Comments Posted By r j klancko
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Ok everyone here is the real skinny,,,,I had lunch with a graduate of liberty univ and was enlightened about it. I then looked it up on the net. It began in 1971 as a baptist seminary, now some 50 years later it is a major university with circa 15,000 students and, now pay attention, they have a 1.5 billion dollar endowment, so this begs the question when did holy cross seminary begin? When was it transformed into hellenic college? And how does it compare with liberty university? Who dropped the ball here? Instead of a 120 million dollar albatross in lower Manhattan, how about using the money for the benefit of humanity, or creating a real school, or real hospital. Now if I see the archbishop championing such causes I would have more confidence in the Goa.
» Posted By r j klancko On October 6, 2020 @ 9:52 pm
If one is to understand eastern orthodoxy one must first need to understand what it means to be a Christian. Eastern orthodoxy is the adjective not the noun. Now with all the criticism that I see here, I must question whether these are Christian or eastern orthodox values. I have observed that the zealots amongst us are more pharisical than Christian. Elitist yet not schooled in basic Christian values. Once we have hospitals, colleges, national charitable out reach, we are in no position to throw stones or point fingers. Remember when a finger is pointed three are pointed backward… If you study the history of our church in the USA if it were not for the Episcopal Church or for our Masonic laity and Masonic clergy we would not be here today. In fact the orthodox square clubs still exist. This is reality not fiction. What we need to do as Christian’s I’d to look for the good that others do and to endeavor to emulate the good. We are all sinners, we are all on the first rung of the ladder. But we gain nothing by criticizing, we do by however by striving to do better. The others are an example for us. It is time that are no longer the odd group with beards, ponytails, odd accents, and funny hats. During this crisis we have not been interviewed by the media, we had no presence at the day of prayer ceremony at the white house, etc. In the 40′ s our laity and clerics fought for us to be recognized as the fourth major faith,,,now it seems that we are fighting to become the last major faith and to go the way of the shakers. We need to emulate st Paul and not Judas
» Posted By r j klancko On May 25, 2020 @ 3:38 pm
Why ? Those who do not change with the needs of the times end up as the shakers did,,,,,again if you do not possess the zeal and dedication of the early church, then how can you say you are part of the present church,,,,, those who keep their feet in concrete will either there
» Posted By r j klancko On May 24, 2020 @ 9:30 am
St pogo the forerunner said it so well,” we have found the enemy and it is us” just think what our hierarchs in the 40′ s who fought for us to be recognized as the fourth major faith are thinking now,,,,,we have eroded our position,,,,ergo what do our youth have to be proud of,,,,no hospitals, no colleges,,, no Samaritans purse,,,just men with unkempt beards and pony tails, and wierd accents, wearing funny hats,,,,,we do not even have a national cathedral,,,and no national visibility,,,,we are dead but do not know it,,,,and this is the tragedy,,,we have not been good stewards of our legacy
» Posted By r j klancko On May 23, 2020 @ 10:14 pm
Of course we copy what works,,,by the way, the Oriental orthodox are not Protestants,,but God gives us the ability to learn, understand, and improve,,,if you do not you are hiding your talent and not using it,,,,,this may mean that you are rejecting Christ’s treachingd
» Posted By r j klancko On May 23, 2020 @ 10:06 pm
An Open Letter to the Bishops from One of Our Readers
yes, but is there a north american orthodox family,,,,we almost had one in the teens,,, ethnics under moscow and moscow beginning an engish mission with a focus of remaining here in america and having an american faith identity,,,then due to the russian revolution this prematurely failed,,,,,,,,we then had the federation – bashir/benjamin/and athenagoras,,,this went along but eventually failed,,,they were seeking an american faith identity ,,,,then came scoba,,there was qausi unity, with iakovos with mlk on the cover of life magazine there was another overture on becoming an american faith,,,,since then it has truly fallen apart, we are now more divided than ever,,,,,,both the people and clergy do not want to give up their ethnic identites and this is sad. until all of our bishops are american born, american educated, widowers, with no accents and stop looking like vestages out of midieval times this will nevwer happen. why do we always streess the externalitites and forget that it is the internalities, which is the faith that counts. we are our own worst enemies.
