| Holy Synod approves documents regulating liturgical, administrative and social activity and establishes new dioceses admin 28 December 2012 On 26 December 2012, the Holy Synod continued its sessions at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in St Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow under the chairmanship of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Approved for reading at the services and for prayers at home were the texts of the Akathistos hymn to the “Queen of All” icon of the Mother God and of the Akathistos hymns to St Thomas the Apostle, St Mercurius of Caesarea the Great Martyr, St Gregory Palamas, St John of Shanghai and San Francisco, St Geracimus of Jordan, St Simeon the New Theologian, and St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain. Also approved was the document “On the Russian Orthodox Church’s Participation in Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts”, recommended to be used at the parishes and monasteries, as well as at other church institutions, which take part in the rehabilitation of drug addicts. The document was drafted by the Inter-Council Presence; church-wide discussion in dioceses and in the Internet followed. Then the plenary of the Inter-Council Presence held in Moscow on 22-23 November 2012 submitted the document to the Holy Synod for consideration. The members of the Holy Synod heard the report presented by the members of the working group for drafting the provision regulating the award system of the Russian Orthodox Church and submitted the results of their work to the Bishops’ Council for consideration at the meeting due to be held on 2-5 February 2013, and thanked the members of the working group. The Synod approved the list of the dioceses where retired bishops may reside (live). The list includes the Kemerovo, Kursk, Moscow region, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and Saint-Petersburg dioceses. The Synod established one more day for the commemoration of the Holy and Right-Believing Prince Peter (David after taking monastic vows) and Princess Fevronia (Euphrosyne after taking the veil). It will be Sunday before September 19 (September 6 according to old style) in remembrance of the transfer of their holy relics in 1992. |
| Photo: ©Basilica.ro At the request of Vatopedi Monastery, the Romanian Patriarchate hass offered particles of the holy relics of two Romanian Saints who are closely connected with this monastic settlement on Mount Athos. The reliquary containing fragments of the relics of Saint George of Cernica and Saint Gregory the Teacher was brought Wednesday, October 24, to Vatopedi Monastery by Fr Mihai Musat. ‘The relations of our Holy Monastery with these Saints were very close, given that this Venerable George began his ascetic life in our Holy Monastery, in obedience to a Greek bishop who ordained him to the Diaconate, while Saint Gregory laboured for a certain time in the Kalamitsi area of the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi,’ Abbot Ephraim wrote in his letter to the Patriarch of Romania asking for the relics of the two Saints. Fr Mihai Musat presenting the representative of Vatopedi Monastery with the reliquary containing the holy relics of Sts George and Gregory. ©Basilica.ro ‘In addition, their feast days are festively celebrated at our Monastery.’ ‘Thus, the blessing-bringing presence of a fragment of the grace-gushing relics of these newly appeared Saints will be a source of great joy for us and for our brotherhood,’ Abbot Ephraim noted. The Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi is an Eastern Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos, Greece. Vatopedi was founded in the second half of the 10th century by three monks, Athanasius, Nicholas, and Antonius, from Adrianople, who were disciples of Saint Athanasius the Athonite. The monastery was expanded several times during its history, particularly during the Byzantine period and in the 18th and 19th centuries. The monastery is renowned for holding the Cincture of the Theotokos and many other relics, including the honourable head of Saint John Chrysostom. Vatopedi Monastery. Photo: ©Basilica.ro 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. |
| Image: pravoslavie.ru In the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom celebrated in the Orthodox Church, the priest repeats the following prayer a number of times: Let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God . The ecclesiastical year, which begins on September 1st (14th), has been divinely developed by the Church Fathers with feasts and fasts to aid our life in the God-Man Christ. The longest and strictest fast, Great Lent, paves the way for Pascha (Easter), the Feast of Feasts. In addition to Lent, there are three other periods of prescribed fasting: that of the Apostles in June; the Dormition; and, that of Christmas in November-December. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church observes the Holy Dormition Fast; this period, which lasts two weeks from the 1st/14th to the 14th/27th of August, culminates on the 15th/28th with the celebration of the Falling Asleep (Dormition) of the Mother of God (Gr. Theotokos ). Before this, though, on August 6th/19th, Orthodoxy celebrates another one of the Twelve Great Feasts, that is, the Transfiguration (Metamorphosis) of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ , and allows for a break in the fast through the consumption of fish. The holiness of these two weeks gives fuel for the faithful to energize their spiritual struggle; this is one reason why the Dormition period is affectionately known as the Summer Pascha ( το Πασχα του Καλοκαιριου , in Greek). Let us then briefly examine the theological and spiritual significance of these two feasts through the homilies of Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), who represents Christian theology at its most sublime. Unlike some who deny the truth, St. Gregory demonstrates clearly that the Light of the Transfiguration is uncreated. “While pretending to concern themselves with the literal sense of the passage, they reject its godly meaning,” Palamas writes. In Matthew’s Gospel (see 17:1-9; see also Luke 9:28-36), the Evangelist recounts the manifestation of Christ’s divinity through a display of His divine energy on Mount Tabor: “And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Mt 17:2). |
| Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro/Raluca Ene The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church resolved to establish a new feast dedicated to Saint Demetrius the New. The Translation of the relics of St. Demetrius the New to Bucharest will thus be officially celebrated on July 13, beginning in 2024. Saint Demetrius the New joins the saints who have a second feast in the church calendar dedicated to the translation of their holy relics: St. Stephen Protomartyr (August 2), St. Nicholas (May 9), St. John Chrysostom (January 27), Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates (June 8), St. John the New of Suceava (June 24). Saint Demetrius the New is the patron saint of Bucharest, and his feast is one of the most important pilgrimages in Romania. 2024 marks 250 years since the relics of St. Demetrius were brought to Bucharest by General Ivan Petrovich Saltykov, who took them from the village of Basarabov, near Ruse, to protect them from Turkish invasion during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. Priests carrying the relics of Saint Demetrius the New across the streets of Bucharest. Photo: Archive When the procession arrived in Bucharest, a rich merchant named Hatzi Demetrius, as well as Metropolitan Gregory II of Wallachia, asked the Russian general to leave the relics to the Romanian people and the Metropolis, as a consolation for the many material damages and sufferings endured by Romanians during that war, especially since the saint was a Vlach (Romanian). Listening to their wishes, the relics were placed with great honour, in July 1774, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Bucharest – today the Patriarchal Cathedral. Only the right hand of Saint Demetrius the New arrived at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Ukraine, where it is preserved to this day. Metropolitan Filaret II of Hungaro-Wallachia (1792-1793) proclaimed Saint Demetrius the New as the spiritual protector of the Metropolitan Cathedral and of the city of Bucharest. Over time, the saint responded to the prayers of the people, driving away plagues and refusing to be moved from the Cathedral – both when the relics were stolen during World War I and when the Communists planned to move the saint out of the city and close the Cathedral. |
| See Part 2 We continue with the final part of Dr. Jeannie’s introduction to her Bible studies podcast, “Search the Scriptures”, in which she explains why we trust the Fathers’ interpretations of Scripture, the differences between Orthodox Fathers and those of the Roman Catholics, what it means to understand something “according to the fathers,” and other important points relevant to the study of Holy Scripture. Photo: Pravoslavie.ru The Orthodox tradition is to interpret the Bible according to the Fathers. In the last couple of podcasts I have been talking about the Fathers extensively, but it occurred to me that perhaps before we go any further, that is, before we begin our Lenten Bible study, I should explain what qualified someone to be considered a Father in the Orthodox Church, and what I think Scripture interpretation according to the Fathers really means. Who were the Fathers? As I had said before, the Fathers were saints who were highly educated men, the leading thinkers, writers and theologians of the Church. Generally speaking, women didn’t leave writings behind because they were not educated—at least not to the extent that men were—because they did not pursue careers in those days. The Fathers were not generally trained for an ecclesiastical life; in fact, most of them were educated for secular careers, and some of them had very successful secular careers until they left the world to serve the Church—among these are Jerome, Gregory of Nyssa , Ambrose , Augustine , St. John of Damascus , and others. Other Fathers also received a secular education, a very excellent education; however, at a young age, before they actually started a career, they decided to become monks. We see this in the case of Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian , who while still in their teens, while still involved in their university studies, had decided to become monks. Most of the Fathers were bishops, even though very often they did not want to be bishops. Many times they did not want to be ordained at all—they wanted to live a quiet monastic life, but the Church called upon them because of their great brilliance, their many talents, their skills in oratory and their great holiness. So the Church called upon them, recognizing these great talents, and ordained them. Some of the Fathers were not bishops but were presbyters, others were monks and yet others were laymen. |
| Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk completes his pilgrimage to Romania Source: DECR Natalya Mihailova 11 September 2014 On 9 September 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, concluded his pilgrimage to the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bucovina of the Romanian Orthodox Church by visiting churches and monasteries of the city of Iai. Accompanied by the Archbishop of Iai, Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bucovina, the DECR chairman visited the historical Monastery of the Three Hierarchs, Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, situated in the centre of Iai. At the monastery cathedral, Metropolitan Hilarion venerated the relics of St. Basil the Great. Located in the church narthex are tombs of the princes of Moldova and Romania: Vasile Lupu, founder of the monastery, and the members of his family, Princes Dimitrie Cantemir and Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The DECR chairman saw the exposition of the monastery museum, located in the chambers, in which the Iai Pan-Orthodox Council took place in 1642, concluded by the adoption of the Confession of Orthodox Faith written by St Peter (Moghila) the Metropolitan of Kiev. Metropolitan Hilarion also visited the Church of St. Sabbas the Sanctified, where he venerated the relics of the Holy Martyrs Tryphon and Marina. At the Cetuia Monastery Metropolitans Hilarion and Teofan were met by hegumen Parthenius and the brethren. The hierarchs visited the Church of Ss. Peter and Paul. Metropolitan Teofan told the DECR chairman about the social and charity work of the Romanian Church in the Iai archdiocese. The hierarchs visited the “Diaconia” Social-Charitable Department of the Iai archdiocese, which coordinates social work of the parishes and monasteries in the diocese. Metropolitans Hilarion and Teofan also visited a church kindergarten, a hospital and an exhibition and education centre. At the residence of archbishops of Iai, Metropolitan Hilarion bade warm farewell to Metropolitan Teofan and thanked him for his brotherly attention and cordial hospitality. Later, he and his travelling companions left Iai. |
| Baptism of Clovis Baptism of Clovis 3. The Merovingians Just as monasticism was beginning to put down its roots in Gaul, an event occurred that shook the minds and hearts of the entire Graeco-Roman world: after several centuries of violent conflicts and bloody skirmishes, the Germanic tribes of the north finally sacked the city of Rome. This marked the beginning of a new period in the history of the West, both ecclesiastically and politically, in the challenges it brought to the growing Orthodox Church. The fusion of the Celto-Roman population in Gaul with the Frankish invaders was facilitated by the conversion of the Frankish King Clovis from Germanic paganism to Orthodoxy in 498, effectively beginning what has come to be known as the Merovingian period in the history of Gaul. While Clovis’ intentions may have been good, his actions and practices, as well as those of some of his descendants, fell decidedly short of the Christian ideal. But despite the fact that the behavior of the Frankish aristocracy could often be characterized as brutal, Orthodox sanctity had a powerful influence on Merovingian society. Few eras were as fertile in saints. Saints were numerous among the advisors to the kings; some even belonged to the royal families. One can mention King Guntrumnas (called “the Good King”) of Burgundy and especially the holy queens: Clotilde, Radegunde and Bathilde. It was the holy Merovingian queens who really kindled the fire of women’s monasticism in Gaul by founding convents and then joining them shortly before their righteous deaths. Undoubtedly it was the holy bishops of the 5th and 6th centuries who underwent the most painful struggles. This was due to many causes: the impiety of France’s ever changing rulers, the opposition of many unconverted pagan (or Arian) Germanic peoples who moved into their sees, and the laxness, worldly ambition and mercenary character of some Christian clerics. Nevertheless, great saints shone forth during these centuries, such as the holy hierarchs Remigius of Rheims, Elegius of Noyon, Aldwin of Rouen, Deodatus of Cahors, Leger of Autun and especially Gregory of Tours. St. Gregory wrote much (over twelve volumes) on the history of Gaul and its saints and sinners. It is from him that we know the most about the Merovingian years in Orthodox Gaul. |
| Traditional pan-Orthodox Vespers celebrated in London March 26, 2013 On March 24, 2013, the Day of Orthodoxy, the traditional Pan-Orthodox Vespers was celebrated in London. According to the established procedure, this year the celebration was held at the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Church of St. Sophia. The celebrants were Archbishop Gregory of Thyateira (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Archbishop Yelisey of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Dositej of Scandinavia and Great Britain (Serbian Patriarchate), Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, vicar of the Diocese of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate), and Bishop Athanasius of Tropea, vicar of the Archdiocese of Thyateira. Among the worshipper were clergy of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Antioch, Georgia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky and Protodeacon Dimitry Nedostupenko of the Cathedral of the Assumption also participated, representing the Diocese of