Browsing: Governance & Unity Essays

Source: Public Orthodoxy Very Rev. Barouyr Shernezian Dean of Armenian Theological Seminary of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia Historical imagery has always fascinated me for the significant value it holds for research and inquiry. In my research attempts to explore photographs depicting historical moments, I came across the December 1959 edition of the official magazine of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia, “Hasg,” through which a striking photograph of two spiritual leaders—His Holiness Zareh I Catholicos Payasilian of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia and His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, united…

Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess The St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess expresses its appreciation for the work that went into the preparation and production of the recent AFR presentation aired on January 30, 2024, “The Orthodox Deaconess: Examining the Call for Restoration,” with special thanks to John Maddex. Securing a number of scholars and other faithful Orthodox Christians from across the spectrum of perspectives about the female diaconate, gathering hours of primary interviews, and offering a serious look at a controversial topic was a monumental task, and we appreciate being asked to participate. While the presentation had…

Source: Ancient Faith Ministries January 30, 2024 Length: 1:42:22 Have there ever been female deacons in the Orthodox Church? The answer is yes but several centuries ago. In the last decade or so, there have been calls to restore the office of Deaconess today which is a rather touchy subject in the Orthodox world. As part of our mission to Educate, Edify, and Evangelize, Ancient Faith Radio presents an in-depth audio documentary examining the call to restore Deaconesses in the Orthodox Church today. We talk with both proponents and opponents as well as those in the nuanced middle. We do not…

Source: Orthodox History by Matthew Namee In 1894, Pope Leo XIII issued a papal encyclical on the “Eastern Rites” — that is, the Uniates, those groups who use ancient Orthodox liturgical rites but submit themselves to the Pope of Rome. In 1898, St Raphael Hawaweeny, then an archimandrite in New York, published a response in a periodical called Faith and Reason, and […] Click here to read the article

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity West Palm Beach, Florida, is the Epiphany City for the Orthodox Christian Community in Southeast Florida. The faithful gather from Fort Meyers, Miami, Coral Gables, Kendell, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Davie, Boca Raton, Lantana, West Palm Beach, and Fort Pierce. The Metropolis of Atlanta proclaims the event one or two weeks after the ceremony at Tarpon Springs, Florida, on the actual feast day (January 6). For thirty years, this inspirational event has been organized and implemented by the parish community of St. Catherine. St. Catherine Parish is located on the Southeast corner of Flagler Drive and the…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – Center for Family Care by Presvytera Melanie DiStefano What does the phrase “eternal memory” mean really, for us mere mortals? This question begs at me much now that I am in my sixth decade of life and have witnessed so many lovely souls pass on to the next life. My sweet grandmother passed away on Theophany 6 years ago. She is in my thoughts at times, but I must admit not at all times – thus her memory is certainly not eternally in my small mind. There are moments when my heart throbs…

Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia, one of the most prominent and learned hierarchs of the Church of Greece and Orthodoxy in general, professor at the University of Athens, presented an interview to The National Herald. He spoke about the meaning of the Incarnation of God, violence, same-sex marriage, elderism and more. The National Herald: Your Eminence, these are Holy Days, marking the incarnate presence of God among us. What does this mean today for the modern man? Metropolitan Chrysostomos: First of all, the very fact of the Incarnation of the…

Source: Notes on Arab Orthodoxy Jad Ganem Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated the Feast of Saint Nicholas at the church-turned-museum bearing his name in the city of Demre, Turkey. During the liturgy, he gave a sermon that included the following: “The East is not just the birthplace of great saints but also the cradle of the Church in its present form. Our theology and ecclesiology originated in these sacred lands, within the canonical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It was here that the Ecumenical Synods convened, shaping the ecclesiastical conscience rooted in the ministry of the Lord, transcending national or other distinctions. The wisdom…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Talia Zajac Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Niagara University I first heard the rumor’s confirmation as I was heading out the church door. The cantor was saying goodbye to me and added with a half-smile that change was inevitable. The Julian calendar was bound to fall behind the Gregorian calendar, he said, so much that Christmas according to the two calendars eventually would be celebrated hundreds of days apart, instead of the current difference of thirteen days. I knew then that the rumor was true. Parishioners and priests had whispered for years that the Ukrainian Greek…

Source: The National Herald Analysis by Theodore Kalmoukos I have dealt with Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology several times, highlighting some of their serious and deep-rooted problems, not limiting myself to observations but also proposing ideas and possible solutions for reflection and dialogue. All these efforts stem from love and interest, primarily for the School, and consequently for the Church and our Greek-American community, as they are directly influenced by the School, being the breeding ground for priests. Undoubtedly, the School has suffered immensely in recent decades, starting under the Αrchiepiscopate of Iakovos, with constant…

Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The Chairman of Leadership 100, Demetrios Logothetis, is traveling to Constantinople to deliver a letter from the organization in of support for Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Logothetis is expected to meet with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Friday morning, December 1, 2023 at the Phanar to personally deliver the letter and speak in support of  the Archbishop. According to information obtained by The National Herald, members of Leadership 100 from three different parts of the United State were informed about this initiative by members of the Executive Committee of Leadership…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Very Rev. Dr. Andrei Kordochkin Priest at St. Mary Magdalene Russian Orthodox Church (Madrid, Spain) Editor’s Note: The Orthodox Church in Russia is divided, but this division is not canonical nor administrative. Moreover, it is not always visible from the outside. While the official Church has become an integral part of Putin’s political regime, on a deeper level, there is resistance on behalf of small Orthodox communities and individuals who deny accepting the proclamation of violence and the justification of war. These “propaganda sermons” are constantly pronounced from the ambos of the churches nationwide, causing abruption and…