Yakov Krotov

Notes on Reconciliation - 1997, March 18.

One of the dangerous myth about violence is that "violence is on the increase particularly among young people." No. Young people carry the violence into action, but the violence itself is planned, inspired, ideologically justified by the older generations. This is especially evident in the case of Chechnya.

Reconciliation consists of goal, efforts and spirit. The peace is the goal, and the Church witness that this goal cannot be achieved without God, peace is situated in God�s Kingdom, and in this sense it is out of this world. As far as we promote transcendent peace we are more skeptical and cautious than non-Christians in our attitude towards economical and political plans. We cannot think that the state of insecurity and helplessness can be exterminated forever. But our efforts and spirit must be more courageous. Even in unsecured world Christians are secured by the Savior.

 To treat divisions in a proper way it must be understand that divisions appeared not only out of negative impulses such as nationalism and thrust for power. Divisions had their positive and creative aspects and sometimes they continue to have positive meaning. That is why reaching reconciliation doesn�t mean extermination all divisions and differences.

Reconciliation is often associated with feminism. Ordination of women is certainly very interesting problem. But there are men also, and they quite often feel themselves more alien to the Church than women. The real opposition and real enmity is not between men and women but between priests and laypeople. Clericalism is the strange war, but it is the war, more destructive although less noisy that a war between man and woman. Clericalism poisons all confessions, it is common problem and more everyday problem that feminism. Reconciliation must be achieved in this field also, or else sooner or later the Church will be one, crowded with ordained men and women, but without laics at all.

"Religious people stand together in their criticism of secular attempts to put emphasis on the human person in his or her autonomy and independence". I think this is a rude mistake, excuse me for strictness. Secularism is a dual phenomena. We cannot reconciliate with secular ideas, but we can and must seek reconciliation with secular people. Idea of independence from God is usually rejection not of God but of goodies. Secular people are not great theologians, but they are great historians. They reject God not on grounds of theology but because of inquisition. They too well remember Index librorum prohibitorum and Galileo. They are not so much atheists as complete apophatics (or post-modernists), they don�t reject God, they reject words about God because they remember the results of theological discussions. It is senseless to blame them. We must seek reconciliation with them by demonstrating that we are not inquisitors. And "to stand together" against secularism is the language of inquisition.

Reconciliation for Christians is first of all reconciliation with enemies, with new religions. Scientology, Church of Unification and others are most unpleasant movements. In Germany state officials, Catholic and Protestant clergy persecute them as non-religious groups. This is most troublesome phenomena. Previously most Churches didn�t dare to say a word in defense of these organizations. This shows to people that our monologues about freedom of conscience is hypocrisy. What a sense to be tolerant to those who are pleasant to us, try to be tolerant to those who are unpleasant.

Part of reconciliation inside the Church is reconciliation with personality. In all confessions institutional approach dominates over personal. We seek reconciliation between organizations and ignore that in our age not organizations but individuals are major antagonists. We miss the point trying to overcome on a global scale what is rotten on the grassroots level.

Problem of Catholics of the Eastern rite in Russia is one of the dimensions of alienation between clergy and laypeople. Vladimir Solovyov would be rejected nowadays by the Roman Catholic Church because of the fear to aggravate relations with the Russian Orthodox bishops. In ecumenical movement prevails orientation towards reconciliation between clergy of different confessions at the expense of the right for personal choice of laypeople. Struggle with prozelitism is fine, but there must be also struggle with spiritual serfdom, when people are ascribed to some denomination or particular tradition because of their origin. There must be reconciliation between the right of personality and the rights of institutions.