Τρίτη 10 Μαΐου 2016

EUCHARIST, COUNCILS AND PRIMACY


Aristotle Papanikolaou, 
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE

 Papanikolaou, Aristotle (2016) “Eucharist, Councils and Primacy”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 358-378.

ORTHODOX VISION OF THE MODERN WORLD. CONTEXT, HISTORY AND MEANING OF THE SYNODAL DOCUMENT ON CHURCH MISSION



Alexander Agadjanian, 
  RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE
ORTHODOX VISION OF THE MODERN WORLD. CONTEXT, ?ISTORY AND MEANING OF THE SYNODAL DOCUMENT ON CHURCH MISSION
(2016) “Orthodox Vision of the Modern World. Context, Нistory and Meaning of the Synodal Document on Church Mission”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 255-279.

THE AGENDA OF VATICAN II COUNCIL AND OF PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL IT THE PREPARATORY PERIOD: PARALLELS AND DIFFERENCES



Alexei Yudin,
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE
The Agenda of Vatican II Council and of Pan-Orthodox Council it the Preparatory Period: Parallels and Differences 
Yudin, Alexey (2016) “The Agenda of Vatican II Council and of Pan-Orthodox Council in the Preparatory Period: Parallels and Differences”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 165-181.

THE PAN–ORTHODOX COUNCIL: SHAPING NEW ORTHODOX GEOPOLITICS



Kazarian, Nicolas
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE
 (2016) “The Pan-Orthodox Council: Shaping New Orthodox Geopolitics”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 102-126.

ALL-RUSSIAN CHURCH COUNCIL OF 1917–1918 AS A PHENOMENON OF THE CONCILIAR PRACTICE OF THE CHURCH


 Aleksey Beglov, 
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE
All-Russian Church Council of 1917–1918 as a Phenomenon of the Conciliar Practice of the Church

Beglov, Alexey (2016) “All-Russian Church Council of 1917–1918 as the Phenomenon of the Conciliar Practice of the Church”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 51-73.

ORTHODOX COMMONWEALTH: A TYPOLOGY OF AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCHES

 Alexander Kyrlezhev,
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE

 Kyrlezhev, Alexander (2016) “Orthodox Commonwealth: A Typology of Autocephalous Churches”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 74-101.

COUNCILS AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE CHURCH



 Paul Valliere, 
 RELIGION AND CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND WORLDWIDE
Valliere, Paul (2016) “Councils as a Manifestation of the Church”, Gosudarstvo, religiia, tserkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom 34(1): 10-50.

DOSSIER ORTODOSSI SINODO SELFIE O PROFETICO? MISSIONE OGGI | APRILE-MAGGIO 2016 19

ΠΑΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ ΜΕ ΑΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΕΣ, ΥΠΟΓΕΙΕΣ ΔΙΑΜΑΧΕΣ

Σε πεδίο αντιπαραθέσεων με πλούσιο παρασκήνιο εξελίσσεται η διοργάνωση της Αγίας και Μεγάλης Συνόδου της Ορθοδοξίας που θα πραγματοποιηθεί στα Χανιά από τις 16 έως τις 27 Ιουνίου.

Δευτέρα 9 Μαΐου 2016

ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΟ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ ΘΑ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΟΠΟΙΗΘΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ (15-16 ΜΑΙΟΥ, 2016)

ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΟ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ ΘΑ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΟΠΟΙΗΘΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ (15-16 ΜΑΙΟΥ, 2016) ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΟ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ

Κυριακή 8 Μαΐου 2016

TOWARD TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION IN UKRAINE

 Fr. Cyril Hovorun,
Visiting Scholar at Columbia University in the City of New York

This is a presentation at the conference of the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES) - Cambridge, 2-4 April 2016
Published by Principium, A Christian Journal of Public Life
The Hungarian translation of the paper is available here

Ukraine has been riven by civil strife. Winter 2014 witnessed a three-month anti-government demonstration in the square of Kyiv known as the Maidan, which forced the resignation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who had been in office for four years.

ΣΥΝΟΔΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΙΕΡΟΙ ΚΑΝΟΝΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ "ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ''-SYNODALIT E ET SAINTS CANONS AU SEIN DE L' E GLISE


 
Archim. Grigorios D. PAPATHOMAS
Professeur à la Facult é de Th é ologie de l’Universit é d’Ath è neset à l’Institut de Th é ologie orthodoxe “Saint Serge” de Paris
  21.5.2013
Text in Greek:
Text in French:

L'AVENIR DE LA « DIASPORA » ORTHODOXE

Дискуссии конца XIX — первой половины XX в. о праве созыва Всеправославного собора-DEBATES ABOUT THE RIGHT TO CONVOKE PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL IN THE END OF THE 19 TH AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

EINIGE BESONDERHEITEN DER POSITION DER RUSSISCHEN ORTHODOXEN KIRCHE IM PANORTHODOXEN VORKONZILIAREN PROZESS

Σάββατο 7 Μαΐου 2016

Η ΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ ΠΕΝΤΗΚΟΣΤΗ 2016 "εἰς ἑνότητα πάντας ἐκάλεσεν" . ΕΠΙΣΗΜΟΣ ΙΣΤΟΣΕΛΙΔΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ

ΚΑΘ᾽ΟΔOΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ἉΓΙΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΝ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΝ ( ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ENGLISH РУССКИЙ FRANÇAIS) – ἈΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΤΕΛΜΗΣΣΟΥ ἸΩΒ

 ἈΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΤΕΛΜΗΣΣΟΥ ἸΩΒ 

1. Σύντομος ἱστορικὴ ἀναδρομή


Ἡ Πατριαρχικὴ καὶ Συνοδικὴ Ἐγκύκλιος τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριάρχου Ἰωακεὶμ Γ΄ τὸ ἔτος 1902, διὰ τῆς ὁποίας ἐκαλοῦντο οἱ Προκαθήμενοι τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων Αὐτοκεφάλων Ἐκκλησιῶν νὰ συνεργασθοῦν πρὸς ἀντιμετώπισιν τῶν ἀπασχολούντων τὴν Ὀρθόδοξον Ἐκκλησίαν προβλημάτων, ἀπετέλεσε τὸ ἔναυσμα διὰ τὴν προετοιμασίαν μιᾶς Μεγάλης Πανορθοδόξου Συνόδου.

ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ – ΣΚΕΨΕΙΣ ΜΕΣΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΟΠΤΙΚΗ ΕΝΟΣ ΣΥΓΧΡΟΝΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ


 του Κώστα Νούση
Δημοσιεύτηκε στο ΑΜΕΝ
Οι φωνές ενάντια στη μέλλουσα Πανορθόδοξη δεν φαίνεται να παύουν. Η ελευθερία στην έκφραση είναι δεδομένη. Άλλωστε η ίδια η δημοσιοποίηση προσυνοδικών κειμένων χορηγεί και εμμέσως επιζητεί τη χρήση αυτού του δικαιώματος.

ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΑ DESIDERATA (ΣΚΟΠΟΣ & ΕΠΙΔΙΩΞΗ) ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ


 π. Αυγουστίνος Μπαϊραχτάρης, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής στην Πατριαρχική Ανωτάτη Εκκλησιαστική Ακαδημία Κρήτης
Στη συνέχεια (σημ.amen.gr: προηγήθηκε το άρθρο Η Διαμόρφωση της θεματολογίας της Αγίας και Μεγάλης Συνόδου) θα αναφερθούμε στον τριπλό σκοπό στον οποίο η Αγία και Μεγάλη Σύνοδο, κατά την προσωπική μας άποψη, θα πρέπει κατά κύριο λόγο να επικεντρώσει την ενέργειά της, τις δυνάμεις της και την προσοχή της, ώστε να δώσει απαντήσεις στα φλέγοντα ζητήματα, χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνει ότι και τα άλλα ζητήματα στερούνται σημαντικότητας ή αξίας.

Παρασκευή 6 Μαΐου 2016

METROPOLITAN KALLISTOS WARE ON THE HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL (RADIO.March 7, 2016 )


March 7, 2016 Length: 1:02:08

His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia speaks candidly about the coming Holy and Great Council to be held in Crete June 16-27, 2016.
click here:
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on the Holy and Great Council

PASTORAL CHALLENGES FOR MARRIAGE IN CONTEMPORARY ORTHODOXY


by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Denysenko, Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, John Klentos, Paul Meyendorff, Rev. Dr. Stelyios Muksuris, Lewis Patsavos, Teva Regule, and Rev. Dr. Philip Zymaris
PUBLIC ORTHODOXY

In preparation for the Great and Holy Council to be held on Crete in June, 2016, the Orthodox bishops have issued a preconciliar document on the sacrament of marriage.

MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND SCRIPTURE

by Bryce E. Rich, Fr. Robert M. Arida, Susan Ashbrook Harvey, David Dunn, Maria McDowell, and Teva Regule
PUPLIC ORTHODOXY

The title of the working document “The Sacrament of Marriage and Its Impediments” appears to promise a meaningful teaching on the spousal relationship.

PATRIARCH KIRILL: THE PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL’S DOCUMENT ON SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE CALLED TO RESPOND TO CHALLENGES THREATENING INSTITUTION OF FAMILY IN MODERN WORLD (02.02.2016)


 Τμήμα Εξωτερικών και Εκκλησιαστικών Υποθέσεων Πατριαρχείου Ρωσίας
Informing the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the progress of preparations for the Pan-Orthodox Council, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia mentioned in particular the Council’s draft documents on the Sacrament of Marriage and Its Impediments.

WHO SHALL BE AT PASCHA?

Bishop_Azar_pic_1
How should I conduct myself at Pascha? I try to become the Gospel, to become the word so that people may read me and live.
Metropolitan George (Khodr) of Mount Lebanon,  (21 April 2014) 
Pravmir.ru


How should I conduct myself at Pascha? If the word means passing over, then there’s nothing left for me except to leave everything to meet Christ. There is nothing in the feast except for Christ. There is nothing in Christianity except Christ. Everything else is just a way to talk about Him. It is an expression of Him.

RESPONCE TO THE PRE-CONCILIAR DOCUMENT ON MARRIANGE AND ITS IMPEDIMENTS



by Fr. Robert M. Arida, Susan Ashbrook Harvey, David Dunn, Maria McDowell, Teva Regule, and Bryce Rich
PUBLIC ORTHODOXY

The document on marriage does not refer to its long and complex history and accompanying theology. What is offered to the faithful and to the world is a statement that bases marriage on a particular understanding of natural and divine law (sec.I, par.2 and 6).

SEXUAL PURITY AND THE VOCATION OF MARRIAGE SEXUAL



 by David C. Ford, Mary Ford, Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, Philip Mamalakis, and Alf Kentigern Siewers
PUBLIC ORTHODOXY

“The sacred nature of the God-established union and its lofty spiritual content explain the Apostle’s affirmation in Heb. 13:4. That is why the Orthodox Church condemned any defilement of its purity (Eph. 5:2-5, 1 Thes. 4:4, Heb. 13:4ff)” (Chambesy Statement).

LIFE-BEARING LOVE:A TOO RISKY VISION


 by  Maria McDowell
The upcoming Great Council, decades in the making, is an opportunity for Orthodoxy to present to the world a vision of the fruitfulness of love ripened through relationships in which we are simultaneously co-workers in one another’s deification and co-workers with God through whom all creation bears life.

THE PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL: BEHIHD THE ICONOSTASIS



 Fr. Cyril Hovorun provides several unique metaphors and observations to help us reach a better understanding of what the council will and will not set out to accomplish.

click here:

Η ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ


του π.Αυγουστίνου Μπαϊρακτάρη, Επίκουρου Καθηγητή στην Πατριαρχική Ανωτάτη Εκκλησιαστική Ακαδημία Κρήτης
 Δημοσιεύτηκε στο ΑΜΕΝ.
Έχει αναπτυχθεί μία μεγάλη φιλολογία περί της σύγκλησης της Αγίας κ Μεγάλης Συνόδου, βασισμένη σε ερωτήματα που αφορούν τη θεματολογία της, του εγκαίρου ή άκαιρου χρονικού σημείου που πραγματοποιείται, περί του σκοπίμου ή μη, περί της αναγκαιότητας ή μη κα.

