tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97614942024-03-17T20:35:40.312-05:00Fr. John WhitefordFr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comBlogger835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-91115355915277256512024-03-15T10:41:00.011-05:002024-03-17T05:26:54.167-05:00Texas Monthly Hit Piece on Russian Orthodoxy in Texas<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS48XM3tpqHwZz9z-pLYVs9BwYum7V8Qt67xlMs14_3i-sU16p-TsMSf0VID3RfUh4ARdMf6Zz7OeyHA6wnUipHHoxW6rvSTOtSB3ejUaKXqo03XilYD8lpN966HOi5TgNYK3Pw38z_lYQ2zQO7zustVK7huw3_zUwKYX1tuHwa1SiF2Wsg/s4032/stjonah_horizontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS48XM3tpqHwZz9z-pLYVs9BwYum7V8Qt67xlMs14_3i-sU16p-TsMSf0VID3RfUh4ARdMf6Zz7OeyHA6wnUipHHoxW6rvSTOtSB3ejUaKXqo03XilYD8lpN966HOi5TgNYK3Pw38z_lYQ2zQO7zustVK7huw3_zUwKYX1tuHwa1SiF2Wsg/s320/stjonah_horizontal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><i><b>Note:</b> The article in question is so over the top that I considered not responding to it directly, but I think the people in my parish, and people who have been part of the parish in the past, or will become part of it in the future will need to understand what happened with this article, and what to make of it.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Sometime last year, Meagan Clark Saliashvili contacted me about whether I would agree to be interviewed for an article she was writing for Texas Monthly on the growth of Orthodoxy in Texas. Meagan is an independent reporter who is a convert to Orthodoxy, married to a Georgian man, and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. I was not unaware of the liberal bent to her past reporting, but I hoped since she was a recent convert that she would be honest and sincere, even though I had reasons to doubt she would be. However, I figured if she was going to write a hit piece, it probably wouldn't matter whether I spoke to her or not, and speaking to her might help. <p></p><p>As it turned out, <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/orthodox-church-right-wing/">the article</a> was not about the growth of Orthodoxy in Texas at all, but was in fact an extremely biased attempt to paint me, my parish, and other Orthodox Christians as racists, conspiracy theorists, and authoritarians. However, the fact that I did talk to her, and allowed her to visit my parish resulted in her putting in many details that contradicted much of what she was trying to accomplish. I am not sure if these things were included in the original version of the story or not, but I was contacted by a fact checker from Texas Monthly (a first from any news outlet I have ever interacted with) and pointed out to him a number of relevant facts that did in fact appear in the article as published. On the other hand, I did not anticipate how this would negatively impact some people in the parish, and that is my biggest regret about agreeing to this.</p><p>The extreme bias of the article did not take long to appear, however. The title of the article is itself one of the most ridiculous titles I have ever seen in my life: </p><p></p><blockquote>"Inspired by the Confederacy and Czarist Russia, “Ortho Bros” Are on the Rise: A Houston-area priest is part of a group of religious leaders and media figures who draw followers interested in conspiracy theories and authoritarian government."</blockquote><p>Of the hundreds of inquirers I have encountered over the years, most of them would not have known what "Czarism" even was or how to pronounce the word when they first began coming to my parish. And discussing the Confederacy is something I don't bring in at all to my discussions about the Orthodox Faith with such inquirers. What I teach and preach is the Tradition of the Church, what it means to be an Orthodox Christian, and how to draw closer to God -- and that is what is in fact drawing people into the Church.</p><p>Apparently, to Meagan, thinking that the COVID lockdowns were a bad idea makes one a conspiracy theorist. But those she cites as authorities on Orthodoxy believe in conspiracy theories, such as the idea that Putin and Trump conspired to steal the 2016 election. And while Orthodox Christians are free to have their own views about how the government ought to be run, most of the people I encounter believe that the government we have right now is already too authoritarian... they are hardly begging for more. </p><p>Why put all of that into the title? To make sure people who just read the titles know that Russian Orthodox Christians are scarry bad people.</p><p>Secondly, just look at the photo of me that they used for this article. My Church is a very well-lit Church. When this photo was taken, not only was the Church bright with natural light, the photographer had a lot of additional lights shining in my face. The fact that they made the picture so dark was clearly intended to communicate that this article was about something sinister.</p><p>The way words were used throughout the article were consistently designed to paint a negative picture of me and my parish. My parishioners don't walk into Church, they "shuffle" in. I don't wear vestments when serving; I wear a "cape." The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia did not reunite with the Church inside of Russia in 2007 because the issues that kept us apart were finally resolved; it was "at Russian president Vladimir Putin’s request." </p><p>I lived through the time before, during, and after the reconciliation of the Russian Church in 2007, and it did not happen because Putin requested it. He had no pull over those outside of Russia. This was an issue that had been on the table for years, and it happened because the time for it to happen had come, and both sides wanted it to happen.</p><p>Somehow my sermon on the day that Meagan visited, which was about the slaughter of innocent Palestinian civilians, and the Church's traditional understanding of itself as Israel in contrast to Protestant Dispensationalists who are cheering on the slaughter of Palestinians because of their bad theology, but which nevertheless called for us to not hate other people, was portrayed as if it were mere political commentary, to which my parishioners just nodded along to in some unthinking way. <a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/the_church_and_israel">I would invite those who haven't heard that sermon to listen to it, and to judge for themselves</a>.</p><p>Meagan suggested that I have people in my "orbit" that are "white supremacists." I have asked her to name them, because if she could point me to anyone who actually held such views, I would want to make sure that their bishop knew about it and dealt with them. But so far, she has named no one, but the smear remains.</p><p>She described my spiritual journey into Orthodoxy in ways that were dismissive. I would invite anyone interested in the facts to read my article on the subject: <a href="https://www.saintjonah.org/articles/pilgrims_podvig.html">A Pilgrim’s Podvig</a>.</p><p>I am quoted as saying: "I think the reason there’s been this big influx since the lockdowns is a lot of people have a sense that things are going in a very bad direction quickly, and they’re trying to grab on to something firm." But then Meagan editorializes, and writes "For Whiteford, that something firm is often certain aspects of traditional Southern culture."</p><p>This is not at all true. That something firm is the Orthodox Faith. Anyone who has read what I have written and heard what I have said would know that this is what I was referring to, but instead Meagan has to distort what I was saying so she can shift the focus to what she wants to talk about and further distort things.</p><p>She writes:</p><p></p><blockquote>"During a recent talk in North Carolina, he spoke of the spiritual benefits of agrarianism and asserted that the legacy of the Confederacy has been misconstrued—he believes the Civil War wasn’t primarily fought over slavery. “Bad things happened, and we should never defend those things,” he noted. “But it would be the height of ingratitude for me to throw my ancestors under the bus, particularly when I don’t have any reason to believe that they did anything that they understood to be wrong, at least not in a grossly immoral way.”</blockquote><p></p><p>The talk that I gave was entitled "Southern Agrarianism and Moldova." I think Meagan thinks that "agrarianism" has something to do with the Confederacy or white supremacy, but it doesn't -- it's a much broader concept. When the Texas Monthly Fact checker called me, he asked me about this, and I pointed out that Southern Agrarian writers came to prominence in the 1920's and 30's, but that the best known contemporary Southern Agrarian writer is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Berry">Wendell Berry</a>, who is often thought of as an environmentalist. Perhaps the article would have been even more distorted if I had not pointed this out, but that still seems to be her underlying assumption. In that talk, I mentioned the Confederacy only once, while talking about the racial diversity in the South, when I pointed out that the last Confederate general to surrender was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_Watie">Stand Watie</a>, the chief of the Cherokee Nation. But as the title of the talk suggests, the focus of the talk was to discuss the lessons we could learn from <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-1.html">Moldova</a>, which is an Orthodox country with a largely agrarian culture. I would suggest that those who would like to listen to my talk, <a href="https://youtu.be/OcodXAjVLw0?si=jzyDzZWzV4U_lkm3">listen to it in its entirety</a>.</p><p>But when Meagan says that I "asserted that the legacy of the Confederacy has been misconstrued—he believes the Civil War wasn’t primarily fought over slavery. “Bad things happened, and we should never defend those things,” he noted. “But it would be the height of ingratitude for me to throw my ancestors under the bus, particularly when I don’t have any reason to believe that they did anything that they understood to be wrong, at least not in a grossly immoral way," she is again misrepresenting what I said. Fortunately, the comments she is alluding to were from the question-and-answer period, and you can listen to what I actually said in context here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nj4cn1u5rU4?si=fOCI1e6ed9fRTkPP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>You can listen to another comment from the question-and-answer period that was along similar lines, by <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/AVxVi-mqnvA?si=AwMnQO_S9LM0yabI">clicking here</a>.</p><p>I don't think that the Civil War was fought for the purpose of abolishing slavery, and I say that <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2021/12/orthodox-america-has-cultural-marxist.html">for historical reasons that I have laid out before</a>. If I am wrong on the facts I point to, I would be happy to have someone correct me and provide me with the evidence to the contrary, but there are many historians who have reached the same conclusions I have. And yes, I don't support destroying historical monuments and artifacts, because that is what Bolsheviks do -- not people who care about history. No one has to agree with me. My position on this is not a matter of Orthodox Dogma, to be sure. I don't hate anyone because they come to other conclusions on the matter. I believe in being tolerant of other people's opinions. </p><p>Further on, Meagan wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote>"It’s difficult to determine how many of St. Jonah’s congregants are in accord with Whiteford’s ideology and how many are devoted to the church for more traditional reasons. But it was clear that fringe ideas, including conspiracy theories, are welcome, from anti-vax stances to prepping for apocalyptic scenarios."</blockquote><p>What is odd about this is that Meagan has not provided any evidence that I have an ideology, much less that I have imposed it on anyone else, nor has she described what that ideology might be. I would be very interested to learn what that ideology is supposed to be, because <a href="https://youtu.be/KkPytBuDriU?si=GlsuGVmDw3_Q0kbQ">I believe ideological thinking of any sort is wrong in principle, and is contrary to a Traditional Christian Mindset</a>. People in my parish hold a wide variety of views on a great many topics, and I don't tell them what they can or cannot think as long as they don't advocate for something contrary to the teachings of the Church. I have people who are very conservative, but I also have people who are politically on the left. Again, I believe in being tolerant of other people.</p><p>The article suggested that I somehow support the establishment of a monarchy in the United States. I have never suggested any such thing, as you can see from this answer I gave to a question on the subject: <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/eAQ4gJf4dfA?si=5wLfbM2UAFy2Zfix">Why Monarchy Won't Work in America</a>.</p><p>Meagan made mention of an "anonymous Reddit user who in 2020 posted a call to burn down the “misogynistic xenophobic homophobic St Jonah Russian Orthodox Church.” (Nothing seems to have come of the threat, which Whiteford speculates may have been planted by the FBI.)" </p><p>She makes it sound like this terrorist threat against my Church was no big deal. But let me quote from <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/06/review-between-heaven-and-russia-by.html">a review I did of Sarah Riccardi-Swarz's book</a> which tried to portray members of ROCOR as being Putin's fifth column in the United States:</p><p></p><blockquote>"In June of 2020, my parish had a serious terroristic threat from someone who referred to our parish as "St. Jonah Russian Orthodox Church," despite the fact that we never use "Russian" in the name of our parish, though we make no secret about being part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. When that happened, I called the FBI, as well as the local Constables office. The local authorities were very responsive, but the FBI never called me back. I mentioned what had happened to a Protestant minister I know who is fairly well connected. He contacted our Lt. Governor, and he called the FBI. Only then did I get a call back, but in the end, they did almost nothing to track down the person who had made these threats, though he had an online profile that should not have been hard to track down, and he was certainly living in this area. This year, on Old Calendar Annunciation, I finally received a visit from an FBI agent (nearly two years later), who began by mentioning what had happened in 2020, and who said that they just wanted to make sure everything was OK, given tensions around the war in Ukraine. He asked if I would agree to talk to him, and I did. His line of questioning had almost nothing to do with the safety and security of my parish. It was all about what contacts I may have had with the Russian Consulate in Houston, whether the Russian government had any influence over my Church, and things of that nature. Recent history has shown that you don't have to actually be guilty of anything for the FBI to put you in jail. So obviously, this attention is unwelcome, though it would have been nice if they had been more interested in my parish in June of 2020. </blockquote><p></p><p>I have speculated that perhaps the guy who made this threat was an FBI asset that was trolling to see who would respond to his call to burn my Church down. I entertain that possibility only because it would have been shooting fish in a barrel for the FBI to have tracked this guy down, had they any inclination to do so, but they didn't, and so the question is why didn't they? I don't claim to know the truth about what happened, I only know that it is very odd as it is.</p><p>Then Meagan talks about a specific family in my parish and introduces that paragraph with "Not everyone who comes to Whiteford’s church is looking to get involved in political or ideological battles." I was told by the family that spent about three hours talking with her, they talked about homesteading and homeschooling, and the Faith, but that Meagan kept trying to get them to talk about politics. They told her that they don't come to Church to talk politics, but it was Meagan who kept bringing the subject up in the first place.</p><p>The fact is <b>no one</b> has come to my parish looking to get involved in political or ideological battles, except perhaps Meagan herself, but the way she words this suggests that this family is exceptional. They are not exceptional in why they have come to my parish, nor in why they have stayed.</p><p>It is a shame that a person who ostensibly is an Orthodox Christian, and who assured me that she was doing an article to talk about the growth of Orthodoxy in Texas decided to instead use the occasion to attack people she doesn't agree with. </p><p>The day after this article was posted people in my parish were contacted by a scammer claiming to be me, who was wanting to get access to our parish directory. We don't know what this person's intentions are, but we can reasonably assume that the intentions are not good. When you vilify Russian Orthodox Christians, and paint them as Putin stooges, who are somehow associated with white supremacists despite wanting to establish a Spanish speaking parish, co-authoring statements against racism and preaching sermons about how we can't hate people, unhinged people might decide to do something that results in real people getting hurt. I hope that people like Meagan will keep their responsibility for that kind of reaction in mind in the future.</p><p></p><p></p></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-18855437165296240032024-03-08T18:10:00.013-06:002024-03-09T15:27:05.119-06:00Deaconesses, Female Deacons, and the Agenda of the St. Phoebe Center<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbw-zdb5ds8xY0iA9pv5SdDsla_j-b9ydZHeNz41gnKqyQXS-oZ1Bjcinzf8TW5FtW6l85ekDTQqIFhHhBeTt8TZpInFXAeSfNUSEW06JEEHPkIdNPru4Ua8M1VjblZ_NgQDS8G3SmMJ2K6hH-fJZ831KO1nfFyWTSwu7-MpdJ2Dm4CLF2g/s450/deaconess.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbw-zdb5ds8xY0iA9pv5SdDsla_j-b9ydZHeNz41gnKqyQXS-oZ1Bjcinzf8TW5FtW6l85ekDTQqIFhHhBeTt8TZpInFXAeSfNUSEW06JEEHPkIdNPru4Ua8M1VjblZ_NgQDS8G3SmMJ2K6hH-fJZ831KO1nfFyWTSwu7-MpdJ2Dm4CLF2g/s320/deaconess.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>St. Phoebe, the Deaconess</i></div></i><p></p><p>On February 2nd, 2024, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/3x8Iw7RCtoI?si=mIoFQDldLFKwW0rA">Ancient Faith Radio held a discussion about deaconesses</a>, which was a documentary by John Maddox, interspersed with discussions between Fr. Thomas Soroka and John Maddox, and which eventually included callers, included me, among a few others.</p><p>There are a number of people whose opinions I respect who thought that the discussion was giving a platform to feminists with an agenda. Personally, I thought it was a mostly useful show, and found <a href="https://youtu.be/QhhkxOVmZzk?si=Wy2NaLgB2NAR6b-9">the full unedited interviews that John Maddox did with the various guest on the documentary</a> to be even more revealing. Some of the interviews were more interesting than others, but in the description box on YouTube, you can select which interview you want to listen to, which makes navigating this more than 10-hour compilation manageable. </p><p>This show reminded me of the kind of shows that Kevin Allen (of blessed memory) used to do on AFR. The only difference being that he probably would have had <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disappearing-Deaconess-Hierarchical-Ordering-Diaconate/dp/0991016971">Fr. Patrick Mitchell</a> on with someone from the Phoebe Center for Deaconesses, and would have moderated an informal debate designed to let people hear how the two sides compare with each other. </p><p>I think both the shorter show and the full-length interviews make a very strong case against the push for deaconesses, and apparently the <a href="https://orthodoxdeaconess.org/">Phoebe Center for Deaconesses</a> thought so too, because no sooner was the show over than <a href="https://mailchi.mp/d76a2fd0b117/your-latest-update-15674204">they were claiming to have been victimized by the show</a>, and the discussions which it sparked.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>What Complicates This Discussion</b></p><p>There are several questions that complicate this discussion: 1. What were deaconesses, and how did they function? 2. If the office was restored, what would that look like? 3. Why did they cease to be a living part of the life of the Church and should that office be restored? 4. Is there an agenda behind the push to restore deaconesses? So let's take a look at each of these questions:</p><p><b>1. What were deaconesses, and how did they function? </b></p><p>We know that deaconesses were celibate women 40 years old and above. They eventually became associated with female monasticism. They certainly assisted with the baptism of women adult converts -- because the practice of the early Church was to baptize everyone in the nude, and obviously this required that adult women be baptized outside of the viewing of men. So while a priest said the words of the baptism from behind a screen, a deaconess performed all of the functions, such as the anointing with oil, the triple immersion, the robing, the chrismation, and the tonsuring. </p><p>In addition to this, we know deaconesses took communion to women who were sick. They also maintained order on the side of the Church in which women were praying during the services. They also, at least in some places formed a choir and sang parts of the services, antiphonally, with the male choir.</p><p>There is some debate about whether deaconesses qualified as minor clergy (analogous to readers and subdeacons), or whether they were part of the major orders of clergy (such as deacons, priests, and bishops). There is some good evidence that they were classed closely with deacons, in terms of rank, but this may or may not have been how they were viewed from the beginning, and in various places.</p><p><b>2. If the office was restored, what would that look like?</b></p><p>Without question, deaconesses did not function in the same way as male deacons. This is a key point upon which much confusion arises, because people like the folks at the Phoebe Center are pushing for deaconesses to be ordained on the same basis as male deacons -- and so with the same age limit of 25 and older, no requirement for celibacy, and the same liturgical functions as male deacons. The problem with this is that this is not restoring the ancient order of deaconesses -- this is the establishment of something entirely different. Were they actually calling for the restoration of deaconesses as they once existed in the Church, there would be a lot less controversy on this subject. But speaking of "restoring" deaconesses while actually promoting the introduction of something novel is not accidental sloppiness -- it is a marketing strategy.</p><p>In the discussion on this issue, someone pointed out that the Phoebe Center was engaging in the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_fallacy">Motte-and-bailey fallacy</a>." This occurs when someone conflates two positions that share some similarities -- one which is more easily defensible, and one which is not -- and then go back and forth between these two conflated positions, depending on their need to retreat to the more defensible position, or their desire to push the indefensible position. I think this was an insightful observation. When people attack their push for women to function as male deacons, they appeal to the evidence for the ancient order of deaconesses, without ever actually engaging the merits of the criticisms of their far less defensible agenda.</p><p><b>3. Why did they cease to be a living part of the life of the Church and should that office be restored? </b></p><p>It seems to me that the decline in adult conversions and thus the lack of need for deaconesses to fulfil this most important role was the biggest factor in the decline and eventual disappearance of deaconesses. The fact that they ceased to exist very early on in the Western Church was probably a factor too. I think it ultimately doesn't matter so much why this happened as it does that it did in fact happen. That this order ceased to exist is good evidence that it was no longer needed by the Church, and so those arguing for the restoration of deaconesses have the burden of proof that there is a need for it now. But again, if they were actually talking about restoring deaconesses as they once actually were, it would not be that controversial.</p><p>For example, about an hour from Houston, there is a Greek convent. The abbess is a very holy woman, and were she made a deaconess, I certainly would have no reason to object. But the fact is, as an abbess, she already can function pretty much as a deaconess use to function. She cannot now commune in the altar, but she can do pretty much everything else. Even bringing communion to other nuns could be done when there was a need (such as when no priest is available because of the isolation of the convent), with the blessing of her bishop.</p><p>I have not asked the abbess for her opinion on this question, but I suspect that if I did, she would not be in favor of restoring deaconesses. I say this because when you look at who is pushing for restoring deaconesses, they are almost always academics.* Serious and experienced monastics that are vocally supporting the restoration of deaconesses are as scarce as hens' teeth. </p><p><b>4. Is there an agenda behind the push to restore deaconesses?</b></p><p>The evidence that those pushing the "restoration" of deaconesses have an agenda was made very clear if you listened closely to the full interviews. This is seen by the fact that they conflate restoring deaconesses as they once were with introducing women deaconesses that function like male deacons, but that is far from the only evidence.