Byzantine, Texas

( TNH ) [machine translated] - One of the great benefactors of the Church and the Community of America, the scientist, inventor and businessman Dr. Spyros Spyreas, broke his silence and with his exclusive interview to the "National Herald" disrupts the situation that has developed in the Archdiocese of America, the course and the actions of Archbishop Elpidophoros. The voice of Dr. Spireas, founder and owner of the large Pharmaceutical Industry "Sigmpharm Laboratories", resonates with the vast majority of his wealthy Greek Orthodox friends and acquaintances who belong to the lay body of the Archdiocese, as he himself confesses. It should be pointed out that this is the first, strong and in-depth reflection statement of one of the most successful and elite members of the Community with a long journey in Church and Community life, a devotee of the national issues of Greece, Cyprus and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Dr. Spireas is the Chief Actuary of the Ecumenical Pat...

Moscow, July 28, ( Interfax ) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has dismissed reproaches that the Russian Orthodox Church exists only for Russians and noted that all Orthodox Ukrainians, including those who have gone into schism, are children of the Russian Orthodox Church. "Everything that concerns Donbass, the Lugansk Region, the Kharkov Region - those places where people are suffering today - is very disturbing and hurts my heart, because all the Orthodox people who live there are children of the Moscow Patriarchate," the patriarch said at a meeting with children who had come to Moscow from Donbass and Ukraine on Thursday. "Some acknowledge this, gladly confess and participate in the life of our Church, some have gone down the path of illegal schismatic separation from our Church, but God is the judge of everyone, and for the patriarch, all Orthodox people in Ukraine are his children, those close to his heart," he said. The patriarch noted that the Russ...

The ROCOR prayer book is the go-to prayer book in the United States for many. For others, it is most certainly the Antiochian text. It is in almost every church bookstore and deservedly so. Cheap, properly sized, and dependable. Also, school is about to start. IF YOU HAVE A COLLEGE-AGED STUDENT OF YOUR OWN OR IN YOUR PARISH, THIS IS A MUST. ( Antiochian.org ) - It has become the most widely distributed Orthodox prayer book in the English language. Now, A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians is available in a brand new second edition. This classic, dependable publication retains the morning and evening prayers, the spiritual helps and self-examination for confession, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and other prayers beloved for generations. It now includes additional morning and evening prayers, prayers of Ss. Philaret of Moscow and Macarius the Great, the Paschal Office, plus prayers for success in studies and for those struggling with addiction and depression. Sadly, s...

Without name calling, I am going to say several of the young men of my parish have been approached with the offer of an "off the books" corrective baptism. No paperwork, no permission from me or the bishop, and no little headache for all involved. I'm going to go through my back-of-the-napkin analysis: Did a priest put you through a period of inquiry and the catechumenate that involved an honest discussion of the baptism you received? Example: I was baptized in a Catholic parish, but was never confirmed. Did the priest, either under the clear regulations of his jurisdiction, or with the guidance of his bishop determine that your baptism met the requirements? Example: I was baptized by X Protestant group when I was 13. I'm sure they weren't Unitarians, Mormons, or Scientologists. Were you Chrismated? Example: You went to church, got mentioned during the pre-coffee hour announcements, and smelled quite nice for a few days thereafter. Then you are a member of the Chu...

A priest of the Moscow Patriarchate used a crucifix to attack a priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) who was delivering a eulogy at the funeral of a fallen Ukrainian soldier on July 22 in central Ukraine.

This is of course consistent with the Ecumenical Patriarch's contention that everything outside patriarchal boundaries are "barbarian lands" and so under Constantinople. Do follow the tweets link if you want even more strident language. #DidYouKnow : The Orthodox churches in Europe, America, Australia, and Britain lie within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. All Orthodox feel that they are constituents of one spiritual community, wherein “when one member suffers, so do all.” https://t.co/3oVODlvJlf pic.twitter.com/qM4ZSypnpC — Order of St. Andrew (@OrderStAndrew) July 28, 2022

Interesting series on the OCA's All-American Council from a ROCOR perspective. From July 18 until July 22, the 20th All American Council of the Orthodox Church in America assembled in Baltimore, MD. This podcast has been divided into six installments: Introduction (this one), interviews with Frs Vitaly Permiakov, Peter Markevich, Reader George Luimes, who attended the council, and a conclusion by Protodeacon Andrei Psarev.

