Post by homeschooldad on Mar 4, 2024 22:31:03 GMT
NOTE: It looks like Pope Francis, or Cardinal Fernández, or whomever, is just going to have to tell all these nay-sayers outside the Church of Rome --- and even indietrists within it --- that the Catholic Church in our time is an accompanying Church, a Church that practices discernment, a Church that takes risks, a Church that reaches out to the peripheries, and that like it or not, no matter how it looks to people, this is just the way it's going to be, we're right, you're wrong, so just deal with it. After all, when Rome speaks, God speaks. Right?
And if the furtherance of Christian unity, a fortiori with true and particular Churches (capital C) in apostolic succession with true sacraments, has to die on this hill, so be it.
Who thinks this is a good approach?
--- HSD
************
Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Budapest, Hungary. He just gave an interview in which he expressed grave concern regarding the Vatican document on blessing, published December 18, Fiducia supplicans. The full text of the interview is below
Letter #5, 2024, Monday, March 4: Hilarion in Blessings
Below is an interview given a few days ago by Russian Orthodox Metropolitan of Budapest, Hungary, Hilarion Alfeyev, 58, on the subject of the December 18 Vatican document on blessings, Fiducia supplicans ("The supplicating trust").
This document has become controversial in the Catholic Church, with bishops in Africa, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Belarus, and in a number of other countries, protesting that the teaching in the text in favor of blessing couples in homosexual and irregular heterosexual relationships is a departure from traditional Catholic moral teaching, and therefore unacceptable. In fact, more than 500 Catholics have signed an appeal asking Pope Francis, 87, to rescind the document...
Now, in this interview, Hilarion also expresses his concerns about the theology of Fiducia supplicans, saying it is not in keeping with traditional Christian teaching on blessings.
In essence, Hilarion gives a negative judgment: "The declaration Fiducia supplicans caused an unambiguously very negative reaction from our commission," he said. "We were unanimous that this document reflected a very serious departure from Christian moral standards."
Hilarion gave this interview after chairing a meeting of Russian Orthodox theologians in Moscow a few days ago — so his views do not represent only his own personal views, but the views of an official theological commission of the Russian Orthodox Church.
This suggests that document has become a source of division, not only inside the Roman Catholic Church, but also between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christians, in this case, with the Russian Orthodox Church — the Orthodox Church with the largest number of members. World Orthodoxy counts about 250 million members in more than a dozen national Churches (Greek, Serbian, Romanian, etc.). The Russian Orthodox count an estimated 100 to 110 million faithful, so about 40% of all the Orthodox in the world.
Since "building bridges" between the Orthodox world and the Catholic Church (the two Churches were united until the "Great Schism" of 1054, and have been divided now for almost 1,000 years) has been of some importance to Pope Francis, this rejection by the Russian Orthodox of the theology of Fiducia supplicans may be motivation for Francis to consider an adjustment to what was published on December, or a clarification of its meaning and intent which takes into account these criticisms.—RM
Special Note to readers: This is the second letter I have written since early February, when I wrote about the death of my friend, Silvio Mattacchione, at the age of 72. I hope to be able to write regularly in the days and weeks ahead.
***
The Hilarion interview, published February 29, 2024 by the Russian news agency RIA novosti
Metropolitan Hilarion: "The Vatican has given in to liberals on the issue of same-sex couples"
© RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' is considering the conclusion of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Catholic declaration “Fiducia supplicans.” The declaration recently adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church addresses the issue of blessing unmarried heterosexual unions and same-sex couples. The chairman of the Synodal Biblical Theological Commission, Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary, spoke about this resonant topic, dialogue with Catholics, as well as the “papal” claims of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti. Interviewed by Olga Lipich.
Olga Lipich: Vladyka Hilarion [the Russian word "Vladyka" means "Lord" and is used for "Father" or "Bishop"], how did the commission headed by you begin to consider the declaration “Fiducia supplicans”?
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev: We studied this document on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. We held a plenum of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, and I had the opportunity to present the results of the plenum personally to His Holiness the Patriarch.
Why did the Russian Orthodox Church even take up this declaration, since this is an internal document of the Roman Catholic Church?
Hilarion: Because we have a dialogue with the Catholic Church, interaction. And we considered it our duty to respond to such a radical innovation.
There are many different interpretations of the declaration: some say that this is an intermediate step towards the wedding of same-sex couples, others say that the document opens up the opportunity for people to receive help from the Church, including in the fight against their passions, that those who come are blessed in turn [ed. note, individually], that imitation of a wedding is not allowed. What is your opinion?
