Note: This is a historical response to the recent declaration of Pope Benedict XVI who, in reference to his document “Dominus Iesus” written when he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that Christian denominations were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities. Pope Benedict referred to the Orthodox churches as having “many elements of sanctification and of truth” but were “wounded” because they did not recognize the primacy of the Pope. By V Rev Dr Miltiades B. Efthimiou If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the…
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Source: Buffalo News | Michelle Kearns The Rev. Volodymyr Zablotskyy had given up on getting back a stolen Holy Gospel book — treasured by the members of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church — until a stranger handed it to a stunned parishioner over the weekend as he walked the Lovejoy neighborhood. “To me, it was very emotional,” said Zablotskyy, who read from the book with portraits of saints embedded on its red velvet cover during the Sunday service at the Ideal Street church. “I can’t express how happy I am to have it back. It was the best news…
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune | By Rosemary Winters A rift in the Salt Lake Valley’s Greek Orthodox community could be further ruptured or mended as members gather Sunday to debate the governance of their church. For the first time in two years, according to court documents, the Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Salt Lake is holding a general assembly, a democratic meeting that allows members in “good standing” to vote. The special meeting has prompted dueling mailings, rumors of a protest and even a request for a court-ordered delay. The parish, which includes Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Salt…
Source: Antiochian Archdiocese | Report and Photos by Shelley Pituch View photo gallery The 2011 Orthodox Institute, held at Antiochian Village, near Ligonier, PA, over the weekend of November 3 – 6, was advertised as “an event like no other” and it proved to live up to its claim in more than one way. The theme was “Scripture through the Lens of the Holy Land” and this was the first time that the Orthodox Institute was a multi-jurisdictional collaboration between the host of the event, the Antiochian Department of Christian Education, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in…
On 2 November 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), visited the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, and discussed the upcoming Great and Holy Council. Metropolitan Hilarion met with the members of the Academic Board, faculty and students of the Academy. Attending the meeting were Archbishop Ionafan of Tulchin and Bratslav and Bishop Amvrosiy of Gatchina, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and Seminary. Metropolitan Hilarion…
WINNIPEG — A high-ranking former orthodox archbishop, who has pleaded not guilty, must wait until the new year to learn if he’ll go to trial on historical Manitoba sex abuse charges. Seraphim Storheim appeared in a Winnipeg courtroom this week for the start of his preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed. A court-ordered ban prevents specific details from being published. Defence lawyer Jeff Gindin told the Winnipeg Free Press the evidence was presented on Thursday and Friday but the case has now adjourned until Jan. 18 for lawyers to make final arguments.…
Source: Mystagogy The Nativity Fast in the Orthodox Church begins on November 15th. From that time until December 17th (or some observe December 12th) we fast from meat, milk products, and eggs, though fish is allowed. After the 17th (or 12th) we fast also from fish. But fasting from food, according to the command of our Lord, must go hand in hand with spiritual fasting in order for it to be beneficial and have a deeper meaning. For this reason it must be coupled with prayer and almsgiving. Hence, with these fasting periods the Church calls us also to a…
NEW YORK – Vice President Joe Biden visited today Archbishop Demetrios of America, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Archdiocesan headquarters in Manhattan. The two discussed the matter of religious freedom and the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other issues of mutual interest regarding security and peace in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Headquarters 8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075 United States Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
Source: The National Herald | Theodore Kalmoukas BOSTON – Unknown intruder or intruders attempted to rob the St. Irene Chrysovalantou Church in Astoria on Sunday, Nov. 13 around 9PM. It seems that they entered from a basement door, but they left with no plunders because the alarm went off. The intruders went directly to the icon of St. Irene – which is filled with valuable gold and silver items reflecting expressions of faith. They did not manage to break the casing because it is bulletproof and speciallymade. They attempted to break the icon of the Mother of God on the…
Source: Orthodox Church in America Just two months after “Project Buffalo” — a ministry initiated by the Diocese of New York and New Jersey aimed at revitalizing Saints Peter and Paul parish here — thieves stripped $6,000.00 worth of copper from the parish church and made off with an antique, silver-plated Gospel book during the night of Friday, November 11, 2011. After stripping both copper and lead from the church, the thieves broke into the church, apparently through a basement window. Priest Volodymyr Zablotskyy, the parish’s recently appointed acting rector, later determined that the Gospel book also had been taken.…
Source: Interfax Beirut, November 15, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Lebanese President Michel Suleyman discussed at a meeting in Beirut the current complicated situation in the Middle East and they agreed that peaceful changes must be carried out and new manifestations of Christianophobia prevented. “We are extremely concerned about the position of Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq and Libya. We have been witnessing radical growth in Christianophobia in other countries, as well,” the Patriarch said. The Russian Orthodox Church cannot remain indifferent to the fate of the Antiochian Church, whose jurisdiction extends to Syria and…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA/Priest John Vitko] The draft Strategic Plan for the Orthodox Church in America was a major focus of the recent 16th All-American Council. Four of the eight plenary sessions focused in part or in-to on the Strategic Plan. The heart of these activities were two three-hour long workshops focused on each of the 10 top priority goals – with participants having the opportunity to further develop the goals and to identify initial projects that they, the participants, networked together could do to help achieve the goal. The Strategic Planning workshops were very well…