Byzantine, Texas

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has taken additional significant steps towards the resumption of construction and completion of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. A new Board of Trustees for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine has been named, and on December 6, 2018, the feast-day of St. Nicholas, a ceremony of Affirmation of Office will take place at the headquarters of the Archdiocese, followed by a meeting to set a course forward and discuss issues of immediate concern. The St. Nicholas Board of Trustees will have the responsibility and care for the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas and the management of the related funds. The new Board of Trustees will be comprised as follows: seven members will be of the original St. Nicholas parish, seven members are appointed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America and six ex-officio members will be the heads of six major organizations i.e.: The President of the Na...

DENVER ( Crux ) - On Wednesday, the U.S. Congress adopted HR 390, titled the “Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018,” which now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he’s expected to sign it into law. First introduced two years ago, the bill makes it clear that victims of the ISIS genocide in Iraq, including Christians and Yazidis, should be included in American assistance to the region. It also features American aid for holding perpetrators accountable, including funding to develop local judicial and investigatory capacities. For those concerned about the plight of suffering religious minorities around the world, very much including Christians, it’s obviously good news. In fact, there are at least three levels upon which HR 309 seems something to celebrate. First, it means the world to the Christians on the ground in Iraq right now, struggling to keep one of the world’s most ancient Christian communities alive. Second, it shows that 21st centur...

Orthodox Synaxis is republishing documents from the Patriarchates and noted theologians that are pertinent to synodality in general and the recent unpleasantness in Ukraine in particular. Recently they posted the Ecumenical Patriarch's " A Declaration by Patriarch Bartholomew on the differences between the Catholic and Orthodox concepts of primacy in the Church " from 1995. It make for interesting reading in light of recent events. The entire thing is work reading, but some selections can be read with especial attention. Here's such a a snippet: ... This system of administration of the Church’s affairs, based on the joint responsibility and decentralization that our Orthodox Church applies, fundamentally explains the fact that, as much as is humanly possible, she preserves the ancient tradition intact. Because, in the absence of centralized administration and responsibility, in order to introduce an innovation in teaching or praxis, this must be agreed upon by all...

( EP ) - The Holy and Sacred Synod convened under the chairmanship of His All-Holiness for its regular sessions from Tuesday, November 27, to Thursday, November 29, 2018. During its sessions, it examined all of the items on the agenda, upon which the appropriate decisions were made, including the following: a. Upon the recommendation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, within the context of his canonical responsibility, the Holy and Sacred Synod reorganized the status of the “Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe,” thereby entrusting its faithful to the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne in Europe. b. The Holy and Sacred Synod, in unanimously accepting the proposal of the Autonomous Church of Finland under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, recorded in the Hagiologion of the Orthodox Church the Venerable John of Valamo (1873-1958), and the Holy Martyr and Confessor, John of Ilomantsi (1884-1918), both of whom lived and worked ther...

Moscow, November 28 ( Interfax ) - In light of the decision of the Church of Constantinople to disband its Exarchate of Russian parishes in Western Europe, the Moscow Patriarchate has reminded about the idea for these parishes to switch to its jurisdiction. "Fifteen years ago, in the spring of 2003, the late Patriarch Alexy II proposed to all bishops and Orthodox parishes of the Russian tradition in Western Europe to unite as part of the self-governing metropolitan district of the Russian Church. It's possible the time is coming to reconsider this call, which was not heeded by everyone at the time, anew, " Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax on Wednesday. "Judging by the recent decision of the Russian parish in Florence, the soil for that is maturing," he said, referring to the parish of Florence's Church of the Nativity of Christ and Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker...

( Orthodoxie ) - On November 27, as we reported earlier here, the Ecumenical Patriarchate made a crucial decision regarding the Archdiocese of the Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe. Unfortunately for non Facebook users, the official Communiqué is so far (as we publish this post) NOT available on the Ecumenical Patriarchate webpage, but only on their Facebook page! (French version indeed available here .) So we are offering here the official English text to all – there are serious English mistakes, we corrected the most important one, see below. The Holy Synod of the ecumenical patriarchate, in its session of 27 November 2018, decided to revoke the patriarchal tomos of 1999 by which it granted pastoral care and administration of orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe to His Archbishop-Exarch. This decision responds to the pastoral and spiritual needs of our time, with the greatest respect for canonical law and the spiritual responsibility that lies wit...

