Mosul, September 23, 2015
A war is currently being waged against Christianity on the territory of the Biblical city of Nineveh, which is currently under control of the “Islamic State” militants: according to eyewitnesses’ evidence, the fanatics are trying their best to eliminate the very memory of the Christian presence in Mosul, reports Ankawa news agency.
Although persecution has been growing in China recently, experts say so is Christianity.Despite the recent campaign to take down the large crosses atop many Chinese churches, Christianity is gaining ground in China, particularly among the well-educated.
In 1980 it was estimated that there were about 10 million Christians in China, now estimates say there are about 100 million, according to aChristian Today report.
Why this exponential growth? Continuă să citești
“All these smartphones, large screens are a huge temptation, especially to young monks. I have often heard them say at confessionals that they have again fallen into the sin of using the Internet […] One novice even left Valaam because he had been drawn by the Internet and the common world had drawn him back. I even believe it’s one of the biggest challenges to monks now,” the bishop said in an interview published in the Wednesday edition of the paper Argumenty i Fakty. Continuă să citești
On July 6, the DECR chairman met with His Holiness Bartholomew, Patriarch of Constantinople, at the Fanar residence of Patriarchs of Constantinople. In attendance were Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Archimandrite Bartholomew (Samaras), chief secretary of the Church of Constantinople Holy Synod, Deacon Joachim (Billis), assistant to the Holy Synod secretary, and Deacon Theodore (Shulga), DECR secretariat for inter-Orthodox relations. Continuă să citești
On Thursday, July 2nd, Bishop George’s former residence was officially reopened as the “St. John of San Francisco House.” The new St. John’s House will function as a place for monks to go for quiet during the day, a reception area for guests and families of monastics, guest accommodations for visiting priests and hierarchs, and office space on the upper floor. Continuă să citești
A Conversation with Archbishop Jovan of Ochrid (Vranishkovsky)
“We learn the most from what we have experienced ourselves; and it’s not important whether it brought us pain or joy. Before the mystery of life, the one who looks the most serious and responsible is the one who accepts life as joyful sorrow,” says Archbishop Jovan, imprisoned for a number of years in Idrizovo.
“Why did you betray us, priest?” was what the policeman asked Archbishop Jovan (Vranishkovsky) in Skopje’s Izidrovo prison, letting him know how little he respects his ecclesiastical rank and what he thinks of his mission, which Archbishop Jovan considers his life’s work. This mission is to return the faithful of Macedonia to unity with all the other Orthodox Churches.
June 28, 2015
To the Venerable Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America:
Dearly Beloved,
The recent ruling by the US Supreme Court on the legality of “same-sex marriages” has received much press coverage and has already caused some consternation about its implications and ramifications. But we Orthodox Christians must rest assured that the teaching of our Holy Church on the Mystery of Marriage remains the same as it has been for millennia. Continuă să citești
“As many of you are aware, on Friday, June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, issued a 5-4 decision to overturn all bans of same-sex marriage by states and affirmed this union as being a constitutional right. In effect, the court has ruled that same-sex marriages can be legally performed by all states in our country. Continuă să citești
As many of you know by now on Friday, June 26th the Supreme Court of our country issued a 5-4 decision to overturn all bans of same-sex marriage by states and affirmed this union as being a constitutional right. In effect the court has ruled, in finality as all decisions of the Supreme Court are, that same-sex marriage can be legally performed by all states in our country. Continuă să citești
St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco is the primary patron saint for anyone living on the West Coast, whether they know it or not— regardless of archdiocese, ethnicity or, God forgive us, political orientation within Orthodoxy. St. John is the only known saint who spent a significant portion of his life present here with us on the West Coast. He is our local saint, our nearest father. He shepherded not only Orthodox immigrants and their children, but also American inquirers and converts specifically.
Along with overseeing the shepherding of American converts and researching the Orthodox heritage of Americans (British, Irish, German, French, and so forth), St. John also saw to the preparation and offering of liturgical services in English (something much resisted during his life). One of his last episcopal directives before his repose was to begin the English services, even though the preparations were not completed. Continuă să citești
Listening to the account of Christ’s crucifixion and death during Holy Week, I am invariably struck by one detail in the story: the loyalty to the very end of a handful of people, mostly women, about whom the gospels tell us almost nothing else. What we do know is that Christ’s disciples, all of them, ran away and left him behind. Peter denied him three times. Judas betrayed him. Crowds followed Christ while he was preaching, and each person was expecting to get something from him: they expected help, miracles and healings; Continuă să citești
Washington, April 16, 2015
The Greek Orthodox Church of Greatmartyr George the Victory-Bearer in the city of Knoxville (Tennessee, USA) which belongs to the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of America of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was enveloped in flames in the morning of April 12 – right on the Easter Sunday. When later the church was being put in order after the fire, it was found that an icon of the Savior had been miraculously spared by fire, reports Sedmitza.ru with the reference to Esperinos.com portal. Continuă să citești
Athens, April 17, 2015
According to the Government Gazette (Greece), the Greek Ministerial Council has approved the amount of annual aid to monasteries on Mt. Athos, assigned in accordance with article No. 2 of the law No. 1166/1981, “On institution of annual grants to holy monasteries of the Holy Mountain.”