Zakłócone relacje między Rosyjskim Kościołem Prawosławnym a Kościołem rzymskokatolickim

Abstract

A list of errors and mutual anticipations between the Catholic and the Orthodox sides could be composed by theologians, historians and psychologists. The above article is such an attempt. The author in detail relates the Declaration on Ecumenism given by the Russian Orthodox, being a selection of the National Council in 2000 entitled The Basic Assumptions of the Relation of the Russian Orthodox toward other Christian Confessions. This document contains the theological and ecclesiological justification for the idea of ecumenism, however it is often hidden by various extra-theological elements which are further expanding, negatively influencing the mutual relationship between the Vatican and Moscow; despite this it brings in an essential contribution to the discussion on this important topie. The starting point of the document is not the split Church of Christ identified with the Orthodox, but the différences between Christians themselves, therefore the goal of the Orthodox Church is to restore unity in the sphere of the Christian family. The conséquence of such a position is the rejection of all competitive positions and the frail surface of mutual understanding. Next, other non-Orthodox Christian Churches were described as well as attempts to undertake dialogue from both sides among the confessions. The last part of the document contains a description of the national and historical paradigm. After the reformation of the USSR into the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), and also through incorporating the former family of Baltic countries meaning Ukraine and Ciscaucasia, problems within the Orthodox appeared, and we find in the declaration the controversial statement “canonical area” being a chance renewal of the geopolitical Orthodox consolidation, which to a great degree is identified with the region of the Commonwealth of Independent States. This signifies that other confessions are acknowledged as “untraditional” and their activities are madę difficult, since their presence is perceived as proselytism and the disturbance of the “social order” by charitable assistance is treated as “the stealing of faithful by offering them material encouragement.” An additional problem of the ecumenist attitude of the Russian Orthodox in relations with Catholicism is the sensitivity to the historical East-West confrontation. Not only is uniatism such a burning point, apart from it are also: the fight between Alexander Nevsky with the Tectonic Knights, the conquering of Moscow by Pôles in the 17th Century and the anti-Orthodox stance of Rome on the issue of the 19th Century Baltic conflict. The consequences of joining the ideas of Church and fatherland, Orthodoxy and culture are the entrusting of ecclesiology into the awareness of the faithful – not in a theological sense, but psychological and semantic. The same applies to the cult of national saints and the cited authors (in official Church documents we find quotes only from the Church Fathers and national theologians). However this is only one side of the medal, the other important indicator is described by the author of the above report pointing to the errors committed by the Catholic side, and set at the basis of mutual grief and tensions. The Orthodox acknowledge Catholic Orders and societies the right to function in Russia and values their goodwill and educational activities at the same time pointing to inconsistency in the attitude of the Catholic hierarchy in electing, just after the world day of prayer for peace in Assisi, bishops of the new dioceses of Moscow, Saratov, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk is an insult to the Patriarch of Moscow. The presence of the Catholic Church on this territory cannot be reconciled with the idea of perceiving the Orthodox as a “sister Church” since no objective need existed for the calling of new formal dioceses and parallel evangelizing structures instead of the present apostolic administration (instead of declaring the division of one city – one Bishop, both the Catholic and the Ukrainian Church introduced their structures). The above article was already previously published in the The Journal of Eastem Christian Studies (2002 vol. 54 No. 3-4 pp. 227-243). Prof. Wil van der Bercken from Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (Holland) gave it in English with an electronic translation into Polish - mainly for the workers, students and friends of the Ecumenical Institute – on the 22 November 2005 as part of the four day series of lectures at the CUL Theology Department (21-24 November 2005).