Byzantine, Texas

Jerusalem ( CNN ) - A day after flames scorched a West Bank mosque, a Jerusalem seminary belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church was torched and defaced Thursday -- an act police suspect is the work of radical right-wing Israelis. Both buildings were defaced with anti-Arab and anti-Christian slurs, including graffiti maligning Jesus on the seminary, said police spokeswoman Luba Samri. And in each case, there was writing in Hebrew referring to the "redemption of Zion" and "revenge." The acts drew strong condemnation. "There is no room for such deplorable activity in Jerusalem," Mayor Nir Barkat said Thursday. "We must eradicate this behavior and bring those responsible to justice." Palestine Liberation Organization official Hanan Ashrawi called the acts "hate crimes (that) constitute a flagrant attack on all Palestinians, whether Muslim or Christian." "These are not isolated incidents, but rather they fit a longstanding pa...

I am reposting this because Ancient Faith Radio has released the audio of this talk. ( mospat.ru ) - Lecture by the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at the Universities of Winchester (5 February 2015) and Cambridge (6 February 2015). Dear members of the faculty, students and guests of the university! I have been asked to give a lecture on the topic of interaction between Christians today. Does ecumenism have a future? This question has become ever more relevant and demands an all-round analysis. When Jesus Christ founded his Church on earth, it was a single community of disciples bound together by faith in him as God and Saviour. At the Last Supper Jesus prayed to his Father that his disciples may preserve unity in the fashion of the unity that exists between the Father and the Son: ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that ...

As has been reported in many place, Fr. Tom's health has not been good of late. Please pray for him. It is telling that even in his diminished state that he is still putting out important commentary on the topics of the day. I remember when the Latin Church was debating the new translations for the mass in English. In defense of "difficult" words some Roman bishops looked East and said (in summary), "Look. The Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox use these words without trouble. Let's not be afraid of words like 'ineffable' shall we?" Now again we have the Catholic Church looking to the orient for guidance on another topic. This time it's what to do with communing the divorced. Fr. Thomas' comments on the topic are thought provoking: Orthodox understanding of marriage and of the marriage ceremony is not apples to apples with Catholic understanding. As a result you can't import Orthodox canons on communing the divorced without also caref...

My heart leaps with joy. The blog Facing Islam recently posted an update from Father Daniel 's Mission Shop that the English text are available here .

( Vatican Radio ) Pope Francis has declared Armenian poet and monk, Saint Gregory of Narek, a Doctor of the Universal Church. Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints on Saturday ahead of his departure for Aricca on Lenten retreat, the Pope confirmed the proposal put forward by the Plenary Session of the Congregation to confer the title of Doctor of the Universal Church on the 10th century saint. St. Gregory of Narek is widely revered as one of the greatest figures of medieval Armenian religious thought and literature. Born in the city of Narek in about 950 A.D., St. Gregory came from a line of scholars and churchmen. St. Gregory received his education under the guidance of his father, Bishop Khosrov, author of the earliest commentary on the Divine Liturgy, and from Anania Vartabed, abbotof Narek Monastery. He and his two brothers entered monastic life at an early age, and St. Gregory soon began to excel in music, astronomy, geome...

H/T: Dover Beach “Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others… but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God “sending us” to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE hell unless it is nipped in the bud. ” – C.S. Lewis, from his book The Great Divorce

( UOC-USA ) - The current visit of our UOC of USA delegation to Ukraine as part of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops beyond the Borders of Ukraine (PCB) to the various ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Ukraine was an extremely busy one with very important discussions and prayerful homage to important Ukrainian memorials. The first round of discussions took place in our hotel conference room with His Eminence Archbishop Ihor (Isichenko) head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Diocese of Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine. The Archbishop made the long journey to Kyiv to share the history and current status of his diocese with our American and Canadian Bishops: His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij, His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and Their Graces Bishops Ilarion, Andrij and Daniel. Life in the Diocese is difficult for the clergy and faithful in the Kharkiv Region. In spite of the difficulties, the Church is still active and preaching Christ’s salvation to all. In respondin...