» Posted By r j klancko On September 8, 2019 @ 3:05 pm
When Your Mother Says “Don’t Forget How to be Orthodox” But Then She Does
because of recent events re ukraine for example,,, it unfortunately has morphed into ‘brat black bart’. our public image has certainly taken a mighty hit,,,no wonder our youth leave us,,,,,where is the christian love and charity
» Posted By r j klancko On September 7, 2019 @ 7:21 am
in my opinion black brat bart,,,seems like children playing in a sandbox with no supervision,,,,,,as on notable antiochian cleric once commented,,peter the great was no fool, by abolishing the partiarchate he removed alot of the squabbling,,,,,the inmates seem to be running the asylum–where is napoleon XIV when you need him
» Posted By r j klancko On September 5, 2019 @ 5:14 pm
BREAKING: THE OCA TO GO UNDER EP!
let us look at this from a different perspective,,,perhaps a more global one, perhaps one that on the checkerboard could be a viable option,,,,,what if moscow allowed its circa 50 parishes in the usa to join the oca,,,after all they came from the oca, and most were founded by the same lemko/galician people most of the oca parishes were. now st nicholas on 97th st becomes the moscow representation church in the usa. also, those rocor parishes who wish to join the oca are allowed to do so. those remaining russian die hards can remain with rocor, which we know within 20 years will no longer exist. The master plan as i see it, is that all the russian parishes in europe will be under moscow and that each country will have its own diocese, led by its own bishop, and will be a national orthodox church, all put together by the russians — the greeks not with standing,,,, because they are just too etho-centric to buy into the national church idea.
this move will strengthen the oca, which indeed has been becoming, and in many ways is a national american church. this is a fact the phanar needs to comprehend. i can also see kyrill influencing his fellow eastern european patriarchs to relinquish their turf in america for the good of the whole in america. the only group that may resist is the serbians, but the romanians, bulgarians, and albanians are just a small foot print. so this may be a viable move.
we know that quite soon the ukrainians and carpatho-russians are soon to be absorbed in to the hellenic horde, so becoming part of the oca, where there can be positive synergism may be a more comfortable reality.
in many ways the oca, albeit not being as wealthy as the goa,,,is more stable in many ways and is becoming part of the fabric of the usa. i also see the oca archdioceses of canada and mexico becoming their own automonos churches under the oca.
as for the antiochians, they will need to fish or cut bait,,,,, they will need to sever ties with the middle east in the next 20 years anyway. in order to keep their youth, they will need to shed their middle eastern identity,,,,metropolitan antony understood this very well. also, they historically have found more of a home with the russians than the greeks. if it were not for the greeks, the melkite eastern rite church would not have formed,, and if it were not for the russian palestine society, they would not have been protected.
i would not sell the oca out short,,,,, i have faith that there are greater God inspired minds at work,,,, this is a chess game,,,,and in the world of chess i would look to kryill as being a grand master. in my view he is playng chess while brat bart is playing checkers.
my true saddness comes is that we all just cannot play together as loving christians in the same sand box and we not allow our egos, and anti biblical intrigue govern what we do.
