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( Antiochian ) - No: 85/2022  To our beloved in the Lord,   The hierarchs, priests, deacons, and spiritual children   of our Holy Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America,    "Peace be to all!" I begin this letter with this greeting of peace, a greeting that we proclaim in every Divine Service. My desire is to express to you that we, in your Mother Church, where “the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26), are united with you always and in all circumstances, in the peace of Christ. This peace crosses all distances to reach you whenever we pray, and I hear in my heart your answer comes back to us: "And with thy spirit."  The purpose of this is to remember together that this greeting that the servant of the altar addresses to you, together with your reply to him, proclaim the peace that unites the clergy and the laity at every Divine Liturgy. Our peace is Christ Himself. Christ embraces us in His Spirit as a pure, glo...

( Pravmir ) - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to recognize the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric during its regular session on August 25, 2022. “To recognize the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric as an autocephalous Sister Church and inscribe the name of its Primate, His Beatitude Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia in the sacred diptychs,” the Synod’s resolution says (journal No. 62). The Synod declared the need to thank the Lord “for the resolution of the issue of the status of the Orthodox Church in North Macedonia, which took place on a canonical basis.” Also, the members of the Synod expressed the hope that the youngest in the family of autocephalous Orthodox Churches, the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Ohrid Archbishopric, “will firmly preserve the holy Orthodox faith in purity and integrity and observe the faithfulness of the Orthodox canonical tradition.” The decision of the Synod will be communicated to ...

Moscow, August 25, ( Interfax ) - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has again postponed the Bishops' Council. "Because the international situation continues to prevent many members of the Bishops' Council from coming to Moscow, the event has been postponed until a date to be determined in due course," the Synod journals, published on the Church's website, said. The issue will be revisited by this December when the Synod meets, it said. On April 17, the Synod decided to postpone the Bishops' Council until this fall or winter because of the international situation. The matter was discussed at the Synod's summer session on Thursday.

( Antiochian ) - As you may now be aware, there has been an accusation (of a violation of the Church canons) against His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph. The Antiochian Archdiocese takes all accusations against a clergyman very seriously and investigates them for the protection of all parties concerned. An investigation by an independent legal team not associated with the Antiochian Archdiocese is underway. His Eminence denies the accusation against him and asks that you keep him in your prayers during this difficult time.

I would say, possibly second only to Bishop Ireland, no other English-speaking person has brought more people to Orthodoxy. The number of people who have walked into my church on a Sunday or sent me an email mentioning they are reading one of his books and "have questions about Orthodoxy now" well exceeds any other author. I only met him once, but was able to inform him of that fact, and he was suitably unsurprised if humble. Hopefully someone will do a documentary or biography on him that captures his effect on the Church and the world. ( SVS ) - With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the falling asleep in the Lord of His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia, a leading Orthodox Christian theologian, teacher, and author.  His Eminence authored, among many other works, the immensely popular The Orthodox Way, published by St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVS) Press, and the Seminary was blessed to have him speak on campus on multiple occa...

( Melkites ) - Bishop Nicholas Samra is happy to announce that His Holiness, Pope Francis, has given his assent to the canonical election of Father Francois Beyrouti as the 6th Eparchial Bishop of Newton for Melkite Greek Catholics in the United States. Father Francois, 51, was elected on June 23, 2022, by the Melkite Synod held at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, Italy. A terna (list of the nominated) of 3 names was sent to the Dicastery of the Eastern Churches and Pope Francis confirmed the election. The announcement was made on August 20, 2022, by His Beatitude, Patriarch Joseph Absi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for Melkite Greek Catholics. Bishop-Elect Francois was born July 3, 1971, to Elias and Maggy Beyrouti in Hadeth-Beirut, Lebanon. He has two brothers, +Joseph, of blessed memory, who passed away in 2004, and Anthony. The family emigrated to Canada in 1976, settling in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

CHICAGO, IL ( OCA-DMW) – The theme of “Being a Bishop” will be explored on the upcoming Ancient Faith Radio Show, “Ancient Faith Today with Fr. Tom Soroka“. The live interview will feature His Grace Bishop Daniel of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest, on Tuesday, August 23, at 7:00 p.m. CST. Archpriest Thomas Soroka, the host of the live show, will welcome His Grace to discuss the history and role of the bishop in the Church. Listeners are encouraged to text comments and questions during the live show to 412-206-5012 or to call during the live show at 1-855-AF-RADIO. People can listen using the AFR app, or on Ancient Faith Talk at https://www.ancientfaith.com/radio. It’s also simulcast live on facebook.com/ancientfaithministries and youtube.com/

( Antiochian.org ) - If you serve your parish or a nonprofit in any leadership capacity, consider joining a Peer Learning group this fall, hosted by the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative (OCLI), to connect with your counterparts and develop in your unique leadership role. Each cohort, a small group of 6-8 people, is led by a trained facilitator for each of six online monthly meetings. Gather insights, share best practices, and problem-solve together! Clergy Cohort:   Beginning Sept 27 and meeting again Oct 11, this cohort meets online every 4th Tuesday through January at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET. Fr. Paul Hodge will facilitate this Peer Learning Cohort for Clergy to discuss topics like resilience, casting vision, avoiding burnout, and conflict resolution.  Parish Council & Ministry Leaders:   Beginning Sept 20 and meeting again Oct 4, this cohort meets online every 3rd Tuesday through January at 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET. Dn. Sean Reid will facilitate Peer Learni...

