Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Public Orthodoxy Evgenios Voulgaris and Platon Levshin— a Model for Future Greek-Russian Exchange and Rapprochement? Dr. Vasilios N. Makrides Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Erfurt (Germany) It is well known that the current Orthodox Christian positions, either official or unofficial, towards modern human rights differ considerably. Suffice it to point here to the different evaluations of human rights by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople under Patriarch Bartholomew[i] and by the Russian Orthodox Church in post-communist times, especially under Patriarch Kirill.[ii] This also becomes evident if one compares the related official documents of these two Churches: on the one…

Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On August 20, the Ukrainian Rada approved on the second reading Draft Law 8371 without discussion and by a large majority vote.  https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-parliament-legislative-ban-ukrainian-orthodox-church-539e0f3a6d657277aa4fa93b8ec53505  The Draft Law is now being prepared for the signature of President Zelensky.  https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/Card/41219  It appears absolutely certain that the President will sign 8371 as he repeatedly urged its passage in his nightly addresses last week.  In the event of an alleged violation of the new law, there are a series of administrative steps that will occur.  A very brief summary of these administrative steps is as follows:  (1) On the initiative of the…

Source: Hartford Institute for Religion Research Hartford, CT — A new report examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Orthodox Christian churches in the United States reveals a unique approach to crisis management, characterized by adherence to traditional practices and resistance to change. The study, which draws on data from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey and two Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) surveys, offers insights into how Orthodox churches fared compared to other U.S. religious congregations. Key findings include: Orthodox churches were more likely to maintain regular activities, particularly in-person services, despite pandemic restrictions. These churches showed greater…

Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, August 20, 2024—At its meeting on August 9, 2024, the Board of Trustees at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) announced its decision to indefinitely pause the relocation of St Vladimir’s Seminary, and pursue the needs of the Seminary for recruiting a new president, strengthening the Seminary’s finances, and creating a strategic vision and direction in fulfillment of its core mission. The Seminary’s core mission remains to “train priests, lay leaders, and scholars to be active apologists of the Orthodox Christian Faith—focusing on academic rigor and spiritual formation within a residential…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] In preparation for the upcoming 21st All-American Council in Phoenix, AZ, July 14-18, 2025, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon is calling on all communities of the Orthodox Church in America—parishes, missions, seminaries, monasteries, and all institutions—to submit reflections on this moment in the life of the Church. A companion study guide has also been made available to help guide these discussions. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (Acts 2:1) In July 2025, the bishops, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America will gather in…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OPL] By the Grace of God, the Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) Office of Pastoral Life (OPL) is thrilled to announce a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. that will better equip clergy and their families to face economic challenges that can persist throughout their careers. OPL supports clergy as they fulfill their vocation of pastoral service by offering resources that promote personal, spiritual, and educational growth and health. Through workshops, seminars, retreats and Thriving in Ministry peer learning groups, OPL seeks to equip clergy, clergy wives and clergy families with resources and tools to maintain…

Source: Orthodox Church in America Suprasl, Poland [SUPRASL] Fr Nilos offering a morning reflection, “Life as Gratitude”. For the third year in a row students and clergy of the Orthodox Church in America participated in the annual World Gathering of Orthodox Youth – Suprasl 2024 – organized by Suprasl: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth at the Monastery of the Annunciation and the Suprasl Academy in northeastern Poland from June 30 – July 8. Participating from the OCA were Father Nilos Nellis of Saint John in the Wilderness Orthodox Sanctuary, Birchdale, British Columbia; Caleb Hooper from Saint Nicholas Church, Mogadore, OH; and…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity OCL ANNOUCES NEW EXCITING MARKETING MISSION Mosaic of Orthodox Christianity in America OCL is developing a strategic marketing plan with an exciting campaign to mobilize our Orthodox Christian laity community in the United States of America. We believe this can be a powerful way to create positive change and greater unity. WHY?…..To Help Us to Connect and Spread Orthodoxy To make OCL the inspired forward-looking leader of Orthodox Christians in America to provide a common vehicle for the need to belong, regardless of ethnicity or cultural differences. OCL wants to advance and promote a feeling among…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America FREEDOM (Faith-based Response to Eradicate Enslavement: Didactic Outreach Ministry)  July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Yesterday, a Special Intervention was held at the United Nations Church Center in New York City. Rev. Protopresbyter Peter J. Spiro, the Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese FREEDOM (Faith-based Response to Eradicate Enslavement: Didactic Outreach Ministry) Ministry, was one of the 5 expert panelists presenting at a hybrid conference that included participants from the United States, Uganda, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Congo, Carribean, Belize, Tanzania, Serbia, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, and Germany. Father Peter was asked to present…

Source: Orthodox History Originally published on May 29, 2024 by MATTHEW NAMEE As you may have seen, Ancient Faith recently published my book, Lost Histories: The Good, the Bad & the Strange in Early American Orthodoxy. If you like this website, you’re the target audience for the book. And while reading it should give you a good handle on the early history of Orthodoxy in America, I wrote it not just to educate but — hopefully — to amaze and surprise you (even if you’re a longtime reader of this website). With that in mind, here are fifteen random, amazing facts from…

Source: Orthodox History by MATTHEW NAMEE Today, relations between the patriarchates of Moscow and Romania are tense: both lay claim to jurisdiction in the Republic of Moldova, which makes up about two-thirds of the historic region known as Bessarabia. The other third of Bessarabia is now in Ukraine, Budjak (Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi). In the Republic of Moldova, the Russian and Romanian patriarchates have had rival jurisdictions ever since the fall of the USSR, although things didn’t get really tense until very recently, when Russian-affiliated clergy began joining the Romanian jurisdiction (without canonical releases) as part of the fallout from the war…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Katherine Kelaidis National Hellenic Museum (Chicago) While it is fashionable of late to talk about the influx of racist actors into the Orthodox Church via conversion, we should probably admit that Orthodoxy in America has always had a race problem. Early 20th-century urban immigrants from the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe were not exactly famous for their enlightened attitudes about race. Some of America’s worst racial tensions have been between Black Americans and the very sorts of immigrants who form the core of Orthodox Christian America. Of course, whenever this comes up, people like to deflect by…