Lavrov Slams New Ukrainian Church as “Travesty of History” Aimed at Dividing Both Nations

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On Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov said at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University that the establishment of the so-called Orthodox Church of the Ukraine violated the precepts of state non-interference in ecclesiastical life as well as the canons of Orthodox Christianity:

The decision was totally illegitimate under all canons… both the canons of state non-interference in ecclesiastical life and the canons of Orthodox Christianity itself, because the 1686 decision on transferring that church under the Moscow Patriarchate’s auspices made in Constantinople is irrevocable. All you have to do is to read it. I believe that this travesty of history, which  pursues the objective of sowing discord between Russia and the Ukraine, in addition to preventing our peoples from being friendly, is essentially a crime [by the current Ukrainian régime] against their citizens.

Ecclesiastical standoff in the Ukraine

The current leadership in the Ukraine sought to create a local Orthodox church independent of the Moscow Patriarchate ever since it came to power after a violent coup in 2014. Last April, Ukrainian President P A Poroshenko sent a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew Achontonis of Constantinople requesting autocephaly for the Ukrainian church. The Poroshenko régime cobbled together a “unification council” held in Kiev on 15 December 2018, which announced the creation of a new church, the so-called Orthodox Church of the Ukraine. The EP handed over a Tomos of Autocephaly (a clerical decree on establishing an independent church) to its head, “Metropolitan” Epifany Dumenko, on 6 January 2019. Both the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church/MP and the central apparat of the Moscow Patriarchate consider the newly-established ecclesiastical institution schismatic. Other Local Churches either condemned Constantinople’s actions or chose ostentatious silence. None of them congratulated Epifany on receiving a Tomos of Autocephaly.

5 February 2019

TASS

http://tass.com/society/1043295

UN Ambassador Nabenzya Sez Disengagement of Forces in Southwest Syria to Take Place Shortly

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On Friday, Ambassador to the UN V A Nebenzya noted the existence of an agreement on disengagement of forces in southwestern Syria and stated that’d come into effect shortly in comments on reports concerning an agreement regarding the pullout of Iranian forces from southern Syria. He said:

I heard the news that was in the press and elsewhere about an agreement reached on disengagement in southwestern Syria and I think my understanding is that an agreement was reached, whether it’s been implemented as of now I can’t answer, but I understand that the parties involved in reaching the agreement are satisfied with what they reached. If it hasn’t been done by now, it’ll be done in the near future.

On 31 May, Israeli ambassador in Moscow Gary Koren told us that the Israeli government was satisfied with Russia’s position on the Iranian military presence on the Syrian-Israeli border. He said Israel and Russia held intense discussions regarding Iranian deployments in Syria, which he believes are aimed at Israel. Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov said:

Only Syrian troops should remain at the Syrian-Israeli border. The agreements reached in 2017 envisioned a pullout of all the foreign troops from that zone of de-escalation.

In the meantime, earlier this week, Syrian President Assad told RT there had never been any “Iranian troops” in Syria.

2 June 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/politics/1007683

Lavrov Warned Orthodox Churches Not to Play to Around With Politics

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On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov expressed confidence that the Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches would manage to overcome the present “turbulent times” with dignity, whereas some in the Church in other countries play political games. Speaking at the solemn dedication of the new mosaic in the dome of St Sava Church in Belgrade, Lavrov said:

Today’s event symbolises the spiritual and cultural affinity of our peoples and our churches. It seems to me especially important to demonstrate this unity at a time when both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church are undergoing a test of their strength. We all see how churches are playing around with politics, whether in the Ukraine, or in Montenegro, or in Macedonia. Our Churches will overcome these turbulent times with dignity, as was always the case with Orthodoxy.

The new mosaic in the dome of St Sava depicts Christ. No other mosaic in the world is comparable to it. The total area of the mosaic is 1,248 square metres (13,434 square feet). It took nine months to create the work, done in a traditional early New Roman style. Seventy artists worked on the mosaic, the construction of which required 40 tonnes of glass. St Sava Church is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world; it can accommodate 10,000 believers.

22 February 2018

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=69341

Editor:

Sadly, there are many in the OCA and ROCOR who are playing around with rightwing politics. It’s a sad day for the Church that Alexander Webster is now part of Holy Trinity Seminary… it means that the rightwing group around Potapov now controls the ROCOR. It means that the CIA is in the driver’s seat, just as it was in the Cold War. Did Langley dangle money in front of Jordanville? Probably… will Lebedeff defend this as he did the dalliance of Jordanville with the CIA during the Cold War (“We needed the money and we were grateful for it”)? Will this lead to the ROCOR repudiating its union with the Mother Church? Stay tuned… the hateful Vlasovtsy crowd around Potapov is in charge and nothing is set in stone anymore.

BMD

Lavrov Tells West to Respect Russia’s Red Lines in Foreign Policy

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On Sunday, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov told Kommersant:

If we were to suppose that we can’t have any interests in the Euro-Atlantic region, then, yes, Russia’s border is a red line, but in fact, we have legitimate interests, there are Russians who found themselves outside Russia overnight when the former USSR collapsed. We have cultural, historical, close personal, and family ties with our neighbours. Russia has the right to protect the interests of its compatriots when they face persecution in other countries and when others violate their rights, as happened in the Ukraine. On could see the August 2008 developments when Georgia invaded South Ossetia and attacked Russian peacekeepers as such a red line. Russia has its interests and people should bear that in mind. Russia has red lines. I think serious politicians in Europe understand that they must respect these red lines as they used to respect them during the Cold War.

21 January 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/politics/986168