Some of my friends have sent their sons here. All have energetically endorsed it. Hopefully, I can send a son there next year. Sadly, I never remember it is happening until I see the news article about it after it has concluded. ( ROCOR-EAD ) - On Monday, July 25, the "Summer Boys" program, held at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, concluded its annual session. For three weeks, a group of 31 young men lived at the monastery, frequenting 6:00 AM Divine Liturgy, sharing obediences with the monks, partaking in meals and, of course, getting some well-deserved time for recreation every afternoon. Attendees had an opportunity to create memories that will last them the rest of their lives – not many 15-year-olds can say that they sang on kliros with monks, or fasted alongside them; not many can recall with fondness what genuine happiness one experiences as the church bells ring at the end of a service, or the bishop answering every single burning question these young men h...

BOSTON ( TNH ) – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, during the meeting of the Holy Synod in Constantinople last Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22, received from synodal hierarchs an almost unanimous number of remarks, concerns, revelations, and complaints about the arbitrariness and actions of the Archbishop Elpidophoros of America which have  put the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarch himself personally in a difficult position. It was one of the few times that so many hierarchs expressed themselves in this way. They referred to the election of Alexander Belya of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate, which raised a storm of reactions and threats from hierarchs in America – heads of the Orthodox jurisdictions constituting Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. With their letters, written in a strong and revelatory style regarding Archbishop Elpidophoros, they threatened even the dissolution of the Assembly or their non-participation in it. In Co...

 Communication of the Holy Community of Mt Athos On the occasion of recent public appearances and positions taken by members of the clergy of the Church, including hierarchs, who have created the impression that it is possible for the Church to accept any other form of family, apart from the one established by the Holy Gospel, the Holy Community of Mt Athos wishes to respond publicly. The Holy Mountain, as a place of prayer and asceticism, in an unbroken liturgical and spiritual continuity, humbly prays for the entire world, and for all people without distinction. The sacrament of baptism, by which a person becomes a member of the Church and receives the grace of the Holy Spirit, is undoubtedly the visible expression of God’s infinite love. The effort to live according to the Holy Gospel and the law of God ensures the conditions for participation in the sacraments of the Church. In light of the above, we cannot but express our regret for the above public appearances and positions o...

 

( vinnica.ua ) The OCU Synod appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch regarding bringing Patriarch Kirill to canonical responsibility and depriving him of the patriarchal throne    The letter was approved at the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on July 27, 2022 His Holiness Bartholomew Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch Copy: To the Heads of Local Orthodox Churches Your Holiness! In accordance with the decision of the Synod of Bishops dated May 24 of this year, I am asking you to initiate at the pan-Orthodox level a review and condemnation of the activities of the Moscow Patriarch Kirila Gundyaev and the ethnophyletic and racist doctrine of the "Russian peace" that he preaches. On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation insidiously, without a formal declaration of war, launched a full-scale military aggression against Ukraine. The war, unleashed by Russia in the center of Europe back in February 2014, is being waged with the...

( SVS ) - St. Vladimir's Education Day Online returns! Listen to discussions by Orthodox scholars and ask them your burning questions on a variety of topics, including Scripture, church history, and current events such as the influx of Orthodox seekers and the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. Education Day Online is a six-hour “Zoomathon” where you get to participate and pose questions to Seminary professors and guest scholars. It seems they are not avoiding the hot-button topics, but showing a willingness to address them directly. Laudable. The online event is Saturday, August 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT). Participate in discussions and win prizes. Join the Zoomathon when a topic that interests you is scheduled, or join several discussions throughout the day. It's up to you when you join and for how long. (See the schedule below.) Education Day Online is also for a good cause—join us and help raise $30,000 to educate seminarians! At...

