[ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] February, 2013 - Orthodox Christian Laity
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Monthly Archives: February, 2013

Commemorated February 26 St. Photini’s Life The New Testament describes the familiar account of the “woman at the well” (John 4:5-42), who was a Samaritan. Up to that point she had led a sinful life, one which resulted in a rebuke from Jesus Christ. However, she responded to Christ’s stern admonition with genuine repentance, was forgiven her sinful ways, and became a convert to the Christian Faith – taking the name ‘Photini’ at Baptism, which literally means “the enlightened one”. A significant figure in the Johannine community, the Samaritan Woman, like many other women, contributed to the spread of Christianity.…

Source: The Daily Star By Hasan Lakkis Opposition and majority sources told The Daily Star that ongoing talks have not yet broken the deadlock over a new electoral law but said this week could be decisive. Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun told The Daily Star that no one had contacted FPM leader Michel Aoun or any other FPM official to discuss the topic in the past few days, adding that the party had not changed its support for the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, which would restrict voters’ choices to MPs from their own sect. Parliamentary sources from the Lebanese Forces…

Source: Qantara.de In recent years, around 60-100 Syriac Orthodox families have returned from central Europe to Turkey. Encouraged by changes in the political atmosphere, the minority nonetheless faces a host of problems, from the expropriation of land belonging to a monastery, to a ban on special schools and kindergartens, and also a lack of places of worship in Istanbul. By Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere A sign in Aramaic at the side of the road defiantly bids visitors “Welcome to Kafro” next to the official Turkish sign on which the village is called “Elbeğendi”. Here, some 15 kilometres south of Midyat, live…

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America The Assembly of Bishops Research Coordinator, Alexei Krindatch, has prepared a range of reports on Orthodox Christianity in America. Along with the following research summaries, the full reports are available in PDF format. Ten Facts about Geographic Patterns of the Orthodox Church Life in the United States (Report #1) In the US today, there are approximately 800,000 Orthodox “adherents”— persons who participate (either regularly or occasionally) in the life of an Orthodox parish. This report provides detailed geographic information about Orthodox Church adherents, parishes, and monasteries in the US,…

Source: ABC News By VESELIN TOSHKOV Associated Press SOFIA, Bulgaria February 24, 2013 (AP) – Metropolitan Neofit of Ruse was elected Sunday as the new spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians amid social unrest threatening to throw the Balkan country in a serious political crisis. The 67-year-old Neofit was picked among three candidates shortlisted in a secret ballot by the 14 bishops that make up the Holy Synod of the church. An electoral college made up of 138 members gave 90 votes to Neofit. He is considered a compromise candidate after a power struggle within the church over who will…

Source: Oinos Consulting By Frank Marangos D.Min., Ed.D.  “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” –  Alfred, Lord Tennyson To a society that unreservedly celebrates positions of power, prestige, and performance the recent announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation indicates the possibility of personal failure, infirmity and/or scandal. “Why else would a leader with global citation, cachet, and clout abdicate his position of buff?” What the secular media often fails to recognize, however, is that the most enduring source of influence is not derived from the glamourized positions of paparazzi-styled power-brokers, but actually from the modesty…

Source: The National Herald by TNH staff CONSTANTINOPLE – Illustrating that Constantinople is still a “Byzantine” place regardless of what Turks call it, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said during an interview with the Turkish Daily Milliyet that he only learned from newspapers that a special commission was set up to decide the fate of the Halki Seminary, which has been closed for more than four decades. “There is no representative of the Patriarchate on this commission. It is as if we are not a party relevant to this issue,” the Patriarch said to Milliyet. The seminary was closed by the Turkish…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – The February edition of “Wonder”—the on-line journal of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry—is now available. This month’s theme, “The Gospel and the City,” features transcriptions of sermons delivered by Orthodox Christian participants in the recent Festival of Young Preachers in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Anna Vander Wall reflects on Psalm 137 in her article, “Zion in Babylon.” A student at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Harrison Russin, relates the theme to the first chapter of Genesis in “Out of the Garden, Into the City.” Father James…

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America The Secretariat welcomes Chrysanthe Loizos, the newly-appointed Communications Officer for the Assembly, to its ranks. Over the past fifteen years, Chrysanthe has worked for a number of nonprofit organizations, primarily in the humanitarian and social service sectors. Most recently she worked for International Orthodox Christian Charities as International Programs Coordinator. In that capacity she provided programmatic support to IOCC’s field offices abroad. During her tenure with IOCC, she worked in a number of its offices, including Beirut, Tbilisi, and Banja Luka. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from…

Source: The Sofia Globe by CLIVE LEVIEV-SAWYER After a day and a half of voting in more than 24 rounds, the governing body of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod, chose on February 16 2013 the three metropolitans who will be the candidates in the election for the next Patriarch – Galaktion of Stara Zagora, Neofit of Rousse and Gavril of Lovetch. This puts Gavril – the only metropolitan eligible for election who was not a communist-era State Security agent – back in the race after he appeared to have been eliminated early in the first rounds of voting…

Source: Catholic Online By Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse When faith dies man gradually loses the knowledge that he was created by God and so he loses himself. Pope Benedict’s rare insight and erudition of the Eastern patrimony strengthens both West and East and many Orthodox believers are grateful for it. May God grant us more teachers like him. May his remaining years bear much fruit. We still need him. NAPLES, FL. (Catholic Online) – Like almost everyone, the resignation of Pope Benedict came as a shock to Orthodox believers. Those of us who have watched Pope Benedict and his predecessor…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America AUSTIN, Texas – The 11th Annual Orthodox Christian Camp & Youth Worker Conference took place at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas January 24-26.  Over 100 youth workers from around the United States and Bahamas assembled for this three-day conference hosted by the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  This year’s theme was “Shine Forth:  Helping our Orthodox Youth Follow and Represent Christ.” Father Apostolos Hill, of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Prescott, Ariz., offered the keynote address.  He distilled his years of pastoral experience…

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