Foreign investment screening and export controls play a critical role in safeguarding European security and public order. This is the result of two reports adopted yesterday by the European Commission: the report on the screening of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), and the report on the Export Controls Regulation.
In 2021, the Commission analysed more than 400 foreign direct investments into the Union to ensure that no such investment threatens EU countries’ security or public order. All but two EU Member States now have screening mechanisms in place or are in the process of establishing them. Meanwhile, under the EU Export Control regime, Member States reviewed during the same year about 40,000 requests for exports of goods with potential military use to non-EU countries worth EUR 38.4 billion, blocking those exports in just over 550 cases.
Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: “At a time of mounting security challenges, in particular Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, it is crucial to have our strategic trade and investment controls instruments up and running. In cooperation with our international partners, the EU deployed export controls to sanction Russia for its devastating war in Ukraine. The EU remains open to foreign investments, but this openness is not unconditional. It must be balanced. We must continue enhancing our capability to ensure this balance.”
FDI Screening
This is the second annual report on FDI screening, and the first one to cover an entire calendar year, as the EU FDI Screening Regulation entered into full application in October 2020. Since the creation of the cooperation mechanism, the Commission has screened over 740 FDI transactions.
The second annual report shows that the use of the mechanism has expanded in 2021. Its key findings highlight that:
The vast majority of FDI poses no problem from a security/public order perspective and is approved swiftly (both at Member State level and under the Regulation).
The Commission completed the assessment of FDI transactions notified by Member States very quickly: 86% were assessed in just 15 calendar days
The EU mechanism does not hold back the EU’s openness to FDI. With less than 3% of transactions resulting in a Commission opinion, the focus remains on security and public order
The report is giving the EU a much better picture of investment patterns. It shows that the top five countries for the ultimate investor notified in 2021 were the US, the UK, China, the Cayman Islands and Canada. Russian FDI accounted for less than 1.5% of the cases and Belarus for 0.2%
FDI covers a wide range of sectors, but most cases notified concerned manufacturing (44%) – covering a diverse set of industries including defence, aerospace, energy, health and semiconductor equipment, and Information and Communications Technologies (32%).
Overall, the FDI regulation has worked quickly and efficiently, providing a range of useful information and preventing investments posing security risks, all while not restricting the flow of foreign investment.
Export Controls
This is the second report on export controls under the upgraded Export Controls Regulation that entered into force on 9 September 2021, covering the year 2020.
The report covers dual-use exports i.e., items that may be used for civilian and military purposes. It shows that total authorised exports of such items amounted to about €31 billion in 2020.
The new set of EU rules have strengthened export controls by introducing a novel ‘human security’ dimension, simplifying procedures and making the export control system more agile and transparent. Expert work is being developed under the Regulation on cyber-surveillance and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on enforcement and implementation of controls by Member States. The new rules also allow the EU to work more closely with partner countries to enhance global security and promote a level playing field.
Overall, the Export Controls Regulation has made the export control framework more efficient, flexible and forward-looking, while also facilitating international security cooperation.
“You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy…” it is with this statement that Nightbirde gave a striking hit of truth to an audience that is simply expecting to have a joyful time watching American Got’s Talent.
You can watch and enjoy the video below the article.
In 2021, Jane Marczewski, aka Nightbirde, wowed the world with her story and song “It’s OK” on America’s Got Talent, earning Simon Cowell’s coveted golden buzzer. Her performance gave hope to millions around the world and inspired thousands of cancer patients to keep fighting.
She was at the time suffering from cancer, but she did not stop saying “It’s ok”, the name of her song, even if she “left us” or “went home”, as described on the website of the Nightbirde Foundation “to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 19, 2022, after a four-year battle with cancer. She most recently resided in San Clemente CA with her brother Andrew”.
The dedicated site explains that she was born December 29, 1990, in Zanesville OH to Mitchell and Sharon Marczewski.
She was a 2009 graduate of Licking County Christian Academy and a 2013 graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg VA with a marketing degree.
Many remember her as the winner of Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent in 2021 with the hit song “It’s OK” which charted No. 1 on iTunes and charted on Billboard. Her other top songs include New Year’s Eve, Girl in a Bubble and Brave.
“Before she became Nightbirde, she dedicated her high school years volunteering with the youth ministry at Cornerstone Church in Licking County OH. She also spent many nights and weekends leading worship at Christian events throughout Ohio. It was during this time when she cultivated her love for music and ministry,” explains the site.
During college she continued her love for music by becoming a prolific songwriter and performer. When she was not writing or singing, she shared Jesus with the unparented youngsters in her neighborhood while providing them snacks after school.
“Those who knew her enjoyed her larger-than-life personality and sense of humor. She had a witty joke for every occasion—even if the joke was on her” continues the website.
The Nightbirde Foundation exists to bring hope and healing to young women with breast cancer.
Thousands of young women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year with limited treatment options; Jane was one of them.
In 2021, Jane Marczewski, aka Nightbirde, wowed the world with her story and song “It’s OK” on America’s Got Talent, earning Simon Cowell’s coveted golden buzzer. Her performance gave hope to millions around the world and inspired thousands of cancer patients to keep fighting.
As reported in the website of the foundation, in 2020, the doctors gave Jane 6 months to live. Faced with limited options in Nashville, TN, Jane moved to California to begin integrative treatments that extended her life by over two years. Travelling to California and getting the treatment she needed wasn’t possible without the generous support of thousands of men and women worldwide. We seek to continue that generosity by helping other “Janes” get the treatment they need.
In 2021, Jane and Mitch, her older brother, were sitting in California dreaming about what do with the generous gifts that thousands of people around the world had donated to her for her treatments. They decided the money should be given to other women in need. It was then that the idea for the Nightbirde Foundation was born.
Jane went home to be with the Lord in 2022, but her memory and legacy lives on in the Nightbirde Foundation. The Nightbirde Foundation helps bring hope and healing to young women with breast cancer. The generosity of others extended Jane’s life much longer than expected and enabled her to inspire millions with her message of hope and healing.
