| The second morning session, chaired by Professor Fr Emmanuel Clapsis from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston, included papers by Dragica Tadi-Papanikolaou, MTh, and Fr Cyril Hovorun. Dragica Tadi-Papanikolaou, MTh, Associate of the Christian Cultural Center of Belgrade, presented the topic " The Construction of the National Idea and Identity through Church Narratives. " In her presentation, the speaker referred to some examples relating to the construction of the Balkan nations during the 19th and early 20th century. These examples show that the use of ecclesiastical narratives in a geographic area has not really changed in the last 150 years. At the end, she investigated whether and how much the Church and its models are used for the cultivation of national sentiment. Fr Cyril Hovorun, Chairman of the Theological Department at the Sts Cyril and Methodius School of Graduate and Doctoral Studies of the Russian Orthodox Church, presented a paper entitled " Church and Nation: Looking through the Glasses of Post-secularism. " In recent years, sociologists, political scientists, and philosophers have begun to discuss a phenomenon called " post-secularism. " In fact, there are many versions of post-secularism. In this paper, emphasis was given to post-secularism in the context of post-totalitarian societies. This latter version is characterized by dualism and the ideologization of the Church. However, post-secularism also plays some positive roles in societies and the Churches, such as, for example, encouraging Christians to believe in rational way. Professor Assaad Kattan chaired the first afternoon session with Fr Gregorios Papathomas and Metropolitan of Pergamon John Zizioulas. Fr Gregorios Papathomas, Professor of Theology at the University of Athens and at the St. Sergius Theological Institute, delivered a paper entitled “Ethnophyletism and the So-called ‘Diaspora’: National or Territorial Principle?” In his presentation, the speaker referred in particular to the concept of ethnophyletism as the power source of the ecclesial " Diaspora, " and spoke of the ecclesio-canonical parameters of the concept of autocephaly. He also spoke, in retrospect, about the canonical solution to the issue of the “Diaspora” and the dual relationship between the State-Nation (État-Nation) and Nation-State in respect to the " Diaspora. " |
| Photo: mospat.ru On November 14, 2021, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), continued his working visit to the USA and arrived in St. Tikhon’s Monastery in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America. Metropolitan Hilarion and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon concelebrated the Divine Liturgy. Also concelebrating were Archimandrite Sergius (Bowyer), the abbot of the monastery with the ordained brethren; Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA); Priest Alessandro Margheritino, secretary of the OCA; Archpriest John Parker, Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary; and clerics of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York City. After the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America greeted Metropolitan Hilarion most cordially and thanked him for the joy of common prayer in the oldest Orthodox Christian Monastery in America, which was founded in 1905 by St. Tikhon, the future Patriarch of Moscow. His Beatitude asked the high guest to convey his fraternal greetings to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and congratulations on his forthcoming remarkable jubilee. In memory of Metropolitan Hilarion’s visit and common prayers His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presented him with an icon with a particle of the holy relics of St. Nikolaj (Velemirovi) of ia who fell asleep in the Lord at the monastery in 1956, and a shrine with the holy relics of Sts Tikhon of Zadonsk, Isaac of Syria and Hilarion the Great. The DECR chairman greeted His Beatitude on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and expressed his gratitude to the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America for the opportunity to visit the country, to take part in the academic theological conference held at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and for the invitation to visit St. Tikhon’s Monastery and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Metropolitan Hilarion presented His Beatitude with a panagia and wished him the strengthening God’s aid and the intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God in the responsible and demanding ministry of the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America. |
