Source: Orthodoxia.info REVEREND DR. ALKIVIADIS C. CALIVAS Liturgical spoons existed from at least the sixth-seventh century.[1] But it does not mean that they were used for Communion. In fact, canon 101 of the Penthekte Synod (691-692) prohibits the use of any receptacle for the reception of the consecrated Bread other than the human hand.[2] The canon reads: “So that if anyone should wish to partake of the pure Body during the time of the synaxis…let him form his hands into the shape of a cross, and thus approaching, let him receive the communion of grace. For we nowise welcome those men who…
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Source: National Catholic Reporter by John D. Faris In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis March 27 characterized the worldwide trauma as: “God’s call on people to judge what is most important to them and resolve to act accordingly from now on.” Can this occasion also be a time of deeper communion among us? Catholics, Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox hierarchs, pastors and faithful agree that the Eucharist, the body and blood of the Son of God, is the most precious gift of God to the church. It is of paramount importance to us! Nevertheless, while sharing the same belief in the…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Today, the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America met via video conference and determined that a direct appeal to several Governors be made to insist on the equitable treatment of religion in the reopening of certain States. In the appeal, the Hierarchs of the Executive Committee noted that the “founders of our country wisely protected the free exercise of religion precisely because of the vital role played by communities of faith in providing their members faith, hope, and comfort, and their communities…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity by V. Rev. Timothy Cremeens, PhD CLICK HERE or on the image above to view a PDF slide presentation. Please use this presentation individually and in your parish community as an introduction to spiritual renewal and to better understand that the unity of the Church starts with our own spiritual renewal. Feel free to contact Fr Timothy about this presentation. Other Resources Pathway to Orthodox Renewal by Fr Eusebius Stephanou of blessed memory.
Source: Oinos Educational Consulting By Frank Marangos, D.Min., Ed.D., FCEP “One of the clearest and most concrete facts of history is that men of spiritual resources may not only redeem catastrophe but turn it into a grand creative moment.” ~ Herbert Butterfield Crisis is the cocoon of creativity. Indeed, the current Covid-19 crisis has stimulated abundant examples of creative innovation in public health, economic, education, and faith-based institutions. Resourceful ingenuity has additionally appeared in many family homes and neighborhoods. While the pandemic has undeniably inspired many levels of creativity it has, nonetheless, also generated societal fears, inertia, and depression. Why the disparity?…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA In the early morning hours of today (Saturday), Bishop Joanikije of Budimlja and Nikšić and seven priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church were released by the prosecutor’s office in Montenegro. (https://hosted.ap.org/TPGIMAGES/article/703f4351f8fe367f8771ebbb851fbde7/serb-church-priests-freed-detention-montenegro) During the late hours of May 12, the bishop and the priests had been questioned by the prosecutor’s office about the annual celebration of St. Basil of Ostrog that had occurred in Nikšić earlier that day and about certain alleged violations of governmental anti-pandemic orders occurring during the celebration. After the initial questioning, the prosecutor announced that the eight would be detained for up…
Source: The Orthodox World By Elias Damianakis, Hagiographos, Archon Maestor “God’s grace is as evident in the healing power of medicine and its practitioners as it is in miraculous cures.” -St. Basil of Caesarea Hindsight is 20/20 and 2020 in hindsight, is the tale of two Patriarchates. Seemingly simple, the requested initial reflection was basic: what are the realities between the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Constantinople and Moscow? So, I developed a timeline, a list of quotes of church leadership and news articles. The results are dramatic, shocking, and sad. Considering the human crisis over the past few months,…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Wednesday, May 13, 2020 PDF Version “Feed My Lambs” To the Orthodox Christian Faithful of the United States of America: Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! In this time of global pandemic, the majority of the Faithful of our Churches have been withheld from receiving Holy Communion and attending Divine Services in order to safeguard their health and the health of others. We, the Hierarchs of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA, are taking action to restore the possibility of Holy Eucharist to the “lambs” of Christ, in…
Source: Public Orthodoxy After a critical statement about the situation with the coronavirus, Vukašin Milićević, lecturer at the Theological Faculty in Belgrade, was banned from speaking publicly by the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In this interview, his colleague Rodoljub Kubat sheds light on the background and tensions around the Faculty. This interview was previously published in German in the newsletter “Nachrichtendienst Östliche Kirchen.” 1) The Serbian Holy Synod forbade the lecturer Vukašin Milićević to address the public. How has it come to that? Let me remind you that the ban about addressing the public came from the Patriarch…
Source: Fletcher School of Tufts University Fletcher Prof Elizabeth Prodromou shares her thoughts on Human Security & Religion in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Source: The Wheel The pandemic now ravaging the Orthodox Church is not only COVID-19 but also fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is a sort of populism for the church. It is based on post-truth and conspiracy theories. Although it pretends to be pietistic, it is quite secular and secularizing. I would apply to fundamentalism the phrase once coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “cheap grace.” Fundamentalism is a cheap spirituality and a cheap substitute for genuine ecclesial existence. The circumstances of the COVID 19 epidemic demonstrate that fundamentalism not only corrupts minds and muddies faith, but can also kill bodies. It is time to treat…
Source: Crisis Magazine FR. BENEDICT KIELY We are now in what is called the “Great Fifty Days” of the Easter Season. As we know, every Sunday is really the celebration of Easter, what the Church calls the “Paschal Sacrifice,” the saving death and resurrection of Christ. During these great fifty days, we are meant to recall and be refocused on the central event of our faith in an even more profound way. This event, which is at the heart of history, and the heart of the universe, is meant to shape every aspect of our lives—our family life, work, and politics—and,…