[ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] December, 2017 - Orthodox Christian Laity
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Monthly Archives: December, 2017

George Matsoukas

2017 Year End: Ramblings of the OCL Executive Director

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity State of Orthodoxy in the U.S.A. Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) completed its 30 years of service calling for transparency, accountability, unity and advocating to maintain the voice of the laity as an equal in the administrative life of the Orthodox Church, thereby contributing to Church renewal.   As we have seen and experienced in 2017, disrespect and disregard for this principle has contributed to the disorder, financial mismanagement and disunity that has furthered the decline of Orthodoxy in the USA.  The census statistics, surveys, research on the status of growth, retention and development confirm this decline. Since…

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Who Lost Chicago?

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By on Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Greek News By Bill George Stotis  The answer to the simple question of “Who lost Chicago?” will be articulated in later years by those who care or seek the truth about the Greek Orthodox Church in America (GOA). Just as we question cause and effect to find historical context for events, there will be those who ask, “Who lost Chicago?”. Fortunately for historians and scholars there is always a “canary in the mine shaft” that foretells the future. For Greek Orthodox Americans the “canary” is the Metropolis of Chicago. What should have been “the Jewel” of the GOA, is…

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Demetrios Sends List of Candidates to Patriarchate

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By on Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate the List of Candidates for Election to the Episcopacy or to be eligible for election to the Metropolis of Chicago, exactly as Patriarch Bartholomew and the Synod had requested. The List is divided into four categories: the first consists of the archimandrites, the second of widower priests, the third of active metropolitans of the Archdiocese and the fourth of those who previously served the Archdiocese and now are metropolitans in Ecclesiastical Eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate abroad, namely,…

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Work Stops on St. Nicholas Shrine at World Trade Center Site

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By on Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The New York Times By SHARON OTTERMAN Sixteen years after the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was destroyed in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, its reopening at the World Trade Center site remains frustratingly out of reach. The latest setback to the project came this month, when Skanska U.S.A., the construction company rebuilding the once-simple church into a luminous, Santiago Calatrava-designed shrine, ceased work at the site in Liberty Park, just south of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, despite receiving $37 million in donations for the shrine, was unable to pay its bills, the company…

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Palestinian Christians tangle with Greek Orthodox Church over Holy Land properties

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By on Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The Washington Post By Ruth Eglash Beside a nondescript stretch of highway linking Bethlehem to Jerusalem, there’s a large shiny rock and a cluster of olive trees. This place, called Kathisma or “seat” in Greek, is said to be where the Virgin Mary rested and drank from a well, not long before giving birth in a stable to Jesus. The only clue to that history is the ruins of a Byzantine church, with a vibrant mosaic floor peeking through mud and smashed beer bottles. And while the ruins themselves remain in the hands of the Greek Orthodox Church, all the…

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Personal Message from the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Toronto

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By on Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: The National Herald TORONTO, CA – Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), under the Jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, sends a personal message for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. “To the faithful people of our Holy Metropolis across Canada, Christmas is upon us. We will soon celebrate the Nativity of Christ. Let us think about our Lord, Who is the Light of the World, and recall His teachings. Christ said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). In recent days, we have…

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HCHC President Metropulos is Not Ready to Talk about Anything

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By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA – Rev. Christopher Metropulos, President of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) refuted the news that had been widely circulated around the campus, in the Greek-American community, and also in Greece, that Theological School Dean Dr. James Skedros has resigned. Dr. Skedros did not respond to The National Herald’s request for comment. Skedros was appointed to School’s deanship in May, 2014. TNH has learned that Skedros mentioned his intent to resign during a faculty meeting some time ago. Fr. Metropulos expressed his disappointment that TNH revealed…

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Hellenism in America at a Crossroads

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By on Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Ekathimerini The Greek-American community is faced with a deep crisis. It’s time the Phanar – the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate – made some important decisions before it’s too late. If it fails to appoint a new archbishop soon to replace the outgoing Demetrios or if it does not make the right choice, it will lose America. And if it loses America, it will lose everything. It is from there that it draws a large part of its power and economic support. Who would want to see such a development? And who can disregard the profound implications that would result from the…

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Nicholas E. Nicholau, Former Board Member and OCL FORUM Newsletter Editor, has fallen asleep in the Lord

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By on OCL News, Orthodox Christian Laity

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Nick peacefully departed this life at 10:00 am Saturday, December 9, 2017, after a long and brave struggle with several increasingly debilitating strokes.  The funeral was held on Friday, December 15th, at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Palos Hills, IL, his home parish which he served selflessly in so many capacities: Altar Boy captain; Parish Council member; Youth Advisor; Sunday School teacher; Festival assistant, etc. Nick was a U.S. Army Veteran having served in Korea during the Korean War.  An ardent supporter of OCL, he served as an early editor of OCL’s Forum newsletter…

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Stolen donations, tax fraud, abusive priests: Lawsuit alleges corruption among Greek Orthodox church leaders

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By on Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: CBC News Allegations in statement of claim are ‘wholly without merit,’ says Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto By Lauren Pelley, CBC News A civil lawsuit filed against some of the most powerful members of Canada’s Greek Orthodox community includes allegations of verbal and physical abuse by priests, money for a sick baby stolen from a church fundraiser, and sex offenders placed in Toronto churches — a controversy some say is part of an ongoing Greek “turf war.” The board of directors for the Greek Community of Toronto (GCT), a non-profit charity representing more than 150,000 Greek Canadians, filed the lawsuit against the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, its metropolitan — the Greek Orthodox…

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Response to The Chieti Document is Another Step Forward for the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches’ Common Understanding in Service of Unity

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By on Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA WASHINGTON—The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation (NAOCTC) has released its response to the most recent document produced by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Entitled, “Synodality and Primacy During the First Millennium: Towards a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church,” this work of the international dialogue was released in September 2016. It is often referred to as, “The Chieti Document,” because it was finalized during a meeting in Chieti, Italy. The NAOCTC, which is co-chaired by Cardinal…

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Statement on Rebuilding of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at World Trade Center

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By on Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) WASHINGTON (December 13, 2017) — As a donor organization to the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at World Trade Center, AHEPA Supreme President Carl R. Hollister has issued the following statement: “We are deeply disappointed that construction of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at World Trade Center has come to a halt and regret the inadequate transparency provided thus far about the project’s construction status. “We have been in communication with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and members of the Archdiocesan Council to convey our concerns about Saint…

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