#18 - JRL 9118 - JRL Home
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005
From: John Varoli <jdvaroli@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: 9117-Churches
I think your readers who are interested in the issue of religion might find my comments insightful. I'd like to comment on this following statement by Orthodox Church spokesman, Vsevolod Chaplin, in the April 11, L.A. Times article:
"After the breakdown of the Soviet Union," he said, "a great number of people in the Roman Catholic Church decided that was the moment when it was possible to conquer these big territories and huge populations of the countries of the former Soviet Union.''
In 1991-94, I was among the small number of Catholics to come to Russia for relief work. Russia was not a place of strong interest for the Catholic church, which in the 1990s was more busy re-establishing the Church in Central Europe.
Still, a small number of us came to Russia, many working alone without orders from Rome --- working as volunteers in various secular and Orthodox relief organizations. Also, there were a few religious orders, also acting on their own initiative, who made an occasional trip to Russia by invitation of their Orthodox friends to bring humanitarian aid. On the parish level, Orthodox and Catholic worked side by side in harmony. The Russians we ministered to, if they began to express an interest in the faith, were always encouraged to go to Orthodox churches. I cannot remember one single case of Catholic proselytizing in all those years, as opposed to Protestants who could always be found in central city squares when the weather was nice. If ethnic Russians did come to a Catholic church it was of their own volition. Many were simply curious; the Catholic Church represented the West, and they wanted to learn something about western civilization. Often they'd come for a few months and then return to the Orthodox Church. Yes, some stayed, but doesn't the Russian Constitution allow freedom of religion?
On an official level, just like the Orthodox Church, Rome was busy rebuilding the hundreds of Catholic churches in Russia destroyed by the Bolsheviks. These were Catholic churches that dated back at least a 100 years. At that time, no one questioned the right of Catholics to reopen and rebuild their churches and minister to those still alive after decades of persecution.
For a few years, all were happy and the unfortunate paranoia now afflicting the Orthodox Church was not evident. It began to appear, however, in late 1993. I remember very well how one Orthodox priest I was working with tried to convert me to Orthodoxy, threatening he would no longer work with me on our relief project with street children. I noticed that he and many others in the Orthodox Church were afflicted by what I can only call paranoia (without any desire to offend). Jews, freemasons, and even the Maltese Knights, were once again out to destroy Russia, so I was told. (And, of course, they were guilty of pretty much every problem afflicting Russia since the 18th century.)
It was a truly bizarre and traumatic experience. Many of us gave up fine careers to help our Orthodox brothers, and we soon found ourselves treated as enemies. We were and still are sincerely happy when then Orthodox proselytize in Europe and America; because indeed each person has the freedom and right to chose his faith; to chose the place and form in which he/she wishes to worship God. The Middle Ages supposedly ended centuries ago.
Unfortunately, the notion of `war' and `enemies' is pivotal in the Orthodox understanding of the world. That's unlikely to change any time soon. Perhaps even more frightening, the Orthodox Church is gaining more and more influence over Russia's secular authorities, infecting them with such a violent worldview.
John Paul II was right; we can only pray for them, and for peace.