Byzantine, Texas: May 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010

A parting shot

I can't help myself. I know Patriarch Bartholomew's visit is over, but this photo was too good not to post.

(boston.com) - A U.S. Marine firing party fires three volleys during a funeral service for U.S. Marine Cpl. Nicolas Paradarodriguez at Arlington Cemetery on May 27, 2010 in Arlington, Virginia. Cpl. Paradarodriguez of Stafford, Virginia was killed while supporting combat operations in the Helmut Province of Afghanistan. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Pat. Bartholomew has completed his visit to Russia

"Stay in the love of the Holy God in the Trinity under the holy intercession of the Mother of God, being united by the Holy Mysteries and chastity in the Body of Christ! Do not listen to the voices alien to the voice of the Gospel. Be obedient in faith to your Patriarch and your pastors. May peace reign in you and in your relations with all who sincerely love the Lord Jesus. We ardently pray for you in the holy tabernacle of Phanar. We love you sincerely and profoundly! From the bottom of our heart and soul we love you all – clergymen, rulers, and people! You are the bone of our bone and the flesh of our flesh. Pray for us, too, and the heavens will respond to your prayers."

- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

(mospat.ru) - On 31 May 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople completed his visit to the Russian Orthodox Church. During his ten-day visit the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople visited Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Valamo Island, and Kronstadt. His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Laura of the Holy Trinity on Pentecost. They celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow on the commemoration day of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles. That same day Patriarch Bartholomew attended the opening of the Days of Slavonic Literature and Culture. During his visit, Patriarch Bartholomew met with the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, visited the churches in Moscow, including the representations of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.

The Primate of the Church of Constantinople venerated the precious relics of the founders of the Valamo Monastery, Ss. Sergius and Herman, and the holy sites of the monastery. He also visited the scetes of the Valamo Monastery of the Transfiguration.

While in Kronstadt, he visited the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas and met with the wife of the Russian President Ms. Svetlana Medvedeva, who is a member of the guardianship board of the Cathedral.

During his stay in St. Petersburg, His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Hermitage, the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the Cathedral of the Saviour-on-the-Blood, and the Laura of St. Alexander Nevsky. Together with Patriarch Kirill he visited the Nikolsky cemetery of the Laura and prayed at the tomb of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, as well at the tombs of Dostoevsky and Tchaikovsky.

On the Sunday of All Saints, His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg. After the divine service they visited the historical building of the Holy Governing Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill gave a reception in honour of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew at St. Catherine’s Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

An attempt to be more explicit

I've noted that the amount of background information about the players or events in recent posts has not been explained sufficiently. Some of the stories have lacked narratives sufficient to make them understandable to someone with little background on the events being discussed. To that end I hope to add more introductory synopses to the beginning of posts, to refrain from dropping acronyms or abbreviations without expanding them, and to link to previous or foundational posts that explain what is going on more fully. Hopefully, this will make for a more pleasant reading experience.

Egyptian court further oppresses Coptic Church

(AINA) - An Egyptian court issued a controversial ruling on Saturday, May 29, which deprived the head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church of the control over matters of divorce and marriage, giving the civil courts the authority to oversee affairs which the Church considers are in its core religious competencies.

The Supreme Administrative Court's ruling compels HH Pope Shenouda III, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to give a license for marriage for the second time to a divorced Coptic man, rejecting Pope Shenouda's appeal and upholding the ruling by a lower court.

The Supreme Administrative Court, headed by Justice Mohammed Husseini, based its ruling on the "right to family formation is a constitutional right, which is above all other considerations." It went on to say that although the court respects religious feelings, it has to govern in accordance with the law. The provision of the Supreme Administrative Court is final and no further appeals are possible.

The verdict comes on the heels a lawsuit filed by Hani Wasfi Naguib against Coptic Pope Shenouda, challenging the grounds on which the Church refused to grant him a license to marry again after his divorce from his first wife.

An Administrative Court (first instance) had previously issued in 2009 a ruling in favor of the plaintiff Naguib, ruling that he was entitled to receive the Church's license, but the Pope lodged an appeal against it before the Supreme Administrative Court. At that time, Pope Shenouda said that the ruling of the administrative court to oblige the Egyptian church to issue a license for a divorced man is non-binding. He added: "We are only bound by the teachings of the Holy Bible. We cannot go against our conscience and comply with a court ruling which is a civilian ruling and not ecclesiastical."

In response to today's ruling, Bishop Armiya, Secretary to Pope Shenouda, issued a statement stressing the respect of the Coptic Orthodox Church for the Egyptian judiciary and its rulings, but saying "there is no force on earth that can force the Church to violate the teachings of the Bible and Church laws, based on "What God has joined together let no man separate." He added that Islamic law allows the Copts to resort to their own laws, and the state respects the freedom of religion.

The government and the Greek Catholic Church

(NCR) - On any countdown of terrific Catholic stories over the last twenty years, the renaissance of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine would have to be near the top of the list. Numbering some five million faithful, about ten percent of the Ukrainian population, Greek Catholics follow Orthodox liturgical and spiritual traditions but have been in full union with Rome since the 16th century.

Under the Soviets, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine was the largest illegal religious body in the world, and one of the most persecuted. The legendary Ukrainian Cardinal Josef Slipyi, who spent two decades in the gulags, once said that his church had been buried under "mountains of corpses and rivers of blood." During his 2001 visit to Ukraine, John Paul II beatified 27 Greek Catholic martyrs under the Soviets -- one of whom had been boiled alive, another crucified in prison, and a third bricked into a wall.

Given that history, the church's recovery in the short span of time since the Soviet Union imploded has been nothing short of miraculous. In 1939, the Greek Catholics boasted 2,500 priests; by 1989, the number had fallen to just 300. Today it's back up to 2,500, with 800 seminarians in the pipeline. Greek Catholics played key roles in the "Orange Revolution" of 2004/05, which for a brief, shining moment, promised to bring democracy and the rule of law to Ukraine.

In many ways, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine has become a global model for the evangelization of culture.

Today, however, Catholicism in Ukraine may once again be at risk, as a new government has come to power which seems bent on reviving Soviet-style authoritarianism. On May 18, an official of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the successor to the KGB, visited the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv -- the only Catholic university in the former Soviet Union, which means it's the only Catholic university in twelve time zones. The police official warned the rector, Fr. Borys Gudziak, against students participating in illegal anti-government protests. (Gudziak, by the way, is a 50-year-old Ukrainian-American born in Syracuse, New York, who holds a Harvard doctorate in Slavic and Byzantine Cultural History.)...

Complete article here.

