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Now that we are halfway through the Passion season, I invite us to be inspired and join our reflections on the basis of this verse from the Epistle to the Hebrews.<\/p>\n
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.<\/strong> (Hebrews 12:1 – New American Standard Bible, adapted)<\/p>\n We will talk about the burdens of today’s world, about historical misunderstandings, about the Council of Nicaea, but also about the clouds of unexpected witnesses who help us to persevere.<\/p>\n I have chosen this first verse of chapter 12 of the Epistle to the Hebrews as a starting point because it is the theme that the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) has chosen for its next General Council in October this year in Thailand: \u2018persevere in your witness\u2019<\/em>. In view of the main political events in our world in recent months, it seemed to me that the WCRC had grasped something important about finding the right response to all these events. The reference to the great cloud of witnesses around us is a valuable reminder, because these witnesses are generally much more directly exposed than we are to the tragedies and heartbreaks of this world. For us at the FAP, it is important to always bear in mind that we are linked to a cloud, that our Franco-Swiss context is a very small stone in the Christian mosaic. Our perseverance is useful to that of others.<\/p>\n This leads me to share with you some reading material that I have been doing recently and which both substantiates and expresses the essence of the reaction that I propose.<\/p>\n The first comes from the WCRC. I invite you to read or at least browse the Handbook<\/em> it has published on its website in preparation for this Assembly, which brings together seven relatively brief and pointed, and therefore controversial, texts that express the pain of this world but also of the Church, which is at once witness, victim and sometimes accomplice of these divisions. At the end of its last physical meeting in May 2024 in the United States, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a few months before the US presidential election, the WCRC Executive Committee had issued a troubled and troubling message, an extract of which is given here<\/p>\n We, the Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, find ourselvesreturned to Calvin University,\u2026and into a U.S. reality which is troubling. Christian nationalism, rising authoritarianism, and the scourge of racism are tearing at the very core of this nation. Deeply intertwined with each other, these three matters must be confronted with honesty and openness, a willingness to accept their hard truths and challenges. The U.S. strain of Christian nationalism is particularly virulent as it includes the supreme confidence that God is on the side of the U.S., that their \u201cbattles\u201d are one. Authoritarian impulses bleed from this belief, with an unholy goal of restricting participation to the \u201cchosen\u201d few. Racism runs deeply throughout U.S. society, the unresolved repercussions of slavery and segregation most prominent, but the discrimination of all black and brown bodies who find themselves in the country or at its border must not be neglected. The unresolved legacy and impact of the colonial project as it relates to Indigenous peoples continues to be a stain on many of our communities as does the lack of intention to engage in meaningful dialogue. This is a wound desperately in need of healing<\/em>.<\/p>\n Now more than ever, we need perseverance to continue healing the wounds in the new context in which we are. Just one example among hundreds of possible ones: here in Switzerland, one of our long-standing partners, HEKS, lost 7.5 million dollars in one day that it had been entrusted by USAID for its programs in Ukraine, Congo and Ethiopia. It had to lay off 100 employees in these countries.<\/p>\n What has been happening in the world recently should make us think about our relationship with those in power. In the blog of Graham Tomlin, Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness and former Bishop of Kensington, I recently read the following:<\/p>\n After years of polarised politics, nepotism from previous rulers and disputed claims to power, an unpredictable and egotistical leader believes that God had saved him to make the nation great again. He is acclaimed as the most powerful leader in the world and instantly surprises everyone by issuing a raft of disruptive new measures to radically change the way society functions and announces that he is going to target anti-Christian bias in society. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Sounds familiar? <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>No, it\u2019s not Donald Trump. It is the fourth century ruler of the Roman empire \u2013 Constantine the Great. And the parallels are striking. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>Constantine, the son of a Roman general and a Balkan barmaid, was the first Christian Roman emperor. Before then, all emperors were pagans, worshipping the Greek and Roman gods. In the early 300s AD, \u2026after years of political infighting within the empire, Constantine marched on the capital and defeated his enemy Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian Bridge outside Rome. Just before the battle, Constantine had a dream in which he saw a sign of something that looked like a cross in the sky, with the tagline \u201cin this sign, conquer\u201d. From that time onwards, he believed that God had chosen him for this direct purpose \u2013 to bring peace to the empire by conquering its enemies, internal and external, under the banner of Christianity. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>After his accession Constantine, like Trump, introduced new economic policies to reverse rampant inflation, restructured government, and strengthened military capacity to deter the empire\u2019s enemies. He also started to give privileges to the \u2026 Christians. Paganism,\u2026was increasingly relegated to second place. Churches were granted land on which to build new edifices, and gatherings of Christian leaders became commonplace, some of which he presided over, such as the Council of Nicaea which took place in 325 AD,\u2026Crucifixion was abolished as a form of execution. Sunday became a weekly holiday, pagan practices were outlawed in public. .Was he a genuine Christian, wanting to advance the faith by giving the church a good run at converting the empire?… Certainly, at the time, many Christians were delighted, enjoying their new privileges and access to the imperial court like wide-eyed pastors invited to the White House. Eusebius, the great historian of the early church wrote: \u201cin every city the victorious emperor published decrees full of humanity and laws that gave proof of munificence and true piety. All tyranny had been purged away.\u201d It could be the voice of a Southern Baptist. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>Yet on the other hand, Constantine was irascible, unpredictable and vindictive. He had his second wife, three brothers-in-law, his eldest son and his father-in-law executed. …Was he cynically using the growing cultural force of Christianity to bring unity to a divided and fragmenting empire? Some historians suggest that \u2026. Constantine was exactly the kind of military messiah that first century Jews had expected, yet one totally different from the crucified rabbi from Nazareth. He certainly promoted the Christian faith \u2026 Yet, there is little mention of Jesus in Constantine\u2019s religion. He sometimes seems to have thought of himself as the Saviour of the Church rather than Christ, with the watershed of history not in the first century with the \u2026 the Resurrection of Jesus, but in the fourth century with his own victory over Maxentius.\u2026. The Christian church was originally a counter-cultural movement, offering a radical new vision of life, \u2026centered on the crucified Jesus. After Constantine, Christianity became centered on a majestic ruler of the heavens and the earth. Christ the Pantokrator, the image of Christ in glory \u2026 replaced images of Christ on the cross. This was, they suggest, not Constantine being formed into the image of Christ, but Christ being conformed to the image of Constantine. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n There are of course other elements to be emphasized in commemorating this first Council, but it is striking to see it coincides with the rise to power of a pseudo-Christian ideology such as that of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n The churches in the USA are distraught because they too are deeply divided, even the most progressive ones. Some have taken the new administration to court for violating laws and agreements regarding church-run migrant accommodation programs. On 6 March, representatives of all the churches and religions in the USA came to protest outside the Supreme Court building.<\/p>\n Resistance, resilience and perseverance. <\/strong> %22An appeal launched by clergymen and laymen of the Russian Orthodox Church who, while remaining in Russia, refuse to take part in the war.<\/em><\/strong> This is followed by a series of eight statements on fundamental elements of the Christian faith, updated in the context of the war against Ukraine, in which this group dismantles and challenges the religious justification of the war against Ukraine, which can be read and heard in Russia, in the Russian Orthodox Church in particular%913%93<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n And then, a few days ago, there was also this video of Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington, which was all the rage during the church service on the day of D. Trump’s inauguration: she says this:<\/p>\n %22Hello friends, this is Bishop Mariann.<\/em> I have been away from social media for a while, but I wanted to reach out to you again to say thank you…I believe that there is a spirit in this country of love and goodness that is larger than all of us. And that it is a time to rally around one another, to lift one another up, and to hold on to what is good for us and what is good for our country. I believe we can do this.