Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Turf War...er, Catfight

From CWNews
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II has renewed his frequent complaint that the Catholic Church is engaged in “proselytism” in Russia and other traditionally Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe.

The Russian prelate told the RIA-Novosti news service that the “extremely unfriendly policy” of the Catholic Church is straining relations between the Moscow patriarchate and the Holy See.

I cannot imagine that Catholics living their vocations in Russia are any less friendly than the Russian officials that harass Catholic clergy or deny them entry into the country. I'd hate for this situation to escalate, as russians settle their scores in nasty ways, like poisoning people with Polonium 210.

It seems that the national, autocephalus Orthodox churches' ecumenical attitudes border on xenophobic in their relations with the Catholic Church and protestant denominations. By their reactions, you'd think Catholics were Operating Thetans looking to spread the Word of Hubbard. The Prosperity Gospel is making ground in eastern Europe as it is in South America, so the good patriarch should worry more about Benny Hinn than Pope Benedict XVI.

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