| Over three dozen individuals were honored at commencement ceremonies at the Orthodox Church in America’s three seminaries during the month of May 2014. Saint Tikhon’s Seminary Class of 2014 On the second weeked of May, Saint Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak, AK, honored and celebrated the ordinations of three graduates—Priests Simeon Askoak and Jason Isaac and Deacon Michael Trefon. Three additional students—Luke Levi, Mary Madsen and Alexander Larson—were awarded Reader Certificates. His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Alaska, delivered the commencement address, while Archimandrite Juvenaly [Repass], the seminary’s Chaplain, offered a special reflection on his six years of ministry at the school. He will be leaving soon to pursue mission work. A number of other alumni were also present, including Archpriests Nicolai Isaac and Thomas Andrew and Priest Michael Fredericks. Bishop David with Father John Dunlop, Dean; Father Juvenaly Repass, Chaplain; Fathers Simeon Askoak and Jason Isaac and Deacon Michael Trefon, graduates; and Dr. Beth Dunlop, Professor/Administrator Two weeks later, on Saturday, May 24, Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA held its 72nd annual commencement exercises during the 110th Pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon’s Monastery . Nine individuals were awarded the Master of Divinity Degree—two with Honors in Liturgical Arts and Praxis and one with Honors in Church History—while an additional six individuals were awarded the Certificate in Diaconal Formation. The day opened with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by His Grace, Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey and Seminary Rector, and His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Diocese of Alaska. Among the concelebrants was Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, who stayed for the commencement and accompanied the Saint Tikhon faculty in the graduation procession. Bishop David offered the homily, in which he reflected on the early Alaskan missionaries. Following brunch and a procession from the seminary building to the monastery bell tower, commencement exercises began with His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, offering the opening prayer. |
| He is convicted of error in respect of this work in that he prophesied that the advent of Anti-Christ would be about his period, but this was because the greatness of the persecutions seemed to forebode the end of the world. 53. Tertullian Tertullian the presbyter, now regarded as chief of the Latin writers after Victor and Apollonius, was from the city of Carthage in the province of Africa, and was the son of a proconsul or Centurion, a man of keen and vigorous character, he flourished chiefly in the reign of the emperor Severus and Antoninus Caracalla and wrote many volumes which we pass by because they are well known to most. I myself have seen a certain Paul an old man of Concordia, a town of Italy, who, while he himself was a very young man had been secretary to the blessed Cyprian who was already advanced in age. He said that he himself had seen how Cyprian was accustomed never to pass a day without reading Tertullian, and that he frequently said to him, Give me the master, meaning by this, Tertullian. He was presbyter of the church until middle life, afterwards driven by the envy and abuse of the clergy of the Roman church, he lapsed to the doctrine of Montanus, and mentions the new prophecy in many of his books. He composed, moreover, directly against the church, volumes: On modesty, On persecution, On fasts, On monogamy, six books On ecstasy, and a seventh which he wrote Against Apollonius. He is said to have lived to a decrepit old age, and to have composed many small works, which are not extant. 54. Origen Origen, surnamed Adamantius, a persecution having been raised against the Christians in the tenth year of Severus Pertinax, and his father Leonidas having received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, was left at the age of about seventeen, with his six brothers and widowed mother, in poverty, for their property had been confiscated because of confessing Christ. When only eighteen years old, he undertook the work of instructing the Catechetes in the scattered churches of Alexandria. |
| Less than six months later, the Johns Hopkins gender clinic closed. Other university-affiliated gender clinics across the country followed suit, completely ceasing to perform gender reassignment surgery. No success was reported anywhere. Results from Benjamin’s Colleague: Too Many Suicides It was not just the Hopkins clinic reporting lack of outcomes from surgery. Around the same time, serious questions about the effectiveness of gender change came from Dr. Harry Benjamin’s partner, endocrinologist Charles Ihlenfeld. Ihlenfeld worked with Benjamin for six years and administered sex hormones to 500 transsexuals. Ihlenfeld shocked Benjamin by publicly announcing that 80 percent of the people who want to change their gender shouldn’t do it. Ihlenfeld said: “There is too much unhappiness among people who have had the surgery…Too many end in suicide.” Ihlenfeld stopped administering hormones to patients experiencing gender dysphoria and switched specialties from endocrinology to psychiatry so he could offer such patients the kind of help he thought they really needed. In the wake of the Hopkins study, the closure of the flagship Hopkins clinic, and the warning sounded by Ihlenfeld, advocates of sex change surgery needed a new strategy. Benjamin and Money looked to their friend, Paul Walker, PhD, a homosexual and transgender activist