Koinonia on ecumenism

It has not so much been a slow news week as I just returned from traveling and had little posting time. Here is a statement in response to this thread that I think stands on its own merit. The points will be familiar to anyone who has entered into a discussion of this topic.

Reading through the thread, I am increasingly concerned by what I read here. There seems to be a desire on the part of some to make all council ecumenical. It appears to me that (and again, only for some) any suggestion that a council is not ecumenical calls into question either (a) the integrity of the teaching or, and this is much worse, (b) the integrity of the speaker who points out that the council is not ecumenical.

Reading through the comments, and again so it appears to me, there seems to be a desire on the part of some to claim for their own positions an ecumenical authority and to object when that authority is denied to them. A council need not be ecumenical for its teaching to be true. And the true teaching of true council, whether that council is ecumenical or not, does not exhaust the Mysteries of the Faith.

A council, indeed the dogmatic tradition of the Church, has primarily a negative function–it tells us the limits beyond which we cannot go with the surety of faith. The Church, and here I paraphrase the late Fr Georges Florvoksy, does not offer us a map to the Kingdom of God. Rather what we are offered in Holy Tradition–one important element of which are the teachings of the councils, ecumenical and local–are the Keys to the Kingdom.

It is up to each of us to personally take up those Keys and open the Gates to the Kingdom. And once the Gates are open, it is again up to each of us personally to enter in. We take up the Keys and enter in by way of the Sacraments, the life of prayer and our own asceticism.

Dogmatic definitions, no matter how well we understand them intellectually, or of no value unless we are men and women of prayer and humility.

It is worth noting, at least for my own spiritual life, that on the second to last Sunday before the Great and Holy Fast, when the Church asks us to reflect on the Last Judgment and She does so by calling to mind Our Lord's teaching not about dogma, but what in the West are the corporal works of mercy (Mt25.31-46).

While we must not push this too far, it is worth noting what absent is from our Lord's teaching about how I will be judged and what rather more typically consumes our attention when in internet forums when Orthodox Christians gather to comment about the faith.

It is only after we have gone through all this preparation embodied for us in the Triodion (orthodoxwiki: the Lenten Triodion is the service book of the Orthodox Church that provides the texts for the divine services for the pre-Lenten weeks of preparation, Great Lent, and Holy Week. It is called the triodion because the canons appointed for Orthros during this period are composed of three odes each.) that we are able, and again with prayer and fasting, in a spirit of humility, mutual forgiveness, and a committed to the tangible care of our sick, naked, imprisoned the sick and forgotten of this world that we are now able to profess the Orthodox faith.

But, and here I return to Fr Georges, if we take up the Keys to the Kingdom, open the Gates and enter in as we sing during the Great Fast, what do we see but the Glory of God unmediated. This Glory consumes the creation without destroying it or us. In the Divine Light we see God and see creation and ourselves with His Vision.

No council, local or ecumenical, will ever exhaust the Truth Who is Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the councils are of no value–God forbid we any of us think that, much less that we teach this. But their teaching, and our reflections on their teaching, is never received in an absolute manner but only within the context of the whole of the Tradition.

Too often our conversations about the Faith are marked by an absence of those qualities described above. And these qualities are absent in my conversations because they are absent in my life. The sacraments, repentance prayer, humility, and care for the poor are the proper foundation for theological discussion. Absent these, the fathers tell us, education and intellectual acumen will do us no good. Our theological knowledge, especially apart from the care of the poor, will not save us.

How rarely we are concerned in our conversations with the feeding of the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. How much we speak of Orthodoxy, how little we speak of love, mercy and forgiveness and sadly we seem to speak of Jesus and His love for each of us not at all.

Orthodox bishops speak on California's Proposition 8

(Orthodoxy Today) - The decision of the California Supreme Court on May 15, 2008, unilaterally redefines the sacred institution of marriage in a manner unprecedented in human history — and alien to our Christian tradition. We, the Orthodox Christian bishops of California, were saddened by this decision which constitutes a direct attack upon the longstanding role and freedom of religion in American life. A majority of the justices declared not only that same-sex couplings must be allowed to exist at those couples’ discretion as “marriages,” but that the state of California is forbidden to refer to these couplings as anything but “marriages.”

Orthodox Christianity holds in high regard the God-ordained institution of marriage and the family. The Orthodox Church must and shall remain true to its faith and tradition, and affirm that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, given by God to one another for mutual support, encouragement, love and the ability to bear children.

As members of the Church and as citizens of this great land, we cannot withdraw from the society in which we live. Our parishes and our faithful are called upon to be “salt and light,” to paraphrase Christ, and as such, they engage with their neighbors in acts of charity and love. We will continue our charitable works, and our engagement with society — including to faithfully teach the truth about Christian principles of living.

The Orthodox Church in the United States thrives and grows, in many respects, because of the enduring principles upon which this great country was founded. Our definitions of basic institutions such as marriage, shaped by the unfathomable forces of love and nature coupled with the experience of all recorded human history, rightly derive from what the Founders of our country knew as the “natural law” of “nature and nature’s God”.

It is in this light that the Orthodox Christian bishops of California reject the decision of the California Supreme Court in In re Marriage Cases. The institution of marriage emanates from something transcending our passing political institutions, and cannot be unilaterally altered in this way. We therefore must act when that promulgation directly contradicts our faith — and threatens the very foundation of Orthodoxy’s flourishing in America.

Therefore, we, the Orthodox bishops of California, call upon the faithful, as responsible and concerned citizens of California, to overturn this ruling by the California Supreme Court by voting in favor of Proposition 8 this coming November. This proposition is a regrettably necessary measure to restore the true definition of marriage in the eyes of our state. A state that believes same-sex couplings constitute “marriage” implicitly — and sooner or later, explicitly — denies the role of the Church and all faiths that adhere to traditional values in public life. Please exercise your citizenship and vote in November. The passage of Proposition 8 is an imperative.

With Archpastoral blessings,

Metropolitan GERASIMOS, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco

Bishop JOSEPH, Dioces of Los Angeles and the West, Antiochian Archdiocese of North America

Bishop MAXIM, Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America

Bishop BENJAMIN, Orthodox Church in America, Dioces of the West

Appeal for suffering Christians in the East

VATICAN CITY, 25 OCT 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, patriarchs and archbishops from Eastern Catholic churches who are participating in the current meeting of the Synod of Bishops, delivered an appeal to the Holy Father "in favour of our brothers and sisters of the East", in which they ask for "the confirmation of all attempts being made to favour peace, freedom and truth in love".

In the text of the appeal, which appeared on the pages of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper, the prelates write: "Our hearts are moved by the suffering of so many of our sons and daughters of the East. Children and youth, people in extreme difficulty because of their age, health or essential spiritual and material needs; families perennially tempted to despair over the present and the future. We feel it our duty to voice their justifiable hopes that everyone may soon be guaranteed a dignified life, in fruitful social coexistence.