( OCA ) - Venerable Alypios of the Caves was one of the first and best Russian iconographers. He was tonsured by Igoumen Nikon († March 23, 1088). Later, he was ordained as a Hieromonk. From a young age he labored in the Kiev Caves Monastery and studied iconography with the Greek masters who painted the church of the Caves in 1083. Saint Alypios was an eyewitness to a wondrous miracle: when the iconographers adorned the altar with paintings: an Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos imprinted itself on the wall. At the same time, the Icon shone brighter than the sun. Saint Alypios always painted icons without asking for payment. If he learned that in some church the icons had become damaged, he took them with him and restored them without charge. If people paid him for his work, he set aside one third to purchase supplies for painting icons, one third as alms for the poor, and the remainder for his own needs. He also painted the Sven-Caves Icon of the Mother of God (May 3 & August 17). Th...

( Pemptousia ) - The feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God is celebrated on August 15 by the Christian world and is the greatest of those established by the Church in honour of the Mother of the Lord. It may be the oldest of all. The first evidence we have for it dates from the 5th century, round about the time when the 3rd Ecumenical Synod was called in Ephesus (451), at which the dogma of the Mother of God was defined and the honour due to her was developed. It appears that it was first held in Jerusalem on 13 August and was transposed soon afterwards to the 15th of the same month. It was a general feast of the Virgin, without particular reference to her Dormition. It was called “the day of Mary, the Mother of God”. The centre for the celebrations initially was a kathisma (seat), a church in her name, which was located outside Jerusalem, some three miles along the road leading to Bethlehem. The association of the feast with the Dormition of the Mother of God occurred at the fa...

 

( ROC-Sourozh ) - The Moscow Theological Academy has announced admissions to an English-speaking online education program. The training offers a one-year course (9 months) on seven fundamental disciplines of the academic program ‘Orthodox Theology’ including Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament, Dogmatic Theology, Patrology, Basics of the Orthodox Liturgy, History of the Church and History of the Russian Orthodox Church. The graduates are awarded the standard certificate on the successful completion of the course. The lectures are intended for training future clergy and church staff serving at the Russian Orthodox Church’s parishes abroad and already have a secular higher education and the necessary study skills, as well as for non-Russian speaking students who wish to communicate and to study the Orthodox doctrine in more detail. The admission will last until August 30, 2022, reports the MTA press-service.  A more detailed information is available on the webs...

( Basilica.ro ) The light that appeared on Mount Tabor at the Saviour’s Transfiguration “is the light that every Christian enlightened at baptism by water and the Holy Spirit seeks,” Patriarch Daniel said Saturday. Fruit of prayer and a symbol of hesychasm, this light “is given to those who pray much and live a Christian life of fasting, prayer and good deeds, as a provision of joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.” The light of Tabor prophetically prefigures the glory of Christ’s Resurrection, Ascension and Second Coming and is the glory of the Kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity, explained His Beatitude, who attended the patronal feast of Cernica Monastery in Ilfov County. “This glory of Christ revealed on Tabor is the joy and consolation of the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven.” The Patriarch of Romania said that Moses and Elijah were present on Tabor because they both once asked God to show Himself to them, which was not possible before the incarnation of the Saviour.

( GOARCH ) - Within the framework of the promotion of monasticism — which has blossomed over the past decades in the United States — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announced the convening of the 2nd Monastic Synaxis, October 12-14, 2022, at the Holy Monastery of the Life-giving Spring in Dunlap, CA, which will have as its general theme: “The Spiritual Inheritance of St. Joseph the Hesychast and Monasticism in America.” Despite the success of the 1st Monastic Synaxis in 2019, the Archdiocese was forced to indefinitely postpone the continuation and the regular convocation of this wonderful event, due to the pandemic. The speakers of the upcoming Synaxis will be: a.) The Very Rev. Archimandrite Paisios, Abbot of Saint Anthony Monastery in Arizona b.) The Very Rev. Markella, Abbess of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring in Dunlap, CA c.) The Very Rev. Archimandrite Joseph, Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Nektarios in Roscoe, NY d.) The Very Rev. Melani, Abbess of the S...

Before Thy crucifixion, O Lord, the mountain emulated the heavens and the cloud spread itself out like a tabernacle when Thou wast transfigured and borne witness to by the Father. There were Peter, James and John, for they were to be with Thee also at the time of Thy betrayal, that, beholding Thy wonders, they might not be afraid of Thy sufferings, which do Thou vouchsafe that we may venerate in peace, for the sake of Thy great mercy. The mountain which before was dark and gloomy is now honorable and holy, for thereon did Thy feet stand, O Lord; for in the latter days Thou didst make manifest the hidden, pre-eternal mystery, Thine awesome transfiguration, to Peter, John and James. But they, unable to endure the radiance of Thy countenance and the brightness of Thy raiment, fell prostrate on the ground and covered themselves. And, seized with terror, they marveled, beholding Moses and Elijah conversing with Thee as they stood with Thee; and the voice of the Father bore witness, saying: ...

( Pravmir ) - His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije and Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović signed the Basic Agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and Montenegro today, August 3, 2022, in Podgorica, reports the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church. This agreement will protect the property of Montenegrin dioceses of the SOC. According to it, Montenegro guarantees the Serbian Church and her legal entities public and legal powers in accordance with the Orthodox canons and the Charter of the Serbian Orthodox Church. According to Balkanist, the agreed working version consists of 20 chapters and, among other things, assumes that a commission of representatives of the two parties will determine the real and movable property that should be returned to the ownership of the Church or for which the state will provide her with fair compensation. In addition, “the parties confirm that the Serbian Orthodox Church and [the state] of Montenegro – each in its own field of activity – are ind...