</p><p>John Maddex made a point of asking each of the advocates for "restoring" deaconesses whether or not they would agree that women should never be ordained as priests and bishops, and without exception, they all either dodged the question, or eventually acknowledged that this "could" happen since "women deacons would inevitably lead to a conversation about ordaining women priests." John pressed for them to affirm they were not going to go on to push the ordination of women priests and bishops, because he pointed out that if they took the position that this was impossible, this would relieve a lot of the concerns people have on this issue, but not one of them was willing to provide any such assurance, and that is clearly because they have no intention of stopping with women deacons. You will hear the same question being asked, and the same essential answer in the interviews with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=4085s">Dr. Carrie Frederick Frost</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=11780s">Dr. Valerie Karras</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=28127s">Dr. Helen Theodoropolous</a>. In each case, this question comes close to the end of the interview. In fact, if you compare all three interviews, they all answer controversial questions in ways so similar that it sounds like they all have agreed upon talking points.</p><p>You can see the sleight of hand at work on the Phoebe Center website. They have a <a href="https://orthodoxdeaconess.org/faqs/">FAQ page</a>, and one of the questions is "Does the St. Phoebe Center promote the ordination of women to the priesthood (i.e. the episcopos or presbytery)?" And the answer provided is "No, ordination of women to those offices is not part of the Orthodox Christian Tradition and the St. Phoebe Center does not promote this." This answer at first glance sounds like they are opposed to the ordination of women as priests and bishops, but they are careful to not say that. They say it is not part of our tradition... but that doesn't mean they think it is impossible, because if they did think that, they wouldn't refuse to say so. All they say is that "the Phoebe Center does not promote this." But that is because it is part of their talking point strategy. In fact, <a href="https://www.hchc.edu/faculty/james-c-skedros-thd/">Dr. James Skedros</a> of Holy Cross Seminary (who did not seem to be an enthusiastic advocate for the "restoration" of deaconesses, but he certainly is not opposed to it, and he has been involved in Phoebe Center discussions on this issue), said that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=22070s">those advocating the "restoration" of deaconesses "recognize [the need] not even to bring up the topic" of ordaining women as priests</a>. It is important to note that this is merely a marketing strategy, and has nothing to do with taking a principled position, being honest, seeking the Truth, or striving to be faithful to the Orthodox Tradition.</p><p>Of the interviews of those who best opposed ordaining women deacons, I would recommend listening to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=1625s">Dr. Edith M. Humphrey</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=16975s">Presbytera Dr. Eugenia Constantinou</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=35393s">Khouriah Frederica Mathews-Green</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=36400s">Dr. Mary Ford</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>My Part in this Discussion</b></p><p>I did not intend to call in to this show, but in the chat discussions on YouTube, there were many people who said that AFR should have me on to discuss the issue. Eventually, Fr. Thomas Soroka asked me to call in -- he even sent me a private message. So I did call in. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/3x8Iw7RCtoI?si=h5I8638ueUctvt4K&t=9377">You can listen to my call here</a>, but we got cut off, and I had to call back in twice. </p><p>In my call, I began by pointing out the dishonest use of the phrase "restoration" with relation to what they are promoting, when in fact, they are promoting something entirely different from a restoration. At the end of my call, I made a comment that the Phoebe Center folks took exception to, and claimed was somehow unfit for the ears of women to hear. AFR eventually edited my comments, in a likely vain effort to make the folks at the Phoebe Center happy, but <a href="https://twitter.com/OrthoHousewife/status/1752670883339030696">you can listen to the unedited comments by clicking here</a>. This is what I said without editing:</p><p></p><blockquote>"One other thing I would say quickly about the Phoebe Center, is they say, well, we’re not pushing for women priests, we’re only talking about deaconesses, and I’m very tempted to use a very crass reference to what guys often try to do to pressure women when they’re out in the back seat of a car, but you know, you say I just want to go this far, but no further, but once you get there, then what happens? I don't trust that kind of an argument. I don't think that is where they want to stop, and some of them have openly advocated for women being ordained as priests. We've seen this before. The slippery slope is a real thing, when you have people who intentionally grease it, and we just need to be really on guard."</blockquote><p></p><p>When I said that I was "tempted to use a very crass reference," what I in fact went on to say was not the crass reference I was tempted to use. I instead toned it down to keep it acceptable for mixed company. Pretty much everyone above the age of 15 knows what I was talking about, and anyone under that age was not likely listening anyway. I think it is an apt analogy. The point is, like the guy in the back seat of a car, they know that saying what they really want is not going to get the desired result, and so ask for something short of that... with every intention of pushing to go beyond that point once they get there. It is obvious that they really want women priests and women bishops, but they know saying so plainly would get them nowhere.</p><p>The faux outrage over what I said is especially rich given that many of those expressing that outrage are also are pushing the LGBTQP agenda and would never object to that agenda being pushed on kids in school, nor would you likely hear them expressing outrage over gay pride parades in which men expose themselves to children and engage in lewd public acts in their presence.</p><p>If I had been able to hear Dr. Edith Humphries interview before I called in, I might have simply referred to this a "sleight of hand" tactic as she did, so that they would not then be able to avoid dealing with the substance of my criticisms, and instead deflect attention by clutching their pearls, and by unironically appealing to pre-feminist notions that women are too fragile to hear such things said.</p><p>Before my call, there was a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/3x8Iw7RCtoI?si=pKTRU-kgkZRiDqfn&t=8306">young woman who called in</a> and who said that God had called her to be a deaconess, and asked what she should do about it. Fr. Thomas Soroka's answer was very pastoral, but he did not say that she should be made a deaconess in the end. And so somehow this very pastoral answer was later referred to as being unkind. The woman who called in has published articles on this subject, and when you put your thoughts out there publicly, people do have a right to express contrary opinions. Also when you claim God has told you something, people also have a right to question whether this was really God, or just symptoms of self deception. There were people who made some unkind comments elsewhere about her. I certainly don't defend being unnecessarily harsh with anyone. But the faux outrage that was expressed in this case was another example of having a double standard. You can't contend that women are so strong and tough that they can do anything a man can do, while at the same time act as if anyone who contradicts a woman and makes her feel bad is a "big fat meany!" One of these two views may be a correct way to view women, but both cannot be true in the same universe. </p><p>In any case, here is what I have to say on the subject in a forum in which I have more time to lay out the case:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UkclE1KD5fw?si=wmRIfyFoB9tR5B45" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Now if the folks at the Phoebe Center actually agree that women can never be ordained as priests or bishops, because this would be an unthinkable violation of the Orthodox Tradition, I will gladly make a public apology in response. But I won't be holding my breath in the meantime. They won't say that, because clearly that is where they want to go next, and "restoring" deaconesses is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.</p><p>* <i>This point was made in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhhkxOVmZzk&t=35393s">full interview with Khouriah Federica Matthews-Green</a>.</i></p><p><b>See also:</b> </p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/04/sister-vassa-on-ordination-of-women-to.html">Sister Vassa on the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2015/08/stump-priest-altar-girls.html">Stump the Priest: Altar Girls?</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2014/05/stump-priest-churching-of-boys-vs.html">Stump the Priest: The Churching of Boys vs. the Churching of Girls</a></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-62398306777091959692024-02-02T14:43:00.009-06:002024-02-02T16:31:44.773-06:00Moldova Pilgrimage, Part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9iQWkIXZQh3en2q9Gf_Gl_8Djl8FgZGKfEN9zh0KNYxTlKl-YfRIB0Ea9nAyOeYqtpvVLMAy_sKeanKMtAFVWw7j8TZ85MhDBBy-8LJ-NiCdNXn_Y1s47V5Iee5pHp-jFYFAOrlWUHGjQl3QYpRRKCBpr5eFQnNnjRyyIJ22uWilB5Utxg/s947/vratec1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9iQWkIXZQh3en2q9Gf_Gl_8Djl8FgZGKfEN9zh0KNYxTlKl-YfRIB0Ea9nAyOeYqtpvVLMAy_sKeanKMtAFVWw7j8TZ85MhDBBy-8LJ-NiCdNXn_Y1s47V5Iee5pHp-jFYFAOrlWUHGjQl3QYpRRKCBpr5eFQnNnjRyyIJ22uWilB5Utxg/s320/vratec1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A statue of Mother <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safta_Br%C3%A2ncoveanu">Safta Brâncoveanu</a> in front of the main Church in the Văratec women's monastery. </i></div></i><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-1.html">Click here for Part 1.</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-2.html">Click here for Part 2.</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/09/moldova-pilgrimage-part-3.html">Click here for Part 3.</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/09/moldova-pilgrimage-part-4.html">Click here for Part 4.</a></p><p>On Thursday, August 18th, we packed all of our stuff back into the van, because we would be heading back to Moldova before the day was over, but we had two more stops planned in Romania first.</p><p>We went to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%83ratec_Monastery">Văratec Monastery</a> first. It was founded under the guidance <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paisius_Velichkovsky">St. Paisius Velichkovsky</a>, and was associated with the Agapia women's monastery which is nearby. Agapia is much larger.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOftIJ-MmnIXatEvDTLx-1I20JAKNDAJNnefQ53yGjyYv590HkmZzsGtAD5OxyPQ4Iq3EVAmuLlRRO1iwcoTMOmJQHIQpXw3juJne090p8BpzAbjbmhzdZPCeiMssuraqitJRCTkfNOam5YeKdnz-WHnQEBf3yrQK65pRhbZhBFD1Yg5W0XA/s947/vratec2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOftIJ-MmnIXatEvDTLx-1I20JAKNDAJNnefQ53yGjyYv590HkmZzsGtAD5OxyPQ4Iq3EVAmuLlRRO1iwcoTMOmJQHIQpXw3juJne090p8BpzAbjbmhzdZPCeiMssuraqitJRCTkfNOam5YeKdnz-WHnQEBf3yrQK65pRhbZhBFD1Yg5W0XA/s320/vratec2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The interior of the main Church in the Văratec Monastery</i></div></i><p>One interesting icon I noticed was this one, which was on the western wall, and part of the icons depicting the last judgment:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q7Wm_dkcv_7o4hNTiE84ztsOK6ECQsYdfU3uau-hTEj_AJEYMI4znDfssf-fFhFPdxuyit2NFUr5y53KxKqYX17gWwfpCKTtY3F9MvtuUQ3AqKeK-JlyM0jrI7JZdbGh-Q3Py9gv5vXPsXSvwoxiOXG-VCRHQZI5IVQLNHJhVg8s6P24dQ/s924/vratec3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="693" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q7Wm_dkcv_7o4hNTiE84ztsOK6ECQsYdfU3uau-hTEj_AJEYMI4znDfssf-fFhFPdxuyit2NFUr5y53KxKqYX17gWwfpCKTtY3F9MvtuUQ3AqKeK-JlyM0jrI7JZdbGh-Q3Py9gv5vXPsXSvwoxiOXG-VCRHQZI5IVQLNHJhVg8s6P24dQ/s320/vratec3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I can't make out the inscription, which was small, not clear, and probably in Romanian, but it was very similar to an icon I saw at <a href="https://www.churchofthenativity.net/">the Old Rite parish in Erie, Pennsylvania</a>, which had an English inscription. Assuming these two icons are modeled on the same original, the inscription on the scroll held by the angel says something like "Because of your fornication you are denied entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, but because of your charity, you are spared the torments of hell." I have never seen an icon like this elsewhere, but would be interested in learning more about it, if anyone has more information.<br /><p>Next we went to the Agapia women's monastery. It was impressive because of its size and the number of nuns I saw there. Iryna Teodoreanu, who lives in Houston, but has many friends who are nuns in the monastery made sure we were given a tour. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQAlMEHkCX9nBbA0Q_2yyyoqXDPR6J1zn3Iuc9qQ_Izq-2HK8M79IE_iqxlIxsMwUdX-xmWi3gR4F-2XFAKQP7qEefPh-PS6QSIUcw6mmsPYEzHOSEAlgjkfUICs-xasFzs2p0T3AuEPxLwz81mjIX8jxSKXL2gJjpgdsRwQ8CK7NCA3TGg/s1232/agapia1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1232" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQAlMEHkCX9nBbA0Q_2yyyoqXDPR6J1zn3Iuc9qQ_Izq-2HK8M79IE_iqxlIxsMwUdX-xmWi3gR4F-2XFAKQP7qEefPh-PS6QSIUcw6mmsPYEzHOSEAlgjkfUICs-xasFzs2p0T3AuEPxLwz81mjIX8jxSKXL2gJjpgdsRwQ8CK7NCA3TGg/s320/agapia1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Agapia</i></div></i><p>There is a very impressive museum that we were guided through by Nun Nicoleta, who speaks English very well. We had a lot of very interesting discussions as well, but I noticed my phone was vibrating, and then saw that Constantine had sent me several messages saying that Elena wasn't feeling well, and that we needed to leave. So unfortunately, we had to cut our visit short. Elena was very pregnant by this time, but up until now had been able to keep up with all the walking without any signs of it being a problem, but we quickly started making our way back to where the van was parked. After she had a chance to rest, and drink some water, she was feeling better, but we thought it was probably a good idea to start heading back to Moldova.</p><p>Crossing the border back into Moldova was less of an adventure than was our crossing the border into Romania. We wanted to make it back to Sălcuța in time to celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration on the Old Calendar (keep in mind, Romania is on the New Calendar, Moldova is on the Old). We made it back home, but I don't think we made it back in time to attend the evening service. </p><p>On Friday morning I was taken to Church early, so I could attend Matins, before the hours and Liturgy. When we arrived I noticed Fr. Nikolai was talking with another priest. It turned out there were a group of pilgrims from Kiev, who had gone to Bulgaria, but their van had broken down, and Fr. Andrey was hoping to serve the Liturgy there. I noticed Fr. Nikolai had him show his paperwork, and I think this was to make sure that he was a priest under Metropolitan Onouphry (the legitimate Ukrainian Orthodox Church), and not under <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/Ukraine%20Schism">Epiphoney, the head of the US sponsored schismatic Ukrainian Church</a>.</p><p>Since Fr. Andrey was serving in Slavonic, I did all of my parts in English. This may have been the most international service this village parish had ever seen. Again, it was very hot in the Church, but we all survived. After the Liturgy, we all were invited to Fr. Nikolai's home for a festal meal. We also got to see Fr. Sergei's home, which was very close by. We had conversations going on in Russian, Romanian, and English, with various people translating to help the non-trilingual people. Before we left, we took some pictures. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNcf6rH5NQh_CyHTBe0G9pmiVLswZuS-VdxzlmPqPhbuoYQ88Kqx-p15m9o_fIPzmfK2XgJjTLz3FU_SMc1PSeoSuayNrJmiPCPWtczbi7cF6o_8zdElx5ZvPlWpYHw4tuzSsUvTYcFjta3Y3nc-PRIBi0UH7JYLouRa9gZfc6obFxh2AmA/s1488/nikolai.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1488" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNcf6rH5NQh_CyHTBe0G9pmiVLswZuS-VdxzlmPqPhbuoYQ88Kqx-p15m9o_fIPzmfK2XgJjTLz3FU_SMc1PSeoSuayNrJmiPCPWtczbi7cF6o_8zdElx5ZvPlWpYHw4tuzSsUvTYcFjta3Y3nc-PRIBi0UH7JYLouRa9gZfc6obFxh2AmA/s320/nikolai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From left to right: Fr. Nikolai, Constantine, Fr. Gregory, myself, Fabi, my wife, Matushka Margareta, Elena, Fr. Sergei, and I believe that is one of Fr. Sergei's daughters.</i></div></i><p>After we got back from what was a truly wonderful afternoon, we needed to get ready to head out to visit another of Elena's aunts and uncles, Pelaghia and John, in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantemir,_Moldova">Cantemir</a>, which is close to the border with Romania, but a bit south of where we had crossed back and forth previously. Elena was doing the driving, and we were going a bit faster than usual to try to make it there by a reasonable hour. We were going up and down hills, and rounding corners this way and that, such that by the time we got there, I was feeling more than a bit queasy. Uncle John is Moldovan, but was a veteran of the Soviet Army, and prefers to speak in Russian, and so we were again having a trilingual conversation, but a pleasant one. After breakfast the next morning, we headed back to Sălcuța for one final time. Loaded up all of our things, and said our goodbye's to Elena's family, and then headed to spend the night in Chișinău, so we could catch our flight early on Sunday morning. We did a reader service back in the apartment we stayed in, and got up early to do our final packing.</p><p>Constantine and I loaded the van with all the luggage, because we had too many bags to fit everyone and the luggage into the van, and so the plan was for Elena, my wife, and Fabi to catch an Uber to the airport. However, Elena discovered that she could not find an Uber driver on Sunday morning, and after much waiting and hoping, finally, she stopped a car with a young man and asked if he would give them a ride to the airport. He was a random stranger, but in this country that places such a high value on hospitality, she was not disappointed, even in the capital city.</p><p>Once at the airport, we had one final bit of drama when we were trying to board the flight. The agent for the airline asked Elena if she had a new doctor's letter stating she was able to fly in her advanced state of pregnancy. She didn't have such a letter, because we obviously had not been back to Houston, but they said the previous letter was no longer valid. However, this time the agent helped her out, and just suggested she might want to wear a jacket that would make it less obvious how far along she was, so that she didn't get any hassles when we had to catch our connecting flight in Istanbul. When we got to Istanbul, we found such a jacket, and had no further problems for the remainder of the trip.</p><p>I was looking forward to being able to visit the various churches and monasteries we visited, but I was not expecting to have this trip being a life changing event, but having a chance to see a largely agrarian Orthodox country up close really was a revelation. Even though Moldova is a relatively poor country, they are the richest country I have ever been in, when it comes to their faith, their culture, and the strength of their families. We have a lot we could learn from Moldova.</p><p>The following is a video of a talk I gave last September that reflects on what I learned from this trip.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OcodXAjVLw0?si=s9-QeQ6M-SpC8vLG" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-14340809397016681932023-10-03T10:39:00.001-05:002023-10-03T10:39:24.397-05:00What is Christian Marriage?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSaUl5fyEDl6F7O0omuPMk84mR8hPIqeeIlu2m6ag7wgtTeyZh6VSNIw_387CwkrS8ZaXdOPgRSQ3miog3sWpfK8_lFzSqjyvtZgPMdfdCqOt7nO7TxpbojRFdMDlWUn3mEnnZgSqF4J27vvedSpiYNl7YnQhr7CkHF-IFGeV148GhzFE0g/s1386/wedding%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1386" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSaUl5fyEDl6F7O0omuPMk84mR8hPIqeeIlu2m6ag7wgtTeyZh6VSNIw_387CwkrS8ZaXdOPgRSQ3miog3sWpfK8_lFzSqjyvtZgPMdfdCqOt7nO7TxpbojRFdMDlWUn3mEnnZgSqF4J27vvedSpiYNl7YnQhr7CkHF-IFGeV148GhzFE0g/s320/wedding%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Me and my wife with my daughter Catherine, and son-in-law Benjamin Dixon</i></div></i><p></p><p><i>The following sermon was given on May 7, 2023, at the wedding of my daughter Catherine Whiteford and my son-in-law Benjamin Dixon, in Charlotte, North Carolina.</i></p><p>In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.</p><p>Marriage was established by God in Creation. Although many people get confused as to what marriage is these days, I can guarantee you 100 percent of the people here have a male father and a female mother and only one of each. That's the basis for all human life. God made it the very root and foundation of society, and in a healthy society most people would be born from parents married to each other and live in a stable home. The more that ceases to be the norm, the more unstable society becomes.</p><p>That's why it's all the more important for us as Christians to be committed to marriage, because each marriage is like one thread in a big, woven cloth. You might pull one string out without messing up the whole garment, but if you keep pulling out strings, one after and another, pretty soon the whole thing unravels. Marriage is that important.</p><p>Christian marriage is something in addition to that. In the Gospel reading, we heard about how Christ took natural water–which is good in of itself and made by God at the time of Creation–and how, when He blessed it, He turned that water into wine. God takes what He already blesses from Creation in terms of natural marriage and makes it into something else. It's not just an avenue through which life comes forth and we produce future generations, nor just the basis of society. It's also the path by which you can save your souls.</p><p>A husband and a wife in a Christian home are to be committed to each other in such a way that when one person is weak, the other one is strong. If you have to drag the other person across the finish line of life into heaven, you do that, because you are that committed to the relationship. </p><p>It's not just important for you, but also important for your children. It's difficult for children to see parents who don't get along, particularly if it was those parents who taught them the Faith. They can reasonably ask, "if my parents taught me the Faith but they couldn't keep the marriage together, then what good is it?"</p><p>We as parents need to be good models of what it means to be Christian parents, even if it's difficult. The thing is, there are always going to be times that are difficult. There will always be times in your marriage when you think, “I made a big mistake, I don't know about this, this is not going well.” But the thing is, if you remain committed to it–and both of you remain committed to it–you will be able to stand firm. </p><p>How do you get that kind of blessing from God? You do what the Virgin Mary said to the servants in the Gospel reading: “Do whatever He tells you.” And then they took that water to Christ and He blessed it, turning it into wine. If you do whatever Christ tells you to do, then you will have no problems between each other, your children will be blessed, and society around you will be blessed because they can look to you as an example of a Christian man and woman. </p><p>May God bless you.</p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-90749659382227793122023-09-14T13:30:00.009-05:002024-02-02T14:44:23.435-06:00Moldova Pilgrimage, Part 4<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4O5MlF_c-pKHc6Qi0K0qIGAcZtbZ3IdCbXTHBvtuiU4GS2JNkQV9l4GfU7flHhQTK2Hrx4DWEEBEuCaJGK9Y8BLfYwaoHhUWEAxF4c3Wg5PCjnY1HoAhGv-YKCN_WTTCMxM5LCKYdf-7z4VdUsRTC1q8uw2MXWfFcH-pJfITGRWFloPVXg/s1024/eldercleopa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1024" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4O5MlF_c-pKHc6Qi0K0qIGAcZtbZ3IdCbXTHBvtuiU4GS2JNkQV9l4GfU7flHhQTK2Hrx4DWEEBEuCaJGK9Y8BLfYwaoHhUWEAxF4c3Wg5PCjnY1HoAhGv-YKCN_WTTCMxM5LCKYdf-7z4VdUsRTC1q8uw2MXWfFcH-pJfITGRWFloPVXg/s320/eldercleopa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Elder Cleopa</i></div></i><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-1.html">Click here for Part 1.</a></p><p></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-2.html">Click here for Part 2.</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/09/moldova-pilgrimage-part-3.html">Click here for Part 3.</a></p><p></p><p>On Tuesday, we went to the Sihăstria Secului Monastery, where the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopa_Ilie">Elder Cleopa</a> was a monk and later the abbot. </p><p></p><p>I believe that it was on the way to this monastery that we passed a Soviet cemetery on the side of the road. At the center of this plot, there was a sizable stone marker with the <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2011/02/hammer-and-sickle-death-and-hunger.html">hammer and sickle</a>. I would imagine that these soldiers must have been killed in a battle in that area. But it was hard to imagine a war going on in this area now. I was also surprised that the cemetery seemed to be well maintained, and not vandalized, which I thought was impressive, given that Romania fought on the other side of that war. I can't find the source of the quote, but I believe it is a true saying: "Who but a coward makes war on a soldier after he is dead."</p><p>The Sihăstria monastery is the only one that we went to that had a sign that said not to take photos, and so we didn't. But I found this video on YouTube which gives you a good view of this beautiful monastery:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yKZzWZFpd4o?si=5l1p4Hu4lGw5Hu6d" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: left;">We made a point of going to this monastery first, because Elena knew that Fr. David Companik has a special veneration for Elder Cleopa, and so she hoped to find something there that she could give him as a gift. I figured that there were probably icons of him, without a halo (since he has not been formally glorified yet), and as a matter of fact they had them on sale in the monastery bookstore. We venerated Elder Cleopa's grave, and spent a good bit of time looking around the monastery, and then we went to the nearby Secu Monastery.