$HUN$H HgU$ AN INDEPENDENTPUBLICATION OF CRTHODOXCHURCH OPINION .Juiy1997 Vol 9 No 7(63i Republrcatronpermltted upon acknowledqment oi source SOS MEMBERSOF THE RUSSIANORTHODOX CHURCH ABROAD: AWAKE! COMETO YOURSENSESi OUR CHURCHIS SUFFERING SHIPWRECK! Pieaseremember ihat both the Russianand English versions exist only on the basisof thevoluntary gur supportof readers' We will gratefullyaccept any donationsto coverthe costs of publishing.mailing and maintaining subscrrptronsto our vaflous sources. CHURCHNEWS 639Center Street Oradell,NJ 07679 1 THEAGONY OF THERUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA In connectionwith the tragic events of the criminalseizure by the Moscow patriarchateof the Monaster-yat Abraham'soak, the internationalpress, the Internetand e-maiiinnumerable accounts were published,often oescribing the events ft"ompersonai points of view and. therefore,not always accurate. Consequenily due io the amount of materlaireceived regarding this case the editorialoffice of "ChurchNews" ejecicjed to publishmainly official information or thatwhich seems to be reliablycoi-rect Perhapsreaders "church of News" rememberthat in 1995 {lssue # 5A (4g)} we i"elatedthe very disturbing situationof the Ecclestastical Missicn in Jerusalem,which !'esultedrn very strainedrelations between Chief cf the Mission,Archimandrite Theodosios, a syrnpathizerwith the MoscowPatriarchate and AbbessJuliana who opposedit. Evenat that time,instead at givingher full support.the Synodof Bishopsrntended not to removea pro-sovietChief of the Mission,but the Abbess.who was defendingthe basic positionsof the Synod Onl;i due to a storm of protestsfrom differentsides was the Synodforced to let the Abbessstay on (untiitne next convenrentmoment) and even to replace Archimandrite Theodosywith Archtmancirite Barthoiomew, w'ho started to cooperatewrth Mother Juliana. ln 1994 (it seems) the Synodof the ROCA sold a piece of reai estatebeiongrng to the palestineorthodox Societyin which was the Tree of Zacheas At least this is what was reportedby the Russianlanguage newspaper "NovoyeVremia" ("New Time") publrshed in Jerusalemt# Z3lg7,\.At presentthrs questron rs underinvestrgatron by the POS'slawyers. News of the iossof Jerrchoplot became known only ln the 1gg5 In Februaryof 1g97Brsnop Anthony (Grabbe)while meetingwith Arafat'srepresentatrves in connectionwith ine seizureof the land containingthe Tree of Zacheas,accidentatiy found out thai the chref of tne Mission ArchrmandrrteTheodosy, already hao conciuoedan agreementwith the rnayor of Hebron to "rent"large piots of land aroundthe Abraham'sOak for 99 yearsfor a lumpsum of $140.000 After reeeiving a copy of the mayor'sietter addressedto ArchimandrrteBartholomew. Bishop Anthony immediatelythrough Fr P. Holodny(charged with overseeingthe Mission'sfinanciai affairs)foru,iar,led ii to ihe Synodof Btshops,at the same tir-neofferrng the synod his full cooperltion in the event of a legal suit to defendthrs ptace. The Synodof Bishopsdici nct hcnor him with any reply. Hopingto in scnaeway tc directconcern of the Synodof Bishopstc thts rnatter.the "Church editorialoffice of News"sent a copyof the sar"neletter to the Secretaryof the Synodof Bishops, At'chbishopLaurus but here againthere was no reaction.The Synodof Bishopsalso In no wa!/reacted to the seizureof the ZacheasTree and rts handrngover by Arafatto the MoscowPatriarchate, although it was, withoutdoubt, aware of this Betweenthe appearanceof the MoscowPatriarch at the gaie of the convent on ihe fu'lountof oiives on the Holy SpiritDay (June 15th)and the seizureof Abraham'sOak nearly3 weekspassed. The braveMotner Abbess spent them in Hebron. stayingthei"e almost alone, with only a few nuns, one invalidmonk and Fr- Andronik consiantiybeing threatenedby police the Arab In spiteher effortsduring all this time to get in tcuch with the synod it pretendednct to exist As it was discovereoby one of the priests,who took pity on the hopelessstate of MotherJuliana that Metropoiiian Vitaly (at the peak of the tragedydeveloping in Hebron)went on vacation.. in France The DeputySecretary of the Synod, Bishop Gabriel due to famiiy circumstancesstayed in Austraiia,and the Secretaryof tne Synoo Arcnbishop Laurus himselfcoulci not advise on how to get in iouch with the Metropoiiianand rn qenerai showed a very lrmited inierestin this matter Only when Hebronwas irrevocablylost, did there (in absentraof the Metropoirtan)appear, very characteristic of the Synodof recentdays, an "UrgentDirective to All the Priestsand Fartnful" These dii-ectiveswere writtenin English onl;; had no dateand outgoingnumber and insteadof a genuinesignature by MetropolitanViialy a facsimilein Russianwas affixedl lt was sentout imrnedratelyafter the seizurecf Hebroncn July5th The directivesstated that the priests,after SundayLiturgy, were to serve a rnolebenand then reprintand hand out the copiesadvising llow to write p!