| Memorial Sign in Honor of Mother Maria Skobtsova Appears in Paris Photo: Konstantin Volkov/facebook.com A memorial sign appeared at a famous cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois near Paris dedicated to Mother Maria (Skobtsova) , a Russian nun and a member of the French Resistance movement, reports Konstantin Volkov, Director of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Paris (RCSC) on his facebook page. “Thanks to the efforts of Nikita Krivoshein and Ksenia Krivoshein, the memory of Mother Maria Skobtsova, who was martyred in the Nazi Ravensbruck camp, is forever preserved,” wrote Mr. Volkov. The director of the RCSC stated that there is still no grave of Mother Maria at the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Cemetery, where there is a famous memorial – Monument to Russian soldiers who died in the ranks of the French army. “The construction and erection of the memorial sign became possible thanks to the Krovosheins, who took the initiative in creating it at their own expense. The project was supported by the Russian Embassy in France and the RCSC in Paris,” said Konstantin Volkov. Many documentaries and films were made about Mother Maria, international conferences, exhibitions devoted to her memory take place, and memorial boards are installed. In 2016, a street was named after Mother Maria in Paris. Mother Maria (Skobtsova) was born in Riga in 1891 and grew up on a family estate along the Black Sea. Her father’s death when she was fourteen was a devastating event that for a time led her to atheism, but gradually she found her way back to the Orthodox faith. As a young woman, she was the first female student at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In the same period she witnessed the Bolshevik coup and the civil war that followed. Like so many Russians, she fled for her life, finally reaching Paris, where she was among those who devoted themselves to serving fellow refugees, many of whom were now living in a state of destitution even worse than her own. At that time, she worked with the Student Christian Movement. |
| St. Joasaph the Bishop of Belgorod Commemorated on December 10 Saint Joasaph was born at Proluka, in the former Poltava governance, on September 8, 1705, the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. He was descended from the old and venerable Little Russian (Ukrainian) lineage of the Gorlenkovi. At Baptism he was named Joachim. In 1712, his father enrolled the seven-year-old Joachim in the Kiev Spiritual Academy. Within the walls of the academy he felt attracted to monastic life. For seven years he studied it further, and finally revealed his intention to his parents. For a long time his mother and father pleaded with their first-born son not to accept monastic tonsure. But in 1725, unknown to them, he became a “rasophore” (“robe-wearing novice”) with the name Hilarion at the Kiev Mezhigorsk monastery, and on 21 November 1727 he was tonsured in the mantya with the name Joasaph at the Kievo-Bratsk monastery. This event coincided with the completion of his studies at the spiritual academy. After the death of His Grace Barlaam, the See of Kiev was governed by Archbishop Raphael Zaborovsky. Archbishop Raphael noticed the abilities of the young ascetic and assigned him to greater service to the Church. He was entrusted with the responsibility of the office of examiner of the Kiev archbishopric. In November 1734, Archbishop Raphael ordained the hierodeacon Joasaph as hieromonk, and he was transferred from the Bratsk monastery school to the Kiev-Sophia archbishop’s house. At the same time, he was appointed a member of the Kiev religious consistory. In fulfilling the office of examiner, he exerted much effort towards the correction of moral deficiencies among the parish clergy. The saint’s service in the consistory office enabled him to develop his administrative abilities. During this time, he made a good study of the needs of clergy-servers, noting both the good points and the failings of the diocese. His talent for administration was combined with his great spiritual effort. He quickly ascended the ladder of spiritual perfection, which can be seen in his work, “The Conflict of the Seven Venerable Virtues with the Seven Deadly Sins.” |
| The ROC Begins to Collect Material for the Canonization of Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov and Porkhov announced the Russian Orthodox Church began collecting information necessary for the canonization of the famous elder Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) , reports Interfax-Religion. “Fifteen years have passed since the day of Father John’s departure to the Lord. We need to prepare materials (documents and testimonies) for the glorification of Father John. Then the Lord will guide us,” said the metropolitan after the Divine Liturgy at Pskov’s Monastery of the Caves, where Father John led his ascetic life for almost 40 years. Metropolitan Tikhon asked everyone who can “testify with their conscience to something important” to report this on the monastery’s website. Father John (Krestiankin) was known in many countries. In his later years, due to age and illness, he was unable to receive those who wished to speak with him, but letters from different parts of the world continued to come to the address of the monastery, and he himself answered many of them. Several printed editions of these answers have already been translated in many languages. Those people who have not seen the elder can find comfort and help by reading his book “Letters of Archimandrite John”. In April 1950, Fr. John was arrested for his pastoral service and sentenced to seven years in forced labor camps. Returning from imprisonment ahead of schedule, five years later, he was appointed to the Pskov diocese, and in 1957 he was transferred to Ryazan, where he served as a priest for almost 11 years. On March 5, 1967, Hieromonk John entered the Pskov Monastery of the Caves, where he remained until his death in 2006 at the age of 95. You can f ollow Pravmir.com on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Telegram , or Parler 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. |
