Or has the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople released any statement or opinion?

Anyone heard?

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=190927
http://www.goarch.org/en/news/releases/articles/release7366.asp
http://www.antiochian.org/News/Release20021009_Iraq.htm
And the most recent, here:
http://www.antiochian.org/News/Release20030204_SCOBA_Peace.htm



Christ is in our midst!

"At the Last Judgement I shall not be asked whether I was successful at my ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked, Did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners? That is all I shall be asked"-Mother Maria Skobtsova

"Modern commerce and social agendas *are* at war with their values"-titan

"If you're aware you sin everyday, you're living in sin."--janag81

"anytime you stop talking about specific goals and objectives and start talking about killing a thousand of them for one of us to show them, you've just deposited your humanity in the toilet." --utut

"There is something right about this world. There is a plan, and we are too human to be making the decision as to whether a life full of potential stays or goes." --TCLTC

"It is not cowardice to stand up to a bully government and it's moronic leader.' -- MH99

jkotinek,

Okay, from this recent one, it seems the American archbishops want all peace avenues exhausted. But it does raise the question when to say they have?

quote:

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As leaders of Orthodox Christian Communities throughout America and as servants of the One who on His way to the cross said: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you." (John 14:27), we urge all leaders of governments to utilize every means available to seek a peaceful resolution to the present challenge to the security and happiness of all humankind, posed by the forces of terror and evil that threaten not only the civilized world, but the very survival of human existence.

As Orthodox Christians we constantly and fervently pray in each and every worship service of our Church "for the peace from above", and incessantly implore the Lord "for the peace of the whole world". As disciples and followers of Jesus Christ we seek and pursue peace in prayer, in faith and in action. Death, terror, destruction, and endless suffering are formidable enemies with which we are not ever going to be reconciled.

In the uniquely significant days ahead, may our good and loving God enable us all, the people of this blessed country, to know and to do what is just and right in order to secure a lasting peace on our planet Earth.



+Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

+Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

+Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary
Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada

+Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos
American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA

+Metropolitan HERMAN
Orthodox Church in America

+Archbishop NICOLAE
Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada

+Metropolitan JOSEPH
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

+Metropolitan CONSTANTINE
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

+Bishop ILIA of Philomelion
Albanian Orthodox Diocese

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its interesting to tie that to what the Patriarch of Constantinople said in April 2002. Its a bit out of date, but I wonder if he would apply it literally to the present situation:

quote:

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His All Holiness (Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew) has, on his own, directly appealed to world leaders with special attention to the visit to the Middle East of United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, to intervene "to exhaust all possible means" to bring an immediate end to the unrest and to bring back peace to the region and its peoples, it was revealed today by the Chief Secretariat of the Holy Synod.

In a series of letters, His All Holiness addressed President George W. Bush, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, European Commission President Romano Prodi, as well as the American Secretary of State, expressing his "deep concern" in a "heartfelt appeal" to intervene and stop what he termed "senseless killing that is occurring among peoples of different faiths who live together in the same region."

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If his view is the same on Iraq, sounds like the East does agree with the Pope.

rcieved today:

quote:

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SYNOD OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON THE SITUATION AROUND IRAQ
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 19:25:45 +0100

STATEMENT BY PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA AND THE
HOLY SYNOD OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON THE SITUATION AROUND IRAQ


For the last several months the world has lived in a situation of
growing tension around Iraq. The USA with the support of Great Britain
and some other countries are planning to launch large-scale military
actions against this country, trying to justify them by the danger of
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The Russian Orthodox Church, just as all people of good will, is
concerned for the proliferation and the use of nuclear weapons and other
weapons of mass destruction. Many religious leaders have repeatedly
stressed that the observance of international norms in these areas is
one of the essential conditions for peace on the planet.

Insisting on a peaceful diplomatic way of settling this problem in
Iraq, our Church has repeatedly called to lift up the economic sanctions
from this country as they have already led to the suffering of
civilians, especially sick people and children. In the context of
efforts made by the world public to strengthen peace in the Middle East,
we have established a dialogue with the religious, public and political
leaders in Iraq. In the course of the dialogue we stressed the necessity
of taking such measures by Iraqi government that will remove all doubts
of the international community regarding the war potential of this
country. The decision to resume the work of international inspectors was
accepted with satisfaction by the majority of people on our planet
because that meant the choice for a peaceful way of settling the
existing problems. Today there are no reasons for stopping the mission
of international inspectors and commencing military operations. Nations
cannot be deprived of a chance to establish peace.

The war in Iraq will inevitably lead to the death and suffering of
a tremendous number of innocent people, as always in such a case
civilians like children, women, old people will be injured, there will
be thousands of refugees. It is absolutely obvious that military
operations in this oil production region can turn out to be a global
ecological catastrophe. All this may blow up the situation in the Middle
East, creating a threat to peace and stability in the whole world.

Today the Russian Orthodox Church addresses appeal to the
governments of those countries on which the decision to begin or not to
begin war depends to do all that is possible to avoid an armed conflict.
For the actions that are taken without considering the opinion of the
international community, the opinion of a majority of people on the
Earth, destroy the existing system of international law and
inter-governmental institutions. The first blow on its foundations was
already struck by the bombing of Yugoslavia, which was initiated without
the sanction of the United Nations and which led to destruction and
death of thousands of people in the very center of Europe. Now another
action is being prepared, which can turn the existing world order into
ashes. The violation of legal norms sows chaos and arbitrariness, for
lawlessness always generates more lawlessness. "They sow the wind and
reap the whirlwind" (Hos. 8:7), Holy Scripture says.

Our Church supports the efforts of the governments, spiritual and
public leaders in various countries who have come out against the
military operations and rejects the attempts to justify this war. We
call upon the nations of the world to stop military preparations against
Iraq, to prevent bloodshed of innocent people. We plead the God "to
guide our feet into the way of peace" (Lk. 1:79) and to protect the
biblical earth of Iraq against the fire of war.

Moscow, 17 March 2003,
St.-Daniel's monastery
The celebration of the 700-th anniversary
of the assumption of saint prince Daniel of Moscow

March 17, 2003

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