Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America New York, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros departed for Istanbul following the celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos at the eponymous Church in Southampton. This will be His Eminence’s first visit of 2020, the last time he was there was for the Feast of the First-Called Apostle Andrew in November of 2019. The Archbishop will remain abroad through the Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year (September 1st) and will be at the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Feast of the Indiction. This feast also includes the the annual observance of the “Day of Environmental…
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Source: Orthodox Reality Today, we are releasing the report, “Holy Communion during the Pandemic in American Orthodox Parishes.” You can download the full report or executive summary here: https://orthodoxreality.org/coronavirus-and-american-orthodox-parishes/ We express deep gratitude to the 609 priests representing all Orthodox jurisdictions and regions of the country, who participated in this unique study. They shared not only factual information about administering Holy Communion in their parishes, but – most importantly – their personal, very frank reflections and thoughts on possible adaptations in offering this Sacrament in this current time of crisis. The spread of COVID-19 has made a number of church…
Source: Orthodox Observer New York, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros convened the Clergy of the entire Archdiocese today in order to discuss the current status of the Archdiocese Pension Plan. Over 350 members of the clergy attended the webinar regarding the Pension Plan which covers both the clergy and the lay employees of the Archdiocese. Following his prepared remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros answered questions of the clergy for over three hours. The Pension Plan is funded by contributions from the Archdiocese, the Clergy and lay employees themselves, and the parishes. It is administered by the Archdiocese Benefits Committee (ABC), whose…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America New York, NY – August 3, 2020 — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with the leadership of the Friends of St. Nicholas and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, today visited the World Trade Center to witness the resumption of construction of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, the only house of worship destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Once rebuilt, the Church and National Shrine will serve as a powerful symbol of resilience and a beacon of hope, welcoming people…
Source: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Hagia Sophia & Religious Freedom: A Panel Discussion On this Day of Mourning over the decision by the Turkish Government to convert the Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque, let us remember and remain resolved. Please find time to watch a panel discussion organized by the Metropolis of Chicago that ranges from the history of the Hagia Sophia, religious freedom in Turkey and what you can do to make a difference. PANELISTS INCLUDE Dr. Aykan Erdemir Former member of the Turkish parliament and senior director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation…
Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary & Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative [SVOTS Communications / YONKERS, NY] Hone your ability to lead members of the Body of Christ in a struggling world. This fall, St. Vladimir’s Seminary is once again partnering with the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative (OCLI) to co-host the 4th Annual National Advanced Leadership Conference. The event is designed for lay and ordained and emerging leaders who serve their local parish, diocese, or related non-profits. It will be held Friday, September 18 through Saturday, September 19, 2020. Click here to register for the online event The theme of this year’s Leadership…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Washington, D.C. Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople met with President Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House yesterday, July 23, chiefly discussing Turkey’s sad conversion of the Agia Sophia cathedral into a mosque again. The first Islamic prayers are being read in the UNESCO World Heritage site today, while Orthodox Christians are praying akathists to the Mother of God and churches are mournfully ringing their bells. The Greek Archdiocese reports: Today, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros met with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House…
Source: The National Herald Metropolitan Isaiah is a native of New Hampshire, having been born in Portsmouth, one of four children born to Dennis and Mary (Kapsimalis) Chronopoulos who had emigrated to the United States from Olympia, Greece. After his primary and high school education, he served with distinction in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean conflict. He was enthroned as Bishop of Denver in 1992, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Denver, Colorado, and in 1997, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated him as Metropolitan of…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada Archbishop Sotirios of Canada With the advent of the coronavirus, our churches were closed to the public on March 17, 2020, by order of the government authorities in Canada (we are generally referring to government authorities in Canada, because matters in regard to health do not fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, but rather under the jurisdiction of provincial governments and local municipalities). The churches reopened on June 12, 2020. For the period between June 12 to July 3, 2020, the churches dispersed Holy Communion normally, until one or more persons (their…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America July 8, 2020 The Holy Eparchial Synod met today in an extraordinary video conference at the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros with an exclusive objective to discuss the recent public debate on an official proposal to change the pension program of the Hierarchs. Following a discussion, it is stated that in accordance with the Sacred Canons of the Orthodox Church, there is no age limit for the exercise of the duties of Hierarchs. The retirement from active ministry (or not) of an individual Hierarch is entrusted exclusively to the individual choice and sole…
Source: Orthodox Christianity TORONTO – On June 20, the city government of Toronto issued revised COVID-19 guidelines that ban the offering of Holy Communion to the faithful. The new guidelines read: All places of worship must adhere to the following requirements: General Guidance Suspend all communion-related activities as advised by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. The Ontario Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 advice calls for “Suspend[ing] activities that increase risk of disease transmission, including,” “Sharing or distributing materials or objects, which may include but is not limited to: books, communion, microphones, prayer mats, prayer shawls, water, etc.” The new guidelines also “Suspend…
Source: Middle East Eye The three properties are of high importance due to their strategic locations in both the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City By MEE staff An Israeli court in Jerusalem has rejected a request by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to cancel the sale of three properties in the Old City to the settler organisation Ateret Cohanim. The three assets are of high importance due to their strategic locations in both the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City, which lies in occupied East Jerusalem. In June 2019, Israel’s Supreme Court approved the purchase of the three properties, putting an end to…