Byzantine, Texas: September 2016

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

US tanks, ISIS can't crush Iraqi monk's faith

(World Watch Monitor) - First he was run over by a US tank, then an invading Islamic State militia forced him to abandon his monastery in northern Iraq.

Raeed, a monk from Qaraqosh – Iraq’s largest Christian town – had to flee and set up a temporary monastery in a displacement camp in Erbil. But his inspiration to help those less fortunate had been formed earlier, during the Iraq Allied invasion of 2003.

In 2001, Raeed had felt spiritually called to become a monk; he joined four others in a small monastery.

But his life was soon shaken up.

[During the occupation of Iraq by a US-led coalition] Raeed, on his way to Baghdad, was talking with a fellow monk - in a taxi shared with others. Out of nowhere came a crash and the sound of crunching metal. The taxi had collided with a US tank, which had driven over part of the car. The accident killed his friend and left Raeed in a coma.

He woke from the coma to realise he was the only survivor from the car. This challenged his faith like nothing before. He could not understand why, after choosing to commit his life to serve God, such a thing could happen.

“But what happened [in the end] deepened my faith. It brought me back to my calling. I’d promised to obey Jesus, and He said ‘Whoever follows Jesus should not look back.’”

It wasn’t the only challenge to Raeed’s faith. Tragedy struck again ten years later, when he found himself caught up in the invasion by Islamic State. He recalls the day he fled his city:

The Orthodox-Catholic "Chieti" document on primacy

The document itself is available below as image files and here as a PDF. There are some interesting lines about Roman powers over the Eastern Churches that are worth reading.

(EP) The fourteenth meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church was held from 16 to 21 September 2016 in Villa Maria, Francavilla al Mare (Chieti). The meeting was generously hosted by His Excellency Bruno Forte, Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, a member of the Commission, with the support of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

All the Orthodox Churches, with the exception of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria, were represented, namely the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Patriarchate of Serbia, the Patriarchate of Romania, the Patriarchate of Georgia, the Church of Cyprus, the Church of Greece, the Church of Poland, the Church of Albania and the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. A corresponding number (26) of Catholic members, coming from different countries, were present.

The Commission worked under the direction of its two co-presidents, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Archbishop Job of Telmessos, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, assisted by the co-secretaries, Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical Patriarchate) and Msgr. Andrea Palmieri (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity). Since the last plenary meeting, Archbishop Job had replaced Metropolitan John Zizioulas who had retired for health reasons. The Commission expressed its profound gratitude to Metropolitan John Zizioulas for his long and dedicated leadership of the Commission as co-president.

At the opening plenary session held on Friday, 16 September, the Commission was warmly welcomed by the host, Archbishop Forte, and by the Mayor of Francavilla al Mare, Sig. Antonio Luciani.

The two co-presidents expressed their gratitude for the hospitality offered by the Archdiocese and underlined the will to continue the journey towards the unity of the Churches, in order to strengthen Christian witness in the world and to bring the healing message of the Gospel to suffering humanity.

On Saturday, 17 September, the Catholic members celebrated the Eucharist in the Cathedral of Saint Justin of Chieti, presided over by Cardinal Kurt Koch, in the presence of the Orthodox members and many local authorities and people of the area. They were later welcomed by the mayor of Chieti, Sig. Umberto di Primio, in the Municipal Theater where they attended the traditional “Miserere” of Selecchy, performed by the chorus of the “Sacro Monte dei Morti” Confraternity. Later they were hosted by the Prefect, Dott. Antonio Corona, in the Palazzo del Governo, where a dinner was offered by the Governor of Abruzzo, Hon. Luciano D’Alfonso.

On Sunday, 19 September, the Orthodox members celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Shrine of Manopello, where the precious relic of the Holy Face is preserved. The celebration was concelebrated by Archbishop Job of Telmessos, together with His Grace Bishop Ilia of Philomelion (Church of Albania) and His Eminence Archbishop George of Michalovce and Košice (Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia), in the presence of the Catholic members. Present at the Divine Liturgy were a large number of faithful from the local Orthodox parish, as well as numerous Catholic faithful. The Capuchin Friars, guardians of the Shrine, offered a lunch and gave each participant a souvenir of the visit.

In the afternoon, the Commission visited the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Vasto where they venerated the relic of the Holy Thorn. They visited the co-cathedral of Saint Joseph and paid homage to a revered triptych of the Virgin, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Catherine of Alexandria painted in the 14th century, of Albanian origin. On various occasions the area of Chieti-Vasto was described as a bridge between the two shores of the Adriatic, between the traditions of East and West. The Commission then visited the historic monastery of San Giovanni in Venere, a 13th century Benedictine Abbey now cared for by the Passionist fathers. These visits offered the participants an insightful experience of the profound devotion of the people of the Archdiocese and of their attachment to the Church and their Archbishop.

On the first day of the meeting, as is customary, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox members met separately to coordinate their work. The Commission then met in plenary session to examine the Amman text on the exercise of synodality and primacy in the first millennium, which had been revised by the Drafting Committee in June 2015 and further revised by the Joint Coordinating Committee in September 2015. A first reading of the text brought numerous suggested amendments and revisions, which were then elaborated by a Drafting Committee composed of three Orthodox and three Catholic members. This revised text was then submitted to the plenary, which discussed it in detail and reached agreement on the document, called “Synodality and Primacy in the First Millennium. Towards a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church”. Disagreement with some paragraphs of the document was expressed by the delegation of the Georgian Patriarchate.

The discussion focused on the significance and interrelatedness of synodality and primacy in the history of the Church in the first millennium in the varied and changing situations in East and West. While recognizing diversity present in the Church’s experience, the Commission acknowledged the continuity of theological, canonical and liturgical principles, which constituted the bond of communion between East and West. This common understanding is the point of reference and a powerful source of inspiration for Catholics and Orthodox as they seek to restore full communion today. On this basis, both must consider how synodality, primacy and the interrelatedness between them can be conceived and exercised today and in the future.