"Peace is the work of justice! This is an imperative we cannot ignore. We ask, then, for peace in justice, of which real religious freedom is a guarantee, and especially for the Holy Land which was the birthplace of Christ the Redeemer, for Lebanon, Iraq and India.

"We remain close to people suffering for their Christian faith and to all believers prevented from professing their religion. We pay homage to Christians who have recently lost their lives for faithfulness to the Lord".

"Before the Pope and the Synod Fathers, encouraged by their fraternity, we present this urgent request: to Christians and all men and women of good will, demonstrate respect and acceptance of others in daily life, drawing close to all those in need, at home and far away; to pastors and religious leaders, preach and support such an attitude by sustaining and increasing initiatives of mutual understanding, dialogue and assistance; to the international community and politicians, guarantee true religious freedom at a legislative level, by overcoming all discrimination and helping those who are forced to leave their own land for religious reasons".

A little eye candy

Blessing of the Holy Muron by the Armenian Church from earlier this year. More here.

On the Jesus Prayer

I was invited to attend a talk given by Bishop-elect Jonah (OCA - Diocese of Fort Worth) on the Jesus Prayer held at St. Maximus in Denton, TX on Friday. It was well attended, uplifting, and educational. I should also add that is was refreshingly lacking in flowery prose where simple anecdotes or explanations could be inserted. A reminder to all that he will be consecrated into the episcopacy on November 1st in Dallas, TX.

On the hard sell

Christ in the Mountains wrote on voting, the afterlife, and the comparative importance of matters affecting the living. Do go read it here.

In a conversation I had recently, I was struck by how religious fervor is so often given over to nearly everything but religion. In this particular discussion, my interlocutor was greatly concerned about people who had no health insurance, because of a frequent interaction with such people, some of whom are genuinely suffering seriously with life-threatening illnesses. My position in the discussion was that health care, while important, is of relatively lower importance compared to questions of eternal significance. What I didn't know was that that statement would reveal that I "live in la-la land." Something real has to be done, I was told, and I got the strong impression that that meant it had to be some kind political action...

...And, since we are on the subject of "la-la land," and also because I have always appreciated wit, I couldn't help but finish up this little reflection by yet another quote from Lewis's beautiful "Hope" chapter in Mere Christianity: "There is no need to be worried by facetious people who try to make the Christian hope of 'Heaven' ridiculous by saying they do not want 'to spend eternity playing harps'. The answer to such people is that if they cannot understand books written for grown-ups, they should not talk about them."

Greek Orthodox delegate speaks about synod

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org) - The intervention from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople at the synod of bishops marked an ecumenical milestone, says a representative of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Archimandrite Ignatios Sotiriadis is a fraternal delegate at the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, which ends Sunday.

The Church of Greece representative spoke with ZENIT about the intervention from Bartholomew I, given as a homily Oct. 18 in a celebration of vespers together with Benedict XVI.

Q: You have been participating in the entire synod. What have you heard from the synod fathers about Bartholomew I's homily?

Archimandrite Ignatios: First of all, I feel proud to see His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in the Sistine Chapel, where popes are elected, also famous worldwide for its artistic value, because I consider the invitation from Pope Benedict to the "primus inter pares" (first among equals) of the Orthodox Church a most great honor.

The event was welcomed by the synod fathers -- all of them were present -- as a true moment of "grace" and in the same way, the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano has presented it in a headline on the front page.

The patriarch made reference in his homily to the interpretation of the Word of God-Divine Word, according to the teaching and the writings of the fathers of the Church. It was a magisterial homily, since it presented the position of the Orthodox Church on the discussion, inspired in the richness of Eastern and Orthodox spirituality.

It was a historical event, in which a Pope celebrates vespers before the representatives of the entire Catholic episcopate and on this occasion, doesn't exercise his ministry as teacher, but concedes it to the second bishop of the Church when it was not yet divided.

What most impressed me was what the Pope said when the patriarch's homily, received with long applause, was over: "If we have common fathers, how can we not be brothers?"

Q: The synod fathers have commented on the mediation of the patriarch. In particular, they were impressed by the passage in which he explained how to "see" the Word of God through icons, expression of the incarnation of God, and in creation, highlighting the importance of protecting it, as respect for the divine Logos.

Archimandrite Ignatios: The ecumenical patriarch is known for his passion and his tireless commitment at the ecological level and the synod fathers have much appreciated his contribution to a discussion of maximum importance and current value, in which the Church should be a protagonist.

Q: But the great novelty, perhaps, has not been the patriarch's intervention, but rather the desire of the Pope, expressed at the end of vespers, to include the patriarch's proposals in the synodal proposals. This is an initiative that appears to have been welcomed by the synod fathers. In this way, for the first time in history, the magisterium of an ecumenical patriarch could be taken up by the official magisterium of the Catholic Church in the postsynodal apostolic exhortation.

Archimandrite Ignatios: When we are united in the Word of God, our path inevitably leads us toward a second stage, which is full unity, that is, a common celebration of the Eucharist. But this will not be reached as much with human efforts as with the breath and will of the Holy Spirit.

Q: Yet those who hope for this unity sometimes see it as something far off …

Archimandrite Ignatios: The separation of the Eastern and Western Church occurred over various centuries; it was not an isolated event in the year 1054, but a long cultural, linguistic process. … I think that the re-encounter will happen in the same way, following a gradual path. We separated slowly, and slowly we will unite. But it is not for us to talk of dates.

What is certain is the desire of the Orthodox Church that the Church of Rome parts with its temporal power and dedicates itself totally to its spiritual mission for the transformation of the world.

Pope Shenouda III returns to Egypt

CAIRO (The National) - “Where is your cross?” asked the Coptic Christian guards outside the Abbassiya Cathedral in Cairo on Wednesday, where thousands of Copts had gathered to see their beloved Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic church, speak after returning from a four-month stay in the United States where he was receiving medical treatment.

Several incidents of sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians occurred during the pope’s absence, giving extra significance to his return.

“The church and our lives are not the same when the pope is not around,” said Mourad Weisa, 35, an accountant. “He’s everything to us.”

The throngs clapped and roared, and began chanting “We love you pope” as he arrived at the crowded cathedral and made his way to the altar.

The gathering hushed into silence as he prepared to speak.

“I apologise for not being able to hold our weekly meeting for the past 19 weeks,” said Pope Shenouda, 85, smiling and tearful, visible on a huge screen erected inside the church. “Our weekly meeting is not just a sermon, but is a meeting of hearts, and I listen to your problems and your spiritual needs,” he said.

“I thank God for sickness as well as for health.”

Shenouda returned to Egypt on Monday after being treated for a broken thigh bone in a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He can now walk, but with difficulty.

The Coptic leader also suffers from back pain and kidney problems, and has previously sought care in Germany and the United States.

Holding the title Pope Shenouda III, 117th and incumbent Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Apostolic Throne of St Mark, he has been head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria since 1971. The church has a following of 16 million members worldwide.

