Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Yesterday, September 3, 2024, the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued a condemnation of recent illegal actions of the Russian Orthodox Church. This statement comes in response to a heartfelt letter from His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, dated August 31st, 2024, which was delivered at the concluding session of the Holy Synaxis of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne in Istanbul, Türkiye. At the concluding session of the Holy Synaxis of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne in Istanbul, Türkiye, His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria’s letter to His…
Browsing: Ecumenical Patriarchate
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The meeting of the Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Istanbul, September 1-3. This meeting, which is held every three years, included more than one hundred bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from throughout the world. At the beginning of the Synaxis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave an address. https://ec-patr.org/%e1%bc%90%ce%bd%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%ba%cf%84%ce%ae%cf%81%ce%b9%ce%bf%cf%82-%e1%bd%81%ce%bc%ce%b9%ce%bb%ce%af%ce%b1-%cf%84%e1%bf%86%cf%82-%ce%b1-%ce%b8-%cf%80%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b1%ce%b3%ce%b9%cf%8c-3/ The following are some of his observations: A major problem in this connection is the anthropological and moral confusion about the essentials of life, even among Christians. It is self-evident that we are concerned with the division of Christianity…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Along an aptly rain-soaked Golden Horn, this weekend the Ecumenical Patriarchate is presenting Halki Summit VI, entitled “Water: Spirit and Science,” in Istanbul, Türkiye. The Halki Summit, which celebrated its inaugural meeting in 2012, is a gathering organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate for activists, scientists, journalists, business leaders, theologians, and academics to engage in environmentalist discussion and build interdisciplinary connections. This year’s Summit, co-sponsored by Hellenic Open University, addresses the scientific and spiritual dimensions of water as a vital resource of our planet and a fundamental symbol of Christian theological and sacramental practice. Attendees…
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: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – A matter has arisen with the Turkish authorities regarding the renewal of residence and work permits for clerics and other employees at the Ecumenical Patriarchate and parishes in Constantinople and elsewhere. Specifically, the Patriarch’s Archdeacon, Fr. Alexandros Koutsis, originally from Zakynthos, was forced to leave and has already returned to Greece, along with a cleric from Antalya and another from Smyrna. It is noted that residence and work permits in Turkey are renewed biennially. Information obtained by The National Herald indicates that this issue is part of Turkey’s general approach towards…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh and Presbytera Dr. Roxanne Louh led the John Halecky, Jr. 20th Annual National Archon Lenten Retreat from April 19 to 21, 2024. The Retreat was held at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, hosted by Rev. Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos, Archon Spiritual Advisor, and Father Constantine Lazarakis, who served as Retreat Pastors. Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne, a clinical psychologist, addressed over 100 participants both in person and…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America received the joyous news of the election of two clergymen of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: V. Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiropoulos as Bishop of Diokleia and V. Rev. Archimandrite Antonios Avramopoulos (Anton C. Vrame) as Bishop of Synades on March 22, 2024, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Mother Church in response to the request of the Holy Eparchial Synod’s submission of the three-person (τριπρόσωπα) recommendations. The newly elected Bishops have already received the Small and Great Minima and will return to New York tomorrow.…
Source: The National Herald By Matthew Namee* For a while now, I’ve been documenting the close relationship between the U.S. government and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in the early years of the Cold War. It was thanks in large part to American influence that Athenagoras attained the throne in Constantinople, and he relished the idea that he was an agent of Americanism, the West’s counterweight to the ascendant Soviet-backed Moscow Patriarchate. Things began to shift in the mid-1950s, as Greek Cypriots revolted against British rule in Cyprus, leading to tensions between the Greeks and Turks of the island. Turkey began to…
Source: Religion Unplugged by Jovan Tripkovic Despite coming to a conclusion just a month ago, the Synod on Synodality of the Catholic church continues to make headlines. Recently, Bishop Robert Barron expressed his “frank disagreement” with the synod’s report, which asserts that advances in the sciences require an evolution in the church’s moral teaching on human sexuality. Although the concept of a synod is new within the Roman Catholic church, it has a long-standing tradition in Orthodox Christianity. Metropolitan Job of Pisidia was invited to participate in the synod in Rome. On Oct. 9, he delivered a reflection on the…
Source: The National Herald SOUTHAMPTON, NY – In an interview featured on 27east.com, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Father Alexander Karloutsos spoke about the war in Ukraine. Tom Gogola’s article begins by noting that, “the war in Ukraine may be thousands of miles away, but it hits close to home for Father Alex Karloutsos of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons in Shinnecock Hills.” Gogola writes that, “Karloutsos is joining his church colleagues in decrying the punishment, he says, of hundreds of Russian-based clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church who have opposed the war…
Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has established a new Archon Engagement Committee: Women In Orthodoxy. This much-needed new committee is designed to foster the full inclusion of women in the life of the Church. Dr. Limberakis explained: “At this point in the life of our Church and Omogeneia, it is imperative that we support the greater participation of women in the life of the Church. The WORD was established by our Lord and Savior and evangelized by the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but the…
Source: The National Herald CONSTANTINOPLE – The Ecumenical Patriarchate on Friday thanked the Prefect of Trebzon for signing the written permit for the Patriarchal liturgy at the historic Monastery of Panaghia Soumela on August 15, feast day for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. In its statement on Friday, the Ecumenical Patriarchate said it received the permit in writing on the day, thanking both the signatory and Turkish government authorities. It is noted that initially Turkish authorities had refused permission, but approval was first issued late last month. The Panaghia Soumela Monastery is located high in the Pontic Mountains and…