It is almost certain that the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew will issue a "Tomos of Autocephaly" (independence) for Ukrainian Orthodox Churches later this month, on the 1,030th anniversary of the Christianization of ancient Rus' - thus forming a new "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" (my guess for its new name) that will consist of the present Kyiv Patriarchate churches, the Ukrainian Autocepalous (but noncanonical) Orthodox Church, some Ukrainian Greek Catholic churches, and some more Moscow Patriarchate churches adding to those which have already moved to the Kyiv Patriarchate. The new autocephalous church won't have a "patriarch" but rather will have a completely new structure.
This will be an earth-shaking event for world Orthodoxy: no longer will the Russain Orthodox Church (MP) be the largest Orthodox body in the world. I write this with a measure of sadness because Cheryl and I have many friends among the Russian Orthodox clergy and laity and we have helped many non-Orthodox convert to Russian Orthodoxy. But each country should have its own local Orthodox church using the local language and church customs. Also, a foreign "mother" church should not let itself be used by its civil state as an instrument for territorial expansion.
Several other news articles in this issue deal with the efforts to resolve the differences between Russia-oriented and Ukraine-oriented Orthodox Christians. Please pray that the Lord will bring about a peaceful resolution to this long-festering problem. "It is time for the Lord to act" (Psalm 119:126).
NOW, THE NEWS:
INNOVATIVE WORLD CUP OUTREACH SCORES BIG DESPITE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES' DETAINMENT OF CHURCH MEMBERS
from: Religion News Service
(9 Jul.) Hundreds of churches in Russia are preparing to end an innovative World Cup 2018 outreach on a high note this week, despite opposition from authorities. As the world’s most popular sports competition ends July 15, Mission Eurasia anticipates record visitor turnout for live screenings of the final soccer games, which local churches are hosting in nearly 400 locations.
The initiative is a creative way of evangelizing in the midst of Russia’s restrictions—seen as part of a crackdown on religious freedom in the country. Around 10,000 people have so far attended the events being organized by Mission Eurasia (www.missioneurasia.org) in partnership with local congregations, and nearly 500,000 people have been impacted by the whole outreach. The Chicago-area ministry has helped train and equip young Christian leaders in the former Soviet Union for almost 30 years.
While the full impact of the outreach is yet to be seen, one result is already clear, said Pavel Tokarchuk, Mission Eurasia's Russia director. "Many Christians have found a new courage and boldness for sharing their faith," he said. "We are praying they will continue to be encouraged to spread the good news."
That heightened faith will be evidenced through Sunday's (July 15) soccer final, as some outreach participants continue to publicly distribute Scriptures and other Christian literature. In doing so, they are asserting their belief that the Russian Constitution protects their right to share their faith, regardless of the 2016 legislation that limits evangelistic activity of officially recognized churches, said Tokarchuk. [read more...]
KAZAKHSTAN: 69 KNOWN ADMINISTRATIVE PROSECUTIONS IN SIX MONTHS
by Felix Corley: Forum 18 News Service
(4 Jul.) At least 69 administrative prosecutions are known to have been brought across Kazakhstan in the first six months of 2018 to punish individuals, religious communities and companies for their exercise of freedom of religion or belief. Of these, 58 ended up with punishments - fines of up to four months' average wages and, in a quarter of cases, bans on activity for three months, according to a review of the known 2018 cases compiled by Forum 18
The rate of prosecution is currently much lower than in 2017. The 69 known prosecutions over the first six months of 2018 compare with 282 such known prosecutions in the whole of 2017, of which 262 ended up with punishments.
What exercise of freedom of religion or belief is punished? Administrative prosecutions are known to have been brought in the first six months of 2018 to punish:
- 18 individuals for meeting for worship, hosting such meetings or maintaining places for such meetings.
- 6 individuals for offering religious literature to others for free.
- 8 individuals and 2 companies for offering religious literature, icons or other items for sale.
- 15 individuals for sharing faith with others.
- 5 individuals for offering religious items for sale online.
- 8 individuals for posting religious materials online.
- 1 individual for teaching their faith.
- 1 religious leader for allowing children to be present or conducting religious rites against the wishes of one parent.
- 2 religious communities for failing to fulfil official demands for safety/security measures. [read more...]
PROTODEACON ANDREY KURAEV: IF BARTHOLOMEW GRANTS AUTOCEPHALY, UOC-MP WILL NO LONGER BE CHURCH OF THE MAJORITY
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine
(11 Jul.) In an interview for the Echo Moscow, Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, a well-known Russian theologian, suggested that if Patriarch Bartholomew grants the Tomos of autocephaly to Ukraine, the UOC as part of the Moscow Patriarchate, "will soon cease to be the Church of the majority." Instead "the autocephalous Ukrainian Church will become the majority Church."
