Byzantine, Texas

( Basilica.ro ) - Vasile Banescu, a spokesman for the Romanian Patriarchate, denounced billboards depicting doctors and nurses as “saints” with coronavirus-shaped halos as a blasphemous “visual mistreatment of Christian iconography” on Wednesday. The posters, created by Romanian artist Wanda Hutira for the McCann Worldgroup ad agency’s “Thank you doctors” campaign and posted throughout Bucharest, have also offended the Medical Guild, Banescu said. The scandalous images combine eclectic elements of Indian religious art and Orthodox iconography. In one image, a character wearing a robe, goggles, stethoscope, and mask, blesses with his right hand, as does Christ in Orthodox iconography, while holding a medical chart in his left. In another, a nurse is depicted with several hands, as in images of the god Shiva, the creator and destroy of the universe in Hindu mythology. All the characters have halos in the shape of the coronavirus. Banescu responded strongly: “I think this is a...

A strong, reasoned treatise by Fr. Lawrence Farley. ( No Other Foundation ) - Like many, I was more than a little surprised to see an American Orthodox archbishop of prominence suggest that inter-communion is a good idea—i.e. that an Orthodox priest should give Holy Communion to a non-Orthodox person. Admittedly he was not suggesting indiscriminate inter-communion and giving the Eucharist to anyone showing up from off the street. The situation he envisioned was that of inter-marriage, wherein an Orthodox was married to a non-Orthodox. He thought it was inconsistent to allow the couple to share one sacrament (i.e. Matrimony) and not the other (i.e. the Eucharist). Since, he reasoned, they were one flesh through marriage, both should be given the Eucharist, even though only one was Orthodox. What are we to make of this? Bad ideas often come in as the thin displacement of the wedge. The change is small and insignificant at first, but as it is pushed against a topic, the opening grows. ...

( First Things ) - Data are coming in, and their import is clear. The coronavirus pandemic is not and never was a threat to society. COVID-19 poses a danger to the elderly and the medically compromised. Otherwise, for most who present symptoms, it can be nasty and persistent, but is not life-threatening. A majority of those infected do not notice that they have the disease. Coronavirus presents us with a medical challenge, not a crisis. The crisis has been of our own making. On March 16, Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London predicted a coronavirus death toll of more than two million in the United States alone. He arrived at this number by assuming that infection would be nearly universal and the fatality rate would be high—a terrifying prospect. The next day, Stanford epidemiologist John Ioannidis sifted through the data and predicted less widespread infection and a fatality rate of between 0.05 and 1.0 percent—not that different from the common flu. The coronavirus is not the c...

Moscow, April 26 ( Interfax ) - Bishop Veniamin of Zheleznogorsk and Lgovsk died of coronavirus on Sunday, Patriarch Kirill-led working group said. "Several days ago, Bishop Veniamin was hospitalized to the Kursk Semashko regional clinical infectious diseases hospital. Yesterday, the church hierarch was moved to the intensive care unit, he was diagnosed with double pneumonia, which was caused by the coronavirus infection," the statement said. Bishop Veniamin became the first hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church who died of Covid-19.

People love the Harrowing of Hades icon. I can say that I have never met someone who likes icons that doesn't have a favorite version of the image. And yet, this depiction of the Resurrection actually came some centuries after others were in regular use. The Myrrh-bearing Women at the Tomb dates earlier and was the common icon for the feast until it was overtaken by the shattered doors of Hades and Christ surrounded by mandorla all of us know so well. If you are at all interested in the topic, have a read here .

The following is sung during the entire Bright Week in place of the Hours, Compline, Midnight Office and Morning and Evening Prayers. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us. Amen. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling on death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. (Thrice) In that we have beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. Thy cross do we adore, O Christ, and thy holy resurrection we praise and glorify: for thou art our God, and we know none other beside thee; we call upon thy name. O come, all ye faithful, let us adore Christ’s holy resurrection. For lo, through the cross is joy come into all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, let us sing his resurrection, for in that he endured the cross for us he hath destroyed death by death. (Thrice) Hypakoe: They who were with Mary came before the dawn, found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and he...

