MP Needs to Raise a Million Dollars for the Restoration of Orthodox Churches in Japan

Nikorai-Do (The House of Nikolai), Cathedral of the Resurrection. Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Prefecture. Kantō Region) JAPAN

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The MP is looking to raise a million dollars (30.8 million Roubles. 730,000 Euros. 628,000 UK Pounds) in addition to 1.5 million dollars (46.2 million Roubles. 1.1 million Euros. 942,000 UK Pounds) already collected for the restoration of Orthodox churches in Japan. “We still need a million dollars, according to the estimates of our local contacts in Japan. I hope that we’ll be able to raise that so that our brothers and sisters in Japan will be able to make the necessary repairs to fully restore their buildings”, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias said at a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Harada Chikahito in Moscow on Tuesday. His Holiness noted that the recent disaster in Japan touched the souls of Russians. He pointed up that when Russian people found out that the earthquake in Japan destroyed an Orthodox church and others suffered damage, the MP raised and sent 1.5 million dollars to restore these buildings. In addition, the Patriarch went on, the MP raised money not only for the restoration of religious buildings, but also for general assistance to the victims of the disaster in Japan.

His Holiness gave good wishes for the Ambassador’s 60th birthday, which occurred recently, and he quoted Confucius, who said that it took him 60 years to learn to distinguish good from evil, and truth from falsehood, saying, “This is a very important quality for everyone to have, but especially so for a diplomat. I think that the success of a diplomat is largely dependent on how he can distinguish truth from falsehood, in order to give a sober and objective analysis of what’s happening in the country where he represents the interests of his state. God grant that you can carry out your Ministry in Moscow thusly, for the benefit of our countries and peoples”. In turn, the Ambassador thanked the MP and Russians in general for providing material and psychological assistance to the Japanese. He noted that today the MP has a “great influence”, not only in Russia, but also abroad, and expressed a desire to maintain close contacts with Patriarch Kirill, and with the MP at large.

1 November 2011

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=42862

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1 November 2011. So Far… at 16.00 EDT… Lyonyo’s Dog n’ Pony Show Still on Track… FOR NOW

Flash the Wonder Dawg sez, “You just hold yer horses… it ain’t over, yet, y’hear. They do have until Friday to muck it all up, y’know…”

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Stage 1 has gone on successfully… JP managed to stay with the programme in his speech, and didn’t mangle things too badly. Notice how they had a follow up with Q&A immediately afterwards… this was built-in emergency damage control, just in case. JP kept his part of the bargain, so BP and the others lavished praise on him right on cue. So far, so good. However, this ain’t over till it’s over. Here’s the possible spoiler in the deck… Both the Diocese of the South and the Diocese of the West voted to disaffiliate the OCA from the NCC, and, as of 16.30 EDT, oca.org refuses to give you this potential deal-breaker. Stokoe mentions it, but doesn’t cover it in depth, because Lyonyo wants this to die, but he can’t pull the snaky parliamentary manoeuvre he did in ’05… everyone’s watching him. This could unravel the whole banana. I’ve no doubt that the 50 USD (1,540 Roubles. 36 Euros. 31 UK Pounds) assessment’s a done deal… but the NCC issue is down n’ dirty for Lyonyo… he’d lose a pay packet if the OCA left the NCC. If the Sobor goes off the rails, it’ll be over the NCC issue. Lyonyo won’t compromise on this. It’s only the first day, after all… let’s see what happens next. Then, we’ll know “the rest of the story”…

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Albany NY

The Number of Parishes in the MP Increased 250 Percent Over the Last 20 Years

On Monday, Vladimir Legoida, the head of the MP Information Department spoke at a press conference at the central office of Interfax on the enormous revival in the Church in Russia over the past 20 years. He said, “In 1991, the MP had 12,000 parishes, 117 monasteries, two theological academies, seven seminaries, 12 religious schools, and four schools. In 2011, we have 30,675 parishes, 29,324 priests, 3,850 deacons, and 805 monasteries. The number of spiritual schools also increased”. An exhibition-forum Orthodox Russia, will be held in Moscow on 4-7 November, devoted to the theme of the spiritual rebirth of modern Russia.

In Legoida’s view, on the one hand, in the term of Church history, 20 years is only a piffle, but “the difference in Church/state relationships since 1991, of course, is enormous”. He said, “We’re only at the beginning of the journey. We understand that the number of churches, which we consider inadequate to carry out an effective ministry, isn’t enough yet. We hope that this exhibition will help us to enter into a serious and meaningful dialogue, because we’re now on the threshold of a new stage of our development”, pointing up that the active ministry of the Church, including the social sphere and education, should grow.

