THE RISING TIDE OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN POLITICS (OP-ED)
from: The Moscow Times

(3 Sep.) On Monday, Aug. 27, the Associated Press broke the news. The Russian hacking collective Fancy Bear, known for stealing emails from the U.S. Democratic National Committee in 2016, had also been spying on the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (also known as the Phanar) and other religious institutions, including Muslim, Jewish, and Christian targets in both Ukraine and the United States.

These revelations, which should be assessed in the context of the active role played by the Russian Orthodox Church in pursuing the Kremlin’s agenda abroad, came less than a week ahead of Friday’s meeting between Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and all Rus’. The question of whether Constantinople would move to recognize an autocephalous, or independent, Ukrainian Orthodox Church was hanging heavily in the air. The ROC is, of course, staunchly opposed to the possible loss of its authority over Ukrainian Orthodox Christians.

By Orthodox standards, Constantinople is far more “liberal” than the ROC, for example, in its promotion of sustainability and environmental responsibility. Unfortunately, many Westerners know little to nothing about the Phanar. The much larger ROC enjoys far greater visibility, and its apparent effectiveness in the pursuit of a socially conservative, "traditional values" agenda makes it an object of envy and admiration to some illiberally minded Westerners. President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham famously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Patriarch Kirill in 2015, after which the Russian patriarch declared Western Christians opposed to LGBTQ rights to be "confessors of the faith."

In addition, the World Congress of Families, which will hold its 12th major international meeting in Chisinau, Moldova, this September 13-16, has been primarily a Russian-American project from its inception in the 1990s. Somewhat like the better known American National Prayer Breakfast, WCF serves as a vehicle through which Russian Orthodox Christians — priests and lay believers — can attempt to cultivate relationships with foreigners, who may then become more likely to vocally support Russia’s positions in international controversies, furthering the Kremlin’s goal of weakening Western democracies.

Given the news about alleged Russian spy Maria Butina's exploitation of the National Prayer Breakfast along with the news about Fancy Bear hacking religious organizations, we can start to see how the Kremlin can use the Russian Orthodox Church’s "traditional values" agenda to attract fellow travelers, and why it would value information about foreign religious groups, whether it considers them rivals or pools of potential assets. [read more...]

KAZAKHSTAN: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SURVEY, SEPTEMBER 2018
by Felix Corley and John Kinahan: Forum 18 News Service

(4 Sep.) Kazakhstan restricts freedom of religion and belief, along with interlinked freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Forum 18's survey analyses violations including increasing numbers of prisoners jailed for exercising freedom of religion and belief, with increasing types of "offences", prosecution numbers, and fine levels.

Forum 18's survey analysis documents Kazakhstan's violations of freedom of religion and belief, with interlinked freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Serious violations include but are not limited to:

- increasing numbers of prisoners of conscience jailed for exercising freedom of religion and belief;
- unfair trials and torture of prisoners;
- wide ranging "laws" allowing much scope for arbitrary official actions;
- misleading the UN Human Rights Committee;
- wide range of "offences" prosecuted, numbers of prosecutions, and levels of fines;
- making the exercise of freedom of religion and belief dependent on state permission, with restrictions on the activities allowed;
- restrictions on children and young people under 18's freedom of religion and belief;
- and prior compulsory religious censorship.

The regime tries to control society by making the exercise of human rights conditional upon state permission. As then-United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief Heiner Bielefeldt said in his 2016 UN General Assembly report (A/71/269): "Freedom of religion or belief rightly has been termed a "gateway" to other freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association. There can be no free religious community life without respect for those other freedoms, which are closely intertwined with the right to freedom of religion or belief itself. This is exactly what worries authoritarian Governments and often causes them to curb freedom of religion or belief." [read more...]

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE HAS APPOINTED EXARCHS IN KYIV, IN PREPARATION FOR AUTOCEPHALY
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine

(7 Sep.) The Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Kyiv, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon of the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada in the framework of preparation for the provision of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Archbishop Yevstraty (Zoria), chairman of the Information Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate reports.

“Within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed as its Exarchs in Kyiv His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States, and His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada, both of whom are serving the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in their respective countries under the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” wrote the archbishop on his Facebook page on Friday citing the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to the press service of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the UOC-KP welcomes this decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and expects fruitful cooperation with the new exarchs. Already in 2015, the reverend Bishops performed the mission of personal representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarch during the negotiations on the unification of the Orthodox Churches in Ukraine.

The hierarchs were also repeatedly delegated by the Ecumenical Patriarch to represent the Mother Church of Constantinople at celebrations in Ukraine, the last time in July this year during the celebration of the 1,030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine. The UOC-KP explains that the appointment of the Exarchs does not imply the creation of a new church jurisdiction in the form of the Exarchate. The powers of exarchs in this case can be compared with those of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador. [read more...]

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (MP) SEES APPOINTMENT OF CONSTANTINOPLE EXARCHS IN KIEV AS MASSIVE VIOLATION OF ITS CANONICAL TERRITORY
from: Interfax-Religion

(7 Sep.) The Ukrainian Orthodox Church sees the appointment of two Constantinople exarchs in Kiev as a massive violation of its canonical territory and said responsibility for any possible negative consequences of that will rest with the Constantinople Patriarchate.

"The Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is authorized to say with the blessing of his Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine that the appointment of exarchs is a massive violation of the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the DECR of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said in a statement released on Friday evening.

The document said this decision made by Constantinople contradicts the second rule of the Second Ecumenical (Constantinople) Assembly, which states that bishops cannot cross the limits of their regions without being invited.

