God Bless Patriarch KirillNice to see a cleric who says it like it is
Here's some of the article from Reuters; (Emphasis mine)
A blast derailed a high-speed Russian train Friday night on the main line between Moscow and Russia's second city, St Petersburg, raising fears of a new wave of attacks five years after a bombing campaign in Moscow by Chechen rebels.
"We believe the reply will be effective and powerful enough to show these shameful, terrible people that ... when the hand of an enemy is lifted against our lives, we are able to defend our citizens," Patriarch Kirill said at a memorial service in Moscow.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but security analysts said militant groups from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus were the most likely culprits.
A claim of responsibility by Islamist rebels could heighten tensions between Russia's Christian majority and its Muslim minority weeks after an Orthodox priest who was critical of Islam was shot dead in his church.
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
12:01 AM
5 Comments:
I am proud to be of the same Church as he.
A Crusade perhaps? This time from the Byzantine east.
What do you know. A real man is the Patriarch and a bishop of the Eastern Church.
Seriously... if there was an Orthodox church nearby I'd join it. I'm so fed up... but then again, I don't think of the Orthodox is so totally different then Catholics.
I'm so tired of being in this post-Vatican II circus. You look at the Orthodox and their leaders have brass spheres while ours pander to, and kiss the asses of, every rebellious, sinful group under the sun. (While punishing those of us that are actually trying to be Catholic.) Can't even pray after Mass. I'm tired of it but I can't leave the Faith for some fake Protestant nonsense. So don't worry, I'm not about to jump ship. I'm just about to scream or cry or something. **Sigh** Where is God???? Does He only like the Orthodox these days??
One of the things that I have found rather interesting is that although most Catholics have a very positive view of Eastern Orthodoxy, it isn't often reciprocated by members of that faith. In America, since Orthodoxy seems a bit removed from its ethnocentric xenophobia, this isn't the case but over in Europe things aren't as pretty. The Russians in particular have a long memory and seem to associate Catholicism with invasions by the Teutonic Knights, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and other nations that have tried to subdue them. I wonder if the combined assault on Christianity by that strange alliance of Islamofacism and radical secularism will put an end to old divisions.
One of the things that I have found rather interesting is that although most Catholics have a very positive view of Eastern Orthodoxy, it isn't often reciprocated by members of that faith.
In the United States, you don't see this all that much from cradle Orthodox--perhaps due to the ethnocentrism being "Americanized"--but I have seen much of this negative attitude towards the Catholic Church and especially the Pope (and just go on-line to several Orthodox chat groups and forums) from converts to Orthodoxy.
The expression, "More Catholic than the Pope" applies to some of these converts who want to be more "Orthodox than the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople." These converts seem to fight old battles and issues all over again. For example, I once read of some convert asking a cradle Orthodox, "Where do you stand on the Photian controvery?" Hell! That was ages ago!
Most of these converts are former Protestants who while bringing a refreshing militancy to Orthodoxy also bring their anti-Catholic and anti-Pope bigotry with them. Before anybody gets too upset, I am not saying that every convert acts this way, but there are enough of them to make it seem like Orthodoxy hates Catholicism which IMHO it does not.
One other thing on ethnocentrism. There is a heresy related to it that is called Phyletism, i.e., equating "true" Orthodoxy with an ethnic (mostly Slavic) group. Recently, the hate-filled ethnocentrism of some of the Balkan Orthodox was condemned as heresy by none other than the Patriarchs of Serbia (the late Patriarch Pavel), Bulgaria, and Romania. Other Eastern European Orthodox hierarchs too, I believe.
I do not think East and West will unite soon, but in recognition of our common enemies (e.g., atheistic secularism and Islam), I think we are just begining to see a refreshing rapprochement between Rome and the various Orthodox Autonomous and Autocephalous Churches. May the Holy Spirit use this to unite us in One Holy Faith.
I have enormous respect and admiration for Patriarch Kiril. I just wish Pope Benedict would ask him to take on an additional job and accept appointment as the Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles. He could then kick that bum out, tear down that pagan temple, and build a decent Cathedral in the Eastern architectural style, of course! :-)
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