Losing Anglicanism, and Finding Repentance

From The Living Church-

I don’t care much for work travel. I am loath to be away from my wife and three children in Wichita, Kansas, for much more than a weekend, and on those few occasions when my work requires it I tend to approach the ordeal with all the enthusiasm of a condemned man approaching the scaffold.

When I was sent in mid-December to spend 12 days in Dallas, however, a real measure of anticipation offset my usual sullenness. As a theological conservative, I was glad for the chance to worship in the Diocese of Dallas, a diocese not only founded and built by one of my heroes (Bishop Alexander C. Garrett), but one in which several contemporary leaders and writers I highly esteem are resident: Bishop George Sumner, Victor Lee Austin, William Murchison, as well not a few regular contributors to Covenant and The Living Church.  

I planned to spend my Sunday in town at Church of the Incarnation, a large parish near uptown Dallas. As a lover of the Anglican choral tradition, I had long wanted to hear its renowned choir. My excitement only increased when I found the parish would offer its annual service of Nine Lessons and Carols that Sunday. The service did not disappoint, and I called my wife afterward, flooding her with adjectives of increasing superlative intensity and insisting that henceforth we just had to make visiting Incarnation it a yearly occurrence.

More here-

https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2019/01/25/losing-anglicanism-and-finding-repentance/?fbclid=IwAR0hFirNB6p36kwVvcYIjXhrId4uiOPfGnB9lpiByOBXa3n5yPi9OfDEYSI

Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and “the West”

From Public Orthodoxy-

In a recent essay for the Bloomberg View, Leonid Bershidsky attempts to explain why traditionally-Orthodox countries “remain stuck” in the anti-capitalist, anti-Western, and authoritarian mindset characteristic of the communist era. Drawing support from a new World Bank working paper, Bershidsky locates the source of this mindset in supposed theological differences between Eastern and Western Christianity. He argues that post-Soviet Eastern Europe’s slowness to adopt capitalism and its penchant for authoritarian leaders is not explained by its communist legacy but by its Orthodox Christian heritage. His conclusion is that traditionally-Orthodox cultures “aren’t really comfortable in a Western-dominated world,” a problem that can be “mitigated” but not “removed.”

Unfortunately, Bershidsky’s analysis remains stuck in an obsolete “clash of civilizations” narrative that obscures more than it enlightens. The insinuations of irrationality and irredeemable primitivism (as if reason dictated that those outside the West should be comfortable in “a Western-dominated world”) are the hallmarks of a (neo)-colonial outlook that thrives on civilizational divide. That Bershidsky is able to muster “Eastern” scholars who affirm such a divide is little more than an affirmation of the pervasiveness of the hegemonic discourse of Western superiority.

More here-

https://publicorthodoxy.org/2018/04/30/orthodoxy-capitalism-and-the-west/

The Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation: Joint message

From Radio Vatican-

The Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is being marked today September 1 and has special importance in this its third year.

It is a Joint Message which was released on Friday morning from Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who for the first time are writing together on Themes of the Day, inviting all the faithful and men of good will to prayer and to reflect on how to live in a simple and solid manner, responsibly using earthly goods.

The Day of Prayer for the Creation of the Creation was instituted by Pope Francis in 2015. The Orthodox Church has commem
orated the Day since 1989. 

Below find the English Language translation of the Joint Message from Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

More here-

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/09/01/the_day_of_prayer_for_the_care_of_creation_joint_message/1333983

Orthodox Church of Antioch: the West feigns empathy for a problem of its own making

From Levant Report-

There’s been renewed American media coverage and di
scussion of the Middle East’s Christian population as a result of Islamic State’s (ISIS) purging of Christians in Mosul. While this attention is good, the entire presentation and discussion of current threats to the region’s Christians continues to be driven by distorted assumptions, contributing to a false and dangerous narrative that will only exacerbate and prolong the persecution. This false narrative tends to assume that western countries are benevolent players in the region, standing up for the rights of native Christians and against Islamic extremism.

