Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA There have been several reports in the last few days that enough deputies in the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) have pledged their support for the passage for Draft Law 8371. Draft Law 8371 has been pending in the Rada for more than nine months but had not been submitted to the Rada for the first reading because of lack of majority support in the Rada. However, Oleg Dunda, a deputy in the Rada, stated on October 6: “The appeal of the People’s Deputies to ban the UOC-MP has already collected about 240 signatures, and in…
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Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Among the Local Orthodox Churches, it is common for one Local Orthodox Church to have a representation church (more properly called a podvorie or metochion) at the seat of another Local Orthodox Church. This is true of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The Bulgarian Patriarchate has a representation church in Moscow. Conversely, the Moscow Patriarchate has a representation church in Sofia. The church in Sofia is the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, located in central Sofia. It is also known as the “Russian Church.” (link) Many come to pray here because the church is the location of…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA On September 14th, Foreign Affairs, the influential magazine of the Council on Foreign Relations, published an article entitled, “Putin’s Useful Priests.” The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America hereby expresses its objection and concern with the inaccurate manner with which Orthodox Christians in the United States are stereotyped by the authors. First, the article contains significant factual errors that are surprising for the renowned Foreign Affairs and disrespectful to a vital Christian community whose roots in America date over three centuries. Orthodox Christians in America – representing a plethora…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On Sunday, September 25, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ issued a decree initiating canonical proceedings in the diocesan court of the Moscow Diocese against Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun. Pending a canonical trial, the decree imposed severe limitations on the priestly service of Archimandrite Cyril. The full text of the decree is posted at (link). A Google translation of the full decree is as follows: Decree No. U-02/152 of 25 September 2023 // to Archimandrite Kirill (Hovorun) The written commitment of fidelity to the Russian Orthodox Church given by you was repeatedly violated, which was expressed,…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The number of incoming male and female students at the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston has increased, according to an announcement issued by the School. Specifically, 97 new students were admitted, which is the highest number in recent years. It is emphasized that “the College hopes for a similar increase next year, as many applications have been received. Likewise, the entry of new students into the Theological School of the Holy Cross has increased by 71%, with 53 full-time students added, leading to a…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Story by Dn. Peter Samore; photos by Subdn. Elio Nicolas Photo album On Sept. 28, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba celebrated the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy at Three Hierarchs Chapel on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. He received the invitation from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Welcoming him at the seminary were its president, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, the faculty and the seminarians, especially the Antiochian students and recent graduates who served alongside Sayidna Saba and sang with the Byzantine Choir. In the liturgy, His…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America PDF Prot. no.: 334/2023 October 2023 TO BE READ FROM THE PULPIT Beloved Clergy and Faithful of our Archdiocese: Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that you all enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing summer and are working hard as we begin a new ecclesiastical year. 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of our Antiochian Archdiocese. While St. Raphael of Brooklyn established our presence here in 1895 as the Syro-Arab Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1923 is when we became incorporated as an archdiocese of the Patriarchate…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] On Tuesday, September 26, the Preconciliar Commission met at the Chancery office in Springfield, VA, under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. Members of the PCC include Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Chancellor, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Secretary, Archpriest Andrew Jarmus, Protodeacon Peter Ilchuk, Council Manager, Ms. Lynnell McFarland, Ms. Hollie Benton, and Mr. Andrew Smith, Treasurer. This was the first in-person meeting of the Commission after its formal appointment this past Spring. The PCC met to continue planning for the 21st All-American Council, slated to take place at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix,…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The first session of the XVI Assembly of the Synod of Catholic Bishops will be held at the Vatican during the period October 4-28, 2023. The Synod will be devoted to the subject: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission. On September 19, the Vatican provided the final list of the Synod participants. https://www.synod.va/en/news/the-participants-of-the-16th-general-assembly-of-the-synod-of-bishops.html Of the twelve “fraternal delegates” listed, three are from the Orthodox Churches of the Byzantine tradition, and three are from the Oriental Orthodox Churches. With respect to the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch is listed as a participant, and Father Hyacinthe…
Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered in person and online on Sep. 12, 2023, to hear scholar and SVS Press author, Dr Paul Gavrilyuk, give a special talk on the contrasting leadership styles of two formational leaders of St Vladimir’s Seminary, Fr Georges Florovsky and Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. In his presentation, Dr Gavrilyuk gave many examples from the post-war correspondence between the two past seminary deans to illustrate their sense of calling, their courage in the face of great challenges, and lessons for modern-day Christian leaders. Dr Gavrilyuk also highlighted the differences in…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SOUTH BOSTON, MA [OCA] On Saturday, September 16, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and other hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America gathered at Saint George Cathedral in Boston, MA, along with clergy and faithful of the Albanian Archdiocese and across the Orthodox Church in America, for the ordination to the Holy Episcopate of Bishop-elect Nikodhim (Preston), as Bishop of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese. The Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America elected Archimandrite Nikodhim as Bishop-elect of Boston at their regular Spring Session on April 25, 2023. On Friday evening, His Beatitude…
Source: Public Orthodoxy Hieromonk Athanasius (Bukin) On February 7th, 2023, still a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, I boarded a plane and left the Holy Land, where I was serving as a member of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (REM). Only after landing in Antalya (Turkey) did I publish a post on social media in which I announced my departure from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and my intention not to return to Russia. This was preceded by months of heavy reflection and, I will not hide, moral uncertainty. I became a practicing Orthodox Christian in 2008, when…