Dear Father John:
I do appreciate your responses and do feel a real and sincere person in you. I also understand the somewhat uncomfortable situation I might put you in with this correspondence. However, as a truly religious person, which I think and hope you are, I am sure you understand the importance of the issues that we came to discuss (maybe incidentally and at the random confluence of circumstances, but at the same time, possibly due to a certain higher will, whatever we call and interpret it). If you allow me (and apparently, even if you do not
), I would like to take just a little bit more of your valuable time and to mention another issue which seems to be of utmost importance and of real life and symbolic significance for both
Russia (her history and culture) and the Western values and conscience: the
Pussy Riot case. If you permit me this strong and maybe somewhat exaggerated but exact expression, the persecution and prosecution of Pussy Riot reeks to high heaven!
Some might view it as an "
offence against religion and public worship" and
others as a violation of
freedom of artistic expression. Whatever this difference of opinions is (both of these opinions should be equally recognised, respected and explored further to advance our better and contemporary understanding and conceptualisation of this dilemma), these girls do suffer and undeservedly so, I think. They made the modern day saints out of them, unwillingly and unwittingly. I think that the spirit of
Mother Russia resides in their souls, and the touch and protective shade of
Bogoroditsa is upon them.They have to be released, and as soon as possible! This affair covers Russia as a state and
ROC with shame. It will be better for everyone if this problem is resolved. I also think (and
I wrote about this before, and, in part, maybe very sharply and satirically, which also is my right to the freedom of artistic expression) that this story raises a more general, very interesting and important for our understanding of Russian history, issue of historical tragedy of
Russian Byzantism, which might be at the heart of her problems as a state and as a culture.
Whatever our understanding and interpretations of this subject are, and I am sure we might differ on it radically, the bottom line remains the same: these girls have to be released! Another aspect of this issue: feminism, and maybe even "
militant feminism" as an ideology relates closely to the previous issue that I had a chance to present to you in my first email:
gay rights, which include also
human and gay rights of the clergy of all Churches. ROC and
OCA will have to deal with these issues, sooner or later, and better sooner than later. Catholic Church (may God bless Pope Francis, if I may say so, even if I am a non-believer)
started to deal with them, quietly, but courageously. Apparently the
Orthodox Churches will have to make their moves. These issues will not go away, even if they are called an
"Apocalypse" by Patriarch Kirill, they have to be dealt with directly, intelligently and in "good faith", in all meanings of this expression. This spectrum of subjects opens and includes another one: historical
Schism of Catholic and Orthodox Churches and their perspectives for
ecclesiastical reunion and for
ecumenical movement. I think it would be also appropriate to note the
positions of Protestant Churches in this matters and, in my very humble opinion, their overall more advanced, more humanistic and much more contemporary approach to these issues.
The
beliefs are for humans, they fill their lives and give them a sense of meaning, purpose, direction and moral orientation (regardless, if we share or do not share them, if we agree or do not agree with them; some might say that
beliefs have "therapeutic value"); not humans for beliefs, as the objects of
anachronistic sacrifices, imprisonments and punishments. Not in the our modern world! If Christian Churches (and in this context, apparently, mostly Catholic and Orthodox Churches) do not change their attitudes, their
theological understanding and interpretation of these issues, they risk losing their members, slowly but surely, and
risk to become irrelevant to people and eventually, I dare to say, risk entering the road to extinction.
Please forgive me these amateurish ramblings; in our free country, I guess, we feel entitled even to them.
Once again, Father John, I want to say, to yell and to scream; and I wish you and your brothers would do it with me:
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
Thank you and goodbye; I think we will be in touch.
Sincerely and with hopes, Michael.
P.S. I will send a copy of this email and the previous, the first one, to Moscow Patriarchate and to Vatican and will also publish it in my blog as an open letter; I hope and think that you will not have objections to this.
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Dear Sirs and compatriots:
I hope that you will not perceive me as being out of bounds if I share this link with you and ask you to convey it to Moscow Patriarchate, since they, apparently do not have or do not want to publicise their email.
Please also allow me to add that this is a very important matter, indeed; and I am sure that you are fully aware of this.
This is not just an issue of human sexuality, and not even simply an issue of human rights. It seems to me that this event and Pope Francis' words will have the most profound implications for the histories of Christianity, Christendom and the World itself.
Needless to say, I am sure that you are very concerned with the historical and spiritual fate of Russia and share deeply her pains.
Is this not the proper time to start meaningful and in-depth consideration and discussion of this issue? Orthodox Church in America might have an unique role and an unique responsibility and even an unique and high mission to work with Moscow Patriarchate on resolution of these very complex but extremely important questions.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and I hope that you understand me correctly.
Sincerely, Michael Novakhov
This is a copy of an email that I attempted to send to MP:
Dear Sirs:
I would like to share this link with you:
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely, Michael Novakhov
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Attention Patriarch Kirill
Dear Patriarch Kirill:
Please, read my
And I want to say again:
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
Thank you for your attention to this matter and I hope that God will fill your heart with wisdom, understanding and forgiveness.
Sincerely, Michael
_________________________________________
I was not able to send this email to the addressee, because they turned off their email address.
They want to stay deaf, mute and blind. That's how they minister to Mother Russia.
Apparently what they prefer to see is gold and green paper, and what they prefer to hear is the cheap and hypocritical praise. And this is another example of devious, gangrenous and rotten Russian Bysantism.
The blind leaders of the blind, the deaf leaders of the deaf!
M.N.
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First published on 7.30.13 at 1: 12 PM Last Update on: 8.10.13