In discussing the future of the dialogue, the Joint Commission agreed that the Coordinating Committee will meet next year in order to decide on the theme and issues to be further elaborated in the dialogue.

Throughout these days, the members of the Commission prayed often for the suffering populations of the Middle East, where many of the Churches present are rooted, as well as those in Europe and other parts of the world. The martyrdom and kidnapping of many people, including Metropolitan Pavlos of Aleppo, a member of this Commission, and of Metropolitan Yohanna Ibrahim of Aleppo, was deeply felt as a witness to the profound unity of all Christians and as an incentive to work all the more for progress on the path to full communion between the Churches.

The members of the Joint Commission greatly appreciated the generous hospitality of the host Church and the spirit of friendship and solidarity of all present. They trust that their work will contribute to hastening the day when the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper, “That all might be one”, will be fulfilled. They ask all the faithful to pray for this intention.

Chieti, 21 September 2016.

10 super helpful Bible reading tips

(Babylon Bee) - Reading the Bible can be difficult—but with these 10 super helpful tips, you will be on your way to some seriously awesome quiet times.

Carefully select the Bible that looks the coolest. No one’s ever gotten anything out of a Bible-reading session poring over a lame hardcover NIV. You should spend hours agonizing over which of your leather-bound ESV or NASB Bibles will look the most scholarly, scoring you points with passersby at the coffee shop or pub.
Broadcast your quiet time on every outlet available. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—heck, even Google+—can be a redeeming force as you take several dozen pictures of your quiet time to let everyone know you’re reading the Bible. A quiet time without a filtered Instagram photo as evidence doesn’t count in God’s book.
Pray that God would reveal how awesome you are. As you seek to dig into the Word, cover your reading time with prayer—specifically, prayer that God will show you how special, unique, and incredible you are in light of eternity.
Take it easy. Everyone needs a 5–10 year break from Scripture every now and then. So go at your own pace, even if that means not reading the Bible for a couple of decades.
Figure out the context of a verse, and then disregard it completely. Nothing kills a good time in the Word like trying to figure out the historical-grammatical meaning of a passage. If you must know what’s going on in the surrounding paragraphs of your favorite verse, just make it up.
Draw elaborate doodles all over the text. Your third-grade-level likeness of a dove is the perfect complement to a majestic text like Ephesians 1.
Allegorize literally everything. Everything can be an allegory, if you try hard and believe in yourself. Creation? Allegory. Jonah? Definitely an allegory. Jesus? Sure, why not—the only limit to how much of a plainly literal, historical passage you can turn into an esoteric metaphor is your own imagination.
Make every effort to apply the difficult texts to everyone in the world except yourself. The Word is most effective when we apply it to the lives of those around us, as long as we manage to avoid letting the text speak to and convict our own hearts. When reading a text, ask yourself: how does this practically apply to all these filthy sinners in the world around me?
Keep in mind, every verse means “judge not.” Try to carefully exegete the meaning of each text you study, bearing in mind that the meaning is almost certainly “judge not.” If you don’t arrive at this exegesis, try again until you get it right.
Remember who it’s all about: you. Reading the Scriptures becomes even more dynamic and exciting when you realize that every text points to one person: you. Do whatever hermeneutical back-flips are necessary to bend any and all texts to revolve around yourself. Like they say: you are on every page.

Before the ballot box, maybe the doorposts and the lintel

Whither the upcoming Episcopal Assembly meeting?

It's scheduled for October 4th to 6th in Detroit and is the seventh such meeting since the Assembly of Bishops came together. Nothing earth shattering because the Assembly of Bishops doesn't do earth shattering. H/T: OCL.

The cathedral rite of the Exaltation of the Cross

(Catalogue St. Elizabeth) - The special service at the end of the All-night vigil or the rite of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was established in Jerusalem shortly after the Finding of the Cross. In memory of that event and the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Lectionary of the 5th century in Armenian language tells about the rite of the Exaltation of the Cross in front of the praying masses. In the Georgian version of the Lectionary of the 5-7th centuries there is a detailed description of this rite. It was held on September 14th (old calendar) and began at the third hour after the sunrise. The priests came into the sacristy, then vested, decorated the Cross (sometimes even three Crosses) and laid it on the altar stone. The rite included three episodes of exaltation (elevation) of the Cross. Each elevation was preceded by the prayers and chants and was accompanied by fifty “Lord, have mercy upon us” prayers. After the third elevation, the Cross was washed with aroma water, and people were allowed to venerate the Holy Cross. Then the Cross was placed into the altar stone again and the liturgy began.

By the 6th century the rite of the Exaltation was already known and performed not only in Jerusalem, but in other corners of the Christian world as well. According to the post-iconoclastic Great Church Typicon, in the Saint Sofia Church the Exaltation rite was held during the matins after the troparions to the Cross. The rite itself is described shortly: the Patriarch was standing on the ambon (a small rise with the stairs in the center of the church) while raising the Cross, at the same time people were exclaiming “Lord, have mercy upon us”. This was repeated three times. The picture of the priest raising the Cross became the traditional image of the feast’s iconography.

International Day for the Deaf: a Divine Liturgy in sign

H/T: Ad Orientem

Patriarch Kirill: "I call upon all our bishops to pay special attention to brothers and sisters who have disabilities. They are members of our Church, and we must do all we can for them so that there is nothing that makes them feel themselves less than full members of the Orthodox Christian community."

More on Orthodox-Catholic synodality & primacy commission

VATICAN CITY (Crux) - Catholics and Orthodox need to explore ways authority can be understood and exercised so that it is not an obstacle to unity, a group of top-level theologians said.

