Message of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. March 4, 2001
8.03.2001 · English, Архив 2001
PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
MESSAGE
OF PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
O Lord! Thy Church is entreating Thee…
Be merciful to us, strengthen us in the right faith by Thy power,
But enlighten the sensible eyes of those who err
With Thy divine light
So that they may comprehend Thy truth…
(from the Office of Orthodoxy).
Beloved in the Lord, very reverend fellow-archpastors, reverend pastors and all the church clergy, honourable monks and nuns, God-loving laity – the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church:
We have entered a grace-giving field of Great Lent of which the stichera at the first week’s Matins sings as “mother of chastity, accuser of sins, advocate of repentance, life of angels and salvation of men”. Holy Lent is the best time for prayerful and repentant reflections on our life and the destiny of the Church and our much-suffering earthly homeland.
We have just crossed the symbolic boundary of the 21st century, leaving behind perhaps the most tragic century. It saw the persecution and regeneration of the Church and the joys and sorrows of the people. That century witnessed many changes in people’s life. Science and technology developed further to bring forth some fruits which have caused confusion and sometimes even fear among the faithful. Thus a debate has arisen in midst of the Church concerning a new technical system of tax accounting to be introduced in our country, in which some have detected signs of the last times.
The Holy Synod of our Church responded to this concern of the flock by a special Statement (March 7, 2000) which called to respect the feelings of the faithful and preserve Christian sober-mindedness. It proved timely, and during the last year many things in this problem were clarified and many things were changed. The state headed the voice of the Church and a mutually respectful and fruitful dialogue was held between the Holy Authorities and the powers that be. The first fruits of this dialogue were approved by the Jubilee Bishops’ Council last August as it deemed that the request of the Church to change the form of assigning tax numbers complied with. Now we can be certain that the questions confusing believers’ conscience as to taxpayer identification numbers have been settled favorably, and we hope that the results of the agreement reached between the Church and the governmental bodies will be sealed in legal standards.
An important contribution to the settlement has been made by the Synodal Theological Commission, which held, last February at St. Sergius’ monastery of the Trinity, an enlarged session in which farther superiors and spiritual fathers of stauropegial monasteries as well as ecclesiastical and secular experts participated. The Final Document adopted by the commission was approved by the Holy Synod as a guide for the clergy in their pastoral work.
In their discussion on tax numbers, the Theological Commission and the Holy Synod came to the firm conclusion that it is not a sin to accept or not to accept these numbers. It should not be a reason for one Orthodox Christian to condemn another. To accept or not to accept a taxpayer number is a matter of free civil choice, not by any means a doctrinal matter. The Church has come to this conclusion not for the first time; it has been made after a thorough study of all the theological, social and scientific aspects involved.
My dear one, with all the sincerity, love and pastoral care I say: there is nothing to be afraid of. But if anyone, even a very eloquent person, continues to sow false fears and doubts in your hearts, do not believe him, but believe the Plenitude of the Church.
Having said that, I at the same time assure you that the Holy Church will closely follow whatever happens around it. The technological progress can give evil forces in the country and the world many opportunities for trying to control people’s lives. To prevent it, the Church Authorities will continue dialogue with the authority and international bodies, compelling them to preserve the God-given personal freedom.
I consider it important to remind the faithful of our Church in this blessed Lenten time that they should trust God and have confidence in the Creator. Already Christ’s preaching, which began with the words “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17), announced the coming of “the last times” of human history. But the saving feat of Christ, His death on the cross and His resurrection have opened the gates of the Kingdom of God for those who follow Him with faith and hope in the Church He founded.
St. John refers in his letter to the coming of “the last time” and the fact that the Church had enemies from the beginning (1 Jn. 2:18). The evil forces still work around us, but Christians have nothing to fear. St. Peter instructed: “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” (1 Pet. 3:13). The Lord Himself told His disciples and followers: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27), and “in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). Therefore, Christians should give an example of bright and steadfast faith in the power of Christ’ victory. For the two thousands of her life on earth, the Church has repeatedly experienced hard times, when she was torn by schisms and heresies or when the powerful forces of this world mounted persecution against Christians. In human comprehension, the disasters that fell upon her should have destroyed her. But it did not happen because Christ the Saviour really promised: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). Numerous heresies and division have been overcome, and we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy today.
It is appropriate to remind you that one of the causes of schisms and disorders lies in that some Christians and even pastors dare deem themselves unsurpassed experts in the church teaching, infallible interpreters of Holy Scriptures, judges of the Church, bearers of a special gift that exceeds what is given by God in Baptism and Ministry. These “zealots beyond reason” do not realize today the danger of their limited judgements if given the nature of “all-church teaching”.
But you and I should remember that the world and its history are in God’s hands, and our salvation just as our spiritual death cannot happen by themselves, for some external reasons and without our own effort. It is only profound and living faith, conscious spiritual effort and active co-work with Christ that can give us salvation. And quite the reverse, only willful and conscious repudiation of the Lord and Saviour leads to death. Therefore, the fate of the world and the fate of our homeland depend to a considerable degree on us, Christians, on our spiritual and moral condition, on our prayer and repentance, on our ability to brings the good news and to do the works of charity.
There are more than enough opinions outside the Church, but the true Christian faith dwells only in the fold of the Church. “Assert this faith of the apostles, this faith of the forefathers, this Orthodox faith, throughout the universe”.
Let us be worth of going through the field of Great Lent, let us purify our souls by repentance, let us warm up in our hearts the faith in the Lord God, remembering that if we do it nothing and nobody will separate us from the love of God. But to those who are weak in the faith and confused the Holy Church reminds again and again: “God is with us! Ye know it, Gentiles, and repent: for God is with us!”
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
February 19 / March 4, 2001
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