare phenomenon for Russia.
Participants in the press conference included the associate director of the Salvation Army in Russia, Lt. Alister Herring, Major Alexander Kharkov, and the co-directors of the Slavic Legal Center, Attorney Anatoly Pchelintsev and Vladimir Riakhovsky.
The occasion for which this event was set up was the decision of the European Court on Human Rights at Strasbourg on 5 October 2006 that the situation of the Moscow detachment of the Salvation Army was a violation of article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of assembly and association), understood in light of article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience, and religion), mentioned in the Convention. As a result the court ruled that the defendant government, the Russian federation, is obliged to pay the Moscow detachment of the Salvation Army 10,000 Euros as compensation for moral injury. In addition the court ruled that "in refusing registration to the Moscow detachment of the Salvation Army, Moscow authorities acted in bad faith and neglected to fulfill their obligations to maintain neutrality and to be disinterested with regard to a religious association." Simply put, the violated existing Russian legislation which must now be corrected in due time. That is, to rescind the illegal decisions of the Presnensky district court of the city of Moscow, as the result of which the detachment of the Salvation Army was denied registration.
That the European Court on Human Rights found Russian jurisprudence and the state in violation of Russian legislation is in itself an unprecedented event. But it seems that this in only the first of a number of investigations by the forces of international justice into legal proceedings and administrative arbitrariness in Russia. In addition, the act of the Russian court of 12 September 2001 liquidating the organization of the Moscow detachment of the Salvation Army and removing it from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities was amazing. In the opinion of representatives of domestic jurisprudence, the protestant organization which specializes in social service (helping the needy and sick and homeless children) is a "militarized organization," since its members wear military uniforms and are enrolled in an "army," that is, the Salvation Army. The court then ruled that the use of the word "army" for a religious organization is impermissible, apparently because it was ignorant that the most traditional confession of Russia also has similar terms, for example, the "heavenly host."
Lt. Alister Herring, a foreigner, was extremely restrained in his assessment of the entire precedent as a whole. In his statement he stressed, in the main, that the leadership of the Salvation Army is quite satisfied, in the first place, that impediments for the continuation of the activity of this religious organization in Russia will be removed, thanks to the decision of the European court. The sum of 10,000 Euros, if it actually is forthcoming from the Russian federation for the Salvation Army's benefit will, he said, be "spent to the very last cent on providing help in the upcoming winter for poverty-stricken and homeless Muscovites." It is clear that this sum is nowhere near the court expenses incurred by this organization over the course of seven (!) years trying to prove that it is not an espionage organization and that the Salvation Army is not organizing an attempt to overthrow the governmental structure of the Russian federation, and that the one thousand of its workers do not bear arms, but rather are feeding and curing Russian "bums," homeless persons, and old folks. Nevertheless, the moral satisfaction of this victory for justice is worth more than all the expenses.
The second in command of the army, Alexander Kharkov, in contrast to his colleague, had difficulty restraining his emotions. He began his address with a statement that despite the European court's decision, he will never be able to overcome his "amazement" and shame over the incompetence manifested in the actions of Russian bureaucrats and officials of the judicial system. "Back in 2001 when the appeal of the Salvation Army arrived at the European court," he said, "they opened wide their eyes and mocked all of thisÑthe situation and the bases upon which the Russian court rendered its decisions. They ridiculed not merely the specific persons but the whole Russian procedures. And that ridiculed Russia." Actually, it might be okay we were dealing with some exotic religious organization whose actions are hidden or accompanied by some kind of frightful myths. But in this case they are making accusations against a world famous protestant charitable organization which has existed since the nineteenth century and has aided victims of suffering upon all of the continents.
Alexander Kharkov also described manifestations that usually accompany such judicial decisions as the one rendered by the Presnensky court. That is, the organized persecution of the Salvation Army by means of the dominant news media. The religious organization was entered into Dvorkin's list of "harmful sects," and the claim that it is a "foreign military formation on Russian territory" was made in a textbook used by tenth graders in Russian schools. Now, on the basis of the European court's decision, all of this is to be corrected. Although a month has passed since the time of the rendering of the decision and official agencies of the Russian federation have been silent.
Attorney Vladimir Riakhovsky told reporters how difficult it has been to overcome the incompetence of the administration and the Russian court during the time when the campaign to liquidate the Salvation Army in Russia was just beginning. And how they had to deal with legal experts who were unacceptably stubborn in trying to prove that, in essence, nonsense is nonsense. In the course of the campaign, responsible officials of the administration of the capital, the Moscow Department of Justice, and the Russian Ministry of Justice did not hide the fact that they acknowledged the absurdity of what was going on, but they were acting legally so as not to go against any intention to chase the Salvation Army out of Russia.