France’s recent declaration of amnesty and resettlement assistance for Iraqi Christians was met, in various Christian and conservative corners, with celebration and adulation. Why can’t the U.S. issue the same appeal as France? “Why not us?” …some commentators are asking. Yet this completely ignores the root of the real threat to the Middle East’s Christians. This week’s official statement by the Orthodox Church of Antioch speaks to the heart of the problem, and cuts through the false narrative:

More here-

http://levantreport.com/2014/08/01/orthodox-church-of-antioch-the-west-feigns-empathy-for-a-problem-of-its-own-making/

At 100, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks on upswing

From Pittsburgh-

It’s an ancient faith of icons, incense and a capella music, that nonetheless has its own Facebook pages, podcasts and streaming radio.

There are dozens of Orthodox churches in and around Pittsburgh, in varying states of health. But St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks — under the leadership of a priest with a background in corporate management training and a knack for social media — has seen its parish grow larger and younger even as the community around it declines in numbers. This weekend, the church has been celebrating its 100th anniversary.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/10/12/At-100-St-Nicholas-Orthodox-Church-in-McKees-Rocks-on-upswing/stories/201410120172

Ukraine protests: claims that police used live bullets as demonstrators die in clashes

From the Telegraph-

(An Orthodox priest tries to stop clash between protesters and the police in the center of Kiev)

A third person has died during overnight clashes between radical protesters and police in central Kiev, marking a serious escalation in the political crisis that has gripped Ukraine for more than two months.

Violence broke out when police attempted to dismantle a camp set up by protesters demanding the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych, using tear gas in their onslaught.

Doctors at the opposition headquarters on Independent Square reported that two protesters died of gunshot wounds - one almost certainly from a live round, the other from a plastic bullet - early on Wednesday morning, following a third night of violence on the capital's streets.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10589160/Ukraine-protests-third-demonstrator-dies-after-overnight-clashes-in-Kiev.html

Archbishop of Canterbury meets Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

From Christian Today-

The Archbishop of Canterbury met His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Monday during a two-day visit to Istanbul.

During the meeting, concerns were raised about the hardships being experienced by Christians in the Middle East.

In his welcoming address, Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of his hope to see the visit "strengthen the bond of mutual love" between the Orthodox and Anglican Churches.

"At this present moment, as Anglicans and Orthodox, we share in particular a joint concern for the situation of Christians in the Middle East, who are confronting increasing problems and, in many places, are undergoing a veritable persecution," he said.

Archbishop Justin Welby was in Istanbul at the invitation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who as Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome occupies the First Throne of the Orthodox Christian Church.

In an address, the Archbishop spoke of his commitment to the reconciliation of Eastern and Western churches.

More here-

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/archbishop.of.canterbury.meets.ecumenical.patriarch.bartholomew/35382.htm

Anglican Archbishop meets Batholomew in Istanbul visit

From Turkey-

Head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby met with Fener Orthodox Greek Patriarchate Bartholomew in Istanbul on Jan. 13 during the first day of his two-day visit to Turkey.

Archbishop Welby held a one-on-one meeting with Bartholomew at the Fener Orthodox Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood on Jan. 13.

Welby attended a reception at the Pera house, where Bartholomew was not present due to health problems.

The meeting was the first since Welby was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury about one year ago.

Welby is set to hold a discussion with the Synodical Committee for Inter-Christian Affairs as part of his two day visit.

The Istanbul Syriac Orthodox Church Metropolitan Yusuf Çetin and orthodox and protestant community members living in Istanbul were present in the reception.

More here-

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/anglican-archbishop-meets-batholomew-in-istanbul-visit-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=61017&NewsCatID=393

Pope Francis’ Holy Land Visit to Focus on Ecumenism With Orthodox

From National Catholic Register-

Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to be held in May, will center on his encounter with Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Eastern Orthodox archbishop of Constantinople, and their discussions on ecumenism.

Announcing the trip Jan. 5, Pope Francis said its “principal goal” is “to commemorate the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Patriarch Athenagoras I, that occurred … 50 years ago today.”
That encounter was the beginning of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches and led to a joint declaration issued in 1965, which declared the two leaders’ desire “to overcome their differences in order to be again ‘one,’ as the Lord Jesus asked of his Father for them” and which lifted the mutual excommunications of their predecessors issued in 1054, which profoundly contributed to the schism between Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Read more:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-holy-land-to-focus-on-ecumenism-with-orthodox/#ixzz2pu2KWBVa

Eastern Orthodox feel comfortable with reunification

From Rome-

Is Pope Francis’ preference to refer to himself as “bishop of Rome” more than other traditional titles for the papacy a hopeful sign for Catholic-Orthodox relations?

