Byzantine, Texas

Vladivostok, October 29 ( Interfax ) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to eight communities of Old Believers from Brazil and the United States, the press service of the Agency for Human Capital Development in the Russian Far East said in a statement. "The Old Believers decided to ask for naturalization and to move after having paid a fact-finding visit to the Far East, the Republic of Buryatia, and the Republic of Karelia in fall 2008. Community leaders examined the living and farming conditions in various Russian regions, spoke with local farmers, and asked questions to representatives of the regional authorities," the statement said. The Old Believers are due to move to Primorye under the state program for voluntary resettlement of compatriots to Russia. Avraam Kalugin, the leader of a community from Brazil who was granted Russian citizenship by Putin's order, said he would move to Primorye together with his family in 2020 and wou...

The Serbian Church has not been overly sanguine about either Ukraine or recent Constantinopolitan claims on the EP's role and powers in the Orthodoxy. And I don't mean silently stewing. I mean vocally and unequivocally. ( Orthodox Times ) - Representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate visited today Belgrade in order to hold talks on Orthodox issues with Patriarch Irinej and the hierarchs of the Church of Serbia. Some of the representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate were Metropolitans John of Pergamon, Emmanuel of France, Maximos of Silivri, Amphilochios of Adrianople, and Deputy Secretary of the Holy Synod, Grigorios.

A very surprising sit-down. It points to the fact things having not become completely frozen between the two parties. Englewood, NJ ( AOCANA ) - At the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America-Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East), Their Eminences Archbishop Elpidophoros of America (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America-Ecumenical Patriarchate) and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate met at the headquarters of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. After a lunch offered by Metropolitan Joseph, the three hierarchs met privately to exchange views on the current inter-Orthodox situation. At the end of the meeting the two visiting hierarchs exchanged memorable gifts.

( Orthodox Times ) - The Pan-Orthodox Conference of Authorized Orthodox Churches and Sacred Metropolises on matters of Heresies and Para-religion will take place in Zoga Elliniko Argos, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece and under the auspices of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all Greece. The Conference will preoccupy itself with the topic “Aspects of the mystery of iniquity. Αnti-Trinitarian – Occult – Neopagan beliefs about God.” Representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches and representatives of the Metropolises of the Churches of Greece, Crete and the Dodecanese will participate in the Conference. These Conferences are organized by the Church of Greece and are concerned with the study of the pastoral treatment of the contemporary diverse delusion. The first day, according to the Schedule, the Agiasmos service will be held, the messages of the Primates of the Orthodox Church will be read, and the first Discourse will follow.

( UOC-MP ) - His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine participated in an extraordinary session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on October 17, 2019 at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence at St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow under the Chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Ruś. During the Synodal session, an official Statement was adopted with regards to the situation currently existing in the Orthodox Church of Greece, particularly after the extraordinary meeting of its Council of Hierarchs that was held on October 12, 2019 in connection to the Ukrainian Church issue (Journal No. 125). Reports the UOC Department of Information and Education with a link to patriarchia.ru website. “We treasure prayerful communion with our fellow brothers in the Orthodox Church of Greece and shall continue to maintain prayerful, canonical and Eucharistic communion with them – via all those archpastors and pastors who have spoken out or c...

( Basilica ) - During the first-ever Monastic Assembly of the five dioceses within the Metropolis of Transylvania, the Archbishop of Alba Iulia highlighted the dangers of using social platforms for the spiritual life of monastics. “The contemporary monk doesn’t need a virtual identity in order to communicate with the world, even in their wish for mission,” the archbishop noted Sept. 10. Social media communication is “artificial and sterile” and “separates people rather than brings them together”. “Replacing the Philokalic spirit with the worldly spirit, which they consider an increase or a progress, the ascetic effort, the daily prayer rule, the obedience and even relaxation time diminish.” Archbishop Irineu stated that this process comes in contradiction with the old monastic principle: Ora et labora! (Pray and work!). Both lay persons and monastics who “are aware of their calling” keep themselves away from these media networks. The risks regarding the spiritual life to w...

