Kudos to the Russian Church. Normally I wouldn't post this, but often when the Russian Orthodox Church is mentioned it is in the context of continued nationalism and servility to the State. I have reformatted some sentences as the translation had some glaring grammatical and syntactical errors.
Moscow, July 9 (Interfax) - The Moscow Patriarchate says that the present authorities should denounce the communist regime, both in word and practice.
"The denouncement of communism began in the 1990s, but we failed to see it through," Fr. Georgy Ryabykh, the acting secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax-Religion Wednesday.
According to the priest, we need to continue denouncing communism today: "We have to honour memory of repression victims and their fortitude, open memorials, return cities and streets their original names, take Soviet symbols away from public buildings, remove monuments to bloody leaders from the central squares of Russian cities and the cemetery from the Kremlin wall." Axios! Well said.
"The only monuments that should stay intact are monuments related to the Great Patriotic War and scientific and cultural achievements of people during the Soviet era," Fr. Georgy said and called upon "avoiding the extremities of some Baltic countries."
He stressed that it was crucial to reassess the Soviet past in view of the coming 90th anniversary of shooting the Imperial family.
"For some reason, we are avoiding giving a clear moral estimation of this evil act. But this estimation is needed and should be voiced in public actions and statements. Denouncement of this crime and recognizing the feat committed by the Tsar family would resist any revolutionary intentions in the national mind," the priest said.According to him, "patience and commitment of the Tsar family in following the evangelical commandments to the extent of sacrificing their lives brings a strong moral charge of patriotism and commitment to our Homeland."
"It would be a mistake to miss it in the upbringing of a generation of Russians," Fr. Georgy said.
"If we wait to denounce the overthrow of lawful authority, we are risking to see this experiment repeated with the regard to the existing lawful authorities," he said. A worthy nod to the "doomed to repeat it" axiom.
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The commies have fallen out of sway.
ReplyDeleteI want to see a rejection of statism, caesero-papism and collusion with the state for the advancement of nationalistic agendas.
The ROC can start with the rejection of special concessions to sell liqour and tobacco duty free and from there can STOP acting in co-hoots with the state to make the lives of the Russian Catholics - down to 600K from 3M before the revolution - so miserable by working so frequently to stymie the rebuilding of this community through legislative itimidation and the use of red tape for rebuilding or reclaiming what BELONGS TO US.
In 1969 you couldn't find anyone who DIDN'T vote for Nixon. In 1975 not a soul on the street would own up to having voted for him!
So now the commies are out, and it is easy to repudiate them. What about their sons the statists, oligarchs and anti-democrats who are ruling the roost today after histories greatest power-grab in the collapse of the thieving Reds? Will they repudiate Putin's anti-democratic reforms and reject his favoritism.
I suppose I can show some chairty and hold my breath. After all, no one has ever died from holding some breath, just passed out and hit the ground.
"We have to honour memory of repression victims and their fortitude, open memorials, return cities and streets their original names, take Soviet symbols away from public buildings, remove monuments to bloody leaders from the central squares of Russian cities and the cemetery from the Kremlin wall."
ReplyDeleteIt may not be wise to take down all the communist statues, etc. down. People need to be reminded of their history--the good and the bad--so that they can learn from it. A historical plaque stating how people suffered under communist rule might be more appropriate.
As well, if they are getting rid of the cemetery at the Kremlin wall, what will happen to John Reed?