From The European Times, we invite you to partner with this mission with any amount by the button below.
Representatives of Poland’s ruling party, Law and Justice (PIS), said they would demand about €1.3 trillion in war reparations from Germany on Thursday, the 83rd anniversary of Germany’s attack on Poland.
(Article by Bartosz Sieniawski first published in Euractiv. published under Article 3c of Terms and Conditions)
PiS representatives, including its president Jarosław Kaczyński and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, convened a press conference on Thursday.
Its main element was the publication of a report prepared by a special parliamentary expert committee on the estimated value of the losses suffered by Poland as a result of the Second World War.
Adding up the loss of human capital, the amount of damage to buildings and infrastructure, and reparations for Nazi Germany’s crimes, the politicians put the total losses Poland suffered during the German occupation at PLN 6.2 trillion (€1.3 trillion).
“Such matters (like reparations) must be fought for, sometimes for many years. We do not promise that there will be quick success. We are only saying that it is a Polish duty, to close a certain lack, a certain gap in our activity as a sovereign state that we are finally reporting something that should have been reported long ago,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.
“I do not think that our future government, made up of democratic groupings, will return to the issue of war reparations from Germany,” said liberal Civic Platform (PO) MP Grzegorz Schetyna.
“Of course, the war has not been settled and we should talk about it with Germany, but what PiS is doing today is a denial of dialogue; it is exploiting the pain of the victims and tarnishing the memory,” centrist Poland 2050 leader Szymon Holownia assessed. “The anti-German campaign unleashed by the Law and Justice party is disgraceful,” he added.
On 24 August 1953, Poland, then an Eastern Bloc country, renounced war reparations from the German side. At the time, it was considered that the land taken over by Poland from the Germans was sufficient to compensate for six years of brutal occupation.
The situation was addressed by a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, who briefly stated that “the issue of reparations to Poland is over”.
Russo-Turkish War 1877–1878 was the apogee of the Eastern Crisis of the 1870s. The aspiration of the Balkan peoples to free themselves from Turkish domination was closely intertwined with the desire of each of the great powers to change the situation on the Balkan Peninsula in their favor and prevent the strengthened enemy from entering. The Russian Empire was no exception, striving for a victorious war and the creation of formally independent (but de facto dependent) states on the shores of the Black Sea to ensure control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, which opened the way to the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, there was a war of 1877-1878. – one of the most militarily successful wars of Russia in the 19th century. One of the main components of Russia’s victory in this war was military intelligence.
The purpose of this article is to investigate the intelligence activity of the corps of officers of the Russian General Staff (hereinafter – GS) in the period from 1856, i.e. with the end of the Eastern or Crimean War, until the completion of the Berlin Congress in the summer of 1878.
It is necessary to note that the Soviet and Russian military intelligence of this topic is both extensive and small. The main emphasis in the majority of works on this topic is on participation in the reconnaissance of the Bulgarian population, moreover, the vast majority of researchers do not distinguish between army officers and GSH officers [1]. The fact is that there are not so many works dedicated directly to officers of the General Staff, and they appeared mainly in the post-Soviet era. Therefore, there are plenty of works on the history of Russia’s foreign policy of the period under consideration and on the roles of individual personalities in it. At the same time, to be honest, GSH officers (with the exception of N.P. Ignatiev and P.D. Parensova) have a small (if any) place in them. Most often, authors do not mention at all the affiliation of this or that officer to the General Staff, thereby making a gross mistake. You can read more about the history of GS and its functions in the Russian Empire in our dissertation [2]. Here, it is necessary to note that in the considered period, the GS as a separate body existed only for a short period of time (1863-1865), after which it was merged with the inspectorate department at the Main Headquarters. After that, the GSH meant a corps of specially trained officers and the service they carried out.
So, among the scientific literature that touches on this topic, the first volume “Essay on the history of Russian foreign intelligence” [3] is of interest. It has a scientific and popular character. This is not so much a history of intelligence as a story about individual persons engaged in this intelligence. In particular, this is an essay about the activities on the eve of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. in Romania and Turkey, the officer GSH P.D. Parensova.
The two-volume work by M. Alekseeva is currently the most comprehensive study on the history of Russian military intelligence [4]. However, despite the large amount of processed material, the author mainly paid attention to the exploration of the European and Far Eastern directions. At the same time, the history of military intelligence in the Balkans in the 19th century is presented fragmentarily, and conclusions about the work of intelligence in the early 20th century are often transferred to the second half of the 19th century, although this is not entirely correct, since differences existed.
When writing this article, the author used published official documents, letters and memoirs of officers of the General Staff of the Russian Army – participants in the 1877-1878 war, as well as documents of the Russian State Military Historical Archive.
Thus, this topic has not found proper reflection in historical literature. However, it is sufficiently well provided with sources that allow the researcher to consider it comprehensively.
First of all, it should be noted that in the period under review, the officers of the GS were officers who graduated from the Nikolaev Academy of GS and were assigned to GS. Then reforms in the mid-1860s. The General Staff was only one of the departments of the General Staff (the central body of military management and planning), whose tasks included the command of the General Staff officers’ service. The latter were used in armies on staff positions, as well as as military representatives of Russia abroad.
At first, foreign intelligence in the Balkan territories of the Ottoman Empire was carried out spontaneously. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had their own, often independent sources of information, sometimes interacting, but more often competing with each other. Intelligence was mainly carried out by officers from the Ministry of War. It should be noted that according to the Treaty of Paris in 1856, Russia lost the right to have naval forces on the Black Sea, military arsenals and fortresses on its coast. Neutralization of the Black Sea undermined the positions of empires in the Balkans and the Middle East for a long time, as it lost the right to patronize the Danube states and Serbia [5]. Therefore, simultaneously with diplomatic efforts to reverse the neutralization of the Black Sea, Russia launched an active reconnaissance activity in the Balkans and in Turkey in the event of a possible war. A special role here was assigned to officers of the General Staff, who had to organize a systematic collection of information. Intelligence was carried out in various forms: scientific trips (with the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society), secret sending of spies. GSH officers infiltrated Bulgarian lands under the guise of dervishes, merchants, and monks. Acting legally or illegally, with the help of the Bulgarian population, they collected the necessary information, including for the creation of a military operational map of Turkey [6].
