Ode to Greatly Saddened, Part III . . .

First, I’d like to wish everyone a happy New Year!

Now that we got that preliminaries out of the way, I gotta be honest and say that things are hot and heavy in the Orthosphere. Our plate literally runneth over.

Things are probably going to come to a head in 2019, thanks to the EP acting in such a rogue fashion. I must believe however that God can take any travesty and make it come out smelling like a rose. Any tragedy can be made to look like a farce in due time. I’m sure that in time, something good will come out of this as well.

Still, the actions of Istanbul is on the whole, scandalous.
Nevertheless, we can’t thank Greatly Saddened for his yeoman-like work in scouring the internet as he does. His tireless works keeps us up-to-date on what is going on all over the world. And for that, we can’t thank him enough.

Keep ’em coming GS!

Comments

  1. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA53
    Below please find an article from yesterday in The National Herald.

    Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Feast of Saint Basil and the New Year 2019
    By TNH Staff 
    December 31, 2018

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225150/encyclical-of-archbishop-demetrios-for-the-feast-of-saint-basil-and-the-new-year-2019/

  2. Billy Jack Sunday says

    George Michalopulos

    Excellent – thanks, George!

    Greatly Saddened – thanks as well – as I’m sure you will give us the important updates about the news in the coming weeks

  3. Greatly Saddened says

    MP13
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO STOP”
    A Sorrowful Reply to Patriarch Bartholomew Concerning His Anti-Canonical Actions in Ukraine
    His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
    1/2/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118371.html

  4. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA54
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald. Also, take note of the comments below the article

    Unfortunately, the article is locked and doesn’t appear in its entirety. I will continue to be on the lookout for the article in its entirely, and if found, I will post.

    Nun’s Mother Had Notified Archbishop Demetrios about Fr. Makris
    By Theodore Kalmoukos 
    January 2, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225352/nuns-mother-had-notified-archbishop-demetrios-about-fr-makris/

  5. Matthew Panchisin says

    Dear George,

    I think it is much deeper than a rogue fashion. Ukraine is an ecumenical activity for the E.P. lacking in restraint by very nature of the concoction.

    Obviously there is something very wrong with the E.P. and his ecumenical activities (presented as peaceful) as comments by Saint Irenaeus and many other Church fathers on schism are appropriately related to the E.P’s actions at this very time. It seems that Saint Irenaeus (who wrote so much with the sincere hope of correcting the ways and means of the multitude of heretics in his days on planet earth) would be very familiar with the spirit of the present situation. Personally, I’m very moved by the patience and articulations for resolution by the M.P. and the Serbs as we can see in them (bishops that rightly divide the word of God’s truth) the same spirit that dwells within the patristic corpus.

    Saint Irenaeus:

    “The spiritual man shall also judge those who give rise to schisms, who are destitute of the love of God, and who look to their own special advantage rather than to the unity of the Church; and who for trifling reasons, or any kind of reason which occurs to them, cut in pieces and divide the great and glorious body of Christ, and so far as in them lies, destroy it — men who prate of peace while they give rise to war, and do in truth strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel. For they can bring about no “reformation” of enough importance to compensate for the evil arising from their schism. . . . True knowledge is that which consists in the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient constitution of the Church throughout all the world, and the distinctive manifestation of the body of Christ according to the successions of the bishops, by which they have handed down that Church which exists in every place the (Orthodox) Catholic Church.”

    Indeed, with the plentitude of grace within the patristic corpus (understood in the Orthodoxy way) therein we can see the advocate, the Holy Spirit who is present in peace and stillness. When disturbances or tribulation is manifest that peace remains. I was more than impressed with others by Met. Onuphry’s comments relative to the situation in Ukraine and that blessed ethos when he said: “We are grateful to God for all that the Lord allows us. The Lord gives us to drink the cup of sorrow, and we drink it with humility and gratitude to God. We believe that, in spite of all the trials that have been permitted to us, the Church of Christ will remain unbreakable forever and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” In conclusion, he calls upon Met. Hilarion of ROCOR “not to abandon his fervent prayers for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its faithful children, for peace in the Ukrainian state, as well as for the multiplication of love in the hearts of Ukrainians.”

    • Amen, Matthew P and thank you for quoting and applying the Fathers to this situation. The humility, courage and forbearance of Met. Onouphry, demonstrating and protecting the Patristic fronema, are examples to us all. Truly when we in the US prioritize the Fathers and have clergy such as Met. Onouphry at our helm, then and not before, we will be “ready” for autocephaly. And persons with his fronema in the United States should be the ones who decide when we are ready, not lay converts such as myself still having our individualistic, proud American values leeched out of my mind.

  6. Greatly Saddened says

    EP34
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PAT. BARTHOLOMEW: WE PRAY THAT THE CHURCHES WOULD HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR CONSTANTINOPLE
    Istanbul, January 2, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118382.html

  7. Greatly Saddened says

    UA125
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    THOUSANDS GATHER AT PERSECUTED POCHAEV LAVRA TO CELEBRATE GREAT LOCAL SAINT
    Pochaev, Ukraine, January 2, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118379.htm

  8. Greatly Saddened says

    UA126
    Below please find an article from Monday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN LAWS AGAINST THE UOC: GOALS AND CONSEQUENCES
    Mikhail Shevchenko
    Translated by Jesse Dominick
    Pravoslavie.ru
    12/31/2018

    http://orthochristian.com/118360.html

  9. Greatly Saddened says

    UA126
    Below please find an article from Sunday on the Religious Information Service of Ukraine website.

    PRIMATES OF OCU AND UGCC AGREE TO DEVELOP A ROADMAP FOR COOPERATION
    30 December 2018, 12:05 | Interchurch relations

    https://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/confessional/interchurch_relations/74116/?fbclid=IwAR3JDsf_pX9mauV8Yt6HJycwdZW4PZZyeZQZ7dRvOzZO9MFpBMHYVtKauS4

  10. Greatly Saddened says

    EP35
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    DO WE HAVE A POPE?
    Fr. James Rosselli
    1/3/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118386.html

    • No, I disagree. The Church will continue but it will be smaller and any who cling to her will have to put aside their ethnic proclivities and live for Christ. Neo-papalism is a non-starter.

  11. Greatly Saddened says

    POC1
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    POLISH CHURCH REJECTS PAT. BARTHOLOMEW’S REQUEST TO RECOGNIZE NEW UKRAINIAN CHURCH
    Warsaw, January 3, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118398.html

  12. Greatly Saddened says

    SOC2
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    CHAUVINISTS, POLITICIANS, UNIATES, AND CONSTANTINOPLE SPREAD SCHISM IN UKRAINE, SAYS SERBIAN CHURCH (+ VIDEO)
    Belgrade, January 3, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118400.html

  13. Greatly Saddened says

    UA128
    Below please find an article from yesterday in The National Herald. Unfortunately, the article is locked and doesn’t appear in its entirety. I will continue to be on the lookout for the article in its entirely, and if found, I will post.

    Battle Between Constantinople and Moscow over Autocephaly in Ukraine
    By Theodore Kalmoukos 
    January 3, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225449/battle-between-constantinople-and-moscow-over-autocephaly-in-ukraine/

  14. Greatly Saddened says

    UA129
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    SCHISMATICS STAGING FAKE PARISH VOTES TO FORCE TRANSITIONS TO SCHISMATIC UKRAINIAN CHURCH
    Chernivtsi Province, Ukraine, January 3, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118396.html

  15. Greatly Saddened says

    UA130
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN CUSTOMS CONFISCATES PATRIARCH KIRILL’S NATIVITY EPISTLE
    Kiev, January 4, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118408.html

  16. Greatly Saddened says

    UA131
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    KAMENKA DIOCESE REAFFIRMS LOYALTY TO CANONICAL UKRAINIAN CHURCH AND MET. ONUPHRY
    Kamenka, Ukraine, January 4, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118411.html

  17. Nadia Bazuk says

    Dear Greatly Saddened,
    Can I offer my mite to this thread? May it be UA128, right?

    UA128
    Below please find an article from Belgian news site L’Européenne de Bruxelles

    CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION FROM DNIPRO CITY CONTRIBUTED TO AUTOCEPHALY OF UKRAINIAN CHURCH
    Bruxelles, January 3, 2019

    http://leuropeennedebruxelles.com/100103/criminal-organization-from-dnipro-city-contributed-to-autocephaly-of-ukrainian-church.html

    • Greatly Saddened says

      Well of course you can. All are welcome and thank you! All I ask is that George and/or his staff be kind enough and make two corrections.

      As I have noted twice above, please make the requested change and also change this one to UA132. Thank you!

  18. GOA Priest says

    These tribute threads to Greatly Saddened where he post links to public news items are silly. Stop the madness.

    Uncollated listslike these are annoying, if not worthless. George, if you want to allow him to post endless lists of external news items, then find a different way of doing it.

    Also, what’s the point of posting links to locked items on TNH, or anywhere else for that matter?

    • Greatly Saddened says

      Thank you so much for your ever so kind words Father. Wishing you and yours a blessed and happy new year! God bless you!

      In all fairness, I have a simple word of advice. If you have “no” interest, then please feel free not to open the thread! Plain and simple!

      You may find these silly, it seems others may not!

    • Greatly Perplexed says

      GOA55
      Below please find an article from Tuesday on Monomakhos. Also, take note of the comments below the article (especially comment GOA55)

      ANONYMOUS GOA PRIEST MAKES RIDICULOUS ASININE COMMENT

      https://www.monomakhos.com/ode-to-greatly-saddened-take-three/

  19. Greatly Saddened says

    UA133
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Ukrainian Orthodox Church Breaks Away from Russian Influence (Video)
    By Associated Press 
    January 5, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225751/ukrainian-orthodox-church-breaks-away-from-russian-influence-video-photos/

  20. Greatly Saddened says

    UA134
    Below please find an article from October 3rd, 2018, on the Russia Today website.

    Faith, power, money: Conflicting agendas in Ukraine Church politics

    Jim Jatras is a Washington, DC-based attorney, political analyst, and media & government affairs specialist.
    Published time: 3 Oct, 2018 15:11

    https://www.rt.com/op-ed/440230-orthodox-church-ukraine-poroshenko/

  21. Greatly Saddened says

    UA135
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    TOMOS SIGNING CEREMONY IN CONSTANTINOPLE ENDS WITH SHOUT OF “GLORY TO UKRAINE!”
    Istanbul, January 5, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118433.html

  22. Greatly Saddened says

    UA136
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    NEW UKRAINIAN CHURCH CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS TWO SEPARATE GROUPS
    Kiev, January 4, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118415.html

  23. Greatly Saddened says

    UA137
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    POROSHENKO WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY NEXT TO ST. VLADIMIR THE GREAT—UKRAINIAN SCHISMATIC PRIMATE
    Istanbul, January 5, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118436.html

  24. Greatly Saddened says

    UA138
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the 112 International UA website.

    Tomos of autocephaly to be placed at Saint Sophia’s Cathedral for public viewing
    20:12, 4 January 2019

    On January 7, Metropolitan Epiphany will commit the divine liturgy at Saint Sophia’s Cathedral

    https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/tomos-of-autocephaly-to-be-placed-in-saint-sophias-cathedral-for-public-viewing-35733.html

    • Billy Jack Sunday says

      “Tomos of autocephaly to be placed at Saint Sophia’s Cathedral for public viewing
      20:12, 4 January 2019”

      And all the viewers will be astonished to see the pieces of corn in it

      Too bad it isn’t a flushing ceremony

  25. Greatly Saddened says

    UA139
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodoxia Info website.

    I call upon You to recognize UOC autocephaly: Bartholomew
    English Edition 04/01/2019 * 12:52

    https://orthodoxia.info/news/i-call-upon-you-to-recognize-uoc-autocephaly-bartholomew/

  26. Greatly Saddened says

    UA140
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the 112 International UA website.

    Procedure of granting Tomos to Ukraine kicks off tomorow, on January 5, at the Phanar
    17:19, 4 January 2019

    The official ceremony will take place at St. George’s Cathedral beginning on January 5, ending on January 6

    https://112.international/society/procedure-of-granting-tomos-to-ukraine-kicks-off-tomorow-on-january-5-at-the-phanar-35724.html

  27. Greatly Saddened says

    UA141
    Below please find an article from today on the Religious Information Service of Ukraine website.

    Patriarch Bartholomew signs Tomos of autocephaly of Orthodox Church of Ukraine
    05-01-2019

    https://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/orthodox/constantinople_patriarchy/74166/?fbclid=IwAR0NmTE5Bj-e2ywxvyvTIHvfa9oF0OlS79i0MZQD0v_JJMwvYJGW3GLvgm4

  28. Greatly Saddened says

    OCLFacebook1
    Below please find an article from Wednesday on the OCL Facebook website.

    Orthodox Christianity in Azerbaijan as a Unique Example of Tolerance
    by Aykhan Hasanov

    http://ocl.org/orthodox-christianity-in-azerbaijan-as-a-unique-example-of-tolerance/

  29. Billy Jack Sunday says

    Sunday, January 6th, 2019

    Today’s weather forecast for Istanbul, Turkey

    High of 40 degrees

    Partly sunny, with a chance of lightning bolts

  30. Greatly Saddened says

    Wishing my brothers and sisters in Christ, a Blessed Theophany/Epiphany to you and your families. God bless!

  31. Greatly Saddened says

    EP36
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW FORMALLY GRANTS TOMOS OF AUTOCEPHALY TO UKRAINIAN SCHISMATIC CHURCH
    Istanbul, January 6, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118451.html

  32. Greatly Saddened says

    POA1
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “IT IS UNREASONABLE TO STOP A SCHISM AT THE PRICE OF THE UNITY OF THE ORTHODOX WORLD”—PAT. JOHN OF ANTIOCH
    Damascus, January 6, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118455.html

  33. Greatly Saddened says

    UA142
    Below please find an article from today on The New York Times website.

    Ukrainian Orthodox Christians Formally Break From Russia
    By Carlotta Gall
    Jan. 6, 2019

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/06/world/europe/orthodox-church-ukraine-russia.html

    • If this weren’t for real, I would have assumed that many of the statements in this news story were made up by Billy Jack Sunday.

      Some of the most infamous::

      …the ancient cradle of Christendom that the Orthodox still call Constantinople.

      He had signed the Tomos in a civil ceremony with Mr. Poroshenko on Saturday

      Both Patriarch Bartholomew and the new autonomous Ukrainian church described the occasion not as a schism but as a long-needed alignment of Ukraine’s independent state and church.

      “The Orthodox Church had 14 independent churches, and today it has 15,” said Nikolas Papachristou, a spokesman for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. “Together they

      create

      our Orthodox Church.”

