| On the first Sunday of Lent, our Holy Church celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, of true faith, which trampled down all heresies and was established. For this reason this Sunday is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Heresies showed up even at the very beginning of Christianity. The Apostles of Christ themselves warned their contemporaries, and with them us too, about the danger of false teachers. The Holy Apostle Peter writes the following in his Second General Epistle: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed”(II Pet. 2:1-2). St. Paul, returning to Palestine from Greece, made a stop in Ephesus. To the the Christian inhabitants of the town there he said: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-30). Many such false teachers and schismatics existed in the first centuries of Christianity. Some heresies troubled the Church for centuries, such as the heresies of Arius, of Macedonius, Eutyches, Dioscorus, of Nestorius and also the heresy of Iconoclasm. These heresies caused much disturbance in the Church and afflicted the Church greatly. There were many confessors and martyrs who shed their blood defending the true faith in the fight against false teachers and heretics. There were also many great prelates, who also suffered under persecution and were often exiled. Saint Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, for example, in a council chaired by Dioscorus, called the Robber Synod and was “beaten so savagely that he died three days later.” The last in the line-up of heresies, the heresy of Iconoclasm, was the one that tormented our Orthodox Church the most. This heresy first appeared during the reign of Emperor Leo the Isaurian, who came to the throne in 717. He ascended the throne with the help of the army, which had many opponents of those who venerate holy icons, within its ranks. Because he wanted to please the army he started a harsh persecution against Iconophiles. |
| Скачать epub pdf The City of God (Book VIII) Augustine comes now to the third kind of theology, that is, the natural, and takes up the question, whether the worship of the gods of the natural theology is of any avail towards securing blessedness in the life to come. This question he prefers to discuss with the Platonists, because the Platonic system is facile princeps among philosophies, and makes the nearest approximation to Christian truth. In pursuing this argument, he first refutes Apuleius, and all who maintain that the demons should be worshipped as messengers and mediators between gods and men; demonstrating that by no possibility can men be reconciled to good gods by demons, who are the slaves of vice, and who delight in and patronize what good and wise men abhor and condemn– the blasphemous fictions of poets, theatrical exhibitions, and magical arts. Chapter 1.– That the Question of Natural Theology is to Be Discussed with Those Philosophers Who Sought a More Excellent Wisdom. We shall require to apply our mind with far greater intensity to the present question than was requisite in the solution and unfolding of the questions handled in the preceding books; for it is not with ordinary men, but with philosophers that we must confer concerning the theology which they call natural. For it is not like the fabulous, that is, the theatrical; nor the civil, that is, the urban theology: the one of which displays the crimes of the gods, while the other manifests their criminal desires, which demonstrate them to be rather malign demons than gods. It is, we say, with philosophers we have to confer with respect to this theology, – men whose very name, if rendered into Latin, signifies those who profess the love of wisdom. Now, if wisdom is God, who made all things, as is attested by the divine authority and truth, Wisdom 7:24–27 then the philosopher is a lover of God. But since the thing itself, which is called by this name, exists not in all who glory in the name – for it does not follow, of course, that all who are called philosophers are lovers of true wisdom – we must needs select from the number of those with whose opinions we have been able to acquaint ourselves by reading, some with whom we may not unworthily engage in the treatment of this question. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Vienna On 11 February 2018, Sunday of the Last Judgment, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in the capital of Austria. Concelebrating with the archpastor were Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad; Archpriest Vladimir Tyshchuk, rector of the church; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; Protodeacon Viktor Shilovsky, secretary of the diocese of Vienna and Austria, and clergy of the diocese. After the divine service Archbishop Antony greeted the DECR chairman on behalf of the clergy and parishioners. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk addressed all those present with a homily, saying in particular: “It is a great joy for me today to visit again the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, where I served for six years. I am happy to see its clergy, which has increased in number over the past years, but increased by the people whom I know well. “The delegation which I lead has come to this city in order to follow up on what had been said at the meeting in Havana by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis, that is, to discuss how we, Orthodox and Catholic Christians, can help together our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Middle East: in Syria, Iraq and other countries where they are being subjected to the most severe persecutions. Perhaps, it is not fortuitous that today the Gospel has called us to do good: we have to remember not only about those people who are near us, but also about those who geographically may be far from us, but who spiritually are our brothers and sisters. They are Christians, just like we are, but they are suffering the gravest afflictions and persecutions, and it is our duty to do all we can to help them. |