<\/em> To conclude, t<\/strong>his Coldplay song , or rather this prayer:<\/p>\n We pray (2024) And so we pray I pray that love will shelter us from our fears And so we pray On my knees, I pray, as I sleep and wake And so we pray La-la-la, la-la, la-la (La-la) \u00a0<\/p>\n %911%93<\/a><\/span> https:\/\/www.seenandunseen.com\/trump-new-constantine-hes-no-saviour<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n %912%93<\/a><\/span> https:\/\/noek.info\/hintergrund\/3646-christus-und-dem-evangelium-treu-bleiben<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n %913%93<\/a><\/span> 1.<\/em> ON GOD: On the commandment \u2018Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain\u2019, in <\/strong><\/em>which there is a sharp rebuke of \u2018not only politicians and journalists, but also ministers of the church who use the name of God in their rhetoric, unhesitatingly commanding God . . . which of the earthly rulers He should support.<\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\n ” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Arriv\u00e9s \u00e0 mi-chemin du temps de la Passion, je vous propose de nous laisser inspirer et d\u2019associer nos r\u00e9flexions \u00e0 partir de ce verset de l\u2019\u00e9p\u00eetre aux H\u00e9breux.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Nous donc aussi, puisque nous sommes environn\u00e9s d’une si grande nu\u00e9e de t\u00e9moins, rejetons tout fardeau, et le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 qui nous enveloppe si facilement, et courons avec pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance la course qui nous est propos\u00e9e.<\/span><\/strong> (H\u00e9breux 12.1 – Louis Segond adapt\u00e9)<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Nous parlons des fardeaux du monde actuel, de quiproquo historique, du Concile de Nic\u00e9e, mais aussi de nu\u00e9es de t\u00e9moins inattendus qui nous aident \u00e0 pers\u00e9v\u00e9rer. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>J\u2019ai choisi ce premier verset du chapitre 12 de l\u2019\u00e9pitre aux H\u00e9breux comme point de d\u00e9part pour ce matin parce que c\u2019est le th\u00e8me que la Communion Mondiale d\u2019\u00c9glise R\u00e9form\u00e9es CMER a choisi pour sa prochaine Assembl\u00e9e g\u00e9n\u00e9rale en octobre de cette ann\u00e9e en Tha\u00eflande\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0pers\u00e9v\u00e8re dans ton t\u00e9moignage\u00a0\u00bb. Au vu des principaux \u00e9v\u00e9nements politiques de notre monde depuis quelques mois, il m\u2019a sembl\u00e9 que la CMER avait capt\u00e9 quelque chose d\u2019important pour trouver la bonne r\u00e9action \u00e0 tous ces \u00e9v\u00e9nements. La r\u00e9f\u00e9rence \u00e0 la grande nu\u00e9e de t\u00e9moins qui nous entoure est un rappel pr\u00e9cieux, parce que ces t\u00e9moins sont en g\u00e9n\u00e9ral bien plus directement expos\u00e9s que nous aux trag\u00e9dies et d\u00e9chirures de ce monde. Pour nous \u00e0 la FAP, il est important d\u2019avoir toujours \u00e0 l\u2019esprit que nous sommes li\u00e9s \u00e0 une nu\u00e9e, que notre contexte franco-suisse est une toute petite pierre de la mosa\u00efque chr\u00e9tienne. Notre pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance \u00e0 nous est utile \u00e0 celle des autres. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Cela m\u2019am\u00e8ne \u00e0 partager avec vous quelques lectures que j\u2019ai faites ces derniers temps et qui \u00e0 la fois fondent et expriment l\u2019essentiel de la r\u00e9action que je propose. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>La premi\u00e8re vient justement de la CMER. Je vous invite \u00e0 lire ou au moins feuilleter le manuel (Handbook<\/em>) qu\u2019elle a publi\u00e9 sur son site pour la pr\u00e9paration de cette Assembl\u00e9e, qui rassemble sept textes relativement brefs et pointus, donc controvers\u00e9s, qui expriment les douleurs de ce monde mais aussi de l\u2019\u00c9glise, \u00e0 la fois t\u00e9moin, victime et parfois complice de ces d\u00e9chirures. \u00c0 l\u2019issue de sa derni\u00e8re r\u00e9union physique en mai 2024 aux \u00c9tats-Unis, \u00e0 Grand Rapids \/Michigan, quelques mois avant la pr\u00e9sidentielle am\u00e9ricaine, le Comit\u00e9 directeur de la CMR avait publi\u00e9 un message troubl\u00e9 et troublant, dont voici un extrait\u00a0: <\/span><\/p>\n Nous, le Comit\u00e9 ex\u00e9cutif de la Communion mondiale d’\u00c9glises r\u00e9form\u00e9es, sommes de retour \u00e0 l’Universit\u00e9 Calvin de Gd Rapids \u2026.., et dans une r\u00e9alit\u00e9 am\u00e9ricaine troublante. Le nationalisme chr\u00e9tien, la mont\u00e9e de l’autoritarisme et le fl\u00e9au du racisme d\u00e9chirent le c\u0153ur m\u00eame de cette nation. Profond\u00e9ment imbriqu\u00e9es les unes dans les autres, ces trois questions doivent \u00eatre abord\u00e9es avec honn\u00eatet\u00e9 et ouverture, avec la volont\u00e9 d’accepter leurs dures v\u00e9rit\u00e9s et les d\u00e9fis qu’elles posent. La souche am\u00e9ricaine du nationalisme