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Source: Public Orthodoxy by Very Rev. Dr. Michael A. Meerson | български | ქართული | ελληνικά | Română | Српски The Board of Directors of St. Vladimir’s Seminary and, especially, its President, Father Chad Hatfield, must be commended for their constant labor to make the ends meet and thus to maintain the seminary. We must remember, however, that their seminary belongs at large to the American “eleven jurisdictions” and to the world Orthodox who entrust their students to it, and, last, but not least, to the entire Orthodox Church in America. So, it is perfectly natural to decide the seminary’s future in a conciliar manner. The most natural venue would be…

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Source: The National Herald Analysis by Theodore Kalmoukos A few days ago, the Archdiocese of America began conducting a survey through a questionnaire, which it sent out only in English – as if the Greek-speaking members of the Church do not count – to the committee that will draft its new constitution, as TNH reported extensively in last week’s edition. First of all, let us say a few words about the Charter – or constitution if you prefer – emphasizing that it is nothing more than a text of practical guidelines, which functions as a document that set terms and limits…

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Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Today, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announced two new appointments at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Beginning on March 1, 2022, V. Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiropoulos will assume the position of Chancellor of the Archdiocese, and Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Elias Villis will assume the position of Chancellor of the Archdiocesan District. V. Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiropoulos was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and grew up in Astoria, New York, raised by devout Christian immigrant parents who emphasized his Orthodox faith and Greek heritage. Upon completing Long Island City High…

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Source: BookLocker Under One Roof: Uniting the Orthodox Church of America by George E. Matsoukas This collection of essays written between 2012-2020 addresses the status of the Orthodox Church in the U.S. and emphasizes the mission of Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL): unity, accountability, conciliar governance, education and renewal. CLICK HERE TO ORDER About the Book This is the second collection of essays, compiled from opinion columns written during the period 2012-2020, when George Matsoukas served as executive director of Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL). The first collection, “A Church in Captivity: The Greek Orthodox Church of America,” is also a collection…

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Source: The Wall Street Journal By George Weigel While Vladimir Putin is determined to reconstitute the old Soviet Union as a sphere of unchallenged Russian influence, Russian imperialism has a history that long antedates Mr. Putin. Czarist Russia was an expansive imperial power, extending its hegemony over the Eurasian landmass to the Pacific Ocean. Lenin, Stalin and their epigones, despite their ideological rejection of czarism, acted as de facto Great Russian imperialists in assembling the Soviet Union and maintaining it by brute force. In lamenting the demise of that prison house of nations as the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, Mr.…

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Source: National Council of Churches The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) joins with the World Council of Churches in an urgent call for peace for the people of Ukraine. We fervently pray that a diplomatic solution will be accepted, and that Russia will remove the troops on three sides of the Ukraine without resorting to a destructive and deadly conflict. Every possible means must be attempted to prevent the escalation of this confrontation into an armed conflict and the devastating threat of nuclear retaliation that it could bring to all the people of the…

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Source: Helleniscope *Warning graphic content* By Heather (Markella) Georgiou RN, MsPH, CHES Archbishop Elpidophoros declared “respect for the autonomy of women” in regard to abortion this past Friday, January 21, 2022 (https://www.goarch.org/-/march-for-life-2022]. I would like to take this opportunity as an Orthodox Christian healthcare professional to clarify some points on this topic. Each year in the United States, a weekend in January is set aside to honor the sanctity of human life. Many individuals and churches have developed beautiful ways of glorifying the fact that each person is made in Gods’ image and likeness, knit together in the womb by…

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In the second week of 2022, Orthodox Christian Laity’s Board met to review the past year and begin planning an agenda for the new year. During a discussion about Orthodox administrative unity in America and the general feeling of frustration with progress in that direction, one Board Member (Dr. Gayle Woloschak) drew our attention to the fact that the Assembly of Bishops USA has taken steps in the right direction through its establishment of fourteen committees, six agencies and commissions, and six affiliate ministries and associations (read about these initiatives here and here). She reminded us that the process of…

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Source: OINOS Educational Consulting By Frank Marangos, D.Min., Ed.D., F.C.E.P “I strongly recommend all young entrepreneurs to invest in NFTs.” ~ Anuj Jasani 2021 was a year defined by numerous societal disruptions. Covid variants, climactic catastrophes, a foiled military withdrawal, tense court cases, and unexpected economic down-turns. Although the vastness of such a year could never be fully summarized with a single word, several prominent dictionary companies have attempted to do so. “Allyship,” for example, is Dictionary.com’s Word of The Year. According to the site, “allyship” may be defined as the role of an individual who advocates for inclusion of a “marginalized…

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