Local Orthodox Church Research Articles

Reforma kalendarza w Cerkwi prawosławnej w Polsce w latach 1923-1925

The decision to reform the calendar in the Orthodox Church was made by Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory VII. The new style was to be introduced on March 10, 1924. The patriarch's resolution was met with mixed feelings, opening a period of stormy synodal discussions in local Orthodox Churches. In Poland, the calendar issue turned into a political problem due to the intervention of government authorities in the internal life of the Church. The Orthodox population treated the above decision as a violation of religious freedoms. The lack of reception of the synodal act of April 12, 1924 regarding the adoption of a new style by Orthodox believers in Poland forced the Holy Synod to change its position on this matter. At the meeting of August 16, 1924, the Orthodox episcopate decided to repeal the previous resolution on the mandatory use of the new style wherever the faithful required it. The issue of the reform of the Church calendar has proven that when making such decisions, the Polish government and the Church hierarchy must take into account the position of the faithful. As a result, the Orthodox Church remained in the old style throughout the country, with the exception of the capital city of Warsaw.

The missionary ethos and its valences in the Orthodox diaspora Romanian

The missionary ethos of the Orthodox Church reflects the character and message of Christ and, broadly speaking, remains constant in all Local Orthodox Churches. However, there can be subtle nuances of differentiation between the various Local Churches and in different time periods, depending on the current context and challenges, as well as the priorities they address.

Jak sufragana chełmskiego kijami pobito, czyli o rozruchach religijnych w Hrubieszowie i Czerniczynie z marca–kwietnia 1636 r. Oblata protestacji i obdukcji Abrahama Śladkowskiego oraz oględzin ran jego kapelana, siostrzeńca i woźnicy w urzędzie grodzkim grabowieckim

One of the main areas of conflict between the Uniates and the Orthodox in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the early 17th century was the issue of rights to use places of worship. In order to settle the related feuds, a commission was established in 1635 to repartition Orthodox churches in royal towns in proportion to the number of Greek Catholics and Disuniates residing there. One of the centers covered by its efforts was Hrubieszow in the Chełm region, where officials granted the Orthodox the right to own two temples. Despite the verdict, which was favorable to themselves, the non-Uniates there caused riots, during which they attacked a Greek Catholic temple, Catholic clergy and townspeople of the Latin rite. In addition, upon hearing of the arrival of Chelm suffragan Abraham Sladkowski to Czerniczyn, located nearby, they decided to attack the clergyman, to which they convinced the peasants living there. Under their influence, the peasants first attacked the local orthodox church and battered the pop who was in charge of it, and then beat up the aforementioned dignitary, who had arrived there upon hearing of the unrest, not sparing the people accompanying him. As a result of actions taken by the Uniate bishop of Chelm, Methodius Terlecki, the culprits of the incidents were to answer for their actions with their lives and property. However, the punishment was waived after the townspeople did public penance and adopted the Uniate religion.

Post-Soviet Civil Religion as a Substitute for Orthodox Christianity

The religious revival in post-Soviet Russia resulted in a new, more intimate than ever before, alliance between the Russian Orthodox Church and Putin’s autocratic regime. Three key elements were essential in shaping this unholy alliance: a) re-establishing the Russian Orthodox Church under Stalin’s decree in 1943, b) the constant support of local Orthodox Churches and the ecumenical movement, and c) the formation of a specific religious-based ideology.

ORTHODOXY IN THE MODERN BALKANS AND ITS POLITICAL ASPECTS

There are many aspects related to the Balkans of the 20th-21st centuries, which can be discussed in a global context. The aim of this paper is to analyze the local Orthodox Churches of Balkans and the relationship between the Church and the state there. In the twentieth century, the interests of a number of political leaders, forces and ideologies intersected on the Balkans. For example, The Balkan Peninsula was a very important strategic place in the Soviet Union, therefore, it actively tried to spread its influence on the political processes developed there, which directly affected the local Orthodox churches. On the other hand, In the 20th century, a number of countries of the Balkans were ruled by dictatorial and authoritarian regimes, whose leaders had significant power (Enver Khoja, Josip Broz Tito, Todor Zhivkov, Slobodan Milosevic, Nicolae Ceausescu, etc.), which also left its mark on the local Orthodox churches. This paper discusses what kind of relations were among the Orthodox clergy and the state in Balkans, to what extent the security services interfered in the Church’s activities and how all this was reflected in the present day.

