The Shepherd, March 2005
NEWS SECTION
METROPOLITAN LAVR TO VISIT LONDON
During his recent visit, Archbishop Mark announced that on the last weekend in May, the lower church at Harvard Road will be consecrated, allowing it to be used for parish services so that the main church may be completed. His Eminence Metropolitan Lavr, the present First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, will be heading the ceremonies, and other hierarchs and clergy from abroad will be attending. The old Russian church, attached to the Imperial Embassy on Welbeck Street (which still exists, although it is now put to secular uses), was consecrated on 14th February, 1865, but in the post-Revolutionary period this is the first time that an Orthodox place of worship belonging to the Russian Church has been consecrated in this country.
STRONG SERBIAN STATEMENT AGAINST THE HERESY OF ECUMENISM
In a paper presented to the Thessalonica Theological Conference in September last year, His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren condemned what he referred to as “the pan-heresy of ecumenism” and gave an insightful history of the Serbian Church’s involvement in it in the latter part of the twentieth century. He writes: “The realisation that not one local Orthodox Church has remained unblemished and unsullied by the ecumenical pestilence is a painful fact. Some have been more influenced, others less. But it is also consoling and encouraging that in every local Orthodox Church there have been and still are shining and holy examples of individuals and groups who actively oppose, in speech and writing, the penetration of ecumenism into the fullness of Orthodoxy.” Drawing deeply of the teachings of the Blessed Justin (Popovich) of Chelije, Bishop Artemije exposes the falsehood of ecumenism, and he ends with an appeal: “We would like to conclude our presentation with the prayerful wish that our Thessalonica symposium, the Inter-Orthodox Conference on Ecumenism, become a gathering of trumpeters who by their testimony and their zeal will awaken the slumbering consciences of the representatives of all of the local Orthodox Churches, so that all together or each individually, following its internal voice, withdraw from the World Council of Churches, stop prayerful and practical participation in the heresy of ecumenism, and thus attest before the face of the entire world that the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church was, is and will forever remain the Orthodox Church, and that outside it, there is no Church, and that without the Church and unity with the Church, there is no salvation. This is the only true service to our neighbour, to those close to us, the only true love toward all non-Orthodox or heterodox individuals and peoples in the modern world because, according to Father Justin, ‘The only true love is that which ensures those close to us life eternal.’”
CHURCH ABROAD PREPARES TO GLORIFY THE SLAIN EMPEROR PAUL I OF RUSSIA
In connection with the 250th anniversary of his birth last year, the Russian language church periodical, Pravoslavnaya Rus', informs readers that they are beginning to collect materials on instances of the heavenly intercession of the slain Tsar Paul I of Russia in preparation for his canonisation. With the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, Metropolitan Lavr, they ask that accounts be sent to the editor of the magazine: Orthodox Russia, Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY 13361-0036, USA or: <orthrus@telenet.net>
SOME ECUMENICAL INITIATIVES
Although for a decade or so the Orthodox Churches’ commitment to the Ecumenical Movement has been rather restrained, of late there are unfortunate signs of a renewed interest in the movement. Recent events which have been reported include:
His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatios IV of Antioch and the Greek Catholic Patriarch of the same see, Gregorios III, together “headed a special service celebration on the occasion of the consecration of Saints Peter and Paul Joint Church in Dummar on the outskirts of Damascus. Patriarch Ignatios “underlined that the consecration of a joint church is an exceptional event that plays an important rôle in enhancing national unity.” (!)
His Holiness Patriarch Aleksii II of Moscow has given his backing to the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly to be held in Romania in 2007. He and the General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), Keith Clements, announced this at a press conference in Moscow on 26th January. Although in the RIA Novosti press release it is stated that “Ecumenism is an international movement uniting all Christians,” comments made by Keith Clements and the President of CEC, Jean-Arnold de Clermont, indicate that there will be outreaches to Islam and Judaism.
The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Central Europe visited England in December to dedicate a parish to St Macarius the Great at the Anglican College of the Resurrection at Mirfield. While in England, the Metropolitan prayed with Dr David Hope, the Archbishop of York, at a service held in York Minster.
SCANDAL HITS CHURCH OF GREECE
As has been widely reported even in the secular press, a series of scandals has recently hit the Church of Greece, with churchmen accused of various moral and financial improprieties and with seeking to influence the courts. The press has probably covered this sad episode sufficiently without our adding more here, except perhaps to suggest that we remember those involved, whether guilty, wrongly accused or simply affected by the troubles, in our prayers.
ROMANIAN STATEMENT
After a 67 year-old Romanian woman became a mother using in-vitro fertilisation techniques, His Grace Bishop Ciprian (Campineanul) spoke out forcibly against the technique, rightly saying that it ran counter to Christian morality. “Life,” he said, “is a gift of God and a child is the fruit of a love relationship between and man and a woman…. The Orthodox Church encourages couples to resort to adoption rather than to in-vitro fertilisation.”
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