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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWN - The Bulgarian Orthodox Church leadership has announced that it does not intend to participate in the worldwide Orthodox Council that is scheduled to take place in Crete later this month.
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, meeting on June 1, said that the “Pan-Orthodox Council” should be postponed until “thematic and organizational changes” were made; the Synod listed several disagreements with draft documents that have been prepared for the meeting and with the proposed rules of procedure. The Bulgarian prelates said that they are “determined not to participate if they do not see progress in the resolution of their claims.”
At this late date it is highly unlikely that substantial changes will be made in the plans for the Pan-Orthodox Council. The preparatory documents, in particular, are the result of long and exacting negotiations among representatives of the world’s disparate Orthodox communities. Thus the withdrawal of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church seems inevitable: a major blow to the ambitious plan for an unprecedented meeting of all the world’s autocephalous Orthodox churches.
The rules that have been established for the Pan-Orthodox Council require unanimous agreement on any changes that are made to the working documents. By declining to participate, the Bulgarian prelates may be hoping to put pressure on other Orthodox leaders to tone down—or perhaps table—statements on controversial issues such as ecumenism.
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risu.org.ua - On Saturday, the UGCC Synod opened its regular session in Chicago. The tradition to hold session of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC in different dioceses has already existed for many years and has proven to be beneficial for the episcopate, and for the local church community, the Information Department of the UGCC reports.
The visits of the Synod members led by the Primate of the UGCC is always an opportunity of getting better acquainted, common prayer and sharing spiritual and pastoral experience.
“We hope that the Permanent Synod with their presence and their advice and solutions will help us to even better fulfill our mission in the United States and promise to accompany our prayer meeting,” said Fr. Michael Kuzma, chancellor of Chicago Diocese.
This session of the Permanent Synod will be devoted to preparation of the next Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, as well as consideration of current issues of church life and public service of the UGCC in native lands and settlements.
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It's a conflict that's been raging in Ukraine for two years, costing thousands of lives and displacing millions of people. But the international community seems to have largely forgotten about it.
ugcc.ua - In Ukraine we do not have the Russian Orthodox Church, we have the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate, and that Church is also trying to help those who are in need. Of course that Church is experiencing some internal tensions concerning the Russian aggression, because those soldiers who are killing Ukrainians, the majority of them belong to the same Church. So the question is why members of the same Church are killing their brothers and sisters on the soil of Ukraine. This is a big question. But nevertheless in Ukraine we’re trying to cooperate with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we are trying to respect the sensibility of Orthodox believers, and to help each other. I think we are discovering that there are many more things and issues which unite us than which divide us. If we would abandon politics, if we would look into the eyes of those people to whom we are supposed to serve, we will rediscover the living Christ present among us, our God, which is the same for Catholic and Orthodox, the same God for Christians, Muslims and Jews. Our Lord who is asking us to love our neighbor.
So would you say that efforts for collaboration are stronger than whatever tensions might exist?
I have to bring the witness that our people in the very, very, basic foundation of the Church, are more united that the Church hierarchs are, and they are asking us to follow them. Those very profound questions – why do we suffer? Do we have hope? Does our sacrifice have any meaning? – are the same questions (all) people are asking; Orthodox, priests, bishops, Catholics, Muslims and Jews, and I think if we will be honest and faithful to our own vocation we will give the same response to those people. In that service, we are and will be united.
Speaking of relations between Church hierarchs, what is your opinion on the Pope’s meeting with Patriarch Kirill in February?
I think it was a historical meeting. We are very thankful to God that it finally happened, because for decades we as Ukrainian Greek Catholics were called an obstacle for that meeting. Thanks be to God that now we are not an obstacle for such brotherly relationships and meetings. I think that the Holy Father is opening a new page in the history of relationships between Catholics and Orthodox. But in order to cooperate, in order to develop our brotherly relationships we cannot put any conditions. The main discussion in Ukraine, (in terms of) some sort of ‘conditions,’ were some points of the joint declaration that was signed. But the Holy Father, many times when I had the chance to talk to him, underlined that for him the most important (thing) is a person and not a paper, a meeting and not a declaration, cooperation and not some theoretical thinking, some philosophical statements, because that theory would come and go, a declaration would be forgotten, but the gesture of open arms will remain.
You have known the Pope since his time in Argentina. He seemed to have had great success in uniting people from different religions and backgrounds in that context. Do you think he’s using the same strategy as then, but in perhaps a broader scale as Pope?
