SCANDAL AROUND NEW CATHOLIC DIOCESES IN RUSSIA

See also on Fr Caprio

February 11, 2002, Moscow, 21.33

Vatican "created" for new dioceses in Russia: the regions of Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Saratov. But they are not called "Moscow diocese" etc., stressed new Metropolitan Tadeush Kondrusevich. Each diocese is dedicated to some saint (diocese in Moscow - to Our Lady.) Patriarch protests, certainly, some experts (anonymious) has proclaimed that this create an obstacle on the way of Pope to Russia. But I think just the opposite: the agreement concerning Pope's trip has been achieved and it is because of such agreement and in the view of the trip that new dioceses have been proclaimed. In "Argumenty i Fakty" appeared anonimious article of typically KGB-style stating that Putin recently met with the Patriarch and Patriarch said he will not meet with Pope during his trip to Russia. I think this is a form of "preserving the face" for a Patriarch. In Georgia the Catholicos was obliged to meet with the Pope.

February 20, 2002, Moscow, 22.45

From ZENIT:

MOSCOW, FEB. 15, 2002 (ZENIT.org-Fides).- Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, of the newly established Catholic Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, asked the Vatican agency Fides to distribute the following statement, in response to misunderstanding by the Russian Orthodox regarding the recent creation of Catholic dioceses in Russia.

* * *

INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN RUSSIA CONTINUES

Declaration by Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz

1. Considering that:

a. religious communities have the right to self-organization according to their own hierarchic and institutional structures;

b. it is the duty of the Pope and the Bishops of the Catholic Church to ensure normal conditions for pastoral care of Catholics;

c. the normal structure of the Catholic Church according to Canon Law is a diocese and an ecclesiastical province (Metropolitan);

d. the act of raising of existing Apostolic Administrations in Russia to the rank of permanent dioceses, on February 11, 2002, did not break Russian law;

e. this step, necessary for Catholics in Russia, was taken after both the Russian authorities and the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church had been informed according to international practice.

We are perplexed and seriously concerned about the interference in internal affairs of the Catholic Church in Russia, which in the past few days has become so evident.

We are convinced that the Catholics of the Russian Federation have the same rights as citizen members of other religions, and that the legitimate exercising of these rights may not under any circumstances be publicly questioned, or become the object of political speculation.

2. Moreover we feel it is our duty to publicly confute statements contained in the public declaration by the Patriarch of
Moscow and all Russia Alexis II and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 12, 2002, which do not
correspond to the truth.

3. In the declaration it is said that the form instituted in Russia "of Catholic ecclesiastical life is not typical even of Catholic countries where there are no ecclesiastical provinces with dioceses administered by a Metropolitan."

This affirmation is false. The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church states that for common pastoral action of various neighbouring dioceses, and the more closely to foster relations between diocesan Bishops, dioceses bordering on each other are united by the supreme authority in the Church in Ecclesiastical Provinces (cfr Can 431).

The head of the Ecclesiastic Province is the Metropolitan, who is Archbishop of his own Archdiocese. The office of Metropolitan is linked to an Episcopal see, determined or approved by the Roman Pontiff (cfr Can. 435). There are Archdioceses and Metropolitans in many countries for example the Archdioceses and Metropolitans of Paris, Washington, Prague, Milan, Warsaw (Poland alone has 13 Archdioceses) and also in former USSR territories Riga, Minsk-Mogilev, Vilnius, Kaunas, Lvov.

The other dioceses which are part of the ecclesiastical province are called "suffragan dioceses." The authority of the Metropolitan in their regard is defined by Canon Law:

a. to see that faith and ecclesiastical discipline are carefully observed and to notify the Roman Pontiff if there be any abuses; (Cfr Can 436,1);

b. for a reason approved beforehand by the Apostolic See, to conduct a canonical visitation if the suffragan Bishop has neglected it; (Cfr Can 436,1);

c. to appoint a diocesan Administrator of a vacant Episcopal see when he is not appointed within 8 days (Cfr Can 436,1);

d. The Metropolitan has no other power of governance over suffragan dioceses. (Cfr Can 436,3);

4. The declaration of the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church states that "the territory of Russian has never been divided into dioceses."

We wish to recall that:

a. diocesan structures of the Catholic Church existed in southern Russia as early as the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries there existed the diocese of Smolensk;

b. the See (centre) of the Archdiocese of Mogliev was the capital of the Russian Empire, St Petersburg, while the diocese of Tiraspol had Sarataov as its See. What is more in 1923 the diocese of Vladivostok was established. The Archbishop of Mogliev was called Metropolitan of all Catholic Churches in the Russian Empire;

c. since the establishing of the Archdiocese of Mogliev, until the last Archbishop Jan Cepljak, sentenced to death in 1923 and exiled, 27 pastors occupied the See of St. Petersburg.

d. also within the present-day territory of the Kaliningrad region the Catholic Church had structures;

this means that within the present day boundaries of the Russian Federation there were Catholic dioceses, an Archdiocese which had its Metropolitan Archbishop and suffragan dioceses.

