Future posts will be on Remnant ROCOR blog which is a continuation of ROCOR Refugees blog.
*click here*
Moscow City Court declared illegal the termination of the criminal case of the murder of Nicholas II and his family
| May 12 2010, 17:22 | |||
| Moscow City Court has declared illegal the termination of the criminal case of the murder of Nicholas II and his family. Thus, the court granted the appeal lawyer Herman Lukyanov, representing the interests of the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova. According to the decision of cassation, the case materials will be returned to the court of first instance and re-examined in a different composition. After the meeting, Mr. Lukyanov said InterfaxThat does not consider the transfer of the case back to the Basmanny court tightening process. "The duration of the legal process demonstrates the complexity of the case. We will treat this properly." We hope that the new case our evidence will be given a fair assessment, "- the lawyer said. He does not intend to submit new evidence to re-process in the Basmanny court. "We have the most important evidence - the ruling of the Supreme Court, which recognizes neither prosecutors nor the UPC, as they do not give him estimates", - he added. As reported, on March 19 Basmanny Court of Moscow dismissed a complaint G. Lukyanov, upheld the decision to dismiss the criminal case of the murder of the emperor and his family. "The court took the position of Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor's Office and does not take into account the decision of the Supreme Court, which decided to exonerate Nicholas II and his family" - said then to Interfax G. Lukyanov. October 1, 2008 the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia agreed on the rehabilitation of Nicholas II and his family, January 15, 2009 was adopted by a court order to terminate the criminal case of murder of the Romanov family. House of the Romanovs did not agree with the conclusions of the UPC that members of the royal family were victims of common criminals, believing that the Romanovs were deprived of life, on behalf of the state. | |||
Share the Fate of the Persecuted Church
IRREVOCABLE SENTENCE OVER THE COMMUNIST POWER AND THOSE WHO COMMUNE WITH IT Orthodox Life, September 1961
Has anyone the slightest doubt that Patriarch Tikhon was a lawful Patriarch of the Russian Church and that the Council of 1917-1918 assembled in Moscow after the fall of the Tzarist power, was a lawful Council?
How then did the Church, in the person of Patriarch Tikhon and the Moscow Council, evaluate the power which took possession of Russia? Below we reproduce the precise text of the Epistle of Patriarch Tikhon and the decision of the Moscow Council, which confirm it. Their meaning is precise and clear. Anathema is declared, i.e. ex-communication from the Church -- the solemn witnessing of such an estrangement from the Church, of such warfare against Her, of such violence over the children of the Church, that all communion for members of the Church, with the bearers of this power becomes inadmissible and is regarded then as something tantamount to the estrangement from the Church of themselves. In relation to the representatives of such power not only avoidance of communion with them is presumed but, directly and unequivocally, the struggle for the Church, with readiness of suffering for Her.
For the faithful, if they wish to remain faithful, only one thing is recommended: to share the fate of the persecuted Church, absolutely merging with Her and placing themselves under God's protection. On the contrary, everyone who solidarize themselves with the power which has fallen under Anathema for the persecution raised by it against the Church, adhere to the "wicked," accomplishing this persecution, and thus fall under that interdiction of the Church, just the same as the persecutors.
If Patriarch Tikhon himself, later on, when the Soviet power affirmed itself, had intercourse with it, he considered it as his personal sin, which he took upon himself in order to cover his flock with his own self, and so to preserve their independence from the communists. And if any thing was announced in his name unacceptable for the conscience of the Church -- he felt himself only consoled when that was not executed, since everyone knew it was done under compulsion and consequently did not emanate from the Church. Patriarch Tikhon presumed that his un-free voice, in so far as it was obvious to everyone it was un-free -- was no longer a command of the Church. Such, even more so, as an order of the Church, remained the Patriarch's free will and that of the Council, which found expression in the Anathema which the Patriarch never rescinded, nor even lightened in its significance as the sentence of the Church.
For more than forty years this Anathema hangs over the communist power and over all who are in communion with it. No one withdrew this Anathema -- and no one else can withdraw it, except the Church which carried out this sentence.
Each not only Orthodox but even heterodox person who wishes not to sin before God must, in his attitude towards the Soviet power, her organs and representatives, servants and companions, take into consideration this fact. The Lord placed this stamp upon His persecutors. In older that no one could claim ignorance we find it our duty to give as wide a circulation of these documents as possible. May each true Christian regard it as his direct duty the further circulation of this documental testimony of the ungodliness of communism and of all those with it -- under whatever appearance may they show themselves.
FIRST EPISTLE OF PATRIARCH TIKHON TO THE FOLD
Humble Tikhon, by the Grace of God Patriarch of Moscow and all Russias, to the Beloved in the Lord bishops, priests and all faithful children of the Orthodox Church of Russia
"That the Lord might deliver us from the wickedness of this present world." [Gal. I, 4]
Hard times are being now experienced by the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ in the Russian land: persecution has been set up against Christ's truth by open and secret enemies of this truth, who seek to destroy the work of Christ and in place of Christian love sow everywhere seeds of spite, hatred and fratricidal war.
Forgotten and trampled on are Christ's commandments of love to neighbors -- daily news reaches us of horrible and brutal massacres of absolutely innocent and even bedridden sick people, guilty perhaps only in that they honestly performed their duty to their native country, that they placed all their strength in serving for the national good. And all this is accomplished not only under cover of nocturnal darkness, but visibly -- in broad daylight, with unheard of until now insolence and unsparing cruelty, without any trial and with trampling upon all rights and legality -- is committed in our days almost in all cities and villages of our fatherland: in the capitals and in distant borderland [in Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk, Sebastople and others].
All this fills our heart with deep and painful sorrow and compels us to address those monsters of the human race with the stern word of accusation and prohibition in accordance with the bequest of the Holy Aplstle: "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others may also fear" [1 Timothy V, 20]
Come to your senses, madmen, cease your bloody warfare. That, what you are doing, is not only cruel work, it is -- indeed, the work of satan, for which you are subject to fire in hell in the life to come -- beyond the grave, and the frightful curse of prosperity in the present earthly life.
By the power, given us from God, we forbid you to approach the Sacraments of Christ, we anathemize you, if only you still bear Christian names and by your birth belong to the Orthodox Church.
