| Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Our faith should not be regarded as stagnant or even obsolete Source: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Scholars’ Meeting at the Phanar (January 5, 2016) AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov Beloved and distinguished scholars, We warmly welcome you all to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to the Church of Constantinople, the Church of St. Andrew “the first-called of the Apostles” and his disciple, St. Stachys of “the Seventy Apostles,” an institution with a history spanning seventeen centuries, during which it has retained its administrative offices in this very city through times of majesty and times of martyrdom. As you all know very well and appreciate through your studies, this extraordinary region is filled with significance for our Church. It is here that St. John (the Apostle of love) wrote his Gospel; it is here that St. Paul (the Apostle to the nations) addressed the earliest Apostolic communities; it is here – in Asia Minor, not in Greece or Italy – that all of the earliest councils of the Church that defined and shaped the Christian doctrine were convened; and it is here that the spiritual treasures of Byzantium – its profound theological, spiritual and cultural legacy – have been faithfully maintained to this day. Nevertheless, as you are also aware and as you surely understand, Orthodoxy is a faith at once rooted in the past, yet at the same time a Church looking toward the future. It is characterized by a profound sense of continuity with the times and teachings of the Apostolic Church and the Church of the Fathers; but it is also a Church that draws from its rich heritage in order to respond to modern challenges and dilemmas. It is precisely this dual nature that permits Orthodoxy to speak boldly about critical contemporary issues – precisely because it is a “living tradition.” Dear friends, you are here at a critical time, a complex time, a challenging time – both for our Orthodox Church but also for the entire world. We have invited you for this personal encounter and exchange at the Phanar because we consider you as a small representative group of a much larger segment of our Church, a symbol of our loving concern for all those ministering to the Word of God in manifold ways throughout the world. You comprise theologians and historians, scholars and teachers, women and men from the United States and Europe, as well as from Asia and Australia. You educate and work with a wide range of people – Orthodox and non-Orthodox, Christian and non-Christian, academic and ecumenical – translating the fundamental principles of our faith in response to the vital challenges of our time. |
| В.Я. Саврей Summary The Cappadocian school is a circle of like-minded persons with whom the Golden Age of Patristics is linked. The circle " s founders were the greatest Christian thinkers in the second half of the fourth century St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian and St Gregory of Nyssa. In science they have been called " the great Cappadocians» because of the province of Cappadocia in the East Asia Minor where their bishoprics were located. Besides them, there also were St Amphilochius of Iconium, St Peter of Sebaste, St Macrina the Younger, etc; and it was at various times connected with a number of outstanding figures of the epoch, namely: Libanius of Antioch, St Ephraem Syrus, St John Chrysostom, Deaconess Olympias. St Basil the Great (c. 330–379 AD) and St Gregory the Theologian (326–389) got a splendid education in Athens, where they shared their studies with the future Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate; then they studied the Bible and Origen " s works on their own, living in a hermitage. Later on St Basil became Bishop of Caesarea, the then metropolis of Cappadocia, and consecrated St Gregory, who wanted to lead a solitary existence, Bishop of Sasima against his will. St Basil " s younger brother, the second Gregory (c. 335–394 AD) became Bishop of Nyssa. The time after the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) was a period of acute dogmatic contradictions, and St Basil " s main task was to consolidate the Orthodox teaching for which purpose one needed to have worked out a generally accepted set of philosophical and theological terms. The Cappadocians used to be called the Neo-Nicenes for their commitment to the Nicene Creed and, at the same time, an innovative approach to language; as well as the Neo-Alexandrians for their following the main principles of the Alexandrian school after St Athanasius the Great. The Cappadocian school set itself a goal of creating precise doctrinal formulae which should not be reconsidered after their acceptance by the General Council and be the basis for a further development of theological thought. |
