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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
From the blog Mystagogy, a post on the contentious situation on the Holy Mountain with the men inhabiting the Monastery of Esphigmenou entitled "20 Disturbing Facts About the Esphigmenou Occupation Issue."
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1. The brotherhood residing in the historic Monastery of Esphigmenou is schismatic. Not because it observes the Old Calendar, but because it is NOT in communion with any other Orthodox Church or Patriarchate. Thus, apart from merely having ceased to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Monastery has also broken off its communion with all the other Monasteries of the Holy Mountain, as well as with all the Orthodox Churches, whereas it has acceded to a full and ecclesiastical communion with one of the so-called "GOC" (Genuine Orthodox Christian) groups, which, let it be noted, have no ecclesiastical communion - not even among themselves. Since then, and to this day, no one is accepted for residence in the Monastery, unless they accept the ecclesiastical communion exclusively with that group, while others are persecuted.
2. Other predominant Monasteries have also interrupted the commemoration of the Patriarch at times and are cautious about the future, however, none of them has ever interrupted ecclesiastical communion nor has any ever acceded to an ecclesiastical communion with outside ecclesiastical groups - and of course none of them has ever been persecuted. On the Holy Mountain there are other zealot monks, who however live peacefully in their cells, without disturbing the Canonicity and the Statutes of the Holy Mountain.
3. The Constitution and the Statutes of the Holy Mountain prohibit monastic cohabitation with heterodox or schismatics.
4. In order for the reader to understand what "schismatic" means, let him note that the illegal occupants of Esphigmenou Monastery regard all of us [canonical Orthodox Christians] as unbaptized and heretics, who have been infected by the heresy of ecumenism. These "unfortunate" occupants have the same opinion about the Elders Paisios and Porphyrios and Iakovos. These occupants aren't even Hagiorites! The Sacred Community has, since 1974, been striving to secure decisions for the expulsion of the Abbot and the Committee members of the Monastery, who have thereafter lost the identity of Hagiorite monk. It was they who had scorned the decisions of the Sacred Community.
5. For thirty-nine whole years, the schismatics have been exploiting the tolerance of the Hagiorite Fathers, in order to gain recognition...
2. Other predominant Monasteries have also interrupted the commemoration of the Patriarch at times and are cautious about the future, however, none of them has ever interrupted ecclesiastical communion nor has any ever acceded to an ecclesiastical communion with outside ecclesiastical groups - and of course none of them has ever been persecuted. On the Holy Mountain there are other zealot monks, who however live peacefully in their cells, without disturbing the Canonicity and the Statutes of the Holy Mountain.
3. The Constitution and the Statutes of the Holy Mountain prohibit monastic cohabitation with heterodox or schismatics.
4. In order for the reader to understand what "schismatic" means, let him note that the illegal occupants of Esphigmenou Monastery regard all of us [canonical Orthodox Christians] as unbaptized and heretics, who have been infected by the heresy of ecumenism. These "unfortunate" occupants have the same opinion about the Elders Paisios and Porphyrios and Iakovos. These occupants aren't even Hagiorites! The Sacred Community has, since 1974, been striving to secure decisions for the expulsion of the Abbot and the Committee members of the Monastery, who have thereafter lost the identity of Hagiorite monk. It was they who had scorned the decisions of the Sacred Community.
5. For thirty-nine whole years, the schismatics have been exploiting the tolerance of the Hagiorite Fathers, in order to gain recognition...
Complete post here.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
(SOC-WAD) - Considering myself to be still among the youngest of the brethren, and hence less experienced then many, I approached this subject with fear and trembling ... not as much because I knew that this paper was going to be presented before the Bishop and my brother priests, but more so because, as are all things, it is presented before God, who is the one to whom we must answer for our every word. In thinking about this enormous topic, I drew from my experience growing up in this country and serving the Church in my adult life in various capacities for now 20 years. This includes my work as a lay person as well as my service to the Church as a priest. The seriousness of this subject is one which causes the most fear, because more and more each day I am convinced that the influence of what is commonly called secularism on the work of the priest and parish is greater and greater. Having heard the presentation of Fr. Petar Jovanovic on this subject, I have chosen to focus my presentation on The Work of the Priest and Pastoral Ministry in our contemporary American secular society. The question I hope to address is: How did the parish, and hence the role of the priest get to be what it is during century in the United States - What some have called the Missionary period - which was the bringing together of "our people" who fled their homes after the catastrophe of what befell the "old country."
The early part of this century saw the rise of "immigrant parishes" where our people came, so they thought, "To live in a better time and place." A new pastor of these communities also found himself as an "Eastern orthodox" in a Western society, with all of its western cultural thought and ways.
We have to try to understand that what was very important for those early "immigrant communities" - what was their great desire and what they longed for - was to be fully integrated, fully accepted into American life... to move beyond their own identity and mentality and often they asked the priest to help them do this. And we should not forget that all this was happening during a time when the church was struggling merely to survive. And so the priests and communities who came from a basically agrarian setting, began the difficult process of engaging the spiritual struggles of life in a secularized, non-agrarian, and industrial society. Among the questions raised during this time were Order and Procedure in the Church, as well as sacramental and liturgical discipline. When we look at our communities today, it appears obvious that in many ways they are the outcome of this beginning.
In order to fully understand the role of the priest in the parish in America today, the agenda of the secularists who have and are still dominating the educational system, the media, the entertainment business, the courts, and government, must be clearly stated. This secular agenda, this vision of life includes the following concepts...
Complete article here.
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(Assyrian Church) - The Assyrian Church of the East’s Diocese of Europe has purchased its first church property in Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
His Grace Mar Odisho Oraham, Bishop of Europe and Patriarchal Representative arrived at Düsseldorf International Airport on 25 June 2013. Accompanied by the Rev’d Cor-bishop Stephan Yalda, the Bishop of Europe was met in Germany by The Rev’d Fr Dr Patros Youkhana (Parish Priest) and Mr Ashur Gewargis (Committee Member).
On the same day His Grace visited the new church property, to be consecrated in honour of Mar Odisho and Mar Qardagh, which has been purchased in the district of Burlo, city of Borken.
With the participation of the faithful who had gathered at the newly purchased church, His Grace conducted prayers according to the rites of the Assyrian Church of the East. The Bishop also gave an address in which he expressed his joy at the purchase of the first Assyrian Church of the East property in Germany. Bishop Mar Odisho went on to thank the faithful sons and daughters of the parish who assisted in the purchase of the church and offered his spiritual guidance to the members of the congregation asking them to remain faithful sons and daughters of the Holy Church.
The prayers were followed by a formal welcome given in His Grace’s honour at a local venue. At the function Bishop Mar Odisho was greeted with hymns performed by the children of the parish along with the church choir. A light supper was organised by the Ladies Auxiliary. Rev’d Fr Dr Patros (Parish Priest) formally welcomed His Grace and thanked him for his visit and support of the congregation.
On 26 June 2013 the Bishop met with the parish priests and visited the homes of a number of faithful enquiring as to their welfare and offering his blessings. At 3pm on the same day, His Grace along with the Parish Priest and other relevant individuals finalised the legal purchase of the property at a local legal office.
His Grace then departed Borken to Düsseldorf International Airport returning to his Diocesan See in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
The consecration of the newly purchase Mar Odisho and Mar Qardagh Church in Borken will be held on 4 August 2013. His Grace Mar Odisho Oraham, aided by parish clergy will consecrate the church at 9.30am after which he will consecrate the Eucharistic Liturgy. A function will be held following the holy services to mark the auspicious occasion.
