Dear Friend,
Niech bedzie pochwalony Jezus Christus!
Thank you for all you do to keep that great and vibrant tradition of the Old Rite Orthodox before us!
I've noticed in some Russian prayerbooks and online that a number of their practices are being readily adopted by "Nikonian" Orthodox.
In a Russian-language article on the site
www.akafist.narod.ru [
akafist.narod.ru] an Old Rite Orthodox critiqued contemporary ROC liturgical practice that he has experienced where the psalms are sometimes replaced by akathists. He decries that as unacceptable, even to the point of calling akathists "monotonous" etc. So their onlin presence is alive and well!
And I display a number of icons of Old Orthodox saints such as Avvakum the Hieromartyr, Paul Kolomensky, Amvrosiy of Bielokrinitsa and some other saints of the same monastery etc.
The MP is very desirous of bringing the Old Believers into union with itself, they have a special committee that studies Old Believer traditions and helps set up "edinoverie" parishes etc. There was some talk at one point to include the Old Believer saints into the MP calendar (as occured with the ROCOR saints). Don't know where that stands or where it went.
There is no reason why we can't all honour the Old Orthodox spiritual heritage and also the Old Rite Saints (even those of the priestless Vyg community).
Alex
