What does a Christian Economy look like? New Encyclical points the way.

The following encyclical on the timeless principles of a Christian economy in the world was promulgated by H.A.H. Prince-Bishop Rutherford (Radislav) I of Rome-Ruthenia

 

RADISLAV PP. I

Encyclical: Toward a Christian Economy

4 May 2025

“And they had all things in common... and no one said that any of the things he possessed was his own.” — Acts 4:32

“Give me neither poverty nor riches… lest I be full and deny Thee.” — Proverbs 30:8-9

1. Toward a Christian Economy: The Orthodox Principle of Just Stewardship

The United Roman-Ruthenian Church affirms that the economy is not merely a mechanism of production and consumption, but a field of moral action and spiritual consequence. Economic structures, like all social arrangements, must be judged by whether they uphold the dignity of the human person, serve the common good, and reflect the justice and mercy of God.

The Church rejects both the materialist individualism of unrestrained consumer capitalism and the dehumanizing collectivism of state technocracies, socialism, and communism. These two categories of systems, though in ideological opposition, share a common root in secularism and a disordered view of the human person — either as a mere producer and consumer, or as a cog in an impersonal bureaucratic machine.

2. The Orthodox of Distributism: A Path of Shared Stewardship

Following the wisdom of the Holy Fathers, Orthodox and Catholic practice, and the witness of the early Christian community, we advocate for an Orthodox Distributist Model — an economy in which the means of production (e.g., land, tools, crafts, small businesses) are widely and justly distributed, not concentrated in the hands of the few (whether oligarchs or state planners). This vision:

· Affirms private property as a natural good, when exercised with responsibility and service to others;

· Encourages family and local enterprise, agrarian and artisanal production, and cooperatives;

· Condemns exploitative debt, usury, and monopolistic control, which enslave persons and communities;

· Calls for subsidiarity, wherein decisions and resources remain at the most local and humane level possible;

· Exalts labor, not as a commodity, but as a sacred participation in God’s creative work;

· Demands just wages, not merely for survival, but for a life of dignity and spiritual flourishing;

· Upholds hospitality and almsgiving, not as charity alone, but as justice owed to the poor and stranger.

     This model does not idolize the market nor submit to central planning, but seeks an integrated economy of persons and communities, grounded in the ecclesial vision of communion and stewardship. It recognizes legitimate roles for markets and for governance — so long as both are accountable to moral truth and oriented toward human and spiritual good.

3. On Trade and the Bonds of Neighborly Exchange

Orthodox Old Catholic economic teaching, rooted in the commandment to love one’s neighbor, affirms that international trade is not merely economic but moral. It is a form of extended community between peoples, for we are all joined in Christ, even across ever-fluid political borders.

Healthy trade builds mutual respect, peace, and interdependence rightly ordered. While the Church recognizes that modest tariffs and trade policies may serve as tools of negotiation or protection in rare and specific circumstances, they must never become instruments of vengeance, isolation, nativism, or nationalistic pride. Blanket or erratic tariff regimes harm both producers and consumers, distort the natural bonds of mutual provision, and often punish the poor. Rather than economic warfare, we advocate for ethical and cooperative trade, fair pricing, and solidarity with nations striving to develop their own local economies in dignity and peace. As St. John Chrysostom teaches, “The rich exist for the sake of the poor, and the poor for the salvation of the rich.” So, therefore, must nations relate to one another with humility and justice.

4. Against the Polarization of Economic Discourse

Orthodox Old Catholic social witness calls us away from the false idols of political extremism, whether from the populist right or the technocratic left. The economic life of a nation must not become a battleground for ideological absolutism, but a field of discernment, stewardship, and charity. When political factions weaponize the economy, reducing complex human realities to slogans, tariffs, or central planning, they obscure the deeper truths of justice, community, and personal dignity. The Orthodox vision, grounded in the Incarnation and the life of the Church, calls for economic discourse rooted not in party allegiance, but in the Gospel’s demand for mercy, truth, and the well-being of all, especially the poor and the vulnerable.

5. A Moral Alternative for a Fractured World

In the face of increasing global inequality, ecological degradation, and spiritual alienation, we call upon the Christian faithful around the world, and upon parishes and institutions to:

· Support and invest in local economies, especially Orthodox farmers, tradespeople, and artisans;

· Develop credit unions and cooperative ventures grounded in Christian ethics;

· Advocate for policies that decentralize economic power and property, protect workers, and restore appropriate rest;

· Resist both the idolatry of wealth and the false salvation of state technocracy and socialism.

Our Lord taught us not to store up treasures on earth, but to seek first the Kingdom of God. Yet it is precisely in our daily economic choices — how we work, trade, save, and share — that this Kingdom begins to be made manifest.

Indeed, in Christian tradition, the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed is honored as the humble guardian of the Bogomater and the earthly protector of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a carpenter by trade, he exemplifies the sanctification of daily labor when offered in faith and obedience to God. His life reminds us that honest work, however simple or hidden, can become a means of grace and service when carried out in love, humility, and devotion. Through St. Joseph’s quiet diligence and unwavering care, he fulfilled his vocation with integrity, embodying the dignity of human labor in harmony with God’s providence. Thus Christians may rightly look to the Righteous Joseph as a patron and intercessor for all who work with their hands, provide for their families, and seek to live faithfully in the midst of their vocations.

May Saint Joseph the Righteous, the Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, and Saint Basil the Great intercede for us, that we may build an economy not of greed or control, but of mercy, order, and truth.

Радислав Пп. I

United Nations Global Health Proposal Endorsed by United Roman-Ruthenian Church

By J. DuBois 

Rome-Ruthenia 12 September 2024 (NRom)

The Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, as chief of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and Pontifical Imperial State, endorsed the following United Nations proposal to call for international cooperation and effort to improve global health. This endorsement serves as a powerful reminder that health transcends borders and cultures, and that collective action is the key to tackling the myriad health issues facing our world today.

The world is no stranger to health crises. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the persistent threat of diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, we are reminded all too often that health is a global concern. The Prince-Bishop’s support for the UN proposal highlights a crucial truth: health is not merely a matter of individual nations but a shared responsibility that requires collaboration on a grand scale.

The Church's role in this initiative reflects the moral and ethical obligation that religious leaders hold in advocating for the well-being of humanity. The United Roman-Ruthenian Church stands as a symbol of hope and compassion. By endorsing this UN proposal, the Church underscores its dedication to not only spiritual matters but also the pressing health needs of humanity.

Also, the endorsement comes at a time when the importance of faith-based organizations in public health is increasingly recognized. These organizations often have deep ties to the communities they serve, enabling them to address health disparities more effectively than many traditional governmental or non-governmental entities. The support of the UN initiative signals an acknowledgment of this potential, urging collaboration between faith-based organizations and public health systems to create a more robust response to global health challenges.

The proposal itself is a call for action for nations to come together in solidarity. It emphasizes the need for increased funding for health initiatives, the sharing of knowledge and resources, and the establishment of equitable healthcare systems. Such measures are not merely aspirational; they are necessary to ensure that every person, regardless of their geographical location, has access to the healthcare they need.

The endorsement also sends a message to political leaders around the world: health should not be a partisan issue. The challenges we face are too significant to be overshadowed by political divides. The initiative serves as a reminder that leadership in health must be unified, transcending nationalistic tendencies to foster a sense of global community. In a world where we often feel divided, this message is one of hope and unity. Indeed, it is imperative that the international community takes this endorsement seriously. The global health landscape is in dire need of innovative solutions and collaborative efforts. The Prince-Bishop’s voice adds an important moral dimension to this discussion, reminding us that health is a universal right, not a privilege.