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sn7eqX8PySY?si=VFGT0QceHNrJ_GI4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: left;">The above video gives a good overview of the monastery, although it was taken during the winter, and we were there in August. It is a beautiful monastery, but relatively small compared to the others in the area. I believe we had plans to see other monasteries that day, but I think my wife was feeling under the weather, and so we decided to go back to the hotel and take it easy for the rest of the day.</p><p style="text-align: left;">On Wednesday, we decided to first go to the Neamț Citadel, which overlooks the city of Târgu Neamț from Pleșu Hill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp9CBV1FkOTWFwFh1YxQYz-tLp6C9hj2kain1srQk9IQ6knwszo5k4apBMl8Tbis-gwUTtS_RKQu5amz_0FIog25KbeSYo8-WiyLidCEC01RU_HqINrTZNzu4aTba9UnXCdeFoOS_ImRpCdc5IpvyCSh6RXdo_Cq2FSW_3783VW5kX4iIaA/s1684/citadelhill.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp9CBV1FkOTWFwFh1YxQYz-tLp6C9hj2kain1srQk9IQ6knwszo5k4apBMl8Tbis-gwUTtS_RKQu5amz_0FIog25KbeSYo8-WiyLidCEC01RU_HqINrTZNzu4aTba9UnXCdeFoOS_ImRpCdc5IpvyCSh6RXdo_Cq2FSW_3783VW5kX4iIaA/s320/citadelhill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a lot cooler there for mid-August than it would have been back home, but since we had to walk up the hill to get to the Citadel, we decided it would be best to do that before things warmed up. <div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cx0ryvmbTFA?si=gDMlBeNWfVTn-BcB" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>A short clip taken outside the Citadel. You can briefly see Elena. The music was not added to the video.</i></p><p>As I was walking across the bridge that leads into the Citadel, there were people coming out, and as Elena told me later, there was a boy who saw me and said "Wow, Mom! Look -- a priest!" But as I got closer he said, "Wait... is he a real priest? He has no belly, Mom!" When my wife heard the story, she immediately reminded me that this is why she makes me eat healthy food.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pja601qewllC9xIEGUvX1cXPKyLbYIMLno_2r6N0aWMKMnZzd1b4nqHE4UGlgm-4Am-9Tv1MgIr6vcgxiyb8-pygQzx5TeBu92FREMg6Aq29W9BzWNWVueihQcBrZK4GDgqQWo60XcKozNiQ_k8pEGKUtBsBMUo6zYHle26KLL39JXJ2iQ/s1684/citadeldrawbridge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pja601qewllC9xIEGUvX1cXPKyLbYIMLno_2r6N0aWMKMnZzd1b4nqHE4UGlgm-4Am-9Tv1MgIr6vcgxiyb8-pygQzx5TeBu92FREMg6Aq29W9BzWNWVueihQcBrZK4GDgqQWo60XcKozNiQ_k8pEGKUtBsBMUo6zYHle26KLL39JXJ2iQ/s320/citadeldrawbridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Matushka Patricia and me on our way out of the Citadel.</i></div></i><p>There was a guide in the Citadel who spoke English very well, and he told us that St. Stephen the Great had changed the direction of the entrance to the Citadel, so that you could only reach the entrance by going on the bridge which circled around, and prevented taking a battering ram, and getting any speed to break down the gate. This Citadel was never taken by force, but when the Turks conquered the area, they forced the Romanians to blow up the Citadel. What you see today is not the full Citadel that once was, but what could be reconstructed out of the lower levels.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnQWViCsBhV7-t-ZdhWAVMOvjkmTL2hb3w1lbzm-LkXMdiR_owwI3bjS7IgWekmlEO8I4jnK-R6u4In_ObfLcXKYYwZDSnOldxeaatwm8FXYTkVfkrdYA9cm6U4p95VOwmx43w8rjeQkR7qpv5h0-weqGo61VhDxYIzP3P0xtR5VVQvwSXg/s1684/citadelupclose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnQWViCsBhV7-t-ZdhWAVMOvjkmTL2hb3w1lbzm-LkXMdiR_owwI3bjS7IgWekmlEO8I4jnK-R6u4In_ObfLcXKYYwZDSnOldxeaatwm8FXYTkVfkrdYA9cm6U4p95VOwmx43w8rjeQkR7qpv5h0-weqGo61VhDxYIzP3P0xtR5VVQvwSXg/s320/citadelupclose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After lunch, we went to the nearby <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neam%C8%9B_Monastery">Neamț Monastery</a>, which is where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paisius_Velichkovsky">St. Paisius Velichkovsky</a> ended his days. For many years, St. Paisius was mentioned in the list of saints when the prayers of the <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Artoklasia">Litia</a> were done in ROCOR. His name was later removed, as other have been added, but his name stood out because we usually do not mention the surnames of saints in our prayers, and his name was a name that a non-Russian has a bit of trouble getting used to saying. Prior to this trip, I only knew that he had been on Mt. Athos, and had played an important role in the revival of Russian monasticism. I had no idea of the Romanian connection with St. Paisius, but it went back to the early days of his monastic life. The Prophet Elias Skete on Mt. Athos, where he was the Abbot, had both a Slavonic and Romanian choir, which alternated during the services. After leaving Mt. Athos, St. Paisius came to this area, and eventually to this monastery. And I suspect that it is largely due to him that there is such an impressive collection of monasteries in a relatively small area. He not only published the Philokalia in Slavonic, but he also had it published in Romanian.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWtn8EmX_DizSIgIgLvMDFxdrlio55-kYzfeKf4vsldzKvrddBsNxrRb9iZIMiUdNf738QFcLHNuKPoJfeJylbniBSouUXbqRxWgUKm1vaqlMwM1FcLZCidWpdcZJt498W6ApNW4xGuySmEGC88KQ6JN0fHspw1WofSAIlSQTb15skpcN4Q/s1684/neamtsmonastery1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWtn8EmX_DizSIgIgLvMDFxdrlio55-kYzfeKf4vsldzKvrddBsNxrRb9iZIMiUdNf738QFcLHNuKPoJfeJylbniBSouUXbqRxWgUKm1vaqlMwM1FcLZCidWpdcZJt498W6ApNW4xGuySmEGC88KQ6JN0fHspw1WofSAIlSQTb15skpcN4Q/s320/neamtsmonastery1.jpg" width="320" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Main Church of the Monastery.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepHkBsEoNSUDCAip1gmnD-YsMI0SfoNuKhrASn0-Wkd4wBsTC8WZW2LiN_3fMdCyWV9zJfyFVnkPTYzMYiXNffyiGSBBxqAh77R_Gn1QHjCKVaF2xj276F2KQgRKyMndVFZ1DjxOc7OSx-bFnm2h7xQc1tPfRNxC8IDnkhdfwkHKgUmlCNw/s1684/neamtsmonastery2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepHkBsEoNSUDCAip1gmnD-YsMI0SfoNuKhrASn0-Wkd4wBsTC8WZW2LiN_3fMdCyWV9zJfyFVnkPTYzMYiXNffyiGSBBxqAh77R_Gn1QHjCKVaF2xj276F2KQgRKyMndVFZ1DjxOc7OSx-bFnm2h7xQc1tPfRNxC8IDnkhdfwkHKgUmlCNw/s320/neamtsmonastery2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The walls inside the main Church of the monastery. Blacked with centuries of incense, and with some damage from having been burned on more than one occasion over its long history. This monastery is yet another monastery built by St. Stephen the Great.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuBwnDAHs-WUDGCAqISgRLlVwrhO1GdVORGYCkjh3Q-8vB2Xh7cC4sCxDxrE4MZeyOSEe3L2o9WSmKoisXFaBqEvauBDN0tWCTITkcfcPwbhJbTj0aubZ5ZqWfK6fDDKdauphjgTh7-WT4eIHtNg4meMXw1xZ-gAIasFOjg_5uj4gFEnxsA/s947/neamtsmonastery3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuBwnDAHs-WUDGCAqISgRLlVwrhO1GdVORGYCkjh3Q-8vB2Xh7cC4sCxDxrE4MZeyOSEe3L2o9WSmKoisXFaBqEvauBDN0tWCTITkcfcPwbhJbTj0aubZ5ZqWfK6fDDKdauphjgTh7-WT4eIHtNg4meMXw1xZ-gAIasFOjg_5uj4gFEnxsA/s320/neamtsmonastery3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojHoe90hjjvnciyi27jxaaa5bhV3s5xAdn1s4RQR5w-9RQZIORDUf3hGVjxD5871nmltqAdnnetTQa_dbse_Kgr9FuV_Aq-dH8s9Quy_DnnpcKxal9HhDsjsmZH1vnqwNTp4ibhiljsBqgsFxQ3xiJQzK-QBwkJFxjthgGATm76cO5lRf5Q/s1684/neamtsmonastery4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojHoe90hjjvnciyi27jxaaa5bhV3s5xAdn1s4RQR5w-9RQZIORDUf3hGVjxD5871nmltqAdnnetTQa_dbse_Kgr9FuV_Aq-dH8s9Quy_DnnpcKxal9HhDsjsmZH1vnqwNTp4ibhiljsBqgsFxQ3xiJQzK-QBwkJFxjthgGATm76cO5lRf5Q/s320/neamtsmonastery4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The monastery courtyard.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMKLjP2aqq7fcbBuU4hofbZ3iqRwfAW5wCRwrfdBO_bN4VCVpGWtrbepJofihEiW8KhK1vBFdLCleqDRWIvI_l3ZrEZyQpSoaCaKci-RMU4x3xgvbc5VqZUthiAvP0p0w2GLmr5SnVzDnS1Ltu_vi8gVzivXyy6Kwf8f3WKGsTHn1ZZWpzg/s924/neamtsmonastery5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="693" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMKLjP2aqq7fcbBuU4hofbZ3iqRwfAW5wCRwrfdBO_bN4VCVpGWtrbepJofihEiW8KhK1vBFdLCleqDRWIvI_l3ZrEZyQpSoaCaKci-RMU4x3xgvbc5VqZUthiAvP0p0w2GLmr5SnVzDnS1Ltu_vi8gVzivXyy6Kwf8f3WKGsTHn1ZZWpzg/s320/neamtsmonastery5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A miraculous Icon of the Mother of God.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rOm7Z1eh7960lvUfsAdkwfExCgKM0ew0GgwBbuJwSH0JU7WCIMtpFFRjw5fybAmV5FnW2fzbh6mottaeu3pCtJSa_hIb8mI3kBwIsAfvRwoCWxzuUpYaKhYERCTO1D8MxBqCK2SpJVjN8hrKNUiY6BULEJKowvzegYY6pStISlkBhd0cpg/s1232/stpaisiusrelics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1232" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rOm7Z1eh7960lvUfsAdkwfExCgKM0ew0GgwBbuJwSH0JU7WCIMtpFFRjw5fybAmV5FnW2fzbh6mottaeu3pCtJSa_hIb8mI3kBwIsAfvRwoCWxzuUpYaKhYERCTO1D8MxBqCK2SpJVjN8hrKNUiY6BULEJKowvzegYY6pStISlkBhd0cpg/s320/stpaisiusrelics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The relics of St. Paisius Velichkovsky</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPqHV3E8HUHPYoYvigJRO0Oo0j-SNKQf9nGwbRlL5v84bwgKZgnys58kfiBEfrCSQsv9nl_seEwpDjgjcb3jGOzIb_yAyxjV4a6phYn7JS_3cWvuPXKWUGUSvV0-iIKe0x689wHQKH72JG4I9Mhbl_2hjGV8i192EXZ1up_RTn5C8eX1YcA/s947/stpaisius.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPqHV3E8HUHPYoYvigJRO0Oo0j-SNKQf9nGwbRlL5v84bwgKZgnys58kfiBEfrCSQsv9nl_seEwpDjgjcb3jGOzIb_yAyxjV4a6phYn7JS_3cWvuPXKWUGUSvV0-iIKe0x689wHQKH72JG4I9Mhbl_2hjGV8i192EXZ1up_RTn5C8eX1YcA/s320/stpaisius.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An Icon of St. Paisius at the Monastery, in which he is referred to as "St. Paisius of Neamț."</i></div><p>You can listen to a sermon I preached on the Sunday of All Saints of Russia, which focused on St. Paisius, and highlighted this Romanian connection: <a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/st_paisius_velichkovsky">St. Paisius Velichkovsky</a>. </p><p>While in the main church, I struck up a conversation with a monk who spoke English very well, and who asked me where I was from. I told him, and introduced him to my wife. He asked where she was from, and I told him that she was from China. He then said "O, you searched very far for wife!" And I told him, that actually I met her in my high school gym class in Houston.</p><p>Nearby there is a seminary, and the seminary was a very new and beautiful Church, with vibrant icons inside and out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_TP4ZIbu81zRDMmep5eQtDElfl8YlcCvyOnHsOd_UfMbgHDtWfkvNEwK9DE9HVehW02sS1aaCvHuhHmOqPIUlpWyVshzEr2IX-uxgDkjOAX6xv8odUCn_vTe_H1QvMukUfsxvQ6Ga_R3n161f8t0QwVnaTgVdUn2HjerJn4Kp6bKyAVb2Q/s947/seminary1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_TP4ZIbu81zRDMmep5eQtDElfl8YlcCvyOnHsOd_UfMbgHDtWfkvNEwK9DE9HVehW02sS1aaCvHuhHmOqPIUlpWyVshzEr2IX-uxgDkjOAX6xv8odUCn_vTe_H1QvMukUfsxvQ6Ga_R3n161f8t0QwVnaTgVdUn2HjerJn4Kp6bKyAVb2Q/s320/seminary1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dS_QvVfm9TvPGB7yD69TwNuM5dQz1b91Jl7ReyDsRdeRaTvACCA_jUIvHGxYAaY9j_A2dXSx4M7fRteos9bmUmjMbMEJ6Mv3JWnbWWCYxzW7UVbbjNHVnkvAldWNupdbQlTQyZBtdO41hlcFXfNAMOwvtU3SecFfHS6LzIcnuw5_c40RYw/s1684/seminary2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dS_QvVfm9TvPGB7yD69TwNuM5dQz1b91Jl7ReyDsRdeRaTvACCA_jUIvHGxYAaY9j_A2dXSx4M7fRteos9bmUmjMbMEJ6Mv3JWnbWWCYxzW7UVbbjNHVnkvAldWNupdbQlTQyZBtdO41hlcFXfNAMOwvtU3SecFfHS6LzIcnuw5_c40RYw/s320/seminary2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3Ha9rY8AtKIe6h0KPKWV2yhjpR6QQm2D_StLxg6SVD1Mb5c8Ymf1Zv_2QNty47ou786l3eTIs6yMAUT6s_xo_Rckt2_LLFseMYjk0t-PwcDK11dnP_66kBS6WNLX31bjGPt1bEoGKoWNMbUX5cqdi_c2cLgqA9dfr9zypLCD688d89vTXA/s1684/seminary3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3Ha9rY8AtKIe6h0KPKWV2yhjpR6QQm2D_StLxg6SVD1Mb5c8Ymf1Zv_2QNty47ou786l3eTIs6yMAUT6s_xo_Rckt2_LLFseMYjk0t-PwcDK11dnP_66kBS6WNLX31bjGPt1bEoGKoWNMbUX5cqdi_c2cLgqA9dfr9zypLCD688d89vTXA/s320/seminary3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3RAHhkcqjc45aK4ickOiHLejysJSHIsswCmoLBJ--WXagEA9yILaNRybqvppjDm_dP_5KramWHmEllU58E2Uzg4l1HsmRU1-l0evkFp1JtPztbVv2T77SeLxA3ZI-bk7Gl4bgEzHPDCZ938tN3ndI15UwK4duFdPBSgN5MygLa2SwSVLUA/s1684/seminary4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3RAHhkcqjc45aK4ickOiHLejysJSHIsswCmoLBJ--WXagEA9yILaNRybqvppjDm_dP_5KramWHmEllU58E2Uzg4l1HsmRU1-l0evkFp1JtPztbVv2T77SeLxA3ZI-bk7Gl4bgEzHPDCZ938tN3ndI15UwK4duFdPBSgN5MygLa2SwSVLUA/s320/seminary4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJAk5KfmXnnPUKCb0x-yDXPXAUDD5rVMYqTVahc1TnvX0wkf3YWIqsWsETZvKE2xpM9juSXx7YLFx1db0RGMAgqQopIQ_mRQls1SbPkX8icYzdOnIuBdEDJ3NCvWrgl-ykpkqT_8dG0AU5BVKih9Bz03OgL5NRjoZAhi2q8buPrnBbkznAg/s947/seminary5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJAk5KfmXnnPUKCb0x-yDXPXAUDD5rVMYqTVahc1TnvX0wkf3YWIqsWsETZvKE2xpM9juSXx7YLFx1db0RGMAgqQopIQ_mRQls1SbPkX8icYzdOnIuBdEDJ3NCvWrgl-ykpkqT_8dG0AU5BVKih9Bz03OgL5NRjoZAhi2q8buPrnBbkznAg/s320/seminary5.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqel0-p8daC_F_1MI4ZvFIStxutRB6O3Dxp4c4FSCCikOEhT5r4IBh8e2cVqyZu-euPyjtP7FHnwqbcn3ncuaiYGoPnd79cpUyDMRVlwTxUiOORsnVZ0nfZmDm4pH3JkCIdk7CnX86ver5CAmyjCo_zMAzCKG4UyxqzjaMKhCjpSf8ZxBrA/s947/seminary6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqel0-p8daC_F_1MI4ZvFIStxutRB6O3Dxp4c4FSCCikOEhT5r4IBh8e2cVqyZu-euPyjtP7FHnwqbcn3ncuaiYGoPnd79cpUyDMRVlwTxUiOORsnVZ0nfZmDm4pH3JkCIdk7CnX86ver5CAmyjCo_zMAzCKG4UyxqzjaMKhCjpSf8ZxBrA/s320/seminary6.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit06_V2viWlmakn_Xh2f0v8C-YYWFs5ZRcfucG0vXBX1dLj2QXvedmjRfZseMWkmuld2xGDwuk2wBCZ45We8oBWOrrnrykpuswGa19JmlSD8UT7mPLH8foyIJi1MZDSYbni5wJk2FKqC2I11WWOezEpcRvqLO9IdGhn5mNCv2ADXPFAmOZxw/s1684/seminary7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit06_V2viWlmakn_Xh2f0v8C-YYWFs5ZRcfucG0vXBX1dLj2QXvedmjRfZseMWkmuld2xGDwuk2wBCZ45We8oBWOrrnrykpuswGa19JmlSD8UT7mPLH8foyIJi1MZDSYbni5wJk2FKqC2I11WWOezEpcRvqLO9IdGhn5mNCv2ADXPFAmOZxw/s320/seminary7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ_LUk5fHVTFSClv-ipsVVKRq8meOuyqj4dn9VXIpQv8wO9ag9BONfp3H_LQo7ZiM5gwycWMj51IUw-wgzPwN1_7alxIdrwImhAEz_dR5Y3m0SwXdsPA63Tn9_gYr7h24LbGT7O2QcTMGnV2KcurqvM3x7UMovxgsASfyQq4RHe8tCvRb9A/s1684/Seminary9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ_LUk5fHVTFSClv-ipsVVKRq8meOuyqj4dn9VXIpQv8wO9ag9BONfp3H_LQo7ZiM5gwycWMj51IUw-wgzPwN1_7alxIdrwImhAEz_dR5Y3m0SwXdsPA63Tn9_gYr7h24LbGT7O2QcTMGnV2KcurqvM3x7UMovxgsASfyQq4RHe8tCvRb9A/s320/Seminary9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotjkRc7K4q9QFmBRqouD25RqYR1c6l-TLNT9MSY8BH6nvHZGbpKX5MVQ7ZpSDAE2s_xYve-vDi3FtvJuOufKnEKQh8bnK0jkgL--I6zLmG-EBMY2esXeccdxUiPmVllBtgz1ztTD3pPHu_VYsFAqr72CC73aHn4eKK3qWBjxBkpYrrbe-Dw/s947/seminary10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotjkRc7K4q9QFmBRqouD25RqYR1c6l-TLNT9MSY8BH6nvHZGbpKX5MVQ7ZpSDAE2s_xYve-vDi3FtvJuOufKnEKQh8bnK0jkgL--I6zLmG-EBMY2esXeccdxUiPmVllBtgz1ztTD3pPHu_VYsFAqr72CC73aHn4eKK3qWBjxBkpYrrbe-Dw/s320/seminary10.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was one icon in the Church that I wasn't expecting to see:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAPsF5RnTlyqobyG8F1tpPGJ2D6s8sfWIkm8AxnoMzlP9YLAOiaW4FmgIcgNzWC3BdlSxsrNZ-KAzYEM2MFmLNm4RvMg8N011XQCrpr869KYrUjIKhFP8PLlpbXSrs5ZsRKDDQd_qPnWvD26WTLoumJubrBsUGbJcV4l9sqwnVbY1LIbeYg/s924/patbart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="693" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAPsF5RnTlyqobyG8F1tpPGJ2D6s8sfWIkm8AxnoMzlP9YLAOiaW4FmgIcgNzWC3BdlSxsrNZ-KAzYEM2MFmLNm4RvMg8N011XQCrpr869KYrUjIKhFP8PLlpbXSrs5ZsRKDDQd_qPnWvD26WTLoumJubrBsUGbJcV4l9sqwnVbY1LIbeYg/s320/patbart.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>I noticed in other Romanian Churches that there were often portraits of the founders of a Church on the back western wall. In one older church, there was a portrait of a King of Romania that I believe was actually a Roman Catholic. So this portrait of Patriarch Bartholomew is there, next to a similar portrait of the Patriarch of Romania who consecrated this Church together some years back.</div><div><br /></div><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2024/02/moldova-pilgrimage-part-5.html">To be continued...</a></i></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-89525432726806215942023-09-08T20:27:00.005-05:002023-09-14T13:31:10.015-05:00Moldova Pilgrimage, Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx47tC9k0Y_8GhAsWXJ6JbumcvQradPsxWmmxyxkf7QSmPve7EUF5nSQDEl88xPVeMD8X9zhgKCJWsKD4pykXro56th0m4H4Bvc_uZoesA2piAMGejoXc7S4FMIWZ1mBljq4oSAB7QgEdkTNiVYUMU1LY2xv1HTdCOzRPaG82e4sca8SrP7g/s947/iasi_cathedral1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx47tC9k0Y_8GhAsWXJ6JbumcvQradPsxWmmxyxkf7QSmPve7EUF5nSQDEl88xPVeMD8X9zhgKCJWsKD4pykXro56th0m4H4Bvc_uZoesA2piAMGejoXc7S4FMIWZ1mBljq4oSAB7QgEdkTNiVYUMU1LY2xv1HTdCOzRPaG82e4sca8SrP7g/s320/iasi_cathedral1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The St. Paraskeva Cathedral in Iași, Romania</i></div></i><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-1.html">Click here for Part 1.</a></i></p><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-2.html">Click here for Part 2.</a></i></p><p>On Sunday morning, August 14th, I arrived at the village church early enough to do the entrance prayers before Matins would begin. I noticed later that the resident clergy did the entrance prayers later, during the hours, but I am not used to doing Matins on Sunday morning. Following the service in Romanian was again difficult, but I generally had at least some idea of where we were. </p><p>Even though the outside temperature was comfortable, the inside of the Church was certainly on the warm side. After I was fully vested, it was extremely hot. There was one window in the altar which was slightly cracked. At one point, Fr. Sergei (the younger brother) opened up the window more widely, and I could feel the faintest hint of a cross-flow, but not long after that, Fr. Nikolai (the older brother) put the window back as it was before. </p><p>I wondered whether they would abbreviate Matins, or go straight from the Great Doxology to the beginning of the Liturgy (as Greeks typically do), but they did neither. They did the full canon at Matins, and after Matins, did the 1st, 3rd, and 6th Hours, followed by the Liturgy. During the Liturgy, I tried to do as much of the parts that I was supposed to do in Slavonic, because I figured the people were more likely to understand that, than to understand it in English. By the end of the Liturgy, I was soaking wet from the heat.</p><p>At the end of the Liturgy, Fr. Nikolai asked me to say a few words. I told them briefly about how I had discovered the Orthodox Faith, and that while they might not all realize it, they had inherited a great treasure. I also commented on what a beautiful and pious country that they had, and that they should fight to hang on to what they have. I said this with a sense of sadness, because while I hope that they do hang on to what they have, I know that the pull of western culture, if it has its way, will do everything it can to see that they do not. </p><p>After the dismissal, we did the lesser blessing of the waters, which is appointed to be done on the feast of the Procession of the Cross. I was handed a candle with a bath towel. I had seen something similar when Elena has been the Godmother at baptisms in our parish (and she and Constantine have racked up a considerable number in the preceding year). At such baptisms, she made a point of giving each of those who are baptized a similar bath towel. I don't know if this is just a local custom, a Moldovan custom, or a more widely observed Romanian custom.</p><p>After the services, Fr. Nikolai invited us to his home for lunch. When I got there, I was happy to discover that he had air conditioning in his home. My wife had over heated during the service, and so went back to Elena's parents' home, to rest. I tried to entice her to come to Fr. Nikolai's with the promise of air conditioning, but it didn't work.</p><p>One again we were treated to a wonderful meal that consisted of locally grown food, and the family's own homemade wine. Fr. Nikolai's English was limited, but I was able to talk with him to some extent before his brother arrived. I noticed he had both Romanian books in his library, and found out that he went to seminary in Romania. When Fr. Sergei arrived, he translated the conversation, which then could get into more complex subjects.</p><p>Fr. Nikolai chided Elena a bit for not giving him more advanced notice of our visit. I found out later that he had made sure the whole choir was present for both the evening and morning services, since they had special guests. He also discussed what we should be sure to see while in Romania, after he found out that Romania was our next stop.</p><p>After a very enjoyable afternoon, we went back to Elena's parents' home to rest a bit, before we headed to Romania. The idea was to try to cross the border after midnight, in hopes that the traffic would be less, but it didn't quite work out as we hoped.</p><p>We drove on an international road, which for several stretches did not appear to have been maintained since the days when Moldova was part of the Soviet Union. We had to drive slow, and it was bit like driving on the surface of the Moon. As we approached the border crossing, the road was smooth, but it was only one lane in each direction, and there was a long line of trucks that for some reason was backed up for quite a distance. Following the lead of some cars in front of us, we began driving on the opposite lane, hoping to get past this line of trucks (because cars have a different line at the border), but what happened was that at some point cars coming in the opposite direction caused the line we were in to come to a complete stop, and because we were on a bridge, which railing on both sides, there was no way to pass, and no room to turn around.</p><p>For several hours, we were stuck. I never saw any law enforcement at any point during the entire affair, who made any attempt to unsnarl this problem. After a while several truck drivers got out of their vehicles, and began cursing at each other in Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian. But ever so slowly, they began to direct different trucks and vehicles that could move, and somewhat like the movements of a Rubik's Cube, they gradually began to solve the puzzle. This involved trucks and cars up and down the road, moving as far as they possibly could, to make just enough room, for people to start turning around. And finally, we were moving, though in the opposite direction that we wanted to go. Once we were free of the traffic jam, we began asking people if there was a back road that we could take to the border crossing. We found out that there was. It was a somewhat rugged road, with many twists and turns, but we made it to the crossing, and at long last, we were able to begin the process of crossing the border.</p><p>The roads in Romania are consistently good. And sometime at around 4 in the morning, we made to Iași, Romania, and the three-star hotel there. It was a very nice hotel, except that the air conditioning wasn't quite up to standard. We slept in a bit, had breakfast there, and then went out to go to the main cathedral there, where the relics of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraskeva_of_the_Balkans">St. Paraskeva</a> (or "Petka," as the Serbs call her) are found. The Romanian Orthodox Church is on the New Calendar, and though we had just begun the Dormition Fast on the Old Calendar on Sunday, Monday, August 15th was already the end of the fast and the celebration of the Feast of the Dormition.</p><p>It was a beautiful day, and also a national holiday in Romania. The line to venerate the relics of St. Paraskeva was quite long, but well worth the wait. The Cathedral itself is beautiful. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_Jc_Z-yYnv1ZDImTEKDJ-2_VIwUm807IeuZURj4E5a20beAoCpvJJzb_CXc2QGtIeO_B9iVn9x1dyt42K-H83VW3RAJVGckvdq74WYD3YDxf1m2lm8Ayx0w82jSsk6DjEvSU0ciMYGWbDISdKPytDP-iy8f76NSvMygLp1qpIAqA7oVMBQ/s1684/iasi_cathedral2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_Jc_Z-yYnv1ZDImTEKDJ-2_VIwUm807IeuZURj4E5a20beAoCpvJJzb_CXc2QGtIeO_B9iVn9x1dyt42K-H83VW3RAJVGckvdq74WYD3YDxf1m2lm8Ayx0w82jSsk6DjEvSU0ciMYGWbDISdKPytDP-iy8f76NSvMygLp1qpIAqA7oVMBQ/s320/iasi_cathedral2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The interior of the </i><i>St. Paraskeva Cathedral in Iași</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWUhZzGDBCKRoJ5f6jAAndO-Fbn6HzLzHnO6uiLzhy0Pjr2ST7ShqeLWfzisz-0HtW5XRC_up-06hiKxL01iLD2NBp-4-tU-7M65TKSpd3lfRlkYs2uPJ2Nqp22gSNWc1sVw3ZqbJYPmEYuKBH_P7BkfnfjNJBNBw3C2Z6tiCw-BXyPhJxA/s947/iasi_cathedral3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWUhZzGDBCKRoJ5f6jAAndO-Fbn6HzLzHnO6uiLzhy0Pjr2ST7ShqeLWfzisz-0HtW5XRC_up-06hiKxL01iLD2NBp-4-tU-7M65TKSpd3lfRlkYs2uPJ2Nqp22gSNWc1sVw3ZqbJYPmEYuKBH_P7BkfnfjNJBNBw3C2Z6tiCw-BXyPhJxA/s320/iasi_cathedral3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5Gcwx_pYTnhOBWlw-bk9kBUKRP1Go5yLPV4Zt7lMLHUFMUMFG0xreTJCS6HPEBI8CJE1JF9nVDLQfaLSEM61Irbqv9_rcVG3zS2xS2TNlyWZQmCKxpBJpLpKJsudynxQWpUpdXLQBLg1c7mfGGTaekcKLJ6dcSDzZM6k0ja8xwZ7qlxyRQ/s1684/stpetka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5Gcwx_pYTnhOBWlw-bk9kBUKRP1Go5yLPV4Zt7lMLHUFMUMFG0xreTJCS6HPEBI8CJE1JF9nVDLQfaLSEM61Irbqv9_rcVG3zS2xS2TNlyWZQmCKxpBJpLpKJsudynxQWpUpdXLQBLg1c7mfGGTaekcKLJ6dcSDzZM6k0ja8xwZ7qlxyRQ/s320/stpetka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The relics of St. Paraskeva.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>One thing I have learned over my years as an Orthodox Christian, is that a saint that before was just one of many names becomes a saint that you feel a personal connection with, when you have visited their shrine, and venerated their relics.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09IVpnLKHJfU-WPqm5_yYK6M1q5_CLA4xPGZHa9hs2404nmdil5-OYE3ATxqsRq3RY1rblIAe4AACGRrpnQ50Zqb4dnbN9zsOTLZ8lr8FMriKNky15__d6dIdN5R1aeDEesSOjuvrntLi5_JMBIzDGFcSNkjf6vIRmoU5qMnDHr9yTLnBNQ/s1684/iasi_city.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09IVpnLKHJfU-WPqm5_yYK6M1q5_CLA4xPGZHa9hs2404nmdil5-OYE3ATxqsRq3RY1rblIAe4AACGRrpnQ50Zqb4dnbN9zsOTLZ8lr8FMriKNky15__d6dIdN5R1aeDEesSOjuvrntLi5_JMBIzDGFcSNkjf6vIRmoU5qMnDHr9yTLnBNQ/s320/iasi_city.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A government building with a statue of one of the kings of Romania.