They persecute us by oppression, and we face them by forgiveness. They rule us by domination, and we show that humility. Our faith knows that oppression disappears, but forgiveness remains forever. The former is illusionary and the latter is life, and never dies. – Metropolitan Paul Yazigi Kidnapped in Syria while attempting to negotiate the […]
Pascha: The New Passover
by the V. Rev. Anastasios Gounaris, Dean, Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New York City Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Pascha — the Resurrection of Jesus Christ — on May 5 as the culmination of a marathon Holy Week that spans eight days and encompasses 18 distinct services. Most Americans know the feast […]
Church Sources Say Syrian Bishops in Hands of Chechens
The kidnappers of two Orthodox bishops seized in northern Syria are Chechen fighters, sources in the Syriac and Greek Orthodox dioceses in Aleppo said on Tuesday. “The news which we have received is that an armed group… (of) Chechens stopped the car and kidnapped the two bishops while the driver was killed,” an official from […]
Prayers requested for abducted Syrian hierarchs
In a portion of a letter dated April 22, 2013 and signed by His Grace, Bishop Basil, Secretary of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America to all member hierarchs, prayers were requested for two Syrian hierarchs who had been abducted earlier that day. The text of the letter reads as […]
Not So Fast: The Real Divorce Rate Among Christians
Turns out faithful Christians have a much lower instance of divorce, which I’ve said for years. The facts now back me up. Of course, Orthodox Christians, again, escape detection, but I suspect that the figures would be similar based on one’s practices. Note: FactChecker is a monthly series in which Glenn T. Stanton examines claims, […]
The Benefits Of Attending Church Weekly
by T. M. Luhrmann If going to Church once a week is this good for you – what do you think the benefits of going three times a week would be? Why not find out? Attend weekday Vespers, Saturday Vespers and Sunday Liturgy. You can thank me when you turn 90. One of the most […]
Memory Eternal, Archpriest Paul Merculief
Fr. Paul Merculief was laid to rest today. He was not only one of the founders of my alma mater, St. Herman Theological Seminary in Kodiak, AK, he also returned there during my studies to serve as professor and Interim Dean. I’d like to share a little about Fr. Paul, so that you might know […]
A Paschal Message For Muslims
by Joseph Laconte One of the great themes of the Christian Easter story is that the love of God can overcome the worst of human folly, wickedness, weakness — even death itself. This idea, if taken seriously, would be a tonic in many parts of the world today, but perhaps nowhere is it more […]
How Russians Survived Militant Atheism To Embrace Christ Again
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 […]
Moral Foundations: Epilogue
The Moral Foundations of Democracy by Margaret Thatcher Democracy is never mentioned in the Bible. When people are gathered together, whether as families, communities or nations, their purpose is not to ascertain the will of the majority, but the will of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, I am an enthusiast of democracy because it is about […]