Hilarion: The declaration Fiducia supplicans caused an unambiguously very negative reaction from our commission. We were unanimous that this document reflected a very serious departure from Christian moral standards. You said that the blessing can be performed one by one, but in fact this is not in the document. The document specifically talks about blessing couples. Moreover, two categories of couples are mentioned. One is couples who are in a so-called unsettled situation. That is, this is a man and woman who live in an unmarried marriage or in a civil union. There are a lot of such situations in the Catholic Church, because the divorce process is very complex and it is difficult, almost impossible, to receive a blessing from the Church for divorce. But another category of persons referred to in the document are same-sex couples. And so, the same criteria are now applied to both.
What, according to the commission, is the main contradiction with Christianity here?
Hilarion: Same-sex couples are spoken of as people who need the blessing of the Church for healing and upliftment. That is, you can bless them in pairs, and not each individually. Yes, the declaration expresses, repeatedly and in different forms, concern that such blessings should not be ritualized, that they should be spontaneous and not outwardly resemble a wedding. Because of this concern, various specific recommendations are offered for how to make such blessings different from weddings. The document postulates that the Church's teaching on marriage as a union of a man and a woman open to procreation remains unchanged. But at the same time, this practice of blessing same-sex couples, from our point of view, is in radical contradiction with Christian moral teaching.
Could you explain in more detail?
Hilarion: The document says nothing, for example, about the sacrament of confession, nothing about repentance or the fight against sin. That is, the pastoral assistance that is provided to people in an unsettled situation or in same-sex cohabitation, according to this document, does not at all imply that, for example, a priest tells these people about the sinfulness of their lifestyle. This especially applies, of course, to same-sex couples. And in general, the word “sin” is mentioned several times in this document, but exclusively in the context of the thought that human sins cannot exceed the love of God, that God’s grace acts despite our sins. And neither repentance nor correction of lifestyle is offered to those people who come for blessing specifically as a couple.
Then, in your opinion, why did the Catholic Church adopt such a document -- for the further recognition of unregistered cohabitation and the wedding of same-sex couples?
Hilarion: I don’t think that we can talk about the wedding of same-sex couples, because so far it has been declared that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a union of a man and a woman remains unchanged. However, we see what is happening in Protestant communities: it all started with the same thing, with some non-ritualized, spontaneous blessings, and then in some Protestant communities they simply introduced the ritual of blessing same-sex couples. I don't think the Catholic Church will come to that. But all this is perceived as a very dangerous signal and as a concession by the leadership of the Catholic Church to those liberal circles that are trying to dictate their agenda.
You said that this was a “concession from the leadership,” but how did the Catholic world as a whole, priests and parishioners react to this document -- what do you know?
Hilarion: The declaration has already caused a very controversial reaction in the Catholic world. Of course, some approved of it, and various gay activists and representatives of sexual minorities rejoiced at the declaration. But, for example, local structures of the Catholic Church in some cases openly opposed this declaration.
In which countries did this happen?
Hilarion: The Hungarian Bishops' Conference has decided that the blessing of same-sex couples is impossible under any circumstances. The document will not be implemented in Hungary. And also, for example, in Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. I think it will definitely not be implemented in African countries. That is, this document has already created a serious division within the Catholic Church itself.
What will happen in the future with the “document about the document” - with the results of the discussion of the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission of the Vatican Declaration?
Hilarion: The Synodal Biblical Theological Commission always works on behalf of His Holiness the Patriarch or the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. When we prepare a text, we then give it to the patriarch, and then His Holiness decides its future fate. Either this document is published, or it is published with amendments, or it forms the basis for some decisions, actions, letters...
What kind of reaction would you expect from Catholics to the conclusion of the commission of the Russian Church?
Hilarion: I wouldn’t want to predict the reaction, but we did our job. Our commission is called biblical-theological, and we drew attention to the fact that there is no way to justify this new practice with Holy Scripture. Because the Holy Scripture expresses a completely unambiguous view of same-sex cohabitation. We have drawn attention to the fact that, from our point of view, these new decisions of the Catholic Church are contrary to basic Christian moral standards. We've covered our part of the journey. It is difficult for me to predict what the future fate of the commission’s document will be, and if it is published, what the reaction to it will be in the Catholic Church. But we can already see the reaction in the Catholic Church and in the world to the declaration itself (Fiducia supplicans – ed.).