The address of the new church is:
An Der Evangelischen Kirche 46325
Borken – Germany
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Orange, NJ (SCOOCH) – The annual feast day celebrating a church’s patron saint is a major event in the life of any Orthodox Christian parish, as is the elevation of any church to the level of cathedral, but in recent years such occasions – often, in former times, celebrated in relative isolation and limited to a single ethno-religious community – have taken on an added dimension: they have become expressions of the full spiritual, theological, and sacramental unity of the Oriental Orthodox Communion. This is, in large part, the fruit of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches’ directive, promulgated on November 1, 2009, to “invite [members] of nearby sister churches to participate in celebrations and liturgical services that are unique to your own tradition (for example, the commemoration of a patron saint, a national feast day or other holy day)”.
In keeping with this initiative, this past Sunday, July 28, 2013, SCOOCH delegate V. Rev. Fr. Melake Ganet Tesfa Eyesus, priest-in-charge of Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Orange, NJ, and his fellow priests V. Rev. Fr. Melake Birhan Gabre Mefes Kidus and V. Rev. Fr. Melake Selam Poulos, hosted a contingent of deacons from St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church of Medford, NJ and St. Mary & St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church of White Plains, NY, at their annual festival commemorating the feast of their patron saint, St. Gabriel the Archangel. Also present were Rev. Fr. Saife of Ethiopia and SCOOCH delegate Rev. Fr. Mahitima Selassie of Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Bronx, NY.
Earlier in the year, on Saturday April 20, 2013, the clergy of Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel had themselves participated in the Proclamation of St. Peter’s Malankara-Syriac Orthodox Church of Philadelphia, PA to be a cathedral, an event presided over by the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches’ own H.E. Mor Titus Yeldho and H.E. Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim along with H.E. Mor Severios Abraham the Assistant Metropolitan of Ankamali Diocese and Abbott of Mor Gabriel Dayaro Monastery, Mor Dioscorus Kuriakose Metropolitan of the Simhasana Churches in Malecuriz and its Environs, and H.E. Mor Silvanos Ayub of the Knanaya Malankara-Syriac Archdiocese. Also present at the ceremony were V. Rev. Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church and clergy from local Syriac and Malankara-Syriac congregations.
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On Saturday June 15, 2013, at the invitation of SCOOCH delegate and priest-in-charge Rev. Fr. Amde Tsion-Durden, clergy from four of the above-mentioned churches – Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church, Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and St. Peter’s Malankara-Syriac Orthodox Cathedral – along with clergy from St. Mark’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral – participated in the annual feast of St. Michael the Archangel at St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Englewood, NJ.
The true love, unity and brotherhood in Christ of the Oriental Orthodox Churches were more than evident at each of these events, which were far more than formalities. In each case, the solemn, sacred ceremonies of each ancient tradition – which, in accordance with the full unity of the Oriental Orthodox Churches featured full participation from each of the visiting priests and deacons regardless of rite or jurisdiction – was followed by agape meals in the truest sense of the word, replete with laughter, happiness, networking, and an abundance of delicious ethnic cuisine.
The Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches rejoices that far from a mere symbolic unity, true lasting and personal bonds of friendship and communion have been established between their clergy and congregations, who regard one another more as long lost and rediscovered family than as strangers to be greeted with polite yet distant formality. With God’s help, these bonds will continue to grow, flourish and be strengthened in keeping with Our Lord Jesus Christ’s commandment, “that they may be one” (St. John 17:21) and the unity in diversity of the Oriental Orthodox Church will continue to serve as an icon and model for the world.
Monday, July 29, 2013
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MOSCOW, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian Orthodox priest has been assigned to an aerospace defense unit stationed at a space center in northern Russia, the Moscow Patriarchate said Friday.
Archpriest Artemy Emke will be responsible for religious work with the unit’s personnel as deputy commander on religious issues at the Plesetsk space center, a church representative said.
“Any military unit should have a priest to help believers among soldiers and officers, in line with the Russian Constitution, to follow their religious beliefs, take the sacrament, and participate in the life of the Orthodox Church,” said Sergei Privalov, head of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department for Cooperation with the Military, Law Enforcement and the Security Services.
“The work of a priest in the military aims at preventing hazing and suicides, and is intended to cultivate high moral and patriotic standards among the personnel,” Privalov added.
He expressed hope that the appointment of 240 priests from four major religions (Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism) as deputy commanders of military units would be completed in the near future.
According to Privalov, 77 priests, including 74 Orthodox, 2 Muslim and one Buddhist have been assigned to military units so far.
In July 2009, after a meeting with the heads of Russia's main faiths, then-President Dmitry Medvedev supported a project to restore full-scale military priesthood, which had existed from the 18th century to the start of the Soviet era.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two-thirds of the country's armed forces personnel consider themselves religious. Some 83 percent of them are Orthodox Christians, about 8 percent are Muslims, and 9 percent represent other confessions.
(CBS News) - A group of monks on Greece's monastic sanctuary of Mount Athos who are facing eviction attacked court bailiffs with rocks and petrol bombs Monday, according to civilian authorities on the peninsula in northern Greece
No one was injured in the incident early Monday outside the administrative offices of Esphigmenou Monastery, and no arrests were reported. The bailiffs retreated from the site.
Cell phone video of part of the incident, taken by the rebel monks and seen by the Associated Press, showed the court-appointed bailiffs using a small earth-moving machine in an unsuccessful attempt to force their way into the grounds of the office at Karyes, the capital of the all-male sanctuary from where its 20 monasteries are run.
About 100 monks in the 1,000-year-old Esphigmenou monastery have been involved in a years-old dispute with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, over his efforts to improve relations with the Vatican.
The monks have defied court orders to leave the monastery and allow church-appointed replacements to take over the site and the Karyes offices about 15 miles to the south.
"According to the information we have received from the police, explosive materials were thrown at the bailiffs," Aristos Kasmiroglou, civilian governor of Mount Athos, told the AP.
"The law must apply to everyone. And all sides must safeguard the pious nature of the site."
The Esphigmenou monks — who argue that they are safeguarding centuries-old Orthodox traditions — have refused to leave the complex, and receive food and other assistance from supporters in other parts of Greece.
"They came in the morning and started banging on the doors," Esphigmenou monk Elder Savvas, who said he witnessed the incident, told the AP.
"We had warned them that if they provoked us, we would respond."
Mount Athos was set aside by ancient emperors to be the spiritual capitol of Orthodox Christianity and has probably changed less over the centuries than any other inhabited place on the planet. The monks come here from all over and do everything they can to keep what they call "the world" far away.
Not surprisingly, journalists are not exactly welcome. For more than two years, "60 Minutes" producers corresponded, negotiated and, frankly, pleaded for an invitation but ran into one monastic wall after another. Then, much to the producers' surprise, and delight, the monks finally said, "Okay, come see who we are," in early 2011.
Father Iakovos is one of a few Americans on the mountain.
He's been here more than half his life, and he told "60 Minutes" he has a simple reason why the place is so alluring: "You have to understand, the words that we're saying in today's liturgy, are the same words that Christ was saying, are the same words that saints from the first century, the second century, the third century, the fourth century."
Nothing has changed in orthodoxy since then - it's the only branch of Christianity that can make that claim.
Friday, July 26, 2013
(STOTS) - The Very Rev. Dr. Steven Voytovich, a licensed professional counselor who spent many years of his career in the field of pastoral care and education, has been named dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, effective August 18.
He succeeds The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Atty, who retired for health reasons after serving as dean for the past three years.
Father Steven brings to this position years of experience as a parish priest, an educator, a presenter at seminars and retreats, a contributing writer for various religious publications, and a frequent presenter at OCA events.