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Complete proposal text: 

Summit of the Future

Ensuring the primacy of human rights and effective accountability to

achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

United Nations Headquarters, New York

Sept 22-23, 2024

We the undersigned civil society organizations and experts call on world leaders to redouble efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the service of people and planet. The Pact for the Future negotiations recognize the need for more work, but reveal little concrete plans to make meaningful achievements.

Full and equitable realization of all human rights can be measured by equitable optimization of healthy life expectancy, which now ranges from national averages of 44 years to 74 years and typically varies domestically, reflecting internal social inequality. Deprivation, poor health and premature death obstruct the enjoyment of material and dignitary human rights and stoke tensions leading to armed conflict. While some improvements in sustainable development have been evident, some indicators have worsened. Conflict, climate change, and COVID-19 have impeded progress, but episodic setbacks pale by comparison to stark, inequitably felt, persisting harms.

Consider the following in future national actions to fully realize the Goals in the remaining six years:

1. Ensure the primacy of the actionable right to health, food, water, shelter, other fundamental human rights, and the collective right development. Of approximately 60 million deaths annually, half are attributable to entirely preventable causes, largely due to poorly regulated commercial products and services and inadequate critical water infrastructure. Prevention is more affordable and humane, but is less immediately politically gratifying and prone to resistance from commercially vested interests. If the right to health (Action 31) had prevailed over the pharmaceutical companies’ contractual and trade-treaty-protected intellectual property rights (Action 32), millions of COVID-19 deaths might have been prevented. COVID-19 led to nearly as many excess deaths per year (7.5 million) from 2020 to 2022 as World War II (10 million). WHO, Harvard School of Public Health, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Lancet commission experts estimate:

malnutrition in all its forms causes 11 million deaths per year and nearly half of deaths of children under age 5,

tobacco causes 8 million deaths/years,

air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes 8 million deaths/year,

inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene causes 3.5 million deaths/year,

alcohol causes 2.6 million deaths/year,

toxic chemicals and pesticides cause 2 million deaths/year,

suboptimal breastfeeding driven by promotion of breastmilk substitutes causes 823,000 deaths/year.

Six years have passed since the UN Human Rights Council mandated a working group to elevate the 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development to the status of a treaty. Ten years have passed since the Council mandated another working group to negotiate a treaty to help ensure that transnational and other businesses respect human rights and at least three more years of negotiations are anticipated. Justiciable, meaningfully enforced rights are foundations of the rule of law. Prioritizing human rights and restoring solidarity in acute and persistent crises commands swift responses. “Progressive” realization of rights cannot come to mean “weak” or “never.”




The UN Secretary General’s Group of Independent Scientists’ 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report concluded that the world is “far off track…Without urgent course correction and acceleration, humanity will face prolonged periods of crisis and uncertainty – triggered by and reinforcing poverty, inequality, hunger, disease, conflict and disaster.” Its 2024 report stated that, still: “On average, only 16 percent of the SDG targets are on track to be met globally by 2030, with the remaining 84 percent showing limited progress or a reversal of progress.”




A rights-based approach requires that legal and regulatory measures needed to achieve SDG should be included among targets and indicators.




2. Adopt a Code-of-Conduct for engaging with civil society as urged by 420 mainly ECOSOC-accredited NGOs calling for conflict-of-interest safeguards, ensuring access to information, a UN lobbying registry, and access to so many UN negotiations secreted from public view. NGOs need more tools to ensure that UN and government institutions are accountable for SDG promises they make in New York and capitals based on the best available evidence. See: http://tinyurl.com/UNConduct These important elements of access to justice are already implemented by many governments, nationally.

3. Specifically mandate relatable consumer warning labels about the SDG impact of commercially traded products and services, especially food, alcohol, tobacco, fossil fuels and the machines they power, the true costs of which equate to half of the global commercial economy (Actions 10, 53 and 54). Of the US$101 trillion global economy, people spend:

$10 trillion on food, including breastmilk substitutes,

$1 trillion on tobacco,

$1 trillion on fossil fuels,

$1.5 trillion on gas/diesel passenger cars, and

more on furnaces, cooking equipment, and other machines powered by fossil fuels.

The harms caused by many of these products more than doubles their market cost to equivalent to half of the global commercial economy, with most of the burden borne by the public sector, including harm to human health, reduced productivity of all industries, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and the largely uncalculated ravages child labour and unlivable wages. For instance:

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that global food systems imposed $12.7 trillion (in 2020 Purchasing Power Parity dollars) in externalized costs, due mainly to poor diet and greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant animals, especially cattle.

The International Monetary Fund estimates that the $7 trillion in “explicit” and “implicit subsidies” for fossil fuels (e.g., responding to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions) is seven-fold higher than market prices.

The WHO estimates the economic costs of tobacco to be US$1.4 trillion.

Experts estimate the costs of alcohol to the drinker and society at approximately US$2.6 trillion.

Consumer product and service labelling should reflect companies’ general legal duty to warn and could help shift purchases toward sustainable options. Measuring and reporting such information in meaningful ways at the point-of-sale should help populations better steer markets toward the SDGs. Likewise, national economic performance should be measured using true cost accounting (Action 54).

We cannot indulge years of private sector resistance, casting doubt on research, quibbling over warning language, or offering to tell the good news, but not the bad news. Much is already known by independent experts about the adverse impact of these products, but it is generally not communicated to consumers and is disputed by louder, misleading messages perpetuated by seller-designed halos. Consumption patterns must change before it is too late to cool the planet without catastrophic consequences and before human ill-health fetters development and squanders public social protection resources, human rights, and workforce productivity more than it already has.

4. Action item 4 (para 20(c)) urges raising Official Development Assistance to 0.7% of Gross National Income, revives a 1969 recommendation of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s United Nations Commission proposal.

That Commission’s goal would have been almost within reach for OECD countries if it had been pursued a decade earlier when Official Development Assistance was nearly 0.6% of Gross National Income in OECD countries. Instead, it fell by nearly half and remains so low 55 years later, even lower than the notoriously austere Reagan/Thatcher administrations in the United States and United Kingdom and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many high-income countries nearly doubled their national budgets to protect their own citizens, but Official Development Assistance rose only from 0.30% of total OECD GNI in 2019 to 0.37% in 2023, an average rise of US$0.02/capita/day for people living outside high-income countries:




Without meaningful increases in Official Development Assistance and significant debt forgiveness—a legacy of insufficient ODA—realizing the development potential of lower-income countries will be suppressed.

5. Financially support civil society SDG advocacy for on-going and formal annual evaluation and accountability for SDG progress, appointed at arm’s length with security of tenure until 2030. Governments and UN institutions should promote more frequent, independently funded fact-checkers from tenured academics and civil society organizations to report to Parliaments on national and global SDG progress. Reports should be ongoing and formalized at least annually. Waiting for mid-term reviews in 15-year missions to tackle existential crises of our time indulges procrastination and dampens accountability. Truly independent advocacy organizations are often starved for funds and lose their impartiality if they turn to discretionary grants from the private sector or governments that they are duty-bound to hold to account. Governments should commit to provide funding to support the work of a number of independent experts in proportion to their population (e.g., one expert per million population), appointed as officers of Parliament, appointed by courts, or funded by other arm’s length transparent means to enjoy security of tenure until 2030 and selected for demonstrated expertise in the 17 applicable SDGs.