Please pray for the people of Louisiana

Please pray for the people of Louisiana. I say this not only as a person who has family in the area, but as someone who just visited the coast (Grand Isle) two months back and fell in love with it immediately. I don't think it will be the same in my lifetime. Everyone relies on the ocean for their livelihood there. If the ocean life or wetlands are impacted for any period of time everyone's employment will be at risk - the fishermen will have nothing to bring in, the tourist industry will fall apart, the sportsmen will have no reason to make the long and winding drive down, everyone will suffer. These are not rich people, but they are faithful. Priests bless the fleet of ships that fish the waters, shrines to the Virgin dot the roads, and there is an enduring faith plainly visible on the faces of the people.

Words can't express how much my heart goes out to a people who have kept a stiff upper lip through catastrophe after catastrophe.

O Lord, how lovely it is to be your guest:
Breeze full of scent; mountains reaching to the skies;
Waters like a boundless mirror,
Reflecting the sun's golden rays and the scudding clouds.
All nature murmurs mysteriously, breathing depths of tenderness,
Birds and beasts bear the imprint of your love,
Blessed are you, mother earth, in your fleeting loveliness,
Which wakens our yearning for happiness that will last for ever
In the land where, amid beauty that grows not old,
Rings out the cry: Alleluia!

- Second Kontakion, An Akathist in Praise of God's Creation

"too early" for Orthodox unity in Ukraine

KHARKIV (RISU) – The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) wants to unite with the UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate, which separated from the Moscow Patriarchate. The head of the UOC-MP Metropolitan Volodymyr, however, declared that now is too early to talk about specific steps for the unification.

“There are attempts to meet, to discuss, and to continue the dialogue that began in 1989. There has been preparation for an overall dialogue. But today this is lacking,” said the head of the UOC-MP, as reports Religion in Ukraine.

On May 28, 2010, the head of the UOC-MP Metropolitan Volodymyr is visiting Kharkiv to mark the 18th anniversary of the Kharkiv Hierarchal Council.

More from SOCHA on the Episcopal Assembly

Fr. Andrew Damick of the Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas (SOCHA) gives his impressions of the Assembly:

One thing that struck me about the event was its lack of staff. Normally, these kind of big church events are swarming with photographers, porters, subdeacons swirling about, etc., but this one was rather decidedly subdued. I was there to help one of the bishops, along with one other cleric, but most of the bishops had absolutely no staff with them at all. There was also very little support staff for the event in general. Most things were taken care of by the hotel staff in their usual capacities (wait staff, food service, maintenance, etc.). I didn’t see anyone else with a camera besides myself and the few taking shots with cellphones here and there. This event did not really present the appearance of much of an “event.” It was all so routine, orderly and low-key that I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who had to remind himself that history was really being made.

One thing that seems to have generated some discussion here and there online is the apparent seating order during the meetings. While getting worked up about that strikes me as fairly petty, a close look at the order reveals that the officers were seated at the head table, followed by the bishops arranged by jurisdiction according to the diptychs, then arranged internally according to seniority. This put the OCA bishops at the ends of the tables (not with the Moscow bishops, by the way), which is exactly where they would want to be. So, whether you accept the OCA’s autocephaly or not, they were precisely where you’d want them to be...

Complete article here.

The Episcopal Assembly speaks

Goodbye, SCOBA. Expect to see more discussion on redrawing the lines of the Assembly (Canada, Mexico, South America). More photos available here.

(EACOH) - We glorify the name of the Triune God for gathering us at this first Episcopal Assembly of this region in New York City on May 26-28, 2010 in response to the decisions of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland, from June 6-12, 2009, at the invitation of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Gathered together in the joy of the Feast of Pentecost, we humbly recognize our calling, in our unworthiness, to serve as instruments and disciples of the Paraclete, who “holds together the whole institution of the Church” (Hymn of Vespers of Pentecost).

We honor and express gratitude to the Primates and Representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches who assembled at the Ecumenical Patriarchate from October 10-12, 2008 to affirm their “unswerving position and obligation to safeguard the unity of the Orthodox Church” (Chambésy Rules of Operation, Article 5.1a) and emphasized their will and “desire for the swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements” (Message of the Primates 13.1-2)

We call to mind those who envisioned this unity in this region and strove to transcend the canonical irregularities resulting for many reasons, including geographically overlapping jurisdictions. For, just as the Lord in the Divine Eucharist is “broken and distributed, but not divided” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), so also His Body comprises many members, while constituting His One Church.

We are grateful for the gift of the doctrinal and liturgical unity that we already share, and we are inspired by our leaders, the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who proposed that which we painfully yearn for in this region, i.e., the “swift healing of every canonical anomaly” (Message of the Primates 13.2). We are also grateful that they established a fundamental process toward a canonical direction and resolution.

We are thankful to almighty God for the growth of Orthodoxy, for the preservation of our traditions, and for the influence of our communities in this region. This is indeed a miracle and a mystery.

During our gathering, and in accordance with the rules of operation of Episcopal Assemblies promulgated by the Fourth Pan-Orthodox Pre-Conciliar Conference, we established:

1. A registry of canonical bishops (Article 6.1)

2. A committee to determine the canonical status of local communities in the region that have no reference to the Most Holy Autocephalous Churches (Article 6.2)

3. A registry of canonical clergy (Article 6.3)

4. Committees to undertake the work of the Assembly, among others including liturgical, pastoral, financial, educational, ecumenical, and legal issues (Articles 11 and 12)

5. A committee to plan for the organization of the Orthodox of the region on a canonical basis (Article 5.1).

In addition to the above, we agreed that a directory would be created and maintained by the Assembly of all canonical congregations in our region.

We as Episcopal Assembly understand ourselves as being the successors of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), assuming its agencies, dialogues, and other ministries.

Moreover, at the formal request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Canada, the Assembly will submit to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in accordance with the rules of operation (Article 13), a request to partition the present region of North and Central America into two distinct regions of the United States and Canada. Additionally, at the request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Mexico and Central America, the Assembly will likewise request to merge Mexico and Central America with the Assembly of South America.

As Orthodox Hierarchs in this blessed region, we express our resolve to adhere to and adopt the regulations proposed by the Pan-Orthodox Conferences and approved by the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and to do everything in our power by the grace of God to advance actions that facilitate canonical order in our region.

We confess our fidelity to the Apostolic Orthodox faith and pledge to promote “common action to address the pastoral needs of Orthodox living in our region” (Chambésy, Decision 2c). We call upon our clergy and faithful to join us in these efforts “to safeguard and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church of the region in its theological, ecclesiological, canonical, spiritual, philanthropic, educational and missionary obligations” (Article 5.1) as we eagerly anticipate the Holy and Great Council.

The Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Friday, May 28, 2010 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York City. During the Liturgy prayers were offered for the repose of the eleven victims of the current ecological disaster in the Gulf Coast, for the consolation of their families, for all those adversely affected by this catastrophe, as well as for all people living under conditions of war, persecution, violence, and oppression.

Of the sixty-six Hierarchs in the region, the following 55 were present at this Assembly:

Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman
Metropolitan Philip, Vice Chairman
Archbishop Justinian, Vice Chairman
Bishop Basil, Secretary
Archbishop Antony,Treasurer
Metropolitan Iakovos
Metropolitan Constantine
Metropolitan Athenagoras
Metropolitan Methodios
Metropolitan Isaiah
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Alexios
Metropolitan Nikitas
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Gerasimos
Metropolitan Evangelos
Metropolitan Paisios
Archbishop Yurij
Bishop Christopher
Bishop Vikentios
Bishop Savas
Bishop Andonios
Bishop Ilia
Bishop Ilarion
Bishop Andriy
Bishop Demetrios
Bishop Daniel
Bishop Antoun
Bishop Joseph
Bishop Thomas
Bishop Mark
Bishop Alexander
Metropolitan Hilarion
Bishop Iov
Bishop Gabriel
Bishop Peter
Bishop Theodosius
Bishop George
Bishop Ieronim
Metropolitan Christopher
Bishop Maxim
Archbishop Nicolae
Bishop Ioan Casian
Metropolitan Joseph
Metropolitan Jonah
Archbishop Nathaniel
Archbishop Seraphim
Bishop Nikon
Bishop Tikhon
Bishop Benjamin
Bishop Melchisedek
Bishop Irineu
Bishop Irinee
Bishop Michael

House votes down "specific prayers"

Not praying, if one can't invoke the name of Christ, is better than praying with a Christ-shaped hole in your prayers. What exactly can a chaplain pray for if not for His will to be done? I think it might be better for the chaplain to hum 'Kum bay ya' off-key than to try and excise religion from... religion. Let me quote one of my favorite Touchstone articles of all time:

To require a Christian priest to say little more at a benediction than “the Sustainer bids you to peacefully love your neighbor” or “May the Holy One be with you always” is effectively the same as asking a surgeon to say to a man dying on the operating table, “Don’t worry, everything is all right.” It is not a truthful word, and the dying man (and we are all dying men) needs the truthful word.

The message of Christ is not warm and cuddly. He bears no resemblance in form or function to a Teddy Bear or a Hot Toddy and should not be used towards that end. God is not mocked. He is not a once-a-day vitamin panacea. The Kingdom is taken by force with efficacious prayer, not watered down with a false palliative.

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

The Church is by its very nature evangelical and as a consequence divisive. The chaplain who stands before men in uniform is not an acupuncturist - he does not dole out remedies of questionable benefit, he declares the New Israel and does so only because Christ empowered His Church to do so. To redact that from prayer is to devalue prayer, making superstitious pap out of the one and only Way to eternal life.

WASHINGTON (RNS) The House on Thursday (May 27) rejected a proposed amendment that would have allowed military chaplains to close public events with faith-specific prayers.

The amendment, offered by Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., to the Military Construction Authorization Act, was deemed not relevant to the bill, Bachmann's office said.

The amendment would have specified that "a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''

Bachmann's proposed amendment comes after church-state separationists have tussled with military chaplains over the appropriateness of praying "in Jesus' name.'' Secularists say it's insulting to nonbelievers; Christian clergy say they know no other way to pray.

The dispute has most recently played out in Virginia, where Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell repealed a ban on Virginia State Police chaplains praying in Jesus' name.

Former military chaplain Rabbi Israel Drazin said the chaplains' role is different than a civilian clergy like a rabbi or priest. "They are addressing everybody. They are there for everybody,'' he said. "They should not give a prayer that addresses a particular group.''

The Washington-based Secular Coalition for America had rallied against Bachmann's bill, saying it would harm minority rights.

"Closing a prayer in a sectarian manner, or in the name of Jesus, would exclude members of the military,'' said Paul Fidalgo, a spokesman for the group.

National Herald on Episcopal Assembly

Boston, MA (National Herald via St. Andrew House) - The first Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs in North and Central America was convened on Thursday by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in New York City.

This Assembly is the result of the decision of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, which met in Chambesy Switzerland in June of 2009, after the extraordinary Synaxis of all the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches convened by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. This assembly, one of twelve that will be convened around the world in regions where there is no single Orthodox presence, will consist of the active canonical bishops who reside in the region designated as North and Central America. In every assembly, the chairman will be the senior bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The assembly is taking place behind closed doors. At the direction of Archbishop Demetrios, who is chairing the proceedings, the assembly proceedings are strictly off limits to the press, while the bishops in attendance have reportedly taken a vow not to speak to the media regarding the issues discussed, limiting themselves to the announcement that will be released at the close of the assembly. The assembly will wrap up on Friday with the celebration of the divine liturgy at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral in Manhattan.

The assembly was attended by 56 bishops in all, while the full expenses - including the bishops' air fare and cab fare - was covered by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Special grants were also made available by Leadership 100 and other sources, while the total expenses of the assembly have not yet been made available.

(St. Andrew House) - Dear to God,

Christ is in our midst! By the grace of God we have completed our First Episcopal Assembly, chaired by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America and attended by 57 of the 65 Hierarchs of North and Central America. He is truly a gracious, loving and patient man and certainly a gift to our Church in North America. May God grant him good health and many years!

Recommendations were made to separate Mexico and Central America from our Episcopal Assembly as their needs linguistically and culturally are quite different. Hopefully, Mexico and Central America will be absorbed into the Episcopal Assembly of South America. Likewise the Bishops of Canada asked to form their own Episcopal Assembly and both requests will be forwarded to the Ecumenical Patriarch per the procedures outlined in the Chambésy Documents.

The agencies of SCOBA were received by the new assembly which considers itself the successor of SCOBA. Monthly updates to a database will assist in identifying Canonical Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Parishes. Joint Committees have been identified to ad-dress the common needs of the Orthodox Church here in the United States which will assist us in uniform articulation, discipline and expression of the One Orthodox Faith.

When building a new house, the most difficult aspect can be assessing the soil and digging deep down to find the bedrock upon which to lay a strong foundation. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios commented that when one looks at a beautiful building, one rarely considers the effort that went into creating a sufficient foundation for the building. By the grace of God we hope we have begun to lay an unyielding foundation upon which to bring the living stones, the faithful in Christ from our various jurisdictions, for the building up of a beautiful Church in North America to the Glory of God. May the All-Holy Spirit direct and guide our Hierarchs as they seek to do Lord’s will.

