Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America July 8, 2024 – The leader of the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus Ersin Tatar criticized His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America’s recent statements concerning the Turkish occupation of Cyprus in an interview with nationally-broadcast Turkish TV channel Ulusal Kanal. Tatar called His Eminence’s statements “unfortunate”, “extremely wrong,” and accused him of “distorting the issue” regarding Cyprus. Tatar’s condemnation follows an array of accusations from nationalistic elements in the Republic of Turkey regarding His Eminence’s attention to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus at the 2024 Clergy-Laity Congress. In His Eminence’s remarks at the “Cyprus: Land…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Holy Cross School of Theology For Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus (in the Church of Greece), unfortunately, the list of alleged insults and provocations is quite extensive and diverse, ranging from anti-Semitism to Islamophobia, as well as from racism to homophobia, and many others. He is wont to speak of these matters with reproaches which, if they were merely unfortunate or tragic, might be glossed over and scoffed at. Unfortunately, however, they are deeply harmful, if not extremely dangerous. The metropolitan is primarily known for his…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The sun shone warmly on faithful and clergy as they gathered outside the soon-to-be inaugurated Leadership 100 (L100) Exhibit Hall for the 2024 Clergy-Laity Congress. Friendly reunions and chatter continued on as hierarchs began to arrive and mingle with the crowd. Before long, it was time for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, together with the Patriarchal Representatives to the Congress, Their Eminences Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain and Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, the hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod, L100 Chairman Dimitrios…

Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA What a surprise!!!  Something few expected.  Today, June 30, Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin was elected the new patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC).  It was an extremely close election.  According to the charter of the BOC, Daniil was elected by the Patriarchal Electoral Church Council.  Aside from the Bulgarian bishops, this council consists of three clergy, two laypersons, one monk, and one nun from each of the dioceses of the BOC, except for Sofia.  The Sofia diocese has six clerics, four laypersons, one monk, and one nun.  In addition there is one representative from…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Originally published on May 15, 2024 During Holy Week, ecclesiastical media reported news of the ordination of a liturgical deaconess in one of the churches in Zimbabwe, Africa, affiliated with the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. I won’t delve into the subject of ordaining a deaconess. That’s a matter I’ll leave to theologians and synods, for now. In this article, I’ll simply raise some questions stemming from this event. Such an event requires Orthodox consensus, as any ecclesiastical action outside Orthodox consensus and unanimity poses a danger and leads to undesirable consequences. How…

Source: Zenit  Pope Francis’ Address to a Delegation of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (ZENIT News / Vatican City, 06.28.2024).- On the occasion of the patronal feasts of Rome, that is, the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, on the morning of Friday, June 28, Pope Francis received in audience a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The delegation is present in Rome, as a Roman delegation also usually participates on the occasion of the mutual patronal feasts (in the case of Constantinople, on the feast of Saint Andrew, which is in November). Below is the English translation…

Source: Orthodox Studies Institute Originally published March 2024 by Dr. Mary Ford in collaboration with Dr. David C. Ford “While we recognize that some Orthodox Christians believe that a female diaconate with a liturgical role similar to a male deacon’s is needed in our Church today, we strongly disagree that there is such a need, or that it would be advisable, for the reasons outlined below. There are already a multitude of opportunities for lay ministry, and sometimes Orthodox laity, both women and men, need to hear the message: ‘You don’t need to be ordained to serve Christ and His…

Source: Orthodox Studies Institute Originally published November 2023 by Matthew Namee “For at least the past quarter-century, Orthodox jurisdictions in America have been discussing the ‘priest shortage’ problem. The OCA addressed this at its All-American Council in 1999 and again in 2005, when it observed that 400 priests would soon retire and 100 new missions were expected to open over the next decade, with only 20-25 priests per year being ordained. The same year, 2005, the Greek Archdiocese also addressed the priest shortage problem. Then in 2020, the OCA website reported that 30% of active OCA were aged 65 or…

Source: Moscow Patriarchate DECR Communication Service, 18.06.2024.  On June 18, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ met with the heads and representatives of Protestant churches – members of the Christian Interconfessional Consultative Committee (CICC). The meeting took place at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in St.Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow. Representing the Protestant denominations were Eduard Grabovenko, head bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith and co-chair of the CCIC; Vladimir A. Provorov, Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia; Sergei V. Ryakhovsky, head bishop of the Russian United Fellowship of Christians of…

Christ is risen! I just saw all these emails!  Roula and I appreciate all of your prayers and good wishes. We love all of you.  OCL’s mission is inevitable. It is what God wants. A single Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America. It is up to us to make it happen.  Do not give up!  — Love, George (May 31, 2024)  This is the message that George Karcazes sent from his hospital room a few days before he fell asleep in the Lord on June 6, 2024.   For the last 37 years, he devoted himself to the mission of Orthodox Christian Laity…

Source: Axia Women We are glad to be able to share with you, by permission, a reflection by Abbess Katherine Weston–superior of the St. Xenia Monastic Community for over 30 years and the President of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black–in which she considers the role of deaconesses and abbesses.  Today, because of the recent and conspicuous ordination of a female deacon in Zimbabwe, I want to start to say something about ordination. In our hyper-individualistic age, the most important thing to remember is the people are elevated to meet a need of the Church. I know a man…

Source: Orthodox Church in America [OCA]  His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the delegation from the Orthodox Church in America visited Constantinople from June 7 to June 10, 2024. During their time in Constantinople and at the Phanar, the delegation met with hierarchs and members of the Patriarchal Court. Their discussions covered various topics, including their recent trips to Ukraine and Romania, as well as matters related to Orthodoxy in North America. The delegation was warmly received by the Patriarchate and invited to luncheons on both June 8 and 9.  On June 8, they had lunch with His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, His Eminence…