| The encyclopedic interests of Cantacuzenos led him to grant support to all forms of knowledge, including the study of secular philosophya tradition at all times alive in a small group of Byzantine aristocrats and intellectuals. Synodal decrees of the eleventh and twelfth centuries had warned the humanists against the dangers of considering Greek philosophy as a criterion of theological thought, but Barlaam of Calabriaoriginally a pro-tege of Cantacuzenos " went beyond the permissible by reducing theology to the level of intellectual wisdom and discursive knowledge. The Council of 1341 signaled his defeat and condemnation. The capture of imperial power by Cantacuzenos in 1347 coincided with the total victory of Palamas and the Hesychasts, and was seen as a disaster by the humanists, among whom the Antipalamite party recruited most of its members. Clearly, the Byzantine Church was rejecting Platonizing humanism and refusing to accept the very patterns of humanistic civilization which the West was in the process of adopting. 155 It is precisely at this time that several prominent humanists, whose intellectual forefathersPhotius, Michael Psellos, Theodore Metochiteshad despised the Latins as «barbarians,» discovered in the Latin West, and particularly in Italy, the last refuge of true Hellenism. Demetrios Cydones (ca. 1324–ca. 1398), a close political associate of Cantacuzenos», certainly belongs to this category. Staunchly Orthodox in his youth, he sometimes worried that the protocol requirements for an imperial ambassador to the pope, which would force him to address the Roman pontiff as «beatitude,» «holiness,» " " common pastor,» «Father,» and «Vicar of Christ,» might be harmful to his faith. 156 But then, suddenly, he discovered Thomism. When his diplomatic functions led him to learn Latin from a Dominican of Pera, he used the Summa contra Gentiles as an exercise book, and the effect on this friend of Barlaam, disappointed by the recent victory (in 1347) of the Hesychasts, was astounding. The Latins, whom the Byzantines considered incapable of rising above the military or merchant professions, 157 knew Greek philosophy! «Because the Byzantines did not care for their own [Greek] wisdom, they considered Latin reasonings to be Latin inventions.» In fact, if only one took the time to unveil the meaning of Latin books, hidden by a foreign tongue, one would find that «they show great thirst for walking in those labyrinths of Aristotle and Plato, for which our people never showed interest.» 158 |
| Archive Пн On the role of religious organizations in post-war restoration of Syria 12 November 2020 year 14:05 Report of Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania, deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relation (DECR), to the international conference on Syrian refugees’ and internally displaced people’s return to their homes, November 10-12, 2020, Damascus. Esteemed representatives of state leadership, ministries and departments in Russia and Syria, Distinguished assembly: I greet you on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church and personally His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. As you know, from the very beginning of the present crisis the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian State have been with our Syrian brothers. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited Damascus in 2011 and saw with his own eyes the tragedy, which had already begun, and raised his voice in defense of this much-suffering country. We were concerned for the future of Christianity in this biblical region in which it existed from the earliest days. We have empathized with all the Syrians regardless of their religious or confessional affiliation – both Christians and Muslims, seeing in each of them the neighbor to whom the Lord has commanded us to help. These feelings have been strengthened by the bonds of our centuries-old friendship. Our priority task was to break the information blockade and to bring the truth about the suffering of the Syrian people to the world public. We invariably promoted this topic in our contacts with world state leaders and religious leaders, as well as at major international platforms. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s deep concern for the destiny of the Syrian people and for dangerous developments in the Middle East as a whole became the principal reason for organizing his meeting with Pope Francis of Rome in February 2016 in Havana. After a common statement of the two leaders of the largest Christian communities in the world it became no longer possible to hush up the truth about the Syrian tragedy. Immediately after the Havana Meeting, the first joint humanitarian projects were launched in Syria. |