The most prominent person, who largely determined the foreign policy of the Russian Empire in this area, was Major General (since 1865 – Lieutenant General) GSH N.P. Ignatiev. In July 1864 he was appointed ambassador to Constantinople. In my opinion, H.P. Ignatiev represented the “action party” in the Russian government. In the Balkans, the main task of diplomacy is H.P. Ignatiev saw in the restoration of Russia’s positions in this region that it was necessary to get rid of the narrowly understood principle of protecting Orthodoxy and move to support the national liberation aspirations of the Balkan peoples. He considered the solution of the strait problem, the establishment of control over them, to be an important part of Russia’s foreign policy in the Balkans. H.P. Ignatiev believed that the creation of independent Slavic states in the place of European Christian provinces of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans was necessary to put pressure on Turkey [7]. Energy and enterprise of the new Russian ambassador contributed to the fact that he soon took a prominent place in the diplomatic corps of the Turkish capital, winning the sympathy of a number of ministers and Sultan Abdul-Aziza himself.
U.S. Kartsov wrote: “On all the events of that time (1864-1876 – the years of H.P. Ignatieva’s tenure as ambassador – O.G.) his bright and powerful personality was imprinted… In every place H.P. Ignatiev would have been an outstanding figure, – in Constantinople, where every person counts, he soon acquired a predominant importance. He was called le vice-Sultan; yes, he was really theirs: Turkish ministers were afraid of him and were in his hands” [8].
With the help of Constantinople Christians H.P. Ignatiev created a wide network of agencies that provided him with information about the state of the Ottoman Empire and its provinces. He also took on the responsibility of managing the activities of the Russian officers assigned to survey routes and gather information in various parts of the Ottoman Empire. For this purpose H.P. Ignatiev entered into direct contacts with the Caucasian military leadership on matters related to the study of the theater of the future war [9]. In 1866-1867 with the Caucasus, with his participation, some GSH officers were sent, led by captain A.S. Green [10]. One of the main tasks was the compilation of a map of European Turkey, which was started in the Caucasian Military District at the end of 1868 [11]. The general editing of its compilation was entrusted to Major-General Fosha, with the assistance of Major-General GSH N.N. Obruchev, Colonel Shevelev and Lieutenant Colonel Stubendorf. Materials from 1828-1832 were used to create the map, as well as a survey conducted by officers of the General Staff in 1860-1872. [12].
In 1867, in the context of the preparation of the indicated map, Russia proposed to Turkey a joint project to measure the meridian arcs from Izmail south to the island of Candia. G.I. Bobrikov wrote in his memoirs: “In 1867, a party of surveyor officers was sent to the Balkan Peninsula to familiarize themselves with the conditions of the areas in the two extended meridian arcs to the island of Candia. The main scientific thought belonged to Struve – the chief astronomer of the Pulkovo Observatory; resourceful use of it – to our post in Constantinople, the adjutant-general H.P. Ignatiev” [13]. The main goal of the work was to create a map of European Turkey, since the map of the late 1820s. was incomplete and outdated. The Turkish government has given consent to the works. In August 1867, the Russian General Staff equipped an expedition under the general leadership of Captain GSH Kortazzi, which included Captain GSH N.D. Artamonov and Staff Sergeant G.I. Bobrikov. In Turkey, with permission H.P. Ignatieva, they were joined by lieutenant D.A., who was stationed at the embassy. Skalon and Staff-Captain of the Corps of Military Topographers Bykov [14]. Since the degree and other measurements were made in localities known to the Russian military only on the basis of questionable information, officers of the General Staff made several trips to the interior of the country in order to determine the latitude of various points near the Balkans and to connect them along the longitude with points determined on the Danube. As for N.D. Artamonova, then he, in addition to topographical and other works, was assigned the task of forming an intelligence network among the local population [15]. As a result, the total number of certain points amounted to 70 titles. These information laid the basis for creating a map of European Turkey. The main work on its publication was assigned to N.D. Artamonova. In 1869, he, having already been made a lieutenant colonel of the GS, visited Turkey a second time under the guise of a Cossack officer “to present catalogs of astronomical points of the Balkan Peninsula, detailed calculations to him and a printed copy of works on the already produced degree measurement to Izmail and, in addition, to check the geographical situations of some points” [16]. In Turkey N.D. Artamonov traveled from Constantinople through Kazanlyk, Zlatitsa and Sofia to Sistova, geographically determining 37 points [17]. After returning from business trips, in 1870 he was appointed editor of the edition of the tenth map of European Turkey. In 1876, before the Russian-Turkish war, he finished its publication. This map was the most complete of those available to the Russian command.
In addition to the above methods for obtaining information by the Russian Military Ministry about what is happening in Turkey, about its armed forces, means of communication, etc., there was another one – the position of a military agent in Constantinople. It was of an official nature, so the agent was close to the court, had the opportunity to freely attend military maneuvers, reviews, individual provinces of the empire, however, only if he received government permission for this. A military agent enjoyed diplomatic immunity, which allowed him not to fear for his life when performing assignments. However, his intelligence activities had their drawbacks. So, being an official, he was constantly under the supervision of the Turks, so he had to act carefully so as not to incur suspicion and not be expelled from the country. In the 1860s – 1870s. the post of military agent in Constantinople was occupied by officers of the Caucasian Military District – Colonels of the General Staff V.A. Frankini and A.S. Green.
