Moscow, 10 April, (Interfax) - Bishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations expressed his disagreement with the Constantinople Patriarchate urge to govern all church communities in the Orthodox diaspora.
"One of the major challenges for inter-Orthodox relations I see the claims of Constantinople Patriarchate to a special role in the Orthodox Church," Bishop Hilarion said at Interfax press conference.
"The Orthodox Church is going to be enforced the model of the Catholic Church, which is the most centralized church power leaded by the one bishop of the Universal Church," the Bishop said.
He reminded that "there was no such a model in the Orthodox Church" and voiced his doubt "that we have the right to review our teaching of the Church."
According to Bishop Hilarion, the leading bishops of Constantinople Patriarchate urge to review the principle of the priority in the Orthodox world. This model envisages that the Constantinople Patriarchate "shall govern all churches in the so-called diaspora." Communities not included within the borders of historical national churches shall assume the jurisdiction of Constantinople.
Bishop Hilarion said that this whole complex issues shall be discussed at the inter-Orthodox meeting, where the Constantinople model shall be imposed on the Russian Church.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Surprise! Moscow disagrees with position of Constantinople
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Interfax needs to hire a new English translator.
ReplyDeleteSo wait, what does this mean then? Are we becoming "Catholic"? Is this the will of one man, mainly the Patriarch? Or is this a group of people who believe such should be the way in which the diaspora is governed? I'm a little confused.
ReplyDeletean education and contemplation are what's needed. church teachings have long recognized the ecumenical patriarch as first among equals. the position taken by His Beatitude is sadly short sighted and oftly bold considering his new post (office). the idea that juristictional traditions be maintained is perceived as in some way oppressive or inproper or less than orthodox is dejecting to say the least. the ecumenical patriarchate was under the yolk of the ottomans for hundreds of years and autcephaly was granted to several churches not as a right of passage but out of necessity dur to the cruelty in several instances of politicians. please read up and pass along less propaganda.
ReplyDeleteone last note, the heretical notion that church tradition and cannon law is in someway oppressive and less progressive is akin to feminists who would maintain that reseriving the priesthood for men is archaic and overeaching.
ReplyDelete