| Patriarch Kirill: Darya Domracheva is a true example of great fortitude, courage and persistence MOSCOW, 25 February (BelTA) -Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent a letter to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to congratulate the Belarusian head of state and all Belarusian people on the wonderful performance of the national team at the 22nd Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, BelTA learned from the Moscow Patriarchate. “The Belarusian athletes defended the honor of their country with dignity, and took a high place in the overall medal standings. A true example of great fortitude, courage and steadfastness was shown by biathlete Darya Domracheva, who won three gold medals and became the world’s first three-time Olympic champion securing the victories in individual races,” the letter reads. Patriarch Kirill sent his sincere congratulations to Darya Domracheva, members of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, and to all the Olympians who successfully continue the best sports traditions. “I wish you strength, courage and God’s help in further work for the benefit of the Fatherland,” the letter reads. Source: BELTA 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 Tartar Tsarevich Peter had left the Horde, received holy baptism in Rostov from Bishop Cyrill, fought the good fight of evangelistic virtues, and was made worthy of a vision of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, who commanded him to build and church on that spot. With the bishop’s blessing he fulfilled this command, and later entered into a union of brotherly love with Boris Vasilkovich (they became “named brothers”). Bishop Ignatius, Cyrill’s successor, confirmed this holy union by a special ecclesiastical rite of brotherhood. The Tsarevich finished his days in Rostov as a close relative of Boris’ family, and the Prince’s children called him their father’s “brother,” or “uncle until old age.” “And Peter reposed (1290) in deep old age, and departed to God in the monastic rank, having loved Him…” says the Tale. The church has preserved the image of the foreigner who came to love Christ, and was therefore loved by Him, and has canonized the Tatar Prince. He is commemorated on June 30 (o.s.). This tale bears witness to the lively discussion then taking place in Rostov at the time over the problem of the Christian’s relationship to the Mongols, to the high religious level of conscience at which this problem was addressed, and how strictly the holy hierarchs of the Church guarded the Christian Faith. Holy Hierarch Ignatius and Isaiah, and St. Avraamy of Rostov. The Rostov princedom had long been a strongly religious land of glorious Church tradition, which it inherited from the outstanding hierarchs of the tenth through twelfth centuries: Holy Hierarchs Leontius and Isaac, and St. Avraamy, the enlighteners of the pagans of north-eastern Russia, and from Bishops Luke and Pachomius, exemplary instructors and archpastors. After Battei Khan, under Bishop Cyril (1231-1262), a holy hierarch like unto the Kievan hierarchs before Tatar conquest; and under Bishop Ignatius (1262-1286), an ascetic struggler of the Kiev-Caves monastic type, religious life in Rostov was once again revived. Churches were built, monasteries founded, churches richly adorned with icons, frescoes, and precious vessels, all of which bore the mark of artistic good taste. It was said that the cathedral under Bishop Cyril was magnificent, adorned with gold, pearls, and precious stones “like a bride,” and the choir sang “mellifluously,” in Russian on the right cliros, in Greek on the left. It is recalled that under Bishop Ignatius work began on the “Rostov Theotokos,” that is, the Dormition Cathedral, to “cover Her roof with tin, and her floor with marble.” In the Chronicles it is noted that Prince Gleb “built many churches and adorned them with icons and books. |
| In any case, a church was later built in honor of St Nicholas upon the tomb of one of them, Askold, which gives reason to believe he was baptized with that name. Subsequently, under Prince Oleg, included among the dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was a Russian Diocese. During Igor’s reign, as evidenced by text from the pact between the Rus and the Greeks, the Rus were officially divided into those “who accepted baptism” and “the un-baptized,” and in fact the baptized recognized this pact with an oath given in the Cathedral of St Elias in Kiev. The fact that a cathedral already existed in Kiev suggests that other churches already existed there, too. Consequently, there was a significant number of Christians there already. The first herald of the general baptism of the people of Rus was Grand Duchess Olga. The chronicler praises her with enthusiasm and warmth, venerating her wisdom. In his depiction, she was for the Russian land “the morning star preceding the Sun, the early dawn preceding the day; she shone like the full moon in the night, shining among the heathens like a pearl.” Bestowed with a bright, incisive mind and seeing the sinless life of Christians, she submitted to the Gospel truths and, according to