Members of the official Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue Between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church met near Chieti, Italy, Sept. 16-21 and approved a document called “Synodality and Primacy in the First Millennium: Toward a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church.”

“Primacy” refers to the authority of the lead bishop or pope, and “synodality” refers to the authority exercised collegially by the College of Bishops in the West or a synod of bishops in the Eastern churches.

While Orthodox patriarchs are recognized spiritual leaders and exercise authority over some areas of church life, they do not have the kind of jurisdiction the pope has over the Catholic Church and especially over its Latin-rite dioceses.

Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, Catholic co-secretary of the commission and an official at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told Catholic News Service Sept. 23 that the document was being translated and would be published “as soon as possible.”

Twenty-six Orthodox bishops and theologians - two each from 13 of the 14 Orthodox churches - and 26 Catholic bishops and theologians participated in the meeting. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church did not send representatives.

A new bishop enthroned for the Serbian Church in Canada

(istocnik.ca) - September 18, 2016 will go down in history at the beginning of a new chapter in the mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Canada.

In a packed-to-capacity church of All Serbian Saints in Mississauga, with the prayers of 8 bishops, 20 priests, and 2 protodeacons, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, up to that moment the Administrator of the God-preserved Diocese of Canada, enthroned the new Bishop of Canada His Grace Right Reverend Dr. Mitrofan.

Hours before the Holy Liturgy commenced believers started to flow in so that at the start of the service the church was filled to capacity.

Children in traditional folklore dress preceded all of the priests of the Canadian Diocese, tens of guests from neighbouring Serbian dioceses, as well as representatives of other Orthodox jurisdictions in Canada, as they led the ceremonial procession of hierarchs into the church.

His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch celebrate the Divine Liturgy, along with Metropolitan Sotirions (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Archbishop Irinee (Orthodox Church in America), Bishop Andriy (Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada – Patriarchate of Constantinople), Bishop Christopher (Patriarchate of Constantinople), as well as Serbian bishops Vasilije of Srem, Longin of New Gracanica, Hrizostom of Zvornik-Tuzla, and Maksim of Western America.

The Holy Liturgy was prayerful and peaceful, especially because of the melodious responses sung by St. Sava Choir (John Lukich conductor), and the diocesan choir Kir Stefan the Serb (Jasmina Vucurovic conductor). The chanters for the Liturgy were Very Reverend Frs. Ljubo Rajic, Rajko Kosic, Dragan Veleusic, theologian Milorad Delic, and Aleksandar Markovic.

Several hundred youth and believers received Holy Communion.

Another great lecture in the Chicago area

I'm going to do something I never do. If you go to this talk and are the first person to say "Byzantine, Texas sent me," you'll get a $20 gift certificate to Starbucks. If you're in the area, go to this talk!

Praying for peace

(Reuters) - The head of the Roman Catholic Church closed a three-day meeting where about 500 representatives of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and other faiths discussed how their members could better promote peace and reconciliation.

Syrian airbase gets a consecrated Orthodox chapel

Moscow, September 22 (Interfax) - St. George Chapel was consecrated with Patriarch Kirill's blessing at the Khmeimim Syrian airbase where Russian air forces are based, official website of the Russian Orthodox Church reports on Thursday. The chapel has been there a few months at least. They held services as far back as Christmas.

The Moscow Patriarchate's delegation has recently visited the group of the Russian troops in Syria. An icon with a particle of St. George relics was transferred to the chapel. Over 500 servicemen prayed at the Divine Liturgy, each of them received a small icon of St. George.

Two Divine Liturgies, 18 prayer services and a procession with cross and St. George icon around the airbase were held during the delegation visit to Syria. Eight servicemen were baptized. Five pastoral hours and twelve conversations in groups were carried out, about a thousand servicemen participated in them. There were meetings with the staff of the Black Sea Fleet warship Pytlivy and the Baltic Sea Fleet warship Yaroslav Mydry.

Patriarch Kirill: No bling on your posokhi!

Moscow, September 22, (Interfax) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia criticized hegumens and abbesses for seeking luxury and comfort.

"I initiated that each father superior and each mother superior has a bishop's staff (a symbol of spiritual power). But I could not even imagine that hegumens and abbesses will turn these staffs in patriarchal ones, will richly decorate them, will put a cross on them. I did not bless such staffs. You should have an ordinary hegumen staff, without decorations, without jewelry trinkets," the patriarch said on Thursday at his meeting with heads of monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow.

"When you come home, the first thing you should do is to order ordinary staffs similar to the one that was in Holy Metropolitan Peter's hands," he said.

According to the primate, fathers superior and mothers superior should think more about ascetic life, not about comfortable conditions.

"I do not think that the way of life of hegumens and abbesses of the old times who organized monasteries radically differed from lifestyle of ordinary monks and nuns. Everyone should clearly understand it. If there is no such understanding, you should better not become a mother superior or father superior," he said.

God protect us from these floods

Oh Master, Lord our God, who in ancient times, didst hear the prayer of thy zealous Prophet Elijah, and didst will to hold back the rain for a time: Oh thou Creator and merciful Lord who loves mankind, look down now upon the humble prayers of us, thine unworthy servants, and in the compassion overlook our iniquities, and, as we supplicate thee for thine own love for mankind, grant good weather unto thine inheritance, causing the sun to shine upon us who are requesting and entreating mercy from thee. Make glad the face of the earth for the sake of thy people, and of infants and cattle and all other living things, which do thou satisfy by thy good pleasure, granting them food in due season. Yea, Oh Lord our God, reject not our prayer as if in vain, neither put us to shame for our hope, but spare us according to thy mercies, and visit us with thy compassions, for our days pass in vanity, and our life grows weak with infirmities.

