Byzantine, Texas

( ROCOR ) - On Monday, September 23, 2013, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, arrived in the Holy Land, leading a large group of over 100 pilgrims from the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. Greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, His Eminence then headed for Ascension of the Lord Convent on the Mt of Olives. There, Metropolitan Hilarion venerated the convent’s holy relics, blessed the welcoming Abbess Moisseia and the sisters and asked for their holy prayers. The next day, His Eminence paid a visit to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, where he was warmly greeted by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. Addressing the pilgrims accompanying Vladyka Hilarion, His Beatitude noted that worshipers who venerate the holy places connected with the earthly life o...

Writing for the Telegraph, Allan Massie asks, " Is baptising a puppy as scandalous as giving Holy Communion to a grown dog? " The theology that allows for "baptizing" an animal is so defective that I think a denomination that allows for it must be said to have fallen away into unchristian territory. One simply can't recreate the relationship of God with mankind into one that makes the same relationship of God with the rest of creation. Truthfully, annual "blessing of pets" events make me a bit queasy because they are an opportunity to misconstrue this special covenant of man with his God. ( The Telegraph ) - Somewhere in the house there are probably copies of the handsome Duckworth editions of Ronald Firbank (Five Novels and Three Novels) published way back in the Fifties, not that I feel any desire to search for them. “I think there would be something wrong with a middle-aged man who could take pleasure in Firbank”, Evelyn Waugh wrote in his ow...

( OCMC ) - Fr. Alexander Winogradsky and his work in Jerusalem have been supported by the OCMC since 2007. The work he is doing there is both complex and consuming. Below, he shares about some of his work. My participation in the presence of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem consists of many activities. First, I participate in regular celebrations and Holy Confession at the Holy Sepulchre while my church of Saint Nicholas is under repair and should be finished for his name day on December 19th, God-willing. My participation in the nighttime Divine Liturgies enabled me to introduce Hebrew as a "usual language” of prayer, which is new. I serve in different churches through the country, which is quite difficult because of the lack of substantial funding and the absence of churches in the south; there I have to serve in hotels or at homes. I participate in the meetings of the Municipality of Jerusalem as consultant for ameliorating and strengthening the contact between Israeli ...

( arstidir.com ) - After our concert in Wuppertal, Germany, we realized that the reverb/echo of the train station outside the venue favored singing, so we spontaneously decided to try it out with the old Icelandic hymn "Heyr himna smiður." From Wikipedia : Notwithstanding his opposition to bishop Guðmundur, sources indicate that Kolbeinn was a devoutly religious man of some education. He is best known for composing the hymn Heyr himna smiður (English: "Hear, Heavenly Creator") on his deathbed. It is now a classic and often-sung Icelandic hymn. The song, which accompanies the text was composed by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson, over 700 years later. The original text is presented here with 19th-century Icelandic spelling and a rough, literal translation into English. Heyr, himna smiður, hvers skáldið biður. Komi mjúk til mín miskunnin þín. Því heit eg á þig, þú hefur skaptan mig. Eg er þrællinn þinn, þú ert drottinn minn. Guð, heit eg á þig, að þú græðir mi...

( Lansing Star ) - The Reformed Orthodox Christian Church celebrated its first anniversary Sunday with a lunch at Saint George Orthodox Church on Myers Heights. The congregation had a lot to celebrate. After 50 years with no assigned priest, the The Reformed Orthodox Christian Church reopened the historic church for regular Sunday services just over a year ago. Priest Matthew Binkewicz  (link to earlier story on his efforts) and parishioners have done a lot of work on the building since then, and today it stands as a restored gem of Lansing's past and present. The church was founded by Syrian immigrants who worked at the Cayuga Lake Salt Company. The plant, located below the church on Salt Point, was begun in 1891 to produce table salt using a deep well process. When it opened the plant had 100 employees. The company provided housing, and around the late 1920s the church was built to accomodate the immigrants who worked there. The plant finally closed after a fire in 1...

( Rome Reports ) - It was a historic meeting between Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, and Patriarch John X, the leader of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, one of the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East.