(to be continued)
Notes
[1] Bulgarian-Russian socio-political relations. 50 – 70s 19th century – Chisinau, 1986. – 266 p.; Goranov P., Spasov L. The participation of Bulgarian patriots in Russian intelligence during the liberation war // Unforgettable feat. Some Aspects of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. – Lvov, 1980. – S. 41-55; Koev G. Ruskoto military investigations in Starozagorsko // Liberation War of 1877–1878. and the role of the Bulgarian militia. – Samara, 1992. – S. 29-32; Kosev K., Doinov S. The Liberation War of 1877–1878 and the Bulgarian National Revolution. – Sofia, 1988. – 390s.; Todorov G.D. Roleta in Bulgarian in Russian found out the prez liberation of the Russian-Turkish war (1877–1878) // Izvestiya na instituta za istorii BAN. – 1960. – T. 9. – S. 3-565; Ulunyan A.A. The Bulgarian people and the Russo-Turkish war of 1877–1878 – M., 1971. – 206 p.
[2] Gokov O.A. The role of officers of the General Staff in the implementation of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire in the Muslim East in the second half of the 19th century: Dissertation for the degree of candidate of historical sciences. – Kharkov, 2004. – S. 45-79.
[3] Essays on the history of Russian foreign intelligence: In 6 volumes / Ch. ed. EAT. Primakov. – M., 1996. – T. 1. – 240 p.
[4] Alekseev M, Military intelligence of Russia: From Rurik to Nicholas II: In 2 books. – M., 1998. – Book. 1. – 398 p.
[5] For more details, see: Narochnitskaya L.I. Russia and the abolition of the neutralization of the Black Sea. 1856-1871 On the history of the Eastern question. – M., 1989. – 224 p.
[6] Koev P. Ruskoto military investigations in Starozagorsko // Liberation War of 1877-1878. and the role of the Bulgarian militia. – Samara, 1992. – S. 29.
[7] Khevrolina V.M. Russian diplomat Count N.P. Ignatiev // Modern and recent history. – 1992. – No. 1. – S. 141-142.
[8] Yu.S. Kartsov. Behind the scenes of diplomacy // Russian antiquity. – 1908. – Prince. 1. – S. 90.
[9] Narochnitskaya L.I. Decree op. – S. 91.
[10] News of the Russian Geographical Society. – 1867. – T. 3. – No. 10. – P. 12
[11] Notes of the Military Topographic Department of the General Staff. – 1870. – Ch. 31. – S. 11.
[12] Historical outline of the activities of the corps of military topographers 1822-72. – St. Petersburg, 1872. – S.584-585.
[13] Bobrikov G.I. [Memories of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878] // Russian antiquity. – 1913. – Prince. 3. – S. 488.
[14] Notes of the military topographic department of the General Staff. – 1871. – Ch. 32. – S. 5
[15] Starodymov N.A. The brave intelligence officer Nikolai Artamonov formed an intelligence network in Turkey long before the war // Military History Journal. – 2001. – No. 10. – P. 48.
[16] Ibid. – S. 49.
[17] Notes of the military topographic department of the General Staff. – 1871. – Ch. 32. – P. 6.
Source: Drinovsky collection / Drinovsky collection. -2008. – T. 2. – X. – Sofia: Academician vidavnitstvo im. prof. Marina Drinova. – S. 152-160.
Source of the illustration:Bulgarian pathfinders in Gurko’s detachment. Ritz. N., N. Karazin. – Source: Vinogradov V.I. Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878 and liberation of Bulgaria. – M.: Mysl, 1978. – p. 203.
When we pass from the Gospel to the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, we are obliged to stop our attention to the second person of the New Testament. As a French scholar says, the New Testament is composed of two biographies: of Jesus Christ and of His follower Paul Tarsian, the Apostle Paul. Each of you, passing from the Gospel to Paul’s epistles, seems to fall from heaven to earth. Although Paul is in many ways superior to the evangelical writers. He was a man of enormous talent, spiritual power, education. This person has created personal works. His messages are things written in his heart’s blood. In any case, it is difficult to compare them with the Gospels. Because the four gospels reflect not so much the literary gift of the apostles-evangelists, as the Model they saw before them. And if app. Paul stands before us as a man, then Christ is the Revelation of God. However, how is the apostle Paul important to us? Why did the Church place him next to Christ in the New Testament? Why are the majority of the epistles—fourteen—written by him? Why does his biography occupy a central place in the Acts of the Apostles? Because app. Paul apparently never saw the face of Jesus during His earthly life. There are, of course, historical hypotheses that their paths could have crossed in Jerusalem. He himself was born in the first years of the Christian era in Asia Minor, but he studied in Jerusalem, and then he was able to see Jesus. However, it is more credible to consider that he never saw Christ. I think this is precisely what draws the Church to his person. And we ourselves have not seen this Person. However, Christ appeared to Paul with such credibility that it greatly surpassed any external contact. Christ’s appearance was seen by His enemies, the scribes, the Pharisees, and Pilate. But that didn’t save them. Paul was also an enemy, but Christ stopped him on the road to Damascus and called him to become an apostle. This event changed not only his destiny, but also the destiny of the entire early Church, because Paul became one of those who carried the Gospel from Syria and Palestine to the wider world. They called him “apostle to the nations” and “apostle to the Gentiles”.
Brought up in Judaism, he knew very well that it is impossible to merge with God, that the man of the East who thinks that by experiencing ecstasy he merges with the Absolute is delusional. He only touches the divine, because in the bowels of the Godhead boils an eternal fire, dissolving everything in itself.
Between the Creator and the creation lies an abyss, like the abyss between the absolute and the conditional; it cannot be crossed, overcome – neither logically nor existentially. Paul himself discovered that there is a bridge over the chasm, because he saw Christ and was inwardly united with Him; through infinite love he was bound to Him so that it seemed to him as if he bore upon himself the wounds of Christ; that he died with Him on the cross and rose with Him. That is why he said: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” With Him I died, and with Him I come back to life.” If it is impossible to merge with God, then with the God-man it is possible, because He belongs to two worlds at the same time – ours and the other world. The path of Christian mystics from Paul to the present day is built entirely on this. The way to the Father is through the Son. “I am a door,” says Jesus, “I am the gate, the door to heaven.”