We also exhort all you, faithful children of the Orthodox Church of Christ, not to enter into any communion with such monsters of the human race "put away from among yourselves the wicked" [1 Cor. V, 13]
The most cruel persecution has been raised likewise against the Holy Church of Christ: sacraments full of grace, sanctifying man's birth into the world or blessing conjugal union of the Christian family, -- openly are declared unnecessary, superfluous; holy churches are subjected either to destruction by fire from deadly weapons [the holy cathedrals of Moscow Kreml] or to plunder and blasphemous insults [chapel of the Savior in Petersburg; holy monasteries revered by the faithful people [such as Alexandro-Nevsky and Pochaevsky Monasteries] are seized by godless rulers of the darkness of this world and proclaimed as if they were some sort of national property; schools, maintained by the means of the Orthodox Church and preparing priests and teachers of Orthodox faith, are considered superfluous and transformed into schools of irreligious or even directly into disseminators of immorality. Properties of Orthodox monasteries and churches are taken away under the pretext that they are -- national property, but without any right and even without the desire to reckon with the lawful will of the people themselves. And, finally, the power which promised to install in Russian order, right and truth, guarantee freedom, -- manifests everywhere only the greatest licentiousness and continuous violence against the holy Orthodox Church.
Where are the limits to this mockery of the Church of Christ? How and by what means is it possible to stop this aggression upon Her of furious enemies?
We call all of you -- believers and faithful children of the Church -- stand up for the defense of your now insulted and oppressed holy mother. Enemies of the Church seize power over Her and Her property by the force of deadly weapons, while you stand up against them with the power of your faith, your powerful outcry of the whole people, which will stop the madmen and show them, that they have no right to call themselves champions of the welfare of the people, architects of a new life in accordance with the dictates of the public mind, because they act even directly against the people's conscience.
And if it be necessary to suffer for Christ's sake, we call upon you, beloved children of the Church, call you to these sufferings together with ourselves with the words of the Holy Apostle: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" [Rom. VIII, 35]
And you, brethren bishops and priests, without delaying a single hour in your spiritual work, with fiery zeal call your children to the defense of the now trampled upon rights of the Orthodox Church, immediately organize spiritual unions, call not by constraint, but by good will to enter the ranks of spiritual combatants, who oppose external force with the force of their holy inspiration, and we firmly hope that the enemies of the Church will be shamed and dispersed by the might of Christ's Cross, because unfailing is the promise of the Divine Cross-Bearer Himself: "I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" [Matt. XVI, 18]
Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russias
January 19,1918
DECISION OF THE ALL -RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH COUNCIL OF 1917-1918
On January 28, 1918, the Council decreed:
"The Holy Council of the All-Russian Orthodox Church lovingly greets the Epistle of the Most Holy Patriarch Tikhon, chastising malefactors and denouncing enemies of the Church of Christ. From the height of the Patriarchal throne has thundered the word of interdiction and the spiritual sword has been raised against those who commit interminable insults over the sacred objects of faith and the conscience of the people. The Holy Council witnesses that it remains in complete union with the Father and Intercessor of the Russian Church, heeds his summons and is ready to sacrificingly testify Christ's faith against Her blasphemers. The Holy Council likewise calls the entire Russian Church, with bishops and priests at Her head, to unite now around the Patriarch in order not to give the faith unto insult."
MP Gets Nastier
Window on Eurasia: Moscow Patriarchate’s Campaign against Independent Orthodox Gets Nastier
Paul Goble
Vienna, May 6 – In its drive to build a tight power vertical in the Russian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate has crossed another and dangerous line, employing for the first time the language it has traditionally used for religious sectarians to describe a Russian Orthodox prelate whose only “crime” is his refusal to subordinate himself and his flock to Moscow.
A press release from the Odessa bishopric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, described the Orthodox community of the Synod led by Metropolitan Agafangel, who has broken with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia now that the latter has established ties with Moscow in truly ugly ways.
The release said that “the assembly in Odessa [under Agafangel] has the very same relationship to the Orthodox Church Abroad as darkness has to light and as the devil has to Christ.” Indeed, it added, his services recall “Woland’s satanic ball in Bulgakov’s ‘Master and Margarita’” (http://www.pravoslav.odessa.net/?id=462&pages=58&group=0&num_page=0).
In its report on this May 2nd development, the Religiopolis.org portal notes that this comment is more typical of the ways that the Moscow Patriarchate describes “cult” groups than the way it has typically described Russian Orthodox groups that have so far refused to accept its supremacy (www.religiopolis.org/news/459-tserkovnaja-deklaratsija-antikultizma.html).
Until now, the Religiopolis.org report says, “toward the activity of such groups, the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” which is subordinate to it “had not launched an anti-religious campaign in relation to other religious communities and even more to Orthodox organizations of other jurisdictions.”
Metropolitan Agafangel’s Russian Orthodox Church Abroad “includes the community of Orthodox believers and priests who refused in October 2006 to accept the Act on Canonical Communion with the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate as signed later by Metropolitan Lavrov.”
Agafangel said at the time that “we have not separated from the Synod led by Metropolitan Lavrov” but that he and many other Orthodox believers abroad could not accept communion with the Moscow Patriarchate. That was too much for Lavrov whose supporters accused Agafangel of links to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Metropolitan Agafangel and his supporters subsequently formed a Provisional Higher Church Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which currently is supported by approximately a third of the priests and bishops of the so-called “émigré” church and which seeks to convene a fifth “all-abroad assembly” to define the future.
Agafangel has expressed concerns in messages to his flock that he may be subject to physical attack from the Moscow Patriarchate because of his leadership role in this movement. The vicious commentary from the Odessa bishopric this week suggests that his fears may be all too justified.
Jordanville's new propaganda quarterly
OBL News report 30/4/2010
ROCOR/MP
The first issue of a new quarterly journal, Troitskoe Nasledie [Legacy of Holy Trinity], published by Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, has been published.
This Russian-language periodical is put forth through the efforts of the Seminary faculty and is a continuation of the Listok Svyato-Troitskoy seminarii [Bulletin of Holy Trinity Seminary], founded in 1997. The journal consists of 80 color pages.
The first issue is devoted to the memory of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery and founder of Holy Trinity Seminary. The 50th anniversary of his death was celebrated this year.
“To preserve and multiply, that is what each person who is entrusted with this treasured legacy is called upon to do,” states the announcement on the official website of Holy Trinity Seminary. “We cannot remain silent about the legacy left to us by the fathers of Holy Trinity Monastery, Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), Archbishop Averky (Taushev), Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla), Archimandrites Panteleimon, Joesph, Konstantin, Vladimir, Anthony and Kiprian, and the Seminary’s teachers: ND Talberg, IM Andreevsky, EE Alferiev and many others… We must remember this and upon this we must build the future of the Russian diaspora… The aim of our magazine is to resurrect the memory of the spiritual podvig of our predecessors and inspire the continuation of the noble work amid our compatriots who are far from their Homeland…”
The journal will publish new archival material of the Russian diaspora, a portion of which is found at Holy Trinity Seminary. Another goal will be to re establish and strengthen bonds with the Mother Church in the Fatherland.
