The origins of the Synaxis of the Three Holy Hierarchs

(spc.rs) - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom: During the eleventh century, disputes raged in Constantinople about which of the three hierarchs was the greatest. Some preferred St Basil (January 1), others honored St Gregory the Theologian (January 25), while a third group exalted St John Chrysostom (January 27 and November 13).

Dissension among Christians increased. Some called themselves Basilians, others referred to themselves as Gregorians, and others as Johnites.

Some argued for Saint Basil above the other two because he was able, as none other, to explain the mysteries of the Faith, and rose to angelic rank by his virtues. The partisans of Saint Chrysostom retorted that the illustrious Archbishop of Constantinople had been no less zealous than Saint Basil in combating vices, in bringing sinners to repentance and in raising up the whole people to the perfection of the Gospel. According to a third group, Saint Gregory the Theologian was to be preferred to the others by reason of the majesty, purity and profundity of his language. Possessing a sovereign mastery of all the wisdom and eloquence of ancient Greece, he had attained, they said to such a pitch in the contemplation of God that no one had been able to express the dogma of the Holy Trinity as perfectly as he.

And this mutual feast day was established in XI century during the reign of of the Emperor Alexius Comnenus (1081-1118).

By the will of God, the three hierarchs appeared to St. John the Bishop of Euchaita (June 14) one night in the year 1084 as a vision in his dream, and said that they were equal before God. "As you see, the three of us are with God and no discord or rivalry divides us.here is not among us a first, a second or a third, and if you invoke one of us the other two are immediately present with him."

They ordered that the disputes should stop, and that their common commemoration should be celebrated on a single day. Bishop John chose January 30 for their joint Feast, thus ending the controversy and restoring peace.

This feast day the Greek people consider not only as the church but also its greatest national and school holiday.

Small Parish Forum on for July

I went to this last year and hope to got again this year. People drove from the far reaches of Canada to get to it. Consider making the trip.

---

(OCA) - The Diocese of the Midwest and the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania will host the second annual Small Parish Forum at Saint Nicholas Church here July 18-20 2015.

Titled “Help, Hope, Stability and Identity,” the forum will focus on the needs of “small” parishes throughout the OCA and other Orthodox jurisdictions.

Workshops and presentations will explore ways to assist parishes with memberships of 75 or less souls to achieve stability, build a positive self-image, and accept their calling to live a life in Christ without necessarily becoming “big.”

“Small Parishes can bring people to Christ in intimate and exciting ways often unavailable to larger parishes,” said Joseph Kormos, Forum co-chairperson and Parish Development Leader for the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh. “The sessions will offer actionable, hard information, and tips and good practices for strengthening small parishes that will be valuable to clergy and lay leaders alike,” added Mr. Kormos.

The agenda will include panel discussions, a music workshop focusing on small parish worship, an array of speakers, parallel sessions for clergy and laity, and case studies. Sessions will begin at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, June 18 and conclude at noon on Saturday, June 20.

Archpriest Daniel Rentel, co-chairperson for the Forum, said, “We hope to build on the success of last year’s forum in Byesville OH. In that session we drew over 50 persons from six OCA dioceses and three other Orthodox jurisdictions. We’re working on new presentations on stewardship and education in the small parish. David Drillock will return to lead the music sessions. The Forum location is 20 minutes from the Pittsburgh airport, less than four hours from Detroit, four and a half hours from DC, and five hours from Scranton/Philadelphia. Over half of the OCA’s parishes are within a manageable drive of the site.”

While registration will not open until March 15, those desiring additional information may send their requests to joekormos1@gmail.com. To help build fellowship and dialogue among attendees, registration will be limited to 75 persons, so early registration is recommended.

Sessions will take place at Weirton’s Saint Nicholas Church, 604 Colliers Way. A block of rooms has been reserved at two local hotels. The registration fee of $100.00 per person will include meals, coffee breaks, and forum materials. Many OCA Dioceses offer scholarships to small parishes desiring to send attendees.

Whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

God blessed our family with the birth of a new child in December. I suspect Adam spent somewhat more time naming all the animals, but we haven't arrived at a name quickly for any of our children. After all that time spent in study, the mind continues to cogitate on the topic even after the paperwork is signed. Recently I thought to myself: "Wouldn't people name their children differently if the hospital loaned them iPads with an app on it with a database of name origins?"

You have selected: Chandler

Are you a candlemaker or from a family of candle enthusiasts?

You have selected: Hannibal

Are you a follower of the demonic and nefarious false god Ba'al? Do you believe he imparts grace? If so, this is the name for you. We have scheduled a visit with the chaplain during today's lunch service.

You have selected: Gomer

Buck up. This is a name of Hebrew origin good for both boys and girls and can be denominated with pride. Marine families can also choose this name with impunity. Oorah!

The crescent and the cross

Recently I was reading some discussion about the Cross over Crescent seen in Orthodoxy. Many origins for it were given (below is one from Wikipedia). From reference to the moon in Revelation (a common Marian image), to an ancient symbol of the Church, to an anchor, to a simple statement against the Ottomans. If anyone has a scholarly source on this development, I'd love to hear about it. Please email or place in the comments.

---

(Wikipedia) - One variation of the Orthodox Cross is the 'Cross over Crescent'. "In 1486, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) conquered the city of Kazan which had been under the rule of Moslem Tatars, and in remembrance of this, he decreed that from henceforth the Islamic crescent be placed at the bottom of the Crosses to signify the victory of the Cross (Christianity) over the Crescent (Islam)." This 'Cross over Crescent' is sometimes accompanied by "Gabriel perched on the top of the Cross blowing his trumpet."

Most Holy Theotokos save us!

This is commonly said, but not universally understood. Well worth your time to read this blog post from Roads from Emmaus.

---

Today I read the comments on this YouTube video. I know, I know—YouTube comments generally are the lowest form of discourse on the Internet, and I wasn’t terribly surprised to see that someone thought that the musical line “Most Holy Mother of God, save us” was “blasphemous.” (He preferred to hear his blasphemy in Latin, apparently.)

I must admit to being a bit baffled, because usually those who would regard the idea that the Virgin Mary could “save” us as “blasphemous” come from traditions with a strong attachment to the words of Holy Scripture. Presumably, “save” should only be used regarding God Himself. But the Scripture itself doesn’t set that limit.

The Apostle Paul is of the opinion that he can save people and that others can do so, too, that they can even save themselves...

Complete article here.

