Source: OCP Media Network Sophia Iliadi – Independent Article – 27/6/19 The Orthodox world is facing a total rearrangement. The balance of powers and the distribution of influence between 14 mutually recognized Local Orthodox Churches is shifting as the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, historically first among equal autocephalous Churches, has completely lost its weight. This is happening against the background of an unfolding crisis, which Orthodoxy hasn’t witnessed since the Great Schism of 1054. The threat of a new schism emerged because of Patriarch Bartholomew’s ambitions who claims he is the leader of the Orthodox world. The division affects nearly…
Browsing: Constantinople
Source: OCP Media Network by Tamar Lomidze The Patriarchate of Constantinople has recently been shaken by scandals. First, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France got accused of pederasty, then Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa was appointed Archbishop of the Greek American Archdiocese (GOA) bypassing the opinion of American hierarchs, which caused sharp criticism among US clergy and laity. Now, the whole Orthodox world is watching in confusion, conflict in Bartholomew’s new-born organization – the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), whose leaders (“Honorary Patriarch” Filaret and “formal” Primate Epiphanius) are pushing the new autocephalous Church into a schism, the first in its short history.…
Source: Orthodox Christianity [Kiev – June 13, 2019] On May 26, the 19th anniversary of the restoration of St. Michael’s Golden-domed Cathedral, previously of the “Kiev Patriarchate” (KP) and now a cathedral of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU), was celebrated in Kiev. It was previously known that the OCU primate “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko was concelebrated by two hierarchs from the Patriarchate of Constantinople: Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul and Metropolitan Amphilochios of Adrianople. However, according to information received by the Union of Orthodox Journalists from the Metropolis of Montenegro and Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church, a cleric of the schismatic and…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Istanbul, June 10, 2019 — The primate of the schismatic-nationalist Ukrainian church created by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in December, “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko, traveled to Istanbul today to congratulate Patriarch Bartholomew on his name’s day, which will be celebrated tomorrow, reports the press service of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.” Vespers for the new calendar feast of the apostle St. Bartholomew was served at the Monastery of the Lifegiving Spring, during which Pat. Bartholomew and “Met.” Epiphany prayed, along with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, who also arrived to celebrate the Patriarch’s name’s day.…
Source: Orthodox Christianity MOSCOW — Any Local Church has the authority to call a pan-Orthodox Council, His Grace Bishop Qais (Sadiq) of Erzurum recently told RIA-Novosti. Bp. Qais spoke with the Russian outlet while in Moscow for an international conference dedicated to the protection of the rights of the faithful in Ukraine In his address, he called the Canonical Church of Ukraine to contact the International Community to force Ukraine to respect the religious freedom rights of the members of the canonical Church if the violence against the canonical Church does not cease and if there is no progress in…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Istanbul, May 31, 2019 – The Patriarchate of Constantinople restored canonicity to the entire Ukrainian nation, although the “presence of the Moscow Patriarchate” threatens the unity of the Ukrainian nation, Patriarch Bartholomew boldly declared in a recent interview with the Bulgarian outlet BGNES, even as the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU), created by him along with President Poroshenko, battles to maintain unity simply within itself. Pat. Bartholomew’s brother primates, the Holy Synods of the Local Churches, and a number of hierarchs from throughout the Orthodox world have repeatedly called on him to convene a pan-Orthodox council to…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Patriarch Bartholomew is Isolated: The Danger of Ethnophyletism Fr. Theodore Zisis For the first time, the Constantinople Church has found itself isolated from the other autocephalous Churches, due to its anti-canonical and anti-conciliar actions in granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian schismatics. Thus, it itself has placed under doubt its accepted coordinating role as a unifying factor and driven its hitherto proven and effective ecclesiastical politics into complete failure. It all began with the incomplete, truncated representation of the Body of Christ at the pseudo-council in Kolymvari, Crete. In our previous articles we noted the unavoidable danger arising…
Source: Strategic Culture Foundation by James George Jatras Originally published on November 17, 2018 Was $25 million in American tax dollars allocated for a payoff to stir up religious turmoil and violence in Ukraine? Did Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (unsuccessfully) attempt to divert most of it into his own pocket? Last month the worldwide Orthodox Christian communion was plunged into crisis by the decision of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Constantinople to recognize as legitimate schismatic pseudo-bishops anathematized by the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is an autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. In so doing not only has…
Source: Veterans Today By VT Editors Submitted to Veterans Today by Sophia Ilaidi Originally published on August 8, 2018 As Greek journalists found out, the Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) has close ties with Turkish intelligence. According to the information obtained by my counterparts from their sources, Ankara’s main goal is to weaken the Church of Greece and expand the influence of Constantinople. And one of the main roles in this process belongs to the Metropolitan of Bursa. The career of the hierarch is developing very rapidly. Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) was born in 1967 in Istanbul. After graduation from the Aristotle…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – If all goes well Saturday May 11, 2019 is expected to be the day when a new Archbishop of America will be elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Holy Synod will be in session from Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 11, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding. The Synod accepted the written resignation of Archbishop Demetrios, which he submitted in person to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Saturday May 4. The Synod also decided to send a letter to the Archdiocese to ask the Archdiocesan Council and the Eparchial Synod…
Source: Orthodox Synaxis This English translation of the Greek letter is republished from the official website of the Albanian Orthodox Church, here. All emphases are in the original. In this remarkable letter, whilst showing profound respect and reverence for the office and person of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and his Synod present a detailed rebuttal of historical precedents cited by Constantinople to justify their intervention in Ukraine and emphasize the importance of convening a pan Orthodox meeting to heal the divisions that these actions have opened up. On the Ukrainian Ecclesiastical Question. 2nd Reply. Speaking the Truth in Love…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, notes with sorrow and dismay new reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may convert the Hagia Sophia to a mosque. Hagia Sofia in Istanbul is known throughout the world as the Great Church of Christ. Built in the sixth century by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was for nearly a thousand years the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the center of the Orthodox Faith, and the world’s most magnificent cathedral. Following the Muslim conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted to…