After the terrorist attack on the Minsk Metro, Metropolitan Philaret Vakhromeyev of Minsk and Slutsk, the Patriarchal Exarch for all Byelorussia, expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims, and to the whole nation of Byelorussia. “Our hearts are taken aback and sorrowful over the innocent blood spilled as we learn of the news of the victims of the blast in the Minsk metro. Ordinary folks in our capital were wounded and killed after a hard day spent working for the good of the city and our country”, according to statement of Vladyki Philaret, published on the official website of the Byelorussian Orthodox Church/MP. Metropolitan Philaret prayed for the repose of the dead, the recovery of the wounded, and to lead those “whose skills are needed to overcome the serious consequences of the tragedy. The Lord will give strength to not only to the relatives of the victims, but to all of us, in order to give us spiritual sobriety, to answer our prayers for assistance in our present difficulty”. With the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret, all parishes of the BOC/MP will pray for the dead and injured over the next forty days. According to the latest information, the attack on the Minsk metro, which occurred on Monday, killed 12 people and injured over 150.
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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias expressed his condolences to Byelorussian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Metropolitan Philaret Vakhromeyev of Minsk and Slutsk, in connection with the attack on the Minsk metro. Twelve people died in the bomb blast, and over 100 people suffered injuries. “This tragedy fills our hearts with a singular pain. Those killed and injured in the attack were the victims of criminals that sought to spread the satanic spirit of chaos and death amongst us. This bitter loss cannot help but remind us of how important it is to make vigorous efforts to prevent the spread of the ideology of violence, hatred, and enmity throughout our human society. I express my sincere condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, I pray and grieve along with all the believers of the BOC/MP for the repose of the innocent victims killed, I pray for the comfort of the suffering, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. I hope that not only Byelorussians, but also Russians and people of other nationalities, will pool their efforts and prayers to aid the victims and their loved ones”.
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On Wednesday, Metropolitan Philaret Vakhromeyev visited the Oktyabrskaya metro station, where there was a terrorist attack during the evening rush-hour on 11 April. He served a brief memorial service for the dead, proclaiming Eternal Memory for “the souls of the departed servants of God heinously murdered in the Minsk Metro”, according to the official MP website. Vladyki Philaret laid flowers at the memorial board with photographs of the dead placed at the metro station’s entrance. He blessed the collecting of funds; transfer all monies collected to the charity account of the Мингорисполкома (Mingorispolkom) to assist the victims.
NB:
There is no address given for the Mingorispolkom, so your best bet, if you would like to help financially, is to contact the MP Representation in New York at St Nick’s. Use the contact form at this address:
http://www.russianchurchusa.org/contacts.php
Mark it CLEARLY “Query on Sending Money to Byelorussia to Support Minsk Metro Victims”.
12/13 April 2011
Interfax-Religion
Patriarchia.ru
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=40283
http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1450880.html
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=40317
Editor’s Note:
At 20.30 EDT Wednesday 13 April 2011, I looked at oca.org and http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws, the official websites of the OCA and the ROCOR, and there was NOTHING easily accessible from the main page posted on either site on the attack itself or on what the OCA and ROCOR are doing to memorialise and aid the victims. I’ve grown used to incompetence on the part of those who staff these sites, but this leaves me speechless. The incident occurred at 17.55 MSK Monday evening, which would be 09.55 EDT or 06.55 PDT. It has been over two days since the event (about 58 hours)… where are these guys? They’re getting PAID for such stellar laziness.
This proves, even to the slow learners, that a bunch of navel-gazing boobs runs the OCA and ROCOR websites. They were just as slow in getting out the word on Metropolitan Nicholas’ death. What gives? Indeed, on the ROCOR site, the news of the day was… candles… how your parish could make money by buying candles at 30 cents a pop and reselling them for a buck and a half (a 500 percent mark-up). As my Nicky said, “That’s evil!” … and I agree. The OCA site was just as obtuse… they had up some condescending rubbish about a “New Resource Handbook”… the OCA doesn’t help its own people struck by the current Great Recession, but they collect money for outsiders, not for Orthodox people out of work and in need… great priorities, huh? It was the usual “feel good” suburban twaddle.
Where was Fathausen the Great? Where were Kishkovsky and his crosstown pal Gan? Where were Lebedeff and Bobby? Where were Stokoe, Dreher, and Mattingly? They were all MIA… all of them! There was NOTHING, I reiterate, NOTHING up on the two official sites to even acknowledge that this tragedy took place. If these worthies actually did anything (which I highly doubt), their running-dog lackeys at the websites were too slothful to post it.
I’ve got to walk away from all of this for an hour or two… this is unmitigated SHIT and NONSENSE. These same paladins demand that we “pay, pray, and obey”… I think not. This is an Augean Stable long overdue for cleaning. Bishop Mel, are you out there?
BMD
Addendum
A List of the Victims for Those Wishing to Offer Pannikhida:
- Natalia Abraj (06 November 1966)
- Tatiana Zakharkova (20 November 1968)
- Galina Pikulik
- Olga Solovyova (12 January 1983)
- Anna Shagoyko (09 October 1954)
- Vitaly Bakan (1977)
- Sergei Gerasimchik (17 July 1993)
- Roman Kaptyukh (16 March 1990)
- Yuri Klemets (1987)
- Anatoly Narkevich (06 March 1959)
- Aleksandr Parfuntsev (21 March 1954)
- Sergei Serban (11 April 1988)