Strong pro-life message from Church of Russia

MOSCOW (LifeSiteNews.com) – In the first-ever speech by a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Duma, Patriarch Kirill has called on the Russian government to build on its support for the family and traditional marriage by defunding abortion in the country, with the objective of eliminating the killing of pre-born children altogether.

“If we manage to cut the number of abortions by 50 percent we would have stable and powerful population growth,” said the patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

“The argument that a ban would cause an increase in the number of underground abortions is pure nonsense. People have to pay money for these operations and our task is to make the price of a legal infanticide the same as of the illegal one. Taxpayers must not pay for this,” the Orthodox Church leader told the MPs.

Patriarch Kirill said that while the solution to Russia's impending demographic disaster is complex, the most pressing need is, apart from banning or at least restricting abortion, for the state to help young couples regain the confidence they need to want to have children by providing material support, and by giving doctors additional incentive to care about the life of “conceived children" by introducing pro-life ethical norms in the medical professions.

The Russian patriarch also condemned the practice of surrogacy in his parliamentary address, urging lawmakers to take steps to completely replace it with adoption.

Momentum to eliminate abortion in Russia has been building for several years, with both religious and political leaders calling for legislative changes to defend life from conception.

Last August, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, said Orthodox Christians should actively strive for a ban on abortions.

“It is unacceptable that such terrible crimes as abortions are committed in Orthodox countries, moreover, in such large quantities! This phenomenon must make us think seriously about it; I would say, we must be shocked and distressed, we need to raise the alarm,” the Archimandrite wrote in an address to participants of the international pro-life conference with the title “Large Families and the Future of Humanity” that took place in Moscow last year.

In 2013, the Russian Federation enacted a law banning abortion advertising in an effort to stem the country's decline in population.

The head of the State Duma Committee for Family and Children, MP Elena Mizulina, said the Russian people must stop tolerating abortion and the recent rise in surrogacy because they threaten to “wipe out the population of Russia.”

“The problems of abortion prevention and the shift in public opinion towards abortion are currently very urgent. Although the number of abortions in Russia is falling, it still exceeds 5 million every year,” Mizulina said.

Read more »

Pageau icon carving

Monasteries in America

This is some fascinating reading. Parts that leapt out at me...

1. Most monasteries are female.
2. Most of US monasteries are relatively ʺyoung.ʺ Indeed, an absolute majority of them (39 out of 71) were founded after 1990. All the old ones are Slavic. Among all currently functioning monasteries, the oldest Greek Orthodox monastic community was founded only in 1983.
3. If you put ALL THE MONASTICS in the US together you get 512. The average monastery has 7 people. Greek monasteries are by far the largest.
4. In services the OCA monasteries speak the most English (83%). The Greeks speak English the least (11%). 50% of the monasteries in the US are English speaking.
5. 73% of US monasteries use email. 51 out of 71 monasteries have a website.
6. Old calendar to New is essentially even.
7. All US monasteries combined own 5,806 acres of land (largest Jordanville with 700 acres).

---

(AOB) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has released a new research report, Orthodox Monastic Communities in the United States.

There are more than 70 Orthodox monastic communities in the United States today, with significant diversity in terms of size, liturgical practices, openness to outside visitors, and educational programs. The Assembly’s Committee for Monastic Communities is tasked with studying and comparing Orthodox monastic communities in the US; this study was designed as a first step toward that goal. The report's findings are based on a survey that was conducted of all Orthodox monastic communities in the United States in late 2013 and early 2014.

Read the full report here (PDF).

Access summaries and links to all of the Assembly's research reports here.

They asked for it

A man has interrupted the consecration of the Church of England's first female bishop.
The unidentified man said that "it was not in the Bible", when Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu asked the congregation if it was their will that Mrs Lane should be ordained.

The man asked to speak to Dr Sentamu about the "absolute impediment" before walking off.

Distribution of communion at Papal mass in Manila

Lamentable. Shocking. Thanks to the Internet, there will be a record of this forever. If you cannot commune people properly, do not commune them. The Catholic Church has other services that might have been more reasonable for 7 million people.

---

Ending 500 years of "Greek occupation" in Palestine

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Al-Monitor) — The Greek Orthodox Church in Palestine and Jordan is witnessing a movement akin to an intifada against Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan over actions that organizers of the movement call “racist and wasteful.”

On Dec. 27, the executive committee of the Arab Central Orthodox Council in Palestine and Jordan began a campaign against the patriarch, coinciding with his participation in Christmas celebrations. A number of protesters raised banners that read “unworthy” during sit-ins and marches organized in Bethlehem on Jan. 6 and posted “Theophilos is unworthy” on social networking sites. You can see more of a few of these declarations of Anaxios in videos on Youtube.

Movement organizers accuse the patriarch of “diverting church lands to Israel and making unfair decisions against Arab monks,” the latest being the removal from office of Archimandrite Christophoros and the reduction of the salaries of Archbishop Atallah Hanna and Archimandrite Meletios Basal.

Protesting Arab Orthodox youths in Jordan and Palestine issued a Dec. 16 statement describing the decision as “uncanonical and taken by an unqualified synod,” adding, “Theophilos is not the legitimate patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem. He is unworthy of trust and neither he nor his synod represents us or represents the Arab Orthodox flock in Jordan and Palestine.”

The patriarch's leasing of 71 dunums (16 acres) of land belonging to the Saint Elias Monastery south of Jerusalem to an Israeli company raised the ire of the Orthodox community in Palestine when the deal became public in 2009. In a press conference attended by Al-Monitor on Jan. 5, Central Orthodox Council member Uday Bajali described the move as serving the settlers’ interests, saying, “This deal will besiege the village of Beit Safafa and will allow the expansion of settlements in Jabal Abu Ghneim, Gilo, Givat Hamatos and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.” Bajali accused the patriarch of “colluding with Israel to divert lands without any oversight,” adding, “Unworthy is he who sells property to Israel, does not serve his flock and contributes to displacing our youths.”

But Hanna Omeira, the head of the Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs, told Al-Monitor, “As per legal procedures, the [Palestinian] Authority is keeping abreast of news about the diversion of land in Jaffa Gate and the areas around St. Elias. The latest row against the patriarch was caused by his decision to dismiss Father Christophoros; a decision that we asked the church not to implement, while bolstering coordination with the Jordanian government to study and find solutions to all contentious issues.”

Read more »

Halki Seminary: the situation today

On the Dikirion and Trikirion (δικηροτρίκηρα)

From the blog Classical Christianity...

