(Orlando Sentinel) - An Orthodox priest from Pensacola is coming to Orlando to lead a demonstration in support of a group that has faced legal trouble for feeding the homeless in Orlando’s Lake Eola Park.
“The criminalization of public service to the poor is to criminalize poverty itself,” said the Rev. Nathan Monk. “The continued efforts of the City of Orlando to prevent distribution of food to the poor is a violation of the constitution at its highest form. To prevent one human from reaching out to help another human in need is contrary to the decency we have all been taught from our youth.”
Monk, of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, has scheduled the protest for Saturday, July 9 at 4 p.m. at Lake Eola Park. He also plans to distribute a hot meal of bread loaves and fish to the people present at the event.
Monk, a homeless rights activist known to many as “Father Nathan,” has set up a Facebook page for the event and expects a crowd of about 300 people. He once protested an ordinance than banned panhandling in Escambia County by holding a sign bearing the words “Feed the Poor” in the areas where homeless people had formerly gathered.
Several members of the group Orlando Food Not Bombs have been arrested for violating a city rule that prohibits providing food to large groups of people in the city’s downtown parks without a permit.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has called the group’s members “food terrorists.”
Monk said he supports Food Not Bombs.
“We stand alongside Food Not Bombs and any person that wishes to distribute free food to those who are in need,” Monk said. “Beyond this, we are standing up for those who are hungry and forgotten, as it is them who are suffering at the hands of this unjust policy.”
‘Anonymous,’ a computer hacking group, has also hacked three Orlando-related websites — including the site of the city’s Chamber of Commerce — as a protest against the ordinance.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Fr. Nathan Monk protests against homeless-feeding rule
Dept. of Veterans Affairs censoring funeral prayers
HOUSTON (FOX-Houston) - Local veterans say the Department of Veterans Affairs is consistently censoring their prayers, banning them from saying the words "God," and "Jesus" during funeral services at Houston National Cemetery.
Three separate organizations have come forward complaining the cemetery's director and other government officials are violating the First Amendment. Members from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion and the National Memorial Ladies all complain of "religious hostility" at the cemetery.
On Tuesday they told a federal judge what's been going on there.
"People are doing things out there that I feel like they shouldn't be," said Jim Rodgers, a Vietnam veteran.
"We are private citizens in a private organization, and yet we are restricted from saying what our ritual calls for," said John Spahr, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
A 26-page complaint outlines the allegations. According to the court papers, the cemetery's director, Arleen Ocasio, bans the word "God" and requires prayers to be submitted for government approval.
"We were told we could no longer say "God bless you" and "God bless your family," said Marilyn Koepp, a volunteer with the National Memorial Ladies.
The group attends about 60 funerals a week to honor veterans and console families.
"How did I feel? I probably shouldn't say how I felt because it was absolutely apalling that this woman would come aboard and tell us we can not say 'God bless you,'" said Koepp.
Nobleton Jones felt belittled when he says a government official told him he couldn't use the word "God" in his recitation to a family as he handed them a bag of shell casings from a gun salute.
"I tell the people, 'We ask that God grant you and your family grace, mercy and peace,’ That forth has been censored," said Jones.
Attorneys with the Liberty Institute began investigating last month after a local pastor won his fight to say his "Jesus" prayer at the cemetery's Memorial Day ceremony.
"When we investigated we determined the government and the director are discriminating based upon religious viewpoint," said Jeff Mateer, general counsel for Liberty Institute.
Ocasio couldn't be reached for comment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Hinrichs told the judge:
"We're in the process of going through the claims. Some are true, and some are not true."
What's more, the veterans allege the VA turned the chapel into a meeting room shortly after the director came on board two years ago.
They say they won't back down from the fight.
"I am going to say 'God bless you' until I don't know what would make me ever stop it," said Koepp.
So far the complaints appear to be isolated to the Houston National Cemetery. The government has until the middle of next month to respond to the allegations.
Church signs deal with Serbian Army
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(spc.rs) - His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch and Minister Sutanovac signed yesterday at the Army Club in Nis an "Agreement on the performance of religious services in the Army of Serbia with the Serbian Orthodox Church." The agreement regulates the mutual relations between the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Orthodox Church in connection with the conduct of religious services in the Serbian Army. The signing of the Agreement was attended by Their Graces Bishops Irinej of Backa and Vicar Porfirije of Jegar.
Sutanovac said that this document introduced the first Army officers priests, which is in line with the Serbian tradition and experience of modern armies. He recalled that the Serbian Orthodox Church already has officers-priests in the armies of other countries - the Netherlands, the United States and Great Britain.
Patriarch Irenej blessed the Agreement and pointed out that the signing is "historically significant" not only for the SPC, but also for the Army of Serbia. Along with the introduction of chaplains the traditional culture and spirituality in our army will be allowed and the chaplains will bring a higher quality of life and military service as well as patriotism and spirituality. "May it be fortunate and blessed," said Patriarch Irinej and pointed at the symbolism of the Agreement which was signed exactly on St. Vitus Day - the National holiday of the people and the church.
Sutanovac said the religious service was establishing as a need of the Serbian Army and that the priests will have to be highly educated as well as to undergo officer training. According to his words, the members of the Army of Serbia will address representatives of the SOC according to their priestly title. Minister of defence also said that an initial rank for priests was captain, and that teoretically they could get a rank of colonel. He announced that in forthcoming months he would sign similar agreements with representatives of six traditional churches and religious communities.
Sutanovac also attended last night at the Cathedral Church in Nis the St. Vitus's Academy. On that occasion, Serbian Patriarch Irinej presented the Minister the highest honor of Nis Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church - The Order of Saint Constantine for his attitude towards the Church and its people.
Thanking for the medal, Sutanovac said that it was a great honor for him and that he came to Nis "to finish this historical work" with Patriarch - the signing of the performance of religious services in the Army of Serbia.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
More on Ecumenical Patriarchate's delegation in Rome
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 28, 2011 (Zenit.org) - Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today when he was visited by a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Orthodox delegation made the traditional visit to the Holy Father to mark Wednesday's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. A Catholic delegation similarly visits Constantinople for the feast of St. Andrew.
* * *
Dear Brothers in Christ,
You are welcome in Rome on the occasion of the Feast of the Patrons of this Church, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. It is particularly gratifying to me to greet you with the words that Saint Paul addressed to Christians of this city: "The God of peace be with you all" (Romans 15:32). I thank from my heart the Venerable Brother, the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness Bartholomew I and the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who wished to send you, dear Brothers, as their representatives to participate here with us in this solemn celebration.
The Lord Jesus Christ, having appeared to his disciples after his Resurrection, gave them the mission to be witnesses of the Gospel of Salvation. The Apostles carried out this mission faithfully, on attesting their faith in Christ the Savior and their love of God the Father even to the bloody sacrifice of their life. In this city of Rome, the Apostles Peter and Paul faced martyrdom, and since then their tombs have been the object of veneration. Your participation in our Feast, like the presence of our representatives in Constantinople for the Feast of the Apostle Andrew, manifests the friendship and genuine fraternity that unites the Church of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, bonds solidly founded in the faith received through the testimony of the Apostles. The intimate spiritual closeness that we experience each time that we meet is for me a motive of great joy and gratitude to God. At the same time, however, the incomplete communion that already unites us must grow until it attains full visible unity.
