The Shepherd, June 2005
NEWS SECTION
PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
EVEN the secular press has carried a great deal of coverage on the “deposition” of the Patriarch Irenaeos of Jerusalem by his Synod. It is still unclear whether this deposition will be ratified, as it must needs be, by the governments of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian authority. As is so often the case in tragic circumstances in church life such as this, the air is full of rumours of plots and conspiracies, and allegations that Patriarchs of other local Churches have used their influence one way or another, for good or bad. Perhaps it is best not to comment until the picture becomes clearer, however one aspect of the matter is rather confusing. Rightly or wrongly, and he strenuously denies the charge, Patriarch Irenaeos has been accused of permitting the sale of property in Jerusalem to Israelis - a thing which might well seriously upset the very delicate balance of rights there. This provoked the call for his deposition. One can well understand the concern and outrage, if indeed it be proved that the Patriarch is guilty of the charges levelled against him, but it is a sad reflection of our times that for allegedly engaging in illicit property deals, an Orthodox hierarch, is so summarily called to account, and yet when hierarchs openly and persistently preach things that are contrary to sound doctrine or flout the sacred canons by engaging in prayers with those outside the Church or accepting their sacraments as true, no account is required of them by their brother hierarchs. A disinterested observer might well be forced to the conclusion that within the contemporary Church there is greater concern for worldly matters than there is for confession of the holy and saving Faith.
CONSECRATION OF LONDON CHURCH
ON SUNDAY 29th May, the lower church at Harvard Road, London W4, was consecrated and dedicated to the New Martyrs of Russia by His Eminence Metropolitan Lavr, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. Archbishop Mark, Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, and Bishops Agapit of Stuttgart and Michael of Boston led the five hour ceremonies. Ten priests, including Protopresbyter Milun Kostic of the Serbian Orthodox parish, concelebrated at the Divine Liturgy with two deacons. During the Little Entrance, Father Thomas Hardy was elevated to the rank of Archpriest, and at the end of the Liturgy the Metropolitan preached on the Gospel of the Samaritan Woman and spoke of the missionary duty of the Russian diaspora, with Archpriest Alexander Lebedev giving a sentence by sentence translation into English. At the very end of the service, His Eminence Archbishop Anatolii of Kerch and Archpriest Michael Gogoleff from the Patriarchal Church at Ennismore Gardens joined the assembly and dined with the Harvard Road clergy and faithful.
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