New Bishops

H.G.Alexios Mar Eusebius

No, not those bishops; there are plenty of places to lose your Lenten peace over that.

On March 2, the Malankara Orthodox Church (Indian non-Chalcedonian Orthodox under the Catholicos Didymus I) appointed two new bishops for North America: H.G. Zacharia Mar Nicolavos is appointed Assistant Metropolitan attached to the North East Diocese of America, and H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebius is Metropolitan of the Diocese of South West America.

Many other dioceses were also created.

Many years to all.

And the Patriarch of Moscow Is....

Met. KIRILL, elected Patriarch of Moscow on Tuesday

Of course, most of you heard days ago, but in case you did not: Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad has been elected Patriarch of Moscow. Kirill received 508 votes, with Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk receiving 169. According to one news source, "Shortly before results were announced Vesti TV reported a miracle—the Cathedral’s Mother of God Icon began 'streaming myrrh very intensively.'" I know little about him, and nothing of his view of the Western Rite, but may God lead His servant and grant him many years.

His Holiness Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow, Memory Eternal

Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow, 1929-2008.

It is my sad duty to report that His Holiness ALEXY II of Moscow has reposed in the Lord. Below is an official news release. In addition to leading the Church of Russia into a post-Communist era, he repented of previous collaboration necessitated by that evil regime and reconciled ROCOR into communion with the patriarchate. His Holiness also supported the idea, and the reality, of the Western Rite, though usually covertly. He led his Church well, and placed the Church on a more solid footing than he received. God will reward his work. Requiescat in pace.

His Holiness Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow and All Russia, 79, reposed this morning, December 5th, 2008. A session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will take place on Saturday, December 6th, to elect Patriarchal Locum Tenens who will chair the Memorial Commission. The Holy Synod will announce the time of the funeral of His Holiness Patriarch ALEXY.

_____________________________________

ALEXY II

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW

AND ALL RUSSIA

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

His Holiness Patriarchy Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia is the fifteenth Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church since the establishment of the Patriarchal office in Russia (1589). Patriarch Alexy (secular name Alexey Mikhailovich Ridiger) was born on 23 February 1929 in Tallinn, Estonia, into the family of deeply believing people. Patriarch's father Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger (+1962), a native of St.Petersburg, studied at the Law College, graduated from the gymnasium while in emigration in Estonia, and in 1940 graduated from the three-year Theological course in Tallinn and was ordained deacon, and then later priest. For sixteen years he was Rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Tallinn, and member and later chairman of the Diocesan Council. His Holiness's mother, Yelena Iosifovna Pisareva (+1959) was born in Revel (now Tallinn).

Every year the parents of His Holiness went on a pilgrimage with their son to the Convent of the Holy Assumption in Puhtica and to the Holy Assumption Monastery of the Caves in Pskov. In the late 1930s they made two pilgrimages to the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of our Lord on Lake Ladoga. These pilgrimages largely determined the spiritual way of life of the future Patriarch. From his early childhood Alexey Ridiger served in the church under the guidance of his spiritual father Archpriest Ioann Bogoyavlensky, later Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia (+1949); from 1944 to 1947 was senior subdeacon of Archbishop Pavel (Dmitrievsky) of Tallinn and Estonia (+1946) and later of Bishop Isidor. Alexey Ridiger studied at the Russian secondary school in Tallinn. In 1945 subdeacon Alexey was instructed to prepare the Cathedral of St.Alexander Nevsky in Tallinn for opening so that divine services could be resumed there (the Cathedral was closed during the wartime occupation). From May 1945 to October 1946 he was an altar boy and sacristan of the Cathedral. From 1946 he served as psalm-reader in St.Simeon's Church and from 1947 - in the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Tallinn.

He entered the Leningrad (now St.Petersburg) Theological Seminary and graduated from it with honours in 1949. When a student of the Leningrad (now St.Petersburg) Theological Academy, Alexey Ridiger was ordained deacon on 15 April 1950 and priest on 17 April and appointed Rector of the Church of the Epiphany in Johvi, Tallinn diocese. In 1953 Fr.Alexey graduated from the Theological Academy with honours and with the degree of the Candidate of Theology.

On 15 July 1957 Fr.Alexy was appointed Rector of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Tallinn and Dean of the Tartu district. On 17 August 1958 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest. On 30 March 1959 he was appointed Dean of the united Tartu-Vilyandis deanery of the Tallinn diocese. On 3 March 1961 he took his monastic vows in the Trinity Cathedral of the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St.Sergius. On 14 August 1961 hieromonk Alexy was nominated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia and entrusted with temporary administration of the Riga diocese. On 21 August 1961 hieromonk Alexy was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite. On 3 September 1961 Archimandrite Alexy was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia in the Cathedral of St.Alexander Nevsky in Tallinn.

On 14 November 1961 Bishop Alexy was appointed deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. On 23 June 1964 Bishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of Archbishop. On 22 December 1964 Archbishop Alexy was appointed Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate and became permanent member of the Holy Synod. He was Chancellor till 20 July 1986. On 7 May 1965 Archbishop Alexy was appointed Chairman of the Education Committee. Archbishop Alexy was a member of the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity and Interchurch Relations from 17 October 1963 to 1979.

