His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman receiving His Eminence Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Exarch of Belarus at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America, and receiving an Icon of the Mother of God from visiting Metropolitan
Posted on 06/11/2003 12:49:43 PM PDT by John David Powell
Copyright 2003 The Current Digest of the Soviet Press Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press
June 11, 2003
SECTION: The Russian Federation -- Religion; Vol. 55, No. 19
SOURCE: METROPOLITAN GAMES. -- Mefody Is Sent to Kazakhstan to Reduce the Number of Candidates for Aleksy II's Throne. By Artyom Pukhov. Nezavisimaya gazeta, May 12, 2003, p. 3. Condensed text:
Some sensational rearrangements in the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate were made at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church last week in Moscow. By a decision of the Synod, Metropolitan Mefody (Nemtsov) of Voronezh and Lipetsk, whom experts had regarded until recently as one of the most likely candidates for the patriarchal throne, was removed from his see. Mefody's new place of episcopal service will be the Republic of Kazakhstan: The Synod appointed him Metropolitan of Astana and Almaty. In fact, a metropolitan see will be created especially for Mefody by combining three dioceses (Astana, Urals and Chimkent); the "exile" of such an influential church leader has to be a dignified one. . . .
The personnel decisions regarding Metropolitan Mefody can be seen as a major victory for his old rival in the struggle for influence within the Russian Orthodox Church -- Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyayev) of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations (DECR). The tension between the two hierarchs had noticeably increased lately in connection with the declining health of Aleksy II and the emergence of rumors about a possible successor to the patriarchal throne. However, Mefody's "exile" definitely does not mean that Kirill is now the only candidate for the position of future leader of the ROC.
NG has already reported that the alignment of power in the Church currently appears to be shaping up in favor of a third candidate -- Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the ROC. He is chairman of the ROC Synodal Theological Commission, and in the past he headed the DECR for many years. Metropolitan Filaret has much more experience in the Church than Kirill or Mefody, since he became a bishop back in 1965, when the other two candidates for the patriarchal throne were only just entering or preparing to enter the seminary. . . .
Over the years here at St Vladimir's Seminary, we have welcomed many distinguished churchmen and many outstanding theologians and educators. While some of them have united churchmanship and theological acumen, few have done so to the eminent degree of our guest today, His Eminence Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk. His Eminence's first theological "home" was the Moscow Theological Academy, where he studied and then went on to serve as an instructor, Dean of Students, and - in 1966 - Rector. Like so many of his contemporaries in this period, he worked quietly but effectively to expand the Church's scope for activity - for example, by establishing a correspondence program for aspiring theological students who, because of governmental restrictions, could not enroll in the regular residential program of study.
His Eminence is now Exarch of Belarus, heading the autonomous Belarusian Orthodox Church, a position which - in this post-communist era - presents many pastoral challenges, ranging from restoration of parish and monastic life to definition of the place of the Church in public life. But His Eminence's interest and involvement with theology and theological education continues, both within Belarus and in the wider life of the Moscow Patriarchate. I was amazed a couple days ago, when I was privileged to join His Eminence for breakfast at the OCA Chancery. His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman asked about any new developments in Belarus, and His Eminence immediately reviewed the current state of the seminary and the new theological academy there in Minsk, providing, among other things, the precise number of students in each program - something that I'd be hard-pressed to do for SVS. And as most of you know, His Eminence is also the chairman of the Synodal Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among other things, this meant that he oversaw the development one of the most significant church documents of the post-communist period, "Basic Principles of the Attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church Towards the Non-Orthodox." The scope of this text, its comprehensiveness and its balance, is noteworthy. It should be "must reading" for anyone concerned about relations of the Orthodox Church with other Christian confessions and communities.
Therefore, in view of His Eminence's distinguished contributions to Orthodox theology and theological education, by virtue of the authority vested in the Board of Trustees and the Faculty of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, the degree of DOCTOR OF DIVINITY honoris causa is bestowed upon HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN FILARET OF MINSK AND SLUTSK.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman receiving His Eminence Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Exarch of Belarus at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America, and receiving an Icon of the Mother of God from visiting Metropolitan
BROOKLINE, MA, January 21, 2003 -- Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary in Brookline, MA, is pleased to announce that Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, will be the guest speaker on Tuesday, February 4th, 2003, on the campus. The topic of his lecture is The Challenges of the Post Communist Society for the Russia Orthodox Church. The lecture is free and open to the public. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Maliotis Cultural Center, preceded by Vespers at 5:00 p.m. in the Chapel.
Metropolitan Filaret is one of the most distinguished and renown hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate. He was born in Moscow in 1935. He completed his theological studies at the Moscow Theological Academy in 1961. Upon the completion of his studies he was appointed professor of theology and director of the postgraduate studies division (1963) of the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1961 he was ordained into the priesthood and in 1965 he was elected auxiliary bishop of the Leningrad Diocese. In 1971, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop and in 1975 he was appointed Metropolitan of Minsk and Byelorussia. In 1989 he was appointed Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus. Metropolitan Filaret has served as the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Moscow Patriarchate (1981-1989). He is a permanent member of the Holy Synod, a member of the Synodal Bible Commission, and chairman of the Synodal Theological Commission.
Metropolitan Filaret has been actively involved in the external activities of the Russian Orthodox Church through participation in various ecumenical and inter-orthodox theological dialogues and conferences. As secretary of the Synodal Commission for Christian Unity, he traveled worldwide representing the Russian Orthodox Church in its delegations at various events. Throughout his decades of service, Metropolitan Filaret has received several honorary doctorates and other academic awards from universities and theological schools throughout the world.
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is a graduate school of theology, whose primary purpose is the preparation of leaders-both clergy and lay-for service to the Orthodox Church and the world at large. It is located at 5O Goddard Avenue in Brookline, Massachusetts. For directions to the campus, or for more information, visit their web site at www.hchc.edu.
Is this a valid job opening? We would like to put forth another candidate. He is an exceptional spiritual guide to many in this forum - patient with all questions, and unambiguously christian. He is currently on the waiting list for the papcy but may want to reconsider, knowing that the number of candidates for this position is considerably smaller.
I submit to you Ron Pope Piel I! A veritable fisher of men.
Woah, Way Cool Patriarch !!
No need to grow one, your Holiness. Just buy one like this:
Made of polypropylene (cotton-like material) this is our lowest priced beard set and it includes eyebrows.
Item #: 9024
Retail Price: $18.99
Our Price: $17.99
Problem solved, your Holiness.
Great idea, and with a bit of marketing we can replentish some of the coffers drained by the lavender crowd!
Pope Piel I
The Pocket Fisher of Men
Order now!
Mrs. Piel's Papal Piety Pinkin'-Shears.
Unfortunately I doubt that his qualifications are sufficient. He must speak fluent Russian and be able to perform the liturgy in Old Church Slavonic. Additionally he must be ordained in the Orthodox church, which he seems to know little about in general. Perhaps next time....
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