Egypt’s Copts – the largest Christian community in the Middle East – account for an estimated six to 10 per cent of the country’s 78m inhabitants. Many Copts complain of widespread discrimination and say the government does not do enough to protect their rights.

Muslim critics bemoan the growing role of the Church, which they say is becoming a state within a state, and accuse Copts living abroad of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

While the pope dedicated Wednesday’s sermon to “the meaning of being angry but not doing something wrong” and “God’s kindness, which comes from his mercy and love, and our weakness and the strength of our enemies”, he did not directly address tensions between Copts and Muslims, which have spiked in recent months.

The aging patriarch tends to avoid confrontation, instead withdrawing to the Wadi el Natroun Monastery for prayers as a sign of protest.

In the past few months, the country’s fragile sectarian balance has been rocked by clashes, accusations of discrimination and rumors of disruption being instigated from abroad.

Three monasteries closed their doors this month following threats of vandalism after the rumoured killing of Wafaa Constantine, a priest’s wife who had reportedly converted to Islam in 2004 and then reverted to Christianity.

The security threats came on the heels of an interview with Zaghloul el Naggar, an Islamic scholar, in which he accused the Church of killing Constantine for refusing to return to Christianity.

They bring the total of monasteries that closed due to security threats to six; three other monasteries in Wadi el Natroun had closed their doors between Sept 23 and Oct 14.

Like the rest of Egypt’s 2,300 churches, there is a constant police presence outside the Cathedral. Copts need presidential permission to build or repair a church, a restriction they have repeatedly asked authorities to lift.

In two incidents of violence in the past two months, a Muslim and a Christian were shot dead and many others were injured.

Efforts to set up reconciliation meetings between Copts and Muslims have been discussed, but were turned down by Pope Shenouda, who said official law should be used to solve such problems.

His followers agree; and the pope’s return has reinvigorated their hopes for an equal footing in Egyptian society.

“I feel life has come back to me and my heart is dancing with happiness after I saw the pope today, in good health and spirit,” said Mariz abdel Massih, 24, as she was leaving the cathedral.

First Russian Orthodox Church in the Caribbean

H/T: Memoirs of the Neophyte

Orthodox Church opens in Havana, Cuba.

(POI) Kirill, metropolitan bishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, president of the Department for ecclesiastic foreign relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, went to Cuba to unveil an Orthodox Cathedral in Havana on October 19th. The day after, October 20th, he met card. Jaime Luis Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana and, according to the local agencies, he was also received by the former president Fidel Castro, despite his bad health. To Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church, yesterday Fidel Castro devoted one of his reflections on the official newspaper "Granma", in which he claims that Kirill "thinks the Catholic Church might solve its problems with such countries as China or Vietnam". The metropolitan bishop Kirill, as reported by the online magazine "New Word" of the archdiocese of Havana, sent to cardinal Ortega "a special greeting from the Patriarch Alexius II, giving him a diptych with the images of Christ and the Virgin, a gift from the highest Russian Orthodox authority". Card. Ortega attended the unveiling of the Orthodox Cathedral along with mgr. Luigi Bonazzi, apostolic nuncio to Cuba, and the President of the State Council Raúl Castro.

Epicalyptry, a word I had been looking for

From Wordmall, a blog on the English language, comes this little gem.

Drew from Traverse City, Michigan, asked an interesting question: What is the opposite of an epiphany?

First, let’s deal with epiphany. In the ancient world, according to myths, epics, and religious works, an epiphany occurred when a god or goddess chose to reveal itself to a mere mortal. Above all, in the ancient world, it was meant to be evidence that the human hero or leader was worthy of knowledge, power, or credibility. It was a compelling endorsement of his or her mission, message, or destiny.

Epiphany came from two Greek terms: epi-, to, and phanein, to show. Thus, it was a manifestation, a deliberate and directed revelation, and an inspiring or instigative appearance.

In the Christian religion, The Epiphany is a specific festival: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the person of the Magi. In the Western Church, the feast is celebrated on January 6. The account may be found in Matthew 2: 1 - 12.

Another important New Testament epiphany occurs in the account of Jesus’ baptism.

In time, epiphany was secularized and democratized and came to mean any flash of insight, any sudden intuitive realization. It no longer needed a god or goddess or a national hero; it had moved to the internal forum of everyman.

To get back to the original question: what is the opposite of an epiphany? Frankly, I’ve had difficulty finding a word endorsed by widespread usage. Jung used the term anti-epiphany. I haven’t dipped into his works since the 1970s, but at the risk of distortion and simplification, I have a hazy memory that it was a defense mechanism to prevent an overload of information and revelation. Some things it’s better not to realize; blocking--at least on a temporary basis--isn’t always negative.

So, let me approach the question from an etymological perspective. An epiphany leads a person to a burst of internal light. We need a term to metaphorically express leading a person to a dark cave. Let’s save the epi-, meaning to, and let’s add the combining form -calyptry, from the Greek kalyptra, covered and hidden as by a veil.

Thus, we have epicalyptry [ep´-ee-cal-ip´-tree], deliberate concealment from self or resistance to insight. Spread the word, folks. Let’s get it into dictionaries.

Patriarch Alexei responds to Pope of Rome

MOSCOW, OCT. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org) - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II responded to a letter from Benedict XVI, expressing satisfaction with growing collaboration between the two Churches.

Alexy II's note responded to the Pope's message of Oct. 1, sent to Russia with Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, archbishop of Naples, who visited Moscow at the patriarch's invitation.

The Russian religious leader expressed his "joy at the growing perspective of the development of good relations and a positive cooperation between our two Churches."

"The solid base of this," he added, "is in our common roots and our converging positions regarding many of the questions that today afflict the world."

Alexy II said he is convinced that "the greatest revelation of the Gospel, 'God is love,' should become a vital guideline for all those who consider themselves followers of Christ."

"Only through testimony to this mystery can we overcome the discord and alienation of this century, proclaiming the eternal values of Christianity to the modern world," he stated.

The patriarch concluded, expressing his heartfelt good wishes for the Holy Father's "good health and the help of God in your ministry."

From Dec. 20 to 23, Alexy II will visit Vienna, Austria, at the invitation of the archbishop of that city, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

Fr. Michael Orsi on blogging run amuck

H/T: The Crescat

A lengthy article in the Homiletic & Pastoral Review by Fr. Michael Orsi proved good reading. Do go read the complete article.

...But here we return to the concept of anonymity. Hiding out in cyberspace provides a certain emotional distance and avoids direct confrontation. This gives calumnious bloggers some distinct advantages over their victims. They can declare someone guilty without evidence, forcing them to defend themselves by having to disprove a negative. And they can be as outlandish and judgmental as they like while remaining shielded from the reactions and reproaches they would encounter in signed commentary or face-to-face debate. This contradicts the two foundational principles of American justice: (1) assumption of innocence until proof of guilt and (2) the right of the accused to face the accuser. But it tends to liberate bloggers from moral constraint by anesthetizing conscience.