On 25 February 1968 Archbishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. From 10 March 1970 to 1 September 1986 he supervised the Pensions Committee, the task of which was to provide pensions to the clergy and employees of the church organizations, as well as to their widows and orphans. On 18 June 1971 in consideration of his assiduous work for the carrying out of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of 1971 Metropolitan Alexy was honoured with the right of wearing the second panagia. Metropolitan Alexy performed executive functions as a member of the Commission for the Preparation and Execution of the 50^th (1968) and 60^th (1978) anniversary of the Revival of the Patriarchal Office in the Russian Orthodox Church, a member of the Holy Synod Commission for the Preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of 1971, chairman of its Procedural and Organizational Group and chairman of the Secretariat of the Local Council. From 23 December 1980 he was deputy chairman of the Commission for the Preparation and Execution of the Celebration of the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia and chairman of the Organizational Group of the Commission, and chairman of the Theological Group from September 1986. On 25 May 1983 he was appointed chairman of the Executive Commission for the Transfer of the Danilov Monastery, organization and execution of all works for its restoration and construction of the Spiritual and Administrative Centre of the Russian Orthodox Church on its territory. He retained this post till his appointment to the Leningrad (now St.Petersburg) See. On 29 June 1986 he was appointed Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod and entrusted with the administration of the Tallinn diocese.

On 7 June 1990 he was elected to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. The enthronement was held on 10 June 1990.

Activities of Metropolitan Alexy on the international scene: as a member of the delegation of Russian Orthodox Church - participant in the 3^rd Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in New Delhi (1961); a member of the WCC Central Committee (1961- 68); president of the World Conference 'Church and Society' (Geneva, Switzerland, 1966); member of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order (1964-68). As head of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation participated in theological talks with the delegation of the Evangelical Church in Germany 'Arnoldshain-II' (FRG, 1962), theological talks with the delegation of the Union of the Evangelical Churches in GDR 'Zagorsk-V' (the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St.Sergius, 1984), theological talks with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Leningrad and in Puhtica Convent (1989). More than twenty-five years Metropolitan Alexy laboured in the Conference of European Churches (CEC). In 1964 Metropolitan Alexy was elected a CEC president (member of the Presidium) and was several times re-elected at the CEC general assemblies. From 1971 - vice-president of the CEC Presidium and Advisory Committee. On 26 March 1987 he was elected chairman of the CEC Presidium and Advisory Committee. At the 8^th CEC General Assembly on Crete (1979) Metropolitan Alexy was the keynote speaker on 'In the Power of the Holy Spirit - to Serve the World'. From 1972 Metropolitan Alexy was a member of the Joint Committee of the Conference of European Churches and the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CECE) of the Roman Catholic Church. On 15-21 May 1989 in Basel, Switzerland, Metropolitan Alexy was co-chairman of the First European Ecumenical Assembly 'Peace with Justice' organized by CEC and CCEE. In September 1992 at the 10^th CEC Assembly the term of Patriarch Alexy II as CEC chairman expired. His Holiness made a report at the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz, Austria, in 1997. Metropolitan Alexy was an initiator and chairman of the four seminars of the Churches of the Soviet Union - members of CEC and the Churches, which maintained cooperation with this regional Christian organization. The seminars were held in the Puhtica Convent of the Assumption in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1989. Metropolitan Alexy took an active part in the work of international and national peace public organizations. From 1963 he was a member of the Board of the Soviet Peace Foundation, a participant of the constituent meeting of the 'Rodina' (Motherland) Society, at which he was elected member of the Society Board on 15 December 1975; re-elected on 27 May 1981 and on 10 December 1987. On 24 October 1980 at the 5^th All-Union Conference of the Soviet-Indian Friendship Society was elected its vice-president. On 11 March 1989, he was elected a member of the Board of the Slavonic Literature and Slavonic Cultures Foundation. He was a delegate of the World Christian Conference 'Life and Peace' in Uppsala, Sweden (20-24 April 1983) and elected one of its presidents. From 24 January 1990 - member of the Board of the Soviet Charity and Health Foundation; from 8 February 1990 - a member of the Presidium of the Leningrad Culture Foundation. In 1989 he was elected people's deputy of the USSR on behalf of the Charity and Health Foundation.

Co-chairman of the Russian Organizational Committee for the Millennium Celebrations (1998-2000). An Interconfessional Conference 'Christian Faith and Human Enmity' was held in Moscow in 1994 on the initiative and with the participation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. His Holiness chaired the Conference of the Christian Interconfessional Consultative Committee ''Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday and Today and for Ever' (Heb 13:8). Christianity on the Threshold of the Third Millennium' (1999) and the Interreligious Peace Forum (Moscow, 2000).

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy is an honourary member of the St.Petersburg and Moscow Theological Academies and the Orthodox Academy on Crete, Greece; Doctor of Theology of the St.Petersburg Theological Academy (1984); Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the Theological Academy in Debrecen of the Reformed Church in Hungary and of the Jan Amos Komensky Theological Faulty in Prague; Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the General Seminary of the Episcopal Church in the USA (1991); Doctor of Theology honoris causa of St.Vladimir's Theological Seminary (Academy) in the USA (1991); Doctor of Theology honoris causa of St.Tikhon's Theological Seminary in the USA (1991). In 1992 elected full member of the Russian Academy of Education. Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the 'Alaska Pacific' University in Anchorage, Alaska, USA (1993). Prize winner of the A.Ye. Kulakovsky State Award of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 'For Outstanding Zealous Activity in the Consolidation of the Peoples of the Russian Federation' (1993). That same year His Holiness was given the degree of honorary professor of the Omsk State University for outstanding services to culture and education and honorary professor of the Moscow State University for outstanding services to the spiritual revival of Russia. 1994: Honorary Doctor of Philology of the St.Petersburg University (January 24) and Honorary Doctor of Theology of the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade (May 15). Honorary Doctor of Theology of the Tbilisi Theological Academy (Georgia, 1996); honorary member of the Public Supervisory Council for the Revival of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral. He was awarded the highest award of the Russian Federation - the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Order 'For Services to the Fatherland', many orders of the Local Orthodox Churches, state orders of different countries and awards of public organizations. In 2000 His Holiness the Patriarch was elected an honorary citizen of Moscow. He is an honorary citizen of St.Petersburg, Novgorod the Great, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Kalmykia, the cities of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov.

