Fr. Christopher Calin Hides His Cross for Photo Op at Interfaith Celebration

Fr. Christopher Calin Hides His Cross for Photo Op at Interfaith CelebrationAt the conclusion of the 14th annual gathering of Spiritual Sounds (2023), held at Fr. Christopher Calin’s own Orthodox Cathedral of The Holy Virgin Protection, the interfaith celebrants took a group photo. Seeing Rev. Amanda Hambrick (woman minister) proudly wearing her rainbow LGBTQ+ stole is shocking enough. Even more disturbing is noticing that Fr. Calin is hiding his pectoral cross in his pocket. Apparently it’s offensive for an Orthodox priest to display his cross when taking photos with non-Christian believers at his own church.

The group photo above, taken in the Orthodox Cathedral of The Holy Virgin Protection church hall, was also publicly shared on the church’s facebook page with this notice: “The Ministers and Choir directors assembled for the 14th annual gathering of Spiritual Sounds, the brainchild of Anthony Donovan, seen here on the left of Rev. Amanda. A beautiful evening of music and solidarity – Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection.”

This is not the only time Fr. Calin chose to hide or not wear his pectoral cross for these interfaith celebrations. In 2022 for the 13th Annual Spiritual Sounds gathering conducted via Zoom he recorded himself without a cross also. See the video below, (starting at 10:13) where Fr. Christopher Calin and Archdeacon Michael Suvak sing a couple of Orthodox hymns.

13th Annual Spiritual Sounds Gathering, 2022 via Zoom
https://youtu.be/EkxEADl1WIc

Fr. Christopher Calin No Cross Spiritual Sounds 2022

“For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)

“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

Fr. Calin has been participating in these Spiritual Sounds interfaith celebrations for years. An article from 2016 explains why these were started and what goes on at these gatherings:

Countering ugly rhetoric with spiritual sounds
https://www.amny.com/news/countering-ugly-rhetoric-with-spiritual-sounds/
…
[Anthony] Donovan had an idea years ago that he shared with Reverend Christopher Calin of the Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Virgin Protection, at 59 E. Second St.: namely, an event where the neighborhood’s diverse faith communities could gather and “get past their comfort zones” through a shared medium.
…
“I would walk around the neighborhood and walk by this church,” Calin said. “I would walk by Middle Collegiate Church, the Sixth St. Synagogue or the mosque on 11th St. and have no means of identifying or having a connection with them. Now I know them. I love them.”
…
There was plenty of traditional liturgical music, chants and Koranic recitations.

“We sing songs that celebrate the creation of life and how we celebrate our lives,” said local resident Kim Kalesti, whose composition “For the Universe” was performed by the St. Marks choir.

The night’s youngest performer was Ishaak, 11, of Madina Masjid, who recited a portion of the Koran that is merely a fragment of the 400 pages he’s read and memorized over the past two years.

Official photo taken at 2023 Spiritual Sounds Interfaith Gathering with the names of all participants.
Fr. Christopher Calin Hides His Cross for Photo Op at Interfaith Celebration

From left to right, Anthony Donovan, Faith Leaders and Music Directors for Spiritual Sounds 2023: John Del Cueto, Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft [wearing LGBTQ+ stole] of Middle Collegiate Church, Pastor Will Kroese of Trinity Lower Eastside Lutheran Church, Cantor Shayna Postman of Town and Village Synagogue, Muinuddin Charles Smith and Wes, Sharif Matthews of the Light of Guidance Sufi Center, Elder Yousuf of Medina Masjid, Kainat Sharifa Norton of Light of Guidance Sufi Center, Imam Sunnatur Rahman, Brother Khalil Bhai of the Medina Masjid, host Rt. Rev. Christopher Calin of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, Bud Courtney and Joanne Kennedy of the Catholic Worker, Jeannine Otis of St. Marks Church in the Bowery, Jennifer Cross of Orthodox Cathedral of the Most Holy Virgin Protection, Rabbi Laurence Sebert of Town and Village Synagogue.

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HT: Monomakhos.

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6 thoughts on “Fr. Christopher Calin Hides His Cross for Photo Op at Interfaith Celebration”

  1. Great observations from the Monomakhos blog:

    For the OCA, however, alarm bells are going off. As can be seen in the graphic that appends this essay, ecumenism and the homosexual agenda appear to go hand-in-hand. The OCA’s cathedral in New York City is a community that is notorious for its celebration of all things Alphabet People. Jay views this subtle accession to the worldly spirit as part of the OCA’s drive to comport itself with Constantinople’s vision in its headlong rush to meet the 2025 deadline. We, too, are of this opinion.

    We all hope this assessment is wrong. I (perhaps naively) choose to view this particular ecumenist ceremony as a result of the cultural divide, which itself is a reflection of the political divide, that exists between the Red and the Blue states. Even if I am right, it is still alarming and I would be remiss if Monomakhos didn’t bring this to our readers’ attention. In fact, I would be a hypocrite.

    So in the interest of being consistent, we are pointing out this possible “ecumenical event” and once again, asking the Holy Synod of the OCA to condemn it in no uncertain terms. Otherwise, it’s going to be hard –much harder–for them to throw stones. If anything, it will only drive more Internet traffic to more traditional websites. Ours included.