Your unworthy father in Christ,

+ Mark, Bishop of Toledo and the Diocese of the Midwest

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Episcopal Assembly group photo

NEW YORK – The first Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs in North and Central America was convened Wednesday May 26, 2010 by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in New York City. The 55 Orthodox Hierarchs who participated at the two day meeting were photographed after the conclusion of the meeting late Thursday afternoon.(GOA-Dimitri Panagos Photo)

Pat. Bartholomew prays for the soul of Pat. Alexy II

(mospat.ru) - The honorary rector of the cathedral, Protopresbyter Matfey Standniuk, presented Patriarch Bartholomew with a foldable icon and a pectoral icon. Having given his blessing to the faithful, His Holiness laid flowers at the grave of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and said a prayer for the repose of his soul. He was assisted by ordained members of the Greek delegation.

The OCA is at the Assembly

As there has been some commentary that not a single photo of Metropolitan Jonah has been seen, here is proof he's there and not sequestered in a one-way mirrored room adjacent to the conference.

Seminarians graduate from St. Nersess Seminary

(armenianchurch.net) - Sub-deacons Justin Ajamian, Vahagn Azizyan, Benjamin Rith-Najarian, and Deacon Leon Khoja-Eynatyan graduated from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary on Saturday, May 22, in an uplifting outdoor ceremony that drew about 200 people.

Mere Comments on Canadian outrage

From Mere Comments...

Recently, Canadian cardinal Marc Ouellet has tried, in clear yet temperate language, to reopen in Canada discussion of abortion.  It is heartening to hear any of the Canadian prelates speaking about this or any other moral issue.  That is because Canada (and here I should affirm our love for the people of that country, where my family and I spend every summer) suffers several impediments to discussion that do not apply in the United States.  For one thing, if religious people in America think that the television media and the newspapers and the gray old weeklies like Time are against them, that is nothing compared to the homogeneous secularism of the media in Canada.  Government in Canada keeps strict watch over what sorts of people are granted broadcast licenses, and what sorts of programs will be aired.  The result is that there basically is no such thing as talk radio north of the border; only a few innocuous shows here and there, but that is it.  It took many years for EWTN to win permission by Ottawa to be placed on the docket for cable television.  For a while, the bitter jest was that EWTN was broadcast everywhere in the world but in Red China and Canada.  Religious programming on the major networks is minimal -- the ineffectual and oh-so-gingerly feminist 100 Huntley Street comes to mind.  Whatever one may think of the virtues and vices of Fox News, The Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, the Rush Limbaugh show, the Drudge Report, the Heritage Foundation, and Christian radio, the fact is that in Canada such countervailing voices, whether so-called conservative, genuinely conservative, or religious, are not to be heard.

Canadians also suffer under their relatively new Charter of Rights, and the presumptuous interpretations of said Charter by their supreme court.  Someone should -- who knows, perhaps someone already has done it -- hold up for Burkean analysis this ill-conceived and amnesiac document for empowering the central government or, worse, unelected courts, ostensibly to protect individual rights, but actually to enshrine a view of the individual as radically independent of culture, the family, the community, and any moral law whatsoever regarding sexuality.  As for the Catholic Church in Canada, it long ago made a devil's bargain with the government, accepting federal money while at the same time capitulating to increasingly intrusive federal regulations and court decisions.  In some parts of Canada -- Nova Scotia, for example -- there are no Catholic schools at all.  Like the American bishops with their Land O' Lakes hedging and footdragging, Canadian prelates had their own treacherous meeting after Humanae Vitae, at Winnipeg.  The liturgical devastators who spoiled whole dioceses in America seem to have been especially busy north of the border, so that in many places, as I am told by sympathetic priests, it is simply impossible to find a parish where, for instance, genuine hymns are sung, or the feasts of the liturgical year are celebrated with appropriate attention.

(ROAA) - ADDRESS OF HIS EMINENCE
ARCHBISHOP NICOLAE OF THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE

At the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America
New York, New York
May 27, 2010

Your Eminence Archbishop Demetrios,
Your Eminences and Your Graces,
Dear Brothers and con-celebrants in the Lord,

We have gathered here these days bathed in the Light and Grace of the All-Holy Spirit to discuss the future of our Holy Orthodox Church in North America. Whether this comes to be seen as an historic meeting will depend on us, and what we decide. And while we may have been convened in a new way, that fact is that the project of organizing the Church on this continent is not new. As we continue our deliberations it would be helpful to pause and reflect on all of the efforts over the last century that have enabled us to come to this moment. We stand in a line of very eminent and holy people who grappled with the very same issues we will attempt, over the course of days and years, to reconcile and resolve. If we are able to discuss these issues in ways that have eluded others in the past, it will be in no small measure due to the real vision and sacrifice of all of those men and women who planted Christ’s Church here; who watered and nurtured Her; who ensured that She would take root and grow.

It is customary when we speak of the history of our presence in North America to mention the towering figures of St. Tikhon, Patriarch Athenagoras, Metropolitan Antony Bashir, and Archbishop Iakovos, and it is right to do so. Yet, it is always a perilous business when recounting names. There are so many people to whom this moment belongs. I think of my own predecessor, Archbishop Victorin. He served the Church here for over fifty years, as a professor at St. Tikhon’s, as a parish priest, and finally as Archbishop. He was a faithful witness to Christ’s Church, here. He was devoted to the cause of Orthodox unity, here. He would never be absent from meetings of the Standing Conference or other occasions of pan-Orthodox witness. There are many in this room who, like he, labored for this moment. There are many, clergy and lay people, who have struggled and continue to struggle to ensure the witness of our Church on this continent. It is fitting that we take a moment and give thanks to our Compassionate God for them.

What we are asked to do during these days is not very glamorous. Most of it is administrative. We will hear reports, be asked to establish committees and commissions, discuss and recommend the boundaries of one or more Episcopal Assemblies on our continent, and many other seemingly unimportant matters. But we would be mistaken if we think our work is not absolutely critical to the future of our Church. We are laying a foundation. When people marvel at a magnificent structure very few, if any, venture down to the cellar to examine what stones were laid to support the whole building. My beloved brothers, we are being asked to take the building blocks already prepared for us, and with these and others build the supporting structure for the future.

(WCC) - The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has welcomed a recent Turkish government decree allowing for a better protection of the rights of non-Muslim religious minorities in Turkey.

"It is only fair that this new and positive development is commended by all those concerned about the situation of Christian and other non-Muslim religious minorities in Turkey", said Tveit commenting on the news.