How does all this affect the relationship between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church today? And are any joint peacekeeping efforts currently being prepared, in particular, to resolve the situation in Ukraine?
Hilarion: I don’t know anything about this. And when Pope Francis came to Budapest last year and I met with him, we had no discussion about this. True, when the pope was flying on a plane from Hungary, journalists asked him what he talked about with Prime Minister Orban and Metropolitan Hilarion. And he replied: “Of course, we weren’t just talking about Little Red Riding Hood.” I think that the Pope still had in mind, first of all, Mr. Orban, with whom he, of course, discussed political issues. He did not discuss political issues with me.
Is Little Red Riding Hood” just a joke?
Hilarion: Yes, a metaphor. It probably meant that we were talking about serious things.
You have repeatedly noted that the Patriarch of Constantinople lays claim to the role of “pope” in the Orthodox world. How would you comment on the reports that this week he reinstated Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, who was deprived of his rank in the Russian Church for violating the priestly oath - refusing to fulfill the patriarchal blessing to read a prayer for Holy Rus', in which there is a petition for the granting of victory?
Hilarion: The previous project of the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission was the preparation of a detailed document on the new ecclesiology of Constantinople, that is, on innovations in the doctrine of the Church. They, in our opinion, very seriously deviate from the Orthodox Holy Tradition; they are essentially an attempt to impose on the Orthodox Church on a universal scale a new model of governance, similar to the one that exists in the Catholic Church. Our document is called “On the distortion of Orthodox teaching about the Church in the actions of the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the speeches of its representatives” (approved by the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2023 – ed.).
We show in this document that for centuries the Orthodox, including the Patriarchs of Constantinople, in polemics with Catholics, defended the point of view that local Orthodox Churches are equal to each other, that there cannot be one earthly head for the entire Ecumenical Church. But those specific actions that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is carrying out, in particular, to legalize the Ukrainian schism, to “restorate in rank” those who have lost this rank for one reason or another, are actions that follow from his new doctrine. After all, Constantinople now proclaims itself the supreme court of appeal.
That is, any cleric of any local Church, dissatisfied with the decision of his clergy, can now turn to Constantinople, and Constantinople will make a decision at its own discretion. Moreover, this cleric can remain geographically in the same position, as was the case in Lithuania, when Constantinople “restored the rank” of the clergy who had lost this rank, and they continue to be in Lithuania. Based on them, a parallel structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania has now been created, while this country is part of the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It turns out that the document “On the distortion of Orthodox teaching about the Church in the actions of the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople” adopted last year has not yet brought some sense to opponents?
Hilarion: We did not imagine that this document, let’s say, would bring some sense to the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. But, firstly, we had to prepare this document for our internal use - so that everyone in the Church would clearly understand why the break occurred (communications with the Patriarchate of Constantinople - ed.), and that we are not talking about some situational disagreements, but about fundamental disagreement. Constantinople has developed a whole new ecclesiological doctrine, which contradicts the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. In addition, we, of course, wanted our document to be read in other local Churches. Especially those who disagree with Constantinople. And we know that it was read there with great attention.
That is, you note positive results in communication with representatives of other local Orthodox Churches on this issue?
Hilarion: Yes.
Vladyka, how has the situation with the restoration and construction of spiritual and cultural objects in Hungary changed recently: the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, churches in Miskolc, Tokaj, Heviz?
Hilarion: Our main object is the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, which is located in the very center, on the banks of the Danube, on Petőfi Square next to the monument to the great national poet of Hungary Sandor Petőfi. This cathedral was built at the end of the 18th century. The Patriarchate of Constantinople tried to sue him. Just when I was the temporary administrator of the Budapest-Hungarian diocese in the period from 2003 to 2009, we were in litigation with Constantinople: they sued us. We won all three courts one after another, but it took about six years. At the same time, the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral began. We were able to restore the pedestal under one of its lost towers; the Lukoil company gave money for this.
But a full-fledged restoration became possible after the Hungarian government in 2016 allocated a significant amount for four objects at once: the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, St. Nicholas Church in Tokaj, Trinity Church in Miskolc and the temple in honor of the Life-Giving Spring icon in Heviz. Unfortunately, the pandemic greatly slowed down the progress of restoration work in the first three objects and the construction of the fourth. But now the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral is in its final stage. The external repairs have been completed, the internal repairs are almost complete, and we are now only engaged in the restoration of the icons in the iconostasis.
