'CRIMINAL IN A CASSOCK': RUSSIAN CLERGY QUARREL OVER NAVALNY AFTER A PRIEST SPEAKS OUT IN HIS SUPPORT
from: RFE/RL

(15 Apr.) Since his return to Russia and subsequent jailing in January, opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has been the subject of heated debates amid a wave of criminal cases and harassment against those who publicly endorse him. Students have been expelled and supporters of all stripes subjected to punitive measures for speaking out in favor of the Kremlin critic and his yearslong campaign against authoritarian President Vladimir Putin.

But throughout the clampdown, one institution has largely maintained a guarded silence: the Russian Orthodox Church. So when Aleksei Uminsky, the head of a parish in east-central Moscow, urged "Christian mercy" for Navalny in a two-minute video posted online, his words prompted a spate of accusations and an unusual public apology that forced the institution to break its silence and exposed a division within it over political issues and proximity to the state.

"For me as a priest, it's not so important what an inmate's name is or what crime he was convicted of," Uminsky says in the video, without specifically endorsing Navalny or his politics. "But what is hugely important for me are the words of Christ, who urges the same attitude toward every person who finds themselves behind bars as toward Christ himself."

Navalny's deteriorating health since he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on February 2 has been a cause celebre for Russian civil society and many public figures concerned about the scale and severity of the state's campaign to root out opposition ahead of parliamentary elections expected in September. It's also the latest dark turn in Navalny's monthslong ordeal, which began with his poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent in August, continued with his jailing upon his return from treatment in Germany, and now, his relatives and supporters allege, could reach a grim denouement with a hunger strike that he commenced in early April over inadequate medical care at a notorious prison 100 kilometers east of Moscow.

During a one-sided, 90-minute program titled 'Who Is Dragging The Church Into Politics And Making Martyrs Of Criminals?', Sergei Karnaukhov, a lecturer in politics at a Moscow university, described Uminsky as a "criminal in a cassock" and suggested the priest should be arrested before he "plunges our church into an abyss." Karnaukhov called for a broader, concerted campaign to discipline priests who undermine Russia’s constitution. Uminsky, a well-regarded priest who has published extensively on the topic of church teaching and served as a television host in his own right, has long cultivated a reputation as one of the few Russian clergymen who openly sympathizes with the opposition. He has visited Russian prisons to speak with inmates and chaplains and has added his name to initiatives in support of jailed Russian protesters. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: Things are rather uneasy in Russia at present, with the Navalny protests and the military exercises on the Russian side of the border of Ukraine and in the occupied Crimean peninsula. Historically, Russia swings back and forth between a "westernizing" and a "slavophile" orientation. We may be witnessing such a change taking place.

RUSSIA: FLAGSHIP PROTESTANT COLLEGES STRIPPED OF RIGHT TO OFFER HIGHER EDUCATION
by Victoria Arnold: Forum 18 News Service

(13 Apr.) On 6 April, two days after the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Ingria celebrated Easter, its Theological Institute was stripped of its higher education license, leaving it unable to conduct formal religious education. The Theological Seminary of another Lutheran Church, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Russia, is still fighting attempts through the arbitration courts to have its higher education license annulled. State education inspectorate Rosobrnadzor had already barred both colleges from admitting students to diploma courses, and suspended both their licenses in 2020.

Two of Russia's other flagship Protestant educational institutions – the main colleges of the Baptist Union and the Pentecostal Union – have also suffered bans on admissions and the suspension and annulment of their higher education licenses. Both have had to gain new licenses under a lower level of education provision.

Admissions to certified courses were barred:
- at the Pentecostal Union's Eurasian Theological Seminary in Moscow from June 2018;
- at the Baptist Union's Moscow Theological Seminary from February 2019;
- at the Theological Institute of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Ingria in Kolbino near St Petersburg from October 2019;
- and at the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Russia near St Petersburg from December 2019.

Although the Baptist Union's North Caucasus Bible Institute in Kabardino-Balkariya did not lose its higher-education license, Rosobrnadzor inspectors banned it from accepting new students from November 2018 to November 2020. So far, Forum 18 found no persistent attempts to annul licenses of higher education institutions of other religious communities.

