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Russian Orthodox Church deplores Vatican decision to form dioceses
2002-041-1
2/13/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
An announcement by the Vatican on February 11 that it intended to form four dioceses in Russia has brought a strong reaction from the Russian Orthodox Church, further straining the relationship between the two churches.
A statement by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia said, 'We see this step as unfriendly and undermining the prospects for better relations between the two churches.' He said that the decision to establish a 'church province' in Russia headed by a metropolitan 'means in fact the establishment of a national Catholic Church in Russia having its center in Moscow and claiming the Russian people, who are the flock of the Russian Orthodox church culturally, spiritually and historically, as its flock.'
The patriarch added, 'The formation of such a church in Russia means in fact a challenge to Orthodoxy which has been rooted in the country for centuries. Nothing of this sort has ever happened in the history of our country.' He pointed out that 'in taking care of its faithful in Catholic countries, the Russian Orthodox Church has never tried to establish church institutions parallel to Catholic ones' or to 'carry out missionary work among the local population. If the Catholic Church worked in Russia with the same tact and good will as we do in Catholic countries, then no difficulties would arise in our relations.' He dismissed the Vatican's argument that it was merely restoring Catholic structures that existed in Russia before the 1917 Revolution.
'Such actions of the Roman Catholic Church, not conditioned by any real pastoral needs, expose the missionary purposes of the changes made,' Alexy charged. The Orthodox are very sensitive to what they perceive as attempts to proselytize, especially on their 'home turf.' He cited it as 'one of the basic obstacles for improving relations.' The frosty relationship has led Alexy to block Pope John Paul II's interest in visiting Russia, even after President Vladimir Putin issued an invitation.
'The leadership of the Roman Catholic Church is now responsible before God and history for a sharp aggravation of our relations, for the frustration of the hope for their normalization that has just begun to shape,' the patriarch concluded. 'The Vatican's action has put in jeopardy the ability of the Catholic West and the Orthodox East to cooperate as two great civilizations for the benefit of Europe and the world.'
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