| Tweet Нравится Pro-life campaigns in Russia and Serbia to be held on Annunciation Moscow, April 5, 2017 Photo: Pravoslavie.ru The international “Beginning of Life” campaign in defense of unborn life will be held on April 7, the feast of the Annunciation, in many regions of Russia, neighboring countries, and in Serbia, reports Foma . With the blessing of Patriarch Irinej, the fourth annual cross procession will be held in Belgrade around the National Assembly building for the legislative protection of the unborn. “Everyone has in view artificial surgical and medical abortions, but few pay attention to the fate of children at the age of Christ (a few days from conception), millions of which are annually disposed of quietly by the abortive action of intrauterine and hormonal means of contraception, and also in the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF), when excess children conceived ‘in vitro’ are discarded, whether disposed of immediately, or once their cryopreservation has expired,” emphasizes the “ For Life ” movement. Festive events and flash mobs with the participation of Orthodox youth will be held in many churches and on the streets in April 7 throughout these countries. The aim is to show that “premarital chastity, strong families, and care for relatives, foster children and orphans are integral parts of the preservation of a nation, but the sins of contraception and artificial conception not only kill children, but are also contrary to human nature, destroying health and the familial way of life, leading to the degradation of society.” Participants will distribute thematic brochures and leaflets to passers-by, and also white flowers—a symbol of life and purity. There will also be festive concerts, charity events and round table discussions on the defense of unborn children. 5 апреля 2017 г. 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 |
| John Anthony McGuckin Akathistos DIMITRI CONOMOS The most famous of all surviving Byzantine kontakia. This anonymous work, which celebrates the annunciation of the Virgin and the nativity of Christ, consists of two prooemia (introductory hymns) and 24 strophes bound by an alphabetic acrostic. The Akathistos (Gk. “not seated”) was, and still is, performed while the congregation stands. The even-numbered stanzas carry an alleluia refrain, whereas the odd-numbered oikoi include a set of Salutations to the Virgin: 12 lines in metrically matching pairs, each line beginning with “Hail!” Each oikos ends with the refrain “Hail, Bride Unwedded!” Metrically, this poem is unique, as its central part is formed of alternating strophes of two different lengths. The texts of the first 12 oikoi elaborate on the incarnation and the infancy of Christ, whereas the last 12 alternate praise of God with praises to the Virgin. The whole coalesces to create a subtly interwoven tapestry of images that is one of the high points of Byzantine poetry. Syriac elements are evident in the deliberate use of rhyme found in the pairs of lines of equal length of the longer strophes. This and the kontakion On Judas, attributed to Romanos the Melodist, are the only examples in the whole of Greek poetry of the use of rhyme before the conquest of Greek lands by the Franks during the Fourth Crusade (1204–61). Like most Byzantine kontakia, the Akathistos draws extensively on the Scriptures and on a number of famous prose sermons, but it retains a striking individuality. With bold similes the poet succeeds in blending the overwhelming mystery of the incarnation of the Word with the softer note of praise to Mary; the varied and intricate rhythms employed are enhanced by the music of the words. This was originally a chant for the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25), but is now sung at the vigil of the fifth Saturday in Great Lent. According to the Synaxarion, it was chosen by Patriarch Sergius as the thanksgiving hymn to the Mother of God for saving the city of Constantinople from the Avars in 626. The entire work was thus turned into a hymn of victory and deliverance, and it is repeatedly used as such to this day. The literary qualities of the poem and the wide popularity of veneration to the Virgin in the East explain the far-reaching influence that the hymn has had upon subsequent Greek (and indeed worldwide Orthodox) literature. It was quoted to satiety, copied and recast in iambic trimesters and political 15-syllable lines; modern Greek paraphrases of it exist; and it even influenced Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, especially between the 14th and 16th centuries, as is evident from the paintings of Mistra, Mount Athos and even frescoes as far north as Moldavia. It is possible that |
| This year Orthodox Christians and the Catholics are celebrating Easter on the same day – but this is not always the case. In fact, there are many distinct reasons why many a year the Orthodox Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on a different day than the Catholics. We spoke with Fr. Jon Magnolias, a Greek-Orthodox priest at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Modesto, CA, and asked him to explain what factors determine if the Orthodox Church celebrates Pascha (Easter) on the same day the Catholic church does. His explanation is below and clarifies the matter immensely: “As Greek-Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 16th, we would like to shed some light on the reasons why the Orthodox Christian Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ later than the Catholic one. While the issue is somewhat complicated, it may be summarized in the two