| Pilgrimages to sacred and holy places were not invented by Christians. In fact, we most likely inherited this practice from the traditional Greco-Roman culture, in which sacred trips to oracles and special places were not something strange or unknown. At the same time, the debate about the necessity and profit of such pilgrimages – understood early on mainly in terms of visiting the sites associated with the Earthly life of the Savior – was present in the Church from the very early centuries. We can find citations in the writing of respectable Fathers of the Church in favour of such earthly-tied spiritual journeys; there were, on the other hand, some Holy Fathers who were critical of journeys to the places of the “glory revealed,” and almost condemned them as something unessential and irrelevant. However, from the historical perspective, we can say that the overwhelming attitude of Christians toward pilgrimages was positive. A number of classic Christian writings of Late Antiquity that deal with relationship of pious, ascetic and hagiographical material link very closely to the “journeys of faith”, and in one form or another are associated with the “memory of the eyes”. In the later, Medieval period, pilgrimages became a prominent and noble thing both in the East and in the West; the practice brought together the whole spectrum of society, as peasant simpletons to royal monarchs participated in pilgrimages. There is a debate about pilgrimage in the modern world as well. As always, we can find zealous supporters and adamant opponents of such ventures, but in this article, I’d like to reflect on our religious environment in application to the given theme and some other subjects that in my mind can be closely linked to a modern day pilgrimage and that under the circumstances can make them even more necessary and beneficial. In the new reality of the post-Christian world, where the Christian population finds itself increasingly in the minority and overall church attendance is dramatically decreasing across all of the traditional Christian denominations, people who truly care about the well-being and the very existence of the Church are compelled to take some kind of measures in an attempt to change the situation. |
| The interpretation of Scripture is not available to just “any fool.” It has been hidden, purposively by God. And it is hidden in a figure. The trouble with reading Scripture is that almost everybody thinks they can do it. This idea is rooted in the assumptions of Protestant thought: only if the meaning of Scripture is fairly obvious and more or less objective can it serve as a source of unmediated authority for the believer. If any particular skill or mastery is required, then the skillful masters will be the mediators of meaning for all the rest. The concept of any intervening authority is anathema to the Protestant project. It is equally unsuitable to the assumptions of the modern world. For the modern world, born in the Protestant milieu, is inherently democratic . The individual, unaided, unbridled, and unsubmitted, is the ultimate authority. These assumptions are greatly removed from the thoughts of the fathers of the Church. No matter how “literal” a father’s treatment of Scripture might be, he never assumed the meaning of Scripture to be obvious and universally accessible. The clear consensus of the fathers is found in the words of the Ethiopian Eunuch: “How can I [understand the Scripture] unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31). Andrew Louth, writing in his book, Discerning the Mystery , says: If we look back to the Fathers, and the tradition, for inspiration as to the nature of theology, there is one thing we meet which must be paused over and discussed in some detail: and that is their use of allegory in interpreting the Scriptures. We can see already that for them it was not a superfluous, stylistic habit, something we can fairly easily lop off from the trunk of Patristic theology. Rather it is bound up with their whole understanding of tradition as the tacit dimension of the Christian life: allegory is a way of entering the ‘margin of silence’ that surrounds the articulate message of the Scriptures, it is a way of glimpsing the living depths of tradition from the perspective of the letter of the Scriptures. Of course the question of allegory in the Fathers is complex (and often rendered unduly complicated by our own embarrassment about allegory): but whatever language the Fathers use to describe their exegetical practice (and there is no great consistency here), they all interpret Scripture in a way we would call allegorical, and allegoria is the usual word the Latin Fathers use from the fourth century onwards to characterize the deeper meaning they are seeking in the Scriptures. |
| 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. |
