Byzantine, Texas

From Pithless Thoughts , a look at the confession sheet of someone who doesn't quite get it. On a related note, here's Fr. Meletios Webber on confession.

H/T: OBL News Bethlehem ( Ma’an ) – Thirteen Greek Orthodox Christian leaders met in Bethlehem Wednesday and voted unanimously to boycott the reception of the denomination’s Patriarch Theophilos III for Christmas celebrations on 6 January. Officials and scout troupes affiliated the 13 will not receive the patriarch at the Mar Elias Monastery or meet him at the entrance to Bethlehem at Israel’s Checkpoint 300 for his procession to the Nativity Church. The decision came as a result of a meeting in the Orthodox Society headquarters in Bethlehem, following local leaders’ dissatisfaction with the patriarch’s unrealized promises to reverse land sales to Israel that saw the previous patriarch sacked. The former Patriarch Irenaios I was voted out of the position in 2005 by the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulture, of which he had been the head. The congregation in Jerusalem had been increasingly angered by the sale of church land to Israel, much of which was private Palestinian land give...

H/T: Mystagogy ( romfea.gr ) - Through the blessing of Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All of Africa, Metropolitan George of Zimbabwe conducted today, December 30th, three hundred and twenty-seven baptisms for catechumens in the parish of St. Nektarios in Harare. The majority of the converts were youth and young adults who had completed a catechism class over the past 12 months. Following the lengthy baptismal service, clothes and shoes were distributed to over a thousand men, women and children who belong to the parish. Those attending the baptismal service were Protopresbyter George Saganis from Athens, and the African priests Fr. Raphael Gada, Fr. Augustine Moketsi, and the newly-ordained Deacon Demetrios Nyandebvu.

WASHINGTON, DC ( OCA ) - Orthodox Christians everywhere -- especially those within driving distance of the US capital -- are being encouraged to bear witness to their faith at the annual March for Life on Friday, January 22, 2010. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah has issued a special invitation encouraging youth and young adults to join him in proclaiming that all life is indeed a gift from God. The faithful are asked to gather by noon under the "Orthodox Christians for Life" banner to the left of the stage at the Ellipse, between the Washington Monument and the national Mall. Metropolitan Jonah will be the first of several speakers to address the public at the pre-March program. At the conclusion of the March, Metropolitan Jonah will offer prayers for the victims of abortion. On Thursday, January 21, the eve of the March, the faithful are encouraged to join Metropolitan Jonah for Vespers at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, 3500 Massachusetts Ave. NW, at 7:00 p.m. A recep...

From Notes from a Common-place Book ... Occasionally, I may be guilty of constructing Evangelical straw men, from which I wax sarcastic about the excesses and inanities of American pop-religiosity. You and me both. Not that this takes any great skill, mind you, given the surfeat of material with which to work. In this season of resolutions, perhaps I should resolve to do better in the coming year. Or not. But this article-- Metro Churches Turn to Technology to Spread the Word --truly troubled me, as I found it sillier and even more offensive than most. ( Owen by way of Aaron has previously noted the article.) This story is a familiar one by now. To those who turn a critical eye towards the state of religion in America, many of these evangelical churches became unmoored long ago, and are now far at sea. This newspaper account differs little from countless others I have read in recent years documenting evangelical trendiness....except for one line. Journalist Malena Lott posits...

( DOWOCA ) - When a new mission, created from convert zeal to found a Church near the country’s largest university, has the opportunity to welcome its bishop for the first time there is a simple description: sweet. Not knowing what to do or what to expect made it all the better. We did not have parishioners steeped in traditions for such a momentous occasion; just raw enthusiasm to have our archpastor in our midst. We joyfully prepared to just be with His Grace, with everyone scrambling to get ready for the bishop’s visit. In true ‘jump in before you are ready’ fashion, we even asked to celebrate a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, even though none of us knew exactly what to do. With help from SubDeacon Johann and our choir’s hard work to prepare, we borrowed Proto-Deacon Alexis and by the grace of God all was beautiful. His Grace spent all day Saturday with us. First was a ‘family BBQ’, then gift gathering for St Innocent orphans, followed by Vespers and an informal talk with everyo...

