SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT LINDEN. NJ AND OTHER MAILING ADDRESSES NO.17 CARPATHO-RUS. ALLENTOWN.NJ. AUGUST 18.2000 VOL.LXXIII An interesting in-depth analysis of the. Continued from #16 "Uniatism" remains thorny issue for Catholic­ elimatie events that began-in 1985 in the former Orthodox commission Soviet Union up to the present day. This is the one My Krayan [Countryman] hundred eleventh installment of the story from Moscow News. Emmitsburg, MD [ENI/Chris Herlinger]-A "Chase it down with this water!" joint theological commission of Roman Catholic The Crash of an Empire and Orthodox clerics and theologians has I took a drink of water, but , couldn't tell if concluded ten days of meetings at Mount St. it was cold or warm .. A Colloquial Chronicle, Russia, 1985-1991, Part Mary's College and Seminary here July 9-19, but 111. was unable to resolve a controversy that has been "God lives in a Trinity! We've got to have The Revolution brewing between the two churches since the end of a third!" In all written accounts of the August 1991 the COld War. coup that I've read, Thursday, August 22 figures as The meeting of the Joint International "I can't, Pan'ko. Don't force me." the V-Day, a day of undiluted joy and elated Commission for the Theological Dialogue between celebration of victory over the dark forces of the the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox "I won't push any more on you. Just slug reaction. There was all that, of course, but on the Church centered on the controversy over the down this one. Supper will be ready in a minute or whole things looked much less certain and much Eastern Rite Catholic or "uniate" churches in two, anyway." more complicated on the ground that day. On the communion with the Roman See. morning of August 22, alone, we lived through Orthodoxy views these churches as a Just stop and,think, what would you have sever~\ violent swings from sheer ecstasy to dark despair and back. threat to its existence, while for centuries the done? I took that third drink too, just like anyone Roman Catholic Church viewed the Eastern A.t our post on the bridge across the of our people would do with a krayan. This one Catholic churches as a possible "bridge" between Moskva, my men and me, we were trying hard not didn't burn at all, but it seemed that my head Orthodoxy and the Latin church. However in to get carried away by the mood of celebration, not wasn't mine any more but was sitting on Pan'ko's recent years Rome has begun to modify its views. to relax our vigilance against unknown dangers, so neck and that I had Pan'ko's head. Katie set out A communique issued at the conclusion of we frisked everyone who looked suspicious in the some food on the table, but I can't tell you what I the dialogue said that agreement could not be crowd heading for the White House. Some folks had to eat. I just don't remember. I don't reached on "the basic concept of uniatism," were resentful, as they thought they'd done more remember, either, whether it tasted good or not. I prohibiting a common statement on the issue. to defend the "White House" on the distant do remember that Pan'ko salted both his and mine approaches to it than those of us who had been The theme discussed during the plenary 'til the food was all white and then peppered it 'til it closer to its walls. They boasted of their feats in was the " Ecclesiological and Canonical was black, but I couldn't taste either the salt or the brawling with the troops, and it was difficult to play Implications of Uniatism." The communique added pepper. And I don't remember how much I had to a suspicious, officious guard, so in the end I . that documents prepared for the meeting touching drink after eating. But even today I can still hear relaxed discipline a bit and even permitted the boys upon "theological aspects and practical guidelines Pan'ko's speech at the supper table. to share a bottle of vodka brought by two young were met with some reserve and even outright couples-they spent most of the night with us as a opposition, sometimes from each side." As a "It's a great pleasure and joy for us to host sort of volunteer auxilia~ies to volunteers, obviously result, "it was felt necessary to continue the my dear krayan and neighbor from the old-country. enjoying the excitement, the sight of the barricaded reflection by the Joint Commission in order to find We won't let you leave, Van'yo, for a month. A "White House," the sound of the rock music common understanding on this extremely thorny month, bah! A whole year! Even more! We would carrying across the river lit by nares, and the question." knowledge that they were in the presence of a be very happy if you would stay with us for the rest . Calling the discussions "far-rea~hing, of your life." grand event. Intense and thorough" and touching upon "many Once RF Prime Minister Ivan Silayev rode theological and canonical questions connected with by in a limousine toward the "White House," Pan'ko hugged and kissed me again. the existence and the activities of the Eastern waving a friendly hand from behind a submachine Catholic Churches," the commission opted "for gun-toting bodyguard. It was getting colder and "Katie! Give our dear krayan a kiss! You further study of the theological, pastoral, historical colder toward dawn, but we stuck to our post like too, Mary, give him a hug and a kiss!" some forgotten sentinels. In the end, I let all the and canonical aspects related to this issue." Despite all the difficulties the' commission boys go, and only one sturdy chap from Tver stuck Mary was Pan'ko Shkwarok's daughter, hopes that through this process it will be able to with me to the end. somewhat of an old maid already. They both develop further its quest for full communion At about six, when the crowd started kissed me and fixed. me a place to sleep. Why between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox ebbing away from the "White House, " we should I be in a hurry to leave? They feaste(i me churches." dismantled the barricade across the steps leading another day, and another. On the fourth day I At a news conference after the meeting - to the bridge and went back to look for our overheard the following conversation. Hundred. The last tanks were preparing to leave the commission's first North American gathering - the scene, there were festive crowds, flowers in His Eminence, Archbishop Stylianos of Australia "He just sits there and sleeps, and eats, [Ecumenical Patriarchate], Orthodox co-chair, said gun muzzles, smiles, tricolors and TV crews and drinks. Who can tell if anything will come of everywhere. Walking in the sunshine, we felt as if the leaders were a "little saddened" that they had this." we'd won a long and bloody campaign, not just been unable to create a common document but stood around for a few days and nights in one did feel they had "achieved a common knowl~dge 'Why shouldn't it turn out alright? I'll just place. of each other." give him a hint today." There were even more solid human chains 'We have come to a certain point where in the daytime than at night around the "White we can state some points commonly. We now ''You can hint all you want, but he doesn't House," and we had to banter with them for a have to wait a while to breathe," Archbishop warm up to the girl at all. She hugs and kisses while, telling them we only wanted to join our Stylianos told reporters. him, and he acts as if she was made of wood. It Hundred, not blow up the "White House" or Cardinal Edward Cassidy, Roman Catholic anything like that. A comely Joan of Arc who seemed to be the CO at that point decided to let us Continued on Page 4, Column 1 Continued on Page 3, Column 1 Continued on Page 2, Column 1 PAGE 2 CARPATHO--RUS FRIDAY,AUGUST 18. 2000 Continued from Page 1, Column 1 wept helplessly. Communist Party of the Soviet Union "in view of I also missed one of the most symbolic through after frisking us. This she proceeded to do the fact that the Party's secretariat and politburo events of those days-the dismantling of the huge but quickly gave up the idea, as I proved only too had failed to oppose the coup d'etat and to monument to Dzerzhinsky in front of the menacing cooperative and even eagerly tried to make the mobilize the Communists to fight against the KGB building on Lubyanka Square. It was a truly search less of a one-sided process. We were let trampling down of constitutional legality." The revolutionary moment, signifying the end of the fear through'with no more hindrance than a giggle, a captain abandoned his sinking ship-though he was in which several generations of Soviet people had blush, and a poke in the ribs. by no means the last to do so, as is thecustom lived-fear of the all-powerful secret police founded At the barricade, Sanya gripped my hand among captains.