Griswold and Delegation Greeted Warmly by Orthodox Patriarchs in Moscow and Istanbul
Episcopal News Service. August 4, 1999 [98-107]
(ENS) Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold and a small delegation from the Episcopal Church made an official visit in July to two of the most important centers of Orthodox Christianity, in Moscow and Istanbul, where they received a very warm welcome -- and assurances of "a new era of cooperation."
Welcomed at the airport by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department for External Church Relations (DCER), it was clear that the long history of relations between the two churches had transcended political differences between the two nations. Archimandrite Feofan, a vice-chairman of DCER, said in the opening conversation that the political barriers could be overcome by Christians who share a common faith. "This is our responsibility before God," he said.
Griswold responded by agreeing that "people of faith must overcome obstacles," citing a history of cooperation that goes back to the early 19th century when Episcopalians offered hospitality to Russian Orthodox congregations in California. "I came to learn about the church in Russia and to build on those relationships so they can be richer and more productive," he said.
Bishop Richard Grein of New York, who has close ties to the Russian church, pointed out that Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia, who led the church during the Revolution and was later canonized, was a bishop in New York and formed friendships with Episcopalians. He said that he has icons of Tikhon in his office and "I pray to him daily about our relationship -- that it will continue to grow."
In the four-day visit the delegation met with Patriarch Alexy II and other church leaders to discuss common issues and explore ways to cooperate.
In addition to Griswold and Grein, the delegation included: the Rev. David Perry, the church's ecumenical officer; Bishop Roger White of Milwaukee, co-chair of a coordinating committee of the two churches; the Rev. Prof. J. Robert Wright of the General Seminary in New York, ecumenical consultant to the ecumenical office; Bishop Charles Keyser, bishop for the Armed Forces; the Rev. John Backus, chair of the Diocese of New York's Russia Committee; and Jim Rosenthal, communications officer for the Anglican Communion Office in London.
In a conversation with Alexy and church leaders, the patriarch described the enormous task of restoring thousands of churches and hundreds of monasteries and ministries that were "disrupted by the Revolution." Yet, he added, "Our most important task is to help people restore their souls."
He expressed deep appreciation to the Episcopal Church "for your help in restoring our activities and consider your visit another step in developing our good relations." He cited areas such as religious education and chaplaincy to the military. "I give great importance to personal contact," he said.
Griswold quickly agreed, pointing out that several members of the delegation had already formed relationships with the Russian church, leading to "deepened respect and affection." He expressed a hope that prayer, which had "sustained you through difficult times," would now usher in a new era "so that which has been hidden may flourish openly."
Alexy was obviously moved by the observation. "People can't imagine what our church went through in the 1920s and 1930s. It was genocide against religion but now we have new models of witness...who share the experience of persecution through the centuries."
Griswold said that he had read with deep respect about the witness of the church, mentioning several theologians and teachers. "In some sense I feel that I have come home," he said.
The patriarch described the present hunger in Russian society for religion and a "great desire" for the Bible. Yet he pointed again to the immense task of restoring 12,000 churches and about 450 monasteries and finding clergy.
Meeting with the press following the audience, Griswold repeated his deep appreciation for the Russian church's "rich experience of prayer and spirituality -- gifts we very much need in the United States." And he said that the Episcopal Church was ready to share some of its practical experience. "We are not interested in the slightest bit in any kind of proselytism because we support and respect the ministries of churches."
The Russians have been bruised by what they perceive as encroachments by Western missionary agencies but also by the Roman Catholic Church's appointment of bishops for Russia without any consultation. And they have encountered some tensions within the Orthodox family, especially since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The patriarch expressed appreciation that the presiding bishop's delegation had "come to see what has been accomplished with God's grace. After 70 years we are seeing people come back to faith, more aware of their need for God." He said that the last century was a tragic one for the Russians, with two world wars, a Revolution, depression, atheism and other upheavals. "We think it is our duty to remind society, educated for atheism and a denial of faith, that the new century will be marked by the maturing of Christianity. Our whole culture is based on Christian values... so we will celebrate Jubilee by returning to those values."
"We have not experienced suffering as you have," Griswold said. "Your experience and witness can assist us in coming to that deeper place of prayer and grounding on the rock that is Christ." And he said that "our oneness in Christ through baptism transcends political differences between our peoples."
Metropolitan Kirill, chair of the DCER, hosted the delegation in an important dialogue on cooperation. He said that the Russian church was deeply involved in trying to establish a "new understanding" of the church's role in society while maintaining contacts with other churches.