By repeating various prayers, the Christian ascetics could be likened to the Eastern, the Indian, who repeat various mantras. One of the main prayers of Christian asceticism is called the “Jesus Prayer”, in which the Name of the one who was born on earth, crucified and resurrected is constantly repeated. And it is precisely this Christ-centeredness of the basic Christian prayer that radically distinguishes it from all other meditations and mantras, because here there is an encounter – not just a concentration of thought, not just a focus, not a simple immersion in the ocean or the abyss of spirituality, but an encounter of the personality with the Face of Jesus Christ, who stands above the world and in the world.
I remember a prose poem written by Turgenev when he was standing in a village church and suddenly felt that Christ was standing next to him. When he turned, he saw an ordinary person behind him. After turning away, however, he again felt that He was there near. This is true because it is true. Christ’s Church exists and develops because He dwells within it.
Note that He has not left us a single written sentence, as Plato left us his “Dialogues.” He has not left us tablets on which the Law was written, like the tablets of Moses. He did not dictate to us, like Muhammad’s Koran. He did not form orders like Gautama-Buddha. But He has told us, “I am with you to the end of time.” When it came time for Him to leave us, He spoke the eternal words: “I will not leave you orphans, but I will come to you.” And this continues and happens today. All the deepest experience of Christianity is built on this, the rest are some superficial layers. In everything else, Christianity prays like all other religions.
Religions in the world are part of culture. They arise together with the urge of the human spirit towards eternity, towards imperishable values. Here the direction is from heaven, and therefore one of the theologians of our century rightly says that “Christianity is not one of the religions, but a crisis (judgment) of all religions.” It rises above all else, as defined by Ap. Paul, “no one is saved by the works of the Law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ.”
In conclusion, I must explain this key phrase to you. What are the works of the Law? I am talking about the system of religious rites and rules. Are they necessary? Yes, they are needed as an educational tool. They are created by people. Sometimes, as a result of great insights, sometimes by virtue of tradition, sometimes – by delusion. Sometimes these laws come by revelation from God, as in the Old Testament. They serve a certain phase in mental and spiritual development.
And what does it mean to save yourself? It means uniting your ephemeral temporal life with immortality and God. This is salvation. Incorporation into the Divine life. The thirst for such inclusion lives in us, in every person. It is hidden, hidden, but it is there in man anyway. Therefore the apostle speaks that the Law is holy. The Old Testament Law is holy and good, and was given by God, but participation in the Divine life is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ.
What does faith in Christ mean? Belief that He lived on earth? This is not faith, but knowledge. His contemporaries remembered that he lived. The evangelists have left us reliable testimonies. Today’s historians will say that he lived, that there was such a person. Attempts by various propagandists to assert that this is a myth have long been debunked. Only in our country, as in some reserve of various miracles, this concept is still preserved. What does it mean to believe in Him? Faith in Jesus Christ? That He existed, then, is not faith? Belief that He came from other worlds? And this is just another theory.
Let us remember this faith that is revealed in the Old Testament: trust in being. Even when Abraham says “yes” to God, he rather does not say, but silently obeys His call – that’s when faith was born. In the ancient Hebrew language, the word “faith” sounds like “emunah” and comes from the word “omen” (faithfulness). “Faith” is a very close term to “faithfulness”. God is faithful to His promise, man is faithful to God; weak, sinful, but nevertheless faithful to God. But whose God? Of treasures, fearful as the universe, too far from man, like the ocean. But Christ reveals another image of God through Himself. He does not call Him by any other name than Father. Jesus Christ almost never uttered the word God. He always calls Him Father. And in His earthly life He used for this that tender and flattering word which children use in the East, addressing their father. Although untranslatable, but it is so. Christ reveals God to us as our heavenly Father and thus creates brothers and sisters, because brothers and sisters exist only with a common father.
The common spiritual Father is God. And an open heart knows Jesus Christ – this is the secret of the Gospel. Everyone knows how confused man is, how weak he is, to the extent that all sorts of complexes and sins have nested in him.
There is a power that Christ left on earth, and it is freely given to us. It is called grace. A good that is freely given. It cannot be earned, it is given. Yes, we are bound to make an effort; yes, we are bound to fight sin; yes, we must strive for self-improvement, not forgetting that we will not succeed in pulling ourselves out by the hair. This in just the preparatory work. Herein lies the fundamental difference between Christianity and Yoga, a teaching which believes that man can reach and enter God, so to speak, of his own volition. Christianity teaches – you can improve yourself, but reaching God is impossible until He Himself comes to you.
Behold, Grace surpasses the Law. The law is the initial stage in religion that begins with the child. This should not be done, this may; rules, norms… Is this necessary? Yes, of course. But then Grace comes – in the way of the inner experience of meeting God. She is a new life. And the apostle Paul said: “Look, people argue with each other. Some are supporters of preserving the ancient rites, the Old Testament. Others, third – against it. And actually, neither one nor the other is important. All that matters is…faith working through love.”
This is true Christianity. Everything else in it is merely a historical shell, a frame, an entourage; that which is related to culture.
I am talking to you about the very essence of the Christian faith. The boundless value of the human person. The victory of light over death and decay. The New Testament that grows like a tree from a small seed. The New Testament leavens history as leaven leavens dough. And even today this Kingdom of God secretly manifests itself among people when you do good, when you love, when you contemplate beauty, when you feel the fullness of life. The kingdom of God has already touched you. It is not only in the distant future, not only in futurological contemplation; it exists here and now. This is what Jesus Christ teaches us. The kingdom will come, but it has already come. The judgment of the world will come, but it has already begun. It began when Christ first proclaimed the gospel.
He also said: “And the judgment is concluded in the fact that the light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness more.” This judgment began during His preaching in Galilee, in Jerusalem, on Calvary, and the Roman Empire, in medieval Europe and Russia, today, in the 20th century, and in the 21st century, and throughout the history of mankind. The judgment will continue because this is the Christian story – the story through which the world walks with the Son of Man.
