There is a new outbreak of violence in the Middle East. Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), tells Pravoslavie.ru how it affects the Mission.
Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky)
—Father Roman, what is going on in the Holy Land now?
—The country is Currently in a state of emergency. Missiles fly at different times during the day or at night. In Israel they warn us about attacks, and within ten minutes we receive a notification by phone. But the Palestinians don’t have this.
—How has the present situation affected the Mission?
—We are already used to such things. The Mission lives its usual life, and services continue. Of course, we should be vigilant, look for a shelter in case of an attack and stay there. But life goes on. Of course, pilgrims can’t come to us, and that’s a problem. All flights have been cancelled for several weeks ahead. We pray that the conflict will end as soon as possible.
—Do you feel isolated?
—(Laughs.) I don’t, personally, because I live in a monastery. On the one hand, we all live in monasteries and are isolated from the world, as it were. But on the other hand, yes, there is tension.
—I really hope to hear a negative answer from you: Have any of the Mission members or parishioners has been injured?
—It seems that none of the Orthodox people have been injured. Neither have our monasteries or our property been affected. Most of the missiles are aimed at Tel Aviv, but sometimes we see them flying over Jerusalem and being destroyed here. I even filmed such a “flight” from a window of my cell. It was over the Mount of Olives Ascension Convent.
The Mount of Olives Convent of the Holy Ascension —Are the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and other shrines open? Do people go there?
—I don’t know how it is now, but in the first days, when these attacks began, they were closed.
—What emotions are you and other members of the Mission experiencing now?
—Well, what emotions... I don’t know. On the one hand, perhaps I’m already used to such things. But on the other hand, as I’ve already said, life goes on. Yes, the bombing begins, but it is over in ten minutes, and we continue to do what we were doing.
Are we scared? Beyond all doubt, people are frightened, and it’s very unpleasant. But still, most missiles are shot down, and few reach their targets. True, sometimes this happens, and there are already dead and wounded. Unfortunately, these strikes are chiefly aimed at residential areas rather than military installations.
—What can you say about the evacuation of civilians and their provision with humanitarian aid?
—I can’t say anything about what is going on in the Gaza Strip. The army continues operations there, and of course, people are suffering. As for Palestine, there are many arrests and roads are often blocked. For instance, Bethany is only a twenty-minute drive from our monastery, but it’s unlikely that I would reach it if I decided to go there.
—What about the evacuation?
—As far as I know, no one is being evacuated. No one is allowed out of Gaza at all. In Israel people are well prepared, and when alarms sound, everyone goes into shelters.
—You said that you are already used to such situations. This shocks me. How can you get used to such situations, and what helps you survive?
—(Laughs.) We all walk under God. If a missile is destined to fall on my head, what can I do? We certainly need to take precautions when necessary—to hide in shelters. Here in the Middle East, it’s already part of life.
But in fact, everything is not as scary as it may seem after watching the television reports. On the one hand, it’s dangerous in the sense that missiles are striking and people are dying. But on the other hand, as we’re talking, it’s quiet here right now. Maybe a siren will begin to sound in the evening and those things will fly, but so far nothing has fallen on Jerusalem.
—The Mission lives on donations and outside help. How is it coping now, and how will it cope in the near future?
—Of course, monasteries are in a difficult situation—they have no income. But we hope that the Lord will have mercy on us, and people will be able to come again. Now, with the new wave of war, it has become a little worse and tougher. There were quite a few pilgrims at Pascha and during Lent, people even came from Russia. But now everything is closed, and all planned pilgrimages have been canceled.
Thank God, Metropolitan Nicholas, the First Hierarch of ROCOR, recently visited us. Metropolitan Mark of Berlin came with a pilgrimage group of sixty as well. We are expecting new pilgrimages in August, but we will see what happens. The Lord protects us.
