Byzantine, Texas

Vatican City ( AsiaNews ) - The pope will hold two meetings with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as an ecumenical meeting in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. He will also sign a joint declaration. The pilgrimage is particularly important because it marks the 50th anniversary of the embrace of peace in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras, on 5 January 1964. Although questions were raised about certain issues concerning the three main stops in the papal visit, namely Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. However, Holy See Press Office Director Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, said in a statement that the release of the programme shows that preparations for the trip are "continuing as planned." When asked about labour problems in Israel, Fr Lombardi said that he hoped the Vatican authorities would soon be able to resume "formal contacts" with the authorities responsible for the papal visit. According to the official sche...

( ABC News ) - The Syriac Orthodox Church has elected a new patriarch to lead one of the world's oldest Christian sects, Lebanon's national news agency said Monday. The announcement of the election of Cyril Aphrem Karim, a 48-year-old Syrian, was made by the Syrian Orthodox Church's Lebanese headquarters in the village of Atshaneh northeast of the capital Beirut. Karim, who served as bishop in the United States, replaces Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas, who died March 21 in a hospital in Germany at the age of 80. Karim's official title will be the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. His church, known as the Syrian Orthodox Church, was founded in the year 452 after a schism with the bulk of the world's Christians. There are more than 4 million members, living in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq although there are also significant communities in Germany, Sweden and in the United States, where immigrants from the Near East introduced the faith in the late 19th centur...

Just back from Met. Philip's interment. It was very well attended and sung. Bishops, clergy, and laity from all over were in attendance. I controlled myself and didn't take photos as it looked like no fewer than three crews were doing that much better than my phone's camera could. May his memory be eternal.

( AFR ) - Ancient Faith Radio has been provided this recording of the comments made by Bishop Basil at the funeral of the beloved priest Fr. Alexander Atty. May his memory be eternal.

It should also be noted that Metropolitan Jonah has been released to ROCOR. I do not have any details on the specifics of the release yet. Williamsburg, VA ( ROCOR-EAD ) - On Sunday, March 16, at the request of the College of William & Mary’s Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen; former Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America & Canada of the Orthodox Church in America) celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the College’s Wren Chapel in Williamsburg, VA. He was co-served by Priest John Johnson and Protodeacon Leonid Mickle (clerics of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC). The Liturgy, held in the colonial capital of Virginia, is believed to be the first ever Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Wren Chapel in the College’s Wren Building, the oldest college building in the United States. The Wren Building is a 10-minute walk from Col. Philip Ludwell’s house along Duke of Gloucester Street, the main avenue of c...

( AFR ) - Ancient Faith Radio to broadcast live video feed of the funeral of Metropolitan Philip Saliba from New York. Chesterton, IN —Ancient Faith Radio, in partnership with Tele Lumiere/Noursat, is honored to present the funeral of Metropolitan Saliba as a live video broadcast. The funeral service for His Eminence will begin at 9:00 AM EST, and it will be broadcast live on both Ancient Faith Radio and the Antiochian.org website. Watch the funeral service this Saturday, March 29, by pointing your internet browser to www.ancientfaith.com .

March 22, 2014 ( pravmir.com ) - Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, who hosts the Church and World talk-show on Russia-24 TV channel, had as his guest the editor-in-chief of the Religion and Mass Media portal, journalist Alexander Shchipkov. Metropolitan Hilarion: Good afternoon, dear brothers and sisters. You are tuned to the Church and World program. Today we will discuss Ukraine. My guest is journalist Alexander Shchipkov, editor-in-chief of the Religion and Mass Media portal. Good afternoon, Alexander. A. Shchipkov: Good afternoon, Your Eminence. Ukraine is seething. The situation and events are developing with a catastrophic pace, a kind of motion picture speed. The situation is tense. Everybody is talking about political components alone and it is clear why. But as an Orthodox Christian and journalist I am concerned for the religious component. As is known, Ukraine is a place of heightened religiosity. There are many Protestants; the Greek Catholics are strong and, unfo...

