Posted by Al
on 4/30/2010, 1:39 am, in reply to "Re: Why the Herald may be right."
And I think the result of that "something" is that the EP is throwing the Pan Orthodox "long ball"...perhaps as their only chance to counter the Russian hegemony in the Orthodox world.
Be careful of what your knee-jerk anti-EP feelings lead you to wish for. While there is so much circulated about the "re-birth" of the Church in Russia, the "re-birth" is significantly, almostly overwhelmingly, greater in terms of the "institutional" Church than in the actual growth in the "Faith". While churches have been reopened and a large number of bishops enthroned, still far less than 10% of the people are actually "churched". In line with this, many recent Russian imigrants coming to our former parish (OCA) had been baptized, but with no catechesis - before of after their baptism. One well educated couple said it was because the Church had to "compete" with the Evangelicals, who were quick to accept a profession of faith, however un-informed it might be. Some were told that any baptism other than Orthodox was simply "foreign".
Also, take a look at the new Russian immigrant population in the US. At least on the West Coast, more are members of evangelical Protestant congregations than the Orthodox Church, and a large number of those congregations are openly "ethnic Russian".
So why is the "re-birth" over stated? Beats the dickens out of me. Perhaps in harmony with our (my ancestry is 1/2 Rus) cultural penchant for "power". Enthrone enough bishops and dominate any potential Council? Get in bed with the Russian government and gain clout?
I wish the Church in Russia nothing but success, but one really has to be careful about thinking that the enemy of your enemy is truly your friend.
Al
Paros Island, Greece
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