Source: National Catholic Register COMMENTARY: That Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople would travel to Warsaw to stand alongside a Catholic bishop to call out the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is altogether remarkable. by Father Raymond J. de Souza The aftershocks of the “ecclesial earthquake” were not long in coming. On Friday, Pope Francis consecrated Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On Sunday, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople was in Warsaw. What connects the two events? Neither the Bishop of Rome nor the patriarch of the “New Rome” — Constantinople — take into account any longer possible objections from…
Browsing: Orthodox Church
A church is damaged after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Source: Neos Cosmos by Nick Trakakis As the war in Ukraine rages on, a parallel war is underway within the Orthodox Church. Not much has been said about this religious conflict in the mainstream media, even though it is playing a crucial role in the military conflict. And it’s a problem affecting not merely Eastern Europe, but Australia too. I have borrowed the title of this article, “Orthodox c’est fini” (French for “Orthodoxy is finished”), not from some militant atheist, but from a leading Greek Orthodox theologian, Professor Petros Vassiliadis [Prof. Vassiliadis made this remark in a March 11 post…
Source: The Tablet The Orthodox world is being shattered by the war in Ukraine. A close adviser to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reflects frankly on the state of Orthodoxy before the invasion, and imagines how it needs to change if it is to have a future. By JOHN CHRYSSAVGIS On the Sunday of the first week of Great Lent, which this year began on 7 March, the Eastern liturgical cycle celebrates the Feast of Orthodoxy. Sometimes conceitedly called the “Triumph of Orthodoxy” it would be more accurate to describe it as the celebration of the “restoration of images”, for on this…
Source: OrthodoxReality National Study about the Pandemic’s Impact on Orthodox Church Life in America Dear OCL friends, If you are a lay church member in the United States of America, we ask you to do something that could make a significant difference for the future of both your parish and the Orthodox Church in general. We ask you to take part in a national study about the pandemic’s impact on Orthodox church life in America. The study has heard already from about 400 American Orthodox priests and the results were published here: https://orthodoxreality.org/coronavirus-and-american-orthodox-parishes Now it is time to hear the thoughts, concerns and experiences…
Source: Daily Beast by A. Craig Copetas Beneath the gold onion domes of the Danilov Monastery a few miles south of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin’s chief shaman explains why Russia is hell-bent on destroying Ukraine. “If we see [Ukraine] as a threat, we have the right to use force to ensure the threat is eradicated,” Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill recently preached to his church’s 90 million faithful followers. “We have entered into a conflict which has not only physical but also metaphysical significance. We are talking about human salvation, something much more important than politics.” The wartime coalition between Putin and his patriarch is called symphonia,…
The Holy Eucharist
Source: Orthodox Reality The “New Traditional” in a Most Traditional Church: How the Pandemic Has Reshaped American Orthodox Christian Churches How has the pandemic transformed the Orthodox Church, the original Christian Church that “never changes?” Based on the national survey of the Orthodox Christian parish clergy conducted January 24 – February 10, 2022, the report answers this question. It examines both overall impact of the pandemic and the possible long-term consequences for American Orthodox Christian parishes. The report also discusses “mysteriously” strong growth in vitality that some congregations (12% of all American Orthodox parishes) experienced despite and even because of the…
Icon: Gathering of the twelve Apostles, church of Zoodockos Pigi (Life-giving Spring), Vyzitsa, Pelion, Greece; Photo: Damaged Ukrainian church in the village of Bobryk, Kyiv region (source)
Source: Public Orthodoxy “For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.” (Divine Liturgy) Русский | Српски The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, is a historic threat to a people of Orthodox Christian tradition. More troubling still for Orthodox believers, the senior hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church has refused to acknowledge this invasion, issuing instead vague statements about the necessity for peace in light of “events” and “hostilities” in Ukraine, while emphasizing the fraternal nature of the Ukrainian and…
Source: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Kankakee IL On Friday evening, March 11, at 7:30, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Kankakee will continue its new program, “Orthodox Voices: A Lenten Dialogue Series,” held on the next five consecutive Fridays at Annunciation. These five Friday offerings, through April 8, will be composed of talks from and discussions with five Orthodox professionals and academics, sharing their insight on how their Orthodox faith informs the work they do. On Friday, March 4, the parish kicked-off its Lenten Series with a joyous Pre-Lenten Concert, setting the scene for these five nights of dialogue. The schedule of lectures, to begin March 11, was…
Jeenah Moon/AP
People wrapped in the colors of the Ukrainian flag pray during a service at New York City's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr on the Sunday following the Feb. 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source: The Christian Science Monitor President Putin’s battle to control the “Russian world” includes a religious front: a centuries-old spiritual and nationalist struggle within the Orthodox church – a part of the consciousness of average churchgoers worldwide. – Laurent By Sara Miller Llana Staff writer By Sarah Matusek Staff writer By Alexander Thompson Staff writer TORONTO, NEW YORK, AND BOSTON In the wake of an invasion that has shaken the globe, the diaspora of Ukrainians from Winnipeg to Warsaw has taken to the streets to denounce a war they say is unprovoked. But another side of their fierce resistance is spiritual…
People gather in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia is pressing its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Source: Religion News Service The Orthodox theologian who once taught at an evangelical school warns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should worry Americans who care about religious freedom. By Bob Smietana (RNS) — The news that Russian troops had invaded Ukraine was of deep concern for Bradley Nassif, a theologian and expert on Orthodox-evangelical dialogue who spent years as a tenured professor of religion at an evangelical university. The status of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine has long been a source of tension. While Ukraine is home to millions of Orthodox Christians, they are divided in loyalties, with ties to rival leaders in…
Source: Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative Listen Now The wife of a clergyman, respectfully called Preoteasă, Matushka, Khouria, Presbytera, or Popadija in various Orthodox traditions, serves a unique supporting role in a parish community. Preoteasă Lillian Lupu, author of Helpful Hints for Orthodox Clergy Wives, explores the tremendous responsibility the wife of a clergyman carries in supporting her husband, their family, and the extended church community. The episode’s title conveys a double meaning. “Supporting” describes the clergy wife in her role, and it explores how the laity can support these women who are constantly called upon to serve and sacrifice for the sake of the…
Source: Orthodox Christian Studies Center Thursday, February 17, 2022 6:30pm (Eastern) / 5:30pm (Central) Hybrid event: In-person or live stream via Zoom University of Chicago (Swift Hall) In cooperation with the Lumen Christi Institute, with co-sponsorship by the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion and the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies This panel will examine the recent social document For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church, published with the approval of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2020. The fruit of critical reflection by Orthodox Christian lay scholars and Church leaders, For the Life…