18th Annual Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black Conference

Mor Gabriel Monastery dispute discussed with Turkish PM

It might be helpful to have a little background on the attempted Turkish land grab of this ancient monastery. See here, here, and here.

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(Syrian Orthodox) - Ankara 30th, March 2011: His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, The Patriarch of Antioch and all the East held a meeting with Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey. His Holiness was accompanied by Mor Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim Metropolitan of Aleppo, Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas Archbishop of Tur-Abdin , Mor Philoxenos Yusuf Cetin Archbishop of Istanbul and Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis Patriarchal Assistant. The presidents of the diocesan councils of Tur-Abdin and Istanbul, as well as the legal team of Mor Gabriel Monastery were also included in the Patriarchal delegation. The meeting which lasted over one hour took place at the Prime Minister’s official Residence in Ankara. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Mor Gabriel Monastery Land Dispute. Also present at the meeting were the Turkish Secretary for the Environment, whose office is responsible for Turkish Forestry, which is in litigation with the Monastery, senior members of the Turkish civil servants representing different ministries involved in this case and members of the diplomatic corps.

During the meeting His Holiness highlighted the ancient history of the Syrian Orthodox people in Turkey and the role of the Monastery in the life of our people who are still in the area, as well as, its importance to the Syriac people throughout the world. His Holiness stressed that justice must take its course in the restoration of the rights of the Church in Turkey affirming to the Prime Minister that the Church will not forsake its rights in its sacred places at any cost. Mr. Erdoğan highlighted his appreciation for the role and participation of the Syriac Orthodox in economic and cultural life in Turkey. Mr. Erdoğan told the Patriarch and his delegation that he will be following the case and will do his utmost to find a proper outcome to settle this dispute after the issuance of the court’s verdict. It was agreed that the Patriarch and Prime Minster Erdoğan will meet again soon after the court verdict, to follow up with the disputed lands of St Gabriel’s Monastery. The meeting was widely covered by the Turkish media.

Bishop Maxim of Western America pens new book

Alhambra, CA (SOC-NASA) - The first book by His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America entitled "History, Truth, Holiness" has been described by Fr. John Breck as an "exceptionally important collection of essays" contributing to both the theology of being and also contemporary theological questions, is now available!

Christos Yannaras describes Bishop Maxim as "a theologian who illumines" and Fr. John McGuckin identifies his work as "deeply biblical and patristic, academically learned yet spiritually rich." The first half of the book collects papers emphasizing theological ontology and epistemology, reminding us how both the mystery of the Holy Trinity and that of the Incarnation demand that we rethink every philosophical supposition; it includes chapters on holiness as otherness, truth and history, and the biochemistry of freedom. The second half of the book features lectures dedicated to the theological questions posed by modern theology, including studies of Orthodox and Roman Catholic ecclesiology, liturgics, and the theology of icons.

Book may be ordered here. Short extract available here (PDF).

Abp. Chrysostomos interviewed on Cyprus situation

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos, head of a small Church but one that has been a historic bridge between Europe and the Middle East, has concluded his visit to the Vaticam. On 28 March, the archbishop had several meetings culminating in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The visit, in the words of Chrysostomos, was aimed to raise awareness of the situation among members of the Holy See, so as to coordinate efforts to face the dangers threatening the future and survival of Christians in the Middle East and Cyprus in a region affected by protests and upheaval that have an uncertain outcome.

Regarding the situation of Christians in Cyprus, according to Chyrsostomos, the greatest dangers lie in Ankara’s continued occupation of the northern part of the island, which began in 1974. The first consequence was the division of the island and the total separation of the two ethnic groups, Greek and Turkish, Christian and Muslim respectively. The second consequence has been arrival of 300 thousand settlers from Turkey in the occupied north with the aim of altering the demography of the island, arriving at a lasting Islamization of that part of the island, thanks to their fertility rates.

All this happens under the watchful eye of 40 thousand Turkish soldiers. Thereby reducing the role of the 65 thousand Turkish Cypriots who have remained in the area. Before the invasion they numbered 180 thousand. The Turkish Cypriots are in a permanent state of dispute with the settlers and Ankara; they have always set themselves apart from the settlers through a completely different mentality, characterized by a sense of civic responsibility and tolerant mutual coexistence.

"We made clear to the Holy Father, Chrysostomos continues, that while the whole world is mobilized in the war for so-called human rights, we do not want any war in our favour, but since there is a country that is a candidate to enter the EU, it would suffice that the latter require Turkey to accept and respect the EU’s founding principals, the easiest and most civil way forward”.

Chrysostomos firmly rejects our question on whether there is a clash of civilizations between what many sustain a Western “Christian vision of the world” and a juxtaposing Eastern Islamic vision. Indeed this crisis, this economic and social stagnation affects all humanity, says the Archbishop of Cyprus, adding that he knows many Muslim leaders who are people of good will. And I hope they will not be sent away, "this is one reason - he says – why we Christians must coordinate our efforts in order to also be useful to those people of good will."

As for the dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, especially in light of an apparent stalemate that occurred during the last meeting in Vienna, Chrysostomos tells us that he met with Cardinal. Kurt Koch, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Catholic-Orthodox dialogue, and discussed with him the importance of dialogue. Without giving details, he adds: "The Church of Cyprus is in favour of dialogue and is represented by two high profile figures, the Metropolitan of Paphos and Kostantias. Our church, though it is a small church from the numerical point of view, is held in great esteem within the Orthodox world, and it should be noted that the twenty-first century will be defined as the century of dialogue, because without dialogue with our neighbour, we will never realise a truly human society".

On the issue of pan-Orthodox dialogue, Archbishop Chrysostomos expresses his opinion that the stalemate resulting from the last pan-Orthodox meeting in Chambesy, was born of some positions of the Church of Moscow. "This negative situation in which we have arrived in the Orthodox world, continues Archbishop Chrysostomos, is partly due to the fact that all we introduce ourselves as national churches. In other words, we are first Greeks, Russians, Arabs, Slavs, etc.. And then Orthodox Christians. What should be united by our faith and not our national origin as I said in my last visit to Moscow. So if we want to move forward in the sense of achieving a true single entity, we have to leave aside our national origins and think of ourselves instead in terms being Orthodox Christians".

Finally, with regard to Europe and evangelization, Chrysostomos recalls a conversation he had with Benedict XVI during the Pope's visit to Cyprus. The pontiff said that Europe needs to be re-evangelized. "This is the reason, the archbishop concludes, why all churches: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, must embrace their flock. In short we must understand the demands of our people and hear their cries, if we want to really be Church”.