A while back the archdiocesan charter was unilaterally suspended in a surprise move that placed administration under simple fiat control. Archbishop Elpidophoros went so far as to call the move "divinely inspired." The decision was announced thus: "The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, wanting to strengthen the role of the largest Eparchy of the Mother Church with a new vision and a new Charter suitable for the evolving and changing modern pastoral needs of American society, decided to place the current Charter (2003) of the Holy Archdiocese of America into abeyance. Temporarily, until the issuance of the new Charter, the administrative structures of the Archdiocese, i.e., the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Executive Committee, the Archdiocesan Council, the Clergy-Laity Assembly, as well as the respective structures of the Metropolises will continue to function as they are." Now, two years later, instead of bringing into force a new and improved charter, they h...

I can only hope that the next stage in Catholic liturgical innovation doesn't take the mass into the novus ordo aquatilium. For context, the Anglicans did it first .

MARDIN, Turkey ( Haaretz ) – Some places exude sanctity. Believe in the deity, don’t believe in the deity, one may feel a frisson anyway. Something in the site thrills, awes, speaks to our inchoate spirituality beyond, say, its altitude. Maybe that explains why a temple to one god gets built on the temple to another, which happened a lot in human history. Maybe it’s just an attempt to eradicate the old regime and replace it with the new. A few kilometers southeast of the city of Mardin is Deyrul Zafaran Monastery, the first incarnation of which was built on the mountain slope about 1,600 years ago. Deyr means monastery and zafaran means saffron in Arabic, so yes its name is technically the Saffron Monastery Monastery, and it was built smack on top of a temple to Shams, Shamash, Shamsum or call him what you will: the sun god. Deyrul Zafaran was built using cream-colored stone blocks that, in some parts, glow as yellow-orange as the spice. Its oldest sections date to the late fifth cent...

VATICAN CITY ( CNS ) — Meeting 18 young priests and monks from six Oriental Orthodox churches, Pope Francis insisted divided Christians must work together to share the Gospel. “It is a message that we are called to bear witness to with one another, not against one another or apart from one another,” the pope said June 3 as he welcomed the young clerics who were attending a study week in Rome sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The participants came to the Vatican from Egypt, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, India, Ethiopia and Eritrea. They were chosen to participate by the heads of their churches, which included: the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Acknowledging the suffering and persecution all Christians have suffered in some of their countries, Pope Francis gave thanks for their common witness to Ch...

( Orthodox Times ) - In this session, under the chairmanship of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Job of Telmissos was elected Metropolitan of Pisidia. Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, born in Montreal, Canada, on January 31, 1974. He became a monk on May 17, 1998, at the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthony in France (a part of the Simon Petra Monastery on Mount Athos). He was ordained Deacon in Montreal, Canada, on September 29, 1996, and Presbyter on June 20, 2003, in Paris. He was ordained Archimandrite on July 18, 2004. In 2010 he was entered into the Monastic Register of the Holy Monastery of St. George Selinari of the Metropolis of Petra and Heronissos. From 1992 to 1996 he attended theological studies at St. Andrew’s College in Winnipeg, Canada, and at the same time pursued academic studies at the University of Manitoba.

No mealy-mouthed prevarications, no soft-serve platitudes, no ignoring an issue and hoping it will go away. The Orthodox Church in America's All-American Council served as the impetus for an unambiguously orthodox statement on the topic of same-sex relationships and sexual identity. Let me make a bet with the readers: not a single other jurisdiction in America is going to say a single thing on the topic. Should I be proved wrong this month, I'll donate $100 to ZOE for Life . At the same time, I will also acknowledge that certain other corners of American Orthodoxy are going to be upset. Such is the way of such forthrightly delivered statements. Instead of avoiding such calls for some form of so-called "progress" on the topic, the synod spoke directly to that academic clique that is constantly hunting for new avenues for change from which to achieve their goals. It seems it was not enough to simply dispute their wayward assertions but to unequivocally state the discipl...