factors at work that cause this conflict in dates: 1) The issue of the calendar; and 2) the adherence by the Orthodox to the early practices of the Christian Church. The first factor, the calendar, has to do with the fact that the Christian Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian calendar when calculating the date of Pascha (Easter). The rest of Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar. There is a thirteen-day difference between the two calendars, the Julian calendar being thirteen (13) days behind the Gregorian. The other factor at work is that the Orthodox Church continues to adhere to the rule set forth by the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicea in 325 AD, that requires that Pascha must take place after the Jewish Passover in order to maintain the Biblical sequence of Christ’s Passion. The rest of Christianity ignores this requirement, which means that on occasion Western Easter takes place either before or during the Jewish Passover.” The end result is that the Orthodox Church usually celebrates Easter as much as five weeks later than Western Churches. However, this year is an exception as Orthodox Easter in 2017 is on the same days as the Catholic celebrations. One thing worth noting is that this the last time that the two Churches will share Easter celebrations until 2025! Recently, the Easter holiday has fallen on the same day in 2010, 2011, 2014, as the two dates coincide only when the full moon following the equinox counts as the first full moon after March 21 in the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates moleben in Donskoy Monastery at the shrine with St. Tikhon’s relics DECR Communication Service, 07/04/2024 On 7 th April 2024, 3 rd Sunday of Lent, of the Veneration of the Cross, Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, commemoration of the demise of Saint Tikhon the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1925), after celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ visited the Donskoy Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow, which is home to the relics of the Holy Patriarch Tikhon. As the Patriarchal Press Service reports , in the Great Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated a moleben. Concelebrating with His Holiness were Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Patriarchal first vicar for the city of Moscow; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Nikandr of Naro-Fominsk, chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, abbot of the Donskoy Monastery; Archbishop Foma of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, rector of the Holy Theophany Cathedral in Yelokhovo in Moscow; Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, private secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ for the city of Moscow; Priest Vasily Losev, head of the Legal Service of the Moscow Metropolia; and ordained coenobites of the Donskoy Monastery. |
| A delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church made a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos from August 8 to 12, 2016, for the celebrations devoted to the millennium of the presence of Russian monasticism on Mount Athos. Photo: http://mospat.ru/ With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the pilgrim group was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, permanent member of Holy Synod and head of the Metropolia of Kazakhstan. The delegation included Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe, Archbishop Melety of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, Bishop Andrey of Rossosh and Ostrogozhsk, Bishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania, Bishop Anthony of Slutsk and Soligorsk, Hegumen Feofan (Lukyanov), head of the protocol section of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations; and clergy and laity who accompanied the archpastors. The delegation was accompanied by Russia’s Consul General in Salonika A. Popov. The pilgrimage focused on the participation in the celebrations to honour the memory of the Protomartyr and Healer Panteleimon at the Russian monastery on Mount Athos. The hierarchs led by Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy, participated in the procession with the cross and performed the Lifting of Panagia rite. Metropolitan Alexander conveyed to the spiritual director of the Russian monastery, Hieromonk Makary (Makienko) and the brethren a blessing from the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and a congratulatory message from Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations. In Karyes, the administrative center of Mount Athos where the Holy Kinot and the Holi Epistasia are situated, the pilgrims met with the Protos Father Barnabas. The delegation also visited the monasteries of Koutloumoush, Xiropotam, Simonapetra, Iveron, Watopedi, Gregoriou, the Annunciation Cell, the sketes of St. Andrew, St. Elias, Old Roussik and Xilourgou. Every day the archpastors celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the cathedral church of the St. Panteleimon Monastery and visited Athonite monasteries to pray at famous Christian holy places. During the worship services and thanksgivings they lifted up ardent prayers for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, for archpastors, pastors, monastics and lay people of the Russian Orthodox Church, the authorities and peoples of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus and for the appeasement of the intestine strife in the Ukrainian land. |