Pat. of Jerusalem weighs in on Orthodoxy in Ukraine

Kiev, March 30, (Interfax) - Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem said Orthodox believers should settle the problem of schism in Ukraine without attracting arbiters from outside.

"You yourself should find common language," the Patriarch said in his interview with Ukrainian edition of the Kommersant daily.

Commenting on the earlier attempts to attract Patriarch Bartholomew for settling their problems, Theophilos III stressed that "Patriarch Bartholomew is not the Pope of Rome who solves everything for all Catholics in the world."

"He has a coordinating role and is incarnation, a symbol of unity for Orthodox churches. The Ecumenical Patriarch has a privilege to convene meetings and councils. Such problems should be settled at such meetings and not to think that the Ecumenical Patriarch will settle everything for Ukrainian Orthodox believers," the Patriarch of Jerusalem said.

Theophilos III arrived in Kiev where he participated in the conference World Religions and Civil Society United against Hatred and Extremism.

St. John and his Ladder of Divine Ascent

Kontakion - Tone 1

You offered us your teachings as fruits of everlasting freshness,
To sweeten the hearts of those who receive them with attention.
O blessed and wise John, they are the rungs of a ladder,
Leading the souls of those who honor you from earth to Eternal glory in Heaven!

From the Ladder

"Ascend, brothers, ascend eagerly, and be resolved in your hearts to ascend and hear him who says: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of our God, who makes our feet like hind‚s feet, and sets us upon high places, that we might be victors with His song."

- St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, 30.36.

Saint of the Day

Thoughts by Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Feast Day

(AFR) - It is at this point in our Lenten journey that the Church contemplates the instruction of St. John Climacus and his Ladder of Divine Ascent. Fr. Tom takes us step by step through this treasure and makes it practical for us non-monastics!

Diocese of the West (OCA) takes sides in Met. Jonah kerfuffle

Quite a document we have here. You can also read their response to the Washington Post story here.

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(OCA-DOW) -

Unanimous Resolution

of the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West

Adopted March 29, 2011

Whereas, the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West affirms the conciliar nature and polity of the Orthodox Church as expressed in the Holy Canons and the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America; and

Whereas, the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West understands the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America to be bound by the Holy Canons to act in concert with his synod of bishops, rather than being a sovereign authority who acts independently and without reference to his peers, the diocesan bishops; and

Whereas, the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West recognizes a significant disruption in this critical relationship and urges the Holy Synod to exercise its pastoral care for the entire Church by calling its Primate to accountability and compliance with decisions agreed upon by the Holy Synod; and

Whereas, the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West recognizes the Metropolitan to be the presiding officer and chairman of both the Holy Synod and the Metropolitan Council;

Be it resolved: the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the West reminds these two bodies of their fiduciary and legal responsibilities and urges the Holy Synod, with the support and consent of the Metropolitan Council, to:

1) establish a committee within the Holy Synod to control disbursement of the Primate’s compensation based upon his compliance with the decisions and policies agreed upon by the Holy Synod;

2) establish a committee under the authority of the Holy Synod to control the distribution of funds in the line item for the Metropolitan’s travel;

3) establish a committee under the authority of the Holy Synod to screen and vet significant decisions and pronouncements that relate to external affairs and the OCA’s relations with other Churches;

4) understand the oversight of the chancery, its officers and staff to be the joint responsibility of the Holy Synod and the Metropolitan Council, and;

5) understand the departments and offices of the Orthodox Church in America to be under the oversight of both the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synod.

Antiochian Diocese of LA clergy seminar scheduled

(AOC-LA) - Diocese of Los Angeles And the West has scheduled the Thirteenth Annual Clergy Seminar for June 27-29, 2011. His Eminence, Metropolitan Ephrem (Metropolitan of Tripoli, El Koura and Dependencies) will be the speaker. The seminar theme is: “BE MINDFUL, O LORD, OF THE PRIESTHOOD, THE DIACONATE, AND EVERY PRIESTLY RANK.” I also encourage people to listen to archived audio from previous seminars (available here).

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Canadian & American hierarchs meet in Toronto

Some background. There is continued discussion of creating a separate episcopal assembly for Canada. Not being Canadian, I have natural TexoAmerican hegemonic tendencies which make me question the need for such a bifurcation of North America. Thankfully, no one is asking me so I'm confident my betters will make sure things will fall out as they should.

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Toronto, ON (archdiocese.ca) – A Special Session of the Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops hosted by the Chairman of the Conference, His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of Toronto, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Canada met on March 17, 2011 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The Conference took place at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto. The session was attended by the following Members of Conference: His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios, Chairman (Greek Orthodox Metropolis), His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada), His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel (Romanian Episcopate OCA), His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae (Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese), His Grace Bishop Ilia (Albanian Orthodox Church), His Grace Bishop George (Serbian Orthodox Church), His Grace Gabriel (Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR), His Grace Iov (Russian Orthodox Church (MP), His Grace Christophorus (Greek Orthodox Metropolis), His Grace Irénée (Archdiocese of Canada OCA) and Archpriest Panagiotis AVGEROPOULOS, secretary (Greek Orthodox Metropolis).

The entire discussion was focused on the documents related to the Organization of Episcopal Assembly in Canada and other common concerns. These Episcopal Assemblies have been authorised by the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference which met at the Orthodox Centre of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland June 6th – 13th, 2009. The Hierarchs decided unanimously that the first such Episcopal Assembly shall be convened during the Post-Pentecost Week of 2010, and took place in the last week of May in NY. The next such assembly will take place this year in Chicago, IL.

Abp. Chrysostomos in Rome discussing Cyprus

H/T: OBL News

(FG) - Pope Benedict XVI has assured the primate of the Church of Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II that he will help in any way possible to reverse a Turkish Cypriot demand for an admission fee to enter a Greek Orthodox monastery, in northern Turkish occupied Cyprus.

The illegal Turkish Cypriot regime, which no country except Turkey recognises, imposes an admission fee on pilgrims who visit the Apostle Andreas’ Monastery in Turkish occupied Karpass peninsula.

Archbishop Chrysostomos met the Pope on Monday in the Vatican and they also discussed the restoration of religious monuments and sites in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

“I have asked the Pope to work along with the powerful nations of Europe - Germany, Italy, France and Poland - who are also Catholic, in order to exert pressure on Turkey to terminate the pillage of our religious monuments in the occupied areas”, Archbishop noted, adding that “I was very impressed because the Pope was aware of the situation in occupied Cyprus and knew all the details regarding Apostle Andreas.”