---

Special items of the hierarchical service are the dikerion and the trikerion. These are two hand-held, ornamental candlesticks in which two (dikerion) or three (trikerion) candles are placed. The use of the dikerion and trikerion at the patriarchal liturgy began in the twelfth century. [1] Originally these candlesticks were ascribed only to kings and patriarchs (and not to all bishops) as they were perceived as attributes reflecting the dignity of teaching. This is mentioned in the twelfth century by Theodore Balsamon, the patriarch of Antioch, who insisted that the right to bless the faithful with candlesticks belonged to kings, patriarchs, autocephalous archbishops of Bulgaria and Cyprus, and also a few metropolitans to whom the kings had given this right. [2] You see a similar broadening of use to lower ranks with the mitre and the use of a mitre with a cross atop it.

Later the dikerion and trikerion came to be used by all hierarchs at church services. The trikerion is interpreted symbolically as an indication of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, while dikerion indicates the two natures of Jesus Christ. [3] Candles placed in the trikerion and dikerion may be connected at the top in such a way that a single flame is formed. A more common style has crossing candles whose top ends are directed in different directions. [4]

[1] Jacob, “Le chandelier a trois branches de l’eveque Pantoleon: A propos de l’inscription de Geroges de Gallipoli,” Bolletino della Badia greca di Grottaferata 53 (1999), 187-199.

[2]Theodore Balsamon Reflections, PG 138, 1016D-11017C.

[3]Simeon of Thessalonica Concerning the Holy Temple 59, 61. PG 155, 721BC.

[4] Deacon Mikhail Zheltov, “Dikirion” in Orthodox Encyclopedia, vol. 14, 693.

And from the New Liturgical Movement...

"The bishop is reciting commemorations at the "Transfer of the Gifts or Great Entrance". He would be singing: "May the Lord God remember in His Kingdom [N.N.] always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages." He is holding the chalice covered with a small veil. There are priests holding blessing crosses to the north and south of the holy doors and the trikirion and dikirion held by subdeacons, as well as subdeacons holding ripdia [fans] over the diskos. We see in the foregound two subdeacons. The one on the north is the candle bearer and the one on the south is the staff bearer [crozier]. The staff is not visible from our perspective but he should have it in this procession. Notice the icon on the analogion of the Baptism of Christ. The apodosis [leave taking] of the Feast of the Baptism is today."

"The bishop is blessing with the trikirion [a triple branched canle symbol of the three persons of the most Holy Trinity] and the dikirion [a double branched candle symbol of the two natures in the one person of Christ] following the deposition of the unconsecrated holy gifts upon the holy table. The bishop says nothing at this blessing but the choir/assembly responds: "Eis polla eti, despota". [Many years, master.] He is wearing the small omophorion which originally was a folded great omophorion [pallium]."

"At the Trisagion when the clergy sing the second "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us." the bishop makes the sign of the cross with the dikirion [a double branched candle symbol of the two natures in the one person of Christ] over the gospel book."

The Exorcist: Desecration of the Lenin's Mausoleum

(The Moscow Times) - Two members of an art collective were detained for flinging holy water at the Moscow mausoleum containing Vladimir Lenin's corpse, in an apparent bid to resurrect the revolutionary leader.

In video footage of the incident published by news site Grani.ru, artists Oleg Basov and Yevgeny Avilov can be seen emerging from a nearby church and approaching the mausoleum with two bottles of water labeled with crucifixes.

Basov and Avilov, members of the art collective Blue Horseman, then managed to bypass a security gate before flinging holy water at the walls of the mausoleum while chanting “Arise and be gone!”

Their performance, entitled “The Exorcist: Desecration of the Mausoleum” took place on Monday, when Orthodox Christians celebrated Epiphany — a religious holiday marking the baptism of Jesus.

The two men were soon apprehended and taken to a nearby police station, where they were detained overnight, police monitoring site OVD-Info reported.

Basov and Avilov now face charges of disorderly conduct, which is punishable by a fine of up to 2,500 rubles ($38) or 15 days in jail.

Vladimir Lenin, whose embalmed corpse has been housed in the mausoleum since shortly after his death in 1924 barring a wartime evacuation, was one of the founding fathers of the Bolshevik party. He famously rejected religion as “opium for the masses.”

Pornography, beyond a simple prohibition

(Pravmir) - Pornography camouflages itself as something unreal, virtual, something that is one’s private business, something that does not hurt anyone. Our culture tells us that we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it does not hurt anyone.

According to surveys, nearly one third of Orthodox Christian teens are unsure whether pornography is right or wrong.[1] This is approximately the same number as that of teens who are unsure whether premarital sex is right or wrong.[2] This is very telling in two ways. First, teens who are unsure about premarital sex are probably also unsure about pornography. And second, while the Church makes its position very clear – premarital sex and pornography are wrong – it needs to do a better job of explaining why. In this short paper, I would like to step away from the words ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ After all, Christ did not come to bring us laws and legislations. Sins are not right or wrong because someone issued a regulation. Instead, I would like to talk about things that are good for you or bad for you.

The Church teaches us that sexual intimacy is an important part of the sacrament of marriage: there, it has its rightful place; there, it helps the two become one; and there, it fulfills all of its functions – from the expression of love and commitment to the co-creation with God in continuing the human race. Marriage is a sacrament with the “principal and ultimate goal [of] the spiritual and moral perfection of the spouses.”[3] As with any sacrament, that which is sacramental, should not be used for profane purposes. Imagine that a priest throws a party in the holy altar, and then on Sunday, after having picked up the trash, he serves the Divine Liturgy there. Or, he uses the chalice to drink his coffee in the mornings, and then on Sunday he uses it for the Eucharist. Even on an intuitive level we understand that this would be blasphemy. And yet, it is the same with our bodies. The Apostle Paul teaches that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19), and it belongs to your spouse for the fulfillment of the sacrament of marriage (7:4) whether we are married now or will one day be married. Imagine your love for your spouse as a cup filled to the brim, and you want to give all of it, the fullness of it to your beloved. If you start bumping into strangers along the way or allowing them to take some of what you are carrying, then you will not be able to preserve the fullness of your love, and will hand to your beloved a cup half empty, if not altogether unworthy of a sacrament.

All of this can be said about premarital sex in general, but what about pornography? Pornography is just as bad as premarital sex, but more dangerous. When a person engages in a sexual act with another person, both are aware that they are giving up a part of themselves; and the more partners a person has, the more fractured he or she becomes. But pornography camouflages itself as something unreal, virtual, something that is one’s private business, something that does not hurt anyone. Our culture tells us that we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it does not hurt anyone. Let us heed this advice and remember that ‘anyone’ means us as well. Let us make sure that whatever we do does not hurt us physically or spiritually.