chr\u00e9tien est particuli\u00e8rement virulente car elle inclut la confiance supr\u00eame que Dieu est du c\u00f4t\u00e9 des \u00c9tats-Unis, que leurs \u00abbatailles\u00bb ne font qu’un. Des impulsions autoritaires d\u00e9coulent de cette croyance, dans le but inavouable de limiter la participation \u00e0 quelques \u00ab \u00e9lus \u00bb. Le racisme est profond\u00e9ment ancr\u00e9 dans la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 am\u00e9ricaine, les r\u00e9percussions non r\u00e9solues de l’esclavage et de la s\u00e9gr\u00e9gation \u00e9tant les plus importantes, mais la discrimination de tous les corps noirs et bruns qui se trouvent dans le pays ou \u00e0 sa fronti\u00e8re ne doit pas \u00eatre n\u00e9glig\u00e9e. L’h\u00e9ritage et l’impact non r\u00e9solus du projet colonial en ce qui concerne les peuples indig\u00e8nes continuent d’entacher nombre de nos communaut\u00e9s, tout comme l’absence d’intention d’engager un dialogue constructif. Il s’agit d’une blessure qui a d\u00e9sesp\u00e9r\u00e9ment besoin d’\u00eatre soign\u00e9e.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em>Nous avons plus besoin que jamais de pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance pour continuer \u00e0 soigner les blessures dans le nouveau contexte o\u00f9 nous sommes. Un seul exemple parmi des centaines possibles\u00a0: ici en Suisse, un de nos partenaires historiques, l\u2019EPER, a perdu en un jour 7,5 millions de Dollars que lui confiait USAID pour ses programmes en Ukraine, au Congo et en Ethiopie. Elle a d\u00fb licencier 100 collaborateurs dans ces pays. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Ce qui se passe dans le monde ces derniers temps doit en particulier nous interpeller sur notre relation aux pouvoirs. Dans le blog de Graham Tomlin, Directeur du \u00ab\u00a0Centre pour le t\u00e9moignage culturel\u00a0\u00bb et ancien \u00e9v\u00eaque de Kensington, j\u2019ai pu lire r\u00e9cemment ceci\u00a0: <\/span><\/p>\n Apr\u00e8s des ann\u00e9es de polarisation politique, de n\u00e9potisme de la part des dirigeants pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents et de revendications contest\u00e9es du pouvoir, un dirigeant impr\u00e9visible et \u00e9go\u00efste croit que Dieu l’a sauv\u00e9 pour rendre \u00e0 la nation sa grandeur. Il est acclam\u00e9 comme le dirigeant le plus puissant du monde et surprend instantan\u00e9ment tout le monde en publiant une s\u00e9rie de nouvelles mesures perturbatrices visant \u00e0 changer radicalement le mode de fonctionnement de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 et en annon\u00e7ant qu’il va s’attaquer aux pr\u00e9jug\u00e9s anti-chr\u00e9tiens dans la soci\u00e9t\u00e9. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Cela vous rappelle quelque chose ?\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Non, il ne s’agit pas de Donald Trump. Il s’agit du dirigeant de l’empire romain du quatri\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, Constantin le Grand. Et les parall\u00e8les sont frappants.\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Constantin, fils d’un g\u00e9n\u00e9ral romain et d’une serveuse des Balkans, a \u00e9t\u00e9 le premier empereur romain chr\u00e9tien. Auparavant, tous les empereurs \u00e9taient pa\u00efens et v\u00e9n\u00e9raient les dieux grecs et romains\u2026 Apr\u00e8s des ann\u00e9es de luttes politiques intestines au sein de l’empire, Constantin marcha sur la capitale et vainquit son ennemi Maxence lors de la bataille du pont Milvius, \u00e0 l’ext\u00e9rieur de Rome. Juste avant la bataille, Constantin a fait un r\u00eave dans lequel il a vu un signe ressemblant \u00e0 une croix dans le ciel, avec le slogan \u00ab dans ce signe, conqu\u00e9rir \u00bb. D\u00e8s lors, il a cru que Dieu l’avait choisi dans ce but pr\u00e9cis: apporter la paix \u00e0 l’empire en conqu\u00e9rant ses ennemis, int\u00e9rieurs et ext\u00e9rieurs, sous la banni\u00e8re du christianisme. Apr\u00e8s son accession, Constantin, \u00e0 l’instar de Trump, a introduit de nouvelles politiques \u00e9conomiques pour enrayer l’inflation rampante, a restructur\u00e9 le gouvernement et a renforc\u00e9 la capacit\u00e9 militaire pour dissuader les ennemis de l’empire. Il a \u00e9galement commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 accorder des privil\u00e8ges aux chr\u00e9tiens, jusque-l\u00e0 pers\u00e9cut\u00e9s. Le paganisme, religion \u00ab officielle \u00bb de l’empire, a \u00e9t\u00e9 de plus en plus rel\u00e9gu\u00e9 au second plan. Les \u00e9glises se voient accorder des terrains sur lesquels elles peuvent construire de nouveaux \u00e9difices, et les rassemblements de dirigeants chr\u00e9tiens deviennent monnaie courante, dont certains sont pr\u00e9sid\u00e9s par l\u2019Empereur, comme le concile de Nic\u00e9e en 325,(<\/span><\/em>o\u00f9 les 250 \u00e9v\u00eaques sont achemin\u00e9s par les voitures de la poste imp\u00e9riale\u00a0!). La crucifixion fut abolie en tant que forme d’ex\u00e9cution. Le dimanche devient un jour f\u00e9ri\u00e9 hebdomadaire et les pratiques pa\u00efennes sont peu \u00e0 peu interdites en public. \u2026.. Il est certain qu’\u00e0 l’\u00e9poque, de nombreux chr\u00e9tiens \u00e9taient ravis, profitant de leurs nouveaux privil\u00e8ges et de leur acc\u00e8s \u00e0 la cour imp\u00e9riale comme des pasteurs aux yeux \u00e9carquill\u00e9s invit\u00e9s \u00e0 la Maison Blanche. D’un autre c\u00f4t\u00e9, Constantin \u00e9tait irascible, impr\u00e9visible et vindicatif. Il fait ex\u00e9cuter sa seconde femme, trois beaux-fr\u00e8res, son fils a\u00een\u00e9 et son beau-p\u00e8re… Utilisait-il cyniquement la force culturelle croissante du christianisme pour apporter l’unit\u00e9 \u00e0 un empire divis\u00e9 et fragment\u00e9 ?