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Russian Church Walks Out on Europe
The Russian Orthodox Church has withdrawn from the Conference of European Churches after the Estonian Orthodox Church, which is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate was not given membership in the organization. The incident was the culmination of a conflict between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates over influence in the CIS, in which Moscow’s position had steadily weakened. A Russian church delegation announced the decision at a conference of the CEC in Protaros, Cyprus, on Saturday.
There are two Orthodox Christian bishoprics competing in Estonia. The other is the Estonian Apostolic Church, which is supported by the Constantinople Patriarchate. The Russian Orthodox Church calls that church “illegal.”
The CEC was founded in 1959. Its membership consists of 126 Orthodox, Protestant and Old Catholic churches in Europe. It has headquarters in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg. Its goals are unity and mutual understanding. The organization approved the membership application of the Estonian Apostolic Church, but said that the Moscow Patriarchate’s application for the Estonian Orthodox Church was received later and did not meet the organizations requirements. The Russian church is accusing the CEC of prejudice. “With deep regret, it has to be stated that the CEC is losing its role as a peacemaking and unifying force and increasingly ignoring the voice of churches in countries that are outside the European Union,” a Russian Orthodox Church spokesman said.
The Russian Orthodox Church announced to Orthodox leaders planning to gather in Istanbul over the weekend that the Russian church would not participate in the meeting if a delegation from the Estonian Apostolic Church was present. That ultimatum was ignored, but Patriarch Alexiy II attended the meeting any way, along with the Estonians. Ukraine is also the site of a showdown between the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchates. The Russian church has supported the Georgian Patriarchate, which refuses to recognize the Abkhazian and Ossetian Orthodox Churches that sought to leave it and joint the Russian Orthodox Church.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 13, 2008
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