Crucea.ro

A message from the Greek Orthodox Old Calendarist list:

We urge you to send your COMPLAINT to the President of the Russian federation, Mr. Dimitry Medvedev. I am enclosing a block letter. Send it to the following website:

http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/send_letter_Eng1a.shtml

To His Excellency The President of the Russian Federation

Mr. Dimitry Medvedev
The Kremlin, Moscow

Your Excellency:

As a an Orthodox Christian, I was greatly saddened to hear that in a court of the Russian Federation it was decided to take away the Churches of ROAC (Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church) based in Suzdal and hand them over to the Moscow Patriarchate.

These dilapidated buildings were allocated to ROAC twenty years ago by the authorities and ROAC under the most adverse conditions and strenuous economic circumstances has restored them to Churches dedicated in the worship of the Lord. The court decision amounts to just plain stealing of these properties.

There are many more dilapidated buildings in Suzdal (formerly Churches) which are waiting some day to be restored into Churches again and which are under government jurisdiction. They can be handed to the Moscow Patriarchate and the MP, using its vast resources, can restore them once again into Churches. Why should they be handed somebody else’s hard work?

It is only logical to ask the question as to what happened to the freedom of religion and conscience. After all, ROAC is pronouncing unadulterated Orthodoxy which is the official religion in Russia .
Their only sin is the belief that the present day MP is Stalin’s creation and thus it is in illegitimate church without the Grace of the Holy Spirit. It is clear that this decision has nothing to do with applying justice and everything to do about silencing voices of opposition to the MP.

Why is ROAC being continuously persecuted in every conceivable way, the latest of which is to take its Churches and drive it once again into the catacombs? Hasn’t Russia suffered enough during the many dark years of Godless regimes? Why prolong the misery for a segment of the Russian population and make them refuges of consciousness in their own country? Aren’t they Russian citizens deserving protection under Russian law like those who follow the Moscow Patriarchate?

As a President of a country with a long and rich history as an Orthodox nation, you have a special privilege but also a unique responsibility in protecting the Orthodox in general and those who have dedicated their lives in the service of God. As such, I trust that you will find in your conscience the same objections that I do regarding this court decision. I therefore add my voice to those who urge you to intervene so that these Churches remain with ROAC and prevent a clear violation of basic human rights.

Respectfully,

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Gheorghe Vanau