Evgeny Rodionov - A Drive to Turn a Soldier Into a Saint

[Moros]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/10/19/003.html

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/large/2004_10/2004_10_19/front_2.jpg

Excerpt:

At least 26 churches from Siberia to the Ukrainian border now have an icon of the handsome, dark-haired young man, who was a conscript in the border guards before his death.

Several marchers held his icon aloft in a rally against terror near Red Square on Sept. 7, shortly after the Beslan school tragedy.

"Yevgeny is famous. He is a bright example. Maybe it is because of his youth, and he reminds people of David and Goliath," said Orthodox priest Father Dmitry, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for the armed forces.

"This was a Christian death," he said.

He said the church had not yet decided to go ahead with canonization.

Father Dmitry said the war against the kind of Islamic extremists who seized the Beslan school was religious.

"If we do not fight, then they will take us, and that will be the end of Eastern Christianity," he said.

Other organizations have adopted Yevgeny. He has his own web site, www.rodionoff.ru, and is praised as a role model by the Russian branch of the Boy Scouts.

[Matrona]

Those icons should not depict him with a halo.

[Reader Nilus]

Is a saint only one officially glorified, or are saints those who are remembered as such by various Orthodox people? If Evgeny Rodionov is a saint, by all means he should have a halo.
Reader Nilus

[Suzannah]

Well, I found this story very touching and very interesting....My question is: if he "becomes" a Saint, how/what procedure ??? Will all the bishops get together and make an official statement or???

[Moros]

Those icons should not depict him with a halo.

They venerate him as a new-martyr. :)

[Sergius_Lucius]

Well, I found this story very touching and very interesting....My question is: if he "becomes" a Saint, how/what procedure ??? Will all the bishops get together and make an official statement or???
In the Russian Church, there is the Committee for Canonisations (head - Metropolitan Yuvenaliy). They investigate the case and recommend (or not) to canonize the person. Then the Synod (Patriarch + 12 bishops) accept the decision.

The Committee examined the proposal for canonization of Evgeniy Rodionov, talked with his mother (who is the only source of information on him) and decided that there are not enough reasons for canonization at present.

The campaign for the canonization is obviously connected with politics. It was started by a Communist anti-Putin newspaper Zavtra.

[Reader Nilus]

http://www.christianforums.com/t54415-st-yevgeny-rodionov.html
See this thread. In some of the articles we hear the Church will glorifiy him, now after a couple of years nothing.
Reader Nilus

[Matrona]

Is a saint only one officially glorified, or are saints those who are remembered as such by various Orthodox people? If Evgeny Rodionov is a saint, by all means he should have a halo.
Reader Nilus
He is not glorified in any jurisdiction--generally, those who are not glorified should not be depicted with a halo.

Although the Russian Orthodox Church may have been politically motivated in not glorifying Yevgeny at this time, I think it is prudent of them to wait and see if the veneration of him outlasts the current political situation. If he is glorified sooner or later, it does not affect Yevgeny's soul in the slightest. :)

[Suzannah]

Wait and see is always a good thing! :)

[Michael the Iconographer]

Is a saint only one officially glorified, or are saints those who are remembered as such by various Orthodox people? If Evgeny Rodionov is a saint, by all means he should have a halo.
Reader Nilus

Matrona is right, saints are to only be given a halo in icons AFTER the saint is recognized by the Church. A most recent example of this is Our Father Among the Saints St. Raphael of Brooklyn, Good Shepherd to the Lost Sheep of America. St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Oakland Pa had an icon of Bishop Raphael long before his glorification as a saint, and it was inscribed "Bishop Raphael" without a halo, it was only later changed to "St. Raphael" and given a halo when the church glorified St. Raphael. This is the proper way to do things of this nature.

[Michael the Iconographer]

Is a saint only one officially glorified, or are saints those who are remembered as such by various Orthodox people? If Evgeny Rodionov is a saint, by all means he should have a halo.
Reader Nilus

There is a reason why the Church keeps a very tight control over it's iconography. He only gets a halo if the Church says he gets a halo. Iconography is not a "do whatever I feel is best" free for all, but rather a humble service which Iconographers do for the Church.

[Eusebios]

Hi Yinz,
There was another thread a while back on this very subject, here (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=998561&postcount=4) Interesting discussion.
In Xp,
Eusebios.
:bow:

[Prawnik]

Interesting. In Russia, I've seen halos depicted on icons of the Holy Passion-Bearers (I think that's the correct title) Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Maria, Tatiana, Anastasia and Alexei (hope I got everyone), before they were officially canonized by the Church.

I've also seen "icons" depicting Ivan IV (some Orthodox there believe he should be declared a Saint) and others who were be no means Saints.

Also, for what its worth, on my last trip to Moscow, I was riding the Metro, minding my own business, when men, both in soldiers' uniforms, got on the car. One was on crutches, the other held out his hat. They announced that they were requesting money for medical care for wounded soldiers, that they fought and continued to fight for us, they prayed and continue to pray for us.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON, without exception, in that Metro car gave at least some money. Impoverished grandmothers, cynical Mafia businessmen, everyone.

I gave, too.