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Ode to Greatly Saddened, Part IV. . .
March 3, 2019 by
Ones Who Fight Alone
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George I have my copy of the priest’s diary of the Romanovs under Palace arrest at Tsarskoe selo. Very moving and worth having just for the sermons the priest gave.
I know Tsarskoe selo quite well so brought it home to me. Of course it does not focus on the political and the priest sometimes makes clear he considered the Tsar had not made the best decisions but book is not about that. I highly recommend it. As well as a new muscular approach to 1917 revolution spilling the beans on alot of Lenin hagiography, and his German connections and a defense of the Tsar. ” The Russian revolution” Sean MCMEAKIN, a USA author. Very good.
I also want to mention the desecrated icons in Thessaloniki university auditorium by anarchists You will not know I am sure but need to know. . These icons were actually painted by a bulgarian friend’s wife, who has painted Icons for me, so comes so close. A friend teaching Chemistry at Athens university had similar experience with anarchists..
DOSTOYESKY would have understood what happening. We need to take note.
I also want to leave here my experience of Sunday worship in near by Parish church as there was no liturgy in chapel as Fr David on pilgrimage to Athos.
The local Parish church was clossed 1945-90 as was military church. It is a lovely church but the inside is totally black with soot, nothing can be seen but black. There is no money to clean they are collecting but slow process.. I see the coppers put on tray. My 20 or 50 leva note only one.
Church attendence here is low generally, lower than Serbia for instance, or Greece. although is slowly growing. Years of communism where you lost yr job if u want to church, as my bulgarian teacher and general apathy play their part. Veliko Tarnovo it is especially low and shortage of clergy. AD former historical capital, the communists wanted as atheist city.
However the peopke who do attend are devout and the worship is beautiful, good choir, in south Slav style and greek style chanters too.
The iconostasis Royal door often shut at moments, and no Communion without confession, so few taking COMNUNION. I believe this is why people who believe do not attend.
This is the reality and while the Church is caught up in corruption and Politics, the urgent REALITY is lost in a maze of pretend Patrarchates and medeval verbal garbage. DOES ANYBODY CARE? Does anybody care on this blog?? I wonder.
To add those attending are not just elderly,indeed far more young than elderly who were exposed to communist propaganda that has left them lethargic.
UA192
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS WILLING TO CREATE ROMANIAN VICARIATE BUT NOT TO ACCEPT RE-ORDINATION TO FACILITATE RECOGNITION BY OTHER CHURCHES
Kiev, March 4, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119700.html
MtAthos 02
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
EACH ATHONITE MONASTERY WILL DECIDE FOR ITSELF WHETHER TO ACCEPT UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS, 4 GREEK MONASTERIES CONDEMN RUSSIAN CHURCH’S STANCE
Mt. Athos, March 4, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119697.html
EP52
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
PAT. BARTHOLOMEW REFUSES PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL ABOUT UKRAINE BECAUSE OF FAILURE OF CRETE COUNCIL
Istanbul, March 4, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119688.html
SOC5
Below please find an article from Saturday on the Orthodoxie website.
Headlines – News – Declarations – Europe
Position of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the Ukrainian question
By Emma Cazabonne
2 March 2019
The following letter was addressed by Patriarch Irinej of Serbia to Patriarch Bartholomew concerning the official position of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the Ukrainian question.
https://orthodoxie.com/en/position-of-the-serbian-orthodox-church-on-the-ukrainian-question/
UA193
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS SAY THEY WON’T ACCEPT CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES THAT WANT TO TRANSFER
Lvov, Ukraine, March 5, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119715.html
ROCOR3
Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.
ROCOR OPENS MISSION IN TEXAS TO MINISTER TO FAMILIES THAT LEFT GREEK CONSTANTINOPLE PARISH
Lubbock, Texas, March 4, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119684.html?fbclid=IwAR29QM4-BS_Q7I8qKLA9Y-W08Qst4lU4jQiUmGzeCEctVWi565B38nbohbg
Turkey has been a German client state for two centuries.
