October, 2013 - Orthodox Christian Laity

Monthly Archives: October, 2013

‘Honeymoon With Jesus:’ Eritrean Christian Woman Describes Torture in Prison

By Webmaster on October 31, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The Christian Post BY STOYAN ZAIMOV, CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER An Eritrean Christian woman who was tortured in prison has revealed that her faith helped her get through the darkest of times, describing the experience as a “honeymoon with Jesus.” “When we visited Gabriella at home, she stood up from her seat to welcome us. We immediately saw how much weight she had lost in prison. We could see that she had suffered much. But despite the weakness, Gabrielle looked to us like a soldier who has returned from war victorious. Her joy was very visible and quite overwhelming. We asked…

Syria’s Christian Community Cries Out for Help

By Webmaster on October 31, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: National Review Online By Nina Shea The Vatican news agency Fides reports today that two new mass graves containing a total of 30 bodies were found in Sadad, an ancient Christian town of some 15,000 people between Damascus and Homs, bringing to 45 the number of residents killed there by Islamist militias since October 21. Surviving relatives and friends uncovered the graves after government forces recently recaptured the town from rebels. Those killed were reported by the local Syriac Orthodox metropolitan, who presided over 30 of their funerals this week, to be Christian civilians, including women and children. A list of their…

Fanaticism, Politics Threat To Middle East Orthodoxy

By Webmaster on October 31, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The National Herald Amb. Patrick N. Theros Special to The National Herald The Greek Orthodox populations of the Middle East have survived where others have virtually disappeared. Leading up to the Islamic conquest in the 7th century, the Orthodox represented perhaps ten percent of the total population of the then Eastern Roman (now known as the Byzantine) Empire’s provinces of Syria and about two percent in Egypt. The rest were heterodox (i.e., heretical) Christians, including Assyrians, Nestorians, Arians and Copts among others who fought the Empire and whom we persecuted in return. The Orthodox Christians recovered from the Persian…

Will the Assembly of Bishops Lay a Foundation for Unity? Why is our Geographic Church in America Subject to Patriarchates Abroad Whose Actions Appear to be Obstructing Unity?

By Webmaster on October 31, 2013 Governance & Unity News, OCL Forums

Mandate The Assembly has been established in accordance with the Decision of the 4th Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, convoked in Chambésy, Switzerland, June 6-12, 2009, at which met representatives from all the universally-recognized autocephalous Orthodox churches. These representatives recognized substantial canonical “anomalies” in the organization and life of the Church in these regions, and realized that, though these anomalies had arisen from specific historical circumstances and pastoral needs, they nonetheless present a number of serious problems for the faithful; moreover, they give an appearance of disunity in the one holy Church. As such, these representatives unanimously agreed to the formation of…

Church Near Trade Center to Echo Landmarks of East

By Webmaster on October 30, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

St. Nicholas Church, Destroyed on 9/11, to Rebuild With Byzantine Design Source: The New York Times By DAVID W. DUNLAP A gleaming, monumental and unmistakable symbol of Orthodox Christianity would rise at the south end of the National September 11 Memorial under plans drawn up for the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The original St. Nicholas Church was crushed on Sept. 11, 2001, when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. Plans to replace it on the grounds of the new trade center, across Liberty Street from the memorial, have sputtered, stoppedand crept ahead in the intervening years. But no images of…

New OCA Guidelines for ordination, appointments, and clergy transfers

By Webmaster on October 30, 2013 Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – New guidelines for ordination, appointments, and clergy transfers are now available on the web site of the Orthodox Church in America. Also available is a summary regarding the transfer of non-OCA clergy into the OCA. “Revising these guidelines represents a year-long process,” said Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary. “It involved the Holy Synod of Bishops, canonists, and seminary representatives working through the Board of Theological Education. The members of the Holy Synod offered their approval at their Fall 2013 session.” Guidelines for Ordination, Appointment and Transfer of Clergy Guidelines for Petitioning for…

Orthodox participate in 10th WCC Assembly

By Webmaster on October 29, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – The 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches opened on October 30, 2013 in Busan, Republic of Korea. Representing the Orthodox Church in America at the Assembly are His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Toledo; Professor Paul Meyendorff of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary; and Cindy Davis of the OCA Chancery. The OCA delegation will join the other Orthodox delegations in offering an Orthodox presence and witness at the Assembly. The OCA delegation is the only delegation representing Orthodoxy in North America. The other Orthodox delegations are the voices of the Orthodox patriarchates…

Parishioners learn details of possible priest embezzlement

By Webmaster on October 27, 2013 Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories, Uncategorized

Source: WBLX Local By Alan Silverman WAUWATOSA (WITI) — The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office is investigating whether a former priest stole money from Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa. Members of the congregation gathered on Sunday, October 27th to learn more about the alleged activity of their former priest, Father James Dokos. Church attorney Emmanuel Mamalakis presented members with the findings and sequence of events that led them to the District Attorney’s Office. “We were doing some work on accounting. We were cleaning up papers and as we were going through, we noticed some issues,” explained Mamalakis. The issue was…

Church repairs will cost EGP 190m: Pope Tawadros of Egypt

By Webmaster on October 26, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Basil El-Dabh Coptic Orthodox Church anticipates a return to stability for the country Source: Daily News – Egypt After a preliminary survey of damage inflicted in sectarian violence, an estimated cost of EGP 190m will be required for restoration, said head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II. The committee consisted of members of the Church and the military’s Engineering Authority. The estimate was presented to the Engineering Authority, according to the pontiff during a telephone interview on the Christian Al-Karma satellite channel. Pope Tawadros added that the authority was working with the Church to implement a plan to…

Facebook off Limits for Macedonian Clergy

By Webmaster on October 26, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: ABC News SKOPJE, Macedonia October 26, 2013 (AP) The Macedonian Orthodox Church has banned it clergy from using Facebook to protect against abuse and “new phenomena of confessions and intimate conversations with young people,” local media report. Reports on Saturday said the Holy Synod, the executive body of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, took the decision after one bishop’s complaint. Local media say the decision has already created tensions between older church dignitaries who do not use the Internet and are hostile to it, and younger clergy and even bishops who make use of social media. Nearly two-thirds of Macedonia’s…

Church of Antioch may Break off Relations with Patriarchate of Jerusalem

By Webmaster on October 25, 2013 Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories

Source: Pravoslavie.ru Damascus, October 24, 2013 The Greek Church news agency Romphea has reported the decision of the Synod of the Church of Antioch regarding the issue of jurisdiction over the state of Qatar, stated by the Patriarch of Antioch. Patriarch John X has warned the head of the Church of Jerusalem that if within two months he does not take steps to resolve the problem with Qatar, then the Church of Antioch will have to break off relations with the Church of Jerusalem. Both local Churches consider the state of Qatar to be their canonical territory. The conflict happened…

Russia’s “protectorate” over Middle Eastern Christians

By Webmaster on October 24, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Vatican Insider Defending Middle Eastern Christians has become a strategic asset for Putin and is in perfect harmony with the Patriarchate of Moscow’s mission GIANNI VALENTE ROME The Kremlin is about to consider granting citizenship to about 50 thousand Syrian Christians in the region of Qualamun after they issued a collective request to Moscow’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In statements issued in the past few days, the spokesmen for President Putin and the Ministry confirmed that the request is being examined by the highest Russian authorities. “This is the first time since Christ’s birth that we, the Christians of…

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Monthly Archives: October, 2013