…. Constantin \u00e9tait exactement le type de messie militaire que les Juifs du premier si\u00e8cle attendaient, mais il \u00e9tait totalement diff\u00e9rent du rabbin crucifi\u00e9 de Nazareth. \u2026.Il a certainement promu la foi chr\u00e9tienne et lui a donn\u00e9 de nouvelles libert\u00e9s. Pourtant,\u2026 il est peu question de J\u00e9sus dans la religion de Constantin. Il semble parfois s’\u00eatre consid\u00e9r\u00e9 comme le Sauveur de l’\u00c9glise\u2026 le tournant de l’histoire ne se situant pas <\/em>pour lui au premier si\u00e8cle \u2026 lors de la r\u00e9surrection de J\u00e9sus, mais au quatri\u00e8me si\u00e8cle avec sa propre victoire sur Maxence. \u2026 L’\u00c9glise chr\u00e9tienne \u00e9tait \u00e0 l’origine un mouvement contre-culturel, offrant une vision radicalement nouvelle de la vie, \u2026 et centr\u00e9e sur J\u00e9sus crucifi\u00e9 et ressuscit\u00e9. Apr\u00e8s Constantin, le christianisme s’est centr\u00e9 sur un souverain majestueux des cieux et de la terre. Le Christ Pantocrator, l’image du Christ en gloire \u2026, a remplac\u00e9 les images du Christ sur la croix. (<\/em>Jusque-l\u00e0 le terme de \u00ab\u00a0pantocrator\u00a0\u00bb \u00e9tait r\u00e9serv\u00e9 exclusivement \u00e0 l\u2019Empereur). Ce n’est pas Constantin qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 form\u00e9 \u00e0 l’image du Christ, mais le Christ qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 conform\u00e9 \u00e0 l’image de Constantin<\/em>. [1]<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em>Il y a bien s\u00fbr d\u2019autres \u00e9l\u00e9ments \u00e0 souligner en comm\u00e9morant ce premier Concile, mais il est frappant de le voir co\u00efncider avec l\u2019arriv\u00e9e au pouvoir d\u2019une id\u00e9ologie pseudo-chr\u00e9tienne comme celle de Donald Trump. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Les \u00c9glises aux USA sont d\u00e9sempar\u00e9es parce que profond\u00e9ment divis\u00e9es elles aussi, m\u00eame les plus progressistes. Quelques-unes ont intent\u00e9 un proc\u00e8s \u00e0 la nouvelle administration \u00e0 cause de la violation de lois et d\u2019accord au sujet des programmes d\u2019h\u00e9bergement de migrants par les \u00c9glises. Le 6 mars dernier les repr\u00e9sentants de toutes les \u00c9glises et religions aux USA sont venus protester devant le b\u00e2timent de la Cour supr\u00eame. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>R\u00e9sistance, r\u00e9silience et pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Un autre fort geste d\u2019espoir et de pers\u00e9v\u00e9rance m\u2019a \u00e9t\u00e9 donn\u00e9 en janvier d\u2019une r\u00e9gion et d\u2019une \u00c9glise \u00e0 laquelle on ne se serait pas attendu. Bizarrement, ce message est pass\u00e9 quasi inaper\u00e7u et n\u2019a suscit\u00e9 aucune vague, en tout cas \u00e0 ma connaissance. Il s\u2019agit d\u2019une prise de position intitul\u00e9e \u00ab\u00a0Rester fid\u00e8le au Christ et \u00e0 l\u2019\u00c9vangile\u00a0\u00bb, publi\u00e9e le 7 janvier, jour de No\u00ebl en Russie par un groupe de th\u00e9ologiens et la\u00efcs de\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 l\u2019\u00c9glise orthodoxe russe[2]<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00ab\u00a0Un appel lanc\u00e9 par des eccl\u00e9siastiques et des la\u00efcs de l’\u00c9glise orthodoxe russe qui, tout en restant en Russie, refusent la guerre.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cette profession de foi a \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9dig\u00e9e par des hommes d’\u00c9glise, clercs et la\u00efcs, vivant pour la plupart en Russie, qui se sont vus contraints de renoncer \u00e0 toute r\u00e9f\u00e9rence \u00e0 leur qualit\u00e9 d’auteur. Toute personne qui partage les th\u00e8ses contenues dans ce document et qui est pr\u00eate \u00e0 les transmettre \u00e0 d’autres, que ce soit oralement ou par \u00e9crit, publiquement ou en priv\u00e9, peut se consid\u00e9rer comme participant \u00e0 cet acte de confession. Les ph\u00e9nom\u00e8nes auxquels il est fait r\u00e9f\u00e9rence dans ces th\u00e8ses ont pris de l’ampleur depuis longtemps dans notre \u00c9glise. Le silence des eccl\u00e9siastiques peut \u00eatre per\u00e7u comme une approbation ou une acceptation, et nous n’avons donc pas le droit de nous taire. \u00ab\u00a0Nous, clercs et la\u00efcs, enfants de l’\u00c9glise orthodoxe russe\u2026 croyons et confessons que nous sommes tous appel\u00e9s, quelles que soient les circonstances terrestres et les exigences des d\u00e9tenteurs de pouvoir terrestres, \u00e0 t\u00e9moigner devant le monde de l’enseignement de J\u00e9sus-Christ et \u00e0 toujours rejeter ce qui est incompatible avec l’\u00c9vangile. Aucun objectif ou valeur terrestre ne peut \u00eatre plac\u00e9 par les chr\u00e9tiens au-dessus ou \u00e0 la place de la v\u00e9rit\u00e9 r\u00e9v\u00e9l\u00e9e dans l’enseignement, la vie et la personne de J\u00e9sus-Christ.