Interview with His Grace Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsk, President of the Synodal Department of Church charity and social work of the Russian Orthodox Church

Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsk

- Your Grace: we were happy to learn that you expressed the willingness to participate in the 13 th All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference scheduled for San Francisco, CA, in June-July, 2014. This event will be devoted to missionary work in the area of charity and social work. What specific directions, in your opinion, are more important in society today, whether young people live in Russia or the “near” or “far” abroad?

- It seems to me that the main efforts in social work surround working with the suffering. Whether a person is lying on the street, suffering in the hospital or feels abandoned in his three-room apartment makes no difference. Our challenge as Christians is to extend them a helping hand.

Today the world suffers from a lack of love, which is the source of social problems. So our mission in social service is first of all in warming within ourselves this gift of love, which begins with communing with the Mysteries of the Church. From this light of Christ’s love, the lantern of our good work can be ignited. Remember the remarkable prayer the priest reads at the end of the reading of the first hour: “O Christ, the True Light, Who enlightenest and sanctifiest every man that cometh into the world: Let the Light of Thy countenance be signed upon us, that in it we may see the Unapproachable Light, and guide our steps in the doing of Thy commandments, through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, and of all Thy saints.” This is the prayer of service for our neighbors.

Throughout the world we see the destruction of the traditional family. The unity of people which we once called the family is crumbling. Not least of the reasons is the desire of certain groups to force upon others their conceptions of good and evil, of truth and deceit. We as Christians must firmly resist these efforts. But we must do so with love.

What does this mean ? Let us take a simple example. While explaining to a woman that she should not abort her child, one should not only talk about the miracle of a new human life, but offer real assistance—material, humanitarian, if needed, help her find a place to live, for instance.

Or take a drug addict, for example. For denouncing this person’s sin will hardly help a person suffering withdrawal symptoms. One needs medicine, and help with rehabilitation. Church communities can concentrate on such service. Glory to God if a person then comes to Christ as a result, but if not, we should not be disappointed. Remember how Christ healed the ten lepers? Only one of them returned to praise God. That is why we should not falter. Even if one solitary person, seeing our love, turns to God—this will be a great joy.

- Why did you choose this method of missionary work? Is it connected to your medical background before you became a clergyman?

- In my youth, after finishing school, I was tormented by the question of the meaning of life. I read a great deal, trying to find an answer. I thought that one could find truth through art. But one day, as I was passing by a hospital, I thought that maybe one of the ways to find the answer to this angst-ridden question could lie in working in a hospital, side by side with people and their sufferings. So I decided to be an orderly. There I understood that the real meaning of life is in service to others. Then, after I was baptized and became a priest, I was appointed the rector of the First City Hospital in Moscow. Some people then came to church and wished to establish a community of nurses. And so gradually the St Dimitry Sisters of Mercy was established, a nursing school and other social projects in Moscow.

- What forms of youth missionary work in the social-service area do you think it is important to discuss at the All-Diaspora Conference? Which are not worth discussing?

- I think that young people living abroad will find serving people who emigrated from Russia and live in poverty especially important. Many of our compatriots are now living in the diaspora. Those who went in search of employment need friendship, support, often not even spiritual, but material. In many Western countries the quality of medicine is high, and our compatriots go there, they take their relatives, their sick children for treatment. Sometimes they need to live abroad for several months at a time. It would be very good if young people from Orthodox churches abroad would target these people for help: meet with them, help them find housing and to adapt to a new way of life.

Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsk

28 февраля 2014 г.

Смотри также
Archimandrite Panteleimon Shatov: ‘It is very gratifying that we have so many good and selfless people’ Archimandrite Panteleimon Shatov: ‘It is very gratifying that we have so many good and selfless people’ Archimandrite Panteleimon Shatov: ‘It is very gratifying that we have so many good and selfless people’ Archimandrite Panteleimon Shatov: ‘It is very gratifying that we have so many good and selfless people’ One girl went on her jeep to the Ivanovo region, then came back, loaded up again and set off to the same place again, then afterwards wrote detailed instructions for an ‘intelligence’ volunteer. One volunteer went to the Tula regions, where there are affected villages too, together with his teenage son and brought back a detailed report as well together with a map. Go, and Do Thou Likewise: On the Good Samaritan Go, and Do Thou Likewise: On the Good Samaritan Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) Go, and Do Thou Likewise: On the Good Samaritan Go, and Do Thou Likewise: On the Good Samaritan Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) The Lord gave us a commandment: do not unto others as you would not have them do unto you. This commandment is also always with us, always before us, like a vigilant and impartial watchman who exposes and unmasks both our knowledge and our cunning. “In Christ a man receives more than he lost in Adam” “In Christ a man receives more than he lost in Adam” A Conversation with Archbishop Damian of Sinai and Pharan “In Christ a man receives more than he lost in Adam” “In Christ a man receives more than he lost in Adam” A Conversation with Archbishop Damian of Sinai and Pharan Deacon Vladimir Vasilik But then let us think about what kind of purity a man must acquire in order to enter into this Kingdom. Let us not put off our salvation till later, nor hope that we will be purified before death or even at the time of death, or that we will land in “purgatory,” as the Catholics mistakenly think. For those who say, “Later,” it will never come. Therefore let us be concerned about our salvation now, while it is still possible to say, “Now.” “Miloserdie”: “A ban on begging will make our society more cruel” “Miloserdie”: “A ban on begging will make our society more cruel” “Miloserdie”: “A ban on begging will make our society more cruel” “Miloserdie”: “A ban on begging will make our society more cruel” At the same time, according to the “Miloserdie” service representative, it should be realized that there are also professional frauds among beggars, who work as part of criminal networks. “Our law-enforcement agencies should struggle precisely with these criminal organizations, but by no means with those who really need help and those who give alms,” he said. 18-day car rally in support of the homeless starts in Russia 18-day car rally in support of the homeless starts in Russia 18-day car rally in support of the homeless starts in Russia 18-day car rally in support of the homeless starts in Russia Homeless people of Tula, Bryansk, Orel, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Tambov, Ryazan will receive new winter clothes, hot dinners as well as a doctor’s and social worker’s advice. Christian celeb couple pledge $25 million to help Iraqi and Syrian Christians Christian celeb couple pledge $25 million to help Iraqi and Syrian Christians Christian celeb couple pledge $25 million to help Iraqi and Syrian Christians Christian celeb couple pledge $25 million to help Iraqi and Syrian Christians Film-producing couple Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have stepped up to renew attention to the needs of displaced Christians in Iraq and Syria who are in urgent need of food and shelter before winter sets in.
Комментарии
Здесь Вы можете оставить свой комментарий к данной статье. Все комментарии будут прочитаны редакцией портала Православие.Ru.
Войдите через FaceBook ВКонтакте Яндекс Mail.Ru Google или введите свои данные:
Ваше имя:
Ваш email:
Введите число, напечатанное на картинке
ALEKS 3 марта 2014, 05:00
ZDRAVSTVUIITE BATUSHKA PROSTITE ZA SLOG JA XRISTIANIN RODOM IZ KARELII ALEKSANDR GUROV. NA DANNYI MOMENT V IRLANDII RABOTAIU PROSTITE MENJA XRISTA RADI NO JA UZE LET 13 KAK NE ISPOVEDOVALSJA NE UVEREN POIMETE LI MENJA NO TAK HOCHU POKAJATS MOZETGOSPOD I PROSTIT A,,,
Храм Новомученников Церкви Русской. Внести лепту