( mospat.ru ) - On 23 September 2013, the International Conference ‘Monasteries and Monasticism: Traditions and Modernity’ opened at the Moscow Theological Academy. Taking part in the forum, organized by the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, are archpastors, abbots and abbesses, monastics and theologians from Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Poland and Serbia. Among the members of the conference presidium are Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol (Orthodox Church of Cyprus); Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; Bishop Feofilakt of Dmitrov, vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Veniamin of Borisov, vicar of the Minsk diocese; Bishop Varnava of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz; Bishop Zinovy of Elista and Kalmykia; Bishop Savva of Voskresensk, vicar of His Holiness Patria...

I would be very surprised if many women from the Antiochian Archdiocese didn't flock to this monastery in short order. ( Antiochian.org ) - His Eminence Metropolitan Philip has announced the following three appointments for the Convent of St. Thekla in Glenville, PA. The Convent of St. Thekla is a monastic community of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Effective immediately, Mother Eisodia (pictured right) is appointed the Acting Abbess of the convent, and Sister Kathrina will join the community. Effective September 1, 2014, Very Rev. Mark Sahady is appointed the Chaplain of the Convent following his retirement from the Air Force. Mother Eisodia is a native of Los Angeles, California, and she attended college in Portland, Oregon. She has worked in the secular world as an engineer, and was raised in the Presbyterian faith. Her journey to Orthodoxy was fulfilled with her reception into the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. She received her monast...

Met. Philips draws a line between the original Syrian opposition that sought expanded freedoms and the foreign Al-Qaeda fighters seeking the extermination of Christians. ( Here & Now ) - Syrian military forces continue to battle Islamic rebels near the ancient Christian town of Maaloula, Syria, where some residents still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. Most Maaloula residents have fled, but nuns and orphans remain holed up in Mar Tekla, one of the town’s two early Christian monasteries. They are members of the eastern orthodox Church of Antioch. Its leader in the U.S., Metropolitan Philip Saliba, is concerned about their safety. Philip is a strong supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He joined church leaders in calling for a special “Day of Solidarity” in churches yesterday, with a special collection made for victims in Syria “who are suffering so terribly.” ROBIN YOUNG, HOST: It's HERE AND NOW, and before the break we heard about a report...

From an article entitled " A Big Heart Open to God ," an interview with Pope Francis, who spoke a bit on relations with the Orthodox Church. The Roman Curia I ask the pope what he thinks of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the various departments that assist the pope in his mission. “The dicasteries of the Roman Curia are at the service of the pope and the bishops,” he says. “They must help both the particular churches and the bishops’ conferences. They are instruments of help. In some cases, however, when they are not functioning well, they run the risk of becoming institutions of censorship. It is amazing to see the denunciations for lack of orthodoxy that come to Rome. I think the cases should be investigated by the local bishops’ conferences, which can get valuable assistance from Rome. These cases, in fact, are much better dealt with locally. The Roman congregations are mediators; they are not middlemen or managers.” On June 29, during the ceremony of the ble...

( AOB ) - In the final day of its annual meeting, the Assembly agreed to issue two statements—one on the Church’s unchanging position on marriage and one expressing grave concern over the escalating violence in the Middle East. The Assembly also released a message to the faithful on the conclusion of Assembly IV. The three statements can be found here: statement on marriage ; statement on violence in the Middle East ; and message to the faithful . In other business, the Assembly voted unanimously to re-elect Bishop Basil as secretary and Metropolitan Antony as treasurer. Archbishop Demetrios recognized and commended them for their devotion to the Assembly over the past three years. The Assembly also reviewed and approved the 2014 budget. The Assembly expects to hold its next meeting in September 2014. More documents pertaining to the Assembly, including the minutes and 2014 budget, will be forthcoming on the Assembly's website. The hierarchs concluded the meeting by singing...

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. - Psalm 22:22-23

From the Archdiocese of Canada ( here ): ( OCA-CA )- The Hesychastic Society of the Most Holy Mary is the Metochion of the Monastic Society of St. Silouan the Athonite Mission: The Fraternity is specifically designed as a monastic haven for Aboriginal and Autistic Orthodox, who are called by Christ and His Church to pursue a life of radical hesychasm and little folly, under the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos; though the Society will welcome others who are similarly called. As a Fraternity, the Hesychastic Society is idiorhythmic in nature; and egalitarian, though spiritual deference is given to the elder brother.