| Patriarch Kirill: Papism is Dangerous Because it is Much Easier to Influence One Individual than a Group of People Source: DECR Photo: S. Vlasov/patriarchia.ru On November 4, 2019, after the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin, a fraternal repast took place at which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the gathering. Speaking about the crucial developments in the world Orthodoxy, His Holiness said in particular: ‘Today we are going through certain difficulties, in the first place in the relations with Constantinople. However, unlike Constantinople – which violates canonical rules by invading into others’ jurisdiction by granting ‘autocephaly’ to those who did not ask for it and insists on other privileges that have never been appropriate to it – our Church does not strive for power at the pan-Orthodox level. We only wish to preserve the canonical order and we cannot allow that a likeness of papism, a ‘quasi-papism’, should emerge in Orthodoxy. I will say perhaps a somewhat unexpected thing. Why is papism dangerous? – Certainly because papism does not follow from either the Word of God or the Tradition of the Church. I will still offer another, completely different argument: papism is dangerous because it is much easier to influence one individual than a group of people. A pope and a patriarch who wants to become the pope become a very attractive target to the powers that be, and an outside influence made on one individual may ruin the Church. When the system of synodal governance of the Church was developed, the holy apostles were well aware what they were doing. It was impossible in the context of the Roman Empire that only one individual should have borne responsibility for the whole Church – indeed, he could be arrested, he could be persuaded to cooperate, he could be scared. However, all these dangers come to naught when the Church is governed collegially, synodally. Therefore, in our time too, it is necessary to uphold the synodal governance of the Universal Church. We do not challenge the Patriarch of Constantinople’s primacy in honour, but we disagree with any encroachments on the universal power. The Patriarch of Constantinople, who resides in the territory of Turkey, is very vulnerable personally, and for this reason it remains for us only to pray that the Lord may save him from influences that could have a pernicious effect on the life of the whole Church’. |
| Pope Francis Asked Forgiveness for the Mistakes of Catholics Photo: Vatican Media Pope Francis admitted that “actions and decisions that had little or nothing to do with Jesus and the Gospel, but were instead marked by a thirst for advantage and power” became the cause of division between Christians. “Grace to you and peace from God” (Rom 1:7): with these words of the Holy Apostle Paul, with which he greeted the Roman believers from the Greek land, Pope Francis began his address to His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, whom he met on Saturday, December 4 in Athens, reports Vatican News . “Our meeting today renews that grace and peace,” said Pope Francis greeting Archbishop Ieronymos II. “As I prayed before the great shrines of the Church of Rome, the tombs of the Apostles and martyrs, I felt compelled to come here as a pilgrim, with great respect and humility, in order to renew that apostolic communion and to foster fraternal charity.” He then mentioned the roots that unite Catholic and Orthodox Christians, “Underground, hidden, frequently overlooked, those roots are nonetheless there and they sustain everything. What are our common roots that have endured over the centuries? They are the apostolic roots.” Unfortunately, over time, they began to grow apart from each other: “Worldly concerns poisoned us, weeds of suspicion increased our distance and we ceased to nurture communion. Shamefully – I acknowledge this for the Catholic Church – actions and decisions that had little or nothing to do with Jesus and the Gospel, but were instead marked by a thirst for advantage and power, gravely weakened our communion. In this way, we let fruitfulness be compromised by division. History makes its weight felt, and here, today, I feel the need to ask anew for the forgiveness of God and of our brothers and sisters for the mistakes committed by many Catholics.” According to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, only the Holy Spirit can help Orthodox Christians and Catholics work towards communion, “Let us implore the Spirit of communion to spur us to follow his lead and to help us base communion not on calculations, strategies and expedience, but on the one model to which we must look: the Most Holy Trinity.” |