Christ said: “…every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). The reason Christ equates looking lustfully, the very definition of pornography, with adultery, a physical act, is because we are not some bags full of disconnected parts body, soul, mind, spirit, will, etc. but whole and interconnected beings. If we have a toothache, our mind may become irritable; and if our mind is anxious, our whole body may ache. This is why when we allow pornography to enter into our eyes and our mind, our entire being is affected. The “virtual” sin of pornography most often leads to very physical masturbation. And once something is seen, it cannot be unseen it imbeds itself in the mind, the memory, the subconscious. We would not want to share our spouse and our marriage bed with a bus load full of porn actors and actresses. But in reality, this is what we do when our minds are polluted with pornorgaphy and we enter into the sacrament of marriage bringing all those “passengers” along. On second thought, porn ‘actors’ and ‘actresses’ perform sexual acts for money, and there is another term for that prostitution. The Apostle Paul says that “he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her” (1 Cor. 6:16). These are very powerful words. This means that when we commit adultery in the heart – watch pornography we become one with that prostitute, instead of our spouse. This is not only destructive to the sacrament of marriage, but also to our own souls: with how many prostitutes can one become one before the soul is completely broken, damaged, fractured, and polluted?

Ways to Fight Against Pornography

1. Avoid those television shows, movies, magazines, and websites that arouse sexual passion. It is much easier to fight against sin while it is still a little worm than to battle it once it becomes a fire breathing dragon.

2. Do not underestimate the brute power of sexual desire. People have killed and died under the influence of the sexual passion. Do not play with fire or you risk being burnt.

3. Remember that demons, including those of lust, are best resisted through prayer and fasting. Pray often and ask God for help. Keep the real fast, not a vegan diet.

4. Keep your eyes and your mind on our Savior and His Most Pure Mother. If you spend time on the computer or watch television place an icon next to the screen. If looking at what is on your screen and in the eyes of Christ at the same time makes you uncomfortable or ashamed, then something is wrong with what is on your screen. Do something about it! (There is an OFF button on every device.)

5. Seek healing in repentance. Once something is seen it cannot be unseen. But God can heal and restore the soul. Remember: repentance is not feeling bad about something. It is a firm decision to turn away from sin and turn to God. It is a decision to fight against sin, not merely feel bad about having committed it. It is a sacrament of reconciliation with God, not a formality of entering a guilty plea on a heavenly court docket.

[1] Purpura, J. Moral and Ethical Issues: Confronting Orthodox Christian Teens across North America, 2002, 57.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “The Mystery of Marriage in a Dogmatic Light.” Bishop Artemy Rantosavlievich. Divine Ascent: A Journal of Orthodox Faith. (Vol. 1 Nos. 3/4), 48.

Russian catechism almost here

I've been following the development of this catechism on this blog for years. It looks like we're close now.

---

(mospat.ru) - On 20 January 2015, a plenary session of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission in its new composition, approved by the Holy Synod at its meeting on 25-26 December 2013 (Minutes #159), took place at the Department for External Church Relations under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

Taking part in the session were Metropolitan Avgustin of Belaya Tserkov and Boguslav, chairman of the Theological and Canonical Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Yevgeny of Vereya, chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, rector of the Moscow Theological Academy; Bishop Amvrosy of Petergof, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Bishop Kliment of Irpen, chairman of the Education Committee of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov, rector of St Tikhon’s Orthodox University; archpriest Boris Danilenko, director of the Synodal Library named after Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia; archpriest Maksim Kozlov, Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, first deputy chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; archpriest Andrei Novikov, secretary of the Odessa diocese; archpriest Dimitry Kiryanov, head of the Chair of Theology of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary; archpriest Vladimir Shmaly, pro-rector of St Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies, secretary of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission; Hieromonk Ioann (Kopeykin), pro-rector for education of St Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies; and others.

The Commission members discussed the preparation of a catechesis of the Russian Orthodox Church, in particular, its third part, devoted to the Orthodox Divine Services and church order. The first draft of the catechesis is due to be completed by the end of the year.

The participants in the session summarized the work of the Coordination Centre for Developing Theological Studies in the Russian Orthodox Church, established under the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission in compliance with the decision of the Holy Synod taken in 2014 (Minutes #156).

Abp. Jovan's early release hits a snag

SKOPJE (B92) - The Macedonian Appellate Court confirmed the first instance ruling against Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan Vraniskovski.

He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment on charges for embezzlement of EUR 250,000.

The Appellate Court also confirmed the probation for 18 followers of Archbishop Jovan, including his mother and sister, on charges of aiding the embezzlement, Macedonian media reported on Thursday.

The second instance court previously denied the appeal by Metropolitan Jovan as unfounded and found him guilty of embezzlement of funds which he used to purchase land in Ohrid during his mandate as the bishop of the non-recognised Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC).

Reports of Macedonian media state that the decision of the Appellate Court is crucial for further talks with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) on canonical recognition of MPC.

Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid was sentenced in Skopje on July 2, 2013 to three years of imprisonment and he appealed the decision in November.

In keeping with the ruling of the Skopje Criminal Court, the authorities seized MKD 4.9 million from the bank account of the Association for enhancement of civil and religious freedoms in the village of Nizepolje near Bitola to the benefit of the canonically non-recognised MOC as the damaged party.

Archbishop Jovan said in the appeal that the ruling is discriminatory and was adopted for political reasons, adding that the verdict is also unclear and is not backed by a single piece of tangible evidence.

The appeal Vraniskovski filed to the Skopje Appellate Court states that the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ohrid is being persecuted by the (Macedonian) authorities in various ways even though 12 years have passed since its establishment, adding that the request of the Archdiocese to be entered in court registers, whereby it would become a legitimate religious organisation, has been denied to this day.

Since 2003, Macedonian authorities have arrested Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski six times, on different charges, including public disorder when he tried to conduct a baptism ceremony in a church the MPC sees as its own.

He has also been charged with "inciting ethnic and religious hatred" for having "slandered the MPC" and has spent a total of almost 18 months in prison. The Veles Basic Court then sentenced him to 2.5 years of imprisonment for alleged tax evasion in the period during his mandate as the MPC bishop.

He was last arrested on December 12, 2011, upon entering Macedonia from Greece, on charges of embezzlement of EUR 250,000.

He returned to the country to request a retrial, but was arrested and taken to the Idrizovo prison near Skopje, where he is still being kept in, as his defence team says, very difficult conditions.

The MPC is canonically non-recognized, and the SPC considers it schismatic since it declared autocephaly unilaterally in 1967.

The MPC has defrocked Bishop Jovan and the SPC has appointed him as Serbian exarch in Macedonia.

The SPC believes Archbishop Jovan is a victim of rigged political trials because of his being against the schism, while Amnesty International and Freedom House have said that he is a prisoner of conscience.

A new sui iuris Catholic Church - The Eritreans

(NLM) - It was announced yesterday on the Bulletin of the Holy See (see here) that the Holy Father has erected the Eritrean Catholic Church to sui juris status as a Metropolitan Church, separating its territory from that of the Archeparchy of Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia). The 23rd sui juris Church, which follows the Alexandrian liturgical tradition, will comprise four eparchies, covering the entire territory of the nation of Eritrea: the Archeparchy of Asmara, seat of the new Metropolitan and the national capital, and the Eparchies of Barentu, Keren and Segheneity. The Pope has nominated as the first Metropolitan His Excellency Mons. Menghesteab Tesfamariam, who has served hitherto as the Eparch of Asmara. In 1995, the Latin Rite Apostolic Vicariate of Eritrea was abolished, and so the Latin Rite Catholics of Eritrea are also under the spiritual jurisdiction of the new Metropolitan and his suffragans.

The Pope has also created a fourth eparchy of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, that of Bahir Dar - Dessie, the territory of which is also removed from the Archeparchy of Addis Ababa.

The City a Desert

(SF Orthodox Institute) - The Sts. Cyril & Athanasius Institute is pleased to announce its fourth set of regional symposia, on the theme of The City a Desert: Living the Life of the Desert in the Midst of the World, to take place both in Southern California (Riverside, near LA) from 7th-8th February, and in Northern California (San Francisco) from 14th-15th February 2015.

St. Athanasius the Great, one of our Institute's patrons, famously wrote of the young monastic movement: "And the desert became a city, filled with monks." So great was this avenue of spiritual life that it gave rise to giants of asceticism, hesychasm and prayer that have remained central to the Orthodox Christian life for centuries. But what of Christians who live in that very different sort of "desert": the city? Is there hope for such spiritual progress for those who live in the midst of the world?

This fourth suite of regional February symposia will address the way that "the city may become a desert" — that is, a fruitful place for life-changing, deep spirtiuality and the Life in Christ. As always, our symposia bring together leading Orthodox lecturers (this year's speakers include Metropolitan Joseph of All North-America, Dr Christopher Veniamin, Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel), Hieromonk Alexii (Altschul), Archpriest Josiah Trenham, Priest Andrew Cuneo, and others; see the program for Riverside and for San Francisco), celebration of the Divine Services, panel discussions, opportunities for fellowship and many other dimensions that make these weekends important and prayerful events.

The high cost of war

(RISU) - Funerals of Artyom, 4 years old, killed by shelling on Sunday. Rebel artillery moving around and shooting from the cemetery.

C.S. Lewis and statism

Orthodox Walk for Life in San Francisco

Orthodox Walk for Life

January 23-25, 2015

in San Francisco, CA

Finally, pan-Orthodox coordination at the March for Life

(AOB) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops will send a delegation to the annual March for Life, Thursday, January 22, 2015 in Washington, DC. The date marks the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

Metropolitan Methodios will lead the delegation. He will be joined by Metropolitan Tikhon, Bishop Michael, and Bishop Demetrios Mokissos. Metropolitan Tikhon will deliver the invocation at the annual Rose Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington DC on the evening of the 22nd. On the evening before the March, Metropolitan Methodios will attend the National Prayer Vigil for Life at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

The rally begins at noon on the National Mall at 12th Street. Orthodox Christian marchers will gather to the right of the stage under the “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner and signs. The march begins at 1 PM and processes down Constitution Avenue to the US Supreme Court, where prayers for the victims of abortion will be offered.

Episcopal ordination for Diocese of the West fast approaching

(OCA) - Archimandrite Daniel [Brum] will be consecrated to the episcopacy at historic Holy Trinity Cathedral here January 23-24, 2015.

On October 21, 2014, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America elected Father Daniel to serve as Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West.

On Friday evening, January 23, Vespers will be celebrated in conjunction with Archimandrite Daniel’s Nomination and Acceptance at 6:00 p.m. A reception will follow.

The Divine Liturgy and Consecration of Archimandrite Daniel as Bishop of Santa Rosa will be celebrated on Saturday, January 24 at 9:30 a.m. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, will preside. His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West and other members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America will concelebrate.

The Consecration Banquet will follow at McCormick and Kuleto’s Seafood and Steaks, San Francisco.

The newly consecrated Bishop will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Protection/Saint Seraphim Church, Santa Rosa, CA on Sunday, January 25, at 9:30 a.m.

Additional information and details may be found on the web site of the Diocese of the West.

Archimandrite Daniel was born in Fresno, CA, in 1954, the oldest of three children born to Orville Antonio and Marjory Brum. He was raised in Riverdale, CA—a community predominantly comprised of Portuguese-American families—where he graduated from high school in 1973.

Raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, he enrolled at Saint Patrick’s College Seminary, Mountain View, CA, where, during his freshman year, he first encountered the history of the Orthodox Church and frequently attended services at Saint Nicholas Church, Saratoga, CA, at that time under the pastorate of Mitered Archpriest George Benigsen, who welcomed him and encouraged him to explore Orthodox Christianity further. In the early 1970s, he began reading the Church Fathers and tried to integrate what he was learning of Orthodoxy into his regular courses of study.

He received a BA in Humanities, with specialization in history, philosophy and English literature, from Saint Patrick’s College Seminary in 1977, after which he entered Saint Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, CA, where he continued the study of Church history. In 1981, he received his Masters of Divinity degree and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood. After ordination, he served in a variety of capacities and was especially involved in the Portuguese-American community. He also served as diocesan Director of Vocations and as editor of the Portuguese-language page of the diocesan newspaper.

In 1992, he was asked by his bishop to pursue further studies and, in 1995, he completed the academic work and received a degree in canon law (JCL) from the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. His relationship with Orthodoxy continued as he continued research within the context of the Orthodox Church councils. During this time, he seriously contemplated conversion to Orthodox Christianity—a difficult decision given his background and ties. Ultimately, it was his study of canon law that impelled him to respond to the call to embrace Orthodox Christianity.