There is a certain self-defeating aspect of calumnious blogging. The titillation of malicious gossip and the thrill of tearing down other human beings do have their limits. Insinuations and outrageous charges often provoke counterclaims that are just as wild. Mutual misquoting, distortion, hearsay and condemnation can spiral to heights of ridiculousness that strain credulity and eventually make readers lose interest. Even the element of anonymity can have counterproductive effects, highlighting the Kafkaesque unreality of the “kangaroo court” assembled in cyberspace. Readers can begin to suspect cowardice at work, or even to speculate about the psychological health of a blogger who will only comment from behind the mask of a fictitious name.

Still, the practice persists, and with the ubiquitous presence of the Internet, it touches the lives of believers in every parish today. Indeed, it presents us with a situation of serious moral conflict that pastors should address, because it violates the dignity of persons and undermines truth. And in the end, truth is the only basis on which a good society can be built. Thus, I offer the following recommendations about points that should be made regarding blogging:

• Pastors should speak on the Eighth Commandment and its corollary injunctions against calumny and detraction.
• People should be warned that what they read on blogs is not necessarily true.
• Any anonymous blog or unsigned response has the weight of an unsigned letter and so should be quickly dismissed.
• A blog that is particularly vicious toward persons can be indicative of psychological illness, or simply an evil person, and is therefore suspect.
• Any blog that is unedifying and demeaning to another person should not be read. It is the equivalent of pornography.
• Responding to these calumnious blogs, even for defense of the individual or for clarification, only encourages the offender and prolongs the life of the calumny.
• Those who suffer calumny on anonymous blogs are, for the most part, better off enduring it. Seeking to correct misrepresentations usually has the effect of keeping controversy alive and adding to its interest value.
• While reading such blogs is damaging to its target (since it causes unwarranted negative speculation about another’s character), it also hurts the reader since it causes scandal, sowing pessimism and despondency.
• Calumnious blogging is a serious offense against God’s law. Those who engage in it are jeopardizing their immortal souls and the souls of others.
• For anyone to make a judgment concerning a person’s character based on what is read on a negative blog is to be a formal cooperator in the evil perpetrated by the blogger.
  

Those involved in blogging would do well to keep in mind the words of Isaiah 33:15, which says of the good person: “He who acts with integrity, who speaks sincerely …, shuts suggestion of murder out of his ears, and closes his eyes against crime, this man will dwell in the heights.”

Complete article here.

Bishop "opens a can" on permissiveness

Nice to have a surprise bishop crash your event. I'm reminded of that scene from Gladiator:

Emperor: I don't think there's ever been a gladiator to match you.
As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules?
Why doesn't the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name?
You do have a name?


Gladiator: My name is Gladiator.


Emperor: How dare you show your back to me?
Slave!
You will remove your helmet and tell me your name.


Gladiator: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius...
commander of the armies of the north...
general of the Felix Legions...
loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius...
father to a murdered son...
husband to a murdered wife...
and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.


[next scene]


Emperor: Why is he still alive?


Lucilla: I don't know.


Emperor: He shouldn't be alive.
It vexes me.
I'm terribly vexed.

Scranton, PA, Oct 22, 2008 / 01:00 pm (CNA) - An election forum at a Pennsylvania parish that took place last Sunday was organized to allow Catholics the opportunity to defend their support for McCain and Obama. However, the forum took a surprising turn when an unexpected guest showed up to guide his flock, the Bishop of Scranton, Joseph F. Martino.

The forum, which took place at St. John’s Catholic Church in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was underway when the bishop arrived. Four panel members were sharing their perspectives on the presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, some pledging to vote for the Republican, others for the Democrat.

One of the panelists, Sister Margaret Gannon of Marywood University cited statements from “Faithful Citizenship” a document on voting released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She noted that “a Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate’s opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity. ”

After Sr. Gannon spoke, the bishop took the floor. Bill Genello, a spokesman for the Diocese of Scranton told the Wayne Independent that when Bishop Martino arrived, his intention was to listen “to the presenters and how they might discuss Catholic teaching.”

However, he continued, “Certain groups and individuals have used their own erroneous interpretations of Church documents, particularly the U.S. Bishops’ statement on Faithful Citizenship, to justify their political positions and to contradict the Church’s actual teaching on the centrality of abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research.”

When the bishop heard the speakers using the bishops’ statement to justify their choice for president, he reminded the audience that those “groups and individuals who make statements about Catholic teaching do not speak with the same authority or authenticity as their bishop.”

The prelate then clarified his authority as bishop and the Church’s teachings on abortion as an election issue.

“No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,” said Martino according to the Wayne Independent. “The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”

“The only relevant document ... is my letter,” he continued, “There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”

The letter he referred to was a pastoral letter to his entire diocese that was published in the first week of October. In his message, Bishop Martino states that a candidate’s abortion stance is a major voting issue that supersedes all others due to its grave moral consequences.

He wrote: “To begin, laws that protect abortion constitute injustice of the worst kind. They rest on several false claims including that there is no certainty regarding when life begins, that there is no certainty about when a fetus becomes a person, and that some human beings may be killed to advance the interests or convenience of others.”

“Another argument goes like this: ‘As wrong as abortion is, I don't think it is the only relevant ‘life’ issue that should be considered when deciding for whom to vote.’ This reasoning is sound only if other issues carry the same moral weight as abortion does, such as in the case of euthanasia and destruction of embryos for research purposes. ... National Right to Life reports that 48.5 million abortions have been performed since 1973. One would be too many. No war, no natural disaster, no illness or disability has claimed so great a price.”

He also touched on just war. “Even the Church’s just war theory has moral force because it is grounded in the principle that innocent human life must be protected and defended. Now, a person may, in good faith, misapply just war criteria leading him to mistakenly believe that an unjust war is just, but he or she still knows that innocent human life may not be harmed on purpose. A person who supports permissive abortion laws, however, rejects the truth that innocent human life may never be destroyed. This profound moral failure runs deeper and is more corrupting of the individual, and of the society, than any error in applying just war criteria to particular cases.”

“No social issue has caused the death of 50 million people,” he said, noting that he no longer supports the Democratic Party. “This is madness people.”

When the prelate concluded his speech, most audience members gave him a standing ovation, while others were upset that the leader of the diocese made an appearance. Bishop Martino left the event shortly after making his remarks.

Organizers of the event had mixed emotions regarding the bishop’s appearance.

Father Martin Boylan, pastor of St. John’s said that they “were very careful not to endorse anyone,” and that the forum was meant to be “a political slash editorial forum about the presidential election.”

He also explained that the state church guidelines were “carefully followed” for the event.