In analyzing the situation as a whole, Afforney Anatoly Pchelintsev also was not able to keep himself from characterizing everything that has happened with regard to the Salvation Army on the part of the administration and the Russian courts as "scandalous misunderstanding." To a question by a "Portal Credo.ru" correspondent regarding how much effect the precedent of the European court's exposure of the Russian practice of debunking the law and of the incompetence of officials, he responded: "I think that you have started off correctly in speaking of 'incompetence.' But one has to struggle continually and long against this incompetence, and try to do this with maximum effect. It is important that everybody deal with this in their own turn: reporters giving objective accounts of what happens, we attorneys doing our work, and scholars doing theirs. In recent times one can talk frankly about this: an organized information war is going on against religious minorities. And at the present moment religious minorities are losing this war. Because the enemies of freedom of conscience, of the law, and of democracy have the state television channels and powerful corporations of the other mass media on their side. Thus, the lie is being produced in great quantities; but still we must oppose this steadfastly. When we had occasion to describe the situation of the Salvation Army at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, people openly expressed ridicule. Diplomats, who should never permit themselves to do so, simply were unable to restrain themselves. They asked: "What's going on over there in Russia? Do you have any sane people at all?" I was embarrassed; but what could I say. I just threw up my hands. I think that, despite all the absurdity of this thing, we face a serious and difficult struggle. Of course I don't want to repeat such trivial things, but Moses led his people for forty yearsÑremember? And we are still back in the soviet past and people's way of thinking changes very, very slowly."
In addition, Pchelintsev reported that the European Court on Human Rights has already accepted for review another five similar cases which, in his opinion, also will be satisfied. Thus one can say that the disorders occurring in Russiahave upset not only the international community but also the most competent of European expert organizations in the area of law. Throughout history there have been no cases of ignoring the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights yet, but the sanctions which are foreseen for such are rather serious. The attorney clarified that this could mean the exclusion of the Russian federation from the Council of Europe. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 October 2006)
RUSSIA MUST HONOR STRASBOURG COURT'S SALVATION ARMY RULING - LAWYER
Interfax, 25 October 2006
Russia must honor the European Court of Human Rights ruling on the Salvation Army or face serious sanctions, attorney Anatoly Pchelintsev, co-chairman of the Slavic Law Center, told a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
"If Russia does not abide by the European court's ruling, it may face very serious sanctions, including its exclusion from the Council of Europe," he said.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled in favor of the Salvation Army's lawsuit in early October, ordering the Russian authorities to pay 10,000 euros as compensation to the organization's Moscow office. In 2001, the Russian authorities annulled Salvation Army's registration, citing the fact the organization is a semi-military entity, which was supported from abroad and had violated Russian legislation.
"Religious minorities have been systematically discredited" in Russia, Pchelintsev said, blaming "the extremely poor knowledge of religions among civil servants."
Pchelintsev said he is surprised that the Salvation Army is still considered in Russia to be a paramilitary organization.
"We are a part of Russia's culture," Salvation Army Russian office deputy head Alexander Kharkov said.
"However, we are regarded as a sect. We are experiencing enormous pressure in the regions. We are constantly doing our best to accomplish two tasks: to speak about God and to help people," he said.
There are approximately 2 million Salvation Army activists worldwide, Kharkov said. Some 1,000 of this organization's members are engaged in implementing social charity projects, working with underprivileged children and helping the poor in Russia, he said. Seventeen Salvation Army offices operate in Russia, including two in Moscow, he added. (posted 27 October 2006)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Reunification of Russian church nearer
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH COULD UNITE IN 2007Interfax, 27 October 2006
The final restoration of unity of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) with the Moscow Patriarchate will probably come next year. The signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the two parts of the Russian Church is expected to take place in Moscow.
This is the outcome of the 8th meeting of the negotiation commissions of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Outside Russia, which completed its work in Cologne Thursday night, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, who participated in the meeting, has informed Interfax.
The work of the commissions, which has lasted for two and a half years, is probably drawing to a close, he added.
According to the priest, the recent meeting of the commissions worked out proposals for the date and order of signing the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the ROCOR adopted by the Synods in Moscow and New York earlier this year. The final date of the signing ceremony is to be determined by the Synods of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Church Outside Russia in coming December.
According to Father Nikolay, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate commission, the commissions have completed the consideration of questions they were instructed to examine after negotiations the head of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, held during his visit to Russia in May 2004. Agreed statements have been drafted on all issues submitted to the BishopsÕ Synods or Councils and adopted by them.
The remaining issues to be agreed upon include clarification of the status of the clergy who once transferred from the Moscow Patriarchate or other Orthodox Churches to the jurisdiction of the Church Outside Russia without observing the prescribed canonical procedure and the status of the parishes which the Church Outside Russia opened in the 20th century last decade in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries.
The commissionsÕ proposals for all these issues are to be considered by the ROCOR BishopsÕ Synod on December 9. The Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate will meet some time later - in the last week of this year.
ÔMost probably, the final restoration of the full canonical unity of the Church inside and outside Russia will take place next yearÕ, Father Nikolay said.
The priest believes this event will become one of the most vivid pages in Russian church history and attract much attention in society.
