Patriarchal visitation to the Diocese of Odessa

PATRIARCHAL VISITATION TO THE DIOCESE OF ODESSA

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia was in the diocese of Odessa of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from September 20 to 25, 1997, for a primatial visit. He was accompanied by Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The welcoming party at the Odessa airport included Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, as well as other bishops, clergy and state officials. His Holiness answered numerous questions from Ukrainian and Russian mass media reporters. He said in particular, “The diocese of Odessa has become the sixtieth diocese I have visited for the seven years in patriarchal office, and it is my first visit to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine after the formation of independent sovereign states in the territory of the former Soviet Union”. Asked about his vision of the way to overcome the schism in Ukraine, His Holiness emphasized that the Bishops’ Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church made repeated decisions on overcoming the schism, but, unfortunately, no concrete results were achieved, and added, “I would very much like to see the schism, which lies as a heavy burden on the shoulders of the faithful in Ukraine, overcome in time. We have granted full autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in its internal affairs. We have maintained spiritual relations and I believe it is impossible to break them”.

Upon his arrival at the stauropegial monastery of the Dormition, His Holiness Alexy venerated the holy relics of St. Kuksha of Odessa who was recently glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church among her locally-venerated saints. In the evening, he officiated at All-Night Vigil at the cathedral of the Dormition.

On September 21, the Day of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Patriarch Alexy and Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated the liturgy at the cathedral of the Dormition. In the afternoon His Holiness visited the seminary in Odessa.

On September 22, Patriarch Alexy met with Odessa Governor P. Bodelan and Chairman of the city’s Executive Committee E. Gurvitz. He also visited several monasteries.

On September 23, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church made a trip to the town of Izmail to meet the local clergy and faithful, as well as local administrative officials.

The schedule for the fifth day of the Patriarch’s visit to Ukraine proved to be the most intensive one. In the morning the Eleupherios Veniselos steam-boat hosting a symposium on “Religion, Science and the Environment” to deal with the Black Sea environmental problems arrived in Odessa. Among its participants were His Holiness Bartholomaios I, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, and His Holiness and Beatitude Iliya II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. They visited the monastery of the Dormition. Responding to the welcoming words by Metropolitan Vladimir, Patriarch Bartholomaios I said in particular, “We ardently pray to the Lord Jesus Christ that He may grant church unity to the Orthodox people in Ukraine. We recognize here only the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and wish to promote an early restoration of church unity in the name of the Lord”.

Patriarchs Bartholomaios I and Alexy II had a talk at the patriarchal residence. They discussed the situation that had developed after a schism occurred in the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Bartholomaios I stated non-recognition of the schismatic groups in Ukraine. The primates of the two Churches expressed their conviction that it was possible to solve the problem of schism only on the basis of the canonical tradition common for all Orthodox Churches. They reaffirmed the need for continuous mutual contacts in overcoming the crisis. At present, in connection with the withdrawal of the Georgian Orthodox Church from the World Council of Churches, the need has arisen for an all-Orthodox discussion of this problem. The Serbian Orthodox Church has called to make this step, and the Russian Orthodox Church joined the call. The two Patriarchs expressed the conviction that such a discussion was needed prior to the WCC General Assembly to take place in 1998 in Harare. The problem of Estonia was also touched upon. Today there are Orthodox parishes in Estonia acting under the two jurisdictions of the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople. In two parishes, however, a conflict situation has arisen because their clergy and laity have been registered under different jurisdictions. Unfortunately, in spite of the decision made last year to use these churches in turn, the clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople have not always allowed the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate to celebrate. Both sides stated that both the Church of Constantinople and the Church of Russia should make further steps to solve this and other problems. On the whole, the meeting of the two Patriarchs was constructive and gave a new impetus for developing interchurch relations.

The fellowship of the two Patriarchs continued on board Eleupherios Venizelos. They were joined in their talk by Patriarch Iliya II of Georgia, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and Moldova, Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Moldova President Petru Luchinsky, Odessa regional leaders and other officials. Patriarch Alexy made a brief presentation at the ecological symposium.

Then Patriarchs Bartholomaois and Alexy visited the Odessa seminary. As a blessing to it the Ecumenical Patriarch gave it an icon of the Savior. The meeting was concluded with a recital by the metropolitan choir of the Cathedral of the Dormition conducted by M. Markin. In the evening the steam-boat Eleupherios Venizelos left Odessa.

The visit by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia to the diocese of Odessa was concluded on September 25 with a meeting with the diocesan clergy at the assembly-hall of the Odessa seminary.