Patriarch Alexy reporting to the Council

In his report to the Bishops’ Council, which opened on June 24, 2008, at the Church of Christ the Saviour, Patriarch Alexy pointed out that the year 2008 was marked with a symbolical date – the 1020^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. It is the date, he said, which makes us look back ‘at the one Kievan baptismal font in which the peoples now nourished by the Russian Orthodox Church have received salvation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit’.

The anniversary of the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he stressed, makes the faithful reflect on the ages-long path covered by her and become aware of the spiritual unity of the peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. ‘Our church unity is a great treasure that our ancestors preserved despite the hardships they experienced’, the Patriarch said, adding, ‘by God’s mercy we have inherited the precious gift of unity and this places a special responsibility on us for preserving and handing it over to our descendants’.

His Holiness noted with regret that certain political forces still continued their attempts to destroy the spiritual space of Holy Russia, to bring in strife and distrust in relations between millions of Orthodox Russians, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Moldavians and people of other nations who make up the multinational flock of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He described the two decades that had passed since the 1988 Council as ‘a period of finding freedom coupled with tremendous responsibility for the enlightenment of millions’. ‘We have had to satisfy their spiritual thirst and lead those who sought the Truth to the initiation to the Church’, His Holiness stressed.

At the same time he pointed to the ambiguity of developments which occurred in the country in the period under consideration, saying, ‘Among negative developments there is a wide range of social problems including a considerable decline in the living conditions of many people, an inrush of mass pseudo-culture, a weakened public morality, growing social intolerance and tension. All this cannot but disturbs the Russian Orthodox Church, which has incessantly lifted up supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all people and for the authorities so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

The four years that have passed since the previous Bishops’ Council, the Patriarch said, have shown that the problems, which were discussed at that Council, have been solved in this or that measure. At the same time, new challenges have emerged to pose new tasks for the Church.

Among the characteristic features of today, which need the Church’s special attention, the Patriarch believes, is the secularization of society. The secular way of thinking as well aggressive and intolerant atheism have not become weaker for the past years but rather stronger and more active in their attempts to prevent Orthodoxy from carrying out its salvific mission to lead people to the knowledge of the Gospel’s Truth.

His Holiness also called upon the Council members to discuss the urgent problems of church life in a spirit of openness, honesty, brotherly love and desire of unanimity. ‘Conciliarity, which is the seeking of one another’s counsel, is the best way for avoiding conflicts, divisions, bewilderment’, he said, adding, ‘Receiving the patriarchal insignia eighteen years ago, I spoke about the importance of governing church life while developing conciliarity. I would like to remind you of those words at a time when they become especially important’.

The period between the Councils, according to Patriarch Alexy, has shown that the dynamic of church grown has remained the same. ‘At the same time, it should be mentioned that the rate of quantitative changes has taken the lead over that of qualitative changes. Today our most important task is to build up church life spiritually, to build up human hearts and minds. It is in this direction that we should adjust and develop our work’, His Holiness said.