Orthodox Christianity

Mara D. Bellaby Associated Press Writer Published: Jun 15, 2005

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – Defying the Russian Orthodox Church’s stance, one of Ukraine’s top religious leaders said Wednesday he sees no obstacles to greater cooperation between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican.
The statement, which was made during an interview with The Associated Press, signaled yet another rift between Russia and the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, where pro-Western leaders came to power earlier this year.

The Moscow Patriarchate accuses the Catholics of encroaching on its territory and blocked the late Pope John Paul II’s long-held wish to visit Russia, the world’s most populous Orthodox nation.

Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Kiev Patriarchate, said the churches have much in common and should cooperate in emphasizing the importance of the family and moral values.
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BreakPoint Albert Mohler June 14, 2005

“We have figured out your problem. You’re the only one here who believes in God.” That statement, addressed to a young seminarian, introduces Dave Shiflett’s new book, Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity. The book is an important contribution, and Shiflett offers compelling evidence that liberal Christianity is fast imploding upon itself.

Shiflett’s instincts as a reporter led him to see a big story behind the membership decline in liberal denominations. At the same time, Shiflett detected the bigger picture–the decline of liberal churches as compared to growth among the conservatives. Like any good reporter, he knew he was onto a big story.

“Americans are vacating progressive pews and flocking to churches that offer more traditional versions of Christianity,” Shiflett asserts. This author is not subtle, and he gets right to the point: “Most people go to church to get something they cannot get elsewhere. This consuming public–people who already believe, or who are attempting to believe, who want their children to believe–go to church to learn about the mysterious Truth on which the Christian religion is built. They want the Good News, not the minister’s political views or intellectual coaching. The latter creates sprawling vacancies in the pews. Indeed, those empty pews can be considered the earthly reward for abandoning heaven, traditionally understood.”

Pope dream: Healing ancient Christian rift a distant glimmer

BRIAN MURPHY The Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece – It’s a goal that has eluded Christianity for nearly 1,000 years: mending the rifts between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “fundamental commitment” to heal the divide, and this week will engage in an indirect round of talks with the Russian Orthodox.

In spiritual terms, it’s an epic invitation to repair the broken foundation of the faith – at a time when the European Union is erasing the last Cold War separations and some Christian leaders appeal for greater cooperation to challenge the rise of militant Islam.

But then comes a reality check. Even the smallest steps toward reconciliation can kick up disputes that require the finesse of a diplomat and the perspective of a historian to overcome. And, in the end, any serious bids at rapprochement will force the Vatican to confront some core differences such as honoring Orthodoxy’s traditions of autonomous leadership and married clergy.
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2005.06.08 Interfax: Jun 8 2005 11:43AM

Alexy II concerned about anti-Semitism and xenophobia

MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) – Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II said he is concerned about the spread of anti-Semitism and xenophobia worldwide.

“Unfortunately, this sin manifests itself today, including among public figures, publicists and extremist group leaders. Most of them insult the feelings of other nationalities, including the Russian people, trample on
their sacred objects and historical memory,” the patriarch said at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s conference on anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, which opened in Cordova in southern Spain on Wednesday.

Speaking about xenophobia, the Russian Orthodox Church head said that “anti-Semitism – one of the extreme forms of anti-humanism and ethnic hatred – had particularly tragic consequences in the 20th century.” “The Russian Orthodox Church completely shares serious concerns governments and the public have about any manifestations of xenophobia, anti-Semitism and all other kinds of ethnic hatred and intolerance,” he said.

Should the Orthodox church be in dialogue with the Roman Catholic one? Yes. Will we reunite? It would take a miracle.

By Fr. Patrick Reardon

Were I to list the thousand reasons why Rome is my favorite place in all the world, most of them would have to do the Eternal City’s long association with Christian history. On those all too rare occasions when I am able to get back to Rome, most of my time is spent visiting the catacombs, the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum, and other sites precious to Christian memory. My personal sentiments about Rome were well summarized by St. Abercius, the second-century Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, who had made a pilgrimage to the Eternal City. Later, in the inscription that he crafted for his own tomb, he referred to the church at Rome as “the queen with the golden robe and golden shoes.” Starting with the blood of the Neronic martyrs, there is no city on earth, I think, more deeply saturated in Christian memory.
Surely, then, any Orthodox heart must be saddened when remembering the long and deep estrangement between ourselves and that venerable institution described by St. Irenaeus of Lyons as “the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul.”
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English Translation by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

For the first time since 1957, the Chinese capital’s Orthodox community had a festive Paschal service today, reports “ITAR-TASS”. Albazinians – descendants of Russian cossacks from the Albazin fortress of the Amur — adhere to Orthodox traditions. At the end of the XVII century, the Albazinians served in the Manchurian imperial guards.

In the absence of an Orthodox priest who is Chinese, the service was lead by a layman in one of Beijing’s [Roman] Catholic temples.

“Today’s event needs to be considered as a sign of the Chinese authorities’ attention to this problem”, stated ROC/MP priest Dionisy Pozdnyaev, who arrived in Beijing from Xianggang/Hong Kong. Beijing’s Orthodox now have hope that the question of ordaining a priest will be resolved, especially since candidates are available.”

By Archbishop Iakovos Grand Banquet, Clergy-Laity Congress, July 3, 1996

The beautiful Day which lasted almost 37 years has reached its end. The sunset is brilliant, as I can read it in your eyes. The night will be short, as are the nights of the summer. And the dawn will rise tomorrow upon another Day. It is for this day that I pray together with you. I want you to be happy, to enjoy the light, to walk in it. I will be terribly unhappy if you ever lose the sight of tomorrow.
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The word “Lent,” now associated exclusively with the observance of the liturgical year, originally meant “spring” and had no directly religious significance. In English usage, however, its reference was gradually limited to the season of preparation for Pascha, a season that does, in fact, coincide with spring.

In languages dependent on Latin, the word for Lent is some variant of “forty,” derived from the Latin *quadragesima*. This is a period of forty days of fasting in imitation of the Lord himself, who observed exactly that length of time in fasting prior to the beginning of his earthly ministry. Lent is also associated with the forty day fasts of Moses, on Mount Sinai, and of Elijah, as he journeyed to that same mountain. Doubtless it was this combination of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah together on the mountain of Transfiguration that prompted many believers to read that Gospel story near the beginning of Lent.
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