Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On Saturday, March 29, in the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tirana, Archbishop John (Pelushi) of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania was enthroned following his election on March 16 as the new primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. A video of the entire enthronement ceremony can be watched at https://www.facebook.com/RadioNgjallja/videos/1858940237978503/. It was encouraging to see that all of the Local Orthodox Churches were represented at the enthronement. A description of the enthronement ceremony and the names of the representatives can be read at https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/2025/03/29/fronezimi-i-kryepiskopit-te-ri-te-shqiperise-fortlumturise-se-tij-z-joan-ne-tirane-29-03-2025/ (official church site); https://orthodoxtimes.com/enthronement-of-the-new-archbishop-of-albania-ioannis-video/ (English article) The Ecumenical Patriarchate was represented by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of…
Browsing: Ukraine
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On December 19, President Putin held his annual end-of-the -year question-and-answer session. This year it was a combination of a press conference and an “open line” where the Russian public could telephone and ask questions. The session lasted for more than four hours. The official transcript of the entire session is found at http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/75909. During the session, there was a question relating to the religious situation in Ukraine. The question was asked by Alexandra Suvorova, one of the moderators of the session. The question and answer are as follows: Suvorova: There was also a question…
Source: Orthodox Times by Efi Efthymiou A comprehensive dialogue unfolded on the morning of Thursday, marking the final day of the International Conference on Theology, as the discussion centered on the theme of the Orthodox Church and its role in contemporary geopolitics. The panel featured distinguished participants, including Angelos Syrigos, Professor of International Law and Foreign Policy at Panteion University and Member of Parliament for Athens A constituency, alongside Evangelos Venizelos, former Deputy Prime Minister of Greece and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor of Constitutional Law of the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Emmanuel Karageorgoudis, Dean of the…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle WA On October 22, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate met at the Phanar. The Ecumenical Patriarchate uses a 6-month rotation system for Synod members. The members of the Synod as of the October 22 meeting are listed at https://orthodoxtimes.com/new-composition-of-holy-and-sacred-synod-of-the-ecumenical-patriarchate/#:~:text=In%20line%20with%20the%20standard,presidency%20of%20Ecumenical%20Patriarch%20Bartholomew. The press release for the first day of this meeting is found at https://ec-patr.org/%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b1%ce%ba%ce%bf%ce%b9%ce%bd%cf%89%ce%b8%ce%ad%ce%bd-%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%b1-%cf%84%ce%b9%cf%82-%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%b3%ce%b1%cf%83%ce%af%ce%b5%cf%82-%cf%84%ce%b7%cf%82-%ce%b1%ce%b3%ce%af%ce%b1-29/ This release includes the following statement: “During the midday break of work, the Patriarch and the members of the holy body received with cordiality and honor the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, His Excellency Mr. Andrii Sybiha and his colleagues, after…
Source: Public Orthodoxy Dr. Sergii Bortnyk Director of the ‘Academic Initiative’ Charitable Foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine) Recent weeks have been quite intense in Ukraine’s religious sphere. Undoubtedly, the most resonant event was the adoption of Bill No. 8371 by the Ukrainian Parliament on August 20. In its latest version, it was titled “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations,” but it is informally known as the “law banning the UOC (Ukrainian Orthodox Church).” The bill’s adoption was demanded by a significant number of opposition deputies, particularly from the “European Solidarity” party, led by former President…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Pope Francis, in his Angelus address on Sunday, August 25, made a strong appeal relating to the religious situation in Ukraine. The official English translation of his remarks can be read at https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2024/documents/20240825-angelus.html. With respect to Ukraine, he stated: I continue to follow with sorrow the fighting in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. And in thinking about the laws recently adopted in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for all. A person does not commit evil because of praying. If someone commits evil against his…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate held its summer meeting on July 25, 2024. Journey Entry 78 of the minutes of the meeting announced an important decision relating to Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary. http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6146121.html A Google translation of the complete text of the entry is as follows: HAD A JUDGMENT on the state of affairs in the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese. RESOLVED: To form a Commission to study the situation in the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese. For the duration of the work of said Commission, temporarily remove Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary from the administration of the…
Source: Public Orthodoxy Daria Morozova Visiting Researcher at the University of Exeter (UK) The “Edict” of the World Russian People’s Council caused controversial reactions on the side of theologians. Some were quite unexpected, like the essay by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis entitled “Casting the First Stone of Heresy.” Together with the corresponding image, this title represents patriarch Kirill as an unfortunate harlot, at whom the bloodthirsty crowd of the Pharisees throws its stones. This cannot but look puzzling for someone who two years ago had to flee from the Russian rockets blessed by the patriarch. For it is not the patriarch on…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – At the recent session of the Synod of the Phanar, which convened on May 17 and 18, the issue of the Semi-Autonomous Church of Crete was briefly addressed. According to a letter dated April 23, 2024, revealed by The National Herald, the Church of Crete communicated to Patriarch Bartholomew that he should refrain from intervening in the affairs of the monasteries on the island. Specifically, the matter was brought up during the reading of correspondence amid other letters on different subjects. Today, we reveal that when the letter from the Church…
Source: Public Orthodoxy by Very Rev. Dr. John Behr Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen In recent days several articles have appeared on this site raising profound, difficult, and unsettling questions. Sr. Vassa bravely asked whether “heresy” is a charge that can be applied to the “Edict” of the XXV “All-World Council of the Russian People,” approved under the chairmanship of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on March 27, 2024, concluding, rightly, that it does indeed express, in the words of St. Basil about heresy, “a clear difference in the very faith of God” (see also this analysis by Serhii Shumylo).…
Source: Public Orthodoxy by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Holy Cross School of Theology In previous years, weeks, and days, I have seen—and, in one instance, supported—a variegated condemnation of the Moscow Patriarch—his preaching and practice alike—as heretical. The “Russian World” ideology has been denounced as unorthodox and heretical. The “Edict” of the World Russian People’s Council has been characterized as distorted doctrine. And the commemoration of Patriarch Kirill has been called in question. All of the above have been justly promoted and justifiably promulgated, among others, by dear friends across the globe. While I am not…
Source: Public Orthodoxy by Sister Vassa Larin Liturgiologist and Founder of Coffee with Sister Vassa I presented the following paper on February 17, 2024 in Wheeling, IL, at a conference entitled “We’re Not Alone.” The conference was organized by laypeople of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), concerned about the church issues arising from Putin’s war against Ukraine. The topic of the paper, “The ROCOR and Western Values: Past and Present,” needs reflection, because Patriarch Kirill and the Putin regime have repeatedly justified the invasion of Ukraine as some kind of effort to save Ukraine from the influence of…