| Let us pray today and in all the days to come to St. Sergius, that he might raise our prayers to the Throne of the Almighty: for our people, for our entire historical Fatherland, for the Russian land, and for our Church, that he might preserve it in oneness and keep it from enemy forces. On July 16 a procession with thousands of people went from the Stavropegial Monastery of the Protection in Khotkovo, a suburb of Moscow, where the relics of Sts. Cyril and Maria– the parents of St. Sergius – reside to the Annunciation field in Sergiev Posad. Photo: http://www.patriarchia.ru/ Therewith began the main Church-wide celebrations dedicated to the 700 th anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The procession was preceded by a moleben [supplicatory service] in the St. Nicholas Cathedral in the Monastery of the Protection. The divine services and procession were led by His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. An area for celebrating the divine services has been set up near the tent city that has been deployed on the Annunciation field. The Primate of the Russian Church celebrated a moleben and read a prayer to St. Sergius of Radonezh. After the completion of the divine service, His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill, addressed the faithful with a primatial sermon: Your Eminences, Your Graces, Dear Vladykas! Revered Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters! Respected state officials! I would like to greet you all cordially following the seventeen-kilometer procession with which we have opened the jubilee celebrations on the holy land of Sergive Posad. For many today’s journey was something special, something they have never before experienced in life. This was not simply a march, not simply a walk by foot, not simply a trek – it was a procession, accompanied by unceasing prayer. I would like cordially to thank the choirs that continuously performed the great hymns of our Church, helping the mind to focus on prayer. And we believe that the prayer during this procession reaches and reached the Throne of God, and that St. Sergius, our abba, has heard it. |
| Glorification of St Innocent the Metropolitan of Moscow and Enlightener of the Aleuts, Apostle to the Americas Commemorated on October 6 St Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts and Apostle to America (in the world John Popov-Veniaminov), was born on August 26, 1797 in the village of Anginsk in the Irkutsk diocese, into the family of a sacristan. The boy mastered his studies at an early age and by age seven, he was reading the Epistle in church. In 1806 they sent him to the Irkutsk seminary. In 1814, the new rector thought it proper to change the surnames of some of the students. John Popov received the surname Veniaminov in honor of the deceased Archbishop Benjamin of Irkutsk (+ July 8, 1814). On May 13, 1817 he was ordained deacon for the Irkutsk Annunciation church, and on May 18, 1821, he was ordained priest. The missionary service of the future Apostle of America and Siberia began with the year 1823. Father John spent 45 years laboring for the enlightenment of the peoples of Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands, North America, Yakutsk, the Khabarov frontier, performing his apostolic exploit in severe conditions and at great risks to life. Saint Innocent baptized ten thousand people, and built churches, beside which he founded schools and he himself taught the fundamentals of the Christian life. His knowledge of various crafts and arts aided him in his work. Father John was a remarkable preacher. During the celebration of the Liturgy, memorial services and the all-night Vigil, he incessantly guided his flock. During his time of endless travels, Father John studied the languages, customs and habits of the peoples, among whom he preached. His work in geography, ethnography and linguistics received worldwide acclaim. He composed an alphabet and grammar for the Aleut language and translated the Catechism, the Gospel and many prayers into that language. One of the finest of his works was the Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven (1833), translated into the various languages of the peoples of Siberia and appearing in more than 40 editions. Thanks to the toil of Father John, the Yakut people in 1859 first heard the Word of God and divine services in their own native language. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Hilarion completes his visit to Metropolia of Tatarstan On March 29, 2015, the 5d Sunday of Lent, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, celebrated the Divine Liturgy together of Metropolitan Anastasy of Kazan and Tatarstan and Bishop Mefody of Almetyevsk and Bugulma at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Kazan Kremlin. He was assisted by diocesan clergy. Among the worshippers were sisters of mercy, participants in the Metropolia’s youth held in Kazan, Cossacks, and students of the Suvorov and Tank Military Schools. There were also governmental officials. After the Dismissal, Metropolitan Anastasy greeted Metropolitan Hilarion on behalf of the faithful of the Metropolia of Tatarstan, saying in particular, ‘With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, we officially begin today the celebrations marking the millennium of the blessed demise of Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles’. The celebrations are to last throughout this year. Addressing Metropolitan Anastasy, clergy and worshippers, His Eminence Hilarion congratulated them on the beginning of the celebrations, noting that the Metropolia of Tatarstan was the first among all the ROC metropolias to begin them. ‘For us, the memory of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles is of special significance. His memory is sacred for us because he was the baptizer of Rus’ and thanks to him the Christian faith, the Orthodox faith, came to our land. We venerate him with love and reverence because in his efforts he was like the apostles who brought to the world the good news about the resurrection of Christ’, he said. Expressing the wish that the Orthodox faithful in the Republic of Tatarstan may show an example of truly Christian way of life, Metropolitan Hilarion said: ‘We know that in our country, people of other faiths live side by side with Orthodox people, and God calls us all to be in peace with all them. We should be in peace with all so that we could walk together to the Kingdom of God’ (cf. Heb. 12:14). |