Both Moeltkes trained with the Ottomans.
The Genocide of Jews, Armenians and Greeks all has to do with keeping Russia out of the Straits.
German Responsibility in the Armenian Genocide
by Vahakn N. Dadrian (1996).
p. 250 In December 1914, military authorities in Palestine ordered, incompliance with the instructions of the IVth Army Commander and “Viceroy” of Syria and Palestine, Cemal Pasa, the immediate deportation to Egypt of allJews holding Russian citizenship
p. 251 Cemal Pasa was reported to have declared that “because of Zionism,Palestine might have to become a second Armenia”
p. 253 Even though the British attack in Gaza had failed, claiming”military necessity” the district governor (mutasarrif) of Jerusalem, Izzet,sought to evict the Jewish population of Jaffa and its environs. Thosewithout the means to relocate themselves would be transported (deported) tothe Syrian hinterland and be cared for by the government. As Friedman out it,”With the memory of the Armenian atrocities fresh in their minds, the Jewsfeared the worst”
This is primarily a reply and a thank you to Christopher for taking time to reply to my missive re modern times etc.and to anybody else who has commented. Thank You.
Firstly it is always difficult or at least for me,to perhaps always express exactly what wanted to say, as walking a tight rop between various chasms that easy to fall into.
Christopher I could say I agree with all u say because I truly do.
Yes I understanding the concept of mythos and the fact that in modern world what we dealing with is this seeing through the prism of scientificism which damages even me.
One of the profoundly depressing things I have understood in the emerging so called Educated generation, is it’s inability to grasp subtlety , indeed it’s very ‘ fundamentalist ‘ way of one level thinking. And yes share yr unease of how this word used,because we should all be fundamentalists in holding to the fundamentals of our Faith and Life . But I use it here in way broadly currently understood. I see the current generation and Culture is very prinitive in it’s thinking in a way. I find in talking to educated people they exhibit an inability to grasp anything out side of functional process and thinking . And yes this can be complex and dazzle us, but is always one dimensional. JUST LIKE COMMUNISTS!! ! Their view of religion just cannot grasp worship, it has to be words,documents . They cannot grasp Faith as a lived Experience, as experiential in a word, or dogma as a verbal expression of the lived experience of faith. Faith as worship and worship as faith. They are blind to ,unknowing and unmoved, by the experience of a Bishop Luke, St Seraphim of Sarov etc etc but constantly facinated by the latest document dug up out of the sand that contradicts the Gospels ( THEY LOVE GNOSTICISM) but do not hear when one makes the obvious comment and pointing out that these ‘explosive ‘ documents are 3rd/4th century, while the Gospels cover what AD 40s – 120 and the lived church experience. They claim the Church made it’s own faith and blind to fact that even after Constantine, many emperors etc were Arian and enforced this. . They not interested . They are excited by some hindu Holy man and blind to Christ. True much our fault in hiding Christ behind much tawdry rubbish.
Then u have an older generation locked in the 19c materialistic science of solid objects and believing what can only be seen and felt.. Perhaps St Thomas is their Problem patron Saint??
Interestingly enough, those who I have found to respond to Orthodox worship,to Icons etc etc are often the intelligent but ‘rough diamonds’ of this world,often on the edge. . They grasp the meaning of a memorial, the kolkiva,, the Icon, the Epitaphios of Great Friday , Pascha night . AND language does not bother them because they sense the wider beauty and meaning. Of course I am not saying this as an excuse not to bother re english,of course not ,but that it is ,by itself, often used as an excuse .
Perhaps the now total loss of any Christian knowledge or understanding is OUR OPPORTUNITY if we see it to communicate .
Perhaps, yes obviously, the Church was always a ‘ Stranger’ in this world, searching how to.comnunicate. But today a greater problem in that language has become hollowed out and functional and many are unable to think at any deeper level. They truly think they are deep, don’t see it. But nature abhors a vacuunm, and of course why in to it pours the whole Culture of Fantasy, Lord of the Ring, ( yes enjoyable films, watched all!) etc to full it.