That question was on the minds of those taking part in the recent Orientale Lumen Conference in Washington, D.C. The informal Catholic-Orthodox dialogue, which has been meeting since 1997, held discussions about steps toward full communion between Eastern and Western Christianity.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s first greeting from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica upon his election as Pope Francis struck not a few observers as downplaying his role of universal head of the Church with unlimited jurisdiction worldwide.

“The diocesan community of Rome now has its bishop,” Pope Francis told the crowds in St. Peter’s Square March 13. “And now, we take up this journey: bishop and people. This journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches. A journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us.”

More here-

http://www.aleteia.org/en/arts-entertainment/documents/part-2-of-catholic-orthodox-article-2237003

Russian Church hopes new head of Anglican Church will not allow female bishops, same-sex marriage

From Interfax-

The Moscow Patriarchate expects Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, to adhere to the norms of Christian morals and the church system.

"We know that the Anglican Church is now going through a difficult time and various views, positions, and parties co-exist in it. However, we really hope that the traditional understanding of Christian morals and the church system will prevail in this polemic," Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, said during a meeting between Welby and representatives of the Orthodox Churches who attended his enthronement.

The introduction of the institution of female bishops will lead to the elimination of even a theoretical possibility of the Moscow Patriarchate recognizing the church hierarchy of the Anglican Church, the communications service of the Department for External Church Relations reported on Saturday.

"I would like you to know about that and take our opinion into account when this issue arises again," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

Metropolitan Hilarion also said he is hoping Justin Welby will firmly defend the traditional biblical understanding of marriage as a union between a man and a woman "to prevent secular society from forcing on the Church of England the recognition of some forms of cohabitation which were never considered marriage by Christian churches."

More here-

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=10356

New bishop ordained to lead Carpatho-Russian Orthodox

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

As chants of "Axios!" -- worthy -- filled Christ the Saviour Cathedral, a former research scientist who had become a Greek Orthodox priest and monk was ordained to lead the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA.

"I pray that God will grant me the faith, wisdom and love to lead the flock entrusted to me all the way to Paradise," newly consecrated Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, 55, told the packed cathedral. "I have come to this diocese to serve you the people, not to have you serve me."

But he also came to challenge them, listing five priorities that he said the church must focus on.
The first was the spiritual care and retention of its youth, which he said might require change at the parish level. Statistically "6 out of 10 Orthodox young people will abandon Orthodoxy," he told them. "We must address this or we will disappear."

The North Carolina native was ordained in 2007 and has spent much of his ministry as a traveling preacher, confessor, retreat leader and youth coordinator in the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, which covers the Southeast. He promised to spend the next two years visiting all 81 Carpatho-Russian parishes across 13 states and Canada.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/new-bishop-ordained-to-lead-carpatho-russian-orthodox-663945/#ixzz2DWB1TMBe

Orthodox Christians take steps toward unity

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

As Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter today, they have resurrected a movement toward unity in America, where they are divided into a hodgepodge of overlapping ethnic jurisdictions. On orders from patriarchs in Constantinople, Russia, Serbia and elsewhere, all Orthodox bishops in this country are working on a plan for one American Church.

The patriarchs say they want to approve such a plan at a yet-unscheduled Great and Holy Council of global Orthodoxy. The last such council was in A.D. 787. In 2010, 66 American bishops formed the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, to devise the plan.

"This has great potential," said Bishop Melchisedek of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania in the Orthodox Church in America, which is self-governing but has Russian roots. He cited existing differences on matters such as divorce or re-baptism of converts.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/orthodox-christians-take-steps-toward-unity-631456/

Metropolitan Maximos stepping down from post

From Pittsburgh-

Metropolitan Maximos of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Pittsburgh has resigned for health reasons, the Greek Orthodox Archdioese of America announced today.