From the blog Adventures of an Orthodox Mom ... The Orthodox Lenten Study is now available for purchase! With the Advent Study, I had to manually email the file to everyone who purchased one which was really difficult, so hopefully this time the link will work and you will receive it when you complete your checkout. It is a 128 page Study that includes a weekly themed devotional reading, a G.R.O.W. page–which is a daily Scripture verse and prompts for reflection, a couple Lenten recipes, a basic run down of Holy Week and also some basic guidelines for Bright Week. I’m really excited about the writings I was able to include this time around–they’re some of my favorites–and I hope you benefit from them. It is very simple to use this study. Simply print it out and place the pages in a binder or folder. You can take it with you wherever you go! Grab your Bible and do your daily reading and responding with your morning coffee, in car line or while waiting in the doctor’s off...

( LA Copts ) - His Holiness Pope Tawadros I announced the inclusion of the 21 Coptic New Martyrs of Libya in the Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church today. Every year, they will be commemorated on 8 Amshir in the Coptic calendar, which corresponds to 15 February in the Gregorian calendar, the same day as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. Axios, Axios, Axios!

Fr. Jacob Myers, may his memory be eternal. A brother said to Abba Poemen: “If I give my brother a little bread or something else, what happens when the demons spoil these gifts by telling me that it was only done in order to please people?” The old man said to him: “Even if it is done to please people, we are still obliged to offer what we can.” He told him the following parable. “Two farmers lived in the same town. One of them sowed and reaped only a small and poor crop, while the other did not even trouble to sow and reaped absolutely nothing. If a famine comes upon them, which of the two will find something to live on?” The brother replied: “The one who reaped the small poor crop.” The old man said to him: “So it is with us: we sow a little poor grain, so that we will not die of hunger.”

( mospat.ru ) - On 19 February 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Attending the meeting, which took place in the Patriarchal and Synodal residence at St. Daniel’s stavropegic monastery, were Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative secretariat; Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, Patriarchal vicar; archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; and deacon Feodor Shulga, a staff member of the DECR. The delegation accompanying the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch consists of Bishop Athanasios of Nineveh, Archimandrite Parthenios (Allati), Archdeacon Gerasimos (Kabbas). Also accompanying His Beatitude are Metropolitan Nifon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Heg...

From the invaluable Arab Orthodoxy blog, these words from Patriarch John X of Antioch to the preparatory council for the upcoming Great and Holy Council. This translation is unofficial. Arabic original here . Brother members of the preparatory committee for the Great Orthodox Council who are meeting in Chambésy, As we prepare for Great and Holy Lent, I address you, beloved brothers, in my name and in the name of the Holy Synod of Antioch, wishing you a blessed fast and calling down blessings upon your preparatory meeting, for whose work I wish all success. As we approach the date specified for holding the Great and Holy Council, I would like to call your attention to basic points that the Antiochian Church sees as essential for this council that our church has been awaiting for years, for which our predecessors worked hard to prepare, and which must constitute a critical point in our history. It does not come as the closing of a stage but rather it inaugurates a new stage bas...

On February 10, the Feast of St. Ghevond the Priest, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenia, the sacrament of ordination and consecration of priests was offered in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin during the celebration of Divine Liturgy. The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan; Director of Ecclesiastical Issues, who anointed and ordained eight deacons into the Holy Order of Priesthood.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. - Psalm 33 (34), a selection ( Christian Today ) - The brother of two of the 21 Coptic Christians murdered in Libya last week has thanked their killers for including the men's declaration of faith in the video they made of their beheadings. Speaking on a live prayer and worship programme on Christian channel SAT-7 ARABIC yesterday, Beshir Kamel said that he was proud of his brothers Bishoy Estafanos Kamel (25) and Samuel Estaf...

( OCA ) - One hundred and nine clergy and lay delegates representing parishes throughout the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the South gathered at Christ the Saviour Cathedral here on Monday, February 16, 2015, for a special Assembly, during which Archimandrite Gerasim [Eliel] was nominated to fill the vacant See of Dallas and the South. Archimandrite Gerasim [Eliel] received 81 votes on the first ballot—more than the required two-thirds majority—with the remainder of the votes divided between four other candidates. His name will be submitted to the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops for canonical election at their spring session in March 2015. His Eminence, Archbishop Nikon, Locum Tenens, celebrated the opening Divine Liturgy and chaired the Assembly. He also will preside at the diocese’s Pastoral Conference, which will conclude on Thursday, February 19. Archpriest Dr. Steven Voytovich, Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA, will be the guest speaker. ...