Patriarchal Letter of Rutherford I to the Christian Faithful in the United States of America

from His Apostolic Highness Rutherford I
Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia

On the Feast of the Holy Mother of God of Kazan

21 July 2024

Dearly beloved sons and daughters in Christ,

As the United States finds itself in the midst of a contentious and divisive election season, I am compelled to address you, the Christian faithful of the United States, with a message of unity, compassion, and steadfast commitment to the teachings of our Lord.

In these turbulent times, when the world is watching the American election with bated breath, it is of the utmost importance that we, no matter where we are in the world, as followers of Christ, define ourselves not by the political affiliations or ideologies that so often seek to divide us, but by the unifying principles of our faith. To say that all people of another political party are evil or against Christ is a grave sin, for it paints with the same broad brush those who may simply have differing perspectives on the complex issues facing society today. Such rhetoric is not only un-Christian, but it also serves to further entrench the divisiveness that has gripped the United States and the world.

Dearly beloved in Christ, we must resist the temptation to make politics our church and a political party our religion, for to do so is to betray the very essence of our faith. Our faith calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves, to seek unity in the midst of conflict, and to see the image of God in all people, regardless of their political leanings.

As Christians, our primary allegiance must be to the Kingdom of God, not to any earthly kingdom or political party. We are called to be a beacon of hope, a voice of reason, and a force for reconciliation in a world that so often seems intent on tearing itself apart. I urge you, dearly beloved in Christ, to resist the siren call of partisan politics and to instead focus your energy and passion on the timeless truths of the Gospel. Let us be known not for our political affiliations, but for our unwavering commitment to the values of love, justice, mercy, and peace that our Lord himself embodied and proclaimed.

In this pivotal moment, when the future of American governance hangs in the balance, let us rise above the fray of partisan bickering and demonstrate to the world the transformative power of a faith that transcends the boundaries of political ideology. Let us be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, shining the radiant love of Christ into the darkest corners of our society. Let us be the peacemakers, the bridge-builders, and the reconcilers, that the brotherhood of nations might be healed and restored.

Dearly beloved in Christ, I call upon you to join me in this sacred mission, to be the change we wish to see in the world, and to be the living embodiment of the Kingdom of God, even in the midst of the chaos and turmoil that surrounds us. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

The Profound Impact of Violating Religious Freedom: Why it's More than Just a Crime

By Marie Derosiers

ROME-RUTHENIA 17 January 2024 (NRom)

It is a basic tenet of the doctrine of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church that religion is an integral part of human existence, shaping our beliefs, values, and identities. It nourishes the soul and provides individuals with a sense of purpose, community, and moral guidance. To violate someone's religious freedom or rights is not only unjust but can be considered equal to or worse than other crimes. Just as sexual assault violates the dignity of a human person, so too does religious discrimination, which not only infringes upon the person but also attacks the soul and the very essence of their identity.

Religion goes beyond mere rituals and traditions; it encompasses one's deepest convictions and spiritual connection with God. It answers existential questions about the meaning and purpose of life, offering solace during times of hardship and providing hope for the future. For the faithful worldwide, the Orthodox Old Catholic faith acts as a guiding force that shapes their behavior and provides a moral framework to navigate life's complexities. For the orthodox, there is no difference between the spiritual journey and regular life. Instead, they are intertwined to the point that they are one.

Moreover, the Church plays a pivotal role in fostering social cohesion and community. The Church brings individuals together, both locally and around the world, creating bonds based on shared beliefs, heritage, culture, and values. The Church-based communities provide support networks that offer comfort during challenging times and celebrate joys collectively. By violating someone's religious freedom or rights, we not only disrupt these crucial networks but also fracture the anchor that the faith provides. That disruption may leave people vulnerable and alone. 

The Impact of Violating Religious Freedom

To understand the gravity of violating religious freedom, we must recognize its profound impact on individuals and societies. When someone's religious rights are infringed upon, they are stripped of their autonomy and forced to conform to beliefs or practices that go against their core convictions. This undermines their sense of self, erodes personal dignity, and can lead to feelings of isolation, discrimination, and even trauma.

Religious discrimination can manifest in various ways, including exclusion from social activities, denial of employment opportunities or promotions, or even physical harm. Such acts not only impede an individual's ability to practice their faith freely but also perpetuate a cycle of intolerance and prejudice within society.

Protecting Religious Freedom: A Moral Imperative

Respecting religious freedom is not merely a legal obligation but a moral imperative. Just as we condemn crimes such as murder for violating the fundamental right to life and sexual assault for violating the dignity of an individual, we must equally denounce any form of religious discrimination or persecution. Every person has the right to believe in and practice their religion without fear of reprisal or marginalization.

To create a more inclusive and tolerant society, it is essential to promote dialogue and understanding among different religious communities. Education plays a crucial role in dispelling misconceptions and fostering empathy towards diverse beliefs. By embracing religious diversity and actively working towards protecting everyone's right to practice their faith freely, we can foster a harmonious coexistence that celebrates our shared humanity.

Ash Wednesday Address and Letter of H.H. the Papa-Prince

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 22 Feb 2023 (NRom)

The following is the Ash Wednesday address of H.H. the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia.

Grace and peace as we begin this Lenten season during the 15th modern anniversary of the Imperial Roman Church. Established in ancient origins, we carry the Pontifical Orthodox Old Catholic faith forward today. Orthodoxy – right believing. Catholic – universal. Old – the continual faith of the Apostles and Church Fathers. Pontifical – linked to the historic Roman empire, both eastern and western. We are of several rites, but one faith.

     This day, Ash Wednesday, is an ancient tradition of the Church – one of a variety of such traditions that have different variations throughout Christendom. Its annual observation not only serves to begin this season of penance in preparation for the coming Paschal feast, but helps to tie us together with the Christian people who went before us over the last 2000 years and with the Christian people in different parts of the world, which God created in beautiful diversity. This, among our other traditions, speaks to the fact that the Church of Christ knows neither time nor space. Indeed, traditions may vary in different parts of the world, but at their core, they represent a common belief. Even these differences in tradition should unite rather than divide.

     Yet, it seems that the Christian people would prefer self-righteous bickering to humble, authentic unity. Some Christian communities are so arrogant that they demand complete and total assimilation and subjugation, wanting to absorb one and all like an amoeba. This is certainly a shame, for such communities are denied by their own actions the joys of fellowship with other Christians. If they think this is what Christ wanted, then I suggest that they are sadly mistaken.

     In Our See and in its affiliated organisations, I expect all people to promote an authentic unity. This does not mean one must compromise on elements of doctrine and tradition. Those matters will be resolved in God’s own time. Rather, we can be reconciled with one another by finding common ground and in seeking to cooperate and come together, in fellowship and service if in nothing else. That alone would be a major step, and it has been the cornerstone of Our pontificate.

     This division within the church is mirrored in the division in the world today. Just as we see certain branches of the church, so too do we see certain countries, bloated with blind, self-righteous arrogance, attempt to force assimilation of other countries around the world into their beliefs and customs, and ultimately under their dominion. This is promoted both by governments and by corporate interests. Neither government nor corporations are inherently evil but are only as good or evil as the people managing them and the philosophies that they promote. Much of the world has lost its values, which we can only hope is temporary. A society without values is as a ship without a compass, floating aimlessly to be taken wherever the waves take it or wherever another vessel directs it. Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope, a beacon of light, in those who are willing to fight and risk all to preserve traditional Christian values. Let them be our inspiration as we begin this Lenten season.