A united Ukrainian Church & the part Constantinople will play

Kyiv (RISU) — The renewal of the unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy is more important for UOC-MP than canonical status. So said the press secretary of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, head of the Synodal Department, Mission of Spiritual Education, chief editor of the portal Orthodoxy in Ukraine, archpriest Heorhii Kovalenko at a web conference conducted with him by portal RISU. During the conference, he, in particular, expressed his ideas as to the prospect of unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and the role of Constantinople and Moscow in the process. He also talked about the relations of UOC with other Orthodox churches in Ukraine.

Fr. Heorhii stressed that UOC hopes for support from the heads of local Orthodox churches for “the efforts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church towards the renewal of unity of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy.” “This means that UOC will not only continue negotiations with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate, but also has the necessary potential for the unification of divided Ukrainian Orthodoxy and consolidation of Ukrainian society,” he noted.

The UOC head’s press secretary also stressed that “UOC sees the prospect of the renewal of unity of Orthodoxy in Ukraine in a synodal discussion of the Ukrainian question and development of a unified position of the Universal Orthodoxy on ways of overcoming the divide.” At the same time, he added that “a lot will depend on those, who, hopefully, temporarily, are outside the Church fence.” “The Church expects exactly their return,” he stressed.

In response to the question about a possibility of granting the autonomous status by UOC, the archpriest answered that “UOC considers it necessary to have a synodal discussion of the question of improvement of its canonical status after the renewal of unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.” He also stressed that “UOC is prepared for the synodal discussion of the problem in the whole fullness of the Orthodox Church and not only at its own synod.”

As for the prospect of unification of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine under the headship of the Constantinople Patriarch, the guest of the web-conference noted: “I visited Constantinople and did not see any desire on the part of the Universal Patriarch to establish his jurisdiction in Ukraine, contrary to what some of our politicians and media say. But I could see interest and desire to assist in solving the Ukrainian Church issue.” He expressed hope that “the Universal Church will find solutions, which will not divide the Ukrainian Church community but facilitate its unification.”

Father Heorhii noted that “when one objectively analyses the actions of Constantinople with respect to Ukrainian Orthodoxy, one can notice the desire to solve the issues in the canonical way, and the canonical principle is: “one town – one bishop.” He stressed that “Orthodoxy worldwide is not indifferent to the events in Ukraine. This is indicated by this year’s visit of the Universal and Moscow patriarchs to Ukraine as well. Moreover, after the recent meeting of the heads of the Orthodox churches in Istanbul, the Head of UOC addressed Universal Orthodoxy with a request to assist to overcome the divide of Orthodox Ukrainians and define a joint position on ways to overcome the divides in Ukraine.”

In the end, the press secretary of the head of UOC stressed: “I cannot say on behalf of the whole Moscow Patriarchate but I am sure that Orthodoxy is open to inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogue.”

Golden jubilee endes for Malankara Syrian Church

A little background provided by Wikipedia:

"The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. It parted ways with Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism over the Council of Chalcedon, which the Syriac Orthodox Church rejects. It is a major inheritor of Syriac Christianity and has Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, as its official language. The church is led by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch."



"Ignatius Zakka I Iwas is the 122th and reigning Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and as such, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name, Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St. George's Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus. He succeeded Ignatius Ya`qub III. As is traditional for the head of the church, Severios has adopted the name Ignatius.

Severios is known for his involvement in ecumenical dialogue. He is a president of the World Council of Churches and is also a prolific author. He was an observer at Second Vatican Council before becoming metropolitan bishop of Mosul. At the time of his election as patriarch, Iwas had been archbishop of Baghdad and Basra.

As patriarch, he established a monastic seminary, met with John Paul II during the Roman pope's trip to Syria in 2001, and installed numerous metropolitans, including Baselios Thomas I as Catholicos of India. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee in 2005."



"Catholicos Baselios Thomas I (July 22, 1929) is Maphriyono/Catholicos of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the regional head of Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. His official title is Catholicos of India although sometimes called Catholicos of the East. It was on 26th July 2002 he was enthroned as the Catholicos and the head of the Church in India. He is the regional head of the 1.5 million Syriac Christians of India, a Christian community believed to have been established by Apostle St. Thomas in a place called Maliyankara, near North Paravur in South India in AD. 52."

Kochi, Oct. 19 (Syrian) - The year-long sacerdotal Golden jubilee celebrations of the Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, the regional head of the Syrian Christian Church of India, came to an end today with a grand reception given to His Holiness the Patriarch and His Beatitude the Catholicos at the Marine Drive grounds in Kochi. As many as 1,000,000 faithful attended the function held, to welcome His Holiness the Patriarch on his 4th Apostolic visit to India and to facilitate the Catholicos on his sacerdotal Golden jubilee.

The program started with the prayer song followed by the welcome speech by H.G. Mor Gregorios Joseph, the Secretary of the Malankara Synod and the Chairman of the celebration committee. Sr. V S. Achuthanandan, the honourable Chief Minister of Kerala State delivered the presidential address.



The grand meeting was inaugurated by the His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, the Patriarch of Antioch & all the East and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, by lighting the ceremonial lamp. The Patriarch, who profusely praised the contributions made by the present Catholicos to the growth of the Malankara Syrian Church, decorated him with icons and a ring as a mark of recognition and affection.

Speaking on the occasion the Patriarch said that the growing materialism and selfishness in the present world were destroying the bonds of love and tolerance, which previously existed among different nations and people. His Holiness added that ''some nations and people were becoming richer and richer and some poorer and poorer, and this had given rise to conflicts between nations and within a country.'' The world was changing very fast and the advancement in the field of science had enabled people to communicate easily creating more materialism and took people away from the path of God, he said. "The increased knowledge in science and technology should not take us away from God, but rather, take us closer to God who blesses us with such knowledge,'' he noted. The Patriarch exhorted the political and religious leaders, social workers to play a positive role by promoting and ensuring better understanding, better unity and co-operation among all people.

Before addressing the faithful, the Patriarch moved through the middle of the capacity gathering to give apostolic blessings to the people on a vehicle. Slogans of "Long live the Malankara-Antioch relation" rend the air as the Patriarch gave his blessings.

Shri. Shivraj Patil, the Union Home Minister, Government of India delivered the key note Address. In his speech he said that the people has recognized the great service rendered by the Christian Church. It did the work of providing education and imparting fortitude to people to face the ups and downs of life. He also added that India is the land of philosophy of pluralism and Indians saw divinity in everything in the universe. While religions should unite, in some cases, it tended to divide people. These were occasions created by people who did not understand the essence of religion.

Representing the sister Episcopal churches, H.E. Dr. Daniel Acharuparambil, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Varapuzha and H.E. Dr. Thomas Samuel, the bishop of the Church of South India spoke.

The other speakers were the honourable Ministers of State, Shri. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Shri. S Sarma, Shri. Mons Joseph, Shri. M A Baby and Shri. Binoy Viswam, the Opposition leader & the former Chief Minister of Kerala Shri. Oommen Chandy, KPCC President Shri. Ramesh Chennithala, BJP leader and former Union Minister Shri. O. Rajagopal and the honourable City Mayor Mrs. Mercy Williams.

