Statement: ROCOR vs Convent and Mat. Evgenia

GOCPriestMark · Post by **GOCPriestMark** » Thu 4 May 2006 9:22 pm

For those who want more information about the out-come of ROCOR's lawsuit against the Convent of the Vladimir Icon:

STATEMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF ROCOR’s LAWSUIT AGAINST THE RUSSIAN CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF VLADIMIR

Priest Siluan · Post by **Priest Siluan** » Fri 5 May 2006 3:33 pm

Dear Father Mark

XB!

Thank you for this link and this information.

The Truth always conquers on the lie like the Light do on the darkness.

With love and affection in Christ

Priest Siluan

Chrysostomos · Post by **Chrysostomos** » Fri 5 May 2006 4:28 pm

Bless Fr. Mark,

What was the date of this statement?

Since this was a negotiated settlement, achieved literally at the eleventh hour, how can one reasonably assess who won, or if there even was a winner?

The only way that makes sense is to look at the outcome and compare it to the goals of the parties at the beginning. Viewed that way, there can only be one conclusion: the Convent prevailed and ROCOR was defeated.

There was no "winner", except perhaps the evil one. No one wins when division arises. When we have to get the civil courts involved instead of settling our differences privately, as instructed by our Lord Himself.

Of course our Lord did instruct:

If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

Who among us, would do such a thing? If the monastery could not, then neither could we. If they did, and followed the Lord's instruction, would not many have stated that the monastery "lost their minds". Yet, I am confident that they are well aware of our Lord's words.

God will measure out justice in the end. Their will be no room for goals, interested parties, determinations of who prevailed and who was defeated. These are merely the world's way of thinking/way of life.

It is truly saddening that things came to this, to include the civil law, and a statement like the above.

Through God's grace, may our lives be better testimonies of whether we have prevailed than statements made by attorneys.

Kissing the hand of Christ,

Rd. Chrysostomos

GOCPriestMark · Post by **GOCPriestMark** » Sat 6 May 2006 2:50 pm

Christ is Risen!
May God bless+

I have asked for a date for when this statement was made. It was very newly added to that web-site, so my assumption was that it was recent. I will post here if I find out.

How quick we are to apply the commandments of God to the nuns and expect them to comply, but are silent regarding the bishops who started the lawsuit.

I share your sadness, Rd. Chrysostomos, that the situation had to come to this.

Chrysostomos · Post by **Chrysostomos** » Sat 6 May 2006 4:01 pm

Fr. Bless,

How quick we are to apply the commandments of God to the nuns and expect them to comply, but are silent regarding the bishops who started the lawsuit.

Fr., I urge you to re-read my post. I was applying it to both the bishops and the nuns. As I said, there are no winners in this situation.

Also, as I mentioned, all of us would be guilty, due to the influence of the world in calling upon civil authorities to resolves issues, rather than to resolve them privately and in a Christian matter reflecting glory to God and God alone.

How quick we are to apply the commandments of God

Well said, and the point is that we should apply them to ourselves much more than we have a tendency to apply them to others. I think that is the challenge to Orthodoxy today. There is a tendency to concert all our effort on applying it to those whom we believe don't measure up to our standard of what it means to be Eastern Orthodox Christians, rather than applying them to ourselves. If we did so, with equal or greater measure, I think we would realize something about ourselves and discontinue such divisive activities.

Purification, illumination, theosis. This should be the beginning and end of our focus.

Kissing the hand of Christ,

Rd. Chrysostomos

GOCPriestMark · Post by **GOCPriestMark** » Sun 7 May 2006 12:28 am

I apologize for the misunderstanding.

By the way, in the Synaxarion for today I read that St. Maria Magdalena went to Caesar ??, (Tiberius, I think, but i left the book at the Church), to bring to his attention the injustice of Pontius Pilate in his judgment of our Lord and it was for this reason that Pilate was transfer far away.

spiridon · Post by **spiridon** » Sun 7 May 2006 1:25 am

now for the story on the other side, what happened got way out of hand, and I believe The nuns started feeling this feeling of being overcomed by the then Bishop Anthony of blessed Memory from S.F.,
as he wanted to become a participant in the council of the convent...
Its a proven fact that ArchBishop Kyrill was very,very devasted by this whole account. in fact he wasnt able to serve Liturgy for almost a year, and remained in a very depressive state for many months, not because of what was going on, but because he couldnt believe his ears and never imagined going thru this...