( AOB ) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops endorsed a proposal to plan for a North American Pan-Orthodox Youth Gathering of high school students. The proposal was put forth by the Committee for Youth. The gathering will enable Orthodox youth from all jurisdictions to come together, share in their faith, bear witness to the Church, and build bridges across our Orthodox family. The gathering, which will be organized by jurisdictional youth departments, is slated to happen in 2016 or 2017. In the period leading up to the national event, local and regional youth activities will be planned. The Assembly also reviewed a model for canonical restructuring of the Church in America, which was presented by the Committee for Canonical Regional Planning under the leadership of Archbishop Nicolae. The model was a further development of one put forth at last year’s Assembly meeting. The hierarchs engaged in a lengthy discussion and provided comments. Based on the feedback, the commi...

( My Fox Philly ) - Late last month, a massive blaze destroyed the St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church in East Oak Lane. No one was injured, but the 91 year old structure was left in ruins. Now, as if to add insult to injury, burglars have struck what remains of the iconic church, leaving its members shocked and angry. Any church community will tell you it's faith is often put to the test. However, for St. Mary the Protectress, which has served the local Ukrainian orthodox community for more than 40 years, faith has been stretched to the breaking point. "It's a, it was, a beautiful church...a beautiful house of worship," Church Board president John Prasko told FOX 29. St. Mary's leaders wandered the iconic structure, destroyed by fire just over three weeks ago, in a daze. No doubt wondering how fate could be so cruel. "Well, it's a double-whammy," said Steve Harris, a member on the church board. "It was bad enough that a...

( OCA ) - The Diocese of Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America’s new web site made its debut recently, according to Archimandrite David [Mahaffey], Administrator. The site also has a new address— www.doaoca.org . “While some of its features are still being developed, the site has a new and updated Parish Directory with Google Maps and embedded videos of diocesan events,” said Father David. “The site’s development is being overseen by Father Innocent Dresdow in cooperation with Orthodox Web Solutions’ Father John Parsells and Father John Schroedel, who are improving the site’s overall look.” In related news, the Alaskan Diocesan Assembly will be held October 18-20, 2013 in Anchorage. On Friday, the clergy and matushki will gather with the Diocesan Administrator for dinner and a question and answer session with the clergy, followed by a tea with the matushki. Later that evening, the Diocesan Council will meet. Saturday morning will open with the celebration of the Divine...

( AOB ) - The first day of meetings of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America reflected a growing collegiality and cooperation among those present. Forty-three hierarchs representing 11 jurisdictions are in attendance. The morning began with hierarchs participating in a common celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Des Plaines, IL. “Today…we are here together in unity and joy in full awareness of the truth that the love of Christ has brought us together and is with us,” said Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman of the Assembly, in his opening remarks to the hierarchs. “As we stand with awe, having prayed the Divine Liturgy and received the precious Body and Blood of our Lord, we are not only in God’s presence but also more importantly, we experience His presence as one undivided Body—His Body.” His Eminence asked the hierarchs to keep in mind a number of issues over the course of the next several days: the threat to...

( mospat.ru ) - On 17 September 2013, a solemn ceremony of the consecration of the church complex belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church took place in Moscow, in Trifonovskaya Street. Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians officiated at the consecration. Attending the celebration was His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. At the main gate of the church complex, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was met by Bishop Ezras (Nersisyan), head of the New Nakhichevan and Russia diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Among the honorary guests of the ceremony were Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Russian and Armenian statesmen, representatives of Christian confessions and the Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist communities. His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II addressed the participants and numerous guests of the celebrations. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also greeted all those present, saying in particular...

( ministrymatters.com ) - As I coach pastors, one of the most pervasive issues is clergy anger. Anger, of course, is just one half of the vicious cycle of anger-depression. Clergy are more likely to admit to depression, because admitting anger makes them feel too guilty. Yet admitting depression ... without admitting the root cause of repressed anger ... is a form of dishonesty with self and God and sidetracks clergy into fruitless therapeutic jargon or superficial "fixes". Eventually, failure to acknowledge and address chronic, repressed anger debilitates clergy and they are no longer effective leaders. For example, clergy often excuse their depression as fatigue or frustration. Their "remedy" is to be more diligent about time off, or to take a sabbatical. Clergy often rant about fickle churchgoers, or blame culture undermining programs. Their "remedy" is to be more caustic in the pulpit, or take cold comfort in explaining failure as some confirmation ...