ROCOR/MP
The first issue of a new quarterly journal, Troitskoe Nasledie [Legacy of Holy Trinity], published by Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, has been published.
This Russian-language periodical is put forth through the efforts of the Seminary faculty and is a continuation of the Listok Svyato-Troitskoy seminarii [Bulletin of Holy Trinity Seminary], founded in 1997. The journal consists of 80 color pages.
The first issue is devoted to the memory of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery and founder of Holy Trinity Seminary. The 50th anniversary of his death was celebrated this year.
“To preserve and multiply, that is what each person who is entrusted with this treasured legacy is called upon to do,” states the announcement on the official website of Holy Trinity Seminary. “We cannot remain silent about the legacy left to us by the fathers of Holy Trinity Monastery, Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), Archbishop Averky (Taushev), Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla), Archimandrites Panteleimon, Joesph, Konstantin, Vladimir, Anthony and Kiprian, and the Seminary’s teachers: ND Talberg, IM Andreevsky, EE Alferiev and many others… We must remember this and upon this we must build the future of the Russian diaspora… The aim of our magazine is to resurrect the memory of the spiritual podvig of our predecessors and inspire the continuation of the noble work amid our compatriots who are far from their Homeland…”
The journal will publish new archival material of the Russian diaspora, a portion of which is found at Holy Trinity Seminary. Another goal will be to re establish and strengthen bonds with the Mother Church in the Fatherland.
Moscow court to hear appeal against closure of Nicholas II murder case in May
Interfax-29 April 2010, 14:25Moscow, April 29, Interfax - The Moscow City Court on May 12 will hear an appeal, challenging a court ruling, supporting the decision to close the criminal case related to the murder of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family.
The court was to hear the complaint, filed by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna's defense lawyer, on Wednesday. But the judges argued that they would need time to read the complaint. The ruling alone is laid down in three volumes, they said.
Moscow's Basmanny Court on March 19 turned down defense lawyer German Lukyanov's complaint against the decision to close the case of murder of Nicholas II and his family.
"The court took the side of the Prosecutor General's Office and of the federal prosecutor's Investigation Department, disregarding the ruling by the Supreme Court Presidium to rehabilitate Nicholas II and his family," Lukyanov told Interfax then.
The family of the last Russian emperor and his nearest entourage - eleven people in all - were shot on July 17, 1918.
On October 1, 2008 the Supreme Court Presidium ruled to rehabilitate Nicholas II and his family members. But on January 15, 2009, a court ruling was passed to close the criminal case of the Romanov family murder.
The House of Romanov disagreed with the conclusion of the Investigation Department that the royal family had fallen victim to plain criminals, and argued that the tsar and his relatives were killed by the regime.
The court was to hear the complaint, filed by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna's defense lawyer, on Wednesday. But the judges argued that they would need time to read the complaint. The ruling alone is laid down in three volumes, they said.
Moscow's Basmanny Court on March 19 turned down defense lawyer German Lukyanov's complaint against the decision to close the case of murder of Nicholas II and his family.
"The court took the side of the Prosecutor General's Office and of the federal prosecutor's Investigation Department, disregarding the ruling by the Supreme Court Presidium to rehabilitate Nicholas II and his family," Lukyanov told Interfax then.
The family of the last Russian emperor and his nearest entourage - eleven people in all - were shot on July 17, 1918.
On October 1, 2008 the Supreme Court Presidium ruled to rehabilitate Nicholas II and his family members. But on January 15, 2009, a court ruling was passed to close the criminal case of the Romanov family murder.
The House of Romanov disagreed with the conclusion of the Investigation Department that the royal family had fallen victim to plain criminals, and argued that the tsar and his relatives were killed by the regime.
ROCA Bishops Council Epistle
The Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad greets its faithful members in these joyous days with the Paschal salutation:
Christ is Risen!
In many ways, the future of our Church depends on each of its members. The faithful of the Church must understand that the Christian way of life is yet another embodiment of the sermon of the Gospel. The entire way of the Church is the way of unity in Christ. As an example of such unity, the past of the Russian Church Abroad is with us to this day, and since it is a Holy Legacy, we desire to remain faithful to it. We bear in mind the admonitions of the Saint Patriarch Tikhon and all our First Hierarchs – Metropolitans Anthony, Anastasy, Philaret, and Vitaliy – and we stand firm in that immaculate Orthodox confession, to which the entire Orthodox Church has held throughout the years. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
In the manner of our Lord, we have strived to unite everyone and offered an invitation to members of the divided ROCA to begin a dialogue, but unfortunately our voice has not been heard by many to this day. Nevertheless, we do not cease to hope that the flock which finds itself in disunity will respond one day to our call to gather our Church together.
In these sorrowful days, the actions of many of those who call themselves Orthodox attest to their loss of the spirit of Christ. Having conducted and justified praying together with heretics and entering into arrangements with the mighty of this world for the sake of their material well-being, they have lost the very ability to distinguish good and evil. Still we call upon our flock to not become bitter and continue to entreat God to turn the hearts of those who recently were our brothers and who are now our persecutors.
In light of the new wave of harassment which Christians are experiencing from the governments of the lands they find themselves in (we are experiencing this in Argentina), as well as from the Moscow Patriarchate, we call upon all of you, dear fathers, brothers and sisters to stand firm in the Truth. Neither tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword will keep you from Christ’s love! (Romans 8:35) God will give those who Love Him the strength to overcome all tribulations!
May the words of the Victor over this world console us in these days and for all time: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
+Metropolitan Agafangel
+Archbishop Andronik
+ Archbishop Sofroniy
+ Archbishop Ioann
+Bishop Georgiy
+Bishop Afanasy
+Bishop Gregory
+Bishop Kirill
+Bishop Dionisiy
Odessa, 2010
Vladyka Agafangel's Report
REPORT
Of Metropolitan Agafangel
to the ROCA Synod of Bishops
Odessa, 2010
Change is constantly occurring in the life of our Church, whether of a material nature, or, unfortunately, of a spiritual nature. Though the material and spiritual are intertwined, I will first discuss the spiritual, since this is always more important for any religious person.
As to the spiritual, it must be said that religiosity in general is slowly disappearing from this world. That is why in our current circumstances, the words of Apostle Paul, “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), are so relevant for us Christians. What does it mean for us not to quench the spirit? It means to follow unwaveringly the Divine Tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church. This is difficult to do in today’s world, as globalism and the obsession with one’s comfort and convenience in this world crowds out belief in the Crucified Christ and this reduces this belief and makes it an appendage of everyday life. This applies not only to us, but to all of mankind.