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U9vVnG4q7rHRikV5T-nDYs7tkqsdhngoJef_nEXdh9X3AoWV8GszBxH9jAzkrfxDcjF_PSpbMj78P4-w5fwYcUH6BAOB2MGmIaOGlF2MqD0x5GHHhQfxmYpAYd4PU8Vu3iw-Po-6BKVJlDvNjwty3n9P8RlSL_rkBNQdGtMMyfROKuS0hw/s1684/moldovasymbol.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1684" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U9vVnG4q7rHRikV5T-nDYs7tkqsdhngoJef_nEXdh9X3AoWV8GszBxH9jAzkrfxDcjF_PSpbMj78P4-w5fwYcUH6BAOB2MGmIaOGlF2MqD0x5GHHhQfxmYpAYd4PU8Vu3iw-Po-6BKVJlDvNjwty3n9P8RlSL_rkBNQdGtMMyfROKuS0hw/s320/moldovasymbol.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>We visited a much older Church, which had these bells and this stone. The stone is in Romanian, but with Cyrillic letters, and has the ancient symbol of Moldova, which is the now extinct <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs">Aurochs</a>.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQJSwEsdDMBd9KUf6-ZGlz-HKLZ9CTitOR46RtXvjg2HyznCCkxYiDlMyMige2T5Rm6O-5ISS0i012CzW4vzW9bUfdyZ9z5cAkkjjVf7Xq1mZGct4wgzy-FCYETpolSu3AeXU0aK24nbtVgWrg2EvfqJTTMo8M0MN-gbfQF0rgUVUPA-HDQ/s947/old%20church.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQJSwEsdDMBd9KUf6-ZGlz-HKLZ9CTitOR46RtXvjg2HyznCCkxYiDlMyMige2T5Rm6O-5ISS0i012CzW4vzW9bUfdyZ9z5cAkkjjVf7Xq1mZGct4wgzy-FCYETpolSu3AeXU0aK24nbtVgWrg2EvfqJTTMo8M0MN-gbfQF0rgUVUPA-HDQ/s320/old%20church.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>As we walked around the city, I met the first beggars I encountered on this trip. They were gypsies, and I kept bumping into the. I had only some Moldovan change and some Russian rubles, and so gave them what I had. Constantine noticed that they had handlers who were keeping an eye on their work, and when they saw a hundred ruble note, they showed it to their handler, thinking it was worth a lot more than it actually was.</p><p>We decided not to stay another night in the hotel there, because of the air conditioning, and so went on to Târgu Neamț, which has a large number of monasteries nearby. When we arrived in the city, we parked in the center area, and were trying to figure out if we needed to pay for a parking meter. While we were focused on that there was a Gypsy girl who liked like she was about 6, further off there was an older Gypsy woman who was watching her, and she had what looked like a forced smile on her face. She approved Fabi, who had wandered off from the rest of us, and I am not sure what transpired between them, but once Constantine saw what was happening, he yelled for Fabi to come back to us, and she didn't respond. He ran over and grabbed her, and the Gypsies quickly disappeared. Constantine was convinced that this was an attempted kidnapping, and given the circumstances, that seemed likely. After that, we made sure Fabi was holding the hands of an adult whenever we were out in public. After that surreal experience, we had dinner in town, and then went looking for a hotel.</p><p>We turned to Google, to see what we could find, and went to the <a href="https://edentur.ro/">Pensiunea Eden</a>, in Agapia, Romania. It is a small hotel with a restaurant. Before we decided to stay, we asked if we could look at the room, because we wanted to make sure the air conditioning really worked. The woman we were talking to thought we were odd for asking, but upon inspection, the air conditioning worked great. The food at the restaurant was also great, so we ended up making this our base of operations for the rest of our time in Romania.</p><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/09/moldova-pilgrimage-part-4.html">To be continues...</a></i></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-68942767581084089142023-09-02T11:58:00.004-05:002023-09-04T12:28:46.474-05:00Review: On The Reception of the Heterodox into the Orthodox Church: The Patristic Consensus and Criteria<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTY7xO__IpKURqAW5xEajEKhigrAdEgdASjOWS_I0_oH3bleaMd7SUxIG2KgSaPwB3kfdGsJZEBT7PJm5QyT7GcEcbwoGMHBr84Gx8uDcawpAUmkdFLo8P4qgJUIZnAIXl5c2sN_QduwXs5rhVRDHX3WpG9wnwCU9UCnmSXzt1q8Hg9m8Qg/s1000/heersbk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTY7xO__IpKURqAW5xEajEKhigrAdEgdASjOWS_I0_oH3bleaMd7SUxIG2KgSaPwB3kfdGsJZEBT7PJm5QyT7GcEcbwoGMHBr84Gx8uDcawpAUmkdFLo8P4qgJUIZnAIXl5c2sN_QduwXs5rhVRDHX3WpG9wnwCU9UCnmSXzt1q8Hg9m8Qg/s320/heersbk.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />The recently released book "<a href="https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/on-the-reception-of-the-heterodox-into-the-orthodox-church-the-patristic-consensus-and-criteria/">On the Reception of the Heterodox into the Orthodox Church: The Patristic Consensus and Criteria" from Uncut Mountain Press</a>, has provoked a wide range of responses, and for a 442 pages book, targeting an Orthodox audience, it has been selling very well. The book makes a compelling case for why the reception of converts by baptism should be the norm, especially in our time, and given that few non-Orthodox Christians baptize by a triple immersion. This has been the policy of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia since the 70's, and I think this policy makes sense, though it does allow the bishop to apply <i>economia</i> in situations in which it makes sense.<p></p><p>I have seen people criticize the book in terms of its recounting of the history of how the heterodox have been received, but I have not yet seen anything that seemed substantive. Perhaps such a critique will be forthcoming. If so, I would be happy to read it.</p><p>An unfortunate aspect of many of the responses to this book has been that some have taken quotes from it, made them into memes, and posted them online, and so tossed them out without any context.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40MzOXacQ4RKoYJi9veWUCWZCggnL7QS2x_XNThSDgufHZPO2vJgqejnIl8IHu9G6VQGgI6e-STTqQSLX5OuHmd2KSR2YvNEnBC8HvepmDKZ6pm3NMeE5hUt2x2KzRSfCuYQxH_w9NrydSzn8Qe127eStbo6XP4gh6-bfrs79l0r7WsaRfg/s1920/kosmas.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40MzOXacQ4RKoYJi9veWUCWZCggnL7QS2x_XNThSDgufHZPO2vJgqejnIl8IHu9G6VQGgI6e-STTqQSLX5OuHmd2KSR2YvNEnBC8HvepmDKZ6pm3NMeE5hUt2x2KzRSfCuYQxH_w9NrydSzn8Qe127eStbo6XP4gh6-bfrs79l0r7WsaRfg/s320/kosmas.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>For example, there is a meme with a quote from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmas_the_Aetolian">St. Kosmas Aitolos</a>, which says:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Holy priests, you must have large baptismal fonts in your churches so that the entire child can be immersed. The child should be able to swim in it so that not even an area as large as a tick's eye remains dry. Because it is from there (the dry area) that the devil advances, and this is why your children become epileptics, are possessed by demons, have fear, suffer misfortune; they haven't been baptized properly" (<i>On the Reception of the Heterodox</i>, p. 49f).</blockquote><p></p><p>I have not read the original book that this quote was taken from, and so don't know what other context there may have been for it, but there are several problems with taking this quote literally, and assuming it to be true on face value. For one, it is a completely acceptable form of <i>economia</i> to baptize someone who is infirm or in danger of death by pouring, and so in such cases there are areas far bigger than a tick's eye that remain dry. And yet, the Church has never suggested that this imperiled the souls of those baptized in this way. It is certainly not a good practice to fail to fully immerse a baby who is being baptized under normal circumstances, but there are areas of the Church in which this practice has unfortunately been fairly common. Obviously such practices should be corrected, but I don't think we can say that entire portions of the Orthodox Church are unbaptized. One should also be careful not to advance such a quote as a normative Orthodox view when it is not something also stated by other saints and fathers of the Church.</p><p>I remember many years ago discussing some of the extremes of those who were associated with the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston while they were part of ROCOR, with someone who was either a Greek themselves, or familiar with Greek culture (I can't remember the specifics after a few decades), who said that Greek priests often overstate things because that is the only way they can get Greek people to pay attention, but the problem with the converts associated with the Boston Monastery was that they took everything they were told literally, in a way Greeks typically would not.</p><p>I have been in communication with someone who was baptized as an adult in an Orthodox monastery, but he stood in a tub, and had three buckets of water poured over him. When he saw this quote, he was quite troubled, and wondered if he was even truly in the Church. He wanted to know if he should have a corrective baptism. I told him that I didn't think he did, but that he could ask his bishop, and if his bishop told him that he should have a corrective baptism, he should do what the bishop told him... but that if the bishop told him otherwise, he should not allow himself to be troubled by the matter.</p><p>What I wish this book had done was balance the excellent case it makes for how converts should be received with a discussion of how <i>economia</i> supplies what is lacking, and also about how bishops have the power to bind and to loose, and that we should assume that what they bind or loose on earth is in fact bound or loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).</p><p>When a priest is ordained, the bishops prays the prayer:</p><p></p><blockquote>"The grace divine, which always healeth that which is infirm, and completeth that which is wanting, elevateth through the laying-on of hands, <i>N</i>., the most devout Deacon, to be a Priest. Wherefore, let us pray for him, that the grace of the all-holy Spirit may come upon him." </blockquote><p></p><p>No one is worthy to be a priest of the Most High God, but we believe that with all of our shortcomings, the Holy Spirit supplies what is lacking in us to make us what we are otherwise unworthy to be.</p><p>I was baptized as an adult, by triple immersion. But what if the priest somehow accidentally left an area of my body dry because the font wasn't big enough? I don't know if this happened or not (this was nearly 33 years ago), but I believe that if it did, the Holy Spirit would supply whatever was lacking in the form of my baptism. Most members of the Orthodox Church are baptized as infants. They obviously would have no way of knowing whether some area the size of a tick's eye remained dry. Having mass corrective baptisms, just in case, would obviously not be a good way to handle such things.</p><p>Furthermore, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Antioch">St. Ignatius of Antioch</a>, when speaking of the authority of the bishop in relation to the sacraments performed by those under him, says:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Let no one do anything that has to do with the church without the bishop. Only that Eucharist which is under the authority of the bishop (or whomever he himself designates) is to be considered valid. Wherever the bishop appears, there let the congregation be, just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church. It is not permissible either to baptize or to hold a love feast without the bishop. But whatever he approves is also pleasing to God, in order that everything you do may be trustworthy and valid" (<i>To the Smyrnaeans </i>8:1b -2, from "<i>The Apostolic Fathers</i>," 2nd edition, trans. J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, ed Michael W. Holmes, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989) p. 112f).</blockquote><p></p><p>Obviously, there are limits to what a bishop can approve, but what we are talking about are things that have been going on for a long time, and were not objected to by many saints of recent memory.</p><p>Again, I agree with the main thrust of the book when it comes to what should be done as a rule when receiving converts, but when it comes to what should be done about those cases when bishops see things differently, I think we should be cautious about sowing doubt in the minds of the faithful.</p><p><b>For More Information</b>, see this video discussion on the topic:</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hX0nftUclUY?si=7w81Bhf0m8DhSguD" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-46921196255666886892023-07-27T23:00:00.010-05:002024-02-02T16:25:34.796-06:00Moldova Pilgrimage, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuEKHEQoRLYrX3i5TmkUyu_Ik8z9ejgKL1fDCUtmP3zOKOP3uFmh16W-4cSYWQ-X_cTDMOPsyN2pMTTm5KJUfwIAOU2uMiLfHjViytdwsZ-WcbeFyZF1Rxq4BuzivGU_EJ5J7wonBYoSsj8Wa-Ef-4FpSd6dI7xoCckS-J7aWkTYvpDfRLA/s947/Marta&Maria1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuEKHEQoRLYrX3i5TmkUyu_Ik8z9ejgKL1fDCUtmP3zOKOP3uFmh16W-4cSYWQ-X_cTDMOPsyN2pMTTm5KJUfwIAOU2uMiLfHjViytdwsZ-WcbeFyZF1Rxq4BuzivGU_EJ5J7wonBYoSsj8Wa-Ef-4FpSd6dI7xoCckS-J7aWkTYvpDfRLA/s320/Marta&Maria1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The main Church at the <a href="https://martamaria.md/en">Ss. Martha and Maria Convent</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagimus">Hagimus, Moldova</a></i></div></i><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-1.html">Click here for Part 1.</a></i></p><p>On Friday, August 12th, we went to the nearby town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C4%83u%C8%99eni">Căușeni</a>, which, as best as I could tell, is pronounced "Cow-shen." As I was beginning to get some idea of how Romanian spellings translated into actual sounds, I asked Elena at one point if the "i" at the end was silent, and she said "No," it is pronounced..." and I still detected no "i" at the end, but apparently it is there very subtly, and I can't hear it. </p><p>We had breakfast on the porch. One thing that was very enjoyable was just watching the family life at Elena's parents' home. None of her siblings still live at home with her parents, but her sister, Tatiana and her husband Veceslav live nearby in the village, but not too long before we came, they had a fire that destroyed much of their house, and so their four children were staying for the most part with their grandparents, while the house was being rebuilt. One of their children, Taisia, was then about two years old, and she was very excited that her cousin Fabi was there for a visit, and so kept shouting "Faaa-biii!" She sometimes did this even when Fabi was just a few feet away, and they were both looking at each other. I started imitating this, and told Fabi that if I got to serve her wedding, I would say at the end "You may now kiss Faaa-biii!"</p><p>First, we went to an open-air market, to pick up several things that we needed to get, and then we went to the Ss. Martha and Mary Convent, which is not an ancient convent, but was founded in the 1990's. There had been a campground on this site during the Soviet period, but one day someone cut down a tree, and found that there was a cross shape in the rings of the tree. Some wondered if there had once been a monastery there, but no record exists of there having been one, but some locals said that a hermit did live in that area. It was decided to build a convent there, and in a relatively short period of time a very large convent has flourished.</p><p>When we arrived, we first got coffee in their coffee shop, which was quite good, and then we went to their bookstore, because we had a long list of things we needed to get, especially for Fr. Gregory Solis and the Holy Cross parish in Corpus Christi -- which at the time was being served once a month by Fr. David Companik, but was soon to be having regular services after Fr. Gregory's ordination later in October of that year, and so they had many things that they desperately needed to get, in order to be able to do these services. We also wanted to get some things as gifts for various friends and family back home. We didn't have enough cash on us at the time, and so most of what we were going to buy was set aside for us, and we would come back later to pick it up. They didn't have the ability to charge anything on a credit card. </p><p>It was interesting to see that they had books by Fr. Seraphim (Rose), which have been translated into Romanian, on sale. They also had a lot of books in Russian, and service books in Slavonic, because there is a sizable Russian community in Moldova. We bought a lot of silver crosses for our bookstore, because the prices were far lower than anything you can find in the United States.</p><p>We then went on to the main Church of the Convent.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA95nd2IwynGzPTnkfIf1SlesKO3sdlc3Ys3AuawlS54C3xWc0jvKLfEfHBLHMgEfGZmMDo2YLkJwijA_UXZiEy2LLOd06eMX_gjyaLsyAVNnlvRz8Tmy_4DV9VxVgPBUcwh0afAeh6f7gpCXvQ4w7Yw52hNo6ept6M3-F64pHCDX0icWmA/s1560/Marta&Maria2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA95nd2IwynGzPTnkfIf1SlesKO3sdlc3Ys3AuawlS54C3xWc0jvKLfEfHBLHMgEfGZmMDo2YLkJwijA_UXZiEy2LLOd06eMX_gjyaLsyAVNnlvRz8Tmy_4DV9VxVgPBUcwh0afAeh6f7gpCXvQ4w7Yw52hNo6ept6M3-F64pHCDX0icWmA/s320/Marta&Maria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The entrance of the main Church</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh--sHEZXtSC_IsreXYJpwdJ14ji0d1eaEyrQ57R91U3r3sWIUZau6N4qDBry6iU_hJslaUh-g1Y8seedhbnfR2YflAmU6sGetHazHmanC5BWS0_6aaOM3BERKprZjZRyNibNEluln2aHYxas5kMZB9nK9lLSm9uOAz5iJVSohhna6FBNsRNQ/s923/ststephenthegreat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh--sHEZXtSC_IsreXYJpwdJ14ji0d1eaEyrQ57R91U3r3sWIUZau6N4qDBry6iU_hJslaUh-g1Y8seedhbnfR2YflAmU6sGetHazHmanC5BWS0_6aaOM3BERKprZjZRyNibNEluln2aHYxas5kMZB9nK9lLSm9uOAz5iJVSohhna6FBNsRNQ/s320/ststephenthegreat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This Icon of St. Stephen the Great is on the walls of the main Church. The inscription in Romanian reads: "Moldova was not my ancestors', was not mine, and is not yours, but belongs to our descendants and our descendants' descendants to the end of time."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBjYPRPIbMF91BHJVOq6MPLh7Peu2150YPDu_1xW4bUXVoWpfTDVEXiW8dRltF6DpZAv9Mh3K84kII0kPRJK5rUmGF2eGWkUmG3eGQ5Al0N1_M3DvR5cd9MMp3d9q2_bz5rPkup5ps5GgjTnlrLQoEWvUxsgYGb6NJO9U_7RvIe88MS8wsw/s923/Marta&Maria_;relics2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBjYPRPIbMF91BHJVOq6MPLh7Peu2150YPDu_1xW4bUXVoWpfTDVEXiW8dRltF6DpZAv9Mh3K84kII0kPRJK5rUmGF2eGWkUmG3eGQ5Al0N1_M3DvR5cd9MMp3d9q2_bz5rPkup5ps5GgjTnlrLQoEWvUxsgYGb6NJO9U_7RvIe88MS8wsw/s320/Marta&Maria_;relics2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhHCdgHA7-CEYegThMT0_a50_O_6M8HkByxZgRGT_Ym3Zp-qjR6VKSoOAUmZItitY_OVpzBoiF5DIzR9SAV3U_BZapArvhIB88GoTJ_1M5S9j0krbgp8q4G7TKqINR96O2MqujLXIRBcjb01czq0j9LN33JpbwWBzr1qhlv1MxTgF47lVaA/s923/Marta&Maria_;relics1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhHCdgHA7-CEYegThMT0_a50_O_6M8HkByxZgRGT_Ym3Zp-qjR6VKSoOAUmZItitY_OVpzBoiF5DIzR9SAV3U_BZapArvhIB88GoTJ_1M5S9j0krbgp8q4G7TKqINR96O2MqujLXIRBcjb01czq0j9LN33JpbwWBzr1qhlv1MxTgF47lVaA/s320/Marta&Maria_;relics1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i>A reliquary which has relics of many New Testament Saints, as well as a number of other later saints.</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we were venerating the icons and relics in the main Church, I asked Elena a number of questions about the Church, and the iconography. There was an older nun who was sitting in the Church, probably to make sure that visitors behaved themselves there, and she overheard these questions, and jumped in at a certain point, and so we began a conversation. When she found out that I was a visiting priest from America, she asked for, and received permission to take us on a tour of the Convent.</div></div><p>First we went to the lower Church, but on the way down I noticed frescos of many scenes from the Lord's passion that I do not recall seeing in other churches I have seen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfDNbrQhECmTY1vBUbfFSr97H4Y5poM8SPBibi8h_JketrAv2cR3aaIFprslLdwnWoiXB8PmnlSUm3HT44lR63q0I5boPnWc0M_hNTrLXnu7A_6cdM03Xh7sRK705AMq6Wk3tzQYq6qgV_E2mkyJhKlTBzE41OD4F6J1mWZ2_eXqONSY1BA/s947/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfDNbrQhECmTY1vBUbfFSr97H4Y5poM8SPBibi8h_JketrAv2cR3aaIFprslLdwnWoiXB8PmnlSUm3HT44lR63q0I5boPnWc0M_hNTrLXnu7A_6cdM03Xh7sRK705AMq6Wk3tzQYq6qgV_E2mkyJhKlTBzE41OD4F6J1mWZ2_eXqONSY1BA/s320/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dDjYU9POPFihrFjeQAuiG4kqB4v516iCPoGlxkst2a9qJ5ppp91PI960vHT0Ss5RZ-EjP0jsBS6y3J-lEBM4qrSKFN1aJ6m9IpJ3ZsaGP0gYsJk2VKxBIwZbSXURtnsdR1IDOARiHXSZbnUfjLpvnXsInk_NXLx_hbSqP4wpsPqZaTzKYA/s947/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dDjYU9POPFihrFjeQAuiG4kqB4v516iCPoGlxkst2a9qJ5ppp91PI960vHT0Ss5RZ-EjP0jsBS6y3J-lEBM4qrSKFN1aJ6m9IpJ3ZsaGP0gYsJk2VKxBIwZbSXURtnsdR1IDOARiHXSZbnUfjLpvnXsInk_NXLx_hbSqP4wpsPqZaTzKYA/s320/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEcqVG3nHM86pqUTvjBvOczQhbvxDTm1dmXMml1_xTGs8IM-OZGN0OGyQp9zIPfPD-GOhWnmErXTQYvaJHt0BlK0fLQfryF8NvT4FbYJ0BxUcXux2zyiAnHXj0ubM8vjamwWYbH9Ku8WjfackuDySoDSvN8e3cwphr1SQn47PFJ4nLnyJcw/s1560/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEcqVG3nHM86pqUTvjBvOczQhbvxDTm1dmXMml1_xTGs8IM-OZGN0OGyQp9zIPfPD-GOhWnmErXTQYvaJHt0BlK0fLQfryF8NvT4FbYJ0BxUcXux2zyiAnHXj0ubM8vjamwWYbH9Ku8WjfackuDySoDSvN8e3cwphr1SQn47PFJ4nLnyJcw/s320/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Pilate, washing his hands after condemning Christ.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvTlhkWRbTHqYn8EZjMUU8pe_YjJbf_39u4k10d9Oe8ATus83tf2kTPG2Ojsf8C-8mhWuVqIAApzCVGERWoEl2PVFSxAxlTEvzGsFLQ-ZkOXFx3-XeT11898twH_O-pTwc3XPn_vrdUtUBRJzyB216d5jZBEKoOqkVxK6Z9wtpymh0-FeUw/s947/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvTlhkWRbTHqYn8EZjMUU8pe_YjJbf_39u4k10d9Oe8ATus83tf2kTPG2Ojsf8C-8mhWuVqIAApzCVGERWoEl2PVFSxAxlTEvzGsFLQ-ZkOXFx3-XeT11898twH_O-pTwc3XPn_vrdUtUBRJzyB216d5jZBEKoOqkVxK6Z9wtpymh0-FeUw/s320/Marta&Maria_;lowerchurch5.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTNelhpDDVwAkuAuE6tFiTYNYhcDRRjFGQNIoFDyLT62b0aBuzvwD_sFO7mNXxuw0NtSEx359SOKEBv4OHQcQl4eBmHlROFXQJzem5QeQs5RmOGZaCpLf2aDCt7CKBN1_xYpMlTlzcq2H2z4RXmjO7JT4eIw2ckHZBkaCdal5VMy2YeSjiw/s1560/Marta&Maria_residence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTNelhpDDVwAkuAuE6tFiTYNYhcDRRjFGQNIoFDyLT62b0aBuzvwD_sFO7mNXxuw0NtSEx359SOKEBv4OHQcQl4eBmHlROFXQJzem5QeQs5RmOGZaCpLf2aDCt7CKBN1_xYpMlTlzcq2H2z4RXmjO7JT4eIw2ckHZBkaCdal5VMy2YeSjiw/s320/Marta&Maria_residence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We went by the residence of the Nuns, and I believe a building in which they also teach classes for area children. Then we went to a beautiful wooden chapel, which is normally kept locked, but we were getting the VIP treatment. Interestingly, most Churches in Moldova are built in the Russian style, but this one is in a Romanian style.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyfyttSQXKGp6bO9UJ07M6re_H7msV2ufZuqLjTPPOVsn2kYDn8DWo_NVH_Pq1GiWwnghIByKlr1bCcxdyS4-6lZ9SdrLENDWmdFsATMMU6P1PbI1B34OLtH4dCDI3pyJzAWHlH8kF1Ut9X9bx99kXZ55iFYnSQb3-jYb7qrdb5B909erJw/s947/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyfyttSQXKGp6bO9UJ07M6re_H7msV2ufZuqLjTPPOVsn2kYDn8DWo_NVH_Pq1GiWwnghIByKlr1bCcxdyS4-6lZ9SdrLENDWmdFsATMMU6P1PbI1B34OLtH4dCDI3pyJzAWHlH8kF1Ut9X9bx99kXZ55iFYnSQb3-jYb7qrdb5B909erJw/s320/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOn7wKOa7zKq50YsdxQQjSGlgVnXJcGZdf63TjXTdClxtMiNJAPkJq4c_GHqdAqGncm83-Bn1GN-setPa32s-Vqq1K4qDSwJ2vApK2PJE3BWuvqdRZuL8meFsRhXpW4IjGTLf-t-FaQhemedH6GYfBEyPRm3Q5yjvC_2MToJK3WrdBl_8tg/s947/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOn7wKOa7zKq50YsdxQQjSGlgVnXJcGZdf63TjXTdClxtMiNJAPkJq4c_GHqdAqGncm83-Bn1GN-setPa32s-Vqq1K4qDSwJ2vApK2PJE3BWuvqdRZuL8meFsRhXpW4IjGTLf-t-FaQhemedH6GYfBEyPRm3Q5yjvC_2MToJK3WrdBl_8tg/s320/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNXf6J2sw07_ADqIbOiM9uveHBDcWGQLg5jPk2wffgGx5QeqbrMoPMt_oiYBnt9uc823oWl-T9lxZ8ANFldqp4qUw9UymMVjFlYwYYmHIsSvzYS39WR9L3RAIdfFWrqVrrEkAWaRIDDPjD0EQTNV-9VukINZ7BVfLVYFNLIzO9VJT9gXs_w/s1560/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNXf6J2sw07_ADqIbOiM9uveHBDcWGQLg5jPk2wffgGx5QeqbrMoPMt_oiYBnt9uc823oWl-T9lxZ8ANFldqp4qUw9UymMVjFlYwYYmHIsSvzYS39WR9L3RAIdfFWrqVrrEkAWaRIDDPjD0EQTNV-9VukINZ7BVfLVYFNLIzO9VJT9gXs_w/s320/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Those are antlers in the chandelier.</i></div></i><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFas4oz4UIoJfni2OFdF8i90DnxXBQMAaMWh2UnqqbeOtEa5T3bDNSotUC0F_iiyceNhA7odRijCPT9JF0kIu-dpBrPMBfEpCV89RI88QxNO0cVgdeNj4kNegLAfP0rCg72LX_sbw7bNfMBuWOugKwapfn-LTXmIeuMXg-cdpwbRUjYARUw/s947/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFas4oz4UIoJfni2OFdF8i90DnxXBQMAaMWh2UnqqbeOtEa5T3bDNSotUC0F_iiyceNhA7odRijCPT9JF0kIu-dpBrPMBfEpCV89RI88QxNO0cVgdeNj4kNegLAfP0rCg72LX_sbw7bNfMBuWOugKwapfn-LTXmIeuMXg-cdpwbRUjYARUw/s320/Marta&Maria_woodenchurch4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>St. Stephen the Great is a figure you keeping bumping into in Moldova, and in Romania.</i></div></i><p>And we then went to a miraculous spring that they have there. Everyone but me went in for a dip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jDN8fV4FuvTnjFjaKRy9hznwWuyqQyvRRGomRwJ8sUXb7b1dxL_5KEkoGTEKlKepjZBP4X6M9xRfXu1FtKNda9tNWWCpwH3vqiUlm-IvIG_enlCSg0hs9jEXacp4S6We-hV8RKF_zfJCM-0JGMXT0aMrC_qJBCtUbNAFCi95EvjoFFaa7A/s1560/Marta&Maria_;spring.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jDN8fV4FuvTnjFjaKRy9hznwWuyqQyvRRGomRwJ8sUXb7b1dxL_5KEkoGTEKlKepjZBP4X6M9xRfXu1FtKNda9tNWWCpwH3vqiUlm-IvIG_enlCSg0hs9jEXacp4S6We-hV8RKF_zfJCM-0JGMXT0aMrC_qJBCtUbNAFCi95EvjoFFaa7A/s320/Marta&Maria_;spring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>While I was waiting outside of the spring, there was a Russian woman who lives in Transnistria, but who is a regular visitor there who came by and struck up a conversation. She was an English teacher, and so spoke English very well. She told me that there was a very large monastery in Transnistria that we should come and visit. I told her that I would like to do that someday. I think we also talked a bit about the Pochaev Lavra in Ukraine, which I would also like to see someday, when the war in Ukraine is over.</div><div><br /></div><div>The nun who was giving us the tour had told us that we were invited to stay for a meal. We told her that we needed to leave soon to have dinner at one of Elena's uncle's homes, but she told us we could eat a little here, and then still have room for dinner there. She had pointed us to the spring, and left, but before we could leave, she reappeared, to make sure we didn't just leave. As I said before, hospitality is a very big deal for Moldovans, and so we couldn't say "no.". So we went back to the Trapeza. It was a very large dining hall, and we thought we would be eating with the nuns, but she took us to a side room for special guests, and then we were treated a multi course Lenten feast, complete with desert. The food was all fresh, locally grown food, and it was wonderful.