I pray that wht is right is done,,,and that we cease to continue to act in a way thst is contrary to the teachings of our Lord and Savior. No wonder so many of our youth are leving the church, for we are not giving them reason to have faith in us.» Posted By r j klancko On August 15, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
Get Your Collector’s Items (While They Last)
thanks gail, appreciate the kindness, God Bless
» Posted By r j klancko On July 29, 2019 @ 10:02 pm
if this not a farce, how does one get one — i am an eastern church historian and archivist ad such items are always being sought
» Posted By r j klancko On July 29, 2019 @ 3:27 pm
the ukrainian situation was a true can of worms — met nikandor, met polycarp, russians becoming polish, russians becoming ukrainian, ukrainian becoming russian etc politics and opportunity it just boggles the mind
» Posted By r j klancko On July 4, 2019 @ 3:33 pm
There was Archbishop John of the self-consecrated group, he arrived circa 1923,,,there was Bishop Joseph Zuk under Archbishop Aftimios Zuk was a former Uniate, and manytimes dressed as such, this was circa 1932,,,then there were the independent Ukrainian churches all of this before 1938. Zuk died, and his remnants were picked up by Boghdan in 1938. Boghdan was under the GOA. After WWII , Archbishop Gregory of the Soborpravna Ukrainian Church came to the USA and had his cathedral in Chicago. Archbishop Mystaslav (sp?) came over and eventually joined with Boghdan, they tried a unfication with Archbishop John, and Mystaslav (sp?) left Boghdan, along with many parishes to join John – who he reconsecrated,,,WWII, and created the Holy Autocephalic Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Exile, which was affiliated with the GOA — both they and Gregory had post WWII communities — the others had both pre and post communities. While this was all going on after WWII Archbishop Vasily of the Byelorussian Church was affiliated with Boghdan and remnants of Vasily’s group are now in the ACROD – There does remain an independent Byelorussian group also. This situation was almost like the abbott and costello bit about who’s on first. so parish wise, and this is just an estimate ( in 1955) John & Myst – circa 80,,,,,Boghdan circa 25 ,,,, Palladi & Ihor – circa 10,,,,, Gregory – circa – 10
btw – palladi and fr vitaly came out of the polish orthodox church in poland» Posted By r j klancko On July 4, 2019 @ 8:39 am
Archbishop Boghdan’s diocese was in many respects an uniate group posing as Orthodox — many uniate practices prevailed and many unprepared clergy were ordained and many non canonicals emanated grom this jurisdiction. As I understand it from clergy who knew them well, that great care needed to be exercised regarding this jursidiction — one of my mentors converted through them and was advised, when seeking to become clergy, to join a different jursidiction,,,,,, so I was led to believe that although a jusidiction was canonical, that this may not reflect all of its practices — we know that both the Carpatho-Russian and Ukrainian diocese under the GOA were more uniate in their practices and that it was many, many years into this relationship that all their churches had icon screens and their bishops and clergy ceased wearing uniate attire and using uniate titles. So my point is to use caution when using these two dioceses as examples. Today, is a different situation – they have morphed into mainline Eastern Orthodoxy. But back in the days of Dimitry Royster the enviroment was much different. My mentor told this story, when Bishop Boghdan arrived in the USA, he was met my Archbishop Athenagoras, and something happened,,,Bishop Boghdan was wearing uniate attire, and the next thing that happened was that he took off his white gloves and slapped the Archbishop with them. It was quite a stuation. I do have photos of both Bishop Boghdan and Bishop Orestes in uniate attire. Bishop Boghdan did evdntually wear a kobluk and cassock,,, I do not remember ever seeing Bishop Orestes in kobluk and cassock. Yet both of these were under the GOA.
» Posted By r j klancko On July 3, 2019 @ 7:41 am
But that is base pay. Just like food servers who get a base pay. What about all the cash that I see passing hands or the fact that if the bishop visits the parish pays him a thousand dollars. Also as a celibate monk living in a church provided dwelling how much money does he really need
» Posted By r j klancko On June 2, 2019 @ 6:40 pm
two of my goa clergy friends use the moniker archbishop elvis
» Posted By r j klancko On May 31, 2019 @ 4:54 pm
New word for the lexicon. Phanarite. An egotistical person with a myopic perspective while exhibiting arrogance and insensitivity to the ethical principles of civility and justice thereby creating turmoil and unnecessary stress
» Posted By r j klancko On May 31, 2019 @ 2:21 pm
unfortunately, my experience has not been so rosey —- most of the monastics that i have met, including non widower bishops seem to have baggage that they are carrying and are escaping and seeking refuge as such they can be considered as damaged in certian respects — as such i would find it difficult to go to them for advice — of course there are eceptions to every rule and consideration — un fortunately i have even observed some of them behaving badly — egotistic,,, fits of rage,,,insensitivity,,,,,lack of lact,,,, yes we all exhibit these characteristics but i have seen them manifest moretimes in the monastics i have met and i have met many —– so when i see a black cassock and black kobluk i am now conditioned to ask why, what are they hiding from,, are they truly sincere or caught up in the mysteek — so i now am initially always wary — an i know that should not be but c’est la geurre i must add that the cbs special on mount athos underlined my perceptions — the monk whose father was dying but would not go to his bedside was just deplorable to me and totally non Christian — this exhibit of a lack of humanity made me ashamed that this person was an example of what out church stands for. we have a lot of work to do,,, no wonder we are loosing and have lost so many people
» Posted By r j klancko On May 24, 2019 @ 8:53 am
Have You Heard the One About the American Barbarians?