At the same time, the number of those who consciously want to remain part of the ROC will be very small, "Certain parishes, people, monasteries will still express a desire to remain under Moscow. They want to symbolically identify themselves as part of the ROC. Maybe they will constitute 3% -- it does not matter how much. But someone will be willing to."
The position of Andrei Kurayev radically contradicts the repeated intimidation of the UOC-MP's speakers that in the event that the Tomos is granted, an equal parallel jurisdiction will be created and the split between Orthodox Ukrainians will be preserved for many years. Obviously, in Moscow, they are aware of the manipulative nature of such statements.
Protodeacon Andrey expressed fears about possible repressions against a small group of believers, which in fact will constitute the ROC in Ukraine. "The question is that these 3% of the eccentrics are not subject to repression. Something along the lines of: if you are not re-registered, you do not have a right to own this temple, you do not have a right to publish your own magazines or books, to establish your own schools.... It is easy to impose numerous restrictions on these 'foreigners.' We see how this is done in Russia, when a religious organization is declared undesirable." [read more...]
PATRIARCH KIRILL, REPRESENTATIVES OF CONSTANTINOPLE CHURCH DISCUSS PRESERVING INTER-ORTHODOX UNITY
from: Interfax-Religion
(9 Jul.) Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has discussed the issue of keeping inter-Orthodox unity with representatives of the Constantinople Patriarchate. According to the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill met with Metropolitans Emmanuel of Galle and Bartholomew of Smyrna at his working residence in Moscow's Chisty Lane on Monday. "The conversation addressed issues relating to keeping inter-Orthodox unity," the report said.
The Russian Orthodox Church was also represented in the meeting by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, deputy head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations. "In the meeting, the parties frankly and openly stated their positons on a number of issues that present mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine," Father Nikolay told Interfax-Religion.
"Both parties find this meeting useful," he said. The priest said the positons of the Russian Church stated there will be communicated to Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod of the Constantinople Church in the near future. The issue of inter-Orthodox unity drew broad debate in the past few months in connection with the so-called Ukrainian issue. [read more...]
THE MOSCOW CHURCH IS A DAUGHTER OF THE UKRAINIAN CHURCH - MEMBER OF SYNOD OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
from: Ukrinform
(14 Jul.) "The Moscow church is a daughter of the Ukrainian church, which, in turn, is a daughter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate." A member of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Elpidophoros said this in an interview with the Russian news site "Orthodoxy and Peace," which Ukrinform translated from the Greek language.
"In the case of the Ukrainian church, the assertion of anyone that the church in Moscow is the mother of the Ukrainian church is at least paradoxical and distorted. On the contrary, the Moscow church is a daughter of the Ukrainian church, which - the Ukrainian church is a daughter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Christianization (baptism) of the Rus, not of the Russians, since it is known that the Kyivan Rus is another thing, that is of today's Ukrainians, was held under Volodymyr. Thus, the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – this is Ukraine, this is Kyiv, and therefore the mother church," he said.
He also commented on the clarification of a journalist that there was no Ukraine in those days: "There was. The territory could be called differently, but the land is the same. We are not interested in the name, territory, we are interested in canonical issues. Perhaps it was called differently, but we are talking about the same land, at least about the same geographical area. Thus, the mother of the Ukrainian church is the church in Constantinople, and the mother of the Moscow church is the church in Kyiv."
He said that this had been acknowledged earlier by Moscow Patriarch Kirill himself, who, while on an official visit to Constantinople, stated that "for us Kyiv is our fatherland and our mother." "As you see, things were stated from another perspective, and today nobody can argue that the Moscow church is the mother church for Ukraine. It's historically and canonically, and it is paradoxical to say something like this in all respects," Metropolitan Elpidophoros said. [read more...]
UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (MP) TO LOSE RIGHT TO BE CALLED "UKRAINIAN" ONCE CONSTANTINOPLE GRANTS TOMOS – FILARET
from: Unian
(22 Jun.) Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Filaret claims that after receiving a Tomos on autocephaly from Constantinople, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is now in unity with the Russian Orthodox Church will lose the right to be called "Ukrainian."
"It is the Ukrainian Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) who will receive the tomos, which will mean the unification of said churches. The Moscow Patriarchate will have to decide: either to join the canonical Ukrainian Church, recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other churches, or not. We assume that not all parishes, priests and bishops will join the Local Church. No one will force them to do this. However, those who do not join will not have the right to be called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remaining only the metropolis or exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine," Patriarch Filaret told the parliamentary newspaper, Holos Ukrainy.
He also estimated Ukraine's chances of obtaining the tomos at "99 percent," adding that "the Synod meeting is scheduled to be held in the Constantinople Church in Istanbul in the first half of July." As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on April 17 that the heads of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church had decided to officially appeal to Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for autocephaly.