We feel this pressure, unfortunately, also from those who would seem, by what they call themselves, to be our brothers. With the ascension of the new First Hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate, the efforts if not to eliminate us then at least to, as they say now, marginalize us (and not only us) have intensified greatly. That is why we must always be wary not of the declarations of the current MP church administration, but their actions. Sadly for some time now, it has not been possible to believe completely in their words and statements. Just the opposite, there are many questionable actions that cause us to be very careful.
Nevertheless, we should, I believe, refrain from any categorical statements regarding the Moscow Patriarchate as a whole, but we must continue to speak out about its administration and the “church ideology” which the administration espouses. After the events of 2007, the danger of us isolating ourselves has grown tenfold. Due to the conditions of increasing globalism, we are duty bound, in my opinion, to make every effort to establish and maintain contacts with everyone who shares our views. To that end, it is very beneficial for us to associate with our brothers, the Old Calendar Churches of Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria, something that should also be encouraged and developed on the parish level.
We have not unfortunately received any useful answers from those who are now called the “fragments,” and to whom we invited to simply begin a dialogue. The head of the ROAC, Metropolitan Valentin (Rusantsev), first set a precondition for discussions with us, which is completely unacceptable and not possible. Archbishop Tikhon, the head of the ROTC, initially responded to our letter and offered to meet in the beginning of 2010, but then that decision was rescinded and a commission was formed instead to address the issue. This alone shows that RTOC is not prepared to even discuss the matter of uniting the Russian Church. There is information that would indicate that they hope to establish relations with the Greek Synod of Archbishop Chrysostomos to create a separate, extremist entity. We were not able to find the address of Archbishop Vladimir, the head of the ROCA(V). It cannot be found on the Internet and our letter sent to a monastery in California was returned with the postal stamp that there is no such address. In other words, we have not been able to establish contact with Archbishop Vladimir to this day. In light all of this information, one can say that no one in the administrations of all the groups that left the ROCA earlier is even interested in discussing uniting as one church. As a result, we have no choice but to leave our hand extended to all those who were a part of ROCA earlier in the hope of eventual dialogue, while tending to the life of our church with whatever resources we have among ourselves.
A significant event in our life was when we completed, with the blessing of the Synod of Bishops, the rite of preparing chrism during Passion Week in Odessa. The ingredients for the chrism were obtained mostly in Greece and donated by Hegumena Aleksandra. Bishop Georgiy came to Odessa with two priests for the rite and our clerics also participated. The chrism was sanctified on Bright Saturday. There are about seven liters.
Other very important events in the life of our Church since the last Sobor, were the efforts by Mother Agapia to acquire land and property for a monastery in New York State, the building and blessing of a new church in the monastery in Egorovka, the registration of our Synod and the opening of a bank account for the Synod. Besides the construction in New York and Egorovka, churches and rectories are being built in Ukraine - in Odessa (three sites), in Malin, in Dneprodzerzhinsk, and Bolgrad; in Russia – in the village of Dudachkino, outside of St. Petersburg in the Pskov oblast; and in Moldavia – in Kongaz and Chadyr-Lung. We could build even more churches in Odessa, but we do not have enough priests to serve in the new parishes. Our mission in Haiti is rebuilding after the earthquake.
Unfortunately, there is no progress in finding a place for our Synod in the USA, as we do not have any property that can be used for the Synod or the diocese. We are compelled, unfortunately, to abandon our plans to locate the Synod in the house belonging to the Holy Trinity parish, as donations to our Synod account are not sufficient to pay for the basic expenses, let alone the mortgage payments. If the situation does not change this year, then I believe we must decide to move our Synod to another location, where the setting will be more conducive for its survival.
Our Assistance Fund continues its work in Washington, D.C. under the leadership of Dimitri Gontscharow. The Fund needs our continued support and a larger mailing list of regular donors.
Our mission in Haiti carries on its work with the efforts of Archpriest Gregory Williams. A large sum of money, by our standards, of about $50,000 was gathered for rebuilding after the earthquake on that island.
In Odessa, largely through the efforts of Archpriest Valeriy Alekseyev, the correspondence school of the Sts. Cyril & Methodius seminary has prospered for years. The ability to teach the courses over the Internet is the next challenge, since many of those interested live all over and cannot come to Odessa. It would be good to make it available throughout our church.
The publication of various materials is slowly getting established in Odessa. “The Russian Zoar” is unfortunately the only regular periodical being published. The Synod publication of “Church Life” has been reinstated. The only “active” source of information in other types of media is our Synod Internet website. There are also several other so-called “Live Journals” on the Internet. Our presence on the Net is inadequate and it would be good for the parish rectors to create websites, which would contain news about their parishes. This information is very important for the entire Church, as it strengthens our unity and the appreciation of each other among our members. At the last meeting of the New York diocese, it was decided to publish a periodical newsletter that would be distributed on the Internet and in our parishes. The first, test issue of “The Sower” has been released. We ask that all bishops and rectors help to distribute this newsletter.
We have not been able to organize any church events – youth and choir conferences, pilgrimages, conferences, etc. For the most part it is because of inadequate funds and infrastructure. In the matter of funds, it must be noted that at this time we do not even gather enough to conduct our Bishops Councils and Synods. With the money that is deposited in the Synod account, we cannot pay travel expenses for the bishops, without which our future work for the Church is made more difficult.
In general, it can be said that the life of our Church is developing and becoming more stable. There are many eyes upon us, from various groups that are searching for true Orthodoxy, as well as from the MP. Whether the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad can go on largely depends on us. Therefore, let us try to continue preserving the legacy we have received from the Fathers, which can only be accomplished through a living faith, hope, and love among our members.
The humble servant of the Bishops Council,
+Metropolitan Agafangel
Odessa, 2010
We Lost in Argentina?
It appears so.
From Reader Daniel:
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Subject: Apparently bad news-? Let's Hope Not-/Awaiting more Information from South America, etc.
If one looks at daily-courier or guest-2, the first article is about an April 15 , 2010 ARGENTINIAN court decision, which....if I understand the google English translation, apparently says that our people lost the court case & it was decided in favour of ROCOR-MP.
The full implications of this, would SEEM to not be good for our church, in Argentina at least, and also regarding ownership of church properties, etc. for the other anti-MP jurisdictions either.
