The Orthodox are seeking their place in Galicia
Text: Otero JA Ricart
Photos: Echave / Canosa / Casteleiro
The Orthodox Church gives their first steps in Galicia, with temples in Vigo and A Coruña, ready to offer their services mainly to immigrants Eastern countries, which professed most of the religious denomination
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| still unfinished, in the parish of St. John Chrysostom, in A Coruña. |
in Galicia may have at this time about 4,000 Orthodox Christians, mostly Romanians, but also Russians and Ukrainians. The Coruña Ramón Couto-ordained Father Damaso is one of three Orthodox priests who practice in Galicia, with Father Basil in Vigo and another priest who serves a church in Gondomar, attended by pilgrims from Portugal. Unlike
Vigo, A Coruña still no temple, but is about to open the parish of St. John Chrysostom, which will be the father Damaso. Married with eight children, Father Damaso belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America, was ordained last year and is now looking forward to the launch of the first chapel in the city Herculina, Gil Vicente street, in the Agra district. "We are putting the finishing touches and I think that will open next month. If all goes well, hopefully soon celebrate the opening with a Divine Liturgy open to all, on August 15 might be a good date. " The next step is to find a place in Vigo to worship "at least a couple of times a month." The neighborhood
Teis Vigo there for two years, the only Orthodox church in the city. In front of it is the father Basil, Orthodox Church of Poland, which has already held some baptisms for that rite. The chapel, located off Vulcano, Sundays and holidays comes a small group of faithful from different parts of Galicia, some coming from or Vilagarcía-Ferrol, mostly of English nationality. "On Sundays and holidays, at ten o'clock, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy for those who want to attend it, the chapel is small but we try to keep it well maintained," says Father Basil, who at 72 years and with little aid keeps alive a community "pilgrim and praying. "
For now, Vigo the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America have only a deacon, Father Ephrem, who hopes to have a chapel as soon as possible: "At Vigo we are negotiating a place that will in the future, God willing, a chapel pay attention to orthodox Catholic-Orthodox citizens, not only Eastern but open to all Christians who wish to know and want to get closer to Orthodoxy. "
With more than 700,000 residents, the Romanians are already the largest foreign group in Spain, ahead of Moroccans and Ecuadorians, as reflected in the latest data from the National Institute Statistics. The vast majority belong to the Orthodox Church, although not all practitioners. "Despite the stereotypes," notes Father Damaso, the fact is that Romanians are very noble people, hard working and very honest. Whole families are coming and many of them attend our liturgies, but so far, for lack of venue, we have to celebrate in a chapel that we give. " In fact, some Orthodox Christians attend liturgical celebrations in parishes. Keep in mind that the Orthodox Church maintains the apostolic succession and the same seven sacraments, which the Roman Catholic Church, baptism is immersion - "a triple immersion, in remembrance of the Blessed Trinity, "said Ramon
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| icons on the wall of the church of A Coruña. |
Couto, and the confirmation or anointing is usually held in the same spot.
One difference between the Mass of Roman Rite Orthodox Divine Liturgy is the duration of the latter, which is usually two hours. "Church is a very devout, very emotional, very mystical," says Father Damaso. Only in the preparation of the bread and incense are used 20 or 25 minutes. Usually in the temples there are no banks and the faithful follow the ceremony and candlelight walk. "
Most Orthodox faithful living in Galicia from the East and some of them, who emigrated in the Communist era, have been baptized as adults. "There are cases
really curious," says Father Damaso, because I know of some who returned to Russia only to be baptized and then returned to our country. "
In the time it takes to exercise their ministry, the priest has officiated two weddings and soon hopes to celebrate a baptism. For now goes even a few people, but with the opening of the temple piensa ponerse en contacto con asociaciones de rumanos y de rusos para ofrecer sus servicios pastorales.
Muchos de estos inmigrantes tienen una escasa formación religiosa pues crecieron en un mundo comunista que propiciaba el ateísmo. Al mismo tiempo, su situación económica suele ser muy precaria. La integración de los inmigrantes de países del Este en la sociedad española es uno de los objetivos pastorales que pretende impulsar en Vigo el padre Efrén: “Uno de nuestros objetivos es establecer grupos de reinserción social en el caso de inmigrantes. Contando que en Galicia el colectivo de ciudadanos del Este se aproxima a las cuatro mil personas, deseamos poder atender a todos los que lo deseen. Como diácono y futuro sacerdote ortodoxo espero poder ofrecer en el futuro un servicio pastoral bajo la jurisdicción de nuestra Iglesia, en cuya labor he puesto mucha ilusión y esperanzas”.
La actividad de las iglesias ortodoxas en Galicia se limita a la labor del padre Basilio, de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Polaca, en la capilla del barrio vigués de Teis, al templo que en el municipio de Gondomar atiende un presbítero dependiente de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Griega, y a la actividad del padre Dámaso en A Coruña.
Le preguntamos al padre Dámaso por las distintas denominaciones de las iglesias ortodoxas: ¿división o autonomía? “Algunas de las iglesias ortodoxas —dice— son muy nacionales, pero en la diáspora la ortodoxia is unique, they are united in the same church orthodoxy, there is no variation. " In your case, studied in Seville Orthodox Theology at the Seminary of the Holy Trinity, and chose graduating ordered in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America. "In fact, my archbishop is in Ecuador," he explains. When ordered took the name Damasus, "a saint who was Pope of Rome and defender of the union between East and West," he says. "What what are the relations with the local priests? Very good, could not be otherwise because we are sister churches. Also every year we celebrate together a day of prayer for Christian unity. " Autocephalous Churches
With some 215 million adherents worldwide, the Orthodox Church is the third of the three great churches or Christian communities. Maintained the apostolic succession and the same seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. After several misunderstandings and conflicts, the Orthodox Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church split in 1054, the so-called East-West Schism. Since then the traditional patriarchate of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem are separated from the Patriarchate of Rome. The Orthodox Church consists of several autocephalous churches, which recognize the ecclesiastical authority in accordance al patriarcado al que correspondan. En la actualidad existen catorce iglesias ortodoxas autocéfalas, que poseen la capacidad de nombrar a sus propios obispos y de resolver sus problemas internos sin acudir a ninguna autoridad superior. Asimismo, hay otras comunidades dependientes de esas iglesias autocéfalas.
Una boda ortodoxa
Durante el último año, el padre Dámaso ha oficiado dos bodas por el rito ortodoxo en
A Coruña, una de ellas la de Manuel y Cristina, que aparece en estas imágenes. El rito ortodoxo del matrimonio incluye la coronación de los novios, con coronas iguales que significan “la igualdad dentro de la pareja y su coronación, que son los máximos responsables from home and their lives. "
The cup of wine to share and have to take three sips each, signifies your commitment to share everything. Wine is blessed, not consecrated. Then give three turns around the altar in procession, sometimes accompanied by the godparents, and led by the priest, carrying the Gospels. This ceremony is called the Dance of Isaiah, in commemoration of the prophecy in which he announced the coming of the Messiah. At the end of the wedding, the bride and groom give the guests a little bag of almonds. "This is sugar-coated almonds and odd," says Father Damaso. The almonds, which are bitter, they represent life, dulce representa la ayuda que le prestan en la vida tanto la iglesia como toda la familia y amigos, y son impares porque el matrimonio es indivisible”. Se trata de unas tradiciones de la Iglesia ortodoxa universal que se remontan a los primeros siglos del cristianismo. Cada vez es más habitual en todas las iglesias de rito oriental —y sobre todo en la griega— usar coronas de flores en lugar de las metálicas.
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