Материалы 17 мая 2007 г.

Еще сегодня утром мы прощались с Пасхой, и светлая радость пасхального праздника срастворялась печалью, потому что мы прощались с Воскресшим Христом. Однако Святая Церковь знает, что Пасха Господня продолжается и Господь пребывает с нами до скончания века всей радостью, всей силой Своего Воскресения.

Почти два часа продолжалось братское общение в Сретенской обители. Маленькое море людей, внезапно обретших друг друга, не хотящих расходиться по домам. Братья и сестры, никогда не видевшие друг друга, но почувствовавшие себя одной семьей, единым организмом. Многие из них на следующий день причастятся из одной чаши. А потом вместе призовут имя Господне и возблагодарят Его за это не выразимое словами душевное ликование и счастье снова быть вместе.

Вознеслся еси во славе, Христе Боже наш, радость сотворивый учеником обетованием Святаго Духа, извещенным им бывшим благословением, яко Ты еси Сын Божий, Избавитель мира.

Накануне исторического события в жизни Русской Православной Церкви – подписания Акта о каноническом воссоединении отечественной и зарубежной ее частей, в Сретенском монастыре произошла долгожданная встреча братии и прихожан обители с делегацией, состоящей из духовенства и мирян из-за рубежа. Чувства переполняли всех, молившихся за праздничным богослужением. Предлагаем вашему вниманию короткие интервью, которые любезно согласились дать здесь присутствовавшие.
Файлы в формате МР3

In late December 2005, an Orthodox Conference of the Diocese of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held. Sergei Chapnin, Editor-in-Chief of Tserkovnij Vestnik ["Church Messenger"], participated in the Conference at the invitation of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. His Eminence spoke to him of the attitudes in the Russian Church Abroad, and about the work of the Synodal Commission on talks with the Moscow Patriarchate in an interview with Tserkovnyj Vestnik.

On February 17, having prayed before the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and of the Moscow Patriarchate gathered at Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY.

On February 17, 2006, the sixth working meeting of the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and of the Moscow Patriarchate opened at Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY. Participating in this meeting were all the members of the two Commissions with the exception of His Grace Bishop Ambroise of Vevey, who had recently undergone a serious operation. It was agreed that Priest Serafim Gan, Secretary of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, would participate in the meetings.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus and of the Synod of Bishops, with the goal of informing the clergy and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on the progress of talks with the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, an Informational Bulletin has been published which will be distributed to all the parishes of our Church.

On June 26, 2006, the Commissions on negotiations of the Moscow Patriarchate and of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia met at the offices of the Department of External Church Relations.

From June 26-28, 2006, the seventh joint meeting of the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on dialog with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and of the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate was held at the offices of the Department of External Church Relations at St Danilov Monastery in Moscow.

Today, the eighth joint session of the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on talks with the Moscow Patriarchate and the latter’s Commission on talks with the Russian Church Abroad began at a church meeting hall in Cologne, Germany.

The eighth meeting between the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on talks with the Moscow Patriarchate and the corresponding Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate was held in Cologne, Germany, from October 24-26.

In June, 2004, a preliminary meeting of the Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held in Munich. Over the course of three days, we discussed and agreed upon our position. Archbishop Mark expressed the wish that we arrive in Moscow having coordinated our views on important church matters which were formulated in the mandate imparted to our Committee by the hierarchy of our Church; for example, on the relationship of the state and the Church, ecumenism, the ROCOR churches in Russia.

At the request _f many members of the clergy and laity of our Church, we will be posting selected materials from the Expanded Clergy Conference of last December held at Holy Virgin Protection Church, Nyack, NY. Below we offer the speeches given by priests speaking at the round-tables: "The Russian Church Abroad Today,У ТThe Church in Russia Today,У ТThe Russian Orthodox Church under the Soviet Government,У and others. The opinions expressed in these addresses do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

As agreed and confirmed by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (April 20, 2005) and by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (May 23, 2005), hereby published are the following four documents jointly developed by the Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate on discussions with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate, approved by the Hierarchies of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad.

Concluding the eighth joint meeting of the Commissions and summarizing its work, it is worth noting the path traveled, beginning with the meeting between His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow in May 2004. It was then that the Commissions were charged with preparing the documents needed to reestablish canonical communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Church Abroad.

Materials of the Commissions between ROCOR and the ROC MP

The Act of Canonical Communion goes into effect upon its confirmation by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the basis of the decision of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church “On the Relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia” (Moscow, October 3-8, 2004); and by decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, on the basis of the resolution “Regarding the Act on Canonical Communion” of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (San Francisco, May 15-19, 2006).

The reestablishment of canonical communion will serve, God willing, towards the strengthening of the unity of the Church of Christ, of her witness in the contemporary world, promoting the fulfillment of the will of the Lord to “gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (John 11:52).