According to a 21 May report by Ecumenical News International, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree in mid-May ordering local officials "to do more to protect the rights of Christian and other non-Muslim religious minorities, such as by returning their confiscated properties and taking action against anti-Christian groups".

"We hope local Turkish officials will expedite the application of this decree and thus bring about an improvement in the situation of communities which, as the Prime Minister has said, are an inseparable part of the Republic of Turkey and must feel fully valued as citizens of the country", Tveit said.

"Of course, more needs to be done, but this is a sign that goes in the right direction", he added.

"We don't feel that we enjoy our full rights as Turkish citizens", the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said as recently as 17 December 2009, when he was featured by the US TV show 60 minutes.

During the last week of November 2009 representatives of the WCC and the Conference of European Churches made an official visit to Turkey so as to encourage the authorities to improve the situation of religious minorities.

In Istanbul and Ankara, the delegation met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Aram Atesian from the Armenian Patriarchate, and the Archbishop Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas of the Syrian Orthodox Mor Gabriel Monastery. It also met representatives of the Jewish community as well as with government officials. The exercise of religious freedom, the legal status of churches, including property issues, and the right to religious education were on the agenda.

Amongst the pending issues for the Ecumenical Patriarchate are the obstacles to the re-opening of the Theological School of Halki, which was the patriarchate's main theological seminary until its closure. Situated on Heybeliada island in the Marmara sea off Istanbul, the school was closed by the Turkish authorities in 1971.

"I visited the Halki school during my visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch last March and was impressed by the fact that it has been maintained in complete repair and ready for the day when it will be allowed to reopen", commented Tveit. "And indeed we pray for this to happen soon."

St. Vlad's Octet tour dates

A clergyman's view of the Episcopal Assembly

Fr. Andrew S. Damick from the SOCHA website...

It was a pretty hot day in Manhattan yesterday. Despite the discomfort, though, the Orthodox Christian hierarchy of North America seemed to be in pretty decent spirits.

I’m here in Manhattan at the 2010 Orthodox Episcopal Assembly of North America in an auxiliary role. I don’t get to attend the actual meetings, though I’ve been at some of the meals and have spent time with the hierarchs and others present in the halls of the hotel. Since this is such a genuinely historic occasion, we thought it might be of interest to readers to provide an informal witness to how things have been proceeding, to what it’s like to be here. 

First, although things are happening in an expensive hotel right on Central Park in Manhattan, it’s not a particularly posh or opulent place. The building consists mostly of hotel rooms, most of which (including those being stayed in by the bishops) are not really of higher level than your average Holiday Inn. To be honest, most Holiday Inns I’ve ever been to have far vaster facilities than the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, which doesn’t boast numerous parlors and meeting rooms. There’s essentially one large meeting room where the Assembly is taking place, as well as an adjacent dining area where the bishops are eating. (The dining room was small enough that people like me had to eat our meals out on the roof in the sun!) My guess is that the facility was either donated or a good deal was gotten, since the gentleman in charge of the hotel has a rather Greek name. The food is decent, though not extravagant.

Milling about among the hierarchy—more than 50 in all—I am of course struck by the several languages one can hear. I’ve heard at least English, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic and Greek. But it’s mostly all English, which is not surprising, since there is very little in the way of the bishops sticking to their “own” jurisdictional groups. That is, from what I can see, they’re not being cliquish. They are actually circulating quite a lot among each other. Speaking of languages, though, it was enjoyable last night at dinner at a nearby restaurant when the prayer before the meal including chanting in Arabic, Slavonic and Greek, along with some spoken parts in English. I was fascinated at how many of the assembled hierarchs could sing the Pentecost troparion together in Greek. (Your humble servant remembered only maybe 50%.)

The mood among the bishops seems mostly good-natured and perhaps just a little bored. I’ve been told that most of what was done yesterday was procedural. There are a decent number of smiles among the hierarchy, though there does not seem to be either an ecstatic mood nor a sullen one. I’ve not heard any “exercised” conversations, though I have heard plenty of laughter as the bishops sit at table. One of the highlights of yesterday’s proceedings was the election of His Grace, Bishop Basil of Wichita, as the Secretary of the Assembly. My speculation is that that means he’ll be doing a lot of the day-to-day management of the ongoing work of the Assembly. (Update: After looking at the scheduled agenda, it seems that the election of a Secretary and Treasurer are not supposed to be until this afternoon. Not sure what that means in light of what I heard.)

All in all, it’s good to be here, and my impression is that, even if not quite yet the case, we are witnessing the beginnings of brothers dwelling together in unity. No doubt this will be a long, bumpy road, and there will be much to do, with lots of boring, detailed work along the way. But as one who is hopeful for our coming together in a single Orthodox Church for America, it appears to me that there is a good beginning here in Manhattan. No doubt the prayers of the faithful that are blanketing this modern-day New Rome are having a good effect.

Patriarch Bartholomew visits The Joy to All the Afflicted icon

(mospat.ru) - On 27 May 2010, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople completed his stay in Moscow by visiting the Church of “The Joy to All the Afflicted” Icon of the Mother of God in Bolshaya Ordynka Street.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Abp. Justinian addresses the Episcopal Assembly

(ROCOR-EAD) - Your Eminences, Graces, dear co-brothers!

I sincerely greet all of you as the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, and would like to convey to you the warmest of well-wishes from His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The opening of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America coincided with the beginning of my service as Administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the United States of America. I am glad that, not long after my arrival in this country, I am bearing witness to this inspirational moment of Pan-Orthodox unity and mutual understanding. I hope that our current gathering will lay the foundation for further development of efforts to consolidate Orthodoxy on the American continent.

Met. Philip addresses Episcopal Assembly

Metropolitan Philip (in what I am going to assume is a speech made in order according to the diptychs as everything else, even seating, seems to follow that pattern), gave the speech most people would expect of him - fiery, pointed, and clarion. Read it all; most especially the end.

(AOCANA) - "Your Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and Brother Bishops:

My opening remarks this morning are taken from the Vespers of Palm Sunday, “Today the Grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together.” How wonderful and pleasing to God for all of us to meet and discuss matters related to the life of our Church on this particular continent. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of SCOBA for his hard work to make this gathering possible.

The literature which we received from Chambesy via the Greek Archdiocese of America, raises some important questions.

