How Will the Upcoming Russian Church Unity Affect the Youth of Our Diocese?

Michael PEREKRESTOV

It is hard to think of a more momentous occasion than the reunification of the Russian Church. Yet it is very likely that ordinary parish life and the life of the youth in particular will remain largely unaffected, at least on the surface.

We can speculate about the possibility of some young people from our diocese going to Russia in order to study at a theological institution, or being able to have confession and Communion while visiting there. But how will the reunification affect the majority of youth who won’t be going to Russia?

I am sure that most of the youth of the Church Abroad will agree with me when I state that, when we were growing up, the Moscow Patriarchate was perceived to be an adversary. This negative view of the Moscow Patriarchate would frequently be coupled with a spirit of self-righteousness and condemnation. Such a prideful outlook and manner of seeking out that which is negative in others is indisputably damaging to our spiritual health. However, as time went on, personal contact with members of the Moscow Patriarchate and constant reports of the revival of church life in Russia demanded a reevaluation of these attitudes.

Within our diocese, ever more frequent encounters with the Moscow Patriarchate have been quite valuable and beneficial. In 2004, for instance, one of the lecturers at the All-Diaspora Conference was Fr. Maxim Kozlov, a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate. The youth who heard him speak came away edified and strengthened in Orthodoxy. At another time the diocese was visited by Fr. Iliy, the father confessor of Optina Monastery. Fr. Iliy visited St. John’s Orthodox Academy while in San Francisco and spent some time with the students, who were deeply moved by their encounter with a true Orthodox ascetic. These visits and interactions were possible only because of the thaw in our relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. It is my firm belief that parishioners of the Church Abroad, and the youth in particular, can only profit from such interaction with members of other jurisdictions who bear witness to their Orthodox faith.

I distinctly remember with what respect and love our late Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of Western America and San Francisco would receive hierarchs of the Serbian Church who came to pray at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco. I also remember the joy that I felt at the thought that the Serbs and we are part of the same Ecumenical Orthodox Church that transcends cultural boundaries, that we could pray together, and that our bishops could serve the Liturgy together. On the other hand, it is difficult for me when I see visiting clergy from other jurisdictions who are identical to us in their Orthodox faith, and yet are prevented from serving with us simply because they commemorate the “wrong” bishop. The reunification of the Russian Church is critical in reinforcing in our young people the principle that we are not an isolated group, but a part of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

One foreseeable outcome of the unity within the Russian Church is increased personal contact with other jurisdictions, with other Orthodox Christian youth. A notable feature of the reunification process is the changing attitude of our Church toward other local churches. It is likely that the youth of the Western American Diocese will not have very much contact with youth of the Moscow Patriarchate simply because there are not very many Moscow Patriarchate parishes in this diocese. On the other hand, it is to be expected that there will be more contact with young parishioners of other neighboring churches, such as the OCA, the Antiochian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Greek Churches.

It is extremely important for young Russian Orthodox Christians to have Orthodox friends. We are surrounded by a post-Christian world that is constantly tempting us to compromise our Christian values. In the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad we have annual conferences and summer camps where youth can socialize and make friends in an Orthodox environment. However, these events usually take place somewhere at a distance and last only a short period of time, after which we are again plunged into the whirlpool of our everyday lives in a hostile world. It is quite easy to become less focused on our Orthodox Christianity when dealing with non-Orthodox friends and coworkers on a daily basis.

It is therefore of the utmost importance to have local Orthodox friends who can support and encourage each other in the path of salvation. Most parishes have a handful of youth who are active participants in parish life and are serious about their Orthodoxy. A friendlier and more open attitude of our Church towards other local churches as a result of the reunification would, hopefully, bring about more amicable relations among parishioners of different jurisdictions. Serious Orthodox youth can then form mutually beneficial relationships with their counterparts in these parishes. Youth from our Church will have the opportunity to attend local retreats, conferences and pilgrimages organized by other jurisdictions.

Thus, instead of trying to find fault with whatever other jurisdictions are doing and bickering with each other, we should focus on ourselves and our own struggle for salvation. Furthermore, rather than criticizing other churches, perhaps we can join other Orthodox Christians in denouncing and combating the sinful neo-pagan world around us – abortion, euthanasia, the pervasiveness of pornography in the media, and so on.

While in previous years so much time and energy had been spent on battling the “evil that is the Moscow Patriarchate,” lately much attention has been devoted to actively disputing the pros and cons of reunification. It is my sincere hope that all the effort that was previously expended on the above will henceforth be directed at building up parish life, and, in particular, that more attention will be given to youth-related events. This shift in focus has already made itself manifest in the organization of the upcoming youth pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Hopefully in the future there will be many more such undertakings that will benefit the youth.

There is one outcome of the union in the Russian Church, however, which is much more important that any of the abovementioned results: we will all be able to partake of Holy Communion from one chalice along with all other Orthodox Christians, thus becoming one with Christ and one another. This is true union – not a superficial, administrative merging, but a profound, spiritual union in Christ. The answer to the question “How will the upcoming Russian Church unity affect the youth of our diocese?” couldn’t be more obvious; it is like posing the question, “How would the body benefit if its amputated arm was to be united with it again?” We are all part of Christ’s Body, part of Christ’s Church. Just as a body cannot function properly without a member, so the Church suffers when there is division within her. The youth of the Western American Diocese is part of the Orthodox Church and a part of Christ’s Body. “I am the vine, ye are the branches,” said the Lord; “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

May, 2007
San Francisco

This essay was submitted to the Scholarcship contest for the youth of the Western American Diocese who took part in the All-Diaspora Youth Pilgrimage 2007 "In the Footsteps of Moses" organized by the Synodal Youth Committee of the Russian Church Abroad.