| In Chihli (later known as Hebei) province, in central Yung-ping-fu, a church and school were erected, and a native Chinese priest opened about twenty new places for preaching the Gospel. In Henan province, a Chinese official gave land in the city of Wei-hui, where he built a church and a school. This became a center for missionary work throughout Henan. By 1916 the Chinese Orthodox mission included: § the Monastery of the Dormition in Beijing; § the Hermitage of the Exaltation of the Cross in the hills west of Beijing; § a convent in Beijing; § nineteen churches, including four in Beijing; § thirty-two mission churches, including fourteen in Chihli province, twelve in Hubei, four in Henan, one in Tsian-fu, and one in Mongolia; § seventeen schools for boys and three for girls; § thirty-eight teachers, nearly all of whom were native Chinese; § 680 Chinese boys and girls enrolled in school; § a theological seminary in Beijing; § a meteorological station, library, printing house (which published one hundred Chinese Orthodox books), painting studio, carpenters shop, flour mill, candle factory, soap factory, weavers workshop, beehives, sewing house and brickyard. 785 Bishop Basil Yao of Beijing (1888–1962). Archpriest Basil Du († 1948), senior priest in Beijing. Photograph taken in 1938. (He is seen as a boy in the photo on p. 429, third from right.) Archpriest Sergius Chang, the surviving son of Sts. Mitrofan and Tatiana, New Martyrs of China. Photograph taken in 1934. (He is seen as a boy in the photo on p. 429, back row, fifth front left, dressed in white.) Chinese and Russian nuns of the Holy Protection Women’s Monastery in Beijing. Left to right: Fr. Elias Wen, Archpriest Basil Du and Hieromonk Innocent Jao. Beijing, 1932. The Orthodox Cathedral in Shanghai, built under the direction of St. John Maximovitch in the 1930s and dedicated to the Most Holy Mother of God «Surety of Sinners». The bell tower of the Orthodox mission in Beijing. Until the communists gained control of China in 1949, such cities as Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai were centers for Russian refugees of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. |
| Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk Makes a Working Visit to Paris Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Photo: mospat.ru On June 30, 2022, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, arrived in Paris, France, on a working visit, reports the website of the DECR. On July 3, 2022, the 3d Sunday after Pentecost, Metropolitan Anthony and Archbishop Nestor of Madrid and Lisbon, acting administrator of the Diocese of Chersonesus, officiated a Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church on Brainly Embankment in Paris. The liturgy was celebrated in Church Slavonic and French with a great gathering of the faithful, the website of the Diocese of Chersonesus reports . After the service, Metropolitan Anthony greeted those present. He thanked Archbishop Nestor for the warm welcome and expressed his gratitude to the clergy and laity of the diocese for the joy of praying together. In his response, Archbishop Nestor congratulated Metropolitan Anthony, who was appointed the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations in June, on the high duty and the special confidence shown by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and wished him God’s help in his work as the chairman of the DECR. The archbishop presented Metropolitan Anthony with an Icon of Sts Sergius and Herman of Valaam. On June 4, 2022, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, at the conclusion of his working trip to France, met with the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore. Photo: mospat.ru On the occasion of the high-ranking guest’s visit to the representation of the Holy See in Paris, a dinner was given, during which the interlocutors, who have maintained good personal relations since Archbishop Migliore’s diplomatic service in Russia, discussed a wide range of issues concerning, among other things, the relationships between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. |
| —What monasteries has your group visited in Moscow? —We were in Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, in Sretensky Monastery, Sts. Martha & Mary Convent, we prayed in Danilov and Donskoy Monasteries, visited Khotkovo and Alexeevsky Convent in Krasnoe Selo—the latter is where we are staying; with the blessing of Abbess Xenia, our dear friend Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov is hosting us there. The hospitality we have been shown in Krasnoe Selo is so remarkable, and wonderfully reflects the kind and lovingly generous nature of the Russian soul! —The Russia your parents and teachers nostalgically told you about in your childhood significantly differs from the Russia of today. Having received an opportunity to compare the two, did you get the impression that something important, something deeper, has been lost? —It is impossible to lose—how can you lose grace? Even if the churches and monasteries are surrounded by skyscrapers, this externality has no effect on the internal, the spiritual. Certainly, all around is a contemporary metropolis, loud and sometimes dirty streets, and endless streams of cars. But once a person steps through the doors of the church, he enters another world entirely. When I read about Sretensky Monastery, looked at pictures of it, I was certain that it was located somewhere outside the city, in the forests and meadows. The first time I came to Moscow, I was stunned to see that the monastery is located in the very center of the capital, densely surrounded by residential buildings. This was in 2004, when a ROCOR delegation visited Russia for the first time, led by our First Hierarch, Metropolitan Laurus—this was before the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church Abroad. I was not a member of the official delegation; rather, my father, brother, and I coincidentally decided to visit Russia on pilgrimage at the same time. We entered Sretensky Monastery and did not quite know how to act—we were brought up being told that there was a “Red Church” in the USSR, and so viewed everything with a degree of skepticism. |