they knew shared their passion to provide hormones and surgery. A committee was formed to draft standards of care for transgenders that furthered their agenda, with Paul Walker at the helm. The committee included a psychiatrist, a pedophilia activist, two plastic surgeons, and a urologist, all of whom would financially benefit from keeping gender reassignment surgery available for anyone who wanted it. The “Harry Benjamin International Standards of Care” were published in 1979 and gave fresh life to gender surgery. My Experience with Dr. Walker I myself suffered greatly to come to terms with my gender. In 1981, I sought out Dr. Walker to ask him, the man who wrote the standards of care, for help. Walker said I was suffering from gender dysphoria. A mere two years after both the Hopkins study and the public statements of Ihlenfeld drew attention to the increased suicide risk associated with gender change, Walker, even though he was completely aware of both reports, signed my approval letter for hormones and surgery. |
| Present-day theorists maintain that impulses do not originate in a vacuum but spring up from the deep recesses of the memory, especially intense memories associated with deep feeling states. For example, Robert Miller has developed an entire theory of feeling states about the role of memory in impulsive behavior. In his article, “The Feeling-State Theory of Impulse-Control Disorders and the Impulse-Control Disorder Protocol,” Miller writes, “The theory postulates that ICDs (impulse control disorders) are created when positive feelings, linked with specific objects of behavior, form a state-dependent memory. This state-dependent memory, composed of feelings and the event, form a unit called a ‘feeling state’ (FS). The FS is hypothesized to be the cause of ICDs.” For example, the alcoholic may see a six-pack of coke and suddenly have a state-dependent memory flash before his mind’s eye, that time when he felt so relaxed and carefree drinking a six-pack of beer with his buddies on the beach. Immediately, the impulse to recapture that experience manifests itself. Of course, one can replace beer with drugs, food, gambling, carnal desires, and any other “flesh-pots of Egypt” (Exodus 16:3) that can bring pleasure and lead us back into slavery. Significantly, Miller connects feelings “not only to emotions such as joy or anger but also to the total complex of sensations, emotions, and thoughts… In the FST (feeling state theory), the term feeling-state (FS) refers to the entire psycho-physiological arousal of the body and its connection with the memory of a specific behavior. In other words, the feeling-state is a unit that is composed of the feelings (sensations, emotions, and thoughts as described above) associated with the behavior plus the memory of the behavior itself. FST proposes that the FS unit composed of feelings and memory of the behavior leads to the impulse-control problems.” Much of the psychophysiological arousal, such as a flushed face, pounding heart or mounting nervousness, are not controllable and further impel us to act on the impulse, for, as Saint Mark the Ascetic puts it, “the mind becomes a prisoner of the fierce heat of evil desire and cannot then resist such pleasure, for when the blood is heated, the spirit is cooled” ( Letter to Nicholas the Solitary ). |
| 1998 Synodical Decision of the Orthodox Church of Georgia on the Chambésy and Balamand Agreements, the Branch Theory and more INTRODUCTION Among the milestones of contemporary Orthodox ecclesiastical history with regard to the Church's struggle to maintain " the faith once delivered " and Her belief in the " One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, " the 1998 Synodical Decision of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Georgia is of especial importance. Echoing the earlier decision of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1983, which condemned the heresy of ecumenism, and in particular made reference to the " Branch Theory, " the Decision of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Georgia is broader in scope, touching on six different manifestations of unorthodox teachings emanating from the contemporary ecumenical movement and ecumenical involvement of the Local Orthodox Churches. In particular, the decision rejects by name the Chambésy and Balamand agreements, the agreement signed by the Patriarch of Antioch with the Non-Chalcedonians in Syria, in 1991, the adoption of the Gregorian Paschalion by the Finnish Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the idea that the Holy Mysteries exist outside the Church and also the various manifestations of the " Branch Theory , " as well as common prayer and sharing of mysteries with the non-Orthodox. Both the particular and wide-ranging nature of the decision increases its importance and significance for the entire Church in terms of coming to a pan-Orthodox consensus with regard to the heretical nature of syncretistic ecumenism. For this reason, the fact that it has (to our knowledge) never been translated into English - until now - is all the more astounding. It is important to note the following concerning this Synodical Decision, so as to put it into its proper historical and ecclesiastical context: The Holy Synod's decision was based on a review done by a theological commission appointed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. The decision to create the commission and review the above-mentioned six issues and texts came on the heel of a major, popular " uprising " of the faithful of Georgia, in particular, the monastic community. Hence, it was the watchfulness and dogmatic sensitivity, not only or even primarily of the hierarchy, but of the entire pleroma of the faithful that brought about this landmark decision in favor of Orthodox ecclesiology. This point cannot be over-stated and must be seriously considered by the faithful everywhere, in every Local Church, for every believer is co-responsible for the guarding of the deposit of the Faith and the upbuilding of the Church. |