"The church should be a peace-making force in the country," Kirill said. He outlined efforts for peace in the Balkans where the Russian church intervened with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, pressing for an agreement to allow NATO forces in Kosovo. "Churches should be in the forefront of solving these problems," he asserted. He proposed a conference to deal with the role of churches in reconstruction.
On the touchy subject of the WCC, Kirill said, "We are not against the World Council of Churches but we want it to be more effective in interchurch relations." He expressed frustration among the Orthodox with the theological meaning of membership and said that criticism had mounted and become more "noisy" in the last decade.
The metropolitan said that it might help if membership were based on "confessional families," suggesting that the WCC consider two chambers, one based on confession and the other more freely based, including all groups and a wide range of issues. Each might have its own agenda and style.
"In the last 50 years the Orthodox voice has been marginalized," he argued. "We must be equal partners or withdraw."
Admitting that the coordinating committee of the two churches needed attention, he promised to take steps to "stimulate" cooperation. "Relations with your church is one of the few positive ones with churches that came out of the Reformation," he said.
Bishop Roger White expressed his appreciation, observing that the practical cooperation was "very active for six years" but had shown little progress in the last two years. He has co-chaired the committee since it was established following a visit to Russia by former presiding bishop, Edmond Browning.
Kirill proposed that the next round of theological dialogue consider the challenges of the new millennium, centering on the relations of Christian cultures in the East and West. "Many problems arise because there never has been an ideological conversation" on those cultural differences. He highlighted the value of student exchange and the trust that has developed through those exchanges. "We send them to friends -- in trust," he said.
Showing familiarity with the history of relations between the two churches, Kirill said that contacts were established when Russia sold Alaska to the United States. The Holy Synod of the Russian Church received "an amazing message" from the Episcopal Church proposing common pastoral work in Alaska. In response, the Holy Synod said that the churches "should seek unity in faith through dialogue," that peace comes through friendship.
"It is still very relevant -- the best answer to those who reject relations, who argue against them. Our two churches have never disrupted their relations and now we face a very good opportunity to enrich each other." Griswold said that the conversation had convinced him that the two churches were entering a "new era of collaboration."
As a sign of that collaboration, Bishop Charles Keyser was invited to participate in the dedication of a new military chapel where the patriarch made it very clear that he was enthused and supportive of cooperation -- in a public setting that included the deputy minister of defense and nine generals.
In 1995 Keyser headed a delegation of military chaplains to Russia to consult with his counterpart, Bishop Savva, and the two of them also visited peacekeeping forces in Bosnia in the fall of 1996 and reported back to the patriarch. "We will resume plans for a discussion with Russian clergy on the problem of suicide, a conversation sidelined by the crisis in Kosovo."
The delegation also visited the new Cathedral of Christ the Savior, rising on the banks of the Moscow River on the site of a cathedral destroyed by Stalin in 1931. Despite the cost, with estimates of almost $150 million, it is regarded as a symbol of the church's revival and has received support from believers throughout Russia. The delegation attended a reception at the Church of St. Andrew, an Anglican parish seized in 1920 and reestablished after its return in 1991. (See text of Communique issued at the end of the visit in Newsfeatures.)
The shimmering onion domes of Moscow's churches changed into domes of the world's largest mosques as the delegation flew to Istanbul, once the most powerful city in Christendom but now a place where the church struggles for visibility in an environment that is occasionally hostile.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I welcomed the delegation, calling the visit "an occasion of great rejoicing" that would deepen the relationship. In his official welcome, he said that he hoped that "your pilgrimage to the spiritual center of Orthodoxy will lead you to regard our city to truly be the age-old bridge uniting East and West -- as it indeed has been for nearly two millennia." (See text in Newsfeatures)
Looking back over the last millennium, he said that it "began tragically with the division of the seamless garment of Christ, his holy church, namely with the separation between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Subsequent centuries have seen the continued lamentable process of fragmentation and disruption of communion between believers in Christ, both in the East and in the West."
The patriarch urged faithfulness to a vision of the undivided church, even though he admitted that "the path is long and difficult."
He said, "We must contend with the current ecumenical malaise," one that is marked by "cooling of relationships," and a "winter of ecumenism." One example of that malaise, he observed, is the "troublesome" future of the World Council of Churches, one that he finds "disheartening." And he described the anger of many Orthodox churches over "missionary activity and proselytism," especially in areas where the church is emerging from an era of persecution.