      The Tomos, read out during the signing ceremony on Saturday, declares that the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine, representing the Holy Synod of Ukrainian bishops, should turn to the Patriarchate of Constantinople for all decisions in the future.

      “In this way, the affairs of the church in this country will be governed, as proclaimed by the divine and holy canon, freely and in the Holy Spirit, without hindrance, without any other external influence,” it said.

      • Billy Jack Sunday says

        Brian

        Indeed – it is stranger than fiction

        • George Michalopulos says

          BJS, anything that requires cognitive dissonance such as the operating parameters of an “autocephalous” church which must submit to Istanbul, will ultimately fail.

          As many conservative/libertarians like to point out “George Orwell’s 1984 was not mean to be a how-to book”.

          • Billy Jack Sunday says

            George Michalopulos

            “BJS, anything that requires cognitive dissonance such as the operating parameters of an “autocephalous” church which must submit to Istanbul, will ultimately fail.”

            True

            And we all know it isn’t true autocephaly they have received

            I am reminded of 1 Cor 3:5-15

            “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos . . . I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But take heed how he builds on it . . . ”

            The satirical pieces I have written have not been done in malice. It was done to show the absolute absurdity of the actual situation at hand

            And look! They followed through with it. It is goofier than any spoof I’ve written and it’s for real! Largely in part because we have allowed it to happen

            Why would Orthodox Christians over here be so silent and so confused over a matter that is cut and dry? It is like we have been in a trance

            I meant the satire as a loud clap or cold water to shake us and our leaders out of what would be like a bewitching that has overtaken many of us

            It is possible for that to happen, in the manner St. Paul describes when addressing the Galations:

            “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you . . . [Gal 3:1]

            [Look, mom! I’m quoting scripture!]

            However, I believe all this is not without silver linings

            Remember the blocking of Ligonier?

            Metropolitan Gerasimos stating “No” to American autocephaly?

            The Episcopal Assembly being dominated by the Phanar through the GOA?

            As grieved as we are concerning the Church of Constantinople going into schism,

            Those points are all moot now

            The EP has unwittingly undone himself

            There is no more stranglehold on the American Church

            So what if Metropolitan Gerasimos doesn’t want the Church in America to be autocephalous?

            He has lost his voice of authority

            Personally, I’m not waiting to see if the rest of the Orthodox world pulls the Church of Constantinople’s card.

            They already turned it in

            I’m not saying members of the Church of Constantinople aren’t Christians

            But if someone was looking to join the canonical Church, would you direct them there?

            I would not. Not as of January 6th, 2019, anyhow

      • If this so called church needs to refere to Ep for all decision, well I may be stupid,but how is this autocephaly!? It is Ep making sure he has power and money to keep the almost clean shaven civilian suites in Istambul in Turkish lira.

      • Constantinos says

        Hi Brian,
        You know what burns me up? The way the Patriarch talks should certainly apply to the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Shouldn’t the church in America be able to govern itself without the Patriarch’s interference? For example, who is he not to recognize the autocephaly of Orthodox Church in America?
        He can’t let go of the Greek Orthodox Church in America because it is his personal piggy bank. He has the corrupt Archons to do his bidding. On Orthodox Christian Laity they have an article about some of the disreputable Archons, and their personal financial corruption. One of the Archons has even served prison time due to defrauding financial institutions.
        Listen, Brian, this is America. This country is the greatest nation in world history. Our allegiance is to this country, not someone from Istanbul, Turkey. I wonder if this man ever prays to God for wisdom and discernment.He’s a little man with a massive agenda. Someone rightly said that if we wanted a pope, we’d all be Catholics. These jurisdictional battles will lead to the death of Orthodoxy. Surely, God’s righteous hand of judgment must be upon him, and in His wisdom, He may see fit to take him. It’s either that, or the Orthodox Church will be destroyed.

        • Greatly Saddened says

          Constantinos, I couldn’t agree with you more. I personally in my heart, do believe the reason the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is not autocephalous is primarily because by doing so, the Patriarchate is afraid they will lose any control they presently have over here.

          This is the Patriarchate’s largest and most financially supportive eparchy. I guess they look at it as they have more to lose by doing so, than by not! If truly so, how sad to think this way. Not to mention, extremely selfish as well!

          • GS, what you state is true, but the EP also wants the GOA to remain Greek. An autocephalous church in America would dilute the Greekness of the Church. The EP, after meeting with priests from America who did not speak Greek, orderer Demetrios to go to the seminary and emphasize the importance of the Greek language. Demetrios spent an entire day at Holy Cross, not preaching Christ, but rather lecturing on the importance of the Greek language.

            • Greatly Saddened says

              jk, how sad is this! And, these are the folks that are supposed to be so called “Christ Centered!” What a joke and a slap in the face to all Orthodox Christians living here.

              What is so difficult for these folks to realize and understand? Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior is what it is and should be “all” about. Nothing else! Not, the Greek language, not the Greek old world customs and traditions, nor the Greek dance groups. The priorities are most certainly in the wrong order!

              Plain and simple … it should be all about “Christ!” It is so basic, and yet, so sad at the same time!

              Time has come to cut the umbilical cord, the ethnocentrism and be one “Orthodox Christian Church.” Without any ethnicity determining the type of Orthodox Church we are here in the U.S..

              I hope and pray that one day we may unite for the sake of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

              Lord have mercy on us and help us!

  34. Greatly Saddened says

    UA143
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Church of Ukraine website.

    Serbian Patriarch Irinej on the situation in Ukraine: Autocephalism in the service of politicians – is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
    Saturday, 05.01.2019 11:20

    http://news.church.ua/2019/01/05/serbian-patriarch-irinej-on-the-situation-in-ukraine-autocephalism-in-the-service-of-politicians-is-a-blasphemy-against-the-holy-spirit/?lang=en&fbclid=IwAR2PPTO4hVGsXZUpjOqggX4Usvm-CBieju8F38AoyFZe2UYZu391XPlGi2o

  35. Greatly Saddened says

    UA144
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website.

    UKRAINE

    Decree On Independence Handed Over To New Orthodox Church In Ukraine
    Last Updated: January 06, 2019 15:08 GMT

    https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bartholomew-presents-tomos-chirch-independence/29693771.html

  36. Greatly Saddened says

    UA145
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Church of Ukraine website.

    Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw: “The Unification Council” did not solve the problem of schism, it only complicated matters further
    Sunday, 06.01.2019 01:53

    http://news.church.ua/2019/01/06/metropolitan-sawa-of-warsaw-the-unification-council-did-not-solve-the-problem-of-schism-it-only-complicated-matters-further/?lang=en&fbclid=IwAR3vyeUIzeOReAqW0i00PJdnTq_FvC9Q-HvLrbn7x8yiichhYhfwP7sUeh4

  37. Greatly Saddened says

    MP14
    Below please find Patriarch Kirill’s Christmas Message from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BY PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
    DECR Communication Service
    1/6/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118458.html

  38. Greatly Saddened says

    EP37
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Hurriyet Daily News website.

    News – Turkey – Local
    January 06 2019 17:09:00
    Orthodox Christians mark Christmas Eve
    ISTANBUL

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/orthodox-christians-mark-christmas-eve-140302

  39. Greatly Saddened says

    MP15
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Orthodoxie website.

    News – Europe
    Bishop John of Chersonese and Western Europe elevated to the dignity of Metropolitan. Bishop Nestor of Madrid and Lisbon to the dignity of Archbishop
    By Emma Cazabonne
    4 January 2019

    https://orthodoxie.com/en/bishop-john-of-chersonese-and-western-europe-elevated-to-the-dignity-of-metropolitan-bishop-nestor-of-madrid-and-lisbon-to-the-dignity-of-archbishop/

  40. Greatly Saddened says

    EP38
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery of Macedonia website. If for some reason the link doesn’t translate from Macedonian to English, please select the English version again. Thank you.

    Hieromonk Luke the Athonite handed over to the Patriarch Bartholomew parchment with Tomos for Ukraine
    December 22 / January 4, 2019
    Source: Bigorski Monastery

    https://bigorski.org.mk/vesti/svet/jeromonahot-luka-svetogorec-mu-go-predade-na-patrijarhot-vartolomej-pergamentot-so-tomosot-za-ukraina/

    • Greatly Saddened says

      Hopefully, to make it a bit be easier for all. Below please find the English translation to the link above.

      Hieromonk Lucas athonite gave the Patriarch the calligraphed parchment with the Tomos for Ukraine
      22 December/4 January 2019 year of our Lord

      Today, 4 th January 2019, His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew welcomed in his patriarchal residence the reverent Hieromonk Mr. Lucas of Xenophontos. Father Lucas, the most famous Athonite painter
      and calligrapher, gave His All Holiness the parchment with a calligraphy of the Tomos for the autocephalous Church in Ukraine, hand written by him, with the blessing of his Abbot, Archimandrite Alexios of the Xenophontos Monastery, Mount Athos.

      The representatives of the Ukrainian Church, headed by the Metropolitan of Kiev, Mr. Epiphanius, have already arrived at Phanar, where the next day they will attend the ceremonious act of the Tomos ratification by the Ecumenical Patriarch. Following that, on Sunday, the two Heads will co-celebrate at the Great Church, on the occasion of the Holiday of Epiphany, according to the new stile. During the Divine Liturgy the Patriarch will hand the Tomos to the Metropolitan Epiphanius.

  41. Greatly Saddened says

    JP1
    Below please find an article from today by the Associated Press in The National Herald.

    Palestinians Protest Patriarch ahead of Orthodox Christmas
    By Associated Press 
    January 7, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225945/palestinians-protest-patriarch-ahead-of-orthodox-christmas/

  42. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA55
    Below please find an article from yesterday in The National Herald.

    The Largest Epiphany Celebration in Tarpon Springs (Vid)
    By Aria Socratous 
    January 7, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/225955/the-largest-epiphany-celebration-in-tarpon-springs/

  43. Greatly Saddened says

    UA146
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Forbes website.

    Jan 7, 2019,11:21 am
    New Church Move Makes For Tense Orthodox Christmas Between Russia And Ukraine
    James Rodgers Contributor

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesrodgerseurope/2019/01/07/new-church-move-makes-for-tense-orthodox-christmas-between-russia-and-ukraine/

  44. Greatly Saddened says

    UA147
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Restoring Unity between Moscow and Constantinople                                  
    By Dennis Menos 
    January 8, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226052/restoring-unity-between-moscow-and-constantinople/

    • It seems to me that Constantinople is at the early stages of papal like thinking in that it has based and claims it’s authority NOT ON THAT GIVEN IT BY THE CHURCH TO SPEAK FOR THE CHURCH, but on it’s OWN authority, given by who? At least the Catholics re Peter have the words of Christ to argue with .
      It is claiming a power and authority, independent of the Church as a whole and the reducing of autocephaly to the status of Catholic national churches visit a vis Rome.
      This is very clear to me as is the fact that it is the biggest block to autocephaly in USA and a Orthodoxy looking to where it is in Europe rather than an apanage of Constantinople in it’s struggle to survive in Turkey. It is tragic but reality is that it’s power has faded to nothing and as Rome in 1870, it seeks to gain it elsewhere, at great cost to the Church

  45. Greatly Saddened says

    UA148
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Reuters website.

    MON JAN 7, 2019 / 9:50 AM EST
    Ukraine Orthodox Church marks first Christmas free of Russian ‘fetters’
    Natalia Zinets

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-church-idUSKCN1P11EK

  46. Greatly Saddened says

    COG9
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    GREEK SYNOD DECLINES TO RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS, REFERS ISSUE TO BROADER BISHOPS’ COUNCIL
    Athens, January 8, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118488.html

  47. Greatly Saddened says

    POA2
    Below please find the translated reply of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch, to the letter from His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, from yesterday, on the Notes on Arab Orthodoxy website.

    Notes on Arab Orthodoxy
    Monday, January 7, 2019
    Patriarch John X’s Reply to the Letter from Patriarch Bartholomew

    These words below are from Notes on Arab Orthodoxy:

    “Translated from the Russian version here. I have been able to confirm its authenticity and accurate portrayal of His Beatitude’s letter.”

    His Beatitude Patriarch of Antioch John X:
    It is Unreasonable to End a Schism at the Price of the Unity of the Orthodox World

    http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2019/01/patriarch-john-xs-reply-to-letter-from.html

  48. Greatly Saddened says

    COG10
    Below please find an article from today on the ekathimerini website.

    NEWS 08.01.2019 : 21:29
    Greek bishops to decide on recognition of Ukrainian Church

    http://www.ekathimerini.com/236362/article/ekathimerini/news/greek-bishops-to-decide-on-recognition-of-ukrainian-church?fbclid=IwAR1yljIZ06X9qTzLfX8FXQbuAL4CS8IrIikpTSUZCJbTQ-i1-MyROuMxO0E

  49. It seems to me that Constantinople is at the early stages of papal like thinking in that it has based and claims it’s authority NOT ON THAT GIVEN IT BY THE CHURCH TO SPEAK FOR THE CHURCH, but on it’s OWN authority, given by who? At least the Catholics re Peter have the words of Christ to argue with .
    It is claiming a power and authority, independent of the Church as a whole and the reducing of autocephaly to the status of Catholic national churches visit a vis Rome.
    This is very clear to me as is the fact that it is the biggest block to autocephaly in USA and a Orthodoxy looking to where it is in Europe rather than an apanage of Constantinople in it’s struggle to survive in Turkey. It is tragic but reality is that it’s power has faded to nothing and as Rome in 1870, it seeks to gain it elsewhere, at great cost to the Church

  50. Greatly Saddened says

    COC1
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website

    ABP. CHRYSOSTOMOS OF CYPRUS WILL NOT COMMEMORATE HEAD OF UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS
    Nicosia, Cyprus, January 9, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118512.html

  51. Greatly Saddened says

    Tampa Bay Times1
    Below please find an article from Saturday on the Tampa Bay Times website.

    NEWS – RELIGION
    Epiphany cross diving is boys only in Tarpon Springs. Some say it’s time to change.

    A former dove-bearer and granddaughter of St. Nicholas’ longtime priest calls the rule ‘theologically unjustifiable’

    By Tracey McManus
    Published January 4
    Updated January 5

    https://www.tampabay.com/news/religion/epiphany-cross-diving-is-boys-only-in-tarpon-springs-some-say-its-time-to-change-20190104/

  52. Greatly Saddened says

    COC2
    Below please find an article from today on the Union of Orthodox Journalists website.