Moscow ( AsiaNews ) - The Moscow Patriarchate strongly condemned the Greek-Catholic (Uniate) Church in Ukraine for "meddling" in politics, in the current crisis in the country. For its part, Russia continues to accuse the Ukraine of "religious intolerance," a charge the latter sharply rejects, noting instead how all religious denominations have come together to oppose violence and express support for Europe. For Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and his predecessor, Lubomyr Husar, took a "very clear position from the beginning of the civil conflict, which grew unfortunately into an armed bloody conflict". In his view, the Uniates not only advocated integration with Europe, "but even called for Western countries to intervene more decisively in the situation in Ukraine." Speaking on The Ch...

Stockholm ( AINA ) - On the same day I received the news that Patriarch Zakka had passed away in a hospital in Germany (AINA 2014-03-21 ), I was invited to a cultural event organized by the St. Augin Association in Sweden, in support of the eponymous monastery in Turabdin, Turkey. I received a bouquet of flowers from the association's president Iskender Gabrielsson in recognition of my translation of St. Augin's biography into Swedish. I gave a short acceptance speech and also expressed my condolences on the patriarch's death, which I concluded with the following message: "Let us hope that his successor will work for the well-being of both the Church and the nation." The Syrian Orthodox Church is split into two rival factions. One wing is anti-Assyrian and hides behind an "Aramean" identity and has gained an increasing foothold in the Church. The other faction rejects any ethnic imprint on the Church, Aramean or Assyrian. A bitter feud over the new pat...

Beirut ( OCP ) - The Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church which held on 26th of March 2014 held at St. Aphrem Cathedral in Beirut elected Archbishop Mor Severios Hawathe of Baghdad & Basra as the Locum Tenens to the Patriarchal throne of Antioch and All East. The Synod sessions were presided by Catholicos Abune Baselios Thomas I of India who is also the Metropolitan Trustee of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India at . “As per Article 29 of the Constitution of the Syriac Orthodox Church. The locum tenens means “the place holder” (in Arabic Qa`im Maqām, in colloquial Qaymaqām). The election of the locum tenens has to take place within seven (7) days by majority vote of the bishops. The locum tenens is not permitted to leave the Patriarchate. He is not permitted to make any changes to the Patriarchate, nor can he ordain or take part in financial transactions (Article 32). His main function is to act as a place holder and to convene a Synod to elect the Patriarch“. What the loc...

Moscow, March 26 ( Interfax ) - Head of Yakutsk Aisen Nikolayev speaks for giving back to the Russian Church Spruse Island not far from Alaska. He sent a corresponding address to Russian President Vladimir Putin, heads of both chambers of the Russian Parliament and to the Foreign Ministry, the Izvestia daily writes on Wednesday. "I stand for restoring historical justice - returning of Spruse Island to its legal owners that is the Russian Orthodox Church," Nikolayev said. According to him, the Church has undisputable rights on the island in compliance with the agreement on selling territories of Russian America to the USA. "I have been keen on this story for a long time: Yakutsk scientists studied the documents and organized several expeditions to the USA. We celebrate the 220th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox mission in Northern America in 2014, I mean the Kodiak Mission. When, if not now, should we take up the question of Russian America?" Nikolayev w...

Sacramento, CA ( SFGate ) - For nearly 35 years, Abbot Theodor Micka tended to the grounds of his 9-acre monastery in Castro Valley. Now, the 75-year-old is asking state lawmakers for a rare exemption to California law that would allow him to remain at the monastery he co-founded after he dies. "From the moment the request was made, we got on this immediately," said state Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, whose district includes the monastery. "We looked at the best way to address the request with all due haste so he knows his final request will be granted." SB124 would allow Alameda County to issue a burial permit for Micka on the Holy Cross Monastery grounds. Existing state law requires a burial at a cemetery, unless a person is cremated. Because the monastery is not a designated cemetery, burying the abbot on the property would be considered a misdemeanor without the special law. With the legislative deadline to introduce bills having passed, Corbett e...

