Sunday, August 29, 2004
Russians.
Although he said that the Russian Orthodox church is "open and ready" to ecumenical progress, the Russian prelate stipulated that no real progress can take place until the Holy See accepts Moscow's demands. "It is only on those conditions that full Orthodox-Catholic dialogue is possible," he said.
Since he became the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990, Patriarch Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger has frequently complained about Catholic "proselytism" in traditionally Orthodox societies. He and other Russian Church leaders have charged that Catholic missionaries seek to attract converts from the Orthodox faith. Catholic officials counter by pointing out that they are seeking to evangelize the vast majority of Russians who are not actively affiliated with any church.
responsum
I, too, cannot understand what the Patriarch means when he descibes countries as "canonically orthodox." As I recall, I saw a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Nice, France. And last weekend, I attended a festival at the local Greek Orthodox parish and saw several bulletin boards with photos of the church's missionary activity in Catholic MEXICO! If the Orthodox, Russian or Greek, can bring souls to Christ with these activities, more power to them; but please, Patriarch, stop the hypocrisy!
Since he became the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990, Patriarch Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger has frequently complained about Catholic "proselytism" in traditionally Orthodox societies. He and other Russian Church leaders have charged that Catholic missionaries seek to attract converts from the Orthodox faith. Catholic officials counter by pointing out that they are seeking to evangelize the vast majority of Russians who are not actively affiliated with any church.
responsum
I, too, cannot understand what the Patriarch means when he descibes countries as "canonically orthodox." As I recall, I saw a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Nice, France. And last weekend, I attended a festival at the local Greek Orthodox parish and saw several bulletin boards with photos of the church's missionary activity in Catholic MEXICO! If the Orthodox, Russian or Greek, can bring souls to Christ with these activities, more power to them; but please, Patriarch, stop the hypocrisy!