The temple in Heviz has been built and finishing work is underway. The other two objects are still in varying degrees of readiness: in Miskolc restoration work is still ongoing, in Tokaj they are close to completion.
And if the furtherance of Christian unity, a fortiori with true and particular Churches (capital C) in apostolic succession with true sacraments, has to die on this hill, so be it.
Who thinks this is a good approach?
--- HSD
************
Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Budapest, Hungary. He just gave an interview in which he expressed grave concern regarding the Vatican document on blessing, published December 18, Fiducia supplicans. The full text of the interview is below
Letter #5, 2024, Monday, March 4: Hilarion in Blessings
Below is an interview given a few days ago by Russian Orthodox Metropolitan of Budapest, Hungary, Hilarion Alfeyev, 58, on the subject of the December 18 Vatican document on blessings, Fiducia supplicans ("The supplicating trust").
This document has become controversial in the Catholic Church, with bishops in Africa, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Belarus, and in a number of other countries, protesting that the teaching in the text in favor of blessing couples in homosexual and irregular heterosexual relationships is a departure from traditional Catholic moral teaching, and therefore unacceptable. In fact, more than 500 Catholics have signed an appeal asking Pope Francis, 87, to rescind the document...
Now, in this interview, Hilarion also expresses his concerns about the theology of Fiducia supplicans, saying it is not in keeping with traditional Christian teaching on blessings.
In essence, Hilarion gives a negative judgment: "The declaration Fiducia supplicans caused an unambiguously very negative reaction from our commission," he said. "We were unanimous that this document reflected a very serious departure from Christian moral standards."
Hilarion gave this interview after chairing a meeting of Russian Orthodox theologians in Moscow a few days ago — so his views do not represent only his own personal views, but the views of an official theological commission of the Russian Orthodox Church.
This suggests that document has become a source of division, not only inside the Roman Catholic Church, but also between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christians, in this case, with the Russian Orthodox Church — the Orthodox Church with the largest number of members. World Orthodoxy counts about 250 million members in more than a dozen national Churches (Greek, Serbian, Romanian, etc.). The Russian Orthodox count an estimated 100 to 110 million faithful, so about 40% of all the Orthodox in the world.
Since "building bridges" between the Orthodox world and the Catholic Church (the two Churches were united until the "Great Schism" of 1054, and have been divided now for almost 1,000 years) has been of some importance to Pope Francis, this rejection by the Russian Orthodox of the theology of Fiducia supplicans may be motivation for Francis to consider an adjustment to what was published on December, or a clarification of its meaning and intent which takes into account these criticisms.—RM
Special Note to readers: This is the second letter I have written since early February, when I wrote about the death of my friend, Silvio Mattacchione, at the age of 72. I hope to be able to write regularly in the days and weeks ahead.
***
The Hilarion interview, published February 29, 2024 by the Russian news agency RIA novosti
Metropolitan Hilarion: "The Vatican has given in to liberals on the issue of same-sex couples"
© RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' is considering the conclusion of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Catholic declaration “Fiducia supplicans.” The declaration recently adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church addresses the issue of blessing unmarried heterosexual unions and same-sex couples. The chairman of the Synodal Biblical Theological Commission, Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary, spoke about this resonant topic, dialogue with Catholics, as well as the “papal” claims of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti. Interviewed by Olga Lipich.
Olga Lipich: Vladyka Hilarion [the Russian word "Vladyka" means "Lord" and is used for "Father" or "Bishop"], how did the commission headed by you begin to consider the declaration “Fiducia supplicans”?
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev: We studied this document on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. We held a plenum of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, and I had the opportunity to present the results of the plenum personally to His Holiness the Patriarch.
Why did the Russian Orthodox Church even take up this declaration, since this is an internal document of the Roman Catholic Church?
Hilarion: Because we have a dialogue with the Catholic Church, interaction. And we considered it our duty to respond to such a radical innovation.
There are many different interpretations of the declaration: some say that this is an intermediate step towards the wedding of same-sex couples, others say that the document opens up the opportunity for people to receive help from the Church, including in the fight against their passions, that those who come are blessed in turn [ed. note, individually], that imitation of a wedding is not allowed. What is your opinion?