His Holiness was awarded with the national prizes 'Man of the Year', 'Outstanding People of the Decade (1990-2000) Promoting Prosperity and Fame of Russia', 'Russian National Olympus' and honorary public title 'Man of the Epoch'. His Holiness the Patriarch is the prizewinner of the international prize 'Perfection. Good. Glory' awarded by the Russian Biographical Institute (2001) and the main prize 'Person of the Year' awarded by the 'Top Secret' Holding (2002).

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy is the Chairman of the Patriarchal Synodal Bible Commission, editor-in-chief of the 'Orthodox Encyclopaedia' and Chairman of the Supervisory and Church Scholarly Council for the publication of the 'Orthodox Encyclopaedia', chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian 'Reconciliation and Accord' Charity Foundation and the head of the Board of Trustees of the National Military Foundation.

Throughout the years of his episcopal ministry Metropolitan Alexy visited many dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church and many countries of the world, attending many church events. Several hundred of his articles, presentations and works on theological, church and historical, peace and other topics were published in the church and secular press in Russia and abroad.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy headed the Bishops' Councils of 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2000 and has always chaired the sessions of the Holy Synod. As the Patriarch of All Russia he has visited 81 dioceses, many of which several times. Altogether he made 120 visits to the dioceses, primary objective of which was the pastoral care for distant communities, strengthening the unity of the church and bearing Church witness in society.

Throughout his episcopal ministry His Holiness Patriarch Alexy presided at 83 episcopal consecrations (more than 70 after his election to the Patriarchal Throne), ordained more than 400 priests and almost an equal number of deacons.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy pays great attention to the training of clergy for the Russian Orthodox Church, to the religious education of laymen and to the spiritual and moral education of the younger generation. For this purpose with the blessing of His Holiness the Theological seminaries, Theological colleges, and parish schools have been opened and structures for the development of religious education and catechization have been put in place. By 1995 it was already possible for the Church to re-establish its mission work. His Holiness pays great attention to building new relationship between the State and the Church in Russia. He adheres with conviction to the principle of separation between the mission of the Church and the functions of the state and of non-interference in the affairs of each other. At the same time he believes that the salutary ministry of the Church and the ministry of the state to society demand mutually free cooperation between the church, state and public institutions.

After many years of persecution and restriction the Church has regained the opportunity to carry out catechetical and religious-educational activity in society and also to carry out charitable work for the needy, in hospitals, homes for the elderly and prisons.

The pastoral approach of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy removes tension caused by unjustified fears and narrow corporate or personal interests between state institutions, responsible for the preservation of the monuments of culture, and the Church. His Holiness has signed several joint documents with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and with the leadership of several museums located on the territory of the monasteries, which have ecclesiastical, historical and spiritual importance. These agreements resolve the afore-mentioned problems and give new life to the monasteries. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy calls for close cooperation among representatives of all spheres of secular and church culture. He is constantly reminding of the necessity to revive morality and spiritual culture, to overcome artificial obstacles between secular and religious cultures and between secular science and religion. A number of joint documents signed by His Holiness have laid a foundation for the development of cooperation of the Church with health and social security systems, the armed forces, law enforcement, justice and culture institutions, and other state structures. An well-organized church system of care for servicemen and personnel of law enforcement bodies was set up with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. Throughout the period of political, social and economic reforms His Holiness Patriarch Alexy has constantly reminded people of the priority of moral aims over others, of the preference of the ministry to the good of society and concrete people in political and economic activities. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia continued the tradition of Christian peace service in the period of social and political crisis in Russia in autumn 1993, fraught with the threat of civil war and undertook the mission of calming political passions by inviting the conflicting parties to negotiations and being a mediator at them. The Patriarch put forward many peace initiatives in connection with the conflict in the Balkans, the Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation, hostilities in Moldavia, events in the North Caucasus, the situation in the Middle East, military operation against Iraq, etc.

Many new dioceses have been established throughout the years of the Patriarchal ministry of the present Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus many centres of spiritual and church administrative leadership emerged, which are located closer to the parishes and promote the revival of church life in the remote areas. As the ruling bishop of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II pays a lot of attention to the revival and development of life within the dioceses and parishes. This work has become the pattern for the structuring of diocesan and parish life in other places.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church tirelessly works for the building up of church life and calls upon all members of the Church without any exception to participate in it more actively and responsibly on conciliar basis. He pays great attention to the problems of fraternal cooperation among all Orthodox Churches in common witness to the Truth of Christ to the world. His Holiness considers cooperation among different Christian confessions for the sake of meeting the needs of the modern world as a Christian obligation and as a way of fulfilling the commandment of Christ on unity. Peace and accord in society, to which Patriarch Alexy constantly appeals, embrace benevolent mutual understanding and cooperation among the followers of different religions and philosophies of life.

New OCA Metropolitan JONAH

Met. JONAH (Paffhausen) of the OCA

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has elected a new Metropolitan: His Eminence JONAH (Paffhausen). Its website announced:

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, His Grace, Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth was elected Archbishop of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the 15^th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America.

After joining the Orthodox Church in 1978, he earned two Master's degrees from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, then began working toward a Ph.D. at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. (If he went to Berkeley and remained Orthodox, that is a very good sign.) He went on to live in Russia, then to join Valaam Monastery, where his spiritual father blessed him to become a priest-monk. (Imagine, a monk who belonged to an established monastery, who waited on others to confirm his call.) He has been a priest since 1995, tonsured a monk at St. Tikhon's Monastery, and helped found numerous missions.

In the spring of 2008, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America elevated Fr. Jonah to the rank of Archimandrite and he was given the obedience to leave the monastery and take on the responsibilities of auxiliary bishop and chancellor for the Diocese of the South.

Bishop Jonah's episcopal election took place on September 4, 2008, at an extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops. Earlier in the summer, his candidacy was endorsed by the Diocese of the South's Diocesan Council, shortly after Bishop Jonah had participated in the diocese's annual assembly.