Re gender language, all I was trying to say is need for it to reflect that there are male and female in the Church but as St Paul says ‘In Christ neither slave nor free, Jew or EVEN GREEK! ! ‘
There are other points can make but perhaps better to respond to responses. AH. Just one comment. I find that USA Culture seems even more devoid that say British,of what I might call philosophy, any metaphysical dimention. U see this in it’s evangelical Christianity which is probably an expression of this functional world view.
EP53
Below please find an article from 01/02/2019 from Herald Malaysia Online.
KIRILL: BARTHOLOMEW NO LONGER THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH OF ALL ORTHODOXY
In a letter sent on December 30, the Patriarch of Moscow condemns the decision taken for autocephaly in Ukraine. Kirill challenges the authority of Bartholomew, as overly hasty. Allegations also to Filaret of Kiev and Makarij, “the adventurer”.
http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/kirill-bartholomew-no-longer-the-ecumenical-patriarch-of-all-orthodoxy/45814/2
It is Kirill who is now isolated and quarantined.
Without the Greeks, Orthodoxy is reduced to Oriental Despotism,
which defines the land of Ivan, Stalin and Putin.
At this point, I don’t know how on board even Greece is regarding what the Patriarch of Constantinople did in Ukraine. I predict that things are going to get worse before they get better and all fingers will be pointing toward the former EP who can no longer say he speaks for Orthodox Christians.
https://orthodoxie.com/en/the-holy-synod-of-the-orthodox-church-of-greece-refers-the-ukrainian-issue-to-their-assembly-of-bishops/
You predict? Things are obviously going to get worse before they get better. And as for finger-pointing, it is clear that Moscow will not let Ukraine go without a fight. Let’s hope that no one dies as a result….
Of course, Moscow won’t let go of what belongs to them. Putin said as much before the Patriarch of Constantinople granted autocephaly to a group of schematics in the territory belonging to the Russian canonical Chruch. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-church-kremlin/russia-vows-to-defend-believers-in-ukraine-church-dispute-idUSKCN1MM18O
If someone invaded your home and threatened to take that which belonged to you, wouldn’t YOU put up a fight?
Gail, you say: “Of course, Moscow won’t let go of what belongs to them…”
The Church belongs to no man, government or culture. The fundamental lie at the heart of the Orthodox belief in the synergy of the Church and the State is that there is an equivalency between the Church and the State. There is no equivalency. The Church is simply alone in a category and ontology that is vastly different than any state and higher than any state. We need to govern ourselves apart from any state, culture or ethnic heritage.
A real, true, just state would flow from the Church, not as a theocracy but as an extension of Christ’s life in the world. Any other arrangement denigrates the Church and her people and ends up subjugating the Church to worldly governments. Eventually the state will seek to destroy the Church because worldly leaders will have no competition. They know better than people in the Church that they are and should be secondary. A fact worldly leaders and lovers of power will not tolerate.
The Church should be a thorn in the side of any state, constantly calling rulers to repentance. Of course, that leads to martyrdom, not of the Church but of particular people. That is the Cross and it is hard to bear.
The tricky thing is to acknowledge the power that the state has to kill while not allowing the reality of the power to dissuade us from following Jesus Christ above all while loving and forgiving those that would kill us.
The whole fiasco of the Church in Ukraine is one of all those involved denying Christ, elevating the authority of the state and refusing martyrdom for themselves while encouraging it to happen to others. None of this is Orthodox nor Christian. Does that mean all of our sacraments are without grace? Does that mean that Jesus lied when he said “the gates of hell will not prevail…”?
Repentance is required form each of us.
The sin is, even in opposition, assuming that any government or other worldly authority (even bishops behaving badly) is greater than Jesus Christ. His grace is given to anyone who ardently seeks it, not independently of the Church, but there for those who truly seek Him because of the Church even in otherwise dark and dirty places that seem far from Him.