The religious and legal dimension of the russian war against Ukraine against the background of social and state transformations xx—xxi centuries

The article defines the nature of the Russian war against Ukraine in the context of social and state transformations of the 20th — 21st centuries. It is emphasized that this is a war of different worlds, mentalities, worldviews, ways of life, values, etc., which has been going on for many centuries in various forms (direct and mediated, open and veiled, hot and cold). The role of the religious-legal factor in the Russian war against Ukraine at various stages of Ukrainian state formation (periods of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, Soviet, modern) is revealed. It is emphasized that it was during the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic that the legal basis for the organization of the Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church, confessional differentiation and the establishment of freedom of conscience and interconfessional tolerance in Ukrainian society was created. Emphasized attention is paid to the fact that in the Soviet period, the Russian war against Ukraine continued in a new, veiled, hidden, invisible (at first glance) form with the active use of the religious factor. The results of this period have been determined, namely: rampant militant/ scientific atheism, radical extermination, Russification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, liquidation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, etc. Special attention is paid to the Soviet secular/political religion (Marxism-Leninism) as a key basis for the implementation of an aggressive policy regarding the historical memory and cultural identity of the Ukrainian people and a manipulative tool for the destruction of Ukrainian history, culture, worldview, nation, state and law in the information, hybrid, total, full-scale and other Russia’s wars against Ukraine. The article substantiates that improved legislation with an effective legal mechanism for its implementation, a strong civil society with developed institutions, including the institution of religion (church), adequate guarantees of religious rights and freedoms are important factors in ensuring state, national, religious security and victory of Ukraine (at the current stage) in the war waged against it by the Russian Federation.

ORTHODOXY IN THE MODERN BALKANS AND ITS POLITICAL ASPECTS

There are many aspects related to the Balkans of the 20th-21st centuries, which can be discussed in a global context. The aim of this paper is to analyze the local Orthodox Churches of Balkans and the relationship between the Church and the state there. In the twentieth century, the interests of a number of political leaders, forces and ideologies intersected on the Balkans. For example, The Balkan Peninsula was a very important strategic place in the Soviet Union, therefore, it actively tried to spread its influence on the political processes developed there, which directly affected the local Orthodox churches. On the other hand, In the 20th century, a number of countries of the Balkans were ruled by dictatorial and authoritarian regimes, whose leaders had significant power (Enver Khoja, Josip Broz Tito, Todor Zhivkov, Slobodan Milosevic, Nicolae Ceausescu, etc.), which also left its mark on the local Orthodox churches. This paper discusses what kind of relations were among the Orthodox clergy and the state in Balkans, to what extent the security services interfered in the Church’s activities and how all this was reflected in the present day.

Polish view of the Contemporary Orthodox Church Law – problems on the way to systematization

Orthodox church law is comprised of elements that regulate the life of the Church at various levels. The theological decisions, oroses, canons and canonical letters, which concern the Church globally, obviously focus on doctrine. Still, they also characterize the theological aspects of ecclesiology, primarily expressed in the Orthodox Church’s fundamental confession of faith – the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Although a number of the canons of the ecumenical councils and of the Holy Fathers, historical and contemporary resolutions passed by various local Orthodox Churches and other ecclesiastical authorities and institutions pertain to the universal sphere in many aspects, the vast majority of them set specific organizational standards of church life in the local perspective: the local Church, basic administrative units (dioceses, metropolises or exarchates), but above all in basic organizational structures, which include parishes and monasteries.
 This article presents the problems experienced when systematising contemporary Orthodox church law.
 This research aims to present a model for systematizing church law and to direct further research towards a comprehensive systemization of church law, including both the universal code and the legislation of specific Orthodox autocephalous churches.
 The methodology of this work is based on analysing legal acts and analyses already conducted by authoritative canonists.
 While focusing on the legal code of the autocephalous churches, the following questions were addressed: discrepancies resulting from the source corpuses adopted in various local churches and the lack or omission of information on significant organizational and systemic issues. The difficulties presented in this article provoke further research into organizing Orthodox church law. The fundamental problem is the absence of a standardized legal code for the universal Orthodox Church and a standardized compilation of ecclesiastical laws to be applied in autocephalous churches. The provisions of universal church law do not sufficiently organize issues of mutual intra-church relations, and in particular, the obligations and boundaries of the prerogatives of local autocephalous church structures.
 This process of systematization should include updating legal provisions by means of recognizing provisions that have been canonically repealed by later canons of the same rank or higher as invalid.

