Bose, 18 - 21 September 2008
Spiritual Paternity
XVI Internazional Ecumenical Conference
on Orthodox Spirituality
In collaboration with the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Moscow .

Program:

In Eglish: http://www.monasterodibose.it/index.php/content/view/1879/456/lang,en/

En français: http://www.monasterodibose.it/index.php/content/view/1879/456/lang,fr/

On Monday 5 May 2008, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the European Council, Janez Janša, together with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, attended a meeting with religious leaders. The aim of the meeting was to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the European Union and religious communities. The discussion focused primarily on an exchange of views regarding the possibilities offered by intercultural dialogue in facing current challenges such as climate change and the issue of reconciliation. These topics are in line with the priorities to which Slovenia, as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is paying special attention.

The informal meetings between the European Union and the religious communities have been taking place since 2005. In 2007, during the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this meeting was for the first time jointly prepared by the Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

The meeting on 5 May 2008 was attended by 21 religious leaders representing Christian churches as well as Jewish and Islamic communities in Europe.

The Orthodox Churches were represented by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the European Union, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the European Institutions, Metropolitan Nifon, Exarch of the Patriarch of Romania for the Relations with the European Institutions, and Metropolitan Athanasios of Akhaia, Director of the Representation of the Church of Greece to the EU.

The delegation of the Roman Catholic Church included Cardinal Franc Rode, Prefect of the Congregation for the Institutions of the Concerated Life and the Society of the Apostolic Life, Cardinal Michael Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew and Edinburgh, Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis, Archbishop of Vilnius, and Monsignor Adrianus van Luyn, Bishop of Rotterdam and President of the COMECE.

The Anglican Church was represented by the Right Reverend Steven Lowe, Bishop of Hulme. The Churches of the Reformation were represented by Bishop Dr Wolfgang Huber, chairman of the EKD, Archbishop of Uppsala Anders Harald Wejrid, primate of the Church of Sweden, and Pastor Dr Letizia Tomassone, vice-president of the Federation of the Evangelical Churches in Italy. The Conference of European Churches was represented by its President, Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont.

The representatives of Islamic communities included Dr Mohammed Bechari, President of the National Federation of Muslims of France, Imam Abduljalil Sajid from the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Ayatullah Abdolhossein Moezi, Director of the Islamic Centre in England.

Jewish leaders present at the meeting were Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Roma Dr. Riccardo Di Segni, Rabbi Dr. Rafael Evers, Dean of the Rabbinical Seminary in the Netherlands, and Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue in London.

During the meeting Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions, raised concern about Christianophobia in Europe and outside it, mentioning in particular the region of Kosovo and the occupied part of Cyprus, where churches are brutally destroyed and where Christian population suffers exceedingly. According to the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, the list of countries where Christians are persecuted or discriminated includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, as well as many African nations. (See the full text below).

Brussels, 5 May 2008

On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has millions of faithful living on EU territory, I would like to commend the EU leadership for bringing together leaders of the world’s religions. I applaud those efforts of the European Institutions that invest in the promotion of tolerance and peace among representatives of different religions and world views. I appreciate the fact that the EU leadership is willing to listen to our concerns, and hope that our discussion today will not remain on the theoretical level but will have practical consequences.

Inter-religious dialogue, as well as dialogue between religion and secular ideologies, is a matter of necessity and urgency. Europe is witnessing a significant re-shaping of its religious map. In some countries, where not long ago an atheist ideology was officially imposed on the entire population, and where churches were heavily persecuted, we are now witnessing an unprecedented religious revival. In other countries, however, we see a clear decline in religious practice. Secularism is gaining momentum in nations which not long ago identified themselves as Christian, while the growth of Islam is also quite noticeable.

The EU leadership makes laudable efforts to help immigrants from Islamic countries to embrace European values and to fully integrate into European society. An environment of tolerance is being created, whereby every person, regardless of his or her beliefs, must feel at home.

I believe, however, that secular ideologies should not be regarded as the main basis for creating a society of tolerance and mutual respect. A secular or atheist ideology cannot serve as a common denominator for all of the different world views that exist in Europe.

I also believe that tolerance should not be promoted at the expense of Christians, who continue to constitute the majority in Europe’s population. Instances of Christianophobia and of discrimination against Christians should be officially condemned. The public display of Christian symbols should nowhere in Europe be prohibited, and the celebration of Christian feasts should nowhere be discouraged in the name of falsely-understood tolerance.

One would expect from the EU authorities that they will do more to protect Europe’s Christian heritage. This relates, in particular, to the Kosovo region, where churches are being brutally destroyed, and thousands of Christians are left homeless or forced into exile. It also relates to that part of Cyprus which is still unlawfully occupied by Turkish military forces, where churches are being ruined and the remaining Christian population continues to suffer excessively.

Turkey aspires towards membership in the European Union, while at the same time continuing to neglect the needs of its Christian population. Turkey’s refusal to reopen the theological school on Halki, in spite of repeated requests from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is but one of many examples of such neglect. This largely anti-Christian policy is presently enforced by the official denial of the atrocities committed against Christians in the past, such as the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians. I hope that the EU will use the mechanism of negotiation with Turkey in order to ensure that crimes of the past will never be repeated in the future, and that religious minorities in Turkey will be treated according to civilized standards.