| Syria: Islamist Rebels Abduct 12 Nuns from Orthodox Monastery in Maaloula Damascus, December 2, 2013 Abbess of St Thecla in Maaloula Mother Pelagia (Sayyaf) Islamist rebels have kidnapped a group of nuns from the Greek Orthodox monastery of St Thecla (Mar Taqla) in Maaloula (north of Damascus). Mgr Mario Zenari, the Vatican nuncio in Damascus, confirmed the information after speaking with the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate. Through the Vatican diplomat, the latter “calls on all Catholics to pray for the women religious.” “Armed men burst in the monastery of St Thecla in Maaloula this afternoon. From there, they forcibly took 12 women religious,” Mgr Zenari said, citing a statement from Patriarchate. The group of Islamist rebels has apparently taken them to Yabrud, some 80 km north of the capital. Neither the nuncio nor the church Greek Orthodox Church know reason behind the kidnapping. Islamist Rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) had invaded the small town on 5 September after driving out regime troops with the support of al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Brigades. After taking control of the city, they went on a rampage against Christian buildings, killing three young Catholic men. More than 3,000 people, the town’s entire Christian population, fled their homes seeking refuge in Bab Touma, the Christian quarter of Damascus. Some found shelter with relatives in Lebanon or in local Greek-Catholic convents. Only Muslims were left in town, plus 40 nuns at the St Thecla Monastery who stayed to help care for dozens of orphaned children. As of yesterday, Maaloula became again the scene of heavy fighting between the army and Syrian rebels, including many members of the extremist Jabat-al-Nusra militia. Clashes are concentrated mostly in the upper, oldest part of the town, where the St Thecla Greek-Orthodox and the Sts Sergius and Bacchus Greek-Catholic monasteries are located. From there, the rebels have launched repeated attacks against army positions in the lower part of town. Fighting is intensifying, sources told AsiaNews. ”The army is trying to regain control over the villages north of Damascus. For this purpose, it has launched a major offensive against the rebels, who are trying to hold government forces back through a scorched earth policy in the areas under their control.” Global Research 3 декабря 2013 г. ... Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| The proper answer to what are the essential primary documents of Orthodoxy would be: the gospels, the Old Testament, the liturgical and sacramental texts used in worship, the statements and definitions of the ecumenical councils, the canons and disciplinary decisions of the great councils of the church, and the writings that have been afforded “patristic” status by the church over the generations (whether those were writings of subapostolic times, patristic-era theologies, or even writings of considerably later saints and doctors, whose opinions and decisions have been widely held among the Orthodox to affirm and express authentic Orthodox attitudes and values). In that list the biblical material has pride of place of course (see “Tradition” in the encyclopedia articles) and the conciliar and patristic materials are regarded as fundamental commentary upon it. The liturgical prayers and hymns, gathered together over the centuries as the church corporately worshipped, have a unique ethos and character for revealing the essential spirit of Orthodoxy. Here the old Latin adage holds true still: Lex orandi, lex credendi (the rule of prayer is the rule of faith). The text of the liturgy is widely accessible (numerous versions of it are freely available on the Worldwide Web, for example). It was composed at the dawn of the life of the church and reached its polished form in the golden age of patristic theology. The liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, or St. Basil, or St. James, to take the main instances, are replete with prayers of extreme beauty, simplicity, and profundity. There are also several available examples of “Orthodox prayer books” extant; three common and useful instances giving a broad coverage of typical Orthodox prayers being those from St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, New York, St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, Pennsylvania, and the Fellowship handbook of the Society of Sts. Alban and Sergius, Oxford. Another, of my own editing, also appears later this year with Paraclete Press. Perusing such a book of devotional materials shows, as it were, the inside of the cathedral: just as important for giving a true ethos, but often not as monumental or awe-inspiring as the outside facade. |
