[ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] March, 2016 - Orthodox Christian Laity
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Monthly Archives: March, 2016

Source: Russian Orthodox Church Department of External Church Relations Originally published on January 28, 2016. The document is approved by the participants in the Synaxis of the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches on January 21 – 28, 2016, in Chambesy, except representatives of the Patriarchate of Antioch. It is published by the decision of the Synaxis of the Primates. Article 1 Introduction By the grace of the Holy Trinity, the Holy and Great Council is an authentic expression of the canonical tradition and perennial church practice as to the functioning of the conciliar system in One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church…

Source: Russian Orthodox Church Department of External Church Relations On 29 March 2016, the first meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Secretariat of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church began at the Orthodox Centre of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Chambésy, near Geneva, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Jeremiah of Switzerland (Patriarchate of Constantinople). The Pan-Orthodox Secretariat was established in compliance with a decision of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Churches held in Chambésy on January 21-28. Each generally recognized autocephalous Church delegated one representative to make up the Secretariat. According to the decision of the Synaxis,…

Source: The Wall Street Journal By JAMES MARTIN When was the last time you felt stressed out by Easter? So much Easter shopping to do, so many Easter cards to write, so many Easter gatherings to attend. Not to mention the endless stream of Easter commercials on television and online, the nearly unavoidable Easter-themed movies and all those tacky Easter sweaters that you’re forced to wear every spring. And don’t forget the travails of setting up the annual Easter tree and stringing Easter lights on your house. Every year you lament how overly commercialized Easter has become. Can the holiday get…

Source: Orthodox Church in America As reported earlier, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon had accepted the invitation of His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to concelebrate at the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in the Phanar district here on the Sunday of Orthodoxy—March 19-20, 2016. Earlier, Metropolitan Tikhon had accepted similar invitations from Patriarch Bartholomew.  In December 2014, he visited the Holy Theological School of Halki and the Patriarchate with Archpriests John Jillions, OCA Chancellor, and Archpriests John Behr and Alexander Rentel of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY.  In June 2015, Metropolitan Tikhon and Father Alexander…

Source: Amen.gr (Vatican Radio)  The Orthodox Metropolitan of Belgium, Athenagoras (Ecumenical Patriarchate) has called for all religious leaders of Belgium to unite their voices and forces against terrorism. Commenting on the attacks of Tuesday morning in Brussels, Athenagoras, President of the Orthodox Episcopal Assembly of Belgium, appealed to every person of good will around the world, Christians and non, to become a shield against terrorism as well as messengers of peace. “Terrorists today have not struck Brussels. Terrorists today struck throughout Europe. Terrorists today struck once again the whole world” he underlined in his comment. “We call upon the whole…

Source: Orthodox Church His holiness, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril I, at the Feast of Victory of Orthodoxy (20th March 2016) held a speech in which he strongly criticized union with Latins that former Orthodox Christians, now known as “Eastern Catholics” signed with Rome, during Florence Robber Synod crises in 15th century, before the fall of the great and holy city of Constantinople (1453)

Source: Journey to Orthodoxy Originally posted on May 26, 2010 I would like to share with you a brief letter that was published some time ago in an Italian Orthodox parish newsletter. Its author, Archpriest Gregorio Cognetti, is the Dean of the Italian parishes under the Moscow Patriarchate. This letter was generally liked by the Italian Orthodox converts, and also received a high degree of appreciation among some cradle-born Orthodox (it was, for instance, translated into Romanian); I hope it may be prove an interesting reading and a source of inspiration for all of you. Chapel Hill (U.S.), March 1982…

Source: And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church Letter of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece on the texts proposed for approval by the upcoming Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church  SACRED METROPOLIS OF NAFPAKTOS AND SAINT VLASIOS Nafpaktos, 18th of January 2016 To the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Church of Greece Ioannou Gennadiou 14 115 21 Athens Your Beatitude, President of the Synod, Following the Session of the Sacred Synod in the month of January, we were given the texts which were prepared and prepare for the future convening of the Holy…

Source: OrthodoxOutpost.com More good, more often. Orthodox Christian writers are often called upon to author articles that focus on positive aspects of life in the Church.  Mission trips, fasting recipes, and ethnic customs are all topics that make for a friendly encounter with Orthodox Christianity. But what if the calling to do more good, more often was much more difficult? What if doing more good, more often meant being unpopular? What if doing more good, more often meant being cast out by those around us? The movie Spotlight recently won the Oscar for Best Picture. It tells the story of…

Source: Huffington Post by Evagelos Sotiropoulos The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church to be held in Crete during Pentecost has prompted a great deal of discussion. The affirmation at the January Synaxis of Primates in Chambésy to proceed with the Council was historic and almost one hundred years in the making. With the stage set, this essay will examine three points: an historical framework with which to view the June 2016 Council; the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and, the politics behind the Council with a focus on the Russian Orthodox Church. 1. From St. Constantine to Crete Constantine…

Source: Christianity Daily The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is hosting an international summit on religious persecution in Moscow in collaboration with the Russian Orthodox Church. The summit, called ‘The World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians,’ will be taking place from October 28-30, 2016. Franklin Graham announced on his Facebook page on Wednesday morning that ‘The World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians’ is called in view of rapidly increasing persecution of Christians around the world in recent years, as also documented by last year’s study on persecution by Open Doors, which found that 2015 was the worst year of Christian persecution.…

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