     And, I will remind each of you as I frequently do that penance and denial need not be what you eat or what you do not eat. There are those who are hypocrites who make great show of fasting and abstinence, but harbour hatred and egotism inside. Culinary denial can be beneficial spiritually if done with the right mindset and intent. Yet, it is not the only way. My favourite method of penance and self-denial is to give of yourself to others, quietly serving through small acts of charity, expecting nothing in return. Ultimately let God be your guide in penance through this Lenten season, and do not be judgmental of others whose path of penance in preparation may be different from your own.

     Lastly, may God bless each of you through this Lenten journey, that we may be entirely ready to receive and experience fully the joys of Paschal feast and season.

Papa-Catholicos gives sermon on capitalism, communism, loss of values in society

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 12 November 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness Rutherford I, Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia gave a sermon today on the situation in the world. In it Papa Rutherford said that it is not capitalism, but the Christian faith that is the solution to threats of communism and socialism. The Papa-Catholicos also discussed the rise of individualism and loss of Christian values in Western society. The audio record and complete text of the sermon are below.

TRANSCRIPT:

"Some say that capitalism is the solution to fighting communism and socialism. This, however, likewise leads to a treacherous path. Capitalism in its Christian form is often called distributism, in which there is a free market economy, but the means of production are spread as widely as possible instead of concentrated, and market forces and profit are not the only defining factors. In Christian commerce, individual benefit must be balanced against societal benefit and the impact of one's own actions on others.

Modern society continues to find ever-expanding ways to express its inherent selfishness and decline of values. Efforts in the world to destroy traditional society with its culture and values are aimed at the sole purpose of separating individuals from their faith. In that way they can more easily be manipulated by secular government and ultra-capitalist industry, for the people therefore come to lack the moral compass and the anchor that comes from our faith and our heritage.

What we see in particularly the Western world today is a complete abdication of the responsibilities that are inherent to us as human beings. It is the faith and our heritage that teach us that responsibility, so this outcome is no surprise.

There are those in the world who still espouse, feel, live, and promote their faith and traditional Christian heritage, however. There are those who risk all and fight for faith and justice. It is such people and such societies that should serve as an example to those who have lost their faith and should furthermore serve as beacons of hope and encouragement to those Christians around the world who find themselves in the minority, trying to scream the message of Christ into the hurricane of modern Satanic secularism. We know that hurricanes do not last forever, though, and so we must continue to remain strong and fight for the faith. Indeed, our faith tells us that the victory shall be ours in the end!"

Conquering Hypocrisy and Satan

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 7 October 2022 (NRom)

On the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, His Holiness the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia, Rutherford I released the following pontifical letter entitled Conquering Hypocrisy and Satan.

“O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Luke 12.56). Hypocrisy is a well-known trait – so much so that we perhaps have all become numb to it. We see it on an individual basis, and we see it in organisations and national governments. So often hypocrisy accompanies interfering in someone else’s business – an all-to-common individual and organisational trait. It is often even a national trait. Moral complacency – such as simply saying “hypocrisy is just a fact of life” – is moral complicity. On a societal scale, it is among the signs of a society that has given into satanic influences.

Hypocrisy on an individual scale can certainly cause problems for others. On an organisational, governmental, and global scale, however, the effects can be an humanitarian crisis and prolonged, escalated death and destruction. Conflict is an unfortunate but regular part of life. Between nations, cannon are the last argument of kings. Indeed, there is “…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).

Yet on both a large and a small scale, there are those who seek to interfere in the business of others, and there are those that, rather than live and let live, insist on trying to force others to live and act according to their rules and according to their permission. Such interference easily makes a difficult situation worse and a tense, dangerous situation even more deadly. As our Lord said, blessed are the peacemakers. Yet some come in the guise of a peacemaker, duplicitously bringing false promises contrary to God.

Interference becomes all the more complex when one party condemns another for doing the very same thing that they themselves have done on a regular basis. The one party says that whatever they do, no matter the cost to others, no matter the merits of the initial argument or the outcome, it is righteous and good. Then they condemn the other party for doing the selfsame thing. It is a double standard in the extreme. However, it is one thing when it is merely a complaint, for the dog barks and the wind carries it away. It is an entirely different thing when interfering actions cause real damage – even more so when the damage is on a very wide scale impacting countless lives.

Now, if a particular nation did something that they have come to believe is wrong, they might potentially be correct in speaking against it when it is done by others. For that to be genuine, however, there must be true contrition – an admission of guilt coupled with acts of reparation and atonement, as well as a strong resolve that such will never be done again. Yet, this is invariably lacking, as much of the world’s leadership climbs on a moral soapbox built on the blood and bones of the victims of their policies while pointing the finger at others.

Indeed, some people claw their way to their position, even through questionable and unethical behaviour. Upon reaching their goal, they say “I have mine, so a pox on you.” They set barriers and barricades to thwart others, create rules to prevent others from making the same achievements, try to rig the system so that their permission is required for advancement, and suddenly and hypocritically condemn in others the same questionable actions that got them to their position. This is not merely an individual phenomenon, but seen in organisations. It is regularly seen in nations.

So often the “developed” nations attempt to force hegemony on other nations, particularly developing nations. A developed nation may have done certain things in its rise to power that it now decides to condemn as wrong, seeking to stop such actions from being done by other nations in their quest for development and national advancement. That is inevitably done under some sort of benevolent-sounding heading, such as environmental protection, human rights, or even peace. Yet, “[the servants of Satan] disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” (II Corinthians 11). The real purpose is power and control. At least in the age of kings and great empires, there was no pretense in the sense of what we see today. Motivation was arguably far more transparent and honest.

Indeed, in the age of kings and great empires in Christendom, for all its faults (for anything human will be flawed), underlying society was at least the firm footing of the Christian faith. Despite human frailty, laws, policies, diplomacy, and even warfare were built on a foundation of the Christian faith. As the Apostles tell us, works without faith are meaningless, and faith without action is no faith at all. Much of the world today has indeed lost its faith and become guided by satanic influences.

What can we do? First, we must learn to separate those things that we can control from those things that we cannot. Even the most powerful men on earth cannot control everything, no matter how they may try. Then we must seek on an individual basis to build our entire lives on the Christian faith. Everything we do, while still recognising our frailty as humans, must flow from the altar of God. We must encourage this in others, both by words and above all by our own example. Since society is comprised of individuals, individual faith and faith-based action can only serve to remove Satan from power and improve society as a whole. This then can improve government and world events. As our Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17.6.) Therefore, “put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6.11.)

Papa-Catholicos Responds to Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Ruling

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 24 June 2022 (NRom)

The recent ruling by the US Supreme Court overturning the famous Roe v Wade decision has said that there is no constitutional, i.e., federal right to abortion in the United States. To those of us around the world of the Holy, Orthodox, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith, this represents a major step forward in the defence of life. However, it is not a complete victory, for the decision now simply seems to rest with the individual states that comprise the United States. Thus abortion will remain legal in many areas, and with great sadness We can only expect that over 1 million unborn children may continue to be murdered (and arguably martyred) within the United States each year. The faithful must continue to pray for this wholesale slaughter to end. At the same time, We reiterate that the faithful must be compassionate to those who are contemplating the sin of abortion so that the love of Christ may indeed turn their hearts. We also pray that neither side of this issue will resort to violence and uncharitable acts against their opponents, for that only deepens the conflict and makes reconciliation and a return to respect for life all the more difficult. Let us give thanks that the American Supreme Court has issued a ruling that is generally supportive of the doctrine of the Christian faith, and let of us continue to pray that society will learn to respect life in the example of Christ. Let us especially pray the rosary, that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin who chose life so that all mankind may have hope of everlasting life may turn the hearts of everyone.

