| Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk sends greetings to Pope Francis on the occasion of first anniversary of his election to the chair of Bishops of Rome Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, sent a message of greetings to Pope Francis on the occasion of the anniversary of his election to the chair of Bishops of Rome. The text of the message is given below: Your Holiness, I cordially greet you with the first anniversary of your election as Bishop of Rome. The initiatives that Your Holiness undertook during the first year of your pontificate found a ready response among the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church and wan well-deserved respect of those who are concerned about the future of Christianity. The Supreme Authority of the Russian Orthodox Church is pleased to note that the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church have similar positions on many today’s pressing issues. Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking twice with Your Holiness. During our meetings, you showed benevolent openness and respectful attention to the position of the Russian Orthodox Church. Please, allow me to express my hope that in future the relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate will also be based on mutual understanding and will be aimed at developing the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and upholding Christian ideals in the life of modern society. Please, accept my sincere wishes of peace, good health and God’s blessing in your primatial ministry. With love in the Lord, /+Hilarion/ Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Chairman Department for External Church Relations Moscow Patriarchate Code for blog 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. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| The ceremony of laying down the first stone of the future church took place on April 7, 2010. It was attended by Vladimir Putin, then Russia’s prime minister and now President, and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The author of the project of the memorial complex is architect Dmitry Pshenichny. Besides the church and the cross, the complex includes a belfry, a well with holy water, several conference halls, accommodations for pilgrims, a canteen and household outbuildings. “It is symbolical that the church in Katyn was named after the Resurrection of Christ,” Patriarch Kirill says. “The Resurrection of Christ is a victory of Good over Evil, of Truth over lies,” His Holiness says. “For many years, the Soviet authorities hushed up the Katyn tragedy. However, finally, the truth prevailed over lies.” “Now, we are commemorating the Katyn martyrs in the church of the Resurrection of Christ, and we hope for the resurrection of all the dead in the end of time.” “Nothing unites people as much as a common grief. The Katyn tragedy united Russians and Poles, and the two people should always remain brothers. I believe, from opening this monument, a new stage in Russian-Polish relations will start,” the Patriarch says. After sanctifying the church and performing a divine service in it, Patriarch Kirill, together with a Polish delegation, which included politicians, military officials and Polish Orthodox hierarchs, visited the Alley of Memory, which separates the Russian and the Polish parts of the memorial complex, and laid down wreaths to the 10-meter Orthodox cross in the Russian part of the cemetery, and to a chancel in its Polish part. When the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was visiting the Polish part of the cemetery, the famous Katyn bell rang three times. This bell is situated lower than the ground level, which symbolizes a call from the dead to the living. Source: The Voice of Russia Code for blog 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. |
| One of the important messages reiterated throughout the history of the Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement has been the Orthodox statement delivered at the First World Conference of Faith and Order in Lausanne in 1927. The Faith and Order Commission started as a movement of churches within the WCC to combat church division and seek unity according to the expressed will of Christ: “That all maybe one” ( Jn. 17.21 ). It grew into being a commission of nominees from different churches, currently totalling 120 representatives, who assemble regularly to reflect on divisive and non-divisive issues which keep the churches away from full communion. At the 1927 meeting in Lausanne, the Orthodox laid down the principle that reunion could take place “only on the basis of the common faith and confession of the undivided church,” acknowledged as the reality of the first eight centuries of the Christian era. Real union, therefore, was seen only as communio in sacris, a sharing in the sacred mysteries, and this could happen only on the basis of full agreement in faith. The Orthodox delegates, having made this significant policy statement, then expressed their readiness to continue the search for unity by acknowledging “a partial reunion” currently happening among other churches in anticipation of the “general union” to which they looked forward in hope. By this means, establishing limits and terms to the notion of the ecumenical quest, the Orthodox were able more comfortably to situate themselves in the syntax of their own traditional ecclesi- ology, and were enabled to address the others as one rather than many. Although fully conscious of the challenge of being divided from the others by dogmatic differences, the Orthodox declared their readiness to continue devotedly to seek the rapprochement of the churches, with those who shared and confessed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As Fr. Georges Florovsky (the noted Orthodox theologian who was involved with the ecumenical movement from its earliest days) expressed it in 1949, the Orthodox understood their mandate to participate in ecumenical movement “as a direct obligation which stems from the very essence of Orthodox consciousness” (Florovsky 1989). |