And if we once again ask ourselves the question: what is the essence of Christianity? – we must answer: this is God-manhood, the union of limitations and temporary human spirit with the infinite Divine. This is the sanctification of the flesh from the moment when the Son of Man accepted our joys and sufferings, our love, our work – nature, the world. Everything in which He was, in which He was born as a man and God-man, was not rejected, was not destroyed, but was raised to a new level, sanctified. In Christianity we have sanctification of the world, victory over evil, over darkness, over sin. But this victory belongs to God. It began on the night of resurrection and continues as long as the world exists.
Note: A lecture delivered in the Moscow Technical House on September 8, on the eve of the tragic death of Father Alexander Men; published on a tape recording in “Literaturnaya Gazeta”, No. 51 of 19.12.1990, p. 5).
Liechtenstein is a small country left entirely to the locals. In the last year, the number of tourists did not exceed more than 60 thousand people. This is strange, especially since it is said to be one of the largest and most beautiful museums of modern art – yes it is a challenge for most people to understand what the artists are trying to say, but still. It is strange that this country can be visited in only two hours from Zurich, and since its area is not that big, there is room for everyone, and tourists can enjoy a real beauty.
Liechtenstein exists as one of the smallest countries in Europe. It has a length of 24 kilometers from end to end and is about 12 kilometers in width. In practically a day, a person can create a bicycle race for the Tour of Liechtenstein and see everything necessary. The country is located in the valley between Austria and Switzerland. The rulers are Austrian, but the currency is Swiss.
It allowed women to vote in 1984 and was the last country in history to enact this law. Their national stadium can only hold 6,127 people. The curious thing is that people arrive here who are very happy to register their companies. After all, Liechtenstein has more companies than population. The capital has a population of only 5,000 people. However, it has art from all over the world, making it quite an interesting place to explore.
Liechtenstein has another positive – it offers one of the most beautiful views of Austria, as well as several ski resorts. At the outbreak of World War II, Liechtenstein had no army. Prince Franz Joseph II met with Hitler in Berlin and managed to negotiate the country’s neutrality. After the end of the war, about 500 whiteguards will request asylum. Joseph II refused to hand them over to Stalin, despite his insistence. And right here comes one of the funniest moments in Liechtenstein’s fighting history.
The only time this tiny country ever fought was way back in 1866. The Austro-Prussian War was raging and with Liechtenstein on the way, it stands to reason that it would have to defend itself. About 80 soldiers were sent to guard the Tyrolean border. After fulfilling their duty, the soldiers are now 81. They have no losses, and what is even more amusing is that they manage to befriend one person who decides to sign up as a volunteer. That is, the army increases by one more person. It turns out that the army, or rather the humble detachment, managed to avoid all kinds of battles.
Liechtenstein even leaves 20 men in the army reserve. The humble squad reaches the limit and realizes that there’s not much they can do. No one even thought of fighting Lichtenstein, and with morale already high and the beauty of the mountain beckoning, the gentlemen simply decided to drink wine and beer, smoke pipes, and relax. Meanwhile, the Prussians will continue to wage war, but far from it.
The 81st man is believed to be an Austrian officer, but in some other versions he is believed to be Italian. There are also claims that the man in question is a deserter who found the best army in the world. There is no evidence of man’s origins, but despite this, Lichtenstein’s entire military campaign is considered a resounding success.
Mammals can do amazing things! This list will answer your questions about flying, poisonous, really fast, and smelly.
What is a mammal?
Mammals are a class of animals. They have certain traits that distinguish them from animals in other classes, such as fish, reptiles, and amphibians. All mammals share two characteristics: they all feed their young with milk from mammary glands, and they all have hair. Almost all are warm-blooded, meaning they keep the inside of their body at a constant temperature. They do this by generating their own heat when in a cooler environment and by cooling themselves when in a hotter environment. Unlike reptiles that sit in the sunlight to regulate their body temperature, mammals wake up and are ready to go! In general, mammals spend much more time rearing and training their young than other animals. Some examples of mammals include apes, bats, lions, mice, moose, aardvarks, beavers, elephants, gorillas, pandas, hamsters, dogs, cats, horses, whales, and dolphins. Humans, like primates, are also mammals.
There are three types of mammals: placental mammals, monocots, and marsupials. Placental mammals are those whose young are born alive and at a relatively advanced stage. Before birth, the young are fed through the placenta, which is a specialized embryonic organ that is attached to the mother’s uterus and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing young. Most mammals are placental, including cats, dogs, horses, and humans. Monopods are egg-laying mammals. These include the echidna (spiny anteaters) and the platypus. Marsupials give birth to their young in an immature state and most female marsupials have pouches in which to carry and nurse their young. Some marsupials include the koala, kangaroo, and numbat. Some mammals, such as cows, horses and pandas, are herbivores (herbivores). Others, including tigers, lions, and whales, are carnivores (meat eaters). Other mammals, including bears, eat a combination of plants and meat (omnivores).
Which mammals fly?
There is only one mammal that flies: the bat. Most bats are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are most active at dawn, dusk, or at night. During the day, bats sleep by hanging upside down in groups called roosts. Most bats, called microbats, eat flying insects, such as moths and flies, but others eat small mammals, including mice. Some insectivorous bats may land on the ground and chase insects that inhabit leaf litter or dirt. One of these bats, the pallid bat, feeds on scorpions and large centipedes. Others eat fish or feed on the blood of cattle. The largest bats are the megabats, which feed mainly on fruit.
Which mammal is the fastest?
The cheetah can run at speeds of up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour, making it the fastest mammal in the world. Cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour in just two seconds, reaching their top speed of 300 yards (274 meters). Its body parts are built for speed: large nostrils, lungs, liver, heart and adrenal glands give the cheetah the ability to react to its environment and pursue prey. Its long, thin body is flexible and twists like a whip when it needs to make huge bursts of acceleration – usually to chase an antelope or escape the jaws of a pack of hyenas. Special paw pads and non-retractable claws provide traction when sprinting. The cheetah lives in the open savannahs of southwest Asia and Africa, where it has plenty of room to run, roam, and hunt its prey. Mother cheetahs spend a lot of time teaching their cubs how to hunt game. Mothers carry small, live antelopes – such as gazelles or impalas – to the cubs and release them for them to chase and catch. The cheetah usually hunts during the day, preferring early morning or early evening, but is also active on moonlit nights. Cheetahs communicate by purring, hissing, whimpering and growling.