| Sts. Sergius and Bacchus The distinction of betrothal from complete marriage, which was established by the final rite of crowning, may be understood if the grounds for their dissolution are compared. While the grounds for divorce of a completed marriage concentrated on the disruption of marital union and dealt with adultery or situations that concerned actual or suspected sexual immorality, the causes for dissolving betrothals had a different focus, namely, finances, character, position in life, and events surrounding the contracting of the marriage. The difference indicated that while divorce in the case of a completed marriage was concerned with the loss of union, the sundering of betrothal dealt with the loss of the foundation for the union. Betrothal is a step in the completion of matrimony, nearly equivalent to marriage, but it is not the same as the completed union. Crowning, the final stage of the formation of marriage, was named after the central rite of benediction during which crowns were placed on the heads of the bride and groom by the priest. As in the case of betrothal, a solemn invocation of divine blessing was made to establish the marital union. The marital union resulted in a number of kinships by marriage, known as relationships by affinity. Complex rules or canons governed whether such family members were allowed to intermarry. Once established, this type of kinship even survived the death of either or both of the spouses. These relationships were more extensive than those formed through any other Sacrament or mystery, including Baptism, which also resulted in certain prohibitions on marriage between the sponsor " s family and the baptized. If Byzantine marriage is compared with the rite for adelphopoiesis (what Boswell calls " same-sex union " ), several differences are apparent. The first is that marriage occurs through a process, not a single rite. The most immediate reason for this appears to be that marital unity in Byzantine society involved both the spouses and their families, rather than simply individuals. |
| “Let us also pray for those who perished yesterday in the Moscow Metro. In our capital today is a day of mourning. I know that today very many people are remembering those who perished. Let us also pray for the spiritual and physical health of those who survived this disaster. May the Lord grant them speedy heeling, and the Kingdom of Heaven for the deceased.” After the moleben, pilgrims were accommodated in special tents. These tents were set up for 10,000 people: those who came in organized groups from various dioceses. Next to these tents, a field was prepared for the other pilgrims: the grass was mown, a special point gave out tents, food was sold, and water tanks were erected. From July 16-19, church services will be held on these campgrounds. The start of the procession The start of the procession The start of the procession Three sisters Raphael from Armenia believes that his main goal in life is to bear his cross. Patriarch Kirill exits through the monastery’s main gates. A father photographs his sons, who wear t-shirts that say: “700 Years of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, Uniter of the Russian land.” Tweet Donate Share Code for blog People of the XXI Century Walk After the Venerable One Anna Galperina Special buses brought people to the places of celebration. Pilgrims came from all over Russia: Kazakhstan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Vologda, Penza, and the Moscow region. People arrived early to attend Liturgy and venerate the relics of Sts. Cyril and Maria of Radonezh, parents of the Venerable ... 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. |
| Conference “World Orthodoxy: Primacy and Conciliarity in the Light of Orthodox Teaching” Starts Today A conference titled “World Orthodoxy: Primacy and Conciliarity in the Light of Orthodox Teaching” opened at St. Sergius Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on September 16, 2021. The organizers and partners of the conference are the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission; the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; the Sts Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies. The conference is aimed at creating a platform for theological discussion of different ecclesiological problems such as primacy, conciliarity, and the order of granting autocephaly. Participating in the conference are members of the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission, representatives of the Theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church, professors and lecturers of universities, hierarchs and clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and guests from Local Orthodox Churches. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia delivered an opening speech. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, will deliver the key plenary report. Different aspects of the main theme will be discussed in the reports of the speakers at the plenary sessions on September 16 and 17. As a result of the conference, a collection of the reports presented by the participants is planned to be published in Russian. 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 |
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