
As millions of worshipers across Russia gathered for Christmas night liturgies on January 6, Patriarch Kirill addressed the Orthodox community with words of peace, paying special attention to the conflict in Ukraine.
“On these holy Christmas days, the prayers of the whole Church and my augmented litany are for peace on the Ukrainian soil,” Kirill said in his address.
He added that “regardless of the place of residence of its children, their political views or preferences,”the Russian Orthodox Church is doing everything possible to bring people together to help them overcome the consequences of conflicts.
Patriarch Kirill mentioned that 2015 is the year in which the Orthodox Church celebrates 1,000 years since the death of Vladimir the Great, the ruler who baptized Kievan Rus’ in the 9th century.
The Russian president remained faithful to the tradition of celebrating Orthodox Christmas in small churches. On the night of January 7, Vladimir Putin took part in the Christmas service at the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in the village of Otradnoye, near the southern city of Voronezh, some 600 kilometers from Moscow. Parishioners this year, along with local residents, were the children from the orphanage at the Church. The place of worship, which is included in the list of cultural heritage sites, can accommodate up to 450 members. It was built in 1901 but after 29 years of service, was closed, so the building was used as a granary. Work to restore the cathedral began in 1991 and was finished in the early 2000s.
The Orthodox Church follows the Julian Calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar adopted by the Catholic Church. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.
See the link: http://rt.com/news/220363-orthodox-church-peace-ukraine/
P.S.
- DR. IRENE FAULKES: "I have met many who had been Muslims and Hindus who met with the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of them had received a visitation personally in vision form from the Lord of Glory, our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. No it is not as you say. They found a reality, a sanity, a peace, a joy, a knowledge of the supernatural of heaven they had never experienced before.
At the very core of Christian philosophy is rationality. The Papacy in Medieval times tried to hold back knowledge because scientific discoveries which did not go in line with biblical ideas contributed to religious disunity, and religious disunity contributed to political disunity.
Christmas was not taken from the Pagans. It was established on the same day of a Pagan holiday. No one knows Christ's birth day, so they decided to celebrate it on the same day pagans celebrated solstice, which would make it easier to make them convert.
Hurrah for Russia in its welcome of Christianity, its building of Russian Orthodox Churches and for Mr. Putin as well as its desire for peace in the world. As it is said in the Bible:"Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Hopefully, there is success but it will be not thanks to the West.
Only the insane rely on fabricated reporting of the mainstream Western media outlets. They're solely used for intensive mental engineering of those who are addicted to them. Western media outlets as BBC or CNN don't say a word about ongoing Christmas holidays. All that to avoid announcing Ukraine as an overwhelmingly orthodox country (Orthodox 26.8% versus Catholics 5.9 %).
I have just read that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is openly collecting donations to aid the Kiev junta's military. How does the Pope reckon with this? The Orthodox Church has always been a thorn in the Vatican's side. Also people should tell the pope to ask the US to get out of 156+ countries (Hugh d’Andrade and Bob Wing’s 2002 Map 1 entitled “U.S. Military Troops and Bases around the World, The Cost of ‘Permanent War” http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-worldwide-network-of-us-military-bases/5564). Just leave the 761 bases empty ("The US Has 761 Military Bases Across the Planet, and We Simply Never Talk About It" http://www.alternet.org/story/97913/the_us_has_761_military_bases_across_the_planet,_and_we_simply_never_talk_about_it. ) USA stole half of their southern neighbor's territory for no reason.
Also, why doesn't someone ask Victoria Nuland, V.P. Biden's son, and McCain to get out of the Ukraine permanently? Massacres can't be politically fair. Kiev should have showed more restraint, then they might have had a chance to become EU-members. They didn't play their cards well.
The underlying causes of the crisis are Ukraine’s own internal divisions, not primarily Putin’s actions. The essential factor escalating the crisis since May has been Kiev’s “anti-terrorist” military campaign against its own citizens, now mainly in Luhansk and Donetsk. Russians and no doubt aid the Donbass self-defenders, but Putin does not control them. If Kiev’s assault ends, Putin probably can compel the rebels to negotiate. But only the Obama administration can compel Kiev to stop, and it has not done so.