ONE, Despite the vitality and the dynamic nature of Orthodoxy in North America, no member of SCOBA, not even the chairman of SCOBA, was consulted about what was discussed in Geneva. We received rules from our brothers in Switzerland which we have nothing to do with. We have been on this continent for more than two hundred (200) years. We are no longer little children to have rules imposed on us from 5,000 miles away. Orthodoxy in America has its own ethos. We have our own theological institutions, and we have our own theologians, authors, publications and magazines. We do not intend to be disobedient to the Mother Churches; we just want to dialogue with them and give them the opportunity to know us and understand us. We have been here for a long, long time and we are very grateful to the Almighty God that in our theology and worship, we do express the fullness of the Holy Orthodox faith.

Fifty years ago our hierarchs, may their souls rest in peace, founded SCOBA which has done a splendid job despite our external limitations. We have established the Orthodox Christian Education Commission which is chaired by a Greek Orthodox gentleman. We have established the International Orthodox Christian Charities which is directed by Constantine Triantafilou, a very good Greek Orthodox. We have established the Orthodox Christian Mission Center which is doing an excellent job and we have done many other things which time does not permit me to enumerate.

My dear brothers,

We are faced now with a very serious procedural nightmare. We are, supposedly, here to discuss a new organization to replace SCOBA. The question is: Was SCOBA dissolved and if so, by whom? And when?? SCOBA has a constitution which is fifty years old. If this constitution has to be amended, let us then amend it according to correct procedures. No one can dissolve SCOBA except SCOBA itself. SCOBA has organized Bishops’ Assemblies before Chambesy told us to do so. The first Assembly was held at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania in 1994, under the chairmanship of our brother, Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory. The second Bishops’ Assembly was convened in Washington, D.C. and the third Bishops’ Assembly was convened in Chicago, Illinois, both under the auspices of SCOBA and the Chairmanship of His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios.

(OCA-NYNJ) - A Diocesan Office of Communications was established, effective May 18, 2010, by His Grace, Bishop +Michael. Appointed as Director of Communications is Father Ken James Stavrevsky. In establishing this office, His Grace stated:

“In this day and age, it is so vital and essential that our clergy and faithful are made aware of the decisions and work of the Church at the national, diocesan, deanery, and parish levels. This is so not only because of the availability of advanced modern technology, but also because of the fact that this was always the case from the beginning of the Church -- the Good News of the Faith was communicated in the four accounts of the Gospels and in the events detailed in the Acts of the Apostles.”

In this, the first official release issued by the Office of Communications, we hope to outline some guidelines and operating principles to facilitate maximum positive outcomes from our efforts. Obviously, communication involves a sender and a receiver. Success demands that the communication be conveyed and understood. Our office will strive diligently to maintain accurate email addresses for all diocesan clergy and use electronic means (email) as the primary vehicle of conveyance. This release is being distributed by both email and US Mail according to the addresses we have on file; if you do not receive this release by either of these modes of communication, you may assume we do not have your correct address information on file. All clergy of the diocese are encouraged to maintain an active e-mail account toward this end. In light of this, two things are vitally important: (1) if you do not have or choose not to use electronic communications for the reception of communications from this office, please notify us (contact information below) immediately so arrangements can be made to have all communications sent to you via US Mail; (2) please ensure that any changes to your e-mail address are reported to this office (such notification should also include the respective Dean and Chancellor).

Releases from this office are intended for wide dissemination among the clergy and faithful of the diocese. Your assistance and cooperation in making these communications available to those under your spiritual care is requested. All releases will be sent electronically to the clergy and, the next day, be accessible by link on the Diocesan Webpage.

All inputs for publication on the Diocesan Website should be submitted and coordinated through this office. Any inquiries or questions regarding the development or maintenance of a parish website would be welcomed and we promise assistance to any parish seeking to use the Internet to enhance their outreach in ministry.

Releases from this office will neither replace nor eliminate official correspondence sent directly from His Grace, the Chancellor, Treasurer, Deans, or others in the Diocese as required. The scope of these communications is limited to topics of general interest and importance in the life of our diocese. We hope to share the activities, thoughts, and guidance of His Grace; the work and actions of the Diocesan Council; and perhaps more as we move forward.

A report on the Diocesan Council meeting of 17 May 2010 is being prepared for release; you should receive it within one week.

Please address any of your comments, questions, or concerns directly to this office.

Pictures from the Episcopal Assembly

More photos available from here.

Abp. Demetrios delivers speech to Episcopal Assembly

(GOARCH) -

ADDRESS OF HIS EMINENCE

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS OF AMERICA, CHAIRMAN

At the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America

Helmsley Park Lane Hotel

New York, New York

(May 26, 2010)

* * *

Your Eminences, Your Excellencies and Your Graces,
Beloved Brothers and Concelebrants in the Holy Spirit
Of the Holy Orthodox Churches of North and Central America,

I greet all of you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the joy of the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Who on the Holy day of Pentecost descended upon the Apostles and abides with the Church and with us, today and forever.

I convey to all of you the greetings of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who, in these very days, in fact in this very hour, even as we are meeting here in New York, he is making a reciprocal visit to the Patriarchate of Moscow. The images that we have seen of the Patriarch of the First Church of Holy Orthodoxy meeting with and being together with the Patriarch of the largest Church of Holy Orthodoxy truly impart an inspiring and visionary message for our Pan-Orthodox work, as a labor of unbreakable togetherness.

In the spirit of this important visit and brotherly encounter of the two Patriarchs, we, too, are assembled together and joyfully repeat with the Psalmist: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together (Psalm 132:1). We are together in this place and at this historic moment by the will of our merciful God, in order to continue and promote the sacred work of the Church, the Body of Christ, as good shepherds of the Flock entrusted to us by our Heavenly Shepherd and Lord.

1. We have come together during this festive and solemn week of Pentecost, when, as we gratefully chant in the Kontakion of the Feast, “the Most High God by distributing the tongues of fire on His Apostles has called all people to unity.” In Pentecost, we celebrate the call to unity for all human beings through faith and obedience to the one Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, however, in Pentecost, we celebrate the refreshing reality of the diversity, wonderfully manifested in the extraordinary fact of the proclamation of the one Gospel in many languages as a result of the advent of the Holy Spirit. The relevant description in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is truly astonishing. For, upon hearing the proclamation of the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, the multitudes marveled:

And how is it that we hear, every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:8-11)

Met. Jonah on the future of Orthodox seminaries

H/T: Ancient Christian Defender

Conciliar Press puts out two new booklets

I read both of these booklets and think they should be available in every parish. There is nothing idiosyncratic to any particular jurisdiction, and they lay everything out in rather tidy format.

