Old Believers’ Council completed its work in Moscow

The annual Council of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church completed its three-day work on 22 October 2009 at the restored Church of the Resurrection in the Rogozhsky Cemetery in Moscow. The Council chaired by Old-Belief Metropolitan Kornily of Moscow and All Russia was attended by four out of six Old Belief bishops. Two bishops did not come for the reasons of health.

In his report, Metropolitan Kornily noted that the dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church needed to be continued, though ‘it does not point to rapid breakthroughs since there are many differences that have accumulated in our relations on many problems’. Relations with the authorities and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church were dealt with under a separate agenda item. The Council adopted a document regulating the ethics of communication between Old-Belief representatives and representatives of other religious communities during their meetings. It takes into account the wishes of the Old-Belief side not to waive their established traditions.

The development of dialogue and cooperation between the Old Belief and the Russian Orthodox Church in defense of traditional values and the moral improvement of society were discussed by Metropolitan Kornily and Archbishop Hilarion in his capacity of chairman of the Commission for Old-Belief Parishes and Cooperation with the Old Belief during their meeting on 1 October 2009. The Council approved the wish of the Old-Belief side expressed at that meeting to have an Old-Belief representative in the group working on the textbook on Basics of the Orthodox Culture.

The Council gave special attention to the Christian preaching in the modern world, which is to be carried out with the help of modern communication technologies, and to the efforts to combat such moral vices of society as alcoholism, drug addiction and tobacco smoking.

DECR Communication Service