| There are few opportunities like Holy Week to gain empirical knowledge and partake in the Philokalic (love of beauty) Hellenic tradition that masterfully comes to life each year in Greek Orthodox churches and homes all over the world. The Orthodox Christian mentality is expressed in our persistent focus on the Resurrection. While various creeds follow the Passion, and even honor it, they view it within the narrow prism of “The satisfaction of God's divine anger,” and their churches remain silent after Good Friday. In the Orthodox Church, the Holy Passion is venerated, because it illuminates what is to come; because the faithful know that after the Cross comes the Resurrection! This was and will remain the good news that Orthodoxy preaches to the world. It’s this very “good news” that Greek tradition has sought to identify itself with. Since ancient times, Hellenism has stood out for its ability to “organically digest” new elements and incorporate them into its existence. It is no surprise that it lends its full passion and grace and abilities towards glorifying the greatest of all such elements: the voluntary self-sacrifice of the Incarnate God and His subsequent Resurrection, to save mortals from death. Famous Greek author Alexandros Papadiamantis (widely known as the Dostoevsky of Greece) – whose 100-year memorial anniversary is being widely commemorated this year – describes Holy Week most eloquently in so many of his short stories and articles: “… the incense drifts in blue fragrant wreaths and forms a fleeting surround for the girls, in their embroidered aprons and white sleeveless jackets, come bearing armfuls of roses and violets and sheaves of rosemary and proceed to heap mountains of flowers on the humble Epitaphios, which needs no further embellishment.” In her blog This Side of Glory, the author Grace discusses this beautiful short story (A Village Easter), noting, “Who doesn’t know what he means? The liturgical worship we have looks so serious to our Protestant friends that they never guess how very human it can be — laughter and tears and all the rest that are forever tinged in my memory with the most sacred and eternal aspects of worship.” |
| The Sri Lanka Attacks Have Mainstream Media Interested in Christian Persecution — Finally Source: Faithwire Photo by Stringer/Getty Images The horrific attacks perpetrated against the Christian community in Sri Lanka over the Catholic Easter weekend have piqued the interest of the mainstream media in the persecution of those who follow Jesus. But will it last? The big-network media have a habit of only picking up on the issue when something of this magnitude occurs, electing to drop their reporting once the dust has settled. It is the relentless nature of our modern news cycle that forces the subject out of the spotlight in exchange for juicy political stories or scandal-breaking Hollywood. Unfortunately, just because a topic is not being adequately covered in the mainstream media does not mean it has ceased to occur. Followers of Jesus are still being tortured, imprisoned, raped and murdered by the thousands for the simple reason that they profess love for Christ. A significant increase, a lack of coverage It is good to see well-known journalists pen hard-nosed op-eds raising the issue of violence against Christians and imploring others to take note immediately. But these pieces often come across as though this is a totally unprecedented issue — and it’s just not. As part of our work here at Faithwire, we report on the most staggering incidents of Christian persecution imaginable, on an almost daily basis. Despite the abject brutality and fundamental abuse of human rights, our reports often fly under the radar and sit beneath the purview of big news organizations. Why? Well, that’s a difficult one to answer. The news cycle runs on the drama, and, simply put, there is plenty of it to go around. As you can see with the Sri Lanka attacks, it is only when something occurs on a colossal scale that the media are forced to drop their pens and pay attention. The problem is, every single significant incident of religious persecution should garner some level of coverage, so that we might not only become better informed on the issue, but that we would become more well-equipped in learning how to tackle these modern atrocities. |
| Christmas and New Year is a time when many Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian (old) calendar wonder why they do so; or rather, those who follow the Gregorian (new) calendar wonder why the old calendar Churches don’t want to change. Here is another thorough look at this question, from a number of angles. A prerevolutionary Russian Christmas card. Fragment. Lately the question often arises: Why does the Russian Orthodox Church live by the Julian calendar when the whole world and the majority of Orthodox Local Churches have long since changed to the Gregorian calendar? And really, why? How cogent are the arguments against the old calendar? How is the calendar connected with our Christian spiritual life, and what is the significance of preserving our traditions in the modern world? Historian Pavel Kuznekov talks with our readers on this subject. The discussion surrounding the Julian calendar has come up once again, although the question being asked is not: Why does the Russian Orthodox Church live according to this calendar?