Слава Ісусу Христу!

“…in the wonderful world of the Christian East, old news is often still news…” Fr. Serge

“…we've moved quite far from the subject of this thread. The subject was the announcement of the visit of His All-Holiness to Ukraine…” BOB

“…while the historical precedents for current events have a valid point in discussion, where the thread is going now is reaching and I suggest the discussion be moved to a new thread in another forum…” Neil

“Ask two Ukrainians get three opinions.” old witticism

Unlike the western culture that often sees “Church News” as only a media feel good event, “in the wonderful world of the Christian East” the Church still effect the lives of people beyond its walls. The Anglicans ordain females and active homosexuals and who besides church people does it effect? The EP visits Europe’s largest all inclusive country and it is preset by a test case of independence of a smaller church, reflects on the economic acceptance of a non-Christian country into the EU and keeping the influence of NATO off the boarders of a resurrecting empire who radles its sabers in neighboring lands. It we don’t know our history we will have to relive it.

Pope JP II asked us to breath with two lungs. The Forum was seeing with two eyes putting the importance of the Church into perspective. This thread looked not only at the importance of the Church in the here and now but its past and its ramifications into the future. How more “Byzantine” can “Church News” be? Those who have “an ear, let him hear“ Rev 13:9.

Yes, Mykhayl,

It is indeed Byzantine!

No one short of the Lord has it figured out.

All the plans of men have fallen short of what is needed.

To paraphrase the scripture, there will be politics and rumors of politics.

May the Lord's will be done on Earth as in Heaven.

Indeed, to be both "Byzantine" and "byzantine" is ingrained in us - in each and every of its meanings, but the fact remains that this particular forum - unlike most every other here - is intended to focus on the here and now, to report on, offer analysis, and permit discussion of matters currently in the news. Such will not infrequently draw on the past to place such in perspective, to understand the historical events that have precipitated or influenced current events, and to offer thoughts on what such means for the future.

That said, there becomes a point in time when events move out of the present moment and become either history or the bases for discussion - informed or speculative as to where things will go from here. Such is the point at which we now are. Those who want to pursue these avenues are very welcome to do so, but in the appropriate alternative venues which this site makes readily available.

I am more than confident that there are several posters who are more than capable of addressing both the immediately relevant and the tangential considerations that arose from His All-Holiness' visit, the reaction of both the Ukrainian and Russian Churches to it, and what these mean in the light of history had and history yet to be made (and, yes, that sentence is byzantine at its best).

Thanks to everyone for their contributions to the thread.

Many years,

Neil