His Grace, Bishop Michael, Ph.D., Rector of St. Tikhon’s Seminary and Bishop of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, stated, “I am well pleased that Fr. Steven will be joining St. Tikhon’s Seminary as our Dean. His pastoral, leadership, academic and work related credentials are superb and we look forward to Fr. Steven moving St. Tikhon’s to new heights. On behalf of the board of trustees, faculty, staff and students we welcome him and offer our prayers for his new ministry.”
In 2007, Father Steven represented the OCA and was plenary presenter at the Ninth International Congress for Pastoral care and Counseling held in Krzyzowa, Poland. He served as communications and public relations officer from 2004 to 2007. He also represented the OCA at International Congresses held in Accra Ghana in 1999 and Bangalore, India, in 2004.
He is director of the OCA’s Department of Institutional Ministry where he co-created and coordinated the OCA Seminarian Internship Program, and he helped develop and now serves as director of the OCA’s Institutional Chaplain Department, which supports Orthodox men and women who are serving in institutional chaplaincy roles.
From April of 2010, until joining St. Tikhon’s Seminary, he worked as director of Clinical Pastoral Education at Episcopal Health Services, Long Island, NY. During that time, he was attached to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in New Britain, CT, as a supply priest for the Connecticut Deanery, but continued serving in multiple capacities within the OCA.
Father Steven was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius in 1991 and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace, Bishop Job, then of the Diocese of New England.
Over the years, he has served as pastor of Three Saints Orthodox Church in Ansonia, CT; Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Waterbury, CT; St. Alexis Orthodox Church in Clinton, CT.
Father Steven has earned three advanced degrees from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, including a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1999. His thesis was “Orthodoxy and CPE: Education for Ministry Beyond the Liturgical Setting.”
He has two masters degrees from St. Vladimir’s, including a Master of Divinity Degree, with Commendation for Thesis, in 1990. His thesis topic: “The Ministry of Those Who Suffer.” In 1991, he earned a Master of Arts Degree in Liturgical Music and served as choir director of the seminary octet.
He also earned a Master of Arts Degree in Community Counseling from Fairfield University, in Fairfield, CT, in 2005, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1986.
Father Steven, 50, and his wife, Matushka Cindy, live in Guilford, CT. Matushka Cindy is choir director at Three Saints Church in Ansonia, CT, and is a marketing representative for Stony Creek Urgent Care facilities in Branford and Orange, CT.
Of his appointment as Dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary, Fr. Steven said:
“In accepting this position I look forward to supporting St. Tikhon’s mission of providing quality theological education including personal, spiritual, and pastoral formation to those whom God has called to serve His vineyard.”
(First Things) - When I tell people I am a convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, I often get a puzzled reaction. “Eastern Orthodoxy?” some will say. “What’s that?”
Others will ask whether I actually mean the Greek or the Russian Orthodox Church, mistakenly believing that they are different denominations. In fact, whether Greek, Russian, or Serbian, all are part of the same Church—including my Orthodox Church in America.
The Orthodox Catholic Church—as it is formally called—is the second largest in the world with about 300 million members. And while we remain almost microscopic in the United States, the Church is increasingly attracting converts, assisted by an increase in the number of English-speaking parishes, our beautiful chanted Liturgies, and our refined understanding of the Christian faith.
Some mistakenly think of us as “Catholic, but without the Pope,” or “Catholic, except with married priests.” It is true that there are some similarities with Rome. We agree that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ and we both robustly support traditional Christian monasticism. But there are also real theological differences that remain despite a millennium of on-and-off ecumenical efforts to heal the Great Schism.
My favorite general description of Orthodoxy comes from a pamphlet given me while I was being catechized:Orthodox Christianity is the Ancient Christian Faith. It’s Orthodox, but not Jewish. It’s Catholic, but not Roman. It’s Evangelical, but not Protestant. It’s not denominational, it’s pre-denominational.
I have only been Orthodox since 2007 and sometimes feel as if I have yet to make a real beginning. I’m certainly no expert on the Church’s theology, moral teachings, and history. As I’ve studied, I’ve been greatly aided by Ancient Faith Radio, an online streaming service where listeners can not only enjoy beautiful Orthodox hymns twenty-four hours a day, but also find scores of podcasts from top theologians, apologists, and educators. Here are a few of my favorite programs:
Ancient Faith Today: AFT is a live, listener call-in program (archived as a podcast) presenting “informed conversation about subjects that matter through the lens of the Eastern Orthodox Church.” Hosted by the thoroughly prepared Kevin Allen, no issue or controversy involving faith and culture is off limits in this always-provocative twice-monthly program. For example, recent shows have discussed living as a Christian “in a neo-pagan culture,” a debate on the Church’s view on same-sex attraction, and an episode about the importance of human exceptionalism (featuring an interview with yours truly).
Frederica Here and Now: My friend Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, an author and lecturer, is probably the most popular apologist for Orthodoxy in America today. (Khouria—“mother”—is the honorific title given a priest’s wife in the Antiochian Orthodox Church.) Whether offering her take on a social controversy, teaching about the lives of the saints, interviewing Orthodox monks, or discussing the vicissitudes of transitioning from a once radical feminist to a now devout priest’s wife, Matthewes-Green’s podcast is a gentle and loving presence in the contemporary dissonance of strident discourse.
Orthodoxy Live: AFR’s second live call-in and then archived program—alternating Sundays with Allen’s—has Fr. Evan Armatas answering listener questions about Orthodox theology and practices. Fr. Evan’s gentility and respect for caller perspectives make this a must program for anyone interested in—or in challenging—the Orthodox faith.
A Word From the Holy Fathers: Modern Christianity continually seeks to reinvent the wheel. But, as Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg)—former Oxford fellow and founder of the Sts. Cyril and Athanasius Institute of Orthodox Studies—demonstrates, there really is nothing new under the sun. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the intellectual and spiritual traditions of the early Church.
Speaking the Truth in Love: Fr. Thomas Hopko, dean emeritus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, is one of the most knowledgeable American experts on Orthodoxy today. A gifted speaker, Fr. Tom’s folksy manner and profound knowledge about Church history, Orthodox theology, and Christian moral philosophy make for a fascinating program on “Christian belief and behavior.”
I once heard an affectionate joke about my faith: How many Orthodox Christians does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: What’s a light bulb?
The point is that Orthodoxy intentionally does not “change with the times.” Our doctrines do, however, need to be communicated in a modern and effective manner. Ancient Faith Radio has tapped into the living water of Orthodoxy in performing this vital evangelical task.
Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. He also consults for the Patients Rights Council and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. His previous “On the Square” articles can be found here.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
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(mospat.ru) - We, heads and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, who have come to Moscow on the occasion of the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, consider it our duty to raise our voice in defense of our Christian brothers subjected to persecution for their faith in various parts of the world today.
Every day thousands of believers in Christ are being tortured and driven out of their native lands; many people meet their death.
News about tortures and murders are coming from Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. In Kosovo, religious shrines are being defiled, many churches have been destroyed, and many people are deprived of the opportunity to visit the graves of their relatives and to pray to God in the land of their ancestors.The situation in the Middle East causes deep concern. Many countries of this region are swept with a wave of violence and terror, with Christians falling victims to it. Libya, where there are almost no Christians left, is breaking into warring tribes. Terrorist acts go on in Iraq, where one tenth of the former one and a half million Christians has left. The situation in Egypt is getting more and more alarming as the conflict there has entered into another bloody phase and the Christian population flees the country in a mass exodus. Grief and sufferings have befallen families of thousands of ordinary people. As a rule, the first to suffer from unfolding conflicts are the most unprotected groups of the population including ethnic and religious minorities.