Hilarion: The declaration Fiducia supplicans caused an unambiguously very negative reaction from our commission. We were unanimous that this document reflected a very serious departure from Christian moral standards. You said that the blessing can be performed one by one, but in fact this is not in the document. The document specifically talks about blessing couples. Moreover, two categories of couples are mentioned. One is couples who are in a so-called unsettled situation. That is, this is a man and woman who live in an unmarried marriage or in a civil union. There are a lot of such situations in the Catholic Church, because the divorce process is very complex and it is difficult, almost impossible, to receive a blessing from the Church for divorce. But another category of persons referred to in the document are same-sex couples. And so, the same criteria are now applied to both.
What, according to the commission, is the main contradiction with Christianity here?
Hilarion: Same-sex couples are spoken of as people who need the blessing of the Church for healing and upliftment. That is, you can bless them in pairs, and not each individually. Yes, the declaration expresses, repeatedly and in different forms, concern that such blessings should not be ritualized, that they should be spontaneous and not outwardly resemble a wedding. Because of this concern, various specific recommendations are offered for how to make such blessings different from weddings. The document postulates that the Church's teaching on marriage as a union of a man and a woman open to procreation remains unchanged. But at the same time, this practice of blessing same-sex couples, from our point of view, is in radical contradiction with Christian moral teaching.
Could you explain in more detail?
Hilarion: The document says nothing, for example, about the sacrament of confession, nothing about repentance or the fight against sin. That is, the pastoral assistance that is provided to people in an unsettled situation or in same-sex cohabitation, according to this document, does not at all imply that, for example, a priest tells these people about the sinfulness of their lifestyle. This especially applies, of course, to same-sex couples. And in general, the word “sin” is mentioned several times in this document, but exclusively in the context of the thought that human sins cannot exceed the love of God, that God’s grace acts despite our sins. And neither repentance nor correction of lifestyle is offered to those people who come for blessing specifically as a couple.
Then, in your opinion, why did the Catholic Church adopt such a document -- for the further recognition of unregistered cohabitation and the wedding of same-sex couples?
Hilarion: I don’t think that we can talk about the wedding of same-sex couples, because so far it has been declared that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a union of a man and a woman remains unchanged. However, we see what is happening in Protestant communities: it all started with the same thing, with some non-ritualized, spontaneous blessings, and then in some Protestant communities they simply introduced the ritual of blessing same-sex couples. I don't think the Catholic Church will come to that. But all this is perceived as a very dangerous signal and as a concession by the leadership of the Catholic Church to those liberal circles that are trying to dictate their agenda.
You said that this was a “concession from the leadership,” but how did the Catholic world as a whole, priests and parishioners react to this document -- what do you know?
Hilarion: The declaration has already caused a very controversial reaction in the Catholic world. Of course, some approved of it, and various gay activists and representatives of sexual minorities rejoiced at the declaration. But, for example, local structures of the Catholic Church in some cases openly opposed this declaration.
In which countries did this happen?
Hilarion: The Hungarian Bishops' Conference has decided that the blessing of same-sex couples is impossible under any circumstances. The document will not be implemented in Hungary. And also, for example, in Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. I think it will definitely not be implemented in African countries. That is, this document has already created a serious division within the Catholic Church itself.
What will happen in the future with the “document about the document” - with the results of the discussion of the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission of the Vatican Declaration?
Hilarion: The Synodal Biblical Theological Commission always works on behalf of His Holiness the Patriarch or the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. When we prepare a text, we then give it to the patriarch, and then His Holiness decides its future fate. Either this document is published, or it is published with amendments, or it forms the basis for some decisions, actions, letters...
What kind of reaction would you expect from Catholics to the conclusion of the commission of the Russian Church?
Hilarion: I wouldn’t want to predict the reaction, but we did our job. Our commission is called biblical-theological, and we drew attention to the fact that there is no way to justify this new practice with Holy Scripture. Because the Holy Scripture expresses a completely unambiguous view of same-sex cohabitation. We have drawn attention to the fact that, from our point of view, these new decisions of the Catholic Church are contrary to basic Christian moral standards. We've covered our part of the journey. It is difficult for me to predict what the future fate of the commission’s document will be, and if it is published, what the reaction to it will be in the Catholic Church. But we can already see the reaction in the Catholic Church and in the world to the declaration itself (Fiducia supplicans – ed.).
How does all this affect the relationship between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church today? And are any joint peacekeeping efforts currently being prepared, in particular, to resolve the situation in Ukraine?
