FACEBOOK COMMENTS FEED:Theotokos at Vlacherna

"The Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae... is now a ghost of its formerly glorious self"--Bishop Savvas

Peter Bistolarides One of the highlights of our senior trip in 2004 was visiting the church at Vlachernae

Angela Damianakis it is a solem reality. left up to 'the american' church it would be totally abandon without a second thought. left to budding 'the american' church the churches of jerusalem might as well pack up too. this is the short-sighted leadership which is top heavey loaded with converts. this is a problem. it is a distraction of mega proportions. there is no loyality no sense of commitment. the american church loyalists want all the accolades of a patriarchate without the innvestment of sweat equity without acknowledging the blood and tears of the martyrs old and new. it is they who profile are bigotted and anti-non-american. left to the ocl, aoi, oca, antiochian arch and like minded 'thinkers' we might as well join a mega church wave our arms in the air and drink the cool aid. just saying.
Bishop Savas Zembillas Angela! I know it's the Constantinopolitan in you speaking (or rather, shouting!) out, and I understand your frustration and pain when it comes to respect and support for the historic centers of Christianity, but don't let your anger get the better of you. The Orthodox Church here in America will continue to grow and mature, for the glory of the Church everywhere. There's no reason why it's becoming stronger should in any way compromise the well-being of the Mother Churches, despite what some Orthodox Christians, both cradle and convert, have injudiciously and uncharitably said or say.

Angela Damianakis amen your grace. thank your for your loving pastoral guidance.

Angela Damianakis i will work on being more charitable in my speech while never comprising my position

Paul Vermaak @Angela, it is often the converts to the Faith who are against innovations introduced by 'cradle' Orthodox. Bear in mind that at one point the whole of Russia were new to Orthodoxy.

And it wasn't a convert that brought about the implementation of the Papist calendar. In God's sight, there is no such thing as a 'Jew, or a Greek...", but there is much joy over even one sinner that repents.

Peter Cox Your Grace, with regard to your comment to Angela, it is my firm belief that a united Orthodox Church of America will be able to do far more to support the Mother Churches both financially and politically that we can now as fragmented ethnarchies. Concern for the status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is not limited to Greeks alone.

Angela Damianakis TRUE Peter exactly!!! The Ecuemenical Patriarch is the spiritual leader of 350 million orthodox christians on six continents. only a myopic view with a narrow vantage hails him as 'the greek' patriarch. . there are many 'nationalities' who revere his Ecumenical Throne. i don't agree however that given more power (for lack of a better term at present) will create loyality amongst those who openly call for his fleeing the city or consider his commision as receding or 'honorary'.

Peter Cox Angela, your comments illustrate the interesting tension in the ongoing conversation about what the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate should be in the modern world. There are those who would minimize his role by wondering why one who is now directly responsible only for a few hundred remaining Christians in Turkey should continue to enjoy  preeminence over, for example, the patriarch in Moscow whose flock numbers in the millions. On the other hand, there are those who, through unique interpretations of the canons and by appeals not to the present but to the past, assign him near-Papal authority. In all honesty, while Patriarch Bartholomew is “first among equals,” one would be hard pressed to find those outside the Greek and Greek-occupied jurisdictions who would regard him, rather than their own patriarch or metropolitan archbishop, as their spiritual leader.

Angela Damianakis peter your statements can be best summarized as poppycock. the ecumenical see has as much relevancy in the modern world as the orthodox church and for orthodoxy more so. what can be more perfect, more imperative? you don't even know who you are. legitimacy is not begotten by rebellion or an autonomous mindset. there are a few thousand orthodox Christians and many closeted because of religious oppression in turkey. what's more the streets are imbued with the blood of the martyrs. we phanarites are not papists as we understand the difference between the two, they are like night and day, like somehow confusing my orthodoxy with roman catholicism: ridiculous. in the ever shrinking world through the world wide web and media and television and conference calling and the iphone the idea that HAH ability to pastor is impeded by the worlds seas is a limp argument and red herring. no one is more tested in character in fortitude and strength then he. no one more internationally versed.