<br /><p>After we were stuffed to the gills, we then had to hurry to our planned dinner with one of Elena's many aunts and uncles, Fr. Chiril and Matushka Maria. Fr. Chiril is the priest in the nearby village of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opaci">Opaci</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4VypgcyaHi65z3jwHk1SDtSyhbiprGKSrmISD-nEYg5U3TlT8kozdq615M3Q7FABxOHvxS9nHZ7kKrP15uaXf15Ru1zk6A7pGPPuRgQxM7Ds1se0CznzSRroJgsAxojA2mRer3-ULl5pLL_Qng_o2aGxlbcPx2ftEPieMr2cY6CWX_sA5Q/s947/Opaci_Church4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4VypgcyaHi65z3jwHk1SDtSyhbiprGKSrmISD-nEYg5U3TlT8kozdq615M3Q7FABxOHvxS9nHZ7kKrP15uaXf15Ru1zk6A7pGPPuRgQxM7Ds1se0CznzSRroJgsAxojA2mRer3-ULl5pLL_Qng_o2aGxlbcPx2ftEPieMr2cY6CWX_sA5Q/s320/Opaci_Church4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fr. Chiril and me, in front of the village Church in Opaci.</i></div></i><p>When we arrived, Fr. Chiril invited us to walk to his parish Church, which is dedicated to the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God. While we were entering, my older daughter called to do a video chat with us and our two granddaughters, the oldest of which was two at the time, but she was already very talkative. Since we previously had some trouble coordinating such calls with the time zone differences, and since I very much missed my grandbabies, I went ahead and video chatted with them, and showed them the Church as we entered. My older granddaughter said "I want to go to<i> that </i>Church!" I had to explain that it was a long way away from our home. I had to end the call, so I could venerate their icons. They have a miraculous Icon of the Mother of God in the parish.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrhJfhiXU6Olkp8nUMhPe6ldUX1i5OL36AnSnkvGDq6aLs2Mge3lHLpko76y8xCIS1bICNqBK1dG4UUTKw3PhQi45qvlk2YMIzKi-rPfpSHQOoxwJe2PBLpnUfAjBOlGIM5s3X8PhYdeQ1g4yWdpGQabeBXEhzYg0o8WCCSXPoxTBEOViTQ/s947/Opaci_Church1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrhJfhiXU6Olkp8nUMhPe6ldUX1i5OL36AnSnkvGDq6aLs2Mge3lHLpko76y8xCIS1bICNqBK1dG4UUTKw3PhQi45qvlk2YMIzKi-rPfpSHQOoxwJe2PBLpnUfAjBOlGIM5s3X8PhYdeQ1g4yWdpGQabeBXEhzYg0o8WCCSXPoxTBEOViTQ/s320/Opaci_Church1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgiCwKocCdr6V7GQe4uAHHdSZEW2Cx_Q4vxyC7CLzjXw1SXG6pi_NJ0TXlTXRUyvK-yQhBlyTerMXfYVywcmmqW_IBuZav1uwWynT-OMY2lWpdoj3xBMJa1PkB1GzbaPL6FN_HNWECeKje0A1GvJvlhm5Bg48fsZeGu8_g4NAqYQQauIvTA/s947/Opaci_Church2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgiCwKocCdr6V7GQe4uAHHdSZEW2Cx_Q4vxyC7CLzjXw1SXG6pi_NJ0TXlTXRUyvK-yQhBlyTerMXfYVywcmmqW_IBuZav1uwWynT-OMY2lWpdoj3xBMJa1PkB1GzbaPL6FN_HNWECeKje0A1GvJvlhm5Bg48fsZeGu8_g4NAqYQQauIvTA/s320/Opaci_Church2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqW9c2acn0mLql28jaJ3a6GZjyDWh8NixJ-VylZL_IOwKl1WZ3RXqUElAYLrHV0hZLEcdNlbantm05Ssbvkfc-yWQ3joXUMNR8fK4RUi1-Mkm_mhQT3DkDfX16nk1WP6LNpmxKVaihXwnO-4PqGr-WhxvxxX4Xlz_HyZBDZ6fN64rLULS-w/s947/Opaci_Church3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqW9c2acn0mLql28jaJ3a6GZjyDWh8NixJ-VylZL_IOwKl1WZ3RXqUElAYLrHV0hZLEcdNlbantm05Ssbvkfc-yWQ3joXUMNR8fK4RUi1-Mkm_mhQT3DkDfX16nk1WP6LNpmxKVaihXwnO-4PqGr-WhxvxxX4Xlz_HyZBDZ6fN64rLULS-w/s320/Opaci_Church3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God in Opaci</i></div></i><p>After we were able to venerate the icons in the Church, we walked back to their home, and had a very nice dinner with Fr. Chiril, Matushka Maria, and one of their children, Nicu (John), although we didn't have the appetite we normally would have had. The food was wonderful, however, and after dinner, we were treated to what they called "vodka," but which was some sort of liquor made from cherries, which was also very good. My wife, who normally doesn't like alcohol in any form, liked it very much.</p><p>Poor Elena had to translate throughout the evening, and we had a lengthy discussion with Nicu, who is planning on becoming a priest like his father, about mixed marriages. Somehow we had begun to discuss "modernism," and for Nicu, the prime example of modernism was that some bishops allow Orthodox Christians to marry non-Orthodox Christians. I tried to explain why in the west, there are good reasons that this is allowed, though it is obviously not ideal. I pointed out that in Moldova, he would have to go out of his way to find a non-Orthodox woman to marry, but in the United States, it is usually the opposite. And so bishops in the west usually allow mixed marriages, as an act of <a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/strictness.aspx">economia</a>, on the condition that the non-Orthodox spouse agrees to raise the children in the Church. Often, the non-Orthodox spouse eventually becomes Orthodox. But I explained that when this has not been allowed, the result was not that the Orthodox person moved on, and kept looking for an Orthodox mate, but that in most cases, they would end up getting married anyway, outside of the Church, without such a promise, and often this resulted in even the Orthodox spouse losing their connection with the Church. But there was something refreshing about people who live in a culture where the worst example of modernism that they encounter is bishops allowing mixed marriages.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl05Tm4HKMPBtOo_sn_YsRzWsGyw-gmTf7NuId12G06dOIc9CdjV8RXrbmIlKaaMgkq3XgHnbs-65P7yoolttPIcj77FWrYeTjXE0EZKPikuYgZp8tDc8ZRFShZwOqniUnYSE14KsANTj8pvZWnzzRcz8b2Ok8SghaMh-O_xl4v4MZbajNPw/s1231/Opaci_even2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1231" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl05Tm4HKMPBtOo_sn_YsRzWsGyw-gmTf7NuId12G06dOIc9CdjV8RXrbmIlKaaMgkq3XgHnbs-65P7yoolttPIcj77FWrYeTjXE0EZKPikuYgZp8tDc8ZRFShZwOqniUnYSE14KsANTj8pvZWnzzRcz8b2Ok8SghaMh-O_xl4v4MZbajNPw/s320/Opaci_even2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Matushka Maria, Matuska Patricia, myself, Nicu, and Fr. Chiril</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHP7FQ82zHPLJvnFn77QBPWAEZCKTKMkknis4-X5qkIrXAgpEfY-eL5KlTkTtkT72LKsC-7Ap1liDrYf29eHHEJgTpllnyLMd1N6udbYW6XFmsDM8-LXVcEvDMBPJVwmIKji-6Nqcxukq_rmvC921V_O7LAG2G01ii7rJHBNvvLfGi7jfkg/s1231/Opaci_even.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1231" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHP7FQ82zHPLJvnFn77QBPWAEZCKTKMkknis4-X5qkIrXAgpEfY-eL5KlTkTtkT72LKsC-7Ap1liDrYf29eHHEJgTpllnyLMd1N6udbYW6XFmsDM8-LXVcEvDMBPJVwmIKji-6Nqcxukq_rmvC921V_O7LAG2G01ii7rJHBNvvLfGi7jfkg/s320/Opaci_even.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Matushka Patricia and Matushka Maria</i></div></i><p>We then said our good-byes and headed back to Sălcuța for another night. </p><p>Saturday was the last day of the trip that would not fall during the Dormition Fast, and so we enjoyed our last non-lenten breakfast, which consisted of fresh food, with much more flavor than we were used to in the United States. I believe we decided to take it easy that day prior to Vespers, because some of us were not feeling well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJos8bPuhZJttJgiUrwUZenWI24QByTzfJ22HccuCpKLER2ixNZeyEmYpu0dgRRf86ER6VKc-FQnesMXwuYiwWWW5DKHbJgGUuQEd8lW0LO6QbXMtf_g7wc7aKkMeFU2ol2zS85BrPegXsqdby9017kfe_jIm5HagA_l3fCZLLh-MvPiLTA/s947/salcuta_church2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJos8bPuhZJttJgiUrwUZenWI24QByTzfJ22HccuCpKLER2ixNZeyEmYpu0dgRRf86ER6VKc-FQnesMXwuYiwWWW5DKHbJgGUuQEd8lW0LO6QbXMtf_g7wc7aKkMeFU2ol2zS85BrPegXsqdby9017kfe_jIm5HagA_l3fCZLLh-MvPiLTA/s320/salcuta_church2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Dormition Church in Sălcuța</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JjiUumTPqHHgtXTb78_aofmbhFtoRs_Bm1u2nxLYJFsDDEZ5qNl_bh-9WiVthPFvIFnBJJVzg-wjQDFsSgbbyR3ZbAlEm9iS8FRT2FSPPfpdaL9mLdPW3ccqtLc2gPpZXx8MDG4KN725WXLAhrD81-LVF07H2LriVfs0cYIGjN_qm2Wx2A/s1231/salcuta_church.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1231" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JjiUumTPqHHgtXTb78_aofmbhFtoRs_Bm1u2nxLYJFsDDEZ5qNl_bh-9WiVthPFvIFnBJJVzg-wjQDFsSgbbyR3ZbAlEm9iS8FRT2FSPPfpdaL9mLdPW3ccqtLc2gPpZXx8MDG4KN725WXLAhrD81-LVF07H2LriVfs0cYIGjN_qm2Wx2A/s320/salcuta_church.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Anytime there was a service in the village Church, the bells could be heard throughout Sălcuța. We drove to the Church, but most people walked, because most people don't own their own car. The simple life these people were living was so beautiful, and yet I knew that we were just across the border of the Odesa Oblast in Ukraine, and that there were many villages in Ukraine that were not very different from this one, aside from the language being spoken, and yet many of these villages have been destroyed, and their people have been scattered, and many of the people have also been killed. The evil of such wars, and what those who cause them to happen will have to answer for, became less theoretical and more concrete. I hope and pray that the war does not eventually come to Moldova, though I know that there are many people around the world, who live in gated communities, live in luxury, have never heard a shot fired in anger, and yet think of the people in places like this as mere pawns on a chess board, and would very much like to see this happen.</p><p>Sunday was the Feast of the Procession of the Cross, and so when we arrived at the Church. In their local practice, they serve Vespers on Saturday Evening, but they followed it by another service, and because I know almost no Romanian, I was not sure what it was. It may have been Small Compline. On the Holy Table was what looked like a bundle of wildflowers, formed into the shape of a big Cross, upon which was laid a decorated, wooden Cross. Outside, the temperature was warm, but not too warm. However, the Church had no air conditioning, and for what I assume are cultural reasons, the windows of the Church were kept closed (I know in some cultures have a cross breeze indoors is thought to be unhealthy). I think I only wore an epitrachelion during the service, and so it wasn't as hot as it would prove to be on Sunday morning during the Liturgy, when I would be fully vested.</p><p>The village Church has three priests: the rector is Fr. Nikolai, and the assistant priest is his younger brother, Fr. Sergei -- who is an English teacher, and so when in the altar, he was my primary means of communication. Their father, Fr. Gregory, is retired, but he still hears confessions at the Church. He is the one who baptized Elena when she was a baby. He was also one of the signers of the Moldovan Declaration of Independence and Constitution, if I remember correctly. During the Soviet period, he was sometimes harassed by the KGB, but the KGB only went so far, because I am told they feared his Matushka. After the service, when she met me and my wife, she thought my wife was my daughter -- this happens to me a lot. I explained that she was only a year and half younger, but we had not aged at the same rate.</p><p>Once, when I was still working for the State of Texas, my wife and I went out for dinner for our wedding anniversary, and when we had the picture developed, she ask me if I would like to put it in my office at work. I told her people would ask "Who is that young woman with that old man?" She framed it, I took it to work, and on the very first day, a co-worker asked if that was my daughter.</p><p>After the service, we headed back home, and then went to Elena's sister Tatiana's house for dinner. It was held outdoors, and that evening the flies were particularly aggressive. I was told that they were not normally like this, but recent rains had caused them to multiply. Flies are called "muska" in the local dialect, and Constantine and I often went "muska" hunting. My wife wished she had brought her electronic fly-swatter. On one occasion, Constantine, who had been a sniper in the Marine Corps, took a butter knife, and with perfect aim, swatted and killed a "muska" on the first try. I was quite impressed. The food, however, was one again wonderful, and the homemade wine flowed freely. But we had a Liturgy the next day, so before it got too late, we headed back home for the night.</p><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/09/moldova-pilgrimage-part-3.html">To be continued...</a></i></p></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-19851097857391949372023-07-04T12:32:00.020-05:002023-07-27T23:44:19.157-05:00Moldova Pilgrimage, Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0pKNIReBZUBj_g3Py_YCAvabKhc4pHQDQ8qF13DW8l3P4IXxdcWOYgN823PpCIySR96J3ufO3SWMV0gGeGPWanPYhuL4i6f1mR-iPNNtf_yY3tumMqTu1jC5RxNd8C9OYBERC4-hKCaO0CNPkYCrlm0VCmbyyyfgl-dMPsCUStzXtafjzQ/s923/ststephenthegreat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0pKNIReBZUBj_g3Py_YCAvabKhc4pHQDQ8qF13DW8l3P4IXxdcWOYgN823PpCIySR96J3ufO3SWMV0gGeGPWanPYhuL4i6f1mR-iPNNtf_yY3tumMqTu1jC5RxNd8C9OYBERC4-hKCaO0CNPkYCrlm0VCmbyyyfgl-dMPsCUStzXtafjzQ/s320/ststephenthegreat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/0215/07/02/149011-saint-stephen-the-great">St. Stephen the Great of Moldova, with a map of the principality of Moldova of his time, and depictions of some of the many monasteries he established</a></i></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next month, it will have been a year since my wife and I traveled to Moldova and Romania. I have started to write about this experience countless times since then, but I think what has kept me from getting very far into it has been a fear of my words failing to do it justice. We have a Moldovan woman in our parish (Elena), and she and her husband (Constantine) invited us to take this trip. Not being ones to turn down an opportunity to travel to an Orthodox country, we took them up on it. But while I was expecting to have an enjoyable trip, and to see beautiful churches and monasteries, I really did not expect it to be as moving of an experience as it proved to be.</div><p>My experience of the Orthodox Church has primarily been in the context of the Russian tradition, but I have also had a lot of contact with both Greeks, Serbs, and Arabs, and so have some idea of the differences and particular customs found in those traditions. My knowledge of the Romanian speaking expressions of the Faith have been a lot more limited prior to this trip. The Romanian speaking people descend from Roman colonists that settled in the region in the days of the Roman Empire. What now comprises the contemporary nations of Romania and Moldova were once divided into three principalities: Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldova. What was once the principality of Moldova under St. Stephen the Great covers the contemporary nation of Moldova, part of Romania, and parts of Ukraine. So even though we visited Romania, the part of Romania we visited was the Moldovan part of Romania.</p><p>We flew out of Houston on the evening of Sunday, August 7th, but our trip nearly ended before it began. Elena was very far into her pregnancy, and we timed the trip as we did, because she wanted to take us there while she could still physically do it, but before she would be contending with a newborn. We flew via Turkish Airlines, and Elena had called beforehand to make sure that her pregnancy was not going to be a problem with flying, and was told by their customer service that it would not be, but as we were checking in for the flight, an agent asked her about how far along she was. When she answered, she was told that she needed a letter from her doctor saying that it was OK for her to travel. Getting such a letter on a Sunday night is not usually an easy thing to pull off. She told my wife and I to go ahead to the gate, and she argued with the agent further, and tried to provide something that she hoped would work, but finally, it became clear that she was not going to be able to fly, but she told the rest of us to go ahead with the flight, and she would rebook her flight once she had a doctor's note in hand. </p><p>Constantine (who is a Cherokee from Oklahoma) speaks only a smattering of Romanian, but we were also travelling with their nine year old daughter Fabi, who does speak Romanian, and so for our first day, she was our translator.</p><p>We arrived in Istanbul (Constantinople) on Monday afternoon, and arrived in the capital of Moldova (Chișinău) that night.</p><p>Elena's travel problems threw a monkey wrench in some of our plans, but we spent most of the first day resting from the trip, but did go out to get breakfast, and then lunch, by going around on foot. Chișinău is a beautiful city, with many Churches, and so we could hear the church bells sounding the times for the various services during the day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGyOKpqVA-n0zwHWF1qnWw7D9DXb37LJalVYN8EsEzxw5JV9QHrTe4Pc46AXM8th0VGlKLzOqtSdqsmZKE35R42U-PRfDeIZSJlsF5GyemwJdixjXiiU7abiQM_wBxZYZMpi4z5PMMIXWnd723uH2k44mCQywsw__V1wFkoPuZZYuqXd9cQ/s923/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20resturaunt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGyOKpqVA-n0zwHWF1qnWw7D9DXb37LJalVYN8EsEzxw5JV9QHrTe4Pc46AXM8th0VGlKLzOqtSdqsmZKE35R42U-PRfDeIZSJlsF5GyemwJdixjXiiU7abiQM_wBxZYZMpi4z5PMMIXWnd723uH2k44mCQywsw__V1wFkoPuZZYuqXd9cQ/s320/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20resturaunt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A pro-family painting on the wall of the restaurant we had lunch at</i></div></i><p>Moldova is a very poor country, but I saw no homeless people in their largest city. When I have traveled to Moscow, I encountered a lot of beggars on the streets. And for that matter, I encounter of lot of beggars on the streets of Houston too. But in this country, I kept running into people that I thought were approaching me to ask for money, and instead, they were asking for a blessing. In fact, later on in our trip we had to go back to the airport to get some paperwork for the rental car we were using (in order to take it across the border to Romania later), and while I was standing around waiting, a man approached me that I again thought was going to ask for money, and instead, he asked for a blessing and then gave me 75 Moldovan leu (which adds up to a bit less than four dollars) and asked me to pray for him.</p><p>What I came to understand was that the reason why there were no homeless people or beggars in Moldova, despite it being the poorest country I have ever visited, is because Moldovans are a deeply religious people, with a strong sense of honor, strong families, and a strong sense of hospitality. And when you live in a country like that, you don't have many people who fall through the cracks, and have no one to turn to for help except for random strangers on the street.</p><p>I believe Elena was able to join us on Tuesday night. We were staying in an apartment owned by family friends, and that evening, while we were waiting for Elena's return, we were invited over to a neighbor's apartment for "coffee," but Constantine informed us that this would mean a late evening that would involve a lot more than coffee. We also had an interesting time carrying on a conversation that Fabi translated for at first, but she lost interest, and then we were often using Google Translate to bridge the gaps from there. We also got our first taste of Moldovan hospitality. These people obviously live in a city, but I got the sense that they were not far removed from a more rural lifestyle and had that kind of warmth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27DOh4ETGlKFwkbrLfDdJTrDB4aWjzpV5fwK6GHoX1v79DKy9UEnEtb9bIKB8wJ0kdpFaAdRV7H4dctTWdvCCyaPIntuHx90CHSBRszqB7Q5uwNiF-UEecysyMrAGq6tFcRe5H4ONDMxf_FTyQd2G4sUqvLy27KrkV5z5CBuYqGyfD-yyBw/s1560/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20Cathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27DOh4ETGlKFwkbrLfDdJTrDB4aWjzpV5fwK6GHoX1v79DKy9UEnEtb9bIKB8wJ0kdpFaAdRV7H4dctTWdvCCyaPIntuHx90CHSBRszqB7Q5uwNiF-UEecysyMrAGq6tFcRe5H4ONDMxf_FTyQd2G4sUqvLy27KrkV5z5CBuYqGyfD-yyBw/s320/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20Cathedral.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_Cathedral,_Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u">The Nativity Cathedral, Chișinău</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVhtC2I-lfV1WWq4ES8-M_iXEW_bDUBnuGPkNoX1Ipn1hZK-hDx-KrX7xpFwOYC70CxlJuU7DciVxO2y4f1CkFRuiyXHMxQYTBSx3KCy0-fA6AIvUjLAfT2NRT8UUzbyj8C7DIKISH3fW75_zZfJ7R8_MWIXm47JCHLEDmoKgjtLS2vjiEw/s1560/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20Cathedral%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVhtC2I-lfV1WWq4ES8-M_iXEW_bDUBnuGPkNoX1Ipn1hZK-hDx-KrX7xpFwOYC70CxlJuU7DciVxO2y4f1CkFRuiyXHMxQYTBSx3KCy0-fA6AIvUjLAfT2NRT8UUzbyj8C7DIKISH3fW75_zZfJ7R8_MWIXm47JCHLEDmoKgjtLS2vjiEw/s320/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u%20Cathedral%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The interior of the Cathedral</i></div></i><p style="text-align: left;">On Wednesday morning we had breakfast in downtown Chișinău, and visited the main cathedral. We exchanged all of our American money for Moldovan, so we would have the cash we needed, and then later went to visit a seamstress to order some vestments (which were of a very high quality, and extremely inexpensive) for a soon to be ordained priest (Fr. Gregory Solis), and then we went to the first monastery of the trip, the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/orheiul-vechi-cave-monastery">Orheiul Vechi Cave Monastery</a>.</p><p>This video shows much of the monastery and the surrounding area:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8PCSlEtOX_U" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>This monastery is built along the edge of a steep cliff, and on the sides of the cliff you can see many caves, in which monks and other local inhabitants lived at various times. We had to walk up a steep hill from where we parked, and before we got to the main part of the monastery, there is a bell tower, and then a door with stairs carved into the rock, which leads to a chapel that was carved out of one of these caves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0hkI84Pb3I5CniWSI3PxqZ3-o_L72gCAbAH53qxKSbADZ7lky1EyiAiyDa179XYeDHKPKYQgasYQgPZ93BSGJnklPQ5o7inJ9qZqyyEhJgpLb93rRpEcK_BwFP-hltD56UJr7QvNjrA2b6yItbiv-laHvTX5XNzcT2zHGSITVP0gHJewSw/s1560/Orheiul%20Vechi%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0hkI84Pb3I5CniWSI3PxqZ3-o_L72gCAbAH53qxKSbADZ7lky1EyiAiyDa179XYeDHKPKYQgasYQgPZ93BSGJnklPQ5o7inJ9qZqyyEhJgpLb93rRpEcK_BwFP-hltD56UJr7QvNjrA2b6yItbiv-laHvTX5XNzcT2zHGSITVP0gHJewSw/s320/Orheiul%20Vechi%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh7VfVQJv6YWIhr8gQe7f2dAHVH3QxPE0DDzbl3_XrktFfO3z4ke7LMpr9pXgF0PrbApIlo4os13E4BmiHUkwwZ4RJ-CDg2ssh1GKt5GjNdnsHcvdRr0LFP6eHNTTCyTw4Q1nlcb5TEVkPI-_-prypZBgGPf1zrrJQt6WwpOvNumOCXpDFQ/s947/Orheiul%20Vechi%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh7VfVQJv6YWIhr8gQe7f2dAHVH3QxPE0DDzbl3_XrktFfO3z4ke7LMpr9pXgF0PrbApIlo4os13E4BmiHUkwwZ4RJ-CDg2ssh1GKt5GjNdnsHcvdRr0LFP6eHNTTCyTw4Q1nlcb5TEVkPI-_-prypZBgGPf1zrrJQt6WwpOvNumOCXpDFQ/s320/Orheiul%20Vechi%202.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27zPnXcyq0xxM9Q5f_lQ3AKanxwFgS9yCMK2KnwevbXXF8wgTn7l0K3JOv7lsApDgA3e3LQQ71u_sS3sd6Uha2zlpnozA3ecdJ6lwlynZ_MmloYCBsReD4INKT9rXBU59EAeDW5H0q9ZLNH-swx3gG32zD4H5mwXsrU4Vq74vSba656_eag/s1560/Orheiul%20Vechi%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27zPnXcyq0xxM9Q5f_lQ3AKanxwFgS9yCMK2KnwevbXXF8wgTn7l0K3JOv7lsApDgA3e3LQQ71u_sS3sd6Uha2zlpnozA3ecdJ6lwlynZ_MmloYCBsReD4INKT9rXBU59EAeDW5H0q9ZLNH-swx3gG32zD4H5mwXsrU4Vq74vSba656_eag/s320/Orheiul%20Vechi%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>On the side of the chapel is a door, that opens to a ledge overlooking the valley below. I don't like heights, but my wife stepped out on it, and took lots of pictures and a short video. I got the heebie-jeebies just watching her do that from inside the chapel.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JZFE20UnVg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This was taken by Matushka from that ledge</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwzQA8RhE4JLnbbJ8UwGNP93OKBnBEG-mkebqOHT8cEITLP5m1QhvOcbEYzML0T72zE2O0pODR7jrrv813ZTJiTujHkghgXddpURD0B2ZydIrqRK0SLdBoHmeMFvDtfLAkOGwcVew3YXfs6lpiuyd3i2d6wmH5qr7JRu06MEk-aBEopxxHw/s923/Saharna%20view%20from%20chapel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwzQA8RhE4JLnbbJ8UwGNP93OKBnBEG-mkebqOHT8cEITLP5m1QhvOcbEYzML0T72zE2O0pODR7jrrv813ZTJiTujHkghgXddpURD0B2ZydIrqRK0SLdBoHmeMFvDtfLAkOGwcVew3YXfs6lpiuyd3i2d6wmH5qr7JRu06MEk-aBEopxxHw/s320/Saharna%20view%20from%20chapel.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This was as close as I was willing to come to the ledge</i></div></i><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8AOLxIgcU2wztJ5rv1QQrGu7PTw9Gz9wSU_sH_UVhZqx0F6A105LDgXTeUSUI3RRCsAOanES6mVLdrwBWkppw0mpqqcONd139M1t3ag9CWBl3NBZoOLGMq-FmY0MMg_Gq7aaShYHpBZolspjeFdE1gmvFpRpj8UBt1JPF-dP1fpOLn9oYA/s1560/Orheiul%20Vechi%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8AOLxIgcU2wztJ5rv1QQrGu7PTw9Gz9wSU_sH_UVhZqx0F6A105LDgXTeUSUI3RRCsAOanES6mVLdrwBWkppw0mpqqcONd139M1t3ag9CWBl3NBZoOLGMq-FmY0MMg_Gq7aaShYHpBZolspjeFdE1gmvFpRpj8UBt1JPF-dP1fpOLn9oYA/s320/Orheiul%20Vechi%204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While we were there, we saw a couple of wedding parties who were taking pictures. I am not sure if any of them got married at the monastery, or if they just wanted to do pictures there.</div><p>At some point we drove past a checkpoint that would have taken us into the breakaway region of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria">Transnistria</a>, but we didn't cross into it.</p><p>Throughout the trip, Elena was trying to visit as many of her relatives as we could squeeze into our schedule. This was surprisingly one of the best aspects of the trip, because we got to see simple Moldovan people up close, and we found that they were living the kind of lives that most people in the history of the world have lived -- far closer to nature, less complicated, and more family and community oriented. And consequently, the people seemed a lot saner and happier than most of the people in the United States do these days, though we have all our luxuries, and they live a lot more like Americans did before World War II.