Browsing: Governance & Unity Commentary

Source: Orthodox England The Inter-Orthodox Council, with a token number of bishops from each of the fourteen Local Churches and supposed to take place in May 2016 to discuss administrative issues, is looking increasingly troubled. First, there is the schism between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Antioch. Then there were rumours after contacts with top US officials that the US State Department was trying to set the agenda, specifically regarding homosexuality. Then there was news from the Russian Orthodox Church that delegates from several Local Churches, notably the Russian, the Romanian (the second biggest) and the Georgian, had failed to…

Source: The National Herald BY THEODORE KALMOUKOS BOSTON, MA – Former Archbishop Spyridon of America discussed with TNH a number of serious ecclesiastical issues including the split of the Archdiocese into Metropolises, and the recent scandal of his former chancellor George Passias. The former prelate began by discussing prominent Dartmouth Professor John Rassias, who died recently in Vermont. Rassias led the committee appointed by Archbishop Spyridon for the reorganization of Greek Education within the Archdiocese. He said that “I was pleased to have met professor Rassias in the beginning of my archpastorship in America. I was trying to find a…

Source: The National Herald By Dennis Menos The need for a Pan Orthodox Council to resolve the issues that confront the Church in the modern era and also to further promote Christian unity, has been debated in the Orthodox East for many years. It came, therefore, as no surprise when the Primates of the Church announced in March 2014 that such a Council would convene in Constantinople early in 2016. The Council will bring together the Primates and Bishops of all fourteen Autocephalous Churches in the Orthodox East. Chairing the proceedings will be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and all decisions will be by consensus.…

Source: The Economist by Bruce Clark Imagine over 300 mostly grey-bearded men of religion, bearing sonorous  titles and varying degrees of real authority, gathering in an ancient building in Istanbul which long formed part of the Topkapi Palace, a residence of the Ottoman sultan-caliph. No, the participants in the most important gathering during the summer of 2016 won’t be sheikhs or muftis, although their chosen venue is now a landmark in a mainly Muslim city. These visitors will take their cue from earlier days in the city’s history and from the venue, the church of Hagia Eirene (which can be…

Source: Greek Orthodox Christian Clergy and Laity Last week, a movie opened in theatres that critics say will receive a “Best Picture” nomination at this year’s Academy Awards: “Spotlight” tells the true story of a 2002 Boston Globe investigative team that blew the cover off of the massive child sex abuse scandal kept secret by the Catholic church. The trailer can be seen here, and features the following text: “To break the story, they broke the silence.” In the trailer, a reporter states he has two stories he must decide between…one about degenerate priests, or the other about the church…

Source: The Greek Star BY GEORGE D. KARCAZES What does it mean when we say that the Church is “hierarchical”? Does it mean that Christ alone is acknowledged to be the “head” of the Church and that everyone else are His servants, regardless of “rank”? Does it mean that the titles of those ordained to the priesthood are in a “hierarchical” order — in the nature of the service all members of the Church are called upon to offer: where Patriarchs, Archbishops, Metropolitans,   Archimandrites, Proto-Presbyters, Presbyters, Deacons and the Laity (the “Royal Priesthood”) all offer their service to the Church in synergy with…

Source: The Church Messenger By Protopresbyter Lawrence Barriger There is a story told about a group of pilgrims who were touring the Holy Land with a guide who was a native of the region. The guide was explaining how, since time immemorial, the shepherd did not walk behind his sheep but in front. The sheep would follow him wherever he would lead, just as the Lord describes Himself as the “Good Shepherd” in the Gospel of St. John: “…the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Overview on the Chronology and Work of the Assembly of Bishops Presented on Friday, November 5, 2015 Open Forum at the OCL Annual Meeting held at St John of Damascus Orthodox Church, Poway CA: ORTHODOX WORKING TOGETHER – George Matsoukas, presenter Will the Orthodox Christian Church in the USA remain as separate colonies of the fourteen Old World Patriarchates and autocephalous churches, or will it finally be a mission Church to the faithful in their own country?  This is the question for the Hierarchs of the Church to solve in their deliberations as the Assembly…

Source: JeffreyWaynick.com The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Deciding which situations need your personal attention, and which do not, is a constant challenge for every busy leader.  However, there are two types of incidents that always deserve a leader’s hands-on involvement: sexual misconduct and financial dishonesty.  How well and how quickly you respond to these kinds of emergencies is crucial, as they can cause extensive damage to vulnerable persons and to your faith group. As…

Source: JeffreyWaynick.com By Rev. J. Gregory Waynick Another case of sexual misconduct. Another Orthodox priest.  Another scandal.  This storyline seems to repeat every few years.  How can we take action to stop this behavior, long before it explodes into national scandal? Clergy sexual misconduct is deeply wrong and intensely harmful, but it’s hardly a rare occurrence.  Tragically, it happens somewhat frequently in faith communities.  Some report that 1 out of every 5 pastors (of all Christian groups) have misused their power and position to sexually abuse or sexually harass. While we members of a local church will rightfully be shocked that…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity BE INFORMED – Orthodox Christian Unity in the USA A STUDY GUIDE to HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT AND WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY OF CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS TIME FOR THE LAITY TO ACT! The Assembly of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in the USA is a work in progress. The Assembly has concluded its 6th Meeting held on September 15-17, 2015. The bishops could not reach a consensus and move ahead to develop a blueprint for a unified Orthodox Christian Church in the USA. Many see the Church as a…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Trying to Understand the Work of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops and the Antiochian Orthodox Reaction In light of the aftermath of the meeting of the Assembly of Bishops September 2015, certain questions have been brought to mind about where we are at this point in time and how we got here.  In an effort to help people understand the situation, we are responding to questions that have been presented to us.  We hope that these questions and responses will help you draw your conclusions on the dynamics of Orthodox Unity up to this point in…