We follow with great attention the work of the Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church as a whole. From a purely human point of view, one might have the impression that the theological dialogue is having trouble in progressing. In reality, the rhythm of dialogue is linked to the complexity of the themes being discussed, which call for an extraordinary effort of study, of reflection and of reciprocal openness. We are called to continue this course together in charity, invoking light and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, in the certainty that He wishes to lead us to the full accomplishment of the will of Christ: that they may all be one (John 17:21). I am particularly grateful to all the members of the Mixed Commission and in particular to the co-Presidents, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Pergamum Ioannis and His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch, for their tireless dedication, their patience and their competence.
In a historical context of violence, of indifference and of egoism, many men and women of our time feel lost. It is precisely by the common testimony of the truth of the Gospel that we can help people of our time to rediscover the way that leads them to truth. The search for truth, in fact, is always also the search for justice and peace, and it is with great joy that I witness the important involvement with which His Holiness Bartholomew spends himself on these subjects. Uniting myself to this intention which is common to us, and recalling the beautiful example of my predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, I wish to invite Christian brothers, representatives of other religious traditions of the world and personalities of the world of culture and science, to participate next October 27 in the city of Assisi, in a Day of Reflection, of Dialogue and of Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World, whose theme will be: "Pilgrims in Truth, Pilgrims in Peace." Walking together along the streets of St. Francis' city will be a sign of the will to continue to advance on the path of dialogue and fraternity.
Eminence, dear members of the Delegation, thanking you again for your presence in Rome on this solemn occasion, I ask you to transmit my fraternal greeting to my venerable Brother, Patriarch Bartholomew I, to the Holy Synod, to the clergy and to all the faithful of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, assuring them of my affection and of the solidarity of the Church of Rome, which today is celebrating its Holy Founders.
Orthodoxy and Islam to be discussed in Ohio
LIMA, OH (OCA) - Father Daniel Byantoro, the founder of the Indonesian Orthodox Mission and a convert from Islam, will be among the speakers at a conference titled "Orthodoxy and Islam: Crisis and Opportunity," at Saint Stephen the First Martyr Orthodox Mission here August 19-21, 2011.
Father Daniel has spoken extensively in Orthodox parishes across North America.
"Featuring respected pastors, authors and speakers -- two of whom are converts from Islam -- the conference is designed to provide Orthodox Christians with new resources, perspectives, and understandings of the complex topic of Islam," said Archpriest Mark Hodges, host pastor and author of An Orthodox Response to Terrorism. "The conference hope to educate as well as equip the faithful to engage with Muslims while sharing with them the Gospel."
Other speakers include Anthony Davar, a convert from Islam, writer and missionary; Raymond Ibrahim, author/editor of The Al Qaeda Reader and Associate Director of the Middle East Forum, and Ralph H. Sidway, author of Facing Islam: What the Ancient Church Has To Say About The Religion Of Muhammad.
The conference opens at 7:00 p.m on Friday, August 19, and closes after the Divine Liturgy, luncheon, and closing session on Sunday, August 21.
The requested donation is $20.00 per person, $30.00 per family. Financial assistance is available upon request.
To register and/or to obtain additional information contact Father Mark at fr.mark.hodges@juno.com or 419-224-8600.
Ecumenical Patriarchate's delegation arrives in Rome
(news.va) - Pope Benedict XVI greeted a special delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, which is here in Rome to mark the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul. For many years now, since the renewed impetus to work toward Christian unity that was among the responses to the 2nd Vatican Council, Rome and Constantinople have exchanged official delegations on the Patronal feasts of the respective sees: the Feast of St Andrew for Constantinople and the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul for Rome.
In his remarks to the ecumenical delegation on Tuesday, Pope Benedict said, “Your participation in this, our feast day, like the presence of our representatives in Istanbul for the Feast of St. Andrew, expresses the true friendship and brotherhood which unites the Church of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, bonds that are solidly based on the faith received from the testimony of the Apostles.” The Holy Father also looked forward to the coming World Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World this coming October 27th in Assisi, noting that the theme of the event will be Pilgrims in truth, pilgrims in peace – a theme he said is an encouragement for all to continue in the way of dialogue and brotherhood.
Crosses and icons: weapons against fire
Moscow (AsiaNews) - To combat the summer fires that once again threaten to devastate the territory of Russia, the Ministry for Emergency Situations has decided to also try religious ‘weapons’.
According to reports by Ria Novosti agency, the ministry’s Krasnoyarsk department has decided to install in Siberia’s parishes 25 giant crosses, donated by the local Russian Orthodox Church. The crosses were sent on June 24 and placed in areas most affected by the flames: the districts of Boguchansky and Kezhemsky. Since the beginning of the dry season, Siberia is the region most devastated by the fires. Each cross carries a reproduction of the Russian icon of Neopalimaya Kupino, also known as Lady of the burning bush, said to protect against fires. The website NewsLab.ru also reports that four icons at the four cardinal points, and a fifth at the center, will be placed in every town.
Our Lady of the Burning Bush
As announced by the Ministry for Emergency Situations, the initiative was launched by the Church who contacted the authorities and an agreement was signed in 2010, when Russia was hit by the worst fires in its recent history: 62 dead in two months and thousands of displaced people across the country. "Any proposal of our citizens, even those that are not scientifically proven, will be welcome," said Yelena Smirnykh, a ministry spokesman in Moscow.
Compared to the same period last year, the area affected by fires this year has tripled. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has warned about the possibility of a hot summer like 2010, with wildfires across the country. "Since the beginning of the risk period for fires in Russia in 2011, 13,440 fires have developed naturally", it announced in Moscow. "In 2010 there were 12,900, showing an increase of 1.05 times, while the total area as of today is of 833,570 hectares. In 2010 it was 273,330 hectares. This marks an increase of 3.05 times". In addition to the region of Krasnoyarsk, the most serious fires were reported in Zabaikalsky, Irkutsk and in the republics of Komi and Buryatia.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Updates to Episcopal Assembly website
Some interesting details here. I think we can agree having a common version of the Our Father, sorting out which episcopate might reasonably cover which regional area, determining a way to speak on moral issues with a unified voice, building a stronger and more consistent dialogue with the military concerning the chaplaincy, and an agreed upon approach to dealing with sacramental issues (marriage, conversion, divorce, etc.) are important issues. Especially close to my heart is the committee looking to make better use of the Church's outreach to the youth. There is as much competition and conflict as there is overlap in the jurisdictionally based efforts to work with the young children and teens. Having experienced first-hand the "ours" versus "theirs" mentality in things like teen events and summer camps, I pray for a speedy remediation to the current convolution.
(Episcopal Assembly) - The Terms of Reference for each of the Assembly's thirteen committees are now posted on the website. These documents outline the specific goals of each committee, and the means to achieve those goals; they are meant to be a guiding document for the committee members. Listed along with them are the committee descriptions, committee membership, and its recommended consultants.
In addition, there are a number of other items soon to be posted to the website. These include the addresses of the Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen, delivered at the Assembly of Bishops meeting this past May. Father Josiah Trenham has begun interviewing the bishops of the Assembly, to ask for their reflections on its work and the future of the Church in North America; as these audio interviews become available, they too will be posted on the website. Also, the website will soon provide a sample of the new Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Churches, a pivotal and pioneering work edited by Mr. Alexei Krindatch. Both Father Josiah and Mr. Krindatch are members of the Secretariat of the Assembly.
A gallery of photos from the recent meeting in May has been created and is currently available. In addition to this, the Directory of Bishops is in the process of being made into a photo directory. When finished, each listing will be accompanied by a photo of the individual hierarch.