The suspension and annulling of licenses stem from routine inspections carried out by Rosobrnadzor, in which inspectors expect religious educational establishments to abide by Federal State Educational Standards, which by law they are not obliged to observe. Rosobrnadzor is also responsible for granting licenses. The institutions themselves insist that such penalties are unwarranted and excessive, and that the alleged infractions found by Rosobrnadzor inspectors simply do not apply to them as providers of professional ministerial training.

"To compare the structure of these programmes with the requirements for programmes in areas of study approved by the [Education Ministry's] List of Areas for Higher Education Preparation – Undergraduate (or other level of education) is incorrect and unlawful. The structure of such programmes, in accordance with the [Education Law], is governed by the regulations of the religious organisation itself or the regulations of the centralised religious organisation," lawyer Stanislav Kulov told Forum 18 [read more...]

COMMENTARY: This news story is somewhat personal for me, because I've done fill-in preaching at a little Evangelical-Lutheran Church in the Mari Republic of Russia and I'm aquainted with some of the instructors at the Baptist Union's Moscow Theological Seminary. Two other theological schools in Russia where I've taught have also been shut down. Even now that I have become Orthodox, I still believe in freedom of religious expression. What if the shoe was on the other foot and the U.S. decided to shut down Orthodox seminaries?

BE THE VOICE OF TRUTH – IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL BOURDEAUX
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine

(1 Apr.) In the early morning of March 29, 2021, the heart of Michael Bourdeaux, renowned scholar and author, humble clergyman and the founder of Keston College, stopped beating. He summed up his life in his final book, One Word of Truth: The Cold War Memoir of Michael Bourdeaux and Keston College (2019). From the moment that I obtained and opened his memoir, I knew that his time was short, seeing that his final wishes were written on the last pages of the book.

On these pages we see what's most important. He writes that the invisible hand of God guided his life and the Divine Presence, and even direct intervention of God, was evidenced at every turn, including the founding of Keston College. We read words of gratitude for his family, and thankfulness for the privilege of serving his local church community.

We also read about a turning point in his life—the time when he met with the nuns from Ukraine, who asked him to be their voice, to speak on their behalf and to tell the whole world the truth about the persecution of believers in the USSR. The sad truth and disappointment that we realize now is that little has really changed in Russia today and hope is fleeting.

However, Bourdeaux ends with a glimpse of faith, seeing the possibility of reform, even though no one knows when, as younger generations push for democratic changes. He says with hope that this generation will value the truth of a single word more than the whole world and will uphold the truth above political correctness, fear, and personal gain.

Throughout his whole life, with his whole being, he answered the call of the sisters to “Be our voice.” In their request he also heard the voices of thousands of martyrs for the faith, and the call of God to serve the oppressed through his writing, giving voice to those deprived of their voices and freedom.

As I remember Michael Bourdeaux, I feel grateful for the privilege of knowing him and learning from him. But I also feel a great sense of responsibility to do as he did, to say at least one word of truth with the kind of belief, faithfulness, and love as he spoke.

Michael Bourdeaux believed in and served the Truth during the darkest days of the Cold War. He passes on his belief to human rights activists and researchers, missionaries and clergymen who live in an equally difficult time – the era of post-truth. Times come and go, empires are born and die, curtains rise and fall, but the Truth remains the Truth. The one who serves the Truth, remains true to himself and his calling.

Thank you, Michael Bourdeaux, for your kind example. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: I'm privileged to have worked with Michael Bourdeaux, translating appeals and a book of prison memoirs from Russian Christians, both Orthodox and Protestant, from Russian into English. May the Lord grant rest to the soul of his servant, Michael Bourdeaux!

ED DEPARTMENT SAYS MORE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES GRADUATING
from: Disability Scoop

(19 Apr.) An increasing number of students with disabilities across the nation are graduating high school, according to new federal figures, but the odds of receiving a diploma vary considerably by state. The high school graduation rate for those with disabilities rose to 68.2% for the 2018–2019 school year. That’s up from 67.1% the year prior. The data comes from a report issued recently by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and reflects the number of students who graduated within four years with a regular high school diploma.