Much more could and should be done by the EU leadership to protect Christian populations outside of Europe, notably in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and in many other Islamic countries. In Iraq, the killing and abduction of Christian clergy is a daily reality. In Afghanistan, conversion to Christianity may lead to the death sentence. In Saudi Arabia, no single Christian church exists and Christian workers are not allowed to read the Bible or to come together for worship. Alarming news about the persecution and killing of Christians comes from Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, as well as from many African nations.

I would like to conclude my short contribution by affirming that Christian Churches in the European Union, notably the Orthodox Churches, will continue to co-operate fully with the EU leadership in order to create a world founded on the principles of tolerance, justice and equality.

Le 27 avril 2008, dimanche de la Pâque, le patriarche Alexis de Moscou et de toute la Russie a reçu dans la cathédrale Christ-Sauveur de Moscou Mgr Alois Kothgasser, archevêque catholique de Salzburg, accompagné d'une importante délégation du clergé et de laïcs de son diocèse. Le patriarche Alexis a fait part de sa joie de recevoir une délégation de l'Eglise catholique d'Autriche au moment où l'orthodoxie fête la Pâque. Il a souligné également les bons rapports qui existent en Autriche entre l'Eglise catholique et le diocèse de l'Eglise orthodoxe russe. "Nous sommes reconnaissants aux représentants de l'Eglise catholique romaine pour leur attention indéfectiblement bienveillante envers nos fidèles qui vivent en Autriche et pour l'aide qui leur est accordée", a affirmé le primat de l'Eglise russe.

"Nous accordons une grande importance au développement des rapports amicaux avec l'archidiocèse catholique de Salzburg non seulement à cause de l'importance culturelle et historique de votre ville, mais surtout parce qu'il est temps de faire avancer la collaboration entre orthodoxes et catholiques", a noté le patriarche Alexis.

L'archevêque A. Kothgasser a fait part de sa joie d'avoir assisté à la célébration pascale dans la cathédrale de Moscou: "Quelle magnificence, quelle joie de la résurrection de notre Seigneur. Nous sommes témoins d'une véritable résurrection de l'Eglise orthodoxe russe après de longues années de captivité babylonienne". Il a raconté également sa visite le Vendredi Saint au polygone Boutovo où de nombreux chrétiens ont trouvé la mort: "L'Eglise orthodoxe russe est une Eglise-martyre, a-t-il affirmé. C'est avec une profonde émotion que nous vénérons tous ses témoins de la foi dont le sang est et sera toujours la semence de nouveaux chrétiens".

A la fin de la rencontre, Mgr Kothgasser a invité le patriarche à visiter Salzburg.

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches could form a strategic alliance for the protection of Christian values, Russian Orthodox Church Representative to European International Organizations Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria said in an interview with the Bulgarian magazine Christianity and Culture.

"We must realize that Orthodox and Catholic believers are no longer rivals. We are allies. The rivalry must be gone once and for all. If we understand that, proselytism will stop," he said.

'The romantic ecumenism' personified by the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches is not viable, the bishop said. In his opinion, it would be much better to form bilateral strategic alliances or partnerships, for instance, between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

"I don't mean union, administrative merger or compromise in theological teaching, I mean strategical partnership," the Moscow Patriarchate's representative said.

According to Bishop Hilarion, joint Orthodox-Catholic "front" is required both to oppose to the challenges of secularism and to protect traditional Christianity and dialogue with other world religions.

He believes that many Protestants unlike the Orthodox and the Catholic have created "a light version of Christianity, without apostolic succession, without sacraments, without strict dogmatic teaching and what is also important they don't require sticking to Christian moral norms."

Such communities don't consider centuries-old sins as such and even promote them. When Christian community starts "revising theological or moral teaching of Christianity in order to make it more "modern" or "politically correct", it's a direct way to spiritual death," Bishop Hilarion said.

Source: Interfax-Religion

The Russian Orthodox Church has issued a document officially condemning Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence.

Minutes of a meeting of the Holy Synod in Moscow on Tuesday, quoted the Church's governing body as expressing "solidarity with Serbia, a country that shares our faith, due to the separation from it of one of its historic parts, a part that has played a role in the history of the spiritual, cultural and ethnic life of the Serb people."

The Synod backed the position of "the Serbian Orthodox Church in the issue of separation of Kosovo and Metohia from Serbia."

It also advocated "all forms of support for the will of the brotherly Serbian people, who want the territorial integrity of their state to be preserved."

In February 2008, the head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Alexy II, expressed fear that Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence would fuel separatist movements in other parts of the world and set off "very tragic events."

Kosovo's declaration of independence "is an anti-historical event, which upsets the world balance, something that may lead to very tragic events in a whole number of spots on the globe where separatist sentiments are being stoked," Alexy said.

Source: Interfax-Religion