| Next, there began the process of determining the list of issues which the Council would treat. An initial aim was to convene a new “Ecumenical Council” in 1925 on the 1600th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325. In the end, this was not judged to be feasible and is but another example of the disagreement and objections which surrounded this particular Council from the very beginning. The calling of the Council was then discussed within the framework of the “Preliminary Pan-Orthodox Committee” in 1930, which met on the Holy Mountain of Athos. This meeting, once again, ended without any results. The entrance of the second half of the 20th century brought about a sharp increase and flowering of ecumenism connected to specific persons and events. We point to the foundation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1948 and the ascent to the thrones of Rome and Constantinople of two men with a prior history and personal acquaintance, with common goals, and a common style of communication. Cardinal Angelo Roncalli was elected Pope in 1958, known as Pope John XXIII and the Archbishop of America, Athenagoras, was elected Ecumenical Patriarch in 1948. In exactly the same period, politics, specifically the American factor, entered into ecclesiastical affairs. It is in this time period that the Cold War comes to a head and the United States of America begins to actively strengthen the Phanar to counteract the influence which the Soviets desire to exert through the Russian Church in the Orthodox nations of Eastern Europe. From this angle, the western Governments support and encourage the “ecumenical dialogue” and its attempts for the “tightening of relations between the Churches of East and West.” In 1948, Patriarch Maximos V is violently removed from the Ecumenical Throne because of supposed pro-Russian sentiments and activities attributed to him. The USA decides to act decisively and seeks to install in the Phanar a strong, trustworthy personality, suitable to respond to the above-mentioned needs and fulfill their particular purposes. In view of the election of the new Patriarch, the Turkish government removes all of the Hierarchs of the Standing Synod of the Patriarchate from the list of candidates so that with the agreement of the Greek and American governments, the candidate elected was Athenagoras of America. |
| The Mullan Contracting Co. completed a unique task last week. A five-ton gold dome being installed on an addition to St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Hunt Valley. (Photo Courtesy of LH&A Inc.) The Mullan Contracting Co. completed a unique task last week. The Lutherville-based firm installed a five-ton, 40-foot-wide gold dome on the top of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church as part of an expansion and renovation of the religious institution, located at 909 Shawan Road in Hunt Valley. The dome, which was manufactured by Architectural Fiberglass in Cleveland, required a tower crane and special rigging to be installed because it needed to remain level during the entire process. “In order to accomplish this, we needed to create a custom-designed rigging apparatus to accommodate the 40-foot-wide dome and prevent the fiberglass piece from becoming egg-shaped. It took approximately one full day to prepare for the install operation and another full day to execute the strategy,” Joseph Rode, president of The Mullan Contracting Co., said in a news release. Work on the 5,800-foot expansion is expected to be complete this fall. The expansion, which is being manufactured with stone features spires and stained glass windows, is designed by Sanders Design to look like ancient Byzantine architecture. 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 |
| In the life of the Orthodox Church in America, this year has been marked with an importance commemorative date – the 50 th anniversary of the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America, which we all could have solemnly celebrated together if it were not for the existing restrictions. Today a peculiar mythology is spreading throughout the world, which has been created by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, alleging that the Patriarch of Constantinople alone has the right to grant autocephaly to various Churches. Moreover, according to this mythology, the Patriarch of Constantinople can take away a part of any Church and give it autocephaly. This is what he tried to do in Ukraine. But the attempt has suffered a defeat because the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has not followed the Patriarch of Constantinople, not accepted the paper he signed but remained faithful to the Russian Orthodox Church of which it is an integral part. It is sufficient to look at the history of the emergence of Local Orthodox Churches to see that this ridiculous theory propagated to and imposed on Local Orthodox Churches today has nothing to do with reality. Neither the Church of Alexandria, nor that of Antioch, not that of Jerusalem, nor that of Georgia received their autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Constantinople – they had become autocephalous prior to the Church of Constantinople. I do remember how, being a 16 year-old boy, I was present at the festivities in Tbilisi on the 1500 th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Therefore, when we are told now that the Patriarch of Constantinople alone has certain special rights and privileges allegedly granted him by Ecumenical Councils, we do not believe in these fairy tales and fables. We know from history that the statutes of autocephaly emerged in various ways. For instance, the Russian Orthodox Church became autocephalous not owing to a tomos from Constantinople, as nobody gave it to us. It happened so that the Patriarch of Constantinople signed off unia with Rome in the mid-15 th century and the see of Constantinople found on itself a Uniate patriarch instead of an Orthodox Patriarch. So, the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church had to elect a new metropolitan. And the procedure was to travel of Constantinople to affirm the election and only after that the elected metropolitan could come into his own. But since there was no Orthodox Patriarch in Constantinople at that moment, there was nothing left for the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church to do but to elect their own metropolitan and install him without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople. And many centuries later, recognition was given not only to the autocephaly of the Russian Church but also to the Patriarchal Office, and not only by the Patriarch of Constantinople, but also three other Eastern Churches – those of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. This is how our autocephaly emerged. |