Autocephaly is the status of a hierarchical Christian Church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop (used especially in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Independent Catholic churches). Autocephaly opens the way for the creation of a united Orthodox church in Ukraine, which will not be subordinate to Moscow. [read more...]
OTHER NEWS HEADLINES:
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES PLOTTING PROVOCATIONS TO HINDER CREATION OF INDEPENDENT CHURCH IN UKRAINE - MEDIA
from Unian
AFTER BESTOWAL OF TOMOS ON UOC, MOSCOW MAY LOSE BELARUS AS WELL
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine
CONSTANTINOPLE CHURCH NEVER LAID CLAIM TO UKRAINIAN METROPOLITANATE TAKEN OVER BY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN 17TH CENTURY – THEOLOGIAN
from Interfax-Religion
O.S.C.E. PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY DEMANDS RUSSIA CEASE RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN CRIMEA
from Portal-Credo.ru
MOSAIC ICONS BEGAN TO BE APPLIED ON THE ROMANIAN NATIONAL CATHEDRAL’S ICONOSTASIS
from Orthodox Christianity
NO OBSTACLES ON BARTHOLOMEW'S WAY TO MAKE FUNDAMENTAL DECISION ON UKRAINE CHURCH INDEPENDENCE – EXPERT
from Unian
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Givers and Takers
There are actually more than two kinds of people: some people are "matchers" - they strive to give back to society for all the good things and experiences that God has given them. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 - "For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed, but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality. As it is written, 'He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.'"
We all know that a growing number of people nowadays are taking more from society than they give. Why is this? Obviously, Christian morality teaches us to care for "the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, for widows and orphans." The idea of voluntary sharing one's possessions comes from Christ's teaching in the Gospels, in Acts ch. 2:44-45 and ch. 4:32-35. It should be noted that these texts use the continuing, imperfect verb tense that indicates a gradual and unfinished action. It was also voluntary, not the forced confiscation as in modern communism or state taxation. The incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-10 teaches us clearly that this married couple had the right to voluntarily give as much or as little of their goods as they chose, but their sin was that they tried to cheat the Lord by pretending to give all the money from the sale of their property... however, they kept back a part of the money.
So it is today: it's easy to fool the government. There are millions of people in modern society who have learned how to pretend, how to "work the system." They pretend to be poor or sick or disabled so they can apply for government benefits or private charity. Millions of people in the U.S. are receiving Social Security Disability payments simply because their unemployment benefits ran out or a doctor was willing for a fee to write that they are disabled. The problem here is that after a while the role we play becomes who we really are: the fake disability becomes a real disability. Their bodies get fat and weak and their minds go to seed.
This isn't only a U.S. phenomenon: when we lived in Russia we met many disabled people who refused to get retrained so they could earn at least a partial living. And we met others, young people who continued living with their parents and wouldn't look for a job. Some had been unemployed for a long time and had fallen into the bad habit of watching TV until the wee hours of the morning, sleeping in until noon, and staying in their pajamas or underwear all day. A common expression was - "we have unlearned how to work."
Last autumn I wrote an essay "Many Want To Be Transformed, Few Want To Change!" Here are just a couple paragraphs from it:
St. Paul wrote - "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you; that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). "The Christian life is by its very nature a growth process analogous to the growth of the body; perfection in good habits ought to grow as faith grows" - so wrote St. Clement of Alexandria. Good habits take effort and practice, they don't come automatically.
Again, St. Paul wrote - "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: 'If anyone will not work, don’t let him eat.' For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don't work at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread" (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). It is contrary to God's Word that we give food to people who refuse to work, or even look for a job. Many want to be transformed, but few want to change!
Read the whole thing! We can easily imagine ourselves as saints or as geniuses or as millionaires who just won the lottery. But it's not easy to actually become a saint or a genius... and the probability of winning the lottery is much less than the probability of being struck by lightning... we prefer, however, to think the former will happen to us rather than the latter. As long as it remains just wishful thinking, hoping that God will send an angel with a magic wand who'll wave it and make us a saint or an instant millionaire, nothing will really happen. It takes years of work and struggles to reach those goals.
Change comes hard: especially as we grow older, the neural pathways in our brains get etched deeper and deeper. We want to drive somewhere new but our old brain takes over and drives us to our habitual destination. We want to stand up and do some simple exercises but our body refuses - it stays on the couch and our eyes stay fixed on the TV or our body stays on the chair and our eyes stay fixed on the computer. I just got a "standing desk" last week so I can get off my butt and begin to think more clearly and act more decisively while I'm working at the computer.
The prophet Hosea wrote - "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and rains righteousness on you. You have plowed wickedness. You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies" (ch. 10:12-13). Let's stop deceiving ourselves, let's take the necessary actions to change. It's time for us to become givers, not takers; saints, not sinners. The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia" - changing direction 180 degrees, turning our life around. That's real change. It's called conversion.
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, 14 Jul. 2018
The article 