| Many laymen (at times influenced appropriately by their wives) are understandably hesitant about whether they will be able to meet their existing family-based and work-based commitments should they become deacons. Stressing that there is no obligation for a deacon to become a priest will encourage many laypeople to consider the opportunities for service that the diaconate offers. The Roman Catholic experience of ordaining permanent deacons has been successful in many dioceses, providing relevant evidence that the practice of the early Church is still applicable to the contemporary Church. The ministry of deacons today would evolve to serve the mission of the Church and the needs of the World, but always within the critique of Tradition and the oversight and authority of the bishop. A reconfiguration of ministerial roles between the deacon and the priest would of course prove necessary and a large degree of pastoral discretion and humility would be required from all concerned. As we have seen from our historical analysis of the decline of the diaconate in this paper, the mistakes of the past arose from the passions and the occasional lack of clarity in the definition and development of these ministries. We can learn from these mistakes; they should not be repeated. The active leadership of the episcopate in facilitating the harmonious realignment of both presbyteral and diaconal ministries remains vital. Perhaps some of the historical roles assigned to deacons in the Divine Liturgy, now lapsed, could be restored to them but the diaconate will not be rejuvenated by such minor albeit important adjustments alone. A more thorough-going reassessment of all the serving ministries of the Church is called for. The relationship between the deacon and the people of God should also be borne in mind, for diaconal ministries in the body of Christ are not and never have been restricted to those who are ordained. The deacon could become a very effective and inspirational leader and trainer of the people of God in their diaconal ministries as well and this is the greatest hope we might have for the work of the Church in mission, especially in alienated secular cultures. |
| Archive Пн His Holiness Patriarch Kirill takes part in the meeting of Primates and delegations of Local Orthodox Churches in Amman 26 February 2020 year 23:45 On 26 February 2020, Primates and delegations of Local Orthodox Churches met in the capital of Jordan, Amman. During his visit to Moscow, on 21 November 2019, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem put forward an initiative to hold a meeting for discussing the situation in the inter-church relations and the preservation of Orthodox unity. Participating in the meeting were His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, as well as delegations of the Romanian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste, and of the Polish Orthodox Church led by His Eminence Archbishop Abel of Lublin and Chelm. The official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church consisted of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; Archimandrite Aleksandr (Yelisov) head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; and Mr. Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media. The meeting began with common prayer in several languages. The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem greeted the participants and said: We know that unity is a God’s gift and we are aware of our responsibility for the preservation of unity left to us by the apostles. We have gathered here in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our dialogue is based on Christian love which is the only way to reconciliation. Answers to all our questions must be found in dialogue and fraternal love. Patriarch Theophilos underscored that the meeting in Amman is not a Council, but an informal fraternal gathering with a view to initiate a dialogue on the problems in the Orthodox world at a difficult time. He added: We hope that this gathering will lay the basis for the search of decisions. We should fight the divisions and direct our efforts to the preservation of unity and dialogue. |
| In the days of the suffering of the people, they strengthened the faith and poured forth hope in the mercy of God, hope that the Lord will not abandon them and that the day of liberation will soon be at hand. When difficult circumstances ensued in which the people were left without their leaders, princes and elders, they placed themselves at the head of their people, wisely leading them, endeavouring that the people save their faith, language and rich spiritual inheritance. With gratefulness to their Church and its wise Christ-loving and patriotic spiritual leaders, our people survived five centuries of Ottoman enslavement, preserved their soul, their faith, religious and moral values, as well as the awareness of their national identity. The time and circumstances of my being led into the Throne of the Serbian Patriarchs is, in so many ways, similar to the time and circumstances in which the Serbian Church with its people had experienced and survived difficult and fateful days in its history. Let us remind ourselves of the recent time of general suffering, practically in all territories where our people live. The consequences of that suffering are still visible and present: destroyed churches and monasteries, burned homes of the people, persons expelled from their centuries-old hearths, and in great part, dispersed throughout the world. All that has been said is, sadly, still visible on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. We cannot, but mention the gaping wound on the body of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people, here in Kosovo and Metohija, in this truly " dread place of judgment " . Today we are visiting and bowing before this sanctuary in our most sacred Serbian land, the cradle of our history, spirituality, Christian, Orthodox culture of the Serbian people. A land drenched in the martyred blood of the Kosovo martyrs and new-martyrs. Here in the territory of our greatest sanctuaries, among which is the sanctuary in which we find ourselves, in which are preserved the holy relics of our Archbishops and Patriarchs and the graves of prayerful intercessors and those who spiritually laboured, and before the sacred and miraculous icon of the Most Holy Mother of God. |
| Orthodox Bulgarians venerate piece of St Seraphim of Sarov’s relics given to Bulgarian Church as a gift Source: DECR In the evening of July 16, 2015, the holy relics of St Seraphim of Sarov were taken out to the court of the Metropolia of Sofia for public veneration. Photo: http://www.bg-patriarshia.bg/ The chest with a piece of the saint’s relics was given by the Moscow Patriarchate as a gift on the occasion of the 1150 th anniversary of the Baptism of the Bulgarian people and the 1145 th anniversary of the foundation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The request for this gift had been made to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia by Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. With the blessing of Patriarch Kirill, the shrine was brought to Bulgaria by Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhniy Novgorod and Arzamas. On May 12, in accepting the relics of St Seraphim of Sarov, an ascetic loved and honoured by Bulgarians, Patriarch Neophyte said, ‘We hope that this precious gift will contribute to the further strengthening of the faith and devotion of the Orthodox Bulgarian people and our God-commanded unity in Christ’. He asked to convey to Patriarch Kirill profound gratitude for the precious gift to the Bulgarian Church, for brotherly love and consideration. The decision concerning the permanent place for keeping the chest with St Seraphim’s relics will be made by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Code for blog 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. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Related articles At the highpoint of the storm this week, I went into the house and divested myself… The true aim of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. As for… From time to time, the Lord sends His people great soothsayers, great saints, who admonish the… Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| WASHINGTON, Apr 15, 2014 – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America attended yesterday, an Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, for approximately 90 Christian religious leaders from all over the United States. President Obama welcomed the religious leaders and at the beginning of his remarks mentioned the tragedy and violence that struck a Jewish community center and retirement home in Overland Park, Kansas, last Sunday. “No one should ever have to fear for their safety when they go to pray,” said the President in condemning the attack and the loss of innocent lives. The President talked about the message of hope that the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ brings to our world and also about his recent meeting with Pope Francis. Archbishop Demetrios immediately following the breakfast said: “We had the honor of being in an edifying gathering hosted by President Obama, filled with the sense of pain for the Passion but also with joy for the Resurrection of the Lord. The various parts of the program were indicative of the strong faith in Christ. It is worth noting that the references to the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ were contextualized with an eye in the contemporary reality of our world.” The White House breakfast was followed by a two-hour meeting at the adjacent Administration Building, where the religious leaders had the opportunity to be informed and discuss issues related to the protection of the youth and the assistance to areas outside the United States, plagued by conflicts and violence. Code for blog 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. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| Metropolitan Hilarion: Metropolitan Vladimir was a vivid example of selfless service to the Church Source: DECR Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk expresses condolences over the demise of Primate of Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, expressed his condolences to Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See of Kiev, over the demise of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Your Eminence, dear Vladyka, I was grieved to learn about the demise of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. His Beatitude Vladyka Vladimir was one of the oldest and most esteemed hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. His primatial service became a real epoch in the life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and, undoubtedly, wrote many marvelous pages in her history. His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir was elected to the See of Kiev in a very hard time for the Ukrainian Church, when her canonical unity underwent serious ordeals. Since the first days of his new ministry, he was steering the church ship with a firm hand towards the salutary harbour of Christ. We are greatly indebted to Metropolitan Vladimir’s deep wisdom, pastoral experience, courage, and fortitude for the preservation of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and for the wellbeing and prosperity that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has achieved. During the time when His Beatitude headed the See of Kiev, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church adorned herself with hundreds of new churches and monasteries, and her flock increased. However, Vladyka Vladimir’s chief merit was an ability, in any situation and regardless of the spirit of this world, to uphold the integrity of the church being in its fullness, to unite archpastors, pastors, and all the faithful. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep (John 10:11). By his personal piety, steadfast will to the truth, and all-covering, inexhaustible love to all those who came to him, His Beatitude strengthened his flock in faith, taught them to be patient in sorrows, and guided Christians to the highest hope of new life in Christ. |
| Photo: http://synod.com/ Vladyka Nazary led a brief moleben, then welcomed the guests: “These are special days, for we turn to our great pastor,” he said. “Over these days we will hear many good and instructive things about him. For me personally, the most important is love: Fr John possessed great love, similar to the love of the Lord. In answer to the question of whence he drew his strength, where he found such a wellspring of love, is obvious: Fr John celebrated Divine Liturgy every day, and partook of the Holy Gifts of Christ daily. I hope that as you make this pilgrimage to the homeland of St John, you will have love, since it is the greatest of virtues, it draws us closer to understanding our Batushka John and will enable us to beseech him with a pure heart.” The organizers of the event also spoke: Vyacheslav Makarov, Chairman of the Legislative Council of St Petersburg, Yury Gladunov, Head of the Petrograd Region and Evgeny Khachaturov, President of the St Petersburg Organizing Committee. Photo: http://synod.com/ Fr Nikolai, the originator and organizer of the event, talked about how the idea of this celebration formed, the titanic effort it took to organize it in the hometown of St John, the town of Sura in Pinezhsk region of Archangelsk oblast. A documentary by Nadezhda Bolshakova, “By the Name of John of Kronstadt,” was then shown which covered the brotherhood of the “family” of St John. It showed the most devoted and selfless followers of St John throughout the world, about the people who in very difficult and even dangerous circumstances continue to glorify him and his works and fulfill his legacy. The heroes of the film were the priests and founders of orphanages, houses of charity and clinics in the USA, Pakistan, Chile, Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Russia. Afterwards, the subjects of the documentary ascended the stage: Priest James Dank of Lincoln, NE, Priest John Tanveer, who ministers to several Orthodox missions in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Priest Alexander Zarkeshev, Head of the Orthodox Mission in Iran, the UAE, Kuwait and Afghanistan. |
|
|