In September 2010, the first meeting of the Orthodox Primates of the Middle East region took place in Cyprus. The Primates expressed their deep concern over the situation in this region and the future of Christians in the area. The same concern was expressed at the similar meetings in Jordan in August 2011, in Constantinople in September 2011, and in Cyprus in March 2012. The statement in support of suffering Christians in the Middle East was adopted at the meeting of the heads and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, held in Moscow in November 2011.
The situation in Syria is particularly tragic today. In the heat of the fratricidal war, Christians, as well as representatives of other religious groups, are massacred, driven out of their native cities, towns and villages, out of the places where they used to live for centuries in peace with people of other religious traditions.
Paramilitary groups do not hesitate to use every possible means to achieve their goals. Their radical members carry it too far in their crimes. Horrific scenes of violence, public executions, humiliation against human dignity and violation of human rights have become habitual. Abductions and murders often committed for mercenary ends have become a common occurrence. Extremists do not stop at insulting religious leaders who have always enjoyed respect in the East.
The world mass media, as well as many politicians, are silent about the tragedy of Christians in the Middle East.
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We express solidarity with His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All the East who could not share our joy of celebrations today since he has to stay with his flock at the moment so difficult for them. Our prayers are with him and our brothers in Christ who are being killed all day long (Rom. 8:36).
We are grieving together with all the suffering people of Syria. We demand that the outstanding Christian hierarchs of Syria – Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Iskenderun and Syrian Jacobite Metropolitan Mar Gregory John Ibrahim of Aleppo be immediately freed.
We make this appeal to all the warring sides and those who can make a political impact on the situation: Stop the wave of violence and extermination of civilians! Impose a moratorium on the military hostilities so that a basis for peaceful settlement of civil conflicts could be worked out at the negotiation table! Free the captured clergy and other civilians!
As servants of the Almighty God, we ardently pray to the Author of Peace, the Lord Pantocrator that peace and love of brothers may be restored in the Middle East, refugees may come back to their settlements as soon as possible, the wounded may be healed and the innocent people who were killed may rest in peace. May the Lord inspire all those involved in the hostilities with wisdom and the good will to stop them!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
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Moscow, July 24 (Interfax) - President Vladimir Putin on July 25 will meet Patriarch Kirill and representatives of local Orthodox Churches who arrived in Moscow for the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.
The Kremlin press service reported on Wednesday that the format of the meeting is very unique.
"For the first time the Grand Kremlin Palace will bring together the heads and senior clergymen of all 15 existing Christian Orthodox Churches uniting over 227 million believers - the Church of Jerusalem, Church of Antioch, Church of Ellada, Church of Cyprus, Church of Alexandria, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Albanian Orthodox Church, the Polish Orthodox Church, the Church of Constantinople, the Orthodox Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia and also the Orthodox Church in America," the press release says.
The conversation is expected to focus not only on issues of creed but also on pressing international matters affecting the interests of Christian Orthodox communities in different countries of the world.
Moscow, July 24 (Interfax) - Modern Western states move to absolute dictatorship, head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion believes.
"Nowadays state sets a principle of secularity, independency from any outside authority that is authorized to point out to violations of morals or rights," the metropolitan writes in his article published in the Pravoslavnaya Beseda magazine.
People are declared the only source of authority in a democratic state, and people should realize this authority through free will of citizens participating in elections and referendums.
"Free will of citizens is a preconditioned, not absolute characteristic of a democratic state. For example, two European states - the Great Britain and France - have recently legalized unisex marriages. For comparably short time, after the parliament approved this law, France has become a stage for protest demonstrations with millions of people participating. However, the state consciously and demonstratively ignored demands of people and used tear gas to disperse them," the author of the article says.
According to him, "secularization in disguise of democratization" released "colossal energy of subordination to power" in European states.
"This powerful energy today strives to finally break with Christianity, which controlled its totalitarian impulses during seventeen centuries. Eventually, it unconsciously strives to set up an absolute dictatorship that demands total control over each member of society. Don't we move to it when "for the sake of security" we agree to obligatory electronic passports, dactyloscopy for everyone, and photo cameras occurring everywhere? All these things can be easily used in other purposes that can also be interpreted as "strengthening security measures," Metropolitan Hilarion notes.
He believes that latest developments in the world is "constituent restoration of Pax Romana, global international supremacy." The metropolitan also says that if Roman authorities were in certain periods indifferent to immorality, today they strive to make "immorality normal."
(ROCOR) - Why do people now go to monasteries not from an impoverished life but from a life of comfort, how to find the right monastery, which of the holy fathers should be read, what is the proper relationship of a monastic to parents, should the internet be used, and why young hieromonks should not be assigned to parishes? Archbishop Mark (Arndt) of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain answers these questions.
– Are more or fewer people seeking the monastic life than before?
– It is difficult to say. I think that the contingent of our faithful is different than it was twenty or thirty years ago. We now have as a whole a greater number of believers, and corresponding to this growth is an increase in the number of monastics. I suppose that when people lived in poverty, they are not so inclined to monastic life then when they live well. A person can more easily deny himself what he has than what he does not have.
– What do people expect from monasticism when they come to it today? What disappoints them?
– The most difficult thing, and not only in our time, but always, has been obedience and the denial of one’s own will. It is met with more resistance, more sharply today, when a person lives in complete satisfaction, when the material world gives him all he wants. When there is no poverty, then one must reject all the external glitter, and as I said, this is not so hard. But what is hard is denying your own will. That is the problem.
– Can you learn monasticism from books?
– Books can help, they can give direction, but there is nothing like experience in order to really learn about it, just as any facet of life.
– What would you recommend new monastics to read today?
– First of all the Ancient Fathers: St Macarius of Egypt, St Anthony the Great. There are, of course, more contemporary guides, say, St Ignatius (Brianchaninov), who can help find the right path. But this cannot replace personal guidance.
– How does one choose a monastery to go to?
– That depends on the country—in some there are many monasteries, in others not even one. In Germany we did not have a convent for many years. We would send our candidates to neighboring France, or to the Holy Land.
Then we were able to open our own convent, because a few women came together who could not leave Germany. These were external conditions which led to the establishment of a convent.
The choice here is not as easy as, say, Russia, Serbia or Greece.
That is why there is no set rule. A lot depends on the spiritual father of the monastery. Let us say a person comes as a pilgrim to some monastery, and he likes it there. He has the opportunity to adjust to this monastery, but he can also visit other monasteries, examine their daily rule, their life, and select the one that suits him better.
I always advise people to visit several monasteries. One monastery may have a set of rules which isn’t for everyone, and thank God, there are many different ustavy [monastic charters—transl.]. A person should choose the one that suits him best.
– There used to be families with many children, and if a young man or woman strove for the monastic life, they could easily leave their parents to the care of their brothers or sisters. Today, parents are often left to their own devices. What is one to do?
– There are families in which the spiritual life flows so naturally that they easily consent to their son or daughter to go into a monastery. There are also families for whom this decision is shocking. They find it hard to accept.
It is impossible to generalize: there are all sorts of different situations. The other day I heard about how in Serbia, a father and his brothers came to “liberate” his son from a monastery, and I had known of such instances in the past. This is not a rare occurrence.
On the other hand there are families which fully support their children’s decision. In my experience, there is no difference between large and small families in this regard.
– What is to be done if parents stay in the world, but then they grow old and sick. It turns out then that their child’s decision to become a monastic is a time bomb; won’t he or she then have to go back into the world to care for them?
– In today’s society almost no one is left uncared-for. The main thing is to have a spiritual bond, but at the same time I don’t require that my monastics completely sever any bonds with their parents or friends, and to one degree or another I let them stay in touch: by telephone, letters, whatever is more convenient.