Curia Responds to Requests for Spiritual Guidance on World Military Events

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 18 May 2022 (NRom)

In response to various enquiries, the Patriarchal Curia of the Imperial Roman Church issued a statement earlier today on behalf of the Papa-Catholicos. The statement pertained to three key areas in military action around the world. The first regards trials for alleged war crimes. The second centered on legitimacy of large-scale contributions of war materiel and military-related financial contributions. The third pertained to large-scale military treaty alliance organizations and their potential threat to global security. As always, the Curia provided a concise statement consistent with the traditional doctrine of the Christian faith.  The Curia also urged national leaders to follow the precepts of Christian heritage and doctrine. 

www.statopontificio.org
www.statopontificio.org/irc
www.catholicate.org
www.anglicanritecatholicchurch.org

Response 1

War can bring out both the best and worst traits in humanity. Many fall as victims of man's inhumanity to man. Yet, while some acts do indeed exceed legitimacy under the Just Warfare Doctrine of the Christian faith, the mere existence of an unfortunate or terrible occurrence does not automatically render it a war crime. Soldiers who are carrying out orders for a stated legitimate military purpose cannot be legitimately held criminally or civilly responsible, tried, or punished for alleged war crimes. The exceptions to that are extremely rare and centre on the legitimate, reasonable possibility of such a soldier to be able to know that an act is inherently illegal and be able to prevent it in the inherently chaotic circumstances of warfare. Such greatly exceeds the authority of soldiers in general and would result in a break-down of discipline and hierarchy essential to military operations. Similarly, the question of intent, both on the part of commanders and soldiers, is absolutely essential in determining legitimacy of criminal and civil responsibility for alleged war crimes.  To hold anyone criminally or civilly responsible, to try them, or to inflict punishment of any kind in violation of these precepts for an alleged war crime is itself a grave moral offense and an affront against human dignity, rendering the perpetrators of such trials themselves potentially criminally and civilly responsible.

Response 2 

Nations that engage in large-scale transfer of weapons and other war materiel, as well as significant military funding and other support, no matter the stated purpose, become moral participants in a particular war. Thus they have moral responsibility for the results of their contributions. Such transfers often prolonged killing, suffering, and destruction. Therefore blood stains the hands of nations engaged in such transfers. Furthermore, such transfers, given their scale, if at the detriment of the population of the countries making the transfers, violate a higher objective of a nation to serve and care for the people within their borders who have therefore been placed within their care. 

     The Curia, consistent with the doctrine of the Christian faith, calls upon all nations to be prudent in their support of military actions of other nations that they may choose to do through contributions of weapons, war materiel, and money. Such support should be minimal, if it is even done at all, for their actions tend merely to prolong combat, expand killing, and increase destruction and human suffering.

Response 3

The lessons of the Great War demonstrate the problems of large-scale military assistance treaty organisations. In the Great War, the situation was one of overlapping smaller military alliances that led in short order to a simple regional conflict exploding into the entirety of Europe, even drawing in troops from other parts of the world. Similarly, large-scale military assistance treaty organisations, particularly when they treat an attack on one as an attack on all in all circumstances, have the tremendous potential to allow regional conflict to explode quickly into large-scale warfare. Nations have a responsibility to de-escalate conflicts to which they are a party as much as possible, and to act in ways that are neutral or to de-escalate conflicts not directly involving them and not instead to add fuel to the fire. 

    Also, such treaty organisations have demonstrated their continued willingness to engage in warfare with other nations outside their organisation. The existence of a large-scale treaty organisation may make it very difficult for a nation involved in a conflict with even a single country within that treaty organisation to engage in defensive or retaliatory combat for fear of drawing the entire body of nations within the treaty organisation into the conflict. Therefore, such organisations have the potential to enable one or more of their members to become international military oppressors with relative impunity. 

   Nations have a right to establish their own such organisations in response to other treaty organisations as a matter of legitimate security and self-defense. However, such alliances overall should be avoided and preferably disbanded.

Pontifical Statement on Humanitarian Crisis

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 27 March 2022 (NRom)

The Florentine-Roman Papa is deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. According to the United Nations, ongoing fighting in Ukraine has displaced a large number of people, cut off food, water, sanitation, and medical supplies to millions of people, prompting more than three million others to flee their homes and villages, abandoning their crops and livelihoods. Most of the displaced persons are women and children. If this reaches this UN estimates of up to seven million internally displaced persons and as many as seven million refugees, it would be the largest war-related mass migration since the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, potentially involving up to 20 million people. Meanwhile, the disruption of agriculture in the breadbasket of Europe is also disturbing, with the potential to impact millions of people around the world. 

In response to this ongoing global situation, Papa Rutherford I, Prince of the Romans and Supreme Pontiff of the Anglican Rite of the Catholic Church released the following Apostolic Letter.

Text of the Apostolic Letter "The Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine."

A deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine has displaced millions of people, leaving them completely reliant on humanitarian assistance offered by other nations and the selfless service of various benevolent organisations. Clearly these circumstances involve complex geopolitical issues. It is made worse by responses fueled by emotions such as fear and hate. Faith in Christ has widely been abandoned and replaced with national pride and special interests. Yet, the issues of human rights and human dignity, regardless of national origin or political affiliation remain of paramount importance. We applaud all who have taken steps to ensure proper humanitarian assistance can be delivered.

Insecurity of the Ukrainian civilian population has been magnified by fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has made this crisis more complex than others preceding it. World leaders and individuals must both speak soberly and act intelligently, rather than aggravating the situation. Indeed, leaders and representatives of all the world's civil states are pastorally admonished against inflammatory rhetoric that can only serve to inflame passions, prolong conflict, and worsen the situation overall – especially for the civilian population.

Reasonable and legitimate cooperation is essential. We must focus on a brighter, more peaceful future. Indeed, nation-building takes years to achieve. Sadness, hatred, and vitriol around the world must also be conquered if there is to be enduring peace.

We again express our gratitude to all people, regardless of national origin, that are now demonstrating Christian ideals by helping their fellow human beings and by upholding human rights for all people.

The Book of Ecclesiastes tell us: "Tempus belli, et tempus pacis." There is a time for war and a time for peace. Indeed, there is a time for everything. Let us pray for a just end to the present conflict, that all may seek to do the will of God. Pious prayer is critical for a return to a more peaceful, tolerant world built upon Christian brotherhood. 

Apostolic Letter on Current Acts against Ethnic Groups in Europe, Canada, and the United States

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 19 March 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness the Florentine-Roman Papa released the following Apostolic Letter regarding a growing form of global racism.

Despite all of the laws regarding hate crimes and all the regulations and policies against ethnic discrimination in Europe, Canada, and the United States, the Slavic people in general still find themselves without the same protection and consideration afforded to many others. This in itself shows a deep hypocrisy within the social justice framework of today.

Arbitrary targeting of others based on their heritage and ethnicity once again is widely seen in Europe, Canada, and the United States. In recent decades, it was directed against Muslims, using the attacks of 11 September 2001 as an excuse. In the past two years, it was directed against Asians, using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse. Government, the media, and even society at large condemned those sentiments and actions. 