He is 76 and had led the Pittsburgh diocese since 1979. Born on the island of Chios, Greece, the son of a priest, he went on to become a prominent Orthodox theologian who encouraged a monastic revival in the United States. He has been in declining health since suffering a head injury in a fall six years ago.

Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, a former chancellor of the Pittsburgh diocese, will serve as locum tenens, or temporary administrator, of the Pittsburgh diocese until a new metropolitan is elected.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11245/1171674-100.stm#ixzz1WyxSrgXQ

Orthodox church ordains Dormont man first priest since '70s

From The Pittsburgh Tribune Review-

Matthew Stagon, 26, said he was a teenager when he first felt the pull to become a priest.

No heavenly voices urged him to do it, as he recalls. And he had no pressure from ministers or other clergy.

Just a feeling.

"You just know," he said.

On Sunday, the sound of bells and aroma of incense at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in East Pittsburgh signaled Stagon's ordination as one of the religion's newest priests. It was the first such appointment for the church in nearly four decades.

Parishioners cheered "Axios!," the Greek word for "he is worthy," as other clergy adorned Stagon with each layer of his new priestly wardrobe -- a belt, a robe, a golden stole and a cross.

"When a man is ordained, he's continuing the same unbroken apostolic tradition of our church," said the Rev. Jonathan Tobias, a priest participating in the ordination. "He'll be a great addition to the tradition."

The Orthodox Christian faith is made up of about a dozen administratively independent local churches that trace their roots to Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe. Those who follow its Scripture often pride themselves on their adherence to tradition and a history that dates to the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_702576.html

Professor Constantine Scouteris: theologian

From The London Times-

Professor Constantine Scouteris was one of Greece’s foremost theologians, specialising in ecclesiology, the mystery of the Church as a theanthropic institution, and in Christian anthropology, the nature and purpose of human existence.

Never swayed or distracted by the passing fashions in his approach to theology, Scouteris was attuned to the more serious concerns of the day, and always focused on the perennial, ultimate questions of life. He was deeply convinced that communion — personal communion — was the key to world unity and peace, and so the greatest question for him was how to enter into real communion with others and attain to true unity.

Professor Scouteris was a man of considerable culture and learning, who worked tirelessly, for nearly 40 years, as a responsible and faithful representative of the Orthodox Church in ecumenical dialogue at the highest level, and constantly strove to build bridges by which reconciliation could take place. But the answer to the question of unity was to be found, ultimately, in the person of Elder Porphyrios of Athens, Scouteris’ spiritual father and the personification of the Orthodox Patristic tradition, with whom he enjoyed a long and enduring friendship. For Scouteris, Porphyrios was nothing less than “an angel incarnate”, who in his life bore witness to the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

Paraphrasing Porphyrios, Scouteris would say, “The goal of the Christian is not to receive gifts from God. It is love,” which is “an exodus from selfishness”. This “exodus from selfishness” and this love come as a direct result of communion with God.

“Communion,” he said, “is the greatest gift that God has bestowed on the human race” — communion with one another, the ability to enter into a personal relationship with one’s neighbour.

More here-

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6982811.ece

More Protestants Find a Home in the Orthodox Antioch Church

From the New York Times-

Cal Oren was threading his way through the Santa Cruz Mountains of California early one evening in 1993, driving his wife, brother and three tired children back from a day of hiking amid the redwoods. As their car neared the town of Ben Lomond, Mr. Oren said, his brother pointed to a church on the roadside and said: “I’ve been inside this. It’s really neat.”

So Mr. Oren pulled to a stop, and as the children stayed in the car, the grown-ups gingerly padded into the sanctuary of Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church. A lifelong Presbyterian, Mr. Oren knew virtually nothing about the Antiochians or, for that matter, Orthodox Christianity in general. He had always associated Ben Lomond with hippies, geodesic domes and marijuana fields.

As he entered, a vespers service was under way. Maybe two dozen worshipers stood, chanting psalms and hymns. Incense filled the dark air. Icons of apostles and saints hung on the walls. The ancientness and austerity stood at a time-warp remove from the evangelical circles in which Mr. Oren traveled, so modern, extroverted and assertively relevant.