There is also another problem. Sometimes a parent is so disappointed that their child goes to a monastery, especially if it is an only child, that they break off all contact with them. Or they turn it into a prison sentence, with no contact but stern demands that they return, or have only formal conversations: “Hello. How are you?”
Still, we give blessing to visit parents. There are cases when a monastic is sent home for some time, to take care of his parents. There are all sorts of cases, which really depend on the maturity of the monastic himself.
– How does such an absent monastic then maintain his relationship with the monastery?
– It all depends on how long a period the absence is. Usually in these cases he leaves but maintains contact with his spiritual father by phone or email.
– How much time should a monastic spend on the internet? Can spiritual advice be given through that medium?
– Of course there is some advice that can be offered, but only as an exception to the rule. As a whole, of course, you need personal connection. We can use modern technology, but we must take care that it does not take over all communication. The internet has not made a principal change in such relations. For instance, when people got access to the mass media, they had to learn to turn it off, too. The same applies to television.
Monastics use the internet to the degree their obedience allows. Our monastery has a print shop, and monastics need to be able to access text through e-mail, to edit and make proofs.
Still, I always insist that they limit their usage. Everything else on line drags you in, and deprives you of freedom.
– How decisive must one be in striving for monasticism. How much of an effort should one make, and how much should be expected from Divine Providence, or some sign from above?
– I personally never try to persuade a person to become a monk, in fact, to the contrary, I usually advise putting off the decision and testing oneself. I wait until a person is absolutely convinced that he cannot live otherwise. If a person still has doubts, I advise that they take some time off, test themselves, and then come back.
This is too important a step, just like marriage, in fact. Today, unfortunately, everything is different. Both monasticism and marriage are seen as something temporary: you try it, didn’t like it, you move on. I reject this attitude and insist that every candidate do some serious soul-searching.
But beyond that, we keep our people as novices for a long time. If a candidate is over the age of 25, he remains at our Monastery of St Job of Pochaev for a minimum of one year as a trudnik [monastery volunteer—transl.], a novice for 3-4 years, as a simple monk for 5-7 years.
– Some are of the opinion that those that are truly called to a monastic life do not have this conflict of whether to be tonsured or get married. Do you share this opinion?
– Everything depends on how spiritually mature a person is for one life or the other. Only a spiritual father can determine whether the monastic life will suit a candidate. Every case is different. We have had some very young people who knew precisely what they are striving for, and those who were middle aged who weren’t sure of their decision to be tonsured, whom we therefore couldn’t receive.
– How should one prepare oneself for monasticism while still living in the world, before becoming a trudnik in a monastery?
– I advise testing yourself: how ready are you for the daily monastic routine? Wake up at night to read the midnight office; then go back to sleep, or read it very early in the morning; observe the monastic fasting regime even before tonsure. But the measure of one’s asceticism is a matter of his individual abilities.
– What about your tonsure?
– I was tonsured as a result of my yearning for monasticism. I approached it for eight years. I never despaired and did not even doubt my decision.
– You knew St Justin (Popovich). What did he say about monasticism today?
– The late Fr Justin would look at us, flying all over the world, and he called us “jet-set monks.” Still, he felt that monasticism, even under a broad set of external forms, remains essentially unchanged.
– In Russia, especially in the 1990’s, many churches were being opened, and frequently young monks, soon after tonsure, were ordained and assigned to a parish. Technically speaking, this was convenient: they had no families, they could devote all their time to rebuilding a church, and so they could be appointed to a place where it would be hard for a married priest with his wife and children to live. But there is another side to this: a young person who only just made his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, is thrust out alone into the world with all of its temptations. Does Germany have the same problem?
– This indeed has been happening in Russia, of course, out of the need for parish priests. We also had a problem like this in the 1950’s and 60’s [Vladyka Mark served for 5 years in a parish in Wiesbaden as a hieromonk, then Archimandrite—editors]. But we always recognized that this was abnormal, unnatural and incorrect. That is why I completely stopped doing that. I don’t have a single hieromonk serving in a parish in my diocese. I don’t even allow a hieromonk to live in a monastery and travel to parishes to serve. Thank God! If a person enters a monastery, he leaves the world behind and should never return.
– Is a priestly rank required for holding any administrative post in a monastery?
– An abbot usually has the rank of priest, and this has been customary in the Russian tradition for centuries. All other posts in a monastery may perfectly well be filled by simple monks.
– The Russian religious media recently discussed the question of whether to adopt the practice of establishing specific monastic orders with clearly defined directions and assignments. What is your opinion on this?
– I don’t think this would bring any benefit. The introduction of orders is an extraneous restriction upon monastic life. Western monasticism has long ago been connected to various orders. On one side they are all very different, on the other hand, each is far more regulated than Orthodox monasticism. If you go to one Benedictine monastery, it is identical to the next one; meanwhile, our monasteries all have their own particularities. We view the freedom of an individualistic approach by each monastery as being a plus.
– How can monasteries preserve a prayerful atmosphere when it must perform a great deal of social work?
– The most important thing in monasticism is serving God in the form it is practiced in a given monastery. It can be more liturgical or more practical. There are different approaches. There are monasteries in which monastics devote most of their lives to external service, while at others they limit such work. Our monastery of St Job is established on a liturgical order.
– What are the relations between monastics and the government in Germany?
– On the whole I would say that in Germany, both the government and society have preserved respect for monasticism. Unfortunately, it is fading, because there is almost no Orthodox monasticism, there are very few of us. Imagine, of all the Local Orthodox Churches, only the Russian Church has monasteries here!
The Catholics only have a handful of monks, who live in enormous, ancient monasteries and strive to preserve them, in fact they have become little more than custodians [in June, the building of a Catholic monastery from the 12-15th centuries was put on the market—editors].
Monasticism is rarely seen, so consequently, it is difficult to preserve respect for the vocation. Children don’t even understand what these odd figures in long black clothing passing by them are.
Archbishop Mark’s background:
Archbishop Mark was born Michael Arndt on January 29, 1941, in Saxony, where the first Russian bishop of German extraction, Metropolitan Seraphim (Lade) of blessed memory, was born.
Having finished his final 13-year exams in Frankfurt am Main in 1960, the future Vladyka Mark joined the military services of West Germany, where he spent a year and a half. He then reenlisted several times and reached the rank of senior lieutenant.
In 1962, he enrolled in the Frankfurt University’s history/philology department, transferring later to Heidelberg University. There he specialized in Slavic and English, studying, in addition to Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Czech and Macedonian language and literature. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the topic “Biographical Literature of the Tver Kingdom of the XIV and XV Centuries.”
Studying the Russian language led the young student to the Russian emigre community in Frankfurt. As a student of Prof. Dimitri Chizhevsky in Heidelberg , he would visit the ROCOR church in Mannheim dedicated to St Alexander Nevsky, where he converted to Holy Orthodoxy in 1964, soon being ordained a reader. Trips to Mt Athos, friendship with the Athos elders at Karoulia (Schemahieromonk Seraphim and Schemahieromonk Seraphim, Schemahieromonk Nikolaos, Schemamonk Nikodim), visits to St Elias Skete and St Panteleimon Monastery, where he came to know Schemahieromonk Abel (now Archimandrite of St John the Theologian Monastery in Ryazan’) determined the spiritual path of this Doctor of Slavic Studies. His future scholarly work was then devoted to the glorified St Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.
In the fall of 1973, the future hierarch began studying theology in Belgrade University, which he graduated with a theology degree in 1979. His personal friendship with then-disfavored Archimandrite Justin (Popovic) in Celije Monastery led him to the inner circle of the students of this Serbian Abbot, who were then hieromonks and now hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church—Metropolitan Amphilohije,Bishop Atanasije, Bishop Artemije, Metropolitan Irinej.