    Archprt. Chrysostom II repeatedly denies MFA’s statement on support for OCU
     9 January 2019, 20:14  
    Tatyana Chaika

    https://spzh.news/en/news/59055-arkhijep-khrizostom-ii-vo-vtoroj-raz-oproverg-zajavlenije-mid-o-podderzhke-pcu?fbclid=IwAR0CV-w0AWnUqrPXeapU_ARcPyuXkiIXZUJDxYquFvuaRfSw12jxxsLSmuM

  53. Greatly Saddened says

    UA149
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Christianity Today website.

    QUICK TO LISTEN/EPISODE 143 |45min

    The Schism Dividing the Orthodox Church

    What to know about the controversy dividing 300 million Christians.
    CT EDITORS JANUARY 9, 2019

    https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/january-web-only/orthodox-church-ukraine-russia-moscow-patriarch.html

    • Archpriest Alexander F. C. Webster says

      And there is also the original article in Christianity Today on January 6, 2019, titled, “From Russia, Without Love: Ukraine Marks Orthodox Christmas with Biggest Schism Since 1054: Eastern Orthodox experts and Protestant neighbors explain impact of Constantinople freeing Kiev from Moscow”

      https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/january/ukrainian-russian-orthodox-church-schism-autocephaly.html

      for which I was interviewed at length by the author, Jayson Cooper. His quotations of my comments and the additional research conducted by Mr. Cooper are accurate, objective, fair, and balanced–unlike similar articles recently in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

      • George Michalopulos says

        Thank you Fr for defending the Faith.

      • Constantinos says

        Father Webster,
        First of all, I respect your service to our country, your high position in the Orthodox Church, education, intellect, erudition, and gentlemanly, courtly behavior. There were a few things in the article I found troubling. One was the ridiculous statement,”Vladimir Putin is a miracle from God.” A two bit KGB , thuggish, dictator is a “miracle from God?” Goodness sakes !! If Mr. Putin were to pass on tomorrow, I’d bet the Moscow Patriarch would canonize him a saint next week.
        I also am a little puzzled about your assertion that the US State Department is somehow behind this power grab by the Ecumenical Patriarch. As you obviously know , the State Department is part of the executive branch of the US government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the boss. Does not President Trump want better relations with Russia? That’s what he has been preaching ever since he became a candidate for US President. I’m a little skeptical that this has anything to do with the State Department. Maybe it does, but it is not clear to me.
        I’m also uncertain if you want one autocephalous Orthodox Church in America because of one of your comments vis a vis the OCA and ROCOR. This not an accusation against you in way. I just wish you would clarify your position so a dummy like me can understand it. This situation could be a golden opportunity for the Greek Orthodox Church to break the Ecumenical Patriarch’s yoke over the Greek Church in America. With all their cowardly bishops, unfortunately, pigs will fly before that happens. This is a hypocritical, unnecessary power play by the Ecumenical Patriarch. Perhaps, it’s payback for Crete. Who knows?
        I really wish these pompous prelates would spend twice as much time on their knees praying before the Lord, seeking His guidance and will. As we know, the Holy Spirit is not the Author of conflict, confusion, and division. Please don’t take this post as criticism of you in any way. I look up to and respect you very highly. May God bless you, keep you and your family safe, grant you excellent health, a long life, guidance and many blessings as you continue to do His holy will. Thank you very much.

        • Archpriest Alexander F. C. Webster says

          Thank you, Constantinos, for those excellent questions, which I intend to address next week during a brief break back home in Virginia.

        • Archpriest Alexander F. C. Webster says

          Thank you, again, Constantinos, for your kudos and questions—and patience awaiting this overdue reply.

          I shall address your three questions in turn.

          First, your post implies that I referred to Vladimir Putin as a “miracle of God.” That startling phrase appeared in the author’s narrative in the article in Christianity Today in which I was quoted. In truth, the phrase was uttered by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. But the phrasing of your question unfortunately distorts his statement. Here is how “miracle of God” appears in Patriarch Kirill’s widely cited comment, usually quoted by others out of context and with exaggeration to the point of deception:

          “What were the 2000s then? Through a miracle of God, with the active participation of the country’s leadership, we managed to exit this horrible, systemic crisis,” Kirill told a meeting at the ancient St. Daniel’s monastery. “I should say it openly as a patriarch who must only tell the truth, not paying attention to the political situation or propaganda, you personally played a massive role in correcting this crooked twist of our history,” Kirill said [ed.: directly to Putin].
          https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-putin-religion-idUKTRE81722Y20120208

          Obviously, the “miracle” about with Patriarch Kirill waxed enthusiastic was not Putin himself but rather the Lord salvaging the Russian Federation from it economic and other woes as a nascent republic following the Soviet era.

          Nonetheless, as both a faithful Russian Orthodox priest and a retired U.S. Army chaplain of senior rank, I wince whenever religious leaders publicly extol political leaders with excessive praise—whether it is my own Patriarch or Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), who invoked Psalm 118:24 in an online blog the day after Barack Hussein Obama was elected to the U.S. Presidency in November 2008: “Americans did a good thing yesterday, an inspired thing. They didn’t voice their opinion, they shouted it. A new day has dawned, a day that the Lord has most emphatically made. Are you as delighted as I am? Send up thanks to the Lord our God!” [savaonarolla.blogspot.com/2008/11/this-is-day-that-lord-has-made.html]

          Second, the U.S. Department of State in President Trump’s administration weighed in decisively and very publicly in the intra-Orthodox conflict in Ukraine. The official pronouncements by Heather Nauert (then Press Secretary for the U.S. Department of State), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch have lauded the role of Patriarch Bartholomeos of Constantinople in “resolving” the ecclesial conflict in Ukraine and specifically mentioned “autocephaly” for the Ukrainian Orthodox as a positive development. Those statements are in the public record and may be accessed easily. This is the first time in U.S. history that federal officials have pontificated in their official government roles on a uniquely—and strictly internal—Orthodox ecclesiological issue, using a profound theological term that I seriously doubt any of them truly understands.

          Third, for many years I fervently believed that autocephaly in the United States was possible, and that the Orthodox Church in America, to which I transferred from the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA in 1988, was the best vehicle. But those hopes were dashed during the infamous forced retirement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah by his fellow bishops in July 2012.

          Since then the rise of radical deconstructionist Orthodox theologians, clergy, and laity across many jurisdictional lines has convinced me (1) that the Orthodox in the United States are not ready for autocephaly, (2) that neither the OCA nor any other jurisdiction would be a worthy or feasible vehicle for such a giant ecclesial step, (3) in the aftermath of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s botched, counter-productive, uncanonical, unilateral bestowing of “autocephaly” (read: limited autonomy) upon schismatics in Ukraine, it is unclear who may or ought to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox in the USA, and (4) our primary ecclesial task in America is to resist the radicals and their pernicious unOrthodox “theologies” and “moral” insights from a firm, unwavering, traditional Orthodox base.

          For me that base is ROCOR, but I respect and cherish my fellow traditional (note: not “traditionalist”) Orthodox in the other jurisdictions in America as co-laborers in this young, but vital vineyard of the Lord.

          • Constantinos says

            Thank you Father Webster for your kind response to my inquiries. The only thing I would add is it wasn’t my intention to imply that ” miracle from God” came from you. I think your post makes eminent good sense, and has answered all my questions.

          • Fr. Peter M. Dubinin says

            Thank you Fr, clear, concise, on point and with authority. Your response, particularly on autocephaly in the US provides much for me to reconsider and consider. Thank you.

  54. Greatly Saddened says

    UA150
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW ACTED WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR ANY CHURCH LEADER—FR. THEODORE ZISIS
    Athens, January 10, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118528.html

  55. Greatly Saddened says

    EP39
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Tomos of Autocephaly Officially Given to Ukrainian Church by Patriarch Bartholomew
    By Theodore Kalmoukos 
    January 10, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226178/tomos-of-autocephaly-officially-given-to-ukrainian-church-by-patriarch-bartholomew/

  56. Greatly Saddened says

    JP2
    Below please find an article from tomorrow on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE TO CONCELEBRATE WITH UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS ON THEOPHANY
    Jerusalem, January 11, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118545.html

  57. Greatly Saddened says

    U.S.StateDept1
    Below please find a statement from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ADDRESSES “MOMENTOUS OCCASION” OF UKRAINE RECEIVING AUTOCEPHALY FROM CONSTANTINOPLE
    Washington, D.C., January 10, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118544.html

  58. Greatly Saddened says

    UA151
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN TERRORISTS ADMIT THAT ATTEMPTS TO FORCE PEOPLE INTO SCHISMATIC CHURCH HAVE FAILED
    Kiev, January 10, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118539.html

  59. Greatly Saddened says

    UA152
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    4 dioceses declare loyalty to canonical Ukrainian Church and Met. Onuphry
    Simferopol; Vinnitsa, Ukraine, January 11, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118556.html

  60. Greatly Saddened says

    JP3
    Below please find an article from Sunday on The Times of Israel website.

    Palestinians protest Greek patriarch ahead of Orthodox Christmas in Bethlehem

    Demonstrators shout ‘traitor’ at Patriarch Theophilos III in anger over Church’s sale of East Jerusalem land to Jewish groups
    By AGENCIES and TOI STAFF
    6 Jan 2019, 5:56 pm

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-protest-greek-patriarch-ahead-of-orthodox-christmas-in-bethlehem/

  61. Greatly Saddened says

    UA153
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    RECOGNITION OF UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS WILL BEGIN WITH GREEK, ROMANIAN CHURCHES IN 1.5 MONTHS, CONSTANTINOPLE EXARCH BELIEVES
    Kiev, January 11, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118581.html

    • Joseph Lipper says

      Having granted autocephaly in a bold and dramatic unilateral approach, Constantinople is now working towards a necessary conciliar agreement:

      “Constantinople will not place any kind of sanctions on Churches that do not recognize the new Ukrainian structure, but will work with them to explain why they should recognize it.” [Abp. Daniel of Pamphylia]

      “I think we will find mutual understanding with the Serbian and Antiochian Churches, we need only a little time. In these regions, certain political conditions have been created, so it will take time to work with them,” [Abp. Daniel of Pamphylia]

      • Joseph Lipper someone on this board (Martin I think) earlier today suggested you were a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I agree. Your constant excuse making and deflection for the uncanonical acts of the Bishop of Istanbul has become stomach turning. You are clearly a globalist tool.

        • Mr Lipper is simply better placed in the Catholic church as his ecclesiology is Catholic. That is his right and I respect it, but what do not respect is his nauseating hypocrisy on situation on ground. And no I am no apologist for Moscow. I love and venerate the Moscow Patrarchate as a former martyr church but I actually do not like Kyril, cardinal richlieu if u ask me, but that irrelevant to the facts of situation. And Oh. Yes. Ukraine should have autocephalous church. BUT NOT LIKE THIS, nor from these AMORAL crooks.
          The people? Victims. Obviously ordinary church goers attend the nearest church to them for variety of mundane reasons.

      • Billy Jack Sunday says

        Joseph Lipper

        So what you are saying is

        The ends justify the means?

        It does not.

        And this hasn’t ended positively

  62. Greatly Saddened says

    UA154
    Below please find yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN DIASPORA CHURCHES UNDER CONSTANTINOPLE DON’T ACCEPT SAINTHOOD OF TSAR NICHOLAS AND FAMILY
    Kiev, January 11, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118582.html

  63. Greatly Saddened says

    UA155
    Below please find and yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    CONSTANTINOPLE EXARCH SAYS HEAD OF BELARUSIAN CHURCH DOESN’T WANT AUTOCEPHALY BECAUSE HE’S AFRAID OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF HIS FLOCK
    Kiev, January 11, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118584.html

  64. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA56
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald. Also, take note of the comments below the article.

    Metropolitan Gerasimos Speaks to TNH about Youth, the Archdiocese, and Holy Cross
    By Theodore Kalmoukos 
    January 11, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226255/metropolitan-gerasimos-speaks-exclusively-to-tnh-about-youth-the-archdiocese-and-holy-cross/

  65. Greatly Saddened says

    ROK1
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Humanitarian Crisis in the Heart of the Balkans
    By Ruth Gluck 
    January 11, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226558/humanitarian-crisis-in-the-heart-of-the-balkans/

  66. Greatly Saddened says

    UA156
    Below please find an article from today on The Economist website.

    Putin and the patriarchs Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has caused the Orthodox church to split

    Ukrainians have lost their land, but not their souls
    Print version | Europe
    Jan 12th 2019

    https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/01/12/russias-conflict-with-ukraine-has-caused-the-orthodox-church-to-split

  67. Greatly Saddened says

    UA157
    Below please find an article from Wednesday on the Orthodoxie website.

    Headlines – News
    Patriarch Kirill of Moscow commemorated during the Nativity Divine Liturgy in Kyiv
    By Emma Cazabonne
    9 January 2019

    https://orthodoxie.com/en/patriarch-kirill-of-moscow-commemorated-during-the-nativity-divine-liturgy-in-kyiv/

  68. Greatly Saddened says

    EP40
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Daily Sabah website.

    Turkey’s position on the split in the Orthodox world
    NAGEHAN ALÇI@Nagehanalci
    Published January 11, 2019

    https://www.dailysabah.com/columns/nagehan-alci/2019/01/11/turkeys-position-on-the-split-in-the-orthodox-world

    • Daily Sabah: “Based in Istanbul, Bartholomew is the leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world”

      Hmm …

  69. Greatly Saddened says

    JP4
    Below please find an article from today on the WAFA/Palestinian News Agency website.

    Home » General News »
    Publish Date: 2019/01/12

    Greek Orthodox patriarchate demands museum removes offensive depictions of Christ

    http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=4VLMPpa108063939126a4VLMPp

  70. Greatly Saddened says

    IOTA1
    Below please find an article from Wednesday on the Basilica Romania website.

    » Dioceses »
    1st IOTA Conference starts in Iași
    Published by Gheorghe Anghel 
    09.01.2019

    http://basilica.ro/en/1st-iota-conference-starts-in-iasi/?fbclid=IwAR3wxxgj1fnjA6yvdyXtJqpQ33Wia_Z50OPaz5rtSx4XC5V8NjFboXimfiY

  71. Greatly Saddened says

    Newsbook1
    Below please find an article from today on the Newsbook website.

    Home – News – Church
    New Christian Church to be built in Turkey
    By Mario Schiavone
    13/01/2019, 8:00 am

    https://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2019/01/13/new-christian-church-to-be-built2500-in-turkey/?lang=en

  72. Greatly Saddened says

    OCA1
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Church in America website.

