Russian Orthodox patriarch praises Pope, rips Protestant compromises with secularism
July 21, 2010
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, praised Pope Benedict and blasted Protestant bodies that have accepted women’s ordination and caved in to the secular culture on homosexuality.
Noting that the Pope is criticized by “liberal theologians and liberal mass media in the West,” Patriarch Kirill said that “on many public and moral issues his approach fully coincides with the approach of the Russian Orthodox Church. This gives us an opportunity to advocate Christian values together with the Catholic Church, in particular at international organizations and on the international arena.”
On the other hand, some Protestant bodies have “let sinful elements of the world enter their internal world and justify these elements, if they are offered by secular society … secular philosophical liberal stock phrases are repeated within Protestant churches and take root in religious thinking.”
For example, “the word of God is distorted to please the secular liberal standard” on homosexuality, the patriarch noted. “It is written in black and white that it is a sin.”
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Posted by: Gregory108 -
Jul. 24, 2010 12:48 PM ET USA
Preach the Truth, Brother Patriarch! Preach it!
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Posted by: samuel.doucette1787 -
Jul. 22, 2010 9:10 AM ET USA
Great stuff from the East! May we become one with them again. I didn't know this until recently, but the split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism didn't really occur in 1054 but rather in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople to the religion of peace. The Muslims forced the captive Orthodox to repudiate any union with Rome, and so the split was cemented. See Catholic Answers for more.
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Posted by: jeremiahjj -
Jul. 21, 2010 6:52 PM ET USA
I am so proud of the Holy Father and Patriarch Kirill for the progress they're making. I long for the day when I can walk into an Orthodox church and share in Divine Liturgy with my Eastern brother and sisters. Theirs is such a beautiful worship, seemingly undefiled by innovations introduced by liturgists bent on updating that which needed no updating.
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Posted by: DCpa -
Jul. 21, 2010 6:32 PM ET USA
Attaboy, Kirill! (What a difference from Alexey! JP II could have read from the Sermon on the Mount and Alexey would have complained about it as proselytism.) Vive le difference!
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jul. 21, 2010 5:27 PM ET USA
Whoa, Nellie. We need to get in communion with these guys! Would that more of our own bishops could find it possible to say such things. Breathe with both lungs? Rather, shout it!
