During their Fall Session at the Chancery October 23-26, 2018, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops gave their blessing to release an updated set of “Social Media Guidelines for Clergy and Lay Leaders” of the Orthodox Church in America. Available in PDF format, the Guidelines had been approved by the Metropolitan Council on September 19. The updated Guidelines are recommended by the Holy Synod for implementation by the Central Church Administration, ministries, dioceses, parishes, clergy, lay leaders, staff and volunteers who work within the institutional, social, and legal environment of the Church. They should be adapted for use…
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Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America expresses its deep sympathies as we mourn the loss of innocent lives and pray for the speedy recovery of those wounded in the recent attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Remembering the Message from our Assembly meeting just last month, we reiterate our “denunciation of all violence, whether caused by senseless acts related to weapons and shootings or instigated by abhorrent acts of discrimination and prejudice.” Indeed the heinous and murderous act of terror on…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity The hospitality and participation of the Orthodox faithful of all jurisdictions in the city of Cleveland on the weekend of October 19-20, 2018, was overwhelming! Over 170 faithful people of all jurisdictions participated in a program showing all of us what we can truly accomplish when we work in unity. You can see and feel the unity and love by calling up each speaker’s presentation and the short overview video that is posted on OCL’s YouTube channel. Cleveland is a model of Pan-Orthodoxy living and working in practical and meaningful ways. These videos are presented as…
Source: The National Herald By TNH Staff A foundation that received a $500,000 donation from the late Greek-American real estate developer and entertainment businessman John Santikos of Texas to do charitable work in the United States and Greece was awarded the Medal of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite by Archbishop Ieronymos. The award was presented to the President and COO of The San Antonio Area Foundation, Rebecca Brune, in memory of Santikos, who died in December 2014, leaving his business assets to the charity, estimated at around $600 million. That included the half million dollar gift to International Orthodox Christian Charities…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, notes with sorrow and dismay that the Israeli Knesset is once again attempting to pass a law that would allow for the confiscation of Church owned-lands. The implications of this discriminatory bill cannot be overstated. The “Proposed tenant rights law on leased land that was sold,” introduced by Member of the Knesset Rachel Azaria, exclusively effects lands own by Churches, not Jewish- or Muslim-owned lands. It is scheduled to be discussed by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation this Sunday, October 21. This bill is…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos NEW YORK – Greek Orthodox Theological Scholars Drs. Aristotle Papanikolaou and George Demakopulos, professors at and co-Directors of Fordham University’s Center of Orthodox Christian Studies, recently spoke with the National Herald about their work and the current state of Orthodoxy. The interview follows. TNH: Please tells about the Orthodox Christian Studies Center’s structure, mission, and contribution to theology and theological scholarship. AP/GD: The program in Orthodox Christianity began at Fordham University officially in 2004 with the inaugural Orthodoxy in America Lecture, which was given by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios. Since then, through the…
Source: The New York Times By Neil MacFarquhar MOUNT ATHOS, Greece — The skulls, lined up five deep on wooden shelves, date back hundreds of years, with the names of the more recently deceased scratched onto their foreheads — Monk Theolothelis, 91, 26-6-1986, or Monk Kyprianos, 100, 14-8-87. They are exhibited in Xenophontos Monastery here on Mount Athos, a peninsula in northern Greece that is the spiritual heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church. One skull carries a more philosophical message: “Brother, Look at the glory of man.” That invitation to reflect on mortality encapsulates why the dead are exhumed and their…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America and the Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod visited yesterday, Oct. 16, 2018, the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. The Hierarchs toured the location and the surrounding area of the 9/11 Memorial, walked across Liberty Park where the St Nicholas Church is situated and saw the church edifice in its current state of construction in preparation for their deliberations on resuming construction as soon as possible. See photos https://flic.kr/s/aHsmrW4fX6
Source: The National Herald NEW YORK – Following is the encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for National Leadership 100 Sunday – October 21, 2018: Protocol Number 159/18 October 21, 2018 National Leadership 100 Sunday The Lord said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, it is he who bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of…
Source: Religion News Service A major new survey released today reveals that evangelicals are confused about some core doctrines of the Christian faith. Ligonier Ministries’ 2018 State of Theology survey was conducted by LifeWay Research, which interviewed a representative sample of 3,000 Americans. The full survey results are available online at TheStateOfTheology.com. Evangelicals A majority of evangelicals said (1) that most people are basically good, (2) that God accepts the worship of all religions, and (3) that Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God the Father. However, all these beliefs are contrary to the historic Christian faith. Some…
Source: The Washingon Post By David Stern and Amie Ferris-Rotman KIEV, Ukraine — For centuries, the golden cupolas of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery and catacombs have been a refuge of tranquility and prayer in Orthodox Christianity. It is now caught in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as it spills into the world of faith. What is at stake is whether the Ukrainian church can formally break away from Russia’s control and become a new autonomous branch among Orthodoxy’s more than a dozen churches. But it also reflects the wider battlegrounds of nationalism and political identity that helped touch off a separatist uprising…