I still think they need to leave but it was an interesting perspective/counterpoint.
The stuff about Rome was spot on in my opinion.
I am in agreement that all Orthodox churches need to withdraw from the WCC and its daughter organizations. The argument for continuing to belong is a valid one, but it hangs by a thread, at best. The WCC will, of course, bend over backwards to give the *appearance* of addressing Orthodox concerns, but there will be no real change.
The goals of the Orthodox churches belonging are no longer attainable, because there is really no dialogue. To use Metr. Hilarion's words, there is no-one listening on the other side.
I think that strategic alliances with the Roman Catholic Church on things like abortion, homosexual unions, and other matters of traditional morality would be most helpful.
On the other hand, one wonders if Metr. Hilarion really knows the situation on the ground in the West as well as he seems to think he does. There are two problems with his analysis.
First, anywhere that I have lived in America (and that is a lot of places over the years), the Catholic church has been a liberal mess -- both theologically and morally. I can tell you for certain that if Catholics in our town were to pick the other church closest to them in faith and practice, it certainly wouldn't be us Orthodox -- and we are hardly a "traditionalist" parish. Neither would we pick them as being closest to us.
The backbone of the pro-life movement out here is evangelical Protestant, and the majority of Catholics I know are pro-choice. Catholics certainly aren't playing much of a role in any issues regarding homosexual unions out here.
The official positions of the Catholic church are correct, but the problem is that the laity tend to be quite liberal and ignore those recommendations. On the other hand, many evangelical churches have no official position about abortion, but their churches are filled with pro-lifers. Sort of like the parable of Christ regarding the two sons that the father send to the field. For a strategic alliance to be of any use, the Catholic church first has to convince her own members of the truth of her moral positions, since any real social and political influence comes from the grassroots.
Secondly, to expand on what I touched on above, is Metr. Hilarion aware that there not only *are* conservative Protestants, but that in most places, they greatly outnumber the dying ranks of the liberal "mainline" churches? To ignore a strategic alliance with conservative Protestants is foolish, if one wants to get something done. Furthermore, if Orthodoxy wants to have a witness of some sort to the truth of the faith, one tends to find a more receptive audience amongst conservative Protestants than amongst a mostly liberal Catholic clergy and laity.