I meet many graduates of eastern orthodox iny career. To the one the church has driven them to seek other options. And the clergy not being fishers ofen have not bought them out. I visited two parishes in Charlotte n c recently and no one was interested in the fact I was there. Do not damn the message receiver damn the message givers. We all need to change our paradigms. And ethnocentricities
» Posted By r j klancko On May 15, 2019 @ 12:20 pm
The Turkish Takeover of the GOA Is Now Complete
well only two options exist,,,,, for the conservatives the old calendar jurisdictions in america of which there are many to choose from,,,,,,the other for those who want to grow and thrive is the oca — the infrastructure with st vlads and st tikhon’s grads in the goa is there — may be time for a change and to make the oca the american patriarchate —– carpe diem
» Posted By r j klancko On May 12, 2019 @ 8:56 pm
This Just In: Abp. Demetrios Has Resigned
Patriarch Joseph klimovich of Springfield Massachusetts. Was the head of the orthodox church of America ,,,,,which may be trademarked. Remember archbishop aftimios jurisdiction had a different name that Victor Prentiss laid claim to
» Posted By r j klancko On May 7, 2019 @ 9:10 pm
the impression i have been given is that joseph has been re-arabicizing the church and is anti-western rite – just the opposite of metropolitan antony’s vision– and unlike the syriacs and melkites has not championed the cause of the christians immigrating from the middle east – which has caused great concern- if this is true it is a tragedy – unfortunatrely many antochians i have spoken with are disenchanted —– on the otherhand, many of the celibates i have met are running away from society and life — as such they have great dificulty relating to the needs of a typical family — oh, for the days of metropolitan leonty, metropolitan platon, methopolitan theophilus, metropolitan ireney, metropolitan orestes, metropolitan andrei, to name just a few – all were widowers, and what about patriarch joseph klimovich of springfield, mass who was married — unless you have had to manage a family you do not appreciate the rigors of everyday life. I even see it with married clergy who are childless and those with children — thise who hsve children are typically more sensitive, more kind, more pastoral versus the others who are more ego-centric and authoratative — if we are to grow, we need to change our paradigms — and according to the data, we are not growing and over the past 100 years our growth has been through immigration and not through organic nurturing and retention. we have lost generations – i meet graduates of eastern orthodoxy almost everyday in my career – some have fond memories but they all have moved on elsewhere — this shows that we do not retain nor practice the ministry of st paul — we are not missionaries and do not nurture our flocks – we tend to be etho-centric bigots and this is not christianity — we even shunn our fellow orthodox – even our fellow ethnic orthodox — in researching the history of the eastern churches of connecticut — many were not only focused a particular ethnic group, but also a particular state — i.e. that church is for cretans, that church is for spartans, that church is for souidie syrians, that is a lebanese not a syrian parish, that is a vlach parish, etc. i believe it was st pogo the great who once said to the effect that we have found the enemy and it is us. we are our own enemy if we choose to allow our traditional paradigms to rule us for we ae not clearing a pathway for future growth. so why not an american born, american educated, widowed priest with children as the new archbishop? is that all so bad? May God help us to see the way through the fog, and bless us all, Amen
» Posted By r j klancko On May 5, 2019 @ 3:53 pm
Time for an American born non Greek widower. Time to send a message of avowing allegience to America and not a foreign entity. Time for someone knowledgeable about American family life and it’s rigors and challenges. This is an opportunity to make a positive statement to our youth. Otherwise the oca will be proven as the correct choice and correct path to follow. Unfortunately my money will need to be put on an ethnic Greek celibate which will harken the demise of the archdiocese for it will be business as usual but I will win the bet. As usual the American Russians win. Slava Boghu
» Posted By r j klancko On May 4, 2019 @ 8:14 pm
By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them
This is our myopic problem. We cannot accept or praise we are experts on the side ways praise. This music is used for worship. Accept the fact and look to our future in America an see how we can incorporate it. Just look at the difference between that horrible Byzantine chant and the magnificent music of Tchaikovsky and his fellow composers. Or even the music of bishop Phillip. We need to stop being so judgement. Oh oops was I with my statement about Byzantine chant. I must be human
» Posted By r j klancko On April 18, 2019 @ 8:02 am
of course the music is beautiful and inspirational but i must warned the purests out there that it is western music music of those heritics we love to criticize however, there is good in many things and we must recognize that good this music should be embraced by the orthodox church and we should employ it in our services — why you ask? this is part of our american tradition and as americans this is what makes us as unique as the russians and greeks — this music moved me and the words are also moving – the only sin there is is that we are betraying our ethnic ethos if we embrace this music and this then is a breaking of man’s not God’s rules. If the Greek God dictates Greek and Byzantine chant and the Russian God dictates Old Church Slavonic and Zananemny Chant then what should the American God dictate ,,,,,, oooh oops I am sorry, there is but one God and in him is East and West, North and South so this music should then be acceptable by us,, for in fact it praises and glorifies our Lord. and isn’t that what it is all about?