My annual repost of the day of joy. Hello, Greek peoples!

The blameless Virgin was watching as You were suspended on the Cross today, O Word of God. She lamented with motherly emotions, and it cruelly broke her heart. She sighed with pain from the depths of her soul, tearing at her face and her hair, and it wore her out. Then, beating her breasts, she mournfully cried aloud, "Woe is me, my divine Child! Alas, the Light of the world! Why did you sink from before my eyes, O Lamb of God?" Then the hosts of bodiless Angels were overcome by trembling and they said, "Incomprehensible Lord, glory to You!"

Having gone through this Lenten period much as you all have - separated from my beloved in the Lord - I've had some time to reflect on what is being done across our country and across the globe. Many people are watching videos either live or pre-recorded from their homes. That's great. Many families are standing in their living rooms with tables pushed to the side, bowing, crossing themselves, and celebrating much as they would at church. That's even better. Many are watching seated on comfortable couches in comfortable clothes lamenting the state of things as they watch. That's less good. Still other families are eschewing these videocasts entirely in favor of modified services. They find texts online or adjusts books they already have on hand. Wonderful. And yet others are doing absolutely nothing. "It's hard enough just surviving," they say. "I am barely keeping myself together, much less adding things to an already impossible situation....

Ordinarily, one would not draw a connection between the ancient rituals of the Armenian Church and modern technology. But they were profoundly connected on Easter Sunday at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, when the worldwide pandemic necessitated broadcasting Bishop Daniel Findikyan’s celebration of the Divine Liturgy live over the Internet. Although the sanctuary was physically devoid of parishioners on April 12, 2020, thousands of faithful Armenian Christians viewed the live video stream on their computers, mobile devices, and tablets—remaining spiritually and emotionally connected to this holiest of days. Enthusiasm for the broadcast was evident in the remarkable number of people who tuned in. In previous years, upward of 1,200 people typically attend the cathedral’s Easter service in person, with the over-capacity crowd spilling outdoors onto the plaza. This year’s live-stream enjoyed twice as many viewers during its initial broadcast, with the archived episode on th...

From the OCA's Diocese of New York / New Jersey: And from their Midwest diocese: ( OCA-DMW ) - On April 13th I had a Zoom Meeting with some parents from the Diocese to discuss their experiences working with their children in becoming “a Little Church” during this time of the pandemic. Many of the parents who joined the meeting asked for some guidelines (not directives) from me for ordering their home life during this time relative to prayer, activity, and attending livestreams. So, here it goes: Most kids are doing their schoolwork from home or doing online classes. This is the main “obedience” kids need to follow at this time. It would be good to schedule as part of the family day, times of work that can be done around the house. (i.e. one hour). This might involve spring-cleaning tasks or outdoor work that may need to be done. When it is time to attend to the Sunday livestream in your parish for the Liturgy, don’t be a couch potato when the services are offered. Dress u...

( Greek News Online ) - His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago is the younger member of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America, but during the past 30 days of the Coronavirus crisis, that changed everything in America, he took some really the tough decisions. “The decision to suspend services throughout the Metropolis on Sunday, March 15th was the most difficult decision I’ve made as Metropolitan”, he told the Greek News in an exclusive interview. Until then, the directive about the maximum number of people allowed to join a gathering was 250. But Nathanael seeking the advice of the experts, he was convinced that the regulation was based on highly inaccurate information. “If I permitted services to continue as planned, the lives of thousands of people in Church that Sunday, as well as others who would come in contact with them following Church services, would be placed at risk. I requested additional advice; I reviewed the information; I asked question...

It does have English subtitles.