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em>Il s\u2019en suit une s\u00e9rie de huit affirmations sur des \u00e9l\u00e9ments fondamentaux de la foi chr\u00e9tienne, actualis\u00e9s dans le contexte de la guerre contre l\u2019Ukraine et o\u00f9 ce groupe d\u00e9monte et conteste la justification religieuse de la guerre contre l\u2019Ukraine que l\u2019on peut lire et entendre en Russie, dans l\u2019\u00c9glise orthodoxe russe en particulier[1]<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Et puis, il y aussi il y a quelques jours cette vid\u00e9o de l\u2019\u00e9v\u00eaque Mariann Budde de Washington, qui avait le buzz lors du service religieux le jour de l\u2019investiture de D, Trump\u00a0: elle dit ceci\u00a0: <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00ab Bonjour mes amis, c’est l’\u00e9v\u00eaque Mariann. Je me suis retir\u00e9e des r\u00e9seaux sociaux pendant un certain temps, mais je voulais prendre de nouveau contact avec vous pour vous remercier\u2026 <\/span>Je suis convaincue qu’il existe dans ce pays un esprit d’amour et de bont\u00e9 qui nous traverse tous. Et que c’est le moment de se serrer les coudes,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n de se donner du courage et de s’accrocher \u00e0 ce qui est bon pour nous et pour notre pays. Je suis s\u00fbr que nous pouvons y arriver. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Pour conclure, <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Cette chanson de Coldplay , ou plut\u00f4t cette pri\u00e8re\u00a0: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>We pray (2024)<\/p>\n I pray that I don’t give up, pray that I do my best And so we pray For some shelter and some records to play I pray that love will shelter us from our fears Pray I speak my truth and keep my sisters alive And so we pray And so we pray On my knees, I pray, as I sleep and wake And so we pray And so we pray La-la-la, la-la, la-la (La-la) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/span><\/a> 1. \u00c0 PROPOS DE DIEU : \u00c0 propos du commandement \u00ab Tu ne prendras pas le nom de l’\u00c9ternel, ton Dieu, en vain \u00bb, <\/strong>o\u00f9 sont vertement r\u00e9prouv\u00e9s \u00ab\u00a0non seulement les politiciens et les journalistes, mais aussi les serviteurs de l’\u00c9glise, qui utilisent le nom de Dieu dans leur rh\u00e9torique, prescrivant sans h\u00e9sitation \u00e0 Dieu \u2026. lequel des dirigeants terrestres Il doit soutenir. <\/p>\n [1]<\/span><\/a> https:\/\/www.seenandunseen.com\/trump-new-constantine-hes-no-saviour<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [2]<\/span><\/a> https:\/\/noek.info\/hintergrund\/3646-christus-und-dem-evangelium-treu-bleiben<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" M\u00e9ditation Conseil FAP 31 mars 2025 \u00a0\u00a0 Arriv\u00e9s \u00e0 mi-chemin du temps de la Passion, je vous propose de nous laisser inspirer et d\u2019associer nos r\u00e9flexions \u00e0 partir de ce verset de l\u2019\u00e9p\u00eetre aux H\u00e9breux. \u00a0Nous donc aussi, puisque nous sommes environn\u00e9s d’une si grande nu\u00e9e de t\u00e9moins, rejetons tout fardeau, et le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 qui […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2489,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2492"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2496,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492\/revisions\/2496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationfap.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Another strong gesture of hope and perseverance was given to me in January from a region and a church that one would not have expected. Strangely, this message went almost unnoticed and did not cause any waves, at least as far as I know. It is a statement entitled \u2018Remaining faithful to Christ and the Gospel\u2019, published on 7 January, Christmas Day in Russia, by a group of theologians and lay people from the Russian Orthodox Church%912%93<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n
This profession of faith was written by churchmen, clerics and laymen, most of whom live in Russia, who felt obliged to renounce any reference to their authorship. Anyone who shares the theses contained in this document and is prepared to pass them on to others, whether orally or in writing, publicly or privately, may consider themselves to be participating in this act of confession.<\/em> The phenomena to which these theses refer have long been gaining momentum in our Church. The silence of the clergy can be perceived as approval or acceptance, and therefore we have no right to remain silent.<\/em> %22We, clergy and laity, children of the Russian Orthodox Church… believe and confess that we are all called, whatever the earthly circumstances and the demands of the holders of earthly power, to bear witness before the world to the teaching of Jesus Christ and to always reject what is incompatible with the Gospel.<\/em> No earthly objective or value can be placed by Christians above or in place of the truth revealed in the teaching, life and person of Jesus Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n
