Nine days after the burial of Patriarch Teoctist the Lumina newspaper, the only Orthodox daily in Romania, is publishing an extensive article on Russian Orthodox Church titled: “Kremlin, Ardor and Faith”. The article emphasizes the majesty and the power of the Orthodox Church in Russia. What is really interesting in this tribute article is the second heading stating: Moscow the Third Rome.
Could it be the sign of a new policy of the interim of the Romanian Orthodox Church towards Russian Patriarchate or just the willing and the perception of the lay people in Romania?
It is well known that after Patriarch Teoctist revived [in 1992] the Metropolitanate of Basarabia and brought it back under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate after 51 year of Socialist Soviet rule. Ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia was dissolved by the Soviet power in 1941, one year after this Romanian territory was occupied by the Red Army in 28 June 1940. In 1941, the Russian Orthodox Church established in Basarabia a new bishopric, called Metropolitanate of Moldova, under the jurisdiction of Moscow Patriarchate that still functions.
The re-activation of ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia under the jurisdiction of Romanian Patriarchate created much tensions and fracture in bilateral brotherly relations between the two Churches. It created also State tensions as Republic of Moldova recognized the Metropolitanate of Basarabia only after a European Court of Human Rights sentence.
Patriarch Teoctist tried many times to relax the situation in Republic of Moldova [Basarabia] and in 2000 he responded to invitation consecrating together with Patriarch Alexey II the Cathedral Christ the Savior and in 2006, meet Alexey again at the World Encounter of Religious Leaders.
As you may read in this blog, in an article from March 29, 2007, Patriarch Teoctist was ready to make a pastoral visit in Metropolitanate of Basarabia.
Taking into consideration that at the funerals of Patriarch Teoctist, Patriarch Alexey did not participated, but sent a message and a delegation, also considering the past not yet alleviated tensions, the extensive article in Lumina and especially the heading “Moscow the Third Rome” could mean a new pitch for remaking of policy relations between the two Churches, especially after last month declaration of Pope Benedict XVI.
As written in Lumina’s heading: “the publication is an initiative of Orthodox lay sustained by Metropolitanate of Moldova and Bucovina”, thus, under the leadership and the blessing of Metropolitan Daniel, now Locum Tenens of Patriarch of Romania.
Could it be the sign of a new policy of the interim of the Romanian Orthodox Church towards Russian Patriarchate or just the willing and the perception of the lay people in Romania?
It is well known that after Patriarch Teoctist revived [in 1992] the Metropolitanate of Basarabia and brought it back under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate after 51 year of Socialist Soviet rule. Ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia was dissolved by the Soviet power in 1941, one year after this Romanian territory was occupied by the Red Army in 28 June 1940. In 1941, the Russian Orthodox Church established in Basarabia a new bishopric, called Metropolitanate of Moldova, under the jurisdiction of Moscow Patriarchate that still functions.
The re-activation of ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia under the jurisdiction of Romanian Patriarchate created much tensions and fracture in bilateral brotherly relations between the two Churches. It created also State tensions as Republic of Moldova recognized the Metropolitanate of Basarabia only after a European Court of Human Rights sentence.
Patriarch Teoctist tried many times to relax the situation in Republic of Moldova [Basarabia] and in 2000 he responded to invitation consecrating together with Patriarch Alexey II the Cathedral Christ the Savior and in 2006, meet Alexey again at the World Encounter of Religious Leaders.
As you may read in this blog, in an article from March 29, 2007, Patriarch Teoctist was ready to make a pastoral visit in Metropolitanate of Basarabia.
Taking into consideration that at the funerals of Patriarch Teoctist, Patriarch Alexey did not participated, but sent a message and a delegation, also considering the past not yet alleviated tensions, the extensive article in Lumina and especially the heading “Moscow the Third Rome” could mean a new pitch for remaking of policy relations between the two Churches, especially after last month declaration of Pope Benedict XVI.
As written in Lumina’s heading: “the publication is an initiative of Orthodox lay sustained by Metropolitanate of Moldova and Bucovina”, thus, under the leadership and the blessing of Metropolitan Daniel, now Locum Tenens of Patriarch of Romania.
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