-oteststo Americansenators ano congressmen To whomthis molebenwas to be servedand what petitionswere to be saidwas leftto the inventionof the indivrdualplests ',urgent However.as if havrngsecond thoughts. exacillr a month laterafter the first directive,,on AugustSth the Synodoffice sent out to all the parishesa "petrtronfor the AugmentedEctenia of molebensor the Liturgy,'.The priests receivedwithout any coveringletter a sheetwith following text: "We also ask Thee,our Lord and God,to help us and our brethren,the resrdentsof the holy monasterywhich is in Hebron, and to returnto us our property.so that our brethren.expelled by the authoritiesat the instigationof servants of the churchwho trampledon conscienceand fear of God,might live there again. "We also ask for forgivenessof our transgressionsfor the sakeof Thy mercyand to returnour property,the holy monasterytn Hebron,which was unlustlyseized, so that in it again would be elevatedthe prayersof our brethren, ,olorifyingThee our God,giorified and worshippedin HotyTrinity.,, Throughcutall these actions,or more accuratelythis criminalinaction, of the presentleadership of the ROCA it is evidenithat it totallyignored the very basic principlesof its own existence. lt has forgottenthat the holy confessor Patriarch Tikhonanathematized the Communistsand all thosewho collaboratewith the godlessauthorities. During the first glorificattcn servicefor the new Martyrsand Confesscrsof RussianChurch, the bynod's protodeaconread this Patriarchal epistlefrom the ambo. This anathemawas never lifted. And the Moscowpatriarchate never mentionsit. 2 whilethe presentleadership of the ROCApretends never to have heardit. This,although for a good ten yearsin each of the servicesto the New ;,Weeping, Martyrs and Confessor"scf Russia there is chanted at Vlspers: sadness and woefulness:behold the scrollof Hezekiel,which filled your soul, Hoiy Tikhon,our patriarch. Let us now hear aiso your voice:brethren, archpastors ano pastors,cal! your childrento defendtne OrthocjoxChurch. Let the destroyersof the churchesof your God hear fieryword.. by ihe auihoritygiven to us by Goci.we anathematizeyou O ierribteeveriasiing excommunication!Behoid the anathema,which can be liftedby no one! Beholdthe patriarchalboldnessj" This service was composedby ArchbishopAnihony of San Francisco,who ai present sees no obstaclesto unificationwith the Moscow Patrtarchate. MetropolitanAnastasy's testament, which at the time niade was made widely known -- now ccnsrderedtc be outdated-- states "As far as the Moscow Patriarchateis cancernedand its hierarchs sincethey, areln closeand actrvevoluntary union wlth the Sovr'ef Government, whtch openly confes-ses its comptete godlessne-s-sand which urges imptantation af atheismamong fire Russtan Beopte,therefore the ChurchAbroad guardingher purity should not haie any canonicalar prayer or even sacial relationship with them. at the same time leaving each one of inem to final judgement by a future Council of the Free Russr'anChurch"" As is weli known, there has been no Council of the Russian Churcn which would ludge hierarchswho collaborated godless with the Eovernment.Objections, on the pretextthai now the Churchrs free and everytninghas changedfor the betier,can be acceptedonly cn the basisof a desireto ignorethe actualsituation and with the goat of uniting with the MoscowPatriarchate under any conditions.For example it is commonknowledge that all the churches in the Kremlinand the iarge monasteriesdo not belong to the Moscow Patriarchate.but ir-e governmentowned museums, with whose agreementihe Patriarchateoccasionally rs permittedto hold servtcesin them. The Moscow Fatriarchate continuesio confess the sergianist heresy, which was conciemnedin 1g27 by ihe New Martyrs and Confessorsof Russiaas well as by the ROCA. lt has signed the so-called"Balamand Union" and remainsan active member of the WCC,which represents all ihe exisiingheresies in the world. The goaiof thisorganization is to uniteali the ' Christiansand by the year 2000 to establish"one worid religion Now thereare everinon-Christians particrpating in thrscrganizaticn. pr"iest In 1979 G. Yakuninmanaged to send abroada copy of a reportby the DeputyPresident of the Councilfor relrgious matters,V Fourov.',who presentedit to the centr-alcommittee of the communistparty. Fourovdirrided the wholeepiscopate into three categories (the main brshops of everygroup lrsred bv name) In thefirst group are. "The ruling Brshoos,who by words and deeds testtfy not only loyalty nut aiso patrtotism tourardthe sociatist socte/y,strictly obseruing the laws about cultsand bring up rn thrssprrft the clergyand fathful are cansciausof