Bishop Jonah was consecrated Bishop of Forth Worth and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the South, at St. Seraphim Cathedral, Dallas, TX, on Saturday, November 1, 2008.

Incidentally, Met. JONAH is a former Episcopalian.

Several members have provided links to media for this occasion:

Videos

• Announcement of Met. JONAH's Election; and
  
• First Proclamation of the Diptychs.

Audio

• Address to the All-American Council on Nov. 11;
• Divine Liturgy and Met. JONAH's homily on Nov. 12; and
  
• Met. JONAH's address to Banquet on Nov. 12.
  

He is not entering the hierarchy at a time of smooth sailing. May God lead him in this difficult time. Many years to him.

Unearthing Orthodox Scotland

Archeologists are analyzing a dig of Portmahomack, a pre-Schism monastery in Scotland possibly founded by St. Columba. The British media has reported a number of their surprised findings, including the realization that the Picts were not exactly vicious savages:

A study of one the most important archaeological discoveries in Scotland for 30 years, a Pictish monastery at Portmahomack on the Tarbat peninsula in Easter Ross, has found that they were capable of great art, learning and the use of complex architectural principles.

The monastery – an enclosure centred on a church thought to have housed about 150 monks and workers – was similar to St Columba's religious centre at Iona and there is evidence they would have made gospel books similar to the Book of Kells and religious artefacts such as chalices to supply numerous "daughter monasteries".

And, in a discovery described as "astonishing, mind-blowing" by architectural historians, it appears that the people who built the monastery did so using the proportions of "the Golden Section", or "Divine Proportion" as it became known during the Renaissance hundreds of years later. This ratio of dimensions, 1.618 to one, appears in nature, such as in the spiral of seashells, and the faces of people considered beautiful, such as Marilyn Monroe. It can be seen in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Alhambra palace of Granada in Spain, the Acropolis in Athens and the Egyptian Pyramids, but was thought to have been too advanced for the Picts.

Martin Carver, Archeology professor at York University, adds, "They were the most extraordinary artists....Even the Anglo-Saxons didn't do stone-carving as well as the Picts did...The most important piece had a Latin inscription. That's as common as muck in the Mediterranean, but extremely rare in Scotland."

The story continues:

The monastery at Portmahomack suffered a major fire in the ninth century and several stone sculptures were smashed, suggesting it was sacked by an invading force, likely to be Vikings intent on expanding their territories in northern Scotland. The site continued to be occupied but at this point evidence of a monastic settlement disappears.

So, sculptures were an Orthodox part of the Pictish Church and the pagan Viking iconoclasts did the work of Satan by smashing them.

Carver adds, "Portmahomack got burnt down pretty definitively round about 820. The idea is they were under new masters. It could be the Norse or the Men of Moray, MacBeth and his family. I think Portmahomack was captured by the Men of Moray. The Norse wanted it badly but they didn't get it. There is no Norse material there. There was no more vellum-making and sculpture and it stopped being a monastery. In the ninth to 11th centuries, they are making metal work, but that's the real Dark Age."

Portmahomack: Monastery of the Picts is published by Edinburgh University Press.

A highly interesting report.

(Hat tip: Way of the Fathers)

Met. PHILIP Responds to the Jerusalem Patriarchate Transfer

Here's Metropolitan PHILIP's letter on the topic:

August 7th, 2008

To: The Esteemed Hierarchs, Members of The Archdiocese Board of Trustees, Clergy and Faithftil of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America:

On August 5, 2008, The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America issued a press release which established a vicariate with the name 'Vicariate for Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA'. The membership of this vicariate will consist of those communities in the USA which were originally part of the Patriarchate of Antioch, but most recently (since 1993) were uncanonically claimed by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From an historical perspective, it has been clear since the disintegration of Orthodox unity which existed in North America until 1917, that the Arabic-speaking Orthodox people in North America have been exclusively under the pastoral care of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Similarly, the Greek-speaking Orthodox people (e.g. Cypriot, Greek, Egyptian, Turkish, etc.) have always been under the pastoral care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. What reaction would occur if the Antiochian Archdiocese were to establish a vicariate for Greek communities which separate themselves from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese?!

These former "Jerusalem Patriarchate" communities separated themselves from the Antiochian Archdiocese without canonical releases, and in some cases are served by priests who are under canonical suspension. It is important to point out that since this separation occurred in 1993 we have taken extraordinary measures to reconcile these communities with The Antiochian Archdiocese and have appealed to both the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Antioch as well as others for their assistance. Unfortunately, none of our numerous appeals for intervention were answered.

As such, our directive of May 2, 2003 remains in force. To emphasize the main point or that directive, the clergy of The Antiochian Archdiocese are still forbidden from communing and/or concelebrating with any clergy who are a part of this newly-formed "Vicariate far Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA" of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, whether in our parishes, their parishes, or as a part of pan-Orthodox gatherings.

We lament this action by the Ecumenical Patriarchate which further complicates the already uncanonical jurisdictional situation here and continues to undermine the efforts of all Orthodox hierarchs of SCOBA to achieve administrative unity and canonical normalcy in North America.

Praying that this urgent situation will be resolved in a spirit of peace, harmony and love, we remain

Yours In Christ,
Metropolitan PHILIP
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America

Copy to:
His Beadtude IGNATIUS IV, Patriarch of Antioch and All The East
His Holiness ALEXY, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
His All-Holiness BARTHOLOMEW, Patriarch or Constantinople
His Beatitude THEOPHILOS, patriarch of Jerusalem
All Hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA)

Jerusalem Patriarchate Bows Out of North America

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has announced that the Jerusalem Patriarchate has relinquished its parishes in North America to Abp. DEMETRIOS.

Henceforth, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem no longer asserts any jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere.