Below is information pertaining to the committees of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America. Click on the title of any for more information.
Committee for Canonical Affairs
The Committee for Canonical Affairs will be responsible i) for creating and maintaining the registries mentioned in the Message of the Assembly of Bishops, namely: a) the registry of canonical bishops; b) the registry of canonical clergy and their status; and c) the registry of all canonical communities in the United States; ii) for recommending to the Assembly any additions or deletions from these registries; iii) for determining the canonical status of local communities that have no reference to any of the autocephalous churches and addressing issues pertaining to these bodies; and iv) for considering any canonical questions submitted to it by the other committees.
Romanian Orthodox Church gets more tech savvy
BUCHAREST (AFP via OBL News) — The Romanian Orthodox Church, known as a bastion of conservatism, has broken a taboo by embracing the Internet and tending to its flock via cyberspace.
Believers are now invited to send prayers via the Internet, seek their soulmate on Orthodox-only matrimonial websites and watch online the funerals of their loved ones.
Since the dynamic and comparatively young -- at 59 -- Patriarch Daniel became the shepherd of some 19 million Romanian Orthodox believers in 2007, God's word has been increasingly delivered via sermons broadcast live.
The Church has even set up its own media group, Basilica, including a radio and a TV station, a news agency, a newspaper and a "pilgrimage agency", Basilica Travel.
Scores of websites and blogs disseminating Orthodox teachings and facilitating exchanges among believers have also mushroomed, creating what analysts here are calling the "Internet Church".
A sociologist specialising in religions, Mirel Banica said that such websites may raise a few eyebrows but they answer a real need.
"People are busy, many Romanians live abroad and no longer have time to perform all the Orthodox rituals the way their parents used to," he told AFP.
Nearly three million people from this former communist state which joined the EU in 2007 have emigrated over the last few years, looking for better paid jobs in the West.
With Orthodox churches sometimes far away, "they resort to the Internet when it comes to commemorating their dead relatives, for instance," said Banica.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
ROCOR encyclical on communion promulgated
(ROCOR-EAD) - At the last meeting of the ROCOR Sobor of Bishops, the Sobor resolved that one outcome of our unification with the Moscow Patriarchate was the normalization of relations with other Orthodox Churches. Although as a result of prior rivalries between the MP and ROCOR and other reasons, relations with a majority of the Churches has been absent de facto for decades now, they were never broken off de jure, and therefore no formal restoration of them is required. ROCOR, as an inseparable part of the Russian Orthodox Church, is in Eucharistic communion with all of the remaining canonical Local Orthodox Churches:
The Orthodox Church of Constantinople
The Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Orthodox Church of Antioch
The Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
The Georgian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Cypriot Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church of Greece
The Albanian Orthodox Church
The Polish Orthodox Church
The Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church in America
In accordance with Church rules, in order to concelebrate with clergy from other Orthodox Churches, just as with clergy from other ROCOR dioceses, clerics must have the blessing of their hierarch and the other Church’s local hierarch. Traveling clerics are reminded that many churches require proof of said blessing in written form.
With love in Christ,
+HILARION
Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
Bishop Michael of New York responds to recent legislation
So much has been said about the same-sex union story in New York. I know that I shouldn't be, but I was surprised to see how many Orthodox Christians joined in the celebration of the "Yes" vote. Add to that the rather pointed criticism of Bp. Michael for "not keeping up with the times and protecting an archaic, backward ideology that comes from a Church that didn't understand homosexuality like we do now" - (my paraphrasal of some oft repeated claims over the last few days). I don't put much stock in the idea that the Church needs to conform to the new realities and realizations modernity has provided as they are constantly changing and often contradictory. The numbers associated with a majority opinion hold no real sway with me either. Equality and fairness are wonderful ideals, but not all enterprises are of equal value. Some might be said to devalue the persons involved in them.
(OCA-NYNJ) - ARCHPASTORAL LETTER RE-AFFIRMING THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE
June 24, 2011 Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Beloved Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:
Christ is in our midst! – He is and ever shall be!
On this very day, we have witnessed the successful efforts of public officials in the State of New York to legally re-define the meaning of marriage to include unions between two persons of the same gender. It is important for us, as Christians of the Orthodox Church, preserving the Tradition of teaching the truth handed down by the Lord Himself, “the faith which was once for all delivered to the Saints” (Jude 3), to re-affirm the meaning of marriage given to us in His Sacred Scripture.
In the document, Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctify of Life, written and adopted by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America in 1992, we read (in part) the following summary of the teaching of our Faith on this matter:
1) God wills that men and women marry, becoming husbands and wives. He commands them to increase and multiply in the procreation of children, being joined into “one flesh” by His divine grace and love. He wills that human beings live within families (Genesis 1:27; 2:21-24; Orthodox Marriage Service).
2) The Lord went even further to declare that people who look at others to lust after them in their hearts have “committed adultery” (cf. Matthew 5:27-30).
3) Christ’s apostles repeat the teachings of their Master, likening the unique marriage between one man and one woman to the union between Christ and His Church which they experience as the Lord’s very body and His bride (Ephesians 5:21-33; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
4) Marriage and family life are to be defended and protected against every open and subtle attack and ridicule.
5) Sexual intercourse is to be protected as a sacred expression of love within the community of heterosexual monogamous marriage in which alone it can be that for which God has given it to human beings for their sanctification.
As children of God, we are called to conform our sexual behavior to the commandments of Christ. As Christians, whether single or married, we are called to a life of chastity, pleasing to the Lord. This means struggling against those passions that incline us to “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) – fornication, homosexual activity, or adultery. A heterosexual person has to overcome his or her inclination toward multiple partners of the opposite sex outside of the blessed union of marriage; a homosexual person has to overcome his or her inclination toward others of the same sex. We are all called to live our lives according to the will of God and thereby partake of the way of salvation.
No matter what the prevailing pressure of the culture or the legislation of the state may proclaim, the timeless teaching of the Church echoes the rule of marriage revealed to us by the Lord, written in the Scripture, and re-affirmed by the wisdom and examples of the Saints. Gay marriage or any other unblessed sexual activity is not the love that the Lord extols. Because “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), no matter what the government or society may say, like St. Peter and the Apostles, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). We need not be afraid to stand in opposition to prevailing trends, as the early Christians stood bravely and boldy, upholding heterosexual monogamous marriage in the non-Christian empire of their time.
Having said this, we must never forget the Lord’s greatest commandment of love, which includes, after loving God above all else, the imperative, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). This means we must never condemn anyone, but reach out to everyone with the living, healing, saving love of God in Christ Jesus. It means to walk in truth toward all, to do what is right for all, and to affirm what is good and holy on behalf of all.
Let us bear witness to the truth taught by Our Lord, and lived by His Saints, in our daily conversations with our families, our fellow Christians, our neighbors and co-workers. Let us teach the Orthodox Christian vision of marriage, as a path to salvation shared by husband and wife, to our children, godchildren, and all those who come under our care as parents, godparents, pastors, and Christian educators.
Let us join in prayer that the people of faith across the states of New York and New Jersey will continue to stand fast in the divinely revealed truth of what marriage means. And let us by our example witness to the life of chastity to which every human person, made in the image and likeness of God, is called.
With my humble prayers and love in Christ, I remain
Devotedly yours in His service,
+ M I C H A E L
Bishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Technical note: This blog on Facebook
Armenian Church to ordain first deaf subdeacon
Many thanks to the reader who pointed this out to me. The Facebook page is available here.