Πέμπτη 5 Μαΐου 2016

H ANΤΙΠΡΟΣΩΠΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΡΩΣΙΑΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟ



 Τμήμα Εξωτερικών Εκκλησιαστικών Υποθέσεων του Πατριαρχείου της Ρωσίας
Τext in English:Minutes of the Holy Synod Session of April 16, 2016
 Τext in Russia: Журнал заседания Священного Синода от 16 апреля 2016 года
Κατά τη διάρκεια της συνεδρίας της Ιεράς Συνόδου της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας της Ρωσίας, της γενομένης στις 16 Απριλίου 2016, συζητήθηκε προκαταρκτικά η σύνθεση της αντιπροσωπείας της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας της Ρωσίας στην μέλλουσα να συνέλθει από 18 έως 27 Ιουνίου 2016 στην Κρήτη Πανορθόδοξη Σύνοδο

REFLECTIONS ON THE DOCUMENT “THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE AND ITS IMPEDIMENTS”

 Public Orthodoxy
by Rev. Dr. Patrick Viscuso, Perry T. Hamalis, David Heith-Stade, Rev. Dr. Chrysostom Nassis, Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, and Christos Tsironis

According to the theological vision of the Church, the bond of love is to be found at the core of marital life. Marriage is viewed within the framework of love, which is the core “quality” of the Church’s theological anthropology.

Τετάρτη 4 Μαΐου 2016

THE ORTHODOX “DIASPORA”: MOTHER CHURCHES, MISSION, AND THE FUTURE


 Public Orthodoxy
by Rev. Dr. Radu Bordeianu, Will Cohen, Rev. Dr. Nicholas Denysenko, Brandon Gallaher, Rev. Dr. D. Oliver Herbel, and Kerry San Chirico

Among the issues to be heard by the Orthodox Churches at the June 2016 Great and Holy Council in Crete is the situation of the Orthodox diaspora.

FIVE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH



Andrew Estocin
OrthodoxOutpost.com

Pentecost 2016 will mark the opening of the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church. It has been over 1,000 years since the Eastern Orthodox Church has held a Great and Holy Council.

Η ΔΙΑΛΕΞΗ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘΗΓΗΤΗ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΥ ΛΑΡΕΝΤΖΑΚΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗ ΑΘΗΝΑΓΟΡΑ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΥ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ


Ο ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΓΟΡΑΣ
Ὁ ρηξικέλευθος ὁραματιστής καί διάκονος τῆς καταλλαγῆς
Ἑνότητα τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας καί τῆς Οἰκουμένης
Γρηγορίου Λαρεντζάκη Ἄρχοντος
Μέγα Πρωτονοταρίου τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας
Καθηγητοῦ τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου τοῦ Graz Αὐστρίας
Φως Φαναρίου

Ἡ OΝΤΩΣ ἉΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ ΤHΣ ὈΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΥ ἘΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ

Μητροπολίτου Ναυπάκτου καί Ἁγίου Βλασίου Ἱεροθέου

 To Kείμενο σε PDF: 

Ἡ ὄντως Ἁγία καί Μεγάλη Σύνοδος τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας  