If Russia really invaded Ukraine, as western mass media propaganda states, it would have been over months ago (it would be at the Polish border by now). Speaking of invaders, all those soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, planes over Syria, Libya etc. (you know the list) are not Russians, they are mostly Americans. Some calls Russians "Nazis", yet the US was quick to veto a law banning glorification of Nazism (which Russia proposed) and the US also continue to outspokenly support Nazism in Ukraine.
Putin is a great leader. As he said, the "Moral Code of the Builder of Communism" was simply a copy of the Bible. Even atheists politically agree that society can't exist without spirituality. Religion being the opium of the masses is just a phrase. Karl Marx said that. And he said that because he knew that the Church was an enforcer of stability in society. If you're familiar with Marx' beliefs, he considered a violent revolution to be absolutely necessary in order to transition from a capitalist to a communist society. But you can't have a violent revolution if you cannot destabilize the society. Therefore, for him, religion was the opium of the masses, as it made people passive to radical change.
Putin is defending orthodox Christian traditions and he doesn't want to sell the great country to the west like some leaders did. West never liked and never respected orthodox Christian traditions and always treated Eastern Orthodox Christians as slaves and second rate citizens, and still does. It was always a problem in orthodox church - traitors that sell out for a fist of gold and make us quarrel among each other, instead of pointing out the real enemy. The Ukrainian priests already took sides in the conflict back on Maidan. There is no Ukrainian orthodox church. They professed Greek-Catholicism long ago.
Ukraine is now a failed state courtesy of the USA. Ukraine is finished as a decent place to live for the foreseeable future. Ukraine's fault. The USA flag flies besides the Ukrainian flag at the SBU HQ in Kiev. Ukraine is now just a launching platform for war. The country needs to realize it's value being the go between the West and Russia.
You take your current life for granted now, but you keep forgetting that the world you live in today is the product of centuries of religious development, as religion was so deeply embedded into society that it was difficult to imagine ones' existence without it. Religion molded it for centuries to come, -
Merry CHRISTmas, Russia. Many admire your beautiful country and strong, united people! - from an awakened citizen of the Divided States."
- Berit Andersson:"This morning Byron Wien from Blackstone predicts that Putin will be removed from the Power because of the falling oil price and the economic turmoil in Russia, This is very interesting comment because the JEWISH investment fund Blackstone has become very powerful in Germany due the Angela Merkel. How Merkel and Blackstone changed German capitalism is a story that goes back to 2007. It started with the sale of Deutsche Telekom. Blackstone consist of the very elite of the Wall Street Jewry. The rapid falling oil prices is a scenario designed by the elite of American Jewry to remove Putin from Power. Russia should watch out and follow the Blackstone's every move."
- FG Everett:"Best wishes from Canada to the breath-taking country of Russia, its majestic wildlife, its brave people and its inspiring leaders. May your integrity & sovereignty be protected and may you receive the respect you deserve."
- Marek Nový:"EU should STOP invading Ukraine as well as other east European nations!! NOW !!"
- zeky day: "Ukraine is a victim of Western propaganda because its "elite" is immature and "un-Ukrainian."
- Mark:"This is not case of assigning blame. This is a case of the Americans Russophobia turning on those the U.S. used and still continue to use as expedient and expendable means to reach Russia and hurt Russia: the Ukrainian nationalists and the EU leadership. Both camps are now paying the price of doing the Americans geopolitical service at the expense of their own security and economic interests. Ukrainian nationalists have territorial and economic sovereignty of their country and have ruined Ukraine's relationship with Russia. Europe is also suffering from ill advised economic sanctions against Russia. As a result, some countries are now seriously considering leaving the EU in order to restore their own national sovereignty so that these countries can work in the interests of their countries."
- Fred Zifflemeyer:"It is good to see this, celebration of the birth of Christ, in Russia, again. The example of Christ is the example of forgiveness, which is what is required for peace in this world. As a (nominal, not currently church-going since the church bookstore was selling George W. Bush's book, promoting American "exceptionalism" and the invasion of Iraq) Christian in America I rejoice that the people of Russia are able to celebrate this Messiah as well. Maybe we can come together on some things, once we put greed and ambition behind us and focus on love and forgiveness. This is the mystery of our religion, and the illogicality of it. How can we as primates give up self-interest? Faith, Hope and Charity, to us all. God bless you my brothers. Merry Christmas."