MOSCOW: June 28, 2019
Representatives of the Russian Church Abroad participate in the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church

Representatives of the Russian Church Abroad Participated in the Work of the Inter-Council Assembly

From June 18th to the 21st, 2019 Deacon Andrei Psarev (Associate Professor at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary) and Rasaphor Nun Vassa (Larin) participated in three sessions of the Inter-Council Assembly held in Moscow. An Inter-Council-Assembly was founded in 2009 to develop position papers on a wide range of topics from the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist to the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception.

On June 18, Deacon Andrei took part in the work of the Commission on Theology and Theological education, which was held in the Church Institute of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies, chaired by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. Members of the commission responsible for document drafting gave reports on their progress expressing church teaching on Orthodox understanding of the causes of terrorism and extremism, the veneration of holy relics in the Orthodox Church and studying the practices of modern exorcism.

On June 19, Deacon Andrei and Rasaphor Nun Vassa took part in the work of the Commission on Church Law, chaired by Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. The Moscow Sretenskii Monastery once again showed outstanding hospitality to the commission. The members discussed the revised version of the document “The Blessing of Orthodox Christians for Military Service”. Commission members reiterated their recommendation to abandon the practice of sanctifying non-personal military weapons, including weapons of mass destruction.

On June 21, Sister Vassa took part in the work of the Commission on Liturgics and Church Art, chaired by Archbishop Mark of Ryazan in refectory of the church of the All-Merciful Savior in Mitino. In the course of the work, the members considered the modern adaptations of Typikon for parish settings, as well as the necessity to reflect spiritual ethos of the ecclesiastical singing.

On Sunday, June 24, Deacon Andrei Psarev held a presentation at the parish in Brusov Lane of the church named after the Re-consecration of the Resurrection basilica in Jerusalem: “The History of the Russian Church Abroad in Portraits of its Faithful Servants.” The clergy and numerous parishioners warmly received this talk offered by a speaker well-known to them.