From the Matt Walsh Blog, a post entitled " Dear parents, you need to control your kids. Sincerely, non-parents ." As the parent of many children from teen-aged to just walking, this post had a lot of resonance for me. I've come a long way from l'esprit de l'escalier impotence of my early years in parenting. Gone are the days where I let rudeness shock me initially only to be replaced by simmering rage for days to follow. I now respond immediately... in love (albeit occasionally tough love) with my ripostes both as a moment of instruction and for my own sanity. To the fan I lost yesterday: I don’t owe you an explanation, but I thought I’d offer one anyway. I do this more for your sake than mine. You see, maybe, as you later suggested, I was in a bad mood. Maybe I could have been a bit more polite about it. Maybe I’m more sensitive to it now that I have kids. Maybe I’m just sick of hearing these comments about parents. Maybe I know that my wife has to take the...

( spc.rs ) - From October 4-9 this year in Belgrade, Nis and Podgorica the greatest and the most representative gathering in the history of our local Church is taking place. Primates and high representatives of the local Orthodox Churches, led by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomew, His Holiness Teophilos of Jerusalem, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus and His Beatitude Archbishop Sava of Warsaw responded to the invitation of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch to participate in both the Central, and the closing ceremony of the marking the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan. Besides delegations of the Orthodox Churches, the Central celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan will be attended also by representatives of the East Non-Chalcedonian Churches, then high delegation of Vatican with the representatives of the Roman Catholic Church from the region, heads of the Churches ...

( CWN ) - The leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church has written to his counterpart in the Assyrian Church of the East, proposing that they bring their churches into full communion. Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako sent a birthday greeting to the Assyrian Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV, and suggested that the two Eastern churches should “begin dialogue for unity, which is the desire of Jesus.” Full union with the Chaldean Church would also bring the Assyrian Church into union with the Holy See, he noted. “The beginning of this dialogue is urgent today, in the face of great challenges that threaten our survival,” Patriarch Sako wrote, alluding to the uncertain prospects facing the Christian minority in Iraq. “Without unity, there is no future for us,” he said. The Assyrian Church broke away from Rome in the 5th century, with the Assyrian Church showing sympathy for the Nestorian teachings that were condemned by the Council of Ephesus. However, leaders of the Assyrian Church have ...

( UOC-USA ) - Each September a Sunday is set aside for Orthodox Parishes across the country to focus on the lives of college students. As students settle on campus for another academic year, it is certain that they will encounter a world full of questions about the very meaning of life and how best to live it. They will be challenged by ideas both ancient and new. Campus life will confront them with issues from what it means to be human to how to understand sex and marriage. Today’s college students are tomorrow’s parish council members, Sunday School teachers and youth group leaders. More importantly, they are tomorrow’s parents and how they understand their faith and the Church will shape Orthodox Christianity in America for years to come. Keeping college students connected to the Church has been the focus of campus ministry for decades. However, the question must be asked: What kind of Church are we keeping college students connected to? Is it a Church that frequently worships...

( SVOTS ) - “We have a full complement of students in all our programs this year,” said Pdn. Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, “with 20 new seminarians enrolled in our core Master of Divinity program, 15 new students in our Master of Arts program, and 4 new students in our Master of Theology program. “The campus is already buzzing with activity as new students begin Orientation,” noted Pdn. Joseph. The 39 new seminarians are joining 28 returning students, twenty of which are continuing their studies in the Master of Divinity program; additionally, 5 part-time students and 10 more students who are finishing their degree program requirements are enrolled. The total student body for Academic Year 2013–2014 equals 83. This video tells the story of Orientation, which began on Friday, August 23.

( OCA-NYNJ ) - This video features a presentation on the “Prevention of Sexual Misconduct and Abuse in our Parishes.” As part of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey’s continuing dedication to addressing this matter concern, clergy and parish council members were invited to participate in three regional (by deanery) conferences during which Michael Herzak, a subject matter expert, presented valuable information and recommendations. The training was mandated by the Diocesan Assembly of 2012.

