Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has established a new Archon Engagement Committee: Women In Orthodoxy. This much-needed new committee is designed to foster the full inclusion of women in the life of the Church. Dr. Limberakis explained: “At this point in the life of our Church and Omogeneia, it is imperative that we support the greater participation of women in the life of the Church. The WORD was established by our Lord and Savior and evangelized by the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but the…
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Source: Orthodox Public Affairs Committee The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) decries the punishment of clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Kirill for opposing the war against Ukraine. Although there are tens of thousands of Russian Clergy, around three hundred have actively opposed the war and its support by Kirill. They have defied the Russian Church leader by substituting the word “peace” for “victory” in Putin-centric prayers mandated by the Russian Church Hierarchy. Some, like Father Ioann Koval have been defrocked and sought refuge under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Not only does Kirill and his cronies continue to compromise the integrity of the…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity View the PDF of the Letter here Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) launched several important initiatives in 2023. “Orthodoxy In Action” Presentations OCL sponsored four Orthodoxy In Action presentations via Zoom which may be viewed on OCL’s YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/OCL-Youtube). (1) At the first presentation on January 29, George Matsoukas (OCL Executive Director Emeritus and Board Member) represented OCL and related his experiences at the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) Mega Conference held in Volos, Greece, from January 12-14, 2023. (2) On February 26, Ken Liu, Executive Director of Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries (OYM)(https://theoym.org/), focused…
Source: The National Herald NEW YORK – Jerry Dimitriou, past Executive Director of Administration of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), has issued a statement responding to a news release by the GOA. The latter release referred to Dimitriou’s being sentenced by the U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York on August 2, 2023, to two years of probation, four months of house incarceration, and over one hundred hours of community service for charges related to personal tax evasion while he served at the Archdiocese. The full text of his statement follows: August 5, 2023 – FOR…
Source: The National Herald HIMARA – The imprisoned mayor of the town of Himara in Albania, Fredi Beleri, who is of Greek descent, expressed his warm gratitude to Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres, and all Albania for the visit he made to the prison to converse with him. Archbishop Anastasios, who had requested permission from the Albanian authorities sometime earlier, received the ‘green light’ to visit Beleri. They had a particularly constructive conversation, and the Archbishop presented Beleri with an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, in a deeply symbolic gesture, given the difficult period he is experiencing in a…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America New Frequently Asked Questions have been added to the GOA Charter website (https://charter.goarch.org/faq), an interactive site dedicated to providing accurate, accessible, and up-to-date information regarding the proposed revisions to the GOA Charter. In the vein of the broad participation that has characterized the revision process, these FAQs reflect the questions, comments, and feedback shared by clergy and lay people through the site’s submission form. Individuals periodically receive emailed responses to their submissions from the GOA, as well. In addition to submitting questions through the Charter website, faithful are also encouraged to meet with His…
Source: The National Herald CONSTANTINOPLE – The Ecumenical Patriarchate on Friday thanked the Prefect of Trebzon for signing the written permit for the Patriarchal liturgy at the historic Monastery of Panaghia Soumela on August 15, feast day for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. In its statement on Friday, the Ecumenical Patriarchate said it received the permit in writing on the day, thanking both the signatory and Turkish government authorities. It is noted that initially Turkish authorities had refused permission, but approval was first issued late last month. The Panaghia Soumela Monastery is located high in the Pontic Mountains and…
Source: Legacy.com You could not keep up with Lyn Coupounas. She was a gifted multitasker, and you never felt rushed. She made you feel comfortable. She accomplished and balanced so many aspects of life in each day. She always picked up just where you left off the last time you talked to her. Wow! We now learn that she was a trailblazer in the field of hematology. She was a researcher and scholar. She was an accomplished professional. We knew she was a respected teacher, mentor, and leader. But we did not know and understand what a difference she made…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who has been the key representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with respect to Ukraine since 2018, has now arrived in Kyiv. On August 10, the Metropolitan met with President Zelinsky. https://www.president.gov.ua/news/volodimir-zelenskij-zustrivsya-z-predstavnikom-vselenskogo-p-84813. According to the President’s website, attention was paid at the meeting to “the spiritual independence of Ukraine, the discussion of the Ukrainian peace formula, as well as the issue of the return of children illegally deported from our country.” A short video of the meeting can be accessed at https://orthodoxtimes.com/elder-metropolitan-of-chalcedon-met-metropolitan-of-kiyv-and-president-of-ukraine-video/ The video shows that Viktor Yelensky, the head of DESS, was…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On August 7, 2023, Metropolitan Pavlo, vicar of the Kyiv Lavra, was released from the Kyiv pretrial detention center following the posting of bail in the amount of UAH 33,300,000 ($902,183). https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/3745466-mitropolit-pavlo-vijsov-izpid-varti-pid-zastavu-advokat.html The attorney for Pavlo, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, posted the details on his Telegram site. https://t.me/s/nikita_chekman His description is as follows: Today, August 7, 2023, the Vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was finally released from custody. We will remind you that the Solomyansky district court of the city of Kyiv changed the preventive measure of Metropolitan Pavlo from 24-hour house arrest to detention with bail in…
Source: Greek City Times by GCT The Great Church of Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, is a living monument to the glory of our Orthodox Christian Faith and a visible symbol of all that is best in the worship and liturgy of our Church,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in the Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Day of Mourning for Hagia Sophia. He added, “Its seizure and second conversion to use as a mosque, on July 24, 2020, is a day of mourning for all Orthodox Christian People, as well as for all people of religious conviction.” “Three years later, we continue to…
Source: The Greek Reporter By Philip Chrysopoulos A Greek Orthodox priest in the Sepolia area of Athens who baptized Giannis Antetokounmpo together with his brother Alexandros on October 28, 2012, spoke recently about his relationship with the NBA star and his family. Antetokounmpo developed a special relationship many years ago with Father Evangelos Ghanas, a beloved priest at Agios Meletios Church. Even the date of the NBA star’s baptism was deliberate, as he chose to be baptized Greek Orthodox on “OXI Day,” Greece’s second most important national holiday. Antetokounmpo’s patriotism and respect for the Greek flag have often been remarked upon; for example, when…