In turn, Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov, the superior of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow said that in the near future the TV channel Культура (Kultura: Culture) would show his documentary film about the revival of Orthodoxy in modern Russia. He observed, “It’s been made by a set of very talented young directors”. In addition, Fr Tikhon said that they would also shoot a film about the upcoming exhibition.

31 October 2011

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=42849

Editor’s Note:

Most Russian people count the revival, not from 1991, but from 1985. That is, the revival started in Soviet times. The number of parishes jumped 50 percent in five years, that is, from 8,000 to 12,000. Therefore, if we count the Soviet portion into the revival, the amount of increase in parishes has been 375 percent. The limiting factor has always been clergy. In the early ‘80s and ‘90s, some “bad apples” snuck in, and the Church has paid dearly for them. I’m thinking of Neo-Renovationist creeps like Georgi Kochetkov, who was slapped down by two patriarchs (SVS loves Kochetkov… especially Seraphim Sigrist). Mostly though, the Church didn’t compromise its standards, which has limited growth up to now. It’s not like SVS, which admits and ordains all sorts of half-digested Anglican and Evangelical flotsam and jetsam. If you want to be a priest in Russia, it takes seven years, at least.

That’s why no new dioceses were created until recently. The Church didn’t want to water down the quality of the episcopate. Reflect on this… most of the bishops of the OCA couldn’t meet the standards of the MP. NONE of the OCA bishops has an Orthodox education to compare with that of His Holiness or of Archbishop Mark Golovkov or of Fr Vsevolod Chaplin. There’s no equivalent in the OCA to a MDA Kandidatura… no way, no how (SVS is nothing but the equivalent of a third-rate diocesan seminary in the Rodina… in no way does it compare to the MDA or SPDA).

Watch for the Church to enter a new stage… it now has the men educated for the task. That’s why we need to go home… we don’t have the facilities necessary to give our bishops and higher clergy a decent higher education in Orthodoxy. The sooner we realise this, the better off we’ll be.

BMD

Court Ordered Parisian EP Squatters to Hand Over Keys to St Nick’s in Nice Within Seven Days

The EP Parish Association in Nice must hand over the keys to St Nicholas Cathedral to representatives of the Russian Federation within seven days. The local newspaper Nice Matin reported that the High Court of Nice decided such yesterday. Moreover, the verdict stipulates that, for each day of delay, the court will assess a fine of 6,000 euros (255,000 Roubles. 8,250 USD. 5,150 UK Pounds). Recently, the RF authorities asked the court in Nice to oblige the parish association, which presently occupies the building, to provide access to RF representatives and give them a full set of keys to the cathedral.

As reported on 19 May, a French court confirmed Russia’s ownership of St Nicholas Cathedral in Nice. For its part, the Russian state decided to transfer the parish property to the MP in perpetuity free of charge and it assigned the church to the Diocese of Korsun. However, the EP authorities have been laggardly in actually transferring the property to the MP. Recently, the Council of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe (Ecumenical Patriarchate) stated that it considered itself the legitimate tenant of St Nicholas Cathedral in Nice. According to an official statement of the Exarchate, “The Association doesn’t intend to leave the cathedral, but it agreed to abolish entrance fees to the church for visitors, which in turn led it to dismiss all staff involved in tourism-related activities, because of an ensuing lack of funds to pay them. Furthermore, they closed the church to visitors except for times of worship”.

1 November 2011

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=42854

Editor’s Note:

Again, keep in mind that SVS and the Syosset apparat LOVE the Parisian bunch and support them uncritically. Recently, a self-centred konvert by the name of Jennifer Campbell was gassing on Stokoe’s website about “freedom of speech”… I’d say, “Missy, Lydia Plas exercised her right of ‘free speech’… the Parisian gang withheld the Chalice from her in consequence. Where were you? NOWHERE. Where were you when Eric Iliff hung on the cross? NOWHERE. I’d say that you’re a mewling babe with NOTHING to offer your elders, young lady. You supported the apparat and SVS… your actions speak louder than your words do… that’s why you have NOTHING to offer us”. That sounds harsh… but it’s accurate. None of these konvertsy EVER takes SVS to task for its support of the Paris bunch. None of them EVER questions SVS’ indifferentism towards Uniates and Old Ritualists. NOT ONE spoke up for Mme Plas. NOT ONE.

That’s why the sooner the MP takes over the church building in Nice, the better. It’s justice for Lydia Plas… justice she didn’t see on earth. His Holiness did send his personal condolences to her family, though. You can support the MP (and justice) or you can support the Paris gang (and oppression). Aleksandr Schmemann or Lydia Plas… that’s the choice. I choose Mme Plas, what about you?

BMD