( Armenian-WD ) - On September 15, the Primate will depart for Moscow, Russia. Archbishop Derderian will join His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, high-ranking clergymen, representatives of the Diaspora, and government officials for the opening of St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral on September 17. With construction commencing in 2008, the Cathedral will serve as the residence of His Grace Bishop Ezras Nersisyan, Primate of the New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

( antiochian.org ) - The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) has posted an interview with His Grace Bishop Basil, Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, discussing the topic of the fourth annual meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America scheduled for September 17–19 in Chicago, IL. Bishop Basil is the Secretary of the Assembly and is deeply involved in planning the upcoming meeting. In the interview, His Grace explains the significance of this particular meeting, which will address the following issues: How to affirm and realize the Assembly's vision Crafting proposals for canonical restructuring for the church in America Possible regional solutions and cooperative relationships between hierarchs who share geographical territory A proposal for national Orthodox youth conference Ancient Faith Radio version OCN version

( OCA ) - The 81st Annual Episcopate Congress of the Romanian Episcopate of the Orthodox Church in America took place at the Diocesan Center “Vatra Romaneasca” (“Romanian Hearth”) here September 5-7, 2013. This year marked the 75th Anniversary of the inaugural events that had taken place at the Vatra in 1938, when services were held and the property blessed by His Grace, Bishop Policarp [Morusca], the Episcopate’s first ruling bishop, and His Eminence, Archbishop Athenagoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. As customary, the Congress is hosted by a parish or mission of the Episcopate. Saint Elias Mission, Anjou, Quebec, Canada was this year’s host mission. Congress participants were blessed by the presence of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, who attended all meetings and other Congress sessions. The three-day event began at the Valerian D. Trifa Romanian-American Heritage Center with the Clergy Conference on Thursday September 5, after which the Akathistos Hymn was ch...

H/T: Orthodoxy Christianity The point of the filioque is that the Son is also the source of the Holy Spirit along with the Father. The Holy Spirit receives the divine essence not only from the Father, but also from the Son. In the West it has been proper to make the distinction that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father alone with respect to absolute, unoriginate, unbegotten cause, because only the Father is unbegotten and unoriginate, in which case one can say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through (διά) the Son. However, in the West it is said that one must at the same time say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son also, as from a mediate, originated, begotten cause, and that the Son communicates the divine essence to the Spirit in exactly the same way as the Father... Complete article here .

On account of the fact that in the course of the last few days there have been made varied media reports about the Monastery of Sinai and the problems that it faces (which always according to the said self-same sources) result in creating among the Public Opinion impressions that do not correspond to reality, hereby we wish to inform you as to the following: a. The southern Sinai region along with the broader area of the Monastery constituted-prior to the Political crisis in Egypt – the third most visited tourist destination in the Country (after the Pyramids and Luxor). For reasons of safety in relation with the movement of such a large number of foreign (mostly) Lay-persons,in this sensitive region, the local Directorate of the Tourist Police issued, as of a week ago, an Instruction for the temporary “Closing” of the Monastery in question to Tourists. b. The said Directive concerned the numerous tourists and not the organized groups of Pilgrims,who, -though few- continued to ar...

( Armenian-ED ) - This week, New York became the permanent home to a unique piece of Armenia’s sacred history: a holy relic of St. Vartan the Brave. The relic is the gracious gift of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, given to the Eastern Diocese in honor of the 45th anniversary of New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral. Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian accepted the relic on behalf of the Diocese during his recent trip to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The 1,500-year-old relic—a piece of stone encrusted with the blood of Armenia’s 5th-century warrior saint—is encased in a beautiful, hand-crafted silver cross, which was sanctified in a special ceremony at the Holy See in late August. In its cross-shaped reliquary, the relic of St. Vartan will be unveiled to the public on Sunday, September 15, as part of the official celebration of the 45th anniversary of St. Vartan Cathedral. Archbishop Barsamian will celebrate th...

( St. Innocent Church ) - On Sunday, September 8th we had our annual "public" Proskomedia service where parishioners were invited to learn and witness the Proskomedia service.

From the Morning Offering blog ... The monastery hosted a gathering of local clergy serving Oriental and Eastern Orthodox parishes in the greater Seattle area. Priests of the Ethiopian, Coptic, and Armenian churches met together with members of the Washington Orthodox Clergy Association. With the Islamic attacks taking place against Orthodox Christians throughout the Middle East, this gathering was particularly poignant. That the two Syrian bishops who were kidnapped some time ago, represented both the Oriental Orthodox, and the Eastern Orthodox churches, and were on a humanitarian mission together when kidnapped, made this gathering all the more important. It gave us all a chance to share our common Orthodox roots, and begin the process of building up brotherly support and friendship. With love in Christ, Abbot Tryphon

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) – On the occasion of the 12th Anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Archbishop Demetrios of America will conduct a Trisgaion (Memorial) Service to honor the memory of all the victims who tragically lost their lives on that day. The service will be held on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 12:30pm at the new site of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (entrance located at Liberty and Greenwich Streets). St. Nicholas Church was the only house of worship destroyed on September 11.

