Source: Orthodox Christian Laity By Roy Synder Recently, after the Patriarch of Antioch ordered that the American Clergy cease their involvement with the Assembly of Bishops, I took an action to voice my disagreement with this decree. It was a small thing – no big oratory, grandstand or “snit.” Someone asked me what I thought I would accomplish and I replied: “I suppose it’s tantamount to a flea biting and elephant’s butt, I did not think that I should be silent.” Reflecting, I realized that there would be no notice from any level of hierarchy. I am not well known,…
Browsing: Unity
Source: Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church The following is the statement made by Fr. Stephen Mathewes to the parish on Sunday, June 9th: To my most beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ is risen! Holy Resurrection has had a long history. A convoluted one, shall we say. For 15 years, faithful and tremendously dedicated people have labored in this humble little vineyard to make it a true Orthodox community—a part of the great worldwide Church. There have been many struggles, many crises, many ups and downs. More than once, the end was thought to be near, only for this plucky…
Source: Virtueonline The Time Is Now by Fr. Victor E. Novak Special to Virtueonline ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH For the first millennium of Christianity there was only one Church. Denominationalism as we know it today did not exist. The Church was one. No matter where a Christian lived, whether in Jerusalem, Antioch, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Russia, Africa, or anywhere else, everyone belonged to the same Church and believed the same thing. The Church was known as the “Catholic” Church, and we find that word in use to describe the Church as early as AD…
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America sets out the vision of the goal of its work, when it states: “…the Assembly is a transitional body. If it achieves its goal, it will make itself obsolete by developing a proposal for the canonical organization of the Church in North and Central America. This proposal will in turn be presented to the forthcoming Great and Holy Council, which will consist of all canonical Orthodox bishops throughout the world. Should this proposal be accepted, it is hoped that the Assembly of Bishops will then come to an end,…
Source: Ekklesia By agency reporter “It is impossible to speak exclusively for the unity of the church and be indifferent about the unity of humankind,” said Dr Petros Vassiliadis, at an academic gathering held in his honour in Thessaloniki, Greece. Vassiliadis, a Greek Orthodox theologian and formerly a representative of the Church of Greece on the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission for World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), called for a broader understanding of ecumenical dialogue. The symposium was entitled ‘Ecumenical dialogue in the 21st century: Realities, challenges and perspectives’. It was organised in Vassiliadis’ honour by the theology department…
Keynote Address by Bishop Maxim (Vasiljevic) of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America at OCL’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, Washington DC – October 27, 2012 I take this paper as an opportunity to clarify the question of ecclesiology of community, which can provide more tangible unity in the Orthodox Church in North America. But before I begin, I must take a moment to express my gratitude to the OCL for inviting me and for its energetic input into the progress of Orthodoxy in this land. It is my belief that only an organic…
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Ann Rodgers Orthodox Christian Laity Remembers CEOYLA after 48 years Thousands packed Civic Arena in 1963 With work under way for the demolition of the Civic Arena, Orthodox Christians are gathering in Pittsburgh to remember a historic faith event that took place there in 1963. Nearly 14,000 Orthodox — including 12 bishops, 150 priests and a 1,000-voice choir from all ethnic backgrounds — packed the arena with the dome open. It remains the largest Orthodox gathering in America, according to organizers of this weekend’s conference. The organizers of the 1963 event, mostly veterans of World War…