Kiev, December 30, ( Interfax ) – Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Lubomyr Cardinal Husar said he was ready to leave his post, but did not name the successor as such decision was not in his competence. “I’m not immortal. It seems I’d better delegate my authority now, quietly, so that work can go on. The Church is living and no one is indispensable. Our Church has greatly progressed for the recent fourteen years, but a long way to complete organization is still in store for us,” the UGCC head told journalists at Lvov press conference on Tuesday. Husar stressed it was not up to him to decide who would succeed him as this question in the Synod competence, “Such things are done calmly without any super emotions. I don’t have exact date, it’s a kind of process.” Husar has been the UGCC leader from January 2001. He was the first head of this Church elected in independent Ukraine.

From Orthodox History : I’ve been looking through a borrowed copy of Fr. Michael Gelsinger’s Orthodox Hymns in English, published by the Antiochian Archdiocese in 1939. This is a significant work, and Gelsinger’s hymns are still used to this day. I’ll write more about this book in the future, but I found the following paragraph, from the Introduction, to be especially interesting: Other religions in America have hymnbooks containing six hundred or more melodies; Orthodoxy in English, though rightfully heir to the grandest and richest score of music in existence, would only with difficulty command as many as fifty melodies. O ur lack of Orthodox hymns that can be sung in English has already encouraged the use of substitutes: rumor tells of Parishes that use Protestant hymnbooks, — in one case, at least, the Billy Sunday collection; and in another a book of “Pentecostal Hymns.” Can we calmly face a future which might add “Brighten the Corner Where You Are” and “Beautiful Isle of Somew...

CRESTWOOD, NY ( OCA/SVS Press ) - Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press -- the largest publisher of English-language titles about the Orthodox Christian faith -- now has assumed responsibility for the publication and distribution of Christian education materials. Known for its books on Church history, patristics, spirituality, iconography, biblical studies, hagiography, liturgical music, and other aspects of Orthodoxy, SVS Press has entered into an agreement with the Orthodox Church in America to distribute educational resources for Church schools, teachers, and those engaged in faith formation for all ages. On December 22, 2009, SVS Press assumed the entire current stock of the Orthodox Christian Publications Center [OCPC], the OCA's publishing arm, and will be responsible for marketing, sales, and distribution of all of its educational titles. SVS Press personnel are processing the OCPC inventory and will be ready to sell and distribute the materials by April 2010. The agree...

For those that missed the lecture series while it was ongoing, they have been made available from the ACROD website. JOHNSTOWN, PA ( ACROD ) - The Diocesan Apostolate for Christian Education is pleased to announce that audio files of the recently concluded 7 week introduction to Orthodox Christianity (Orthodoxy 101) Course are now posted. Listen to these informative lectures on line or download them to your i-pod or i-phone.

A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. - Matthew 2:18 - 14,000 Holy Infants were killed by King Herod in Bethlehem. When the time came for the Incarnation of the Son of God and His Birth of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Magi in the East beheld a new star in the heavens, foretelling the Nativity of the King of the Jews. They journeyed immediately to Jerusalem to worship the Child, and the star showed them the way. Having worshipped the divine Infant, they did not return to Jerusalem to Herod, as he had ordered them, but being warned by God in a dream, they went back to their country by another way. Herod finally realized that his scheme to find the Child would not be successful, and he ordered that all the male children two years old and younger at Bethlehem and its surroundings be killed. He thought that the divine Infant, Whom he considered a rival, would be...

From Oremus ... Yes, England (which for so many decades seemed to be a land impenetrable to Western Rite Orthodoxy) now has an active W. rite mission, thanks to the labours of Fr. Hieromonk Michael (Mansbridge-Wood) of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and the protecting omophor of its Metropolitan, Hilarion... Complete article here .

( OCA-NYNJ ) - With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH, Archbishop of Washington and Locum tenens of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, and in conjunction with the consecration of Bishop-Elect, Michael Dahulich, the following schedule is prepared: Friday, May 7, 2010 Great Vespers for the Feast of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, 7 p. m. Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, 109 Grand Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 Saturday, May 8, 2010 The Profession of Faith by Bishop-elect, Archimandrite Michael (Dahulich) 9:00 a. m. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH and the Holy Synod of Bishops Banquet at the Casino-in-the-Park Restaurant, Jersey City, 1 to 5 p. m. Banquet $75 per person. Children (8 & under) $25. The banquet seating reservation form is to be submitted by March 31, 2010. Seating is reserved in tables of eight according to order in which responses are received. Sunday, May 9, 2010 The Hierarchic...