| 5. Charlemagne and the beginning of the end By the end of the 8th century many of the Germanic tribes had heard the Good News of the Gospel and begun to convert to Christianity. Most notably, this took place on a wide scale among the rulers, eventually giving birth to the famous Carolingian dynasty, with Charlemagne as its first great leader and formative influence. He sought to institute the “new Byzantium” or “the new Holy Roman Empire” by consciously allying his kingdom with the Pope of Rome, to create an “ideal” or “model” of Christian society that future generations could build upon, both politically and dogmatically. Unfortunately, the dogmatic basis they chose was heretical, and the peremptory manner of both the Church of Rome and the Carolingian rulers enforced and built upon this flawed ideal over the centuries. The unchecked currents flowing from this flawed ideal eventually resulted in the West’s separation from the rest of Christendom in 1054. Although it resulted in decisive choices for the future of Europe — choices which would rupture Europe’s spiritual unity — the advent of the Carolingians did not put an end to the Byzantine Empire. The annexationist and unionist aims of the Western powers, which would culminate with the conquest of Constantinople in 1204, did weaken the Byzantine Empire, but did not destroy it. On the eve of the Turkish conquest of Byzantium, a magnificent spiritual and cultural renaissance occurred during the time of the Paleologues, thanks largely to the hesychast movement. Even after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the continuity of the Byzantine Empire survived in the Russian Empire, until the Revolution of 1917. When the Russian Revolution took place, the Communist disease quickly spread throughout other Orthodox nations. To save their lives, many of the Orthodox of these lands were forced to flee. Many came to the West. Of the Western nations, France received a very large number of these Orthodox immigrants. These emigres slowly began to share the Orthodox Faith with their neighbors and friends, and began the process of bringing the ancient faith of France’s forefathers back to her present-day children. Today one can find Orthodox monasteries and convents dotting the French land, and more and more people are returning to the fulness of the universal Orthodox Church — the Church of St. Martin, St. Genevieve, and all the patron saints of ancient Gaul. May God grant the increase! |
| England " s spiritual heart was beating more faintly now; and from now on pressure on the sickly organism from without – specifically, from Rome – began to increase. Thus it was at about this time that one of the bishops-elect, Walter of Hereford, decided to go to Rome to be consecrated. If, as seems likely, he was trying to avoid the «schismatic» Archbishop Stigand, then he avoided Stigand only to fall into the hands of the much more surely schismatic Pope Nicholas! In 1061 this visit was followed by that of the archbishop-elect of York, Aldred, who went to Rome for his pallium in the company of Earl Tostig of Northumbria and several other English nobles. But «he found Pope Nicholas at first no friend to his desires,» writes William of Malmesbury, «for Aldred was not minded to give up [the diocese of] Worcester. Aldred was so bound by ties of love to Worcester that it was dearer to him than the dignity of the archbishopric. So, after long disputation, Aldred returned homeward and came to Sutri. Earl Tostig who was with him was threatening that for this [refusal by the pope] there would be no more paying of Peter " s Pence from England.» However, in the course of their journey home, Aldred and Tostig «were attacked by robbers and stripped, to the great horror of beholders, and made their way back to Rome. Their sufferings so far melted the rigour of the apostolic see, that Aldred received the pallium of York, having pledged himself to resign Worcester provided that he could find a better priest in the diocese to put in his place.» It is interesting to speculate what would have happened if Aldred had returned to England without the pallium. It is quite possible that, following the example of Stigand, and with King Edward " s support, he would have assumed the archbishopric anyway, thus placing both of England " s metropolitan sees in schism from Rome. But the robbers – and Pope Nicholas» sense of realpolitik – saved the day for Rome. And to reinforce his authority in England, the pope now sent two cardinals with Aldred on his journey home – this was the first papal legation to England since the council of Chelsea in 787. |
| “We agreed to leave as a legacy to ourselves and our successors a gathering in Nicaea in 2025, to celebrate together, after 17 centuries, the first truly ecumenical synod, where the Creed was first promulgated,” Bartholomew told Asia News. Nicaea, now known as Iznik, brought together over 300 bishops from the Eastern and Western traditions in 325. While the next planned gathering is eleven years away, both leaders can use that time to continue to work towards friendship and cooperation between their churches. OK, fellow Godbeat scribes, let’s stop and think about this for a moment. This event is a long way off. What else might be on the ecumenical discussion agenda in the meantime? Obviously, there is the issue of the pope striving to find a way to tweak Rome’s claim for absolute, total primacy over all of the world’s ancient churches, a claim that the other ancient patriarchates cannot accept. However, we have already heard more papal references to the pope being the Bishop of Rome, a title that warms the heart of the Eastern Orthodox. We have also heard papal references to the pope as the patriarch of the West, a title that implies there could still be — as in the first millennium — patriarchs of the East, with the pope seen as the first among equals. And what’s up with the steady drumbeat of “synod” language from Pope Francis? And wouldn’t it be fitting if, in an event marking the Nicean Council, East