The Church of Russia versus Ecumenism.

By Protopresbyter Valentin Asmus

  Professor of the Theological School of Moscow.

       The Church of Russia was never ecumenical. The Holy Theodosius of Kiev, one of the forefathers of Russian asceticism, wrote in the mid 11^th century "about the Christian and Latin faith" the following: "Do not be attracted to the Latin faith, nor adopt their traditions, avoid their pleasantries and every dogma of theirs and abominate their habits and keep your daughters from marrying them, nor marry their women, nor fraternize or embrace or bow to them, do not eat with them nor drink from common implements, nor accept their food...... It is not fitting, my child, to praise the other's faith. If somebody praises someone else's faith, he blasphemes his own. If however he praises both, his and someone else's, he thus becomes bi-faithful and comes close to heresy." We have here a complete ecumenical program but in a negative light.
       During the calamitous period of the Mongol rule, the Russians chose the heterodox yoke of "friendship" and "protection" of the Latin west. The Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevski, humble vassal of the Mongols, became a famous victor over the Swedes and the Germans, who wanted to conquer Russia for the Pope...click her.