Aboriginal Parish in Australia

July 16, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal missions, Aboriginal peoples, Aborigines, Australia, Christianity, church history, County Waterford, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Indigenous Orthodoxy, indigenous peoples, Irish Christianity, Irish Orthodox, Metropolitan Hilarion Kapral, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church, Orthodox missions, orthodoxy, ROCA, ROCOR, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Russian Orthodoxy, St Declan, St John Maximovitch

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) has recently launched an Aboriginal Australian mission in Gunning, New South Wales, near an Aboriginal community north of Canberra, the capital of that Commonwealth.  The parish has been named for one of the Saints who has shined forth here in North America (and around the world, really!), [...]

Grace and Works

February 5, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: orthodoxy, Orthodox Christianity, Eastern Christianity, Russian Orthodoxy, Christianity, religion, Eastern Orthodoxy, sin, Orthodox Church, saints, temptation, Reformation, Protestantism, Fathers of the Church, spirituality, virtue, bishops, Martin Luther, Evangelicalism, Russian Christianity, Russian Orthodox Church, eastern religion, grace, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox bishops, grace alone, works, works righteousness, grace and works, grace vs works, good works, struggle, podvig, Theophan the Recluse, Theophan of Poltava, Doctors of the Church, spiritual fathers, raising children, child raising, Orthodox saints, Orthodox monks, Fundamentalism

Short reflection inspired by St. Theophan the Recluse is here.
(Theophan, sometimes called Theophanes [the original Greek version of his name], was a 19th-century bishop in Russia who retired early from the active episcopate – hence “recluse” – and became an incredible spiritual father and writer!  A real latter-day Father of the Church.  He even wrote [...]

What’s a Locum Tenens?

January 28, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: bishops, Bolshevik Revolution, canon law, Catholic Church, Catholicism, Christianity, church, Church canons, church history, church polity, College of Cardinals, Communism, early Christianity, early church, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Church, Eastern church history, Eastern church polity, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Great Patriotic War, history of Christianity, Latin Church, Latin Rite, locum tenens, locum tenentes, martyrdom, martyrs, Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox bishops, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church, Orthodox church history, Orthodox Church polity, Orthodox patriarchates, Orthodox patriarchs, orthodoxy, papacy, Patriarch of Moscow, Patriarch of Russia, Patriarchate of Moscow, Pope of Rome, religion, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism, Russian church, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodoxy, Russian patriarchate, sede vacante, Soviet Union, spiritual guidance, spirituality, St. Peter of Krutitsy, St. Tikhon of Moscow, theology, USSR, Vatican, World War 2, World War II, World War Two

It’s being noted in news coverage that Moscow Patriarch-elect KYRILL was “Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne” since shortly after the repose of Patriarch ALEXEI.  This concept is not unknown in Western Christianity … in fact, locum tenens is the traditional Latin-language term whose Greek or Slavonic counterpart I do not know, but seems commonly [...]

What’s a Patriarch?

January 27, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: bishops, Byzantine theology, Catholic Church, Catholicism, Christianity, church councils, church elections, church governance, church jurisdiction, church organization, church patriarchs, church polity, church primates, church unity, collaborative ministry, collegiality, conciliarism, conciliarity, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern patriarchs, eastern religion, Eastern theology, ecclesiastical jurisdiction, episcopacy, episcopal churches, first among equals, Greek Church, Greek Orthodox, greek orthodox church, Greek Orthodoxy, High Church, High Churches, holy tradition, honorary seniority, icons, ikons, Metropolitan Kyrill, miracles, miraculous icons, modern church councils, Moscow Patriarchate, myrrh, myrrh-streaming icons, national churches, Orthodox bishops, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church, Orthodox church councils, Orthodox Church polity, Orthodox Churches, Orthodox theology, Orthodox Tradition, orthodoxy, papacy, papal claims, Patriarch of Alexandria, Patriarch of the West, patriarchal election, patriarchal structures, Patriarchate of Alexandria, Patriarchate of Moscow, Patriarchate of Russia, patriarchs, Petrine ministry, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope of Alexandria, primacy, primates, religion, religious icons, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism, Rome, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodoxy, Russian patriarchate, sobornost, synodal church government, synodality, theology

if you’ll permit me, I’ll start off by saying that an Orthodox Patriarch is not normally a “little Pope” whose word is law among those whose Patriarch he is.