At the end of the public function, His Beatitude the Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas Ist, delivered the reply speech in which he thanked all for their love and sincerity to the Holy Church. The vote of thanks was made by Shri. Thambu George Thukalan, the Church secretary.

The function organized inside a massive 'pandal' and attended by scores of faithful ended by around 8.00 pm.

New OCA activity book for children

Although each Christian generation has its own unique challenges there were those followers of Christ – in various times and places – who suffered extraordinarily for the Faith. They gave their lives completely through sacrificial service or in death, " for the sake of Christ and the Gospel." Saints in Times of Trouble bears witness to twelve such disciples.

The popular Saints of North America Activity Book, put forth by the OCA's Department of Christian Education, has now been complemented by what promises to be an equally useful resource: a workbook focusing on Saints in Times of Trouble.

What makes this brief collection distinct from some others is the diversity of examples presented. Descriptions include, for example, St. John Chrysostom and the deaconess St. Olympias and St. Poplia from the 4th century; St. Aidan (Scotland) and St. Cuthbert (Britain) from the 7th century; St. Alexander Nevsky (the Russian Prince) 13th century, and the Iconographer St. Andrei Rublev, 14th century. Moving forward, the 19th and 20th centuries are represented by such figures as: St. Barbara the Nun-Martyr of Russia; St. Gorazd, Bishop and New-Martyr of Prague; St. Maria Skobtsova of Paris; St. Mitrophan of China; and St. Patriarch Tikhon.

In addition to facts concerning their lives each entry contains the Troparion and Kontakion for the Saint, and journal questions to facilitate discussions with students as well as puzzle activities. Further resources, including a large glossary and full color displays of cultural points of interests are cited for those who want more information. As in the first book, Saints of North America, this second activity book features beautifully detailed iconographic line drawings as well as a map of where each Saint journeyed during their lifetime.

A compilation such as this will prove invaluable for parents and teachers alike. God provided a witness to Himself through the men and women herein described. The Church does her children a great service by teaching them about those "heroes" for the faith, to follow in their footsteps.

Christ said, " In the world you shall have tribulation." He followed with these words, "Rejoice, for I have overcome the world." Saints in Times of Trouble reveals how that possibility is given regardless of the outward circumstances of one's life, a necessary lesson for people of all ages.

West Side!

Far... far... West Side.

Ecumenical Patriarch speaks at synod on Word of God

I watched the address over the weekend. It was quite good and thankfully in English. As the text of the talk has just come out I may post it later today.

VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2008 (VIS) - In the Sistine Chapel at 5 p.m. today, the Holy Father presided at the celebration of first Vespers of the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, marking the participation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in the work of the current Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The ceremony, which was attended by more than 400 cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay people, began with a few brief words of introduction by Benedict XVI.

In his English-language talk, Bartholomew I highlighted how this "is the first time in history that an Ecumenical Patriarch is offered the opportunity to address a Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, and thus be 'part of the life' of this sister Church at such a high level. We regard this as a manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit leading our Churches to a closer and deeper relationship with each other, an important step towards the restoration of our full communion".

"It is well known that the Orthodox Church attaches to the synod system fundamental ecclesiological importance. Together with primacy, synodality constitutes the backbone of the Church's government and organization. ... Therefore, in having today the privilege to address your Synod our hopes are raised that the day will come when our two Churches will fully converge on the role of primacy and synodality in the Church's life, to which our joint theological commission is devoting its study at the present time".

"We have explored", he concluded, "the patristic teaching of the spiritual senses, discerning the power of hearing and speaking God's Word in Scripture, of seeing God's Word in icons and nature, as well as of touching and sharing God's Word in the saints and sacraments. Yet, in order to remain true to the life and mission of the Church, we must personally be changed by this Word. The Church must resemble the mother, who is both sustained by and nourishes through the food she eats. Anything that does not feed and nourish everyone cannot sustain us either. When the world does not share the joy of Christ's Resurrection, this is an indictment of our own integrity and commitment to the living Word of God".

Following the Patriarch's talk, the Pope thanked him for his words assuring him they would be studied and examined by the Synod. "This too was a joyful experience", he said, "an experience of unity, perhaps not perfect but real and profound. I thought to myself: your Fathers, whom you quoted widely, are also our Fathers and ours are also yours. And if we have shared Fathers how can we not be brothers?"

Mariapoch 2008

Play for the music if nothing else.

Dutch move to protect monastery in Turkey

(AINA) - The recent threat to the saint Gabriel monastery, an Assyrian monastery in Turkey, have led a number of Dutch Members of parliament to put forward parliamentary questions to the Dutch minister of foreign affairs, Maxime Verhagen.

Christian democrats Pieter Omtzigt en Maarten Haverkamp, together with Christian Union MP Joel Voordewind ask him whether he shares the view that cultural heritage like the Saint Gabriel monastery should be protected, as this is the oldest Syrian orthodox monastery and in fact one of the oldest surviving monasteries in the world. They also urge him to contact the Turkish authorities. The minister has three weeks to answer the questions and take action.

"We would like this monastery and its lands to be used by the church and worshipers, who have done so for 1600 years," According to Pieter Omtzigt, a member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe. "Freedom of religion and worship means that churches of all denominations should be able to have their buildings and conduct their own affairs. If necessary we shall bring the issue of Christian minorities in Turkey to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg as well".

Secularism: not a hole but a replacement

“If the hermeneutic of the faith disappears, in its place the positivistic or secularist hermeneutic is affirmed, according to which the divine does not appear in history.”

- Pope Benedict XVI said today at the synod

More on the Bulgarian Orthodox issues

(Sofia Echo) - The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has revised its statute to ban selling or mortgaging church property, and will trim back the powers of its head, the Patriarch, in favour of more power for the Holy Synod.

These were among decisions made at the church’s sixth National Church Council, which resumed for a week of discussions from October 6 to 12 2008 after being unable to deal with all its agenda items at the initial meeting in May. This time around, church leaders again did not manage to get through the list – the national council will resume again from December 9 to 12.

Dveri, the website dedicated to Bulgarian Orthodox Church matters, said that all the decisions made at the National Church Council’s second session would be published in a special issue of the church’s official newspaper.

Other issues on which the council has made pronouncements, to be disclosed in the church newspaper, include Bulgaria’s controversial new Family Code, the law on cultural values and the Education Act.

Finalising a long-running debate in the church, the National Church Council said that the church would not sell or mortgage its real estate, but clergy would be permitted to lend out property for use.

There has been a controversy in the church on the question of property, including about an episode in which Varna Metropolitan Kiril – who is widely believed to be harbouring hopes of becoming Patriarch – reportedly was involved in a transaction in church property on the Black Sea coast. At the church council, Kiril said that each eparchy should be allowed to dispose its property without requiring the authorisation of the Holy Synod.

