The Old Believers of Saratov decided to sell the temple to Catholics, but they refused • Sova • RIMA

The Old Believers of Saratov decided to sell the temple to Catholics, but they refused

The Roman Catholic Apostolic Administration in Saratov bought the building of the temple, which previously belonged to the Old Believer Church. The deal, according to which the temple should be sold for 35 thousand dollars, was concluded in 2001 by the Catholic Bishop Clemens Pickel and the chairman of the council of the Assumption Old Believer community, Timofey Gilev. In July 2001, the Catholics had already handed over $5,000 to the head of the community as an advance and another $1,000 before.

Temple located on St. Kuznechnaya, 46, for a long time could not share with each other two Old Believer communities belonging to Belokrinitskaya and Novozybkovskaya churches. The dispute was resolved in the arbitration court: the temple remained with the Assumption community (Belokrinitskaya church), but if necessary, another community could use it.

The head of the Belokrinitsky Old Believer Church, Metropolitan Alimpiy, sent a letter to the rector of the church Georgy Gilev and the chairman of the community council Timofey Gilev, containing both indications of "the inadmissibility of selling the building of the Roman Catholic Church" and "the need to use the money from the sale of this church building for the needs of the community." According to members of the community, they have not yet seen the money received in 2001.

The Apostolic administration has not yet received ownership of the temple, since the deal has not yet been completed due to non-compliance with a number of formalities by representatives of the Assumption community. Registration can be completed in the near future, then the temple will be transferred to the ownership of the Roman Catholic Church.

In November, the Catholic community refused to buy the church. Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of St. Bishop Klemens Pikkel sent a letter to the Assumption Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in which he proposed that the advance paid by the Catholics ($6,000) be considered a donation to the priest's large family.

Sources

Saratov Old Believers sold their church to Roman Catholics // Week.Ru. 2003. October 10.
Saratov Catholics thought and refused to buy an Old Believer church // Week.ru. 2003. November 11.