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Yes well...I've heard that Metropolitan Vladimir is quite a good leader...and he is recognised as the autonomous leader of the Ukrainian Church........

Perhaps the best way is to put all Patriarchal contedenders in an iron cage, in the style of Spiderman, and have them all duke it out. Whoever wins is no doubt supported by the Trinity and thus gets the loot!

Anton

Dear Anton,

Yes, Met. Vladimir is not only a good leader, but a well-loved one, even among the much villified "Raskolnik Autocephalists" that the Russian Church esteems so much.

(Perhaps the Autocephalists should start adopting Old Believer practices?)

Met. Vladimir taught many of those Raskols theology.

It is also true that Moscow has quite a tight grip on his clerical collar.

That is a shame because the Metropolitan could have become some sort of a bridge otherwise.

The UOC MP is truly the Russian Church under a different name.

Instead of being a cause of unity, as Ukrainians become more Ukrainian, their reaction against that Church's claim to represent them grows stronger.

And unlike other church leaders in Ukraine, Patriarch Lubomyr is well likd for being calm, composed and . . .Ukrainian.

Alex

This is interesting. I know that Kyr Lubomyr is very well admired by the majority of the population in western Ukraine but how is he seen by the population as a whole. How is Kyr Lubomyr seen by other Orthodox Patriarchs? If I'm not mistaken Patriarch Bartholomew admires and respects Kyr Lubomyr and the Greek Catholics in Ukraine.
Lauro

Dear Lauro,

Yes, and His All-Holiness has extended a hand of friendship to a number of our UGCC bishops too, including our Bishop Isidore Borecky.

The Greeks seem to always have been on good terms with the UGCC, especially in recent times.

Patriarch Josef, who spoke Greek fluently, got the message across to the Greeks about why the Union of Brest-Litovsk really took place and the Greeks not only understood, but esteemed him highly.

When I was on my honeymoon in Greece, an Athonite monk I came across became quite violent to me after I told him I was "Orthodox in communion with Rome . . ." (Bad mistake on my part - HUGE!)

But when I told him my Patriarch was Josef Slipyj, the monk smiled and blessed me with a prayer card of Christ which I still have.

He would have probably defenestrated me otherwise . . .

Alex

Ah defenestration...what an interesting way to be punished... One only need to remember the Catholic leaders in Bohemia who suffered the same fate during the whole Reformation hullabaloo...thankfully (does our Lord have a sense of humout or what!) they were saved.

By falling on a massive pile of excretement and rubbish...

Anton

Dear Anton,

Believe me, I know the feeling . . .

(Back to 'pews,' are we? )

Alex