[Asec] New life in besieged Kyiv; Excerpt from forthcoming chronology of church statements on Russia's war against Ukraine

[Mark Elliott]

Friends, family, and colleagues,

Find below a wonderful picture of Kyiv's newest resident and her parents.
(I am leaving names off in an exercise of caution.)

Mother (Asbury University grad of 2020) and father celebrate the safe and
sound arrival of their new daughter IN KYIV YESTERDAY, MARCH 16! New life
comes to Ukraine's embattled capital amidst the death and destruction of
Russian shelling. Lord, protect them. Lord have mercy. The mother graduated
from Asbury with majors in  media communications and music, and the father
is a Christian videographer. The mother has a brother currently enrolled at
Asbury, who naturally has been worried sick with his sister about to give
birth in Kyiv under siege.

[image: image (4) (3).png]

 Find below an excerpt from my "Chronology of Church-Related Public
Statements on the Russian War Against Ukraine, February 25-March 16, 2022."
It will be published in Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe 42
(No. 2, 2022), along with my article, "Putin's Invasion of Ukraine: What's
Religion Got to Do with It?"--probably this weekend.

Before the retirement of Father Georgi Edelstein, now in his 80s (see
below), I led several short-term missions to assist in the restoration of
two of his churches, including the Church of the Resurrection in
Karabanovo. Father Georgi, a dear friend, is now recovering from COVID.
Lord, protect him. Lord have mercy.

*March 6* Father Ioann Burdin of the Church of the Resurrection,
Karabanovo, Kostroma Diocese, opposed the war in Ukraine in his Sunday
homily. Earlier, on February 25, Fr. Ioann and his predecessor, Fr. Georgi
Edelstein, posted on the church website that Russian troops had invaded
Ukraine. Furthermore, “We Christians do not dare to stand aside when a
brother kills a brother, a Christian kills a Christian…. We cannot
shamefacedly close our eyes and call black white [or] say that Abel was
probably wrong in provoking his older brother” [Genesis 4: 8-10].



*March 7* *Fr. Ioann appeared in court. On March 8 under the new
Administrative Code Article 20.3.3 he was fined the equivalent of a local
average month’s salary. By March 8 prosecutors had brought charges against
144 persons under the new law.*

*March 7* Appeal: Expel the Russian Orthodox Church from the World Council
of Churches by Church of the Brethren Pastor Pavel Černý, Former President
of the Czech Ecumenical Council of Churches

In keeping with:

the plague of caesaropapism…Kirill, the current patriarch of Moscow, likes
to take pictures with his supporter Putin, who has been unstinting in
showing him his favour in return. Both seem to believe in the value of
reuniting the throne and the altar, the church and the state. Putin will
make a great show of kissing an icon in the church, and in return receives
loud approval of his regime by the Church leadership. In the current
Russian-Ukrainian war, this horrible bond has been fully revealed.
Unfortunately, the current war also has a religious dimension. The Russian
Orthodox Church would again like to absorb the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,
which in 2019 achieved recognition of its independence from the ecumenical
Patriarch of Istanbul….

------------------------------
Dr. Mark R. Elliott, Editor Emeritus
East-West Church Report
Asbury University
One Macklem Dr.
Wilmore, KY 40390
859-858-2427
emark936 at gmail.com
www.eastwestreport.org
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