| priest Dmitry Ermakov (священник Димитрий Ермаков) The inner meaning of Tradition Orthodox history is marked outwardly by a series of sudden breaks: the capture of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem by Arab Muslims; the burning of Kiev by the Mongols; the two sacks of Constantinople; the October Revolution in Russia. Yet these events, while they have transformed the external appearance of the Orthodox world, have never broken the inward continuity of the Orthodox Church. The thing that first strikes a stranger on encountering Orthodoxy is usually its air of antiquity, its apparent changelessness. He finds that the Orthodox still baptize by threefold immersion, as in the primitive Church; they still bring babies and small children to receive Holy Communion; in the Liturgy the deacon still cries out: ‘The doors! The doors!’ – recalling the early days when the church’s entrance was jealously guarded, and none but members of the Christian family could attend the family worship; the Creed is still recited without any additions. These are but a few outward examples of something which pervades every aspect of Orthodox life. When the Orthodox are asked at contemporary inter-Church gatherings to summarize what they see as the distinctive characteristic of their Church 1 , they often point precisely to its changelessness, its determination to remain loyal to the past, its sense of living continuity with the Church of ancient times. At the start of the eighteenth century, the Eastern Patriarchs said exactly the same to the Non-Jurors 2 : “We preserve the Doctrine of the Lord uncorrupted, and firmly adhere to the Faith he delivered to us, and keep it free from blemish and diminution, as a Royal Treasure, and a monument of great price, neither adding any thing, nor taking any thing from it. ” 3 This idea of living continuity is summed up for the Orthodox in the one word Tradition. “We do not change the everlasting boundaries which our fathers have set,” wrote John of Damascus, “but we keep the Tradition, just as we received it. ” 4 |
| разделы рассылка распечатать National Catholic Reporter: Interview with Jesuit Fr. Robert Taft of the Pontifical Oriental Institute. (оригинал интервью с Робертом Тафтом) Источник: " Религия и СМИ " предлагает вниманию читателей оригинальный текст интервью с Робертом Тафтом, поскольку распространяемый русский перевод сделан стилистически не совсем корректно. By John L. Allen, Jr. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is scheduled to travel to Moscow Feb. 16-20, 2004 for a meeting with the Patriarch of Moscow, Alexy II. In anticipation of Kasper " s trip, NCR Rome correspondent, John L. Allen Jr. sat down with Jesuit Fr. Robert Taft of the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Taft, a pioneer in Eastern liturgical studies and a veteran of East/West dialogues, is one of the leading experts on Orthodoxy in the Catholic Church. A transcript of the interview follows. What’s the argument for erecting a patriarchate for the Greek Catholic church in Ukraine? The argument is that when an Eastern church reaches a certain consistency, unity, size, consolidation and so forth, it’s a normal step. Furthermore, among the Orthodox it’s often been a normal step taken illegally. For example, the Bulgarians were under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who according to Orthodox practice, imposed upon them a Greek hierarchy, until the Bulgarians had enough and declared their independence, erecting their own patriarchate. Constantinople refused to recognize it, until they finally realized that nothing’s going to change and so they recognized it. Frankly, my advice to the Ukrainians has always been to do the same thing. Just declare the patriarchate and get on with it. Do it, of course, only if you’ve got the bishops unanimously behind it … Do they? Yes, I think they do now. The danger is that if there are even two people who say no, then Rome’s going to say that the bishops are divided and we can’t recognize it. I told them, take two steps. First, publicly declare the patriarchate. Second, request Roman recognition, but even if it doesn’t come, refuse all mail that doesn’t come addressed to the patriarchate. Don’t just pretend, but really do it. The Secretary of State sends a letter addressed to the archbishop? We don’t have any archbishop, we’ve got a patriarch. Send it back unopened, “addressee unknown.” |
| Ancient icons miraculously survive in burned Syrian church/Православие.Ru Ancient icons miraculously survive in burned Syrian church Homs, May 11, 2014 In the Syrian Old Homs, " Eleven Christian churches are either completely destroyed or heavily damaged, " related a local priest named George Abu Zahem to the Lebanese The Daily Star newspaper. He has described the situation in the al-Hamidiyah Christian quarter as disastrous. According to the priest, the churches were robbed and desecrated by militants. " A true miracle happened at Holy Martyr Elian's Orthodox Church in Homs (6th century). The gunmen set it on fire. However, the fire did not touch the ancient icons on the walls—they just slightly darkened, " the priest said. The thick walls have saved the Cathedral of Holy Theotokos, the " calling card " of Old Homs, where is the city's main relic—a small portion of the Girdle of the Mother of God. According to Abu Zahem, the bell-tower was damaged as a result of fighting: its bell collapsed in the cathedral's courtyard. 12 мая 2014 г. Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Albanian police confiscates over 100 stolen Icons Albanian police confiscates over 100 stolen Icons A police representative said that the stolen things had been intended for selling abroad. Over 60 churches and monasteries destroyed in Syria Over 60 churches and monasteries destroyed in Syria Militants in Syria have destroyed over 60 Christian churches and monasteries, and more than 70 thousand Orthodox residents of Homs, and more than a half the Christians of Aleppo have left their homes. Syria: The end of chrisian civilization? Milena Faustova Syria: The end of chrisian civilization? Milena Faustova “It is the accepted belief that religious wars have become a thing of the past. But they have become a thing of the past only for those Western politicians who pay no attention to them. Religious wars are going on both in Africa and the Near East. Syria is only one of the bridgeheads for the swift de-Christianization of this region... " As-Safir on the History of the Persecution of Middle Eastern Christians As-Safir on the History of the Persecution of Middle Eastern Christians Christian Decline in the Middle East: A Historical View Miracle of Holy Theotokos in the Christian town of Saidnaya Miracle of Holy Theotokos in the Christian town of Saidnaya The Miraculous incident took place last month when a rebel group fired rockets at one of the monasteries. Rakka Christians: we do not have a right to say, " leave me alone! " Rakka Christians: we do not have a right to say, " leave me alone! " In its weekly column, " Voices from the net " , the FRANCE 23 Arabic French TV channel showed an interview with a resident of the Syrian town of Rakka (Ar Raqqah, Racca), who told about the new phase of persecution of Christians by Muslim extremists. Комментарии © 1999-2015 Православие.Ru |
| Tweet Нравится Primate of Greek Church: planned eradication of Orthodox and Greek national identity underway Athens, November 3, 2016 His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece The Archbishop of Athens again stressed that at the meeting between the hierarchy of the Church of Greece and the Greek government, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras guaranteed that in this academic year new textbooks would not be used for teaching religious studies, and the subject would be reformed only by agreement with the Church, reports AgionOros . Greek Education Minister Nikos Filis, who also was present at the meeting, declared that he would adhere to this position as well. “The problem is that Mr. Filis is an inconsistent person: he says one thing in the evening and another thing in the morning. Naturally it is very difficult to expect good results from cooperation with him,” the archbishop noted. The Primate of the Church of Greece emphasized that in a situation where “the foundation of our education, traditions and history are being overthrown,” the Church has a right to raise its voice and to uphold its standpoint. Commenting on the building of a mosque in Athens, Archbishop Ieronymos II said: “What will this mosque be like? Will it be a place of prayer or teaching? It will give cause for an inner conflict in the Muslim world. We must be watchful.” Speaking on the danger of the Islamization of Greece, the head of the Church of Greece said: “This is an attempt to change the identity of Greece, by the centers of powers known to us. Our country is on the path of de-Christianization and elimination of the Greek identity. Those who are not aware of this peril are in a state of blissful ignorance, while those implementing this plan are gleefully rubbing their hands.” Translated by Dmitry Lapa Pravoslavie.ru 7 ноября 2016 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Archbishop Ieronymos criticizes policy of de-Christianization of Greece Archbishop Ieronymos criticizes policy of de-Christianization of Greece “You have sold out and continue to sell out Greece’s treasures, you give away our railroads, our ports, but our homeland and Orthodoxy we will not give up. |
| Tweet Нравится Icon of Mother of God in Sibiu, Romania begins weeping (+ VIDEO) Moscow, April 4, 2017 Photo: Stirile Kanal D The faithful of the St. John-Jacob the Chozebite of Neam parish in Sibiu, Romania believe a miracle has taken place in their church. Many have personally testified that an icon of the Mother of God in the central Romanian parish has begun weeping just a few weeks before the great and radiant feast of Pascha, reports oradesibiu.ro . Tears have begun streaming down the left cheek of the Theotokos. Word has spread and people have been coming in waves to venerate the holy image, tortured souls finding hope, and the sick finding healing. They pray before the icon as the tears begin to run, confirming the belief in their souls that God hears all prayers. Fr. Catalin Dumitrean has testified that several people have found healing, including one young man with leukemia. Others, materially poor, with no money for their surgeries or transplants, have come seeking the aid of the Most-Pure Theotokos, pouring out the spiritual riches of their hearts. Miracles happen, Fr. Catalin says, only for those who have faith in their hearts. “Whenever someone, anyone asks the Mother of God for something with faith in their hearts, they will be heard!” he exclaimed. The Mother of God “Indrumatoarea” icon was brought to the St. John-Jacob parish in 2012. It is a copy of the icon at Mihai Voda Monastery in Bucharest. Divine sign or not, one thing is certain: The icon brings hope to the souls of those who could not find it anywhere else. 4 апреля 2017 г. Рейтинг: 7 Голосов: 11 Оценка: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Квитанция Реквизиты для юридических лиц Оплата с банковской карты Visa, MasterCard и Maestro Оплата наличными через кассы и терминалы Пожертвование через Сбербанк Онл@йн Яндекс.