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone, In a one-bedroom house made of plaster and stone. I had come down the chimney, with presents to give and to see just who in this home did live. As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see, no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree. No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand. On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land. With medals and badges, awards of all kind, a sobering thought soon came to my mind. For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen. This was the home of a U.S. Marine. I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more, so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door. And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone, Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home. He seemed so gentle, his face so serene, Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine. Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read? Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed? His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan. I soo...

From Pithless Thoughts , an Orthograph I have experienced and dutifully run away from.

H/T: Khanya The New Monasticism Network This site has been created to promote networking and collaboration around the world and in the UK, for those who are seeking to build ecclesial communities out of contextual mission, utilising a new monastic model. To be clear, we are wanting to focus on those particuarly involved/engaged with new monastic communities, rather than yet another social network of those involved in general church groups. Some have been doing this for a while, some have just started, whilst others are still conceiving. Some specifically have created intentional communities where people live together, whilst others have built networks of a dispersed community of intentionality. Some are very friar in their outlook, seeking to serve a particular place practicing radical hospitality, evangelism and mission in places some forms of church would not tread. Some are more monk like, seeking to build places of solace and community in but not of the world. So where ever yo...

Christ is born! Glorify Him! In lieu of Nativity Youtube videos, excerpts from kontakia, or the like I'm going to post a quick family update. I don't do that enough and it has been requested that I make the blog more 'personal' when possible. The snow and ice kept us from attending many Nativity services, which was quite annoying. On Christmas Eve we piled into the car, drove a few miles down the road, and found that we couldn't stop as we slid slowly towards the rear bumper of the vehicle stopped in front of us (we missed it by a few feet). Knowing the weather was getting worse and that we hadn't even braved the highway (and already started looking for our insurance information "just in case"), we decided to return home. The wife prepared some excellent food. I must say that after many weeks of fasting my body recoils from meat and dairy quite alarmingly a few hours after culinary bliss. I often feel like I'm getting the flu. If there's ...

( mospat.ru ) - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, has begun its session on 25 December 2009, at the patriarchal residence in Chisty Pereulok. In his introduction, Patriarch Kirill noted that the Synod met for six summer and winter sessions in 2009, three at St. Daniel’s Monastery, two at the historical building of the Holy Synod in St. Petersburg, and one at the historical building of the Russian Orthodox Church Synod at the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev – the Mother of Russian cities. This synodal year ends with a session in Chisty Pereulok, the historical city residence of the Patriarchs of Moscow. ‘Very important decision were made this year concerning changes in the central church structure as new synodal bodies have been established and the work of the existing synodal institutions has been considerably reviewed’, the patriarch said. Much was said about this in the run-up to Patriarch Kirill'...

The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos: On the second day of the feast, the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated. Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the Incarnation was made possible. His humanity - concretely and historically - is the humanity He received from Mary. His body is, first of all, her body. His life is her life. This feast, the assembly in honor of the Theotokos, is probably the most ancient feast of Mary in the Christian tradition, the very beginning of her veneration by the Church. Six days of post-feast bring the Christmas season to a close on December 31. At the services of all these days, the Church repeats the hymns and songs glorifying Christ's Incarnation, reminding us that the source and foundation of our salvation is only to be found in the One who, as God before the ages, came into this world and for our sake was "born as a little Child." -...

( Romiosini ) -We are very pleased to announce the launcing of the three-dimensional panoramic projection of the All Holy Sacred Pilgrimages via our webspace. Herewith follow the 7 first ones: 1. The Holy Sepulchre 2. The Holy Laura of Saint Savvas 3. The Holy Church of Madonna Seidanagia 4.The Horrible Golgotha 5. The Most Holy Church of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ 6. The Holy Church of Saint Savvas (Catholicon) 7. The Holy Church in Bethlehem Here you can "tour around" the Sacred Pilgrimages of the Holy Land in three dimensions. Firstly you select the Pilgrimage to visit (it opens to a different window), then you wait for a short while to download and you are ready to start your stroll.