( cerkiew.pl ) [machine translation] - On Tuesday, March 18 at the headquarters of the Metropolitan of Warsaw and the entire Polish took the spring session of the Holy. Council of Bishops PAKP under the leadership of His Eminence, His Beatitude Sawa, Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and the Polish. Subject agenda St. Council concerned the internal and external activities of the Church. Following issues were discussed: External: Acquainted with the replies sent information about Church life in patriarchies Constantinople, Moscow, Bulgarian and Czech and Slovak metropolis. Acquainted with the results of the meeting the heads of the Local Orthodox Orthodox Church, which took place in Constantinople on March 6-9. For work in the Preparatory Commission for Wszechprawosławnego Council, which will take place in 2016 posting: His Excellency Bishop Siemiatycze George and Fr. prot. Dr. Andrew Kuzma. Adopted and discussed the report of the international conference on sects, which took place...

The below is from the Incense Prayer in Malayalam at the first part of the funeral service of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church in Germany. This is the head of an Oriental Orthodox Church and not the Orthodox Church. More videos from the funeral available here .

Attended the ordination of a good friend in New Jersey last weekend with all the kids in tow.

Update: Thanks to a reader for finding the declaration itself from the document "MINUTES OF THE SPRING SESSION OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA, Diocese of the Midwest Chancery Chicago, Illinois" dated May 6, 2011 and available here (PDF). Resolution 1 – LOCUM TENENCY Be it resolved this day, May 3, 2011, by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting in the City of Chicago, IL, pertaining to Article VI, Section 8 of the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America which states “In the event of a vacancy in the office of diocesan bishop, a locum tenens, appointed by the Metropolitan, shall convoke and preside over the Diocesan Assembly whose sole purpose at this time shall be the election of a new diocesan bishop,” that the Metropolitan shall appoint a locum tenens from among the other hierarchs of the Synod and not himself, so as not to burden the Primate with supervision of multiple dioceses. ( OCA )- On March 21, 2014, during...

( The Telegraph ) - The bodies of thousands of aborted and miscarried babies were incinerated as clinical waste, with some even used to heat hospitals, an investigation has found. Ten NHS trusts have admitted burning foetal remains alongside other rubbish while two others used the bodies in ‘waste-to-energy’ plants which generate power for heat. Last night the Department of Health issued an instant ban on the practice which health minister Dr Dan Poulter branded ‘totally unacceptable.’ At least 15,500 foetal remains were incinerated by 27 NHS trusts over the last two years alone, Channel 4’s Dispatches discovered. The programme, which will air tonight, found that parents who lose children in early pregnancy were often treated without compassion and were not consulted about what they wanted to happen to the remains. One of the country’s leading hospitals, Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, incinerated 797 babies below 13 weeks gestation at their own ‘waste to energy’ plant. The mothe...

In 2009 Fr. Alexander Atty gave a series of lectures on the campus of St. Vladimir's during their annual Lenten Retreat. Fr. Alexander was at the time the priest at St. Michael's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY. His talks were, for me, life-changing. Even today, when things seem insurmountable, I listen to the below podcasts. The Good and Faithful Priest - Part 1 - Transcript The Good and Faithful Priest - Part 2 - Transcript The Good and Faithful Priest - Part 3 - Transcript ( antiochian.org ) - As we continue to mourn the loss of Metropolitan Philip, your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of the newly-departed servant of God, the beloved Archpriest Alexander Atty. The V. Rev. Fr. Alexander, former Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary and before that priest at St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY, fell asleep in the Lord early Sunday morning March 23. May his memory be eternal! Services for Fr. Alexander are listed ...

( OCA ) - The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America concluded its spring session on Friday, March 21, 2014. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, chaired the session. In his opening report, titled “The Apostolic Work of the Church,” Metropolitan Tikhon presented a working copy of his vision for the Church’s ongoing ministry for the immediate future. He highlighted the following aspects of his vision. Evangelization. The OCA recently received an immensely generous bequest of $1 million to be used for evangelization. He appointed a Focus Group, which met to examine possibilities and and to identify three possible choices for the Holy Synod’s consideration. It will be interesting to see, 5 years on, what sort of effect this will have on church growth. Clergy Health. The spiritual, physical and psychological health of our clergy must be strengthened for effective mission and evangelistic ministry. By assisting the clergy in maintaining their health, the h...