| The Treatment for Suffering is Love Source: Notes on Arab Orthodoxy Fr. Georges Massouh 21 October 2018 Man’s inevitable fate is, sooner or later, bodily death. Young and old stand equal before death. Death does not distinguish between children and the elderly. Is there a solution for this inevitable fate that is death? No, even if medical science and new drugs could prolong human life and reduce suffering, they will not reach the point of ending the inevitability of bodily death. If bodily death is inevitable, then what about suffering? Why does man suffer? Is suffering part of human nature or is it something alien to it? There are many questions that both believers and unbelievers have about the suffering that all humans experience without exception. To start with, it must be said that suffering does not only result from illness, but rather it results from many factors, so the source of suffering is not single but multiple. There is suffering that afflicts those who are physically healthy but who suffer from emotional, psychological, financial or intellectual (not achieving desired intellectual ambitions), or spiritual disappointments… Man does not live without suffering: this is the golden rule. According to the Christian faith, death and suffering are alien to human nature. God, the source of every good thing, created man eternal. That is, not dying and not suffering… but man, in his rebellion against God– that is, in his rejecting the source of life and departing from Him– sentenced himself to death, suffering and torment. The coming of Christ, His submitting to death on the cross and His resurrection restored the relationship between God and man. But suffering and death remained the two-edged sword at the throat of all mankind. Metropolitan Georges Khodr states that God is not the cause of everything that happens to us on the face of this earth. Khodr says in his conversation with Samir Farhat , “There are factors in nature and in the essence of humanity. If God liberated us from the responsibility of suffering, then it would be possible for us to be liberated from the dark image of this god, the god who delights in tormenting humankind. The natural inclination, particularly in the East, is that the good and the bad in life comes from God. In the New Testament, after Jesus bears mankind’s suffering, God is no longer the cause of human suffering. We are transported from a purely philosophical, theoretical position to a position of participating in Christ (This World is not Enough, Ta’awuniyyat al-Nur al-Orthodoxiyya lil-Nashr wal-Tawzi’, p. 207). |
| Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/massalim/ I. Introduction: Illness, Suffering, and the Work of Perfection The contemporary debate concerning physician-assisted suicide is predicated, from the traditional Christian standpoint, first, on a belief that illness and suffering have no particular value or purpose and, second, that there is no life after death or, if there is, earthly life is not a necessary preparation or determinative for that life. Traditional Christianity, articulated in some detail by H. Tristam Englehardt in his article, “Physician-assisted suicide reconsidered: Dying as a Christian in a post- Christian age,” can also be summarized in the following statement by St. John of Kronstadt : In our eyes, illnesses appear only as painful, unpleasant, indeed terrible … but in God's all-wise and most merciful providence, not a single illness remains without some profit to our soul... Not a single sickness sent to us shall return void... For man the earthly life, life in the body, serves only to prepare us for life eternal... Therefore we must, without delay, make use of this present life to prepare ourselves for that other life to come . A latter-day father of the Church, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov , further explained that “earthly life—this brief period—is given to man by the mercy of the Creator in order that man may use it for his salvation, that is, for the restoration of himself from death to life” (emphasis added). This means that the focus of one's life is not primarily here, and therefore not political or sociological, but there, in the next world, in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is vividly illustrated by the final words of the righteous monk, Theodore of Svir (+1822) who, on his deathbed, said: “God be blessed! God be blessed! I have crossed the stormy sea of life and endured many troubles, but now the coast is in view.” Given this otherworldly viewpoint, it then follows that “how long we live, what disease or illness accompanies our death—such things are not the proper concern of [traditional] Christians.” Afflictions of all kinds, illness, and death came into the world by God's permission in order to frequently, if not constantly, remind us that we are only creatures and in need of spiritual refinement and purification before we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This great mystery of suffering applies even to seemingly “innocent” children who sicken and, sometimes, die. The great Optina Elder, St. Ambrose , explained it thus: |