(AOCANA) - In conjunction with Conciliar Press, the Antiochian Department of Marriage and Parish Family MInistries has released two much-requested brochures for Orthodox Christians. "Crowned with Glory and Honor," a free, downloadable brochure, presents readers with a set of helpful guidelines for Orthodox marriage preparation, including such concepts as the meaning of crowning, and the purpose of the Betrothal Service. Readers will even learn about the wedding almonds: "The white coating symbolizes purity; the egg shape represents fertility and new life that begins in marriage. The hardness of the almond represents the endurance of marriage, and the sweetness of the sugar encourages the hope of the sweetness of future life together. Giving of three almonds signifies the union is indivisible, just as the bride and groom will remain undivided in their union with each other and with Christ."

The second brochure, "A Guide to Parish Etiquette," lists everything parishioners need to know about respectful and reverent behavior while in liturgy. Department Director Khouria Maggie Hock encourages all parishes, couples and families to make use of these valuable, free resources.

Reports on the Pope of Rome's upcoming visit to Ukraine

Kiev, May 25 (Interfax) - Pope Benedict XVI was invited to visit Ukraine in 2012 during the celebration of the 600th anniversary of moving the episcopate capital from Galich to Lvov, Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki said at a conference of Roman-Catholic Bishops of Ukraine.

"The Holy See has accepted this invitation... and now the specific date is to be defined," Archbishop said.

The previous Pope John Paul II visited Ukraine in 2001. It was the first papal visit to Ukraine during the years of its independence.

And also...

Moscow, May 26 (Interfax) - The Moscow Patriarchate has made it understood that the possible visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Ukraine to mark 600th anniversary since the capital city of the Catholic metropolitans was transferred from Galich to Lvov, will not benefit relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican.

"The celebration of the 600th anniversary since the residence of Galich Catholic metropolitans was moved to Lvov is not the best occasion for the Pontiff's visit to the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church," Priest Dimitry Sizonenko, acting secretary for inter-Christian relations of the Moscow Patriarchate's External Church Relations Department, told Interfax-Religion.

Benedict XVI was invited to visit Ukraine in 2012, when the festivities will take place, Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki said on Tuesday.

Father Dimitry said, however, that the Moscow Patriarchate has not received such information from the Vatican so far.

"It would make sense to speak about the Moscow Patriarchate's position on Benedict XVI's visit to Ukraine only after this visit has been officially announced by the Vatican's press service," he said.

Relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church have "significantly improved, and cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two churches have been broadening in international organizations, including in the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and UNESCO," he said.

"But obvious progress in Orthodox-Catholic dialog has not eased the poignancy of the unsettled situation in Ukraine's western regions. It is the most painful aspect in our relations. There is however every reason to hope that these problems will be resolved, the Vatican demonstrates a greater understanding today of the Moscow Patriarchate's position," Father Dimitry said.

And also...

I recommend these three articles, 'Storm clouds in Ukraine,' 'Troubles in Ukraine,' and 'More storm clouds in Ukraine' if you want to see what Catholic writers have to say about the situation.

Ecumenical Patriarch entreats prayers for Halki Seminary

Moscow, March 12 (Interfax) - Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople hopes that the Orthodox Theological Seminary on the island of Halki will resume its work.

"From the bottom of my heart, I bless brothers of monastery gathered here, convey love and care of our Constantinople Mother-Church and ask you to pray for reopening the theological school on the island of Halki," Bartholomew I said on Wednesday during his visit to the Trinity Cathedral of Moscow St. Daniel's Monastery.

"We are striving to open this school and hope that our hope won't be in vain," he said.

Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations (DECR) Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and other representatives of the Russian Church accompanied the Constantinople Patriarch. The Monastery's Rector Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov) welcomed him with a bunch of flowers, the DECR website reported.

Patriarch Bartholomew confessed that each time he came to a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, his thought rushed to Halki theological school housed in the Holy Trinity Monastery since its foundation in 1844 to the moment it was closed in 1971. It is believed that the Monastery was founded by St. Photius who sent Equal-to-Apostles brothers Cyrill and Methodius with mission to Slavic countries.

This spring, Turkey's Vice Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that he personally and the government "were determined to restart education in seminary."

As was reported earlier, PACE deputies urged Turkish authorities to let Constantinople Patriarch reopen a theological school on Halki and register it as a branch of theological faculty of the Galatasaray University.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia after his meeting with Turkey's head for Religious Affairs Ali Bardakoglu in Ankara in 2009 said that "to reopen the Halki theological school would be a right step to take."

The National Herald interviews Met. Jonah on the Assembly

The below is robot translated from Greek. Apologies for any mistranslations or confusing syntax.

(romfea.gr) - As primate of the Orthodox autocephalous Orthodox Church in America, known as the [OCA], hopes to be able to participate in the Pan-Orthodox Metropolitan Jonah Assembly of Bishops United States, Canada and Central America, which begins on Wednesday in New York under the chairmanship of Archbishop Demetriou said in an interview on "National Herald".

It stressed that it wants "to approach the subject with humility." As already pointed out by the 'National Herald' first Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was instructed to Archbishop Demetrios not invite Bishop Iona as the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not recognize the autocephalous status [OCA], which was unilaterally in 1970 by the Patriarchate of Moscow previously known as the Russian American metropolis.

Archbishop Demetrios did not implement the mandate of Patriarch Bartholomew and invited Bishop Jonah, so lead to the dissatisfaction of the Patriarch, while the last visit of Archbishop Demetrios in Istanbul found a middle ground in order to save appearances.

Note that both Archbishop Demetrios and other Bishops of the Archdiocese of America did not obey instructions, and sometimes the orders of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew thereby dissolve entire communities from unnecessary operations, and affected the prestige of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarch personally.

Metropolitan Jonah in the interview claimed that all the Orthodox Churches recognize the autocephalous Church. The National Herald seems to be quite agitated by the autocephaly issue. They have used the term 'hypocrisy' in their last two interviews on the subject of concelebration and communication between juridictions.

Recalled that both the Father Marcos Director of the lift and interorthodox Diekklisiastikon Relations of the Archdiocese of America and the Antiochian Archbishop Philip in their interviews in the "CMC" nobody said that, except for the Moscow Patriarchate recognizes the autocephalous status of [OCA].

Festal flowers

εὐλογία has a post on festal flowers - their purpose and construction. I encourage a visit.

Constantinople-Moscow talks held in Peredelkino

There have been lots of news updates on the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to Russia. I have kept the posting to a reasonable level by not republishing all of the numerous photo-ops. His All Holiness has had quite the whirlwind trip, visiting monasteries and other holy places, attending the Slavonic Literature and Culture festivities, etc. It seems to have been a productive visit and I am heartened to see the strained and at times confrontational relationship has improved noticeably. The pictures attached to this post are actually from Patriarch Bartholomew's visit to the Department of External Church Relations today.

