Byzantine, Texas

( National Review ) - Members of the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey, British Columbia, were shocked to discover that the church burned to the ground on Monday morning, the latest in a rash of church burnings and vandalism across Canada in recent weeks. I am still surprised this isn't front page news everywhere. Also shocked a bit to see some people who should know better advocating for further destruction. “It’s been an extremely tragic and difficult event for us to grasp and to wrap our heads around,” Steven Faltas, a board member for St. George, told National Review. “Somewhere between 300 and 400 families attended this church quite regularly, with nearly daily services and activities being offered. So for it to overnight not be there anymore has been extremely difficult for us to deal with and to absorb.” Several churches have burned to the ground in Canada in recent weeks, with additional churches and a statue of St. John Paul vandalized. The incidents were perpe...

( Romanian Patriarchate ) - The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church met for its working session under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at “Patriarch Teoctist” Aula Magna of the Patriarchal Palace on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The Holy Synod resolved the following: To include the name of Saint Nikephoros the Leper in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church on January 4 and to approve the Saint’s synaxarion, troparion, kontakion, service, Akathist and Supplicatory Canon. To approve the decision of the Standing National Church Council of March 4, 2021, regarding the incompatibility of the clerical service with public positions and/or dignities, in accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod no. 1676 of March 6, 2008, which states that “bishops, priests, deacons, monks and nuns of the Romanian Orthodox Church are prohibited from holding positions of an official / civil servant at the central or local level in the Romanian state or in other states.” The Holy ...

( EA ) - Members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America participated in the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. from July 13-15. Archbishop Elpidophoros, Chair of the Assembly, delivered remarks entitled “The Rising Tide of Religious Nationalism,” as a featured speaker of the summit (read the full text here  and below). His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros Address for the International Religious Freedom Summit, 2021 “The Rising Tide of Religious Nationalism” July 15, 2021 It is a great privilege to be with you today, and I want to express the appreciation of the Greek Orthodox Church of America – a province of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Mother Church of Eastern Christianity – for the exceptional work of the International Religious Freedom Summits. The partner and supporting entities bear witness to the inclusive and the comprehensive nature of the vision for human liberty and freedom of conscience...

( Basilica ) - The Romanian Orthodox Church, by the decision of the Holy Synod in 1992, set aside the second Sunday after Pentecost as a special day for the commemoration of all Romanian Saints. “The known and the unknown, those who have been canonized and included in the church calendar and those who are not listed and who have suffered in communist prisons fighting for the preservation of the Orthodox faith,” Patriarch Daniel noted last year. In the context of this holiday, we present some interesting aspects about the Romanians who are mentioned in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church... Complete article here .

Moscow, July 12 ( Interfax ) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia appealed to the Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with a request to support the bill banning the services of surrogate mothers for foreign citizens. The document was submitted to the State Duma deputies on June 11. In his address to the head of the government, the patriarch notes that the practice of using Russian surrogate mothers by foreigners has caused a number of deaths of newborn children intended for foreign "customers". "I do not think that the ban on surrogacy for foreigners, which is illegal in most developed and many developing countries, will in any way infringe on the right of foreign citizens to receive medical care on the territory of Russia. Such "assistance" is currently being provided contrary to the goal of saving the people of Russia, proclaimed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "the highest national priority," the patriarch stressed in a letter published ...

July 1, 2021 ( STOTS ) - Saint Tikhon’s Monastery is pleased to announce the fall 2021 launch of a new residential Music Program. The Saint Tikhon’s Residency in Music provides comprehensive training for Orthodox church music leaders amidst the rich and demanding liturgical life of America’s oldest Orthodox monastery. Residents receive both classroom training and on-the-job experience under the expert guidance of the members of St. Tikhon’s Monastery music staff as well as nationally renown guest faculty. The Music Program is a combination of monthly topical weekend workshop intensives and residency training. The weekend intensives are open to the public, starting Friday evenings and ending Sunday afternoons. Non-resident participants may choose to attend one, several, or all of the weekend intensives. Techniques and skills are presented and briefly coached in the weekend intensives. Residents are then given the opportunity to implement the techniques and skills presented in the intens...

( OCA-AK ) - July 2, 2021 Protocol 07/004 The HOLY SYNOD of the ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA The Very Reverend Innocent Dresdow, Chancellor Diocese of Alaska 7031 Howard Avenue Anchorage, AK 99504-1899 Dear Father Innocent, May the Lord God bless! At its regular Spring 2021 Session, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America directed His Grace Bishop Alexis to call a Special Diocesan Assembly of the Diocese of Alaska for the sole purpose of nominating a candidate as Diocesan Bishop. As you know, this Special Diocesan Assembly is scheduled for Saturday, August 7, 2021. With this letter, I communicate to you the following, and I ask that you please make it known to every parish in the Diocese of Alaska: The only candidate who is fully vetted by the Holy Synod is His Grace Bishop Alexis, who has served the Diocese of Alaska first as Administrator while Archbishop David of blessed memory was alive, and now as Locum Tenens since the repose of His Eminence. If you or other mem...