Please Listen to This… and Weep!

The Call to Arms of Kuzma Minin in Novgorod

Konstantin Makovsky

1879

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A friend of mine commented on my site recently. I’m going to post his comment below, but click here to listen to the following drivel.

I listened recently to a presentation by Sister Vassa Larina about Schmemann and Monasticism. Too long to listen to all, I skipped to the end. The conclusions were presented by the “Archimandrite” Bob the Tough. He gave a tough talk, “provocative”. He praised the paper for the use of the expression “self-critical Orthodoxy” that “should be chiseled in stone and put up at the entrance of every Orthodox institution!” Furthermore, “the non-critical canonisation in contemporary Orthodoxy of Athonite monasticism and what it says and does is an enormous block to the kind of self-critical Orthodoxy that Orthodoxy in today’s world needs just like everybody else does. I think it’s time that somebody says that out loud”. His utterances were received with guffaws and applause by the audience (at SVS).

Nasha sestra seconded him by relating her experience at a meeting between Bart and the monks from Athos, wondering that the monks, instead of taking advantage of their “luxury of sitting over there blocking out women and stuff” (sic!) for praying day and night for the Patriarch “who lives in the real world”, made a “scene” accusing “the other part” of betraying Orthodoxy. “That was a condemnation from the monastic side that was out of place and very presumptuous”, concluded the monastic academic sustained by an explosion of guffaws. Almost needless to say that she can’t remember the name of that abbot from Athos! He didn’t present an academic paper!

My reply was:

Thank you for this. If it’s true, and I’m not accusing you of making this up, but can you “source” this for me? If it has a URL, please send it so that I can post it here with an appropriate rocket. If this is so, Vassa Larina’s gone beyond the acceptable, and she must be taken to task. Speaking at that pesthole of heresy, SVS! St John Maksimovich is in heaven weeping. Metropolitan Hilarion… why do you allow this? Did you know that it occurred? It’s scandalous in the extreme! If Vassa Larina’s attacking Athos she needs her ears pinned back and sent to the woodshed for a good paddling. Absolutely disgusting! Robert Taft is a stinking Jesuit Uniate with no standing in the Church. Who shall be our Kuzma Minin? It’s 1612, all over again.

Cheers,
Vara

My friend “sourced” this, and it’s disturbing on many levels. Firstly, SVS invited a stinking Uniate imposter to speak on an Orthodox campus. That’s beyond the pale… but then again, they just inked an agreement with an institution of the Episcopal Church, didn’t they? No Uniate has any right to speak on the Church, for they’re outside of the Body of Christ. They’re nothing but papists of the worst sort and SVS tells the world that we and they are part of a notional “Eastern Church“. His criticisms of Athos are otiose and just plain wrong. Athos is the beating heart of Orthodoxy. Full stop. V V Putin went to the Great Lavra and the monastic fathers all came out and gave him a rousing welcome! Bully for them. Secondly, Vassa Larina has no call to be attacking the Church in agreement with a Uniate snake. Metropolitan Hilarion, discipline this academic poseur and do it immediately! She’s agreeing with a Uniate in attacking the Holy Mountain… what cheek! What impudence! I’d look closely at that Andrei Psaryov too. I’ll say this… the late Vladyki Laurus wouldn’t have put up with such vile smut! Neither should you. Thirdly, it proves that Ancient Faith Radio isn’t a good thing for grounded Orthodox Christians to be listening to. After all, Bradley Nassif, Frederica Matthewes-Green, and Joseph Honeycutt are nothing but Anglicans in Orthodox drag. Attacking Athos… what absolute and vile rubbish. God have mercy on the lot of ’em, they deserve to dance at the end of a rope (but they won’t… and don’t call the cops, I’m NOT making a threat, I’m just expressing righteous anger at pigs who are attacking the heart of the Church). “Self-critical Orthodoxy”… what immature and juvenile rot! Give me the monks manning the guns at the Troitsky Lavra any road! Give me Kuzma Minin holding an icon in one hand and a battle-axe in the other, standing on the stump rousing the people against the papist aggressors. Let’s emulate the brave Varengoi, who died rather than surrender to the papist snakes. This is so sickening and reprehensible. God do HELP us!

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 4 December 2009

Albany NY

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First Lady Svetlana Medvedev thinks that Society Benefits from the Activity of Orthodox Women’s Organisations

President Dmitri Medvedev with his wife, Svetlana Medvedeva (both 1965- )

First Lady Svetlana Medvedev acknowledged the important role of the various Orthodox women’s organisations and communities in modern Russia. “Today, the solution of such problems as the demographic crisis, the strengthening of the family, and the education of the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, unites the efforts of the State, the Church, and individuals. Orthodox women’s organization can play an important role here”, Mrs Medvedeva said in her remarks at the First all-Russia Forum of Orthodox Women, delivered at its opening on Thursday in Moscow. As she noted, the members of the Women’s Forum have “extensive experience in all sorts of social work and their example inspires people” and they facilitate the spread in society of traditional Russian values. Mrs Medvedeva expressed her optimism that, in the course of the two days of discussions, the forum participants would be able to “open up new possibilities for self-actualisation for women in contemporary society”, and hoped that they would achieve their goals.

Speaking at the opening of the forum, Tatiana Golikova, the Minister of Health and Social Development, noted the role of the Church in preserving the institution and traditions of large families in Russia. She highlighted the problem of the high levels of male mortality in her speech. According to her figures, in 2008, the average lifespan of a woman in Russia was 74 years, whilst men only had an average lifespan of 61 years. Ms Golikova called this gap a “terrible and tragic difference”. As she sees it, two factors that help to cause elevated mortality amongst the male population in Russia are alcoholism and smoking, but, at the same time, a lack of understanding by many men of their domestic and societal responsibilities, and of not understanding their mission as the chief defender of the family, play a negative role as well. “Men need to regain an understanding of their significance in the family and society should pay recognition to their roles as fathers and husbands”, Ms Golikova said.

3 December 2009

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=33210

Dede’s Back… so’s Grandpa Yamal… Do you think that it may be Christmas Season or Something?

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“A letter from Ded Moroz. To the New Year 2009″

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“Veliki Ustiug: The Homeland of Ded Moroz”

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“Take it, Santa, it’ll strengthen ya!” A sardonic Russian comment on Americans, no?

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As they say in the King’s English, “Keep your pecker (nose) up!” This nutty season of preparation shan’t last forever. In any case, some of it’s enjoyable, so, SMILE!

BMD

Putin sez “Happiness Comes from God”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (1952- ). You said it all in three brief sentences… now, there’s a real Christian!

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged everybody to appreciate every passing day, noting that life is a gift from God. “I think that it’s a fact that our entire life tells us that happiness comes from God”, Mr Putin said during a dialogue with ordinary Russians in a live television and radio broadcast, in response to a question from a 16-year-old girl on what was his happiest day. He said, “We tend to forget that life is finite. If we can keep this in mind, we can realise that every passing day can be happy”.

4 December 2009

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=33224