HIRATSUKA, Kanagawa ( Mainichi Shinbun ) - A museum has announced at a press conference here that a picture scroll depicting Christians in Japan in its possession was most likely created during the Azuchi-Momoyama period at the end of the 16th century, right after Christianity was introduced to Japan. The SawadaMiki Kinenkan museum in the town of Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, believes that the picture is valuable to understand how early Japanese Christians practiced their faith at the time. The picture scroll, measuring 22 centimeters high by 320 centimeters long, is a painting in Japanese ink. It depicts 15 scenes of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary's lifetime with some of Latin prayers written in Japanese phonetic characters. The pictures contain Japanese elements, such as people wearing hakama, Japanese traditional pants. There is also a writing saying "1592 years since His birth," implying that the artwork was created in 1592. A radiocarbon age measurement of the p...

You're asking what I'm asking: "What does this all mean?" I don't know. But let me also say I have been informed by multiple sources that the EP is about to do something in the Americas as well soon. When I have more, I'll post it. ( AROC-WE ) - Communiqué of November 28, 2018 from the Office of the Diocesan Administration The diocesan administration communicates to all the members of the Archdiocese that, on November 27, 2018, the Holy Synod of our Patriarchate decided to abolish the status of our Archdiocese as an Exarchate. This decision of the Holy Synod, which has yet to be received officially at the see of the Archdiocese, was in no way requested by the Archdiocese. His Eminence, Archbishop John, was not consulted prior to this decision. In Istanbul/Constantinople with the secretary of the Archdiocesan Council, Nicholas Lopoukhine, for a meeting of the synodal commission, Archbishop John learned of this decision during a private meeting with the...

Baghdad ( AsiaNews ) – The 26th Conference of the Patriarchs of the East opened yesterday in Baghdad until 30 November. This is the first time that the event is held in Iraq. Its goal is to boost unity among eastern Christians and meet the many challenges that threaten the survival of Christian communities in the various countries of the region, as a result of persecution, extremism and migration. The most important leaders of the Eastern Churches are present: Maronite Patriarch Card Beshara al-Rahi, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, the representative of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Mgr William Hanna Shomali and the host, Chaldean Patriarch Card Louis Raphael Sako who delivered the opening speech. Here are the salient passages in Card Sako’s opening speech, sent for information to AsiaNews: The convening of the 26th Conference of the Catholic Patriarchs of the East, for the first time in Iraq, has a sign...

( Romanian Church ) - Sunday morning, His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania officiated the consecration ceremony of the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest. The idea to build the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral was launched right after Romania gained its state independence in 1877 but became reality 130 years later during the stewardship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. Consecration ceremony The two patriarchs arrived at the Cathedral at 8.45 am to first consecrate the Holy Altar and bless the mosaic iconostasis and then concelebrate at the Divine Liturgy together with tens of other hierarchs. According to church tradition, the consecration service began outside the building. The Cathedral was anointed with the Holy and Great Myrrh and sprinkled with Holy Water. Next, the bishops entered the Sanctuary, carrying the Paten with the Holy relics. Uncovering the Paten, the two patriarchs placed ...

( Jerusalem ) - His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan, concluded today a one-week vital visit to the United States Capital, Washington D.C., in his continuous international effort to advocate for justice and peace to the Holy Land. His Beatitude launched his activities in Washington D.C. on November 13th by attending the Templeton Prize ceremony as an honorary guest. The world-renowned prestigious Prize this year was awarded to His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan for his efforts promoting interfaith harmony, safeguarding Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites and protecting religious freedom. His Beatitude also held meetings with senior U.S. officials at the White house, State Department as well as Republican and Democrat members of Congress, both of the House and Senate, to discuss issues relating to the Christian presence in the Holy Land as mandated by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem. Furthermor...

