Source: MercatorNet A Syrian Catholic patriarch describes the campaign to drive Christians from their homelands Ignatius Youssef III Younan The Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch, Ignatius Joseph III Younan, recently addressed the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic group, at its annual conference. Here is a slightly abridged text of his passionate speech about Christianity in the Middle East. ***** I would like first of all to apologize if I become too emotional. Because I’m not talking about theories based on socio-political and religious-historical analysis of the tense relations between Islam and Christianity. My intention is to raise…
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Source: National Geographic Restorers working in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel uncover stone slab venerated as the resting place of Jesus Christ. By Kristin Romey JERUSALEM, ISRAELFor the first time in centuries, scientists have exposed the original surface of what is traditionally considered the tomb of Jesus Christ. Located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, the tomb has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., and most likely centuries earlier. “The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America NEW YORK – The first complete biography on His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, titled “Bartholomew: Apostle and Visionary,” authored by Fr. John Chryssavgis and published by Thomas Nelson Publishing has just been released, in time for the 25th Anniversary of His All-Holiness’ elevation to the venerable Patriarchal Throne of Constantinople. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians for an unprecedented 25 years, continues to build bridges across all faiths and cultures from Constantinople (now known as Istanbul), a city of central importance to Christian history and the development of…
Source: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press Peter Danilchick, a protodeacon [Protection of the Mother of God Church, Falls Church VA – Romanian Diocese] and retired corporate executive, brings his experience and expertise to bear on the meaning, challenges, and techniques of strategic leadership, planning, and management for Christians in his new book: Thy Will Be Done: Strategic Leadership, Planning, and Management for Christians. Many books examine these skills from a business perspective, but none have incorporated the timeless wisdom of the Orthodox faith. Thy Will Be Done serves as a bridge between the ecclesiastical and corporate worlds, drawing on Scripture and…
Source: Foreigners & Friends Magazine Romania’s president has called for tolerance and acceptance of minorities. The statement was connected to a pending case about same-sex marriage at his country’s highest court. Klaus Iohannis, who is part of the German minority in Romania, as well as a Lutheran, and who therefore belongs to two minorities himself, stated: “Tolerance and acceptance of others are vital. These are the values I believe in.” Iohannis, whose comments were unconventional, compared to those of most eastern European presidents or politicians, also sharply criticized parts of the Christian Orthodox Church of Romania. “Religious fanaticism does not help society.…
Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle By Francesca Norsen Tate Brooklyn Daily Eagle Yes, Brooklyn does have its own saint. Antiochian Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast and life of St. Raphael of Brooklyn each November for his work in establishing the Syrian mission here. He was the first Orthodox bishop consecrated in North America. This branch of Orthodox Christendom had its roots in ancient Antioch, an ethnically diverse metropolis in Syria during the first century, Common Era, where the followers of Christ were first called Christians. Modern-day Antioch is in Turkey, but just about 12 miles from the Syrian border. Fast-forward from…
Source: Mystagogy A Muslim refugee named Ahmet, who was given hospitality from Greece to stay in Thermopylae, has built a shrine to the Virgin Mary there to thank the Greek people for their help, and with tears in his eyes asks for people to pray at this shrine that the war in his homeland will come to an end. It took Ahmet one day to build it with the help of two youngsters. “We came here to escape war and we thank you for your warm hospitality, I cannot say enough about the Greek people and the way they have…
Source: RT Novosti Hundreds of people including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince Michael of Kent gathered in London’s Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints to attend a historic service conducted by the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church. Up to one thousand people attended the ceremonies on Sunday, according to the patriarch’s press service. Click here for RT International video news report. The service included the consecration of London’s largest Orthodox Christian Cathedral, which had undergone a major refurbishment, and the Divine Liturgy, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the presence of the Russian Orthodox…
Source: Bangor Daily News By Judy Harrison, BDN Staff BANGOR, Maine — An organization that advocates for the victims of clergy abuse has called for the removal of the Greek Orthodox chancellor in Boston who oversaw a former Bangor priest now serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting a teenage altar server. Adam Metropoulos, 54, is incarcerated at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. He was sentenced in March 2015 on four felony counts of sexual abuse of a minor following a jury-waived trial to 12 years in prison with all but 6½ years suspended. The charges stemmed from Metropoulos’…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Detroit, October 5 – The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States began the 2nd day of its annual meeting with a special forum dedicated to the important subject of religious freedom. Three highly accomplished scholars presented: Dr. Charles Haynes, Director of the Religious Freedom Center and Vice President of the Newseum Institute, delivered an overview of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and its central role in protecting the free exercise of one’s faith in America’s public square. He encouraged the hierarchs to study how Orthodox…
Source: Religion Dispatches BY KATHERINE KELAIDIS SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 The Russian government’s shutdown of the country’s top LGBT website, BlueSystem, is just the latest entry in its gruesome record with respect to LGBT rights. While the time for passive concern by all parties has long past, it is a matter of utter amazement that American Orthodox Christians—even the most conservative—are not more vocally horrified about events in Russia. The complicity of the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow in Russia’s systematic persecution of its LGBT citizens speaks to a deep crisis in Orthodoxy’s encounter with the modern world.…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA The Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America convened their 7thAnnual General Assembly Meeting in Detroit on October 4, 2016 with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Antiochian Basilica of Saint Mary in Livonia, Michigan. The Bishops commenced their work with an opening address by the Assembly Chairman, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, who greeted and welcomed the hierarchs, encouraging them that “…when we speak together as an Assembly of Bishops, we do so with the authority of the Church; we do not speak as jurisdictions or merely…