| 2012 Patriarchal Encyclical for Pascha of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Istanbul, Turkey 4/10/2012 † BARTHOLOMEW By the Mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace and Mercy from the Savior Christ, Risen in Glory He became the first-born among the dead. (Easter Apolytikion, 3rd tone) Beloved children in the Lord, If Christ’s Resurrection referred to Himself, then its significance for us would be negligible. The Church proclaims, however, that, the Lord did not arise alone. Together with Himself, He also resurrected all people. This is how our predecessor, St. John Chrysostom, proclaims this great truth in thunderous language: “Christ is risen, and none are left dead in the grave; for in being raised from the dead, he became the first-fruits of all who were asleep.” This means that Christ became the first-fruits of the resurrection of all who have fallen asleep and who will fall asleep in the future, as well as of their transition from death to life. The message is a joyful one for us all because, with His Resurrection Christ abolished the power of death. Those who believe in Him await the resurrection of the dead and are accordingly baptized in His death, rise with Him and live on in life eternal. The world that is alienated from Christ endeavors to amass material goods because it bases its hopes for survival on them. It unwisely imagines that it will escape death through wealth. Deceived in this way to amass wealth, supposedly to extend their present life, human beings disperse death among others, too. They deny others the financial possibility of survival, often even violently depriving others of life, in the hope of preserving their own life. How tragic! What a huge deception. For life is only acquired through faith in Christ and incorporation in His body. The experience of the Orthodox Church assures us that those united with Christ live even after death, coexist with the living, are in dialogue with them, can hear them and are often even capable of miraculously fulfilling their requests. |
| The Non-Christian Christians of the Netherlands Klaas Hendrikse In an attempt to become more hip, modern, worldly, and relevant various Christian denominations have abandoned, over the years, many of the Christian sacraments, traditional forms of worship, and even universal moral precepts and teachings of the faith. Endless streams of “enlightened” pastors and priests or priestesses have interpreted and re-interpreted the Scriptures in ways that significantly diluted or distorted the actual teachings of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Christian faith as taught and practiced by the ancient Orthodox Christian Church since the time of the original Apostles. Few, however, while still claiming to be Christian and remaining sane, had ever fully crossed the line into outright and complete apostasy. That is no longer the case. Several Protestant “churches” in the Netherlands now proclaim that God doesn’t exist, Christ was just a man, and there is no life after death. A prominent figure of the mainstream Protestant Church of the Netherlands (PKN) is ‘reverend’ Klaas Hendrikse, author of the infamous book Believing in a God that does not exist: the manifesto of an atheist pastor . In his sermons Mr. Hendrikse paints a dark and hopeless picture of human existence and the meaning of life: “Make the most of life on earth, because it will probably be the only one you get.” “Personally I have no talent for believing in life after death,” … “No, for me our life, our task, is before death.” In an interview with the BBC (video provided at the bottom of this article) Mr. Hendrikse further outlines his beliefs and teachings regarding God, the meaning of life and death, and Christ’s existence and resurrection. Here are some of the more disturbing excerpts. Regarding the nature and presence of God: “The Christian code for me is too narrow. … My understanding of the word God is that is one word of saying things or expressing experiences for which you also can use other words. Like, for instance, Allah.” |
| 110th anniversary of a Russian consul’s tragic death commemorated in the north of Kosovo admin 08 April 2013 April 4, 2013 On March 31, the 110th anniversary of death of the Russian consul Gregory Stepanovich Shcherbina (1868-1903) was commemorated in the north part of Kosovska Mitrovica. Alexander Chepurin, the current Russian ambassador in Serbia, and Alexander Vulin, the director of the Government Office of Kosovo and Metochia placed flowers to the monument in the north part of Kosovska Mitrovica to the Russian consul who had been killed in Kosovo and Metochia. Bishop Theodosius of Razhko-Prizren, all heads of districts of Kosovo and Metochia, heads of the north municipalities, representatives from the Pristina university as well as numerous citizens and others were present at this event. In the Technical Institute in Kosovska Mitrovica a meeting was held with discussion on the theme “Mission of the Russian consul Shcherbina against the backdrop of modern Russian-Serbian relations”, including a short film about the Russian consul’s life. Gregory Stepanovich Shcherbina was appointed a consul in the town of Kosovska Mitrovica early in March 1903. It was decided to send this experienced diplomat to Kosovska Mitrovica in order to get true information