wfn.org | Despite criticism, Russian church decides to continue membership in

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WCC
22-August-2000
00296

Despite criticism, Russian church decides to continue membership in WCC

Orthodox leaders suggest a new name for world ecumenical organization

by Andrei Zolotov
Ecumenical News International

MOSCOW -- The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has decided to remain a member
of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the world's main ecumenical
organization, despite vehement criticism from some highly conservative
sections of the Russian church.
	However one leading Orthodox bishop has suggested that the WCC should
change its name as the current title does not fit in with Orthodox
understanding of the word "churches."
	The WCC's 337 member churches include the mainstream traditions of
Christianity -- Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox -- with the exception of
the Roman Catholic Church. However, in recent years Orthodox churches have
often criticized the WCC, which many Orthodox see as too easily influenced
by liberal Protestantism.
	The WCC's assembly, its highest governing body, decided in 1998 to set up a
special commission with equal numbers of representatives from Orthodox and
non-Orthodox churches to examine Orthodox concerns. The commission held its
first meeting last year.
	The Russian church's Council of Bishops, which held a four-day "millennium"
meeting in Moscow last week, decided to continue its participation in the
special commission, although some bishops spoke of withdrawing from the WCC.
	However, the bishops declared at the end of their meeting that "the current
structure of the World Council of Churches and the principles of membership
in it are not satisfactory for the Orthodox." The declaration was part of a
resolution "on the internal and external activities of the Russian Orthodox
Church," adopted Aug.16.
	"That is why the work of the Joint Commission on Dialogue [the special
commission] between the Orthodox Churches and the WCC becomes particularly
important."
	The Council of Bishops postponed, till after the commission completes its
work, a final decision on Russian membership of the WCC.
	A leading Russian Orthodox bishop, who presented a major policy document to
the Council of Bishops, said that the Moscow patriarchate's policy on
ecumenism had not changed. It was simply being adjusted and clarified.
	"There are absolutely no changes [in the Orthodox attitude towards
non-Orthodox], only development," Metropolitan Filaret, of Minsk and Slutsk,
told Sobornost, an Internet-based magazine.
	He said that the document on ecumenical relations explained the church's
ecumenical involvement and cleared up misunderstandings between the ROC and
the ecumenical movement.
	Metropolitan Filaret suggested that the WCC should find a new name, since
its current name suggested that "the members of the World Council are indeed
churches, while they are [in fact] only confessions, only denominations, the
majority of which it is hard to call churches.
	The metropolitan's comments highlight a radical difference in
ecclesiological understanding between the Protestant and Orthodox churches.
The Russian Orthodox Church views itself as the one, true Church, although
the Council of Bishops conceded last week that there is "a measure of grace"
in non-Orthodox denominations.
	"There is a problem here," Metropolitan Filaret said. "That is why we are
now proposing to think about it seriously and find a new name, for example
the Forum of Christian Confessions.
	Something like this will be more acceptable."

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