After completing his course of studies in canon law, he returned to his diocese and was assigned to the Diocesan Tribunal, as well as to a small mission parish in a rural setting. During this period, his feelings and perceptions about Catholicism, based upon years of personal experience and re-enforced through informal and formal study, were confirmed, while his growing love and appreciation for the Orthodox Church were increasingly confirmed and strengthened.

He petitioned to be received into the Orthodox Church in America in 1997 and was vested as an Orthodox priest by His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco and the West at the Monastery of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco on the Saturday of the Praises of the Theotokos the same year, after which he served briefly at Saint Nicholas Church, Saratoga, CA before his assignment to Saint Paul the Apostle Church, Las Vegas, NV. In August 1998, he was transferred to the omophorion of His Eminence, Archbishop Peter and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey and assigned Rector of Saint Gregory Palamas Mission, Flemington, NJ, where he gained a new appreciation for the hard work and special challenges faced by mission priests. In 2000, he was appointed Secretary to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius and, later, to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman. He also served on several Church committees and commissions, including the Canons and Statute Commission, the Legal Advisory Board, and the Canonization Commission, and in numerous other capacities.

In December 2005, he expressed his desire to return to parish ministry and, in July of the following year, he was transferred to the Diocese of San Francisco and the West and appointed Rector of Saints Peter and Paul Church, Phoenix, AZ, which he continues to serve. In October 2006, he was elected as a member of the Diocesan Council.

What debate with Islam should look like

Blowing each other up is not a very good tool for conversion. God loves every man born to this earth and killing another man is not a morally neutral act. This video shows a better path - engaging in respectful apologetics.

If you want to see the entire talk, it can be viewed here.

---

Numbers in the Bible: symbolic not mystical

(OMHKSEA) - Biblical numerology is a topic discussed in theological literature, where several opinions exist regarding the symbolic use of numbers. Numerical symbolism was originally taught by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, according to whom “all things are fittingly ordered according to the nature of numbers; [number is the eternal essence; God is number; number is God]”. The Pythagorian theories have influenced many philosophers (the neo-Pythagorians) and many Christian thinkers, among whom can be found both heretical Gnostics and orthodox Church Fathers.

The Gnostics seek out hidden metaphysical truths in the essence of numbers, using them in a mystical way. St. Irenaeus condemns this tendency stating that it has no place in Christian exegesis. He writes: “[The Gnostics] endeavor to bring forward proof [of their system] through means of numbers, and the syllables of names, sometimes also through the letter of syllables, and yet again through those numbers, which are, according to the practice followed by the Greeks, contained in different letters: this I say, demonstrates in the clearest manner their overthrow and confusion, as well as the untenable and perverse character of their professed knowledge”.

Although St. Irenaues was a severe critic of the Gnostic system of mystical numerology, he does not conclude that “their numerological analysis is a fallacious thing in itself”, as Davis remarks (p.112). After all, St. Irenaeus follows the theological thought of St. Justin who supported his argument for monotheism by quoting Pythagoras. The difference between the Church Fathers and the Gnostics is that for the Church Fathers the use of numbers has a symbolic value, while for the Gnostics it has a mystical value, holding a metaphysical value in itself.

The symbolic value of numbers is discussed not only by Sts. Justin and Irenaeus, but also by St. Clement and St. Methodius. However, it is in the thought of St. Augustine where we see a deeper appreciation of biblical numbers. St. Augustine saw in numbers an icon of the unchangeable and absolute, and in their ignorance the risk of failing to understand the biblical truths or events (e.g. why Christ fasted for forty days in the wilderness).

Having as a point of departure the writings of the Church Fathers, the following can be an interpretation of symbolic numbers: Number one (1), symbolizes the essence of God; number two (2), God’s creative revelation; number three (3), the hypostaseis (persons) of God; number four (4), the creation of the world; number five (5), the grace of God; number six (6), the creation of man; number seven (7), the notion of perfection and completeness; number eight (8), the resurrection of the New Man (Christ); number nine (9), the Divine judgment; and number ten (10), the union with God.

There are some other important numbers in the Bible that may be understood in accordance with the aforementioned interpretation. Number twelve (12 = 2+10) symbolizes God’s revelation to His chosen people; number forty (40 = 4 X 10), the “life of toil” (in Augustinian words) that leads to union with God; and the number seventy (70 = 7 X 10), the perfect administration of the world by God. The numbers 156 (the fish gathered by the apostles) and 666 (Antichrist’s name) are also considered symbolic numbers, but there is a variety of interpretations offered by the Church Fathers. We can only speculate, following the exegesis of the numbers 1-10, that 156 can symbolize God’s(1) grace (5) on man (6), and 666 (number 6 written 3 times) can symbolize the Antichrist’s blasphemous imitation of the Holy Trinity.

In conclusion, it must be emphasized that the biblical numbers in the patristic thought must be understood symbolically (pointing to higher truths) and not mystically (having a metaphysical importance in themselves).

Bibliographic notes:

Ethelbert Bullinger, Number in Scripture (London, 1984).

R. McCormack, Seven in Scripture (London, 1926).

Edwin Hartil, Biblical Hermeneutics (USA, 1947).

John Davis, Biblical Numerology (USA, 1968).

St. Justin, Horotary Address to the Greeks, chapter 19.

St. Irenaeus, Against Heretics, Book II:24.St. Clement, Stromata, Chapter 6.

St. Methodius, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, Chapter XI.

St. Augustine, On the Morals of the Manicheans, 11:12.

St. Augustine, Sermon on Mark, 8:5.

911 will find you.

Earlier this month I flew across the country and saw some consistently rude and impatient behavior. Sometimes it was the airline getting yelled at for "making me miss my connection," sometimes it was the airline arguing with an elderly man about boarding priority, it was the man who made the over-the-top exasperated face when the child behind him inadvertently jostled his seat, or when a man walked into a woman only to get a dressing down from that woman like I haven't seen since elementary school. In general, people were acting like brats.

Now imagine you get four thousand phone calls in a week from someone. You find the person who does it. Then, instead of going for blood, you give him a gift and wish him well.

New bishop for France, new saint for the Church

(Ecumenical Patriarchate) - The Holy and Sacred Synod convened today, Tuesday, January 13, 2015, with His All-Holiness presiding for its regular monthly meeting, for the purpose of examining various items on its agenda.

