It’s time for vigilance and patience… the endgame may be nearer than we think…
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Read this:
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15686016
There are three groups within the MP contending for control. One is the “liberals”, who gather about such questionable figures as Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev (who, despite his grandiloquent title, is nothing but a vicar bishop). These are mostly pseudo-intellectuals with very shallow roots in the Church; they’re very similar to American konvertsy in their ignorance and love of argumentation. They have no hope of ever gaining power… they’re too small in numbers and too “exclusive” in attitude (again, you see this in their American konvertsy counterparts, especially the posturing SVS slimers)… they have no appeal to ordinary believers, as their “faith” is airy-fairy speculation and bloodless “paper-and-ink” declarations.
There is a war for the Church’s soul taking place, and it’s going on between “traditionalists” and “modernists”. These categories are NOT the same as their Western analogues. A “modernist” is a believer who supports interaction with the modern world, the use of modern technologies, methods, and media in Church work, and a large “inclusive” definition of the Church. They believe that the Church should interact with modernity, and that this interaction would be gainful for both the Church and for modern society. Prominent modernists are Archbishop Vikenty Morar, Fr Vsevolod Chaplin, Igumen Sergei Rybko, Deacon Andrei Kuraev, and Professor Kirill Frolov. This faction has the wholehearted support of Patriarch Kirill, as it mixes both an open attitude to modern methods and the contemporary world with a traditional approach to the faith.
The “traditionalists” reject the world… they reject modern technology and methods, yet they use the Internet to spread their teachings. They hate rock music, and they believe that the Church should stand in opposition to secular society, which they see as an evil and corrupt instrument of Satan, and they think that we are living in the “last days”. They’re much like the American Sectarians who read such mind-numbing rot as the Left Behind series and the Late Great Planet Earth. When the last MP Archpastoral Council defrocked Diomid Dzyuban as bishop of Chukotka and Anadyr, it was for holding this position. They’re full of conspiracy theories, crack-brained anti-Semitism, and positive fear of other Christian confessions. They believe that sending observers to see what the outside world and the other confessions are doing is disallowable communio in sacris. Such people have an “exclusive” definition of the Church, they are “the little flock that has remained faithful”… all others are damned. Like American konvertsy, they are fond of (mis)quoting the Fathers, the Canons, and theologumenae… making such out to be immutable Church dogma and doctrine.
If one sees this from an “insider” viewpoint, it’s clear why Vladyki Kirill isn’t raising any more of a rumpus than is necessary to keep things sweet. This way, there isn’t as much hurt feelings and bruised egos… and these things can prolong a schism far more than actual disagreement can. Most of the followers of the “liberals” and “traditionalists” are redeemable. There’s no doubt in my mind of that. His Nibs is being very wise… he’s letting things work themselves out naturally, but when there actual danger of harm to children, as happened not only at in St Andrei Bogolyubsky Convent case, but in the case of the Penza Cave incident some years back, the MP acted with expeditiousness to protect the innocent.
His Holiness is showing wisdom… as is Metropolitan Hilarion Kapral, by the way. Both are letting things “go naturally”. This way is longer, it seems more convoluted, and it seems that nothing is being done at times. I, for one, believe that this course is the only one possible at this time without breaking our unity. In the end, the faction around His Nibs will win… just as the OCA is fated to collapse in utter ruin and irrelevancy, and Metropolitan Hilarion is fated to lead a united Russian Orthodox Church in the diaspora. We must show patience… we must show perseverance. We shouldn’t act like the disgraceful juvenile American konvertsy in Stokoe’s comboxes who shout that they’re going to leave a particular archdiocese because the ruling bishop did something not to their liking. That’s Protestantism, pure and simple; it’s not Orthodoxy!
There’s Sturm und Drang now… it won’t last forever. As a sweet lady in New Jersey put it, “We’re waiting for the Frenchman to die”. That’s what REAL Orthodox do… they don’t throw tantrums and threaten to go elsewhere. For example, I asked my staritsa, “Iggy’s a supreme pain in the arse; he’s a lying POS. What do I do?” Her reply was simple… “If he’s not teaching open heresy, you must stay where you are. We’re promised salvation in the Church; we’re not promised that it’s going to be pleasant and to our liking”. That’s the REAL teaching of the Church… it’s why you must ignore people like Patrick Reardon, Freddie Matthews-Green, Vassa Larina, John Behr, and Jonas Paffhausen. They’re pushing a therapeutic “feel-good” Orthodoxy that’s too close to that peddled by the so-called “traditionalists” in Russia (their differences are merely superficial).
There’s a new dispensation coming… it’s time for patience now. Drizzle, drazzle, druzzle, drone… time for this one to come home.