| When the truth of icon-veneration had triumphed definitively, the honor fell to St. Lazarus Zographos to install an icon of Christ in the very place where the mad heresy had begun. St. Lazarus painted an icon of the Savior on the Chalke Gate, opening to the palace courtyard, from which the iconoclasts had earlier toppled the icon. St. Lazarus Zographos St. Lazarus magnanimously prayed for his torturers his entire life, and the Lord heard his prayer. The holy iconographer’s tormentor, Emperor Theophilus, repented before his death and was forgiven by the Fathers of the Council of Constantinople in 843. The Council of Constantinople once again – and definitively – affirmed the right of the faithful to venerate the holy icons. It was then that the radiant feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy was established. The Holy Patriarch Methodius, a multitude of clergy, the Empress Theodora, her young son the Emperor, and jubilant crowds of people walked through the Royal City with holy icons, placing them in all the churches of the city. Having returned to the true faith, the capital of the Empire once again began to be adorned with holy things. The incorrupt relics of the Holy Patriarch Germanus and of St. Theodore the Studite were brought to Constantinople, the first sacred bodies of passion-bearers who had suffered under the heresy of iconoclasm to appear there. Then one of the greatest of sacred objects, the head of the Lord’s Forerunner, was also returned to the Royal City. St. John the Baptist appeared in a vision to Patriarch Ignatius of Constantinople, showing him where his precious head was hidden. It was found in Comana and, to the great joy of the Orthodox, once again returned to the reigning city, where it was made available for veneration. Once again a stream of miracles gushed forth onto the faithful from the Baptist’s divinely-wise head. The victory over the heresy of iconoclasm laid the foundation for the universal feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, which from then to the present day has been celebrated by all the Local Churches. This triumph placed a full stop, as it were, to Orthodoxy’s centuries-old struggle with distortions of the holy faith, instilled by the devil through vain heretics. |
| In the life of the Orthodox Church in America, this year has been marked with an importance commemorative date – the 50th anniversary of the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America, which we all could have solemnly celebrated together if it were not for the existing restrictions. Today a peculiar mythology is spreading throughout the world, which has been created by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, alleging that the Patriarch of Constantinople alone has the right to grant autocephaly to various Churches. Moreover, according to this mythology, the Patriarch of Constantinople can take away a part of any Church and give it autocephaly. This is what he tried to do in Ukraine. But the attempt has suffered a defeat because the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has not followed the Patriarch of Constantinople, not accepted the paper he signed but remained faithful to the Russian Orthodox Church of which it is an integral part. It is sufficient to look at the history of the emergence of Local Orthodox Churches to see that this ridiculous theory propagated to and imposed on Local Orthodox Churches today has nothing to do with reality. Neither the Church of Alexandria, nor that of Antioch, not that of Jerusalem, nor that of Georgia received their autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Constantinople – they had become autocephalous prior to the Church of Constantinople. I do remember how, being a 16 year-old boy, I was present at the festivities in Tbilisi on the 1500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Therefore, when we are told now that the Patriarch of Constantinople alone has certain special rights and privileges allegedly granted him by Ecumenical Councils, we do not believe in these fairy tales and fables. We know from history that the statutes of autocephaly emerged in various ways. For instance, the Russian Orthodox Church became autocephalous not owing to a tomos from Constantinople, as nobody gave it to us. It happened so that the Patriarch of Constantinople signed off unia with Rome in the mid-15th century and the see of Constantinople found on itself a Uniate patriarch instead of an Orthodox Patriarch. So, the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church had to elect a new metropolitan. And the procedure was to travel of Constantinople to affirm the election and only after that the elected metropolitan could come into his own. But since there was no Orthodox Patriarch in Constantinople at that moment, there was nothing left for the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church to do but to elect their own metropolitan and install him without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople. And many centuries later, recognition was given not only to the autocephaly of the Russian Church but also to the Patriarchal Office, and not only by the Patriarch of Constantinople, but also three other Eastern Churches – those of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. This is how our autocephaly emerged. |