Деньги Альфа-клик MasterPass Интернет-банк Промсвязьбанка Квитанция Реквизиты для юридических лиц Оплата с банковской карты Visa, MasterCard и Maestro Оплата наличными через кассы и терминалы Пожертвование через Сбербанк Онл@йн Яндекс.Деньги Альфа-клик MasterPass Интернет-банк Промсвязьбанка скрыть способы оплаты |
| Mexican Residents Give Thanks to God for Lessened Impact of Hurricane Patricia/Православие.Ru Tweet Нравится Mexican Residents Give Thanks to God for Lessened Impact of Hurricane Patricia Source: ChristianHeadlines.com October 26, 2015 The strongest hurricane ever recorded at sea created mudslides and took down power lines and trees near southwestern Mexico, but no major damage was reported. According to CNN, Hurricane Patricia was predicted to become one of the most dangerous storms in history. Before the hurricane hit, thousands evacuated in front of the Category 5 storm. By landfall, the storm’s winds dropped to 165 mph. There are no confirmed reports of deaths or any major damage. Patricia didn’t hit the resort city of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. By late Saturday, the storm had downgraded to an area of low pressure. " We are fortunate the hurricane ... went to the mountainous areas, " Communications and Transport Minister Gerardo Ruíz Esparza told reporters. " That lessened the impact. The wind and water hit us but our infrastructure was able to withstand that hit. The worst went to the mountains. " Said Roberto Sandoval, governor of Nayarit state: " We as government are not supposed to mention faith and God but the only thing I can tell you is that God helped and watched over us so this monster of a hurricane did not hurt us here in Nayarit and in Mexico.” Airports and schools are scheduled to reopen. About 10,000 people in all evacuated ahead of the storm, according to CNN. More than 1,700 shelters were opened for residents in Mexico. " We expected a much bigger disaster, " said nursing chief Luis David Ramirez. " We believe God helped us through this monster hurricane. We're still here. " 27 октября 2015 г. Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также 400-year-old church re-emerges from beneath Mexican reservoir 400-year-old church re-emerges from beneath Mexican reservoir Fishermen are making use of the re-appearance of the ruins to ferry curious passengers around its walls. |
| Photo: mospat.ru On 29 January, 2020, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, met with the rector, professors and students of Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary (KTAS) who are making a pilgrimage to Russia in the period from January 27 to February 2, 2020. The meeting took place at the Red Hall of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour. The trip is made as part of the program organized by the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR) with the participation of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies. Participating in the meeting were Metropolitan Hilarion, DECR chairman and rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute; Bishop Silvestre of Belogorodka, rector of the KTAS; Archpriest Alexander Ageikin, rector of the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Moscow; Archimandrite Leontiy (Tupkalo), conductor of the KTAS academic choir; Archpriest Sergiy Veigo, associate professor and assistant to the KTAS rector for representation work; and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations. Patriarch Kirill addressed the gathering, touching in particular on the problem of the church schism in Ukraine. After that, His Holiness answered questions asked by the guests from Ukraine. One of the KTAS students noted the special attention His Holiness gives to the younger generation and asked about the most important thing to be considered by theological graduates’ in deciding their course of life. “It is that case when I will not be able to answer in one word”, His Holiness said, “For some, one thing is important while for another a different one. One is scientifically inclined, while another sings beautifully in a church choir. One will be a theologian, while another a Protodeacon. It very much depends on individuality, which is the most important thing”. “And if we move to the philosophical level of reasoning, the most important things, from my point of view, are two factors”, he continued, “the first is the state of a person’s intellect while the second is the state of a person’s heart. One can be a very smart and well-educated man, but if his system of values is broken, if he is prone to influences and temptations, it will never amount to anything”. |
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