I have to say he is the same person as he was in Buenos Aires. He’s the same as the Successor of Peter in Rome, and his policy is almost the same, because he’s trying to really break all those divisions, all those prejudices against brothers and sisters. I think really that he’s under the motion of the Holy Spirit, which brings him to appreciate the dignity of the human person regardless of what confession, Church or political background that person comes from. I think this is how we Christians are supposed to bring our witness to Christ in the future, and I think in that motion of the Holy Spirit we can build unity. The unity of the Church, the unity of the human race. I remember the words of St. Pope John Paul II, that a united Europe can be united only in Christ. And I think the Holy Father Francis is simply going forward on the same path.
Would say that so far his strategy is working?
Absolutely.
On the theme of dialogue, another historic meeting is coming up in June, the Pan Orthodox Council. What are your thoughts on this, considering your presence in a majority Orthodox country?
I wrote a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and to the members of the Pan Orthodox Council assuring our prayer, because the challenges which Christianity is facing today are common, for Orthodox and for Catholics. As I said previously, there are many more things which unite us than divide us. The biggest scandal for our world is a division between Christians. So my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will help our brethren Orthodox to be united their efforts in order to remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in today’s globalized culture. Our prayer is that openness to dialogue with modern culture, and to dialogue with brethren Christians who are maybe not a member of the Orthodox communion, will be a topic of their discussions. Because we can face those challenges only if we will be in dialogue with God and today’s world, if we will be able to love God and our neighbor. We cannot love our neighbor without entering into dialogue with him. We cannot bring our witness to today’s humanity without the spirit of love. Love brings that openness, that freshness, that vibrancy to the Church. This is my prayer and my wish for the Pan Orthodox Council, which I expressed in my letter.
Will any representatives of the Greek Catholic Church be observing? Yourself or anyone else?
No. As I understand, the observers from the Catholic side, particularly from the Greek Catholic side, were not invited to the council. But we respect their sensibilities and wishes, and nevertheless we will support (and) we will be united with the Orthodox hierarchs in prayer and in the Holy Spirit.
While this is a council specific to the Orthodox Churches, which of the discussion topics would be most pertinent from a Catholic standpoint? Issues such as the unification of liturgical calendars, for example…
Well, those topics mostly are inner issues of the Orthodox community, so this is why we are not entering into the discussion or arguing with the Orthodox brethren. Any kind of growing in unity among the Orthodox would be helpful for our dialogue, because some sort of divisions between the Orthodox Churches hurts the possibility to have an open and successful dialogue between Orthodox and Catholics. Perhaps in Ukraine, we have three Orthodox Churches, and we pray someday at least the Orthodox in Ukraine will be united among them. It will facilitate our dialogue the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The same in the worldwide perspective. More unity among the Orthodox will bring more unity among all Christians.
One final question. Is there any news on the Pope coming to Ukraine?
Not yet.
But Cardinal Parolin is coming in June…
Yes, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parloin, the Secretary of State of Vatican City announced that he is coming. Right now we are preparing his visit, discussion his program in Ukraine, and we hope that he will announce everything that we should know about a possible visit of the Holy Father and the humanitarian action of His Holiness in order to help those who are suffering in Ukraine.
By Elise Harris, CNA
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CWN - The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church hosted an interfaith gathering at a Catholic parish in Baghdad on May 30 to pray for peace in Iraq.
Leading Muslim clerics took part, as did members of other religions. Several ambassadors and members of parliament were in attendance.
“I would like also to highlight the importance of praying in the midst of such a critical situation and the suffering of our people in Iraq, Syria and the region, since praying helps in calming down the restless volcano of our inner struggles,” said Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako. “We have had enough of wars; the Iraqi people are tired of hearing about death, destruction, and displacement, on [a] daily basis, all of which are against the divine will.”
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CWN - The Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed the appointment of a seasoned Vatican diplomat as apostolic nuncio to Russia.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, who has most recently been serving as the papal nuncio in Poland, was named on May 28 to become the Pope's representative in Moscow. A spokesman for the Orthodox Church saw the appointment as a hopeful sign for closer relations between Rome and Moscow, noting Archbishop Migliore's reputation and "especially the fact that he is among the most expert Vatican diplomats."
Archbishop Miglione has been the Vatican's representative to the Council of Europe; the deputy Secretary of State; and from 2002 to 2010 the Holy See's representative at UN headquarters in New York.
In Moscow he replaces Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, who was named in February to become the Vatican's representative at UN offices in Geneva.
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CWN - During a meeting with Pope Francis, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus suggested that the Pontiff should meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Lukashenko offered to host the proposed summit meeting in Belarus. Referring to the historic meeting between the Pope and the Russian prelate in Havana, he said: "I am sure that more than one million people would like to see their handshake, not far away in Cuba, in an airport, but in the center of Europe."
The Belarusian leader said that during his May 21 meeting with the Pope, he had said that "new initiatives, even spiritual" are required to end the crisis in Ukraine.
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