Destroy us not, therefore, who have attracted thy wrath and indignation toward us, on account of our transgressions, but deal with us according to thy gentleness and according to the multitude of thy mercy. For, behold, with broken soul and humble spirit we fall down before thee, and as unprofitable servants worthy of great punishment, in repentance we cry out to thee with compunction: we have sinned and transgressed; we have committed every iniquity; violating thy commandments, and because of this, all that thou bringest with true judgement. But do not give us over to corruption, famine, and utter destruction, neither let storms of water drown us. Rather, do thou remember mercy in thine anger, and, freely showing tender mercy for the sake of thy compassions, as thou art good, have mercy on thy creation and the work of thy hands, and quickly deliver us from every evil thing.

For thine it is to show mercy and to save, Oh our God, and unto thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Synodality & primacy during the 1st millennium and Uniatism

September 21, 2016 (mospat.ru) – The 14^th Plenary Session of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church completed its work in Chieti, Italy.

After the necessary amendments and additions, the plenary session approved a common document on Synodality and Primacy during the First Millennium: Towards a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church.

The delegation of the Georgian Church made a statement expressing disagreement with particular paragraphs of the document. This statement was included in the communique adopted by the plenary session and will be present as a footnote in the common document to be published on behalf of the Commission in the nearest future.

The meeting considered a topic to be chosen as a follow-up of the dialogue. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations (DECR), put forward a proposal to devote the next stage of the dialogue to the theme of synodality and primacy in the Churches of East and West in the second millennium, stressing that in the framework of this theme the Commission should complete the discussion on Uniatism as a phenomenon which arose after the 1054 schism and which still constitutes a stumbling stone in the Orthodox-Catholic relations. I'd also like to see some discussion on the so-call "Western Rite" in the Orthodox Church. Partially because it is a phenomenon still foreign to many and partially because it is often cited as "reverse Uniatism."

Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the meeting that the Joint Commission was to discuss the issue of ecclesiological and canonical consequences of Uniatism at its plenary session in Baltimore, USA, as far back as the year 2000. It was to become a continuation of the work that began in the 1990th with the document condemning Uniatism adopted in Balamand, Lebanon, in 1993, followed by a document on the same issue drafted in Ariccia in 1998. However, the work in Baltimore was not completed because of disagreements that arose both between the Catholic and Orthodox sides of the dialogue and within each of the sides.

There's azyme and place for everything...

This is of course not actually happening anywhere... that I know of.

(EOTT) - Just in time for the start of Fall, local hipster priest Fr. Kale Adams announced this morning that he has consecrated his first batch of Pumpkin Spice Eucharist.

Although the seasonal pumpkin flavor of Jesus’ body has been condemned by the Vatican, Fr. Adams has told his parishioners that they’re not sheep, but rather, “free souls that can’t be contained by the man or the Vatican.”

“Pumpkin Spice Eucharist allows me to express myself and my love for JC in ways you wouldn’t believe,” Adams told EOTT as he sat down to finish knitting a cover for his iPad. “And listen, to all those establishment bishops in Rome, I was consecrating before it was cool. And that’s why my parishioners dig me and why so many of them have returned to the Church in the first place. You gotta give them what they want. And what they want is Jesus…Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, with a flawless blend of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger.”

At press time, Fr. Kale Adams is trying on his brand new hemp vestments.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Wheaton, IL

Friday, September 16, 2016

Update on Greek Archdiocesan changes to the Liturgy

In August I posted some new regulations to be used in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for Greek churches in the US (see: "Changes a'coming to Greek parishes in the US"). I received a ton of email on the topic. In fact, I still am.

By way of update let me say that it looks like as least three metropolises have stated that these changes are not going to go into immediate effect and that the Greek Holy Eparchial Synod will meet and come out with new standards together which will be released to the parishes.

I hope for a robust line of communication between the parish clergy and the hierarchs as there are lots of good things about the proposed standards (both the new Liturgy book and the changes outlined for the laity in that message from the music federation) there is also a lot of clarification and editorial work to be done.

Should we be giving Catholics our relics?

Moscow, September 16 (Interfax) - The head of the Roman Catholic Church received a gift from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia - a part of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov in a shrine made in the form of an easter egg.

Head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk conveyed the gift on Thursday at the Apostolic Palace, in the Vatican, the DECR communication service reports.

Among the focuses of the talk was the tragic situation of the Christian population of the Middle East. Pope Francis and Metropolitan Hilarion pointed to the positive experience of cooperation in giving aid to Christians in the Middle East in pursuance of the decision made at the meeting in Cuba.

"The both sides stressed the need for further consolidated actions in the Middle East. The DECR chairman introduced the Pope to the Russian Church’s initiatives for bringing humanitarian aid to suffering people in Syria and thanked the Pontiff for his peacemaking efforts," the message reads.

The sides noted the fruitful cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in the field of culture. Thus, in the last year a project for exchanging academic trips by priests and theological students from the Roman Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate to Moscow and Rome respectively has proved to hold much promise as an opportunity for a deeper introduction to the traditions and today’s life of the two Churches.

Metropolitan Hilarion also met with the Vatican State Secretary Pietro Cardinal Parolin. They agreed that it was necessary to continue the peacemaking efforts aimed at overcoming the conflict, in compliance with the Joint Declaration signed in Havana inviting “Churches in Ukraine to work towards social harmony”.

Metropolitan Hilarion has arrived in Italy to the 14th plenary session of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The session will be held from September 15 to 22 in Chieti.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Russians kill 70% of their unborn

Moscow, September 14 (Interfax) - Majority of pregnancies in Russia are consciously aborted, head of the movement Women for Life Natalya Moskvitina says.