Hilarion: I don’t know anything about this. And when Pope Francis came to Budapest last year and I met with him, we had no discussion about this. True, when the pope was flying on a plane from Hungary, journalists asked him what he talked about with Prime Minister Orban and Metropolitan Hilarion. And he replied: “Of course, we weren’t just talking about Little Red Riding Hood.” I think that the Pope still had in mind, first of all, Mr. Orban, with whom he, of course, discussed political issues. He did not discuss political issues with me.
Is Little Red Riding Hood” just a joke?
Hilarion: Yes, a metaphor. It probably meant that we were talking about serious things.
You have repeatedly noted that the Patriarch of Constantinople lays claim to the role of “pope” in the Orthodox world. How would you comment on the reports that this week he reinstated Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, who was deprived of his rank in the Russian Church for violating the priestly oath - refusing to fulfill the patriarchal blessing to read a prayer for Holy Rus', in which there is a petition for the granting of victory?
Hilarion: The previous project of the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission was the preparation of a detailed document on the new ecclesiology of Constantinople, that is, on innovations in the doctrine of the Church. They, in our opinion, very seriously deviate from the Orthodox Holy Tradition; they are essentially an attempt to impose on the Orthodox Church on a universal scale a new model of governance, similar to the one that exists in the Catholic Church. Our document is called “On the distortion of Orthodox teaching about the Church in the actions of the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the speeches of its representatives” (approved by the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2023 – ed.).
We show in this document that for centuries the Orthodox, including the Patriarchs of Constantinople, in polemics with Catholics, defended the point of view that local Orthodox Churches are equal to each other, that there cannot be one earthly head for the entire Ecumenical Church. But those specific actions that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is carrying out, in particular, to legalize the Ukrainian schism, to “restorate in rank” those who have lost this rank for one reason or another, are actions that follow from his new doctrine. After all, Constantinople now proclaims itself the supreme court of appeal.
That is, any cleric of any local Church, dissatisfied with the decision of his clergy, can now turn to Constantinople, and Constantinople will make a decision at its own discretion. Moreover, this cleric can remain geographically in the same position, as was the case in Lithuania, when Constantinople “restored the rank” of the clergy who had lost this rank, and they continue to be in Lithuania. Based on them, a parallel structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania has now been created, while this country is part of the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It turns out that the document “On the distortion of Orthodox teaching about the Church in the actions of the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople” adopted last year has not yet brought some sense to opponents?
Hilarion: We did not imagine that this document, let’s say, would bring some sense to the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. But, firstly, we had to prepare this document for our internal use - so that everyone in the Church would clearly understand why the break occurred (communications with the Patriarchate of Constantinople - ed.), and that we are not talking about some situational disagreements, but about fundamental disagreement. Constantinople has developed a whole new ecclesiological doctrine, which contradicts the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. In addition, we, of course, wanted our document to be read in other local Churches. Especially those who disagree with Constantinople. And we know that it was read there with great attention.
That is, you note positive results in communication with representatives of other local Orthodox Churches on this issue?
Hilarion: Yes.
Vladyka, how has the situation with the restoration and construction of spiritual and cultural objects in Hungary changed recently: the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, churches in Miskolc, Tokaj, Heviz?
Hilarion: Our main object is the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, which is located in the very center, on the banks of the Danube, on Petőfi Square next to the monument to the great national poet of Hungary Sandor Petőfi. This cathedral was built at the end of the 18th century. The Patriarchate of Constantinople tried to sue him. Just when I was the temporary administrator of the Budapest-Hungarian diocese in the period from 2003 to 2009, we were in litigation with Constantinople: they sued us. We won all three courts one after another, but it took about six years. At the same time, the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral began. We were able to restore the pedestal under one of its lost towers; the Lukoil company gave money for this.
But a full-fledged restoration became possible after the Hungarian government in 2016 allocated a significant amount for four objects at once: the Assumption Cathedral in Budapest, St. Nicholas Church in Tokaj, Trinity Church in Miskolc and the temple in honor of the Life-Giving Spring icon in Heviz. Unfortunately, the pandemic greatly slowed down the progress of restoration work in the first three objects and the construction of the fourth. But now the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral is in its final stage. The external repairs have been completed, the internal repairs are almost complete, and we are now only engaged in the restoration of the icons in the iconostasis.
The temple in Heviz has been built and finishing work is underway. The other two objects are still in varying degrees of readiness: in Miskolc restoration work is still ongoing, in Tokaj they are close to completion.