“This was a Christianity I had never encountered before,” said Mr. Oren, 55, a marketing consultant in commercial construction. “I was frozen in my tracks. I felt like I was in the actual presence of God, almost as if I was in heaven. And I’m not the kind of person who gets all woo-hoo.”

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/us/03religion.html?em

Communique from the International Commission of the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue

From Anglican Communion News Service- (Love the hats)

The International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue met in Chania, Crete, from Tuesday, 15th September to Sunday 20th September 2009, as guests of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at the Metropolis of Kydonia and Apokoronos.

The Commission wishes to record its gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Damaskinos of Kydonia and Apokoronos (Chania) and his staff for the warmth of their hospitality and for their assistance with many aspects of the meeting. Greetings were received from Metropolitan Damaskinos and from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the local civil authorities.

The Commission consists of representatives of the Orthodox Church and of the Anglican Communion. It began its work in Oxford in 1973. Agreements reached in its first two stages were set out in (1) the Moscow Agreed Statement of 1976, and the Dublin Agreed Statement of 1984, and (2) in the Cyprus Agreed Statement of 2006.

The meeting in Crete was the first plenary meeting of the third stage of the Dialogue. The Commission discussed the theological convergences identified in the Moscow, Dublin and Cyprus Statements, and it noted the ways in which these statements were being distributed and discussed on both sides. The main topic for this third stage of the dialogue is theological anthropology, that is, the Christian understanding of the human person as being in the image and likeness of God, and the implications of this for church life and contemporary ethical issues.

In the light of the Cyprus Statement The Church of the Triune God papers were written by the Bishop William Gregg, on hopes and possibilities for the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue in the future, and by the Revd Dr Timothy Bradshaw on an Anglican view of Christian anthropology. Two further papers were discussed examining Christian anthropology; an Anglican viewpoint by the Revd Professor John Riches, and an Orthodox perspective by Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia.

More here-

http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/9/23/ACNS4656

Ecumenical partners stand firm with Anglican Communion

Love the hat but what's he doing to the guy kneeling at the altar?


The ecumenical representatives of the Orthodox church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have expressed their “firm and serious commitment” to continue their dialogues with the Anglican Communion, which have been experiencing tensions worldwide over the issue of human sexuality.

Metropolitan Nikitas, (pictured) ecumenical delegate representing the Orthodox church, told a press briefing at the meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) here that his church’s commitment to dialogue with the Anglican Communion is one that is based on “equal understanding and mutual respect” and is “built upon a firm and solid foundation.”

The bishop of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), Michael Pryse, who is representing the LWF at the ACC meeting, said he had been “moved and inspired by the stories that we’ve heard” about Anglican mission worldwide. He said that Anglicans and Lutherans “share much of a common history, theologically and liturgically,” and are facing similar issues and challenges.

More-

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/ecumenical-partners-stand-firm-with-anglican-communion/?cHash=120ab0bf5e

Ancient faith spreads word in new ways

From this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Love the hat)

While most Americans slept, Orthodox Christians gathered outside their churches last night carrying icons and candles for a midnight procession in which they would restore light to the darkened interiors, celebrating Jesus' Resurrection from death.

Easter -- Pascha in Orthodox parlance -- is the joyous highlight of their liturgical year. But most of their neighbors are oblivious to it because different church calendars and calculations usually set Orthodox Easter at a later date than the Catholic and Protestant Easter.

Now, thanks to Internet radio, Orthodox Americans can surround themselves with music and teachings of their church 24/7 on Easter and every other day.

Ancient Faith Radio at www.ancientfaith.com and the Orthodox Christian Network at www.myocn.net bring support to isolated believers.

"In my personal opinion, it's been the hand of God working in all of this," said the Rev. Tom Soroka, pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks and a popular teacher on Ancient Faith Radio.

"It's unquestionable that it has brought a daily presence of Orthodoxy into the lives of Orthodox Christians, for whom it's often impossible to come to church every day."

Orthodoxy developed in Eastern Europe and Asia when Christianity split into Orthodoxy and Catholicism in 1054, primarily due to conflict over papal authority.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09109/963680-96.stm