According to the statement, the appointment of exarchs in Kiev took place without the knowledge of Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine "as the sole canonical bishop of the city of Kiev." In this regard, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said that "responsibility for any possible negative consequences of that action rests with the Constantinople Patriarchate." [read more...]

RUSSIANS HACKED CATHOLIC, ORTHODOX CLERGY AMID UKRAINIAN PUSH FOR AUTOCEPHALY
from: Crux

(8 Sep.) Russian hackers infiltrated the email inboxes of Orthodox, Catholic, and other religious leaders connected to Ukraine amid conflict between Kyiv and Moscow over Ukraine’s political and religious independence.

Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, was among the 4,700 global targets of the “Fancy Bear” cyber espionage group, the same Russian hackers who were indicted in the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, according to the Associated Press.

Gugerotti and unnamed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic clergy were hacked by this group, along with other foreign diplomats, journalists, intelligence personnel, and Hillary Clinton. Kyiv is the site of the 988 baptism of Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev, which resulted in the Christianization of Kievan Rus’, a state whose heritage Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus all claim.

The Christianization of Kievan Rus’ forms the roots of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, and the various Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. [read more...]

MEDIA: ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH COVERED ONLY 20% OF FUNDS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE’S CATHEDRAL
From: Romania Insider

(23 Aug.) A total of EUR 102 million have been invested so far in the construction of the People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest, and the Orthodox Church covered only 20% of this sum, according to local Hotnews.ro. This means that individuals, the government and the city halls donated more than EUR 80 million to this Cathedral.

In early August this year, the government’s budget amendment granted more money to the People’s Cathedral, namely RON 115,5 million (almost EUR 25 million), while cutting funds from the Research Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and the Presidency. The construction of the People’s Salvation Cathedral began in 2010. To mark the 1918 Union Centenary celebrations, the Cathedral will be consecrated on November 25 this year.

According to representatives of the Romanian Patriarchy, the Cathedral will come into full use after all the planning/finishing works are completed, which will take several years. However, religious services will be held there in the meantime, on the occasion of great celebrations or events of national importance. [read more...]

CLERIC: ‘NO GOING BACK’ ON UKRAINIAN SPLIT FROM RUSSIAN CHURCH
from The Washington Post

THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE WILL PROVIDE AUTOCEPHALY WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF MOSCOW - PRESIDENT POROSHENKO
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine

MILLENNIAL, POST-MILLENNIAL CHINESE CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION UNPRECEDENTED IN THEIR LIFETIMES
from Mission Network News

PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW'S SPEECH AT ISTANBUL MEETING HERETICAL - RUSSIAN THEOLOGIAN
from Interfax-Religion

CONSTANTINOPLE'S ACTIONS THREATEN UNITY OF ORTHODOXY — RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SYNOD
from RIA Novosti

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (MP) HOLY SYNOD STATEMENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
from Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate

ALESYA'S TESTIMONY: MINISTRY TO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
from Mission Eurasia

UKRAINIAN CHURCH (MP) SPOKESMAN: GRANTING OF AUTONOMY TO SCHISMATICS WILL BE RECEIVED "VERY NEGATIVELY" BY UKRAINIANS
from Orthodox Christianity

SERBIAN PATRIARCH OPPOSES NEW STATES HAVING THEIR OWN CHURCHES
from Eurasia Review

RUSSIAN MILITARY TO BUILD 3RD TALLEST ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE WORLD NEAR MOSCOW
from Russia Beyond the Headlines

KOSOVO LIKELY TO OVERSHADOW SERBIAN CHURCH SYNOD
from BalkanInsight

It seems that we modern humans just can't escape from politicizing just about everything: our first news article THE RISING TIDE OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN POLITICS (OP-ED) examines the cooperation in the area of "traditional values" between the Russian Orthodox Church and leading American Evangelicals, especially Franklin Graham. But this is explained in the context of Russian hacking of email accounts at the Ecumenical Patriarchate and alleged Russian spy Maria Butina's exploitation of the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast. Perhaps this is a symptom of how deeply the secular worldview has taken over our thought processes: we interpret the world through a secular/political lens.

Our fifth news article RUSSIANS HACKED CATHOLIC, ORTHODOX CLERGY AMID UKRAINIAN PUSH FOR AUTOCEPHALY digs deeper into this issue. But I must pose the question: "Isn't this what all governments have been doing for hundreds of years, gathering intelligence through hidden means?" The major governments of the world, both East and West, devote large portions of their budgets to electronic eavesdropping and other methods of intelligence gathering, so that they don't come up short when events unfold into public view.

For years, Hosken-News has been reporting on the impending move for independence by Ukrainian Orthodox Christians: now it appears that steps have been taken, namely the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople appointing two exarchs to Ukraine, which effectively declares that Ukrainian Orthodox Christians come under the Ecumenical Patriarch, not under the Patriarch of Moscow.

We see in our sixth news article MEDIA: ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH COVERED ONLY 20% OF FUNDS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE’S CATHEDRAL how the way in which an event is described, the words and phrases used, put a political spin on our initial impression of the event. What would be our initial impression if the headline would have stated: "PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES, CITY AND NATIONAL BUDGETS COVERED 80% OF THE COST FOR THE PEOPLE'S CATHEDRAL" - don't you agree that's a more positive and more honest way of reporting this event?

Several other news article and headlines in this issue report on these religious/political events in Ukraine, Moscow and Constantinople from quite different perspectives. As you consider the sources, you will see how each side portrays the events with its own "spin" on the details. Pray for peace in Ukraine!

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