"70% of pregnancies end in abortion. Three quarters of marriages ends in divorce during first four years of life together. Every three seconds a baby is killed in abortion clinics," Moskvitina said during a video bridge Moscow-Kazan on Wednesday.

She is a mother of four children and three times doctors persuaded her to make an abortion, saying that her next baby would have certain deviations.

"Three times they made a mistake, and three times I tried to prove that even if my baby is a disabled, I want to be the mother for my child," Moskvitina said.

According to her, first of all, "abortions are business" and those, who are involved in it, tell people that it is a "principle of freedom."

"It is legalized, and every woman faces this terrific choice. No one tells her that life is the norm, the norm is to struggle for your child," she said.

EP Bartholomew travels to remember “Croatia’s Auschwitz”

JASENOVAC, Croatia (Times of Israel) — Visiting ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual head of Orthodox church leaders, on Saturday commemorated the victims of Croatia’s most notorious World War II death camp.

Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople based in Istanbul, in the first visit by the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church to the country, presided over a mass in the church at Jasenovac and visited the site of the camp known as “Croatia’s Auschwitz.”

The camp, whose site is now home to a memorial, was set up in mid-1941 by the pro-Nazi regime and dismantled in 1945. Croatia’s WWII pro-Nazi Ustasha regime persecuted and killed ethnic Serbs, who are mostly Orthodox Christians, Jews, Romas and anti-fascist Croatians.

The total number of people killed at Jasenovac, some 60 miles southeast of the capital Zagreb, remains disputed. It varies from tens of thousands to 700,000, according to Serbian figures.

Bartholomew, who arrived for a two-day visit to Croatia on Friday, was accompanied by Croatian Serb leader Milorad Pupovac, as well as Orthodox church dignitaries from Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Croatia.

Pupovac earlier hailed the visit stressing the Patriarch was a “man who has been encouraging a dialogue also at a time where there was not much dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, notably in Croatia.”

Nearly 90 percent of Croatia’s population of 4.2 million are Roman Catholics. Orthodox ethnic Serbs are the country’s largest minority making up four percent of the population.

Ties with ethnic Serbs and Serbia remain strained since Croatia’s 1990s war of independence during which Belgrade backed rebel Serbs.

In recent months ties have sunk to their lowest level since the conflict. The two countries have been exchanging bitter accusations over their wartime past, with Belgrade accusing Zagreb of a “rebirth of Nazism” in reference to a far-right surge under conservative rulers.

Due to Croatia’s shift to the right ethnic Serbs, Jews and anti-fascists this year boycotted an official memorial ceremony at Jasenovac.

Orthodox, Catholics meet in Chieti to discuss primacy

(Vatican Radio) - Catholic and Orthodox theologians are meeting in the Italian town of Chieti for the 14th plenary session of their international dialogue commission. The meeting from September 15th to 22nd brings together two representatives from each of the fourteen Orthodox Churches, alongside 28 Catholic participants, under the shared presidency of Cardinal Kurt Koch from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and Archbishop Job of Telmessos from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The meeting will focus on discussion of a draft document, drawn up at the previous two sessions, entitled “Towards a common understanding of Synodality and Primacy in service to the Unity of the Church”. Participants will also share moments of prayer together with local Christian communities, including a Mass in the cathedral of San Giustino in Chieti on Saturday and a Divine Liturgy at the shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello on Sunday.

To find out more about the meeting, Philippa Hitchen spoke to Mgr Andrea Palmieri, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. He noted that the issue of synodality and primacy is “one of the most delicate questions” in the relationship between Catholics and Orthodox. He says participants hope to arrive at a consensus that will enable them to publish a new document since the last publication was the Ravenna document which followed the plenary session of 2007.

Commenting on the recent pan-Orthodox Council which took place in Crete, Mgr Palmieri noted that the ten Churches taking part in that encounter approved a document on Orthodox relations with other Christians. The consensus among those Orthodox Churches, he said, opens up new horizons and “demonstrates the will of Orthodox Church to continue the theological dialogue, not just with the Catholic Church but also with other Churches and Christian communities”.

Speaking of the encounter in Cuba last February between Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Mgr Palmieri said all such meetings and exchanges between Church leaders provide a positive context within which theologians can advance their dialogue. He also pointed to the historic encounter last April between Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Athens Hieronymus on the Greek island of Lesbos.

The theological dialogues, he stressed, are not simply academic discussions, separated from the life of the Church but rather they are concerned with the very heart of the Church’s life. The themes of synodality and primacy, he said, are at the centre of attention right now for both Catholics and Orthodox, as they explore what it means to exercise one in relation to the other. Discussing these themes, he said, means thinking together about ways in which a reconciled Church can better serve the mission of the Church to bring the Gospel to all people.

100th anniversary of the Wrigley Field church

(Greek Reporter) - In Joliet the parishioners of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church are celebrating the church’s 100th anniversary.

The church offers services in both English and Greek on Sundays and is a gathering place for the third and fourth-generation descendants of its original Greek founders as well as people who have married and converted to Orthodoxy.

Maria Maintains, a member of the church and the chairwoman for the anniversary commented to theherald-news.com that the church is a vital part of the Greek Orthodox community as it is “still a place to come together and celebrate.”

The church has made a year of celebrations in honoring the 100th year of All Saints from banquets and a Greek-centric version of Mardis Gras celebrations before Lent.

A Church Built with Steel Meant for Wrigley Field

The building of where the church stands today is not the original structure from 1916 as it was demolished in 1942.

In 1943 the cornerstone for the building that still stands today was laid and many parishioners wanted to build the church in steel.

Due to the war effort there was a shortage of steel, so several parishioners traveled to Washington DC to speak to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The story goes that Roosevelt said: “I can’t get you steel. We need it to save our troops.” So the church’s Rev. Stephen Bithos said “What if we save some souls?”