"They’re successful, they’re well established. What I would advise them is to never forget that they’re Greeks and not to consider themselves Americans, because if they think they’ve become Americans they won’t achieve anything. They’re Greeks and they must remain Greeks, and they must support Greece and Cyprus and our race in general, and they have the ability to support it." - Archbishop Chrysostom of Cyprus when asked for advice to Greeks living in America

( OCA ) - On Monday, July 18, a few hours before the opening of the 20th All-American Council, the Diocese of the Midwest convened a special assembly, under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, to consider an episcopal nomination following the falling asleep of Archbishop Paul of blessed memory. The Diocesan assembly nominated His Grace Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa who has been serving as Locum Tenens of the Diocese over the last few months. Later that day, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting in a Special Summer 2022 Session under the presidency of Metropolitan Tikhon, canonically elected Bishop Daniel, formerly Bishop of Santa Rosa and Auxiliary to the Diocese of the West, Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest.

( UMP ) - The INAUGURAL CONFERENCE OF UNCUT MOUNTAIN PRESS will take place at the Antiochian Village from October 6-9 on the theme: The Orthodox Ethos. The gathering will bring together spiritual fathers, teachers and faithful desiring to go deeper into the Way of Being in Christ: how this is acquired, lived, imparted. At the heart of this conference will be an Athonite-style vigil for the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. A rare gathering and an exceptional opportunity you won’t want to miss!

A letter of protest to both the Greek Archdiocese and the Phanar is a middle path between ignoring the issue and something much more severe. Still, it will require a response that will be made public in short order. ( Newsbreak ) [machine translated] - The Holy Synod sent a letter of protest to the Archbishop of America Elpidophoros after the complaints of the Metropolitan of Glyfada, Hellinikon, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varis Antonios regarding the baptism of the children of Evangelos Bousis and his husband Peter Doudas in Vouliagmeni. As the Metropolitan of Glyfada, Hellinikon, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varis Antonios complained, the Archbishop of America never informed him that the children 's parents  are homosexual and he himself acted voluntarily and irregularly within his Metropolis. The Holy Synod states that it also sent a relevant letter to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Read the announcement of the Holy Synod in detail. "Today, Monday, July 18, 2022, the Permanent Holy Syn...

For those of you who have been following along in the recent (and not so recent) controversies surrounding decisions made by Abp. Elpidophoros, it seems a new milestone is coming. Whether it be the unilateral destruction of the GOA's charter, the directive to let spouses of Orthodox receive communion (regardless of their church affiliation), the decidedly milquetoast statements concerning abortion around the March for Life, the Slavic Vicariate establishment and the attempted elevation of someone with a complicated past who has legal battles ongoing, the flying to Greece to baptize two children born of surrogacy and under the guardianship of two gay men that has caused the entire Church of Greece to publicly voice her displeasure, and now a letter from his clergy calling for protests until he is removed. Those people critical of the Ecumenical Patriarchate have long claimed that everything Elpidophoros does is done at the direction of His All Holiness. Others say that a New York mi...

https://www.meetandright.com/

Please accept this helpful chart, which serves as a comprehensive representation of the archetypes of available Orthodox young men you might find at your parish. The OCF meeting chart is slightly less diverse, but still samples from the same source pool. Feel free to print this out for easy matching.  

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) – In a spirit of the careful responsibility for the preservation of Orthodox Christian unity in the United States of America, the episcopal ordination of His Grace Bishop-Elect Alexander of Nicopolis has been postponed until a consensus has been reached. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America is committed to engaging in an open dialogue of brotherly love and understanding with the other heads of jurisdictions of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the U.S.A., while at the same time determined to prioritize constructive partnership and cooperation.    The Assembly of Bishops is a unique venue where all the Orthodox Christian jurisdictions participate in the building of Christ’s Body in America through dialogue, joint program development, and concelebration. As Saint Paul proclaimed: “You were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (...