( AFP ) - An Orthodox priest walks in snow in front of frescoes of Mykhaylo Gold Domes Cathedral in Kiev on December 21, 2009, after heavy snow fall in Ukrainian capital.

December 18, 2009 (synod.com) - Archimandrite Joasaph (McLellan), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, died peacefully this morning in a Boston hospital. Born Francis R. McLellan Jr, in Boston, to the late Francis R. (James) McLellan Sr. and Pauline B. [Rooney] McLellan on January 24, 1962, Archimandrite Joasaph attended the Boston Public Schools, Roxbury Latin, and graduated from Commonwealth School and received his BTh from Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where he was English-language valedictorian. He received his MA and PhD from Brown University in Slavic Language and Literature, which he taught at the University of Missouri at Columbia and at Princeton. Dissertation title: "The Hilandar Gospel and its Place in the Textual History of the Church Slavonic Tetraevangelion." At the request of the late Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla), Fr Joasaph quit his position at Princeton and was tonsured at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY,becoming...

The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas (aka SOCHA aka orthodoxhistory.org) has a new article on the who, what, where, when, and how of organs in Orthodox churches in the US. Go take a gander here . ...Holy Trinity Greek Church in San Francisco had added an organ by at least 1925. When Abp Athengoras arrived in 1931, the majority of Greek churches still didn’t have organs, but the instruments were not totally unheard of. After 1931, and throughout Athenagoras’ tenure as archbishop, many more Greek churches introduced organs. This was certainly with the encouragement of Athenagoras, but he was not the originator of the practice...

( AFR ) - On Friday, December 18, 2009, His Eminence, Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest unexpectedly fell asleep in the Lord. The funeral vigil was held on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009 at 7:00 PM at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago. His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah presided and the homily was given by OCA Chancellor, Fr. Alexander Garklavs.

From Incendiary ... A little parable that I believe all of us in general and especially in the “blogosphere” should dwell upon. A few people came to an elder and said, “Such and such a priest charges a lot of money for a sacrament, such and such smokes a lot and goes to the coffee bar, another is amoral (and the present evidence.)” The elder then says to them, “I have realized from experience that in this life people are separated into two categories. A third category does not exist: you will either be in one or in the other. Thus, one category of people are like a fly. The fly has the following particularities: it flies everywhere and lands on everything that is dirty. For example, if there are many fragrant flowers in a lawn while in the corner some animal has defecated, the fly, flying over the beautiful yard, passes over the flowers and does not land on one. Only when he sees the excrement does he immediately descend, sits on it and begins to dig into it, delighting in the ...

The truth hurts.

From Again and Again The Serbian paper Politika had an article yesterday about a group of Croatian citizens who are in the process of organizing a Croatian Orthodox community since it was recently discovered that there are some Croatians who are of the Orthodox faith. The last time something similar was attempted was during WWII when the so-called Croatian Orthodox Church was formed, essentially a political tool of the Ustasha used to destroy the Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Orthodox wishing to form this new religious community didn’t reveal their identity as they explain in a statement in one of the Croatian papers: “There is a large number of Orthodox who do not wish to identify themselves as Serbs. They declare themselves as Croats, but there are also other nationalities, and they ask that something be done so that they might be differentiated from Orthodox Serbs. Their children do not attend the Orthodox religious education classes offered in the schools sin...

( Armenian WD ) - According to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians: "This book which is dedicated to the memory of Catholicos Karekin I of All Armenians, of blessed memory, will inspire the readers with the pious example of the prolific Pontiff of our Church, and will strengthen the dedication of service in our faithful Children and their zealousness toward spirituality." The exclusive collection includes numerous interesting photos from the fruitful life of the late Catholicos. You may acquire this book by visiting the Diocesan Bookstore or by calling at (818)558-7474.

