| Greek justice minister denounces gay marriage December 8, 2014 Greece’s justice minister has been accused of homophobia after unequivocally denouncing gay marriage. In an outburst that startled human rights defenders and activists in the country’s increasingly visible LGBT community, the minister, Haralambos Athanasiou, said he was virulently opposed to same-sex marriage as it posed dangers to a society that “respected traditions”. “I won’t discuss it, I can’t conceive of it,” the conservative politician told Mega TV. “Besides, the convention of human rights forbids it. When it speaks about marriage it speaks [of marriage] between a man and woman. We are a country that respects traditions, respects human nature, and it’s not possible at least with this government and this ministry, to permit marriage.” Complying with EU demands to legalise domestic partnerships for homosexual couples was also problematic, he said, because it was not without potentially adverse consequences for society. “It’s a little dangerous to simply speak of civil unions. The matter is not easy. The problem is what are the consequences going to be … are we going to go as far as talking about adoption [by same-sex couples] next?” he asked. Athens was fined by the European court of human rights last year for failing to extend protective rights, including domestic partnerships, to gays and lesbians, a move the tribunal described as discriminating to same-sex couples. Following the judgment, the prime minister Antonis Samaras’s conservative-dominated coalition signalled that it would redress the wrong but got cold feet when rightwingers and clerics reacted in fury. Greece and Lithuania stand alone in refusing to grant such rights. When put to him that the vast majority of EU member states had implemented such laws, the Greek justice minister retorted: “That’s their issue.” He said: “Our country has structures. We have to look at it from the religious point of view, the political point of view, the social point of view. The ministry of justice will not, under the pressure of anyone, examine such an issue without calmness and composure.” |
| Presentation by the Chairman of the Department of External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at the Christian Values In An Age of Globalization Symposium (London, 21 February 2014) Natalya Mihailova 22 February 2014 Dear participants of the symposium, Today the topic of Christian values acquires special relevance. The modern-day secular consciousness looks upon religious values as secondary in relation to the dominant liberal democrat standards, the interpretation of which is becoming ever far removed from traditional Christian morality. Therefore the dialogue on Christian values is a most important testimony to faith in the face of contemporary society that has renounced its religious roots. Not a single world civilization has existed without immutable spiritual and moral maxims, which we call values. The history of humankind has known various values, notions of worthy and unworthy behaviour and of a just structure of society. For many centuries these values flowed from a religious consciousness, they were formed within the framework of the believer’s perception of the world. Within the framework of this presentation the problem of Christian values will be viewed mainly in the European context, which has direct relevance to us. Moral and ethical values in historical retrospective possess a universal character. However, the theory that common human morality is universal by virtue of the fact that a certain moral codex common for all civilizations is inherent in all peoples and nations cannot sustain criticism. We can indeed discover common moral norms by studying the history of ancient civilizations. And yet, while paganism was dominant in these civilizations there existed in them both human sacrifices and cannibalism, both polygamy and polyandry, and many other things which humankind renounced under the influence of monotheism. We cannot look upon the ancient pagan cultures as evidence of a universal understanding of morality. Moreover, the continent of Europe before its illumination by faith in Christ cannot be included in the concept of universal human morality. If, for example, we look at the legal documents of the ancient Slavs, then we notice that whoever had committed a crime could be sold into slavery by his fellow tribesmen in order to obtain greater compensation for those who have suffered. Such practices do not allow us to conclude that there is an unconditional morality rooted in human nature that has not been illumined by faith in Christ. |
