Posted on 07/20/2007 8:38:22 AM PDT by kawaii
19 July 2007, 12:08
Same-Faith communities in USA delighted with revival of Orthodoxy in Russia and Russian believers’ respect for ROCOR
Moscow, July 19, Interfax - A delegation of the Old Belief clergy, who maintain canonical communion with the Russian Church Outside Russia, have completed their week-long visit to Russia. They visited the Moscow Kremlin, the Church of Christ the Saviour, St. Sergius’s Laura of the Trinity and Same-Faith parishes in Moscow.
‘We were struck by the incredible rebirth of Orthodox life, evident in each place we had an opportunity to visit. This has inspired us to persuade Bishop Daniel back in Erie that his fears that the communist ideology, which stifles the Church, is still present are ungrounded’, Archpriest Pimen Simon, rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Erie, Pennsylvania, told Interfax on Thursday.
Earlier some opponents of reunification between the Russian Orthodox Church inside and outside Russia tried to persuade Bishop Daniel of Erie in charge of the ROCOR Same-Faith faithful to lead the schism in the Church Outside Russia and become the head of the so-called ‘Provisional Supreme Church Administration of the Russian Church Outside Russia’. Bishop Daniel himself however refuted last June the rumours about his intention to participate in the church schism.
Father Pimen told the agency that upon their return from Russia the delegation told Bishop Daniel about ‘the broad affection for him and Metropolitan Laurus they witness among the Same-Faith flock in Russia’ and described in detail their stay in Moscow, visits to holy places and talks with church officials and Same-Faith clergy.
‘All these details have appeased Bishop Daniel. He assured us he could trust our impressions and was extremely happy to hear that the Church in Russia experienced a miraculous rebirth, while the Church Outside Russia enjoyed respect’, the priest said.
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