| Archive Пн Metropolitan Eugene of Tallinn and All Estonia celebrates his first divine services in the capacity of Primate of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate 18 June 2018 year 11:57 On June 16-17, 2018, Metropolitan Eugene of Tallinn and All Estonia celebrated his first divine services in the capacity of Primate of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, at the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Tallinn. In the evening of June 16, Metropolitan Eugene celebrated All-Night Vigil. He was assisted by Archbishop Jacob of Bialystok and Gdansk (Polish Orthodox Church), Bishop Lazar of Narva and Prichudie; Bishop Ioann of Jelgava, vicar of the diocese of Riga; Bishop Sergiy of Maardu, vicar of the diocese of Tallinn; as well as clergy of Estonia, Poland and Lithuania. On June 17, Metropolitan Eugene celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Among his concelebrants were Metropolitan Innocent of Vilna and Lithuania, Archbishop Jacob of Bialystok and Gdansk, Bishop Lazar of Narva and Prichudie, Bishop Ioann of Jelgava, Bishop Sergiy of Maardu, as well as representatives of the clergy from Estonia, Poland and Lithuania. Present at the service were Archbishop Urmas Viilma of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Archbishop Andres Pyder, as well as Sister Philareta, mother superior of the Pukhtitsy Convent of the Dormition. After the Divine Liturgy, a thanksgiving was celebrated. Then Bishop Lazar, speaking on behalf of the clergy of the Estonian Orthodox Church, addressed Metropolitan Eugene, saying, ‘Your Eminence, Dear Vladiko Metropolitan, Divine Providence has been pleased, through a conciliar decision of the clergy and laity, to install you to the lofty and important service as Primate of the self-governing Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. For many years your life has been linked with the leading educational institution of the Russian Church – Moscow Theological Academy. For over twenty years as you served as rector, many clergy and bishops, who are now actively work in the field of Christ, received theological education and formation under your guidance. Being constantly in the midst of young people, you, as nobody else, can understand the problems of today’s youth, their needs and aspirations. |
| The source added: “Lebanon’s Christians significantly contributed to the revival of Arab enlightenment in the early 20th century. Today, there is a bet on their role in restoring the Christian presence in the East, which is threatened by a dominance of radical fundamentalist movements on the Arab Spring movements.” In relation to the bet of the heads of the Eastern and Western churches in the world on the important role that Lebanon can play culturally and politically to defend the diversity of the cultural structure of in the region, especially in the Levant, we recall the statement of former Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Austria Klemens von Metternich in the early 19th Century, in which he described Lebanon — which was still Lesser Lebanon (before the four districts were appended to Mount Lebanon) — as “the laboratory of the East” and “a country with a small area, but big role.” Eastern churches converge In April, a group of Lebanese Orthodox bodies, which have connections with the Church of Moscow and the Russian Embassy in Beirut, intend to organize a conference for the Christian minorities in the East in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The conference is exclusively limited to Christian minorities. Efforts to hold the conference are spearheaded by Moscow, which seeks to convey a Christian message that the Christians of the East feel threatened and seek to unify in order to confront this threat. The conference is part of more comprehensive events currently taking place in Lebanon in this regard to draw attention to the Christian presence in the East by describing it as threatened cultural entity. According to a source close to Rahi, the latter initiated an effort to create rapprochement between the Levantine Eastern and Western churches. His recent visit to Syria to participate in the inauguration of Patriarch John Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch was perhaps the most significant practical step he took to reinforce this approach. No head of a Western Church in the Levant has ever participated in a ceremony to install the head of the Eastern church. |
| Father Vsevolod called for a systemic analysis of the problems involved in the discrimination and intolerance towards Christians and called the OSCE member states to undertake to solve these problems. In his address, A. Viktorov, director of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs department for humanitarian cooperation and human rights, stressed that ‘beginning from the previous OSCE high-level conference in 2011 in Rome, this organization has been increasingly aware that Christianity, its holy places and adherents are subjected to persecution, violence and discrimination in the OSCE space. And the manifestations of intolerance and discrimination are seen even in the OSCE member states in which Christians comprise a majority. Among these manifestations are attacks on clergy, opposition to religious events, destruction and defilement of Christian churches and cemeteries, attempts to remove religious symbols from public places, infringement on Christians’ freedom of expression, discrimination in economic life and other spheres. There are increasing vandal acts, arsons, theft of Christian valuables and cultural heritage objects. Some mass media, under the cover of freedom of expression, dare mock at Christian values. The positive discrimination of some religious minorities