Sourozh. The sermon was delivered by Archpriest Gregory Hallam, head of deanery of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Great Britain and Ireland. The service was adorned by hymns in Greek, Arabic, Church Slavonic, Georgian, Romanian and English sung by parish choirs of all the Orthodox jurisdictions. The Vespers was organized and conducted by the Pan-Orthodox Pastoral Commission of the Bishops’ Assembly in Great Britain and Ireland, headed at present by Archbishop Yelisey. The order of the common service was coordinated by Rev. Joseph Skinner, secretary of the Pan-Orthodox Pastoral Commission and member of the secretariat of the Pan-Orthodox Bishops’ Assembly. After the service, the congregation enjoyed traditional Greek hospitality at common Lenten table, the website of the Diocese of Sourozh reports. Source: DECR Communication Service 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. |
| Saint Vladimir’s Seminary releases CD for Great Feast of the Dormition Source: OCA Natalya Mihailova 13 August 2014 Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press here recently released a music CD containing all of the hymns for Vespers for the Great Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, arranged for variety of choir sizes and levels of competence. Titled “Full of Grace,” the CD was recorded as a liturgical service and aims to help Orthodox Christian choirs from various backgrounds render the liturgical service beautifully, in accordance with their make-up and musical abilities. “This recording had two goals from its inception,” said Robin Freeman, lecturer in Choral Conducting at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and Director of the chorale on the CD. “One: to offer choirs of various competencies and sizes the opportunity to learn new and do-able musical settings for this feast day; and two: to render the complete service in a liturgical setting, so that Orthodox Christians who are infirm and cannot get to their parishes, can still in some way participate in this great feast.” Many of the hymns for the CD were rearranged by Dr. Nicholas Reeves, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music at the seminary. The priest’s part in the service is chanted by Archpriest Dr. Alexander Rentel, the John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology at Saint Vladimir’s, and the deacon’s part is chanted by Deacon Gregory Hatrak, who also is Marketing and Operations Manager for SVS Press and Bookstore. “The psalms and hymns newly arranged for this recording respond to an indigenous necessity for monophonic chants, possessing value on their own without accompanying parts,” said Dr. Reeves, “that is, chants with isons , as well as standard four-part harmonies. “Understanding the hierarchy of polyphonic function, something long established in Orthodox cultures, can allow the interpreters of these hymns to render them in multiple ways as is best suited for their particular context,” he explained. “Texts for the entire service, beginning with the verses after the Psalm ‘Lord I Call Upon Thee,’ are in the liner notes of the CD,” noted Deacon Gregory. “We want to make it easy for our brothers and sisters who are confined to their homes or nursing facilities to join us for this wonderful feast—singing and reading along.” |
| Photo: http://www.dominicanajournal.org/ Basil , Gregory , and John are so often remembered together that it’s difficult to think of them separately. However, they, like Peter and Paul, are strikingly opposite in many aspects. Elucidating these contrasts does not destroy, but, on the contrary, underscores the unity which they were given in the Holy Spirit and which has organically entered into the consciousness of the Church. The first place in this little synaxis of holy hierarchs can be given to Basil. Everything that we can say about Gregory and John, we can say about Basil. They are warriors against heresy—and so is he; they are bright preachers of the Word—and so is he. A courageous spirit, love of solitude, a humble life, a deep comprehension of dogmas—all of this and much more these three fathers have in common. All three come from holy families. Their mothers, fathers, and siblings constitute an entire constellation of personalities remarkable in holiness. But Basil is distinguished by the highest order of self-discipline. Basil is an organizer, which you cannot say about Gregory and John, or at least, not without reservation. Everywhere that Basil went, he left behind a strict hierarchy and order. He, without a doubt, was a charismatic man, but he relied upon Church praxis, not only the strength of personal influence and spiritual gifts. Everywhere Basil the Great brought discipline and statutes, laws and organization—in a word: order. Indeed, things in the Church then were like a battle at night, where everyone hits both enemy and ally, seeing and understanding nothing. Basil’s mind and intellect allowed him to become a scholar, and his will and strictness were able to make of him a true monk, like Anthony. But he sacrificed all his talents in battle for the sake of the Church. He deeply hid his spiritual meekness to become unshakable, and, at least secretly, like his friend Gregory, he longed for the tranquil life, for the desert and seclusion. Few understand what it means, loving the Scriptures and silence, to sacrifice yourself and jump into the thick of a fight for the Church and its dogmas, having no rest, risking your life, and perishing daily. |
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