Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary (“KTA”) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is moving from the Kyiv Lower Lavra to the Pokrovsky Holosiiv Monastery, which is located 7 km. southwest of the Lavra. (Holosiiv is the district of Kyiv where the Monastery is located.) The Monastery is also approximately 2-1/2 km. from Feofania where Metropolitan Onufry resides. The Monastery was fairly recently restored. The website of the Monastery can be viewed at http://goloseevo.com.ua/?lang=uk. As can be seen from the photos on the website, the Monastery is a large and attractive complex. A photo of the Monastery is also…
Browsing: Governance & Unity Essays
Child of Governance
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: 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 By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The National Herald publishes here the fourth and final part of the confidential report from the meeting of hierarchs of the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. This article features what Metropolitan of Chalcedon Emmanuel and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said. The report contains the following: “Next, Metropolitan Chalcedon took the floor, emphasizing the need to build a spirit of mutual trust between the Archbishop of America and the members of the Eparchial Synod, and in no case should [people] be given…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On December 29, 2022, the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate decided in Journal Entry 121 to set a “bishops’ conference” for July 19, 2023. https://mospat.ru/ru/news/89905/ It is important to note that this is not the “bishops’ council” that been repeatedly postponed because “the international situation continues to hinder the arrival in Moscow of many members of the Bishops’ Council.” A Bishops’ Council is a decision-making body while a Bishops’ Conference is not. Rather this Bishops’ Conference is to be “a fraternal discussion of current issues of church life” with an agenda to be prepared by…
Source: Orthodox History by MATTHEW NAMEE It almost goes without saying that the Orthodox world is a mess right now. The situation in Ukraine alone is a disaster: a Russian invasion of the country backed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by the state, and a recognized-by-only-some Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) that was created by the Ecumenical Patriarchate by joining together and legitimizing two schismatic church bodies. Moscow has broken communion with Constantinople and the other churches that have recognized the OCU: Alexandria, Cyprus, and Greece. In Africa, Moscow has established dioceses on the…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The clergy and laity of the Metropolis of Chicago expressed their opposition to the Charter proposed and distributed by Archbishop Elpidophoros in person during their recent meeting on Friday, July 7, 2023. He called the meeting to express his thoughts on a new Charter for the Archdiocese of America, referring to them as “his personal” points of view, as he characteristically said. Specifically, at the meeting that took place at the Saints Peter and Paul parish in Chicago, there were about seventy priests from the communities of all the states that…
O All-Holy Trinity, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, we, your faithful children beseech you to forgive us the sin of divisiveness, which is rooted in our hearts, our dioceses, and our land. Implant in our lives the holy vine of unity which only you can bestow on those who have come together in your name. Enlighten us with your grace so that we may come to the knowledge of your truth, and move our hearts to respond with trust and total obedience to your divine will. Through the intercessions of the God-inspired Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Phanar Synod thwarted the plans of Archbishop Elpidophoros during the session of the Synod held in Constantinople on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, as they reportedly caught him engaging in lies and misinformation. We reveal here that the Metropolis of New Jersey will not be abolished and attached to the Direct Archdiocesan District as Elpidophoros had planned, but in the next Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the end of July, a Metropolitan of New Jersey will be elected. This also means that the existing Charter remains…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Reverend Protopresbyter James C. Moulketis, former Vicar of the Northern Region of the Metropolis of New Jersey and former Chair of the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council, discusses the importance of moving beyond our borders to restore togetherness and unity in Church. Sharing his support for revising the GOA Charter, he also notes the importance of dialogue and collaboration for strengthening our ministries and care for one another. A retired US Navy Reserve Chaplain (Captain), Fr. Moulketis has served the Church for over 50 years. He has also previously chaired the Archdiocesan Benefits Committee.
Source: EXAPSALMOS By Dr. Anastasiou Vavouskou/ NATIONAL HERMIT Dr. Anastasios Vavouskos, Doctor of Ecclesiastical Law of the School of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and of Archon Asikrites of M.t.CHE, with his article “intervention” in the “National Herald”, analyzes the issue of the amendment of the Statute of the Archdiocese of America . Mr. Vavouskos’ article reads as follows: For some time now, the issue of revising the Charter of the Archdiocese of America has been pending. Much has been written and even more has been heard about the probable tendencies and opinions of either the Ecumenical Patriarch and the…
Recent History of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Decisions Related to the GOA The recent record of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s “governance” of the GOA: The forced retirement of Archbishop Iakovos (1996); Rejection of the gathering of the Orthodox Bishops in America at Ligonier, Pennsylvania (1995); Election of Archbishop Spyridon (1997); Imposition of the current Charter against the wishes of the Los Angeles Clergy-Laity Congress (2003); Imposition of a new Archbishop from Turkey who has not served in the US, without any input or participation of the clergy or laity of the Archdiocese as required by previous Charters (2019); Unilateral “suspension” (2020) followed…