The Shepherd, December 2009
U.K VISIT OF METROPOLITAN HILARION
HIS EMINENCE, Metropolitan Hilarion, the President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad - Moscow Patriarchate (ROCA-MP), visited England for a week in mid-November. He naturally visited the parishes of his jurisdiction in this country, and reports of these visits have doubtless been posted on their websites. However, even though our Brotherhood and the Convent of the Annunciation left the Church Abroad in 2006, rather than accept the rapprochement with the Patriarchate of Moscow, His Eminence’s first port of call when he arrived in England was the Convent of the Annunciation, where he was received by the Sisters and renewed his friendship with them. He was also very keen to visit Brookwood, but was unable to fit it into his rather tight schedule, and so, as Fr Alexis and Fr Hierodeacon Sabbas were serving in London on Saturday 1st / 14th November, the day when the new iconostas was to be blessed at the church on Harvard Road, he insisted that we join him there for the reception afterwards. He served on that day with His Eminence Archbishop Mark, administrator of the ROCA-MP parishes in this country, Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch (MP), Bishop Elisey of Sourozh (MP), and clergy from both the Russian dioceses in this country, the Greek Archdiocese of Thyateira, the Serbian Church and visiting clergy from abroad. What Archbishop Mark referred to as Harvard Road’s “little flock” was greatly boosted on the occasion not only by the ecclesiastical and civil dignitaries invited, but by guests from Russia, and many parishioners from the Russian Orthodox Cathedral at Ennismore Gardens, the Oxford parish of St Nicolas, and the two ROCA-MP parishes in the provinces: in the Wirral and at Colchester. After the Liturgy and the blessing of the magnificent new iconostas, which is in ancient Russian style, the invited guests were treated to a sit-down luncheon in a marquee. During the meal the customary speeches of congratulation were exchanged, with the Metropolitan and Bishop Elisey showing special courtesy to their non-Russian guests by speaking in English. Unfortunately there was no public address system and so much of what he said was lost, but Archbishop Anatoly’s words were particularly valuable because he spoke of the spiritual significance of the blessing of an iconostas. The priest-in-charge of the parish, Fr Nikolay Savchenko, also moved us by mentioning the parishioners of earlier generations (whom personally he would not have known being a recent immigrant from the Russian Federation), whose struggle, he said, was greater than ours. During the meal we had an opportunity to speak briefly with Metropolitan Hilarion, whom Fr Alexis has known personally since 1970 and through correspondence for several more years than that. His typical kindness and hospitality in inviting us to, or rather insisting we be present at, this significant event in the life of the Harvard Road parish was in itself very touching. Many thanks are also surely due to Fr Nikolay and Fr Peter Baulk for their tremendous work in organising the celebration.
PRIEST MURDERED IN MOSCOW CHURCH
FATHER DANIIL SYSOEV was shot twice and killed in his parish church of St Thomas in Moscow on 20th November, n.s. The young priest had apparently encouraged missionary work among Moslems and had received several death threats. However, as with most things in Russia, it is impossible to ascertain clearly the likely motive for his murder. Maybe, as has happened there with other incidents, the obvious villains are not the actual ones and the murder might have been motivated by those wishing to stir up anti-Islamic prejudices. The ROCOR United blogspot reports that he had also many other enemies: “Neo-Nazi groups expressed their displeasure with the Fr Daniil’s views and ultra-rightwing Orthodox publications criticised him for his anti-monarchist position. In addition, some spokesmen for Old Ritualists expressed a negative assessment of Fr Daniil. They believed that he attacked their faith, considering his publications on Old Ritualists as ‘slander against the Old Orthodox Church.’” Darwinian evolutionists were also included in this list, though it is difficult to regard some of these “enemies” as prepared to kill him in cold blood. His matushka, Yuliya Mikhailovna, now widowed with a young family, published a moving tribute to her slain husband. May he find mercy and rest with the Saints.
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