Following the meeting, Roosevelt diverted a shipment of steel — that was originally bound for the lights of Wrigley Field — to Joilet for the construction of the All Saints church.

Trying to get our college students involved in the Church

(AOB) - October 2, 2016. 2016 College Student Sunday Encyclical: “Come and See.”

Beloved Clergy, Godly Monastics, and Blessed Faithful,

We greet you with joy as we announce the date for College Student Sunday, benefiting Orthodox Christian Fellowship. To support the incredible efforts of our students, College Student Sunday will be the first Sunday of October, running in conjunction with OCF’s Orthodox Awareness Month. This year, the date falls on OCTOBER 2.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship continues to provide students with opportunities to encounter Christ and grow in their Orthodox faith through their growing network of on campus OCF chapters led by talented students, clergy, and lay advisors as well as through programs such as regional retreats, College Conference, Real Break, and the Summer Leadership Institute.

OCF continues to make every effort to connect new freshmen to campus chapters and local parishes through the First Forty Days Initiative, which involves extensive effort from our student leaders and spiritual advisors to contact every incoming freshman within their first forty days on campus. We wholeheartedly pray for and strongly encourage your support of these noble efforts by ensuring that the contact information for your parish’s graduating high school seniors be sent each and every year to the OCF National Office for dissemination to our dedicated local chapters!

Additionally, with the greatest sincerity and earnestness, we encourage your committed financial support of this fundamental ministry which functions completely on the contributions of caring Orthodox faithful like yourselves.

We are asking that a special collection be taken on College Student Sunday in support of the good work of OCF, and we encourage the entire faithful--clergy, parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, and friends of our treasured college students--to be generous in your offering of support to this ministry on their behalf. If for some reason October 2 is not a good date for your parish, please make the collection on the Sunday before or after.

Donations may be sent to the OCF National Office at 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline, MA 02445 or online at www.ocf.net/donate.

May our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ who calls all of us to contribute to the ministry of His Church guide and strengthen all of our cherished and blessed Orthodox college students.

+Bishop Gregory of Nyssa - bishopgregoryofnyssa@gmail.com

Liaison to OCF for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States

Latin Church changes canons for Eastern Catholics, Orthodox

VATICAN CITY (Crux) - In a change to church law, Latin-rite Catholic deacons may not preside at a wedding when one or both of the new spouses are members of an Eastern Catholic church.

The new rule is one of the changes to 11 canons in the Latin-rite Code of Canon law that Pope Francis approved in order to harmonize the laws of the Latin and Eastern Catholic churches on several issues involving the sacraments of baptism and marriage.

After more than 15 years of study and worldwide consultation, the conflicting rules were resolved by adopting the Eastern code’s formulations for the Latin church as well, said Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

The bishop spoke to journalists Sept. 15 after the publication of an apostolic letter published “motu proprio” (on his own initiative) in which Pope Francis ordered the changes to the Latin Code of Canon Law, the 1983 text governing the majority of the world’s Catholics.

In the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the blessing of a priest is necessary for the validity of a marriage. In the Latin-rite church, a deacon can preside over the sacrament. The new law specifies, “Only a priest can validly assist at the matrimony of two Eastern parties or between a Latin and Eastern Catholic or non-Catholic,” meaning a member of an Orthodox Church.

Arrieta said that in most cases the changes made by Pope Francis involve rules for situations that the Latin code never envisioned, but that the Code of Canons of the Eastern Catholic Churches, published in 1990, did. With the large number of Eastern Christians - both Catholic and Orthodox - who have migrated to predominantly Latin territories since 1989, Latin-rite pastors need guidance, he said.

The changes regard practices for ministering not only to Eastern-rite Catholics, but also to members of the Orthodox churches when a priest of their church is not available, Arrieta said. Such ministry was foreseen in the canons of the Eastern Catholic churches, which often minister in places with a strong Orthodox presence.

Update on the Montana monastery

(Missoulian) - Eastern Orthodox believers are patiently moving forward with plans to build a monastery in Montana.

Though the timetable will depend on issues such as funding, members of St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church in Bozeman already have donated land near the base of Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains especially for the monastery. The property is near Harrison on Harrison Lake, also known as Willow Creek Reservoir.

“It’s already in a conservation easement which stipulates that nothing can be built on the land other than an Eastern Orthodox monastery,” said David Hicks, a member of St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church in Bozeman. “The property is a 1,000-acre tract on the north shore of the lake.”

West of the Moon

David Hicks and his wife, Betsy, gave the parcel from what they called their West of the Moon ranch for the purpose of building St. Peter’s Monastery, as it is called. The “West of the Moon” name of the ranch comes from an old jazz standard “East of the Sun (and West of the Moon),” written by Princeton undergraduate Brooks Bowman and published in 1934, Hicks explained.

The monastery was formally established in 2014 and the St. Peter’s Monastery Foundation, which is guiding the effort to build it, is recognized by the state of Montana as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 foundation.

“We have been so blessed to live at West of the Moon and in our beautiful state,” Hicks told the Missoulian in an email. “No one ‘owns’ anything anyway. That's just a fiction to appease the ego. It's all on temporary loan. We are just the stewards in the parables told by Jesus, someday to give an account to the owner.”

Hicks, who is secretary of the foundation, noted that in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the new monastery may start out as a “skete” – essentially a little monastery associated with a larger one.

A website at stpetersmonastery.com discusses details.

Alone with God in the wilderness

Father Hieromonk Innocent, the superior of St. John Monastery in Manton, California, has led three delegations of monks to Harrison in recent years to get work started on the actual building of the monastery. Innocent said Montana is in line with what monasteries have traditionally been in Orthodox tradition.

“In the history of monasteries, the monks were actually trying to flee from the cities in order to be alone with God in the wilderness,” he said.