Ordained to the deaconate in 1975, the future Vladyka Mark soon ceased teaching Church Slavonic and ancient Russian language and literature in Erlangen, and halted his scholarly work, in favor of being tonsured to the monkhood, which occurred in the summer of 1975 at Lesna Convent in France. Three days later, Fr Mark was ordained a hieromonk and assigned as Deputy Rector of the Russian church in Wiesbaden. In the summer of 1976, by decision of the Synod of Bishops, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. Archbishop Paul (Pavlov, +1995), who was then Bishop of Stuttgart and Southern Germany, tonsured and ordained him. Archimandrite Mark ministered to three parishes—Wiesbaden, Darmstadt and Saarbrucken. He devoted himself to preserving the tsarist churches of Germany and the renovation and expansion of the Russian cemetery near the Wiesbaden church, where he conducted the full cycle of monastic divine services, and began to gather and teach the local youth, while continuing to study theology and passing examinations in Belgrade.
Following the death of Archbishop Theodosius of Australia and New Zealand, the Synod of Bishops appointed Bishop Paul, Vicar of the German Diocese, to replace him. Archimandrite Mark was then elevated to the episcopacy and appointed Bishop of Munich and Southern Germany. The hierarchal consecration was performed on November 30, 1980 at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York. In accordance with ecclesiastical law, during the nomination, Archimandrite Mark read a sermon through which he threaded his concern for how he was to lead his flock. Warm words were spoken about his spiritual proximity to the great Serbian ascetic and theologian Archimandrite Justin (Popovic, +1979) and affinity for the Holy Mt Athos. His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985) officiated at the consecration, along with Archbishop Vitaly (Oustinov, +2006) of Montreal and Canada; Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev, +2000) of San Francisco and Western America; Bishop Laurus (Shkurla, +2008) of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery; Bishop Paul and Bishop Gregore (Grabbe, +1995) of Manhattan.
After the consecration, Vladyka Mark moved with a small group of monks to the Monastery of St Job of Pochaev in Munich. The monastery underwent reconstruction and renovation. Since 1981, it has published the Vestnik Germanskoj Eparkhii [Messenger of the German Diocese], a publishing house was set up for Russian- and German-language materials, as well as a candle and incense factory. The monastery follows the Mt Athos rule. In the fall of 1982, Bishop Mark, due to the serious illness of Archbishop Thilophius (Narko), became Bishop of Berlin and Germany, continuing to live at St Job Monastery, whence he rules the Diocese.
In the mid-1980’s, Vladyka Mark was appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Great Britain as well as St Alexander Nevsky Parish in Copenhagen.
In 1991, the Synod of Bishops elevated Vladyka Mark to the rank of Archbishop.
In 1997, he was appointed Overseer of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
Between 1993-1997, Vladyka Mark headed the dialog between the two Russian Orthodox dioceses (of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad) in the newly-reunited Germany. Since 2000, Archbishop Mark has been Chairman of the Commission on the Unity of the Russian Church, and since 2003, the Chairman of the Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate.
(Antiochian.org) - Khouria Krista West, owner of Krista West Vestments and an Ancient Faith Radio podcaster ("The Opinionated Tailor"), has released a new book with St. Vladimir's Press titled The Garments of Salvation. The first comprehensive book on this topic in the English language, the text invites readers to explore the fascinating and colorful world of Orthodox Christian vesture and church adornment. Wife of Fr. Alban West, the rector of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Portland, OR, Kh. Krista is unveiling her new book at the 51st Annual Archdiocese Convention in Houston throughout the week of July 21-28. The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) is also airing an interview with Kh. Krista about her book on the podcast "Come Receive the Light."
Praise for Kh. Krista's book:The Garments of Salvation will fascinate anyone who loves "the beauty of Thy house" with its insight into the meaning and making of liturgical vestments and fabrics. Most importantly, it returns to us our own holy tradition, a tradition of great beauty, which threatens to be lost to the temptations of cheap materials and hasty production. Beauty matters, and The Garments of Salvation will make you hungry to see it in your own church.- Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green
The vestments of Holy Church represent the adornment of salvation. This intriguing, indispensable book by Kh. Krista West adds another important dimension. It adorns the mind with theological wisdom and historical understanding. By all means, read this book!- Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon
Kh. Krista West's book on the origins, history, and theological meaning of Liturgical vestments is both an intellectual and spiritual achievement covering many academic disciplines at once: it is engaging history that traces the civil lineaments of what finally became sacred vestments; it is systematic theology true to holy tradition -teaching you can touch; it is evangelical in that it proclaims the faith in fabrics; it is pastoral showing how members of the clergy are chosen to "put on glorious apparel" as a reflection of Christ Who sits at the right hand of His Father.- From the foreword by The Rt. Rev. Bishop Anthony (Michaels)
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
(Voice of Russia) - Delegations of the Eastern Orthodox Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Romania, and Cyprus arrive in Moscow later Monday to take part in the festivities marking the 1,025 years since the adoption of Eastern Orthodox Christian faith by Kievan Rus.
The Jerusalem and Cyprian delegations are led by the supreme hierarchs of these Churches - Patriarch Theophilos III and Archbishop Chrysostom, Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations said.
According to the department spokesman, the Reverend Igor Yakimchuk, the top-rank clerics and the accompanying delegations will take part in the festivities that will be held from July 24 through to July 29 in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus at the level of both governments of the three countries and the Church.
The delegations of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the supreme hierarch of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon, who arrived in Moscow Sunday, are expected to have meetings with the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill I Monday.
Delegations of all the fifteen national Orthodox Churches will take part in the jubilee festivities and eight delegations will be led by the ruling hierarchs of the respective Churches.
Festive liturgies and sermons will be held in Moscow July 24, in Kiev July 27/28 and in Minsk July 29.
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia and the Metropolitan of all America and Canada Tikhon have already arrived in Moscow. July 23, the organizers of the festivities expect the arrival Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, Patriarch Elijah II of Georgia, Patriarch Neophyte I of Bulgaria, and the supreme hierarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Poland, Archbishop of Warsaw and all Poland Sabbas.
On the same day, Moscow Patriarchate expects the arrival of delegations of the Constantinople, Greek, Albanian, Czech, and Slovak Churches.
A specially charted train will take the guests first to Ukraine and then to Belarus. Placed in a specially equipped coach will be the highly venerated Christian relic - the Cross on which the St Apostle Andrew, the enlightener of Greece and Asia Minor was crucified.
The relic left the cathedral of Patras, Greece, for the first time ever. Since the moment of its arrival in St Petersburg July 11, more than 300,000 believers have made pilgrimages to venerate it.
The Cross is staying in Moscow’s Cathedral of the Savior through to July 25, after which it will be taken to Kiev /July 26 to July/ and then to Minsk /July 29 to August 2/.
Monday, July 22, 2013
(OCA) - On July 22, 2013, His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ received His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, who had arrived in Moscow two days earlier to participate in the celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’.
Metropolitan Tikhon was accompanied by His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese, Chairman of the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of External Relations and Inter-Church Relations; Archpriest John Jillions, OCA Chancellor; Archimandrite Alexander [Pihach], OCA Representative to the Moscow Patriarchate and Dean of Saint Catherine Representation Church; Deacon Jesse Isaac, Archdiocese of Canada; and Deacon Cyril Dotsenko, Saint Catherine Church, Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, Chairman of the Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations [DECR]; His Grace, Bishop Clement of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR Deputy Chairman; Archpriest Igor Jakimchuk, DECR Secretary for Inter-Orthodox relations; Archpriest George Roschin, Representative of the World Russian People’s Council at the United Nations, who serves at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, New York, NY.