tradition, herself traveled to Constantinople in 957, where she was baptized by Patriarch Polyeuchtos, while Emperor Constantine Porphyrogennetos himself was her godfather. The Patriarch blessed Olga with a cross which she then brought back with her to Kiev, and foretold that her descendents would achieve glory. Olga gave him in return a gift of a gold platter with the depiction of the Savior in precious stones. Indubitably, many members of her entourage were also baptized. Returning to Kiev, she earnestly began spreading the Christian faith, which the Stepennaya Kniga [Book of Degrees of Royal Geneology] attests to: “Many, wondrous at her [Olga’s] words, having yet heard them before, received the word of God with love from her mouth, and were baptized.” For this, and for her lofty Christian sensibility, the Church glorified Grand Duchess Olga and commemorates her on July 11 (o.s.). |
| Seminar on “Christians of the East: Is there a hope for the tuture?” takes place in Brussels Source: DECR On 2 December 2014, a seminar on “Christians of the East: Is There a Hope for the Future?” organized by the Thomas More Institute took place at the Château Sainte-Anne Royal International Club in Brussels, Belgium. As the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the European international institutions reports, among the speakers were Mr. Benjamin Blanchard , founder of the “SOS. Christians of the East” Charity Foundation; Ms. Roueida Khouri, President of the “Christians of Syria for Peace” Association; and Prof. Jean – François Colosimo from St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris, who presented his new book on the future of Christians in the Middle East. The speakers pointed out that every year 150-200 million Christians all over the world were subjected to persecution and discrimination for their faith and that the most tragic was the situation of Christian population in Iraq and Syria. “Governments of the Western countries deceive their citizens; they have kept silence about the calvary of Christians in Syria,” Ms. Khouri said in her address, “The West has entered a war, expecting that the regimes undesirable for it will fall one after another, in domino principle, as the result of the so-called “Arab Spring.” The seizure of power by the Islamists has only led to the disintegration of states and the worsening of situation of not only Christians, but also of the undesirable traditional branches of Islam. In Homs, where some sixty thousand Christians lived before the crisis, just twenty-eight people are living now. For two and a half years in Ar-Raqqah and Yabroud Christian families have been forced to pay ransom of one thousand and six hundred Syrian pounds or about thirty-five grams of gold per month for their life and for the opportunity to remain Christians. Churches and monasteries have been burnt down, shrines have been desecrated, and all symbols of Christian religion have been banned. In these circumstances the question arises if there is a future for Christians in Syria. The Middle East is the cradle of Christianity, the home for Christians. We must stay in our homeland. Help us stay in our land. There is still a future for us in the land where our ancestors have lived together, in peace and accord with their Muslim brothers, for fourteen centuries. Peace can be restored in Syria. Syria asks the West neither for money nor for weapons. Syria asks for peace.” |
| An immaculate dwelling for himself; Now the light of the Spirit dwells in them, Equal in strength and consubstantial. Ode 6. Irmos. As pardon and salvation for us, Christ, our Master, you shone from the Virgin, That like the prophet Jonas from the belly Of the sea beast, you might snatch from corruption The whole fallen race of Adam. Troparia Almighty, renew a cherished, a right Spirit Within us, to hold it eternally, Who is ever united and proceeding from the Father, Purging hateful matter, burning Defilements and filth of minds. For the Apostles who awaited your coming In Sion you establish with fiery wind A longed for dignity, O Spirit, Knowledge of the Word begotten of the Father, Swiftly exposing the harsh chatter of the nations’ cajoleries. Ode 7. Harmonious melody of instruments decreed Reverence to the lifeless idol wrought of gold. But the Advocate’s life-bearing grace Inspires with reverence to cry, ‘Only Trinity, Equal in strength, without beginning, blessed are you!’ Troparia Fools did not recognise the voice spoken of In prophecy, called it drunkenness wrought of wine, When the strange sayings of the Apostles were heard. We, the devout, inspired by God, cry out to you, ’Renewer of the universe, blessed are you!’ The seer Joel,inspired by God, thundered an oracle Of the divine Word, who said, ’Those on whom I pour my Spirit Will cry out together, “Nature, Shining-with-threefold-splendour, blessed are you!”’ The third hour was blessed with grace, To indicate that we should worship Three Persons in singleness of authority; But now on the one Lord of days, Son, Father, Spirit, blessed are you! Ode 8. The triple radiant type of Godhead’s source Looses the bonds and turns the flame to dew; Youths give praise; while all created nature Blesses the only Saviour and Creator Of all as Benefactor. Troparia Coming to rest in appearance like-fiery-tongues, The Spirit, caused remembrance of the mortal-saving words Which Christ, heard-as-from-the-Father, spoke To the Apostles. Creation, once estranged, |