Church of Serbia remembers victims of NATO bombing

(spc.rs) - His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch served today in St. Marko's church in Belgrade memorial service of innocently suffered and defenders of the Homeland during 1999 NATO bombing.

Remembering all the suffered and fallen heroes in the defence of the Homeland, Patriarch Irinej said in his sermon: - We pray the Lord that his suffering and innocent bloodshed never happen again in the world.

Besides the pious people of the Serbian capital, the memorial service was attended by Alexander Konuzin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Belgrade.

Efforts underway to build first Orthodox church in Iceland

(mospat.ru) - March 25 at a Catholic cathedral Landakotkirkya in Reykjavik, the famous Russian violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov gave a charity concert. The concert was jointly organized by the Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Iceland, the Russian Embassy in Reykjavik and St. Nicholas Parish of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Vladimir Spivakov (violin), Anastasia Belukova (soprano), Jeremiah Zukerman (violin), Dmitry Prokofiev (piano), Zoe abolition (harpsichord) performed works by JS Bach. Between the numbers of programs in Icelandic, French, Russian and Polish was read in part excerpt from the Gospel of Luke, which tells of the Annunciation. The Gospel was read by the rector of St. Nicholas parish of the Moscow Patriarchate in Iceland priest Timothy Zolotusky, head of the Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Iceland, Reykjavik, Bishop Pierre Boucher,  and the Primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Iceland Iceland Bishop Charles Sigurbernsson.

At a concert attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Reykjavik, AV Tsyganov and his wife, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Ossur Skarfedinsson, Mayor of the Icelandic capital, Jon Gnarr.

Part of the fees from the concert will be given for the construction of the first Orthodox church in Iceland, said DECR Communication Service, rector of St. Nicholas parish priest in Reykjavik Timothy Zolotusky.

Celebrating the name day of Patriarch Theophilos III

(The Sounding) - Video blog update for Tuesday March 22nd (March 9 Old Style) covering the Hierarchical Liturgy for the Patriarch Theophilos' namesday at the Church of the Resurrection of the Holy Sepulchre, followed by the rest of the day's highlights.

Video of UGCC primate's enthronement

H/T: Whispers in the Loggia

For infants, how necessary baptism?

A great post from Energetic Procession...

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In a recent discussion, I was told that the baptism of infants in a case of the likelihood of imminent death by a layman was not a matter of necessity for the infant to be baptised but a reassurance for the conscience of the parents. The reason put forward was that it was ridiculous to think that God would punish a child because it wasn’t baptised in time before its death, so emergency baptism is not a necessity but can only be a relief of the conscience. This apparently is a pervading view in some theological circles.

The above reasoning is somewhat troubling. There are a couple of issues that are problematic. One is that this view does not reflect a view found in prominent Fathers; it seems rather to be an opinion that reflects the thinking of Protestants and perhaps Roman Catholics. Another is the theology that underlines the reasoning and the implications of what baptism is and does.

There is not place here to survey a range of Fathers regarding this matter but the statements of St John Chrysostom will be considered as a good representative of patristic thought, especially regarding Scriptural exegesis.

The key Scriptural basis for the necessity of baptism is John 3:3-5. ‘Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen amen, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born, being old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Amen amen, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”‘ The Lord seems to want to make it clear that being born again of water, baptism, and Spirit, is a must to enter the kingdom of God. That is baptism is necessary...

Complete post here.

Enthronement of new Greek Catholic Major Archbishop

(RISU) - On 23 March 2011, the 40 bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Synod elected Sviatoslav Shevchuk as the new Major Archbishop of Kiev-Halych and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris church, in succession to Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, who retired in February. His election was confirmed by Pope Benedict on 25 March.

Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master!

(GOARCH) - On the Third Sunday of Great and Holy Lent, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Services include a special veneration of the Cross, which prepares the faithful for the commemoration of the Crucifixion during Holy Week.

The commemoration and ceremonies of the Third Sunday of Lent are closely parallel to the feasts of the Veneration of the Cross (September 14) and the Procession of the Cross (August 1). Not only does the Sunday of the Holy Cross prepare us for commemoration of the Crucifixion, but it also reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.

As we have “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24), and will have mortified ourselves during these forty days of the Fast, the precious and life-giving Cross is now placed before us to refresh our souls and encourage us who may be filled with a sense of bitterness, resentment, and depression. The Cross reminds us of the Passion of our Lord, and by presenting to us His example, it encourages us to follow Him in struggle and sacrifice, being refreshed, assured, and comforted. In other words, we must experience what the Lord experienced during His Passion - being humiliated in a shameful manner. The Cross teaches us that through pain and suffering we shall see the fulfillment of our hopes: the heavenly inheritance and eternal glory.

Complete article complete with an explanation of the feast, special observances, hymnography and the iconography available here.

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Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. (Thrice)

+ Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

And Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.

Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.

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A sampling of videos from the Elevation and Veneration of the Holy Cross.

From the Carpatho-Russian tradition (Krestu Tvojemu)



From the Greek tradition (ΤΟΝ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΝ ΣΟΥ)



From the Russian tradition



From the Antiochian tradition

Patriarch Theophilus III visits Ukraine

(UOC-MP) - The Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilus III is visiting Ukraine to participate in the International Conference "World religions and civil society - against hatred and extremism."

Syro-Malankara Church hierarchs make ad limina visit

VATICAN CITY, 25 MAR 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received prelates of the Syro-Malankar Church, who have just completed their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

"The apostolic traditions which you maintain enjoy their full spiritual fruitfulness when they are lived in union with the Church universal", said the Pope in his English-language remarks. "In this sense, you rightly follow in the footsteps of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios, who led your predecessors and their faithful into full communion with the Catholic Church. Like your forefathers, you too are called, within the one household of God, to continue in firm fidelity to that which has been passed down to you".

"The deposit of faith handed down from the Apostles and faithfully transmitted to our times is a precious gift from the Lord", said the Holy Father, noting that "due to its ancient roots and distinguished history, Christianity in India has long made its proper contribution to culture and society, and to its religious and spiritual expressions. It is through a determination to live the Gospel ... that those whom you serve will make a more effective contribution to the entire body of Christ and to Indian society, to the benefit of all. May your people continue to flourish by the preaching of God's word and by the promotion of a fellowship based on the love of God".

Benedict then turned to consider the challenges facing the prelates in their work, especially the shortage of parish priests. In this context he encouraged them not to lose heart because "small Christian communities have often, as you know, given outstanding witness in the history of the Church. ... It is this divine presence which must remain at the centre of your people's life, faith and witness, and which you their pastors are called to watch over so that, even if they must live far from their community, they will not live far from Christ".