In response, Griswold said he hoped that "spring is coming" and that the patriarch would support the new dialogue between the Episcopal Church and the Orthodox in the United States. He thanked the patriarch for his "witness in the larger community and his concern for justice" and his "frankness over some of the difficulties in the ecumenical world today." He repeated the Episcopal Church's official position that "where there is a historic church, we are there to support that church." The patriarch added that he was "delighted to hear that from you."
The patriarch described his role in "the first see in the Orthodox world," and "first among equals" of the 16 independent Orthodox churches with a membership estimated at 250 million. That role has had its rocky moments in recent years, including a serious conflict with Patriarch Alexy over jurisdiction of Orthodox churches in Estonia.
Concerned with pan-Orthodox unity, Bartholomew proposed an Orthodox summit shortly after his election in 1992, repeating the invitation in 1995. It is now scheduled for December of 2000 and it will discuss common problems the church faces in the new millennium.
"Christians are just a drop in a Muslim ocean" in Turkey, despite a long history that began in biblical times and culminated in the Byzantine Empire. The delegation visited one of the most important symbols of that era, Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom), for almost a thousand years the largest church and most important church in the world. When the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, the church was turned into a mosque and in 1936 it officially became a museum with mixed Christian and Islamic symbols.
Despite pressures, and an occasional bomb thrown over the wall of the patriarch's headquarters, Bartholomew is convinced that, after 17 centuries, it is important to remain in Istanbul as a witness to that historic role.
In a dialogue at a monastery on the nearby island of Halki with members of the Synod Commission on Inter-Christian Relations the tone was open and frank. Griswold pointed out that Anglicans have always drawn on Eastern Church fathers and Orthodox spirituality.
Metropolitan Gennadios raised the issue of how the Episcopal Church deals with issues of sexuality, expressing dismay that the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York recently hosted a service for sexual minorities.
Griswold responded that the churches in America are trying to deal with the emotional issues of sexuality, adding that he is convinced that the most significant conversations take place "between the extremes." He said that last summer's Lambeth Conference of Anglican/Episcopal bishops "helped us recognize that theology is always done in a local setting." And yet Lambeth also raised the difficult issues of authority in the church, mutual accountability and limits to freedom among member provinces of the Anglican Communion.
The visit to Russia came at an "incredibly precarious time," Griswold observed, a time when the church faces the tremendous challenge of rebuilding churches and dealing with a popular piety that is sometimes disconnected from deeper spiritual roots. Because the need to supply clergy is so urgent, theological education may be inadequate.
Professor B. Stavridis, an advisor to the patriarch, pointed to the Episcopal Church's "very close and very rich relationship with the Ecumenical Patriarchate," adding that "we are not starting something new, it is a continuation of the past." Griswold responded, "We are retrieving the past and going into a new future." He said that he was grateful for the frankness he had encountered on the trip because it meant "moving beyond the ceremonial level." He is convinced that "we have something we can build on."
In a second conversation with the patriarch, he said, "We need your prayers, your solidarity -- and your support." He encouraged a strengthened dialogue on the local and national level but also with his office. He was pleased to learn that Grein will co-chair the renewed dialogue with Orthodox in the U.S.
In a prepared response to the patriarch's official welcome (See text in Newsfeatures), Griswold said that the delegation sensed that they were "at home in this venerable spiritual center of Orthodoxy." He said that "we dare to hope that in some small way our visit to the Great Church and our meeting with you is indicative of a new springtime that is slowly overcoming the ecumenical winter of the past few decades."
Later Griswold said that the "generous outpouring of friendship was quite overwhelming, much of it based on relationships we have already established." He was clearly buoyed by the determination in both Moscow and Istanbul to pursue ever-deeper relationships and cooperation. "I leave with a vastly expanded vision of the church catholic and the rich variety of ways in which the Holy Spirit is at work among believers in other cultures, other churches."
Griswold was moved by the suffering, prayer and presence of the Holy Spirit that has "sustained these churches through dark and difficult times. It is a gift to us in the West." And he was intrigued by the possibilities of practical cooperation in relief for Kosovo, in the context of the church's role in peace efforts.
White said that the visit "represents a new beginning because the transition has been made." Perry agreed, adding that Griswold had connected with both patriarchs on a personal and a theological level. "As a result, the ripple effect will influence our relationship on all levels, including local communities of faith," he said. "We have received a strong endorsement for our work together in the future."