[Yinekol]

I do not think Bishop Hilarion is calling for the Orthodox Church to glorify John Paul II, rather he says, "There is no doubt that he will soon be beatified and canonized by the Church to which he dedicated his entire life." I think it is more of a prediction. To add, I saw an interview with the Roman Catholic Cardinal in charge of Catholic parishes in Russia and he said the movement had already begun for this. I actually know Bishop Hilarion personally. He used to serve at the OCA Representation Church in Moscow before he was made a bishop. He is involved in interfaith and inter-religious dialogue but he is not a syncritist. He even told me that while he does dialogue, he does not pray with them. Now that he is the Bishop of Vienna and the Moscow Patriarchate's representative to the European Leader, ofcourse the spotlight is on him since John Paul II's death. Do you think anyone in such a position would go and say, "oh Pope John Paul II was a horrible man, whom I am sure in burning in Hell because of his heretical, un-Orthodox beliefs...."?

[LeviBrawn]

Mr. Ohana:

In your "love/hate/pride" dialectic and rastafarian style you seemed to overlook the "truth".

Another poignant instance of style over substance. It is said by some that the Antichrist will be the most influential man who ever lived.

elias

***

Aloha Ohana wrote:
Praise Da Lord....at least someone interested with peace. I am more interested with love than hate and pride. I think hate and pride will not get anywhere...lets move for braddahood...

Date: 2005-04-05
Russian Orthodox Official Hopeful for a Prompt Beatification A Great Pope, Bishop Hilarion Says of John Paul II...He was the most influential religious leader of modernity...

[darieBarexish]

Let us not forget that the glorification of Tsar Nicholas and the imperial family was as "Royal martyrs and passionbearers", which is significant. They have been recognised as such by both the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which first glorified them, and, more recently, by the Moscow Patriarchate, as having met their internal exile and their deaths with equanimity, and espousing and maintaining their faith despite the establishment of an avowedly atheist regime. Pious, yes, perfect people, no (though who is?), and few would argue that their sanctity is of the same order as the great martyrs, confessors or theologians we are more familiar with as worthy of sainthood.

[obegeLype]

The Royal Family was canonised by the Church precisely due to their martyric Christian attitude towards the suffering which God allowed in their lives. And this suffering was not just personal but also represented the turmoil which already was engulfing Russia and was about to cause her to plunge into the abyss of revolution.
In recent editions of Orthodox Life for example there are excerpts from the diary of the priest who served the Royal Family before they were finally removed from Tsarskoe Selo. This diary presents vividly the suffering the whole family went through those many months when they were basically incarcerated in the palace. It also reveals that the Royal Family had some sort of awareness of what ultimately awaited them. In face of all of this the priest (who heard the continuous confessions of the whole family) was extremely moved by their patience & lack of animosity. Tsar Nicholas also took upon himself responsability for what Russia was enduring.
In all of this one is struck by the amazing way in which the Family faced their ordeal in a truly Christian way. Although it is not stated specifically it is unimaginable that they could have preserved their inner stability to the extent they did without continuous prayer and deepening their lives in Christ. In like conditions of parents with children many of us would have compromised ourselves or suffered something like a nervous breakdown.
In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Saad Khan]

> [Delete this line and type your message here] >

Re:"Cannonization of the Czar Nicholas pretty much opens up the field to just about anyone." The crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior; His sacrifice for us has pretty much done just that. What is a saint but one who is known to have entered into the kingdom of the Lord. And Christ has made it possible for all to be saved. Vasilis

[hereiamguy]

Dear Mr. Arnold,

You ought to be very cautious in such criticisms of the Church. The glorification of the Russian Imperial Family was first done by the Russian Church Abroad. Long before that, Saint John Maximovich openly called them saints. I was fortunate enough to attend the glorification ceremony at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in 2000. There were representatives there from every autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox Church, thus the entire Church now recognizes the sanctity of the last Russian Czar and his family. This was not a political move. When I first came to Russia in 1998, one Priest told me that the Russian people had already glorified the Czar. Even before the official canonization, icons of the Czar could be found in Churches and Church stores in Russia.
I know Russian history pretty well and I am sure we could all focus on Czar Nicholas' blunders and mistakes. I am yet to get a clear answer on the whole Rasputin issue, but I do not question the Church's decision to glorify the Czar and his family. What we do know is that they spent their last days in prayer and repentance and did face a horrible death precisely because of what they represented to the God-hating Bolsheviks.

[KixdricyArrip]

John Paul was somewhat instrumental in the downfall of communism. He then faded into irrelevance. He had superstar status, but he was also like the kind old uncle who everyone loved but no one really listened to.