"One of the ways in which you exercise your role as teachers of the faith to the Christian community", the Pope concluded his remarks to the bishops, "is through catechetical and faith formation programmes. ... Since 'instruction should be based on Holy Scripture, Tradition, liturgy, and on the teaching authority and life of the Church', I am pleased to note the variety and number of programmes that you currently employ. Along with the celebration of the Sacraments, such programmes will help ensure that those in your care will always be able to give an account of the hope which is theirs in Christ".

"Say a Prayer and the Wrath Fades Away"

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

- Matthew 5:43-48

(ScienceDaily) — Saying a prayer may help many people feel less angry and behave less aggressively after someone has left them fuming, new research suggests.

A series of studies showed that people who were provoked by insulting comments from a stranger showed less anger and aggression soon afterwards if they prayed for another person in the meantime.

The benefits of prayer identified in this study don't rely on divine intervention: they probably occur because the act of praying changed the way people think about a negative situation, said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University.

"People often turn to prayer when they're feeling negative emotions, including anger," he said.

"We found that prayer really can help people cope with their anger, probably by helping them change how they view the events that angered them and helping them take it less personally."

The power of prayer also didn't rely on people being particularly religious, or attending church regularly, Bushman emphasized. Results showed prayer helped calm people regardless of their religious affiliation, or how often they attended church services or prayed in daily life.

Bushman noted that the studies didn't examine whether prayer had any effect on the people who were prayed for. The research focused entirely on those who do the praying.

Bushman said these are the first experimental studies to examine the effects of prayer on anger and aggression. He conducted the research with Ryan Bremner of the University of Michigan and Sander Koole of VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It appears online in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and will be published in a future print edition.

The project involved three separate studies.

In the first study, 53 U.S. college students were told they would be participating in a series of experiments. First, they completed a questionnaire that measured their levels of anger, fatigue, depression, vigor, and tension...

Complete article here.

Ancient Christian Wisdom & Aaron Becks Cognitive Therapy

I was asked recently to post on this new book. In addition to my short blurb below, other blogs have guest posts from the author. I recommend reading the posts (as they become available) on these sites:

Post #1 – March 23^rd: Mystagogy
Post #2 – March 25^th: Second Terrace
Post #3 – March 28^th: The Voice of Stefan
Post #4 – March 31^st: Biblicalia

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Ancient Christian Wisdom and Aaron Becks Cognitive Therapy details a colorful journey deep into two seemingly disparate worlds united by a common insight into the way our thinking influences our emotions, behaviors, and ultimately our lives. In this innovative study about mental and spiritual health, readers are not only provided with a thorough introduction to the elegant theory and practical techniques of cognitive therapy, they are also initiated into the perennial teachings of ascetics and monks in the Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West whose powerful writings not only anticipated many contemporary findings, but also suggest unexplored pathways and breathtaking vistas for human growth and development. This groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume in the art of pastoral counseling, patristic studies, and the interface between psychology and theology will be a coveted addition to the working libraries of pastors and psychologists alike. In addition, it is ideal as a textbook for seminary classes in pastoral theology and pastoral counseling, as well as for graduate courses in psychology dealing with the relationship between psychological models and religious worldviews.

The Annunciation

Hymnography

Exaltation (Slavonic)

Katavasies (Greek)

From the Arena...

When we come into Church, we venerate the holy icons. In doing so, we are giving honor to Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints. Icons can also be educational and we can learn so much about our faith and the Feasts of the Church by studying them.

A good example of the educational nature of icons is found in the icon of one of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. This feast is celebrated on March 25th according to the New Calendar and April 7th, according to the Old.

The story of this feast can be found in the Gospel of St. Luke 1:26-39. The angel Gabriel appears to the Mother of God to tell her she has found favor with the Lord. She would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, who would be called Christ. He would be the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Even though she is at first afraid, it is in this event where Mary shows her incredible obedience by responding: "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your word." Even though we celebrate the birth of Christ, it is at the Annunciation that the Incarnation actually takes place. God becomes man in the person Christ, safe within the womb of the ever blessed Virgin.

The icon is filled with bright colors, to show the joy of this feast. In the icon we see the figures of the Archangel Gabriel and Mary. Gabriel's feet are spread apart, as if to show that he is almost running to greet Mary with the news. In his left hand, Gabriel holds a staff, which is symbolic of a messenger. He extends his right hand towards Mary as he announces the blessing to be bestowed on her.

If we look at Mary in the icon, there are many things we can learn from how she is depicted as well. We sing that she is "more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim." In the icon, she is seated in an elevated seat, representing her elevated role as the Mother of God. In her left hand she is holding thread. Mary's task while she stayed in the temple was to weave the purple and red material to be used to make the veil of the Temple. In the icon, her right hand is raised. This is to show her acceptance to what Gabriel is telling her. Mary could have said no, but she accepts out of her willingness to follow the will of God. She is a great example for all of us in this regard. On her garments, you will notice three gold stars. You will see this in many icons of the Mother of God. These three stars represent that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ.

At the top of the icon is a circle with what appears to be rays of light coming from it. This represents the Holy Spirit descending upon her at this miraculous feast.

Ukrainian Greek Catholics get new primate

And a young one at that (40). I'll also point to this post (a unique blog I wish were update more often) for more commentary on the selection.

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(RISU) - Bishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, till now the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of the Protection of the Blessed Mary in Buenos Aires, has become the new head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The Election Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which was attended by 40 bishops from Ukraine and abroad (Western Europe, USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Australia), elected him on March 23. He is one of the youngest bishops in the Catholic Church, a well-known Ukrainian moral theologian.

The Holy See approved the choice of the Synod of Bishops.

The enthronement of the new head of the UGCC will be held March 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.

Biography: born on May 5, 1970, in Stryi, Lviv region.

Education:

1991-1992 - Center for Philosophy and theological studies "Don Bosco" in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1992-1994 - Lviv Theological Seminary

1994-1995 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas (Rome, Italy). BA in Theology

1995-1997 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas. Theological Faculty, Section of moral theology

1997-1999 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas. Doctorate with Summa cum laude in theological anthropology and moral theology.

Pastoral activity:

1999-2000 - Prefect of the Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary

2000-2007 - vice rector of Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary

Since 2001 - vice dean of Theology Faculty of the Lviv Theological Academy (today known as the Ukrainian Catholic University)

2002-2005 - Head of Secretariat and personal secretary to His Eminence Lubomyr, head of the Patriarchal Curia in Lviv

From June 2007 - rector of the Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary.