If that were not so, I would not be alive, let alone an Orthodox person. Many here have a similar situation I suspect.
The Church neither needs us nor requires us to defend her. That is an impossible task that when tried always leads away from Christ. He went to the Cross without defense and that is the source of our forgiveness. Who are we to think we are better than our Lord?
That does not mean we should be silent, but it does require a strong cultivation of the peace of our Lord in our own hearts if we are to speak the truth.
The choice is not between Greek or Russian. The choice is between Christ and the world, between the Life of the Cross and the darkness of death. It is a lot more difficult to discern the difference than it seems.
Hear, hear
I hear you, Michael, and we’re on the same page as usual but when I used the word “Moscow,” I was repeating the word that Anon used and pointed out that Putin had gone on record saying HE would not let it go back in October. The EP unleashed a geopolitical chain of events that crosses all sorts of boundaries.
Velikos Haroglotis (March 6, 2019 at 12:55 pm) says:
It is Kirill who is now isolated and quarantined.
Without the Greeks, Orthodoxy is reduced to Oriental Despotism,
which defines the land of Ivan, Stalin and Putin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s rare to encounter such a bigoted, myopic view of The Church, especially from someone who seems to want to appear a hellenophile.
Were Orthodox Christianity left in the hands of the Greeks, there would be no Orthodox Christians in most of the world.
But I could be mistaken. Perhaps ‘Velikos Haroglotis’ (!) could point us to all of the Greek missionary efforts which have grown into local churches outside of the Balkans? (The African missions of the Church of Alexandria don’t count here.)
Oh. Wait! There are none. But the Russian Orthodox Church has deliberately, intentionally, and with missionaries brought the faith to eastern Asia, southern Asia, and to the western hemisphere.
I suspect that ‘Velikos Haroglotis’ (!) is just having some sour grapes along with his misunderstanding of history.
Monk James could not agree more. But to be accurate the now archbishop of Albanian church, worked for many yrs in Kenya. Probably as part of Alexandria? And the Mount Athos Monk who founded the church in Zaire..and the old calandarist monastery and synod in resistance, do missionary work. And their nunnery near Athens is all African nuns and priests.
But yes the Russian church has been the leader.
Can i also here reply to the person who kindly commented on the situation with my dying mother.
No I understanding where you coming from. But I know you understand the situation I was in and I of course as my family did talk to.Grigorios, the archbishop in London on the phone about the situation He did not comment.
Re validity ,yes we need to be more exact. Perhaps we should worry less about where the Church is not, and state clearly where it is, and leave the rest to God..
ROCOR4
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
ROCOR PARISH APPEALS TO HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS TO INVESTIGATE PERSECUTION OF UKRAINIAN CHURCH
Sea Cliff, New York, March 6, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119736.html
Glory to God for their proactive life-affirming appeal! How encouraging to read and hopefully emulate.
Thank you for posting, GS.
?
USAmbassadortoGreece1
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, in The National Herald.
US Ambassador Pyatt Says Russia Undermining Patriarch
By TNH Staff March 6, 2019
https://www.thenationalherald.com/233662/us-ambassador-pyatt-says-russia-undermining-patriarch/
MP19
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
VOLUNTEERS TO RESTORE 30 CHURCHES IN PSKOV WITH PRESIDENTIAL GRANT
Pskov, March 6, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119738.htm
OCU1
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
SCHISMATIC PARISHES ABROAD VIOLATING TOMOS OF AUTOCEPHALY, REFUSING TO TRANSFER TO CONSTANTINOPLE
USA; Germany, March 6, 2019
Updated March 6, 6:45 PM with information about the St. Nicholas Church
http://orthochristian.com/119744.html
MtAthos3
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
SEVERAL ATHONITE MONASTERIES REJECT POLITICALLY, ETHNICALLY-MOTIVATED STATEMENT OF 4 GREEK MONASTERIES
Mt. Athos, March 6, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119746.html
Dear GS:
I am not on facebook and do not read anything but English — wondering if you know from any sources the names of these 4 monasteries who objected.