As I posted on earlier, there is a request from the Greek Archdiocese to permit three priests to remarry. As I said then, I will repeat now: Once a man is ordained he is a father to the Church. As such all laity are his children. One does not date nor marry one's children. The priest is to be an example and so is set to a higher standard. While we can have some sympathy for a man with children who loses his wife, we must also acknowledge that the death of one's spouse certainly happened with much more frequency in centuries past than today. If he wishes to return to the laity so that he might find a spouse, that is well and good. If he wishes to continue his ministry, that is well and good for the church too. This third "option" caused no little scandal when it happened in Antiochian Archdiocese some years ago, and it would cause no little scandal for world Orthodoxy were it to happen in the Greek Archdiocese today. What is it about this age that is so special that ...

"Open an acorn: in it we find the oak in all its parts,—root, trunk, branches. Look into the home: in it we shall find the state, the church, the army, the industrial organization. As the oak is germinant in the acorn, so society is germinant in the family. Historically, the family is the first organization; biologically it is the origin of all other organizations. Abraham builds an altar, and his wife and children and servants gather about it for the evening sacrifice: the family is the first church. The herds and flocks are driven daily to their feeding grounds by his sons and servants: the family is the first labor organization. He counsels, guides, directs, controls the children and servants; the power of life and death is in his hands: the family is the first government. The brother is carried off in a raid by robber bands. Abraham arms and organizes his servants, pursues the robber bands, conquers and disperses them, and recovers the captive: the family is the first army...

( STOTS ) - On Tuesday, October 8, St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary welcomed His Beatitude, the Most-blessed Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All-America and Canada, back to his alma mater for the 2019 Fall Lecture Series. His Beatitude inaugurated the series, entitled Autocephaly, as a prelude to the OCA’s celebrations of 50 years of the granting of Autocephaly from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970. His Beatitude spoke not only from an historical and liturgical perspective concerning Primacy, but also offered his audience many personal reflections. For him, for example, the honor to consecrate Holy Chrism for Baptism is one aspect of his Primatial service which he most appreciates and enjoys. His Beatitude reinforced through his lecture his view that Primacy is not a gift of power or position, but one of humble service and obedience to shepherd a flock. Metropolitan Tikhon’s Lecture was entitled, “Primacy and Service” and will be available on St...

You may remember this name from earlier posts about the false nomination of this man to the episcopate. ( ROCOR-EAD ) - To the Orthodox Hierarchs, Clergy & Faithful of the Eastern Seaboard of the USA OPEN INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN OF THE EASTERN AMERICAN DIOCESE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE RUSSIA With this open letter, we respectfully inform the hierarchs of the Canonical Churches of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, their clergymen and faithful, of the following painful situation taking place in Dania Beach, FL, and North Fort Myers, FL. A clergyman of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), betraying the trust and love of his archpastors, led the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona of Moscow in Dania Beach, FL, and St. Nicholas Monastery in North Fort Myers, FL, out of the structure of the canonical authority of the Russian Orthodox Church. Having been suspended from performing h...

( Atlas Obscura ) - The Kingdom of Morea was the official name the Republic of Venice gave to the area it ruled in southern Greece. The important port of Nafplio was part of this area. The Venetians allowed freedom of religion, so in 1702 the Nafplian Brotherhood of Orthodox Greeks openly raised funds and built the Church of Agios Spyridon in the center of the city. The church was built as a single dome basilica with numerous Byzantine paintings on the walls, the most stunning being a colorful fresco of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. A hexagram was also placed on the floor, which is an oddity for Greek Orthodox churches. Nafplio was retaken by the Ottoman Empire in 1715 and remained under Ottoman occupation until it was named the capital of the First Hellenic Republic at the start of the Greek Revolutionary War in 1821. Shortly after Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1831 ,Greek head of state Ioannis Kapodistrias was assassinated at the entrance of...

