The Orthodox Church of Tomorrow
The recent visit to China by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has exceeded even the most ambitious expectations, Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, said. “Even a year or two ago, only a few people could have imagined that Patriarch Kirill would visit China, that it would [...]
By Bishop Benjamin (Milov) of Saratov and Balashov (+1955) A HOLY SATURDAY SERMON Perhaps, beloved brethren, it would be better to keep silence, because the Holy Church today sings: “Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and in fear and trembling stand, rendering nothing earthly-mined. For the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, comes [...]
by Thaddeus Baklinski Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has said his government will debate legislation to ban abortion. The announcement follows an appeal by the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church for the procedure to be made illegal in the small country, according to a Radio Free Europe report. In his Easter Sunday address, Patriarch [...]
by Walter Rodgers There is a lesson for Americans here. After three generations of merciless persecution by the state, Russia has emerged as the most God-believing nation in Europe. That’s a testament to the devotion of multitudes of babushkas who kept the flames of faith alive in the face of state-sponsored repression. Sometimes really huge [...]
While the media love to glut themselves on the misdeeds of evil clergy, there are a thousand more doing heroic works of love and sacrifice. Some even get noticed for it. Memory eternal, Fr. Emil. In the cold, barren hills of Korea more than 60 years ago, two teary-eyed soldiers stood in a prisoner of [...]
by Dcn. Joseph Gleason Throughout the scriptures we see both the inward and outward aspects of worship offered to God as being in unity with one another. For example, scripture tells us to lift both our “hands“ and our “hearts“ to God (Lam. 3:41). The hands are outward, and the heart is inward. God is glorified by both, and he commands [...]
Hey, we’re trying! Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has urged the clergy to conduct more active missionary work among Internet users. “The mission of the Church can and must be widely spread to the Internet. Blogs, social networks – all then are offering new opportunities for Christian testimony. To be absent from there [...]
At its meeting today, the Council of Foundations – part of Turkey’s Directorate General for Foundations (VGM) – decided to return to the Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Halki, the Hill of Hope as it is called, 190 hectares of forest. The pine hill is 85 meters in height and located at the top [...]
by Gabe Martini Many evangelical groups today are proposing that we abandon “traditional” models of “being the Church,” and instead replace that stodginess with what is presumably a more “New Testament” model: that of the “house church” or “cell church.” Essentially, they are promoting that the local Church be a de-centralized assembly, meeting [...]
The Akathist Hymn: “Glory to God for All Things” This Akathist, also called the “Akathist of Thanksgiving,” was composed by Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov shortly before his death in a prison camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise [...]
