www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Latest from the MP

Patriarch Says Better Relations With Vatican To Hinge on Deeds
MOSCOW, January 12 (Itar-Tass) - A possibility of improving relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican is hinged on real moves, and not words, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexis II said in an interview with Agence France Presse.
Its text was placed at the official website of the Russian Church Monday.

"Vatican officials have many a time given assurances of their brotherly feelings for the Russian Orthodox Church and have denounced proselytism or unifications as a means of attaining genuine unity among the Western and Eastern Christians," Alexis II said.

Their statements have failed to bring about a real improvement of the situation so far, he indicated.

He denounced the practices of Roman Catholic proselytism and said: "The Russian Orthodox Church has never put up obstacles to the Roman Catholic clergy in the spiritual fostering of their traditional laity here".

"What happens in reality is that dozens of Catholic missionary orders are now operating in Russia and other countries of the CIS and their real target is somewhat different from the spiritual guidance of traditional believers," Alexis II said.

"They are working to convert to Catholicism the believers who have been born, baptized, and brought up in the Eastern Orthodox faith and culture and are its historical inheritors," he said.

"This is happening in a country with a millennium-old Christian tradition, and the Catholic missionaries do not bother to take account of the opinions of the Russian Orthodox Church; they are actually ignoring the presence of this Church on its historical canonic territory," Alexis II said.

As he described the situation in western Ukraine, Alexis II stated: "Hundreds of thousands of Eastern Orthodox believers have found themselves in the position of an outcast minority there, while the Greek Catholics are aggravating the situation by eastwards religious expansionism to the traditional Orthodox southern and eastern regions".

He voiced concern over the attempts of the Greek Catholics to move their episcopal see from the western city of Lvov to Kiev and to raise its status to that of a patriarchate.

"They are thus trying to impose their own style of religious union in the parts of Ukraine where unification trends have never existed," Alexis II said.

"How the situation will develop there in the future is highly contingent on the Vatican's position," he said.

Alexis II voiced the hope that "sober thinking of the Roman Catholic leadership will avert an irreparable worsening of the situation".

He voiced concern over the attempts of the Greek Catholics to move their episcopal see from the western city of Lvov to Kiev and to raise its status to that of a patriarchate.

"They are thus trying to impose their own style of religious union in the parts of Ukraine where unification trends have never existed," Alexis II said.

Originally posted by lpreima:
The comments from the patriarch of Moscow in my point of view have a negative and yet a positive aspect.
The negative aspect is that many in the Vatican make a strong effort to do anything to please the Moscow patriarch as much as possible and this is the only real and true reason why up to this date they will not recognize a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchate (Kyivan), the other excuses that the Vatican gives is just a lot of "BUSHWAH". The statement of the Moscow patriarch not only influences members of the Roman Curia but the general public that don't have sufficient cultural and historical background to understand the situation as it truly is. So, we Ukrainians are looked upon as a group of trouble makers, and being so we are left aside and sometimes even ignored. I bet that when a group of Ukie bishops walk down the corridoor in the halls of the Vatican the cardinals probably mummble something like " Here comes trouble".
The positive aspect to all of this and what makes me feel good is that we have shown our Northern neighbors and the Roman Curia that we are alive, active and well and getting better. We are getting along very well with our Ukie Orthodox brothers and sisters from the Kyivan Patriarchate and the UAOC (and that's what counts).
Lauro

Also, we should note that the Holy Father John Paul II understands and supports the need of a Patriarch.

Furthermore, for the first time in our own UGCC history, all of our bishops have requested the official recognition of a Patriarchate by the Vatican.

Originally posted by lpreima:
..... we Ukrainians are looked upon as a group of trouble makers, and being so we are left aside and sometimes even ignored. I bet that when a group of Ukie bishops walk down the corridoor in the halls of the Vatican the cardinals probably mummble something like " Here comes trouble"........

Originally posted by lpreima:
Dear Hritzko,
Well, if what you say is true, than what's the deal? Why hasn't the Vatican recognized the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchate? What are they waiting for? or Who are they waiting for? When is the right time? Excuse my expression but are they waiting for hell to freeze over? I'm sure that there must be some cardinals that are on our side but for sure they are a minority because if it were the other way around (the majority), they would have recognized the Patriarchate some time ago and we had a lot of appropriate dates to do so: The day of Independence of Ukraine, The day when Kyr Hussar was elected Head of the UGCC, The Pope's visit to Ukraine,etc. What about all the Christmases and Easters that have past by, all of these dates were and are appropriate to recognize the Patriarchate officially. So what gives?
Lauro

Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:

Good saying at the end of your post, though - did you read that or did you come up with it yourself?