</p><p>As it happens, this monastery was relatively near one of the sisters of Elena's father (Valentina), and so we had dinner with them, and spent the night there. Her aunt and uncle (Valentine) raise various farm animals. One of their cows had just given birth, and so her aunt made a cake from the cow's colostrum, which Elena said was one of her favorite treats when she was growing up. </p><p>Again, we were given a lavish meal, home grown and homemade, and spent most of the evening in conversation, which Elena had to translate, and later her uncle showed me and Constantine his workshop, which reminded me very much of my own father's when I was a kid. He too grew up on a farm, and like Elena's uncle, he could make almost anything he needed (my parents' divorce when I was six, unfortunately, prevented most of that knowledge being passed on to me). That night we did not stay in a guest room. In Moldovan culture, your guests stay in the best rooms -- not the guest rooms.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCqG7ZOTzC4BlI5022m3cbDgtVtCsLvKon7hLfAySREKelSBYosgnuQv5GrUKicAxHj_qumwK5oWJlLYUwwo9UGryyFkBT87ehdpP_c-3IQ5IxlRqEmhuhMHy-pd2eQjI_n9B6Itn0gerODbvK1FsTerxYOedVjLmRuLTdW_VZ_IPKrhkzg/s1560/Solonceni%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCqG7ZOTzC4BlI5022m3cbDgtVtCsLvKon7hLfAySREKelSBYosgnuQv5GrUKicAxHj_qumwK5oWJlLYUwwo9UGryyFkBT87ehdpP_c-3IQ5IxlRqEmhuhMHy-pd2eQjI_n9B6Itn0gerODbvK1FsTerxYOedVjLmRuLTdW_VZ_IPKrhkzg/s320/Solonceni%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Myself, Matushka, Elena's aunt Valentina, Fabi, and Elena with baby Hope on the way.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTtZnRMAhhs8e7sHGbWR8iQCEuLPodF9BpxxC2c0uZfThkgKvCV_OvhhI6gQK_guNIqfmBjg2xlIToo_Z6QOy4FS2fg7yxA5ESgk1TCugXXPPRo1K8MZ__OHFwKWGL0D7J9ouevKy3oZu96htF1Orqdzd70jQLbrK27qo2gdRqwyxKEStyw/s1560/Solonceni%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTtZnRMAhhs8e7sHGbWR8iQCEuLPodF9BpxxC2c0uZfThkgKvCV_OvhhI6gQK_guNIqfmBjg2xlIToo_Z6QOy4FS2fg7yxA5ESgk1TCugXXPPRo1K8MZ__OHFwKWGL0D7J9ouevKy3oZu96htF1Orqdzd70jQLbrK27qo2gdRqwyxKEStyw/s320/Solonceni%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In the morning we had breakfast, and got to have some of that cake, before we headed out to the second monastery of the trip -- the <a href="https://manastirea-saharna.md/istoria-sfintei-manastiri/">Holy Trinity Monastery of Saharna</a>.</p><p>This video shows much of the monastery in ways we could not have possibly filmed ourselves:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bcq5Z5W4wN0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>The history of the caves monastery in Saharna is unclear, but it is ancient. The monastic complex that we see today began to be built in 1776. It was closed by the Soviets in 1964, and the grounds were used as a psychiatric hospital. The monastery began to be restored in 1991. Unfortunately, most of the icons were too deteriorated to be salvaged, and so new frescos began to be painted at that time. The monastery is now known as a place that people are taken who need exorcism, or who need to be healed of mental or physical illnesses.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2PFoOtQK2tC2kThNEdQlQwbz49qei5nk2TXhjD_WtWTeprnWqXaSuBrvpTtficb__62LxhCxywi4Ga-G40cS3hhG8kjzY2TD4el0fR8LHxm37i90BzH4o2JGIIdLkh_IOakvTG49rrKpSGSCLzVwuVpv-R3FZ64N5XDjAy2p_hD-5G9yfA/s1560/saharna%20gate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2PFoOtQK2tC2kThNEdQlQwbz49qei5nk2TXhjD_WtWTeprnWqXaSuBrvpTtficb__62LxhCxywi4Ga-G40cS3hhG8kjzY2TD4el0fR8LHxm37i90BzH4o2JGIIdLkh_IOakvTG49rrKpSGSCLzVwuVpv-R3FZ64N5XDjAy2p_hD-5G9yfA/s320/saharna%20gate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFUUc4Ayjg7w7GjDDCbtKW__dZZq24u5NhiLl73X6jSSWdA4K9Le2peymFpJbulOq41CTy3GVEMGmgydg3qb_rh3IjJoZPbPe3qVrDMQSOCx_1rhTgB7QQtQP9fhouuDqBCCj524tecnwva93RuMHH9kFmhik9z8ytM49idoRtf2zmhG9DA/s1560/Saharna%20Cross.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFUUc4Ayjg7w7GjDDCbtKW__dZZq24u5NhiLl73X6jSSWdA4K9Le2peymFpJbulOq41CTy3GVEMGmgydg3qb_rh3IjJoZPbPe3qVrDMQSOCx_1rhTgB7QQtQP9fhouuDqBCCj524tecnwva93RuMHH9kFmhik9z8ytM49idoRtf2zmhG9DA/s320/Saharna%20Cross.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>When we first arrived, Constantine and Fabi decided that they would hike up the peak to the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to the founding monks, and where there is a footprint left in the stone from her. There is a similar footprint in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pochaiv_Lavra">Pochaev Lavra </a>in Ukraine, which is relatively close to Moldova. It looked awfully high up to me though.</p><p>When they came back down from the peak, we met some of the people who when they learned that we were from the United States, introduced us to Natalia, who had lived in the UK, and spoke English very well. She gave us a detailed tour of the monastery.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDls38HCQYbJc2oWPOnRTLa2sR_KfGlN5ovdFJcLO_44iNLQbobFeFRJ84K_5rsZSOh2g1nxzUKy-aqs9abPB2eVVMmojYZTr4fT2QZNjX2CcKPqtksQt-_uHOXfgwFX3GkHY-RSN4o0tRSVYL0RwJqcmn9g4jr6Eexg7aF41eKNzJqLAgPQ/s947/Natalia%20Saharna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDls38HCQYbJc2oWPOnRTLa2sR_KfGlN5ovdFJcLO_44iNLQbobFeFRJ84K_5rsZSOh2g1nxzUKy-aqs9abPB2eVVMmojYZTr4fT2QZNjX2CcKPqtksQt-_uHOXfgwFX3GkHY-RSN4o0tRSVYL0RwJqcmn9g4jr6Eexg7aF41eKNzJqLAgPQ/s320/Natalia%20Saharna.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>In the largest church, we found the reliquary of <a href="https://manastirea-saharna.md/viata-cuviosului-macarie/">St. Macarie of Saharna</a>, whom I previously knew nothing about, but he was a monk before Moldova came under Soviet control, and was a spiritual father to the nuns who at that time resided in this monastery. When the monastery was closed, he was persecuted by the Soviets, but after being released from prison he continued to live near the monastery, and to pray on its grounds. He reposed in 1969.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0fyNOkSIvwsMTl5V2ZVDcUyJtj0L7BK7-qyPZF8x2W9Q_TgrKM9kumdxvIi7b3v3SeAVYarzbAHRZV2RS2krmAgAVBPlcPzhPzue_YQTUzPgQ8oL_i6D84k1PG51qwO7Co2E6zP66lxu1oPIDyKMJKy09ngqV6tSPFGt5F_UPdWb5DGJqw/s1560/saharna%20St%20Macarri.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0fyNOkSIvwsMTl5V2ZVDcUyJtj0L7BK7-qyPZF8x2W9Q_TgrKM9kumdxvIi7b3v3SeAVYarzbAHRZV2RS2krmAgAVBPlcPzhPzue_YQTUzPgQ8oL_i6D84k1PG51qwO7Co2E6zP66lxu1oPIDyKMJKy09ngqV6tSPFGt5F_UPdWb5DGJqw/s320/saharna%20St%20Macarri.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnsSRpGHQYR2O2fu4FKkUktHYu_SsgjRm3qi1eiMPIROD_NVtKnFq_ejgF10OYGR_i-ZJAZKac_gnCrDE0i-GwLSZg30iSBL04ienykhx75-i-Im4VjA4IElcgAb5g4bFTpRJ2PbZSaw4P9pE6331E2R03dTEkTjZ3TKMy5rurnz7Vt6xmA/s1560/saharna%20St%20Macarri%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnsSRpGHQYR2O2fu4FKkUktHYu_SsgjRm3qi1eiMPIROD_NVtKnFq_ejgF10OYGR_i-ZJAZKac_gnCrDE0i-GwLSZg30iSBL04ienykhx75-i-Im4VjA4IElcgAb5g4bFTpRJ2PbZSaw4P9pE6331E2R03dTEkTjZ3TKMy5rurnz7Vt6xmA/s320/saharna%20St%20Macarri%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>There is a miraculous spring there, where people go to bathe as a blessing and especially to pray for healing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnbaVKw48PCRZnfsOVBGFjbX8rnell57PIs4Gc75a0GDP451XioW9qXOI0GZ-zLD3yg2JQngTRON1aeUXLHfM3QJK7lgEWSfT7X-OpQNAD5OSZEUdOht69WjGO394qu4E6UFMIRtlfRJpdWnPUkwzUNRj9JZsEYbVbiKOveRVt44r-D-Mmg/s947/Saharna%20Spring.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnbaVKw48PCRZnfsOVBGFjbX8rnell57PIs4Gc75a0GDP451XioW9qXOI0GZ-zLD3yg2JQngTRON1aeUXLHfM3QJK7lgEWSfT7X-OpQNAD5OSZEUdOht69WjGO394qu4E6UFMIRtlfRJpdWnPUkwzUNRj9JZsEYbVbiKOveRVt44r-D-Mmg/s320/Saharna%20Spring.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o837o07z7IWd61kWVZEHSGFizEdw2MlorDlQS804cJmOuUQ9dpoOvcCFWrOeNBMmpOWDZYUKNMYMy5pcT7Pgtlj1GWf0ZTOEMVbeN18Kp9u1ae7R9JRqXSrBwgaH2iyGGQ-y3rhKiAmHDO2i6Gt_msakE68iCpiEwqLSIGbomDH2OGMG2Q/s947/Saharna%20Spring%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o837o07z7IWd61kWVZEHSGFizEdw2MlorDlQS804cJmOuUQ9dpoOvcCFWrOeNBMmpOWDZYUKNMYMy5pcT7Pgtlj1GWf0ZTOEMVbeN18Kp9u1ae7R9JRqXSrBwgaH2iyGGQ-y3rhKiAmHDO2i6Gt_msakE68iCpiEwqLSIGbomDH2OGMG2Q/s320/Saharna%20Spring%202.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cX6y_zbAQyo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a video Matushka took of the outside of the bath house, where the spring flows down the mountain</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sBML4eadSnNzZnaMNghM23HQ6tEQnGUbYxuMsPgxWDHcFHcV7isWcaTtzNM4pMkpPEB3TBAgzOOMvMrxyMlH3fNiZK8ajn1cCI0W4Qgw1ST_xjhGp7QZoNkcs8evPyYq_i_8zOs4YOPbfQJSd4av3Mc8H6NWYTw7ydeTv6KEffldQ0Yeyg/s947/Saharna%20Bridge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sBML4eadSnNzZnaMNghM23HQ6tEQnGUbYxuMsPgxWDHcFHcV7isWcaTtzNM4pMkpPEB3TBAgzOOMvMrxyMlH3fNiZK8ajn1cCI0W4Qgw1ST_xjhGp7QZoNkcs8evPyYq_i_8zOs4YOPbfQJSd4av3Mc8H6NWYTw7ydeTv6KEffldQ0Yeyg/s320/Saharna%20Bridge.jpg" width="180" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This was a foot bridge to where the caves monastery is. We were assured that it was completely safe, despite appearances to the contrary.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv066rv850sB64ddFpOs7UT1cKsZZM56V4XecmxSgFkzX6eQ6dApZWOWdx90z8sOLCXbVzfr0yRaC9ym-xtvHuCXIkuyTpjAljK8UupGlxcJ9nLM1nZoFy2prnpbiK6q5P3dhynYUnyafPAHxMel6qAXg8igXFRh0A7g6Id2hFqtih8y6Zw/s1560/Saharna%20Caves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv066rv850sB64ddFpOs7UT1cKsZZM56V4XecmxSgFkzX6eQ6dApZWOWdx90z8sOLCXbVzfr0yRaC9ym-xtvHuCXIkuyTpjAljK8UupGlxcJ9nLM1nZoFy2prnpbiK6q5P3dhynYUnyafPAHxMel6qAXg8igXFRh0A7g6Id2hFqtih8y6Zw/s320/Saharna%20Caves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is one of the caves.</i></div><p>We then head back to the south, first to the Chișinău Airport, where I encountered the man who gave me 75 Moldovan leu, and then we headed to Elena's home village of Sălcuța.</p><p>As we arrived in her village, we ran into rush hour traffic. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4TX6mbgmA5Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Among the children in the video, Elena recognized some as being her cousins.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVV5ivSA41uqoqg0kP8n1FYBbltzB7cP-pFreZIsqqtPwYfviNaBCKoA8w5hewKWNIwOIHukdQaAiW0ZNT5h4Y8OYJLRsN9zU5_nIDVJaeD52XE27ipqa3iW0OoOvlSB4odx-3U9HpUpaNo-qef0YhIhsp62T2C6l8bxPDnMqyFbQyS1r-A/s1560/S%C4%83lcu%C8%9Ba%20patio%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVV5ivSA41uqoqg0kP8n1FYBbltzB7cP-pFreZIsqqtPwYfviNaBCKoA8w5hewKWNIwOIHukdQaAiW0ZNT5h4Y8OYJLRsN9zU5_nIDVJaeD52XE27ipqa3iW0OoOvlSB4odx-3U9HpUpaNo-qef0YhIhsp62T2C6l8bxPDnMqyFbQyS1r-A/s320/S%C4%83lcu%C8%9Ba%20patio%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is Elena's mother (Tamara) and father (George) along with Matushka and myself</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnn3oLzzwOWmjr26Wtf4L-JOx1uagHYdraCrvwfybiJ3VltfzEwiiAsJ9UbnaP77nHCiOX8wB-N4FFd4ymHjFN_w1AgVNTUiBemFHBMaxnzppE20E4CVQmgjeCYzGI1yqxylTqfs_DRDnJ3Ewz8CSm5RN4eatKl3Yu3Sq5U4062S4ikyJRpQ/s1560/S%C4%83lcu%C8%9Ba%20patio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnn3oLzzwOWmjr26Wtf4L-JOx1uagHYdraCrvwfybiJ3VltfzEwiiAsJ9UbnaP77nHCiOX8wB-N4FFd4ymHjFN_w1AgVNTUiBemFHBMaxnzppE20E4CVQmgjeCYzGI1yqxylTqfs_DRDnJ3Ewz8CSm5RN4eatKl3Yu3Sq5U4062S4ikyJRpQ/s320/S%C4%83lcu%C8%9Ba%20patio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Elena, Constantine, Elena's niece Anna, her father, myself, and her mother.</i></div></i><p>The patio is literally shaded with grape vines. As we sat under those vines, I couldn't help but think of the Scripture "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah+4%3A4+&version=KJV">Micah 4:4</a>). Because it was August, and they had no air conditioning, we spent a lot of time out on that patio during the day, though it was a lot cooler there than it would be back home in Texas. Elena made the comment that the weather there begins to cool after the feast of St. Panteleimon (which is on August 9th on the civil calendar). What I found interesting about this comment was that it was a comment that could only come from someone raised in a culture that was deeply rooted in the life of the Church, and also closely attuned to the seasons.</p><p>That evening we had shashlik from a freshly slaughter pig, and various other fruits and vegetables -- mostly which they had grown themselves. We also had wine which Elena's father made from his own grapes -- and this wine is a deep purple that is almost black, and it is very good. The soil in Moldova is very rich. In this village, people own tracts of farmland outside the village, but every yard is a big garden, and as the trip continued I noticed that this was true everywhere I went, outside of the bigger cities. Elena's parents grow grapes on their tracts of land outside the village, and also raise chickens and ducks. That night, we slept in Elena's parents' room (the best room), with the windows open, and so long before dawn the sound of all the farm animals in the village woke us up a bit earlier than we were accustomed to... though we began to get used to it, over time.</p><p><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2023/07/moldova-pilgrimage-part-2.html">To be continued.</a></i></p><p><b>See Also:</b> <a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/no_beggars">There are No Beggars in Moldova</a></p><p><i><br /></i></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-83123845919938853762023-06-08T21:01:00.012-05:002023-06-09T06:19:07.855-05:00"Public Orthodoxy" Defends the Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK0p8oAfUnA1NC2YwMTgeHt0g7Nt20k5IHLfMd4ZAjJGDkr1q-QiUr97XnUswx9YPGpeNWSu2ljGhkAiotK-s-0q8J9tM8eI4YNph6k55KsmpDBnC4NutjESig6GnsZ4p-me-BLLSEaMkDnegBuoC4quwlcCrim1XGe0gWM253-SQrLY/s700/persecution_ukraine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="700" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK0p8oAfUnA1NC2YwMTgeHt0g7Nt20k5IHLfMd4ZAjJGDkr1q-QiUr97XnUswx9YPGpeNWSu2ljGhkAiotK-s-0q8J9tM8eI4YNph6k55KsmpDBnC4NutjESig6GnsZ4p-me-BLLSEaMkDnegBuoC4quwlcCrim1XGe0gWM253-SQrLY/s320/persecution_ukraine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Recently <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/2023/05/09/humble-abuse-and-responsibility/">Public Orthodoxy published an article by Lidiya Lozova</a>, in which she excused the government sponsored persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and alleged that this reflects the popular opinion of the Ukrainian people. After expressing her objection to the use of violence as a means of "resolving conflicts among church communities in Ukraine" (i.e. the use of violence when government backed Nazi thugs* steal Church property from the canonical Church in order to give it to the schismatics** under Epiphony Dumenko), she goes on to blame this violent persecution on the people being persecuted, suggested essentially that they asked for it and have it coming, and then she denies almost completely the role of the Ukrainian government in ginning up that violence in the first place:</p><p></p><blockquote>"...in the context of international sympathies expressed to the UOC [Ukrainian Orthodox Church] today, I have to admit that<b> the social opposition and violence directed at this church in Ukrainian society is not an artificial construct of the Ukrainian authorities</b>; it is, in my opinion, a reaction to the hidden structural violence, which has been present in the matrix of this organization since 1990s and especially after 2014, when the leadership of the UOC changed" [Emphasis added]. </blockquote><p></p><p>She makes this assertion, despite the fact that we have countless videos of the police assisting in this violence, and we have <a href="https://youtu.be/BTo7cDATjno">figures in the government controlled Ukrainian media calling for violence against the Ukrainian Church</a> -- not to mention laws that legally ban the UOC from legally functioning in various cities and provinces, and a proposed ban that would eliminate them from the entire country.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6w_NSxh1-zM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>One of many videos chronicling the active role of the Ukrainian government in the violent seizures of Ukrainian Orthodox Church. More can be found on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@spzh_eng/videos">YouTube channel of the Union of Orthodox Journalists</a>.</i></p><p>She goes on to attribute the cause for this violent opposition to the fact that the Ukrainian Church teaches its people to observe Church order and discipline, and also to view even the bad things that we experience in this life as being for our salvation -- just as St. John Chrysostom himself not only <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1902.htm">taught with his words</a>, but more importantly <a href="https://orthochristian.com/43102.html">taught by his deeds as he endured severe persecution, and ended his life, by saying "Glory to God for all things."</a></p><p>Among the alleged transgressions the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is accused of by the author, is supposedly that some priests have refused to do funerals for Ukrainian soldiers... though she provides no specific information on that. Likely, if there were such cases, the refusal would have been due to the fact that the soldiers in question were not members of the canonical Orthodox Church. Countless funerals have been performed for soldiers who were members of the UOC.</p><p>She goes on to make the assertion: </p><p></p><blockquote>"In short, the UOC as a whole is not welcomed in Ukraine in spite of their participation in the humanitarian aid efforts and the service of many UOC members in the Ukrainian Armed Forces."</blockquote><p></p><p>She, however, presents us with no reason to believe that this assertion is true. But even if, for the sake of argument, we were to assume that it was true, it would be true in the context of the Ukrainian government controlling the media, and the people in Ukraine being fed a constant stream of propaganda accusing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of being disloyal. Anyone who deviates from the government narrative puts themselves at risk of both judicial and extra-judicial punishment [aka <a href="https://zmina.ua/en/statements-en/no-to-lynching-human-rights-defenders-call-on-law-enforcement-to-respond-appropriately-to-humaliation-of-looters/">public lynchings</a>]. So there is in fact no objective way to measure the actual opinions of the people in Ukraine at the present. </p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/fBvXFvYs8g8">We can, however, gauge the opinions of people who actually go to Church in Ukraine</a>, because we consistently see that when Churches have been stolen from the canonical Church, they are either left padlocked, or the number of people attending the schismatic services is a mere fraction of the number who attended the Church before. </p><p>After Epiphony was made the head of the combined schismatic Church, the Ukrainian government tried to pad the numbers of people attending things like his procession on St. Vladimir's day, but even with the addition of government employees, and people being bussed into Kiev from western Ukraine, the crowd was dwarfed by the number of people in the canonical procession. More recently, <a href="https://youtu.be/N5HjYbsF3j8">after the Ukrainian government seized some of the churches in the Kiev caves, Epiphony has only conducted a few services there, (though previously a full cycle of daily services were held when these were in the hands of the canonical Church) and even with people being bussed in, the crowds are very sparse, whereas the crowds attending the services of the canonical Church in Ukraine remain packed</a>.</p><p>Though the author states that she is "not fully satisfied with the actions of the state and the reaction from the OCU [the schismatic Ukrainian Church] members..." She fails to honestly confront the role of the Ukrainian government, nor does she give the reader any real idea of the scope and severity of the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. One day, when the full truth of what has been going on in Ukraine is more widely known, she may have reason to be embarrassed that she made excuses for those who were <a href="https://spzh.news/en/news/72687-patriarch-of-antioch-to-metropolitan-onuphry-we-see-persecution-of-the-uoc-with-pain">persecuting the faithful under the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Metropolitan Onuphry</a>. </p><p>* When I speak of "Nazi thugs," I am not using the term "Nazi" as a pejorative slur. I am referring to the actual Nazis that are usually the ring leaders behind the seizure of Church in Ukraine. For example, Yevhen Karas is the head of the Nazi group "<a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2019/08/09/yes-its-still-ok-to-call-ukraines-c14-neo-nazi/">C14</a>." You can see the role his group has been playing recently in <a href="https://youtu.be/KAR_u6yWYus">this video</a> from the Union of Orthodox Journalists. You will see <a href="https://youtu.be/KfaAyiP8Wuc">Yevhen Karas prominently featured in this video</a> which takes about the role of Nazis in Ukraine. The fact that the government is backing them is shown by the fact that they are allowed to operate freely and openly engage in violent assaults directed at innocent people. Given the manpower shortage the Ukrainian army has, one has to wonder why so many young men are allowed to engage in such things, and remain out of uniform and out of the war. What one makes of these facts is up to them, but these are indeed facts.</p><p>** That Epiphony is the head of schismatic Church is laid out in the following articles: </p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/10/whats-going-on-in-ukraine-part-1.html">What's Going on in Ukraine? Part 1: The Historical Background</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/12/whats-going-on-in-ukraine-part-2.html">What's Going on in Ukraine? Part 2: The Canonical Issues</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-american-perspective-on-ukraine.html">An American Perspective on the Ukraine Crisis</a></p><p>Furthermore, I would point out that the fact that the monastics in Ukraine have overwhelmingly remained loyal to Metropolitan Onuphry should tell any pious Orthodox Christian everything that they need to know about who is legitimate, and who is not.</p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-90382640116423078332023-06-01T20:04:00.014-05:002023-06-02T05:18:20.360-05:00Did Patriarch Kirill Espouse "Jihadist Theology"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhMcb2QlayMCe1qGS6SKF0As8-_0q6s4nJyMgqUAt1KHyqEA_n8pK1eefTFMB_Cvs3y-zdb-5mfPCiPendRuXjwAtXTJCW4_9GbL8WXUWG7VmeFpq4_6VyLUbYhW06-YAGSMr2nUDiktyZYm4gRxMvxl7AthttRyYsfcMYuKSmfRs3S0/s3320/greaterlove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2456" data-original-width="3320" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhMcb2QlayMCe1qGS6SKF0As8-_0q6s4nJyMgqUAt1KHyqEA_n8pK1eefTFMB_Cvs3y-zdb-5mfPCiPendRuXjwAtXTJCW4_9GbL8WXUWG7VmeFpq4_6VyLUbYhW06-YAGSMr2nUDiktyZYm4gRxMvxl7AthttRyYsfcMYuKSmfRs3S0/s320/greaterlove.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015%3A13&version=KJV">John 15:13</a>).</i></p><p>Even before the beginning of the direct involvement of Russia in the war in Ukraine (<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/03/sister-vassa-and-public-orthodoxy-on.html">which actually began in 2014</a>), the American people had already been subjected to a steady stream of anti-Russian propaganda. Sorting out what is true and what is false in the midst of the fog of war is not very easy, even if someone puts forth the effort to try to discern such things... but most Americans are not interested enough in the subject to even make the effort, and so assume that what they are hearing in the mainstream media is true. Not only has the Russian government been criticized regularly, since the 2016 election and the beginnings of the Russian Collusion Hoax, but the Russian Orthodox Church has also increasingly been a target.</p><p>Patriarch Kirill was put into a very difficult situation by Russia's involvement in the war, and he probably would have been highly criticized no matter how carefully or wisely he had responded to it -- and while I suppose one could make the case that he could have handled it better, it is easier to criticize someone in his position than to be that someone, and to try to navigate all the landmines this set of circumstances laid for him. </p><p>I doubt anyone in the leadership of the Russian Church wanted to see things come to the point of a direct war between Russia and Ukraine. However, most people inside of Russia -- whether rightly or wrongly -- view this war as a matter of dealing with an existential threat against Russia, and it seems Patriarch Kirill shares this view. On the other hand, many, and perhaps most Ukrainians have a very different view. Certainly, some of them at least, support Russian involvement, but many do not, to be sure. One has to have enough of an imagination to see how people on both sides can believe that they are on the right side, and not be evil. </p><p>Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that most Russians are wrong in how they view Russia's role in this war, they don't have to be evil to be wrong. They could simply be misinformed. That would also be true of Patriarch Kirill. We all view the world through the lens of our own experiences, and we trust some sources of information, and distrust others. Only God has a truly accurate grasp of all that is going on.</p><p>The background of the war is complicated, to say the least, and it is not my intention here to argue the merits of Russia's actions one way or the other. I do, however, want to address a very clear example of how western propaganda has attempted to distort something that Patriarch Kirill has said, and twist it into something that is almost the complete opposite of what he said. Even if we disagree with someone, we should at least try to be fair, and when describing their views, we should try to do so in a way that they would recognize as being accurate, and in this case, the efforts being made are focused on distorting what he has said rather than to fairly represent his actual statements. </p><p>In a sermon delivered on Sunday, September 25th, 2022 (the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross), Patriarch Kirill is said to have promised heaven to Soldiers who kill Ukrainians.</p><p>For example, <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/Archbishop%20Elpidophoros">Archbishop Elpidophoros</a> of the Greek Archdiocese under the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a recent seminar, entitled "<a href="https://youtu.be/WzIfmyhlt60">Religious Freedom, Self-Defense, and the Orthodox Communities in Ukraine</a>":</p><p></p><blockquote>"Russian mercenaries and soldiers murdered, raped, kidnapped, and looted with his blessing -- Patriarch Kirill's blessing -- even with his Jihadist-like promise of heaven for killing their spiritual brethren."