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Briefing for press on second day of Russian Orthodox Church Bishops’ Council

25.06.2008 · Архив 2005-2009, События  

After the plenary session of the Bishops’ Council on June 25, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, chairman of the Synodal Commission for Canonization, and Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Department for External Church Relations, gave a briefing to the press to answer questions from journalists.

In his introduction, Metropolitan Juvenaly informed the journalists that 183 out of 197 bishops included in the list attended the Council. The present Council can be described as ‘open to the world’, he said, adding that ‘it was clearly seen at the first plenary session in which over 800 clergy and guests took part. Moreover, the report by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy was broadcast through the Internet, showing fully the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and her concerns’. During its first day the Council also heard reports by Metropolitans Juvenaly and Kirill, speaking on such themes as canonization, Orthodox unity and witness before the modern world.

The Council canonized Archbishop Antony of Voronezh (Smirnitsky, 1773-1846) as a saint to be venerated by the whole Church and established his commemoration day on December 20 (January 2); Archbishop Ioann of Shanghai and San Francisco (Maksimovich, 1896-1966) and established his commemoration day on June 12 (July 2); as well as the Venerable Mother Superior Juliana (1300-1393) and Sister Eupraxia (1302-1394) of Moscow, establishing their commemoration day on May 3 (16).

Metropolitan Juvenaly also told journalists that in the pre-council period the Holy Synod had been charged with studying the canonization of saints accomplished by the Russian Church Abroad in the separation period and with including their names in the common calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

‘The process of glorification of many people of God as saints has been going on for twenty years now, but neither Orthodox lay people nor the clergy seem to know much about it, as I have often seen. For this reason I have proposed that the questions of canonization and theological legacy of Russia’s new martyrs and confessors should be included in the curriculum of the theological schools’, Metropolitan Juvenaly told the journalists.

He also said that during its second day the Council, after a plenary session, would continue its work in five working groups.

Journalists asked whether the Council would discuss a visit of Patriarch Alexy to Kiev for the celebrations on the occasion of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. Metropolitan Kirill informed them that this question was not on the Council’s agenda, reminding them that ‘His Holiness has given a positive response to the invitation from the Ukrainian president and Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. At present a practical preparation of this visit is under way’.

At journalists’ request, Metropolitan Juvenaly gave details about the procedure of including in the common calendar the names of new martyrs glorified by the Church Abroad in the period of separation. The Church Abroad and the Russian Orthodox Church used different methods of canonizing new martyrs, he said. “During my first meeting with His Eminence Laurus I asked him about the procedure used by the Church Abroad and informed him of our methods of canonization. He replied that ‘we used Soviet newspaper reports about executions and repressions which reached us’”. Metropolitan Juvenaly stressed that the investigation cases of victims were thoroughly examined during preparations for canonization. ‘We see them as statements of martyrdom. We studied the life of every martyr from beginning to end. In the process of these studies we sometimes encountered obstacles of canonical or ethical nature which made the canonization of a particular victim of repression who was executed or victimized virtually impossible’, he said.

‘We have canonized those of whom we are sure’, Metropolitan Juvenaly noted, adding that the process of glorification of those who suffered for their faith in the 20th century was not completed. The 2000 Jubilee Council canonized an assembly of Russia’s new martyrs and confessors, showing that there were also those who were known to God as saints but still not known to people. The instruction was given therefore to continue studying the available materials, to identify new martyrs and to include their names in the calendar if there were no obstacles for it.

‘It was agreed yesterday that the Holy Synod would guide this process of studying the canonization methods used by the Russian Church Abroad in the post-council period so that four more years could not be wasted and the names identified could be subsequently included in the common church calendar’, Metropolitan Juvenaly said.

A great interest was shown in the possibility for saying Orthodox prayers at common Christian shrines found in non-Orthodox churches and sometimes even in non-Christian worship places, such as the remains of the forefather Abraham in the mosque in Hebron.

‘Until recently this practice has never been challenged and has been accepted as something going without saying’, Metropolitan Kirill stressed. However, he said, ‘some time ago both Bishop Diomid and the group of his supporters raised in the press the question whether it is proper and even formulated accusations against some bishops who believe this practice to be acceptable. I presented this issue to the Bishops’ Council for discussion, which will be summed up as its position’.

At the same time he warned against saying prayers at Uniate or schismatic churches in which shrines can also be found. ‘In my report I said that in case of schismatics and Uniates a special care and discretion should be shown’, he said, recalling that externally a schism and Unia are almost the same as Orthodoxy in ritual, but ‘prayers in such churches are dangerous for the unity of the Orthodox Church as they are fraught with sharing in schismatic actions’.

The DECR chairman also emphasized that according to sacred canons the Orthodox faithful cannot participate in common prayers and worship services together with the non-Orthodox. ‘This has also been reflected in my report. I believe all the Council members share a common understanding on this issue’, he said.

In general discussions on church unity the Council will consider the actions of Bishop Diomid of Chukotka and Anadyr. ‘This topic has already been outlined in a plenary session and it will be discussed by one of the subgroups’, His Eminence Kirill said to journalists. Answering to a question of why Bishop Diomid did not attend the Bishops’ Council, it was noted that the explanations received did not appear to be satisfactory. ‘He said he was ill, but the evidence he presented is not that of a real illness’.

There were also questions about documents to be adopted by the Council. According to Metropolitan Kirill, copies of a draft Provision for the Ecclesiastical Court and a draft Basic Teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church on Human Dignity, Freedom and Rights were distributed to the Council members. ‘There is a certain procedure for working with these documents as amendments to the latter document is to be handed over to the Drafting Commission in writing today. Tomorrow it will be presented and considered in a general discussion. As for the Provision for Court, the procedure is the same: it will be presented and considered tomorrow’, he informed the journalists.