The Russian Orthodox Church has been in dialog with German Lutherans for 50 years, but now that the Germans have a woman bishop, the Russians will be ending the relationship. German Lutherans elected Margot Kaessmann their bishop last month.
"We planned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our dialogue with the Lutheran Church in Germany in late November or early December. The 50th anniversary of the dialogue will become the end of it,” head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk was quoted as saying by the Kommersant daily on Thursday.
A spokesperson for Archbishop Hilarion said, “We can develop the dialogue, but there raise lots of simple protocol questions. How will the Patriarch address her or meet with her?”
If this is ecumenism, then I want nothing to do with it. The church doesn't have time for this kind of garbage.
Posted by: Chris | November 12, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Perhaps we might offer the patriarch some constructive suggestions. We might suggest greeting Bp. Kaessmann with the peace of Christ, and addressing her as a sister in Christ. As for "how" to meet with her, he might send her a simple invitation to have tea, signed "with love" from Russia.
Or is loving one another as Christ loved us too much to ask of the Patriarch of Moscow and his staff?
Posted by: John | November 13, 2009 at 07:50 AM
Chris, you have to admit that moving from the KGB to the modern world could be a bit of a shock for them.
Good suggestions, John!
Posted by: John Petty | November 13, 2009 at 09:35 AM