Declaration of Bishop Daniel
Vertograd Orthodox Journal
Friday June 8, 2007
Declaration of The Right Reverend Daniel, Bishop of Erie, on forming of a Provisional Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority of the Church Abroad
In connection with the canonical crisis which occured in ROCA, which was caused by the joining of the First Hierarch, the Synod and virtually all Diaspora bishops, safe for Agafangel, bishop of Tavria and Odessa and me, bishop Daniel of Erie, to the Moscow Patriarchy, and the loss by the First Hierarch of the right of being a Primate (prava Predstoyatel' stva),
Taking into account that since Metropolitan made a schism, enough time has passed, but open declarations by the other bishops of ROCA, against the Act of abolishing the canonical order of ROCA, did not appear,
I, bishop Daniel, following Ukase 362 p.3 of His Holiness Patriarch, the Holy Synod and the Supreme Ecclesiastical Council of the Orthodox Church of Russia from 7/20 of November 1920 and fulfilling the duties delegated to me by the Ukase, I declare that today, 9/22 of May 2007 I, on the rights of the oldest bishop by ordination, formed a Provisional Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority (PSEA) of ROCA composed of the bishops remaining in the Church Abroad - I, bishop Daniel of Erie, and Agafangel, bishop of Tavria and Odessa.
In connection with the poor state of my health, I will not be able to actively take part in the restoration of the canonical order of ROCA, the management of the PSEA, the convocation and carrying, with the rights of President of the Fifth All-Diaspora Council.
I voluntarily delegate my rights for this constructive endeavour to the Right Reverend Agafangel, who will be obliged to keep me posted on activities, but foremost, he must listen to the voice of the Church - the voice of the clergy and laypeople. In connection with that, for participation in the administration of the Church, I commission to reinstate, at the Fifth All-Diaspora Council, the Supreme Ecclesiastical Council of ROCA made of clergy and laypersons.
If God allows, I would joyously participate, together with bishop Agafangel, in the Hirotoniyas of new bishops for the Church Abroad, but I would like to draw for this important endeavour, our brethren - the Greek Metropolitan Cyprian, the Romanian [Metropolitan] Vlasie and the Bulgarian [Bishop] Photii.
For that cause it is necessary to restore immediately full Eucharistic Communion with the Old Calendar Synods, and to conduct joint meetings with them in the future.
I do not rule out the possibility of reinforcement of the episcopate of ROCA with [bishops] from the Russian groups which have left ROCA recently, and even from the MP.
It seems to me, that the admission of bishops in their present order is possible for all of the aforementioned structures, except for RTOC (Russkaya Istinno-Pravoslavna ya Cerkov', Russian True Orthodox Church - the "Tikhonites" ). Regarding the breadth of economy, in each particular case it is difficult to say, but in general, we should admit from the MP the way it was accepted for them before, and from the Autonomous Russian Church and Mansonville - through supplementing of hierarchical ordinations.
I entrust the Right Reverend Agafangel with sending out as a Circular letter from my name the given Declaration to all the Dioceses of ROCA for the administration in the necessary cases.
Bishop Daniel of Erie
9/22 of May 2007.
Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas
Taking into account that since Metropolitan made a schism, enough time has passed, but open declarations by the other bishops of ROCA, against the Act of abolishing the canonical order of ROCA, did not appear,
I, bishop Daniel, following Ukase 362 p.3 of His Holiness Patriarch, the Holy Synod and the Supreme Ecclesiastical Council of the Orthodox Church of Russia from 7/20 of November 1920 and fulfilling the duties delegated to me by the Ukase, I declare that today, 9/22 of May 2007 I, on the rights of the oldest bishop by ordination, formed a Provisional Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority (PSEA) of ROCA composed of the bishops remaining in the Church Abroad - I, bishop Daniel of Erie, and Agafangel, bishop of Tavria and Odessa.
In connection with the poor state of my health, I will not be able to actively take part in the restoration of the canonical order of ROCA, the management of the PSEA, the convocation and carrying, with the rights of President of the Fifth All-Diaspora Council.
I voluntarily delegate my rights for this constructive endeavour to the Right Reverend Agafangel, who will be obliged to keep me posted on activities, but foremost, he must listen to the voice of the Church - the voice of the clergy and laypeople. In connection with that, for participation in the administration of the Church, I commission to reinstate, at the Fifth All-Diaspora Council, the Supreme Ecclesiastical Council of ROCA made of clergy and laypersons.
If God allows, I would joyously participate, together with bishop Agafangel, in the Hirotoniyas of new bishops for the Church Abroad, but I would like to draw for this important endeavour, our brethren - the Greek Metropolitan Cyprian, the Romanian [Metropolitan] Vlasie and the Bulgarian [Bishop] Photii.
For that cause it is necessary to restore immediately full Eucharistic Communion with the Old Calendar Synods, and to conduct joint meetings with them in the future.
I do not rule out the possibility of reinforcement of the episcopate of ROCA with [bishops] from the Russian groups which have left ROCA recently, and even from the MP.
It seems to me, that the admission of bishops in their present order is possible for all of the aforementioned structures, except for RTOC (Russkaya Istinno-Pravoslavna ya Cerkov', Russian True Orthodox Church - the "Tikhonites" ). Regarding the breadth of economy, in each particular case it is difficult to say, but in general, we should admit from the MP the way it was accepted for them before, and from the Autonomous Russian Church and Mansonville - through supplementing of hierarchical ordinations.
I entrust the Right Reverend Agafangel with sending out as a Circular letter from my name the given Declaration to all the Dioceses of ROCA for the administration in the necessary cases.
Bishop Daniel of Erie
9/22 of May 2007.
Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas
http://vertograd-eng.blogspot.com/2007/06/declaration-of-right-reverend-daniel.html
Address of Bishop Daniel
Версия для печати.
Опубликовано на сайте Портал-Credo.Ru
28-03-2006 19:28
Address of Bishop Daniel of Erie vicar of the Chairman of the Synod of bishops, servicing old-rite believers. To the Clergy, Monastics and Parishioners of The ROCA on the Threshhold of the IV th Pan-abroad Sobor 2006 in San Francisco
Speaking: Bishop Daniel, Vicar of the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad on Old-Believers Affairs.
I wish to address you and share some of my thoughts on matters which are troubling us, which I had written down a year ago, yet have not lost their significance at the current time.
Dear Vladika's, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord!
At one time I had addressed you in connection with the dialogue which is being conducted between our Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate. I feared that this dialogue would lead to the unification of our Churches under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, and subsequently, to the complete annihilation of our independence, which we have had for more than eighty years now.
I was reassured that the issue was not unification of the Churches, and not our subordination to Moscow, but merely improving relations between our Churches.
I have nothing against that, and allowed myself to be persuaded that nothing threatens the existence of our Church as self-sufficient and independent.