Ordination of Sub-Deacon of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Orthodox ChurchHere's one of the future subdeacon's catechetical videos in sign language (more available here):
Acolyte Tigran will be ordained sub-deacon by H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian on the feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
You are invited to this special ceremony because probably in the Armenian Church history, there is no Deaf sub-deacon. As witnesses, to see this is once history for Deaf Armenians.
I want to make sure that you will be attending so I can prepare ASL translation for you.
An exceptional interview with Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov
I cannot encourage you enough to read this interview from the ROCOR Eastern American diocesan website. It's simply fabulous. I must also say that the responses are huge blocks of text with no paragraphs to speak of. Please don't be let that stop you as Fr. Artemy's responses are both insightful and often humorous. The topics - a mix of questions from the interviewer and parishioners from around the diocese - are wide ranging and cover things like the preservation of traditional values in Orthodoxy, the ties between ROCOR and the OCA, his feelings on Metropolitan Jonah, use of social media by priests, and even the spanking of children.
Complete article here.(ROCOR-EAD) - On Tuesday, April 12, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov made a short stop in the Eastern American Diocese on his way home to Moscow after spending several days in California as a guest of the Western American Diocese. During his final hours in America, Fr. Artemy met with diocesan media office correspondent Rdr. Peter Lukianov and gave a second interview for the official website of the Eastern American Diocese. The extensive interview features several questions that were submitted by our readers and covers a wide range of topics, such as the current state of Orthodoxy in America, spiritual life, confession, missionary work, and much more. We are pleased to offer this interview for the enjoyment and spiritual benefit of our readers.
Representatives of various Orthodox jurisdictions in America are working to present their own vision of Orthodoxy. Inter-Orthodox dialogue is dominated by debates between traditionalists and modernists. Often we lose ourselves totally to these debates, thereby forgetting the true substance of our faith, attempting to remake the Church in our own image, instead of Christ’s. What say you, as an outside observer, of the condition of Orthodoxy in America? What direction and comfort can you give to the Orthodox living in America?
It was with great joy that I learned that, over this past year, the Kursk Root Icon "of the Sign" has continued its mission in the New World. And, as His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia, rightly noted, this may be the only icon of the Mother of God that is now traveling to every country in the world, calling all Orthodox – Greeks, Russians, Romanians, Georgians – whomever She encounters along Her travels, to true unity in adoring the Heavenly Queen, Who intercedes for us before God’s Throne. It was a total surprise to me to learn the reaction of the Greek Church in America, whose members gathered in the thousands to greet the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, offering her such sincere prayer, such true veneration, from which perhaps our own "Russian traditionalists" could stand to learn. And those stunning miracles and signs of grace-filled power, which we hope will be published not only on the Greeks’ websites, but on the websites of the Russian Church Abroad, bear witness to the God-pleasing nature of this undertaken endeavor. We can all see that the powers of darkness in the world never sleep, and they continue all the more to squeeze, to tighten their grip, attempting to darken the minds and hearts of the peoples of the world. That is why the Mother of God today is traveling along the roads and fields, the hedgerows and fences, in the words of the Gospel parable ‒ calling one and all, the white and the black, everyone who yet retains a modicum of the faith and piety in this land, so far from Russia. And for us Russians living in the homeland, it is abundantly clear that the mission of the Icon of the Sign is Orthodoxy’s penultimate sermon, whose call even those totally distant from the Orthodox Church will answer. Everything that has taken place undoubtedly contributes to the elevation of the Russian Diaspora, the Russian Orthodox Church in America, as the guardian of Patristic Tradition. The so-called Autocephalous Church in America is experiencing trying times. It is clear that various schools are clashing within it; having last year become a witness to the first, brotherly sit-down between the Church Abroad and the American Autocephalous Church, I can see that the spiritual closeness of the clergymen leading these Churches is utterly loathed by the spirit of darkness, who from the ages has acted according to the principle of "divide and conquer." And the Evil One always finds his spokesmen, people who see things in this reconciliation that do not exist. Perhaps they are troubled solely by the material aspect of the issue, while others, for some reason, embrace the mentality of the older brother from the parable of the Prodigal Son – What is this feast?! What is this happy celebration?! Why, father, have you gone and wasted, slaughtered the fatted calf, but you never gave me a goat – why is your younger son shown such honor?! He, I say, who has devoured your living with harlots, now receives a son’s rights! – and he was angered, and refused to enter into the radiant and festal hall. "My son," meekly responded his father, "Is it not right to rejoice, for this, your brother, was dead, and it alive again. He was lost, and is found!" It seems to me that the spirit of Orthodoxy – true, unofficial, informal, non-dogmatic, non-modernistic Orthodoxy – lies in the very ability to rejoice in every soul that, having felt the approach of the divine, heeds its call with sincere prayer, repentance, or even simple interest – for everything begins by catching one’s attention, moving the mind, and then the heart, to the divine. I think that Orthodoxy, in its endurance and faithfulness to its roots, which in turn means its ability to preserve those grace-filled outward forms, which were neither created nor established by us today, will always manifest a certain spiritual novelty – not a novelty comprised of endless reformations which are not of God, but in the ability to speak to people in their own tongue, in the ability to reveal the treasure of Orthodox Tradition, the treasure of the Scriptures, in an accessible and understandable way. A sermon is nothing less than the ability to find a common tongue with those who are intuitively drawn to the grace-filled depth and height of Orthodoxy, who wish to fall down before its inexhaustible spring...
Friday, June 24, 2011
Greek Catholics seek involvement in Orthodox-Catholic talks
(RISU) - At a press conference today in Lviv, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav, said his church is ready to become a member of the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and to organize a meeting between the pope and Patriarch Kirill.
The press conference took place after the presentation of the UGCC Catechism “Christ is Our Easter.” The working group, which is led by the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission, worked on the Catechism for almost 10 years. The book consists of three parts: “Faith in the Church,” “Prayer of the Church,” and “Life of the Church.”
According to Patriarch Sviatoslav, the UGCC Catechism is a testament of the intellectual maturity of the church and that it is a result of the order by which it lives.
The Catechism, as confirmed by the hierarch, is both old and new: “Old, for faith is eternal, and new, because we present the content in such a way so that our faithful can fully understand this tradition, so that this Catechism can speak to the modern person.”
“Until recently, there was a notion that to theologize in Ukrainian was ‘uncultured’ – we usually translated theological works. Since the Catechism is a product of a ‘Ukrainian manufacturer,’ written in Ukrainian,” it is, according to the patriarch, a very important matter.
At the press conference, Patriarch Sviatoslav also talked about the mission of the church, which he sees for today as becoming a full-fledged partner in the dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholics.
“We are a national church, and so we are ready to be not only a bridge of understanding between the Catholic and Orthodox churches and to organize a meeting between the pope and Patriarch Kirill, but also to become a full-fledged member of the dialogue,” the church leader told the press.
Nativity of the Glorious Prophet and Forerunner John
Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
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Troparion - Tone 4
Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ,
although we cannot praise you worthily,
we honor you in love at your nativity,
for by it you ended your father's silence and your mother's barrenness,
proclaiming to the world the incarnation of the Son of God!
Kontakion - Tone 3
Today the formerly barren woman gives birth to Christ's Forerunner,
who is the fulfillment of every prophecy;
for in the Jordan,
when he laid his hand on the One foretold by the prophets,
he was revealed as Prophet, Herald, and Forerunner of God the Word.
Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ,
although we cannot praise you worthily,
we honor you in love at your nativity,
for by it you ended your father's silence and your mother's barrenness,
proclaiming to the world the incarnation of the Son of God!
Kontakion - Tone 3
Today the formerly barren woman gives birth to Christ's Forerunner,
who is the fulfillment of every prophecy;
for in the Jordan,
when he laid his hand on the One foretold by the prophets,
he was revealed as Prophet, Herald, and Forerunner of God the Word.
Imagine if this were your church.
(AINA) - Hundreds of Muslims surrounded the church of St George today in the village of Beni Ahmed West, 7 KM south of Minya, vowing to kill its priest Father George Thabet, who was serving the morning mass and was locked in the church with a number of parishioners. Security forces arrived five hours later and escorted Father George in a police car to the Coptic Diocese in Minya. "Father George looked as if he was the criminal, leaving his church in a police car." said one of the eye-witnesses. The Coptic youth who were attending mass remained inside church to defend it from Muslim attacks.
Eyewitnesses reported the Muslim mob, in their white dresses and long beards, chanted "We will kill the priest, we will kill him and no one will prevent us." One of their leaders said that they will "…cut him to pieces."
It was reported that no police or security of any kind was present during the events.
The attacks on St. George Church trace back to March 23, 2011, when Muslims had surrounded the 100-year old church, which held a renovation license, and ordered the church officials to stop construction immediately and undo what they had completed, otherwise they would demolish the church after Friday prayers. They had placed several demands on the church authorities, including the banning of Father George Thabet from Beni Ahmad village and gave him a time limit of 35 days, later extended to 50 days, to leave the village with his family. Muslims accused him of making extensions to the church and of causing sectarian strife. The Archbishop of Minya had sent a priest two months ago to assist Father George, in order to diffuse the situation, but the Muslims resumed their pressure on the church (AINA 4-9-2011).
Muslims started congregating near the church in small numbers since the evening of June 21, after learning that Father George is returning to the village. It is believed they were angry and wanted to kill him because he defied the ban they placed on him.
The archdiocese of Minya issued today a statement formally reiterating its strong dissatisfaction with the incident and denouncing the "return of the Salafists to besiege St. George's church again, some carrying weapons, threatening to kill the priest unless he leaves the village."
The statement rejected the interference in church affairs, saying the issue of care of the church is the responsibility of the church authorities alone, and not of any person or group. It called on government officials and security authorities to do their part in upholding the rule of law and maintaining security in the country.
The archdiocese refused any preconditions to negotiate with political and security officials, demanding the security forces disperse the demonstrations before any negotiations can take place.
After Father George left the church the Muslim mob remained until security arrived to disperse them. The Muslims threatened that if they do not hear from the military commander by tonight that the priest is banned from returning to the village, they will hold their Friday prayers tomorrow, June 24, inside St. George's church.
Greek Orthodox delegation visiting Rome
ROME, JUNE 23, 2011 (Zenit.org) - Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will send a delegation to Rome on June 29, feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The visit takes place as part of what has become a traditional exchange of delegations between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican for the respective feasts of their holy patrons.
The Holy See always sends a delegation to Istanbul on Nov. 30, feast of St. Andrew.
The Orthodox delegation will be made up by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and director of the Orthodox Church's office in the European Union; Bishop Athenagoras of Sinope, auxiliary bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate serving in Belgium; and Archimandrite Maximos Pothos, the vicar-general in Switzerland.
On June 28, Benedict XVI will receive the delegation in audience, and on June 29, it will attend the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Pope in St. Peter's.
The delegation will also meet with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The exchange of delegations between Rome and Constantinople began in 1969, with Cardinal Johannes Willebrands' visit to Constantinople for the feast of St. Andrew. At the time, the cardinal was president of the Secretariat for Christian Unity.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Patriarchate of Antioch elects 12 bishops
(Notes on Arab Orthodoxy) - Arabic original here. I had to guess at the spellings of a lot of these names. Also, the original only contained biographies for six of the bishops.
The Holy Synod of Antioch met in its regular session on Tuesday, June 21, in the patriarchal residence at the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand. During its first sessions, six auxiliary bishops were elected: Archimandrite Kosta Kiyal, Archimandrite Isaac Barakat, and Archimandrite Nicholas Baalbeki as patriarchal assistant bishops, and Archimandrite Demitri Sharbak, Archimandrite Iliya Tameh, and Archimandrite Athanasius Fahd as auxiliiary bishops to the Metropolitan of Akkar in Safayta, al-Hisn, and Tartus, respectively.
Likewise, in the second session in the extraordinary meeting six other bishops were elected:
Three of them as auxiliary bishops in Europe:
An auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Mexico:
- Archimandrite Yuhanna (Haykal)
- Archimandrite Ephrem (Ma'louli)
- Archimandrite Ignatius (al-Hawshi)
Two auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Brazil:
- Archimandrite Ignatius (Seman)
We wish their graces, the bishops elect, blessed service and fruitful pastorship in their new service in the Lord's field. We call out to them with one voice: Axios.... mustahiq!
- Archimandrite Romanos (Dawoud)
- Archimandrite Morqos (Khoury)
Here follows a bit about the life of the bishops:
Bishop-elect Kosta Kiyal
He studied theology and earned doctoral degree in the field of liturgical studies at the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He serves in the Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon as pastor of the Church of St. George the Victorious in Brumana and is professor of liturgics at the Saint John of Damascus Theological Institute in the Faculty of Theology of Balamand University.
Bishop-elect Isaac Barakat
He studied theology and recieved a doctoral degree in homiletics from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He serves in the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus. He held the position of abbot of the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand and professor at the Saint John of Damascus Theological Institute in the Faculty of Theology of Balamand University from 2005 to 2010.
Bishop-elect Nicholas Baalbeki
He completed his studies in human medicine and then studied theology at the Saint John of Damascus Institute in the Faculty of Theology of Balamand University. He served as a priest in the Archdiocese of Damascus, and then served as the general director of the Patriarchal Hospital of al-Hisn.
Bishop-elect Demitri Sharbak
He holds a degree in civil engineering from Tishreen University in Lattakia. He studied theology at the St. John of Damascus Theological Institute and then earned a doctoral degree in the field of ecumenical studies from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He served for two years in the Archdiocese of Aleppo, then Metropolitan of Akkar Basil Mansour appointed him as his representative in Safayta in 2008. He teaches the subject of ecumenics at the St. John of Damascus Theological Institute in the Faculty of Theology of Balamand University.
Bishop-elect Iliya Tameh
He holds a degree in civil engineering from Tishreen University in Lattakia. He studied theology at the St. John of Damascus Theological Institute and then earned a master's degree in Islamic Studies from the Pontifical Institute PISAI in Rome and a diploma in Religious Studies from the Jesuit Gregoriana University in Rome. He earned a doctorate in Religious and Islamic Studies from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He served for two years in the Archdiocese of Aleppo and then Metropolitan of Akkar Basil Mansour appointed him representative in the bishopric of al-Hisn in 2008.
Bishop-elect Athanasius Fahd
He holds a degree in agricultural engineering from Tishreen University in Lattakia. He studied theology and earned a master's degree from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He served in the bishopric of al-Hisn then in the Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe. Metropolitan of Akkar Basil Mansour then appointed him as his representative in Tartus in 2011.