After an April 1 meeting between H.A-H. BARTHOLOMEW I and Patriarch THEOPHILUS III of Jerusalem:

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America was directed to proceed with the implementation of the agreements by the creation of a Vicariate for the inclusion of the clergy and communities within the Archdiocese of America. The official name of the Vicariate is: “Vicariate for Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA.”

The clergy and communities of the Vicariate will be directly under the Archbishop of America and will report to the Archdiocese through the Vicar. Through the Archdiocese, all of these clergy and communities will be able to participate in the programs and agencies of SCOBA.

I don't understand the church politics of this enough to know its significance; I just thought the news more than merited mention.

The Newest "Threat to Christianity!"

Stop me if you've heard this one before: the secular media report a recent archeological discovery that is supposed to shake Christianity's most sacred doctrines down to their foundation. Except, when one examines the fine print, the facts don't quite add up. It's happened again. (The media earns points for originality by releasing it sometime other than Lent, unlike the last few stories.)

I'd meant to write something about the newest chapter in this saga, but put it off until I heard Dr. Clark Carlton's newest podcast on the subject. Although I frequently find myself differing with him, Carlton hit the nail on the head about this one.

The newest drive-by assault on our religion has to do with the proper interpretation of the Suffering Servant written of in Isaiah 53. (The passage actually begins in the last few verses of chapter 52.)

The London Times headline blares, "Dead Sea tablet 'casts doubt on death and resurrection of Jesus.' " That sounds like they found the Body, doesn't it? So, what's so all-fired important? A recently discovered stone, which is written on and not engraved, contains an apocalyptic text known as "Gabriel's Vision of Revelation." The New York Times says this stone dates from the first century B.C. The media report this text, if correctly interpreted, discusses a Messiah named Simon who suffers and dies for Israel's redemption, then rises after three days.

For one thing, it's not at all clear that the text is correct. You see, "A previous paper published by the scholars Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elitzur concluded that the most controversial lines were indecipherable." The New York Times adds, "the stone is broken, and some of the text is faded, meaning that much of what it says is open to debate."

But the (London) Times goes forward, "Israel Knohl, a biblical studies professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argued Monday that line 80 of the text revealed Gabriel telling an historic Jewish rebel named Simon, who was killed by the Romans four years before the birth of Christ: 'In three days you shall live, I, Gabriel, command you.'" (He also says the tablet calls this leader the "Prince of Princes." This is rather like the Apocalypse's "King of Kings," don't you think?)

The New York Times spins, "If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time." Moreover, this was Knohl's desire. "Mr. Knohl posited in a book published in 2000 the idea of a suffering messiah before Jesus, using a variety of rabbinic and early apocalyptic literature as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls. But his theory did not shake the world of Christology as he had hoped, partly because he had no textual evidence from before Jesus." (Emphasis added.)

The story continues:

He says further that such a suffering messiah is very different from the traditional Jewish image of the messiah as a triumphal, powerful descendant of King David.

“This should shake our basic view of Christianity,” he said as he sat in his office of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem where he is a senior fellow in addition to being the Yehezkel Kaufman Professor of Biblical Studies at Hebrew University.

I see. So, an artifact that "is very different from the traditional Jewish image of the messiah" and presents a fundamental contradiction to anti-Messianic polemics voiced in the pitched battles against Christians "should shake our basic view of Christianity"? Gotcha....

Unfortunately for the secular media, Christians have always taught that the Hebrew Scriptures foretold a Suffering Servant, and that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in His life. This tablet, if true, would be the smoking gun to prove Christians were right. If Knohl were correct, this discovery would not shake up Christology but destroy one steadfast argument against a Christological interpretation of the Old Testament.

In fact, it has been an underpinning of certain individuals who oppose Christianity that Judaism had no "suffering servant" view of the Messiah. They insist that Christianity invented this doctrine after the Crucifixion. Take, for instance, Jews for Judaism. Answering the question of whether the prophecy in Isaiah 53 of the Suffering Servant referred to Jesus, the group writes emphatically:

It is apparent from the Gospels that before and for sometime after the crucifixion Jesus' own disciples didn't view Isaiah 53 as referring to a suffering messiah who would die for the sins of the people and then be resurrected. It was only in the post-crucifixion period that these notions developed among the followers of Jesus. There is simply no evidence that this was a Jewish interpretation of the passage. The Question remains as to who are the Jews contemporary with Jesus that supposedly held to what has become the present Christian understanding of the meaning of Isaiah 53? They simply cannot be identified because they never existed.

Thanks be to God the Ethiopian eunuch did not go to them!

But this revisionist viewpoint did not begin with this 21st century group. Origen, later condemned as an heretic, discussed how Jews in his day held "that these predictions bore reference to the whole people, regarded as one individual, and as being in a state of dispersion and suffering, in order that many proselytes might be gained, on account of the dispersion of the Jews among numerous heathen nations."

However, a different interpretation of Isaiah 53 has continued to this day. In fact, Rabbi Alan J. Iser referred to this on one episode of "The Illumined Heart" on Ancient Faith Radio.

On the other hand, Christians have been teaching a Messianic interpretation since the very beginning, both in the New Testament and in the earliest patristic writings.

Some Christian apologists have taught there were two traditions of a Messiah at the time of Christ, but only the second was preached. That was Messiah Ben David, the conquering king. But he was preceded, in Jewish tradition, by Messiah Ben Joseph, who was to be a Suffering Servant, and if this Messiah had been taught, it would have been more obvious that Jesus had come in this role.

What is clear is that this stone casts no doubts on Christianity but affirms one of its central tenets. It undermines arguments against Christianity. And the anti-Christian media spun the story exactly backwords, because that fit their agenda.

(Mind you, there are some "Orthodox" who think the Crucifixion was incidental, and we in no way should value, emphasize, or meditate upon it in conjunction with our ever-present focus on the Resurrection. Maybe this will cause them to rethink their extremist position, as well.)