PARMA, OH ( OCA-DMW ) – ZOE For Life is seeking a dedicated Christian and a passionate defender of life to serve as the Executive Director of our Women’s Center. She should maintain a consistent life-affirming belief, have strong interpersonal communication skills and organizational skills, and be comfortable with public speaking and media relations. The Executive Director will be responsible for efficiently guiding the organization in the successful realization and management of the Women’s Center, under the guidance of the Board of Directors and the Medical Director, adhering to the Mission Statement and Statements of Faith and Principles. This is a full time position. ZOE for Life!® serves as a conduit, guiding women to a wider range of support organizations, providing an attractive set of options and a promising outlook on their situation. It is the goal of ZOE for Life!® to offer more opportunities to women in unplanned pregnancies, and to empower them to make decisions everyone c...

Orthochristian.org  updates us on another attempt by American bishops of numerous jurisdictions to implore the Greek Archdiocese to not consecrate the head of their Slavic Vicariate into the episcopacy. Should Abp. Elpidophoros not pull the parachute cord soon, it seems the Assembly of Bishops will strike terra firma at full speed.  Your Eminence, Beloved Brother in Christ, Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! We have received your individual letters to us in response to our common request for reconsideration of the planned consecration of Alexander Belya. We delayed answering you because we did not want to detract from the joy felt by all Orthodox Christians in this land at the consecration of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Shrine at the World Trade Center and the celebration of the Greek Archdiocese’s centenary during your recent Clergy-Laity Congress. We pray, despite this difficult situation we face, that those occasions were full of blessing...

 

Here is the Metropolitan's official letter to the Greek Holy Synod. I tried to translate it so anyone can read what are the first reactions in Greece. He clearly states that he was deceived by the Archbishop. pic.twitter.com/CsVTDQLuW3 — Ascending Magpie (@3magpiefeathers) July 12, 2022  

( Orthodox Times ) - Canada has imposed sanctions on Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, as part of a series of measures the country took to target “agents of Russian disinformation and propaganda” over the invasion of Ukraine. These measures were immediately criticized by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who stated that “sanctions against the Patriarch would only be imposed by Satanists.” Patriarch Kirill has put the Church at the service of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he calls a “miracle” as he shares his vision of a conservative, sovereign Russia and supports the war in Ukraine. In addition to Canada, the United Kingdom also imposed sanctions on the 75-year-old Patriarch in June. On the sidelines of the G20 summit being hosted in Bali, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie announced that her government has decided to impose sanctions on 29 individuals and 15 entities controlled by the Russian state “who participate i...

 H/T: Orthochristian

Update: Several people asked for more background on this story. As you might expect, it's not the top item in the Orthodox Observer. Additionally, I have found no "neutral" journalistic sources either. Still, if you'd like more information than the below provides, you can read it here .  

It says something that the Greek national anthem gets first billing over the Star-Spangled Banner at the official opening of the 46th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress.

From the blog No Other Foundation, a post entitled " On the Wearing of Church Vestments: Do Clothes Make the Man? " One of the first things that clergy do after entering the church on Sunday morning for Divine Liturgy is to put on special clothes called “vestments”.  They are highly stylized and every priest wears the same things:  first the priest puts on a long vestment called a stichar or sticharion, usually white in colour, which falls down to his ankles; then he puts on his stole which hangs down his chest to knees.  Then he puts on a belt, then cuffs.  Then over all these he puts on a large vestment called a phelon or phelonion, which comes down to his knees at the back and just down past his chest at the front.  With each piece he quietly recites an appropriate verse from the Bible (e.g. “Blessed is God who girds me with strength” when he puts on the belt). The vestments can simple and simply adorned, or heavy with brocade, and richly adorned.  But a...

 

One of the most common things you will hear when someone is dissatisfied with his clerical predicament (often as a result of some absurdity at the patriarchal or local episcopal or even parish level) are the words "I'd go to ROCOR and get out of all this silliness, if they just paid anything." ROCOR is well known for paying almost (and sometimes not almost) nothing to their clergy. If you're interested in a paper on the topic, give On the Question of Clergy Compensation in The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia: Canonical Considerations from a student at Jordanville a try. ( ROCOR Studies ) - From Holy Scripture, the canons, as well as the practices of other local Churches, it appears that “full time” clergy is and has been the customary practice of the Orthodox Church. The ROCOR’s practice of not providing any guidelines for clergy compensation and presumption of secular employment is therefore an exception to the norm, as attested to by Apostolic Canon VI an...