How reasoned and gentle are these responses by the Albanian Church? Well worth reading now and I suspect these letters will be read many years from now when this unpleasantness is written about by historians. ( Albanian Church ) - Views of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania regarding the Ukrainian ecclesiastical question On the 22nd of November, 2018, Russian sources released selected excerpts [and even some websites published articles with manipulative titles, dates, and arbitrary assessments] from the letter by His Beatitude Anastasios, the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania to His Beatitude Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and Αll Russia. For the purpose of providing fuller and objective information to anyone who takes interest, we publish the unabridged text of the aforementioned reply of His Beatitude Anastasios (of the 10th of October, 2018), together with that of His second letter (of the 7th of November, 2018), in both the original and the respective E...

Can't do anything for the turkeys though...

On Tuesday, November 20, a meeting was held at the residence of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in New York City between the Administrator pro tempore of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, and Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York.

( Christian Headlines ) - The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is being sued after demanding that a Christian organization permit “atheists or other non-Christians to lead their Bible studies” in order to be recognized on campus. While the school officials declined to comment on the situation, the Alliance Defending Freedom stated that: “The university refused to grant Ratio Christi registered status because it only allows those who share and personally hold beliefs consistent with the group’s mission to serve as its leaders.” “As a Christian apologetics organization, Ratio Christi seeks to defend the Christian faith and explain how the Bible applies to various current cultural, ethical, and political issues. Any student can attend its events. Any student of any faith can become a member of Ratio Christi, as long as he supports the group’s purpose. But Ratio Christi requires that those who lead the Christian organization must share its religious beliefs. As a result, the...

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, hosted His Grace, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, the recently appointed Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States, at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America on Monday, November 19, 2018.

( SPC ) - The two-day meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church (November 6-7, 2018) was dedicated to three topics - the state in Kosovo and Metohija, the improvement of education in the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church crisis in Ukraine after the recent decisions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church's vision of the state in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as its perspective on the struggle in preserving the suffering Serbian province within the make-up of Serbia, under the constant provocation by the leadership of the false state and the constant pressures of the great Western powers, the Assembly of Bishops has already pointed out in its encyclical here. The work of the Assembly in the field of Church education and enlightenment is also, more or less, known to the public, but the Assembly's position regarding the question of the Church in Ukraine is known only in part. The reason for this is the fact that, first of all, all Local O...

( ROC ) - On 16 November 2018, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, met with the Primate of the Coptic Church, His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II, at his residence in Cairo. Metropolitan Hilarion conveyed to the head of the Coptic Church greetings and good wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and thanked Patriarch Tawadros for the warm hospitality extended to a delegation of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church’s monasteries and convents that had visited Egypt not long ago. The participants in the meeting noted a great potential for further strengthening of friendly relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Coptic Church, which are actively developing today with the direct participation of His Holinesses Patriarch Kirill and Patriarch Tawadros. Discussed at the meeting was a wide range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relations between the two Ch...

Full disclosure: I have family that attended school here. That said, if you live in Houston, you should send your children there. If you care about educating children in a solidly Orthodox and academically rigorous manner, send some donations there. ( AOCANA ) - On his recent visit to Texas, Bishop Basil of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America honored our school by leading the groundbreaking for a new classroom building. The Saint Constantine School​ opened its doors in the fall of 2016 to 115 students aged four through college. Two years later, enrollment at our Orthodox classical school is at almost 200 students, and we have outgrown our space! The ceremony on November 6, 2018 included clergy from five Antiochian parishes in the Houston metropolitan area. Board members Fr. Joseph Huneycutt (St. Joseph), Fr. James Shadid (St. George), Fr. Symeon Kees (St. Paul) and Fr. Richard Petranek (retired, St. Paul), together with Board member (and past Board President) Dr. Melissa ...

( EP ) - In preparation of the meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod on 27-29 November, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its sacred decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. While the preparation process for the Holy Council (SOBOR) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is underway, the concrete date within December 2018, will be presented for the confirmation and announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 19 XI 2018 Phanar Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod

A few days ago I posted on a service in the Detroit area at a Greek Orthodox church for a dog (a K-9 unit to be exact). Most people have responded with horror, but some few have asked what the "big deal" is. The answer is that we don't give animals memorial services. Further, we don't want every animal lover with a pet dog, cat, snake coming to church asking for a service. Animals don't receive funereal rites and shouldn't even be in the building (as some have noted, a dog even walking into the altar is cause for cessation of services until the church can be cleansed). To a dog lover there is not much difference between the dog who works for the police, the service dog who assists someone with a disability, and the beloved dog who helped grandma through a tough time after grandpa died. Does anyone want to be the priest picking and choosing which pet gets the absurd gold star treatment? In the case of this dog there were calls to "Pray for Axe." Wh...