| Supporters of Constantinople-Recognized Church Structure Capture Churches of Ukrainian Orthodox Church Source: DECR One of the seized churches: Annunciation Church in the village of Pokhovka Despite repeated statements of Ukrainian President P. Poroshenko that – in spite of the creation of a new church structure inspired with his participation – each person will be free to choose to which church to come and that there will be no forcible captures of monasteries, churches and other facilities, new reports keep coming about actions of radicals and local authorities aimed to effect a lawless transfer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church parishes to the jurisdiction of the schismatic association which has received ‘autocephaly’ from Constantinople. Thus, proponents of ‘the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’, supported by radicals from the Svoboda all-Ukraine nationalistic association and the chairman of the village council, have captured an old church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at the Vorsovka village, Malin district, Zhitomir region, the UOC information and education department reports. The capture of the church building which belongs to the religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, took place on January 13, 2019, in the presence of over a dozen Malin police officers. Earlier, on January 10, the Vorsovka villagers had a meeting during which a conflict broke out between the OCU supporters and the community of the canonical Church, which does not wish to join the schismatics. Aggressive activists decided to take possession of the UOC community property. However, parishioners did not let the crown enter the church. Then, with the support of village council chairman Petr Podruchniy and head of the Malin Svoboda branch Nikolay Polinovsky, the church was sealed up. As a result of the incident, the rector of the canonical Church’s community, Archpriest Vasily Simchuk, suffered a hypertonic crisis and was hospitalized. Archpriest Vitaly, rector of the church of the Protecting Veil in Malin, was appointed as acting rector of the parish. On January 13, together with parishioners he planned to hold a prayer service by the St. Nicholas church. However, the OCU supporters prevented them from coming close to the church, and the service had to be held right in the street. ‘I do not know how divine services will be celebrated next but we will do all that is possible for us to serve if not in the church, then by it’, Father Vitaly commented on the situation. |
| Bishop Irenei Addresses a Symposium on “The Mother of God in Our Lives” in Los Angeles Source: Orthodox Europe Over the weekend of Friday to Sunday , June 4-6, 2021, His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe was the keynote speaker at a symposium organized by Patristic Nectar Publications in the USA, on the theme of “The Mother of God in Our Lives.” Held at St Andrew Orthodox Church (Patriarchate of Antioch) in Riverside, CA (near Los Angeles), in the presence of the wonder-working icon of St Anna from St Tikhon’s Monastery, the three-day symposium drew together a large in-person audience, as well as an even larger group of participants via on-line live streams. Other speakers at the symposium included His Grace Bishop Basil of Wichita (Patriarchate of Antioch), Archimandrite Maximos (Constas), Hieromonk Calinic (Berger), Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Archpriest John Parker, and the symposium’s convenor and Rector of St Andrew Church, Archpriest Josiah Trenham. Bishop Irenei delivered four addresses during the symposium, taking as his starting points four of the feasts of the Mother of God. Beginning with a talk entitled “The Race of Adam Beholds the Birth of Eve: The Nativity of the Theotokos,” His Grace then spoke on “The Human Temple of God: The Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple and the Life of Christian Worship,” and concluded the Saturday events, following the evening Divine Services, with a talk entitled “The Mother of God and the Mother of the Light: The Annunciation and the Transformation of Man.” On Sunday morning, at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Archdiocese of America, Bishop Irenei was greeted at the Temple and presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Blind Man. Co-serving His Grace were Archpriest Josiah Trenham, Rector of the Parish, together with the large assembly of local clergy as well as those in the area specifically for the symposium. Following a post-Liturgy luncheon for participants, Bishop Irenei concluded with a fourth talk entitled “The Sleep of Death that Wakes the World: The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.” |
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