Thanks for all you post.
Peace in Christ,
Nicole
USAmbassadortoGreece2
Below please find an article from Thursday, March 7th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
PRO-CONSTANTINOPLE U.S. AMBASSADOR CLAIMS RUSSIA MANIPULATES INFORMATION TO UNDERMINE PAT. BARTHOLOMEW (+ VIDEO)
Athens, March 7, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119769.html
COG15
Below please find an article from Thursday, March 7th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
GREEK CHURCH STILL DISCUSSING UKRAINIAN ISSUE
Athens, March 7, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119771.html
AC2
Below please find an article from Thursday, March 7th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
ALBANIAN ORTHODOX SPIRITUAL CENTER UNDER THREAT OF APPROPRIATION, DEMOLITION
Këlcyrë, Albania, March 7, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119773.html
GeorgianOC4
Below please find an article from Thursday, March 7th, on the Orthodox Christianity website.
LECTURER FIRED FROM TBILISI SEMINARY-ACADEMY FOR STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS
Tbilisi, March 7, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119777.html
ROC8
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
VICTIMS OF ROMANIAN COMMUNIST REGIME COMMEMORATED AT MEMORIAL MONASTERY
Gherla, Romania, March 11, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119827.html
MP20
Below please find an article from Thursday on the Orthodox Christianity website.
220-ft. statue of Christ to be erected in Vladivostok (+ VIDEO)
Vladivostok, Russia, March 7, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119783.html
AC3
Below please find an article from Friday on the Orthodox Christianity website.
ALBANIAN CHURCH DOESN’T RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS, CALLS FOR PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL
Tirana, March 8, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119801.html
COG16
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
GREEK SYNOD APPOINTS TWO COMMISSIONS TO STUDY UKRAINIAN ISSUE
Athens, March 11, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119830.html
UOC7
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
METROPOLITAN ONUPHRY CALLS ON FAITHFUL TO READ PSALMS, SAY JESUS PRAYER FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
Kiev, March 11, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119832.html
EP54
Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.
MACEDONIANS IN GREECE ASK CONSTANTINOPLE FOR SERVICES IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
Northern Greece, March 11, 2019
http://orthochristian.com/119836.html
EP55
Below please find an article from Sunday, March 3rd, on the Romfea News website.
Home – Orthodoxy – Ecumenical Patriarchate
Ecumenical Patriarch meets Archbishops of Cyprus and Albania
by NewsRoom
Mar 03, 2019 | 13:35
https://www.romfea.news/ecumenical-patriarch-meets-archbishops-of-cyprus-and-albania/?fbclid=IwAR2K0f5fze0a1Z4lqo2bPjUqJ77_Yl_BDmrujLBM4GLfPedbTEFP5LSr-lQ
COG17
Below please find an article from Wednesday, March 6th, on the Romfea News website.
Home – Orthodoxy – Churches – Church of Greece
Archbishop Ieronymos: Τhe State, the Church, and the priests, will make the final decision
by NewsRoom
Mar 06, 2019 | 15:50
https://www.romfea.news/archbishop-ieronymos-%CF%84he-state-the-church-and-especially-the-priests-will-make-the-final-decision/?fbclid=IwAR3XWJ3bWFWuucXoUPtdxFfIWFpeDt_GLoPcPf2tDnmYzcmQoWGRCpVP4yg
So appreciate you taking the time to do this, Greatly Saddened.
Word from Albania.
http://orthochristian.com/119813.html
Please excuse me, but I am having a technical problem when attempting to post.
I have recently noticed in the space area where I usually type in seems to perdiodically change, along with the spacing. Can someone please help me? Thank you so much!
For a couple of weeks it was impossible from my device to get anything in the comment box.