and West made progress on the ultimate issue of the 1054 schism, as in the infamous, from an Eastern Orthodox point of view, Roman insertion of the filioque clause into its version of the creed? As Father Alexander Webster, an Orthodox historian, once noted in Crisis Magazine , a conservative Catholic publication: The real dogmatic difference revolves around the insertion of the Latin compound word filioque into the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed originally formulated in Greek by the bishops assembled at the first and second ecumenical councils (325 and 381). The Latin addition has the Holy Spirit “proceed from the Father and the Son” (filioque) instead of proceeding from the Father alone, as in the original Greek. There is no room here to rehearse the arguments for and against that pesky term. Let it suffice to note that the Orthodox are convinced that the insertion radically, albeit unintentionally, changes the meaning of the Creed (by demeaning the Personal dignity of the Holy Spirit) and remain adamant that the filioque must be disavowed by Rome. |
| Pope Francis. Photo by Edgar Jiménez, Wikipedia Commons. Millions of children have either been killed, displaced or orphaned as a result of Syria’s ongoing, bloody civil war. Some have witnessed bombings, the death of friends and loved ones, and have been forced to leave their homes and villages, seeking refuge in places where soldiers and gunfire don’t wake them up at night. Hundreds of Syrian children, scarred by five years of civil war, will now be the protagonists in a special June 1 prayer event, which takes place on International Children’s Day and will join together Christians from both Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Syria to pray for peace. Backed by both Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Syria, the event will gather hundreds of children from different denominations, who will lead processions in ravaged cities throughout Syria such as Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Tartus and Marmarita. In a show of support for these children and all those suffering due to the country’s gruesome war, Pope Francis on Sunday gave a shoutout to the event after celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of Deacons, urging children around the world to join their peers in Syria in praying for peace June 1. “This Wednesday, June 1, on the occasion of International Children’s Day, the Christian Community of Syria, both Catholic and Orthodox, will participate together in special prayer for peace, which will have children as the protagonists,” the Pope said May 29. “The Syrian children invite children from all over the world to unite with them in their prayer for peace,” he said, and led the deacons and other pilgrims present at the Mass in praying the Angelus. Francis’ promotion of the event fell the day after giving a speech to children, which he centered on the heartbreaking story of a young Syrian girl who drowned at sea in an attempt to reach Europe after fleeing the war with her family. He assured the children that he didn’t want to make them sad, but instead wanted to tell them the truth: “they are in danger – many boys and girls, small children, men, women – they are in danger.” |
| – About the upcoming meeting of Patriarch Kirill and the Pope: what issues, in your opinion should be raised at it? – I am delighted that Patriarch Kirill is meeting with the Pope. In my experience, it is always a joy to meet with Pope Francis. He is an inspirational leader and a faithful friend to many of us around the world. He is also a shining example of the impact of authentic Christian leadership in a diverse and divided world. I will be praying that their meeting is blessed and that their discussions are fruitful and we are encouraged by the Christmas message of Patriarch Kirill which will resonate in his various meetings, standing by us in the Holy Land for the challenges that we face. – Is pilgrimage in the context of a pandemic and what, in your opinion,will it be this year? How will the Christian world celebrate Easter this year? – The Covid pandemic has clearly changed much in our world. In the Holy Land we grieve the lack of pilgrims. It is our sacred duty to welcome the world to these holy sites. This year, we hope to share hospitality with more pilgrims, but we recognise the overall number of visitors is likely to remain relatively small. I would encourage everyone to remember that pilgrimage is possible anywhere. There are so many journeys we can undertake, both physically and spiritually, abroad and in our own communities. There are many places we can go and experiences that we can share which bring us closer to Christ. At Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and at Pentecost we recognise that he is present everywhere in the community of the Church through the power of his Holy Spirit. To this end, I would encourage all my brothers and sisters around the world to seek out holy places in their own communities; to make their own towns and churches a place of pilgrimage, and once again experience the unlimited, never-ending love of God that becomes ours in the Easter story. If we can achieve this, I believe the Holy Spirit will make Jesus Christ present in our lives and communities today and in new ways. |
