Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: The National Herald BOSTON – Dr. Panos Stavrianidis, professor, researcher in Greek-American matters and the Orthodox Church and a successful jeweler in his professional life will speak at the upcoming AHEPA Supreme Convention in Athens on the topic `The Evolution of the Greek-American Community in the 21st Century and the Struggle for its Survival. He touched on those and other important Greek-American Community issues in an interview with The National Herald, which follows: TNH: How did you spend your time during the pandemic from a personal, family, and professional standpoint? Panos Stavrianidis: The period of the pandemic was an…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America by Peter Samore Video: Metropolitan Joseph’s Address to the General Assembly Video: Fr. Joseph Huneycutt’s Homily on Emerging Stronger from the Pandemic Video: Fr. Nicholas Belcher’s Presentation on the Task Force on Youth Ministry​ Photo gallery The Coronavirus would not stop the Antiochian Archdiocese from holding its biennial convention. Taking advantage of the tools that have strengthened communications and connections during the pandemic, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph virtually convened the bishops, priests, deacons, Board of Trustees, and faithful for important teachings, addresses, workshops and updates in the life of the Archdiocese and…

Source: Handwritings On the Wall — Musings of Orthodox Thinkers By Robert Arakaki, Ph.D. His address at the International Religious Freedom Summit Archbishop Elpidophoros has caused consternation among the Orthodox faithful by the speech that he gave at the International Religious Freedom Summit held in Washington D.C., 15 July 2021.  In the speech he stated: When you elevate one religion above all others, it is as if you decide there is only one path leading to the top of the mountain. But the truth is you simply cannot see the myriads of paths that lead to the same destination, because…

Source: Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative Listen Now Although women are not ordained in the Orthodox Church, many of them are hearkening God’s call to serve – as chaplains, scholars, diplomats, mothers, teachers, leaders of parish boards and ministries, and in many other roles. Dr. Patricia Fann Bouteneff, founder of Axia Women, shares in this episode what they are learning about parish support of women across the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox traditions. Recalling the Myrrh Bearing Women, they strive to care for the body of Christ and receive and proclaim the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection. Learn more about Axia Women at https://www.axiawomen.org/…

Source: The Wall Street Journal Disagreements over same-sex relationships and the role of women are heightening tensions among Catholics worldwide. By Francis X. Rocca German Catholics have been meeting since last year to consider major changes to church life, including the blessing of same-sex relationships and the ordination of women—moves that many see as essential reforms after the clerical sex-abuse crisis. But the effort has drawn fierce criticism. Cardinal Rainer Woelki of Cologne, leader of the conservative minority of German bishops, has warned that the process could lead to a schism and even “a German national church.” His warnings have been…

Source: Orthodox Church in America KARAKALLOU, MT. ATHOS [OCA]  On Saturday, July 10, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, His Grace Bishop Alexis of Bethesda, locum tenens of the Diocese of Alaska, began an extended visit to his former monastery, the Sacred and Stavropegial Monastery of Karakallou on Mount Athos. His Grace is visiting with the blessing of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and at the invitation of Elder Philotheos, Abbot of the monastery. Elder Philotheos and the brotherhood formally received His Grace and his entourage upon their arrival at the doors of the monastery and processed into the…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA]  The Department of Evangelization of the Orthodox Church in America has made the first three of 45 printable brochures available for free download. The original pamphlets were designed by the late Archpriest John Matusiak and sold in paper format through a now-retired OCA sales channel. The trifold pamphlets have been completely redesigned for simplicity and flexibility in PDF format. The text has been lightly updated for readability. A PDF text field has been included on the back section of the pamphlet for parishes and other ministries to include important contact information using the freely available Adobe…

Source: Helleniscope by Lawrence B. Wheeler, B.A., M.Div. (Former Anglican priest, convert to Orthodoxy). It was a balmy summer day in midtown Manhattan when His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros stepped into St. Bartholomew’s Church. He was on Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, where the grand edifice sits, imposing and Byzantine, yet dwarfed by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. According to the Orthodox Church calendar, it was the feast day of Ss. Bartholomew & Barnabas, which fell on a Friday this year, the eleventh day of June 2021. The archbishop and his entourage had come to St. Bart’s, as the parish is…

Source: Public Orthodoxy by Robert C. Blitt Russia’s constitutional amendments of 2020 augur an ever-enlarging foreign policy role for the Russian Orthodox Church—Moscow Patriarchate (ROC). Constitutional entrenchment of the Kremlin’s selective understanding of state sovereignty and non-interference; a state-sanctioned vision of historical truth; the muscular protection of compatriot rights abroad; and the propagation of traditional values each tap into areas where the church has steadfastly advocated Russian civilization as a global counterweight to the West’s “ultra-liberalism.” Faced with this emerging reality, policymakers should reassess the nature and substance of their interactions with church officials and take measures to scrutinize ROC activities…

Source: Asia News Yesterday there was a meeting between the pope and the delegation of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. The Russian Orthodox have always contested the primacy of Bartholomew. Kremlin: The West wants “Orthodox schism” and to impose a doctrine according to which “even Jesus Christ was a bisexual”. by Vladimir Rozanskij (Asianews.it) Moscow (AsiaNews) – The traditional visit of the Constantinopolitan delegation to Rome was held yesterday On the occasion of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France (Adamakis). Pope Francis called for a new impetus in relations between Catholics and Orthodox,…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Prot. No. 164/2021 Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Apostolic Visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW to the United States June 30, 2021 Synaxis of the Holy and Glorious Twelve Apostles Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, the Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, the Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and the entirety of the Christ-named Plenitude of the Holy Archdiocese of America. My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FOLLOWING LETTERS AND RESPONSES COMPILED IN A BOOKLET AS AN OCCASIONAL PAPER UPDATE: Letter #7  – Orthodox Church in western, pluralistic democracies / Conciliarity and balanced co-ministry (#7) Letter of June 8, 2021 June 8, 2021 Translation of the Relics of Theodore the Commander; Kalliope the Martyr; Melania the Righteous His Eminence, Archbishop ELPIDOPHOROS The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 10 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021 Your Eminence, Christ is risen! The Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) again wishes you good health in these pandemic times as we continue with…