You can hear Dr. Clark Carlton's podcast here.

Orthodoxy in Russia: Year 1020

The Orthodox Church is marking 1,020 years of Orthodoxy in ancient Rus by proving Orthodox hierarchs don't always fight.

Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow and Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW I of Constantinople celebrated a Divine Liturgy together yesterday in Kiev, now part of hotly contested Ukrainia.

Spraznikom!

The Very Rev. Fr. David (Charles) Lynch, RIP

The Very Rev. Fr. David (Charles) Lynch, Archpriest, 1936-2008. RIP.

The Very Rev. Fr. David (Charles) Lynch, Archpriest, passed into eternal life Sunday afternoon. Family members report Fr. Lynch was "surrounded by his family and Fr. Patrick H. Reardon, all of whom offered prayers for him the whole day and at the moment of his departure." He was 72. He fell asleep at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 29 — the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. He is survived by his loving wife, Kh. Martha (who is an accomplished iconographer); two daughters (Margaret and Caroline); and five grandchildren (Sarah, Justin, Nathan, Dimitri, and Lazarus).

Fr. David Lynch was born in 1936 in Indiana and educated in Michigan. Before becoming Orthodox, he served as an Episcopalian priest. He attended Incarnation Church in Detroit while it was still a PECUSA parish. In the 1970s, after the then-Charles Lynch's tenure, Incarnation Church would join the Orthodox Church and become the first parish to celebrate the Liturgy of St. Tikhon.

Fr. Lynch would soon follow the parish into the Church. Fr. Lynch served many years at St. Augustine Orthodox Church (AWRV) in Denver, Colorado. Although he had spent many years as an Episcopal priest, he gladly served in the Gregorian rite, presiding over not only its spiritual life but also a beautiful musical program. After retiring, he moved to Crystal Lake, Illinois, and became attached to All Saints Orthodox Church in Chicago, serving alongside Fr. Patrick Reardon; Fr. Lynch enthusiastically praised both. He seemed to grow only busier in "retirement," criss-crossing the country to serve at the newly reformed Holy Incarnation Church (including celebrating its first Easter Mass in 2007), field inquiries about the Western Rite, and speak to seeking congregations (including more than one Charismatic Episcopal Church parish). How appropriate such a pastor, with a heart for gathering God's lost sheep, passed away on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

After suffering a fall, he fought back valiantly and showed great progress. The family stated they received an incredible outpouring of support, both during his recovery and following his passing. May our thoughts and prayers be with them in their suffering, as they will be with Fr. Lynch for his blessed repose.

The wake will take place on Wednesday, July 2, from 4-8:30 p.m., and a Requiem Mass will be offered on Thursday, July 3 at 11 a.m., both at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, located at 1449 N. Quentin Rd. in Palatine, Illinois. Interment will follow at Windridge Memorial Park in Palatine.

Fr. Lynch passed away in the Diocese of Toledo, so Bp. MARK is asking all Orthodox of the Byzantine Rite to pray a prayer rope for Fr. Lynch, saying on each knot, "O Lord Jesus Christ, grant rest to the soul of Thy departed servant." Those of the Western Rite can offer appropriate prayers as well.

Fr. Lynch will be greatly missed by all those who knew him, including this author.

Requiescat in Pace.

Additional Tributes:

• From the Antiochian.org website
• Official Obituary from the Chicago Tribune
• Sign his online Guest Book
• Touchstone Magazine's tribute
• Fr. John Fenton
• Benedict Seraphim
  

Pope Shenouda III: Pentecost (and His Health)

For those who hadn't heard, we're sorry to report Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic Church, broke his femur last week and had to have surgery. According to his hospital, the 84-year-old is "recovering well." Thank God for his recovery. Although we are not in communion with the pope nor his church, we have wished him well in the past, and he continues to preside over Christians living amidst adverse conditions. In honor of the Feast of Pentecost, and with wishes for his full and speedy recovery, here is one of his articles on the operation of the Third Person of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit in the Church of the Apostles
by Pope Shenouda III

The descending of the Holy Spirit was the beginning of the work of the Christian Church. The Lord Jesus Christ started forming the Church when He chose the twelve apostles and sent them out (Matthew 10:1-16). He also appointed seventy others whom He also sent out (Luke 10:1-20), with separate groups of His beloved ones and disciples. Even though He appointed the apostles, He allowed them to start preaching only after the descending of the Holy Spirit upon them. This great occurrence was the point of great conversion in the beginning of preaching on the largest scale.

The Holy Spirit was the One who gave the necessary power for the work of preaching. The sending of the Holy Spirit was a promise from the Lord (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7), however, despite this He said to them, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:29). Where will this power come from? He said to them regarding this, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8).

The Spirit of God was essential to them for they could not work without Him. The Holy Spirit worked with them in preaching and teaching. They waited according to the Lord's command. Their previous preparation for service which lasted more than three years did not dispense them of the Holy Spirit and His work in and with them. Perhaps these ten days which they waited were days of prayer and hope, from the heart, in preparation for the coming work.

How did the Holy Spirit descend?

1. The Holy Spirit descended upon them in the shape of tongues of fire. The result was that, "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4). They spoke the tongues of all the nations gathered on that great day (people from about 15 nations), speaking about the glories of God (Acts 2:9-11). Peter spoke and the result was that the audience were cut to the heart, accepted the words with joy; three thousand were baptized on that day (Acts 2:37,41).
2. Thereafter, they granted the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, just as had occurred to the people of Samaria; the Bible says that the apostles sent Peter and John to them, "who when they had come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit...Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:15,17). Likewise with the people of Ephesus, as the book of the Acts of the Apostles states, "And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
3. The Holy Spirit was then granted by the Holy Anointment. This is because there was no opportunity for the laying on of hands by the apostles after the spread of Christianity in many countries. Therefore, Christianity usd what is now known as the Holy Myron (Chrism). Saint John the Apostle alluded to this anointment by saying, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One...: (1 John 2:20) and, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you..." (1 John 2:27) (Also see 2 Corinthians 1:21).
4. As for the priesthood, the apostles received this through the Holy Breath. The Lord Jesus Christ breathed on them, "...and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22,23).
   