Despite the progress, students with disabilities continue to lag far behind their peers, the report shows, with the national graduation rate for all students growing to 85.8%. And, there is significant variance by state. At the high end, the graduation rate for students with disabilities was 82.6% in Arkansas, while bottom-ranked Mississippi saw just 42.2% of these students receive a diploma. Education Department officials note that differences in how rates are calculated may contribute to the disparities.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on special education services, some families are pushing to win an extra year of school eligibility for students with disabilities who were set to age out this spring. There is a bill currently under consideration in the New Jersey legislature to extend eligibility. Meanwhile, the New York State Education Department is asking schools and school districts in that state to offer students with disabilities who are aging out the opportunity to attend summer school and continue their education through the next school year, as needed, to earn their diploma or other credential.

"Giving these young adults that have worked so hard for so long the opportunity to complete their schooling and transition to the next step in their lives will benefit them, their families, and the communities in which they live and work – this is what they deserve and again we urge you to offer them this opportunity,” wrote John L. D’Agati from the New York State Education Department in a memo last week to school leaders. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: Some young people with disabilities have difficulties studying, others have difficulties with social skills. We have grandchildren with such difficulties, but they are finishing or have already graduated from high school, for which we thank the Lord!

MONTENEGRO TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
from: Balkan Insight

(19 Apr.) Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic on Sunday said that his government will shortly sign a fundamental agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, the largest religious community in the country.

"I have been talking with Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch, Porfirije, and we will soon agree on the date of signing the agreement. This issue must not be the subject of politicization in order to score political points," Krivokapic wrote on Twitter. His government was elected in December 2020 after three opposition blocs won a slender majority of seats in the parliamentary elections of August 2020, ousting the long-ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS.

On April 14, Minister of Justice, Human and Minority Rights Vladimir Leposavic said that the fundamental agreement was ready and would be signed by the representatives of the Church and government. He said the contract would correct past injustices and give the Church the same rights as other religious communities.

"We made a contract earlier but it’s such a sensitive topic that one word could provoke a dispute and prolong the signing. Those negotiations weren’t easy," Leposavic told the Serbian public broadcaster. Media reported that on March 11 the draft was presented to the Serbian Orthodox Church Synod, which had some objections.

Montenegro has signed several "fundamental agreements" with smaller religious communities: with the Catholic Church in 2011, and the Islamic and Jewish communities in 2012, but no agreement has been reached with the Serbian Orthodox Church even though it is the largest religious community in the country. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: Church and state are quite intertwined in Central European countries. The past few years, during which Montenegro has become fully independent and has established its own Orthodox Church, have been a rough road for that country. We thank God that they've reached a working agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church after having broken away from the Serbian state.

COURT ORDERS RESIDENTS OF SREDNEURALSKY CONVENT TO LEAVE ITS PREMISES
from: Interfax-Religion

(22 Apr.) A court in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Region, has banned residing on the premises of the Sredneuralsky Convent due to a number of violations, the press service of the regional branch of the Federal Bailiff Service said.

"The Russian Federal Bailiff Service's branch for the Sverdlovsk Region has received a document with immediate effect from the Verkhnyaya Pyshma City Court that imposes a ban on citizens' stay and residence on the premises of the Sredneuralsky Convent due to detected violations of the requirements of urban development legislation, sanitary and epidemiological legislation and fire safety, posing a real threat to the life and health of citizens present on its premises," the press service said.

Former schema-monk Sergy Romanov was defrocked in the summer of 2020 for violating his priestly oath, monastic vows, and several apostolic rules and church canons and excommunicated by the Church on September 10, 2020. He had repeatedly said that he would not leave the Sredneuralsky Convent, but was detained in late December 2020.

On December 29, 2020, Moscow's Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for former schema hegumen Sergy. He was charged with several criminal offenses, such as inducement to suicide, violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, and arbitrariness. On February 25, the Basmanny Court extended his custodial term by three months until May 28. The defense team for the former schema-monk has appealed this court ruling. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: This convent and its unconventional leader, schema-monk Sergy Romanov, now defrocked and removed, has been in the religious news of Russia for much of last year. For some people, the stress and strain of spiritual discipline is simply too much for their spirits to bear. May God have mercy on him!