The monks will be praying for the good of America, for Montana and for people everywhere, Innocent said.

Unconditional election, just in time for upcoming voting

Vandals continue to set Serbian churches ablaze

This is sadly part of a very common occurrence in Kosovo. Vandals enter churches, set them on fire, then they urinate and defecate in them. The message is clear. This has been happening ever since the tragic and foolhardy separation of Kosovo from Serbia.

(SOC-Kosovo) - Unknown persons broke into the uncompleted Serbian Orthodox church of Christ the Savior in Priština downtown today and set it on fire. Priština parish priest Fr. Saša Mitrović found out that vandals had cut a metal bar on the door of the church, broke into the church and set the fire.

Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Raška-Prizren Teodosije condemned the incident and said that it is the consequence of unreadiness of the Kosovo authorities and police to provide round o'clock protection of the church of Christ the Savior which had been targeted by vandals many times before.

"Setting the Serbian Orthodox Church in Priština downtown on fire today shows that our sites are not adequately protected in Kosovo and Metohija. We have replaced the metal door twice on this site but nevertheless vandals broke in. Despite our two formal requests to the Kosovo Minister of interior to place the permanent police check point in front of the church we have not received any answer yet. Such irresponsible behavior is damaging for all in Kosovo and Metohija and does not contribute to the building of confidence."

Diocese of Raška-Prizren will inform the international representatives in Kosovo about the incident.

Diocese of Raška and Prizren
Prizren-Gračanica, 9 September 2016

HOCNA convent battling insalubrious mold

STANWOOD, WA (King5) They spend their days in solemn worship and quiet contemplation. Their focus is steadfastly on serving their Savior.

“The most important thing in the world to us is to lead a quiet life dedicated to prayer,” said Mother Thecla.

Recently, however, that focus has been increasingly interrupted with calls from contractors about a problem that’s proving quite costly.

“It's definitely disrupted our life quite a bit,” said Mother Thecla.

That is an understatement of biblical proportions.

After 18 years at the humble home that serves as their Stanwood convent, the sisters of the Convent of the Meeting of the Lord have discovered the place is contaminated with toxic mold.

The sisters have gotten sick. Four of them have had to move out. One now sleeps in a camper, another in an outbuilding.

The Orthodox Christians eek out an ascetic existence by making and selling beeswax candles. Health problems, however, have forced them to essentially shutter their shop for the past year. With little to no income the convent is in crisis.

The cost to repair the convent is estimated at anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000. Devoted to charity for others, the sisters refuse to ask anyone for help.

So the community is doing it for them.

“Pray hard, work hard, trust God. That's what I hear all the time from the sisters,” said neighbor Karen Lien.

Lien started a Go Fund Me page for the nuns.

“We had a yard sale to raise money for them and they kept giving things away,” said Lien. “They are so selfless! I think it's good that they see it's reciprocal. They are here for their community and the rest of the community is here for them, too.”

Go Fund Me is something none of the nuns had even heard of, but are now eternally grateful for.

While focused on fixing their current situation, the sisters said they would one day like to move into a healthier and more manageable property somewhere in Stanwood.

For now they are simply faithful that their prayers will be answered.

“God always makes things work out,” said Mother Thecla.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Eton boys visit Russia

When I was looking for a house with a real estate agent in preparation for moving for seminary, the agent asked if we wanted to take a break and get something to eat as we'd been at it all day. "Where," we asked, "should we go?" To which he responded, "Oh, Eat'n Park is just down the road." He said Eat'n Park and I heard Eton Park. My mind began imagining wait staff in Eton suits or at least a very posh experience. "Are we dressed well enough?" I asked. Confused, he responded that we were fine. Looking back, this was the first of many miscommunications I was in for during my time up North for seminary.

(Pravmir) - In late August, 11 pupils from the UK’s prestigious boys’ private school Eton College went on a trip to Russia. The teenagers visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, met their Russian peers, and even had a chat with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov), Hegumen of Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, spoke to a correspondent from Orthodox website Pravoslavie.ru about how the trip was made possible and his impression of the young Brits.

Question: Your Grace, back in March you were invited to give some lectures in Eton. Who was behind your visit there?

As far as I know, the visit was the pupils’ idea, with their invitation later approved by the provost of Eton.

How were you received by the college?

They gave me a very warm welcome. After the lectures were finished, I was asked numerous questions about Russia’s history, its current situation, Russian and English literature and culture, and, of course, about the faith, the Orthodox Christianity. I must note one of the reasons why I was invited was because some of the pupils had read my book Everyday Saints, which has been translated into English.

At the end of our meeting, the boys asked if I could help them with visiting Russia. I said that I would gladly extend my hospitality to them in Moscow and Stretensky Monastery. Then they asked if they could meet President Putin. That was an unexpected inquiry, to put it mildly. I responded by saying that pulling that off would not be an easy task at all. Then the boys asked: “Then what do we need to do?” “The same thing people do when they want to meet a person they are not acquainted with: Write him a letter and request a meeting,” I said. So the boys did just that, and I passed their letter – which was very polite and sincere – to the International Department of the Presidential Executive Office.

But some Western media reported the preparations for the trip were made in total secrecy.

This isn’t true. Right after I learned that the boys wanted to go to Russia and meet our president, I notified the Eton authorities about it. Also, before I passed the boys’ letter to the Presidential Executive Office, I asked for permission to do that from the college’s provost, and such permission was granted. Some time later, after the Russian side had already approved the meeting tentatively, Ambassador of Russia to the United Kingdom Alexander Yakovenko informed the Eton provost about the progress in the endeavor.

The Eton authorities considered two options for the visit, letting them go as individuals on a private trip, or sending them as an official delegation, and eventually, they decided not to do it officially. After the boys learned about this, they said: “Then we’ll go by ourselves.” This is how they arrived in Russia.

