Byzantine, Texas

More pictures available at English Russia .

VATICAN CITY ( CNS ) - Catholics in Russia must work together with the country's much larger Orthodox community to defend human life and the family and promote strong moral values, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope met the four Catholic bishops of Russia Jan. 29, the last day of their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses and just two days after the Russian Orthodox Church elected a new patriarch. In a situation where Catholic-Orthodox differences involving theology, church structure and practice make formal dialogue a challenge, the pope said, the bishops must engage in dialogue on a personal level. "Such contacts contribute to greater mutual understanding, thanks to which it is possible to work together in areas of common interest," he said. "It is important that Christians unite to face the great cultural and ethical challenges of the present moment concerning the dignity of the human person and his inalienable rights...

I have returned from the Dominican Republic. While my family enjoyed 20 degree weather, the worst ice storm since the 1980s, and a power outage, I was forced (forced I say!) to stay in a hotel by the beach, eat sancocho , and watch the dancing of El Diablo Cojuelo . I have a wonderful wife who managed to watch all the kids, make it to doctors' appointments, and coordinate all the rest while very pregnant.

Moving and powerful posts from the AOI blog . From Metropolitan Jonah (OCA) ... From Fr. Aris Metrakos ... Fr. Aris Metrakos, priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, California, delivered this address at a memorial service for the victims of abortion held at the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on the eve of the West Coast Walk for Life on January 23, 2009. In his talk, Fr. Aris offers reasons why abortion on demand became accepted in the culture, and what Christians must do to restore a culture of life. Download audio file (Metrakos-Compromise-Or-Kingdom.mp3)

( Telegraph ) - The Pope is preparing to offer the Traditonal Anglican Communion, a group of half a million dissident Anglicans, its own personal prelature by Rome, according to reports this morning. "History may be in the making", reports The Record . "It appears Rome is on the brink of welcoming close to half a million members of the Traditional Anglican Communion into membership of the Roman Catholic Church. Such a move would be the most historic development in Anglican-Catholic relations in the last 500 years. But it may also be a prelude to a much greater influx of Anglicans waiting on the sidelines, pushed too far by the controversy surrounding the consecration of practising homosexual bishops, women clergy and a host of other issues." Here is Anthony Barich's report in full. My guess is that, if this happens, Anglo-Catholics in the C of E will move to Rome in unprecedented numbers under a similar arrangement. More on this later. Also, see American Catholi...

( uocofusa.org ) - In 2001, the 15th Sobor approved the development of the Historical and Educational Complex of our Church which includes the Patriarch Mstyslav Museum. It has taken a very long time to become a reality. After much planning, adjustments, obtaining approvals from township officials, and overcoming other challenges, the time to commence construction has finally arrived. Since the ground breaking in the summer of 2007, from the windows of the Consistory offices we have seen endless numbers of dump trucks hauling in and hauling out the fill needed to satisfy the township codes. Then came the compactors and tampers that made the walls of the consistory shake. Then we heard the ceaseless sounds of table saws as wood was cut to make the forms and molds for the cement footings and foundation walls. Along with that was the sound of water gushing though the consistory pipes as the contractors accidently cut a water line, and left the building without water pressure. Then the ...

( Russia Today ) - Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad has been elected the new head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Council, which comprised clergymen, monks and laymen, announced on Tuesday the results of the voting for the post of Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia. Kirill has been temporarily in charge of the church since the death in December of Aleksy the Second. Kirill had previously been head of the external church relations department. He also hosted a TV programme popular among Russian believers and viewed on one of Russia’s main television channels. Kirill was an active supporter of the reunification between the two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was completed in May 2007. Metropolitan Kirill was born in St. Petersburg and is believed to be on friendly terms with many of Russia’s top officials. He has, himself, become a prominent personality throughout the country. Originally, three Metropolitans - Kirill, Kliment and Filaret - had been short...

Thy Word is a verse-by-verse Bible study from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Thy Word features Fr. James Early and the adult Bible study class at St. Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas. The Icon New Media Network people also have other podcast for your review; including Generation Orthodox, The Man in Black, and others. Also, apologies for infrequent posting this week. I'm in the Dominican Republic where Internet quality and available time are variably accessible.

