Statuary in Orthodox Churches

[Lydia]

I was recently sent a video of a service in Russia where Bishop Raphael and Bishop Evlogios were concelebrating. There were statues of Our Savior in the Church. Isn't this forbidden?

[Barbara]

Where was the service, which city ? And which Toc jurisdiction are the 2 Bishops in ?

Funny --I was just thinking on this exact subject right before coming here this evening !

[Lydia]

It was Metropolitan Raphael of Moscow, who is head of a RTOC synod, and Metropolitan Angelos, of a GOC synod of THe Patristic Calendar. Also, the text says Metropolitan John Lobue was there but I didn't see him in the video. It's good if the True Orthodox synods are concelebrating. I'm still trying to learn about the various TOC synods. I find it a little confusing as to why, if they share the same ecclesiology, why so many of them seem to remain separated. Apparently, statuary in Russian Churches is not unknown due to Roman Catholic influence. At least, that's what I have read. But, it isn't really Orthodox, is it?

[joasia]

Lydia,

Statues are not accepted in the Orthodox Church. The head of RTOC is Archbishop Tikhon of Omsk and Siberia. Can you provide a link to this video?

[Lydia]

A friend showed me the video with text describing who the people were. I'm not sure where he got it from.
He also showed me a website that has pictures of bronze statues of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, which are being erected all over Russia. ( stnicholascenter.org) I don't think the statues are meant to be venerated, but it still seems a little odd to me.

I thought there were several True Russian Orthodox synods. Perhaps I got the name wrong, but this one is headed by Bishop Raphael of Moscow.

I recently had a conversation with a man in a GOC synod. He told me his wife traveled to Russia, and was surprised by how common it was to see statues in Orthodox Churches. I always thought it was forbidden. Forgive my ignorance, but is it because it is seen as a violation of The Second Commandment or for some other reason?

[joasia]

Lydia,

From what I can find of statues of St. Nicholas, it looks like they are all outside the Church building. I did see a picture, a few days ago, of St. Seraphim of Sarov kneeling on a rock, but it was outside. These depictions are expressions of artists. They are not found in Churches though. So, these are considered artistic expressions. These statues are not venerated like icons but are admired in loving memory of the saint. If it was a statue in an Orthodox Church then I would definitely think that there is something wrong.

Perhaps I got the name wrong, but this one is headed by Bishop Raphael of Moscow.

He is not with RTOC. I think he's with Agafangel now.

I recently had a conversation with a man in a GOC synod. He told me his wife traveled to Russia, and was surprised by how common it was to see statues in Orthodox Churches.

Did he say that she was actually IN the Church? As I mentioned above, it seems like they are outside. It would be very surprising if they were in the Orthodox Church. Perhaps his wife visited a Roman Catholic Church.

Forgive my ignorance, but is it because it is seen as a violation of The Second Commandment or for some other reason?

It's really about breaking away from the pagan form of worship which the jews adopted, from the pagans, in the Old Testament. They were influenced by the pagans hence their manufacturing of the golden calf when Moses was on the mountain. When Moses came down from the holy mountain, God gave a specific Commandment basically saying that he wants the people to cut off their connection with pagan beliefs. In the New Testament, this rule was incorporated into their worship and statues continued to be forbidden. The Apostles continued that line of teaching and the Orthodox Church preserved it.

[searn77]

Perhaps I got the name wrong, but this one is headed by Bishop Raphael of Moscow.

He is not with RTOC. I think he's with Agafangel now.

Metropolitan Raphael is head of the True Orthodox synod of Russia (I've seen the acronyms TOC-R and CPI used to refer to his synod) which is in communion with Metropolitan John of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles (the TOC-ABI) and Metropolitan Angelos of Avlona's Genuine Orthodox synod in Greece (the GOC-PC).