—since the answer is obvious, because this is our thousand-year tradition. Rather, the question is more like this: Why haven’t we changed to the calendar that the majority of people in the country are using, which the Union of Peoples’ Commissars called on February 8, 1918 the calendar of “cultured people”? The question boils down to basically, why do we follow tradition? The answer is obvious: Because in the Orthodox Church, tradition is important. Even so, let’s look at the arguments usually presented in favor of “change” from the point of view of Church tradition, and the practical-everyday argument. The scientific question—correcting the Pascalia? Instituting the Gregorian calendar. A bas relief on the grave of Pope Gregory XIII in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rome. The scientific argument goes like this: The Gregorian calendar more accurately describes astronomical manifestations; namely, it more accurately corresponds to the tropical year—the earth’s rotational period around the sun. And in order to institutionalize the reckoning of time, the calendar was introduced, first in Europe, by Gregory XIII. This began in the Catholic world and then spread to other countries. |
| Metropolitan Hilarion: the Russian Church is compelled to set up her parishes in the African continent Source: DECR Pravmir.com team 08 February 2022 The clergy and parishioners of the Church of Holy Great Martyr Catherine in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: t.me/exarchleonid “Christians in Africa need to be protected by Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, not of her own free will but by perforce. It has set up a Patriarchal Exarchate in Africa in order to offer a canonical asylum for African clergy who did not wish to follow the Patriarch of Alexandria in recognizing and legitimizing the Ukraine schism”, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, stressed. The establishment of a Patriarchal Exarchate for Africa was a forced measure, the metropolitan noted, “No incursion from our side was made into the canonical boundaries of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria, as we simply responded to the requests of African clergy”. “In the Orthodox Church, the clergy and the faithful face a simple choice: Are you with the canonical Church or with schismatics? African clergy now have to make this choice”, the hierarch said. Earlier, when there was the Eucharistic communion between the two Churches, in the Russian Church, the Russian-speaking believers living in Africa were advised to come to churches of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. “Now, regrettably, we cannot say this to them because the Patriarchate of Alexandria has associated itself with schismatics. Accordingly, now we have to set up our own parishes for our Russian-speaking communities- the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church”, Metropolitan Hilarion stated. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Metropolitan Hilarion: the Russian Church is compelled to set up her parishes in the African continent Pravmir.com team “Christians in Africa need to be protected by Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, not of her own free will but by perforce. It has set up a Patriarchal Exarchate in Africa in order to offer a canonical asylum for African clergy who did not wish to follow the Patriarch of Alexandria in ... |
| We must follow the example of the ancient saints Tatiana Veselkina Cherry blossoms have already come to New York, and the syringas will soon bloom. Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated Pascha in 2013 in New York with the “Protectress” of the Russian diaspora, and soon after the Bright Holiday, he marked his fifth anniversary as First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. – Your Eminence, for five years now you have led the Russian Church Abroad as part of a united Russian Orthodox Church. What have these years of union given us? – Turning back, I think: Where do I begin? I can say this: the annual return to her homeland of our Protectress—the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God " of the Sign " —and the pilgrimages throughout the various dioceses of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and this year it will go to Vladivostok and Japan for the first time. I can talk about the teachers, the monks and priests who came from Russia, Ukraine, enriching our Orthodox traditions. This exchange is continuing, and expanding. Hundreds of students and young people who go to Russia and the CIS not only to meet other youth but to do real work—restoring Russian holy sites in Solovki and Tikhvin, for instance. I could tell you about the publications, films, returned archival documents. Or about the all-diaspora conferences, joint youth pilgrimages… The marriages, and now their own offspring who are born on various continents. You can read all about this on the Internet. But this could not have happened without our joint prayer at the Divine Altar, without the spiritual enrichment of Eucharistic communion with the Mother Church, her episcopacy, clergymen and laity. Naturally, we might have differing points of view in some matters. It is important that the unity of our Church exist exclusively on the foundation of Truth and purity. That is why the reestablishment of prayerfully communion within the Russian Church, the fifth anniversary of which we celebrated last year, is in our opinion an historic event, and the most important one in recent decades. |
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