During this session, the Holy and Sacred Synod:

• a) unanimously accepted the proposal of the Canonical Committee to incorporate the monk Paisios of Mt. Athos into the registry of the Saints of the Orthodox Church;
• b) at the proposal of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, unanimously elected Archimandrite Irenaios Avramides of the Metropolis of France as its new Auxiliary Bishop to serve under His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France with the title Bishop of Rhegion.

- Chief Secretariat of the Holy & Sacred Synod

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 13th of January, 2015

OCA Bp. Paul to lead March for Life Chicago in prayer

CHICAGO, IL (OCA-DMW) — His Grace, Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest, will deliver the opening prayer at the 10th Anniversary “March For Life Chicago” on Sunday, January 18, 2015.

At 2:00 p.m., an anticipated 3,000 marchers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana will gather at Federal Plaza, 50 West Adams, Chicago. After the opening prayer and additional presentations by a number of noted religious and civic leaders, including Roman Catholic Archbishop Blasé Cupich, they will make their way north to the James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, where the program will conclude at 4:00 p.m.

Others who will share perspectives on the pro-life stand against abortion and call for an end to abortion in Illinois include Congressmen Dan Lipinski and Peter Roskam and multi-generation advocate families. The notable line-up of speakers will mark with sadness the January 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the US, including former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, Dr. Erwin Lutzer of the Moody Church, and the iconic “godfather” of the pro-life movement, Joe Scheidler.

“The March for Life Chicago message is one of love and hope,” stated Emily Zender, President of March for Life Chicago. “This occasion affirms the authentic dignity of women, celebrates the gift of children, and promotes a culture dedicated to protecting life at every stage of development. March for Life Chicago joins events across the country from Washington DC to San Francisco to proclaim that all lives matter and to declare that it is time to end abortion in America.”

Additional information may be found on-line at www.marchforlifechicago.com.

The March for Life Chicago is an annual public event composed of people from diverse ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds dedicated to defending and protecting all human life. The event marks with deep sadness the great tragedy of the legalization of abortion in the US along with the devastating social, moral, and legal consequences that have followed. Marching together in hope, the March for Life Chicago calls upon government, religious, civic, and community leaders to renew every effort to build a nation that affirms the authentic dignity of women, the gift of children, and a culture dedicated to protecting life at every stage of development.

Christ revealed to us

Whither papal respect for Eastern Patriarchs?

(CNS) - The Vatican has overturned a ruling by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, lifting the suspension of Chaldean priests who fled Iraq after the Islamic State came to power.

The Chaldean Patriarch had ordered all of his priests to return to their parishes, unless they had received explicit permission to leave. He reasoned that priests should serve their people even when their ministry puts them in danger.

Chaldean Catholics in San Diego, California, appealed to the Vatican, and won a ruling in favor of Father Noel Gorgis, who is now serving in a parish there. The ruling allowed Father Gorgis to remain in California and continue his priestly ministry.

The same ruling applies to other Chaldean priests who faced suspension because of the Patriarch’s order.

New baby. Slowed down posting.

Blog-o-parernity leave of sorts ongoing. Lots of posts queued up. Thanks for understanding.

Firefighters forced to drive at gay pride events

Because, as we all know, driving in parades is what being a firefighter is all about. Also, if a gay pride parade is free speech, how is demanding people who don't want to participate in the parade not a violation of their free speech?

---

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Fox News) – The Rhode Island Supreme Court has thrown out lawsuits by two Providence firefighters who said their constitutional rights were violated when they were ordered to drive a truck in a gay pride parade.

The firefighters, Theodore Fabrizio and Stephen Deninno, argued that they are Roman Catholics and therefore do not support or condone homosexuality.

Writing for the high court this month, Justice William Robinson said that the men appeared in the 2001 parade as public servants, and that did not constitute a form of expression. He said it was a legitimate work assignment.

The city had argued that the city sent trucks to various parades as a matter of course, including the Columbus Day parade, Purim parade and others.

Armenian Catholic cathedral in Aleppo bombed

ALEPPO, Syria (A.W.) — Terrorists on Jan. 9 reportedly bombed the Armenian Catholic Cathedral Our Lady of Pity (also known as St. Rita), located next to the Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo, leaving the church partly destroyed. No casualties were reported.

Bishop Mikael Mouradian, Armenian Catholic Eparch of the U.S. and Canada, spoke with Aleppo-based Rev. Fr. Krikor Milad, who recounted how the bombing took place at around 5:30 a.m., while everyone slept. The Eparchy windows and doors blew open, as dust rushed in. Father Milad, who stays in the Eparchy building, sprung out of bed and rushed to the church next door to make sure there was no fire. Although part of the dome had collapsed, there were no casualties.

“If the bombing had taken place just two hours later, the church would have been full of worshippers,” Bishop Mouradian told the Armenian Weekly, noting that a special Mass was going to be held that day at 7 a.m. for Saint Rita, with the participation of the Confraternity of the Church. “God saved them,” he said.

According to an unconfirmed report, the perpetrators are allegedly militants from the Islamic Front’s (Jabhat al-Islamiyya) militia “Harakat ‘Ahrar Al-Sham” (Liberators of the Levant Movement), who fired mortar shells at the cathedral.

Bishop Mouradian noted that this was not the first time that Catholic Church structures have come under attack. The Eparchy and the school had been hit in recent months.

The Cathedral Our Lady of Pity, which is located on Tillel Street, was inaugurated in 1840. The church was restored in 1990. The cathedral’s altar is dedicated to Saint Rita.

The Jan. 9 attack comes four months after the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Church of Der Zor was destroyed by what was believed to be an act by the Islamic State (IS), though that has not been confirmed.

Around 17,000 Catholic Armenians belonged to the Eparchy of Aleppo as of 2008, according to figures provided by the Armenian Catholic Church Patriarchate. However, since the start of the Syrian conflict, many Armenians have left the country.

The Catholic Armenian community of Aleppo dates back to the early 1700’s, when the first official Armenian Catholic Prelate, the Aintab-born Bishop Abraham Ardzivian, was consecrated as bishop, and then ordained Prelate of Aleppo by Patriarch Ghougas of Sis in the Forty Martyrs Church of Aleppo in 1710. He would later succeed Patriarch Ghougas as Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia.

Before the Syrian conflict, the Aleppo Eparchy oversaw nearly 20 churches, seminaries, and convents, as well as 5 schools. It was comprised of six parishes: the Cathedral Our Lady of Pity on Tillel Street in Aleppo; the St. Barbara Church in the Souleymanie neighborhood of Aleppo; the St. Trinity Church in the Midan neighborhood of Aleppo; the Holy Cross Church in the Ourouba neighborhood of Aleppo; the Annunciation Church in Djebel; and the Holy Martyrs Church of Rakka City.