January 14, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI blessed the decision of the Synod of Bishops on the appointment of Father Sviatoslav Shevchuk as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Virgin in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Bishop Sviatoslav was ordained as bishop on April 7, 2009, in Lviv.

"Why do we bless God?"

"Why Do We Bless God?" from Bishoy's Blog...

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St. Cyril of Alexandria, in his comment on “Hallowed be Thy Name,” affirmed that it is absolutely absurd to think that when we pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we pray that additional holiness may accrue unto the all-holy God. He wondered, “If God be full and in every respect perfect in and by Himself, and the Giver of holiness to the creation out of His own holiness; what addition can He receive?” St. Cyril then explained the meaning of the prayer “Hallowed be Thy Name,” saying, “The prayer is, therefore, ‘May Thy Name be kept holy in us, in our minds and wills’; for this is the significance of the word ‘Hallowed be Thy Name’. For just as one who suffers from disease in his eyes and sees with difficulty and prays, saying ‘O Lord of all, grant that the light of the sun’s radiance may illuminate me also.’ He does not make his supplication on the behalf of the sun but on the contrary, upon his own.” So also if a man says ‘Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name,’ he is not requesting any addition to be made to God’s holiness, but rather asks that he may himself possess such a mind and faith so as to feel that His Name is honorable and holy.

St. Cyril added that, when we ask these things, we not only ask for ourselves alone, but rather to intercede for all the dwellers upon earth. For those who already have believed, that their faith may be established and that they may be able to practice the glories of the more excellent life. For those who as yet are not believers, that they may be called and their eyes be opened.

The Scholar Origen, in his comment on St. Mary’s praise, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” wrote, “We ask how a soul can magnify the Lord. The Lord can undergo neither increase nor loss. He is what He is. Thus, why does St. Mary now say, “My soul magnifies the Lord?”…My soul is not directly an image of God. It was created as the image of the Image that already existed…Each one of us shapes his soul into the image of Christ and makes either a large or a small image of Him. The image is either dingy and dirty or it is clean and bright and corresponds to the form of the Original. Therefore, when I make the image of the Image – that is my soul –large and magnify it by work, thought and speech, then the Lord Himself is magnified in my soul, because it is an image of Him. Just as the Lord is thus magnified in our image of Him, so too, if we are sinners, He diminishes and decreases. But surely the Lord is not diminished, nor does He decrease. Rather,we create other images in ourselves instead of the Savior’s Image. Instead of being the image of the Word, or of Wisdom, justice and the rest of the virtues, we assume the form of the devil.”

In summary, God is what He is. He does not increase or decrease. He is in every respect perfect in and by Himself, and He is the Giver of holiness to all creation. In our prayer we pray that God be blessed, glorified, and magnified, and that His name be hallowed in us and in all people, believers and nonbelievers alike. We pray that our souls may be shaped in the image of Christ.

The legacy of Metropolitan Nicholas

(AFR) - Metropolitan Nicholas (Smisko), spiritual leader of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A., reposed in the Lord on March 13, 2011. Here Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Frank Miloro, Chancellor of Christ the Saviour Cathedral, about His Eminence's life and legacy.

Podcasts on New Martyr Fr. Daniel Sysoev

As was said shortly after Fr. Daniel's martyrdom by Sister Prosdoki from the Annunciation Monastery in Ormylia, "It's high time you prayed not for Fr. Daniil, but to Fr. Daniil."

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Podcast 1: The New Martyr Father Daniel and the Royal Path in the Mission of the Church

(AFR) - Father Peter spoke to a gathering of clergy and lay people in Athens recently and pointed to the witness of the new martyr of Moscow, the missionary priest Father Daniel Sysoev, as a model for mission work today. Father Daniel walked the "Royal Path" of the Church, avoiding two extremes, that of indifference to the person from the right and indifference to the Truth from the left.

Podcast 2: The Missionary Program of the New Martyr Fr. Daniel Sysoev

(AFR) - Fr. Peter Alban Heers examines the New Martyr Fr. Daniel Sysoev's spiritual and missionary program. Fr. Daniel is a great contemporary example of what a missionary can do and be, and his missionary school is an effort that can be replicated by pastors the world over.

New UGCC patriarch elected, name sent to Rome

(RISU) - On the fourth day of the Electoral Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church bishops made ​​a choice, unoffical source informed RISU. However, there is no official confirmation of elections from the Vatican yet, and name of new head of UGCC is not disclosed. Now bishops are waiting for a response from the Apostolic See.

As already reported, it is necessary to receive two thirds of the votes in order to be elected. The Particular Law of UGCC reduces this requirement to absolute majority after twelve futile votes. When the requirement is reduced to the absolute majority, the number of candidates should be reduced to two ones with the largest number of votes.

The elected person will have two days to accept or reject the choice. Rejection will lead to complete loss of these rights; however, the person can be reelected. The elected bishop will send his own letter to the pope for the approval of the election. After receiving the confirmation, he makes the confession of faith and oath to zealously fulfill his responsibility before the Synod of Bishops. After the proclamation of his election, the enthronement of the new head of the UGCC will be held according to the liturgical books.

Let us remind that at a press conference on February 10 in Kyiv, Patriarch Lubomyr Husar stated that on that day Pope Benedict XVI accepted his abdication of the post of the Supreme Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The head of the UGCC submitted to the pope the request in this regard when he turned 75.

Met. Hilarion on the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission

(mospat.ru) - Metropolitan Hilarion interviewed on ongoing Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission efforts...

Your Eminence! You have recently led a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting of the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission held in Chambesy near Geneva. Which questions did you discuss?

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission is a working body which prepares the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. It elaborates items included in the Council’s agenda. The catalogue of the items was compiled in 1976 and includes ten topics demanding the elaboration of common position of the Orthodox Church. According to the regulation, proposals made by the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission are to be approved by the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference.

The major part of the mentioned catalogue has been elaborated in the last decades, while in 2009 the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference approved the decisions on the ordering of cooperation among the Churches in Orthodox diaspora. That same year the Commission formulated the unanimous opinion on the method of granting the autonomy (self-governing) to a church province within a Local Church and considered in part a method of promulgating a new autocephalous (completely independent) Church.

This time the Commission had to complete consideration of the issue of church autocephaly and discuss the topic of the holy diptychs – the lists, according to which the Primates of the Local Churches are commemorated during divine services.