| Dr. Hynek has done much to remove some of the common misconceptions about UFO sightings. Thus, he makes it clear that most UFO sightings are not reported by cultists, unstable or uneducated people. The few reports made by such people are usually easily identified as unreliable and not further investigated. But the most coherent and articulate reports come from normal, responsible people (often with scientific training), who are genuinely surprised or shocked by their experience and simply don’t know how to explain it ( The UFO Experience, pp. 10–11); the stronger the experience and the closer the UFO is seen, the less willing the witnesses are to report it at all. UFO records are a collection of “incredible tales told by credible persons,” as one Air Force general has remarked. There can be no reasonable doubt that there is something behind the many thousands of serious UFO reports. 3. The Six Kinds of UFO Encounters Dr. Hynek, who has studied the question more thoroughly than any other distinguished scientist, has conveniently divided UFO phenomena into six general categories. 24 The first, “Nocturnal Lights,” is the one most commonly reported and the least strange of all. Most such reports are easily explained as heavenly bodies, meteors, etc., and are not considered UFOs. Truly puzzling Nocturnal Lights (those that remain “unidentified”), which seem to display intelligent action but are not explainable as ordinary aircraft, are often seen by multiple witnesses, including police officers, airplane pilots, and airport tower operators. The second category of UFOs is “Daylight Discs,” whose behavior is close to that of Nocturnal Lights. These are the original “flying saucers,” and in fact almost all of the unidentified sightings in this category are of discs which vary in shape from circular to cigar-shaped. They are often metallic in appearance, and are reported as capable of extremely rapid starts and stops and high speed, as well as maneuvers (such as sudden reversals of direction and motionless hovering) that are beyond the capacity of any present aircraft. |
| Тильмона История императоров и 6 первых веков 1690 г. Его же Мемуары 1694 года и следующих. Т. 22. (Tillemont, Histoire des Empereurs et six premirs siècles. Mémoires pour servir à l " histoire eccl. de six prem. siècles). Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июнь, Т. I, 1695 г. Т. II, 1698 г. – Т. III, 1701 г. Аббата Комманюиля Новые жития святых на все дни, 1701 г. (Nouvelles vies des saints pour tous les jours Mr. l " abbé de Commanuille). Жития святых. Париж. 1701 г. (Adriani Baillet Vies des Saints). В 1703 г. вышел со строгою критикою составленный том, содержащий: 1) историю подвижных праздников, 2) жития ветхозаветных святых, 3) хронологию и 4) топографию святых. Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июнь, Т. IV, 1707 г. Монфокона Греческая Палеография 1708 г. (Montfaucon Paleographia graeca. Paris). Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июнь, Т. V, 1709 г. Т. VI, 1715–1717 г. Т. VII, 1717 г. Греческая Библиотека Иоанна Фабриция 1705–1718 (Bibliotheca graeca Iohan. Fabricii), вновь издана Гарлесом в 1791–1809 годах. Это издание весьма много восполнено, – на столько, на сколько литература подвинулась в продолжении целого века. В X томе, (а по старому изданию в IX томе) содержится библиография святых, исчисляются все жития известные с заглавиями. Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июль, Т. I, 1719 г. Т. II, 1721. Удэна Комментарий о древних писателях церкви 1722 (Commentarius de scriptoribus ecclesiae antiquis. Oudin. Т. I-III). Очень хорошее произведение. Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июль, Т. III, 1723.Т. IV, 1725г. Т. V, 1727 г. Стишной мартиролог греческой церкви Сибера 1727 г. (Ecclesiae graecae martyrologium metricum. Lipsiae). Собраны в нем краткие стихословия из греч. миней и синаксарей, принадлежащие, большею частию, Христофору Митиленскому, о коих будет ниже. Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июль, Т. VI. 1729 г. Реми Селье, Общая история священных и церковных писателей 1729–1763 г. Т. I-XXIII. (Remy Ceillier, Histoire générale des auteurs sacres et ecclesiastiques) . Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Июль, Т. VII, 1731 г. Деяний св. (Acta SS.) Август, Т. I, 1733 г. Т. II, 1735 г. Т. III, 1737 г. Т. IV, 1739 г. |
| 2. One should distinguish the preparatory fast from the eucharistic fast in a proper sense, i.e. the complete abstinence from food and drink from midnight until holy communion. This fast is mandated by the canons (see canon 41/50 of Carthage, cited above). At the same time, the requirement of eucharistic fast is not applied to infants, as well as to persons who suffer from grave acute or chronic illnesses which demand a regular intake of medicine or food (e.g. diabetes), and to those who are dying. Moreover, at the discretion of the spiritual father, this requirement may be facilitated for women who are pregnant or nursing a child. Canon law prescribes abstinence from marital relations during the period of preparation for holy communion. Canon 5 of Timothy of Alexandria refers to such abstinence on the eve of communion. The Church encourages those Christians who suffer from the harmful habit of smoking tobacco to abandon this