MIXED MARRIAGE, COUNCIL OF CRETE AND GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

The question of interconfessional (mixed) marriage was approached during the preparation of the Holy and Great Council of Crete (2016). Author of this article tries to examine the issue of mixed marriage from the point of view of the Orthodox Tradition and position declared from the Orthodox Church of Georgia during preparation of Holy and Great Council of Crete. The Orthodox Church of Georgia (which absented itself from the council), expressed a very strict position that all mixed marriages were invalid. This article, on the one hand, in compliance with Church History and on the other hand, in accordance of Canon 72 of the Council of Trullo, emphasized that: 1-unlike the position of Orthodox Church of Georgia, mixed marriage is not dogmatic issue; 2- in the canon of 72 of Trullo, canonical prohibition of mixed marriage is a pastoral and not doctrinal one; 3- Mixed marriages was common practice during History for different local Orthodox Churches.

The Urban and Rural Parish in the Orthodox Church of Greece

The present article starts from the fact that the parish constitutes the eucharistic family, the small eucharistic centre, where the redeeming action of the broader Church takes place, calling everyone to the synaxis. The parish becomes a place of incarnation of the Church, homeland for the Christian. Without a parish, everything is oppressive sacred idealism, an un-incarnated romantic utopia, a community that fails to reflect the person of Christ. Despite this, the author emphasises the fact that in the modern era, with the rapid expansion of urban centres, the parish seems to be gradually losing its character, and the bonds of its members appear to be weakening. The parish is being transformed into an impersonal gathering of unknown “Christians”. The author emphasizes the need to reflect on the role of the parish in the city nowadays, or in the countryside, within a Local Orthodox Church. In the latter case, the author proposes that the pastorship of a rural parish must be centred on two axes, the family and the community.

Межправославные отношения: общение Русской и Элладской церквей в 1991–2008 гг. (на основе материалов архива Священного синода Элладской церкви)

The article analyzes the communion between the Russian Church and the Church of Greece during the important historical period of Patriarch Alexy II in 1991-2008 based on the archive of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. The archive of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, unknown to most researchers, is a valuable source of church history of the Modern Greek state and contains unique information that is difficult to find in other archives, which have been lost or destroyed. The period considered is of paramount importance both due to the revival of Christianity in Russia, and because of the new era in relations between the Russian Church and local Orthodox churches, and specifically the Church of Greece as discussed in the article, after the "dark" period. After 1991, the Russian Church faced a challenging task of forming and reforming its internal part and activities in all structures and layers of society. The Church of Greece, in turn, as a sister Church, when needed, without hesitation, provided spiritual and material support in this difficult mission of the Russian Church. The written correspondence of the Russian Church and Church of Greece is analyzed in order to form a picture of the life and activity of the Russian Church and the development of relations between the two churches during this period. The article reports on the glorious past of the Russian Church, on the long-lasting relationship of love, solidarity, and spiritual interpenetration with the Church of Greece, on their favorable spiritual prospects and activities aimed at revival. In conclusion, the strength of the bonds of the two churches, as well as their centuries-old coexistence are confirmed.

The influence of the presidents of Ukraine on the formation of the idea of the united local Orthodox church

The influence of the presidents of Ukraine on the formation of the idea of the united local Orthodox church

Value Vectors of the World Local Orthodox Churches Position Regarding Russia's War Against Ukraine

The article deals with the religious contexts of the modern civilizational crisis caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Among the multitude of thematic lines of this set of problems, the article’s authors focus their attention precisely on the position of the world Orthodox Churches regarding this war. The concentration of such attention is objectively determined by the fact that the majority of Ukrainian citizens position themselves as Orthodox by faith, and therefore, are particularly sensitive to the opinion of the leaders of the Orthodox Churches of the world. The article examines the value aspects of the problem of a just peace and considers alternative moral positions about this. Further, with reference to published documents and sources, the article classified the position of the governing structures of the world Orthodox Churches regarding the current war in Ukraine. The positions of autocephalous Churches are considered, and also some of the Churches jurisdictionally subordinate to autocephalous ones. The research is interdisciplinary including religious studies, ethics, social philosophy, and political science. The data of the latest sociological studies in Ukraine are considered.