( SI ) - The Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University will be offering two (2) on-line courses in January 2010 at the undergraduate level: THO 3301: Hermeneutics and Exegesis in Eastern Christianity THO 2119a: Eastern Christian Pastoral Theology Due to the high interest in this course for Thursday evenings, we would like to announce that it will now be available through the Internet. No special video conference classroom will be required. Students will be able to follow it from their home computer. Videos of each class will be posted on the Virtual Campus web-site accessible through the Internet. Please refer to our website www.ustpaul.ca/sheptytsky for more detailed information and course outlines.

I'm sure everyone has heard about or watch the 60 Minutes interview with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In it, as most of you are already aware, he made mention of being "crucified" by the Turkish government. This is one of the more complete assessments of the post-interview fallout. Constantinople ( Asia News ) - A statement by Bartholomew about the difficulties Turkish authorities create for the Christian Orthodox community provokes an irate response from Turkey’s foreign minister. Turkey continues to subordinate the reopening of the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Halki to the opening of a mosque in Athens, Greece. When a journalist from CBS asked whether he is still felt “crucified” by the difficulties he has to face every day, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said yes, thus venting the frustrations that come from running the Ecumenical See of Orthodox Christianity. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded immediately. He said, “I hope this is just ...

( Seattle Times ) - John Cox makes a living driving a Sounder train, paints Russian icons in his spare time and knows quite a bit about one of our most beloved instruments this time of year: bells. As a bellringer at St. Spiridon Cathedral in the Cascade neighborhood, he rings them several times a week. "The sound of bells can bring out all kinds of emotions. It brings out happy emotions for me," he said. "It can also evoke solemn feelings of loss." Cox would like to hear more bells ringing from churches and civic buildings in Seattle. "I thought it would be nice to have a set of bells in the King Street Station clock tower, especially since the tower itself is designed to resemble a bell tower in Italy ," he said. "We don't have any bells in downtown Seattle. The closest are at St. James Cathedral, but the noise from the freeway cuts down the sound." The bells at St. Spiridon came from Russia, but he knows how he could make one right h...

From Secondhand Smoke : It is unthinkable that in a free country like the UK, that girls are subjected to genital mutilation. From the story: Hundreds of British schoolgirls are facing the terrifying prospect of female genital mutilation (FGM) over the Christmas holidays as experts warn the practice continues to flourish across the country. Parents typically take their daughters back to their country of origin for FGM during school holidays, but The Independent on Sunday has been told that “cutters” are being flown to the UK to carry out the mutilation at “parties” involving up to 20 girls to save money. The police face growing criticism for failing to prosecute a single person for carrying out FGM in 25 years; new legislation from 2003 which prohibits taking a girl overseas for FGM has also failed to secure a conviction. Experts say the lack of convictions, combined with the Government’s failure to invest enough money in education and prevention strategies, mean the practice cont...

Huge shoes to fill. Fr. Michael Dahulich raised a lot of money for the seminary and for seminarians, tirelessly traveled all over for the benefit of the seminary, taught classes, and truly loves his students. ( STOTS ) - The Board of Trustees of Saint Tikhon's Seminary Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA ( www.stots.edu ) announces a vacancy in the office of Dean, effective June 1, 2010. Applications and nominations for the position are now being accepted. Saint Tikhon's Seminary is an institution of professional Orthodox Christian theological education affiliated with the Orthodox Church in America, chartered by the Department of Education of the Commonwealther of Pennsylvania, and accredited nationally by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. St. Tikhon's Seminary offers a Masters in Divinity degree as well as a non-degree secondary program conferring the Certificate of Priestly Formation. The primary mission of the Semi...

H/T: Art and Faith

H/T: Orthocath THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India ( UCAN ) - Catholic and Orthodox Churches have agreed to share priestly services and infrastructure in a major development in their often troubled 356-year-old history. As a first step, they have agreed to share churches for Sunday Mass outside Kerala. Recent meetings between the two also explored the possibility of sharing cemeteries and the services of priests at funerals. The Church leaders have asked their theologians to prepare guidelines to implement this agreement. The Inter-religious Dialogue Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council met with the Syrian Jacobite and Syrian Orthodox Churches in mid-December to seek ways to foster greater unity and cooperation. The bishops' council represents all three Catholic Church rites in Kerala -- the Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites. Father Philip Nelpuraparambil, a Catholic theologian who attended the meetings, described the outcome as "very positive. ...