| I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life.” Sts. Cyril and Methodios, St. Patrick of Ireland, and Metropolitan Philip Saliba are all examples of Orthodox Christians who took incredible risks and in the process grew the Church and spread the Gospel. There is no doubt that each of these men experienced their share of bruises in their work. Pope Francis reminds Orthodox Christians that a risk-taking Church-–a church that is not afraid to fail–is much healthier than a Church that is focused on institutional security and closed in on itself. St. Tikhon of Moscow could not say it better when he writes that “The light of the Orthodox Faith has not been lit to shine only for a small circle of people. No, the Orthodox Church is catholic; she remembers the commandment of her Founder, ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature and teach all nations’ (Mark 16.15; Matt. 28.19). We must share our spiritual richness, truth, light, and joy with others who do not have these blessings.” Make Some Noise: The idea of Orthodox Christians making noise would seem contrary to our inheritance. Yet, a look at history shows that the Orthodox Church has been making a noisy mess of things since Apostolic times when the first disciples were labeled “Those people who have been turning the world upside down”(Acts 17:6). Such noise means rowing upstream against the world and challenging the world inside and outside of the Church to be faithful to the Gospel. Holiness always has a component that upsets the status quo. Pope Francis provided this bold exhortation to young people in Rio de Janeiro: “Let me tell you what I hope will be the outcome of World Youth Day: I hope there will be noise. |
| That of Rome, however, preferred to keep the May date, and Pope Boniface IV formally endorsed it in the year 609. By 800 churches in England and Germany, which were in touch with each other, were celebrating a festival dedicated to all saints upon 1 November instead. The oldest text of Bede’s Martyrology , from the eighth century, does not include it, but the recensions at the end of the century do. Charlemagne’s favourite churchman Alcuin was keeping it by then, as were also his friend Arno, bishop of Salzburg, and a church in Bavaria. Pope Gregory, therefore, was endorsing and adopting a practice which had begun in northern Europe. It had not, however, started in Ireland, where the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght prove that the early medieval churches celebrated the feast of All Saints upon 20 April. This makes nonsense of Frazer’s notion that the November date was chosen because of ‘Celtic’ influence: rather, both ‘Celtic’ Europe and Rome followed a Germanic idea…. For what it’s worth, the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church notes that Pope Gregory III of Rome (d. 741) dedicated a chapel in the basilica of St Peter to “All the saints”, and Gregory IV ordered its universal observance. Sixtus IV (d. 1484) added an Octave, which was suppressed in 1955. The idea that Christians “stole” it from pagans, therefore, seems pretty far-fetched. In fact the evidence seems to point the other way: the neopagans seem to have unintentionally “stolen” it from the Christians, as a result of a rather wild guess by Sir James Frazer. What about the accusation by some that it (or at least the dressing up part of it) is “satanic”, “demonic”, or “evil”? Well, I’ve never seen “trick or treat” in action, but from reading descriptions of it, and seeing films about it, the idea of kids going around saying “give us sweets or we’ll do something nasty to you” sounds a bit like a juvenile protection racket to me, and that is potentially, if not actually, evil. It’s only one step from that to going round to shop keepers with a gun and saying “give us X, and we’ll protect you from Y”. |
| Vladimir Putin meets with primate of the Roman Catholic Church Rome, June 11, 2015 On June 10, 2015, Vladimir Putin made a visit to the Vatican City and had a meeting with Pope Francis I, reports the website of the Russian Federation’s President. During the informative and friendly conversation that lasted for more than an hour the current situation with the world affairs was discussed, including the present crisis in the Ukraine. President Putin and Pope Francis touched upon the universal and humanitarian values which in many ways unite both the Catholic and Orthodox worlds as well as all major religions. Both parties expressed their concern about the situation of Christians in the Middle East. Last February, the pope referred to the bloodshed in the Ukrainian conflict as fratricidal, a comment seen as controversial in Ukraine, where the violence is viewed as a direct consequence of Russian aggression, reports the Guardian. President Putin also met with Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi. According to the Guardian, Renzi said at a press conference after the meeting that even though different countries within Europe had “different ideas” about how the sanctions were reached, all of the EU was “in the same place”. He said that the implementation of a peace plan agreed in Minsk would end the phase of “diatribes and sanctions” against Russia. The two leaders also discussed how sanctions had prevented Italy and Russia from working together on a number of projects involving Italian companies, Renzi said 13 июня 2015 г. Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
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