| Irreconcilable Differences Source: Saint Aidan Orthodox Church Divorce on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences” is generally not admissible in marriages between Orthodox Christians. Why not? Priest Richard Rene 13 August 2009 The title phrase is probably the most often cited reason for modern cases of divorce. It refers to a situation in which two married people discover at some point along the road that they are “not compatible,” which means, they don’t get along emotionally, spiritually, physically, most of the time. Let’s get something straight to begin with. The Eastern Orthodox Church does permit divorce under circumstances of adultery, abuse and abandonment. However, divorce on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences” is generally not admissible in marriages between Orthodox Christians. Why not? I believe it has something to do with the Church’s rejection of the underlying secular assumption behind divorce due to “irreconcilable differences.” Our culture tends to think of a successful marriage as one in which husband and wife are actually twin souls in different biological clothing. Your “one true love” is that special person who matches you perfectly, who completes you, fulfills you, perfects you, is actually your “other half” and so on. The Christian understanding of marriage takes a very different view. In chapter five of his Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul uses a marital image to speak of the mystery of the Incarnation. The wife’s feminine role represents the human nature of Christ, which continues to manifest itself in the Church. (Ephesians 5:22-23) The husband’s masculine role, on the other hand, represents the divine nature of Christ the Son and Word of God, who is the head of the Church through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:25-26) The union of the two genders in one relationship speaks of the one Person of Christ in whom two natures are united. And this union, St. Paul says, is a “great mystery” (Ephesians 5:32) precisely because those natures—the divine and the human—are so completely exclusive and irreconcilable! |
| Patriarch of Serbia calls gay parade a rally of perversions and vices Source: Pravoslavie.ru Natalya Mihailova 19 May 2014 Belgrade, May 17, 2014 Patriarch Irinej of Serbia has called the gay parade " the tip of the immoral iceberg and a gathering of all perversions and vices " . “I have pity for these people, who belong to the so-called gay population. This is a disorder or an aberration of human nature… I cannot understand why they are imposing this problem on us and are openly demonstrating it,” said head of the Serbian Church in his interview with the Nedelnik newspaper, answering the question whether the Serbian Church was intending to strive for prohibition of the gay parade by the authorities. This year again in the Serbian capital a weeklong action, “Gay pride parade” is being prepared, rich in various events, exhibitions and concerts popularizing different manifestations of the LGTB community’s activities. Preparation for these actions has again split the Serbian society, as the majority of the Serbian population are opposed to such events. Last year, a similar “Pride parade” was accompanied by blasphemous and profane tricks. Furthermore, representatives of the EU countries and the USA exerted unprecedented pressure on the Serbian authorities and the public to hold these events, and various European politicians and diplomats played an active part in promoting them. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Patriarch of Serbia calls gay parade a rally of perversions and vices Natalya Mihailova " I have pity for these people, who belong to the so-called gay population. This is a disorder or an aberration of human nature... I cannot understand why they are imposing this problem on us and are openly demonstrating it, " said head of the Serbian Church in his interview with the ... 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. |
| Archive Metropolitan Hilarion spoke at an online seminar of the International Hellenic University 17 February 2021 year 11:45 On the 16 th of February, 2021, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, took part in a seminar of the International Hellenic University (MOET of IHU, Thessaloniki). The event, dedicated to the topic of “Orthodox Theology and Human Responsibility”, was held online. In the address titled “Freedom and Responsibility as Viewed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill” Metropolitan Hilarion stated that the topics of rights and freedoms, their connection with responsibility, moral choice and human dignity have regularly been addressed by Patriarch Kirill throughout the years of his church ministry in sermons, speeches, lectures and written works. “I believe that Christianity, like no other religion, can offer the most convincing worldview to people today, - noted the first hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in one of his addresses in 2010. – Indeed, if the highest value for a man of our time is freedom, it is in the person of the God-Man Jesus Christ that human nature has attained its highest freedom—the freedom from evil and sin. Christianity offers a much loftier vision of freedom than just a negative concept of freedom ‘from’ something— from exploitation, violence and restrictions. With Jesus Christ, man can attain freedom ‘for’ something—for complete self-fulfilment in love for God and one’s neighbours. It is in this harmonious interaction (synergy) between God and man, as taught by Christianity and implemented in the lives of the saints and zealots of the Church, that everyone can find the answer to the issues concerning freedom, meaning of life and public service” Based on the opinions expressed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk emphasized: “a worldview anchored in the teaching of the Gospel cannot be subject to revision in order to please the ideologies or political preferences of certain groups of people”. |
| Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on the Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Modern World Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) Source: DECR Communication Service October 21, 2015 Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) sent his greetings to the participants of the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church on the “Vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world” in which he highlights the importance of the Church's traditional familial stance: On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus I extend fraternal greetings to you on the occasion of the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church on the theme of the family. In our restless and disturbing world the human person needs a firm and unshakeable foundation upon which he can rest and upon which he can build his life with confidence. At the same time, secular society, aimed primarily at the gratification of individual needs, is incapable of giving the human person clear moral direction. The crisis of traditional values which we see in the consumer society leads to a contradiction between various preferences, including those in the realm of family relationships. Thus, feminism views motherhood as an obstacle to a woman’s self-realization, while by contrast having a baby is more often proclaimed as a right to be attained by all means possible. More often the family is viewed as a union of persons irrespective of their gender, and the human person can ‘choose’ his or her gender according to personal taste. On the other hand, new problems are arising which have a direct impact on traditional family foundations. Armed conflicts in the contemporary world have brought about a mass exodus from areas gripped by war to more prosperous countries. Emigration often leads to a disruption of family ties, creating at the same time a new social environment in which unions of an inter-ethnic and inter-religious nature arise. |
| Patriarch Bartholomew: The Church invites everyone to the restoration of the divine image to its former and original beauty As we celebrate once again this year the Feast of the Byzantine Indiction, and as we inaugurate a new year of the Lord’s grace, we address the blessed plenitude of the Orthodox Church and the entire world, inviting all people to continued vigilance, consciousness and mobilization of their resources in order to return to the state that reflects – if not the absolute Eucharistic and doxological condition of Adam and Eve – at least the condition inspired by God’s grace and mercy. Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch 31 August 2014 Patriarchal Encyclical for the Ecclesiastical New Year To the Entire Church: Grace and Peace from the Creator, Sustainer and Governor of all Creation, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ Blessed brothers, sisters, and children in the Lord, The common Mother of all Orthodox, the Church of Christ, the Body of our eternal Lord and divine-human Jesus Christ, compassionately ministers through all of its activities but especially through the Divine Eucharist, by offering its holy gifts to their Creator in the mystery of salvation. It does this with proven boundless and indiscriminate love toward all of its members to the degree also demonstrated by our heavenly Father. In its prayerful memory, the Church always bears in mind the presence of its children, maintaining a vivid interest and concern for all that relates to and influences their lives. This is why it does not remain unmoved or indifferent by the ongoing and daily destruction of the natural environment resulting from human greed and vain profit, which in turn implies an essential turning of the Lord’s face and results in consequential turbulence in nature and fracture in its crown, namely human existence, whose very survival is threatened. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and we have for many years assessed the signs of our times as well as the Eucharistic obligation of the Orthodox Church. Thus we declared and devoted the commencement of the ecclesiastical year, namely September 1 st , as a day of prayer and supplication for the preservation of God’s creation, which has been inherited by us as our environment. On this day, we bow our heart and soul, invoking God’s Word to look down upon His creation with loving kindness that He might overlook our sinfulness and greed, “opening up His hand to fill all of creation with goodness” and bring an end to the destructive path of the world. |