A favorite Orientale Lumen Conference podcast
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Aux. bishop for Antiochian Archdiocese of Mexico appointed
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| Archimandrite Ignacio Samaán appointed to the episcopal dignity of auxiliary bishop by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East to serve with Abp. Antonio Chedraoui. |
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The "new" Egypt just might let Christians build churches
Cairo, Egypt, Jun 22, 2011 / 01:09 am (CNA) - Egypt’s burdensome regulations on church-building could be removed under new government proposals which one local bishop says would mark a “major step forward for the citizenship of Christians” and a vindication of the public protests begun on January 25.
“What we are seeing here is one of the first fruits of the demonstrations back in January. When the Christians demonstrated, they asked for their rights and the first right they demanded was the construction of churches,” said Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos Kamal William Samaan of Assiut.
“Everybody knows that this has been a big problem for the Christians. Many moderate people have recognized it,” Bishop William told Aid to the Church in Need.
He said more than half of the problems Christians face will be resolved if they make progress on this issue.
“If these proposals come into law, it could mean that building churches will be almost on the same level as constructing mosques,” the bishop added.
Egypt’s 10 million Christians face strict church construction rules which are frequently cited as one of the most serious forms of anti-Christian oppression. The laws presently require presidential permission to build churches, an approval process which causes delays of years or even decades.
If the proposed change takes place, the proposals would go before the regional governor for a decision within three months.
Bishop William said that he is “optimistic.” The Egyptian government already shows signs of easing the restrictions.
Permission for two churches in his diocese in Upper Egypt had come through before the January 25th revolution that drove President Hosni Mubarak from office. Applications for another three churches have been approved in the last few weeks. Only one application from the diocese is outstanding and a decision on that is expected soon.
However, the proposal to change the restrictions is controversial for some Muslim groups, including Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist political movement which was tightly controlled by President Mubarak’s government.
On May 7 extremists attacked three Coptic Orthodox churches in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba. Fifteen people died and more than 230 were injured.
This was the peak of their power, Bishop William said. Islamists are now losing support in the run-up to the parliamentary and presidential elections in the fall. A number of governors, including the governor of Assiut, are open to Christians and resistant to extremists’ demands to shift the nation towards an Islamic theocracy.
“Of course the Salafists continue to interfere but their campaign of slander cannot get the support of moderate Muslims who do not accept their complaints against Christians,” the bishop said.
Christians and Muslims are holding interfaith meetings to promote mutual respect and cooperation, he added.
Met. Hilarion on Christianophobia, church order
Christianophobia is a topic he often speaks on and it ties in well with the current European Council of Religious Leaders meeting going on in Moscow right now (see here and here). The issues of the diptychs, the OCA, and the upcoming pan-Orthodox council came up as they always do.
Q. Recently, reports have spread all over the world about the events in Egypt’s Giza where radical Muslim groups killed people and set on fire two Christians churches. Are there real threats to Christianity in the Middle East?
A. The Middle East is the cradle of Christianity. The history of Orthodoxy is inseparably linked with this region. There are four old Orthodox Patriarchates there, those of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, and the old Archdioceses of Cyprus and Sinai. In history, the eastern Mediterranean repeatedly became an arena of political and religious wars, and Christians were often victims of those conflicts.
Christians and non-Christians managed to achieve peaceful coexistence in some countries of the region, and Egypt was considered one of the examples of such coexistence between the Muslim majority and the Christian minority. However, the tragedy of the last months, beginning from the terrorist attack committed at the Coptic church in Alexandria during the night of January 1, 2011, to the recent arsons in Giza, have stirred up anxiety and pain among millions of believers around the world.
Today’s developments in Egypt are only a part of the more global process affecting the life of Christians in a number of countries. If the authorities in the Middle East states do not take special measures to protect Christians we will soon see another wave of their emigration.
The escalation of Christianophobia in some countries of the Middle East is fraught with very serious consequences for Orthodoxy since it threatens the life of the oldest Local Churches and dooms them to a life without any rights. There is great anxiety about the preservation of common Christian shrines concentrated in those primordially Christian territories. But the greatest pain is over people’s ruined life, over those who have had to flee from oppression or to suffer from persecution and sometimes even death at the hands of extremists.
I would like to underscore that by no means radical Islamism and extremism under Islamic slogans should be identified with Islam which preach tolerance between people of different religions. I had an occasion to see it a few days ago when I met with the president, professors and students of Al-Azhar, the world largest Islamic university. This university sets as its principal tasks to educate young Muslims in the spirit of tolerance.
I was also deeply moved by a letter sent by Farid Salman, chairman of the Council of Ulemas under All Russia’s Muftiate, to the president of Al-Azhar, expressing sincere concern over the forced exodus of Christians from Muslim lands. This letter states in particular, ‘The continued exodus of Christians from the Middle East countries, attacks on churches and monasteries, the killing of clergy and the hostage-taking of Christians is the best present that could be given to overt and covert enemies of Islam’.
Radicalism, fundamentalism and extremism are common enemies for both Christianity and Islam. And the priority task of the leaders of traditional religions today is to educate their flock for not just tolerance towards people of different views and different faith but for love of them. It is only through common efforts that we can stop the wave of extremism which has engulfed the Middle East posing a threat to the very survival of Christianity in some countries in that region.
Remembering the Nazi invasion of Russia
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| (MSNBC) - Russian Orthodox Church clergymen stand under rain during a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside Moscow's Kremlin wall, June 22, 2011, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. |
Georgian-Armenian relations strained
YEREVAN (accc.org.uk) - The Armenian Apostolic Church criticized the head of the Georgia Orthodox Church today for making "inappropriate" references to Armenian Church leader Catholicos Garegin II just days after he visited Georgia, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Speaking in Tbilisi's St. Trinity Cathedral on June 19, Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II attributed the failure of the two church leaders to settle disputes between their churches in talks last week to the perceived young age of Garegin, who is 59.
"Garegin is young and apparently lacks experience," the 78-year-old head of the Georgian Orthodox Church reportedly said. "He is intelligent but wants to do things quickly, which will not work. I told him that I have 30 years of experience and that staying calm is the best thing."
Senior clerics at the Armenian Church's Mother See in Echmiadzin, a town 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, denounced the remarks.
"Considering the logic of the ethics of relations between church heads, it is inappropriate to make such statements," said Bishop Arshak Khachatrian, the Mother See chancellor.
The bitter exchange highlights lingering tensions between the two churches that center on the ownership of Christian worship sites located in Georgia and Armenia and the status of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia.
Garegin, who has headed the Armenian Church since 1999, hoped to ease tensions with his historic weeklong visit to Georgia that began on June 10 -- the first trip by the head of the Armenian Church to Georgia in nearly a century.
But despite high hopes and much fanfare, the two leaders failed to reach any concrete agreements in their talks.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Orientale Lumen Conference on Ancient Faith Radio
(AFR) - From June 20-23, 2011, the Society of St. John Chrysostom, Eastern Churches Journal, Eastern Christian Publications, and the Orientale Lumen Foundation held a popular and scholarly conference for lay men, lay women, and clergy entitled Orientale Lumen XV. The theme for the conference, held at the Washington Retreat House in Washington, D.C., was “Rome and the Communion of Churches: Bishop, Patriarch or Pope?” and speakers included Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, Professor Emeritus of Oxford University, Archimandrite Robert Taft, Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, and Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.Podcasts available here.
The conference provided an opportunity for Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, and Oriental Orthodox to gather, discuss, and learn about their respective traditions. It included presentations by scholars and theologians, liturgical celebrations of many varieties, and opportunities for everyone to learn from each other and participate in a “dialogue of love and understanding.” To purchase CDs or DVDs of this event, please visit the conference’s online catalogue located here.
