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Here's a BBC World Service report that aired Friday on the fading hopes for a papal visit to Russia. It's about 15 minutes long.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/analysis.shtml

-- Tim Cuprisin

This is a truly unfortunate situation. The Holy Father has shown his good will through his pilgrim visits to Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine.

There are serious doubts whether the icon of Our Lady of Kazan in the Pope's possession is the original anyway. And why, for Heaven's sake, does it take the Pope personally to return the icon (original, copy or whatever) anyway? Could it not be sent with an emissary?

If the Russian Orthodox Church does not want the Pope to visit, so be it--that is their stance, and it should be respected. The Pope could always, if he really wanted to--without making a big deal out of it--visit Russia as a private individual. Or is this not good enough for this Pope?

OrthodoxEast

Sure, he could call his travel agent and arrange to fly coach class to Moscow on Alitalia, spend a couple nights at the Holiday Inn... Maybe take in a show, hit a casino, have a nice meal or two.

Of course the reality is that the pope can't go anywhere without making a big deal out of it and can't go anywhere at all as a private individual.

For the record, the BBC report makes quite clear that there are questions about the authenticity of the Vatican's copy of the Kazan Icon.

--Tim Cuprisin

Always a bad idea, especially now!!!

Under the terms of the Lateran Accords, the Pope cannot even visit Italy (as a private citizen or anything else) without prior arrangements - which of coure are never refused but are still required. A Head of State is not a private citizen, no matter what Haroun al-Rasheed used to do. Incognitus

Alexei has never been refused any visits, nor Metropolitan Kyrill or any other MP emissaries in Catholic countries. I guess Christian hospitality isn't reciprocal in Moscow.

Dear Orthodox East,

If I am reading your tone correctly, I believe that you are being unfair to a very holy man, if not one of the holiest men living, the present Pope.

He is making every effort to reconcile with Orthodoxy as the Bishop of Rome. I REALLY appreciate that. I saw how his perseverence, love and genuine intentions tranformed the once apprehensive Archbishop Christodoulos of Greece.

If we are both, Orthodox and Catholics, to truly call ourselves, the 'one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church', then we must BOTH reconcile with each other... for the Bishop (Patriarch, if you will) of Rome is AS incomplete without the other ancient Patriarchs, as they are without him.

How can anyone, whether it be a hierarch, a cleric or a lay person claim to be a follower of Christ, and tell others how to follow Christ, if they themselves cannot forgive and love, and in the very least show charity towards each other? I am not judging anyone, but just offering some sombering food for thought for us all.

An Orthodox sister in Christ our Lord,
Alice

Alice, if the Pope needs a formal invitation to visit Russia and His Holiness, Patriarch Alexy does not extend it to him, it is because the Patriarch is first of all concerned, as he should be, with Orthodox unity. Right now negotiations are still in the preliminary stages hopefully to prepare the way to end the schism between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) and the Patriarchal Russian Church. This is the true ecumenism which should be of foremost concern to the Patriarch right now, and the ROCOR does not look favorably on the Patriarch's "cuddling up" to Rome in any way, and the Patriarch does not want to jeopardize promising talks with ROCOR representatives.

In the meantime, the Kazan icon should not be held hostage as to whether or not the Pope will or will not visit Russia. If the Patriarch will not invite the Pope, perhaps President Putin can be convinced to do so as one head of state to another.

OrthodoxEast

Hello Diak,

Your statement is interesting.

Has the Patriarch of Moscow or any ROC bishops
visted the West since the fall of Soviet communism?

Paul

Paul, Metropolitan Kyrill is the Secretary for External Affairs for the MP and either he or his clergy often make the foreign visits for the MP. Alexei has travelled outside of the former USSR but only rarely. I posit that in general he is afraid to travel outside of the Russian Republic because of suspicions and enemies made from his Soviet connections.

EP Bartolomeos and Pope John Paul II have certainly not been afraid to travel and visit their faithful.

OthodoxEast does make some valid points. Patriarch Alexei does have the discussions with the ROCOR and conservative elements within his own church that are solidly against discussions with Rome. These matters need to be handled first.

