Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan Feels that the Differences Between the Two Russian Churches Will Be Overcome

The negotiation process between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will lead to the unification of the two Churches. “I am certain that this will happen,” said Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who had familiarized himself with church life in Russia, in an interview with a correspondent from ITAR-TASS. Earlier, Bishop Gabriel was one of the opponents of the rapprochement of the two Churches, reports ITAR-TASS.

The hierarch said that it is possible that this will not happen so soon. “But we will definitely come to this decision, overcoming all differences. We are heading in that direction,” he remarked.

The bishop gave a positive assessment to the work of the two Commissions working on overcoming the problems dividing the two Churches. “A great deal of constructive work was done. This friendly dialog will help in the decision to unite,” pointed out Vladyka. At the same time, the representative of the Church Abroad recalled that the flock throughout the world is divided: “A large portion of them regards rapprochement with the Moscow Patriarchate with caution.”

His Grace noted that it is difficult to foretell what will happen at the All-Diaspora Conference to be held in San Francisco in May especially to decide the matter of reuniting with the Russian Orthodox Church. “The best case scenario,” he said, “is that our Church will, on the basis of the work done by the Commissions, come to the conclusion that there are no serious obstacles for the Russian Church to be one.” Still, he did not exclude the possibility that the Council will decide to continue dialog in order to “finally overcome everything that divides us.”

Bishop Gabriel thinks that “each person living abroad, for the purposes of dismissing all doubt, should see with his own eyes what is happening in Russia today, how the reestablishment of the holy sites of Russia is occurring.” His eight-day visit in our country, in his words, “left a profound impression.” Vladyka visited the churches and monasteries of Moscow and its outskirts, saw the churches of St Petersburg, traveled to Valaam and Solovki. “It was moving to see how the people themselves are participating in the rebuilding of their churches,” he said.

The bishop noted in his evaluation of the religious life of the country, that “more and more people are coming to know their faith.” Although there are not that many regular church-goers, “one can speak of the rebirth of Orthodoxy in Rus,” he said. He feels that “the Russian people must make sense of the tragedy of the revolution. After the terrible yoke of communism, the opportunity has finally arrived to understand, that through faith, through the Church, Russia can be reborn as the great Russian sovereignty,” said the representative of the Church Abroad.

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