The council decided on a significant change in labour and salary conditions for priests, who until now were paid in candles that they sold to earn their keep. From now, priests will have labour contracts with fixed salaries and monthly insurance contributions from the Holy Synod. The basic salary will be 220 leva a month, but the Holy Synod will be allowed to authorise the payment of additional premiums from the eparchical budget. As to the candles, the proceeds of sales will go to the eparchical budget.

Significantly, given the advanced age of current church head Patriarch Maxim and the contest – however officially unstated – to succeed him, the church council decided to scrap the minimum age limit for eligibility to be Patriarch. This move could open up the race after Maxim’s death by lengthening the list of senior clergy eligible for election.

The church council also decided to remove the rule requiring the Patriarch’s name to be mentioned during prayers at Sunday liturgies. The eparchies will pray instead for their respective regional bishops. Wow.

The Holy Synod decision-making process was changed, so that the synod need only consult the Patriarch but will not require his agreement in taking a decision. Double wow.

Bulgarian daily newspaper Sega reported Maxim as saying: “You take away all the Patriarch’s rights, and wonder why there are disputes in the church”.

Laying the groundwork for a Grand Synod

Constantinople (AsiaNews) - To call within 2009, at the proposal of the ecumenical patriarch, a series of pan-Orthodox meetings to prepare for the Orthodox grand synod, awaited for centuries, and to prepare to face in a collegial manner the challenges of a world that is increasingly globalized in economic terms, but not in human terms. These are the objectives that Orthodoxy is proposing for itself at the conclusion of the pan-Orthodox meeting in Constantinople, which closed with a concelebration, convened by the ecumenical patriarch get to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the apostle Paul.

The objectives are indicated in an important document signed by all of the leaders and representatives of the Orthodox Churches, according to the canons of the Church itself, on the basis of collegiality. The approved text - drafted in part by metropolitan archbishops Ioannis Ziziulas of Pergamon, Anastasios of Albania, and Kyril of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and inspired by the introductory address of ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew - is extensive and detailed, summarizing a variety of issues, like the economic and social crisis, the religion-science relationship, the family, among the causes of the evils affecting today's world.

The document begins with a self-criticism of the dependance of these Churches on nationalist ideas, with the resulting loss of influence on questions afflicting society. It then confronts political-economic and social issues, denouncing the disparity between rich and poor, which is being increased dramatically by the economic crisis, due in the first place to speculation, which is devoid of sensitivity and humane dimensions, and for this reason does not serve true human needs, but rather is at the service of individuals. The interests of the individual are given preference over the sacredness of human existence, and in consequence, of creation. A sustainable economy is one that combines effectiveness with justice and social solidarity. Development that is not based on the equal participation of individuals and peoples in the good of creation inevitably leads to the humiliation of the human person, and is the cause of migration, nationalism, division, and social and religious conflicts, and ends up threatening the cohesion of society.

As for the relationship between science and faith, the statement continues, the Orthodox Church has avoided setting itself up as the master of scientific research, or taking positions on any sort of scientific question. According to the Orthodox faith, it continues, freedom of inquiry constitutes a divine gift. But true scientific research, far from egocentrism, must take account of and respect human dignity. Greed for satisfying nothing but material needs leads to the impoverishment of the human soul. Because creation also belongs to the future generations.

As for the family, the Church, in a spirit of understanding toward the new social conditions, must allow young couples to participate actively in the work that it performs, because they constitute its present and future.

There is also a reference to the concept of the secular state, where the statement says that the principles on which the existence of the secular state is based do not mean that religion must be pushed away from the social life of men.

Finally, it is affirmed that the Orthodox world must take up its responsibilities, together with the other religions and with nonbelievers, in regard to the current crisis, because it has tolerated human decisions made without any criteria. And it recalls that Christian teaching - because of the ontological unity of the human race and creation, as expressed by the work of salvation of our Lord - constitutes the cornerstone of the relationship in God and man. It further says that evangelization is the duty of the Church, but must be done in love, modesty, and respect for the cultural identity of the other.

And precisely in order to face these challenges, the statement concludes, the Orthodox Church must continue in its traditional collegial operation, as provided by its own canons, resolving internal discrepancies in a spirit of peace and charity, continuing both religious dialogue with the other Christian confessions and interreligious dialogue, since the various divisions are a threat to peace. Support is confirmed for all of the initiatives of Constantinople for the protection of the environment, in addition to any initiative of the other Orthodox Churches seeking the same purpose, with the announcement of the formation of a pan-Orthodox question on questions of bioethics.

The comments on the meeting are positive. Metropolitan archbishop Kyril of Smolensk says that the meeting was truly very important and was a good sign, for expressing the life of the local Orthodox Churches and of Orthodoxy in general. "I am happy," he added, "to be here to thank the ecumenical patriarch for his opening address," and he concluded that "the pan-Orthodox meeting of 2009 will provide the instruments to improve Orthodox life." The chairman of the Ukrainian Church, Cyril, tells AsiaNws that "there are differences, but not opposition," and that "the meeting in Kiev and the one today have marked a shift." The metropolitan archbishop of Pergamon, Ioannis Zizioulas, tells AsiaNews that "we are at a turning point, and we must not hesitate any longer," while Anastasios of Albania, referring to dialogue with Catholics, tells us that "the people are demanding this, and cannot wait for full communion." The archbishop from Greece, Ieronimos, tells us that "this was very important work, which will provide results not only for the Orthodox, but for all."

An important Catholic figure present at the liturgy, who wanted to remain anonymous, comments that the speech by Bartholomew and the statement recalled a remark that Paul VI made while he was archbishop of Milan: it used to be that the bells would ring and the people would go to church, now the factory whistles blow and we must go there to find the faithful. He meant that the Church must not remain closed off in its places of worship, but must go to meet society, because the true Church is made up the faithful, and not only of priests.

Ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, finally, emphasized the importance of listening and dialogue.

What happened to the Christian name?

The children of our friends are given Christian names. Some opt for very traditional über-Catholic or Orthodox names while others make relatively vanilla choices. None of them has (yet?) chosen to do their child the disservice of naming him something secular or bizarre.

It is always a shock (or has been so when I have seen it) to families when they realize they can't have their child Parker, Becket, Katlyn, or some other shoe-brand sounding appellation baptized using that name. Sometimes they fall back on the middle-name or if converts they will often (in our church at least) pick something like Athanasius, Dionysius, or Maximos. When did this all start? Is it a result of the Moonbeams, Stars, and Sunnys of the flower power people? Is it a result of the fashionable surname repurposing I see so much of? I don't know. I'd love to read a study or magazine article on it.

As we await our newest addition, we circle possible girl names (the boy name has been chosen) as we find them in a baby name book and read past others (while occasionally rolling our eyes). There is a certain joy mixed with anxiety about what our family will say if we choose something too outlandish, but the greater part is the happiness that we receive in all the rituals associated with a child's name. The silver cup from my uncle with the name engraved. The announcements sent to family and friends. His churching, baptizing, and chrismation with our parish family. The icon of his saint placed next to that of his brothers and sisters. I could go on... but the excitement grows for me just as the sadness remains at the thought of what some parents deprive their child of in their choice of name.