“We pray that the war ends, and that peace returns to people’s lives. War does not solve any problems. Dialogue does,” said Bishop Mouradian.

Ethiopian Pat. Mathias will visit Egyptian Pope Tawadros II

(Ahram Online) - The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Mathias I will visit Egypt for the first time on Saturday, the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church announced Monday.

The six-day visit came after an invitation from Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, Al-Ahram daily reported.

The Egyptian and Ethiopian churches are seen to have played a role in the negotiations between both countries regarding the Grand Renaissance Dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, which Cairo is concerned could have an adverse effect on Egypt's water supply.

The Ethiopian church was formerly an archdiocese of the Church of Alexandria but became autonomous in the twentieth century.

Ramsis El-Nagar, legal consultant to the Coptic Orthodox Church, affirmed the ties between both churches are very strong on a religious level, stronger than their political role.

An Ethiopian people's delegation visited Egypt on 16 December for four days where they met officials, religious figures and intellectuals, including Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Pope Tawados II.

"I think the role of the church in the negotiations is very important, more than the politicians' role," chief of the Education and Training Department at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Aba Sereke-Birhan Wolde-Samuel who was part of the delegation told Ahram Online, explaining that the society trusts religious figures more than politicians.

A visit to San Diego on Christmas

I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Nativity Vigil at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. The parish was packed as you might expect and was served by three priests and a deacon. The service was celebrated in about 10% English, but as I'm familiar with the service it was easy to follow.

Amusingly, the woman standing next to me thought I was joking when I told her I spoke no Serbian and then grew concerned as to why I was there at all. This is a pretty standard response when I visit churches while traveling.

After the vigil there was Badnjak (you can read about it here) followed by a communal meal complete with Serbian tea (see here). I quite enjoyed my visit and hope to make another one in the future.

Christ the Lover of the Innocent

Uncut Mountain Supply is introducing a special new icon, "Christ the Lover of the Innocent" to encourage prayer and action on behalf of the millions of innocent lives taken each year in our country.

For the release of this icon, we are offering a 20% discount for all orders of $75.00 or more with the hopes that it will encourage the purchasing of this icon with the result of increased prayer for the resolution this ongoing problem. USE THE CODE: 20FOR75

Campanologist and father

(RBTH) - Priest Sergei Smirnov in one of the rural churches in Voronezh region. His sons come running at the sound of the church bells. As a schoolboy and a student of economics, Father Sergei often visited monasteries with his father. These trips, plus the contact he had with the monks, influenced Sergei's decision to enter the Voronezh Orthodox Theological Seminary after graduation. He is presently a member of the clergy of the Voronezh diocese.

Nikolaevsk Belogorsk Monastery

(RBTH) - Nikolaevsk Belogorsk Monastery, Perm Territory. Located in the Ural Mountains, where schismatics, serfs, and robbers fled to escape repression and persecution. The monastery was founded in 1897 for Old Believers to perform missionary work. Restored in 1990. In the photo, hieromonk Alipi talks to an inhabitant of the monastery near the holy spring of St. Nikolai the Miracle-Worker.

Serbian Church launching TV station

(B92) - The Serbian Orthodox Church will on Thursday launch its television station, TV Hram ("TV Temple"), that will be available only online.

This will coincide with the Christmas holiday period, marked in Serbia according to the Julian calendar, on January 7.

The Church already operates 15 radio stations, the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti writes.

The first program the TV station will broadcast will be an interview with Serbian Patriarch Irinej, who has given his blessing for the project, the newspaper reported.

The Patriarchy's managing office director and editor-in-chief of television production, Stojadin Pavolovic, says the new outlet will cooperate with electronic and print media from Serbia, Montenegro, and the Serb Republic.

TV Hram has already reached agreement on cooperation with Russian television stations Solyuz and Spas, and stations run by the Greek Orthodox Church.

"Beside the Church-related topics, we intend to present, in the best light, to the country and the diaspora, the goings-on in the Serbian capital city that concern almost every areas, including culture, health care, education, and in relation to that we will achieve cooperation with all state institutions in order to make our program as rich, diverse, and interesting as possible," Pavlovic explained.

Crafting an icon

H/T: Creative Minority Report

First Orthodox priest ordained in Hong Kong in 60 years

(orthodox.cn) - On December 9, 2014 in the Khabarovsk church in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, on the parish's feast day, Metropolitan Ignaty of Khabarovsk and Amur ordained to the priesthood Anatoly Kung (Kung Cheung Ming, 龔長明).

It's an exciting day for anyone embarking on the path of priesthood. But one feature adds another weight to the item: for the first time in 60 years, a priest whose native language is Chinese was ordained. After his ordination Father Anatoly will serve the parish of SS. Peter and Paul in Hong Kong (PRC): to be the missionary catechist, primarily to the Chinese in Hong Kong.

Before his ordination Father Anatoly answered a few questions.

"Orthodoxy is not a very widespread religion in your home country. Tell me how Russian Orthodox Church came there?"

'The Orthodox Church exists and lives not only in Russia, but for every person in this world. When I lived in Russia, it was then that I began to learn Orthodoxy.'

"What feelings you are experiencing before ordination?"

'Deep in my heart I feel something very special, but I can't put it into words.'

"How do you envision your service in Hong Kong?"

'It does not depend on my desire, but on the will of God.'

Extreme aspersion

Post by Ι.Ναός Κοιμήσεως Θεοτόκου Αχαρνών.

First church permitted in 90 years in Turkey

(Al Arabiya) - Turkey’s Islamic-rooted government has authorized the building of the first church in the country since the end of the Ottoman empire in 1923, AFP has learned.

The church is for the country’s tiny Syriac community and will be built in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy on the shores of the Sea of Marmara, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches.

“It is the first since the creation of the republic,” a government source told AFP Saturday.

“Churches have been restored and reopened to the public, but no new church has been built until now,” he added.

Turkey, which once had large Christian minorities, is now 99 percent Muslim, and critics of the ruling party AKP have accused it of trying to Islamicize its officially secular society.

However, as part of its bid to join the European Union Amlara has made efforts to widen minority rights and return some seized property and restore churches, monasteries and synagogues.

The country’s ancient Syriac minority, which now numbers less than 20,000, live mostly in the southeast, and tend to be either Orthodox or Catholic.

The church will be built on land given by the local council and paid for by a Syriac group, the government spokesman, who asked not to be named, said.