World religions. Рахимбергенова М.Х. - 15 стр.

the threat of bloodshed – blood divides people – and the threat of Russia’s dis-         lately been extremely intolerant of those who do not share their radical views
integration into independent princedoms – many years will be needed to come              on the organization of church life and on relations between different creeds.
together again. This summer we are going to hold in Moscow a conference of               Those who disagree are easily labelled as godless, satanists, antipatriots.
Christian churches “Christian Faith and Human Enmity”. If it proves to be suc-                 – This alarms me. At the latest congress of Brotherhoods I saw with what
cessful, we will enlarge it by inviting other religions and religious associations       embitteredness some spoke. The speech of a female represantative of the Chely-
to take part in it. It is important to show that faith – any faith – can infuse a con-   abinsk Brotherhood was completely untrue and directed against the Church.
ciliatory spirit into human relations. Last week the Russian Orthodox Church             Addressing the congress, I said that the very word “brotherhood” largely de-
initiated talks between the spiritual leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia at Mos-          fined its character, ruling out enmity and suspicion. As far as true Christian pa-
cow’s Danilov Monastery. They proceeded not without difficulties but, I hope,            triotism is concerned, it must not be profaned with national pride, a desire to
they brought some benefit: notably, a change is in the offing in the matter of           monopolize the idea of patriotism in the pursuit of narrow egoistic ends... On
exchanging hostages.                                                                     the other hand, it should be kept in mind that the brotherhoods have a big part
      – One more difficult question – the organization of life in a church parish.       to play, being called upon to help the Church in the circulation of religious lit-
What are the possibilities for the priest to display his independence and creativ-       erature, in the conduct of enlightening activities, and in aid to sick and lone
ity?                                                                                     people.
      – In different churches priests take different approaches towards their pas-             – The ROC and you, Your Holiness, have fairly often been reproached for
toral duties. For instance, Father Dimitry Smirnov performs them one way, but            harboring an intention to make the Russian Orthodox Church a state church. Is
Father Alexander Borisov in a different way. Yet pastoral experience is given            this fair?
precisely for this purpose: a priest is constantly searching for his own approach              – No, it isn’t. The existence of a state church would be very problematic.
towards human souls. It is impossible to declare and regulate everything, as it is       Such a church would have against its own will to answer for all the imperfec-
impossible to impose a minimum standard on everyone. The difference of mind              tions of the state machinery. If the Church begins interfering in state affairs, it is
exists and will exist. But when it transcends the framework of the permissible,          natural that the state will meddle in the affairs of the Church. And we know
it may give rise to temptation in the Church. This is particularly dangerous now         well what this leads to. The Church must be in fact completely separated from
that, after the 70-year spiritual vacuum, people have come to trust any preacher.        the state. Only then will it be able to appraise events taking place in the country
The White Brotherhood became popular precisely because its leaders masquer-              from the positions of spirituality and morality. Only then will it be able to tes-
aded as religious preachers. However, a religious preacher cannot carry malice,          tify to the truth and, among other things, to tell the truth to the government in-
curses and hatred. The pastoral approach cannot be reduced to one common de-             stead of unconditionally supporting it.
nominator. But neither is it possible arbitrarily, as one sees it fit, to change the           – What would you like to say to conclude?
character of church service – and exactly this was done by Father Georgi Ko-                   – There is a verbal formula which probably is fully clear solely to those
chetkov. The problem was discussed in the press, but – as I see it – in a rather         who believe in God. However, I hope that now it can become equally accessible
one-sided way. The ROC leadership is not at all against innovations and their            to many nonbelievers as well. Here it is: Love alone may be above the Law.
discussion – church life, like everything else in the world, needs improvement.          Mercy alone – above the Right. And Foregiveness alone – above Justice.
But, first, changes must not be introduced at a moment’s notice and, second,
questions of this kind are a subject for Bishop and Local councils. These issues              Patriarch Aleksy II (his secular name is Aleksei Mikhailovich Ridiger) was
need to be raised with them. There is also a need to reckon with the fact that           born on February 23, 1929, in Tallinn, Estonia, where his family emigrated
any innovation was greatly hampered by the notorious renovation – a church               from St. Petersburg in 1917. In 1953 he graduated from the Leningrad Theo-
movement inspired by the NKVD. For many people any attempt at moderniza-                 logical Academy when he was still a student, he was consecrated to the ministry
tion arouses dark associations, with the result that the label of renovation is          of the gospel. In 1961 took monastic vows and in the same year became the
immediately pasted on any, even harmless subject.                                        Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia. In 1964 – The Business Manager of the Moscow
      – You said that it was inappropriate for a religious preacher to incite hatred     Patriarchate, a member of the Holy Synod. Between 1986 and 1990 – the Met-
among people. Regrettably, this reproach can be levelled not at the White                ropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod. In 1990 the Local Council elected him
Brotherhood alone. Some leaders of the Union of Orthodox Brethren have                   Pariarch. He is the author of about 200 theological works and works on church
                                                                                         history. He holds a doctorate in theology. From 1989 to 1991 he was a people’s
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