A little something fun

H/T: Unam Sanctam

Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test...

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 100% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

Orthodox representative speaks to Catholic Synod

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 12, 2008 (Zenit.org) - A representative of the Orthodox Church who addressed the world Synod of Bishops spoke of the Bishop of Rome as a sign of unity among Christians.

Archimandrite Ignatios Sotiriadis, fraternal delegate from the Orthodox Church of Greece, spoke Saturday to the synod, which is focusing on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church.

His address brought more applause than any other intervention in the first week of the synod.

"Your Holiness," he said, "our society is tired and sick. It seeks but does not find! It drinks but its thirst is not quenched. Our society demands of us Christians -- Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Anglicans -- a common witness, a unified voice. Here lies our responsibility as pastors of the Churches in the 21st Century."

"Here," the Orthodox pastor continued, "is the primary mission of the First Bishop of Christianity, of him who presides in charity, and, above all, of a Pope who is Magister Theologiae: to be the visible and paternal sign of unity and to lead under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and according to Sacred Tradition, with wisdom, humility and dynamism, together with all the bishops of the world, fellow successors of the apostles, all humanity to Christ the redeemer."

"This is the profound desire of those who have the painful longing in their heart for the undivided Church, 'Una, Sancta, Catholica et Apostolica,'" he concluded. "But it is also the desire of those who, again today, in a world without Christ, fervently, but also with filial trust and faith, repeat the words of the apostles: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!'"

Why weddings should be in churches

I apologize in advance for the occasion of profanity. Those with sensitive ears should not press play.

Russian Orthodox Church leaves European conference

The Estonian Orthodox Church problem has reared its ugly head again.

(SOC) - The Russian Orthodox Church suspended its membership of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on Saturday, the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations told Interfax-Religion.

"The reason for this decision was the unwillingness to consider a membership application by the Estonian Orthodox Church, a self-governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate, which is illegitimate, groundless and going against the constitution and the CEC rules," it said.

In this situation, the Russian Orthodox Church, "displaying solidarity with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in Estonia, has made the decision to suspend its CEC membership until a positive decision is made on admitting the Estonian Church to this organization," it said.

"We have to point out with deep regret that the CEC is losing its role as a reconciling and consolidating force in that it has increasingly more often been ignoring the voices by churches from the countries outside the European Union. Thus, the Conference is losing its historical mission of being a bridge between the east and the west of Europe," it said.

Politics and positioning upset Bulgarian Orthodox

(Directions to Orthodoxy) - Delegates to the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria have begun debate on a reform of the code of canon law that proposes an increase in the legal powers of the synod at the expense of bishops and clergy.

Meeting at the St John of Rila Monastery south of Sofia from Oct 6-8, the Sixth Church Convention of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church passed an ordinance forbidding the sale, mortgage or exchange of church properties --- an action that vests trusteeship of property in the synod rather than with local bishops, abbots or congregations.

The push towards centralization of property ownership comes in the 16th year of a schism --- a legacy of the Communist era in Bulgaria, and appears aimed at centralizing the control of property by the Synod and the leader of the church, Maxim, Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia, at the expense of dissident clergy and bishops.

Following Parliamentary elections in 1991, a non-Communist government was formed by the Union of Democratic Forces and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The new regime created a Directorate of Religious Affairs to initiate reforms within the Orthodox Church.

On May 25, 1992 the UDF government ruled that the election of Maxim in 1971 was invalid, as it had been engineered by the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The Directorate ordered Maxim replaced by an interim council led by Metropolitan Pimen pending a new election. On July 4, 1996, a Church Convention organised by three of the churches 13 bishops elected Pimen as Patriarch and Bishop Inokentii of Krupnik as Metropolitan of Sofia.

Maxim refused to accept the government’s decision, and an appeal to the Supreme Court gave a split decision. The court held that the government had no power to order the creation of an interim council, but it could certify another person as representing the church in its dealings with the state.

The church quickly divided between Pimen’s blue faction and Maxim’s red faction, as the schism adopted political overtones with the rival patriarch’s drawing support from the country’s political parties. At the installation of President Petar Stoyanov in 1997, Pimen --- not Maxim --- was asked to give the church’s blessing. President Stoyanov later called upon by Pimen and Maxim to step aside, and allow a new Patriarch to be elected to unite the divided church.

The international Orthodox community backed Maxim and following a series of court cases in 2000 the Supreme Court ruled there were two religious organisation bearing the name Bulgarian Orthodox Church extant in Bulgaria. In June 2001, following Parliamentary elections, the government of the Union of Democratic Forces was replaced by a government formed by the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII) --- led by the former Tsar of Bulgaria Simeon II, returned from an exile.

NMSII pledged to back Maxim as the legitimate leader of the Church and it promised to introduce legislation putting an end to the schism — and in return it received the support of the church.

On Dec 20, 2002, the NMSII government passed a Confessions Act --- revising the Communist era religious laws, and granting freedom of religion, the equality of religious groups before the law, and separation of church and state.

However, Bulgaria’s Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim community --- along with Pimen’s successor as leader of the rival synod, Bishop Innokentii --- objected saying the law favored Maxim and his Bulgarian Orthodox Church. A 2004 report by the EU criticized the law for interfering in the “internal affairs of religious communities” by backing Maxim. “The ex lege recognition” of Maxim’s faction, “exempting this institution from the usual registration procedure, which also includes a check on the legitimacy of the leadership, is generally seen as intended to settle the dispute between Maxim and Innokentii in favour of the former,” the EU said.

“The alternative synod is effectively barred from registering as a new religious institution by the prohibition against the registration of another institution using the same name and headquarters and the punitive provisions empowering the Directorate ‘Religions’ to sanction ‘unauthorised representatives’,” it concluded.

The new law appeared to be a form of political payback, the EU report said, as it “appears as the fulfillment of a promise made to Patriarch Maxim by the present Government and the new President to overcome the split within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.”

Five months after the Bulgarian Confessions Act was subjected to scrutiny by the Council of Europe, the government moved against the dissidents. On the night of July 20, the security services evicted 250 priests loyal to Innokentii from their rectories and parishes --- turning them over to clergy loyal to Maxim.

The purge of 15 per cent of the church’s clergy was accompanied by violence and arrests, and prompted Innokentii to file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for relief. In May 2007, the court rejected a motion from the Bulgarian government to quash the petition and set the matter down for review.

In its findings, the Strasbourg court noted that several church properties built by the Pimen/Innokentii faction after 1996 had been confiscated by the Maxim faction following the police raids of 2004.

While the property reforms instituted by Synod this week were introduced under the banner of good business practices, critics charge they set the groundwork for holding onto properties seized after the police raids, should the EU find in favour of Innokentii.