Please note that while Ancient Faith Radio is extremely pleased to make these recordings available to our listeners, we do not necessarily endorse all of the conference speakers and/or their talks.
Georgian Church representative visits Romanian Patriarchate
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(basilica.ro) - On 21 June 2011, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, received His Eminence Ştefan, Archbishop of Tsagheri and Lentekhi from the Orthodox Church of Georgia, in an audience.
His Eminence Ştefan thanked for reception and conveyed the Patriarch of Romania a brotherly message on behalf of His Beatitude Elijah II, Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel mentioned the historical relationships between the two sister Orthodox Churches and appreciated the dynamism of the church life of the Patriarchate of Georgia, where churches and monasteries were restored and new places of worship were built, in spite of the hard period the Georgian people has passed through of late.
The Patriarch of Romania underlined the need to intensify the co-operation between the two sister Orthodox Churches, through the implementation of certain common spiritual missionary and cultural programmes, theological conferences and pilgrimages in the two countries, especially since the relics of Saint Maxim the Confessor are kept in the Eparchy of Tsagheri and Lentekhi served by His Eminence Ştefan.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel also proposed the Georgian guest to present news and other documentary materials concerning the Church Georgian life at Trinitas radio and television stations and at Lumina publications of the Romanian Patriarchate, in order to inform the faithful and make them acquainted with the life and activity of the Orthodox Church of Georgia.
"On Admitting Non-Orthodox Christians into the Church"
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| (mospat.ru) - On 20 June 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. Members of the Commission considered a draft document “On Admitting Non-Orthodox Christians into the Orthodox Church." |
Monday, June 20, 2011
Metropolitan Jonah speaks at Acton Institute
From the Acton Institute's blog:
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We’ve posted the text of Metropolitan Jonah’s AU talk on “Asceticism and the Consumer Society” on the Acton site. His remarks, delivered on Thursday, June 16, at the plenary session looked at the “opposing movements in the human heart” between consumerism and worship. In the course of his talk, Jonah cited Orthodox Christian theologian Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s definition of secularism as “in theological terms … a heresy … about man.”
Jonah:
Jonah:
Man was created with an intuitive awareness of God and thankfulness to Him for the creation. In return, the creation itself was made to be a means of communion and revelation of God to man. Man was thus created as a Eucharistic being, the priest of creation, to offer it in thanksgiving to God, and to use it as a means of living in communion, the knowledge and love of God. Man was created to worship. In our fallenness, turning from God to created things as ends in themselves, we lost the intuitive knowledge of God and our essential attitude of thankfulness to Him. Secularism is rooted in this loss of divine awareness, the darkening of our intuitive perception of the creation as the sacrament of God’s Presence. It is a denial of our essential reality as human beings, and our reduction to purely material animals. Thus the refusal to worship and give thanks, to offer the creation in thanksgiving back to God, is a denial of our very nature as humans.
What Schmemann is testifying to is that “worship is truly an essential act, and man an essentially worshipping being.” It is “only in worship” that I can find “knowledge of God and therefore knowledge of the world.” As the etymology of the word orthodoxy suggests, the true worship of God and the true knowledge of God converge and are together become the foundation of obedience to Him.
Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America, said the “fruit” of secularism is despair. The cure for this despair is the Cross of Jesus Christ:
The Christian ascetical life, that is the life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, the works of mercy and obedience, is the application and the appropriation of the Cross to my life. It is the means by which I both enter into a life of communion with God and become myself a sacrament of that communion for others. This is possible because at its most basic level, asceticism “is the struggle of the person against rebellious nature, against the nature which seeks to achieve on its own what it could bring about only in personal unity and communion with God.” Our “restoration” to a life of personal communion with God and so our personal “resistance” to the powers of sin and death, “presuppose a struggle” within each human heart that is often lacking in contemporary society and even our churches.
Read Metropolitan Jonah’s “Asceticism and the Consumer Society” on the Acton site.
Russian Church looks to making language updates
H/T: OBL News
(RIA-Novosti) - The Russian Orthodox Church is preparing for a reform of its liturgical language, and a draft document on the role of Church Slavonic in modern church life has been circulated among dioceses and is available for discussion on the internet.
"Church Slavonic is a very important means to keep unity and traditions inside the Church. But on the other hand, understanding of liturgical texts written in Church Slavonic may be simplified," a senior Church official, Archimandrite Kirill, said on Monday.
"It is proposed that more complicated words from Church Slavonic be replaced with simpler ones from the same language, and that syntactic constructions be made easier," he said.
"The general tendency is to make the message that the Church is carrying to modern society more transparent and understandable. This is the process of adaptation inside the Church Slavonic language," said Kirill, who is a deputy head of the Church's education committee.
The changes in particular stipulate that "zhivot," which translates from Church Slavonic to "life" but means "stomach" in modern Russian, will be replaced with the standard Russian word "zhizn," and some Greek words will be replaced with their Russian equivalents.
The current Church Slavonic used in services is derived from Old Church Slavonic developed by Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. The older language's pronunciation and orthography were adapted, and some words were replaced with newer ones.
The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest among Eastern Orthodox churches and the world's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church.
Islamists put Middle East Christians in peril
Moscow, June 20 (Interfax) - The Moscow Patriarchate has expressed concerns about the situation of Orthodox Churches in the Middle East.
"The escalation of Christianophobia in some countries of the Middle East may lead to serious consequences for the Orthodox faith, jeopardizing the life of parishioners of old local Churches and depriving them of their rights," head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk said in an interview with Interfax-Religion.
Metropolitan Hilarion expressed great concerns about the safety of Christian holy places in the Middle East. "If the governments of the Middle Eastern countries do not take special measures to protect Christians, we will soon see another wave of their emigration," Metropolitan Hilarion said.
He reiterated that "extremism under Islamic slogans should by no means be identified with Islam, which preaches tolerance between members of different religions."
"I have recently become convinced about that again when I met with the rector, faculty and students of Al-Azhar University, one of the largest Islamic universities in the world. Among the goals of this Egyptian university is to educate young Muslims in the spirit of tolerance," Metropolitan Hilarion said.
Take up your cross and follow me.
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| A masked penitent processes through a field holding his cross during a march of the Trinidad brotherhood in Lumbier, northern Spain on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos |
Orthodox History asks, "What is a parish?"
(SOCHA) - Matthew Namee’s somewhat recent post concerning what constitutes a parish caught me by surprise, as I was preparing a very similar article of my own to illustrate a problem I’ve been having in continuing to tell the story of the Armenian Orthodox Church for SOCHA. When I agreed to assist SOCHA in covering Armenian topics, I envisioned my first posting to be a quick narrative about the Armenian Church (which it was, you can read that here), and my second to follow soon thereafter, containing a listing of the first parish in each of the twenty-four states where the Armenian Church is found. Matthew Namee, of course, did the same thing for the growth of Eastern Orthodox parishes, and I thought it might be helpful to our readers if I did, too.Complete article here.
I quickly found that writing such an entry was difficult, precisely out of the primary question Matthew posed in his entry: What truly constitutes a parish? I was consulting parish and diocesan websites, several books published by the church (dating back as early as the 1940’s), newspapers, and couldn’t find a set standard anywhere. Some parishes gauged their founding from the building of their first sanctuary. Others dated it from the first vestiges of a board of trustees, or the first time there was really any appreciable, united Armenian community. Even more confusing are the so-called “Mission Parishes,” which ordinarily do not have (and probably never have had) either a permanent sanctuary or a priest, often both. These communities tend to date their founding by the year in which they were formally recognized as a Mission Parish, which doesn’t seem to have been general practice until the 1970’s, even if an Armenian presence and some modicum of organized church life existed long before.