(mospat.ru) - Delegations of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople and Russia held talks during the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, on 25 May 2010, at the patriarchal working residence at Peredelkino near Moscow. Before the talks, His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and his delegation visited the residence’s chapel dedicated to the Icon of Our Lady Quick to Hearken.

In the beginning of the talks, Patriarchs Bartholomew and Kirill signed a joint message to President Medvedev of the Russian Federation and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, expressing condolences over the traffic accident that had happened to Russian tourists in Antalya and caused many fatalities.

In a fraternal talk that followed to last for over two hours in a spirit of trust and mutual understanding, the delegations discussed urgent problems involved in bilateral relations between the Churches of Constantinople and Moscow as well as common Orthodox matters, including preparations for a Pan-Orthodox Council, inter-Christian dialogue, pastoral care of Russian-speaking Orthodox people in Turkey and development of Orthodox pilgrimage to the Christian holy places of ancient Byzantium.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople was represented by Metropolitan Michael of Austria, Metropolitan Irinaios of Myriofytos and Peristasis, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Archimandrite Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis), chief secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Vissarion (Komzias) and Archdeacon Maxim (Vgenopoulos).

Participating in the talks from the Moscow Patriarchate were Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations; Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative secretariat; Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; Rev. Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations, and A. Churyakov, DECR interpreter.

OCA dispatch on opening of Episcopal Assembly

NEW YORK, NY (OCA) - His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in America are among over 50 hierarchs participating in the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North America that opened at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel here on Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

The convener of the Assembly is His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, acting as Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch.

The Assembly is the result of the decision of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, which met in Chambésy Switzerland in June 2009 after the extraordinary Synaxis of all the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches convened by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The gathering is one of twelve Episcopal Assemblies that will be convened around the world in regions where there is no single Orthodox presence.

In a recent press release issued by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Demetrios explained that the nature of the assembly is as "a temporary, not a permanent institution. It is simply preparatory to facilitate the process of an ecumenical council (in the future) that will decide the final form of the existence of the Church in a particular country." He further explained that the assembly will meet annually and is not a continuation of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA]. Rather, it works to "prepare a plan for dealing with anomalies, such as more than one bishop in a given locale and other things that interfere with the life of the Church." It is also designed "to project a unified witness of the faith."

Sessions will continue through Thursday, May 27. The Assembly will conclude on Friday, May 28, on which the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral.

PRAYER/PETITION DURING THE EPISCOPAL ASSEMBLY

O All Merciful God! Grant our Hierarchs gathered in Episcopal Assembly to grow in wisdom and strength, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to increase in love for each other, deepening Christian fellowship so that conciliar decisions may build up a canonically united Orthodox Christian Church of the Americas. May their work be guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and may the Spirit of unity and love, of compassion and mutual respect, inspire each to contribute toward the building up of the Body of Christ for the glory of Thy name, for Thou hast ordered us to do all things for Thy glory. Bless Thy people, uniting them for the building up of Thy Holy Orthodox Church of the Americas. O generous Creator; hear us and have mercy. For Thou art a merciful God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Pray ye unto the Lord, ye catechumens!

From Pithless Thoughts:

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Update on the Papal visit to Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – The leader of Cyprus' Greek Orthodox Church is warning senior clerics opposed to Pope Benedict's visit here next month to either join in welcoming the pontiff or to keep quiet behind closed doors.

It will be the pope's first visit to the east Mediterranean island. He is coming, at the invitation of Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, to retrace the steps of the Apostle Paul, who preached here in the 1st century A.D.

Influential Limassol Bishop Athanasios has said the Pope would do better not to come because it would provoke Orthodox Christians who view him as a heretic.

But Archbishop Chrisostomos II admonished the Bishop, saying he and other like-minded clerics "can stay at home" if they don't like the pope's visit.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Formation for UOC-USA and ACROD seminarians

(UOC-USA) - His Beatitude Metropolitan CONSTANTINE of our Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and His Eminence Metropolitan NICHOLAS of the Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Church met at Christ the Savior Theological Seminary in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to discuss common interests in the future theological formation of candidates to the Holy Orders of Deacon and Priest in their respective Churches.

In attendance were V. Rev. Frank Miloro, V. Rev. Michael Rosco, V. Rev. Nicholas Felencz, V. Rev. Michael Kochis and V. Rev. Bazyl Zawierucha, St. Sophia’s Seminary Provost.

Alexios Mar Eusebius enthroned in Houston

(Northeast American Diocese) - His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius was enthroned as the Diocesan Metropolitan of the Southwest American Diocese, in the newly elevated St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Cathedral of Houston, Texas.

The Enthronement Service was led by His Beatitude Paulose Mar Milithios, Catholicos Designate, and assisted by Their Graces, Dr. Mathews Mar Severios and Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, along with all the priests, deacons and seminarians.

His Grace Mathew Mar Barnabas, Diocesan Metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese, called His Grace Mar Eusebius to offer his prayers and best wishes on behalf of the Diocese.

His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, Assistant Metropolitan of the Diocese, along with Rev. Fr. Dr. P. C. Thomas, Northeast American Diocesan Office Manager, represented the Diocese at the Enthronement Ceremony. His Grace Mar Nicholovos felicitated the new Diocese and Diocesan Metropolitan, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius, and offered the prayerful wishes of the Northeast American Diocese.

Metropolitan Philip speaks firmly on Episcopal Assembly

I read the interview initially on Facebook of all places, and now AOI has posted it in a far more civilized format. See here for complete interview. As a taste of what you'll be reading:

National Herald: I understand the issue of Diaspora will be discussed.

Met. Philip: There is no Diaspora here. We decided in 1994 with the late Archbishop Iakovos. We rejected the term Diaspora for North America; Diaspora is in Jerusalem today, we have two thousand Orthodox left in Jerusalem and we have in Constantinople two thousand left. In Iraq thousands of Christians have been slaughtered and many fled to Syria and other countries.

...

National Herald: What is the story with OCA?

Met. Philip: Since 1970 they have autocephaly and they are not recognized any anyone except Moscow. The OCA situation is unfortunate; they have been trying very hard to get recognition but Constantinople is against recognizing them and Antioch is likewise nobody recognizes them but they do exist de facto.

National Herald: Is your Archdiocese in Eucharistic Communion with OCA?

Met. Philip: Of course we are.

National Herald: You mean that you co-celebrate the Liturgy.

Met. Philip: Absolutely.

National Herald: Then how come the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Antioch do not recognize them? Is this some type of hypocrisy?

Met. Philip: It is.