The Commission’ meetings, chaired by Metropolitan John of Pergamon from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, took place on 21-27 February 2011. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church was represented by myself, by Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain (the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), and by my deputy, archpriest Nikolai Balashov.

Was an agreed decision on the mentioned questions taken?

The Commission’s work has shown that both mentioned questions need serious complementary exploration. The discussion in Chambesy was not an easy one and disclosed different positions, while the decision must be taken only by consensus in accordance with regulations.

The major debate developed on the method of signing a document on the promulgation of autocephaly called “Tomos.” Some participants, including those of the Russian Church, made the following proposal: In keeping with the practice of the former Ecumenical and Pan-Orthodox Councils, common decision of all the heads of the Churches sign their common decision without any distinction, beginning, certainly, with the first among them – the Patriarch of Constantinople.

In the end it was recognized that this topic needs further exploration.

As to the topic of diptychs, the Commission has thoroughly studied all its aspects and analyzed the criteria used for the inclusion of the name of a Primate of a Church into diptychs. Having compared the differences in the present diptychs, the Commission considered it useful to reach a uniform opinion on this matter.

Also considered were opinions on the place of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches of Georgia, Cyprus, Poland and Albania and the variant reading in the diptychs that exist because of the lack of common opinion on the number of Churches recognized as autocephalous. This refers to the Orthodox Church in America, which is recognized as autocephalous by five Local Churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, while other Churches do not have the name of its Primate in their diptychs. Unfortunately, mutual consent has not been obtained on all these questions.

Is it really true that convocation of the Holy and Great Council is postponed for an indefinite period? What should be done to reach the unity of sentiment on disputed questions?

The situation should not be excessively dramatized. It is true that we have encountered certain difficulties in the process of obtaining consensus on certain questions. However, it only means that we all should seriously ponder over the overcoming of these difficulties. After all, it was difficult to obtain consensus in the past.

Participants in the discussion in Chambesy are aware of their responsibility for the destiny of inter-Orthodox dialogue. They understand the necessity to continue in a constructive way the preparation for the Holy and Great Council. They understand the importance of thorough elaboration of all questions included in the agenda. We should seek to hear those points of view that do not concur with ours and try to comprehend them. In the process of seeking other solutions the voice of each participant in the dialogue should be heard and the opinion of each Local Church should be taken into account. This principle is reflected in the regulations of the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission and the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference.

Our common aim is not to convene the Council as soon as possible, but to do all we can to make its decisions show the majesty of the Orthodox faith to the world, to bring witness of the intransient meaning of the Holy Tradition of the Church, and to confirm the unity of the Church.

I am confident that preparations for the Pan-Orthodox Council will continue in the near future.

UGCC election process still ongoing

(UGCC) - On March 20, 2011 at St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated in preparation for the Electoral Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which will elect a new Father and Head of the UGCC. The day of prayer and spiritual reflection began with a Divine Liturgy, the purpose of which was to try to get to know God’s will concerning a new UGCC Spiritual Leader.

Participating in the Divine Liturgy, headed by UGCC Administrator Most Rev. Igor (Voznyak), were all the bishops of the UGCC from Ukraine and abroad. They will collectively take part in the Electoral Synod. Rev.Dr. Borys Gudziak, the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, delivered a sermon to the assembly.

"Today, when the Synod has to elect a new leader, Patriarch and Head of our Church, there is only one criterion for us - to be with God, our great God. Having put aside all possible limitations, having opened our minds and hearts, let us embrace in our prayers our bishops. May we reach out to them with our hearts and souls, supporting them with our fasting, almsgiving, and vigil in these days. He will not leave His Church. He eliminates the fear of the community which is asking itself: who will lead us? For He is God who, according to the prophet Isaiah, said to His servant:

I am the Lord who called you to victory "- noted Rev. Borys in his sermon. In an interview to the UGCC Information Department, the rector of the UCU said that in his spiritual reflections he will be talking about the three persons of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Every spiritual step, and foremost the election of the Head of the Church, should be grounded in our Lord God. The reflections will be about God the Father - the great God, God the Son - who humbled Himself to be with us, and about the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who descends and visits the human beings and the Church. What the bishops need the most is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in order to do God’s will through their choice in peace, joy and confidence "- said Rev . Boris.

After the Liturgy, the bishops and many lay people prayed together three times "Heavenly King" and once "Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen "in the intention of the Electoral Synod. During all this time following divine services in all churches, the faithful of the UGCC are saying these prayers according to the instruction of the UGCC Administrator. After that the bishops prayed in the crypt of St. George's Cathedral, where the remains of three UGCC leaders in the past century are lying: Metropolitan Andrey (Sheptytsky), Patriarch Josyph Slipyj and Patriarch Miroslav Ivan (Lubachivsky).

ENI News on recent Orthodox pre-conciliar meeting

Moscow (ENInews) - Diptychs, an arcane liturgical term that describes the order in which Orthodox churches commemorate each other at their services, is one of the tangled issues blocking plans for what could be the first great church council in 1,200 years.

Some Orthodox leaders say the churches need to get together to discuss common issues and speak with one voice on such important topics as bioethics, sexuality and the environment, but differences over arcane church issues such as diptychs and autocephaly (the independent status of Orthodox churches) run deep.

There are about 250 million Orthodox Christians in the world, belonging to 14 or 15 independent Orthodox churches, depending on which church is counting. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, for example, does not recognize the autocephaly (independence) granted by Moscow to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in 1970, and does not commemorate the OCA in its diptychs.

Diptychs are not a question of dogma, but they are at the heart of church protocol. A leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church cited its founding in the fifth century in explaining why his church won't back down in its demands for greater recognition.

If the Georgian church agrees to the current ninth place it holds in the diptychs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, or Ecumenical Patriarchate, and most other Orthodox churches, Metropolitan Theodore of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti told ENInews, "This means that we cross out our entire history. That is why we cannot agree with this under any circumstances."

The Patriarchate of Georgia is sixth in the diptychs of the Russian Orthodox Church, with which it is very close despite overall Georgian-Russian tensions.

Theodore was among representatives of 14 Orthodox churches who gathered at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Switzerland in late February in the latest attempt to hammer out a consensus in preparation for a pan-Orthodox council. However, the Chambesy meeting ended without further agreements.

Read more »

Glorious collection of Sunday of Orthodoxy photos

(Episcopal Assembly) - On March 13, the first Sunday of Great Lent, bishops, priests, deacons, and laity all over the nation gathered to celebrate the Triumph of Holy Orthodoxy. For photos of various celebrations around the country, please see follow this link.