( AsiaNews ) - The Iraqi Chaldean bishops have given Benedict XVI the liturgical robe of Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho and the stole belonging to Fr. Ragheed Ganni. Both men were killed in Mosul, Archbishop Rahho in 2008, Fr. Ragheed in 2007. The gifts were given during the concluding audience for the ad limina visit made recently by the Eastern bishops. The pope received the relics "with emotion," and recalled the "victims of violence in Iraq during these years" - and in particular the two martrys and the many other priests and faithful - saying that "their sacrifice is a sign of their love for the Church and their country." In his address to the bishops, the pontiff emphasized the "irreplaceable" value of the Chaldean Church in the history of the East, and of Iraq in particular, and exhorted them to continue this mission in the service "of the human and spiritual development" of the country. For this reason, he said that "it is ne...

( Reuters ) - The Russian Orthodox Church's Council of Bishops Sunday nominated three candidates to succeed Patriarch Alexiy II, who died last month. The church's Local Council, made up of about of 700 priests, monks and laymen, will convene Tuesday for a final vote on who will be the next patriarch. Following are brief descriptions of the three shortlisted candidates: METROPOLITAN KIRILL, 62: Received 97 (two short of necessary 99) votes of the 197 valid ballots cast in the Council of Bishops. He heads the Church's department for external relations, the same role filled by Alexiy II before he became Patriarch, and has been named acting head of the church. An articulate public speaker, Kirill is seen by many Russians as the public face of the Church, with frequent public appearances on television programs. Many hope he will establish better ties with Catholics if elected the next Patriarch. In December 2007 Kirill held a rare meeting with Pope Benedict in the Vatican. Kiri...

Moscow, January 25, ( Interfax ) - Bell ringers of Christ the Savior Cathedral are going to revive one ancient Russian bell ringing pattern which will accompany the enthronement of the 16th Patriarch of Moscow next Sunday, February 1. "This ancient patriarchal ringing was first described by foreign travelers in the 17th century. We want to revive and ring it during the enthronement of a new Patriarch," Igor Konovalov, artistic director of bell ringing of the Moscow Kremlin and Christ the Savior Cathedral told a correspondent of Interfax-Religion. According to Konovalov, this ringing pattern was played during the services celebrated to enthrone Patriarchs of Moscow and All Russia to the patriarchal see beginning from the middle 17th century to the epoch of Tsar Peter the Great, when the Patriarchate was cancelled. Besides, all bells of the main Russian cathedral will ring during the enthronement. Konovalov also mentioned that particularly solemn ringing was played on five bell...

( SVOTS ) - Twenty-six St. Vladimir’s seminarians, along with family members, seminary staff, and SVS Chancellor Archpriest Chad Hatfield, joined a large “Orthodox Christians for Life” contingent in the annual “March for Life” in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2009. This year marks the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion, and the SVS delegation traveled to the nation’s capital to show their compassionate and protective stance toward the unborn and to express their strong disagreement with the Supreme Court decision. “Personally,” said Fr. Chad, “the ‘culture of death’—a term made popular by Pope John Paul II—had its beginning in the cultural acceptance of the killing of our pre-born children. The voiceless need our voice, and this March for Life is a powerful way to keep the horror of abortion before our nation and the world.” Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), led the Orthodox deleg...

Moscow, January 23, ( Interfax ) - Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill says that accusations of the Russian Church leaders in betrayal of Orthodoxy are groundless. "I can't understand those who repeat old, long ago disproved myths about "betrayal of Orthodoxy," "confusion of confessions" and so on," the Metropolitan said in his interview published by the Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Friday. Thus, he commented on the opinion of some Orthodox believers who speak against participation of the Russian Church in work of the World Council of Churches and any contacts with representatives of other Christian confessions. "I would like to assure everyone interested that I am rather critical about this organization and I see both positive and negative sides of our participation in it. We carefully monitor all recent developments in the World Council of Churches, especially in the field of its contacts with extremely liberal wing of modern Protestantism,...

VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 ( VIS ) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, led by His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, recently elected as patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians by the Synod of Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, meeting in Rome from 18 to 20 January. The Pope began his remarks by asking the Lord to concede "the grace of the apostolate" to the new patriarch, that he may "serve the Church and glorify her Holy Name before the world". He then greeted Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, who presided over the recent synod; Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect emeritus of same dicastery; His Beatitude Ignace Pierre Andel Ahad, patriarch emeritus of Antioch of the Syrians, and all the prelates who came to Rome "to carry out this most important act of synodal responsibility". "Since the origins of Christianity", he continued, "the ...

H/T: Orthodukso Quite a different opinion I think would be taken in other countries. I expect the hierarchs in other locales would be tickled pink to have the saints from their respective countries in the running. ( BBC ) - A row has erupted in Georgia after a TV show called Top Ten Best Georgians included 18 saints in its shortlist. Representatives of Georgia's most senior cleric, Patriarch Ilia II, have called for the programme to be banned. A spokesman for the patriarch, who is the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, said it was wrong to ask the public to put saints in rank order. But the show's editors have refused to comply and say production of the next edition is going ahead as planned. In a country where the word of the Church is seen as supreme, this contest was always going to be controversial. The TV program, modeled on the BBC's 100 Great Britons, asked viewers and contestants to vote on 500 candidate personalities from Georgia's past. Among them were well...

CЯЦISIИG DOШИ ТНЕ СОДST OF THE HIGH БДЯБДЯEE has a post on a back and forth he is having with a woman on marriage. I found it engaging. Because I find it amusing, I will respond to this woman's salvo against my post on marriage, at least until I get bored. If your partner is hospitalized in the ICU after a critical accident, you don't have family visitation rights. Why? Because you're not family. Best friends also don't have visitation rights. Even best friends who are roommates. But when best friends who are roommates also have sex, then they should have special rights? Why there is a social imperative for homosexual couples to have a number of the privileges you listed is, so far, unjustified by you. I lived next door for a while to a couple of aging sisters that lacked a number of the privileges homosexuals are asking for and are, at least by your arguments, equally entitled to them. They loved each other. They cared about each other. They shared a house, and at th...

H/T: NFTU While this deals with Russia, it is universally applicable. This not membership in a club, but participation in a faith that fundamentally affects your life, the lives of your children, and the salvation of all involved. Jan 19 ( Georgian Daily ) - Vienna, January 19 – Many Russian Orthodox priests believe that "mixed" marriages between committed Christians and committed Muslims are unlikely to work, while many Muslim leaders are convinced that such marriages are not only possible but desirable, a reflection of the very different consequences the two groups see such unions as having. As the number of such marriages has increased in Russia – in some regions, they may form almost a third of all unions – debates have broken out among and between Orthodox clergy and Muslim religious leaders over the likelihood that such "mixed" marriages will last and over the broader impact of such unions on the future. In these debates, a sample of which Regions.ru provides ...

( Kaldaya ) - A few days ago the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church, that last year failed to elect a new patriarch to replace Mar Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad who in January had resigned, after its meeting in Rome came in a short time (3 days) at a decision. The new patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church is, since yesterday January 20, the bishop of the Diocese of Our Lady of Deliverance for the United States and Canada , Mar Ephrem Joseph Younan who will take the name of Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan. On Friday 23, the new patriarch will meet the Holy Father, and in mid-February there will be an official ceremony at the patriarchal headquarters in Lebanon. H.E. Ephrem Joseph Younan Bishop of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark, Apostolic Visitator for the Catholic Syriacs in Central America and Venezuela. H.E. Ephrem Joseph F. Younan born to Farjo & Khatoun (Khabot) Younan on November 15, 1944 in Hassakeh, Syria and baptized on December 8th at Assumption Parish. He is the middl...

( copts.com ) Boy Scouts in Dundee will be able to pledge allegiance to ‘Allah’ and drop the traditional oath to God and Queen, says the Scout Association in Scotland. The Association has given its backing to starting Dundee’s 45th troop which will specifically target Muslim boys. In the oath Muslim recruits will be able to replace the name ‘God’ with “Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful”, and pledge to honour “the country in which I am now living” instead of the Queen. The Scout Association is already open to all faiths and Muslim boys are currently part of existing troops, but according to the Association they are aware of some who might be opposed to the traditional pledge. A spokesman for the Scout Association Drummond Cox claims the change “represents a tweak rather than a major change”. He said: “The Scouts may have been a Christian organisation originally but we have long been non-denominational and inclusive. “This new troop will in no way be exclusionary and non-M...

