Byzantine, Texas

( Orthodox Times ) - Metropolitans Grigory of Vratsa, Daniil of Vidin, and Gavriil of Lovchan have been selected to form the triprosopon, from which the new Patriarch of Bulgaria will be chosen. The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church convened today to elect these three Metropolitans, who will be considered for succession following the late Patriarch Neophytos. During this process, several Metropolitans were not eligible for election due to age and experience requirements outlined in the Charter of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Specifically, Metropolitan Antony of Western and Central Europe, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, and Metropolitan Cyprian of Stara Zagora did not meet the age requirement of 50 years, as specified in Article 40, paragraph 2. Additionally, Metropolitan Yakov of Dorostol did not qualify due to the requirement in Article 40, paragraph 3, which mandates five years of service as a Metropolitan. Metropolitan Arsenij of Sliven was also ineligible due to both reasons...

An interesting thing about the Oriental Orthodox Church (pictures taken from this recent article) is the role of deacon and deaconess is thought of quite differently from the way the Orthodox Church does. This confuses many people as what we call a deacon with all his responsibilities is not comparable. In the way in which we historically set people aside for a role before they were allowed into the altar, they make young men deacons. To go into the altar you needed to be a taper bearers, readers, subdeacon, etc. and the Oriental Church throws all of that into different ranks of deacons. And for deaconesses, this permits women to sing in the choir.   

It would be hard to overstate the influence Fr. James had on American Orthodoxy. Surprised by Christ alone brought many people to the Church. And his constant evangelism and willingness to speak to all comers endeared him to many, many people. I fully expect his writings, talks, and pastoral love of Christ to resonate for many years to come. ( Antiochian.org ) - Archpriest James Bernstein, 78, reposed in the Lord Jesus Christ in the early morning hours of June 17, 2024, surrounded by his family. Arnold Bernstein, better known as Fr. James, was born May 6,1946 to Isaac and Belle Bernstein in Lansing, Mich. Soon thereafter, the family moved to Queens, New York. Young "Arnie" grew up helping in his father's candy store and playing chess, even winning the U.S. Junior Chess Championship at 16. At home, his parents spoke Yiddish to one another, but chose not to teach the language Arnie or his brother Solomon because they wanted them to be more "American." Still, thei...

They are putting out good stuff over there . Want to see a reasoned take on the female "diaoconate" or the current priest shortage? The OSI has got you.

NEW JERSEY ( EA ) – The Assembly of Bishops Executive Committee was held at the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America on June 4, 2024. The meeting began with a financial report followed by the approval of new board members for Orthodox Christian Prison Ministries (“OCPM”), Orthodox Christian Fellowship (“OCF”), and Orthodox Volunteer Corps (“OVC”). The Executive Committee then agreed to designate Sunday of Orthodoxy as “Assembly of Bishops Sunday” in order to celebrate the good work of the Assembly with Orthodox Christians nationwide. Each year there will be a Pan-Orthodox encyclical issued to all the Orthodox parishes in the country. The Hierarchs then reviewed the proposed agenda for the upcoming annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops in Atlanta from September 28th – October 1st. They also received updates on the Inter-Parish Associations, the Accessibility Ministry, as well as other programs in common. During their meeting, the Executive Committee lamented th...

( Antiochian ) -  Metropolitan Saba's Letter Concerning Diocesan Oversight Assignments     Prot. no.: 255/2024 June 10, 2024 Venerable Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, and Christ-loving Faithful of our Archdiocese, Christ is risen! Since my arrival as your Metropolitan, I have been concerned that two dioceses of our vast archdiocese are without a bishop to oversee them: Los Angeles and the West, and Wichita and Mid-America. Although we are not yet ready for an election of new bishops, I want to ensure that these dioceses have the attention and care they need. In particular, during my recent travels in the West, I saw firsthand that our clergy and parishes there need an experienced bishop, since they have for a long time been without a local bishop who permanently resides among them. Therefore, I have asked His Grace Bishop Anthony—who has served well and faithfully for many years—to move to Los Angeles and serve as Bishop in the West. We are grateful that he has taken this dio...