Then I received an entire package of documents from our Church's Synod of Bishops on these matters and it took me quite a while to read them and think them over.
Therefore, I find it indispensable to address you again, since the documents that were sent to me far surpass my worst fears, and I will unlikely be able to personally be present in conciliar discussion of these issues.
In the beginning much is said about mutual relations between the Church and the state, about ecumenism from an Orthodox point of view, and we can only rejoice at this, since in the recent past, or "yesterday" on a historical scale, the Moscow Patriarchate was under full and unequivocal submission to the godless, communist authority, which seized our Fatherland and would have belonged to any organization on instructions from that authority.
Our Church never was in a union with the godless authority and never belonged to any ecumenical organizations, therefore none of this has any direct relationship to us. One can only hope that the Moscow Patriarchate will not elude these principles.
All the talk that unification or subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate is not being conjectured is absolutely unsubstantiated.
At first nothing is mentioned about commemorating the first hierarch, probably so as not to aggravate the flock abroad, but then it turns out that the election of the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad is subject to confirmation by the Patriarch and the Synod of Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the name of the First Hierarch will be commemorated only after the name of the Patriarch; a commemoration which hitherto had not been mentioned.
The Patriarch together with his bishops is given the right to ratify, and consequently not ratify, i.e., the right to veto all important decisions on leadership within our Church, including election of bishops.
Is this not the union of the Churches and is this not the subordination of our Church unto Moscow?
What is this?
According to the candid admission of the Patriarchate, our Church must become one of its self-governing parts - similar to the Churches of Latvia or Estonia. To say thereby, that no unification or subordination is presumed, as it is done in the draft letter to Metropolitan Kiprian, simply means to consciously lead people into delusion, i.e. to deceive them.
In becoming dependent on the Patriarch et al, our Church will no longer remain independent, i.e., autocephalous de facto, as it had been and continues to be now more than eighty years, having something greater than autonomy, namely independence. Our Church has no need for any autonomy, no matter how alluring this autonomy may seem to poorly informed people.
It is revealing that the word "independence", which precisely defines our position as of today, is painstakingly avoided by the compilers of the documents under review, with reference to the Church Abroad, and it is quite clear why the Moscow Patriarchate wishes to deprive us of this self-sufficiency and independence and make us subordinate unto itself, using any kinds of truths or falsehoods.
In view of the fact that it has become clear where further talks with the Moscow Patriarchate are leading: to unification with it, under the power of the Patriarch of Moscow, it appears to me to be advisable to cease further talks with the Moscow Patriarchate until such time that their position on this matter is clarified.
If they agree to recognize our independence, then we may have discussions with them on equal grounds, about improving relations between our two independent Churches, even to the point of Eucharistic communion, but if not, we can continue our independent existence with no need of Moscow's blessing.
The compilers of the documents under review omit from view the fact that religion and patriotism are different subjects. Orthodoxy and the Moscow Patriarchate are not one and the same. One may be Russian and still be Orthodox, and not belong to the Moscow Patriarchate.
Ethnic Greeks belong to various autocephalous Churches, such as Alexandria, Antioch an others. Their adherence to these Churches does not make them Orthodox to greater or lesser degrees than others, and they do not cease being Greeks.
Our common descent from Russian ancestors does not oblige us to submit to the Patriarch of Moscow, particularly since he and the majority of his circle were appointees of the soviet regime, hostile to Russia, yet now they create the impression that nothing extraordinary happened, and that we must submit to their authority.
We must decidedly set this aside!
If we were to submit to the Patriarch's authority, not only would we lose our self-sufficiency and independence, but also the many thousands of our flock, descendants of those Russian refugees for the fulfillment of whose spiritual needs our Church was established, as well as the majority of our clergy and a part of the hierarchy.
All church rules have as their only, if not sole purpose, the spiritual benefit of the flock. If our Church joins now with the Moscow Patriarchate, then many thousands of these people will be left without a Church. Who needs that?
Can it be that our pastoral conscience will permit this to happen?
Many thousands of people belong to our Church. If they have a desire to be under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, they can join it at any time, but they are not doing that. That means, they prefer to be in a Church which is independent of it, and they do this consciously and not by happenstance. Can it be that the majority of people who belong to our Church belong to it through misunderstanding? It is ridiculous to even imagine this!
If we were to join Moscow now, then we would betray our brethren who trusted us. This would be an act of the self-anihilation of our Church, in other words, suicide.
What would we receive in return? Decidedly nothing! We would not become Orthodox, since we never ceased being Orthodox. If there is not one but two independent Russian Churches, then what is wrong with that? There are many Greek Churches. The number of independent Orthodox Churches was never a subject in the teaching of the faith.
Also, important questions such as to be or not to be with certain Churches cannot be decided by a simple majority of votes. In this case unanimity is necessary, or an almost unanimous decision by all the members of a given Church. It's doubtful that we have unanimity in this matter of interest to us. Therefore, it is better for us to adhere to our old status quo and set aside unification with the Moscow Patriarchate as a frivolous fancy.
This interview with His Eminence Bishop Daniel was recorded live by G. Soldatow.
The video and taperecording of this address are in the editorial office of"Fidelity".
March, 2006
Source: http://sbn-nathanael.livejournal.com/
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Interview with Bishop Daniel
№217: Exclusive interview of ROCOR Bishop Daniel
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ROCOR BISHOP DANIEL
Subdeacon Nathanael Kapner: "Can you tell us a little about your background dear Vladyka?"
Bishop Daniel (Alexandrov): "I was born in Odessa of the Ukraine in 1930. My great grandfather on my mother's side was the last governor of Alaska. After the sale of Alaska in the the late 19th Century, my great grandfather moved back to Russia. So you see, my family already had some kind of "stake" in America.
~ "My grandfather on my father's side was an officer in the White Army. And my father, who also served in the White Army was awarded The Cross Of St George, for taking a machine gun from a Bolshevik.
~ "In 1938 we moved to the Urals, for the Bolsheviks discovered that my father once served in the White Army --- and consequently he lost his job as a technician for a Magnetics Observatory. My father was then forced to find another job. He finally found a menial job where he could only work a as a common laborer in a steel factory in the Urals. We settled in the Ural area on April 1st 1938. On April 4th, only three days later, my father was arrested and disappeared."
Sbn Nathanael: "Did you ever learn what happened to your father?"
Bishop Daniel: "We never knew what happened to our father. It was only after the Soviet archives were opened for examination a few years ago, that I learned that my father was executed shortly after his arrest. This was the barbarity of the Bolsheviks."
Sbn Nathanael: "How did you end up coming to America?"