leads to the violation of rights of the Christian majority. It often comes to absurdity as it is forbidden to wear religious symbols, to install Christmas trees, etc. Not the least role in the growth of these negative tendencies is played by aggressive Western neo-liberalism and militant secularism aimed at undermining spiritual, moral and traditional foundations of society. In addition, disbalances in implementing the policy of multiculturalism against the background of increasing immigration have led to the neglect of the role and importance that Christianity had in the historical process of formation of common European values which served as the foundation of European integration’. Rev. Dimitry Safonov cited a whole number of facts pointing to the violation of rights of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, such as capture of churches by schismatics, pressure put on clergy, etc. He also pointed to the grievous situation of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa and called the OSCE to make the protection of rights of Christians a priority in its work and to consider the situation of Christians in building relations with countries in this region. |
| The church was stuffy and close, and they served there mostly in winter. When they moved to the summer Cathedral, there would only be early Liturgies served there. After the expulsion a steam-powered mill was built there. The building burned down in 1928. Metropolitan Seraphim Chichagov insisted upon building the new Cathedral on the place were the Tikhvin church stood. But Abbess Alexandra did not wish to tear down the winter church. So it was decided to build the cathedral outside the Canal. This became the reason for the breach between the Abbess and Metropolitan Seraphim. They began the solemn cornerstone laying celebration. Abbess Alexandra (Trakovskaya). The reposed Abbess Maria never did anything or went anywhere without a blessing from Blessed Prascovia Ivanovna, but Abbess Alexandra did not follow her example. The celebration was already going on at the building site when the Abbess’ aunt, Elizabeth Ivanovna, came to see Prascovia Ivanovna. She was old and deaf. She said to the novice, Dunya: “I am going to ask the blessed one something, and you repeat her answer to me, otherwise I won’t hear it. “Mamashenka, they’re donating a cathedral to us.” Prascovia Ivanovna answered: “A cathedral, a cathedral. But I looked there—bird cherry trees are growing at the corners. They might knock the cathedral over.” “What did she say?” Dunya decided: “The cathedral’s foundation is already being laid, so now there’s no point talking about it.” So she answered: “She blesses.” Thus the cathedral was never finished. In recent years it was decided several times to dynamite it, but they could not go through with it because it might have damaged the surrounding buildings. The cathedral’s architect was Alexander Alexandrovich Rumiantsev. During the twenties he moved to England. The sisters of the monastery iconography studio painted the church under the direction of the artist Parilov. It was all ready, only the iconostasis needed to be erected. But then they suddenly realized that they had forgotten to install the heating system. This delayed the consecration for another year, and when they finished it was too late, for the war had broken out. They had wanted to consecrate the cathedral in the name of the Umilenie Icon of the Mother of God and of St. Seraphim. |
| My spiritual fathers and instructors, Archbishop Averky, Bishop Nektary and Fr. Adrian, were deeply indebted in their spiritual formation to the holy Recluse Theophan. They read and re-read his voluminous teachings, not only studying his words but engrossing themselves in his advice on prayer and involuntarily likening themselves to him to some extent. These men had actual mystical ties to St. Theophan and possessed insights into the spiritual life that would otherwise have remained tightly concealed from modern man. Their love for him made him alive and vibrant in their lives and teachings: they truly became his disciples, and clung to him as a lifeline. St. Theophan governed the tenor of their archpastoral defense of their flock. They constantly referred to him, and treasured the patristic fragrance of his writings, which stemmed from ancient times. St. Theophan turned them away from the Renovationist hierarchs of today who, disregarding that ancient model, follow a spirit alien to Orthodoxy and install foreign elements into their governance of the flock, cutting them off from the influence of Fathers such as St. Theophan. I remember how my Fr. Adrian would often quote from St. Theophan’s Commentary on the 118th Psalm , and how once he told me that the mere remembrance of St. Theophan’s Love for the Law of God had at one time miraculously resurrected hope and faith in his soul, whereas before that he had been literally robbed of faith and in deep despair because of the horrible reality of life under the communist yoke. I also recall how Archbishop Averky, a former cell-attendant of Theophan of Poltava, gave a sermon with tears streaming down his face, as he revealed the divine method — transmitted to him through the “Theophanic” line — of softening one’s being with contrition of heart (umilenie), which draws God’s attention and eventually transfigures man’s whole being so that his naked eyes can behold divine light. Again I recall the many times in which Bishop Nektary, as well as his brother Ivan Kontzevitch and his wife Helen (also a disciple of Archbishop Theophan of Poltava), would draw unexpected answers from St. Theophan the Recluse’s writings, which came like flashes of illumination. Sometimes, as in the case of Fr. Adrian, only the remembrance of the power of St. Theophan’s wisdom was enough to dissolve whole dramas of seemingly insoluble problems. Behold St. Theophan’s power to ignite a mystic tie with the other world. |
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