Contenu du sommaire : La chrétienté latine et les Slaves orientaux

The Religious Odyssey of Vasilij Grigorovič Barskij Through Latin and Greek Christendom (1723-1747) Relating his pilgrimages through Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy, the Greek islands, Mount Athos and the Near East, the Kievan Vasilij Barskij devotes a great deal of attention to the confrontation between Latin and Greek faiths. His testimony is a contrasted one. It includes sympathetic descriptions of Western European mores and even of specifically Catholic supports of worship, such as sculptures or musical instruments. Meanwhile, Barskij denounces «Papist» expansionism in traditionally «Greek» fields and tells several tales of violence commited by Catholics against Orthodoxs. Neither does Barskij spare his criticisms to the rigorist monks of the Athos (most of them Serbians or Bulgarians) who doubt the Orthodoxy of the Ukrainian people coming to the Holy Mountain. Well aware of the cultural gap between his native land, under the rule of the powerful Russian sovereign, and the cradle of Orthodoxy, under Ottoman yoke, Vasilij experiences a mix of respect and condescension towards the Greek «great Church in captivity». In the end, he elaborates a sort of climate theory, recognizing the validity of both Catholic and Orthodox faiths, within their ancestral boundaries.

The Church of England and Russian Orthodoxy: A Few Examples of Relations The place of Britain within «Latin Christianity» is justified. A hypothesis is advanced concerning the 16th century in connexion with the Muscovy Company. After a brief mention of the 18th century Non-Jurors, the emphasis is entirely placed on the 19th century, with some little known effects of the Oxford Movement, and even more particularly on the 20th century with the foundation and development of the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius by prominent Anglicans and members of the Russian emigration.

Two Letters of Vjačeslav Ivanov After years of reflexion Vjačeslav Ivanov decided, in 1926, to join the Catholic Church. Не informed the Vatican Congregation for the Eastern Church about his wish and asked to be authorized to use for this occasion a statement written by Vladimir Solov'ev instead of the usual formula, according to which the postulant «abjured» the Orthodox Church. Ivanov did not abjure. Не believed on the contrary that by professing the unity of the Universal Church one acts as a real member of Orthodoxy as it was before the quarrels and schisms. The Congregation, after consulting the Holy Office, agreed to the unusual proceeding. A year later, the 15 years old son of Ivanov, Dimitri, wrote to his father — then in Pavia — informing him about his intention to become a catholic. To his great surprise his father strongly objected and insisted that Dimitri go to the Russian Orthodox church, discuss the mater with the Rector, confess and, if the Rector allowed, receive Communion. Не should first become a good orhodox, before deciding. Dimitri obeyed. But a few months later he became dangerously ill. Не then returned to his previous decision and this time his father agreed. Не only regretted that in the hospital chapel it was not possible to celebrate the liturgy in the bizantine rite. As he later wrote to his friend, S. L. Frank, «the Catholic Church consists of two halves: the Latin Church and the Greek Church. The latter is not as numerous but essential on a spiritual level because preceding the course of history it accomplishes the wholeness of the Universal Church».