Bishop Daniel: "This is quite a long story. To make it short, we eventually moved back to Odessa where my mother, an accomplished violinist, supported the family by teaching and performing. By this time the Roumanians occupied Odessa and we had complete religious freedom.
~ "But eventually Stalin and the communists moved in, and we were forced to flee to Switzerland. From there we made our way to America in 1949, where my mother's father resided, having settled there as a merchant marine some years prior to our arrival. He died shortly after our arrival."
Sbn Nathanael: "How did you begin your work amongst the Old Believers?"
Bishop Daniel: "Our parish, "The Church Of The Nativity in Erie PA," is of the Old Rite, or as it is properly known, "The Old Ritualists." I myself had no family members in the "Old Ritualists." But having lived amongst them, I grew to have a great respect for them. The Old Believers are conservatives and I wished to bring them into our church.
~ "I realized that the some of the Old Believers that I was aquainted with had no priesthood. Since they were priestless, I wanted to help them so that they could receive the fullness of the Churchs' Sacraments."
Sbn Nathanael Kapner: "Can you tell us sonething about your career with the ROCOR?"
Bishop Daniel: "I graduated from the Jordanville Seminary in 1956. Metropolitan Laurus was a fellow student of mine. I was ordained to the priesthood in the early 70s. I soon became a parish priest and all the while, I kept in contact with the Old Believers.
~ "In the early nineties, I was contacted by Metropolitan Vitaly, regarding the Synod's wish to ordain me as a bishop. I was very troubled by this and could not sleep all night.
~ "The very next morning, I called Metropolitan Vitaly and said, "Does the Synod want yet another bishop? No, Vladyka, I am not interested in becoming another bishop. But if it is for the purpose of helping the flock of the Old Believers, then yes, I will accept.
~ "I was soon consecrated as a vicar Bishop *to the Metropolian*---not connected with the "Eastern
Diocese" as such. For the Eastern Diocese is "New-Rite" Orthodox. My espiscopal rank is to aid and perpetuate the Old Rite Believers, along with their particular concerns and customs."
Sbn Nathanael: "Vladyka. This week you issued already two statements expressing your strong objections to the MP-ROCOR union.
~ "In both statements you spoke of the dangers of the ROCOR relinquishing their independence to the Moscow Patriarchy. Why is this "independence of the ROCOR" sucn an issue for you?"
[See These Two Statements @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ortho
Bishop Daniel: "I made these statements for I have been recently asked to sign some documents that favor the union. But I can not hide my objections to this union. So I have now publicly stated what I truly believe is the correct path for our Church.
~ "The ROCOR has enjoyed independence for over 80 years. Why should we *now* give away our independence as a gift to the MP? We already have our independence. We do not need the MP to grant to us what we already have!
~ "For uniting with the MP will mean our self-destruction. This self destruction could even be called suicide. For though in the best of circumstances, the Moscow Patriarchy promises us our continued independence, it will soon be taken away."
Sbn Nathanael: "But doesn't Metropolitan Laurus assert that the ROCOR will remain administratively independent?"
Bishop Daniel: "This is nothing but conjecture. Let's see what will happen in reality!
~ "'Autonomy' is usually an ecclestiastical framework when a church belongs to another.
'Autocephaly' is a scenario when a church is entirely independent. The ROCOR has enjoyed virtual 'autocephaly' for over 80 years. This is better than any kind of 'autonomy' that the Moscow Patriarchy could possibly grant to us.
~ "I compare this situation to the Roman Catholic Church. Many Orthodox Churches have full independence--yet in matters of the faith they are the same. And this is acceptable.
~ "But with the Roman Catholic Church, they claim to be the only true church and would want to subjugate all other churches to their authority.
~ "Why should we subdue our church to the authority of the MP who are much larger than us and far more powerful? We are being forced into this union. Even lay people can choose who they would like as their spiritual fathers.
~ "But we at the ROCOR, who are being forced into this union, do not trust the Moscow Patriarchy. Only a few years ago. the Moscow Patriarchy was supporting the Soviet government. The Moscow Patriarchy never took a strong stand on matters of the faith. We are Russian emigres, and it is quite understandable that we do not want anything even resembling a soviet-influenced church."
Sbn Nathanael: "Bishop Agafangel of the Ukraine is against the ROCOR uniting with the Moscow Patriarchy. Have you been in contact with him?"
Bishop Daniel: "No. But I have heard from others that he shares the same thoughts as I do."
Sbn Nathanael: "Why do you think Metropolitan Laurus is pressing for unification with the MP?
Bishop Daniel: "I cannot tell you---I do not understand. Is Metrpolitan Laurus being forced by circumstances?"
Sbn Nathanael: "What circumstances would be forcing Metropolitan Laurus to press for unification?"
Bishop Daniel: "Other bishops."
Sbn Nathanael: "Like Mark of Berlin?"
Bishop Daniel: "Yes."
Sbn Nathanael: "What is your opinion of Abp Mark Of Berlin?"
Bishop Daniel: "I am surprized. Archbishop Mark is a German and he has been welcomed into our Russian Church. He has been elevated to such a point that he is presently 2nd to the Metropolitan himself.
~ "And now Archbishop Mark works to destroy our church! I am at completely opposite poles from him. If we follow the will of Archbishop Mark and unite with the MP, the ROCOR church will not be the same church that we belonged to for over 80 years!”
Sbn Nathanael: "Will you leave the ROCOR if the Synod votes for the union?"
Bishop Daniel: "If the Synod votes for the union, the ROCOR will be absorbed into the Moscow Patriarchy. Yes I will leave."
Subdeacon Nathanael Kapner, Reporting
28 March 2006
http://elmager.livejournal.com/56905.html
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ROCOR BISHOP DANIEL
Subdeacon Nathanael Kapner: "Can you tell us a little about your background dear Vladyka?"
Bishop Daniel (Alexandrov): "I was born in Odessa of the Ukraine in 1930. My great grandfather on my mother's side was the last governor of Alaska. After the sale of Alaska in the the late 19th Century, my great grandfather moved back to Russia. So you see, my family already had some kind of "stake" in America.
~ "My grandfather on my father's side was an officer in the White Army. And my father, who also served in the White Army was awarded The Cross Of St George, for taking a machine gun from a Bolshevik.
~ "In 1938 we moved to the Urals, for the Bolsheviks discovered that my father once served in the White Army --- and consequently he lost his job as a technician for a Magnetics Observatory. My father was then forced to find another job. He finally found a menial job where he could only work a as a common laborer in a steel factory in the Urals. We settled in the Ural area on April 1st 1938. On April 4th, only three days later, my father was arrested and disappeared."
Sbn Nathanael: "Did you ever learn what happened to your father?"