Which mammal is the slowest?
The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth. It spends most of its time alone, hanging on tree branches, where it eats shoots and leaves, sleeps (up to 15 hours a day!), mates and gives birth. The sloth clings to tree branches with strong, curved claws on each of its four legs. It is a nocturnal creature that moves slowly, sometimes foraging for insects. Sloths have a short, flat head, large eyes, short snout, short tail, long legs, and small ears. They live in Central and South America.
Are there poisonous mammals?
First, let’s be clear that the word poisonous refers to organisms that release toxins when you eat them, while poisonous refers to organisms that inject toxins into you when they bite you, for example. So we’ll assume you’re actually asking about venomous mammals. Venomous mammals produce—you guessed it! — poison, a toxic chemical in its saliva. They use their venom to kill prey or protect themselves from predators. These include the male platypus, several species of earthworms, and solenodon, a nocturnal burrowing animal that resembles a large earthworm. Venomous mammals are rare. (There are many more species of venomous reptiles such as snakes and amphibians.)
Which mammal spends the most time sleeping?
The Western European hedgehog spends most of its life sleeping. It builds a nest of grass and leaves among tree roots or under a bush and spends about 18 hours a day during the summer months. It wakes up at night to feed, sniffing out worms, insects, snails and snakes for its dinner. During the winter months, it hibernates. When sleeping or sensing danger, the hedgehog curls up into a tight spiny ball for protection. Related creatures, including sloths, armadillos and possums, sleep almost as long as hedgehogs – clocking up to 17 hours each day! Other animals that sleep a lot are sleepy cats (about 17 hours), koalas (about 15 hours) and all types of cats, including domestic cats.
Which mammal is the stinkiest?
If you’ve ever been to a zoo, you might think that some of the big animals, like elephants and bears, are the stinkiest. But the title of stinkiest mammal goes to one of the smaller mammals, the striped skunk. This black and white creature sprays a foul-smelling, musky liquid as a defense against predators. Most wild skunks only spray when hurt or attacked as a defense mechanism. Their scent is made up of a chemical that can be released from one or both of their anal glands. They can aim their glands at a target up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) away with great accuracy, but, luckily for us humans, they tend to give a bit of advance warning: to signal that they’re angry or scared, they often snap their front legs, knead the ground like a cat, and hold their tail erect.
Reserve Colonel Levent Göktash is believed to have been a member of what Ankara considers a terrorist organization FETO
Colonel Levent Göktash from the reserve of the Turkish Army was captured in Bulgaria, leading Turkish media reported.
The man was wanted on a red notice by Interpol for the murder of the intellectual writer Necip Hablemitoglu. Göktaş is the main suspect in the death of the writer, who was shot dead in his home in December 2002.
The killing went unsolved for many years, but authorities had come to suspect it was carried out by members of preacher Fethullah Gulen’s FETO group, which Ankara says was also behind the July 2016 coup attempt.
It was after the failed coup that the authorities in Turkey renewed the investigation into the writer’s death. Thus, in 2021, the indictment against Colonel Göktash was filed in the court in Ankara for participating in the assassination plot. A charge of membership in FETO has also been brought against him.
He is also believed to have had ties to alleged mob boss Sedat Peker.
Then the military man managed to escape, but the Turkish authorities submitted to Interpol documents for his search with a red notice.
According to the Turkish media, the Turkish Ministry of Justice has already submitted a request to the Bulgarian authorities for the extradition of Levent Göktash to Turkey, and actions along these lines have already begun.
Necip Hablemitoglu was one of the first intellectuals in Turkey who spoke about the danger of the actions of Fethullah Gülen’s organization as a network that, under the guise of religion, aims to seize positions of power in the state, as well as the expansion of Gülen’s network abroad, mainly in Germany.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Süleyman Söyliu revealed that the country has reached agreements with Hungary and France to print their biometric passports, with 250,000 copies of the document to be printed for Hungary within a year.
Soylu made the revelation during a press conference in the capital Ankara to explain the introduction of Turkey’s new biometric passports, Turkish daily Hürriyet reported.
Turkish passports were previously printed by a European country that could not keep up with demand due to a shortage of chips at some point during the coronavirus pandemic, the publication noted.
During a press conference, the official also showed a sample copy of the new Turkish passports, saying they have 27 security features, small and large embedded chips and design features that highlight the country’s tourism and cultural assets.
“On the middle pages there is a picture of the Hagia Sophia mosque.” There are also pictures of other landmarks of the country, such as Canakkale Bridge, Camluja Mosque, Ishaq Pasha Palace and the famous houses of the Black Sea province of Amasya,” Soylü said.
The minister added that about 1.6 million of the new passports have already been produced. The new production unit recently opened in Turkey has a huge capacity, being able to issue over a million passports in just one day, if needed.
Apart from the passport, Soylu said the government has also made good progress in issuing national ID cards with an embedded chip, delivering about 77 million of them since 2018, including 6.7 million since the beginning of 2022. During this period chip supply challenges have affected the issuance of many digital IDs around the world.
1 September 2022, Karslruhe, Germany: Moderator of the WCC central committee Dr Agnes Abuom (left) leads a dialogue session with Julia Rensberg (centre), a delegate of the Church of Sweden, representing the Sámi Council within the Church of Sweden and Rev. Bjorn Warde, a delegate of the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago (right) during the first thematic plenary of the 11th WCC Assembly. The 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches is held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 31 August to 8 September, under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity."
In 1998, the Orthodox Church, followed by several churches, set aside 1. September as a day dedicated to creation.