In welcoming Metropolitan Tikhon, Patriarch Kirill noted that he considers the visit of very important.
“Over the last 25 years there have been great changes, not only in the life of the Russian Church, but also in the lives of our people,” Patriarch Kirill said. “Today, many people identify with Russian Orthodoxy. This is evident by the number of believers, including youth, who attend services. An increasing number of churchly people fast and regularly receive Communion. But perhaps most important, many people are beginning to root the motivation of their actions in Christian beliefs.
“We want to pray together with the Heads of the Local Orthodox Churches, and to thank God for the grace that was revealed to the Russian people,” Patriarch Kirill continued. “But at the same time, we want to pray together with all the Orthodox Churches of the Lord to bless our ongoing historical path. We are faced with many problems of various kinds—because the Church and nation are large. A positive response to these problems will have very good effects on people’s lives, while a negative response will slow our people’s spiritual development…. The [1025th Anniversary] celebration will be held in Moscow, Kyiv and Minsk—three capitals, heiresses of Holy Rus’. For us, it is equally important that in all three places, these celebrations have become a stimulus for further spiritual growth.”
In response, Metropolitan Tikhon thanked Patriarch Kirill for his hospitality.
“Your Holiness, the Orthodox world is now facing some difficulties,” said Metropolitan Tikhon. “As you know, the United States, including our Orthodox Church in America, also is facing a number of problems.” He went on to thank Patriarch Kirill for his assistance and wise counsel in the recent past.
The Primates discussed a number of issues affecting Orthodoxy world-wide. They expressed a common concern with regard to threats to the existence of the Christian presence in Syria and the Middle East in general. Particular concern was expressed with regard to the lengthy captivity by militants of Metropolitans Paul of Aleppo and Mar Gregorios John Ibrahim of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch Kirill, in conjunction with the 1025th celebration, awarded Metropolitan Tikhon with the Order of Saint Vladimir, First Degree. Bishop Alexander was awarded the same Order, Second Degree, while Archimandrite Alexander, Father Jillions, and Deacons Cyril and Jesse were awarded the same Order, Third Degree. Other gifts were exchanged.
One day earlier, Metropolitan Tikhon and his entourage visited Moscow’s Donskoy Monastery, where they venerated the relics of Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, who served as bishop and later archbishop in North America from 1897 until 1907. Abbot Paramon Vicar of the monastery abbot Paramon [Golubka] familiarized the OCA delegation with the monastery church and necropolis, as well as with the life of the monastery today. From there, Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation visited the Pokrovsky Monastery to venerate the precious relics of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow. Members of the monastic sisterhood warmly greeted their guests and spoke about the monastery’s history, current state, and physical restoration.
Photo galleries of the visit may be viewed on Saint Catherine’s web site. A photo gallery from July 21 may be viewed on the OCA web site. A video can be viewed on www.patriarchia.ru.
Metropolitan Tikhon and the OCA delegation arrived in Moscow on Saturday, July 20 to participate in the week-long celebrations slated to be held in Moscow, Russia; Kyiv, Ukraine; and Minsk, Belarus. Additional members of the OCA delegation include Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Relations and Inter-Church Relations.
(Time) - Just as they have done for 17 centuries, the Greek Orthodox monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt’s Sinai desert and the local Jabaliya Bedouins worked together to protect the monastery when the 2011 revolution thrust Egypt into a period of uncertainty. “There was a period in the early days of the Arab Spring when we had no idea what was going to happen,” says Father Justin, a monk who has lived at St. Catherine’s since 1996. Afraid they could be attacked by Islamic extremists or bandits in the relatively lawless expanse of desert, the 25 monks put the monastery’s most valuable manuscripts in the building’s storage room. Their Bedouin friends, who live at the base of St. Catherine’s in a town of the same name, allegedly took up their weapons and guarded the perimeter.
The community’s fears of an attack were not realized, but the monks decided they needed a new way to protect their treasured library from any future threats. Last year, they accelerated a program of digitally copying biblical scripts with the help of multispectral imaging specialists from around the world, while simultaneously renovating and modernizing the library itself. The Sinai library houses 1.8 million pages of script, including essential texts that document the early church. St. Catherine’s ranks high among the world’s preeminent Christian text collections: their Greek manuscripts are second in number only to the Vatican’s, and their hallmark Arabic and Turkish scrolls document the interaction between the monastery and the surrounding world of Islam over the centuries. The monastery’s project will create a digital library for scholars around the world. “The technology, the conservation — they are our protection. Many people are concerned about the safety of what we have here, so we have to make them sure that we are protecting our materials and appreciating our responsibility,” says Father Justin, the monastery’s librarian.
Security concerns are once again at the forefront after the July 3 military ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi and the violence that came in the wake of the change in the country’s leadership. Two days after Morsi’s ouster, the Egyptian army declared a state of emergency in Sinai after Islamist gunmen opened fire on the region’s el-Arish airport and several military checkpoints, killing several police officers and a soldier. St. Catherine’s is geographically vulnerable at the best of times, positioned as it is on a peninsula plagued by a security vacuum. Crimes like human trafficking and kidnappings along the Egypt-Israel border make Sinai one of Egypt’s most dangerous regions.
Father Justin acknowledges that the conservation efforts have been inspired by neighborhood insecurity. “Libraries are precious places where you can store the past in the present, and we are treating what happened to Cairo” — the riots, looting and violence that surrounded the revolution — “as a reminder that libraries are vulnerable, and right now they are more vulnerable than ever,” he says, sitting in his no-frills office in front of a MacBook Pro. He politely steps out to a dark room every few minutes to turn the page of an ancient manuscript so that an imaging crew from Greece can scan the palimpsest.
The two-plus years since the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak have been unsettling for Egypt’s Christians, the majority of whom belong to the Coptic Church and account for a significant minority (up to 10%) of the country’s population. There have been violent clashes between Christians and Muslims, with deaths on both sides. St. Catherine’s has nevertheless maintained its track record of friendly relationships with its Muslim neighbors. The Greek Orthodox monks and the Jabaliya Bedouin tribe, who are the area’s majority residents, have shared land, food and friendly relations since the monastery was built centuries ago. The Jabaliya are believed to be descendants of the Byzantine soldiers who built the monastery in the 6th century, and many of them continue to guard the monastery as their own. “The monastery is a very special place for me and all Bedouins. It is a holy place for all religions. Our ancestors built St. Catherine’s,” explains Ramadan, 26, who has been a tour guide at the monastery since he was 15.
Another Bedouin resident, Faraj, just out of Friday morning prayers at a nearby mosque, adds: “[The Jabaliya and the monks] have been here for so long that we have grown together. We’ve been through times when we had to share our food and gardens. We share everything, we always have. There is even a mosque on the monastery. We don’t use it often anymore because our population is too big now, but it is a still a symbol of our friendly relationship.”
Eager to maintain similarly peaceful relations with all Egyptians, the monks hope their ongoing project will act as a reminder of the monastery’s historical bond with Egypt. “We have to present ourselves in a way to convince the Arabic-speaking world that we are a part of Egypt’s ancient history,” Father Justin says. In preserving their manuscripts, the monks of St. Catherine’s may also be preserving their way of life.
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(mospat.ru) - On 17 July 2013, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia at the Patriarchal residence in St Daniel’s monastery.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church cordially greeted Patriarch Irinej and the delegation of the Serbian Church, saying in particular, “We are very glad that Your Holiness’s long-awaited visit to the Russian Church is timed to this blessed period of the celebrations marking the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, and that you will take part in them.”