As far as the Patriarch being a communist collaborator, I am not aware of him being censured by other Patriarchs. I am also not aware of his acts of collaboration. I am also not aware of any actions of his in recent history that go against the Ecumenical Councils. If there sins he has to confess, those are between the Patriarch and Our Savior. I would also assume that he participates in the Sacrament of Confession. (I wonder who a patriarch or archbishop would have as a father confessor?)

It is good to see that the EP and Pope have had some cordial dialog.

Dear Friends,

Certainly, I think that the RC Church in Russia itself is to share a lot of the blame for the current problems between Pope and Patriarch.

The Orthodox suspicion that the RC Church is proselytizing is often confirmed, notwithstanding RC denials.

I have myself seen literature from there to this effect. In addition, I attended a meeting with Catholic nuns who unabashedly told my religion class they prayed for the "conversion of the Orthodox" openly when asked to say prayers at a mixed Catholic-Orthodox student rally in Ukraine (I interrupted at that point and told them that I and others there were scandalized by their behaviour).

And the Orthodox Church in Russia is attacked by all sorts of Western missionaries ready to buy converts with money, if preaching doesn't work . . .

The Russian Church isn't happy with the situation in Ukraine, to be sure.

But western Ukraine was always Greek Catholic (at least since 1596 ) and it always will be.

I have family who are priests (some with doctorates from the Moscow Academy) in western Ukraine and who were formerly with the state-sponsored Orthodox Church.

They are all Greek Catholic priests today, as are their colleagues - it was they who brought the UGCC there back to life by simply chanting "many years" for the Pope.

There was nothing the ROC could do - it will have to face facts one day. The fact that the UGCC is not its ecclesial backyard that Rome somehow "forced" back into the unia. The fact that the ROC has yet to repent of its involvement in the destruction of the UGCC in 1946, working behind the backs of Soviet soldiers.

And the fact that the Ukrainian Orthodox have every right to be independent of Moscow without being classified as "uncanonical." Such "canons" bespeak of ecclesial imperialism rather than the Law of Christ.

I am not anti-Orthodox. I would like to see all Ukies united in an Orthodox Church based in Kyiv. I am anti-imperialism.

But ultimately the Pope should forget about visiting Russia.

And his residence at Castelgandolfo is much more comfortable than anything he'd find in the hotels in Eastern Europe.

Alex

Am I the only one optimistic of a papal visit to Russia?
As Patriarch-Cardinal Lubomyr Husar stated," It is God Who decides if the Pope goes to Russia, not the Patriarch."

With all due respect to the Russian Orthodox Church, I am sick and tired of the baseless accusations being said by the patriarch. Yes, there have been incidents of proselytizing, but they are not at the level that the Patriarch blows it up to be. Since when can the Patriarch be regarded as credible, in light of reports that he collaborated with the KGB?

The Holy Father would never have visited Ukraine had he followed Patriarch Alexei's request not to visit.
Are we not grateful to the Holy Father for visiting Ukraine? What a blessed event that was!!!!!

I am optimistic that the Pope will go to Russia. Why?
The Holy Father is credited with bringing down communism in Eastern Europe. Yes, I personally believe that this was achieved by the Holy Father when he consecrated Russia to the Theotokos on March 25, 1984.
I believe and pray that a papal trip to Russia will be a reward by Our Lord to the Holy Father for fulfilling the requests of the Theotokos at Fatima.

As to the icon of Our Lady of Kazan being "held hostage" by the Pope- the Holy Father must have some insight that we are not aware of that would make him decide to want to personally return the icon to Russia. I am sure that he is completely aware of the risk he is taking in being perceived by the Russian Orthodox Church as using the icon as a bargaining chip to enter Russia. Could it be that he is convinced that Our Lady of Kazan will open the door for him to Russia? It is said that he prays before the icon everyday for the vist to happen.

As to the authenticity of the Kazan icon, I spoke with a Byzantine Catholic priest who played a role in the enshrinement of the icon in the Russian Byzantine Catholic chapel of the Dormition at Fatima.
He told me that the icon is not the original, but is one of the first 12 wonder-working copies that were written. Even though it may not be the original, it is miraculous and priceless. It can be regarded as the "principle" icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Since it is a miracle-working icon, is it not possible that Our Lady of Kazan will perform another miracle in opening the door for the Pope to go to Russia.

I certainly believe so!!!!

Speaking of things Russian in the LA Area, Have you ever attended St Andrew's Russian Catholic parish in El Segundo, Griego????