EP calls different Paschal dates a "scandal"
( Orthodox Times ) - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew extended in his homily his heartfelt wishes to all the non-Orthodox Christians who celebrated the Holy Easter on Sunday, March 31, after presiding over the Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Theodore of the Community of Vlanga. “On this day, the timeless message of the Resurrection resonates more profoundly than ever, as our non-Orthodox Christian brethren and sisters commemorate the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, celebrating Holy Easter. We have already sent our representatives to all the Christian Communities of the confessions here, to extend our heartfelt wishes of the Holy Great Church of Christ and our Patriarchal congratulations. But also from this position we extend a heartfelt greeting of love to all Christians around the world who celebrate Holy Easter today. We beseech the Lord of Glory that the forthcoming Easter celebration next year will not merely be a fortuitous occurrence, but rather the beginning...
Alas, he fails to mention the name of our Savior.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine that was easy. But I also wondered why Archbishop Demetriod didn't make the Sign of the Cross or begin with "In the name of the Father..." I'm sure many in the crowd thought he was some kind of alien. God bless him!
ReplyDeleteHow can he pray to the Father without mentioning Christ, the one Way and Mediator? No Trinity, no Cross = no one offended. BRAVO! St. Paul preached "Jesus and the Resurrection" to the pagans in Athens who knew nothing about the true God. Surely Abp. Demetrius can mention Christ at the RNC. So this must be the new "openness" the EP/GOA bishops boast about as they criticize other local churches in the clergy-laity conference video.
ReplyDeleteWell, I read the comments and expected worse. An explicit reference to the Heavenly Father, implicit and veiled references to His Son and His Spirit (obvious to those with ears to hear). Certainly Orthodox in the underlying ethos, with a generous (too generous?) acknowledgement of and adjustment to the "American Civil Religion" and it's expected norms of "public prayer".
ReplyDeleteI personally don't think we should be doing this sort of thing - that is participating in the American Civil Religion - particularly now that it is on its death bed and its children (i.e. ideological secularism, anti-Christianity, etc.) are in power. However there are those who disagree (i.e. that we should continue "to try" and "to dialogue") though they are largely of the generation of Abp. Demetrios himself...it won't be long to this sort of silliness is gone from the landscape...
Christopher