On the Investigation of the Terakt in St Petersburg

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Today, the whole country mourns the victims of the terrible terakt* in St. Petersburg. Our loss is irreparable, it is a monstrous crime… it’s a wakeup call to all the citizens of Russia. Sympathy and support are coming from all over the world in these days of mourning. We’re doing everything possible so that this inhuman crime doesn’t go unpunished. We’ve sent a group of experienced investigators and forensic experts from the central office of the SK RF to St Petersburg. The joint efforts of our law enforcement bodies will enable us to carry out the necessary measures to establish those involved in the crime. The investigation is under my personal control. We express our deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured. We wish a speedy recovery to the wounded… the doctors are still fighting for their lives as we speak. Today, we need to unite in the fight against the greatest threat of our time… terrorism!

• Terakt: Russian acronym for “terrorist action”

A I Bastyrkin

General of Justice of the Russian Federation

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (SK RF)

4 April 2017

Aleksandr Ivanovich Bastyrkin

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5 April 2017. A Few Words on Convert Puffery

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Too many neophytes read the Philokalia… it puffs them up and makes them susceptible to all sorts of nonsense. They strut about on the internet, lecturing grownups, and disseminating the goofiest fancies as Church teaching. I’d say that no convert should touch this collection until they’ve been ten years in the Church. Moreover, The Way of a Pilgrim has led many astray. I’d say:

Go to liturgy, do good to those about you, and keep focused on the simple and good… that’s the formula for salvation.

The Liturgy grounds us and keeps the Incarnation Real. Otherwise, “Orthodoxy” becomes a mere literary conceit and our prayer life acting out of what one happens to read.

BMD