Δευτέρα 2 Μαΐου 2016

ON THE FORTHCOMING PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL



 Anton C. Vrame
 WHEEL
Learning to Live “Synodically”
A few weeks ago, at the invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a couple of days in Istanbul for a gathering of Orthodox scholars from around the world. The purpose of the meeting was twofold: a) an opportunity for the Ecumenical Patriarch to learn about a “younger generation” of Orthodox scholars, our areas of concern and interest, and how these areas intersect with the work of the Patriarchate; b) a meeting with His Eminence Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon to discuss the forthcoming Great and Holy Council. The news about the gathering, including the statement from His All-Holiness to the group, photos, and the list of the participants can be found on the patriarchate’s website.
The discussions about the Council were wide ranging. Over four hours, we learned how challenging it has been to develop the statements that the Council will review for final ratification and even to plan for this historic event. Others have discussed many of those challenges. A statement made by Metropolitan John to us bears repeating and reflecting upon. He said, “We are learning to live ‘synodically.’”
The word “synod” in Greek is synodos and combines syn- for together, odos for road. In the Synaxarion, we read of a saint and his or her synodia, the companions, the fellow-travelers, as it were. A synod is an experience of walking together, to be on the same road. Is this what Metropolitan John meant?
When I was in elementary school, our teachers required a class to line up straight to move from one place to another (do they still do that?). It taught us discipline and kept order in the hallways. On the way home from school, my friends and I would walk as a group (do children walk to or from school any more?), with someone leading, some lagging, some off to the side. The loudest voices often dominated any conversations, but not always. On that walk, there could be many different conversations. Sometimes everyone talked about the same thing; sometimes the conversation would be just with the person walking closest to you; and we didn’t always agree on everything. But, we walked the same path. We walked together daily.
There are instances of “walking the same road” in the Gospels. As an itinerant teacher, we see Jesus teaching in many places, including as he moved from one place to another. As a result, his followers would walk with him as he taught, including “on the road.” For example in Mark 8:27, they traveled to Caesarea Phillipi. The pericope records only one conversation—the famous, “Who do you say that I am?” discussion—but it is easy to imagine that there could have been many conversations occurring between Jesus and his disciples, or between the disciples on their journey. They probably did not walk in a line, but in a group, with some closer to Jesus than others, some in the back, lagging behind, perhaps others off to one side. Yet they still walked the same road as one group.
Rarely are groups univocal, speaking with one voice. And we can be alarmed when a group does achieve that level (have you seen the political rallies on television lately?). But we pray in the Divine Liturgy, “Let us love one another so that with one mind we may confess: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Trinity, one in essence and inseparable.” The love we share as Christians unifies us and we are able to speak as one body and confess our Faith. The Holy Spirit empowers the Church to speak as one (See Acts 15:27, “it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord”. Recall how statements from the Councils are collective statements of the Church’s Faith, usually beginning “We…”). Conciliar documents direct the leaders on the path to follow in matters of doctrine and praxis. Our goal in the Church is to care and maintain for our unity through dialogue and conversation, to ask for the Holy Spirit to enable us to walk together, so that we may speak as one community and so that God speaks through the Church.
If I understood Metropolitan John correctly, the fourteen autocephalous churches—the four ancient patriarchates and the more modern nationally organized patriarchates and churches—are learning what it means to walk together as one group, as one Church. For decades and centuries, they have shared one Faith, but lived largely independently, making decisions for themselves. Now they are trying to walk together and make decisions for all. Like any group walking together, there are many voices, many conversations, many interests, making it challenging to speak as one. This Council’s great challenge will be to overcome local interest in favor of global commonality.
Two American aphorisms might be helpful to understand the challenges inherent in this forthcoming Council. As the US Congressman Tip O’Neill so famously put it, “all politics is local.” In this situation for the Council, local interests and conversations could prevail over the global. The second is “Will it play in Peoria?” refers to how any action may be received by a mainstream audience or consumer. In the case of the Council, statements and actions of any participant may be for consumption back home, rather than necessarily for the good of all. In response, perhaps the words of Augustine of Hippo are useful, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, compassion"—should that be, "love," since the Latin term is caritas?
The upcoming Council, will be a first step in learning to live synodically. Which or whose conversations will matter the most? Will it be only Constantinople and Moscow’s? Will it be possible for other voices to get a word in? Will it be possible to speak as one? Will the global needs of Orthodoxy prevail over any local or narrow parochial interests? Will the synod reach accord and agree to walk together on the same road?  

Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D. is Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Adjunct Associate Professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA.

Κυριακή 1 Μαΐου 2016

ΜΕΣΣΗΝΙΑΣ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΣ: "ΒΙΩΝΟΥΜΕ ΨΥΧΡΟ ΠΟΛΕΜΟ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΣΥΝΗΣ"


Δημοσιεύτηκε στο ΑΜΕΝ
Η επικείμενη Αγία και Μεγάλη Σύνοδος της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας και οι προεκτάσεις της βρέθηκαν στο επίκεντροβαρυσήμαντης συνέντευξης που παραχώρησε ο Μητροπολίτης Μεσσηνίας Χρυσόστομος,

Пасхальное послание Святейшего Патриарха Кирилла-Πασχαλινόν μήνυμα τοῦ Πατριάρχου Μόσχας καὶ Πασῶν τῶν Ρωσσιῶν κ.κ. Κυρίλλου


Tμήμα Εξωτερικών Εκκλησιαστικών Υποθέσεων Πατριαρχείου Ρωσίας
Пасхальное послание

Святейшего Патриарха Московского и всея Руси КИРИЛЛА

архипастырям, пастырям, диаконам, монашествующим

и всем верным чадам Русской Православной Церкви
Πασχαλινόν μήνυμα τοῦ Πατριάρχου Μόσχας καὶ Πασῶν τῶν Ρωσσιῶν κ.κ. Κυρίλλου

πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς, ἱερεῖς, διακόνους, μονάζοντας καὶ πάντα τὰ πιστά τέκνα τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ρωσσίας