Source: Christianity Today Possible manufacture of holy oil a signal of declaration of independence from Moscow patriarchate, while still opposing rival breakaway church. by JAYSON CASPER After 93 days of war, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has definitively broken with Russia—maybe. In a council decision taken May 27, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)–affiliated body declared its “full self-sufficiency and independence,” condemning the three-month conflict as “a violation of God’s commandment: Thou shalt not kill!” Such a condemnation was not new. The day the invasion began, UOC-MP Metropolitan Onufriy called it a “repetition of the sin of Cain.” But in dry ecclesial language,…
Browsing: Orthodox Church
Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] Online Registration is now open for the 2022 Parish Development Forum, to be held from 10:00 AM EDT to 5:15 PM on Friday June 17. The Forum is co-sponsored by the Orthodox Church in America’s Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania, the Diocese of the Midwest and the Bulgarian Diocese. “While we hope to return to in-person Forums in coming years, it seems most effective to once again offer the Parish Development Forum as a one-day online session,” said Joseph Kormos, Forum co-chairperson and Parish Development Ministry Leader for the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania. “Having the Forum online will also help parishes redirect their travel…
On Friday, May 6, 2022, a video was posted in which Bishop Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, a member of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Church, stated that he was personally present earlier in the week at a meeting in the Nis Eparchy between Patriarch Porfirije and representatives of the MOC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FY-NzLUoJg The bishop spoke with great enthusiasm about the dialogue of love that occurred at the meeting. He expressed the hope that at the Assembly (an annual meeting of all Serbian bishops normally held in May), the MOC will return to unity with the Serbian Church and with all of the Local Orthodox Churches. On the following Monday, May 9, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued its decisions
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) met on May 12. The members of the Holy Synod are identified at https://news.church.ua/2022/05/12/vidbulosya-zasidannya-svyashhennogo-sinodu-ukrajinskoji-pravoslavnoji-cerkvi/. Among the permanent members are Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea and Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol. The last meeting of the Synod was on February 28, a few days after the invasion. The results of the meeting on May 12 are summarized by the UOC-MP at https://news.church.ua/2022/05/12/pidsumki-svyashhennogo-sinodu-ukrajinskoji-pravoslavnoji-cerkvi-vid-12-travnya-2022-roku/. A number of subjects were discussed at the meeting. The most important subject was the issuance of a statement which can…
Source: Borkena Security forces in the Silte zone reportedly failed to stop the attacks on churches and the killings of Christians A day after the tragic incident in Gondar where a reportedly escalated clash between two individuals from Islamic faith and Orthodox Church followers claimed 14 lives, according to the government, at least three churches were blazed with fire. According to EOTV church TV, the perpetrators were what it called radicals [apparently from Islamic faith]. They broke into Rufael Church in Worabe , and vandalised it before they set it on fire. They also burned St. Gabriel and two other churches. Apart…
Ukrainian soldiers enjoy a break from the fighting to bring Easter food for a blessing in front of an Orthodox monstery in Kharkiv at the weekend. Credit: ALAMY
Source: Church Times by JONATHAN LUXMOORE Ukrainian Orthodox head puts pressure on Russian Church THE Primate of Ukraine’s independent Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko), has called for the removal of the Russian Orthodox presence in his country. His hardened stance was prompted by the refusal of President Putin to agree a truce for the celebration of Easter, and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow charge to the Russian people to make their country “invincible”. “The Ukrainian state is fighting to protect its territorial integrity and defending its information space,” Metropolitan Epiphany said. “This is why we must also talk about protecting Ukraine’s Orthodox faithful from Russian influence. . . As long…
Source: Religion News Service The letter to the Russian patriarch comes amid calls to expel him and the Russian Orthodox Church from the WCC. By Jack Jenkins (RNS) — The head of the World Council of Churches is urging Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, to call for a cease-fire in Ukraine as Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this weekend. “People lost their trust and hope in politicians and in a possible peaceful negotiation and a ceasefire,” the Rev. Ioan Sauca, a Romanian Orthodox priest and acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, wrote in a letter…
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia during a ceremonial service at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belgrade. (RIA Novosti / Sergey Pyatakov)
Source: The Washington Post Patriarch Kirill has angered many priests by echoing the language Vladimir Putin uses to justify the Ukraine invasion By Jeanne Whalen He leads his flock from a soaring, gilded cathedral built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon, where week after week the powerful head of the Russian Orthodox Church is working to ensure that the faithful are all in on their country’s invasion of Ukraine. Whether warning about the “external enemies” attempting to divide the “united people” of Russia and Ukraine, or very publicly blessing the generals leading soldiers in the field, Patriarch Kirill has become one…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – Metropolis of San Francisco CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW THE VIDEO My dear sisters and brothers in the Lord, Holy Week is upon us, these final days of our journey to witness the crucifixion of Christ, and to celebrate His glorious Resurrection. Our Holy Week begins on a note of great joy. We are carried away by the words of praise, “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” This year, after enduring the previous two years of distance-worship, we too, can be…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America In just a few days, Holy Week begins. It is a wonderful, special week for Orthodox Christians. It is also filled with long services that can be challenging to anyone, but especially to young children. Here we offer a few suggestions that may help to make Holy Week more meaningful for our children and godchildren. Preparation begins with adults understanding the services (Holy Week: An Introduction) so that we can talk about them in words children will understand. With them, you can do some of the arts and crafts listed below. Please…
Source: Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Originally published on February 22, 2022 WRITTEN BY Donatienne Ruy, Director, Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy Heather A. Conley Former Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; and Former Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program Marlene Laruelle Director and Research Professor, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Tengiz Pkhaladze Associate Professor and Head of the BA Program in Political Science, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs Elizabeth H. Prodromou Faculty Member and Faculty Director of the Initiative on Religion, Law, and Diplomacy, The Fletcher School at Tufts University Majda Ruge Senior Policy…
Source: Helleniscope By Anonymous contributor We have missed the mark. The chasm between Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy must be addressed and healed within our churches and within the hearts of the faithful. How can I make such a bold and audacious statement? Because it is true. I, like most Orthodox Christians, grew up in a loving, supportive, celebratory, and spiritually grounding community. We created in essence our own world inside the “American” world. In fact, the language of being Greek and being American were always clearly delineated, even though, of course, we were all Americans. We loved our country. Many of…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America By Bishop THOMAS (Joseph) and Fr. David Hyatt Download the Article (PDF) “Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, in order to be Orthodox, you must be Eastern. The west was fully Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies.” St. John of San Francisco and Shanghai On occasion, as I travel, I come across the opinion that churches that do not celebrate the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great are not truly Orthodox. Some Orthodox Christians, it seems, have come to associate…