| Saint Theophan further says, Many have the idea that Christianity is the same as other kinds of life, but this is not so. It begins with repentance, ripens through the fight against passions, and is perfected when the pure, inner man, immersed in God, is crucified with Christ… If Christians do have pleasures they are purely incidental. The most distinguishing characteristics of their existence are sufferings and sickness––inward and outward, voluntary and involuntary. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom, and into that which is within it.….If you want good for yourself, get rid of pleasures and enter on the path of the cross of repentance, burn up in the fire of self-crucifixion, be tempered in tears of heartfelt contrition––and you’ll become gold, or sliver, or a precious stone, and in due time you’ll be taken by the Heavenly Householder as an adornment for His most bright and most peaceful mansions. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Bearing the Cross – What Does This Mean? Deacon Haralambos (Charles) Joiner Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) What does it mean to take up our cross daily? This is a question that St. Theophan the Recluse addressed in a series of homilies in 1885. First, let " s ... 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. |
| Moscow Synodal Choir on tour to Moravia The Moscow Synodal Choir was on tour to Moravia in the end of November. The tour was organized by the Elizabeth and Sergius Educational Society, the Foundation for the Revival of the Moscow Synodal Choir and the Czech advertising agency SNIP&CO with the support of the South Moravia and Zlin administrations, the Russian general consulate in Brno and the Znojmo City Council. This event became part of the Russian Culture festival in the Czech Republic and was dated to the 1025 th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ and the 1150 th anniversary of the coming of Ss Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Concerts were given in Velegrad, Znojmo and Brno. Czech people received a unique opportunity to hear religious compositions by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Chesnokov, Sviridov, Bortnyansky, Davydov, Lvov and Kastalsky. The Russian choir’s performance provoked a sincere interest and was given an enthusiastic reception. Listeners thanked the choir, noting that the Russian church music helped them to come to a better knowledge of the spiritual profundity of the Russian people who have the same Slavic roots as the Czech people. An exhibition of Russian church art “A Living Tradition” was held as part of the Moscow Synodal Choir’s tour. It displayed works produced by the artistic workshop of Natalia Gorkovenko and the Bronze Wonder gallery. The visitors could see icons adorned with colourful silks, gold and silver threads, pearls, precious stones, etc., as art pieces linked with Christian heritage and reflecting an artistic search of masters developing old traditions. The concerts given by the Moscow Synodal Choir and the exhibition of modern church art became a prominent event in the cultural life of Moravia. The Synodal Choir, one of the oldest professional choirs in Russia, was founded in 1721 in Moscow on the basis of the choir of Patriarchal singing clerks dating to the late 16 th century. The Synodal Choir is directed today by Aleksey Puzakov, a Russia’s Honoured Artist. |
| I thank Thee for raising me from corruption unto incorruption; for cleansing my impurities; for healing my infirmities and sicknesses; for turning my sorrow into joy, the straitness of sin into the wideness of Thy justification: for through faith and heartfelt penitence Thou drivest away the darkness of the passions, and bestowest Thy spiritual light. Thou takest away disturbance, and sendest down peace from above. Thou takest away faintheartedness, and bestowest courage and daring. Glory to Thy mercy! I gaze upon the icons in the temple–upon Thy holy icon, my Lord, upon that of Thy Most Pure Mother, those of the holy Angels and Archangels, and upon the faces of the saints, adorned, resplendent with gold and silver–and think to myself how Thou hast honoured and adorned our nature, Creator and Provider of all! Thy saints shine with Thy light, they are sanctified by Thy grace, having conquered sin and washed away the sinful impurities of body and spirit ; they are glorious with Thy glory, they are incorruptible through Thine incorruptibility. Glory to Thee for having so honoured, enlightened, and raised our nature! Here are Thine Apostles and Hierarchs, living images of Thee, the Highest, Who passed through the heavens, Envoy of the Father, Hierarch and Chief of Shepherds; Thy goodness, Thy wisdom, Thy might, spiritual beauty, power, and holiness shine in them. Here are Thy martyrs, who by Thy strength overcame terrible temptations and endured fearful tortures; they have washed the garments of their souls white in Thy blood. Here are Thy venerable ones, who by fasting, vigilance, and prayer obtained Thy wonderful gifts, the gifts of healing, of discernment; Thy might strengthened them to stand above sin and all the snares of the Devil; Thy likeness shines forth in them like the sun. In the temple, in its arrangements and parts, in the icons, in the Divine service, with the reading of the Holy Scriptures, the singing, the rites, the entire Old Testament, New Testament, and Church history, the whole Divine ordering of the salvation of mankind is emblematically traced, as upon a chart, in figures and in general outlines. |