    Home / Work of the Church / News / Headline News /
    January 12, 2019
    Strong Orthodox Christian presence anticipated at January 18 DC March for Life
    WASHINGTON, DC [OCA]

    https://oca.org/news/headline-news/strong-orthodox-christian-presence-anticipated-at-january-18-dc-march-for-life

    • DALLAS MARCH FOR LIFE SAT JAN 19:
      See http://www.dallasmarchforlife.com/ for schedule and logistics.
      Peaceful March to the Courthouse where Roe v Wade was filed or pray earlier at an abortion center (Southwestern is the late-term abortion facility just north of Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas). It is ROCOR Theophany so other Orthodox please consider stepping up. Very meaningful and worthwhile.

  73. Greatly Saddened says

    ROC6
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Basilica Romania website.

     » News » 
    Patriarch Daniel attends opening ceremony of Romanian EU Council Presidency (VIDEO)

    Patriarch Daniel attends opening ceremony of Romanian EU Council Presidency (VIDEO)
    Published by Aurelian Iftimiu 11.01.2019

    http://basilica.ro/en/patriarch-daniel-attends-opening-ceremony-of-romanian-eu-council-presidency-video/?fbclid=IwAR2B8vijAmJ4xtXSJKgteeW3y3gZyOLQPI2vZTv3cRTM7NU-Z0CcFs-cT9s

  74. Greatly Saddened says

    EP41
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Ecumenical Patriarchate Planning to Send Delegation to Athens
    By ANA 
    January 13, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226670/ecumenical-patriarchate-planning-to-send-delegation-to-athens/

  75. Greatly Saddened says

    UA158
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    POROSHENKO PARROTS OLD CALENDARIST TALKING POINTS, CALLS FOR ROC TO SHOW ITS TOMOS “SIGNED BY STALIN”
    Vinnitsa, Ukraine, January 14, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118607.html

  76. Greatly Saddened says

    MP16
    Below please find an article from today on The Moscow Times website.

    MEANWHILE…

    Jan. 14 2019 – 15:01
    Orthodox Church Says It Won’t Budge on Date of Russian Christmas

    https://themoscowtimes.com/news/orthodox-church-says-it-wont-budge-on-date-of-russian-christmas-64128

  77. Greatly Saddened says

    UA159
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    INTERNAL STRIFE IN “ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE” CONTINUES AS FORMER UAOC HEAD ACCUSES PHILARET DENISENKO OF DISOBEDIENCE TO CONSTANTINOPLE
    Lvov, Ukraine, January 14, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118611.html

  78. Greatly Saddened says

    EP42
    Below please find yet another article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    POLITICAL FREEDOM OR SPIRITUAL FREEDOM?
    Anna Stickles
    1/14/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118571.html

  79. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA57
    Below please find a “Letter to the Editor” from yesterday in The National Herald, by Argyris Vassiliou of Stamford, CT.

    Letter to the Editor: Clarification from Leadership 100
    January 14, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226781/letter-to-the-editor-clarification-from-leadership-100/

  80. Greatly Saddened says

    EP43
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE PUBLISHES FULL TEXT OF UKRAINIAN TOMOS
    Istanbul, January 15, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118657.html

  81. Greatly Saddened says

    SOC3
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “WE DO NOT SUPPORT EITHER CONSTANTINOPLE OR RUSSIA, BUT ADHERE TO THE CANONS”—SERBIAN HIERARCHS SPEAKING OUT (+ VIDEO)
    Belgrade, January 15, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118656.html

  82. Greatly Saddened says

    UA160
    Below please find yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PERSECUTION, CHURCH SEIZURES, AND VANDALISM RAMP UP IN PAT. BARTHOLOMEW’S POST-TOMOS UKRAINE
    Ukraine, January 15, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118649.html

  83. Greatly Saddened says

    UA161
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Pew Research Center website.

    1 day ago

    Split between Ukrainian, Russian churches shows political importance of Orthodox Christianity
    BY DAVID MASCI

    http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/14/split-between-ukrainian-russian-churches-shows-political-importance-of-orthodox-christianity/

  84. Gail Sheppard says

    UA162

    * * *
    How Patriarch Bartholomew Cheated the Ukrainians (Excerpt)

    1. The First Hierarchs of the four autocephalous churches – Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Romanian – have the title of Patriarch. The head of the newly created Ukrainian structure will bear the title of a “Blessed Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine; any additions to or subtractions from this title are not allowed without permission from the Church of Constantinople.” This is not such a big deal, because there are some autocephalous churches whose heads are Metropolitans or even Bishops, but this is still a curious fact, especially considering that the notorious leader of a schismatic Ukrainian organization Philaret Denisenko called himself a ‘Patriarch’.

    2. The former so called Kievan Patriarchate, copying the structure of the Moscow Patriarchate, had a Synod with permanent members. The Tomos cancels that practice and introduces a new one. From now on “the Synod will be called annually by invitation from the number of bishops who have dioceses within the borders of the Ukraine, invited in turn, according to their ranks.” So the newly formed Ukrainian structure does not have the right to have a Synod consisting of permanent members. But even this, although it’s a substantial point, is not enough to say that this is not the true autocephaly. However, the points to follow are very interesting indeed.

    3. The true autocephalous churches that we’ve taken as an example all have overseas dioceses and overseas parishes. But the new Ukrainian church, as spelled out in the Tomos, “does not have the right to appoint bishops or establish parishes outside the country’s borders; the ones that already exist from now on shall be governed, according to the due order, by the Ecumenical See, which has canonical authority in the diaspora, because the jurisdiction of this church is restricted by the territory of the Ukrainian state.”

    This is a very interesting point that we’ll examine closer a little further down. By means of this point, the Constantinople Patriarchate grabbed hold of the many overseas parishes that belonged to the Ukrainian schismatics. And it’s not only a matter of a single incident of appropriation of such parishes, but also the forbiddance to establish any parishes and dioceses overseas in the future, whereas the autocephalous Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Romanian Churches that we used as an example quite happily have their own overseas dioceses and parishes.

    4. The next important point is that all true autocephalous churches possess the fullness of judicial power within their boundaries. Not one of them in their Church Constitutions assumes the right to final judicial appeal to Constantinople, because all these Autocephalous Churches see themselves as having full judicial power. However the newly created structure in the Ukraine does not possess full judicial power, as it is stated in the Tomos that “all bishops and other clergy retain the right to appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who has the canonical power to make final and irrevocable judicial decisions concerning bishops and other clergy of local churches.” This is a well-known claim by the Constantinople Patriarchate which is not supported by any other Churches, and we are not going to talk about it in detail here. But the fact is that it is now institutionally stated in the Tomos that the newly formed Ukrainian church does not have the full judicial power on its own territory over its own clergy. The final power over its clergy is reserved by the Patriarch of Constantinople.

    5. The Tomos also contains an interesting statement that “the authocephalous church of the Ukraine considers as its head the Holy Apostolic Ecumenical Patriarchate.” The word ‘autocephaly’ consists of two Greek roots – ‘autos’ – ‘self’, and ‘cephalia’ – ‘head’. So the term itself means that such church is governed by its own hierarch as its head, and in terms of hierarchy does not have any other heads. Of course, in the mystical sense, the Head of all Local Churches, is Jesus Christ, but in terms of hierarchal structure, the head of any autocephalous church is its own hierarch. That’s the whole meaning of an autocephaly. However the Tomos states that the newly formed Ukrainian structure is headed not by its own Metropolitan of Kiev, but by the Ecumenical Patriarch. And, as you can guess, none of the real autocephalous Churches that we’ve used as a comparison has this or similar statements in their Church Constitutions.

    6. This is a minor point, but still quite remarkable. After his appointment, the head of the Ukrainian church is required to send his so called peace missives to the Ecumenical Patriarch first, and then other hierarchs, as well as start his peaceful visitations to the First-Throned Church of Constantinople first, and then to other churches. This is not that important, but, of course, the truly autocephalous churches are free to decide for themselves which local churches their first hierarchs may want to visit, if at all. But the head of the newly formed Ukrainian structure does not have even this kind of freedom, even this is regulated and spelled out for him.

    7. Now here is a very important point. All autocephalous churches, such as the Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Romanian Churches, make their own Holy Chrism (Myrrh). But the new so called Ukrainian Orthodox church does not have this right, and according to the Tomos it is required to obtain the Holy Chrism from Constantinople. To people far from the church life this doesn’t say anything at all and doesn’t hold any importance. But those familiar with the church life understand how important this point is. As you know, the entry into the Orthodox Church is granted through Baptism, which in its modern form includes two Mysteries – the Baptism itself and the Chrismation. The Holy Chrism is necessary for the Chrismation. Without Chrism it would be impossible to perform any baptisms, at least according to the procedures outlined in the Church rubrics. Of course, there may be exceptional circumstances when a person may be baptized without receiving Chrismation, but after that, in order to be fully received into the Orthodox Church, they do have to be chrismated. Thus, Chrism (Myrrh) is something that is absolutely necessary for the normal functioning of a Church’s life. So by reserving the right to hand out the Chrism Constantinople in fact retains an important lever of influence over the new Ukrainian structure. Should this structure do something that Constantinople doesn’t like, it may well threaten to withhold the distribution of Chrism. And if you don’t have Chrism, you cannot perform baptisms, because sooner or later you’ll run out of Chrism and will have to ask for more.

    8. It is stated in the Tomos that on the territory of the Ukraine there has to be established an exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with at least 20 churches and monasteries which will be governed by it directly and, as spelled out in the Tomos, “the rights of the Ecumenical See to the exarchate in the Ukraine remain undiminished.” Not a single one of the above mentioned true autocephalous Churches has any exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate on their territory.

    9. Finally, the Tomos prescribes that “for the handling of important matters of the ecclesiastical, dogmatic, and canonical nature, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine, on behalf of the Synod of his Church, is required to appeal to the Holy Ecumenical Patriarchal See in order to obtain its authoritative opinion and mutual understanding.” Whereas the true autocephalous churches are not required to appeal to Constantinople for its authoritative opinion in order to handle such matters. They handle these matters independently themselves.

    https://russian-faith.com/news/how-patriarch-bartholomew-cheated-ukrainians-n1987

  85. Greatly Saddened says

    EP44
    Below please find an article from Monday on the Orthodoxie website.

    Patriarch Bartholomew’s letter to the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne on Ukraine
    By Emma Cazabonne
    14 January 2019

    https://orthodoxie.com/en/patriarch-bartholomews-letter-to-the-hierarchs-of-the-ecumenical-throne-on-ukraine/

  86. Greatly Saddened says

    EP45
    Below please find an article from Monday on the ekathimerini website.

    NEWS
    14.01.2019 : 22:18
    Patriarchate delegation to meet with PM, archbishop on church-state relations
    APOSTOLOS LAKASAS

    http://www.ekathimerini.com/236593/article/ekathimerini/news/patriarchate-delegation-to-meet-with-pm-archbishop-on-church-state-relations?fbclid=IwAR3m3nRVh8Ir-9Wp6lmfoJGtWEem7U4cM1h4RrIdUQ6mrPtT8xHqnBpEVY8

  87. Greatly Saddened says

    UA163
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Interfax Ukraine website.

    Facts
    14:50 15.01.2019
    About 70 parishes leave Moscow Patriarchate, join OCU
    Iryna Lutsenko

    https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/558920.html?fbclid=IwAR2bFH7JA0d8136eQrPQpIK4qCUVJPoyx34HP6QbCi6B7Fl951PFul4c6gY

  88. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA58
    Below please find a “Letter to the Editor” from yesterday in The National Herald, by James C. Rouman, MD of Hartford, CT.

    Letter to the Editor: On the First Priority of the Church
    January 15, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226897/letter-to-the-editor-on-the-first-priority-of-the-church/

  89. Greatly Saddened says

    UA164
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    APOSTATE BISHOP BLESSES CATHEDRAL OUTSIDE HIS JURISDICTION TO SWITCH TO NATIONALIST CHURCH WITH BLESSING OF PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
    Kolomyia, Ukraine, January 16, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118680.html

  90. Greatly Saddened says

    UA165
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN CHURCH-STATE ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENT VANDALIZED IN SUMY DIOCESE
    Sumy, Ukraine, January 16, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118678.html

  91. Greatly Saddened says

    SOC4
    Below please find an article from Monday on The Associated Press website.

    Ahead of visit, Putin gets church in Serbia named after him
    By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
    January 14, 2019

    https://www.apnews.com/3d98bcf3c2804462885fac93d816aeae?fbclid=IwAR0HepS6Z9SdN9E5k1jrMI86MBI_w-zRF6RyamBP0YEYflt452j5Niv-L1U

  92. Greatly Saddened says

    IOTA2
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    MET. KALLISTOS (WARE): CRETE WAS FAR FROM PAN-ORTHODOX; CONSTANTINOPLE GAVE AUTOCEPHALY TO SCHISMATICS
    Iași, Romania, January 17, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118691.html

  93. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA59
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    The Annual Clergy Laity Congress of the San Francisco Metropolis
    By Theodore Kalmoukos 
    January 17, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/226987/the-annual-clergy-laity-congress-of-the-san-francisco-metropolis/

  94. Greatly Saddened says

    UA166
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    HOW THE PHANAR DECEIVED THE UKRAINIANS
    Priest George Maximov
    Translation by Natalia Hawthorne
    Russian Faith
    1/17/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118665.html

  95. Greatly Saddened says

    UA167
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN GOV’T ADOPTS SECOND ANTI-CHURCH BILL, FURTHER ENABLING SEIZURE OF CHURCHES
    Kiev, January 17, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118704.html

    • Joseph Lipper says

      “According to the new version of the bill, a 2/3 votes from the members of the parish community must vote for a parish to transfer to a new jurisdiction (it was previously proposed to make decisions by a simple majority). The criteria for membership in the community is left up to each community. Those who vote must personally sign the decision.

      “The bill also provides for a temporary ban on any actions regarding the parish property, thus the real estate cannot be sold, seized, or pledged during the transition to a new jurisdiction. If it turns out there is a portion of the community that does not agree to the transition, it can form a new community and has the right to conclude an agreement on the alternating use of the church.”

      Of course government bureaucracy always make a mess of these things, but it doesn’t really sound all that bad. Who can blame Poroshenko for trying to improve Ukrainian national security? Given the circumstances, just about any country would do this type of thing, and probably in a worse way. Think of what the U.S. public has endured after 9/11 with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

      • Matthew Panchisin says

        Dear Mr Lipper,

        It is rather sad to read your comments again as we are seeing (experiencing) the schismatic ideas of glorify Christ during these days.

        • Joseph Lipper says

          Matthew Panchisin, it is very sad that the Moscow Patriarchate has broken communion with the EP. It may be understandable, but it’s not necessary.

          The MP is not being asked to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It’s possible for both to coexist in Ukraine and retain communion. Just look at the OCA and GOA in the US. They are in communion, but GOA does not recognize the OCA’s autocephaly.

