Russian "Union of Orthodox Citizens" calls for WRO in Europe

23 August 2005, 10:14
Union of Orthodox Citizens appeals to Alexy II to break all relations with the Vatican and start missionary work in Europe and America

Moscow, August 23, Interfax - As the Uniates have become more active in Ukraine the Orthodox public have appealed to Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia to end all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and begin missionary work in Europe and America.

‘It is necessary to accept in the fold of the Orthodox Church all the Old Catholic communities who wish to join it, to establish a Russian Orthodox school for training Latin-rite clergy for service in Europe and America and to develop intensive Orthodox missionary work there’, an appeal of the Union of Orthodox Citizens to Patriarch Alexy states.

The authors of the appeal, the text of which was given to Interfax, believe that any relations with the Vatican should be interrupted since the Catholic Church is believed to use them only for her own purposes.

‘In our view, any agreement with the RCC pursues exclusively the Vatican’s interests and prevents the Church of Christ from carrying out the service commanded by the Lord. There is only one way to beat a card-sharper - not to sit at a card-table with him’, the Union of Orthodox Citizens maintains.

The Union of Orthodox Citizens is headed by chairman Valentin Lebedev: "Our aim is to make politics Christian, instead of turning all Christians into politicians.”

Interesting news - not having the original, I'm wondering if he meant 'old' Catholics (as in traditional) or 'Old Catholics', which have liberalized to a great degree? Or, he might have meant various groups of Old Catholic origins... I'm unsure.

Originally posted a year ago on Orthodox Okie.