Old Calendar Christmas video

January 19, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: birth of Christ, birth of Jesus, chant, chanting, Christianity, Christmas, church music, Church Slavonic, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Julian Calendar, Nativity, Nativity of Christ, Nativity of Jesus, Nativity of Our Lord, Nativity of the Lord, Old Calendar, Old Church Slavonic, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Church, orthodoxy, religion, religious music, Russian chant, Russian Christmas, Russian church music, Russian music, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodoxy, Slavonic

On the site of the University of Michigan’s newspaper.  It’s just a few minutes, but includes BEAUTIFUL Russian choral music (in Church Slavonic, I presume), as well as service excerpts, and a few words from a priest about ‘Christmas in January.’  (Crank the volume, because it’s really low on the video.)

New OCA Primate ex-Episcopalian; Serbia Patriarch staying on; new Mexican ruling hierarch

November 14, 2008 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: All-American Councils, bishops, chief bishops, Christianity, church, church councils, churches, college converts, converts from Anglicanism, converts from Catholicism, converts from Protestantism, converts from the Anglican Church, converts from the Episcopal Church, converts to Orthodoxy, Dmitri Royster, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, ex-Catholics, ex-Episcopalians, Exarchate of Mexico, hierarchy, independent Catholics, independent Orthodox, JFK assassination, Jose Cortes y Olmos, metropolitan archbishops, Metropolitan Herman Swaiko, Metropolitan Jonah, metropolitans, Mexican Christianity, Mexican National Catholic Church, Mexican Orthodox Christianity, Mexican Orthodoxy, Mexican-Americans, Mexicans, Mexico, modern church councils, North American Orthodoxy, OCA, OCF, Orthodox bishops, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Christianity in America, Orthodox Christianity in Mexico, Orthodox Christianity in North America, Orthodox Church, Orthodox church councils, Orthodox Church in America, Orthodox Church in Mexico, Orthodox Church in North America, Orthodox Churches, Orthodox converts, Orthodox mission, orthodoxy, Orthodoxy in America, Orthodoxy in Mexico, Orthodoxy in North America, Patriarchate of Serbia, patriarchs, presiding bishops, primates, religion, Robert Royster, Russian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodoxy, Serbian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodoxy, synods, vagante, Warren Commission

On the 1st of this month Abbot Jonah (Paffhausen) from California was consecrated Titular Bishop of Ft. Worth, Texas, and Auxiliary Bishop in the OCA’s Diocese of Dallas and the South — probably the newest Bishop in the entire Orthodox Church.  Yesterday (Wed.) he was elected Primate of the OCA, quite possibly the first convert [...]

Southern Delaware Orthodox; American Indians

October 8, 2008 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: Africa, African Orthodoxy, Alaska, aleuts, American Indians, Antiochian Orthodox Church, Christianity, Dagsboro, Delaware, Delmarva, east coast Indians, Eastern Orthodoxy, evangelization, Fenwick Island, Great Commission, incarnational missiology, inculturation, Indian River Hundred, indigenous peoples, Innocent of Alaska, Ioann Veniaminov, Millsboro, mission, missions, Nanticoke Indians, Native Americans, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church in America, Orthodox mission, orthodoxy, powwows, religion, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodoxy, Siberia, Sussex County, Unangan

There’s a new mission (OCA) in Dagsboro, Sussex County, Delaware, originally located in Fenwick Island, DE.  Another recent mission (Antiochian) is in nearby Lewes,* Delaware [known somewhat for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry across the mouth of Delaware Bay, a neat boat ride in nice weather, by foot or by motor vehicle].
These drew my attention because my [...]

New ROCOR Bishop consecrated with Old Rite

July 5, 2008 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: Anglophone Orthodox, bishops, blessings, Christianity, converts, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, English-speaking Orthodox, Erie, icons, Old Believers, Old Rite Orthodox, Old Ritualists, Orthodox converts, Orthodox icons, orthodoxy, Pennsylvania, raskol, raskolniki, religion, religious icons, ROCOR, Russian Christianity, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Old Rite, Russian Orthodoxy, Sign of the Cross

Bishop JOHN (Berzins) of Caracas, (temporary) administrator of the Diocese of South America, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is one of ROCOR’s newly-elected and -consecrated hierarchs.  Many Years, Master!
Interestingly, as their news release with lots of interesting photos mentions, he was consecrated a couple weeks ago at, and according to, what I believe is [...]