Barbara-Marie Drezhlo
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Albany NY
Voices from Russia 
Orthodox Church Organises Humanitarian Aid for Novorossiya… South Ossetia to Recognise LNR… Refugees Receive Housing in Rostov Oblast
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Donetsk People's Republic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Leonid Tibilov, Lugansk People's Republic, Moscow Patriarchate, Novorossiya, Orthodox, Orthodoxy, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Rostov Oblast, Russia, Russian, Russian Orthodox Church, South Ossetia, Ukraine, Veronika Skvortsova, Vladimir Puchkov
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On Thursday, ITAR-TASS reported that Moscow-based Christian organizations set up centres to collect humanitarian aid for Novorossiya. They’re gathering clothes and surgical dressings. The Russian Orthodox Church jointly with the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IPPO) opened a centre for humanitarian aid in Moscow’s Novospassky Monastery (New Monastery of the Saviour). IPPO Deputy Chairman Yelena Amazona said, “Three tonnes of humanitarian aid are ready for departure because the facility is full up. People also provide money. Yesterday, a woman gave 50,000 roubles (1,450 USD. 1,580 CAD. 1,550 AUD. 1,070 Euros. 850 UK Pounds). People also volunteer to put up refugee families. However, Ukrainians prefer centralised accommodation in recreation facilities because they receive refugee status, jobs, and food. We’re sending clothes and food to the children’s camp in Orlov Raion in Oryol Oblast”.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Puchkov, Minister of Emergencies Situations, said, “More than 200 temporary camps for Ukrainian refugees with meals sites, medical services, and immigration points are now ready in Russian regions bordering the Ukraine. More than 13,500 refugees from southeast Ukraine, including more than 6,200 children, are staying in Russia”. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the refugee flow will increase if the junta introduces “martial law” in Novorossiya, saying that such plans would lessen restraints on junta forces. The Federal Migration Service said that some 4,000 people have already asked for refugee status. As many as 3,630 refugees, most of them in Rostov Oblast, are in the southern region. About 1,400 refugees came to central Russia and 1,460 people in the Republic of the Crimea.
As many as 370 people, including 111 yesterday alone, are on the migration register in Vladimir Oblast since early June. On Wednesday, the first 79 refugees came to the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. As many as 200 Ukrainians arrived in Voronezh Oblast over the last two days. Twelve migrants went as far as Khabarovsk Krai in the Russian Far East. 640 Ukrainians turned for aid in Astrakhan Oblast and the authorities created 100 new jobs for them in the region. The Tula Oblast OGA* stated they’re prepared to receive 5,000 refugees. A second station for collecting humanitarian aid opened in Yaroslavl. Samara Oblast created an emergency aid headquarters for refugees. Other neighbouring Russian federal subjects, particularly Stavropol Krai, are ready to help refugees. For instance, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Khloponin instructed acting Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov to provide 2,000-3,000 jobs for refugees. President V V Putin pledged give all aid necessary to refugees from Novorossiya.
*OGA: Oblast State Administration
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On Thursday, Interfax reported that Valery Bolotov, the head of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LNR), told a press conference that the LNR shall establish diplomatic relations with South Ossetia, saying, “We’re launching negotiations regarding diplomatic relations with South Ossetia; we’re about to draw up the applicable documents”. On Wednesday, Presidential Press Secretary Gana Yanovskaya told Interfax that South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov signed a decree to recognise the LNR’s independence. She said that an appeal of the South Ossetian parliament to recognise the LNR was the basis of the decree. In addition, Tibilov ordered his Foreign Ministry to work on establishing diplomatic relations with the LNR and draw up the relevant paperwork. South Ossetia has recognition from Russia, Nicaragua, Colombia, Nauru, and Vanuatu.
Editor:
This is IMPORTANT… it’s a backhand recognition of the LNR by Russia. This means that Russia implicitly supports the LNR and Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) leaving the moribund “Ukrainian” state. Let’s not be coy… by doing this, Russia implicitly lays claim to all of Novorossiya… the Vatican and the Phanar understand this, even if Washington doesn’t.
BMD
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On Thursday, Valery Bolotov, the head of the LNR, told a press conference that doctors found a sniper’s bullet in the body of one of the Russian journalists killed near Lugansk on 17 June, saying, “We found a sniper’s bullet in the body of one of the journalists. The story that the opolchenie caused their death is yet another lie of the Ukrainian authorities”.
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On Thursday, Vladimir Rogov, leader of the Donbas Slavic Guard in the DNR, told Interfax, “We plan to create a tribunal, we hope that we can prosecute the people who seized power in Kiev and let the bloodshed happen. The tribunal’s decisions would be in accord with the DNR Criminal Code, and we plan to pick judges from people who have law degrees in law. By no means would it be a kangaroo court, it’d be a real jury trial”.
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On Thursday, Interfax reported that Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova told journalists, “We’re providing full assistance, including medical points in temporary accommodation facilities. Every temporary accommodation facility has a medical point where refugees can see a doctor and get medication. Some 1,300 people, including 68 pregnant women, have sought medical assistance. Some 130 people are receiving treatment in hospital. I plan to visit Rostov Oblast next week to personally control the provisions of medical assistance for refugees”.
RF Presidential Administration Chief Sergei Ivanov visited the Pioner children’s camp in Rostov Oblast, where there’s a temporary refugee accommodation facility. The people there said that they hope that the situation would normalise soon so that they could go home. He told refugee mothers with their children, “We’ll do that the authorities will make plans for when it gets colder. Honestly, I can’t promise to you that everything will calm down. We’ll have to think of how to continue helping you. It’s warm now, but we’ll have to look for other facilities in future”.
Svetlana Dobrovolskaya, director of the camp, told Ivanov that 229 people, including 151 children aged from four months to 16, are now at the Pioner camp. The local employment centre assured Ivanov that they’d be ready to put refugee children in schools in Rostov Oblast. The school in Primorka, the site of the temporary centre, has up to 600 vacant spaces.
19 June 2014
Voice of Russia World Service
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_19/Christian-organizations-set-up-center-for-humanitarian-aid-to-Ukraines-southeast-4100/
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_19/Lugansk-launching-negotiations-to-establish-diplomatic-relations-with-S-Ossetia-9825/
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_19/LPR-leader-says-snipers-bullet-found-in-body-of-one-of-killed-Russian-journalists-8978/
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_19/Donetsk-intends-to-form-its-own-tribunal-7867/
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_19/Ukrainian-refugees-receiving-all-necessary-medical-assistance-Russian-Health-Ministry-7266/