Source: Interfax-Religion Moscow, December 28, Interfax – The chairman of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has been cautious about prospects for convening a Pan-Orthodox Council. “There are doubts about the very possibility of a Pan-Orthodox Council being held at a time when some of the Orthodox Churches are in a state of unsettled conflict, and the leader of the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia has still not had his status recognized by a number of Orthodox Churches, to say nothing of the extremely unstable general political situation worldwide,” the metropolitan said…
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Source: Orthodox England The Inter-Orthodox Council, with a token number of bishops from each of the fourteen Local Churches and supposed to take place in May 2016 to discuss administrative issues, is looking increasingly troubled. First, there is the schism between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Antioch. Then there were rumours after contacts with top US officials that the US State Department was trying to set the agenda, specifically regarding homosexuality. Then there was news from the Russian Orthodox Church that delegates from several Local Churches, notably the Russian, the Romanian (the second biggest) and the Georgian, had failed to…
Source: The National Herald By Dennis Menos The need for a Pan Orthodox Council to resolve the issues that confront the Church in the modern era and also to further promote Christian unity, has been debated in the Orthodox East for many years. It came, therefore, as no surprise when the Primates of the Church announced in March 2014 that such a Council would convene in Constantinople early in 2016. The Council will bring together the Primates and Bishops of all fourteen Autocephalous Churches in the Orthodox East. Chairing the proceedings will be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and all decisions will be by consensus.…
Source: Orthodox Church in America ISTANBUL, TURKEY [OCA] At the invitation of His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew and with the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law and the John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY, represented the Orthodox Church in America at the celebration of the Feast of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s thronal feast, on Monday, November 30, 2015. “It was a great honor that the Orthodox Church in America was able to be present for this feast and a personal…
Source: Politico Sixty years after its pogroms against ethnic Greeks, Turkey grapples with its ugly history. By AYKAN ERDEMIR ANKARA — A belated commemoration — 60 years late, in fact — was held on September 6 at Istanbul’s Panagia Greek Orthodox Church. It was in memory of the victims of the 1955 pogrom targeting the Polites, short for Konstantinoupolites, namely the Greeks of Istanbul. This was the first divine liturgy-cum-memorial service ever to remember what’s known in Turkey as “the events of September 6 and 7.” In what some refer to as the “Kristallnacht in Constantinople,” 71 churches, 41 schools, eight newspapers, more…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity The Assembly of Bishops has been meeting for six years. June 2015 is a critical month and time period in their efforts to develop a plan to make the administrative life of the Orthodox Church in the United States canonical. Orthodox ecclesiology dictates that the Church be organized in geographic areas with one bishop in one city. Overlapping jurisdictions weaken the Commandment of Christ to make disciples of All Nations. Bishops are not foreign agents. Governments of other countries have no place in directing the actions of Bishops in the USA. We need a single Synod…
Source: Ancient Faith Radio June 05, 2015 Length: 27:30 On June 16, 2015 the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States will travel to Istanbul in order to meet with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who will receive them at the Phanar. Special Assistant to the Assembly Chairman, Fr. Nathanael Symeonides joins us to tell us what that is all about. Direct link Play in Popup Download Send Feedback [subscribe2]
Source: La Civiltà Cattolica / Ecumenical Patriarchate La Civiltà Cattolica publishes exclusive and extensive interview with His All-Holiness In an exclusive interview with La Civiltà Cattolica, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew answers questions on the Orthodox Church’s administrative structure and its relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, his own personal interactions with Pope Francis, the encounters between previous Popes and Patriarchs, as well as other important issues faced by both Churches, including the unity of Christendom and interfaith dialogue, primacy and conciliarity, immigration and climate change, social injustice and fundamentalism, all of which are to be discussed in the forthcoming Holy and…
Source: The National Herald by Theodore G. Karakostas PARIS, FRANCE – I recently had the opportunity to visit the beautiful and splendid City of Paris. What an outstanding city, with great Museums such as the Louvre and D’orsay, the Great Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the great palaces of Versailles. Paris is not only the location of great sites but is also the seat for the international headquarters of UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization). Since I was in Paris and having spoken and corresponded with the New York office of UNESCO in the recent past, I…
Source: First Things THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN 2016 by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis A Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church has been scheduled for 2016. In March of 2014, the leaders of all the autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Churches met in Istanbul, the sacred see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which historically (since at least the fifth century) coordinates such assemblies, facilitating unity while serving as a center of appeal among these churches. Arguably the foremost decision unanimously agreed upon at that assembly of church heads was the convocation of a Great Council in 2016, tentatively planned…
Source: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Halki Seminary Once the world’s leading Eastern Orthodox seminary, Halki was closed by the Turkish government 43 years ago. The US and religious freedom activists want it reopened. But Turkish officials have long said that won’t happen until Greece improves conditions for Turkish minorities living there. Transcript of Video KIM LAWTON (@KimLawtonRandE), correspondent: The Theological School of Halki was once the world’s leading Eastern Orthodox seminary. But it was closed by the Turkish government in 1971. More than 43 years later, the US government and many faith-based activists around the world are still waging a campaign to…
Source: Orthodox Church in America HALKI, TURKEY [OCA/SVOTS Communications] At invitation of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a delegation representing Saint Vladimir’s Seminary visited the historic Holy Theological School of Halki here December 16-19, 2014. In his capacity as President of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon headed the delegation, which included Archpriest Dr. John Behr, Dean; Archpriest Dr. John Jillions, Seminary Trustee, member of the Doctor of Ministry faculty, and OCA Chancellor; and Archpriest Dr. Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor of Canon Law, Byzantine Studies and Practical Theology. Established in 1844, the Theological School of Halki educated generations…