For those unfamiliar with the story of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Prologue recounts this: "The news of the angel's appearing to Zacharias, of his dumbness and of the loosening of his tongue at the exact moment that he wrote 'John', was carried throughout all Israel, coming to Herod's ears. So, when he sent men to kill all the infants around Bethlehem, he sent men off to Zacharias' family house in the hills, to slay John also. But Elisabeth hid the child in good time. The king was enraged at this, and sent an executioner to the Temple to kill Zacharias (for it was then his turn to serve in the Temple again). Zacharias was killed between the court and the Temple, and his blood clotted and solidified on the paving slabs, and remained as an enduring witness against Herod. Elisabeth hid herself and the child in a cave, where she soon died. The young John remained in the wilderness alone, in the care of God and His angels." ( OCA ) - To the Hierarchs...

NEW YORK ( EA ) – Today the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Court did not outlaw abortion. It merely returned that decision to the people to decide in their respective States. In its recent statement entitled, On the Sacredness of Human Life and its Untimely Termination , the Assembly of Bishops, addressed the issue of abortion by stating, “any act to terminate life in the womb – whether by abortive medications, medical procedures, or destructive behavior – is considered murder, and risks terrible spiritual consequences for those involved.” As such, the Assembly of Bishops recognizes today’s decision of the US Supreme Court as a step toward the preservation of life. As outlined in its January 2021 announcement entitled, Assembly of Bishops Endorses Alternatives to Women in Crisis Pregnancies , the Assembly remains steadfast in its commitment to minister to all people. Metropolitan Gregory, Secretary of the Assembly, st...

Moscow does bring up a good point. A body can't make a decision on its own to be autocephalous. There has to be an appeal somewhere, whether that be to the body they wish to leave or a body set up to receive such petitions. The UOC-MP has no chance of a positive reception from the Russian Church and it has (given the existence of the EP-backed OCU) no chance of going it alone with the blessing of a tomos from Constantinople. So now we have the OCU, the new UOC body that has separated itself from Moscow, and some unknown number of believers who will remain in the UOC-MP system even as its primate has departed.  ( eurasiareview ) - To no one’s surprise, the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church denounced the declaration of independence by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate as illegal, but it then took an action that will likely have the effect of making that declaration irreversible (patriarchia.ru/db/text/5934527.html). At a meeting of the Holy Syn...

 ( Thomas More Society ) - An Orthodox Christian priest known for his out-spoken defense of the Orthodox Church’s view on marriage and abortion, has been vindicated in federal court and the gay activist publisher who attacked him has been held accountable. Thomas More Society attorneys brought the lawsuit on behalf of Father Josiah Trenham, along with his wife, Orthodox Christian Ministries, and Saint Andrew Orthodox Christian Church. Self-proclaimed gay rights activist Peter “Giacomo” Sanfilippo has been found liable in Father Josiah Trenham, et al. v. Peter J. Sanfilippo, et al., for defaming Father Trenham and his wife Catherine, along with his church and ministry, in the online publication Orthodoxy in Dialogue. The Court awarded $300,000 in damages against Sanfilippo, the outlet’s editor, for publishing false, malicious, and defamatory statements and accusations concerning the priest and his ministry, and for harassing the Trenhams. The order, issued by Judge John Holcomb of t...

If recent years have taught the world anything, it is that no one should play chicken with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When patriarchate after patriarchate pulled out of the Crete event, how many people said, "Well, they certainly have to cancel now. At the very least they can't call this meeting pan-Orthodox or binding." Wrong. Or, "There's no way Constantinople is going to step into Ukraine and add confusion to an already precarious situation there." Wrong. Or, "They can't really just dissolve their Western European archdiocese with a letter." Wrong. So, lest you think, "There's no way the Greek Archdiocese is going to make Belya a bishop even as the fate of the Assembly of Bishops hangs in the balance." Know that it is not so much a roll of the dice, but a game of chicken in which one side never, ever veers out of the way to avoid a collision.  ( Orthochristian ) - Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Patriarchate of Constantinople...