( ROC ) - On 17th October 2019, during a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, a statement was adopted concerning the situation that arose in the Greek Orthodox Church after it convened on 12th October 2019 the extraordinary Council of Hierarchs on the Ukrainian church issue (Minutes No. 125). Members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church have acquainted themselves with the published in the mass media documents of the extraordinary Council of Hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church held on 12th October 2019, in particular, with the communiqué of the Council and the report of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece entitled “Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine” containing a suggestion “to recognize… the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of the independent Republic of Ukraine.” As the self-governing Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine with her ninety-five hierarchs, over twelve thousand pari...

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) - The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America convened for their regular fall meeting, October 15-16, under the presidency of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and: Decided on the reorganization of the Synodal Committees as follows: Committee on Canonical Matters presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston. Committee on Liturgical Texts presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston. Committee on Ecclesiastical Music presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey. Committee on Holy Monasteries presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta. Committee on Inter-Orthodox Relations presided by His Eminence Savas of Pittsburgh. Committee on Ecumenical Dialogue presided by His Eminence Methodios of Boston. Committee on Clergy Benefits presided by His Eminence Isaiah of Denver. Deliberated on clergy disciplinary matters in the second degree and decided to extend a formal ...

( Orthodox Times ) - Athens decided to enter into communion with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine while Archbishop Ieronymos decided to send a response letter to the Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kiev and to begin to commemorate him . Those two decisions were considered as the key actions that will relaunch the inter-orthodox dialogue. There is another crucial factor, which is an obstacle for all Churches that intend to recognise Ukraine; the threats and blackmail by officials of the Patriarchate of Moscow . A better description might be: The Russian Church considers this act to be uncanonical and has acted to protect itself (and also following its logic, world Orthodoxy) by putting Constantinople at a distance from itself. If other Churches choose to act similarly, there is no reason to think Moscow would act in any different manner. There are only so many levers sister churches have to pull on one another - the time tested "time out" method is millennia old. The “ Russian ...

There has been some (well founded) doubt about whether the Church of Greece actually accepted the EP-backed OCU as a sister church or whether it simply affirmed Constantinople's right to unilaterally declare former schismatic bodies a new autocephalous church in this way. Here is what the EP understands the Church of Greece to be on these topics. ( EP ) - An extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Orthodox Church of Greece met on 12 October 2019 and decided to approve “the normal right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to confer autocephaly, as well as the privilege of the Primate of the Church of Greece to further deal with the question of the recognition of the Church of Ukraine.” According to the agenda, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece presented his Report entitled “The autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine”. In the introduction of his report, His Beatitude stated that the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has dealt ...

( Syrian Orthodox-Antioch ) - On Saturday, October 12, 2019, His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak with the Bishops of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCH) convened to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. The service – prayed in the Armenian Rite – was led and hosted by H.G. Bishop Daniel Findikyan of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church at St. Leon’s parish. During the service, H.G. Bishop Daniel gave an inspirational sermon, noting that the Liturgy had been convened on the Feast of the Holy Translators of the Armenian Church. His Grace reminded the assembled faithful that if we are not doing our best to translate our Holy Orthodox Faith to the world around us, then we are not truly fulfilling the Great Commission imparted to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ. After Liturgy, the faithful gathered for an agape meal provided by Fr. Diran Bohajian and the parishioners of St. Leon’s. During the meal, each of the bishops spoke in turn, remarking upon our ble...

In case you missed earlier posts on it, Met. Epifanity is coming to America. I expect the welcome to be rather one-sidedly Hellenic as I can't imaging the Antiochians or OCA coming to visit (the Serbs and ROCOR are completely out of the question). One issue I do look forward to seeing evolve is the fate of the UOC-KP parishes in the US. They are supposed to be absorbed by the EP as the OCU is forbidden from holding parishes outside of Ukraine, but the UOC-USA to which they are supposed to go is as-often-as-not the body many of these parishes broke off from already. ( RISU ) - The “Athenagoras Human Rights Award” was founded in 1986 by the National Council of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, and is awarded to a person or organization that " through their actions, intentions and dedication consistently demonstrates concern for the fundamental rights and freedoms of religion for all people." The prize winners are ...