| Greatmartyr Theodore the Tyro (“the Recruit”) Commemorated on February 17/March 2 The Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit (Tyro) was a soldier in the city of Alasium of the Pontine district (northeast province of Asia Minor, stretching along the coast of the Euxine, i.e. the Black Sea), under the command of a certain Brincus. They commanded him to offer sacrifice to idols. Saint Theodore firmly confessed his faith in Christ the Savior in a loud voice. The commander gave him several days to think it over, during which time Saint Theodore prayed. They charged him with setting a pagan temple on fire, and threw him into prison to be starved to death. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him there, comforting and encouraging him. Brought to the governor, Saint Theodore boldly and fearlessly confessed his faith, for which he was subjected to new torments and condemned to burning. The martyr Theodore climbed onto the fire without hesitation, and with prayer and gave up his holy soul to God. This occurred in about the year 306 under the Roman emperor Galerius (305-311). Unharmed by the fire, the body of Saint Theodore was buried in the city of Euchaita, not far from Amasium. His relics were afterwards transferred to Constantinople, to a church dedicated to him. His head is in Italy, in the city of Gaeto. Later on, fifty years after the death of Saint Theodore, the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), wanting to commit an outrage upon the Christians, commanded the city-commander of Constantinople during the first week of Great Lent to sprinkle all the food provisions in the marketplaces with the blood offered to idols. Saint Theodore appeared in a dream to Archbishop Eudoxius, ordering him to inform all the Christians that no one should buy anything at the marketplaces, but rather to eat cooked wheat with honey (kolyva). In memory of this occurrence, the Orthodox Church annually celebrates the holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit on the first Saturday of Great Lent. On Friday evening, at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts following the prayer at the ambo, the Canon to the holy Great Martyr Theodore, composed by Saint John of Damascus, is sung. After this, kolyva is blessed and distributed to the faithful. The celebration of the Great Martyr Theodore on the first Saturday of Great Lent was set by the Patriarch Nectarius of Constantinople (381-397). |
| Nine Martyrs at Cyzicus: Theognes, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius, and Philemon Commemorated on April 29 The city of Cyzicus is in Asia Minor on the coast of the Dardenelles (Hellespont). Christianity already began to spread there through the preaching of Saint Paul (June 29). During the persecutions by the pagans, some of the Christians fled the city, while others kept their faith in Christ in secret. At the end of the third century Cyzicus was still basically a pagan city, although there was a Christian church there. The situation in the city distressed the Christians, who sought to uphold Christianity. The nine holy martyrs Thaumasius, Theognes, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, and Philemon were also from Cyzicus. They came from various places, and were of different ages: the young like Saint Antipater, and the very old like Saint Rufus. They came from various positions in society: some were soldiers, countryfolk, city people, and clergy. All of them declared their faith in Christ, and prayed for the spread of Christianity. The saints boldly confessed Christ and fearlessly denounced the pagan impiety. They were arrested and brought to trial before the ruler of the city. Over several days they were tortured, locked in prison and brought out again. They were promised their freedom if they renounced Christ. But the valiant martyrs of Christ continued to glorify the Lord. All nine martyrs were beheaded by the sword (+ ca. 286-299), and their bodies buried near the city. In the year 324, when the Eastern half of the Roman Empire was ruled by Saint Constantine the Great (May 21), and the persecutions against Christians ended, the Christians of Cyzicus removed the incorrupt bodies of the martyrs from the ground and placed them in a church built in their honor. Various miracles occurred from the holy relics: the sick were healed, and the mentally deranged were brought to their senses. The faith of Christ grew within the city through the intercession of the holy martyrs, and many of the pagans were converted to Christianity. |
| Today we celebrate the memory of the great holy hierarch and teacher of the Church, John, Archbishop of Constantinople. While he was yet a humble presbyter in Antioch, not seeking any glory or honor, weak in body and plain in appearance, he was great in spirit and strong in faith. No other man in Antioch gave such influential sermons as Chrysostom. His glory spread far beyond the country’s borders, and priest John was called in his fiftieth year to serve as hierarch of capital city cathedra of Constantinople. His sermons brought many sinners to righteous life. But certain members and clergymen of the imperial court, who hated him for his righteousness, became his fierce enemies. They finally had him condemned and exiled. Exhausted from physical sickness, the hierarch would have to travel a wearisome road through Asia Minor and the mountains of Armenia. Pushed onward by guards who did not know the meaning of compassion, he entered the Caucasus Mountain region and with great hardship reached the outskirts of modern-day Sukhumi. There, serving the Liturgy for the last time, he died with the words, “Glory to God for all things!” Christ’s Church has not forgotten the spiritual ascetic labors of St. John Chrysostom. Almost every day in churches is celebrated the Liturgy that he composed; we hear his words every Paschal night—the call to enter into the joy of Christ’s resurrection. Over a thousand of his pastoral teachings and letters, his exegesis of the Holy Scripture, and his ascetic life have served for many centuries for the spiritual growth and salvation of the Church’s sons and daughters. Before his death, the saint thanked God for everything he had to experience. Why didn’t sickness and depravations break him, cast him into despondency, or incite him to complain? Because for true confessors of Christ, physical suffering is gladness. Onerous trials and physical pain in the name of Christ purify the ascetic’s soul from attachment to earthly vanity, and exalt in it the measure of true values over illusory ones. In sorrows the desire weakens for non-spiritual consolations that corrupt the soul and burden the conscience, and make the heart vulnerable, ambitious, and weak. Sickness and depravation endured with prayer heal us of conceit and pride. This is why the Lord, Who outlined for his disciples the path of perfection, called those blessed who walk that path. |