on the suffering of Serbian people at the peak of pogroms and attacks committed by Albanians at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries. In 1903 Shcherbina died of his wounds after an Albanian had shot him at point blank range in the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. Serbs of Kosovo and Metochia took the death of Shcherbina as their national tragedy. According to reports of that time, Shcherbina “gave his life for Precious Cross, he suffered for Holy Orthodoxy and for freedom of Serbian people”. Source: Pravoslavie.ru Tweet Donate Share Code for blog 110th anniversary of a Russian consul’s tragic death commemorated in the north of Kosovo admin April 4, 2013 On March 31, the 110th anniversary of death of the Russian consul Gregory Stepanovich Shcherbina (1868-1903) was commemorated in the north part of Kosovska Mitrovica. Alexander Chepurin, the current Russian ambassador in Serbia, and Alexander Vulin, the director of the Government ... |
| Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia and Hieromonk Gabriel (Bunge) concelebrate All-Night Vigil with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at the church of “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Mother of God Moscow, August 28, 2010 On 27 August 2010, the eve of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiate at the All-Night Vigil at the church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon in Bolshaya Ordynka Street in Moscow. Concelebrating were Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, a vicar of Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain (Patriarchate of Constantinople), president of the “The Friends of Mount Athos” charity society, clerics of the church, and a well-known Swiss theologian, Hieromonk Gabriel (Bunge) who became Orthodox before the divine service. Many parishioners worshipped at the church together with the members of “The Friends of Mount Athos” representing Great Britain, the USA, Greece and other countries. The object of the society is to promulgate knowledge about monastic tradition and the Holy Mountain and, promote restoration of the monasteries there, and to attract pilgrims. The delegation is on a visit to Russia with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The pilgrims venerated holy sites in Uglich, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov the Great, Nizhniy Novgorod, Gorodets, Kalyazin, and the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius. After the divine service, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed his archpastoral words to the worshippers, congratulating them on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God. He said: “Today we glorify her Dormition and contemplate our life and death. Our life on the earth should be full, spiritual and divine, while our death should not be a tragic event, but a natural passing to life eternal; it should be dormition, rather than death. By her tomb that emanates grace, peace and love, the Most Holy Mother of God testifies that the mortals can pass from death to life, from sin to grace, from human life to divine life. |
| This Life of Hieromartry Priest Basil Sokolov was translated from volume two of Igumen Damascene Orlovsky's series on the New Martyrs and Confessor of Russia. This was the second judicial procedure, after the one in Shui, which was conducted according to the Lenin-Trotsky plan—to use the confiscation of Church valuables as a cause for sweeping arrests among the bishops, clergy and laypeople of the Orthodox Church, with the organization in various cities of show trials and executions. A detailed study of all the circumstances surrounding this matter led us to the conclusion that out of the fifty-four people accused at these proceedings, the ones who were sentenced to execution and shot were those who were most competent, firm, having deep faith; who did not wish to betray others (betrayal of others always inclined the favor of soviet courts), who did not excuse themselves before the regime who by its barbaric decree had insinuated itself into the life of the Church and legalized surveillance of it. Among the four executed priests were Frs. Christopher Nadezhdin and Alexander Zaozersky—Muscovite chancellors; and Fr. Basil Sokolov—a gifted preacher and pastor. Hieromonk Macarius Telegin and layman Sergei Tikhomirov were shot for independent behavior at trial. God's Providence preserved for us much of the details of the life and last days of priest Basil Sokolov. Apart from his many years of pastoral activity, two tragic events threaded through his life: the death in 1902 of his ardently beloved wife Hilary, which left him with six orphaned children, and his arrest twenty years later—prison, trial, two-weeks on death row, and finally, his martyric end. He himself wrote about his wife's death in the story, " Her Prayer Was Granted " , which was published in the magazine, Pilgrim, and which we present here in abbreviated form. We know of Fr. Basil's last days before execution from his letters, passed along by the watchman in the death row cell block. Priest Basil Sokolov. Basil Alexandrovich Sokolov was born in 1876 in Moscow county, in a village located not far from the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. After finishing seminary in the Moscow Theological Academy, Basil Alexandrovich married and was ordained a priest assigned to the church in the village of Pustovo, in Vladimir diocese. We continue in his own words. |
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