Thus, the Holy Spirit who was in them forgave or retained sins through them. The apostles then granted the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of priesthood by the laying on of hands. Here we remember the saying of Saint Paul the Apostle to his disciple Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6). He also said to him regarding the ordination of others, "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily nor share in other people's sins" (1 Timothy 5:22).

We can also see in the sending of Barnabas and Saul that, "...having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia..." (Acts 13:3,4). Therefore, by the laying on of hands they were sent by the Holy Spirit. Likewise in the ordination of the seven deacons, "whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them" (Acts 6:6).

In this way we can see that the laying on of hands was accompanied by certain prayers, which are presently the rites of ordination. We can also see that the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples from God directly, as there is none higher than them to whom He may grant the Holy Spirit. They became, "...stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1). They became stewards of God who then granted the Holy Spirit with the laying on of their hands and their prayers, as in the ordination of bishops, priests and deacons. Or by the laying on of hands initially and then by anointing as with granting the Spirit to the believers in general. In this way the Spirit who is in them is transferred to others in the way that we mentioned.

At present we practice the Sacrament of the Holy Myron (Chrism) or the Sacrament of Anointing, after Baptism. During the rites of this sacrament, we anoint the child with the Myron (Chrism) on many parts of his body, and we also lay the hand on his head and breathe in his face saying to him, "accept the Holy Spirit...". With respect to ladies, the bishop can lay his hand on the woman's head with prayers to accept the Holy Spirit and anoints the visible parts of her body such as her head and hands.

May that Holy Spirit fully heal Pope Shenouda III.

Bp. DANIEL Consecrated by Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The newly ordained Bp. Daniel of UOCUSA, blessing the people with dikiri and trikiri.

Lest I forget, in all the excitement about Abp. HILARION, I failed to report that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA consecrated Bp. DANIEL (Zelinsky) last Saturday. In addition to Met. CONSTANTINE and Abp. ANTONY, six Orthodox bishops, three Ukrainian Catholic bishops, 60 Orthodox priests and deacons, and 400 faithful were present for the consecration at St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio.

His predecessor, Abp. VSEVOLOD (Kolomijcew-Majdanski) reposed in the Lord last December 16, at the age of 80.

Axios! And as Met. CONSTANTINE said, Mnohaya Lita! May God grant him many years!

Abp.HILARION: World Council of Churches Meaningless

From Interfax:

The new First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) doubted the relevancy of the World Council of Churches.

"The Moscow Patriarchate participates in the World Council of Churches for the purposes of maintaining a dialogue among Christians, but we can see that there is hardly any union reached, and this organization has lost its importance," said the First Hierarch Hilarion in his interview published by the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily on Tuesday.

What's worse are the few "agreed" statements the WCC produces on holy orders, etc.

Gaudium Magnum: ROCOR's New Hierarch a Friend of WRO

Fr. James Deschene sent out this e-mail this evening (Monday):

NEW YORK: May 12, 2008
Archbishop Hilarion Is Elected First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

May 12, 2008, at 12:00 noon, at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York, His Eminence Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand was elected Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and shall be elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. In accordance with the Act of Canonical Communion signed on May 17, 2007, the Council of Bishops will send the Act of Election, drawn up by the Counting Committee, to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, with a request from the elected First Hierarch for his blessing to assume the duties placed upon him by his brother archpastors, and for confirmation by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate of his election.

The Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, Primate-elect of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, will be held on Sunday, May 18, 2008.

The schedule of services relating to the Enthronement of the new First Hierarch is as follows:

May 17, all-night vigil at 6 pm. At the end of the evening service, the newly-elected Primate will emerge from the Royal Doors in a black klobuk [monastic headdress] and a simple episcopal mantle and will stand on the ambo facing the people. Two senior bishops will bring the light blue mantle and white klobuk to the Metropolitan, who will don them with the help of subdeacons. During the vesting of the mantle and klobuk, the senior bishop will intone "axios" ["he is worthy"], which will be repeated first by the bishops and clergymen, then by the choir. Afterwards, the Metropolitan will bless the clergy and people.

The light blue mantle and white klobuk will first be blessed with holy water by the senior archbishop during the reading of the first hour.

May 18, Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. After the entry prayers are read and the customary blessing, two senior bishops will lead the new Metropolitan to the vesting platform and will declare "axios," which will be repeated first by the bishops and clergy, and then by the choir.

The newly-elected First Hierarch will then be vested in the middle of the church, while the other bishops are vested in the altar. Thereafter, two senior archimandrites or protopriests will bring out the mitre and will silently present it to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

After the moleben, the senior hierarch will bestow the staff to the First Hierarch—a gift from the Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, which was blessed upon the relics of St Tikhon, Patriarch and Confessor of All Russia—and will declare:

"May the Almighty and Life-giving Trinity, Boundless Sovereignty and Indivisible Kingdom, grant to you this great throne of episcopacy, to be Metropolitan and Primate of the Russian Church Abroad, through the election by your brethren, the bishops of the Russian Church Abroad. And now, lord and brother, accept this pastoral staff, and ascend the throne of the episcopal seniority, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and beseech His Most-Pure Mother for all Orthodox Christianity and for the Russian people in the diaspora entrusted to you and save them as a good pastor will, and may the Lord God grant you health, well-being and many years."

The Archdeacon will then intone Many Years to the new First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The choir will sing Many Years.

