Source: Daily Times [Pakistan] by I Razi Azmi In the light of the conspicuous pervasiveness of Christianity in Ethiopia, it is somewhat of a surprise to learn that one Ethiopian out of three is a Muslim The military coup of 1974 that overthrew the famine-stricken Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie unfolded slowly, just as famines do, after army officers bundled His Majesty out of the royal palace in the back seat of an old two-door VW Beatle and imprisoned him. To these officers with guns, it did not matter that he was not just an emperor, but also “King of Kings,…
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Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America His Eminence Metropolitan Philip writes: Beloved in Christ: Greetings to you and your families in the name of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. I write to you today with a heavy heart as we continue to endure the effects of the massive storm “Sandy” that engulfed the Northeast last week. In fact, I had hoped to communicate with all of you earlier, but we just received our electricity back at the archdiocese and until now we have no Internet access. Nevertheless, the inconvenience we endured pales in comparison to what…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS VISITS STORM RAVAGED AREAS IN STATEN ISLAND, NY NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America establishes the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund and designates Sunday November 11, 2012 as a day of prayer and offering on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Archbishop Demetrios of America, on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod, issued today an Encyclical (click here) in which he calls upon all the faithful throughout the Church in America to pray fervently for comfort from above. We offer prayers of remembrance for those who perished and of…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] The complete minutes and reports of the fall 2012 session of the Metropolitan Council of the Orthodox Church in America are now available and posted in PDF format on the OCA web site. Minutes Committee Reports Officers’ Reports Additional Reports
Source: Orthodox Church in America [and various sources] SOFIA, BULGARIA His Holiness, Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, 98, fell asleep in the Lord as a result of heart failure on Tuesday morning, November 6, 2012. He had been hospitalized for the past month. According to an announcement issued by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the 13-member Holy Synod will meet to make funeral arrangements and choose a locum tenens until the convocation of a Church Council within the next four months to elect Patriarch Maxim’s successor. Patriarch Maxim led the Bulgarian Church for over four decades, bridging the…
Source: The Orthodox Church in America CHICAGO, IL [MW Diocese Communications] On Saturday, November 3, 2012, Archpriest John Zdinak, Chancellor and Temporary Administrator of the Diocese of the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America, forwarded two letters—one from the Holy Synod of Bishops, a second from His Grace, Bishop Matthias—to members of the Diocesan Council and all rectors and priests-in-charge, who were asked to read or post them in all parishes following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 4. The text of the letter of the Holy Synod may be accessed here. The text of the letter of Bishop…
Source: The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK The 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark was announced on 4 November 2012. Bishop Tawadrous was chosen in an altar ballot, concluding the Papal Selection Process for the Coptic Orthodox Church. Bishop Tawadrous succeeds the late Pope Shenouda III, who departed on 17 March 2012. In a process that has taken nine months, the new Pope was selected in an altar ballot during a Liturgical service at The Grand Cathedral of St Mark in Cairo on 4 November 2012. The date of…
Source: The Jerusalem Post By REUTERS Church threatens to shut its doors after Jerusalem water company freezes the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate’s bank account. This week the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has extensive and valuable property holdings in the Holy Land and maintains a headquarters in the ancient church, had its bank account frozen, said an official at water company Hagihon. A report in Ma’ariv on Friday said the Patriarchate was threatening to shut the doors of the church, which is a major pilgrimage site for millions of tourists. The church lies deep inside the Old City walls. It…
Egypt’s Orthodox cast lots Sunday to find God’s choice for who succeeds Pope Shenouda III. by Jayson Casper Source: Christianity Today While Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, Egyptian Christians are leaving this Sunday’s choice for their highest leader up to a higher power: God. On November 4, one of three final candidates will succeed Pope Shenouda III, the beloved “pope of the Bible” who died in March, as the 118th patriarch of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church. But in contrast to the “group consensus” method used to select Roman Catholic popes, the casting of lots will determine…
Source: The National Herald TNH staff WASHINGTON, DC – Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) an organization that promotes “Orthodox unity and lay involvement in Church life” in the US and Canada, held its 25th Anniversary in Washington, D.C. October 25-27 with a focus on the Orthodox Christian experience in America and the pressing need for Orthodox unity among its various jurisdictions. William Souvall, out-going President of OCL, explained, “we have assembled a wide arrange of Orthodox hierarchy, clergy and laity who [examined] the Orthodox Christian experience in America and suggest various visions for the future. OCL strongly believes and has advocated…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA CSHA] The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Service and Humanitarian Aid (CSHA) is encouraging all parishes to assist International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in providing emergency assistance to those suffering as a result of Hurricane Sandy. According to Mrs. Donna Karabin, department chair, IOCC has received initial requests for anticipated shipments of emergency relief items from its ecumenical partners for communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy. IOCC is urging Orthodox Christian parishes to assist by assembling emergency relief items and by making financial donations. “The scenes of destruction that we have…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America NEW YORK – In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America has expressed the concern, prayers and care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for the life, safety and well being of the millions of people in the affected areas of the northeastern United States. The Archbishop, through his chancellor, has been in contact with clergy of the Direct Archdiocesan District to assess and determine the extent of damages on our faithful and parishes in the areas ravaged by the storm. He also spoke yesterday, October 31, with New…