AZERBAIJAN: STATE TO HAVE VETO POWER OVER RELIGIOUS LEADER APPOINTMENTS?
from Forum 18 News Service

CHINA: AUTHORITIES DETAIN CHRISTIANS IN SECRET ‘TRANSFORMATION’ FACILITIES TO MAKE THEM RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH
from Christian Persecution

THE CHANGING FACE OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION – OPED
from Eurasia Review

OCU SYNOD CALLS ON THE WHOLE WORLD TO SUPPORT UKRAINE AND WARNS RUSSIA: "WHOEVER TAKES THE SWORD WILL DIE BY THE SWORD."
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine

COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROVIDES NEW GOSPEL OPPORTUNITIES IN SLAVIC COUNTRIES
from Mission Network News

RUSSIAN FM SPEAKS OF IMPORTANT ROLE OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN SUPPORTING RUSSIA'S FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES
from Interfax-Religion

METR. HILARION: WE CARRY ON DIALOGUE WITH OTHER CONFESSIONS IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN OUR POSITION
from Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate

BEFORE THE CROSS, ALL ARE EQUAL, BOTH SENATORS AND MIGRANTS
from Orthodox Christianity

IS CHINA FORCIBLY STERILIZING UYGHUR WOMEN?
from BioEdge

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ENTHRONES ITS NEW PATRIARCH
from Reuters

Read the whole article "THE CHANGING FACE OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION" linked to in our third news headline above: it describes two kinds of religious persecution – the obvious, physical kind, but also "a more subtle way of persecuting the faithful, typically relying on restrictive measures encoded in public policy and law. ... It is the second type of religious persecution, the more gentle one, that should concern those who live in North America and Europe. Pope Francis calls it 'polite persecution.' He is alarmed by the spike in new 'rights,' cultural norms or laws that relegate religion 'to the quiet obscurity of the individual’s conscience,' or that narrowly confine them to 'the enclosed precincts of churches, synagogues or mosques.'"

The article continues – "It is not only offensive, it is downright insulting, to tell the faithful that they can pray in their house of worship. Faith that cannot be exercised in the public square is faith denied. To be sure, no right is absolute, but efforts to narrowly define religion’s reach are stifling." When we aren't allowed the free exercise of religion in the public square, when we're taught that religion is a private affair so keep it to yourself and your holy huddle, and when we acquiesce to this, then we've lost the game by default.

In 2005, a large survey was taken among teenagers. The outcome was described as "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD)" that "identified the predominant beliefs of American teenagers, even those that claim to be Christians. ... The five core beliefs of MTD are as follows:
1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die."

As long as your "god" is just a good luck charm kept to yourself in your back pocket to rub in the event of emergency, such a "god" or "religion" is powerless to change lives. Keep in mind that those teenagers in 2005 are now the adults in their late-20s to mid-30s: this describes a large chunk of the U.S. population's beliefs. Does this describe you, your adult children, or your grandchildren? Will you or they withstand the "polite persecution" that is increasing in the West?

After a three-month hiatus, I'm back compiling and sending out Hosken-News! You can see the reason for this 90-day interruption in my essay below: click the two photo links "Holy Week" and "A First-Century View of Holy Week." The first link is the four Gospels woven together into a chronological narrative of the Life of Christ including Holy Week, which serves as the foundation for the second link – the web version of my master's thesis that concludes my three-year course of studies for becoming an ordained Orthodox deacon.

It's been an intensive three years of reading, lectures, writing papers, taking exams, and now the final semester for writing a thesis. I was 75 when I started, and before the final draft of my thesis is submitted, accepted, and approved, I will be 78. I've experienced a few health crises from the stress and effort over these three years. People might have thought – "Why even start working on another master's degree when your 75? It'll take you three years and you'll be 78 before you finish!" Very true! But if I didn't start when I was 75, three years later I would be 78 anyway, wouldn't have gotten this training, and couldn't be ordained as a deacon. Remember that Moses just started his ministry when he was 80!