If you have read this blog for any period of time, you know my thoughts on this topic in general. If the purpose of marriage is to help your spouse work out their way to salvation, it makes no sense to marry someone who does not believe the same first things about propaedeutical material related to the topic. What is necessary for salvation and am I on a path to that glorious end? To remove the very glaring differentiator of communion (sharing in it or not) does not help clarify this problem. It does the opposite. The question is not now "Why can I not receive communion?" which any priest should be able to answer. It is instead "If I can receive communion, how can any of my heterodox opinions or actions be that wrong?" to which any priest should be given pause to defend himself. When the wife becomes ill and wants anointing or other services that today require you be inside the Church, how could any priest now decide to say no? When one parent communes and anoth...

( Pravmir ) - Orthodox priests for the first time gave Holy Communion to several patients with coronavirus who are treated at home. Meanwhile, they strictly followed the instructions agreed with the sanitary authorities, said Vasily Rulinsky, spokesman for the Synodal Charity Department, reports Foma. “Specially trained priests from a group that was formed in our Synodal Department perform the Sacraments at home. All of them were instructed and received personal protective equipment. There are 19 priests in this group, they are on duty around the clock: their shifts last for 12 hours. There are 2 priests in each shift. Recently, the priests have visited people with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus at home 3 times,” he said. Vasily Rulinsky also specified that the Synodal Charity Department, after consulting with the sanitary authorities, developed a special document that regulates the procedure for performing the Sacraments at home and in hospitals when visiting people who are...

New York ( GOARCH ) - On Western Easter, Sunday April 12th, the renowned CBS news program, 60 Minutes, will showcase the rebuilding of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. The relationship between the Archdiocese and 60 Minutes dates back over a decade, when the late Bob Simon did a groundbreaking interview with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew that aired in December of 2009. In the press materials released by CBS yesterday, the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas and reopening is referred to as “both a beacon and some kind of miracle.” In his introduction to the story, 60 Minutes journalist Scott Pelley said, “For Easter, we visit a fortress against time, where art is created to heal one of America’s greatest wounds. It is the story of the resurrection of the only House of Worship destroyed on 9/11.” His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros commented on the coming broadcast, “We are very moved that the longest running an...

Click on the images to download in the given language. JOHNSTOWN, PA ( ACROD ) - With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory, a booklet entitled “Holy Week From Home” has been created by Frs. William Bennett and Jonathan Bannon as an aid for all of our people who will be celebrating the services at home this year instead of in their churches. This family friendly booklet even has icons at the back that can be cut out and used during the week. All Diocesan families young and old are encouraged to download and print up a copy of this excellent resource for use in their homes. Download Holy Week From Home (PDF)

( Artefact Institute ) - Bring the beauty and splendor of the Feast of Christ’s Resurrection into your home, even if you can’t make it to church! Included in this download is a ritual order with prayers, scripture readings, hymns, and carols for celebrating a Paschal Feast. The beautiful Kontakion “On the Resurrection” VI by St. Romanos the Melodist is also included as a service that can be read (and sung) by all in attendance. Add caption

( GOARCH ) - Archbishop Elpidophoros to Hold Virtual Town Hall with Greek Orthodox Faithful New York, NY – On the Saturday of Lazaros, April 11th, at 3:00 pm EST, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will hold a Virtual Town Hall with the Greek Orthodox Faithful of America. This nationwide call-in will be moderated by Journalist Demetria Kalodimos, a trusted voice in Middle Tennessee for over 35 years, where she anchored the evening news at the dominant NBC affiliated station and her investigative and documentary reporting won many of the most prestigious awards in broadcast journalism. Commenting on the upcoming virtual Town Hall, Archbishop Elpidophoros said: “Especially in this moment, when there is real pain and anxiety in our Church, I am glad to have the technology to reach out across the country and listen to the voice of the Faithful. I want them to know that their Archbishop stands with them in solidarity, and I want to tell them how much they are loved and...

Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil. But for my part I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility, the nature of evil and its meanness, and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother (not in the physical sense, but as a fellow creature similarly endowed with reason and a share of the divine); therefore none of those things can injure me, for nobody can implicate me in what is degrading. Neither can I be angry with my brother or fall foul of him; for he and I were born to work together, like a man’s two hands, feet or eyelids, or the upper and lower rows of his teeth. To obstruct each other is against Nature’s law – and what is irritation or aversion but a form of obstruction? - Marcus Aurelius Meditations, Book Two

( ROC-Sourozh ) - His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed a message to the Right Reverend Archpastors, clergy, monastics and lay people of the dioceses on the territory of the Russian Federation. In this difficult time, when the state authorities are taking all possible measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, I urge bishops, clergy, monastics and lay people to strengthen their prayers to the Lord to protect people from harmful infection, and archpastors and pastors - to continue to zealously serve divine services and especially the Divine Eucharist - the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, even in the absence of the flock due to the relevant recommendations by the authorities. Truly - “nothing should be preferred to the work of God” (Statute of the Venerable Benedict of Nursia, chapter 43). Today, many of us are forced to assume the feat to remain in our homes. To such I say: let the place of your confinement become for you a dese...

This differs quite a bit from previous statements in that this is being put out by Antiochians, Greeks, ACROD, the OCA, et al. under the auspices of the Assembly of Bishops. This is the sort of united response I was advocating for from the first episcopal letter to today. It's also not just platitudes, but real directives. If you look at the OCA for example, you saw one bishop put out a statement, then another bishop put out a very different statement. That's fine as each bishop is responsible for his own flock. But then the synod put out yet another statement which put into question the first two. And that pattern continued not only in the OCA, but also the Greek Archdiocese / Ecumenical Patriarchate, ROCOR, and others. And if you are privy to the letters from bishops to their clergy, you know that there was yet another layer of guidance being given that at times clarified and others confounded priests in understanding what they were supposed to be doing. All the while the ...

( OCP ) - The standing Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has announced that due to the spread of the Coronavirus, all the faithful and most clergy shall limit their worship to their homes and that a bare minimum of the clergy should conduct services in their churches without the presence of a congregation. These clergies, who will remain in the churches conducting prayers, should not leave the premises of the church, and their sustenance should be provided so that they do not need to leave. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church also has decreed that it’s Theological Colleges, Seminaries, and parochial schools all be converted to the care of victims of the virus and asks the responsible health authorities take them over to undertake appropriate conversions of the facilities. The Patriarchate also will donate 3 million Birr towards the emergency fund set up by the government to combat the COVID-19 virus. The Standing Holy Synod has also asked His Holiness Abune Mathia...

A PDF of the prayer is available here . Made available by the Carpatho-Rusyn diocese.

( OCA ) - Synodal Directives for the Clergy and the Parish, Mission, and Monastic Communities of the Orthodox Church in America Concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) March 30, 2020 In accordance with the Synodal Statement of this same date and in effect for the period of: March 30, 2020 – April 30, 2020 1. A General Directive regarding the Divine Services and Parish Gatherings: Keeping in mind that in the Orthodox Church in America in general, all Divine Services and all ministries that are done in a monastery, parish, mission, or mission station are only done with the blessing of the Ruling Hierarch (the Diocesan Bishop or the Locum Tenens): - All monasteries, parishes, missions, and mission stations must seek a specific blessing from their bishop to perform any Divine Service whatsoever during this period. This includes not only ordinary services, such as the Divine Liturgy, but also particular Holy Week and Paschal Services, as well as extraordinary services such as Holy ...

Message from His Grace, Bishop Luke relative to the Coronavirus Pandemic: ( HTS ) - Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ members of the Holy Trinity Monastery community! Greetings in the Lord! It has come to my attention that many are suffering from some form of stress induced psychosis as a result of the recent epidemic. This is characterized by continual worry, nervousness, anxiety, faintheartedness, panic etc. One of the causes for this spiritual malady is an obsession with news concerning the epidemic. This is confirmed by the world mental health organization, "The World Health Organization has a recommendation for mental health: only check the news once or twice a day." I am issuing a directive to all members of our Holy Trinity community to limit themselves to no more than 15 minutes a day informing themselves about the epidemic. The Lord commands,"Let not your heart be troubled..." We create our own spiritual problems by our obsession with these is...