» Posted By r j klancko On April 17, 2019 @ 3:11 pm
rhe byzantine emperor no longer exists so our bishops need not compete with them and show that they reign in their kingdom as did the emperor in his — so, that being the case, why must men adorn themselves with costly reignment while their flock is suffering — i am not advocating that we dsassemble our churches but that we shore up our churches by diverting needless spent moneys on self adornment toward better uses. the most humble priest i knew was fr arcady who had vestments so tattered that one of his cuffs fell off during the great entrance yet no one really noticed because of the radiance that encompassed him — our holiness is not equated to what wear but how we wear what se have. ask your bishop how many miters he owns and how many jeweled crosses ( i am not touching the panagia area) and how many does he really need. i remeber bishop bogdan – in his photos he wore the same panagia that bishop joseph zuk wore, and i did not see him wear any other —- on the otherhand everytime i see a bishop there are new robes, new miters, and new panagias and crosses — i can only ask why????? Is the money we give being used in a responsible manner? let us take all of these funds and build an eastern orthodox christian wing at st judes and really walk our talk!
» Posted By r j klancko On April 14, 2019 @ 1:31 pm
You missed the point entirely
» Posted By r j klancko On April 13, 2019 @ 9:33 am
As we continue our ethnic squabbling,,, as we debate to pew or not to pew,,, as we throw stones at protestants and catholics,,,, as we refrain to become part of the fabric of America or even fund a wing at St. Judes hospital,,,, as we focus on externalities – beards, miters, worry beads, etc. look at what Christianity is all about — where are our programs to promote the value of life,, even one life? So a few of our bishops, and truly mean a few, take part in a walk in Washington once a year — what do they do the other 364 days to further the cause? How do they rally their members into makeing a true committment? We all need to get our priorities straight, we all need to return to the message true Christianity — we need to stop cutting bait and begin to activiely fish — or are we going to follow the parable and keep our wealth and our faith hidden under the rock. May God bless us all and give us the couragre to truly live our Chrisitan faith. Why don’t our bishops begin by donating their miters and jeweled crosses to the cause????? Lead by doing not by polemics! Let us wear the internalities of our faith through our actions and committment to basic Chrisitan principles, and not by focusing on the prideful externalities. Just ask your selves every day WWJD! Russian Orthodox Church, despite it all, YOU GO GIRL- YOU ARE EXHIBITING, IN THIS RESPECT, HOW YOU CAN TRULY BE THE PROVERBIAL BRIDE IF CHRIST!
» Posted By r j klancko On April 12, 2019 @ 9:41 am
How is failed quantified? Some of tthe best orthodox clergy I have known were/ are clean shaven. A beard does not make you holy or holiet some of the mat arrogant clergy I have met are Rasputin look alikes. We need to stop being so self rightous
» Posted By r j klancko On April 9, 2019 @ 5:04 pm
«« Back To Stats PageSo what is wrong with pews and collars this is 2019 not 1019. The externalities are not the issue,,, it is the internalities,,, I have met too many with cassocks, long beards, and accents playing cleric,,,hung up on the garb of days long gone and not on christian ministry. We need to focus on what is needed to be a christian and not externalities that have little to do with true faith
» Posted By r j klancko On April 7, 2019 @ 12:30 pm
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