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I cannot begin to count the number of times I wished there were a simple, felicitous word for “ontological.” I dislike writing theology with words that have to be explained – that is, words whose meanings are not immediately obvious. But, alas, I have found no substitute and will, therefore, beg my reader’s indulgence for dragging such a word into our conversations.From the earliest times in the Church, but especially beginning with St. Athanasius in the 4th century as the great Ecumenical Councils took shape, the doctrines of the Church have been expressed and debated within the terms related to...

The Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: In the Greek Horologion of 1897 the derivation of this Feast is explained: “Because of the illnesses that occur in August, it was customary, in former times, to carry the Venerable Wood of the Cross through the streets and squares of Constantinople for the sanctification of the city, and for relief from sickness. On the eve (July 31), it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia (the Wisdom of God). From this Feast until the...

The doors of the Sumela Monastery reopened in June 2010, after 88 years. The Turkish government had given permission to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to have a patriarchal liturgy for the Feast of the Assumption every year. That permission has been suddenly revoked, perhaps permanently. That the Greek Orthodox need special permission to celebrate divine services in any of their churches in what is now Turkey is a dark reminder of the Islamic oppression of Eastern Christians from the mid-7th century to today, and for the Greeks, especially from the Muslim conquest of Constantinople in 1453 through the defeat of the...

Among the more problematic words in the New Testament is the Greek hilasterion. It is translated as “propitiation” in some of the older English Bibles, and “expiation,” in newer ones. It’s actual meaning is neither. The word literally means “the place of mercy,” and is the Greek word used in the Old Testament (LXX) to describe the “Mercy Seat” on the Ark of the Covenant. In Leviticus, the ritual for atonement is described, as an anointing of the mercy seat with the blood of a bull. The details are not terribly important for this article. But the question to consider...

Orthodox Christianity often seems inherently conservative. The unyielding place that tradition holds within its life seems ready-made for a conservative bulwark against a world all-too-ready to forget everything that is good or beautiful. There are subtle but important distinctions that make this treatment of Orthodoxy misleading and can lead to the distortion of the faith and an almost reverse image of our true salvation. Orthodox Christianity does not seek to preserve something that is now past – it is not a faith bound in history. Rather, it professes that what was once given at a moment in history is nothing...

Full title: Archbishop Job (Getcha) of Telmessos: “Ukraine is the canonical territory of the Church of Constantinople” By tradition, at the end of July, the Ukrainian Orthodox believers of all jurisdictions celebrate the Baptism of Rus. The Ukrainian state, represented by its leaderships and members of other local Orthodox Churches, willingly participates in these celebrations. This year’s celebrations were attended by Archbishop Job (Getcha) of Telmessos, representative of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who came at the invitation of the President of Ukraine and kindly agreed to give an interview for RISU. He gave direct answers to direct questions: what will happen...

Of all the horrors we've witnessed from our comfortable homes over the past year nothing hurts more than the attempted annihilation of Christians of the Near East, along with buildings, churches, sacred ruins, precious relics of the past that have been utterly destroyed by the ISIS conquerors. The suffering these people have endured and are enduring is recorded at numerous websites but the world has remained deaf, dumb and blind until recently when with one eye open it had no choice but to acknowledge the specific targeting of Christians. By that time it was too late. Carnage, decapitations, torture, eradication...

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia believes that increasing number of Orthodox churches in Russia is testimony that the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church is something the people want. "Over the last six years our Church increased by 5,000 churches and 10,000 clergymen, which means that people need the Church’s mission. There could not be such growth in the Church if there were no demand. That is why we feel so special when we place the foundations of new churches," the patriarch said at the ceremony of laying the first stone in the foundation of the Assumption Cathedral...

Greek police have arrested 26 protesters who yesterday raided the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in the northern city of Thessaloniki during Mass. The culprits were protesting against a police operation in the city on Wednesday in which squatters and refugees were evicted from three illegally occupied buildings. One of the buildings is the property of the Greek Orthodox church and the city's archbishop said that it is being demolished to build a hospice for the terminally ill. The archbishop said that the protesters "destroyed what they could" at the Cathedral yesterday, but did not elaborate. The protesters threw leaflets around the...