Now it is Russophobia that is seen, using the military conflict in Ukraine as an excuse. Yet in this case, it is fueled by statements and actions of media, government, and society. Echoing the actions against Muslims and Asians, but arguably to a much higher level, Russians and people of Russian heritage in Europe and the United States have been widely targeted for discrimination, harassment, theft, vandalism, threats, and other teenager-like, emotionally driven, acts fueled by hate and ignorance. Jobs have been lost, property vandalized, rent raised, businesses boycotted, and more, simply based on ethnicity.

Ironically, many of the people targeted by this Russophobia are in fact Ukrainian – the very people in whose favour these bigots claim to be acting. This underscores the fallacy and small-minded nature of taking action against others based on their real or perceived ethnicity or based on their real or perceived associations and beliefs. Those who preach freedom betray their own hypocrisy through their hate-filled actions. Those who claim love of humanity, but single out part of God’s diversity of humanity again betray their own hypocrisy.

Those who engage in or silently tolerate this current round of bigotry should consider the following: Before it was the Muslims. Then it was the Asians. Now it is the Russians and those perceived to be Russian. In a society that tolerates bigotry, next time it may be you and your culture that society decides to target. Then who will stand for you?

Archfather Releases Encyclical on Russia-NATO Conflict

By Staff 

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 30 Jan 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness Papa Rutherford I released the following Encyclical on the ongoing Russia-NATO tensions. It is available below in Italian, English, Spanish, and French. 

Given on the feast of Saint Charles I, King and Martyr

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

    La pace deve essere l'obiettivo di ogni nazione legittima. La situazione in corso tra la Russia e la coalizione NATO sottolinea questo fatto. Le guerre sono purtroppo inevitabili, dato lo stato di decadenza dell'umanità. Tuttavia questo da solo non è una ragione legittima per partecipare in o minacciare una guerra. Alcune guerre possono essere giuste, mentre altre, invece no. E, la forza può essere uno strumento legittimo per mantenere la pace. Tuttavia, le nazioni non devono assumere il punto di vista di essere sempre nel giusto, anche utilizzando giustificazioni come i propri interessi o concetti come la libertà e la liberazione. Il mondo non è davvero così semplice come molti vorrebbero credere. Questo è più facile da vedere se si fa un passo indietro, e ci si eleva e si guarda la totalità con una visione cristiana. Sono le leggi di Cristo ed i precetti della Sua Santa Chiesa che determinano il bene ed il male, non le leggi ed i capricci mutevoli ed egoistici dell'umanità.

Le nazioni devono avere il coraggio di rifiutarsi di onorare gli obblighi dei trattati di mutuo sostegno militare quando tale azione è moralmente sbagliata e potrebbe potenzialmente portare ad un'escalation di massa ed ad un danno diffuso agli individui. Se vari accordi di questo tipo non fossero stati onorati all'inizio del XX secolo, allora forse l'orrore, la devastazione, e la distruzione della Grande Guerra avrebbero potuto essere evitati.

    Per lavorare verso la pace, ogni nazione non deve semplicemente cercare i propri interessi autodeterminati, ma tentare seriamente di vedere la prospettiva degli altri e riconoscere che le altre nazioni hanno il diritto alla propria sicurezza ed ai propri interessi legittimi. Il solo fatto di avere una presenza, fisica o finanziaria, in un altro paese non dà intrinsecamente il diritto di controllare o interferire negli affari di quell'altro paese.

    Gli esseri umani vedono i difetti negli altri, ma così spesso non li vediamo in noi stessi. Per esempio, la politica militare americana di lunga data è quella di mantenere il conflitto armato "laggiù" come mezzo per proteggere il territorio americano. Tuttavia, "laggiù" è intrinsecamente il territorio di qualcun altro, e le persone che vivono lì hanno lo stesso diritto alla protezione ed alla sicurezza ed ad agire in modo appropriato a questi fini.

    Le persone hanno comprensibilmente le proprie lenti attraverso le quali vedono il mondo, e questo è una sfida di crescita personale che dovrebbe essere superata. Questo diventa particolarmente vero nelle nazioni che sono costruite non sulla storia o sull'etnia, ma su una filosofia, perché il mantenimento di quella filosofia, indipendentemente dalla verità, inevitabilmente colora i punti di vista e le azioni. Questo porta ad una grossa ipocrisia e doppiezza. L'ignoranza, spesso alimentata dall'odio e dalla propaganda, peggiora ulteriormente ogni situazione tesa internazionale.

    Ciò che è necessario ora è un abbandono globale del nazionalismo ed un'adozione dei principi cristiani. Ciò di cui c'è bisogno ora è un senso di fratellanza, non una brinkmanship al vetriolo. Una nazione non può criticare le altre nazioni per quello che se stessa fa. Le nazioni più grandi e più potenti devono accettare la responsabilità che deriva da quel potere di non abusarne e di non usarlo semplicemente per imporre i propri desideri agli altri. Un invito a partecipare al conflitto armato non deve necessariamente essere accettato. Le nazioni devono avere il coraggio di allontanarsi da uno scontro piuttosto che intensificarlo. Le nazioni in uno stato di disaccordo e di discussione devono cercare di vedere e capire la prospettiva degli altri e riconoscere che ciò che uno rivendica come un diritto per se stesso è, se fosse infatti un diritto legittimo, anche un diritto dell'altra parte.

    Nella Nostra carica Noi non siamo parziale e non prediamo le parte di qualsiasi nazione. Benediciamo la pace, non la guerra. La difesa è un argomento legittimo, ma che la parola "difesa" non sia usata a vanvera o sfruttata per altri scopi. Che non sia la paura a governare. Cosa ci guadagna una nazione a vincere una guerra per i propri fini, ma a perdere l'anima di tante persone? Infatti, le persone dall'altra parte di qualsiasi confine devono essere considerate nostri fratelli e sorelle se vogliamo considerarci cristiani veri.

    Ora andiamo avanti in pace. Preghiamo per la pace e per la comprensione tra tutti i capi mondiali, affinché tutte le nazioni possano servire il loro popolo sull'esempio di Cristo. Modelliamo il comportamento che desideriamo vedere promuovendo la pace e la comprensione di altre persone in altre nazioni invece di favorire l'odio e la divisione. Cristo sulla Santa Croce ha davvero molto più potere di conquistare il mondo che persino la nazione più potente.

ENGLISH:

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

    Peace must be the goal of any legitimate nation. The ongoing situation between Russia and the NATO coalition underscores this fact. Wars are unfortunately inevitable, given the fallen state of mankind. Yet that alone is not a legitimate reason for participating in or threatening war. Some wars may be just, while others are not. And, strength can be a legitimate tool to maintain peace. Yet, nations must not take the viewpoint that they are always right, even by using justifications such as their own interests or concepts such as liberation and freedom. The world is indeed not as simple as many would like to believe. This is easier to see if one steps back, rises above, and looks at the totality with a Christian overview. It is the laws of Christ and the precepts of His Holy Church that determine right and wrong, not the laws and ever-changing, self-serving whims of mankind.

    Nations must have the courage to refuse to honour treaty obligations of mutual military support when such action is morally wrong and could potentially lead to mass escalation and widespread harm to individuals. Had various such agreements not been honoured in the early 20th century, then perhaps the horror, devastation, and destruction of the Great War could have been avoided.

    In order to work towards peace, each nation must not merely seek its own self-determined interests, but attempt in earnest to see the perspective of others and acknowledge that other nations have the right to their own security and their own legitimate interests. Merely having a presence, whether it is physical or financial, in another country does not inherently give a right to control or interfere in the affairs of that other country.