Rare word #12: heortology

I'm bringing back the occasional posting of rare or interesting words. I've also decided to start labeling some topics for easier browsing (e.g. interviews, rare words, books). You can imagine how difficult it will be to categorize posts after the fact, so please bear with me as slowly comb through posts.

heortology: (noun) [From the Greek ἑορτή "festival" and λόγος "knowledge, discourse"] Etymologically implies a relation to feasts or festivals in general, an exposition of their meaning.

The word, however, is used to denote specifically the science of sacred festivals, embracing the principles of their origin, significance, and historical development, with reference to epochs or incidents in the Christian year.

A few thoughts on icons

This post is about a simple thought. As blogs are not very conducive to long, footnoted treatises I hope to match the simple thought to simple references.

Iconography and the digital age are strange bedfellows. The experience one had with icons before the advent of the Internet is quite different from the constant embedding of iconographic images on websites we see today. Similarly, the sense of "ownership" a believer who purchases icons or an iconographer who writes them might have for their icons has changed as the icon itself is divorced from its place and time by being published and republished and republished until the original "owner" of the icon and the digital image of the icon are connected so tenuously as to be attached by an invisible thread (as in a watermark) or by no thread at all.

But is this idea of ownership, either as understood by some before the digital revolution or afterward, a reasonable one. Iconographers rightfully scour the Internet for usage of their works being put to use as illustration for profit without their permission, but they also keep a tight rein on usage of pictures of their work not for profit. Some of them might be perturbed by uncredited use, others by not asking for permission, and still others by any use at all separate from their website. I would contend that (separate from ill-gotten profit or digital simony) once an icon is written it belongs to the Church.

We preach by words and by images, the fathers say. Preaching is part of our liturgical services, so “preaching images” obviously would have to be “liturgical images.” In fact, liturgy appears to be the main key to a correct understanding of icons. Liturgy always is prayer, and an icon is a “liturgical image” because it is used in prayer. As we have seen, the task of icons is not mainly to illustrate and certainly not merely to decorate. The essential task of any icon is to function in prayer. Therefore nothing alien to or inconsistent with the spirit of prayer, which is “the peace of God that passes all understanding” (Ph 4:7), may be expressed by an icon. The liturgical function also implies that the icon never exists for its own sake. In a way, it is accepted only in as much as it points and leads to the prototype. While praying, our attention must not be captured by the effigy we see. Consequently, a certain transparency obtained by a clear composition, simple forms and harmonic colors, as well as an accurate faithfulness to the traditional features of the saints are required.

- "Theology in Color"

by Fr. Nicholas Ozolin

Icons function as "theology in color," as a "liturgical image" for prayer, as an expression of “the peace of God that passes all understanding." Once a prayer is written does it belong to the person who wrote it or does it belong to the Body of Christ? Once a hymn is written for liturgical use does it belong to the musician or to all who wish to mystically represent the Cherubim? Should the iconographer "protect" his icon as he would protect any of his other possessions or should he see himself as a custodian, a guardian, for the very theology of the Church expressed in color; victorious over the iconoclasts who sought to deny the "confession and proclamation our salvation in word and images" (Kontakion, Sunday of Orthodoxy)?

"The icon's purpose is liturgical. It is an integral part of liturgical space, which is the church. And an indispensable participant in divine services. The icon is essentially by no means an image intended for private devotional veneration," writes Fr. Gabriel Bunge. "It's theological place is primarily the liturgy in which the message of the word is complemented by the message of the icon. Outside church and liturgy the icon largely loses its meaning. Certainly every Christian has the right to hang an icon at home, but he has this right only in so far as his home is a continuation of the church and his life a continuation of the liturgy. [emphasis added]"

- The Meaning of ‘Icon’ in the Orthodox Church

Met. Hilarion (Alfeyev)

For those iconographers who make their living at writing icons it is eminently reasonable that there be some digital trail connecting their work however it is distributed around the Internet (as every replication of their original image is another calling card for prospective commissions). What I wonder is if that hope for a revenue stream (by referencing the iconographer, asking permission, etc.) is a right or a kindness done by those who saw the image and wanted to make use of it. Separate from the discussion of non-Orthodox using these images, what right does the iconographer have to claim ownership to the theology of the Church and what usufruct privilege should the person who reposts these images enjoy?

OCA representatives at recent episcopal ordination

Some people asked who from the OCA was at the ordination as the Ecumenical Patriarchate didn't make mention of them while the Moscow Patriarchate did. Here is the answer.

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Metropolitan Elpidophoros

(SVOTS) - On March 20, 2011, our dean, Fr. John Behr, and our assistant professor of Canon Law, Fr. Alexander Rentel, attended the ordination of Archmandrite Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis), to his episcopal position as Metropolitan of Proussa (now known as “Bursa”), in Istanbul, Turkey. His Eminence’s consecration to the episcopacy was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George. In June 2010, Metropolitan Elpidophoros— former Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Great Church of Constantinople—honored our seminary by presenting a paper (“Greek Orthodox, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the Church in the U.S.A.,” published in St. Vladimir’s Seminary Quarterly 54.3–4) during the international “Hellenism and Orthodoxy” symposium held on our campus.

Fr. Alexander Rentel, Met. Elpidophoros, and Fr. John Behr

During their visit, Frs. John and Alexander met with and received the blessing of the His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, who received the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa from St. Vladimir’s in 1997, and they presented him with an icon of the Holy and Great Prince Vladimir. They were also able to greet His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, who attended the ordination, along with a number of representatives from other local churches.

Both dean and professor reflected upon their exceptional visit. Fr. Alexander— whose doctoral work had examined the patriarchal liturgy of Constantinople in the fourteenth century—commented upon how wonderful it had been to experience first hand the same “taste of heaven” that the emissaries of the Holy Prince Vladimir had found in the patriarchal services in the 10th century.

Fr. John reflected on the catholicity of Orthodoxy that he had observed: “It is very important,” he noted, “that Orthodoxy not only be local, but also one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. It is this particular synthesis of local and catholic, particular and universal, that we strive to represent here at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. It was wonderful to have attended the event, and to see such Orthodoxy in action.”

Kosovci sold for body parts

Plato's Cave revisited

Many moons ago I posted on Plato's Cave and Orthodox Ecclesiology. Here we revisit the cave (from xkcd).