          • Matthew Panchisin says

            It remains sad to me to read more of your comments Mr. Lipper as they lack “Churchness”. I will try to convey some basic understandings for your edification.

            Because the integrity of Orthodoxy has not been compromised and never will be within the Orthodox Church we can say with sincerity Slava Bogu!, even during times of persecution Christ remains in our midst!

            The schismatics with their turmoil in their structure can sincerely say things like “glory to Ukraine” and even that is without integrity because their actions of creating schisms do not give glory to God who loves mankind.

            We can understand within the loving embrace of the true Church “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We are not excommunicated because we remain with our Bishops that rightly divide the word of God’s truth. Slava Bogu!

            I hope that one day Met. Ware and others who have been critical of the M.P.’s decision to not be in communion with the E.P. are cognizant of the aforementioned reality.

          • Matthew Panchisin says

            Additionally Mr. Lipper, I hope you can see communion has not broken by the M.P. which remains faithful and true, it has been broken by the E.P. in a very profound way. The M.P. not being deluded is capable of discernment and recognition.

            • Joseph Lipper says

              Matthew Panchisin,

              ROCOR is not currently in communion with the Greek Archdiocese here in America. That’s a lack of “churchness” right there. Is the Greek Archdiocese to blame for this because they still commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew?

              • Matthew Panchisin says

                Dear Mr. Lipper,

                At this time it is futile to speak with you as we have much different perspectives. You support (with much determination) the E.P.’s schism(s), others don’t and can’t, some sit on the fence, perhaps at best are waiting to see what happens with patience which is to be supportive.

                You will go your way in schism and others will stay in the Orthodox Church and hold onto the traditions that are blessed.

                Do keep in mind that there is no such thing as Churchness for schismatics.

                • Joseph Lipper says

                  Matthew Panchisin,

                  Is the Patriarch of Alexandria in schism with ROCOR? Well, he commemorates Patriarch Bartholomew. So do all the other patriarchates and local churches.

                  Yet, it appears that ROCOR has broken communion with the Greek Archdiocese solely for what all the other patriarchates and local churches are now doing, commemorating Patriarch Bartholomew.

              • I am in favor of attempts to heal the schism wherever it exists.

                There is, however, one thing that puzzles me because it simply makes no sense from any angle. It is this: All the parties involved in the Ukraine seem to take the view that healing the schism required the involvement (restoration/reinstatement/normalization) of those hierarchs who were deposed by the MP and whose lawful removal was confirmed by the EP.

                The question in my mind is WHY? The schism was created and subsequently deepened by these ‘hierarchs’ who acted lawlessly both during and after their removal, dragging both the innocent/ignorant, as well as the culpable who willingly and knowingly followed them, into schism. The MP and the EP agreed on this point. That these hierarchs were restored with no repentance far exceeds any argument over autocephaly or jurisdictional dispute in both seriousness and obvious (to anyone with spiritual sense) ramifications.

                To put it very simply, the schism could have been healed by replacing them. Laying aside jurisdictional disputes and Patriarchal prerogatives for a moment, if the Ukrainians were to be offered a ‘national Church’ free of the MP, it should have been founded upon good order and righteousness. If their lawless hierarchs were not willing to repent (and in the case of most of them I cannot see how repentance could fail to include giving up their offices), they would remain schismatics in the eyes of all the Orthodox Christian world and have no place in the Church being offered to them. If the Ukrainians were to be offered a national autonomous Church (for as we know, the word autocephalous is something of a joke in this case), these are – or should have been – the terms.

                I write this on the assumption that the EP’s motives for healing the schism are otherwise pure, something I seriously question but have no way of knowing with certainty.

                Apart from the repentance and/or removal of the schismatic hierarchs, the path taken by the EP leaves little or no room for actual healing. It reflects the same sort of pastoral stupidity and willful ignorance of human nature seen among many clergy who think that marriage by itself solves the problem of lust and heals the sin of fornication.

                • Joseph Lipper says

                  Brian, what is the central repentance that the UOC-MP wants from the people of the OCU? We’re talking about millions of people here, not just the few clowns the media parades about. Is it a dogmatic/moral error in the teaching of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine? I don’t believe so.

                  The main issue seems to be one of political alliance and Ukrainian nationalism, but even the UOC-MP is guilty of feeding this nationalism by using the prefix “Ukrainian”. The fiercely nationalistic Russian Orthodox Church is telling the Ukrainians they constitute a separate “Ukrainian” country and have granted them “independent autonomy” as the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church”. Autocephaly, however, is absolutely out of the question and not even to be discussed unless you want to be condemned to hell as a schismatic.

                  • Joseph Lipper: “UOC-MP is guilty of feeding this nationalism by using the prefix “Ukrainian”. The fiercely nationalistic Russian Orthodox Church”

                    Dear Joseph. Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is located in Ukraine, made of Ukrainians, some of Russian ethnicity some of Ukrainian or Ruthenian (Transcarpathian) or others. Many of the most zealous members come from the Western Ukraine and do not speak Russian well if at all.

                    They were there for generations and for centuries, long before separate Ukrainian identity was born. “The fiercely nationalistic” label applies to the relatively recent splinter groups of Ukrainians that EP tries to take under its wings.

                    Those are the facts, Joseph. I suspect that politics is blinding you.

                    • Johann Sebastian says

                      This Ruthenian is perfectly happy to call himself Russian. The notion of Russky Mir is not just some recent Kremlin confabulation. It embodies the struggles our people have endured for at least six centuries–at the hands of the Poles, the Habsburgs, the Soviets, and now the United States.

                      The word “Ukrainian” has too much political baggage. The Ukrainian is a Russian who wishes to be Polish and Catholic.

                  • Joseph,
                    Your argument would be better served if it demonstrated even the faintest comprehension of what I wrote. I spoke of how schism is healed in the Church and how it could have been done (but wasn’t done) even by the EP. You responded with yet more politics that have nothing to do with the Church or the truth.

                    • Joseph Lipper says

                      Brian,

                      Patriarch Bartholomew’s intervention certainly hasn’t healed the schism, but it has brought it to the forefront. It appears the Moscow Patriarchate has been grossly negligent of any attempts to heal a 27 year old schism that has only gotten worse since the annexation of Crimea. It can’t be ignored anymore.

                      The Ecumenical Patriarchate said the OCU bishops and clergy were deposed by the MP ultimately for political reasons, and not for moral/dogmatic reasons. That’s why he restored and/or validated them, and he did require the leaders of the former schismatic groups to retire. Most likely, the matter of these reinstated bishops and clergy will be investigated in more detail at a future church council.

                    • Patriarch Bartholomew’s intervention certainly hasn’t healed the schism, but it has brought it to the forefront.

                      That is, perhaps, the understatement of the year, though that is what he claims to have done; is it not? Precisely what it has brought to the forefront is another matter altogether.

                      The Ecumenical Patriarchate said the OCU bishops and clergy were deposed by the MP ultimately for political reasons, and not for moral/dogmatic reasons. That’s why he restored and/or validated them…

                      That is most definitely not what he said at the time they were deposed.

                      …and he did require the leaders of the former schismatic groups to retire.

                      Retire from what? Being a ‘Patriarch’ (in the case of Philaret, who, by the way, still insists on being commemorated as such)? Were they not all reinstated to the offices they held when they were deposed? Do all these men not sit on the synod of the OCU?

                      Most likely, the matter of these reinstated bishops and clergy will be investigated in more detail at a future church council.

                      I’m very much afraid that this man has created a mess so tangled that no future council could untangle it apart from undoing everything he claims to have done. The Metropolitan himself was ordained by the schismatic ‘Patriarch’ Philaret’, to say nothing of the hundreds of others. With a few declarations he has rent asunder the succession of the Apostles and the good order of the Church. Far from helping the Ukrainian people, he has single-handedly immersed them in a scandal far deeper and more consequential than any schism that previously existed.

                      You can criticize the MP all you want (and sometimes I agree with you), but nothing they have done can justify the confusion and outright betrayal of the Church this has wrought.

                • Friend exactly. Of course no body doubts Ukraine should have it’s own church, but not like this. And people act as if the Moscow autonomous church which has more freedom than what Ep has given to what is an autonomous church really under him and he has muscled in to with stavropaegic stuff, but people act as if Bishop Onouphry was some Kremlin stooge running a Russian church .
                  But there are as you so well say issues not related to autocephaly etc BUT TO DECENCY AND MORALITY , AND CHURCH ORDER. And that thing called Denisenko. A walking advert for atheism if ever was one.

                  I was inclined initially to go along with a ‘it’s all in the Ukraine and let’s hope it’s sorted mentality’, but now cannot without seeming to agree to a papal ecclesiology and AMORAL appalling behaviour by Denisenko and Ep If i want a Pope I know where to go do i not and if I want to.condone mafia, hate behaviour and open breaking of monastic vows to which EP is Silent, well. I DO NOT NEED THE CHURCH DO I??

                  • Nikos: “Of course no body doubts Ukraine should have it’s own church, but not like this.”

                    And it is important to remember, that there are only two changes needed for the canonical Ukrainian Church to become fully autocephalous.

                    First that the election of the Metropolitan of Kiev does not need approval of the Patriarch of Moscow. Second is that 90 Ukrainian bishops loose right to vote in the election of Moscow Patriarch. Nothing more, nothing less.

                    • Exactly and that will happen at right time which is not when Politics are inflammed. And we cannot deny the long and close ties between Russia and Ukraine and churches. Indeed in 17/18c Russian church one can claim Ukraine colonised it in bishops and Culture and music etc during early snow period.
                      My concern are for correct moral Orthodox church order and the Ukrainian people, all of them. All EP has done is as intended, is to create for himself a alternarive power base to dying Constantinople and its charade and followed the dictate of west. It may be argued Kyril follows Moscow and I am no fan and russian church needs to support eventually autocephaly BUT IN ALL THIS CURRENT stuff he is in right. I see clearly that apart from being based on immoral Actors who were defrocked for valid, church wide, including Constantinople, accepted reasons, the actions of Constantinople are based on exactly the same reading of canons that brought us 1054. And worse, without the excuse of political power behind it

              • Matthew Panchisin says

                Firstly. we know that kingdoms change when men change, the kingdom Ukraine relative to the schismatic structure is the result of the E.P.”s lordship which is obviously fallen greatly. He also lords over the GOA, he practices feigned conciliarity as he is papal and politically minded, he has been that way for many years now.

                Having said that we know there was a time when th E.P. was in communion with Christ’s Church, the canonical Orthodox Church, however he preferred and choose to embrace and comply with the will of Caesar and others.

                There are many that are hoping and praying that he and others within his realm can take to heart rightly the aforementioned words of Saint John the Baptist.

                Schismatics and schisms represent the solidification of many of the passions, repentence is not pursued so we hear the kind of disconnected comments that you Mr. Lipper present. This is enivitable since you go way out of the way to support such schismatic notions.

                As such at this time it is futile to speak with you as we have much different perspectives. You support again and again with much determination the E.P.’s schism(s), others don’t and can’t. Some sit on the fence, perhaps at best they are waiting to see what happens with patience which is to be supportive.

                You and others will go your way in schism and others will stay in the Orthodox Church and hold onto the traditions that are blessed as ROCOR knows well irrespective of your comments that evidence additional ignorance.

                I hope that surely at some time you will not keep in mind that there really is no such thing as Churchness for schismatics.

              • ” Is the Greek Archdiocese to blame for this because they still commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew?”

                I was under impression that Greek Archdiocese is THE MAIN part of EP. Isn’t that so?

                Either was, wasn’t ROCOR distancing from GOA before because of Ecumenism and Modernism?

                • Joseph Lipper says

                  Martin, my point is that all the local churches, except for Moscow, commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew.

                  So, it just doesn’t fly with me that ROCOR should break communion with the Greek Archdiocese for doing exactly what all other local churches are doing, commemorating Patriarch Bartholomew.

                  I realize that ROCOR doesn’t have much choice in the matter, but it really seems silly and unchurchly. We’re not in Ukraine, we are here in America.

                  • Joseph Lipper: “Martin, my point is that all the local churches, except for Moscow, commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew.”

                    You think that if EP tries to grab part of, let us say, Romanian Church, the Romanian Church will not stop to commemorate EP?

                    Do you think that has special powers and rights like Papacy?

              • Michael Bauman says

                Church unity is not about being inclusive and looking for the lowest common denominator. Church unity is about rightly dividing the Word of truth. Discerning those who are of the body and those who are not. Those who are honest in their repentance and those who are not. Who is on the narrow path and those who are in the ditches and leading others astray.

                Councils have always been about dividing the word of truth not expanding definitions to allow more people license. In today’s egalitarian mindset, that is extremely difficult.

                It is not diplomacy that creates unity. The Church is already one. We just have to remember our declaration that unity when being received into the Church.

              • Yes. The respectable thing to do is to break away from the heresiarch, Bartholomew, who has been excommunicated by the local church representing the majority of Orthodox.

                Constantinople stepped into the shoes of the excommunicated and anathematized schismatics in Ukraine when it purported to regularize their status and readmit them to communion. Canon law is clear on that much. The MP and ROCOR simply broke communion with newly minted schismatics (Constantinople) in response to Constantinople’s actions.

                The whole travesty is the sole responsibility of the Phanar.

                But you must understand, the churches under Istanbul are a small percentage of world Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy can easily do without them as it has before. Those who think Constantinople is somehow essential or the sine qua non of Orthodoxy lack historical perspective. During the period of the Council of Florence, Constantinople lapsed into the Roman heresy and left the Church. But the Church continued without it. The MP and ROCOR will continue just fine without the CP.

                In fact, that is the real means by which Russia got its autocephaly, de facto, as a result of the fact that its mother church joined with Rome in apostasy. Thereafter it functioned as an autocephalous church regardless of the Phanar’s status.

                The current mess is a political fiasco orchestrated by Poroshenko in the Ukraine. Bartholomew, though essential, is a minor player in the end game – the seizure of UOC parishes and holy sites. Now that the ecclesiastical formalities are over, the whole dynamic returns to the political. What I have been waiting for is the Russian political/military apparatus to become involved. Right now, it is the new pseudo-church in Ukraine and the Ukrainian government against the UOC. Putin needs to step in and side with the UOC to make it a fair fight.

                • Joseph Lipper says

                  Misha,

                  All the other local churches still commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew, and Moscow hasn’t broken communion with them. Yet here in America we have the strange situation of ROCOR breaking communion with the Greek Archdiocese precisely because the Greek Archdiocese commemorates Patriarch Bartholomew.

                  If the EP is a declared “schismatic heresiarch” then why hasn’t Moscow broken communion with all the other local churches who are now in communion with a “schismatic heresiarch”?