Let's set aside the Lord's Prayer for a moment and talk about You/Your English vs. Thou/Thy English in the Liturgy. My preference (more on comfort grounds than theological or linguistic ) is for the Thou/Thy variety. I acknowledge all the criticisms of its usage and will shrug with indifference. My concern is not about the usage of one to the exclusion of the other, but of mixing up of the two. I've been to more than a few services over the years where there is an interspersion of these English conventions between the clergy, laity, and cantors so that from moment to the next one has no idea which form of English will come next. People who have joined the parish by conversion or who grew up in it don't seem to notice it at all, but for those paying attention - if I might be so bold - clerical visitors find it especially jarring. Sometimes it's that the sheet music is all of one form and the liturgical text is of another. Sometimes different people are using diff...

( ROC-USA ) - On the evening of November 16, the interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA Bishop Matthew of Sourozh arrived in the United States, to St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City. His Grace venerated the holy objects of the cathedral and was acquainted with the clergy and laborers of the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the United States. During his visit to the United States, Bishop Matthew will celebrate Divine Liturgy in St. John the Baptist Church in Little Falls, NJ and St. Nicholas Cathedral, where he will meet with clergy, members of the Bishop's Council and parishioners.

Metropolitan Athanasios (Nikolaou) of Limassol (Cyprus) talks about couples that cannot have children naturally and the purpose of Christian marriage: “The human purpose is the eternal relationship with God” Series: Family Life (FL) Subtitles: English, Romanian Metropolitan Athanasios: “The human purpose is not marriage, nor monasticism, nor anything else. Like the purpose of marriage is not procreation. The human purpose is the eternal relationship with God. This is the first thing to look for. If someone succeeds in finding it, then he or she is fulfilled! The same happens in marriage: If you fulfill the purpose of marriage, and if for one reason or another you can not have children, then it does not mean you have to ruin your marriage or you have a failed marriage, or anything like that. Sure, I know, I understand, it’s a trauma, a deficiency, but that does not mean that if we do not give birth to children then our marriage will not work well. The purpose of marriage is...

A selection from the official statement of the Polish Orthodox Church from Orthochristian.com ... I. The holy Council of Bishops has received disturbing news from Church life in Ukraine, which often affects the life of Orthodoxy in Poland. Considering the above, as well as the general Orthodox concern of the Orthodox Local Churches resulting from the instability of Church life in Ukraine, which has a devastating impact on the whole life of the Church in Orthodoxy in general, the holy Bishops’ Council, in the interest of the good of the holy Orthodox Church, upholds the position expressed in the Council’s resolution of May 9, 2018, No. 340, and reiterates its call to make a decision to gather all the primates of the Orthodox Churches together in the spirit of evangelical love, humility, and understanding, while maintaining dogmatic and canonical doctrine, with mutual respect leading to a peaceful solution to the issue of divided Orthodoxy on Ukrainian soil. Persons deprived of ep...

Brussels ( orthodoxia.be ) - The Orthodox Episcopal Conference of Benelux (CEOB) met, for the sixteenth time, at the headquarters of the Orthodox Metropolis, Avenue Charbo 71 in Brussels, on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, under the chairmanship of His Eminence the Metropolitan Athénagoras of Belgium (Ecumenical Patriarchate). Also present were Bishop Marc, representative of Metropolitan Joseph (Patriarchate of Romania) and Bishop Dosithée (Patriarchate of Georgia). This meeting of the Episcopal Conference began with a prayer for the unity of the Orthodox Church. The dialogue of the religions recognized by the Belgian State with the federal government was a subject presented by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Belgium Athenagoras so that the other bishops will learn some important details for the life of the parishes. These include a charter for managers of "non-profit associations" in connection with recognized religions. The bishops were also informed of the developme...

