www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Old-Ritualists Forum Metropolitan Cornelius Congratulates Patriarch-Elect

The following letter (in Russian) appears today on the web-site of the Russian Old-Ritualist Orthodox Church:

To His Holiness,
the most Holy Cyril
Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

Your Holiness:

Accept sincere congratulations on the occasion of Your election to such a high and responsible position! I believe that in this complicated time Your good and useful labours in this position will have weighty significance for the development of a healthy moral atmosphere and interconfessional peace in our country.

I express hope for the further development of good-neighbourly relations between our Churches in a spirit of trust, mutual awareness, and respect.

With the wish for health, good days and auspicious assistance in all good deeds,

The Humble Cornelius

Old-Ritualist Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'

Fr Serge

What new developments do you think can be expected in the relations between the Nikonian Church and the Old Ritualists with the election of Patriarch Kirill? Now that there has been re-union with ROCOR isn't pursuing the end of the Raskol the next logical step?

A very warm message from Metropolitan Cornelius.

Many years,

Neil

I would have thought that it behooves the Moscow Patriarchate to make at least equally strenuous and generous efforts to seek healing with the Old-Ritualists. But I have no influence with either the Old-Ritualists or the Moscow Patriarchate. As an observer, all I can say is that the Moscow Patriarchate has shown no signs of a serious effort at reconciliation - rather the contrary.

A small error on my part, for which I apologize: the greeting which Metropolitan Cornelius sent to the Patriarch-elect was sent as a telegram, not as a letter.

Fr. Serge

-oOo-

What do you mean by "Nikonian Church"? The Russians and the Greeks? To my knowledge all the Orthodox Churches are "Nikonian" in the sense that they all use the same liturgy. I suppose that I myself would count as a Russian Nikonian priest and Fr Serge would be an Eastern Catholic Nikonian priest - we both use the Nikonian liturgy in common. I have Fr Serge's wonderful Irish translation of rhe Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and it is pure Nikonian, identical to the Liturgy I serve as a Nikonian priest.

You would never know it from the reports on the web-sites, but while Metropolitan Cornelius of course was not present at any of the Nikonian services, His Eminence did attend the reception in honor of the new Patriarch - a Moscow Patriarchate Bishop of my acquaintance took advantage of this to have a pleasant conversation with Metropolitan Cornelius.

Fr. Serge

I think "Nikonian Church" is a completely inappropriate term to use.

Not only as Father Ambrose stated both the Russian and the Greeks have the same usage as implemented by Patriarch Nikon, but Nikon was also condemned by the Synod of Moscow along with Protopop Avaakum.

I for one certainly hope that you are not using the term "Nikonian" here as an insult to MP.