                  • Joseph Lipper your sophistry is on full display. The other local Churches are exercising extreme ekonomia and giving Bartholomew enough rope to hang himself. Not a single one has followed his request to recognize the new coven which he has created in Ukraine.

              • Churchness is gone, law and order is what we witness in today’s Orthodoxy. We are only one step away from murdering one another. The balance scale of sin and virtue has been broken, but has anything ever changed since even the beginning of our human race?

                It took only one generation for the human race to produce it’s first murderer. Murder and destruction comes easy and natural, even to the most high churched. Orthodoxy is not exempt.

                Are we better than our biblical history? In the Bible there are many motives behind murder. Jehu killed for political advantage(2 Kings 9-10) ; David killed to cover up his adultery(2 Sam. 11); Joab murdered out of revenge, and out of the fear of having his privileged position usurped(2 Sam. 3).

                The first murder? Cain could not bear that his brother Abel’s offering was acceptable to God, while his own was not. Instead of seeking God to improve his own sacrifice, he killed his brother, the man he saw as his rival.

                The Bible insists that at the heart of all human problems is rebellion against God, our Maker, who’s image we bear, and who’s rule we wish to overthrow. All of our problems, without exception, can be traced to this fundamental source:our rebellion and the just curse of God, that we have attracted by our rebellion.

              • Some thoughts, and Blessed Theophany! says

                Joseph,

                ” Is the Greek Archdiocese to blame for this because they still commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew?”

                As you can tell, many (most) Orthodox Christians who don’t have any skin in the GOA/EP apparatus believe that yes, the GOA leadership is to blame for not seeing the reality of what is going on in Ukraine and for sticking with C’ple. The GOA leadership remains a significant shill for the C’ple church organization, as they have always been C’ple’s major cash cow and many believe that to be their primary role.

                Remember that in America, we have a very skewed vision of how Orthodoxy plays out worldwide. For most of the 20th century, the Slavic churches in America were small and poor as most Slavic Orthodox suffocated behind the Iron Curtain, while the GOA built humongous churches made from Greek-American new wealth, as testimonies to the worldly success of the Greek-American experience.

                Contrasted with the OCA, the Antiochians, and even ROCOR, the GOA was never (and still is overwhelmingly not) mission-minded. Like some of the other, much smaller “ethnic” exarchates in the United States and Canada, it exists to serve the Greek-American community as they pursue the American dream. If others want to go along for the ride, that’s fine, but the primary mission is not spreading the Gospel. This is an extremely outdated model, since the percentage of Greek Americans who stick with the Church is well less than 5% — way lower than it was when this model was adopted in the 1920s-1930s. Sadly, it’s probably too late to recover, and there remain many in the GOA leadership who believe spreading Hellenism to be their church’s primary role, regardless of the consequences.

                Thus most Americans have the incorrect perception that the Greek experience in America represents the “typical” in worldwide Orthodox Christianity. That is certainly not the case. Fr Andrew Phillips on his Orthodox England blog runs the numbers occasionally… the Church of C’ple and the Greek experience is only a small fraction of the worldwide Orthodox.

                As others have clearly pointed out, C’ple as an entity is not essential for the Church to function, much to its own chagrin. The Church of Rome and its faithful who stemmed mostly from Carthage in North Africa were pillars of Orthodox Christianity in the year 500-600 A.D. or so, yet the Church has functioned without them for more than 1000 years now.

                Already we are seeing the real-life damages and implications of C’ple’s actions to enter into communion with schismatics and previously deposed hierarchs. Some may say it is only political squabbling, but it clearly an overly simplistic and incorrect explanation of what is going on. If one believes in the Church as instituted by Christ, then (for example) one cannot say that an openly disobedient hierarch who openly broke his monastic vows who and who was deposed in one jurisdiction was merely deposed and anathametized for political reasons.

                Christ and His Church transcend political divisions. He and the Church are the ultimate “unity in diversity,” to borrow a P.C. phrase which is used in a ridiculous context most of the time. But Christ can truly unite diverse peoples. The Ukrainian schismatic group does not preach a Christ who can transcend political divisions. Neither does C’ple or the GOA.

                There are news reports of bombings in Ukrainian churches just in the past few days — these are in churches that are with Metropolitan Onuphry/the UOC and not part of this Poroshenko/Denysenko group. A canonical Ukrainian church was bombed on Theophany eve.

                I certainly do believe that because C’ple played a significant role in granting a fake “legitimacy” to this schismatic group in Ukraine, and that it continues to actively encourage and promote it, that it bears culpability for these bombings against the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine.

                In my opinion, C’ple and its jurisdictions have self-declared themselves to be now outside of the boundaries of the Church. What the Church of Russia did was to merely acknowledge this reality. That is what an excommunication is — an acknowledgment of the reality of a person or group leaving the Church. If someone openly rejects the Church and its teachings and refuses to repent, then they have excommunicated themselves. The Church’s job is to formally acknowledge this reality.

                I do think that any serious Orthodox Christian in the GOA should have nothing to do with C’ple anymore, which sadly means leaving that jurisdiction.

                Thank God, it is reported that the Patr of Jerusalem refused to concelebrate Theophany today with the schismatic Ukrainian group — something we were told two weeks ago by the schismatic Ukrainians would “surely happen.”

                It appears that world Orthodoxy is having nothing to do with this Ukrainian schismatic group. Thanks be to God. It seems that the only ones who have anything to do with them are those who are not Orthodox Christian and don’t even believe in the Church (the US government, the EU, the State Department, the Greek Catholics/Ukrainian Catholics, etc.).

                Like with many world events, many Americans won’t really care until it hits home here. Thus, I don’t expect much to change in the GOA until something happens to make people here start caring about it…. such as more breaks in communion with C’ple by other Orthodox Churches, or when the C’ple/Ukraine schismatics go into full communion with the Ukrainian Catholics and thus become Uniate. Then, perhaps more in the GOA would care, but maybe not. Who knows.

                Because the worldwide Church is not a top-down centralized organization, witnessing how these things play out in the Church can take some time. But even over the past few weeks and months, we’ve seen clear data that the Church is overwhelmingly rejecting C’ple and the Ukrainian schismatic group, as she should.

                We realize that many, like you, have the tough situation of being in a GOA/C’ple parish that you seem to like. Yes, that is a very tough situation to be in, particularly if one cares about the health of the Church and about the suffering of other Orthodox Christians across the world. Probably you and other clergy/faithful in your situation are doing the best you can right now.

                But I think that most of us believe that the time will eventually come when folks in your position will have to choose: Do I follow the parish that I’ve been in for years and go down the Uniate/Roman Catholic path with C’ple, or do I leave and go back to faithful Christian Orthodoxy? The rest of us need to be attentive to this painful journey and be there for you, as we will be.

                This journey away from C’ple and to faithful Christian Orthodoxy has already been done fairly publicly by two priests of ACROD, as far as I know. We cannot underestimate how extremely emotionally painful this journey is, but we who are not with C’ple and its self-excommunicating actions will always be here for you.

                • Joseph Lipper says

                  “Some thoughts”, thank you for your reply. So, if a GOA parish wanted to join ROCOR and still keep it’s property, do you think at least a two-thirds majority parish vote would suffice? I’m concerned about the possibility of the Greek Archdiocese later accusing ROCOR of “seizing” it’s church properties. That would be terrible.

                  The Greek Archdiocese also has perhaps the largest, most and best Orthodox monasteries in the U.S. Some people say you can tell the health of a church by it’s monasteries. It’s really an incredible missionary work they do, building up an Orthodox presence and spirituality here in America, and I’ve met so many pious Orthodox Christians there. We all return to our home parishes spiritually refreshed and recharged.

                  Most of these monasteries in the Greek Archdiocese are under the spiritual guidance of Elder Ephrem. He originally joined ROCOR in the early 1990’s when he moved to America, but later he left ROCOR and ended up joining the Greek Archdiocese.

                  So how do these monasteries become a part of ROCOR? Would a two-thirds vote of the brotherhood or sisterhood suffice? Maybe all that would be required is for Elder Ephrem to return to ROCOR.

                  “Some thoughts”, you seem to know a lot, do you know why Elder Ephrem has not returned to ROCOR?

                • Archpriest Alexander F. C. Webster says

                  TO: “Some thoughts, and Blessed Theophany!”

                  Your post is the best that I’ve read on the Ukraine crisis on this message board: eloquent, respectful, detailed, fair, accurate, but not falsely “even handed.” In this crisis, neutrality is not a respectable option among those truly informed or open to the full truth.

                  While respecting your anonymity here, I would like to hear from you “offline.” My personal email address is chaplain.webster@gmail.com

                  • I live in Bulgaria but am greek. Bulgaria waited 75 yrs for autocephaly and no one seems in a rush re USA.
                    But I think as repeated elsewhere there is more than just the question of autocephaly. Which has not been granted in any shape understood until now, because Constantinople holds all the cards.
                    However just as worrying if not more, is the acceptance as cannonical bishops, people as Denisenko, who has broken his oath,not lived celibate life, and used, suddenly discovered from 1990s, extreme Ukrainian nationalism to gain his way and still seeks to govern this so called church.
                    I am not a theologian but a psychologist but I do understand why with all due respect I am not a Catholic, even allowing for their sexual scandal and do not intend to become an eastern variety of one. And i do understand corruption and hypocrisy parading as religion.

                    The actions of EP are either that of a weak man, under threat, Might it be connected to 9/11 scandal and money disapearance from the St Nicholas memorial church. A White elephant if ever I saw one.

                • anonimus per Scorilo says

                  If Moscow truly believes Constantinople is in schism, the canonical thing to do is to write letters to all other Orthodox churches asking them to choose between remaining in communion with Constantinople and remaining in communion with them. As long as they are not officially demanding all the other Orthodox churches to stop commemorating Constantinople and stop con-celebrating with Constantinople hierarchs, all the talk about Constantinople being in schism is just empty blah-blah-blah.

                  Also, I do not understand why do you want the Greeks in the US to stop commemorating the Constantinople hierarch, while the Romanian patriarch in Romania, the Serbian patriarch in Serbia and the Bulgarian patriarch in Bulgaria continue commemorating him.

                  • Joseph Lipper says

                    Exactly.

                  • “If Moscow truly believes Constantinople is in schism, the canonical thing to do is to write letters to all other Orthodox churches asking them to choose between remaining in communion with Constantinople and remaining in communion with them. ”

                    Hear, hear! The great anonymous Canonist the Scurrilous has spoken.

                • Matthew Panchisin says

                  Just some thoughts, I suspect the more encounters that they have things could become more and more difficult to accept, i.e. distain for all things Russian and most significantly the Russian Orthodox Church, the ramifications regarding the Russian Orthodox Church being most serious although it really doesn’t and can’t stop there because of God’s grace (love and unity of believers in Christ) within authentic Orthodoxy. As we know, it ends up as it is, attacking all of the Orthodox Church. It also depends on the degree of secularization and acceptance of a papal outlook by the clergy. “I’m in communion with the E.P. how much more Orthodox can one get?”

                  In America and elsewhere (Greece etc.) those encounters will be very limited, I think anything can happen. Many of us thank God that the “Mother of all the Churches Jerusalem” refused to accept the schismatic clergyman.

                  You have mentioned: “The Ukrainian schismatic group does not preach a Christ who can transcend political divisions. Neither does C’ple or the GOA.”

                  According to the E.P., “Indeed, the natural environment unites us in ways that transcend doctrinal differences.” Since some can accept or superficially go along with that sort of pathetic pagan rooted heresy that is preached, we will just have to wait and see. The E.P. forces many destructive notions upon them surreptitiously (it’s easy to do in the world today) so neutrality is the norm as a matter of peace? See Ukraine and the environmental movements.

                  There are a lot of beautiful, kind and loving Bishops, Priests and lay people in the GOA ACROD and Greece etc. that I’m very sure of, my Father of blessed memory used to tell us that love conquers all and no matter what happens in life, love and thank God.

              • Yes because bartholomaios has acted contrary to Orthodox ecclesiology and we do not decide things by Politics or whim. I as it happens do not warm to Kyril but that is irrelevant.
                Bartholomaios has acted as a Pope, but more than that, without any repentence, from schismatic etc on the contrary, he has worked with some dubious Actors and a 90 yr old defrocked lay long life married crooked Denisenko, to create what is in affect an autonomous church, autocephalous in the breech only, with less freedom than the truly and freely autonomous under Moscow church.
                Should Ukraine have it’s own church? Yes. But not like this. There in remaining in Communion with Constantinople the GOCA has chosen to support all this. It cannot pretend. This is like Ep recognition of communist backed living church in 1924 Russia and demanding Tikhon resign

          • Gail Sheppard says

            The MP is not only being asked to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It’s being shoved down their throats by a bunch of bureaucrats.

          • Antiochene Son says

            “The MP is not being asked to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”

            Yes he is. Bartholomew sent Met. Onuphriy a letter in December informing him that he was no longer Metropolitan of Ukraine effective December 15.

            • Joseph Lipper says

              Is the Ukrainian government requiring or even asking the UOC-MP to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine? Please correct me if wrong, but I don’t believe so. The government is making allowances and protections for the UOC-MP to remain.

              Patriarch Bartholomew did ask, but he’s not sanctioning the Moscow Patriarchate or anyone else for not recognizing it. He’s not forcing anyone to recognize it. He and Metropolitan Epiphany still commemorate Patriarch Kyrill in the Divine Liturgy.

              • Joseph Lipper: ” Please correct me if wrong, but I don’t believe so. The government is making allowances and protections for the UOC-MP to remain.”

                Yes, you are wrong. Educate yourself, please. If you care.

                • Joseph Lipper does not care to know or speak the truth. Anyone who visits this site knows he is a propogandist for Constantinople.

      • Gail Sheppard says

        Joseph, there are antimins on these alters that belong to the MP. The antimension and the chrism are the means by which a bishop indicates his permission for priests under his omophorion to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and Holy Mysteries in his absence, being in effect the church’s license to conduct divine services. You can’t SHARE something like that.

        You also can’t have two Eucharistic services (Divine Liturgy) on the same day.

        Then there is the problem that the MP doesn’t commemorate the EP.

        Finally, these parishes and monasteries do not belong to the EP. They belong to the MP.

        Saying it “doesn’t sound all that bad” to “conclude an agreement on the alternating use of the church” would be like saying it would be fine for another man to take your wife and give you the right to work out an arrangement where you get her back on alternate nights. It can’t be done. The people who created and voted for this bill are woefully ignorant of what it is to be Orthodox.