My home parish (when I’m not in Chicago), St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, Michigan, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. That’s all well and fine, except the first evidence of a parish organization apparently dates to 1909, and first priest assigned to Detroit arrived in 1913. There was no sanctuary, so the community met in a number of borrowed spaces, especially St. John Episcopal Church in downtown Detroit (which, interestingly, also housed the plenary sessions of the 4th All-American Sobor in 1924, for those interested in Metropolia/OCA history), until they could afford to purchase land and build a church of their own. The movement to build the first church began in 1928, and it was ready for consecration in 1931...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
UOC-Canada priest charged with immigration fraud
H/T: OBL News
(cbc.ca) - Members of a northeastern Alberta community are feeling betrayed and disappointed after a priest was charged with immigration fraud.
"It's hard to believe that it could have happened," said Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw. "And it's hard to believe that my parish priest could've been involved in something like that.
"It's shocking. We're all in shock here."
Father John Lipinski of St. Paul, Alta., has been suspended as a Ukrainian Orthodox priest in the Bonnyville area until his case is resolved in provincial court.
Lipinski and his wife Angela and their business partner, Calvin Steinhauer, are accused of running a company that lured dozens of Polish welders and machinists to Canada under false pretenses, pocketing $1 million in profits in just six months.
The three face charges of organizing entry to Canada by threat, deception or fraud under the Immigration Refugee Protection Act as well a criminal charge under the proceeds of crime section.
"I'm really hoping that it's not true because it's a black eye on the church and I love my church," said Leskiw. "A lot of people are being hurt in this. My congregation is being hurt in this, my district, my church."
News of the charges also came as a shock to the archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Yurij Kalistchuk said from Winnipeg Thursday he knew nothing of the charges until the CBC called asking for comment.
Lipinski's suspension will leave a void in the diocese, said Leskiw.
"People here are quite religious," she said. "This is going to hit them hard."
Black eye for Canada
Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the workers said Canada has been given a black eye abroad.
"I think sadly Canada was painted in a bad way, and that's maybe the thing that affects all of us," said Sol Rolinger. "Representations were made by Canadians to nationals of another country that weren't correct.
"Then they had to go through a lot of legal hassle."
Rolinger said the workers alerted the RCMP as soon as they suspected something wasn't right.
Lipinski is charged under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the first time the first time charges have been laid under the act in Alberta.
The lawyer representing the Lipinskis said they deny the allegations.
All three people charged are to make a first appearance July 25 in an Edmonton courtroom.
Bp. Melchisedek of Pittsburgh interviewed
SYOSSET, NY (OCA) - An interview with the Interim Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek, in which he offers insights into a variety of issues facing the Church today, appeared in Russian translation on the Portal-Credo web site at http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=authority&id=1651 on Friday, June 17, 2011.
The original English text of the interview may be found in PDF format here.
The interview was conducted by Svetlana Vais, a Russian-American journalist who has lived in the US for 18 years and attends Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel at the OCA Chancery.
1. Your Grace, do you have any particular concerns about the current state of affairs in the OCA?
My principal concern is that of effective communication at every level. There has, for a variety of reasons, been misunderstanding on some basic issues in the Orthodox Church in America, and hopefully these misunderstandings will be satisfactorily resolved.
2. What are the administrative issues in the Church that have concerned you since your appointment as Interim Chancellor of the OCA?
The main administrative issue, for me, is that the Central Church offices function smoothly during this time of transition, and, at the same time, maintain our commitment to the principles outlined in our Best Practices. We have to see that they are fully implemented.
It should be understood that Church life – particularly as pertains to its ministry – is now much more complicated in several ways. For example, in 1985 - only twenty-six years ago – I was at a conference at Princeton Seminary. The conference, which concerned the WCC document on Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry, was attended by a fairly large number of people (both men andwomen) from various Protestant Denominations, as well as the Orthodox and Roman CatholicChurches. At one point, the topic of clergy sexual misconduct came up and it was pointed out that according to traditional canonical standards, any clergyman who was caught in such asituation was to be deposed.
The response to that statement of historical fact was a virtual explosion – how unchristian, how unloving, how unpastoral, etc. The vast majority of those present were of the opinion that any clergy caught in such a situation should simply be relocated to another parish in order to work out his repentance, and to continue his ministry. And, indeed, that is exactly what was done in most cases.
Today such an attitude is considered criminally negligent. Clergy in the U.S. are set on the same level as other professionals and are subject to the same standards, legally, morally, and ethically. So, a case of clergy misconduct is regarded as a kind of malpractice, and it is no longer the case that it is sufficient to simply remove or replace an offending priest, but the Church is held liable for the treatment and well-being of the victims. Failure to implement our policies properly, subjects the Church to the possibility of crippling legal action. This is merely one instance of a variety of areas in which the clergy, and through them the Church, are being held responsible for the well-being of its membership.
3. At present, to what extent are the actions of the OCA Holy Synod and Metropolitan Jonah in accord?
In theory, we would seem to be mostly in accord. According to the OCA Statute, the Holy
Synod is the highest canonical authority of the local Church. The Primate, as the chairman of the Holy Synod, has the task of perceiving and building consensus in the whole. In this way, there is mutual accountability and mutual obedience, of the Primate and the other members to each other and to the decisions of the Holy Synod as a whole. One essential concern of the Holy Synod is that agreements, which reflect the consensus of the entire Synod and have been ratified by the entire Holy Synod, following our Best Practices, should be carried out by the Holy Synod as a whole.
4. What is your assessment of the significance of the concelebration of Metropolitan Hilarion of ROCOR with Metropolitan Jonah on May 24?
It is always a source of joy when the “Brethren dwell together in unity”, especially when that unity is concretely expressed in the Eucharistic offering. Having said that, it is difficult to assess the exact impact of this particular concelebration. To be sure, this is the first time that the chief hierarchs of the OCA and the ROCOR have concelebrated since autocephaly. But this is not the first time in which bishops and priests of the ROCOR and the OCA have concelebrated. For example, there was a ROCOR bishop among those concelebrating the Divine Liturgy at the enthronement of Metropolitan Jonah, and there was a ROCOR priest representing his bishop (who had another commitment) at my own consecration.
5. In your opinion, was this historic event largely the result of the joint work of the Commissions of the OCA and ROCOR or simply the hospitable invitation of Archbishop Justinian, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA?
It should also be noted that there was another prior date set for all the bishops of both Synods to meet and concelebrate. Unfortunately, that date could not be met. In that circumstance, much credit is due to Archbishop Justinian for arranging and providing the hospitality for this particular concelebration.
6. Your Grace, can you speak about any upcoming joint events or liturgical concelebrations among these three Orthodox jurisdictions (Russian Patriarchate, OCA, & ROCOR)?
There are, as yet, no such events planned for the immediate future for the exclusive participation of the OCA, ROCOR, and Russian Patriarchal hierarchies. However, the Episcopal Assembly for North America, to which all of the canonical Orthodox Bishops in North America belong (which includes Greek, Arab, Bulgarian, Serbian and other hierarchs from sixteen national groups) and in which the hierarchs of these three jurisdictions are full participants, is proceeding to meet in its various committees and commissions. It is in this larger venue that all three bodies have important roles to play in furthering the unity of Orthodox Christians in North America.
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