| Patriarch Kirill leader lashes out against “theomachists” admin 25 January 2013 Moscow, January 25, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia has come vigorously against “liberal” anthropocentric philosophies. “The issue is not those pinpricks that theomachists are trying to inflict on the body of the Church through their various actions. The issue is the future of the world,” the Patriarch said at the 21st International Christmas Conference in Moscow on Thursday. Mankind would not survive without the moral values “that God put into human nature,” he said. Nor would it survive if it goes for the “liberal concept” that each human being is “an alpha and omega, that he is authorized to decide what is good and what is evil, that he can not only decide on his own future but also has the right to exercise any influence he likes on the world surrounding him,” the Patriarch said. “What the Church does today with support from its numerous allies – intellectuals, teachers and so on – means accomplishing the main task that faces people, the task of preserving human civilization,” he said. Source: Interfax-religion Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Patriarch Kirill leader lashes out against “theomachists” admin Moscow, January 25, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia has come vigorously against " liberal " anthropocentric philosophies. " The issue is not those pinpricks that theomachists are trying to inflict on the body of the Church through their various actions. The issue ... 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. |
| Patriarch Kirill: “Creativity Should not be Used for Destructive Purposes” Moscow, October 12, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has denied the statements that the Church opposes freedom of speech, but at the same time recalled that freedom is closely connected to morals. “It is wrong to accuse the Church of opposing freedom of speech, saying that the church traditions do not allow dissent. It’s absolutely untrue,” the Patriarch said at the session of the Supreme Church Council on Friday. Orthodox faith would be poor without “hundreds of books of theology” and “diverse samples of icon-painting and church architecture” could not exist without freedom of creative expression, he said. “Freedom of speech and creativity are important values. Like freedom in general, they are inseparable from the image of God in human nature,” he said. However, Patriarch Kirill said that “any freedom can be used for an evil purpose.” “Society and religious communities should look for the golden middle between evil and forced restrictions of freedom, which our Fatherland experienced in the 20th century,” the Patriarch said. The statement “on the case involving the desecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior” adopted at the past session of the Supreme Church Council raised the issue of the unacceptability of insulting people’s religious feelings, he said. The Patriarch said he is convinced that calls to unleash human passions are dangerous to every individual and society in general and the allegations that “the differences between good and evil words, creativity and bad taste are so complex that it’s easier to allow everything everywhere” are dangerous. “Human dignity, which is inseparably connected with virtuous life, rules out the use of freedom and creativity for destructive purposes. Human dignity also envisions respect for holy places, the memory of people’s relatives and loved ones, and history. An Orthodox person will not desecrate symbols of other religions, and not because they are holy to him, but because it is insulting for people of those religions,” he said. |
| Prayer lifted up in Camhedral of the diocese of Chersonese for victims of terrorist actions in Paris Source: DECR Natalya Mihailova 17 November 2015 On November 15, 2015, the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, Bishop Nestor of Chersonese celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Three Hierarchs in Paris. Photo: https://mospat.ru/ Among his concelebrants were Archpriest Nikolay Rebinder, rector of the church, Archpriest Maxim Politov, secretary of the diocesan administration, the Rev. Ioann Dimitrov, Protodeacon Alexy Sobolev, Deacon George Sheshko, and Deacon Roman Belyavsky. During the Prayer of Fervent Supplication, a petition was lifted up ‘for guarding those who live in this country against evil will and actions of evil people who are in animosity and for preserving this people against devil’s designs and every evil deed’. Then His Grace lifted up a prayer for healing the victims who suffered from evil human will in terrorist actions in the city of Paris and for giving consolation to their families and loved ones. Photo: https://mospat.ru/ During the litany for the rest of the souls of the victims, the archpastor and the clergy prayed for those died innocent deaths in the Friday terrorist actions in the French capital city. After the liturgy, Bishop Nestor addressed the congregation with a homily, in which he explained, using the Gospel’s story about the healing of the demon-possessed man in Gadarines, how the evil will is rooted in human nature. According to His Grace, it is clear from the reading of the Gospel that evil does not disappear with the death of the herd of pigs. ‘The pigs drowned but the legion of demons remained in the land of Gadarines. The people of that land themselves came to Christ and asked Him to go out of their country because they wanted to live their former life and to have nothing to do with Christ. Christ left but the demons remained!’ His Grace said. We can see from human history, he continued, that sometimes lawlessness breaks in the life of whole states and peoples. The recent events in Paris became another tragic testimony to the fact that this evil has acquired new forms parasitizing on religious beliefs. |
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