It would be a gross understatement to say that much has been written about the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Yet very little has been written about the fast that precedes it. Every Orthodox Christian is aware and generally knows the reason behind the fasts for Pascha and Christmas. But while they may know of the Dormition Fast, few follow it, and more than a few question why it is there, neither knowing its purpose. First, given the pervasive misunderstanding of the purpose of fasting itself, a refresher on its purpose is always a good idea. There is...

Public veneration of the relics of St. Serpahim of Sarov on the feast of the uncovering of his holy relics.

An estimated 7-10 million potential users in Russia stand to benefit from the project, which will allow them to keep in constant contact with each other and the Church.They already have a special social network devoted to them, but now members of Russia’s Orthodox community will also be able to communicate with each other via instant messages. The founders of the Elitsy Orthodox social network, who announced the news on July 27, believe that worshipers need a system that will allow them to constantly keep in touch with the Church. The service, with an estimated 7-10 million potential users, should...

Remarks by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church at a service blessing the beginning of reconstruction of the Kazan Cathedral that was destroyed by the Communists. The translation is a tad rough in some spots but I think the viewer will get the point.

By Fr. Anthony M. ConiarisIn this brief article, Fr. Anthony expresses with clarity the truth of the false teaching known as the “Rapture” and how much it distorts the teachings of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.As I was driving one day I encountered a bumper sticker admonishing me: “WARNING! In the event of Rapture, this car will be driverless.” The strange belief in the Rapture teaches that some day (sooner rather than later), without warning, born-again Christians will begin to float up from the freeway, abandoned vehicles careening wildly. There will be airliners in the sky suddenly with no...

CAIRO (AP) — The leader of Egypt's Coptic Christian church warned on Monday of increased attacks on Christians, saying national unity is being "defaced." In a meeting with lawmakers, Pope Tawadros II said that since 2013 there have been 37 sectarian attacks on Christians — nearly an incident a month. He describes the situation as "very painful." He told lawmakers that preserving national unity is "our responsibility in front of the world, future generations, history and in front of God." His remarks were published on his personal website. The Pope's website also quoted lawmaker Saad el-Gammal as saying that parliament...

     When the Virgin Mary as a young girl was one day in her hometown of Nazareth contemplating the coming of the promised Messiah, the Archangel Gabriel (commemorated today, July 13/26) appeared to her with the glad tidings of the Annunciation: And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord...

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Monday unveiled plans to revise its constitution, formally proposing a clearer distinction between the state and the powerful Orthodox Church, changes in how the president is elected and limiting terms of lawmakers in parliament. Left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the proposals were aimed at transforming a system full of "pathogens", and public feedback would be sought from September before the plans are put to parliament for further consultation. "We aspire to see a process of active participation of citizens, and not something which is restricted within four walls of parliament," Tsipras told state officials...

The Gospel lesson in our current lectionary for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost is Matthew 8:28-9:1 in which Christ encounters two men possessed by demons.   At the time when the Orthodox Gospel lectionary was being formed, a story of Christ exorcising demons must have been very popular.  For in the current lectionary, the parallel version of this story from Luke’s Gospel (8:26-39) is read also on the 21st Sunday after Pentecost.   Since we have a lectionary that repeats every year, it is interesting that they thought this miracle important enough to proclaim twice during the church year...

Minya, Egypt, Jul 19, 2016 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- For Christians in Egypt, the possibility of martyrdom is not a remote one. Icon of the 21 Martyrs of Libya. Image courtesy of Tony Rezk, via tonyrezk.blogspot.com“It is something they concretely feel, it is part of their Christian life,” Father Paolo Asolan, an Italian priest who recently visited Egypt, told CNA. “And for a mother and a father, the fact that one of their sons can become a martyr is always a great gift.” The Islamic State’s beheading of 20 Coptic Christians and another man shocked the world in February...

Moscow, July 20, Interfax - Departure of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew from Turkey a few hours before an attempt of the coup was taken was "a pure coincidence," Metropolitan Arseny of Austria told the Kathpress Catholic agency. According to him, the trip to Slovenia for vacations was planned two months earlier. The information that the patriarch ran from the country before the impending uprising is false, the metropolitan says, and it can be easily proved by the example of the tickets purchased a few weeks before the events. The media earlier posted the information that Patriarch Bartholomew left Istanbul by one...