CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Russia: Patriarch Kirill on the relations with Rome In recent years there has been a significant improvement in the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church but "that does not mean that traditional theological problems that we inherited from the past, are not significant. It means that as Orthodox and Catholics, our attention is focused on current issues affecting the existence of contemporary Christians", said Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in his meeting of July 22 in Moscow, in his official residence at the Monastery of St. Daniel, with the president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy, Mario Monti, in his first official visit to Russia. One of the issues considered crucial by both Catholics and Orthodox – is written in a long report on the meeting released by the Patriarchate – is "the spiritual crisis caused by the erosion of traditional moral values". Hence the commitment of both Churches to "defend the Christian position in the public arena". Patriarch Kirill said that a significant example of such collaboration was the "Lautsi vs Italy" case on the presence of crucifixes in Italian schools. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian government jointly spoke against the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to forbid the presence of crucifixes in schools. "We are very pleased that the Grand Chamber of the European Court in Strasbourg has rejected the request of Mrs. Lautsi, which touched the religious sentiments of a large number of people", said Patriarch Kirill. In his meeting with premier Monti the Patriarch equally spoke of the ongoing economic crisis: "We are concerned about the economic situation that has developed in your country. We hope that, as a renowned economist, head of the Italian government, you will do everything possible to alleviate the sufferings of its people and improve the economic situation". He added: "We believe that in addition to purely technical reasons, leading to a crisis, there are some fundamental reasons, and, of course, today we are more concerned about the spiritual and moral aspects of the crisis". Greece: the Church pays the taxes A long and detailed letter clarifying the payment of taxes, the system of remuneration of the clergy and the growing number of social and charitable works in the Country was sent by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Geronimo, to Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, to the party leaders in Parliament, the Greek ambassadors in the countries of the European Union, the directors of European agencies and all hierarchs of the Church of Greece to "put things in the correct perspective and stop the irresponsible dissemination of misinformation and stereotyping as well as the creation of distorted impressions against the Orthodox Church of Greece". It is not the first time that the Orthodox Church of Greece lets its voice heard to shed light on its fiscal situation and respond to criticism that often appears on the European media, in the framework of an unprecedented economic crisis that is affecting the country. With regard to taxation, in the press we read that "the latest tax exemptions of the Orthodox Church, like all recognized religions in Greece, have been stipulated" in an Act of 2010. After having thus determined the extent of the various charges, in her statement the Greek Church said in 2011 it paid over 12 million euros in taxes. Concerning the remuneration of the clergy by the State, the Church points out that it is a requirement provided for by the State in 1833 when 65% of assets held by the Church were transferred to the State. In the letter, it is also underlined that the Church of Greece in October of 2010 participated in the recapitalization of the National Bank of Greece with a contribution of EUR 27 million. It underlines that the Church of Greece has no revenue from sales or from commercial enterprises. In the letter an entire paragraph lists all the social institutions supported by the Church in Greece, which shows that in 2011 some 6 thousand people we able to benefit from the different aids and that in 2010 the various agencies of the Orthodox Church of Greece have provided financial support to charities amounting to 96 million euros.Anglicans: the first woman bishop in Africa While in England the debate on woman episcopate in the Anglican Church has reached a standstill, after the lack of a decision at the last Synod, the Anglican Church of South Africa (ASCA) made the historical gesture of appointing the first Anglican woman bishop in the Continent. Reverend Ellinah Ntombi Wamukoya, 61 anni, elected bishop of Swaziland. Her appointment comes at a time when the Anglican church of South Africa – that includes Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho – celebrates its 20th anniversary since the woman ordination to the priesthood and episcopate, decided by the Synod in 1992. When her election will be confirmed by the members of the Bishops’ Synod, reverend Wambukoya will become the 24th of the Anglican Communion. The Member Churches designated and elected woman bishops to date are: New Zealand and Polynesia, Australia, Canada, the Episcopal Church, Cuba, and now also South Africa.
