Preaching Reaching Teaching

etiquette rules for the gentle spirit and tender hearted

actual murders, bombings, confiscations, imprisonments, closures and intimidation

Some readers which to imply that there is a moral equivalence between pointing out anomalies and discrepancies in protocol with the abandoning an oppressed Church. This is what we know today. There are actual murders, bombings, confiscations, imprisonments, closures and intimidation akin to the Gestapo. We wish to compartmentalize our feelings and concern about such matters to the point of a schizoid pathology. The churchmen in the United States wish to institute a gag order on freedom of expression and free press. They denigrate the character of activists who wish to ignite a sense of urgency amongst fellow Orthodox Christians in America who have become too comfortable in their affluence and freedom.

There are many well wishers for sure but of what value are all these well wishers who don't speak up and speak out. There is no shared sacrifice among Orthodox Christians here in the United States despite jurisdiction. The liberty of which we all enjoy is not afforded our fellow Orthodox Christians overseas. The reality of the circumstance as it stands currently is that an overwhelming number of Orthodox Christians resign their support to encouraging the Ecumenical See to move to Greece or Washington D.C. It is an interesting and demoralizing proposition.

Are these same individuals recommending that the Jews leave the Holy Land? Should we yield and forfeit all Christian footholds in all Arab or Islamic nations? Just how has the Ecumenical Throne oppressed anyone in the United States or anywhere for that matter? How is it that all the enlightenment or the only enlightenment 'worth saving' is on the American shore? The covert strong arm tactics of the OCA  like AOI can attempt to defame the character of the Mother Church but she has proven that she is not ready to lead. Their history is riddled with corruption, fiscal impropriety, sexual misconduct and now this inability to reconcile one Met.'s respit. These are the facts. It is unhealthy to presume that silence is a solution. A robust healthy discussion and public confession is the best way to brainstorm solutions.

Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission Completes Its Work

[Is it mean-spirited to point out that the OCA is not represented? No. It is a fact.]

"On 26 February 2011, the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission for the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church completed its work at the Orthodox Centre of the Patriarchate of Constantinople near Geneva.

Representatives of the fourteen Autocephalous Orthodox Churches took part in the meeting chaired by Metropolitan John of Pergamon, Patriarchate of Constantinople. The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, led by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), included archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia); archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; and interpreter Anatoly Churiakov.

The Commission, which task was to elaborate questions for the agenda of the Pan-Orthodox Council, continued to consider the issue of signing the Tomos of autocephaly. As a long discussion has not led to the unanimous decision, the necessity of further studying of the issue of autocephaly was recognized.

The Commission discussed the issue of diptychs, considered canonical and ecclesiological aspects, described the current practice of the Orthodox Churches and the criteria of including the Churches into diptychs and the order of the Primates’ names in them and also noted the necessity of compiling the uniform diptychs of the Orthodox Church.

Also considered was a wish of the Polish and Albanian Orthodox Churches to reach uniformity in regard of the place of their Primates in diptychs of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. The Commission suggested to take these requests into account and to consider proper changes in diptychs.

The requests of the Georgian Orthodox Church concerning its sixth place in diptychs and of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus concerning a higher place of its Primate in holy diptychs were presented at the meeting. Consent has not been reached either on this issue, or on the differences in holy diptychs of some Churches due to the lack of Pan-Orthodox agreement on the number of the recognized autocephalous Churches.

Under Art. 16 of the Rules of the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Conciliar Conferences, documents on all issues on the agenda shall be approved unanimously".