( CNSNews.com ) – About 200,000 Christians still reside in the battle-weary city of Aleppo, Syria, but if the Syrian Army retreats in the face of ongoing attacks by Islamist rebels, the Christians “will be massacred,” said Rev. Raymond Moussalli, the patriarchal vicar of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Jordan, which borders Syria on the south. Rev. Moussalli has spent many years ministering to Christians who have fled from Iraq (along the western border) into Amman, Jordan – Aleppo, Syria is about 320 miles north of Amman. Last week, Father Raymond was among 50-plus regional Christian leaders, and Muslim scholars, who spoke at a conference in Amman against Western military intervention into the region. “The Syrian Army is protecting the Christian community [in Aleppo],” said Rev. Moussalli, as reported by BBC Monitoring Middle East. “But if [the Army] leaves, they will be massacred.” There are about 2.5 million Christians in all of Syiria, and an estimated 220,000 in Aleppo, o...

( Orthodox Nepal ) - On this day of the Feast of the Vladimir icon of the Theotokos, a Divine Liturgy was served in the chapel of the Mother of God on Tubabao Island. The new chapel is located on the site of the previous chapel of the Mother of God, built by the Russian refugees who lived on the island from 1949-51; the same chapel in which St. John Maximovitch concelebrated during his stay there. This was the first Liturgy to be served on the island in 62 years. A small group of Orthodox pilgrims made their way from the city of Leyte to the town of Guian. Included in the group were the 10 newly baptized Christians from the ROCOR parish of St. Nikolai Velimirovich in Palo together with Fr. Sava Salinas, a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese in Leyte, Fr. Philip Balingit, administrator of the ROCOR parishes in the Philippines, my co-laborer Fr. Dn. Silouan Thompson, a young journalist and TV presenter, the head of the local tourist association, and lastly and certainly least of ...

( SOCMNet ) - As per the call of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch Gregory III Laham, head of Greek Melkite Catholics, praying in Damascus along with Mor Timotheos Matta Fadil Alkhouri, Patriarchal Assistant of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, and others in Damascus on 07 September 2013 for the peace in Syria and the return of kidnapped Bishops.

( LifeSiteNews ) – In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a lower court order blocking California’s Prop. 8 ban on gay “marriage,” the California Department of Corrections announced this week that inmates in the state’s 33 prisons may “marry” their same sex lovers, effective immediately. The only catch? At least for now, due to “security concerns,” prisoners cannot marry each other. “Effective immediately, all institutions must accept and process applications for a same sex marriage between an inmate and a non-incarcerated person in the community, in the same manner as they do marriages between opposite sex couples,” M.D. Stainer, director of the Division of Adult Institutions wrote in a memo issued August 30. Admitting that this may require some creative interpretation of state code regulating marriages of inmates, Stainer instructed prison officials that “the terms ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ … shall be interpreted to be gender neutral where necessary (i.e. ‘bride m...

( AFR ) - "Crisis in Syria." Kevin is joined by Dr. Najib Saliba, Metropolitan Philip, and Samuel Noble to discuss the current crisis in Syria as well as the controversy surrounding the pending attack by the US. ( AFR ) - "Syria, Assad, and the US." John Maddex has a conversation with Middle East expert Samuel Noble about the religious and political climate in Syria leading to the current situation with the United States contemplating an attack.

OrthoCuban has a post up on vaccination entitled " Texas, vaccinations, and here we go again ." Knowing many people who choose not to vaccinate their children either at all or very selectively, I don't think it's as cut-and-dry as it is presented (e.g. I don't think all vaccines are as innocuous as popularly presented), but wanted to give the post more visibility. Please do comment on it. As you look at the video above, you will see that a whooping-cough epidemic has broken out in this country. The State of Texas has the worst of it; they are under a health alert. Already two babies have died. Medical authorities are appealing in various states for parents to vaccinate their children. More children may die because of the failure of parents to vaccinate their children. I can only think, “Here we go again!” I have written more than one blog post dealing with the non-Christian idea that opposes faith to science. Because of the false idea that science and faith a...