My Quiet Church is a plush (soft-sculpture) church that plays like a portable dollhouse. Roof and side wall unzip and open, revealing easy access into the church. Contains stuffed dolls of priest, nun and family, pews and altar. Convenient carrying handle. Designed for girls ages 3-9. Accessory kits will be available including outfits for baptisms, weddings and first communions. In talking to a friend about children in church we commented that visitors to the parish are at times put off by the noise of children. At the same time I came across this new toy and, on further reflection, have put people in two (oversimplified) groups: Those that consider the liturgy to be a personal time of reflection and taking in of the "experience" of the Divine Liturgy. Noisiness, running about, and the occasional unnecessary discussion are a distraction and should be kept to a minimum. Those that consider the church to be a family. That consider the children to be the "hope" of the...

Moscow, January 21, ( Interfax ) – Delegates start coming to the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church which is to elect a new Patriarch, the Forum’s organizational committee has told Interfax-Religion. According to the recent information, 711 people representing 64 countries of the world are going to participate in the work of the Local Council, which is to be held on January 27-29. One of the last Commission sessions will be held on January 22, Thursday, the Synod will meet in Moscow next day - its members will sum up and preparatory work for the Bishops’ and Local Councils. According to the interviewee of the agency, now they are completing final lists of delegates basing on the documents received from dioceses and reserving places for guests. “Members of the pre-council commission focus on creating all necessary conditions for the delegates, they should be well-accommodated, fed and to feel at ease in Moscow as for many of them it will be their first visit to the Russian cap...

The always funny Onion Dome ... CLEVELAND – Iconographer Ilya Kuriakin, working in St. Vladislav Parish here, has pitched a fundraising technique to the parish council that might just revolutionize the prevalence and practice of iconography across the United States. Inspired by the 1966 Tarkovsky classic film, Andrei Rublev, Kuriakin – who is working on a fresco of the Last Judgment – is offering parishioners and others a chance to memorialize the noted and notorious in its figures. St. Vladislav Parish is paying Kuriakin just over $20,000 for the two-year project involving a 12-foot by 20-foot wall and hundreds of figures. The iconographer has also had to work around an awkwardly placed “EXIT” sign, which Theophane the Greek never had to deal with, he says. When Kuriakin expressed concern to the parish council about making rent payments, members gave their blessing for the iconographer to bring in additional funding. “It’s not much different from selling brass plaques on pews,” said D...

( OCA News ) - The Courthouse News Service reported yesterday, January 15th, that the former Bishop of Sitka, Nikolai (Soraich) filed papers on January 12th in the Nassau County Supreme Court for an $11 million "wrongful termination in breach of contract" lawsuit against the Orthodox Church in America. The summary of docket #09-00495 states: "The defendant forced plaintiff Nikolai to retire from his position as bishop without any cause. That position is supposed to last for life according to the defendant's statute. Nikolai was placed at the center of the defendant's politics and used as a scapegoat for its own already existing interior scandals and financial and leadership breakdown. Nikolai has sought exile in an Australian monastery and has no way of earning an income. $11 million." If this sounds familiar it is because the OCA has heard many of these charges before. Speaking to the Associated Press in 2006 about his client, former Chancellor of the OCA...

For those who have never seen an Indian Orthodox service, this will still have a familiar feel for liturgical Christians.

19 Jan 09 ( RV ) - The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has begun, with this year’s theme, “that they may become one in God’s hand” was drown from the Book of Ezekiel. The week is organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches. The President of the Pontifical Council, Cardinal Walter Kasper spoke to us about the challenges facing Ecumenism today, but also about the progress that is being made. Audio interview here .

01/15/09 ( IOCN ) - Following the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) on 15 January, the members of the Standing Committee of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, met in the evening at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias (Lebanon). H.E. Metropolitan Bishoy and H.G. Bishop Mark represented the Coptic Orthodox Church, and H.E. Metropolitan George Saliba and H.G. Bishop Daniel represented the Syrian Orthodox Church. His Grace Bishop Nareg represented the Armenian Orthodox Church. The General Secretary of MECC also attended the meeting. In the first part of the agenda they discussed the relationships of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the region with the MECC and the World Council of Churches, and the status of theological bilateral dialogues. In this context they discussed the implications of the visit of His Holiness Aram I to the Vatican on the life of the churches in the Middle East. In the second part, they disc...