        • Joseph Lipper says

          Gail, nobody’s talking about sharing antimins, but the Ukrainian government is bringing up the possibility of sharing properties. With the presence of good faith this is theoretically possible. Some churches have more than one altar or an extra chapel. I even remember attending a Moscow Patriarchal parish that only had one altar but served both English and Slavonic liturgy on Sunday. They resolved this by placing a small table in front of the altar with a different antimins for the English liturgy.

          However, in the situation of Ukraine there probably isn’t good faith, so such theoretical solutions are probably unworkable.

          Still, does it sound reasonable to you if at least a two thirds majority of a GOA parish wanted to join ROCOR that they could keep their temple? When St. Alexis Toth brought many Greek Catholic parishes into the Orthodox faith, he insisted on a unanimous vote to keep their property. That’s probably the safest scenario. A small minority of dissenters can easily create a litigious nightmare.

          • I am surprised at yr total gob smacking naivity or worse if u really think they are going to Sit around the samavar, if Ukrainians use one, but anyway what ever, if u think they are going to calmly
            discuss sharing. There will be bloodshed and Denisenko is not known either for his celibacy or Christianity. Indeed more Christianity in Richard Dawkins me thinks.

            The political push will be to squeeze out the legal autonomous church. Just like buying sweat shirts for Charity that u find are made in near slave Labour conditions, you are complicit if u do nothing. Let alone agreeing to a pseudo papal ecclesiology. Obviously the situation is so dire for the church that individually churches in shock but THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTING EP. And they will be forced as with situation with Rome after 1054, to make a decision. Remember that was initially a quarrel between Rome and Constantinople only.

  96. Greatly Saddened says

    UA168
    Below please find yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    ARCHBISHOPS OF GREECE AND ALBANIA MEET TO DISCUSS UKRAINIAN ISSUE
    Athens, January 17, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118699.html

  97. Greatly Saddened says

    POA3
    Below please find and yet one more article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    THERE ARE ATTEMPTS TO SEPARATE ANTIOCHIAN PATRIARCHATE INTO SYRIAN AND LEBANESE CHURCHES, ASSAD SAYS
    Damascus, January 17, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118700.html

    • George Michalopulos says

      But there are no attempts by the EP to create an autocephalous Orthodox Church within the boundaries of the United States. And there never will be.

      And that says it all.

      • Greatly Saddened says

        I think perhaps that may be because this is the patriarchate’s largest and most financially supportive eparchy. Possibly afraid of losing its support. Which, for the life of me, doesn’t seem to make any sense.

      • Exactly. Ep is happy to have a greek Culture club just as long as money and power goes his way. But George if i might say so Organs and 19c sakellarides banality and clean shaven faces etc and Theatre goers sat immobile in their pews are a bit of a poor greek Culture club. I want rembettiko and byzantine chant and good beards!! and good dancing too.. And Kavafy and Seferis and rest.
        Having attended even conservative parishes in NY and Chicago, well Paulos Heights, good people but very much a greek club. And am greek. I have to say only church that made sense to me was the OCA St Nicholas in Whitestone. I went their with a friend’s ‘s rc parents on feast day, and they loved it, feeling at home etc because it clearly said HEY WE LIVE HERE ‘ YES they have greek neighbours and big new greek church, well built and with superb frescos, but it clearly says to keep out for Greeks only.

  98. Greatly Saddened says

    UA169
    Below please find an article from today on the Georgia Today website.

    Op-ed
    God Engaged: Orthodox Christianity in the “Big Game”
    17 January 2019 18:30
    By Archil Sikharulidze

    http://georgiatoday.ge/news/14113/God-Engaged%3A-Orthodox-Christianity-in-the-%E2%80%9CBig-Game%E2%80%9D

  99. Greatly Saddened says

    UA170
    Below please find an article from today on the Bristol Herald Courier of VA website.

    AP
    Ukraine OKs property law that could affect 12,000 churches

    https://apnews.com/68018ccd5e454db6b00318ce9ea6d26d

  100. Greatly Saddened says

    RF5
    Below please find an article from yesterday by the Associated Press, in The National Herald.

    Vladimir Putin Gets Lavish Welcome on Visit to Ally Serbia
    By Associated Press 
    January 17, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/227166/vladimir-putin-gets-lavish-welcome-on-visit-to-ally-serbia/

  101. Greatly Saddened says

    POA4
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “WE CATEGORICALLY REJECT” WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ORTHODOX WORLD, PAT. JOHN OF ANTIOCH TELLS RUSSIAN DELEGATION
    Damascus, January 18, 2018

    http://orthochristian.com/118722.html

  102. Greatly Saddened says

    UOC6
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    HEAD OF UKRAINIAN NATIONALIST CHURCH TO BE ENTHRONED FEBRUARY 3
    Kiev, January 18, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118721.html

  103. Greatly Saddened says

    HYPERALLERGIC1
    Below please find an article from Tuesday on the Hyperallergic website.

    NEWS
    Ronald McDonald’s Crucifixion Triggers Protests at Israeli Museum

    Freedom of speech advocates butt heads with institutions protecting the sanctity of religious imagery.
    Hakim Bishara
    4 days ago

    https://hyperallergic.com/479818/ronald-mcdonalds-crucifixion-triggers-protests-at-israeli-museum/

  104. Greatly Saddened says

    UA171
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “WE ARE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AND LOVERS OF KIEVAN RUS’-UKRAINE!” UKRAINIAN FAITHFUL WRITE TO POROSHENKO
    Dnipro, Ukraine, January 18, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118733.html

  105. Greatly Saddened says

    UA172
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    “WE ALREADY KNOW HOW TO PRAY TO GOD”—UKRAINIAN FAITHFUL STANDING STRONG IN FACE OF INCREASING CHURCH SEIZURES (+ VIDEO)
    Ukraine, January 18, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118730.html

  106. Greatly Saddened says

    COG11
    Below please find an article from today on the Religion News Service website.

    News • Top Stories
    Greeks bridle at historic deal to split Orthodox church from state
    January 18, 2019
    6 Min Read
    By: Nikolia Apostolou

    https://religionnews.com/2019/01/18/greeks-bridle-at-historic-deal-to-split-orthodox-church-from-state/

  107. Greatly Saddened says

    UA173
    Below please find an article from today on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website.

    UKRAINE
    Ukrainian Parliament Adopts Law On Religious Communities’ Affiliation
    January 17, 2019 11:37 GMT
    By RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service

    https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-parliament-adopts-law-on-religious-communities-affiliation/29715359.html

  108. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA60
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Bishop Apostolos of Medeia New Spiritual Advisor of National Philoptochos
    By TNH Staff 
    January 19, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/227279/bishop-apostolos-of-medeia-new-spiritual-advisor-of-national-philoptochos/

  109. Greatly Saddened says

    GOA61
    Below please find an article from Thursday on the Greek Reporter website.

    Home –  Events – Other – Florida – Religion
    Leadership 100 to Celebrate 35 Years of Service in February
    By Kerry Kolasa-Sikiaridi
    Jan 17, 2019

    https://usa.greekreporter.com/2019/01/17/leadership-100-foundation-to-celebrate-35-years-of-service-in-february/

  110. Greatly Saddened says

    HR1
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Yeni Safak website.

    EUROPE

    Greece announces a new date for Athens mosque

    Inauguration of long-awaited Athens mosque due in March, says Greek officials
    Haber Merkezi
    18 JANUARY 2019, 04:31
    Anadolu Agency

    https://m.yenisafak.com/en/world/greece-announces-a-new-date-for-athens-mosque-3472227

  111. Greatly Saddened says

    JP5
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM DID NOT CONCELEBRATE WITH UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS (+ VIDEO)
    Jerusalem, January 19, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118742.html

  112. Greatly Saddened says

    UA174
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    THEOPHANY SERVICES DISRUPTED BY TERRORIST BOMB ATTACK AT UKRAINIAN CATHEDRAL
    Sumy, Ukraine, January 19, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118739.html

  113. Greatly Saddened says

    EP46
    Below please find an article from Thursday on The Persecution of Christians website – Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle – Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

    News
    Egypt: Four churches closed by furious mob — “The hate is clear”
    January 17, 2019

    https://www.christianpersecution.com/egypt/egypt-four-churches-closed-by-furious-mob-the-hate-is-clear/

  114. Greatly Saddened says

    UA175
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    A CANONICAL CRISIS IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
    Primacy, Conciliarity and the Ecumenical Patriarchate

    Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)
    1/21/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118755.html

  115. Greatly Saddened says

    UA176
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    MET. ONUPHRY: A CHURCH GOVERNED BY MAN IS BUT A POLITICAL PARTY, WE ARE GOVERNED BY CHRIST
    Boryspil, Ukraine, January 21, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118779.html

  116. Greatly Saddened says

    JP6
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM CANCELED MEETING WITH POROSHENKO, SOURCE REPORTS
    Jerusalem, January 21, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118778.html

  117. Greatly Saddened says

    UA177
    Below please find yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    WE CANNOT TAKE THE WORDS OF CONSTANTINOPLE’S UKRAINIAN EXARCH SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE IS A GREAT SORROW AND TRAGEDY – POLISH HIERARCH
    Boryspil, Ukraine, January 21, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118759.html

  118. Greatly Saddened says

    EP47
    Below please an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    CONSTANTINOPLE’S WESTERN EUROPEAN ARCHDIOCESE ASSERTS ITS RIGHTS AGAINST DEMANDS OF GREEK METROPOLITANS
    Paris, January 21, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118777.html

  119. Greatly Saddened says

    OCA2
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodox Church in America website.

    Home / Work of the Church / News / Headline News /
    January 20, 2019
    Metropolitan Tikhon leads faithful at annual DC March for Life
    WASHINGTON, DC [OCA]

    https://oca.org/news/headline-news/metropolitan-tikhon-leads-faithful-at-annual-dc-march-for-life

  120. Greatly Saddened says

    UA178
    Below please find an article from Sunday on the Unian website.

    Some 100 parishes of former UOC-MP join new Orthodox Church of Ukraine – media
    12:45, 20 January 2019 UKRAINE

    The communities of the former Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Vinnytsia region were most active in joining the OCU.

    https://www.unian.info/society/10414779-some-100-parishes-of-former-uoc-mp-join-new-orthodox-church-of-ukraine-media.htm

  121. Greatly Saddened says

    BulgarianOC3
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Independent Balkan News Agency website.

    Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch: ‘Macedonia’ church issue to await settlement on name
    By Clive Leviev-Sawyer
    Published on: 21-01-2019, 13:44

    https://www.balkaneu.com//bulgarian-orthodox-church-patriarch-macedonia-church-issue-to-await-settlement-on-name/

  122. Greatly Saddened says

    EP48
    Below please find an article from Wednesday on The Persecution of Christians website – Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle – Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

    News
    13.9% more Christians experiencing high levels of persecution than last year — that’s 30 million more people
    January 16, 2019

    https://www.christianpersecution.com/religious-freedom/13-9-more-christians-experiencing-high-levels-of-persecution-than-last-year-thats-30-million-more-people/

  123. Greatly Saddened says

    EP49
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Historic Patriarchal Liturgy and Blessing of the Waters in Asia Minor
    By TNH Staff 
    January 22, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/227701/historic-patriarchal-liturgy-and-blessing-of-the-waters-in-asia-minor/

  124. Greatly Saddened says

    UA179
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    UKRAINIAN PARISHES THAT SWITCH ARE MOVING TO THE “KIEV PATRIARCHATE,” NOT THE NEW “CHURCH”
    Kiev, January 22, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118800.html

  125. Greatly Saddened says

    JP7
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM MEETS WITH PILGRIMS FROM CANONICAL UKRAINIAN CHURCH DAY AFTER POROSHENKO’S DELEGATION CLAIMS HE IS SERIOUSLY ILL IN THE HOSPITAL
    Jerusalem, January 22, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118811.html

  126. Greatly Saddened says

    GeorgianOC3
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    GEORGIAN CHURCH REBUKES THE PRESSURE AGAINST IT TO RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN NATIONALIST CHURCH
    Tbilisi, January 22, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118805.html

  127. Greatly Saddened says

    UA180
    Below please find an article from yesterday on The New York Times website.

    Opinion
    Putin’s Dream of Godliness: Holy Russia

    When the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke from Russia’s, it dealt a blow to President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to portray his country as one people with a single identity.
    By Michael Khodarkovsky

    Mr. Khodarkovsky is the author of the forthcoming book “Russia’s 20th Century: A Journey in 100 Histories.”
    Jan. 22, 2019

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/opinion/putin-russia-orthodox-church.html

  128. Greatly Saddened says

    UA181
    Below please find another article from yesterday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    TEN REASONS WHY THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE IN UKRAINE
    George Selinsky
    1/22/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118757.html

  129. Greatly Saddened says

    UA182
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Union of Orthodox Journalists.

    Eхplosion occurs during the feast service in Sumy Cathedral
    18 January 2019, 22:35  
    Vladislav Arbuzov

    https://spzh.news/en/news/59290-v-kafedralynom-sobore-sum-vo-vremya-prazdnichnoj-sluzhby-progremel-vzryv?fbclid=IwAR0yZpUSzsqC_YjvKBm22g_a2janZQY0jUnqg-vkOtccaQwUEsBOrn-5hDA

  130. Greatly Saddened says

    MtAthos1
    Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.

    Metropolitan Emmanuel of France Celebrated Theophany on Mt. Athos
    By TNH Staff 
    January 23, 2019

    https://www.thenationalherald.com/227734/metropolitan-emmanuel-of-france-celebrated-theophany-on-mt-athos/

  131. Greatly Saddened says

    COG12
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    METROPOLIS OF PIRAEUS CALLS ON GREEK HOLY SYNOD NOT TO RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS
    Piraeus, Greece, January 23, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118832.html

  132. Greatly Saddened says

    JP8
    Below please find an article from today on the Romfea News website.

    Home – Orthodoxy – Patriarchates – Patriarchate of Jerusalem
    The Patriarch of Jerusalem “avoided” to meet Poroshenko
    by NewsRoom
    Jan 23, 2019 | 17:57
    by Emilios Polygenis

    https://www.romfea.news/the-patriarch-of-jerusalem-avoided-to-meet-poroshenko/?fbclid=IwAR3oddD3NkVwhODAorwPUEm1d8EW5OBzYizbbRwNWlyzvCIdQCOl98D-Am8

  133. Greatly Saddened says

    BulgarianOC4
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    BULGARIAN CHURCH WILL CONSIDER “MACEDONIAN CHURCH” ISSUE AFTER FINAL APPROVAL OF REPUBLIC’S NEW NAME
    Sofia, January 23, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118837.html

    • George Michalopulos says

      Looks like the EP is going to be hoisted on his own petard on this one. That’s the trouble with double standards.