We must remember that we are never alone. If one of us falters, there are hundreds of others who remain standing. And sometimes, we support those who cannot do it themselves<\/em>.%22<\/p>\n
<\/strong>I pray that I don’t give up, pray that I do my best
Pray that I can lift up, pray my brother is blessed
Praying for enough, pray Virgilio wins
Pray I judge nobody and forgive me my sins
I pray we make it, pray my friend will pull through
Pray as I take it unto others, I do
Praying on your love, we pray with every breath
Though I’m in the valley of the shadow of death<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way
And so we pray
For some shelter and some records to play
And so we pray
We’ll be singing \u2018Baraye\u2019
Pray that we make it to the end of the day
And so we pray
I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere there’s something amazin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere we’ll feel no pain
Until we make it to the end of the day<\/p>\n
Oh, I pray you trust to let me wipe off your tears
Confront all the pain that we felt inside
With all the cards we been dealt in life
Pray I speak my truth and keep my sisters alive
So for the ones who parted seas (Ah, yeah)
For the ones who’s followin’ dreams (Ah, yeah)
For the ones who knocked down doors (Ah, yeah)
And allowed us to pass down keys (Ah, yeah)
Pray that we speak with a tongue that is honest
And that we understand how to be modest
Pray when she looks at herself in the mirror
She sees a queen, she sees a goddess<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way
And so we pray
For some shelter and some records to play
And so we pray
We’ll be singin\u2018 \u201cBaraye\u201d
Pray that we make it to the end of the day
And so we pray
I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin\u2019
And so we pray
I know somewhere there’s something amazin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere we’ll feel no pain
Until we make it to the end of the day<\/p>\n
\u2018Cause inside my head is a frightening place
Keep a smiling face, only by His grace
\u2019Cause love’s more than I can take, hey<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way
And so we pray
For some shelter and some records to play
And so we pray
We’ll be singin’ \u201cBaraye\u201d
Till nobody’s in need and everybody can say (Oh)<\/p>\n
La-la-la, la-la, la-la I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin\u2018, is waitin\u2019
La-la-la, la-la, la-la I know somewhere there’s something amazin\u2018, something amazin\u2019
La-la-la, la-la, la-la Until we feel no pain
La-la-la, la-la, we pray, we pray, we pray<\/p>\n
2. ON THE REIGN OF GOD: On the inadmissibility of confusing what is \u2018God’s\u2019 with what is \u2018Caesar’s\u2019, as well as on the inadmissibility of transforming the Church into an instrument of the holders of power on earth.<\/em>
3) ON HUMAN DIGNITY:<\/em> On the so-called \u2018heresy of the cult of man\u2019 and the inadmissibility of using man as a consumable material, where it is recalled that %22neither the Holy Scriptures nor the Creed tell us that God became man for the greatness or the salvation of a nation, a State or a party… but … for the love of man.<\/em>
4) ON THE EQUALITY OF PEOPLES BEFORE GOD and the inadmissibility of national<\/em> self-glorification
5) ON LIFE ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST and its replacement by the \u2018struggle for traditional values\u2019.<\/em>
6) ON CHRISTIAN LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR and its replacement by the preaching of violence and \u2018holy war\u2019. <\/em>
7) ON THE CHURCH OF CHRIST: On the \u2018verticality of power\u2019 and the neglect of the synodal principle, the distortion of the life of the Church.<\/em>
8) ON THE SERVICE OF RECONCILIATION, the true social and political mission of the Church, <\/em>where reference is made to the core of the social doctrine of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted by the Synod of Bishops in 2000: %22The Orthodox Church fulfils its mission of reconciliation between hostile nations and their representatives.<\/em> Consequently, it does not take sides in inter-ethnic conflicts, except in cases of open aggression or injustice on the part of one of the parties\u2019 (II.4). \u2019In the face of political differences, contradictions and struggles, the Church preaches peace and cooperation between people who adhere to different political views.<\/em> It also tolerates different political convictions within the episcopate, the clergy and the laity, with the exception of those that clearly lead to acts contrary to the doctrine of the orthodox faith and the moral standards of ecclesiastical tradition\u2019 (V.2).<\/em><\/p>\nM\u00e9ditation Conseil FAP 31 mars 2025<\/span><\/h1>\n