| Материал из Православной Энциклопедии под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла АПАМЕЯ Вифинская [греч. Απμεια ν τ Βιθυν], древний город в Вифинии на вост. берегу Мраморного м., руины к-рого с хорошо сохранившимся театром в наст. время располагаются в 1 км к юго-востоку от совр. г. Муданья (Турция); автокефальная архиепископия, позже митрополия в составе К-польского Патриархата. Город, первоначально называвшийся Мирлея (Μυρλεα, по имени его легендарного основателя Мирла), назвал в честь своей жены Апамы вифинский царь Прусий II (182-149 до Р. Х.). В эпоху Цезаря (ок. 45 до Р. Х.) А. стала рим. колонией Iulia Concordia Augusta Apameia. Епископская кафедра существовала здесь, вероятно, с апостольских времен, т. к. о многочисленной христ. общине в Вифинии говорит Плиний Младший (нач. II в.). Епископ А., первоначально подчинявшийся митрополиту Никомидии , центра пров. Вифиния, автокефалию получил ок. 640 г. Среди автокефальных архиепископий А. вначале занимала 8-е место, к кон. X в. поднялась на 3-е. На рубеже XI-XII вв. А. уже упоминается в списках митрополий К-польского Патриархата, где занимает 69-е место. После завоевания Вифинии турками со 2-й пол. XIV в. архиепископия А. становится титулярной. Епископы А.: Феофил (381), Евлисий (нач. V в.), Каллиник (до 431 - после 451), Марк (536; по ошибке назван митрополитом, см. Mansi. T. 8. Col. 878), Феопемпт (691), Евстратий (787), Евлампий (до 847/48-869), Павел (870), Софроний (879), Василий (кон. X в.), Феодор (XI в.), Михаил (ок. XI-XIII в.), Константин (1032), Георгий (Григорий; до 1145 - после 1156), Исаак (1158 - после 1172), неизвестный (1274), неизвестный (1310). В 1945-1951 гг. титул епископа А. носили Спиридон (позже митр. Родосский) и Василий (позже митр. Сидирокастрский), а также Иаков, вик. Фиатирской епархии. Лит.: RE. Bd. 12. Sp. 2664; Janin R.//DHGE. T. 3. Col. 916-917; idem. Églises et monastères. P. 129, 131, 136-139, 207; Magie D. Roman Rule in Asia Minor to the End of 3rd Cent. A. D. Princeton, 1950. T. 2. P. 1189 f.; Κονιδρης Γ .//ΘΗΕ. Τ. 2. Σ. 1040; Darrouz è s. Notitiae. Passim; Fedalto. Hierarchia. T. 1. P. 110-111. |
| Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Commemoration of the Asia Minor Catastrophe Archbishop Demetrios On September 16, 2015, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios released an encyclical regarding the sixtieth anniversary of the riots in Constantinople which resulted in great damange to Orthodox Church properties, as well as the looting and destruction of Christian homes and businesses. In commemoration he calls for all parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to serve memorial servicse today, Sunday, September 20, 2015. Protocol 172/15 September 20, 2015 Commemoration of the Asia Minor Catastrophe To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We are confronted on a daily basis with the tragedy of conflict in our world, the struggles and suffering of refugees, and the violence and death associated with terrorism and genocide. We see and hear reports of the tremendous challenges faced by people who are being expelled from their homes and countries, who are seeking basic provisions and security, and who are in need of hope and comfort. As Greek Orthodox Christians, we are very aware of these challenges, and we are called in the love of God to respond to these great needs. We also offer our prayers and support in our remembrance of the great tragedies that have befallen our forbearers. This month marks the anniversary of two periods of intense persecution, suffering, and loss of life and property by Greeks in Asia Minor. This month is the sixtieth anniversary of the riots in Constantinople in 1955 which resulted in the damage, destruction, and looting of thousands of Greek businesses and homes and scores of churches, monasteries and schools. People were killed or injured, cemeteries were desecrated, and crosses were vandalized. Almost every Greek Orthodox Church property was targeted, including the Patriarchal cemetery and Balukli, where sepulchers and vaults were violated. This orchestrated act of violence and terrorism caused great injury to the Greek people in Constantinople and surrounding areas, and resulted in tens of thousands of Greeks leaving Turkey. |
| Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Perform Liturgy in Izmir Source: Greek Reporter Natalya Mihailova 29 January 2015 The reconstructed church of Agios Voukolos is the only Christian Orthodox church of the big city of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey that survived the destruction of 1922. The church will reopen to the public as a place of worship and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has been scheduled to perform a liturgy in the church on Friday, February 6. Agios Voukolos – the patron Saint of Izmir – is celebrated on February 6. The church is located in the district of Basmane and it was recently renovated by the Izmir municipality. From 1922 until its renovation, the space was used as a warehouse, then as classical music and opera hall for concerts and later as archaeological museum and an antiques store. The Ecumenical Patriarch will tour Asia Minor from Thursday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 10. He will be accompanied by several Greater Regional Holy and Sacred Synod bishops from across the globe. The Ecumenical Patriarch will attend a hagiographical conference in the Izmir Chamber of Commerce auditorium and will visit the prefect of Izmir, the Ephesus District Officer and the mayors of Izmir, Bornova, Konak and Narlidere. On Tuesday, February 10, on his last day in the Asia Minor region, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will visit Agios Haralambos Church in Cesme. Izmir hosts a very small number of Greeks, amounting to around 200 people. However, the Orthodox community is represented by the presence of Russian and Serbian residents, amounting to a total of almost 2,500 people. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Perform Liturgy in Izmir Natalya Mihailova Agios Voukolos – the patron Saint of Izmir – is celebrated on February 6. The church is located in the district of Basmane and it was recently renovated by the Izmir municipality. From 1922 until its renovation, the space was used as a warehouse, then as classical music and opera hall for concerts ... |
| First Divine Liturgy in Smyrna Since 1922 Source: Greek Reporter Natalya Mihailova 20 August 2014 Members of the Greek Orthodox Community in Smyrna had a unique and memorable experience on Sunday, when they attended the first Divine Liturgy that has taken place in the area since the Catastrophe of Smyrna in 1922. The service was held at the renovated church of St. Voukolos. The church is dedicated to the patron saint of Smyrna and it is the only Greek Orthodox church that did not burn in the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922. St. Voukolos is located in the district of Basmane and was recently renovated by the City of Smyrna. After the Catastrophe of Smyrna, the church has been used as a warehouse, a concert hall for classical music and operas, an archaeological museum and an antiquities storage space, until recently, when it was renovated. The Greek Orthodox Community of Smyrna welcomed the event with excitement and joy as they always hoped to be able to use the temple for religious ceremonies. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog First Divine Liturgy in Smyrna Since 1922 Natalya Mihailova The church is dedicated to the patron saint of Smyrna and it is the only Greek Orthodox church that did not burn in the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922. St. Voukolos is located in the district of Basmane and was recently renovated by the City of Smyrna. After the Catastrophe of Smyrna, the church ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. |
| Lessons from Byzantium The Byzantine Empire’s long run — 1,100 years — may seem remote from the 21st century, but a reading of its history offers at least three timeless lessons. Understanding some of the fatal weaknesses in the Eastern Roman Empire may help clarify the political and economic problems that America faces today and the choices we have in responding to them. Founded in 330 by the emperor Constantine, the eastern half of the Roman Empire was centered in Constantinople, the New Rome. By the fourth century, the empire had endured more than a century of instability, internecine warfare, and economic decline. In that context Rome’s eastern lands, arcing around Asia Minor, the Levant, and northern Africa, were especially attractive, being richer and more settled than the comparatively backward parts of western Europe. It was in part to assure continued access to these sources of wealth that Constantine relocated his capital. By A.D. 476, Rome had been overrun by barbarian tribes, and before long only Constantinople in the East had a seat for the emperors. The first lesson for America to take from the history of Byzantium is about individualism and freedom. While it was no democracy, nonetheless Byzantium flourished when it allowed its citizens, and particularly its soldiers, greater individual freedom and responsibility. Beginning in the early 7th century, Emperor Heraclius moved from the traditional reliance on the provinces and their civilian governors and instead established large military zones, or “themes,” in Asia Minor, which was now the backbone of the empire. Centralization was maintained through the appointment of a single official with both civil and military responsibilities, but the real innovation of the themes was how the land was settled by imperial troops. In essence, the soldiers became permanent farmers who could be called on for military service yet would be self-sustaining. They relieved the empire of the necessity of recruiting and paying expensive and often unreliable foreign mercenaries. Moreover, while becoming the most effective frontier defense the state had ever known, as individual landholders they added enormously to the productive capacity and wealth of the empire by cultivating their tracts of farmland. |
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