( mospat.ru ) - The working group for preparing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church met on February 9-13, 2015, at the Coptic Church’s conference center at Madinat An Nasr in Cairo.

February 16, 2015 ( mospat.ru ) – the Special Inter-Orthodox Commission for preparation of a Pan-Orthodox Council started its second session at the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Orthodox Center in Chambesy near Geneva. The Russian Orthodox Church is represented by a delegation led by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations. The delegation includes Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, and Deacon Anatoly Churyakov, DECR interpreter. The commission established by the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches at their meeting on March 6-9, 2014, in Istanbul, will continue the work to edit draft documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. The commission started this work at its first session which took place on September 30 – October 3, 2014.

From the blog Finding Freedom in Christianity, a post entitled " In honour of our 21 Martyrs of Libya ." I am breaking from my retreat to write with tears a tribute of honour and veneration to our newest martyrs, the 21 martyrs in Libya. These valiant men have offered themselves as a living sacrifice as a testimony before the whole world and all nations. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head wi...

CAIRO ( Times of India ) - Egypt called Tuesday for UN-backed international intervention in Libya after launching air strikes on Islamic State group targets following the jihadists' beheadings of Egyptian Christians. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said "there is no choice" but to create a global coalition to confront the extremists in Libya, in an interview aired by France's Europe 1 radio. Egypt's foreign minister was in New York seeking backing from UN Security Council members for military intervention and to demand "full support" against the jihadists, a ministry spokesman said. The diplomatic push comes a day after Egyptian F-16s bombed militant bases in Derna and on the February 17 anniversary of the beginning of the 2011 Nato-backed revolt that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi. The raids were ordered hours after IS in Libya released a gruesome video showing the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians who had travelled there seeking work. UN hig...

A kind and gentle man from every experience I have had with him. Axios! Glory to God! The special assembly of the OCA Diocese of the South nominates an episcopal candidate, Archimadrite Gerasim. The nomination is subject to election by the Holy Synod of Bishops.

The title loosely quotes the Neuhaus's Law : "Where orthodoxy is optional, orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed." Some time ago I posted on this devil-less Baptismal service when it first came out of committee. In a move that surprises no one, the Church of England has voted in favor of this "updated" and "accessible" version of the service and removed reference to the devil - something that has been part of the Baptismal process from the beginning of Christianity. ( National Post ) - The Book of Revelation speaks of the Devil being vanquished and cast into a pit of fire and brimstone at the end of the world. Yesterday, however, the Church of England consigned Satan to a decidedly less dramatic fate – being quietly designated as an optional extra. Instead of requiring an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil, the move was approved with a polite show of hands at the General Synod, the Church’s decision-making body, which ...

This is a worthwhile thing for parishes to do as well. Beyond simply building community it's an important ministry within the church. Now if I could just convince St. Tikhon's to not put a black fade on the corner of all their photos. ( STOTS ) - On Saturday, February 7 2015, Fr. Stephen Kopestonsky held a one-day workshop on the art of Prosphora baking for members of the St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Community. Attending the workshop was Seminarian Megan Haak, Seminarian Timothy Winegar, Melanie Neal, Matushka Katherine White, Jason Malone, Mary Carol Ashley, Marina Ferguson and Anne Gillis. Thank you to Fr. Stephen and Matushka Sandy for hosting and teaching the class, and to community member Anne Gillis for organizing the event.

UPDATE: The family of a Roman Catholic man have been assured he will not be exhumed despite a complaint from a Muslim family that a “non-believer” had been buried next to their relation. You can read more about it here . ( The Telegraph ) - Local authority in Leicestershire tells the family of Shadrack Smith, 89, he might be moved to another plot after complaints from a Muslim family. Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, could be dragged into a messy legal battle after a Muslim family demanded that a “non-believer” who was buried next to their relation be exhumed for religious reasons. The unnamed Muslim family raised objections after an 89-year-old Roman Catholic man was buried in a plot adjacent to their relation. Shadrack Smith was buried in the multi-denominational Lychgate Lane Cemetery in Burbage, Leicestershire, following his funeral on Jan 30. Mr Smith had lived in an official gipsy camp in nearby Aston Firs for more than 20 years, and in excess of 400 relations...