( Syrian Orthodox Church ) - It is with great sadness that we, the North American Archdioceses of the Syriac Orthodox Church, wish to inform you of the passing of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church. His Holiness was called to his eternal rest today, March 21, 2014, following a heart attack while in Germany for medical treatment. Eighty years of age, His Holiness was born in Mosul, Iraq on April 21, 1933 and served as our supreme spiritual father since his election to the Patriarchal See of Antioch on September 14, 1980. A tireless servant of the Lord, His Holiness labored faithfully to strengthen and guide the Holy Church for more than three decades during which time he was instrumental in the establishment of new vicariates throughout the world and the construction of St. Ephrem Monastery and Theological Seminary at Ma’arrat Saidnaya, near Damascus, Syria. His Holiness was very active in the...

Witness history as thousands of people enter the Orthodox Church in Guatemala and Mexico. http://www.mayanorthodoxy.com WHO ARE THE MAYAN ORTHODOX? The Mayan Orthodox are a group of several thousand Guatemalans and Mexicans who came into the Orthodox Church in 2010 under the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico. They are called "Mayan" Orthodox because the majority of the converts are descendants of the ancient Mayan groups who lived in Central America long before Europeans arrived. The Mayans might seem like a relic of ancient history, but there are still millions of Mayan people who live in Central America and speak their native, Mayan languages. Now, a huge group of those Mayans have entered the Orthodox Church. Note: the technical term for the people is "Maya," but the popular term "Mayan" is used throughout the site. HOW DID THEY COME INTO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH? Most of these people were originally Roman Catholics who fell away for vario...

( antiochian.org ) - The Archdiocese communicates with a heavy heart as we struggle with the news of the falling asleep in Christ of Metropolitan Philip. May his memory be eternal! We express our sincerest appreciation to our Father in Christ, His Beatitude Patriarch John X for his pastoral care and love. His Beatitude was in continual contact with us, and with Metropolitan Philip during his hospital stay, and showed his love and concern for his spiritual children in North America. For this, we are most grateful. May the memory of Metropolitan Philip be eternal, and may God grant many years to His Beatitude Patriarch John. The schedule for all events associated with the falling asleep of Metropolitan Philip is available here . All events will be held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York unless another location is specified. His Beatitude Patriarch John has told us that he intends to be with us for the funeral and the Sunday Divine Liturgy. Attached you will find lette...

( ROCOR ) - The following document was approved at a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on March 19, 2014 (Journal No. 3). The attention of the entire Orthodox world is transfixed upon the tragic events taking place in the Ukrainian land. Blood has been spilt in Kiev. Unrest has spread throughout the entire country. Responding to this acute situation and to the threats of violent takeover of churches and monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, having gathered on March 6-9 of this year in Istanbul, jointly addressed an appeal for the peaceful resolution of civil resistance and for the non-intervention of political forces into church matters. The Primates also bore witness to the fact that they pray for the return of those who are today outside of ecclesiastical communion to the bosom of the Holy Church. Having gathered today at a session of the Holy Synod, we once again appeal to Ukraine, so dear to our h...

MOSCOW: March 19, 2014 ( ROCOR ) - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Confirms the Election of Priest Nicholas Olhovsky as Bishop of Manhattan by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad "JOURNAL No. 10 of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. “HEARD: “The report of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, interceding for the confirmation of the election of Priest Nicholas Olhovsky, a clergyman of the Eastern American Diocese, to the cathedra of Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern America Diocese. “DECREED: To confirm the election of Priest Nicholas Olhovsky, clergyman of the clergyman of the Eastern American Diocese, to the cathedra of Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern America Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.” As it is known, on July 10, 2013, the cathedra of the Manhattan Vicariate of th...

( antiochian.org ) - The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, with great sadness, announces the passing unto life eternal of His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Philip, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America. May his memory be eternal! Details are forthcoming.