habit. Those, however, who do not yet have the strength to do so must abstain from smoking from midnight and, if possible, from the evening before communion. Since in accordance with the Typicon, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is combined with Vespers, its celebration during the evening hours constitutes a liturgical norm (even though in practice this liturgy usually is celebrated in the morning). In accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of November 28, 1968, when the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated in the evening, the abstention from food and drink for those who receive communion must be no less than six hours, however the abstention before communion from midnight of the day is quite praiseworthy and those who have physical strength may keep it. One should also apply the standard of no less than six hours of abstinence while preparing for communion at the Divine Liturgy that is celebrated during the night (e.g. on the feasts of Holy Pascha and the Nativity of Christ). 3. The preparation for communion consists not only in abstinence from certain food, but also includes the more regular attendance of church services, and in the performance of a rule of prayer. |
| Not long after his election in 1991, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew boldly began to strengthen the Orthodox conciliar process by proposing and guiding meetings to increase Pan-Orthodox engagements and discussions. Throughout this process, he exercised his canonical responsibility to strengthen the unity of the Church, to mediate disputes and to propose topics for common study and resolution. He recognized that the historic ‘primacy of honor’ accorded to the Ecumenical Patriarch by the Church in its canonical tradition required that he exercise a sacrificial leadership for the good and well-being of the entire Church. This ministry of service is “to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 2:3) among the Autocephalous Churches. Among his first actions, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew established a tradition of the Synaxis, a meeting of the Patriarchs and Archbishops who head the Autocephalous Churches. He recognized that a regular gathering of the primates of the Autocephalous Churches would provide a distinctive opportunity to celebrate together the Liturgy, and to discuss together the issues facing the entire Church and the world. He believed that Orthodoxy had to speak with one voice about critical issues facing the Church and the world. There have been six meetings of the primates since 1992. Patriarch Bartholomew has presided at each of these. The most recent was held January 21-28, 2016, at the Patriarchal Centre in Chambésy-Geneva. At this meeting, the primates unanimously agreed on the date for the Holy and Great Council. Among the topics studied, they selected six to be presented at the Council. These topics are: The Mission of the Orthodox Church in the Contemporary World, The Orthodox Diaspora, Autonomy and its Manner of Proclamation, The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments, The Significance of Fasting and its Application Today, and Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World. Each of these topics has a position paper approved by a pre-conciliar Conference. |
| Таким образом, Римская республика все же имеет место – в качестве Римского государства. Все это давало комментаторам блж. Августина возможность по-разному истолковать его идеи, так же как и Гегеля по-разному истолковывали «правые» и «левые» гегелианцы, если позволительно столь сильное сравнение. 315 Goibaud-Dubois Ph. Conformité de la conduite de l " Église de France pour ramener les protestants avec celle de l’Église d " Afrique pour ramener les donatistes à l " Église catholi que. P., 1685. 318 «Mais de vouloir la mettre dans le cœur et dans l " esprit par la force et par les menaces, ce n " est pas y mettre la religion , mais la terreur» (Pascal B. Penseés/ed. Sellier-Ferreyrolles. Paris, 2000. Fragment 203). C m. также комментарий Ф. Селлие: Sellier Ph. Pascal et saint Augustin, Pari, 1995. P. 544. 320 «Commentaire philosophique sur ces paroles de Jésus-Christ : » contrains-les d " entrer «, où (...) l " on réfute (...) l’apologie que saint Augustin a faite des persécutions» (Бейль П. Философский комментарий на слова Иисуса Христа «Заставь их войти»//Исторический и критический словарь. Т. 2. С. 265–343). 326 «C’est une chose horrible de sentir s’écouler tout ce qu’on possède » (Pascal B. Penseés... Fragment 626). 329 «Les six âges, les six pères des six âges, les six merveilles à l’entrée des six âges, les six orients à l’entrée des six âges » (Pascal B. Penseés... Fragment 315). 333 «Il n " y a point de puissance humaine qui ne serve malgré elle à d " autres desseins que les siens. Dieu seul sait tout réduire à sa volonté » (Bossuet J.-B. Discours sur l " histoire universelle, 111, 8). 339 Боссюэ использует понятие «La bibliothèque des curieux», которое не имеет точного перевода на русский язык. – Примеч. пер. 340 В оригинале «проповеди о Проведении» Боссюэ говорит о картине хаотичной на первый взгляд. Однако, если встать в определенной точке, это изображение превращается в сбалансированный гармоничный образ. См. подробнее о влиянии анаморфозы на риторику эпохи барокко: Leplatre О. Spiritualité de l’anamorphose//L " information littéraire. 2002/4. Vol. 54. P. 38–46; Blanchard J.-V. L " optique du discours au XVlle siècle: de la rhétorique des jésuites au style de la raison moderne (Descartes, Pascal). Les Presses de l’Université Laval, 2005. P. 155–157. – Примеч. nep. |
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