5. Taking all that is written above into consideration, we think that the alteration of the status of the structures of the Catholic Church in Russia and the institution of an ecclesiastical province cannot be seen as the creation of a new Catholic structure parallel to the Russian Orthodox Church.

In the first place the dioceses do not bear the name of the city in which they have their See. We have not the Archbishop of Moscow or for Russia, but an Archbishop in Moscow.

In the second place the Russian Orthodox Church has an Archbishop of Vilnius for Lithuania, of Brussels for Belgium, of Berlin for Germany and no member of the Catholic Church would raise any abjection because the appointment of Archbishops is an internal affair of the Russian Orthodox Church which appoints its pastors according to necessity.

In the third place the Metropolitan has no effective power in the other dioceses which are autonomous and are administrated by their own Bishops.

6. The declaration in question, for the umpteenth time, denounces numerous episodes of missionary activity on the part of Catholic clergy among the Russian people. "We consider this activity proselytism and we continue to identify it as one of the main obstacles to improving relations between our Churches," the document states.

For our part, over the last eleven years we have repeatedly asked the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church to bring to confrontation concrete facts and begin at last to evaluate concrete facts of Catholic proselytism in Russia. We want to know where, when, under which circumstances and who has engaged or is engaging in activity of proselytism. Unfortunately as yet we have received no information whatever in this regard, just as we have received no reply to our invitation to sit around a table and define the significance of the term "proselytism."

7. Despite the tension created in relations between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church I hope, and I pray to God, that dialogue may continue and that it may bear fruit. I am convinced that the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church can respond together to the challenges of our day for the good of human civilization.

Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz

Moscow, February 13, 2002

Declaration issued by the Information Centre of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation

February 18, 2002, Moscow, 8.35

Vladimir Solovyov compared Roman Catholic with the ship where the command of sailors overthroned a captain, Protestants with risky people who try to cross the ocean each one on his own yacht, and Eastern Orthodox with people who criticize Roman Catholics and Protestants while sitting on the shore dreaming and not daring to begin the real trip.

MOSCOW, FEB. 17, 2002 (Zenit.org).- ... Parliament's lower chamber, the Duma, decided Friday that its Committee on Religious Associations and Organizations should study "the situation created by the active proselytism of the Catholic Church in traditionally Orthodox territories," Itar-Tass reported. The decision came at the request of the Duma vice president, ultranationalist Vladimir Zirinovski. Among other things, Zirinovski requested that entry visas not be issued to representatives of the Vatican and the four Catholic dioceses established in Russia. ... The same day, Vatican spokesman Joaqu�n Navarro-Valls published a statement explaining that the creation of dioceses in Russia, in fact, involves freedom of conscience. He asked those who criticize the decision if they are prepared to respect this fundamental right in Russia.

February 14, 2002, Moscow, 10.14

The scandal with Roman Catholic dioceses continues: now Ministry of Foreign Affairs send a letter to Metr. Kondrusevich stating that the government objects against creation of the new dioceses, because the government wants "that the interests of the Russian Orthodox Church will not suffer." The Ministry new beforehand about the reform and didn't object, so this letter must be the result of the Patriarchy's pressing. Such shameless violation of the division of State and religion order is unheard.

Metr. Tadeush Kondrusevich gave 23 (!) interviews in one day -- so great is the interest to this affair.

Evgenir Komarov explaines in "Noviye Izvestiya" (13.2.2002) why Putin wants the Pope to visit Russia: to have good reputation in the West and to continue his unti-democratic politics under this reputation.

February 13, 2002, Moscow, 8.10

Metr. Kirill Gundyaev said on Febr. 12 that Moscow Patriarchy will breal for some time any relations with Vatican.

Alan Carmack, one of my American friends, comments: "I was NOT surprised that the Patriarch of All Rus' had something negative to say about John Paul II's reorganization step. I think the Patriarch would say something negative about the Pope even if the Pope were to become Orthodox. Really, from my perception the Patriarch seems to have a persecution complex and cannot allow that not all Russians want to be Orthodox. In this, he must look at the faults of Orthodoxy before casting stones at others, Actually stones at others is not appropriate, since the Catholic Church has the right to exist in Russia, in the hearts of its believing Catholics."

I agree and I want to remind that we in Russia also have Old-Ritualists, who are still treated as enemies although they are more Russian Orthodox than Catholics or even Moscow Patriarchy. He who wants to hate will find reasons to hate even in the Paradise--if he'll manage to get there.