28.09.2007, [13:00] // Ecumenism // RISU.ORG.UA
Kyiv – On 23 September 2007, the Kyivan Monastery of the Caves opened the seventh annual Assumption Readings conference. This year’s meeting was devoted to the topic “Friendship: its forms, tests and gifts.” orthodoxy.org.ua posted the story.
The day after plenary sessions, the round table “Friendship’s ethos, wisdom and humor” gathered participants at St. Sophia’s Church. The main presentation was made by Dr. Antoine Arjakovsky, director of the Ukrainian Catholic University’s Institute of the Ecumenical Studies in western Ukrainian Lviv. He told the story of Paul Anderson (1894-1985), a Presbyterian and employee of the YMCA/IMKA Christian Youth Association, who actively assisted Rus’ Students’ Christian Movement immigrants, the IMKA-Press Publishing House in Paris, and the Orthodox Theological Institute. Making an example of Anderson’s life, Dr. Arjakovsky showed that true friendship cannot be limited by denominational boundaries. According to him, the church today does not pay enough attention to the laity and cares too much about material welfare. “You should bear responsibility for every mission given you. Money can be used to serve God, and respect should be paid to those who do so,” he added. Friendship does not stand in the way of truth. In order to promote interdenominational friendship, he believes, it is necessary that each denomination recognize certain historical facts and when necessary apologize for the past.
In his commentary on Dr. Arzhakovskyi’s presentation, Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromayev) stated: “Your speech is a long-awaited response to the times we went through . . . . The actions of the church of the 20th century, both on the territory of the former USSR and abroad, should teach us how friendship overcomes the boundaries introduced by people.”