| Christians Uneasy in Morsi’s Egypt May 15, 2013 Wasfi Amin Wassef used to buy and sell jewelry from his shop in Cairo’s vast Khan al-Khalili bazaar. Now he mostly buys it. Well into a third year of economic malaise following the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak , many ordinary Egyptians are selling their most cherished possessions, including heirloom jewelry, to raise cash for a ticket that will let them start a new life abroad. Official figures or estimates are not publicly available, but anecdotal evidence suggests emigration is rising. “The number of people who sell us their gold since the revolution has increased three times,” Mr. Wassef said during an interview this month. Some are Muslims but most are Christians, said Mr. Wassef, a member of Egypt ’s ancient Coptic Orthodox Christian minority. Since the ouster of Mr. Mubarak in February 2011, a growing number of Copts, including some of the most successful businessmen, have left Egypt or are preparing to do so, fearing persecution by an Islamist-controlled government as much as the stagnant economy that is smothering their industries. Among the most prominent, the heads of the Sawiris family for several months recently ran their business empire from abroad, although senior members of the family returned to Egypt on May 3. “Every week I learn of 10 people who are leaving or who have already left,” Mr. Wassef said. “They know that what happened to the Sawiris’ can happen to them tomorrow.” Coptic Christians, who account for no more than 10 percent of Egypt’s 85 million people, predate the Muslim conquest by six centuries and represent the last tile in a former mosaic of Egyptian religions, sects and ethnicities. Economically, Coptic business leaders have punched above their weight, dominating agriculture in the preindustrial age and in modern-era trade, finance and accounting. They have blended well into Egypt’s millennia-long tapestry of demographic change, which helps explain their resiliency. As Munir Fakhry Abdelnour, a prominent Copt who has worked in business, finance and politics, put it: “There is no Coptic quarter in Egypt.” |
| In ruling these vast formerly Christian regions, the Ottomans basically followed the pattern of the Arabs after they conquered so many Christian lands beginning in the decade of the 630s. This pattern was to allow the Christians, as a tolerated minority, to maintain their basic way of life under the leadership of their patriarch, who governed the Christians in his territory as an ethnarch-that is, as ruler of the ethnic minority, or in other words, as ruler of “a nation within a nation.” Under the Ottomans, the Patriarch of Constantinople quite naturally was made the ethnarch over all the Christians in the realm. This “nation within a nation” was called the Rum milet, the Roman people-since the Turks fully understood that the Byzantines were the perpetuators of the Roman Empire and hence were still Romans, as indeed they still called themselves. The Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror (r. 1451–1481) was not bent on destroying the very advanced civilization that he had conquered. Rather, he wanted to build upon it, so that his new empire would be the grandest in the world. Hence, he wanted to make sure that the Christians in his realm would contribute positively to the well-being of the Empire. So concerned was he to assure the continued peaceful existence of the Christians in his newly conquered territory that he personally selected George Scholarios, the head of the anti-Union party in Constantinople, to be the new patriarch (the former one had fled to Italy in 1451). But in the days following the fall of the city, Scholarios disappeared. Agents were sent out, and he was found as a slave in the hands of a rich Turkish merchant in Adrianopolis, in nearby Thrace. Scholarios was brought back to Constantinople, where the Sultan personally invested him with the patriarchal office on the Day of Theophany, January 6, 1454. According to Sir Steven Runciman, “The Sultan handed him the insignia of his office, the robes, the pastoral staff, and the pectoral cross, a new one made of silver-gilt. As he invested the Patriarch, he uttered the formula: ‘Be Patriarch, with good fortune, and be assured of our friendship, keeping all the privileges that the Patriarchs before you enjoyed.’” Patriarch Gennadios also received a magnificent horse and a handsome gift of gold from the Sultan. |
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