    Human beings see faults in others, but so often we do not see them in ourselves. For purposes of illustration, long-standing American military policy is to keep the armed conflict “over there” as a means of protecting the American homeland. However, “over there” is intrinsically someone else’s homeland, and the people who live there have the same right to protection and security and to act appropriately to those ends.

    People understandably have their own lens through which they see the world, which is a challenge of personal growth that should be overcome. This becomes especially true in nations that are built not on history or ethnicity, but on a philosophy, for the maintenance of that philosophy, no matter the truth, inevitably colours viewpoints and actions. This leads to gross hypocrisy and duplicity. Ignorance, often fueled by hatred and propaganda, further worsens any tense international situation.

    What is needed now is a global abandonment of nationalism and an adoption of Christian principles. What is needed now is a sense of brotherhood, not vitriolic brinkmanship. A nation cannot criticise other nations for doing what it does itself. Larger nations and more powerful nations must accept the responsibility that comes with that power not to abuse it and not to use it simply to force their own desires on others. An invitation to participate in armed conflict need not necessarily be accepted. Nations must have the courage to walk away from a fight rather than escalate it. Nations in a state of disagreement and argument must seek to see and understand the perspective of others and to acknowledge that what one claims as a right for oneself is, if it is a legitimate right at all, likewise a right of the other party.

    We in Our office take no sides. We bless peace, not war. Defence is a legitimate argument, but let the word “defence” not be used idly or be exploited for other purposes. Let not fear govern. What does it profit a nation to win a war for its own ends, but lose the souls of so many people? Indeed, the people on the other side of any border must be considered our brothers and sisters if we are to consider ourselves Christians.

    Now let us go forth in peace. Let us pray for peace and understanding among all world leaders, that all nations may serve their people in the example of Christ. Let us model the behaviour that we wish to see by ourselves promoting peace and understanding of other people in other nations instead of furthering hatred and division. Christ on the Cross indeed has far more power to conquer the world than even the most powerful nation.

CASTELLANO:

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

    La paz debe ser el objetivo de toda nación legítima. La situación actual entre Rusia y la coalición de la OTAN pone de manifiesto este hecho. Las guerras son, por desgracia, inevitables, dado el estado caído de la humanidad. Sin embargo, esto por sí solo no es una razón legítima para participar o amenazar con una guerra. Algunas guerras pueden ser justas, mientras que otras no lo son. Y la fuerza puede ser una herramienta legítima para mantener la paz. Sin embargo, las naciones no deben considerar que siempre tienen la razón, incluso utilizando justificaciones como sus propios intereses o conceptos como la libertad y la liberación. El mundo no es tan sencillo como muchos quieren creer. Esto es más fácil de ver si se da un paso atrás, y se levanta y mira la totalidad con una visión cristiana. Son las leyes de Cristo y los preceptos de su Santa Iglesia los que determinan el bien y el mal, no las leyes y los caprichos cambiantes y egoístos de la humanidad.

    Las naciones deben tener la valentía de negarse a cumplir las obligaciones de los tratados de apoyo militar mutuo cuando dicha acción es moralmente incorrecta y podría conducir a una escalada masiva y a un daño generalizado a las personas. Si no se hubieran cumplido varios de estos acuerdos a principios del siglo XX, tal vez se hubiera evitado el horror, la devastación y la destrucción de la Gran Guerra.

    Para trabajar por la paz, cada nación no debe limitarse a buscar sus propios intereses, sino que debe intentar seriamente ver la perspectiva de los demás y reconocer que otras naciones tienen derecho a su propia seguridad e intereses legítimos. El mero hecho de tener una presencia, física o financiera, en otro país no otorga intrínsecamente el derecho a controlar o interferir en los asuntos de ese otro país.

    Los seres humanos vemos los defectos de los demás, pero muchas veces no los vemos en nosotros mismos. Por ejemplo, la política militar estadounidense de larga data consiste en mantener el conflicto armado "allá" como medio de proteger el territorio estadounidense. Sin embargo, "allá" es intrínsecamente un territorio ajeno, y las personas que lo habitan tienen el mismo derecho a la protección y la seguridad y a actuar adecuadamente con estos fines.

    Es comprensible que las personas tengan sus propias lentes a través de las cuales ven el mundo, y esto es un reto de crecimiento personal que debe ser superado. Esto es especialmente cierto en las naciones que se construyen no sobre la historia o la etnia, sino sobre una filosofía, porque el mantenimiento de esa filosofía, independientemente de la verdad, inevitablemente colorea las opiniones y las acciones. Esto conduce a una gran hipocresía y duplicidad. La ignorancia, a menudo alimentada por el odio y la propaganda, empeora cualquier situación internacional tensa.

    Lo que se necesita ahora es un abandono global del nacionalismo y una adopción de los principios cristianos. Lo que se necesita ahora es un sentido de hermandad, no de brinkmanship vitriólico. Una nación no puede criticar a otras naciones por lo que hace ella misma. Las naciones más grandes y poderosas deben aceptar la responsabilidad que conlleva ese poder de no abusar de él y de no utilizarlo simplemente para imponer sus propios deseos a los demás. No es necesario aceptar una invitación a participar en un conflicto armado. Las naciones deben tener el valor de alejarse de una confrontación en lugar de intensificarla. Las naciones en estado de desacuerdo y discusión deben tratar de ver y comprender la perspectiva de los demás y reconocer que lo que uno reclama como un derecho para sí mismo es, si fuera de hecho un derecho legítimo, también un derecho de la otra parte.

    En Nuestro cargo Nosotros no somos parciales y no tomamos partido por ninguna nación. Bendecimos la paz, no la guerra. La defensa es un tema legítimo, pero que la palabra "defensa" no se utilice en vano ni se aproveche para otros fines. Que no gobierne el miedo. ¿Qué gana una nación ganando una guerra para sus propios fines, pero perdiendo las almas de tantas personas? De hecho, las personas del otro lado de cualquier frontera deben ser consideradas nuestros hermanos y hermanas si queremos considerarnos verdaderos cristianos.

    Ahora avancemos en paz. Recemos por la paz y el entendimiento entre todos los líderes mundiales, para que todas las naciones sirvan a sus pueblos a ejemplo de Cristo. Modelemos el comportamiento que deseamos ver promoviendo la paz y el entendimiento entre los pueblos de otras naciones en lugar de fomentar el odio y la división. Cristo en la Santa Cruz tiene realmente más poder para conquistar el mundo que incluso la nación más poderosa.

FRANÇAIS:

Laudetur Jesus Christus!

    La paix doit être l'objectif de toute nation légitime. La situation actuelle entre la Russie et la coalition de l'OTAN souligne ce fait. Les guerres sont, malheureusement, inévitables, étant donné l'état déchu de l'humanité. Toutefois, cela ne constitue pas à lui seul une raison légitime d'engager ou de menacer une guerre. Certaines guerres peuvent être justes, d'autres non. Et la force peut être un outil légitime pour maintenir la paix. Cependant, les nations ne doivent pas considérer qu'elles ont toujours raison, même en utilisant des justifications telles que l'intérêt personnel ou des concepts tels que la liberté et la libération. Le monde n'est pas aussi simple que beaucoup voudraient le croire. Il est plus facile de s'en rendre compte si l'on prend du recul, si l'on se redresse et si l'on regarde l'ensemble avec une vision chrétienne. Ce sont les lois du Christ et les préceptes de sa Sainte Église qui déterminent le bien et le mal, et non les lois et les caprices changeantes et égoïstes de l'humanité.