With the symbol of water, without which there would be neither physical nor spiritual life (eg. baptism) on earth, the morning prayer introduced the assembly to this theme in a lively and prayerful way. At the heart of the liturgical action were containers of water from every continent, a “gathering of the waters” reflecting the act of creation in the first chapter of Genesis (v. 9)
As the waters intermingled, the assembly affirmed both our dependence on creation and our union with the risen Christ through baptism. Through him, in whom all fullness dwells, God has reconciled everything on earth and in heaven, as the Bible reading for the day from Colossians 1:9 states
“The Green Patriarch
In his address, the “green patriarch” of Constantinople Bartholomew – “green” because of his commitment to the environment – stresses that the resurrection of Christ leads us to change our view of the world: “The heart of the universe is Christ, not ourselves. When we are transformed by the light of his resurrection, we become able to discover the purpose for which God created each person and thing”.
He calls for a radical change, refusing to reduce our spiritual life to our personal interests and questioning our consumption habits in relation to the resources of creation.
Christian unity calls for common ecological action.
In line with Bartholomew, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon (also of the Patriarchate of Constantinople) is convinced that the search for Christian unity must also lead to a conversion with regard to creation. We are stewards not only of the Church but also of Creation.
Last year, together with Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Bartholomew signed a joint statement calling on the churches to reconcile and commit together to be good stewards of creation. “If we do not become more sober now, we will pay terrible consequences. The current situation calls for common action. Ecology is a consequence of our faith in Christ,” says Bishop Emanuel.
In his report, the Orthodox theologian Ioan Sauca, acting General Secretary of the WCC, also shared his conviction that climate and ecological issues are a theological issue. Through his incarnation, Christ has indeed taken on everything. God’s purpose in Christ also includes reconciliation and the healing of creation. “I will not mince my words: our planet will be uninhabitable in 50 years if we do not change our behaviour.
The voice of youth
The assembly gave the floor to young people from north to south, east to west. Julia Rensberg, a delegate from the Church of Sweden, comes from the Sami people in northern Scandinavia. The indigenous people of the Arctic see global warming much more than elsewhere. Climate justice and respect for indigenous peoples are intimately linked. For her, reconciliation starts with telling the truth. The truth must be told about the colonization of indigenous peoples. Christ loves all creation and wants to heal it through our practice of truth.
Bjorn Warde, a delegate from the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago, loves the Caribbean, a beautiful place that he wants to care for, but which is undergoing severe environmental degradation. It’s the result of our thoughtless actions. “We know we have not been good stewards of creation. Cooperation between churches is essential and the voice of young people is not heard enough”.
“It is very important for me to raise awareness about climate change,” said Subin Tamang, a 25-year-old Nepalese. “I see the effects in my country where farmers cannot harvest wheat and rice because of drought.
Along with 25 other young people under 30, he participated in the “Climate Group” during the Youth Assembly preceding the General Assembly. “What struck me most was hearing from people in Fiji, the Philippines and the Pacific region. The high ocean levels have already affected them, and this is an anticipation to what will happen to us. I fear that the Caribbean islands will disappear,” said Tia Phillip, adding: “In 50 years’ time, that’s a lifetime for me and my nieces and nephews”.
In Nepal, Tamang leads a Baptist church youth group on climate change. He is committed to ensuring that churches have a role to play in helping communities adapt to climate change.
Carbon conversations
At the large stand of the Protestant Church of Switzerland, a “Brunnen” (the name of the workshops during the assembly) presents the “Carbon Conversations”, an awareness-raising project to reduce the carbon footprint, supported by the Swiss Protestant Aid Agency and the Catholic Lenten Fund. https://voir-et-agir.ch/pour-les-paroisses/conversations-carbone/ The method originates from England and has become popular in churches as well as in secular organizations
It is based on the observation that knowledge of the facts is not enough to change one’s habits in food, consumption, or mobility. You must meet to talk about it. Groups of 8 to 10 people meet four times for two hours with two facilitators.
This method allows for discussion without conflict or guilt. In an analysis, the University of Bern found that people who participated significantly reduced their footprint
Monasteries as models of integral ecology.
An assembly allows you to meet countless people, known or unknown, near or far. I had the joy of meeting a long-time friend, Sister Anne-Emmanuelle, prioress of the Grandchamp community. She shared with me what is happening there in terms of ecology. Inspired by the work of the Catholic theologian Elena Lasida, she and her sisters believe that monasteries, in their way of life, can be a model of integral ecology, a source of inspiration for all.
For her, the link between ecology and monastic life is not primarily at the level of “organic” practices; it is at the level of the four relationships: to God, to oneself, to others, to nature.
S. Emmanuelle also refers to the teaching of Pope Francis in “Laudato si” which she summarises as follows: everything is linked, everything is a gift, everything is fragile. Monastic life, in its deepest intention, is a factor of unification of the person and of people among themselves, whereas in today’s world everything is fragmented. In this sense, a monastery is a paradigmatic place of integral ecology, a place where it can be fully incarnated. Monasteries are true ecosystems.
A tree, a walk and a prayer
At the end of the plenary on God’s love in creation, a cedar tree is presented by Agnes Abuom, President of the WCC, to Frank Mentrup, the Mayor of Karlsruhe. It will be planted in the “Garden of Religions”, which was created a few years ago to mark the city’s 300th anniversary. Another cedar as old as the city is already there. This tree has this message: “You can’t live without me”!
After this event, the youth climate group has organized a symbolic march along the exhibition tent area, with a call for solidarity and action on our lifestyle: “Our creation is not for sale. It is time to talk less and act more,” concluded the Indian speaker.
At the end of this rich day, the participants in the Orthodox Vespers for Creation Day said this prayer, with which I conclude this second article:
“Protect the environment, you who love us, for it is thanks to it that we live, that we are animated and that we exist, we who inhabit the earth according to your will, that we may be preserved from destruction and annihilation!
Surround the whole of creation, Christ the Saviour, with the power of your love for humankind and save the earth we inhabit from imminent destruction, for in you we, your servants, have placed our hope!”
Author: Martin Hoegger
Picture: The session on creation during the WCC Assembly / credit to Albin Hillert, WCC.
