Friday, April 27, 2018

Bishop Ambrose statement regarding removal of his passport

Russian language statement of Bishop Ambrose,  regarding the recent unjust removal of his passport
 from South Ossetia, etc.:
 
ИПЦ Греции: Заявление Епископа Амвросия
Автор: Митрополит Агафангел. Дата публикации: 26 апреля 2018. Категория:ИПЦ Греции
Картинки по запросу епископ мефонский амвросий
Аланская Епархія
Амвросій, Епископъ Меѳонскій, Управляющій Аланской Епархіей
Заявленіе Управляющаго Аланской Епархіей
Съ 1988 г., я регулярно посѣщаю Республику Южной Осетiи; въ 2003 г., тогдашнiй Президентъ Е.Д. Кокоевъ лично наградилъ меня гражданствомъ Южной Осетiи и въ 2006 г., тогдашнiй Примѣръ Министръ Ю. Морозовъ далъ мнѣ одинъ изъ первыхъ ново-печатанныхъ Южно-Осетинскихъ паспортовъ (№ 25), который я держу съ тѣхъ поръ. Въ теченiе цѣлыхъ 15 лѣтъ моего Южно-Осетинскаго гражданства, никто не возразилъ противъ законности моего гражданства, ссылаясь на обще-извѣстный фактъ, что я тоже являюсь гражданиномъ Великой Британiи. Мои контакты съ правительствомъ и администрацiей всегда были очень сердечными.
Въ ноябрѣ 2017 г., меня вызвали срочно въ Южную Осетiю для важныхъ переговоровъ съ новымъ Президентомъ, А.И. Бибиловымъ. Я прибылъ изъ Грецiи при первой возможности. Въ длинномъ, личномъ разговорѣ, г-нъ Президентъ старался убѣдить меня, что я долженъ подчинить Аланскую Епархiю Московской Патрiархiи.
Я объяснилъ ему каноническiя, догматическiя и практическiя причины, по которымъ я не могу этого сдѣлать; я пригласилъ его въ тотъ же вечеръ прiити и говорить съ членами нашего Духовенства, Епархiальнаго Совѣта и вѣрующихъ, такъ какъ этотъ вопросъ долженъ рѣшить не епископъ одинъ, а церковный народъ; я увѣрялъ его, что если они желаютъ поступить по его совѣту, я немедленно уступаю свое мѣсто.
Эта встрѣча состоялась, но никто изъ вѣрующихъ, несмотря на свое уваженiе къ его сану, не нашелъ аргументы г-на Президента убѣдительными. Къ сожалѣнiю, г-нъ Президентъ ушелъ разгнѣваннымъ, говоря, что онъ никогда больше не вступитъ ногой въ храмъ нашей Епархiи – и до сих ъ поръ онъ держитъ свое слово.
Въ концѣ моего пастырскаго посѣщенiя Южной Осетiи, въ апрѣлѣ 2018 г., при уѣзда въ Россiю, въ контрольномъ пунктѣ Верхняго Руха, мой паспортъ былъ конфискованъ заграничниками (при этомъ, они очень извинялись и вели себя совершенно корректно). Это было сдѣлано безъ письменнаго приказа и никакой расписки не дали мнѣ. Мнѣ предносили бумагу для подписи, въ которой было написано, что въ будущемъ мнѣ запрещенъ входъ въ Южную Осетiю; конечно, я отказался подписать. Это лишенiе меня паспорта было совершенно незаконное, такъ какъ меня никогда не лишили гражданства; это было сдѣлано очевидно по приказу Президента Республики, съ явнымъ намѣренiемъ лишить Аланской Епархiи своего епископа и заставить ихъ подчиниться, противъ воли, юрисдикцiи Московской Патрiархiи.
Заявляю рѣшительный протестъ противъ этого незаконнаго акта, который по существу является открытымъ нарушенiемъ правительствомъ свободы Епархiи, которая въ теченiе много лѣтъ, въ лицѣ ея первыхъ двухъ архiереевъ, Георгiя Пухаева, который трудился самоотвержено для возрожденiя Аланской Православной Церкви, и меня, котораго онъ самъ просилъ стать его преемникомъ, показала себя учрежденiемъ, которое служитъ миру, благоволенiю и христiанской любви. Мы только желаемъ сохранить свою свободу, чтобы продолжать, какъ лояльные граждане, служить и помочь правительству, которое свободно избираетъ народъ нашей Республики.
† Амвросiй, епископъ Меѳонскiй и Аланскiй
10/23.04.2018
Метки: ипц грецииюжная осетияепископ амвросий
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In English-Bp. Ambrose's original statement:


From: Bishop Ambrose
Subject: Ossetia
Date: 22 April 2018 at 08:28:27 BST


STATEMENT  BY THE  ADMINISTRATOR  OF  THE  ALANIAN  EPARCHY


     I have visited the Republic of South Ossetia regularly since 1999, and in 2003 the then President, E.Dj. Kokoite personally awarded me South Ossetian citizenship. In 2006, the then Prime Minister, Yu. Morozov granted me one of the first (No. 25) newly-printed South Ossetian Passports, which I have held since then. During the entire 15 years that I have been a citizen of South Ossetia, no-one has ever challenged the legality of my status on the basis of the well-known fact that I am also a British citizen, indeed my contacts with the government and administration have always been extremely cordial. 

    In November 2017, I was summoned to South Ossetia for urgent talks with the new President, A.I. Bibilov. I came from Greece as soon as I was able. In a long personal conversation, the President tried to persuade me that I should submit the Alanian Eparchy to the Moscow Patriarchate; I explained to him the canonical, dogmatic, and practical reasons why I could not do so, but invited him that same evening to come and speak to the members of our clergy, Diocesan Council, and faithful, as this was a question to be resolved not by the bishop alone, but by the people, assuring him the if they were willing to follow his advice, I would immediately stand down. The meeting took place, but none of the faithful, despite their respect for his office, were convinced by his arguments. The President sadly left in anger, stating that he would never again set foot in the churches of the Eparchy, a promise that he has kept. 

   Following a pastoral visit to South Ossetia in April 2018, as I was leaving for Russia, at the control-point of Verkhniy Rukh, my South Ossetian passport was confiscated by the border-guards. (I add that they behaved with great courtesy and were extremely apologetic) This was done with no  written order, nor was any receipt given to me. Indeed I was presented with a paper to sign which stated that I recognised that I was in future forbidden entry to South Ossetia; this I naturally refused to sign. This confiscation was entirely illegal, as I have never been deprived of my citizenship, and  this act, had evidently been ordered the President of the Republic with the express intention of depriving the Alanian Eparchy of their bishop and forcing them into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchy against their will. 

   I protest most strongly against this illegal act, which is, in effect, an open attack by the State on the liberty of the Alanian Eparchy, which has over the years, not least in the persons of its two first bishops, Georgy Pukhaete, who laboured selflessly for the rebirth of the Ossetian Orthodox Church, and my humble self who, at his request, became his successor, shown itself to be an institution which promotes peace, goodwill and Christian love. We wish only for  our liberty, and will then continue, as loyal citizens, to support and help the government which has been freely elected by the people of the Republic. 


                        +Ambrose, Bishop of Methoni and Alania

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