A First in Russian History: The Head of State Gave a State Decoration to an Old Ritualist Leader

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President Vladimir Putin awarded the Order of Friendship to Metropolitan Kornely Titov of the Russian Orthodox Old Ritualist Church (RPSTs). Vladyki Kornely said at the award ceremony, “I sincerely thank you for this high award, which I had the honour to receive today. This is a historic event. For the first time in 350 years of our history, the Russian head of state presented a state decoration to a leader of the Russian Orthodox Old Ritualist Church”. Damba Ayusheyev, the 24th Pandit Hambo Lama, the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, also received the same award. Metropolitan Vladimir Kotlyarov of St Petersburg and Ladoga received the Order of St Aleksandr Nevsky. Putin awarded the Order of St Yekaterina to Natalia Sarganova, who raised 35 foster children over 30 years. Also amongst those decorated was Mikhail Komissar, the CEO of Interfax, who received the Order “For Services to the Fatherland” (Third Class).

22 February 2013

Interfax-Religion

http://interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=50129

Vandals Spray Hate Graffiti on Jerusalem Church

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Vandals spray-painted “Death to Christianity” and “Jesus, son of a whore” on a Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem. The overnight attack on the Monastery of the Cross was the latest in a series of vandalisms of Christian holy sites. Extremist Jews sympathetic to Israel’s settlement movement are suspected. On Wednesday, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that the vandals also sprayed “price tag” on the monastery’s outer wall… a form of retribution settlers and their sympathisers use in retaliation for acts they consider pro-Palestinian. Extremists carried out similar “price tag” attacks on other churches, mosques, and Israeli military bases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the defacing of the church. Israel has 155,000 Christian citizens, less than 2 percent of its nearly 8 million people {according to friends who know the region that’s an undercount… they say that the actual figure is closer to 400,000 (5 percent of the population), mostly concentrated amongst immigrants from the former Soviet Union: editor}.

12 December 2012

Washington Examiner

http://washingtonexaminer.com/vandals-spray-hate-graffiti-on-jerusalem-church/article/feed/2055567#.UM4kh-THcZY

8 October 2012. A Point From My Correspondence

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I wrote one of the Cabinet:

Informed people here are waiting on three events, one secular, two religious…

• the London Conference
• the 6 November American election
• the Parma Sobor

Tectonic changes are afoot in the religious sphere… and in politics, as well. It’s going to take people some time to take it all in. For instance, both you and I noticed that the MP made no difference in its interactive map between MP and ROCOR parishes… and we drew the proper conclusion. Nevertheless, most people here aren’t as well-informed as you and I are. Indeed, that’s one of the reasons for the London Conference, to draw attention to the new state of affairs on the ground.

Secondly, the konvertsy are waging an active internet campaign, but the majority of the real Orthodox aren’t involved. I’m tied into the “hotline”, I know. I don’t know why real Orthodox aren’t involved in the internet debate more, but I see that it can be a positive thing, really. Real Orthodox people aren’t self-centred and full of themselves as the konvertsy are, so, many deprecate their abilities. I’m not going to attack modesty and humility (and I know that you agree with that). The konvertsy are misjudging the situation… you and I know better than that.

Willy‘s heading for defeat… literally, he’s not campaigning except in nine chosen states, and there’s no enthusiasm for him or his non-policies. Frankly, he’s looking to a racist minority in “swing states” to elect him. President Obama has been vilified over the past four years. I don’t agree with him on much, but it’s fair to say that the rightwing press has subjected him to a campaign of lies that’s unprecedented, even for politics. Willy won’t repudiate the birthers (BHO WAS born in Hawaii) and he won’t restrain the anti-Muslim fanatics. By the way, didn’t you like how the Copts and Muslims in the USA cooperated on the reaction to that nasty video? The news media didn’t like that one bit… it wanted blood, but it got forgiveness and reconciliation, instead. Oh, the humanity!

Most people see that Willy’s defeat could set off dissonances that could destroy the GOP as we know it. The same is true of the London Conference… it could set off ripples, which could grow into a tsunami that could sink the OCA. It’ll be interesting, especially for two jaded observers like us… something may actually happen for a change…

The konvertsy and JP are desperate… thus, the petition drive, the concelebration yesterday in the District, and the relentless internet campaign. If Tikhon Shevkunov served with JP, that means nothing… he was Dickie’s protector at the Centre. In fact, Potapov might have earned himself a trip to the woodshed for “three of the best” with this one. He’s taking sides in a “foreign” dispute, and HH doesn’t look kindly on that. In short, this was something run up by the apprentice whilst the blacksmith was out having a friendly ale or two with the local butcher, baker, and candlestick maker.

Remember this… HH and Charlie are silent on El Gordo. That means that he’s dog-meat, for sure. Expect things to get murkier and more confused the closer we are the Sobor. Do pass the jug.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Monday 8 October 2012

Albany NY

Patriarch Kirill to Pay Official Visit to Jerusalem

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Jerusalem (Jerusalem District) ISRAEL

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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias, the First Hierarch of the MP, will travel to Israel in November for his first official visit since assuming office in 2009. Last week, the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, visited Moscow to discuss the upcoming visit by Kirill with Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk. Estimates say that the Church in Russia has more than 85 million members.

Barkat’s trip was his own first official visit to Russia since becoming mayor in 2008. In Moscow, he also met with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin for more than one hour, according to Matvey Chlenov, deputy executive director of the Russian Jewish Congress (REK), the group that invited Barkat. Chlenov told JTA that Barkat’s reception was “a promising gesture of sympathy from the Moscow administration towards Israel and the Jewish community”. He added that it showed that Sobyanin’s interested in strengthening relations with Israel and Russian Jewry. Before his election as Mayor of Moscow, Sobyanin served as Chief of Staff for President Vladimir Putin. He was Deputy Prime Minister before becoming mayor in 2010, and many believe him to be close to Putin.

28 September 2012

JTA

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/09/28/3108171/head-of-the-russian-orthodox-church-to-pay-official-visit-to-jerusalem

Editor’s Note:

The REK isn’t the main Jewish group with clout in Russia, that distinction goes to the FEOR headed by Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar. Just you watch, Rav Lazar is going to be in Kirill’s entourage in Jerusalem, as will Archbishop Mark Golovkov (they were with President Putin on his recent otpust to Jerusalem)… he served in the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem and speaks Modern Hebrew. Remember, keep your eyes peeled at “Lenin’s Tomb moments”… that’ll keep you up to date on what’s really happening. Oh… the Blunder… he’ll be in the background of the picture as always. Only superficial ignoramuses think him important…

BMD