Nous devons nous rappeler que nous ne sommes jamais seuls. Si l’un d’entre nous vacille, il y en a des centaines d’autres qui restent debout. Et parfois, nous soutenons ceux qui ne peuvent pas le faire eux-m\u00eames<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n
Pray that I can lift up, pray my brother is blessed
Praying for enough, pray Virgilio wins
Pray I judge nobody and forgive me my sins
I pray we make it, pray my friend will pull through
Pray as I take it unto others, I do
Praying on your love, we pray with every breath
Though I’m in the valley of the shadow of death<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way
And so we pray<\/p>\n
And so we pray
We’ll be singing “Baraye”
Pray that we make it to the end of the day
And so we pray
I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere there’s something amazin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere we’ll feel no pain
Until we make it to the end of the day<\/p>\n
Oh, I pray you trust to let me wipe off your tears
Confront all the pain that we felt inside
With all the cards we been dealt in life<\/p>\n
So for the ones who parted seas (Ah, yeah)
For the ones who’s followin’ dreams (Ah, yeah)
For the ones who knocked down doors (Ah, yeah)
And allowed us to pass down keys (Ah, yeah)
Pray that we speak with a tongue that is honest
And that we understand how to be modest
Pray when she looks at herself in the mirror
She sees a queen, she sees a goddess<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way
And so we pray
For some shelter and some records to play
And so we pray
We’ll be singin’ “Baraye”
Pray that we make it to the end of the day<\/p>\n
I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere there’s something amazin’
And so we pray
I know somewhere we’ll feel no pain
Until we make it to the end of the day<\/p>\n
‘Cause inside my head is a frightening place
Keep a smiling face, only by His grace
‘Cause love’s more than I can take, hey<\/p>\n
For someone to come and show me the way<\/p>\n
For some shelter and some records to play
And so we pray
We’ll be singin’ “Baraye”
Till nobody’s in need and everybody can say (Oh)<\/p>\n
La-la-la, la-la, la-la (Sing it to me)
La-la-la, la-la, we pray, we pray
La-la-la, la-la, la-la I know somewhere that Heaven is waitin’, is waitin’
La-la-la, la-la, la-la I know somewhere there’s something amazin’, something amazin’
La-la-la, la-la, la-la Until we feel no pain
La-la-la, la-la, we pray, we pray, we pray<\/p>\n
2. SUR LE REGNE DE DIEU : Sur l’inadmissibilit\u00e9 de la confusion entre ce qui est \u00ab de Dieu \u00bb et ce qui est \u00ab de C\u00e9sar \u00bb, ainsi que sur l’inadmissibilit\u00e9 de la transformation de l’\u00c9glise en instrument des d\u00e9tenteurs du pouvoir sur terre.
3) SUR LA DIGNIT\u00c9 HUMAINE : Sur la pr\u00e9tendue \u00ab h\u00e9r\u00e9sie du culte de l’homme \u00bb et l’inadmissibilit\u00e9 d’utiliser l’homme comme un mat\u00e9riau consommable, o\u00f9 il est rappel\u00e9 que\u00a0 \u00ab\u00a0ni les Saintes \u00c9critures ni le Credo ne nous disent que Dieu s’est fait homme pour la grandeur ou le salut d’une nation, d’un \u00c9tat ou d’un parti\u2026 mais \u2026 pour l’amour de l\u2019homme.
4) SUR L’\u00c9GALIT\u00c9 DES PEUPLES DEVANT DIEU et l’inadmissibilit\u00e9 de l’auto-glorification nationale
5) SUR LA VIE SELON LES COMMANDEMENTS DE CHRIST et son remplacement par la \u00ab lutte pour les valeurs traditionnelles \u00bb.
6) SUR L’AMOUR CHRETIEN DU PROCHAIN et son remplacement par la pr\u00e9dication de la violence et de la \u00ab guerre sainte \u00bb.
7) SUR L’\u00c9GLISE DU CHRIST : Sur la \u00ab verticale du pouvoir \u00bb et l’oubli du principe synodal, la d\u00e9formation de la vie de l’\u00c9glise.
8) SUR LE SERVICE DE LA RECONCILIATION, v\u00e9ritable mission sociale et politique de l’\u00c9glise, <\/em>o\u00f9 il est fait rappel du c\u0153ur de la doctrine sociale de l\u2019\u00c9glise orthodoxe russe adopt\u00e9e par le synode des \u00e9v\u00eaques en 2000 : \u00ab L’\u00c9glise orthodoxe remplit sa mission de r\u00e9conciliation entre les nations hostiles les unes aux autres et leurs repr\u00e9sentants. En cons\u00e9quence, elle ne prend pas position dans les conflits interethniques, \u00e0 l’exception des cas d’agression ou d’injustice manifestes de la part de l’une des parties \u00bb (II.4). \u00ab Face aux divergences, aux contradictions et aux luttes politiques, l’\u00c9glise pr\u00eache la paix et la coop\u00e9ration entre les personnes qui adh\u00e8rent \u00e0 des opinions politiques diff\u00e9rentes. Elle tol\u00e8re \u00e9galement diff\u00e9rentes convictions politiques au sein de l’\u00e9piscopat, du clerg\u00e9 ainsi que des la\u00efcs, \u00e0 l’exception de celles qui conduisent manifestement \u00e0 des actes contraires \u00e0 la doctrine de la foi orthodoxe et aux normes morales de la tradition eccl\u00e9siastique \u00bb (V.2).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n