( Orthodox Times ) - Protopresbyterian Nikolai Balashov talked in a negative and offensive manner about the decision of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, which is not considered “appropriate” for equal interlocutors of the two Sister Churches. His attitude also betrayed a kind of superiority of one church towards an inferior one. The vice-chairman of the Department of the External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow said to Sputnik that: “Even though many Metropolitans set their objection to the decision-making down for the moment, the Committee of the Hierarchs of the Church of Greece decided in favour of the recognition of the autocephaly of the ‘Church of Ukraine’. However, it expressed the hope that the ‘autocephaly’ of the Church of Ukraine could strengthen the relations between the two Sister Churches.” “The consequences of this decision on the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of Greece will be evaluated by the Holy Synod of the Pa...

( Orthodox Times ) - The Ecumenical Patriarch welcomed the decision of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece to recognise the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. “We thank the Sister Church, the Church of Greece, and we are grateful to the President of the Holy Synod, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and of all Greece, who took the initiative and brought this to a good conclusion,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said today during the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Phanar. The Ecumenical Patriarch said that it was a historic decision “that recognises and reaffirms the exclusive right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly, if necessary, and, thus, taking into consideration this right, the Church of Greece has recognised the autocephaly granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Church of Ukraine.” The Ecumenical Patriarch trusted that “Finally, the church issue in Ukraine will be the starting point to strengthen the unity between the Orthodox Sister Churches...

( Patriarchate of Jerusalem ) - On Wednesday, Oct. 2nd, 2019, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, together with representatives from the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches, welcomed a United States Congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Patriarchate in order to discuss the role of the Churches in Jerusalem and some of the current challenges they face, including threats to the Status Quo of the Old City and its the multi-religious and multi-cultural character, such as the Jaffa Gate properties case. Joining the CODEL were Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Representative Alcee Hastings (D-Florida), Representative (R-South Carolina), and Representative Andrew Harris (R-Maryland), together with several staff members. Present with His Beatitude from the Heads of Churches were His Eminence Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Auxiliary Bishop of the Latin Patriarchate, and the Very Revd. Dr. Hosam Naoum from the Anglican Church, Dean of Saint George’s Cathedral and ...

NEW YORK ( EA ) – Representatives of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christian churches met today at the Armenian Cathedral of St. Vartan for the first meeting of the joint commission in nearly a decade. The meeting began with a common prayer service followed by open discussions. Recognizing doctrinal agreement, as established in the 1990’s by the official international theological dialogue, the delegations deliberated on practical ways to progress the relationships between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches in the United States of America. The holy mysteries of marriage and baptism were addressed, and a committee was formed to explore existing agreements and study their application in the American context. Furthermore, religious education programs were presented, and areas of common concern were identified. A committee to discern ministerial overlap in this regard was also established. Finally, common areas of advocacy, including concerns in the Middle East, were identified an...

( ROC-USA ) - On September 30, the XIV General Convocation of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA began its work under the chairmanship of Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Interim Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes. This gathering took place at the Antiochian Village near Ligonier, PA, a spiritual center of Antiochian Archdiocese in North America.

"Regrettably, we were just informed today that the Maliotis Cultural Center is not in a position to host our Metropolis Clergy-Laity Assembly this coming Saturday, October 5, due to urgent structural-electrical problems recently communicated to Hellenic College Holy Cross by an engineering expert. Seeing that no other venue is available at this late date, we are forced to postpone this Saturday's Assembly to a future date."

( ACI Africa ) - Egypt’s state committee mandated to license places of public worship has authorized 62 new churches, a move interpreted as a significant step forward for Christian communities in the North African country that links northeast Africa with the Middle East. The Monday September 23 decision brought the total number of churches and service buildings legalized by the Prime Minister led committee to 1,171, various media have reported. On August 5, the government approved 88 Churches to operate in the country. On the same day, an administrative Court in Alexandria ruled against the demolition of a Greek Orthodox church in the governorate of Beheira. In making the verdict, the court referred to a decision rendered twelve years ago by the Supreme Court in which the court considered that mosques and churches had equal status, Agenzia Fides reported. Al Azhar, the religious authority of Sunni Muslims, also considered that Islamic law does not prohibit Christians from havi...