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  2. Unfortunately most OCA bishops are weak and lukewarm. They have no courage or conviction to deal with such rebellious behavior. They have failed miserably to discipline and defrock many priests who have joined the LGBTQIAWXYZ rainbow brigades. Fr. Christopher Calin appears immune from anything he does, regardless of how homosexualized, secularized or radicalized it is.

    Where’s the clerical consistency? – part 1
    https://www.dissidentmama.net/wheres-the-clerical-consistency-part-1/

    Fr. Christopher Calin Endorses Pro-Abortion, Pro-LGBTQ, Anti-Christian Biden-Harris Candidacy
    https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2020/08/fr-christopher-calin-endorses-pro-abortion-pro-lgbtq-anti-christian-biden-harris-candidacy/

    Reply

  3. They seem to be the “troublemakers” (liberal minded) of the local “faith groups” with Muslims being numerically more… wherefrom is this Calin character? His behavior is very UNorthodox, the Muslims are from the liberal (mostly Turkish) Sufism, and the female synagogue cantor shows that she is part of “liberal judaism” not part of traditional Judaism. The OCA is full of “converts” that did not “fit in” with their previous “allegiance”, bringing with them “foreign baggage” when they are accepted (unfortunately) due to religious emotionalism instead of being vetted for True (orthodox) Faith.. they probably are on the approval list of the Phanar USA representative Elpos😉

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  4. And in the face of the Kiev Petschersk Lavra monastery tragedy the infamous Fr. Christopher Calin celebrates the eviction of the monks as “good news” on his church FB page. What darkness and depravity rages in this impostor!
    https://orthodoxreflections.com/president-zelenskyy-god-and-the-whole-orthodox-world-are-watching/

    https://www.facebook.com/nycathedral/
    Russian Orthodox Cathedral of O C A Protection Holy Virgin
    This is good news!

    “Archimandrite Abraham (Lotysh), a member of the Spiritual Brotherhood of the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, appealed to the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphany, as the Holy Archimandrite of the monastery, with a request to approve it among the brotherhood as part of the monastery of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

    According to the press service of the OCU, Metropolitan Epiphanius granted his request and blessed Father Abraham to perform his duties as Abbot governor of the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

    Also, the Primate of the OCU appealed to the government with a request to provide for the use of the Ukrainian Lavra premises for the accomplishment of services, accommodation of the brotherhood and monastic activities. Metropolitan Epiphanius expressed hope that the state would help protect the Abbot and the monastery from possible provocations by supporters of the Moscow Patriarchate.

    As Abbot of the Lavra, Father Abraham appealed to the brotherhood not to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. He acknowledged that Metropolitan of the UOC (MP) Pavlo (Swan) was shaping the sad situation in which the UOC (MP) finds itself now. Instead of finding ways to unite, the UOC (MP) was engaged in inciting hostility, the monk assured.

    “All-honest fathers and dear brotherhood of Lavra! In recent times, especially in these months and weeks, we have all felt pain and despair because of the events that are happening to our abode. They are still trying to convince us that the only reason for these events is the attitude of the state. However, it should be honestly recognized that our hitherto Abbot and clergyman in the person of the Metropolitan and the Synod step by step formed the sad situation in which we found ourselves. Instead of dialogue – closedness and threats. Instead of realizing the need to truthfully, sincerely and definitively break the subordination to Moscow, which is waging war against us – vague and half-hearted decisions and statements that everyone interprets as they wish. Instead of searching for ways to unite the Orthodox and reconcile, it is incitement to hostility and confrontation.”

    Archimandrite Abraham says that as a member of the Spiritual Council of the Lavra, he has long felt a special responsibility for the fate of the Lavra. “I spent a lot of time praying and meditating. Both my conscience and my duty as a monkpriest encourage me to stay in the place where I made vows before God.”

    “In what is happening, I see the action of the Providence of God and the motivation for all of us to recognize the new canonical reality of the existence in Ukraine of the Local Orthodox Church, which is granted the Tomos of autocephaly, which has the recognition of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Local Churches, which has a canonically elected Primate of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphany, the Holy Archimandrite of the Pechersk Lavra.

    I myself voluntarily made this difficult, but in my opinion – the only correct and canonically justified decision. His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius, at my request, approved me among the brotherhood of the Lavra as part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” the archimandrite said.

    He noted that the Holy Archimandrite of the Lavra, Metropolitan Epiphanius, placed the duty of the Abbot of the Lavra on him. “I realize that I do not accept glory, but a crown of thorns and a heavy cross. But for the sake of humility and salvation of the soul, I came here, and therefore I do not run away from the cross, but with a reliance on the mercy of God, the intercession of the Virgin and the prayers of the Pechersk Fathers, I accept it,” archimandrite Abraham said.

    He called on the brotherhood of the Lavra “to remain in the Lavra as part of the Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine under the omophorion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany. I am ready to communicate with you and strive to work together with you to renew our monastery as a real monastery and a place of spiritual renewal for monks and all the faithful.”

    “I beg your holy prayers! By the prayers of the Reverend Fathers of our Pechersk, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us!” summed up the new governor of Lavra.”

    Reply
  6. Pingback: Fr. Christopher Calin Hides His Cross for Photo Op at Interfaith Celebration – OrthodoxNetwork Blog – In Defense of Truth and Righteousness – TheOrthodoxDailyBulletin

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