From " Of information and Belief ": The passings of Fr. Iosaph (ROCOR) and Archbishop Job (OCA) on Friday has left another vacuum of leadership for the Church in America. Arguably, loss of +Job will be more acutely felt given the unfortunate reality that it is a jurisdiction facing both a dearth of hierarchs and proper candidates for the episcopacy. This is not to say that Fr. Iosaph's passing isn't a real loss for ROCOR. As his C.V. from Princeton indicates, he was a man of deep learning who could have had a profound impact on his Church had he lived to be consecrated a bishop. By all accounts, he was a much loved and respected member of ROCOR--a man who, like +Job, loved Christ and His Church. May their memories be eternal. Though I fear that it may not be entirely appropriate, I confess that my mind has wandered quite a bit to the question of the future of Orthodoxy in America with specific reference to the place of the OCA and ROCOR in that future. A f...

H/T: OBL The Eritrean Church has truly suffered greatly in recent years. House arrests for the patriarch, government appointed "patriarch" put in his place, imprisonment of thousands of Christians, torture of many, and complete government control of all media. ( Asmarino ) - ICFC has just learned that after eight years of silence, the publication of Finote Berhan (The Way of Light), the one and only official mouthpiece of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC), will resume as of December 2009. This dramatic development is the result of a five-months long deliberations and planning by the Archdiocese of the Eritrean Orthodox Church of North America. When the government of Eritrea closed down all private media and arrested most independent journalists in September 2001, one of the casualties of this crackdown was Finote Berhan, one of the oldest publications in the country. It was shut down as it was undertaking preparations to celebrate its golden jubilee. Unfortunately, afte...

From Pithless Thoughts :

( OCANews ) - News From Orthodox America • Syosset, NY The Strategic Planning Committee of the Orthodox Church in America, a committee of the Metropolitan Council, together with Metropolitan Jonah, has been meeting regularly under the chairmanship of the Fr. Robert Arida, most recently on December 18th and 19th in Syosset. According to the Committee the strategic plan requires “... the Church to describe her mission and how it can be implemented in the present time in America including, as necessary, a reexamination of administrative structures and governing Statutes.” This process “...begins with certain elements of a vision that have so far been articulated by Metropolitan Jonah and the Holy Synod, and will ensure development of this vision through a conciliar process that is intended to engage virtually all members of the Church.” The Planning Committee promises that “...very soon all the faithful of dioceses and parishes will be encouraged to know what concerns the bishops an...

( CL ) - There is a Christmas tree inside town hall in Cary, North Carolina, but town officials couldn’t bring themselves to call it by its proper name, so they relabeled it the “Community Tree.” They used to have a “Holiday Tree” in Madison, Wisconsin, but even that was deemed too improper this year, so they opted for “The State Capitol Tree.” American Atheists threw a party decorating what they called their “Solstice Tree.” Vineland, New Jersey opted to call their Christmas parade the “Holiday parade,” maintaining that because Urban Enterprise Zone dollars are used to fund the parade, they can’t call it the Christmas parade. In Howard County, Indiana they decided not to have a manger scene this year, and elected instead to have a lighted display of the Loch Ness Monster, a whale and other animals. Waterbury, Connecticut is awash in “Winter” concerts and the like, and the sages there even renamed their holiday parties “celebrations.” What they were celebrating remains a mystery, but...

A sad chapter in the history of Orthodoxy in this country and yet another reason why SCOBA or the forthcoming episcopal assembly must devise a cohesive and comprehensive set of regulations to protect its people - both the laity as well as the seminarians and novices - from sexual predators. BLANCO ( SANews ) — For sale: 105-acre hilltop parcel southwest of town with great views for $785,500. Includes former monastery notorious for sexual abuse and phony weeping icon. With the criminal cases resolved concerning the former Christ of the Hills Monastery, a judge on Friday authorized its sale, with the proceeds mainly to benefit a former novice monk who was molested there in the 1990s. The novice, James B. Wright Jr., later won a $1 million judgment against Ecumenical Monks Inc., the owner. “It's about as good an ending to a bad situation as he could have hoped for,” lawyer Mark Long said of his client after the hearing in Johnson City. “When we started this, our intent was to...