WINNIPEG ( CTV News ) - A former archbishop who sexually assaulted an altar boy in the 1980s has lost his appeal and is starting his eight-month sentence behind bars. The Manitoba Court of Appeal said Thursday it agrees with the conviction of Seraphim Storheim and the sentence a lower court imposed. The high court said it wasn't convinced trial Judge Christopher Mainella -- who now sits on the Court of Appeal -- made a mistake when he decided Storheim's evidence wasn't believable. "It cannot be said that the trial judge applied a different level of scrutiny to the evidence of the accused," the judges wrote. "A review of the decision reveals that the trial judge ... did not hold the accused's evidence to a higher standard than that of the Crown witnesses." The judges also ruled the sentence fit the crime. Storheim was found guilty last year of sexually assaulting a boy who had come to visit him in Winnipeg in 1985. Storheim's lawyer, Jeff...

From the blog The Orthodox Life, a post entitled Women's Headcoverings . For 2000 years in the Orthodox Church, the tradition has been for women and girls to veil their heads during worship, whether at church for the liturgy, or at home for family prayer time. What is the Scriptural and Patristic evidence for this tradition, and why is it important? In this article, we will take a look at headcoverings in the Old Testament, headcoverings in the New Testament, headcoverings according to the early Church, headcoverings in icons, and headcoverings today. At the end of the article there are links to additional resources for learning about Christian headcoverings. Headcoverings in the Old Testament Centuries before the birth of Christ, women’s headcoverings were an accepted practice for God’s people. It was not merely an option for those who wished to be holy. Rather, it was a matter-of-fact expectation that all women would cover their heads. When the Holy Spirit inspired M...

( mospat.ru ) - On 3 February 2015, the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church completed its work in the Hall of Church Councils at the Church of Christ the Saviour under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Taking part in the Conference were 259 hierarchs: 215 ruling bishops, 38 vicar bishops and 6 retired bishops. The document of the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist elaborated by the Inter-Council Presence was adopted. The topic of monasticism in Russia was discussed as presented by the Inter-Council Presence in connection with the preparation of the ‘Regulation on Monasteries and Monastics.’ Archbishop Yevgeny of Vereya, chairman of the Education Committee, delivered a report on the placement of graduates of the theological educational institutions. Discussed and adopted was Provisional regulation on the placement. Also discussed was cooperation of the dioceses and canonical units of the Russian Orthodox ...

That the Fathers disagreed is true. That a singular reading of a theologian of the Church outside of tradition is dangerous is also true. What I find to be too much of a reach, though, is a dire warning of "Orthodox fundamentalism." This is especially difficult to accept without even a single example of such theologoumena-turned-dogma 'in the wild' as it were. ( GOARCH via OCL ) - One of the cornerstones of Orthodox Christianity is its reverence for the great Fathers of the Church who were not only exemplars of holiness but were also the greatest intellectuals of their age. The writings of men like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Maximos the Confessor have been and will always remain essential guides to Orthodox Christian living and Orthodox Christian faith. Thus it is alarming that so many Orthodox clerics and monks in recent years have made public statements that reflect a “fundamentalist” approach to the Church Fathers. And unless l...

Vatican ( Orthodox Herald ) - International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and all the Oriental Orthodox Churches concluded on Friday, January 27 at the Vatican in Rome. The weeklong discussions dealt with aspects of communion in the Early Church and ended with an audience with Pope Francis. The five-day dialogue, which commenced on Monday, was aimed to finalize a joint document on Communion and Communication in the first five centuries of Christianity. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are amongst the most ancient Christian communities in the world, founded according to tradition by the first apostles in Egypt, Armenia, Syria, India and Ethiopia in the decades following Christ’s death and Resurrection. They have not been in communion with either the Roman Catholic Church or the Byzantine Orthodox world since they officially severed ties in the 5th C. Fr Gabriel Quicke, who’s in charge of relations with these Oriental Orthodox Churches at th...