МОБІЛЬНІСТЬ ПРАВОСЛАВ'Я В СУЧАСНІЙ УКРАЇНІ

This article is about modern Orthodoxy in Ukraine. First of all, it shows the way of Orthodoxy in the process of globalization and makes an attempt to describe a position of church in modern conditions. The article appeals to the data of opinion polls which have been carried out within the last 15 years. These data help to understand how opinions of Ukrainian people were changing regarding an idea of a local Orthodox church. At the same time, an attempt of explanation of Ukrainian religious complications is being done. The article attempts to summarize the role of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, to describe its activities in recent years: from the beginning of an independence and opening a free path to other religions – and to modern multi-religious Ukraine, where Orthodoxy still holds the position of the guide of spiritual life. Also the article examines researches of some Ukrainian scientists in different fields and shows future possibilities of the Orthodox church in Ukraine.

ЗАРОДЖЕННЯ ТА РОЗВИТОК ЕКУМЕНІЧНОГО РУХУ В УКРАЇНІ ТА СВІТІ КРІЗЬ ПРИЗМУ МЕДІА

Since the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine received the Tomos of Autocephaly, Patriarch Bartholomew has visited all of them, the visit of Pope Francis is expected in the near future, and religious and ecumenical themes have become one of the top in the press. That is why there is a need to analyze its development and coverage in various media. The article analyzes the main stages of the ecumenical movement: from the origins that led to current issues of inter-church understanding in Europe to historical circumstances that created the preconditions for signing documents that were organized and enabled quality ecumenical dialogue. Emphasis should be placed on the functioning of the ecumenical movement in Protestant communities, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The peculiarities of the functioning of the Ecumenical Concept of the UGCC, its coverage in the press, as well as the coverage of this document in 2021, given the need for updating, are considered. The ecumenical concept of the UGCC (updated and preliminary) has found its response in major thematic online resources. After receiving Tomos, the PCU introduced its communication strategy with other denominations more actively. Therefore, the preconditions for the establishment and development of the Commission on Inter-Christian Dialogue at the PCU and its presentation in the press were analyzed. The focus is on specific agreements and memoranda signed in the twentieth century that illustrate the progress of ecumenical dialogue in religious Christian communities. The article also presents ecumenical publications in the Ukrainian press, which have their own chronological legacy, as they are based on the journalistic experience of past generations. It is emphasized that ecumenism is not just a world church movement, but a real instrument which these days is influencing religious life, as well as is being constantly renewed, changed. This is embodied especially in the updated Ecumenical Concept of the UGCC, which is also analyzed in the article. The greatest development of the ecumenical movement took place in the twentieth century. It is the lever that helps the Christian religious society seek peaceful dialogue, get rid of the historical wounds of the past, while respecting each other's denominational individuality.

Uticaj Srpske pravoslavne crkve na kamatu u srpskom srednjevekovnom pravu

The loan agreement is a contract with a long and most turbulent history. Friendly loans is existed in every civilization, from the first communities to the present day. Loans with interest, however, are closely scrutinized by almost every legal system. Because these loans are very much open to abuse, governments have almost always had tendencies to prevent such outcomes by limiting interest rates. There are two extreme solutions: allowing high interest rates, as in some ancient legal systems, or as in some modern capitalist systems. On the other side of the spectrum is the suppression of interest as a „root of evil”, i.e. its complete prohibition, as suggested by the Roman Catholic Church or Islam, as well as in the formal socialist states. The Serbian Orthodox Church, as one of the local orthodox Churches, finds itself between these two extreme beliefs. Medieval Serbian states, mostly rooted in the Byzantine version of Roman law, started practicing usurious loans early. Serbian Church, mainly because of Saint Sava (Nemanjić) took a conservative attitude towards interest rates. As the economy grew, the prohibitions seemed to be less and less effective. From the time of emperor Dušan, according to the theory of symphony between the Church and State, middle ground solution was found by: prohibiting the clergy to charge interest; allowing civilians to charge interest, while limiting interest rates.The Serbian Orthodox Church would hold fast to this attitude throughout the Middle Ages, all the way to the present day. Although the Republic of Serbia is a secular state, the clergy obeys the same canonic rules. Interest rates are accordingly regulated and usurious contracts are prohibited.

Piiskop Platoni roll õigeusuliste eestlaste vaimse vastupanu juhtimisel 1918. aasta Saksa okupatsiooni ajal

Piiskop Platoni roll õigeusuliste eestlaste vaimse vastupanu juhtimisel 1918. aasta Saksa okupatsiooni ajal

For the Life of the World? And of the Church too! Quality of Ethics as a Diagnostic Key for the Orthodox Church

This article attempts an overall assessment of the Ecumenical Patriarchate document on Orthodox social ethics, For the Life of the World, articulated along three dimensions: a) Radicalism, in terms of the radical reminders on Orthodox morality that the document succeeds in highlighting, b) Pervasiveness, with regard to the question on how the principles exposed in the document are (or should be) valid across all local Orthodox Churches, and c) Consistency, as the inner harmony between these principles and other aspects of Orthodox ecclesiastical life. It is opined that this document is of historical significance and that it can be of great benefit for the entire Church, if applied. Amidst an advanced modernity and on a critical crossroad with post-modernity, a renewal of Orthodox social ethics that both takes under consideration scientific findings and speaks a contemporary ‘language’ that faces subjectivity seriously, was especially necessary. Hereafter, what is at stake is the degree this document will be disseminated, accepted and influential.

ОБ’ЄДНАВЧИЙ СОБОР ПРАВОСЛАВНОЇ ЦЕРКВИ УКРАЇНИ 15 ГРУДНЯ 2018 РОКУ

The article deals with the establishing of the Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which took place in December 2018. The revolution of dignity and subsequent Russian armed aggression led to the intensification of the Ukrainian autocephalous movement. The President, the Parliament, the bishops of the UOC-KP, the UAOC, and about ten bishops of the UOC-MP appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. On October 9-11, 2018, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate confirmed the resolution to start the procedure of granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, considered appeals and carried out canonical rehabilitation of UOC-KP and UAOC leaders Filaret Denysenko and Makariy Maletych, and restored the Patriarch’s stauropegia as the representation to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Kyiv and repealed the act of 1686. On 15 December, before the unification council started, the UOC-KP and the UAOC held separate meetings during which they both dissolved themselves, which delayed the beginning of the unification council. Every bishop was to bring two people to vote. In the second round, laity and priests did not vote, only bishops. Metropolitan Mykhaiil Zinkevych was forced to withdraw his candidacy during the council before the final vote. In the first round, the score of the three candidates was: Mykhail Zinkevych: 38; Symeon Shostatskyi: 56; Epiphanius Dumenko: 81. In the secomd round, the votes of bishops were as follows: Symeon: 28; Epiphanius: 36. At the Unification Council on December 15, 2018, the establishment of the OCU was announced, its charter was approved and Metropolitan Epiphanius was elected as the Primate. On January 6, 2019, a Tomos on the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church was granted to him in Constantinople.

War and Autocephaly in Ukraine

A series of conflicts that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union culminated in the war in Ukraine waged by Russia in 2014. The international community was taken by surprise, and its reactions to the Russian aggression were often confused and inadequate. Even more confused and inadequate were the responses from global Christianity. Russian propaganda often renders the aggression against Ukraine as a quasi-religious conflict: a “holy war” against the “godless” or “heterodox” West. It would be natural, therefore, for the Christian churches worldwide to loudly condemn both propaganda and aggression. However, in most cases, their response was silence. Such reactions came from most local Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic church, and international ecumenical organizations such as the World Council of Churches. An exception was the reaction from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which decided to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The article argues that the Tomos for autocephaly was, among other reasons, a reaction to the war in Ukraine. The responses of other local Orthodox churches to the Tomos also indicate their attitude to the war in Ukraine. These reactions have demonstrated a profound crisis in inter-Orthodox solidarity and social ethics.