    Les nations doivent avoir le courage de refuser de remplir les obligations de soutien militaire mutuel prévues par les traités lorsqu'une telle action est moralement inacceptable et pourrait conduire à une escalade massive et à des dommages considérables pour les populations. Si plusieurs de ces accords n'avaient pas été respectés au début du XXe siècle, l'horreur, la devastation, et la destruction de la Grande Guerre auraient pu être évitées.

    Pour œuvrer en faveur de la paix, chaque nation ne doit pas simplement veiller à ses propres intérêts, mais doit sérieusement essayer de voir la perspective des autres et reconnaître que les autres nations ont droit à leur propre sécurité et à leurs intérêts légitimes. Le simple fait d'avoir une présence, physique ou financière, dans un autre pays ne confère pas en soi le droit de contrôler ou d'interférer dans les affaires de cet autre pays.

    Les êtres humains voient les défauts des autres, mais ne les voient souvent pas en eux-mêmes. Par exemple, la politique militaire américaine de longue date consiste à maintenir un conflit armé "là-bas" comme moyen de protéger le territoire américain. Cependant, "là-bas" est par nature le territoire de quelqu'un d'autre, et les personnes qui l'habitent ont un droit égal à la protection et à la sécurité et à agir de manière appropriée à ces fins.

    Il est compréhensible que chacun ait sa propre vision du monde, et c'est un défi de croissance personnelle qui doit être relevé. Cela est particulièrement vrai dans les nations qui ne sont pas construites sur l'histoire ou l'ethnicité, mais sur une philosophie, car le maintien de cette philosophie, indépendamment de la vérité, colore inévitablement les opinions et les actions. Cela conduit à une grande hypocrisie et duplicité. L'ignorance, souvent alimentée par la haine et la propagande, aggrave toute situation internationale tendue.

    Ce qu'il faut maintenant, c'est un abandon mondial du nationalisme et l'adoption des principes chrétiens. Ce dont nous avons besoin aujourd'hui, c'est d'un sentiment de fraternité, et non d'une confrontation vitriolée. Une nation ne peut pas critiquer les autres nations pour ce qu'elle fait elle-même. Les nations les plus grandes et les plus puissantes doivent accepter la responsabilité qui accompagne ce pouvoir, à savoir ne pas en abuser et ne pas l'utiliser simplement pour imposer leurs propres désirs aux autres. Il n'est pas nécessaire d'accepter une invitation pour s'engager dans un conflit armé. Les nations doivent avoir le courage de s'éloigner d'une confrontation plutôt que de l'aggraver. Les nations en situation de désaccord et de mésentente doivent essayer de voir et de comprendre le point de vue des autres et reconnaître que ce que l'on revendique comme un droit pour soi est, s'il s'agit en fait d'un droit légitime, également un droit de l'autre partie.

    Dans Notre charge, Nous n'avons pas de parti pris et Nous ne prenons pas parti pour une quelconque nation. Nous bénissons la paix, pas la guerre. La défense est une question légitime, mais que le mot "défense" ne soit pas utilisé en vain ou exploité à d'autres fins. Qu'est-ce qu'une nation gagne en gagnant une guerre à ses propres fins, mais en perdant les âmes de tant de personnes? En effet, les personnes qui se trouvent de l'autre côté de n'importe quelle frontière doivent être considérées comme nos frères et sœurs si nous voulons nous considérer comme de vrais chrétiens.

    Avançons maintenant en paix. Prions pour la paix et la compréhension entre tous les chefs de gouvernement du monde, afin que toutes les nations servent leur peuple à l'exemple du Christ. Donnons l'exemple du comportement que nous souhaitons voir promouvoir la paix et la compréhension entre les peuples d'autres nations plutôt que d'encourager la haine et la division. Le Christ sur la Sainte Croix a vraiment plus de pouvoir pour conquérir le monde que la nation la plus puissante.

Anglo-Roman Holy Father Condemns the Sale of Afghan Girls into Marriage

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 21 Nov 2021 (NRom)

The following is a Patriarchal letter from His Holiness Papa Rutherford I regarding the situation of the selling of child brides in Afghanistan. This follows earlier statements by the Archfather on the human rights situation following the withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan. 

Laudetur Jesus Christus! 

     Dear brethren, the vacuum of power left in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States and other nations, which allowed the violent return to power of the Taliban, has serious human rights consequences. On this we have already spoken, and indeed many of the world leaders of civil states have turned a deaf ear to the suffering of many. 

     Today, We wish to address a specific issue of human rights in Afghanistan, namely that of the selling of child brides. This ghastly and unfathomable practice is the result largely of the economic tur-moil created by the withdrawal of United States and coalition forces and the return to power of the Taliban. Those who were poor before now find themselves in even worse conditions, faced with making terrible choices. Others are recently impoverished due to the circum-stances and likewise find themselves making terrible choices. Many of the poor are selling their daughters, sometimes as young as seven or eight, into marriage. Some of them are destined for foreign countries. These girls are obviously, at that age, completely unaware of the circumstances of the arrangement. The practice is completely appalling and a violation of human rights, the dignity of mankind, and the sanctity of matrimony.

     Although we can be sympathetic to the crushing conditions that are resulting in fathers selling their child daughters into marriage, we nevertheless cannot approve of the practice. The blame must primarily lie, however, with those that put Afghan families into the economic conditions in the first place. That is the Taliban, as well as the Coalition forces that withdrew from Afghanistan, taking all of their protective capabilities with them.

     This is a crisis that good people cannot ignore. Therefore, We call upon all Christian people of the world to petition their civil governments through legal means to take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and dignity of those in Afghanistan impacted by recent economic decline. Furthermore, We call upon all Christian people of Coalition nations to petition their civil governments through legal means to take full and complete responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

Chinese Whistleblower Dying in Prison - Archfather Urges Freedom

By Jean DuBois

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 7 Nov 2021 (NRom) 

The imprisonment of Zhang Zhan, a Chinese attorney and citizen-journalist, raised significant humanitarian concerns around the world. She released over 100 YouTube videos of the circumstances in Wuhan, China that led to the global pandemic. The Chinese government attempted to silence her, eventually giving her a four year sentence on a flimsy pretext. She is currently in poor health and at risk of death in prison. His Holiness and Eminence Papa Rutherford I issued a statement today on the situation. The Anglo-Roman Holy Father urged the Chinese government to release her immediately. The full text of the statement is below.

STATEMENT TEXT

     We are compelled by brotherly love for humanity to speak about what can only be called a human rights violation perpetrated by the government of China. Our curial officials made Us aware that a Chinese citizen and attorney Zhang Zhan was prosecuted and jailed for filming and publicising the occurrences in Wuhan that ultimately led to the current global pandemic. The Chinese government exploited its legal system to arrest her and imprison her, imposing a four-year sentence. She engaged in a hunger strike as an act of protest, at times being force fed by prison officials. This has taken a toll, understandably, on her health. Particularly given the unjust nature of her imprisonment, this is the direct responsibility of the Chinese government. If she dies in prison or as a result of the ordeal later, the Chinese government will be culpable. Indeed, it has been reported that she is now in very poor health and in danger of dying. Therefore, We call upon the Chinese government to order her immediate release from prison to aid in her recovery to full health. We further encourage that her conviction be overturned and expunged from her record forthwith.