I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF RUSSIA
Pravoslavnyi Sankt-Peterburg, no. 3 (1997).

Answers from the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Alexis II to questions from the editors of the newspaper Orthodox Saint Petersburg

Q. Many Orthodox now are anxious about the question regarding the adoption of a new law on a state religion. Can we find out what this is about?

A. Recently the State Duma adopted on first reading the draft of the law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations," which now is being worked out. It does not contain any provision for a state religion. This is not provided for in the current constitution of Russia and the holy leadership of the church itself, as I frequently said, does not strive for its establishment as a state religion.

The draft of the new law is being worked out in a rather complex fashion. The church even today considers that many of its provisions are far from ideal. It is necessary to have more fundamental regulation of the activity of short-term and foreign religious organizations in Russia, and to defend the individual and society from the attack of pseudoreligions. The provision regarding the tax status of existing religions needs to be clarified. In all these questions now there are ongoing consultations between the church and the leaders of the legislature of the country. One hopes that the new law will be enacted in a form that is acceptable to the church, the more so because the present legislation "On Freedom of Religious Confessions" is obsolete.

Q. How about all these prophecies that are being spread around now about the rebirth of Russia and about the end of the world?

A. We have received the predictions of Saint Serafim of Sarov about the imminent spiritual resurrection of the country. And Saint John of Kronstat wrote: "I believe in a good future for Russia and for Orthodoxy on the basis, in the first place, of the general concept of the providence of God for His church and, in the second place, in particular, on the basis of the prophecies of Daniel, spoken on the occasion of his interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of the enormous figure made of various metals." The church believes in the fulfilment of these words of these seers, the more so that each of us is a witness to the current rebirth of the church of Russia which really amounts to a second baptism of Rus.

No one knows how much time the Lord has allotted to us for repentance and good works. But we must use each day and hour of the time for the glory of God so that by words and deeds we may establish his church. I am amazed by people who, speaking about the apocalyptic expectations, give way to despair and affirm that Christian labor is unnecessary. The coming of the Lord is a great secret. "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his hand," the Savior says. Expecting the fulfilment of the times, we must labor for our salvation and the transformation of the surrounding world. We recall the words of the ancient song: "Behold the bridgroom comes at midnight and blessed is that servent whom he finds watching and unworthy is the one whom he finds sleeping"

Q. How do we reconcile the practice of the ancient Orthodox traditions with a response to contemporary problems?

A. The apostle Peter writes: "Beloved. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts that destroy the soul and conduct a righteous life among the heathen so that even if they speak evil of you they will glorify God in the day of visitation" As pilgrims in this world, members of the church, the secret Body of Christ, we always have a certain tension with the surrounding society. But all our lives we must testify to this society about Christ. The church, the liturgy, the prayers, all of these are our refuge among the stormy waves of life's sea. And, filled with the peaceful spirit of the Lord, we continue to sail over these waves inorder to bear the light of Christ near and far, remembering that it is no accident that the Lord has placed us in this world.

Q. What concrete will be undertaken to help the rural parishes which are now in difficult circumstances?

A. I know well the difficult situation of many parishes of our church, especially in places where churches that were turned over in decrepit condition are being restored. Unfortunately the general church budget today is extremely modest and thus we are not in a condition to held materially each parish. I hope that there can be more cooperation for reviving parish life from diocesan and local civil authorities and the new merchant class. The church leadership will continue to appeal to the state leadership for allotting it means for the restoration of church and other buildings that are architectual monuments.

Q. Many churches and monasteries are being reborn. Will the quantity be transformed into quality? Is the not a danger of a merely external splendor?

A. Church life always begins with the church building and with the liturgy. This is why it is so important that everywhere Orthodox parishes are formed the church buildings must be restored, and that is unthinkable without splendid construction. However parish and monastery life is not restricted to the restoration of the buildings. If everywhere divine services are being conducted there are church schools, catechetical and missionary work, and charitable ministry, then hundreds and thousands of people will be drawn to church life and this life will become robust.

Q. Your Holiness, you administered our diocese for several years. What seems to you to be the distinctiveness of the church life of St. Petersburg?

A. Four years of service as the ruling bishop of St. Petersburg left in me the best of impressions. This was the time of the beginning of the active regeneration of church life. In those years the holy relics of the blessed prince Saint Alexander Nevsky, Saints Zosima, Savvaty, and German of Solovki, Saint Ioasaf of Gelgorod and Saint Serafim of Sarov were returned to the church. In this period, not without difficulties, the Saint John monastery on Karpov, Holy Transfiguration monastery of Valaam, and the chapel of the Blessed Kseniia of Petersburg were opened. We received special uplifting when we celebrated the glorification of saints Kseniia and John of Kronstadt. All these happy experiences united the ruling bishop, clergy, and believers of the diocese in a special way because they worshiped and worked together for the regeneration of Christ's church. I shall never forget this uplift that we experienced in these years.

The northern capital always played a special role in the life of Russia and the Russian church. It has unique churches, unlike those elsewhere in the country. The supreme church authority resided here from the beginning of the eighteenth to the beginning of the twentieth centuries, and that tied the city to the important milestones of church history of that period. This is why St. Petersburg must be a good example of church ministry in all areas, in construction of churches, conduct of services, preservation of the traditions, mission, education, and works of charity.

Q. How do you feel about Orthodox publications that are formally outside the purview of church administration but voluntarily are subordinate to church discipline, like our paper?

A. Those media, which have the church's blessing--in Moscow from the church administration and in the dioceses from the ruling bishops--must adhere firmly to the spirit and letter of church orders and they must not enter into the political struggle on any side but must objectively and in the spirit of peace report church life. Those that do not have such a blessing cannot even speak in the name of the church or diocese. The only central official publication of the church in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. Unfortunately, the approach I have described is not always observed and I encourage all to follow it strictly.

Q. Can the church censorship control actions that are intended to "cleanse" Orthodoxy? In our city several theological organizations, the radio station Teos, for example, are doing this.

A. What I have said also applies to the parachurch public organizations. Of course, we cannot censor the publications and actions that are outside of the structure of the church. But if some organization calls itself Orthodox, or of the church, it must seek the blessing of the canonical church leadership. Otherwise the church can declare that any activity, even if a priest participates, does not have anything to do with the church.

Q. In our diocese there is no press secretary nor the possiblity to get reliable information. What do you think can be done about this?

A. A press secretary is not required in diocesan administration. We do not have this service even at the patriarchate. The church does not have to copy secular structures. But one of the obligations of the diocesan authority is to disseminate needed information about church life and the press can adress the diocesan administration on any matter. Now the regular publication of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate has been set right. Of course, its correspondents cannot be in every diocese continually, but I hope that by the efforts of the diocesan administrations the office will get sufficient information so that from our official journal they can acquire all the is needed.

Besides this, we have just worked out a new agreement of cooperation between the publications council of the Moscow patriarchate and ITAR-TASS news servise for the joint publication of a bulletin with information about the life of Orthodoxy using ITAR-TASS technology. The bulletin is intended for use not only by the church but also other signatories. We still do not know how this experiment will work, but the worth and variety of the information in the bulletin will depend on local diocesan administrations and correspondents.

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