On Sunday Archbishop Yussef (Kallas) of Beirut came to our parish for a wedding. He spoke no English, but some people came with him to assist and some of our Melkite parishioners were quite pleased to see him.

Istanbul ( AsiaNews ) – The decision to start the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the Aya Triada Kilisesi of Kadikoy, i.e. the Church of the Holy Trinity of Chalcedon (pictured to the right and below), was not fortuitous. Chalcedon, today’s Kadikoy, is a posh residential neighbourhood on the Asian side of Istanbul, on the shore of the Sea of Marmara, facing glorious Saint Sophia, the ancient basilica-turned-mosques-turned museum by decree of the Turkish government. Here in the country that saw the first councils, where the Church first split, attempts are underway to put back together the many broken pieces of the centuries-old, but still lively Christian community. Whatever their rite or confession Turkey’s Christians—a tiny minority representing 0.2 per cent in this country of 70 million—have opened the doors of their churches ever since Athenagoras and Paul VI embraced in this city in 1965. Through a thousand acts of solidarity and communion, they have embarked on the inescapa...

H/T: The Crescat

Maybe I've been wrong about the merits of West Coast, pre-millennial rap all these years.

Archbishop Demetrios gives congratulatory speech on the the golden jubilee of the ordination to the priesthood of Metropolitan Nicholas ( ACROD ). I also linked the words of Protopresbyter Stephen Dutko. Words from Protopresbyter Stephen Dutko: Words from Archbishop Demetrios:

KYIV ( RISU ) - In anticipation of the church-wide sobor (assembly) of the Russian Orthodox Church, the pro-Russian Orthodox community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) supports strengthening unity with the Russian church and opposes translating liturgical texts into Ukrainian. Interfax was told by Yurii Yehorov, head of the pro-Russian Ukrainian civic organization Orthodox Choice, on 14 January 2009 that Orthodox from all over Ukraine will gather in Kyiv on 21 January to prepare an address to the church-wide sobor of the Russian Church to be held on 27-29 January. It is expected that the address will be written taking into account the position expressed by the pro-Russian Orthodox community of Kyiv at a meeting held a few days ago. Yehorov stated that the selection of the lay delegates of the UOC-MP to the sobor “is effected without the participation of the lay people themselves” and that, therefore, for the representatives of the Orthodox community “it has...

( Reuters ) - One of the most intriguing questions about the voting for a new Russian Orthodox patriarch on Jan. 27-29 has been answered. Speculation about the succession began as soon as the late Patriarch Alexiy died in December, but it had an unusual extra layer of uncertainty. Orthodox church leaders sometimes elect the top three candidates and then pick the winner by drawing lots. This, they say, lets the Holy Spirit have the final say. So even a strong front-runner could be passed over. During the Roman Catholic Church’s papal transition in 2005, we speculated about the papabili (papal contenders) for days and explained in detail the complex rules for the election of a new pope. The “apostolic method,” as the election by lots is called, would inject additional uncertainty into the Orthodox vote — if they used it. But Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the acting patriarch who is also a front-runner, has indicated that this wild card has been taken out of the patr...

Jan 15, 2009 / 11:48 am ( CNA ) - The Holy Father has called a Synod of bishops from the Syriac Catholic Church to take place in Rome January 17 – 23 in order to elect a new Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians and of All the East. The position of the supreme head of the Syriac Catholic Church has been vacant since the resignation of Patriarch Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad was accepted in February 2008. The Patriarch had held the position since 2001. In a statement from the Holy See, Pope Benedict explained that the Synod “will begin with two days of prayer and reflection and will be presided over by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches." And from CNEWA : The Syrian Catholic Patriarch always takes the name Ignatius in addition to another name. Although Syrian Catholic priests were bound to celibacy at the Synod of Sharfeh in 1888, there are now a number of married priests. A patriarchal seminary and printing house are located at Sharfeh ...

From just a few weeks ago. Axios!