I really can't support having a memorial service with the cremated remains of a dog on the solea of an Orthodox Church. It also looks like several other K-9 units were in attendance. ( WJBK ) - There was a final farewell to St. Clair Shores K-9 officer Axe on Wednesday at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. Axe was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 4 outside the Lakeland Manor Banquet Hall on Harper Avenue. He was running after an armed suspect, Theo Gray, when police say he shot the dog and police returning fire. Both the man and Axe died from their injuries. Family: Man who killed St. Clair Shores K9 officer had gun because of death threat "Even though our officers responded professionally, properly, admirably, never the less, we lost a friend, we lost a companion, we lost a brother. We lost a valued member of our police department," said St. Clair Shores Police Chief Todd Woodcox. The K-9 joined the department in 2016, full of energy and always eager to wo...

( Pravmir ) - On 13 November 2018, the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church convened in the Holy Dormition Kiev-Caves Lavra and, having heard an address of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine on the challenges that have recently arisen before the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, adopted the following resolution: Serving God and the people of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is canonical and recognized by the Local Orthodox Churches, takes a principled stand of supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is present in all regions of Ukraine and unites the territories both under and beyond the control of the Ukrainian authorities, sharing with its people all the joys and sufferings. Read: We're real Ukrainians and not shills for Russia. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is vested with all rights of independence and self-governance that are needed today for fruitfully serving God and the p...

( Syrian Church ) - On November 13, 2018, the Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church for the Eastern United States hosted the 11 th Annual Orthodox Prayer Service for the United Nations Community, regarding the topic of “the Continuing Humanitarian Crisis in Syria and Iraq” at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York. Their Eminences Archbishops, Bishops, Clergy, and representatives of the Orthodox Churches and faithful as well as diplomats of governments gathered for the evening prayer at St. Vartan Cathedral where some of the representatives gave speeches about the sad and difficult humanitarian situation in both countries asking the Almighty God to guide the world leaders to make peace all over the world. His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak spoke about the importance of humanitarian work in Syria and Iraq focusing on the critical need of our beloved faithful who suffered from many years of war.

( cleveland.com ) — A 44-year-old man is charged in connection in the fatal shooting of his 72-year-old father and mother. Michael Lucak is charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated burglary and felony theft, North Royalton Det. David Loeding said. Lucak is charged in the fatal shooting of his father Dennis Lucak, a longtime deacon at Archangel Michael Church in Broadview Heights, and his wife of more than four decades, Helen, a retired school teacher. His first court appearance has not been set. Loeding said investigators believe Michael Lucak killed his parents because of personal issues, but could not elaborate. He said detectives are still trying to pin down an exact motive. Michael Lucak lived with his parents for a short stint until a few weeks ago, neighbors said. Lucak stole cash, banking items, keys, phones and other items from his parents’ apartment on Harbour Light Drive, Loeding said. Officers tracked the stolen cellphones and fou...

The below is from the OCA's Diocese of the Midwest Orthodox Family Life blog, a post entitled " Acts of Growth, Dependence, and Independence: How do you know your child is ready to choose to go to church without parental dictate? " The answer for me is never. There won't be a single child in my family - living in my house or coming back to visit for a holiday - who is going to wear pajamas and make hot chocolate with marshmallows while everyone else gets in the car to go to church. If church is a powerful medicine against sin and the singular pathway to Heaven, I would no more let my child "choose" to not go to church than let them opt out of heart medicine. Can a 15 year-old decide to just quit going to school? How about choose not to brush his teeth? Of course children have to make their own choice to both go to church and live a godly life at some point. Making deals with your adult child or tying church attendance to material gain just makes rice Chr...

( Serbian-EAD ) - Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church - Prot. No. 1163 Belgrade, August 13, 2018 To His All-Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Bartholomew In Constantinople Subject: the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church regarding the methodology of overcoming of schisms in Ukraine and elsewhere. Your All-Holiness, During the annual meeting of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of our Church, which took place from April 29 to May 10 of the present year, discussed in the synod, among other matters, was the problem of schisms in the Orthodox East, namely, in Ukraine, in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and elsewhere, as well as the problem of the “sect” in Montenegro, which is led by a certain Miraš Dedeić, a former clergyman of Your Most Holy Church, who was defrocked by Your decision. From the brotherly discussion in the Synod, it became apparent that the heresy of ethnophyletism constitutes one of th...