ÔChurch unity is the spiritual foundation of the unity of our people. We are restoring the link of times disrupted by the Russian catastrophe. And this cannot but make our hearts tremble with emotion. We anticipate this joyful and solemn day when our patriarch and hierarchs of the Russian diaspora will celebrate the liturgy together for the first timeÕ, the secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate commission said.
The Moscow Patriarchate commission is directed by Archbishop Innokenty (Vasilyev) of Korsun. The commission of the Russian Church outside Russia is led by Archbishop Mark (Arndt) of Berlin and Germany.
The commissions were set up in December 2003 and began their joint work in June 2004. (posted 27 October 2006)
METROPOLITAN LAURUS CALLS TO HAND DOWN GREAT HERITAGE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH TO ALL RUSSIAN PEOPLE
Interfax, 25 October 2006
The first hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia reminded the faithful of their great duty of rendering service to Russia.
ÔThe Russian diaspora has always sought to render service to Russia not only by preserving her spirit outside the Motherland but also handing down both to compatriots and local populations the great heritage we have received from our ancestors who lived by sacred Russian idealsÕ, Metropolitan Laurus says in his message to the Congress of Compatriots held in St. Petersburg.
The metropolitan noted that in the years of godless rule, Russian emigres, Ôbeing freeÕ, had an opportunity to preserve the faith of Christ and the Church, language and culture, Ôto speak the truth about the persecution against Orthodox Christians and to bring religious literature to RussiaÕ.
ÔNow the time has come for us to unite efforts in the new situation to restore what was destroyed and to hand down to all Russian people the great heritage Ð both the heritage which has been preserved in the emigration and the heritage which has been preserved here in RussiaÕ, Metropolitan Laurus stresses in his messages published by the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
The ROCOR first hierarch has called the faithful to render service to Holy Russia. ÔThe saints who shone forth in our Russian land call us to this great task by their personal example. Our Motherland calls us to this task. The Lord calls us to this task!Õ the metropolitan reminded the congress. (posted 27 October 2006)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Topic: Teaching religion in schools
RUSSIAN MINISTER OF EDUCATION PROPOSES RENAMING "FOUNDATIONS OF ORTHODOX CULTURE"Religiia v svetskom obshchestve, 13 October 2006
Minister of Education Andrew Fursenko has again spoken out on "Foundations of Orthodox Culture." In an interview with Nezavisimaia gazeta he complained that "nowadays the essence of the subject (it is culturological) is not being discussed, but attention is being concentrated on the name."
"In places where the history of Orthodoxy and the sources of Orthodox culture are being taught normally and where there are good textbooks, no problems have arisen," the minister said. "Just pick up the Orthodox Encyclopedia; there you will read outstanding articles about the history of Islam, Buddhism, and about other religions. It turns out that the whole issue is the title. If the course were called 'History of Religions,' then, in my view, the tension in society would disappear. After all, the subject is culture studies and does not recall 'The Law of God.'"
The head of the Ministry of Education does not agree with the claim that "teaching of this subject must be grounded in faith or else it would not deal with morality. Even atheist education presupposes the existence of moral standards and ethical principles." In the event that a school's curriculum included subjects that "are in violation of legislation," Fursenko recalled, "the appropriate academic supervisory services in the province can initiate a case in court in order to return the teaching to legality."
In the same interview, the minister reported that the possibility of teaching school children about human rights is under review: "Such a subject is needed, and classes should discuss with pupils the problems of toleration and of the obligations and freedoms of human rights." (tr. by PDS, posted 16 October 2006)
Russia Religion News Current News Items
Catholic bishop denies statements attributed to him
STATEMENT OF THE ORDINARY OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLEMENT, BISHOP KLEMENS PIKKELInterfax, 16 October 2006
Recently there appeared in the mass media a report that in my interview with the Catholic news agency CNS I supposedly criticized the intention of the Russian Orthodox church to construct a church building on the site of the Beslan tragedy.
I am issuing a decisive protest with regard to such an interpretation of my words. I never made such categorical statements. Moreover, in the context of my interview I supported the idea of the construction of an Orthodox church beside the school complex, and I stressed the enormous role the Russian Orthodox church plays in the work in this region. In addition, I did not receive a text of the interview for my authorization, although the reported promised me that he would send it. Thus all the information presented by the CNS agency as being my position is completely the subjective interpretation of the reporter who questioned me, and it in no way expresses my opinion.
I want to emphasize my support for the idea of constructing an Orthodox church at the site of the Beslan tragedy beside the school complex. I also want to emphasize the good experience of cooperation between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches in this region. In particular, my recent meetings with representatives of the Moscow patriarchate in Northern Osetia were exceptionally constructive and friendly. I hope that the staff of such a solid agency as CNS will henceforth be more responsible with regard to their articles.
15 October 2006
(tr. by PDS, posted 16 October 2006)
See earlier reports, "Catholic-Orthodox tensions remain"
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