( OCA ) - On January 8, 2015, representatives of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here and Saint Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA, signed a landmark agreement detailing new cooperative efforts in the publication and distribution of Orthodox Christian books and other materials. Their purpose in doing so, states the agreement, is “to combine the intellectual, operational, financial, and spiritual resources” of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press [SVS Press] and Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Press [STM Press] “in order to provide quality publications and materials for the Orthodox Church,” while “preserving the corporate autonomy of each institution.” The agreement was signed by Archpriest John Behr and Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Dean and Chancellor/CEO of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary respectively, and Archimandrite Sergius, abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. The agreement calls for the immediate co-distribution of SVS Press and STM Press publications by the presses and bookstores of both instituti...

( RT ) - The only Palestinian Orthodox Christian bishop in the Holy Land speaking about the suffering of Palestinian Christians, their unity with Muslims in the Palestinian struggle, about Orthodox Christian martyrs, and Ukraine. Archbishop Sebastia Theodosios (Atallah Hanna), 49, is the only Orthodox Christian archbishop from Palestine stationed in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, while all other bishops of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem are Greeks. The Israeli authorities had detained him several times, or stopped him at the border, and taken away his passport. Among all Jerusalem clergymen he is the only one who has no privilege of passing through the VIP gate in the airport – because of his nationality. “For the Israeli authorities, I am not a bishop, but rather a Palestinian,” explains his Beatitude. When talking on the phone he says a lot of words you would normally hear from a Muslim: “Alhamdulillah, Insha’Allah, Masha’Allah”. He speaks Arabic, and the Arabic for ‘god’ is Allah, w...

( mospat.ru ) - On February 2, 2015, in compliance with the ruling of the Skopje Court, Archbishop Jovan (Vraniskovsky) of Ohrid, a hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, was released from the Idrizovo prison. His situation and physical condition were considered at the fraternal meeting between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Irenaeus of Serbia on November 15, 2014, in Belgrade. On December 20, 2014, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Irenaeus of Serbia, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, visited Skopje and met with Archbishop Jovan. On the same day, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk met in Skopje with the Republic of Macedonia’s state leaders – President G Ivanov and Prime Minister N. Gruevski. Metropolitan Hilarion also met with Archbishop Stephan, head of the Macedonian O...

Moscow, February 4 ( Interfax ) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has criticized the policies pursued by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and has thanked the Vatican for its balanced approach toward the Ukrainian crisis. "Today, fresh conflicts in Ukraine in light of the latest political events in the country are causing concern in our relations with the Roman Catholic Church," the patriarch said in Moscow. Starting with the very first protests in Kiev at the end of 2013, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church supported one side, "which pushed for the overthrow of the authorities using nationalistic and often Russophobic slogans as its cover," he said. The leadership of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and most of its representatives "made extremely politicized statements, which did not help end the civil confrontation," Patriarch Kirill said. "At the same time, I would like to note with satisfaction that the Holy See itself has ...

( Armenia Now ) - For the first time in 400 years, the Armenian Apostolic Church will resume the rite of canonization, to be conferred on the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The solemn ceremony will be part of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the genocide during which up to a million or more Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks, starting in 1915. Bishop Bagrat Galstyan, Director of Ecclesiastical Conceptual Affairs Office at Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, said that there is no special number for Canonization, because it is not clear how many genocide victims were followers of the Apostolic Church; it will be a collective ritual. “After a long pause the order was restored in the Armenian Church last year, in 2014 by final decision and declaration at the Episcopal Assembly,” Galstyan told reporters on Tuesday. The Bishop said that there are four conditions for Canonization, they are martyrdom for the faith and the fatherland, pious life - pious behavior of an ind...

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Marysville, Washington

( Atlantic Photo ) - Villagers take part in Kolyada holiday celebrations in the village of Martsiyanauka, east of the capital Minsk, Belarus, on January 21. Local residents took part in the celebrations to mark the end of a pagan winter holiday Kolyada, which over the centuries has merged with Orthodox Christmas celebrations.

( Atlantic Photo ) - A man rides his horse through flames during the "Luminarias" annual religious celebration, on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de los Pinares, Spain, on January 16. According to tradition that dates back 500 years ago, people ride their horses through the narrow cobblestone streets of this small village to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires.