THE NEW PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL THE RUSSIAS

Fr John Salter, Chairman, writes in Chrysostom for Pascha 2010:

     Following the death of Patriarch Alexis II the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchal Church has elected   Metropolitan Kyril of Smolensk and Kalingrad. The election took place in the newly built Cathedral of the Saviour, near the Kremlin, which was blown up in 1931 on Stalin’s orders and a swimming pool built on the site. Its reappearance may be due to the persistence of Babuska Power, that of the old ladies, who are a force to be reckoned with in the Russian Church. Today it is a symbol of the revival of that Church.

     Patriarch Kyril has expressed his deep concern about Church Unity, not necessarily the lack of unity between different traditions, but the break down of unity in the Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The largest group of Orthodox loyal to Moscow makes up one third of the entire Patriarchate of Moscow, but some of its churches are closed and sealed, and there is pressure for it to become autocephalous. Alongside this there are two other Orthodox jurisdictions, plus the Old Believers with their seat at Byelo-Krinitza in Bukovina, now in the Southern Ukraine. On top of this there is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which has recently moved its headquarters from L’viv to Kiev.

      Pope Benedict has welcomed the appointment of Patriarch Kyril, and wrote : “I warmly congratulate you and wish you every strength and joy in the fulfilment of the great task that lies before you”. The Apostolic Nuncio to Russia, Archbishop  Antonio Mennini, wrote to  the Patriarch : “Together with Catholic communities living in Russia at this solemn hour I am praying to the merciful God so that He helps you to accept the legacy of the loving memory of Patriarch Alexy II Your  predecessor… In these years I had a chance to get to know you as a profound theologian striving to revive the Russian Orthodox tradition after the hardships experienced by the Church in the 20^th century, as well as a visionary pastor working zealously for  the benefit of God’s people and full of the desire to fulfil  Christ’s commandment, ‘That they may be One’”.