His Holiness noted that the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches have always had special relationships. “We are heirs to the common Slavic spiritual and cultural tradition which goes back to Ss Cyril and Methodius. Both Russians and Serbs understand the language of the Divine Service we celebrate. This liturgical tradition spiritually and devotionally unites our people,” Patriarch Kirill said. He also reminded those present that St Sava, founder of the Serbian Church, who took monastic vows in the Old Russik on Mount Athos, translated the Nomocanon into the Slavonic language. The Russian Orthodox Church used this translation for several centuries.
Expressing his joy over the forthcoming joint celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church noted that the Russian Church’s revival after decades of atheistic persecution and oppression began in the year when the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia was celebrated. “We have being working these twenty-five years to revive our Church. For all of us living in historical Rus’ – in different states now, but in the one Church, – it gives an opportunity to reflect upon and assess what has happened, to thank God and pray to Him so that His blessing would always be with us.”
Patriarch Irinej thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his greeting and said, in particular, “These are the words said by the Primate of the great Church of the great nation – the nation which is important not only for the Slavic people but which plays also a significant part in the history of the whole world”.
The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill “for the opportunity to venerate the Russian Church’s shrines, to pray together with the Russian people and to receive God’s grace.” According to Patriarch Irinej, the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia is important not only for the Russian Orthodox Church but for all the Slavic peoples as well.
Speaking about his visit to the Russian Orthodox Church, which began the day before, Patriarch Irinej noted that the visit would strengthen spiritual ties between the two Churches and develop their relations. The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed confidence that the Slavic people should unite and reminded all those present about the words of St Nicholas (Velimirović) about the historical role the Slavic nations are to play in the future. “This role belongs mainly to the Russian people and the Russian Orthodox Church which is to lead the large Slavic family,” His Holiness said.
The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church also mentioned the situation in Kosovo. He reminded the participants in the meeting that the chair of Primates of the Serbian Orthodox Church is located in the Patriarchate of Peč. There is a danger that this territory will be beyond Serbian borders. “Our people in Kosovo and Metochija have been suffering for centuries,” Patriarch Irinej said. He also recalled the Ottoman rule and the wish of some countries to form a second Albanian state in this territory today.
“Had we repudiated Kosovo and Metochija, it would have meant that we repudiated our shrines and our history, as our major historical sites are located there,” His Holiness said.
“The leadership of our country is now influenced by the West, and the Serbian Orthodox Church makes enormous efforts to persuade the Serbian authorities to maintain ties with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church,” Patriarch Irinej said. “I often remind them the words of Nikola Pašić, famous Serbian politician of the first half of the 20th century, who said that we need to tie our small boat of the Serbian Orthodox Church to the ship of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
“We believe that today the word of the Russian Orthodox Church carries great weight when we are talking about the future of Kosovo and Metochiaja,” the Serbian Patriarch said and expressed hope for the Moscow Patriarchate’s and the Russian government’s support in this matter.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said in response: “We have been closely following the situation in Kosovo and Metochija and we have an impression that the year 2013 has become a year of particular ordeals for the Serbian people: churches are been desecrated, gravestones are been destroyed, Orthodox Serbs are been threatened. We admire and honour the courage of the Serbian people who, in spite of their lives being in danger, stay there, at the place, spiritually and historically important for the whole Serbian nation. We give our unconditional support to the just position of the Serbian Orthodox Church regarding Kosovo and Metochija and we have made many statements on this matter. We will continue our dialogue with our government and with governments of other countries, presenting our point of view shared with the Serbian Church. The Russian Orthodox Church has supported the participation of the Russian Federation in UNESCO projects aimed at the restoration of sacred sites of the Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metochija. You know that the restoration, with the Russian Federation being one of its sponsors, has been carried out at the Patriarchate of Peč and at other sites.”
As it was noted, the fund-raising campaign in aid of the Raška-Prizren diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church was carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Two hundred thousand Euros were collected for the restoration of the Prizren Theological Seminary.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expressed his solidarity with the position of the Primate, the Holy Assembly of Bishops and the Synod of the Serbian Church on the Kosovo issue, saying, “We are sorry to see that the political leadership of Serbia is lacking for this adherence to principles and we suppose that it should lend an ear to the voice of the Serbian Orthodox Church instead of ignoring it. We believe that it is necessary to think out models for settling the situation in Kosovo and Metochija, but it should be done in such way that each model would have firm guarantees of existence for the Serbian community and sacred sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church. And, of course, the Serbian Orthodox Church should take part in elaborating such model, as she bears spiritual and moral responsibility for the very existence of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metochija.”
“Meeting with the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, I always raise the issue of Kosovo and Metochija, as well as I now raise the issue of the Christian tragedy in the Middle East, caused by wars which threaten the very survival of Christians in the Middle East,” Patriarch Kirill said. “I believe that all Local Orthodox Churches should actively support the position aimed at protection of the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metochija, as well as protection of the Christian population in the Middle East. Our canonical unity should be expressed in public as well. Our brothers’ suffering is an important social and political problem which requires our joint position.”
At the end of the meeting, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the members of the Serbian delegation with awards of the Russian Orthodox Church – “in consideration of their service for the benefit of the holy Church and on the occasion of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.”
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia was awarded with the Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles (1st grade).
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
(Daily Caller) - An official at Sonoma State University ordered a student working at a freshman orientation fair to remove or hide a cross necklace on two separate occasions. The unnamed official feared that other students could be offended by the two-inch-long symbol of Christianity. Let me go out on a limb here and declare this untruthful. In all my college years both undergraduate and graduate I can call to mind many offensive images, but jewelry doesn't make this list.
The first of the two incidents occurred at the public school in Northern California’s wine country on June 27, reports Fox News. The official, an orientation supervisor, warned Sonoma State student Audrey Jarvis that “the chancellor” enforced a policy against wearing religious items.
“The chancellor” is presumably Timothy P. White, the chancellor of the entire 23-school California State University system.
According to Hiram Sasser, an attorney representing Jarvis, the supervisor advised the practicing Catholic “that she could not wear her cross necklace because it might offend others, it might make incoming students feel unwelcome.”
Jarvis, 19, said she was floored by the explanation.
“I was offended because I believe as a Christian woman it is my prerogative to display my faith any way I like so long as it is not harming anyone else,” she told Fox News. “I was very hurt and felt as if the university’s mission statement — which includes tolerance and inclusivity to all — was violated.”
On a second occasion, the supervisor ordered Jarvis to conceal the cross under her shirt or get rid of it. That’s when the liberal arts major decided to bail early on the orientation job.
Sasser, the director of litigation at the conservative- and Christian-oriented Liberty Institute, calls the supervisor’s actions “obvious religious discrimination” and is seeking an apology.
The attorney added that the law is pretty settled in this area. “State employees may wear crosses while they are performing their duties as long as the wearing does not interfere with the employees’ duties or harm the employer’s business interests,” Sasser counseled.
Management at Sonoma State, a school known mostly as a laidback hippie haven with a nice library, is apologizing repeatedly and without reservation.
“Someone who works here was concerned that the cross might be off-putting to students who are coming to campus for the first time,” confirmed university spokeswoman Susan Kashack. She added that the supervisor’s behavior was “completely wrong.”
“It was absolutely an inappropriate action for him to make that request of her,” Kashack added, according to Fox News.
“It’s possible that political correctness got out of hand.” Ya think? But this isn't even political correctness, this is bald-faced bigotry.
Sonoma State President Ruben Arminana is in on the groveling as well.
“The president was very upset about it and asked me to contact Miss Jarvis and give a profuse apology,” Kashack said.
Kashack noted that school officials have communicated with the unidentified employee who ordered Jarvis to remove the cross necklace. However, she refused to disclose what was said or if he faces any sort of consequences.
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