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NEWS
FROM THE DIOCESES |
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Communique of the Great Lenten Clergy Conference from March
5/18, 2004
We, the clergy of the Chicago-Detroit Diocese, having gathered at
our Annual Pastoral Conference in Chicago, in the presence of the
miraculous Kursk Icon of the Mother of God, greet our beloved flock
this Lenten season and call upon all to continue this Lent in prayer,
fasting and repentance. We give thanks to our Lord for the numerous
blessings He has bestowed upon our diocese this past year. Archbishop
Alypy’s health has been slowly improving, permitting him to participate
in the December Sobor of Bishops. Many priests noted an increase
in church attendance and membership, an improvement in church singing,
and growth in Church schools and youth groups. Several of our older,
more established parishes have received a "second wind"
from the influx of new parishioners from Russia. Sadly, a few of
our parishes are suffering from demographic changes, but our diocese
remains committed to the upkeep of these churches. At the same time,
a number of our churches which were small missions only ten to fifteen
years ago are now growing, self-sustaining parishes. In other places,
we still suffer from a shortage of priests, but we are encouraged
by the growth of our new missions. We commend the zeal of our faithful,
and call upon you to continue your God-pleasing work. Our parishes
and missions have particularly benefited from the archpastoral visits
of Bishop Peter who this past year has visited 20 parishes. May
our Lord Jesus Christ continue to guide us in His Holy vineyard.
The past year has also been healthy for our Church as a whole. As
we noted in our October 2003 resolution, we rejoice at the possibility
of reconciliation between the two parts of the Russian Church. The
fulfillment of this desire will spiritually benefit our parishes.
We note the several positive events which have transpired since
our October conference: the successful visit of our delegation to
Russia, the Pastoral conference in Nyack, the warm response of our
Sobor of Bishops to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, and the announcement
of the visit of our First Hierarch Metropolitan Laurus to Russia
this May. During the past few months some of our faithful have raised
questions and fears concerning reconciliation. For many, however,
when informed that the issue is neither Òunion,Ó nor ÒsubjugationÓ
but rather mutual reconciliation--manifested by Eucharistic concelebration--the
fears tend to disappear. We recognize that both the Russian Church
Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate are heirs of the historical Russian
Orthodox Church. The events of the past year have given us hope
that full reconciliation between the Moscow Patriarchate and the
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad will soon take place and that full
liturgical concelebration on all levels will become the norm. Intercommunion
among the laity has been the generally accepted de facto practice
throughout our Church for many years, and we now hope for concelebration
among the clergy as well. We acknowledge that there are obstacles
to overcome, but at the same time we consider that many arguments
against mutual reconciliation have historically been rooted in sentiment,
misunderstanding, or in an imprecise comprehension of our Church’s
history and purpose. We pray that the commissions established on
both sides will work with mutual sincerity and openness, and resolve
the remaining issues in a timely manner. We declare our unequivocal
trust in our First Hierarch, Metropolitan Laurus: that He will continue
to lead our Church in the spirit of our Church’s founders, its original
path. May our Metropolitan’s visit to Russia facilitate the long
awaited reconciliation of the Russian Church, so that the light
of Orthodoxy will shine brightly not only in Russia, but also throughout
the entire world. +Archbishop
Alypy |
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