Bishop Daniel: "We never knew what happened to our father. It was only after the Soviet archives were opened for examination a few years ago, that I learned that my father was executed shortly after his arrest. This was the barbarity of the Bolsheviks."
Sbn Nathanael: "How did you end up coming to America?"
Bishop Daniel: "This is quite a long story. To make it short, we eventually moved back to Odessa where my mother, an accomplished violinist, supported the family by teaching and performing. By this time the Roumanians occupied Odessa and we had complete religious freedom.
~ "But eventually Stalin and the communists moved in, and we were forced to flee to Switzerland. From there we made our way to America in 1949, where my mother's father resided, having settled there as a merchant marine some years prior to our arrival. He died shortly after our arrival."
Sbn Nathanael: "How did you begin your work amongst the Old Believers?"
Bishop Daniel: "Our parish, "The Church Of The Nativity in Erie PA," is of the Old Rite, or as it is properly known, "The Old Ritualists." I myself had no family members in the "Old Ritualists." But having lived amongst them, I grew to have a great respect for them. The Old Believers are conservatives and I wished to bring them into our church.
~ "I realized that the some of the Old Believers that I was aquainted with had no priesthood. Since they were priestless, I wanted to help them so that they could receive the fullness of the Churchs' Sacraments."
Sbn Nathanael Kapner: "Can you tell us sonething about your career with the ROCOR?"
Bishop Daniel: "I graduated from the Jordanville Seminary in 1956. Metropolitan Laurus was a fellow student of mine. I was ordained to the priesthood in the early 70s. I soon became a parish priest and all the while, I kept in contact with the Old Believers.
~ "In the early nineties, I was contacted by Metropolitan Vitaly, regarding the Synod's wish to ordain me as a bishop. I was very troubled by this and could not sleep all night.
~ "The very next morning, I called Metropolitan Vitaly and said, "Does the Synod want yet another bishop? No, Vladyka, I am not interested in becoming another bishop. But if it is for the purpose of helping the flock of the Old Believers, then yes, I will accept.
~ "I was soon consecrated as a vicar Bishop *to the Metropolian*---not connected with the "Eastern
Diocese" as such. For the Eastern Diocese is "New-Rite" Orthodox. My espiscopal rank is to aid and perpetuate the Old Rite Believers, along with their particular concerns and customs."
Sbn Nathanael: "Vladyka. This week you issued already two statements expressing your strong objections to the MP-ROCOR union.
~ "In both statements you spoke of the dangers of the ROCOR relinquishing their independence to the Moscow Patriarchy. Why is this "independence of the ROCOR" sucn an issue for you?"
[See These Two Statements @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ortho
Bishop Daniel: "I made these statements for I have been recently asked to sign some documents that favor the union. But I can not hide my objections to this union. So I have now publicly stated what I truly believe is the correct path for our Church.
~ "The ROCOR has enjoyed independence for over 80 years. Why should we *now* give away our independence as a gift to the MP? We already have our independence. We do not need the MP to grant to us what we already have!
~ "For uniting with the MP will mean our self-destruction. This self destruction could even be called suicide. For though in the best of circumstances, the Moscow Patriarchy promises us our continued independence, it will soon be taken away."
Sbn Nathanael: "But doesn't Metropolitan Laurus assert that the ROCOR will remain administratively independent?"
Bishop Daniel: "This is nothing but conjecture. Let's see what will happen in reality!
~ "'Autonomy' is usually an ecclestiastical framework when a church belongs to another.
'Autocephaly' is a scenario when a church is entirely independent. The ROCOR has enjoyed virtual 'autocephaly' for over 80 years. This is better than any kind of 'autonomy' that the Moscow Patriarchy could possibly grant to us.
~ "I compare this situation to the Roman Catholic Church. Many Orthodox Churches have full independence--yet in matters of the faith they are the same. And this is acceptable.
~ "But with the Roman Catholic Church, they claim to be the only true church and would want to subjugate all other churches to their authority.
~ "Why should we subdue our church to the authority of the MP who are much larger than us and far more powerful? We are being forced into this union. Even lay people can choose who they would like as their spiritual fathers.
~ "But we at the ROCOR, who are being forced into this union, do not trust the Moscow Patriarchy. Only a few years ago. the Moscow Patriarchy was supporting the Soviet government. The Moscow Patriarchy never took a strong stand on matters of the faith. We are Russian emigres, and it is quite understandable that we do not want anything even resembling a soviet-influenced church."
Sbn Nathanael: "Bishop Agafangel of the Ukraine is against the ROCOR uniting with the Moscow Patriarchy. Have you been in contact with him?"
Bishop Daniel: "No. But I have heard from others that he shares the same thoughts as I do."
Sbn Nathanael: "Why do you think Metropolitan Laurus is pressing for unification with the MP?
Bishop Daniel: "I cannot tell you---I do not understand. Is Metrpolitan Laurus being forced by circumstances?"
Sbn Nathanael: "What circumstances would be forcing Metropolitan Laurus to press for unification?"
Bishop Daniel: "Other bishops."
Sbn Nathanael: "Like Mark of Berlin?"
Bishop Daniel: "Yes."
Sbn Nathanael: "What is your opinion of Abp Mark Of Berlin?"
Bishop Daniel: "I am surprized. Archbishop Mark is a German and he has been welcomed into our Russian Church. He has been elevated to such a point that he is presently 2nd to the Metropolitan himself.
~ "And now Archbishop Mark works to destroy our church! I am at completely opposite poles from him. If we follow the will of Archbishop Mark and unite with the MP, the ROCOR church will not be the same church that we belonged to for over 80 years!”
Sbn Nathanael: "Will you leave the ROCOR if the Synod votes for the union?"
Bishop Daniel: "If the Synod votes for the union, the ROCOR will be absorbed into the Moscow Patriarchy. Yes I will leave."
Subdeacon Nathanael Kapner, Reporting
28 March 2006
http://elmager.livejournal.com/56905.html
Bishop Daniel Reposes in Erie
Prayer request
please pray for the newly departed Bishop Daniel of Erie
Bishop Daniel (Alexandrow) of Erie
Today, Monday April 13/26, 2010, news has been received that this morning Bishop Daniel of Erie reposed in the Lord. Vechnaya Pamyat! Memory Eternal! to a much suffering man who is finally free.
RocorMP site:
Concerning the Legacy of the ROCOR and Her Successors
This post has been removed at the request of the author, as it does not reflect his views with any accuracy.
Today is Fr. Gregory's Name Day
New Hieromartyr Gregory V, patriarch of Constantinople
Many Years Dear Shepherd "Papa"!