Their visit program included a brief stay both in Moscow and in St. Petersburg and some sightseeing. More importantly, though, they met their Russian peers. These were students from Lomonosov Moscow State University, people from some other universities that happened to be staying in Moscow during their summer vacation time, and students from our own Sretenskaya seminary who spoke English fluently.

Then they had a meeting with the president, which was closed to anybody but Mr. Putin and the boys. We only know what exactly they talked about thanks to the revelations of the boys, since they published all their fresh impressions on social media.

In the evening of the same day, we sent them off to St. Petersburg, where they stayed for a day and a half before going back to England. I think the boys were very happy with their trip. Based on their reactions, it made a great impression on them, and we were pleased to receive them.

The issue of who paid for the trip was also discussed by the media.

These were all children of wealthy parents, so there was no problem there. Besides, one of the Russian organizations involved in supporting student projects payed for the airline tickets – it was economy class, by the way – and simple rooms (it was a good hotel, but they gave great discounts). We at the Sretensky Monastery, were of course happy to have them over, and we set a table for them. The same goes for all the other places they visited.

In the evening of the same day, we sent them off to St. Petersburg, where they stayed for a day and a half before going back to England. I think the boys were very happy with their trip. Based on their reactions, it made a great impression on them, and we were pleased to receive them.

Upcoming Clergy Wives Weekend at Antiochian Village

My wife has gone in the past and quite enjoyed it. Please consider going no matter what jurisdiction you're in.

(Antiochian.org) - The 2016 Clergy Wives Weekend will be held at Antiochian Village the weekend of October 21–23. This year's speaker at the pan-Orthodox event will be Catherine Hopko Mandell, daughter of Fr. Tom and Mat. Anne Hopko, and granddaughter of Fr. Alexander and Mat. Juliana Schmemann. She is well qualified to speak from her understanding of life in the clergy family, and will reflect not only on her life as a daughter and granddaughter, but as mother and aunt. Matushka Anne will also discuss issues of raising our children in the Faith.

The info and registration form can be downloaded here (PDF). Scholarship funding is available. To make a request for that, or if you have questions, contact Kh. Stefanie Yazge: SYazge@msn.com.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Romanian diocese not taking bad-mouthing lying down

(ROEA) - The Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America gathered in its 84th Annual Session at Vatra Romaneasca, in Grass Lake, Michigan, passed unanimously the following resolution in its opening session:

Whereas, the life of our God-protected Episcopate has recently been attacked by calumny, slander and lies through the use of emails, social media, publications and illegal demonstrations; and

Whereas, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) is a canonical diocese of the Orthodox Church in America, its hierarchs being members of its Holy Synod of Bishops, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of Canada;

The Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America therefore resolves the following:

We affirm our allegiance and adherence to the Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church, the Statutes of the Orthodox Church in America and the Constitution and By-Laws of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America;

We assert our support of and loyalty to His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, Reverend Father Vicar David Oancea, Reverend Father Vicar Dan Hoarste and others who have been the objects of said attacks; and

We call upon the clergy of the ROEA, its members and all faithful Orthodox Christians to observe and protect the peace, harmony and good order of our God-protected Episcopate.

Done at Vatra Romaneasca, 2 September 2016.

Friday, September 2, 2016

A Divine Liturgy amongst the rubble

Imagine using stacked bricks to make the holy doors.

Shanghai Service Book to be republished

(ROCOR-Australia) - "Service book " which published in Shanghai when St. John was there will re-printing soon. Please pray for us. You may contact us, if you want to get this book. Your donation are welcome! Thank you very much!

圣伊望主教在上海期间出版的《事奉经》即将重印。请为我们祈祷。如果您想得到该书，请与我们联系。欢迎捐助。多谢！

Because you can't do all, doesn't mean you shouldn't do some.

Almost inevitably when an ascetic practice of the Church is enjoined to the people, someone will say, "Well, that's for monks. I'm not a monk." More often than not that's not true, but even in those instances where the monastic practice far exceeds what a layperson might be expected to do we shouldn't invalidate even the first step up that ladder. If it's a hundred steps and you know you can only do one there is merit in that one step.

I have watched all my children learn to walk and none of them ran to me the day after their first step. And I have seen men learning to walk again after accidents and none of them thought they'd be going hiking tomorrow. So, if it is something you have never done or something that sinfulness has enfeebled you from doing, you will never accomplish even paltry results if you never put forth effort. More importantly, you deprive the Holy Spirit of an opportunity to work within you.

(OCIC) - Once I was giving a talk about St. John of San Francisco, and someone said, “Well, this is all very wonderful, but, you know, I couldn’t go without sleeping in a bed for forty-two years!” And I said, “Okay, but could you start by just getting to church on time?” It’s the same thing with Fr. Seraphim. Fr. Seraphim was a great ascetic. Quite beyond most of us. But we could just start by keeping our eyes on Christ, as he did. We could pay a little more attention to what is supposed to be the center and focus of our very being all the time: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we do that, if we are inspired to do just a little bit more each day than we did before, then Fr. Seraphim’s legacy truly continues to live on. And really, basically, that’s what Orthodoxy is all about.

Orthodoxy is so rich. It has such beautiful externals, which are not just entirely externals—they also partake of the essence of Orthodoxy, of course. But it’s very easy, Fr. Seraphim used to tell me, to get distracted by these externals. It’s very easy to think that, because we are following all the fasting rules and because we know the Typicon and so forth, we are actually living an Orthodox way of life, whereas we may not be at all. If Christ is not there behind all that, then it’s a waste of time: it’s a beautiful waste of time, but it’s a waste of time nonetheless. For Fr. Seraphim, however, Christ was always there, behind everything. And when Fr. Seraphim breathed his last, Christ was there to receive his soul. Amen.