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Divine Liturgy in preparation for patriarchal election

(The Way) - On March 20, 2011 at St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated in preparation for the Electoral Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which will elect a new Father and Head of the UGCC. The day of prayer and spiritual reflection began with a Divine Liturgy, the purpose of which was to try to get to know God’s will concerning a new UGCC Spiritual Leader.

Participating in the Divine Liturgy, headed by UGCC Administrator Most Rev. Igor (Voznyak), were all the bishops of the UGCC from Ukraine and abroad. They will collectively take part in the Electoral Synod. Rev.Dr. Borys Gudziak, the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, delivered a sermon to the assembly. (Read full article on UGCC website here.)

Chrismation? Baptism? Russian Church tackles converts

(mospat.ru) - On 21 March 2011, the Inter-Council Presence’s Commission on Attitude to Non-Orthodoxy and Other Religions met at the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. The session was chaired by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

The participants discussed the results of the work done by the Commission during its first year and a draft document on the Accession of non-Orthodox Christians to the Orthodox Church. The Commission decided to form a working group and invite experts to study various aspects of the practice of accession to the Orthodox Church through the Sacrament of Chrismation and its history. The Commission set up a working group for study and classification of sects. Other working groups will consider the question of the accession rite for the Pentecostals, Baptists, Adventists, Anglicans, the Reformed, Lutherans, and Old Catholics. A similar discussion is going on in the American Episcopal Assembly not only with the intake of converts but of the process for clergy as well (e.g. Is vesting sufficient?)

Draft documents on the practice of accession to the Orthodox Church will be submitted to the Commission’s next session in June 2011.

Pope Shenouda asks for constitutional changes

(AINA) - The head of the Egyptian Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, suggested an addition to Article 2 of the Constitution, which stipulates Islamic law as the main source of Egypt's legislation.

Shenouda asked the deputy prime minister, Yehia al-Gamal, to add a clause to the article for other non-Muslim denominations. His request came during a Sunday meeting with al-Gamal at the papal residence at Abbassiya Cathedral. The meeting was attended by members from the holy synod, as well as public Coptic figures.

Al-Gamal promised to study the request, saying that he visited the cathedral to check on Shenouda's health. Shenouda was just back from a 18-day trip to the US where he regularly goes for medical treatment.

The majority of Egyptians are Sunni Muslims, but in addition to Coptic Christians, there are other minorities such as Jews, Baha'is and Shia Muslims.

A referendum on a package of constitutional changes on Saturday showed that more than 77.2 percent of Egyptians supported the amendments, which included limiting presidencies to two four-year terms and imposing restrictions on declaring a state of emergency.

But the changes do not tackle Article 2, which states that Islam is the country's official religion. The article has been in place since the Constitution was applied in 1971. It also says that Arabic is the official language of Egypt and that Islam is the main source of legislation.

Last February Ahmed al-Tayyib, the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, said changing Article 2 may "provoke sedition," describing the article as an established principle for the state.

But the church's rejection of al-Tayyib's statements has been circulated among several Coptic internet websites, saying they entrench the idea of an Islamic state. The websites also highlight suggestions by liberal Copts and Muslims, as well as rights activists, to amend the article, proposing a different text saying that "the principles of divine religions and human rights agreements are the main sources of legislation."

Episcopal Assembly completes parish directory

A major promise of the Episcopal Assembly was a comprehensive directory of parishes, priests, deacons, and hierarchs. With the addition of the parishes of the Patriarchate of Georgia the parish listing is now complete. I'm sure this - and a number of other related topics - will be discussed in the upcoming May meeting.

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(Episcopal Assembly) - With the addition of the parish communities of the Patriarchate of Georgia resident in the United States, the Directory of Parishes used by the Assembly of Bishops now includes all of the parishes of the twelve jurisdictions which participate in the Assembly. These twelve jurisdictions are as follows:

• Albanian Archdiocese
• Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• Carpatho-Russian Church
• Georgian Patriarchate
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
• Moscow Patriarchate
• Orthodox Church in America
• Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese
• Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia
• Serbian Orthodox Church
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church

With this step complete, the Parish Directory, originally built for the now-defunct SCOBA, is ready to be moved to the website of the Assembly of Bishops and be maintained and updated by the Assembly's Committee for Canonical Affairs.

"Prayer of Silence" Lenten retreat with Metropolitan Jonah

Below is a recording from the inaugural Bishop Basil Rodzianko Memorial Retreat held on Saturday, March 19^th at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC.

Part 1



Part 2

Arch. Elpidophoros consecrated as Metropolitan of Proussa

(mospat.ru) - On March 20, Metropolitan Hilarion participated in the Divine Liturgy celebrated in St. George’s Cathedral of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, during which Archimandrite Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) was consecrated as Metropolitan of Proussa. Until recently he acted as chief secretary of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Synod. Among those who arrived in Istanbul for that event were Archbishop Jeronymos of Athens and All Greece accompanied by bishops and priests of the Orthodox Church of Greece, representatives of the Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and the Orthodox Church in America.

Video also available in Greek here. (H/T: νυχθημερόν)

Notes from 4th International Congress in Germany

(mospat.ru) - Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, attended on 19 March 2010 the 4th International Congress ‘The Meeting Place is the Universal Church’ organized by the German office of the international charity ‘Kirche in Not’ (Aid to the Church in Need) in Wurzburg, Germany. This year the congress had as its theme the words of St. Paul from his Letter to the Romans: Keep your spiritual fervor (Rom. 12:11).

Met. Hilarion and Cardinal Koch

Participating in this forum traditionally are church hierarchs, benefactors, prominent thinkers, cultural figures and artists from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Metropolitan Hilarion addressed a two thousand-strong audience at the Palace of Congresses during an open discussion on Orthodox-Catholic Relations: 20 years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He spoke in German and his address was broadcast live on radio, television and the internet.

He outlined major landmarks in the development of Orthodox-Catholic relations during the last 20 years and pointed to the existence of good will on both sides, which has yielded in recent years real fruits in the area of inter-church cooperation.

He put a special emphasis on new challenges arising due to manifestations of Christianophobia. In face of this threat it is necessary to join effort in protecting Christians against discrimination, he said. Great enthusiasm was aroused by the DECR chairman’s statement that Orthodox and Catholic Christians were called today to see in each other not rivals but allies in the field of mission in today’s Europe, which has lost her religious, moral and cultural roots.

The metropolitan’s address was interrupted several times by stormy applause. His speech was followed by a discussion. Among its participants were Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Antonia Willemsen, head of the German section of Aid to the Church in Need, and P. Gumenyuk, head of the Russian section of the aid agency.

Metropolitan Hilarion also answered numerous questions from journalists.