( Moscow Times ) - Priests from the Moscow-based Orthodox Church accompanied by armed men have threatened to seize property belonging to a rival church denomination in the Crimea after the peninsula completes its accession to Russia, a Ukrainian prelate said. In one recent case, a Moscow Patriarchate priest from the Black Sea port of Sevastopol arrived at the Crimean village of Perevalnoye with an entourage of armed men and demanded to see documentation of property belonging to the Kiev Patriarchate there, Crimea's Archbishop Kliment told Ukraine's Channel 5 television. The men "started to take inventory of our property and warned that as soon as Ukrainian servicemen leave Perevalnoye, the church on the territory of the military base will belong to the Moscow patriarchate," he said. Ukraine has two separate Ukrainian Orthodox churches — that of the Moscow Patriarchate, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow, and that o...

( Orthodox Pastoral School ) - Have you thought about broadening your Orthodox Horizons? Would you like to learn more about the history, faith, and beauty of Orthodoxy? Prayerfully consider registering for a Summer Courses Class online! All Pastoral School summer courses are available to the general public without the need for a formal application to our complete Diploma program. With Bishop Peter's blessing, this year summer courses will again be offered in the Pastoral School of the Diocese of Chicago & The Orthodox Pastoral School of Chicago and Mid-America. To register please visit the link here . To learn more about the summer courses and all the offerings of the Pastoral School please visit the link here . The following courses will be offered this year – dates for the courses are June 9-July 20, 2014: 111 Liturgics 112 Church Slavonic 113 Byzantine History For more information or with questions please contact the Associate Dean of the Pastoral School...

( AFR ) - Fr. Tom talks about what happened in the 17th Century, when Orthodoxy in both Constantinople and Ukraine were influenced by non Orthodox thinking.

( OCA ) - The Eighth Annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum — a program held in conjunction with the Orthodox Church in America’s Diaconal Vocations Program (DVP) and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary — will be held Sunday, June 22 through Wednesday, June 25, 2014 on the seminary campus in Yonkers, NY. The four–day program will focus on intense practical liturgical training for deacons and lay diaconal candidates. During the program, practical liturgical training will be supported by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and other services, while intensive workshops will provide participants with the skills needed to serve effectively as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. In addition, focused presentations will augment the deacon’s understanding of his place in the liturgical life of the Church and his broader vocation as a symbol to the faithful of the diakonia of Jesus Christ. “This practicum is highly recommended by the Holy Synod of Bishops for participants i...

( OCA ) - His Grace, Bishop Mark [Maymon] was elected by the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America to fill the vacant Episcopal See of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. The election took place on the opening day of the spring session of the Holy Synod, at which His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, presided. Delegates to the Assembly of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, held at Saint Nicholas Church, Bethlehem, PA on January 17, 2014, had nominated Bishop Mark, who had served as the Diocese’s Administrator since 2012, to fill the vacant See. His name was subsequently presented to the Holy Synod for canonical election. Born on June 22, 1958 in New Albany, IN, Bishop Mark was baptized at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church and confirmed at the age of nine years. He attended elementary school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and graduated from New Albany High School in 1976. He co...

( mospat.ru ) - On 14 March 2014, Friday of the second week of Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated Vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. That day marked the 38th anniversary of his episcopal consecration.

( Pravoslavie.ru ) - Hierodeacon Nikolai (Ono) comes from an old family of priests of the Japanese Orthodox Church. His great-great grandfather’s name—Priest John Ono—is often mentioned in the diaries of St1. Nicholas of Japan. We talk with Fr. Nikolai about his family and Orthodox churches of Japan and Russia. Fr. Nikolai, please tell us about your family. On my father’s side, my family was Samurai. They lived in the city of Sendai in northeast Japan. My great-great grandfather, Ono Syogoro Sigenobu, was the last Samurai in our family. He was baptized with the name of John by St. Nicholas of Japan in 1871 and became one of the first Christians in the Japanese land. Later, John Ono was ordained a priest, was engaged in missionary work, and was the dean of the church in the city of Osaka. My great grandfather and grandfather likewise received baptism and were parishioners of the church in Kyoto. My father is also called John. Since there are no Orthodox educational institutions ...