In accordance to the Rite of Enthronement, the newly-elected Primate will address his brother archpastors with the following words:

"May the Almighty and All-Sovereign Right Hand of the All-Highest preserve and strengthen us all. May He grant peace and calm to His Holy Church and save our Fatherland from enemies visible and invisible, and grant strength to Orthodoxy. And to you, brother archpastors of the Russian Church Abroad, and to all Russians in the diaspora, and all Orthodoxy Christians, may He grant health and many years."

The choir then sings Many Years (without an intonation by the Archdeacon).

+ ACT

On April 29 (May 12), 2008, on the feast day of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, we, the undersigned bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, having gathered in the church of our Most-Holy Queen, the Mother of God and Most-Pure Mary, in honor of the Miracle-working Icon of the Sign, by means of secret ballot, elected the Primate of the Russian Church Abroad, for which 8 written ballots were submitted by the bishops in attendance and 3 ballots from absent bishops. Upon unsealing the ballots, the following votes were revealed:

Archbishop Hilarion 9
Archbishop Mark 2

+Archbishop Kyrill
+Bishop Agapit
+Bishop Peter

[End of Dom James' e-mail.]

Abp. HILARION of Sydney has played a role in helping Dom James over the years, and he has more recently presided over Fr. Michael's missionary work in Tasmania (and well beyond).

Here is a film of his sermon at St. Petroc's Monastery on Michaelmas (February) 2004 (Quicktime Movie), after presiding over Fr. Michael's celebration of The English Liturgy.

May God grant Vladika in peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days, and rightly dividing the word of His truth. (And dividing wheat from chaff, and sheep from wolves.)

Paschal Greetings 2008

As we did last year, here are the Paschal messages of:

Antiochian Orthodox:

• Bp. BASIL of Wichita
• Bp. THOMAS of Charleston
• Bp. MARK of Toledo
  

Russian Orthodox:

• His Holiness Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow
• Abp. HILARION of Sydney (ROCOR)

Greek Orthodox:

• His All-Holiness Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW I of Constantinople
• Abp. DEMETERIOS of America
  
• Met. EVANGELOS of New Jersey
  

Carpatho-Russian Orthodox:

• Met. NICHOLAS of Amissos
  

OCA:

• Met. HERMAN of All America and Canada
• Abp. JOB of Chicago
  

Serbian Orthodox:

• His Holiness Patriarch PAVLE of Serbia
  

Romanian Orthodox:

• Abp. NICOLAE (not a permanent link)
  

Ukrainain Orthodox:

• Permanent Council of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine

(These are all the messages I've found so far. There is an emphasis upon those who have acknowledged Western Rite parishes under their authority; otherwise, jurisdictions are listed alphabetically. A Happy Easter to you all!)

Ecce Sacerdos Magnus: Father Bernard Kinnick Elevated to Archpriest

The laying-on of hands	Receiving the pectoral cross
Sayedna JOSEPH with the Very Rev. Bernard Kinnick	Sayedna JOSEPH and Msgr. Kinnick near the altar with the faithful of St. Nicholas

During his episcopal visit on last Sunday, March 23, His Grace Sayedna JOSEPH elevated Fr. Bernard Kinnick of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church (Western Rite) in Spokane, Washington, to the dignity of Archpriest.

More photos are available here.

Congratulations to the Very Reverend Monsignor Bernard Kinnick. Axios!

Off-Topic: News to Make You Cry, and Laugh

Orthodox News:

Ancient Irish cemeteries found in Camblin. A published description notes, "Burials were all in the Christian manner." Other ancient artifacts were also unearthed.

Nubia's Orthodox heritage in peril from Islamic jihad. Yes, contrary to Black Militant propaganda, Christianity is an historic religion for African-Americans. The National Islamic Front of Sudan wants to flood ancient Christian sites yet unexplored.

News to Make You Cry:
Secular Confirmation: Abstinence is Self-Defense.

And News to Make You Smile:
Maybe It's a Tiny Armenian Monk? (That's not intended as an insult.)

Met. LAURUS, Memory Eternal

Met. LAURUS, right, with H.H. Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow.

It is with greatest sadness I must note the passing of Met. LAURUS, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).

A servant of the Lord who shepherded ROCOR in its principled opposition — and who manfully recognized when the time for that opposition had ceased. He then led his people through the painful process of reconciliation, and just lived to see its completion. There's much more to say, but I'm afraid I can't say much more at this time.

Requiescat in pace. May his memory be eternal!

He's Comin' to America

St. Tikhon (Bellavin)'s Relics to Visit America this year.

St. Tikhon’s relics will be brought to the U.S.A. and Canada in autumn for Orthodox flock abroad to venerate. Earlier Metropolitan Laurus addressed such request to Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and the Foundation’s administration.

As bishop of the United States, St. Tikhon asked the Holy Synod of Russia about forming a Western Rite using an Orthodox form of the Book of Common Prayer. His inquiry garnered a positive response. St. Tikhon is patron saint of the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate. Ora pro nobis!

Paschal Greetings!

Here are the Paschal messages of:

ANTIOCHIAN
Met. PHILIP;
Bp. BASIL;
Bp. MARK;
Bp. THOMAS.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
Pat. ALEXY II;
Met. LAURUS of ROCOR;
Abp. HILARION of Sydney (ROCOR).

CARPATHO-RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
Met. NICHOLAS.

GREEK ORTHODOX
Ec. Pat. BARTHOLOMEW I of Constantinople, New Rome;
Abp. DEMETRIOS;
Met. ISAIAH.

OCA
Met. HERMAN;
Abp. NATHANIEL.

ROMANIAN ORTHODOX
Abp. NICOLAE.

SERBIAN ORTHODOX
Pat. PAVLE.

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX
Permanent Council of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine.

(There is an emphasis upon those who have acknowledged Western Rite parishes under their authority; otherwise, jurisdictions are listed alphabetically. Thus far, I have not found a Paschal message from Met. PAUL [Saliba] of Australia.)