  134. Dear Greatly Saddened:
    Thank you for your postings! Please see also an EXCELLENT analysis with the fronema of the Fathers: Getting to the Essence: A Look at the Schism through the eyes of Professor Osipov, Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy.
    http://orthochristian.com/118769.html

  135. Greatly Saddened says

    UA183
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    BISHOP OF CZECH AND SLOVAK CHURCH CONCELEBRATES WITH HIERARCHS OF CANONICAL UKRAINIAN CHURCH IN KIEV CAVES (+ VIDEO)
    Kiev, January 24, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118864.html

    • Exactly. The secular world thinks because a particular country, Georgia or Czech republic have a shall we say trouble relationship with Russia, that this rolls over into automatically pro Constantinople agreement as if the Church is a political football.
      Truly communism was the lesson evil to the Church than the west.

  136. Greatly Saddened says

    UA184
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    DOZENS OF CHURCH SEIZURES OCCUR IN FIRST WEEKS OF NEW UKRAINIAN STRUCTURE, MET. HILARION SAYS
    Moscow, January 24, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118860.html

    • Russia should declare war on these vermin and invade. That is really the only answer. The RF cannot occupy all of the Ukraine to stop these types of things but it can topple the illegal regime of gangsters in Kiev and establish some government that will not persecute its own people, especially the Russian/Ukrainian Orthodox.

      A Ukrainian court had the audacity to convict Yanukovich, the last rightly elected president of Ukraine who was never constitutionally impeached, of various complicities against the Maidan movement. All of these people should be driven from power and locked up or otherwise disposed of.

      As the church stealings progress, eyes will increasingly turn to Putin.

      • Wise words, Misha. As you state, unless these people, Orthodox or not, must be disposed off. It is the only solution for such people. Putin is our only solution, as no one else has the power or will to correct this mess. Perhaps a sign.

        And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times.(Daniel 7:25)

        And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.(2 Thessalonians 2:8

        For false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that was possible.(Matthew 24:24)

      • Tim R. Mortiss says

        And the best thing, Misha, inasmuch as Orthodoxy has no doctrine of “just war”, as you have said here in the past, his forces can do anything they like there!

        • I have always found Misha to be a good source of information. His ideas of what to do with said information are often concerning, to say the least. Lord, have mercy.

          • No Brian,
            Finally someone here(Misha) has the gumption to state what every devout Orthodox Christian is thinking,(even Greeks) and hoping for. Putin holds all the cards, but he waits like a tiger. He always plays the long game, and his timing always perfect. God is on his side, not the phony festival, pagan, Greeks and Nazi Ukrainians. Putin will come out of this spotless, as he is in the right to do so, and a true warrior for Christ!

            • Peter,

              Might I suggest you ponder the lives of Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar.

              Being used by God to accomplish His purposes is not tantamount to godliness.

              • Brian,
                Those stories do not apply. We must protect our churches from these thieves, and heretics. Putin is that man, he has all in the church of Holy Russia behind him. God is with Russia, not heretics. When he uses force to dispose the heretics in Ukraine, he will be seen as a great leader of Orthodoxy, and all other Orthodox churches, except corrupt Greeks will follow behind his divine wisdom.

                Putin need not even worry of Trump. Trump who can’t even out maneuver a 80 year old congresswomen from preventing his wall. Trump who could not build wall when he had both houses. Putin is a real man who does not need to pay women for sex, nor ask permission politically, to do as he wishes.

                • Peter,

                  I would beg anyone who shares your inclination to war to hear the words of Met. Onuphry himself.

                  And lest there be any misunderstanding, I otherwise agree with you about these impostors and enemies of the Church.

                • Tim R. Mortiss says

                  Peter’s short post has convinced me that it would be best if we all had our keyboards taken away and that we all go permanently back to real life. Those who wish to stand on windy corners on soapboxes crying forth their fervid convictions could still do so! But their audiences, as in those blissful times of yore, would be small…

                  ‘Greeks will follow behind his divine wisdom’, he shouts! Passersby raise their collars against the rain and rant, and hurry past….

                  • Tim,
                    Did I misspeak? Is not Putin blessed by our true Patriarchy and God? Is not Putin and our blessed MP leading Holy Russia away from a heathen nation like Trumps? The Greeks had their chance and made their choice. Wise Greeks like George and his blessed blog should listen to the truth he brings via his blog, and submit to Holy Russia Patriarchy. Russia should look to take Mount Athos as well, before Greeks corrupt that as well.

                  • Tim,
                    Did I misspeak? Is not Putin blessed by our true Patriarchy and God? Is not Putin and our blessed MP leading Holy Russia away from a heathen nation like Trumps? The Greeks had their chance and made their choice. Wise Greeks like George and his blessed blog should listen to the truth he brings via his blog, and submit to Holy Russia Patriarchy. Russia should look to take Mount Athos as well, before Greeks corrupt that as well. This blog should awaken you from deciding from the Holy and corrupt so you may choose the right path away from Greek pagans and heretics.

                    • Tim R. Mortiss says

                      “Is Putin not blessed by God?” cries the mendicant at Hyde Park Corner. The citizens hurry by, refusing the proffered tract….

                    • Loscanis Cotonikas says

                      Like any ferral child the Russians and their supporters distort the facts to excuse themselves. During the Revolution Mennonite Catherine was seen as a fellow masonic reformer but with Anna of Courland’s rejection of masonic Galitsine’s Magna Carta, relations soured. The USA enever saw Russia as a friend. Lincoln repeatedly saw Russian serfdom as worse than Amerian slavery. Central Europeans fleeing the 1848 oppression freed Americas slaves, built American industry and tamed the vast farmland of the midwest. Former president Ulysses Grant was one of the main initiators of a rally in New York in 1882 protesting anti-Jewish atrocities in Russia. The Crimean War was seen as a Crusade against the Heresy of Photius, during which the predecessor Prometheus Plan neutralized Greece. Americans always loved Turks, following Gibbon. The American Indian language is two thirds Turkish. Ireand and Englang have Turkish lineage through the Vikings via Lapps and Finss. And Germans via Huns. America was always a Turkish nation. During the winter of 1861–1862, the Imperial Russian Navy sent two fleets to American waters to avoid their getting trapped if a war broke out with Britain and France. Many Americans at the time viewed this as an intervention on behalf of the Union, though historians deny this. Thomas A. Bailey, “The Russian Fleet Myth Re-Examined,” Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Jun., 1951), pp. 81–90

                    • George Michalopulos says

                      Well, if it wasn’t for the Russians (specifically Tsar Aleksandr II) you’d be whistling “Dixie” at baseball games.

                    • Loscanis Cotonikas says: “Lincoln repeatedly saw Russian serfdom as worse than Amerian slavery.”

                      Was he really so stupid? Either way, the serfdom was abolished in Russia about the same time, and without bloody civil war.

        • Tim,

          I don’t think they can do “anything they like”. No one is hunting Russians these days like Amalek did Israel. That is what justified “anything”.

          The RF would probably be about as harsh as it was with Georgia, maybe less so. Treating Ukrainians like Chechens is probably out of the question. The Chechens were a much closer analogy to the cases of total war in the Old Testament. And they finally folded under a leader who became a darling of Moscow – Kadyrov.

          Sometimes total war pays. That’s why God, the Father of Jesus Christ, ordered it in the old days.

          • I do worry about Mischa, certainly no turn the other cheek sort of guy is he?

          • Tim R. Mortiss says

            Ah, Misha, but they are “vermin” as you yourself call them.

            Get a bishop to bless the forces, beat the wives to keep them obedient and true for the nonce, and exterminate the….vermin.

            Orthodoxy in action!

  137. Greatly Saddened says

    UA185
    Below please find yet another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PHILARET DENISENKO REVEALS HOW UKRAINIAN LAWS CAN BE USED TO SEIZE KIEV, POCHAEV LAVRAS
    Kiev, January 24, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118857.html

  138. Greatly Saddened says

    UA186
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Romfea News website.

    Home – Orthodoxy – Churches – Church of Ukraine

    Filaret: There is no “new Church” – The Tomos was given to the” Patriarchate of Kiev”
    by NewsRoom 
    Jan 23, 2019 | 20:21
    By Romfea.News

    https://www.romfea.news/filaretos-there-is-no-new-church-the-tomos-was-given-to-the-patriarchate-of-kiev/?fbclid=IwAR1X0Zw5TKonBCCXQOf99-umpeKHZ5Rps4sbsZNVh5zgAIgTrMf_FOq-yh8

  139. Greatly Saddened says

    GOAItaly&Malta1
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Orthodoxy in Dialogue website.

    GREEK METROPOLITAN OF VENICE SUSPENDS PRIEST of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe
    JANUARY 23, 2019 
    THE EDITORS

    https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2019/01/23/greek-metropolitan-of-venice-suspends-priest-of-the-archdiocese-of-russian-orthodox-churches-in-western-europe/

  140. Greatly Saddened says

    UA187
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    CZECH HIERARCH: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE IS UNBELIEVABLE
    Kiev, January 25, 2019

    “There is no ‘super Church,’ having authority over the others,” Abp. Jaraj said. “Never in the history of the Church has autocephaly been granted to schismatic groups without the petition of the canonical Church,” he added.

    http://orthochristian.com/118888.html

  141. Greatly Saddened says

    MP17
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PRIMATES, REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL CHURCHES GATHERING FOR PAT. KIRILL’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY WILL DISCUSS UKRAINE
    Moscow, January 25, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118874.html

  142. Greatly Saddened says

    OCRTWE1
    Below please find an article from Wednesday on the Orthodoxy in Dialogue website.

    LETTER TO PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW from Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe
    JANUARY 23, 2019 
    THE EDITORS

    https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2019/01/23/letter-to-patriarch-bartholomew-from-orthodox-churches-of-russian-tradition-in-western-europe/

  143. Greatly Saddened says

    UA188
    Below please find another article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    KIEV SCHEMA-ARCHIMANDRITE APPEALS TO GEORGIAN CHURCH NOT TO RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS
    Kiev, January 25, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118895.html

  144. Greatly Saddened says

    EP50
    Below please find an article from yesterday on the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle – Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate website.

    National Commander Limberakis explains the Importance of the Virtual Town Meeting on Ukraine Autocephaly in an Article at Public Orthodoxy

    https://www.archons.org/-/national-commander-limberakis-explains-the-importance-of-the-virtual-town-meeting-on-ukraine-autocephaly-in-an-article-in-public-orthodoxy

  145. Greatly Saddened says

    NYGOVERNORACUOMO1

    Simply amazing … it seems it is illegal to kill unhatched Bald Eagles, yet legal to kill unborn humans

    Below please find an article from yesterday on The Washington Post website.

    Acts of Faith | Perspective
    Catholics want New York’s Gov. Cuomo to be excommunicated for his abortion policy
    By JD Flynn
    January 25, 2019 at 7:00 AM

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/01/25/catholics-want-gov-cuomo-be-excommunicated-his-abortion-policy/

  146. Greatly Saddened says

    OCRTWE2
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    ANOTHER ITALIAN PARISH SWITCHES FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ROCOR
    Sanremo, Italy, January 26, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118916.html

  147. Greatly Saddened says

    MP18
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    RUSSIAN CHURCH OPENS ABOUT 1,000 NEW PARISHES EVERY YEAR
    Moscow, January 28, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118950.html

  148. Greatly Saddened says

    OPSUSA1
    Below please find a press release from today by the Orthodox Palestine Society USA on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW, POROSHENKO, THE WEST MEDDLING IN UKRAINIAN CHURCH, SAYS ORTHODOX PALESTINE SOCIETY
    New York, January 28, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118944.html

  149. Greatly Saddened says

    UA189
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    PHILARET DENISENKO REVEALS HIS CHILDHOOD ASCETICISM TO APPLAUDING CROWD, SAYS ANGEL TOOK UP ABODE IN HIM (+ VIDEO)
    Kiev, January 28, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118937.html

  150. Greatly Saddened says

    BulgarianOC5
    Below please find an article from yesterday on The Sophia Globe website.

    January 27, 2019
    Bulgarian Orthodox Church Denies Deciding On Independence Of Ukrainian Church

    https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/01/27/bulgarian-orthodox-church-denies-deciding-on-independence-of-ukrainian-church/

  151. Greatly Saddened says

    COG13
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Romfea News website.

    Home – Orthodoxy – Churches – Church of Greece
    Archbishop Ieronymos II condemns the desecration of Synagogues and Jewish Cemeteries
    by NewsRoom
    Jan 28, 2019 | 16:26
    by Romfea.news

    https://www.romfea.news/archbishop-ieronymos-ii-condemns-the-desecration-of-synagogues-and-jewish-cemeteries/?fbclid=IwAR3G4Dxpn36iMx4SH-SUZ0GHBU_NPaeffPaqNDH3L-IjRsfQvkG8bUOnwcM

  152. Greatly Saddened says

    ROC7
    Below please find a press release from today on the Basilica Romania website.

     » Press Releases » 
    CROCEU, COMECE, CEC representatives meet with Patriarch Daniel
    Published by Aurelian Iftimiu 28.01.2019

    http://basilica.ro/en/croceu-comece-cec-representatives-meet-with-patriarch-daniel/?fbclid=IwAR2Eyb3ynPcOjpXKnWpcB_5VCIZFdoQeorYJ-aBeQUEB2DWL5otZwwc_jes

  153. Greatly Saddened says

    EP51
    Below please find an article from Friday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    ABOUT GOOD DOCTOR AIBOLIT AND THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
    Priest Sergei Begiyan
    Translated by Jesse Dominick
    Pravoslavie.ru
    1/25/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118892.html

  154. Greatly Saddened says

    UA190
    Below please find an article from Sunday on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE “HOLY CHURCH OF UKRAINE”: WHO HAS MORE INDEPENDENCE?
    Kirill Alexandrov
    Translated by Jesse Dominick
    Union of Orthodox Journalists
    1/27/2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118887.html

  155. Greatly Saddened says

    UA191
    Below please find an article from Saturday on the Asian News website.

    01/26/2019, 14.08
    TURKEY – UKRAINE – RUSSIA
    For Bartholomew, the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an act of justice
    by NAT da Polis

    http://www.asianews.it/news-en/For-Bartholomew%2C-the-autocephaly-of-the-Ukrainian-Orthodox-Church-is-an-act-of-justice-46079.html

  156. Greatly Saddened says

    COG14
    Below please find an article from today on the Orthodox Christianity website.

    GREEK CHURCH UNDER PRESSURE FROM POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, DIPLOMATIC FIELDS TO RECOGNIZE UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS
    Athens, January 29, 2019

    http://orthochristian.com/118976.html