</blockquote><p></p><p>The <a href="https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2019/12/18/orthodox-times-website-received-100000-grant-from-u-s-state-department/">US State Department Funded propaganda website "The Orthodox Times,"</a> didn't go quite as far, but it nevertgeless intentionally misrepresented what Patriarch Kirill said in an article entitled "<a href="https://orthodoxtimes.com/patriarch-of-moscow-any-russian-soldier-who-dies-in-the-war-in-ukraine-is-forgiven-for-his-sins/">Patriarch of Moscow: Any Russian soldier who dies in the war in Ukraine is forgiven for his sins</a>." But did Patriarch Kirill actually say this, or did he suggest that killing Ukrainians would get you into heaven and 72 virgins? No, he did not.<br /></p><p>Here is a Google Translation of the text from the original Russian text, posted at <a href="http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5962628.html">http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5962628.html</a> </p><blockquote><p>"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!</p><p>For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). To death! The Only Begotten Son, the Divine Son! And why was this terrible divine Sacrifice required, the scale and significance of which cannot be grasped by the human mind? Almighty God gives Himself to the execution, which was used to execute criminals, outcasts of human society, who really committed terrible, dangerous crimes.</p><p>When one thinks of this ineffable divine Sacrifice, it is difficult for the human mind to grasp the whole divine plan. But it is quite obvious that the Lord does not give Himself, humanly suffers and dies for something that would be completely incomprehensible to us and inherent only in Him, who has an immense knowledge of Himself. He gives us the opportunity to understand that if God in His Son gives His human life for the sake of other people, for the sake of the human race, then sacrifice is the highest manifestation of man's love for his neighbors. Sacrifice is the greatest manifestation of the best human qualities.</p><p><b>We know that today many are dying on the fields of internecine warfare. The Church prays that this war will end as soon as possible, that as few brothers as possible will kill each other in this fratricidal war. At the same time, the Church realizes that if someone, driven by a sense of duty, the need to fulfill an oath, remains faithful to his vocation and dies in the performance of military duty, then he undoubtedly commits an act tantamount to sacrifice. He sacrifices himself for others. Therefore, we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins that a person has committed.</b></p><p>The war that is now going on in the vastness of Russia is an internecine strife. That is why it is so important that this battle should not result in a wave of bitterness and alienation; So that fraternal peoples are not divided by an impassable wall of hatred. And how we all behave towards each other today, what we ask the Lord in our prayers, what we hope for, will largely depend not only on the outcome of battles, but also on what will happen as a result of all this. May God grant that the present military operations do not destroy the single spiritual space of Holy Russia, and even more so do not harden our peoples. So that by the grace of God all wounds may be healed. So that by the grace of God, everything that today brings sorrow to many and many will be erased from memory. So that what will replace the current situation, including in relations between our fraternal peoples, is bright, peaceful and joyful.</p><p>And this can only happen if we live with faith in our hearts. Because faith destroys fear, faith gives the possibility of mutual forgiveness, faith strengthens relationships between people and really can and does transform these relationships into fraternal, cordial and kind ones. May God grant that everything that now darkens the souls of many will end. May God grant that during this internecine struggle as few people as possible will die or be injured. May God grant that there may be as few widows and orphans as possible, fewer separated families, less shattered friendship and brotherhood.</p><p><b>The Church, which carries out its pastoral ministry among the peoples of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and many others in the vastness of historical Russia, today especially suffers and especially prays for the speedy cessation of internecine strife, for the triumph of justice, for the restoration of fraternal communion and the overcoming of all that, having accumulated over the years, eventually led to a bloody conflict. </b>We believe that all the saints who shone forth in the Russian land – in this case, using the already accepted expression "in the Russian land", we mean Russia, the whole Russian land, Holy Russia – today together with us lift up prayers to the Lord for peace to be established on earth, for the reconciliation of fraternal peoples and, most importantly, for justice to triumph, because without justice there can be no lasting peace.</p><p>May the Lord protect us all and help all of us to walk our Christian career with dignity, despite the difficult life circumstances that today are the reality of our earthly existence. Through the prayers of the saints, whose names we have glorified today, may the Lord help us all to be strengthened in peace, love, like-mindedness and purity [Emphasis added]."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Very few references to this sermon make any mention of the fact that he called this a "fratricidal war," and states that the Church prays for it to end swiftly. Furthermore, when he speaks of soldiers sacrificing themselves, he does not limit his comments to soldiers going to Ukraine, nor does he assign any merit to killing Ukrainians. He simply speaks of soldiers who, out of a sense of duty and in the fulfilling their oath as a soldier, die in the course of that duty. These words would apply to Ukrainian soldiers or to any other Orthodox Christian soldiers who lay down their lives out of a sense of duty. </p><p>What does he mean by a soldier having "a sense of duty"? Perhaps this comes across differently in Russian and in the context of Russian culture, but I think he is clearly speaking of the love that such a soldier would have for their country, and for their family and friends... and so it seems to me it would have been clearer had he made reference to "love" explicitly, but it clearly <b>is</b> implicit.</p><p>So the Patriarch did not say that any soldier who goes to Ukraine and happens to die there falls into this category of soldier, much less did he say this of soldiers who kill Ukrainians. He is speaking of soldiers motivated by love, duty, and honor. Furthermore, there is no reason to think he was speaking of atheists or non-Orthodox Christians here, or even of otherwise unrepentant Orthodox Christians.</p><p>But does such sacrifice in fact wash away sins? Let's first consider whether the blood of martyrdom washes away sins? The Church clearly does teach that the blood of martyrdom, in some sense, washes away a person's sins. However, this does not apply to everyone who is ostensibly a martyr. As St. John Chrysostom said:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Now a certain holy man said what might seem to be a bold thing; yet, nevertheless, he spoke it out. What then is this? He said, that <b>not even the blood of martyrdom can wash out this sin.</b> For tell me for what dost thou suffer as a martyr? Is it not for the glory of Christ? Thou then that yieldest up thy life for Christ’s sake, how dost thou lay waste the Church, for whose sake Christ yielded up His life?" (Emphasis added, <a href="https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf113/npnf113.iii.iv.xii.html">Homily 11 on Ephesians</a>).</blockquote><p></p><p>Probably, the holy man <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom">St. John Chrysostom</a> had in mind was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian">St. Cyprian of Carthage</a>, who wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote>"What sacrifices do those who are rivals of the priests think that they celebrate? Do they deem that they have Christ with them when they are collected together, who are gathered together outside the Church of Christ? Even if such men were slain in confession of the Name, that stain is not even washed away by blood: the inexpiable and grave fault of discord is not even purged by suffering. He cannot be a martyr who is not in the Church; he cannot attain unto the kingdom who forsakes that which shall reign there. Christ gave us peace; He bade us be in agreement, and of one mind. He charged the bonds of love and charity to be kept uncorrupted and inviolate; he cannot show himself a martyr who has not maintained brotherly love" (<a href="https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05/anf05.iv.v.i.html"><i>Treatise on the Unity of the Church</i> 13-14</a>). </blockquote><p></p><p>For one to be a true martyr, they would have to be a right-believing person, who was offering himself as a sacrifice for his confession of Christ, and this cannot apply to a person who is a heretic or a schismatic. But in what sense does the blood of martyrdom wash away a person's sins? Obviously not in the same sense that only Christ's blood can wash away sin. Christ's sacrifice alone provides the basis upon which anyone can be saved. However, this sacrifice is only available to those who repent and believe the Gospel. But repentance is not a one-time act. St. John the Baptist taught that those who repent have to bring forth the fruits of repentance (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%203%3A8&version=KJV">Luke 3:8</a>). The Church teaches that if a person dies with at least the beginnings of repentance, but without having had a chance to bring forth the fruits of repentance, that they do not immediately enter into God's presence upon death, but that there is some period of time in which by the prayers of the Church, they grow in grace, until they are able to enter into God's presence. </p><p>Bringing forth the fruits of repentance involves our cooperation with God's grace, so that we purify our hearts and minds, and become filled with the Holy Spirit. This makes someone a truly holy person, and when such a person dies, they do enter immediately into God's presence. What is true of the sacrifice made in martyrdom, Patriarch Kirill argues is also true of a Christian soldier who willfully lays down his life out of love. In the case of martyrs, the Church usually does not long hesitate to declare them to be saints. In the case of soldiers, this is not true, but probably this is so because in the case of martyrs the disposition of the person is clearer. Whereas in the case of soldiers, they may or may not have died out of love for God, country, family, and friends -- it is simply harder for us to make such a judgment, but obviously God would have no such difficulty.</p><p>We also find the idea that our actions in cooperation with God's grace can cleanse sins in the Scriptures. St. Peter, in his first epistle, states: "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A8&version=NKJV">1 Peter 4:8</a>). St. Peter is in turn alluding to <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+10%3A12&version=NKJV">Proverbs 10:12</a>, which says "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins" (c.f. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5%3A19-20&version=NKJV">James 5:19-20</a>). And as Christ Himself said: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015%3A13&version=KJV">John 15:13</a>). Christ is the supreme example of this to be sure, but this statement has long been applied to soldiers who lay down their lives for their friends, family, and country. And so if a Christian soldier willfully lays down his life for others, this, according to Patriarch Kirill, qualifies as bringing forth the fruits of repentance fully and completely.</p><p>I suppose one could criticize him for not putting more qualifications and clarifications in his sermon, but it is simply not fair to suggest that he said that soldiers would go to heaven by killing Ukrainians, or simply by virtue of dying while fighting in the war in Ukraine. And there is no comparison with the Jihadist belief that one gains salvation by killing people for God. He neither said any such thing, nor did he imply it.</p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-8313271210614391002022-12-07T16:48:00.006-06:002022-12-07T17:29:25.354-06:00Response to a Slanderous Attack on a Recently Ordained Priest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS60pXnh1FfyMQo1dykdIbguybFxca7MZmmvbk3EYajxI7nyNdqm-jNnWONdyq_FfGDDiDZ_3YGCvP9NGzF4m_qa4NGc8wrqlPA0fp9XY1xYatV7PFxOTiJ2bJ1mPEiA-xaxDmLkEbvcL-ah_hzH8L9h-7n6uazI41aomsZxhtPpjZno/s1280/aleksandergove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS60pXnh1FfyMQo1dykdIbguybFxca7MZmmvbk3EYajxI7nyNdqm-jNnWONdyq_FfGDDiDZ_3YGCvP9NGzF4m_qa4NGc8wrqlPA0fp9XY1xYatV7PFxOTiJ2bJ1mPEiA-xaxDmLkEbvcL-ah_hzH8L9h-7n6uazI41aomsZxhtPpjZno/s320/aleksandergove.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://orthodox-europe.org/content/ordination-alexander-groves/">Fr. Aleksandr Groves was ordained a priest by Bishop Irenei in London</a> on the Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God, this past Sunday. A Twitter user used the occasion to attack Fr. Aleksandr, and to accuse him of being a homosexual, and also to attack ROCOR as a whole as somehow being pro-LGBTQP. This claim was made on the basis of an article in the Daily Telegraph from 2013, which referred to Fr. Aleksandr and his business partner as a "couple." Having been quoted by reporters about a half dozen times in my life, I don't believe I was ever quoted accurately in even a single case... and some of these were in non-controversial contexts, in which intentional misrepresentation would not have been a motive. It is not hard to imagine how referring to a business partner as a "partner" could be taken the wrong way in our times is not hard to imagine.</p><p>I have heard from Orthodox people from the who have said that in their corner of England, the Orthodox community is very small, and so if something like this were actually true, it would be known, but of course it is not true.</p><p>St. Paul warns us that we should not receive an accusation against a presbyter, except from at least two or three witnesses (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%205%3A19&version=KJV">1 Timothy 5:19</a>). So obviously, any Orthodox Christian that may have had questions raised by this article should have made some effort to find out if it was true before spreading it on Twitter for all the world to see.</p><p>A clergyman that I am very good friends with and know to be completely trustworthy, who was also present for the ordination, and who knows Fr. Aleksandr, sent me the following text, asking that it be posted on Twitter. Since it is too big to post to Twitter directly, I am including it in this post, and will post the link on Twitter:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"What’s the end game of this post? To cause emotional distress to a newly ordained priest and disorient catechumens? Fact checking on Twitter or public media is an idle strategy to start with. Why not contact the Bishop and clear your concerns, if any? </p><p>The Daily Telegraph article from nearly ten years ago misconstrued the information shared during the interview. Stephen (received into Orthodoxy as Aleksandr) and Paul are life-long friends, who unequivocally presented themselves to the reporter as business partners, not a couple. The property they own is a 9-bedroom old Victorian house, with ample space even when it was split into several apartments, so both friends always lived in separate rooms. For anyone who is even loosely familiar with the UK real estate market, there is nothing unusual when an old Victorian mansion is converted into a multi-user/tenant facility, depending on the business strategy and needs.</p><p>Bishop Irenei and many parishioners from the Cathedral visited this property and met with Mr Oxborrow as well. Aside from the chapel mentioned in the 2013 article, Fr Aleksandr and several parishioners from the London Cathedral built a new small church, which is due to be blessed/consecrated by Bishop Irenei as a new ROCOR parish to which Fr Aleksandr will be attached. </p><p>It’s not a secret that any candidate to ROCOR clergy has to state, amongst other covenants, his attitude to homosexuality, be diligently tested and vetted by his Spiritual Father and other senior clergy of the Diocese. There was no exception or cut-corners in this case. Fr Aleksandr does not hold views other than the teaching of the Orthodox Church on human sexuality, and is a celibate man, living a chaste life. Furthermore, Fr Aleksandr served as a reader and then a deacon at the Cathedral under Bishop’s Irenei’s direct supervision. </p><p>I can certainly appreciate the confusion about the DT article, but a critical eye would find it rather unusual that two converts to Orthodoxy (who are being called Catholics by the reporter) decide to build a new Orthodox chapel on their property for morning and evening prayers. Yet, why ROCOR? There are several Greek parishes to choose from in the area. It takes Fr Aleksandr 4 hrs each Sunday to drive to and from the London Cathedral. These sort of things would at least make you question the DT article, but you didn’t and continued to push the narrative.</p><p>Unfortunately, British reporters do not bother sharing their draft articles with the people they interviewed. Nor do there seem to be any checks for plagiarism in their material, as the 2021 article appears to be a recycled text lacking any new significant details. The 2013 publication caused a lot of stress to now-Father Aleksandr. He was horrified at the way the DT article was written and phrased (and also that it became the basis for another article), but at the time he winced and thought no more -- anyway, how can such things be corrected once published?</p><p>Please delete this post and send your apology (as a new post?) to Fr Aleksandr, his Bishop, and your subscribers some of whom you managed to confuse."</p></blockquote><p></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-27422383299870772642022-12-05T17:02:00.009-06:002023-03-13T10:28:56.368-05:00The Ecumenist "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasRB3D-SwgeUK--GKKPLnmNRzWPTzZ1p01bE4MravIQkm6dMivs0nINDshXHBYuMwbPQCrWyRwztFH0SrsrBO0RKNRI_lmtudwxtUuBn07HnlY3fTcfDZ2l5cTka9ET5RCAnta9_aunEOZ3dDSaHrGbw8g6TXwgT4ymZ8gTBuJKgecRM/s1200/ecumenism-led-by-the-papacy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1200" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasRB3D-SwgeUK--GKKPLnmNRzWPTzZ1p01bE4MravIQkm6dMivs0nINDshXHBYuMwbPQCrWyRwztFH0SrsrBO0RKNRI_lmtudwxtUuBn07HnlY3fTcfDZ2l5cTka9ET5RCAnta9_aunEOZ3dDSaHrGbw8g6TXwgT4ymZ8gTBuJKgecRM/s320/ecumenism-led-by-the-papacy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div><i>For Part 1 see: <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-abortion-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro-Abortion "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 1)</a></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>For Part 2 see: <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-lgbtqp-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro LGBTQP "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 2)</a></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>For Part 3 see: <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-renovationist-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Renovationist "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 3)</a></i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The use of the word "ecumenical" with reference to the Church has been twisted to mean something entirely different than it has meant historically. The word itself literally means "universal," but in the context of the Church it was used to refer to universal councils of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. These councils were not convened in order for Orthodox bishops to hobnob with heretics, or to sweep their differences under the rug. Quite the contrary, these councils were convened in order to drive heresies and unrepentant heretics out of the Church. </div><div><br /></div><div>The term "Ecumenical" was, however, hijacked by the Ecumenical Movement, which had its origins among Protestants. During the 19th century, Protestant missionary activity around the world expanded exponentially, but since Protestants have wildly different beliefs, the problem of different Protestant sects competing for the same converts on the mission field quickly became apparent. The desire to not have Protestant missionaries working at cross purposes resulted in the first World Missionary Conference, which was held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1910. This also happened at a time when Protestant liberalism was on the rise, which undermined the doctrinal certainty the various Protestant sects had previously maintained with regard to their own beliefs. So out of the Protestant missionary movement, the Ecumenical movement began to gain steam. The Ecumenical movement had as its goal the unity of all Christians -- which would not be a bad goal at all, if the end goal was a unity in the Truth, but as liberal Protestants began abandoning any belief that there was such a thing as Truth, this movement was no longer burdened by conflicting beliefs about what is true, and instead was focused on unity for unity's sake. The Ecumenical Movement has indeed gone far beyond seeking the unity of all Christians, to seeking the unity of all religions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Orthodox involvement in the Ecumenical movement has a long and complicated history. In short, some have participated in it for the purpose of bearing witness to the Orthodox Faith, or to facilitate cooperation on matters of mutual interest. But other have participated in it because they have bought into the idea that the Church is divided into various branches, with the Orthodox Church being but one of many branches. Such people have bought into this idea for the same reason that liberal Protestants did -- they no longer really believe what the Orthodox Church has always taught, and so are no longer burdened by question of Truth.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is much more that could be said about the Ecumenical Movement, and why its motivations are heretical (and indeed a pan-heresy, because it seeks to incorporate all heresies into the Church), but I will instead refer the reader to the <a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ea_articles.aspx">voluminous articles on Ecumenism on the Orthodoxinfo.com website</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I do however want to draw attention to how Ecumenism among those who are ostensibly Orthodox is working to merge renovationism, modernism, and LGBTQP and abortion activism into what will likely come to be the church of the Antichrist. For evidence of this, one need look no further than Archbishop Elpidophoros.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goarch.org/-/feast-bartholomew">On June 11th, 2021, Archbishop Elpidophoros served the liturgy for the new calendar feast of the Apostle Bartholomew at the Episcopal Church in Manhattan</a> which happens to be dedicated to St. Bartholomew. He served there, not because there were no Orthodox Churches in the area that would allow him to serve the Liturgy that day, but as a show of unity with a church that has homosexual and transgendered bishops and clergy, and which embraces abortion, and accommodates those who deny the deity of Christ and the reality of the Resurrection (e.g. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shelby_Spong">"Bishop" John Shelby Spong</a>). He did this, while gay pride flags flew over the entrance to this church.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7aTLolQo0GaJKfzknbLYMpS6amDKuRkNaRTTPDIoFkuN-jmiLNHLV6zLy_eWODuzgO6kllFYUFpWpDKiQFrDAThRIiAlAC4y1AjvEXoPdPTs9d3INl11DG53ZzcYSFvGAluEwmAoj-RO4Ok3vtgbbnHGkeATlGLoOouEWJ_9faXfX_0/s700/stbarts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="700" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7aTLolQo0GaJKfzknbLYMpS6amDKuRkNaRTTPDIoFkuN-jmiLNHLV6zLy_eWODuzgO6kllFYUFpWpDKiQFrDAThRIiAlAC4y1AjvEXoPdPTs9d3INl11DG53ZzcYSFvGAluEwmAoj-RO4Ok3vtgbbnHGkeATlGLoOouEWJ_9faXfX_0/s320/stbarts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"St. Bart's" Cathedral, Manhattan</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>On July 15, 2021, Archbishop Elpidophoros gave a speech at the International Religious Freedom Summit, entitled “<a href="https://www.goarch.org/news/archbishop/messages/-/asset_publisher/JjmOoSCoGGMm/content/irf-summit/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_JjmOoSCoGGMm_viewMode=print&_101_INSTANCE_JjmOoSCoGGMm_languageId=ja_JP">The Rising Tide of Religious Nationalism</a>,” in which he said:</div><div><blockquote>"When you elevate one religion above all others, it is as if you decide there is only one path leading to the top of the mountain. But the truth is you simply cannot see the myriads of paths that lead to the same destination, because you are surrounded by boulders of prejudice that obscure your view."</blockquote></div><div><p>So not only do the Ecumenists no longer believe that the Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, as it has always taught and believed, but that Christ is not the only path to salvation, contrary to the words of Christ Himself: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=KJV">John 14:6</a>).</p><p>On top of all this, the Ecumenical Patriarch has long promoted the idea of union with Rome, which is a church that is much further down the path of "inter-religious dialogue" (see <a href="https://www.imoph.org/Publications_en/Video/Videos%20On%20Ecumenism/E4d1005Ortho1995VideoPart3Tainia1-256Kbs.wmv">this video</a> and <a href="https://www.imoph.org/Publications_en/Video/Videos%20On%20Ecumenism/E4d1005Ortho1995VideoPart5Tainia2-256Kbs.wmv">this video</a>, for examples. These videos were produced by Greek Old Calendarists, but the footage shown speaks for itself). Rome is also quickly heading down the path of embracing LGBTQP ideology. German bishops are already allowing services to recognize gay marriages, and while Pope Francis may be uncomfortable with how quickly they are moving, he shows no signs of actually wanting to stop them. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Bartholomew-:-With-Francis,-we-invite-all-Christians-to-celebrate-the-first-synod-of-Nicaea-in-2025-31213.html">Ecumenical Patriarch has, along with Pope Francis, jointly invited all Christians to participate in the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea</a>. Among the issues that are to be addressed at this event is <a href="https://orthodoxtimes.com/we-need-to-establish-a-common-date-of-easter-in-order-to-remain-faithful-to-decisions-of-council-nicaea/">the establishment of a common date for the celebration of Pascha (Easter)</a>, which is a pre-requisite for the false union that is being promoted. There are good reasons to believe that this is when they will seal some sort of union.</p><p>What has been going on in Ukraine (long before 2022) illustrates how these various heresies are converging together. Let me quote what I said in a talk I gave in Moscow in February of 2019 about the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Ukraine, and where things seem to be heading:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"In the United States and in the English-speaking Orthodox world generally, we hear many voices from within the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which are supporting homosexuality, openly. The Archons have helped fund <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/info/23001/orthodox_christian_studies_center">an Orthodox institute at Fordham University</a>. The heads of this institute have used this platform to launch a website called “<a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/">Public Orthodoxy</a>” which regularly promotes homosexuality and other forms of deviancy. And it is not bad enough that they publish this material in English, but they now translate their articles into Russian, Greek, and Serbian. And they do this without the slightest hint of any rebuke from the Greek Archdiocese of America. In fact, whenever they have a big event, Archbishop Demetrios of New York is usually present, adding his authority to that event. For example, one of the heads of this institute, <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/07/unitarian-morality-with-little-theosis.html">Aristotle Papanikolaou</a>, in an article in another pro-homosexual journal, <i>The Wheel</i>, wrote that expecting people who suffer from same-sex attraction to remain celibate is “unrealistic” and unhealthy, and that such desires should best be expressed in the context of “long-term committed relationships <b>or</b> marriages” (<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54d0df1ee4b036ef1e44b144/t/5b293dcd352f53dc22bdf999/1529429460872/Issue+%2313%3A14+Papanikolaou.pdf">The Wheel 13/14, Spring/Summer 2018, p. 97</a> [emphasis added]. See also "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/07/unitarian-morality-with-little-theosis.html">Unitarian Morality With a Little "Theosis" Sprinkled on Top</a>," "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-living-church-20.html">The Living Church 2.0</a>," and "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2017/11/cultural-marxism-and-public-orthodoxy.html">Cultural Marxism and Public Orthodoxy</a>").</p><p>Patriarch Bartholomew’s Archdeacon, <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2017/05/soft-pedaling-christian-morality-review.html">Fr. John Chryssavgis</a>, has made a number of pro-homosexual statements. For example, he wrote <a href="http://inclusiveorthodoxy.yolasite.com/chryssavgis.php">a review of a book that was a simple piece of pro-homosexual propaganda written by a homosexual Episcopal priest</a>, and he gushed with praise for what a great contribution this book was to the important “dialogue” on homosexuality. The only slight criticism he made of this book was to say that he remained “unconvinced” by some of the book’s arguments that the Scriptures support homosexuality. This is from a man who has no difficulty expressing his disagreement, in eloquent and striking terms… when he wishes to.<br /><br />Many of you are aware of <a href="http://orthochristian.com/118195.html">the call that was made to “Metropolitan” Epifany, by a Russian prankster</a>, who pretend to be a western diplomat, and congratulated him on the “autocephaly” of the Church in Ukraine, but expressed his hope that Epifany would take a different stand on homosexuality than the conservative one taken by the Russian Church. Epifany assured him that he would not take such a conservative stand against homosexuality.<br /><br />And what I have noticed, in the English-speaking Orthodox world at least, is that those who promote the acceptance of homosexuality in the Orthodox Church have all been consistently lining up behind the EP’s actions in Ukraine.<br /><br />One other agenda item that I think is clearly behind the EP’s actions in Ukraine is the goal of union with Rome. We already see the schismatics in Ukraine concelebrating with Uniates with increasing frequency. One thing that is certain is that Patriarch Bartholomew’s actions in Ukraine make no sense, if he intends to remain in the Orthodox Church.<br /><br />Furthermore, there are very strong indications that the United States State Department has had some role in pushing for these actions, but to what extent, or in what form this pressure was applied, we do not yet know" (<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-american-perspective-on-ukraine.html">An American Perspective on the Ukraine Crisis</a>).</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Along the same lines, I would refer the reader to "<a href="https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-war-in-ukraine-as-a-tool-for-progressive-revolution-against-orthodoxy/">The War in Ukraine as a Tool for Progressive Revolution Against Orthodoxy</a>."</p><p>We can of course hope that the Ecumenical Patriarchate will reverse course, and that things will not unfold as I am suggesting, but this will be a lot more likely to happen if more people are aware of where they have been heading, and begin to call these erring "Orthodox" back to the fold.</p><p>You cannot be pro-abortion, and be an Orthodox Christian. You cannot advocate LGBTQP ideology and be an Orthodox Christian. You cannot be a renovationist and be an Orthodox Christian. You cannot embrace Ecumenism, and deny what the Orthodox Church has always taught about itself, and be an Orthodox Christian. Such people may be formally members of the Church, but they have spiritually cut themselves off from both Christ and the Church. Those who actually are Orthodox need to speak clearly on these issues, so that those want to remain Orthodox Christians, or who want to become Orthodox Christians, will not be confused by their errors.</p><p><b>For More Information, See</b>:</p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2014/06/further-thoughts-on-ancient-faith-today.html">Further Thoughts on the Ancient Faith Today Discussion: The Pope and the Patriarch</a></p><p><a href="http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2013/07/trends-in-roman-catholic-church.html">Unfortunate Trends in the Roman Catholic Church</a></p></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-34657222450290740992022-09-16T20:32:00.020-05:002022-12-05T17:05:03.359-06:00The Renovationist "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGX4tt6a2twCZQR9zchewAdRXmP8f8_IHLQJZSg0CH0VMjJbNTgIUvOKLn7o_oLgFgk31RoqqpC-uLAjOgtVvyp1Xn0HJZkDH-hN3bWqGd-MjntoUHZcUZHyHsrRHhHEJ6YIstNwgTrLo2O5Q4wOwmUjkjLiINff7eLGSS7znB7FhMAc/s360/vvedensky.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="360" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGX4tt6a2twCZQR9zchewAdRXmP8f8_IHLQJZSg0CH0VMjJbNTgIUvOKLn7o_oLgFgk31RoqqpC-uLAjOgtVvyp1Xn0HJZkDH-hN3bWqGd-MjntoUHZcUZHyHsrRHhHEJ6YIstNwgTrLo2O5Q4wOwmUjkjLiINff7eLGSS7znB7FhMAc/s320/vvedensky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Vvedensky_(religious_leader)">Alexander Vvedensky</a>, the last leader of the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renovationism">Living Church</a></i>"</div><p><i>For Part 1, see <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-abortion-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro-Abortion "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 1)</a></i></p><p><i>For Part 2, see: <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-lgbtqp-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro LGBTQP "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 2)</a></i></p><p>Renovationists are people who see that the Church is out of sync with the modern world, and rather than conclude that the world needs to repent and come into line with the teachings of the Church, instead assume that the Church is what needs to be fixed. To them, the solution to this problem is to make the Church more like the world, rather than to make the world more like the Church.</p><p>In any given time or place, one can certainly find problems within the Church, and see a need to do something about those problems. And so a desire to see things change within the Church is not necessarily a bad thing. One could point to the example of the <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Kollyvades_Movement">Kollyvades Fathers</a>, or even to<a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/John_Chrysostom"> St. John Chrysostom</a>, as people who saw spiritual deficiencies within the Church, and spent their lives trying to raise the general spiritual level of those around them. But the big difference between people like the Kollyvades Fathers, St. John Chrysostom, and the Renovationists is where they look for answers to problems and where they want to take things. The Kollyvades and St. John Chrysostom embraced the authentic Traditions of the Church and the teachings of the Scriptures and Holy Fathers who came before them. Renovationists look outside the Church for answers. </p><p>When Renovationists see that the Church is out of sync with the mindset of the modern world, they are embarrassed that the Church is "backward," or "old fashioned," or "stuck in the past." They do not approach things by seeking to better understand the Orthodox Tradition, or to come closer to the mind of the Fathers. They have a worldly mindset, and their solutions are worldly. They do not have a belief in what the Church teaches, but perhaps have a sentimental attachment to the Church, or they may simply see using the Church to promote worldly agendas as advantageous.</p><p>Renovationism first began to appear in the Orthodox Church in the early 20th century. It was most obviously embodied in the "Living Church" in Russia, but it was also behind the agenda of Patriarch <a href="https://orthodoxhistory.org/2020/08/24/a-brief-life-of-meletios-metaxakis/">Meletios Metaxakis</a> as seen in his <a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_1.aspx">1923 "Pan Orthodox Congress," </a>and this also explains why he later recognized the "Living Church" schismatics as the legitimate Church in Russia, and threw the authentic persecuted Russian Church under the bus. What was their agenda? They wanted to switch to the New Calendar. They wanted to shorten the fasts, shorten the services, allow bishops and monks to marry, and priest to remarry, and to marry widows. They also wished to introduce liturgical innovations. The Living Church died off in Russia, because the faithful in Russia rejected it, but Renovationism has continued to exist elsewhere, and while all of the aforementioned issues are still on the table for them, they have added quite a few since then.</p><p>Renovationism is closely related to Protestant liberalism and its "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Gospel">Social Gospel</a>." Advocates of the Social Gospel, having lost faith in anything like the actual Gospel, seek to hitch their wagons to anything current in the culture that might make them relevant. Unfortunately, they usually are about 10 years behind the culture, and so by the time they hitch their wagon to an issue, the culture in general has moved on to the new "current thing."</p><p>Some more current examples of renovationism are the push for the acceptance of homosexuality and transgenderism in the Church, the push for ecumenism and religious syncretism, the acceptance of abortion as an acceptable option for Orthodox Christian, the ordination of women, and pretty much any other "current thing" that is being pushed. The <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-american-perspective-on-ukraine.html">Ecumenical Patriarchate's acceptance of the schismatics in Ukraine</a> is in many ways similar to the Ecumenical Patriarchate's entering into communion with the Living Church in Russia. The Schismatics in Ukraine are <a href="https://orthochristian.com/124654.html">concelebrating with Uniates</a>, and are <a href="https://orthochristian.com/118195.html">open to the acceptance of homosexuality</a> -- which makes the Living Church look like conservative traditionalists by comparison.</p><p>Just to cite a few recent examples of renovationism at work, we have <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/08/an-open-letter-to-archdeacon-john.html">Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Ecumenical Patriarchate baptizing the children of a homosexual couple (produced with surrogate mothers) and using the occasion to celebrate the acceptance of both homosexuality and using poor women to produce surrogate children for homosexual men</a>. Archbishop <a href="https://orthochristian.com/132099.html">Elpidophoros also felt the need to align himself with Black Lives Matters</a> and to march with them in a protest, despite the fact that the organization is headed by self-described Marxists who want to destroy the family, and even while he had essentially shut down Church services in his Archdiocese due to concerns about the COVID virus.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6QAFYp79bXrZC3uufD2SiKhubqJetp7S_ugp0r1r8OtbJD3-LVNl0meB0zjviSKz13Ku_yzsXHnxoXF9amdTHIrt3iolGLXe0qGV1vMDEypiV9OQz5_5sKCgjzo3tW4o6ZIrTZsppGJVUnet3We4XzndBsaprx0H6E0ZyqBdWAFTpF0/s700/elpedo_blm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="700" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6QAFYp79bXrZC3uufD2SiKhubqJetp7S_ugp0r1r8OtbJD3-LVNl0meB0zjviSKz13Ku_yzsXHnxoXF9amdTHIrt3iolGLXe0qGV1vMDEypiV9OQz5_5sKCgjzo3tW4o6ZIrTZsppGJVUnet3We4XzndBsaprx0H6E0ZyqBdWAFTpF0/s320/elpedo_blm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And then you have Metropolitan Nathaniel of Chicago ordaining a gaggle of women readers, and challenging them to press forward and demand that they be allowed to fill even more roles in the Church.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ca1YuYYMcOU?start=12859" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: left;">And if you have ever seen a proper ordination of a reader, you will note that what happens here <a href="http://ww1.antiochian.org/1102195027">bears very little resemblance to what is found in the service books of the Church</a>. Many more examples could be cited, but the point is, it is not a question of what the "current thing" happens to be, the issue with renovationism is the felt need to keep up with the "current thing." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHn6DoHChWsEcjW4Q4Q6rYPzfvCCfpDFE6W8D6GML7YHZZcVUSmV3PCh8uJbHKGXtEKT0WyNjC0L9V1FM9RWmzATueKJrOSQmDs7CKWrPPryVs7gU2TN_f0_y42D1DUJ5AC7j2-o_M0Ng9SrH0a6d8wID7-9y4DSKztPl1zwGAGHByKY/s1024/currentthing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHn6DoHChWsEcjW4Q4Q6rYPzfvCCfpDFE6W8D6GML7YHZZcVUSmV3PCh8uJbHKGXtEKT0WyNjC0L9V1FM9RWmzATueKJrOSQmDs7CKWrPPryVs7gU2TN_f0_y42D1DUJ5AC7j2-o_M0Ng9SrH0a6d8wID7-9y4DSKztPl1zwGAGHByKY/s320/currentthing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">The problem for renovationists, however, is that people don't get up early on Sunday morning, to go to stand in a service for a couple of hours, just so they can be like the world. They can stay home, and drink their coffee, and be like the world. What motivates people to actually go to Church is their hunger for something that the world can't provide them, and that is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=KJV">John 14:6</a>). The world can only point to the wrong way, promotes lies, and lead to death.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-ecumenist-orthodox-birth-of-new.html"><i>For Part 4 see: The Ecumenist "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 4)</i></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>For More Information, see:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/the_living_church_and_new_martyrs_of_russia">The Living Church and New Martyrs of Russia</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_1.aspx">The 70th Anniversary of the Pan-Orthodox Congress, Part I</a> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/photii_2.aspx">The 70th Anniversary of the Pan-Orthodox Congress, Part II </a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-american-perspective-on-ukraine.html">An American Perspective on the Ukraine Crisis</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-living-church-20.html">The Living Church 2.0</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-75357195089516531112022-08-04T22:38:00.004-05:002022-08-04T22:52:43.729-05:00An Open Letter to Archdeacon John Chryssavgis from Fr. Benigno Pardo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtfZAbZ9nrueoM9OArJnMkcHmJQ5VpHvLiB561lXRtssKuDDVY0nlLrgAvOUXNB0hp-C6tbaOsEkYW_d9mv0NvXVv7inKZRBFZTHhQIN0jsWvK60hpgn2EvAGOhqQspzUdG4G0Rmq1r_ovVlud5cFbqbxLHhTfewPacsi69SVfKpJ5Ao/s324/Chryssavgis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtfZAbZ9nrueoM9OArJnMkcHmJQ5VpHvLiB561lXRtssKuDDVY0nlLrgAvOUXNB0hp-C6tbaOsEkYW_d9mv0NvXVv7inKZRBFZTHhQIN0jsWvK60hpgn2EvAGOhqQspzUdG4G0Rmq1r_ovVlud5cFbqbxLHhTfewPacsi69SVfKpJ5Ao/s320/Chryssavgis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Reverend Archdeacon John Chryssavgis,</p><p>Glory to Jesus Christ!</p><p>After reading your letter in defense of the action of the Archbishop Elpidophoros, in opposition to all the critics who have condemned his actions, this unworthy servant was extremely surprised to see all the serious errors you have asserted. You would have the entire Church change the Faith we have always held, and which are expressed clearly in the Holy Scriptures and in the teaching of the Church, concerning which Jesus Christ told us to "Go therefore, and teach all nations… to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). I am completely astonished to read your arguments that we should change our Faith and to follow yours – and especially that we change our "rituals [which are an expression of our Faith] and flamboyant vestments.” </p><p>You said that all the criticism Archbishop Elpidophoros has received is only another episode in the “culture wars” and you accuse the church of living in a bubble. Archdeacon, that kind of response to the criticisms that the Archbishop actions have justly brought upon himself are extremely simplistic. The Church is not in a bubble. I think it is more likely that you and the ones who think like you are the ones living in bubbles. The criticisms of the Archbishop’s actions have come from everywhere in the Church, throughout the world. Archdeacon, the Church is and always will be down the streets of the big cities and little towns of the world teaching what Jesus sent us to teach – which is the Truth, and the eternal life which is Jesus Christ Himself according with St. John 17. Archdeacon the Truth is that God create man and woman. Do you remember – you should as an Archdeacon – what He did right after He made Man in His image, as male and female (Genesis 1:27)? He blessed them and then He told them: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). To put it in words more down to earth, he said: “Go and make babies,” which is something only males and females can do, and so it is only in the context of lawful marriage between a man and woman that two human beings can have sexual relations in a way that is blessed by God, and it is only this kind of sexual activity, which has the capacity of procreation in love, which can be holy and blessed by God. Can we say God married Adam and Eve with the sacrament of Matrimony? Yes, because He blessed them and made them one flesh, and so He made their sexual relationship holy and blessed. So what the Archbishop did was absolutely wrong, and there is no excuse possible. The Holy Scripture is clear, and this is not an ambiguous question, subject to various interpretations. There is no sexual “love” outside of the love of a male and female, in the context of marriage. “Same sex unions” are only a perversion, as the Holy Scriptures make clear (e.g. Romans 1:20-32; Leviticus 20:13). You know there are more texts but, natural law also makes this clear enough, as we see simply by the configuration of our bodies.</p><p>You quoted St. Porphyrios, who went to bless a brothel as saying that those women are in “a better spiritual state than other people.” Reverend deacon, I agreed with that, I do not doubt that those women suffer a lot doing what they do to make some money to bring food to their kids, and of course any of those women may open the Gates of Heaven for me, but are they sinning? According to the law, yes, they are, but whether they understand that this is wrong, only God knows. But what did Christ say to the woman caught in adultery? He had mercy on her, but said “Go and sin no more,” but, Deacon, we are talking of a sin according to nature, female and male ....not a perversion of two people of the same sex, which St. Paul says is “against nature” (Romans 1:26).</p><p>You said the children are entitled to be baptized. This is true, but this also depends on the circumstances, because there are quite a few requirements that have to be met, the most basic of which is a promise by the parents and godparents that the child will be raised in the faith, and only Orthodox Christians in good standing can make such a promise, and this requirement was not met in this case. It is amazing the archbishop disregarded this most basic requirement, and that is why he is absolutely wrong, and why he has been condemned for it. It is also important that children have a proper home to grow up in, with their father and mother, in order for them to grow with a proper balance in life. Fathers and mothers are both essential, and neither is dispensable. How then can we encourage homosexual couples to produce children with surrogate mothers, and raise them without the benefit of their mothers? Men cannot be mothers, and mothers cannot be fathers. A human being needs to have one of each, even if one of them is only a memory handed on to them after they have died. Furthermore, this sacred ceremony was made into a celebration of a perverse relationship, and this overshadowed the actual baptisms which united these children to Christ and His Church. This was a sacrilegious abuse of Baptism. It made a mockery of this most important Sacrament, because through Baptism all the other sacraments are made available to us as members of the Church.</p><p>What makes this event even worse, is that these children were produced as a business transaction which made use of surrogate mothers, and so the children were produced by unnatural means, in the absence of love. It is not an exaggeration to call this “satanic." And so Archbishop Elpidophoros not only participated in the celebration of a perverse lifestyle, but also was by his actions endorsing the trafficking of poor women who are compelled by their poverty to rent out their wombs to produce children for wealthy gay men.</p><p>Deacon, don’t you know that Morality cannot change? In the final analysis if our actions are not in agreement with the Faith and Tradition of the Church that action is wrong... it is as simple as that. Do you think we change Christian Morality every few decades or so, because society thinks we should? No, Deacon, you are as wrong as the Archbishop, Morality does not change. </p><p>Rev. Deacon, this unworthy priest has spent fifty years in Christian ministry. You don't seem to understand the tremendous harm the Archbishop has done to the simple people down the street. Society is so confused today with all the different types of problems people face, and such people often don’t know what to do. They need to hear a clear voice from the Church to guide them, but that is not what they heard from the actions of Archbishop Elpidophoros in Athens. I am inclined to think he doesn’t have very much experience with the regular and simple people, how they live, or the problems they have, and probably you are in the same boat. Go to the streets, go do some prison ministry. There you find life in the real world, and those people need the Church to seek them out and bring their souls back to God. When Jesus Christ changes a person’s heart, there is no need for the Church to change Christian morality to conform to his former ideas and desires, because Christ will help him to change, and will instead conform such a person to the moral teachings of the Church.</p><p>Unworthy,</p><p>Fr. Benigno Pardo </p><p>Assistant Priest at St. Jonah Orthodox Church</p><p>Spring, Texas </p><p><br /></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-54567235833685046352022-06-25T12:09:00.015-05:002023-09-23T10:44:24.601-05:00Review: "Between Heaven and Russia," by Sarah Riccardi-Swartz<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8uzo003k5VnMERIC5hrpj9Sf5Twdt_KDfTMaEwOs4hPJOrXCVwTBKdXZBw7ZEIcliQHe1uK8rFQUA9yDCKn3995Rv_KzB92BTFdpxA_SJiU5LTNBsYm7FxzUa08Nx0j6AMIjxtmTXBee6HwNTxjIrK_GKrONCGmfosWg7WxnEOrIM8c/s499/betweenheavenandrussia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8uzo003k5VnMERIC5hrpj9Sf5Twdt_KDfTMaEwOs4hPJOrXCVwTBKdXZBw7ZEIcliQHe1uK8rFQUA9yDCKn3995Rv_KzB92BTFdpxA_SJiU5LTNBsYm7FxzUa08Nx0j6AMIjxtmTXBee6HwNTxjIrK_GKrONCGmfosWg7WxnEOrIM8c/s320/betweenheavenandrussia.jpg" width="214" /></a></p><p>Before reading this review, I would recommend anyone who has not already done so, read my essay "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2021/02/sarah-riccardi-swartz-and-russophobia.html">Sarah Riccardi-Swartz and Russophobia</a>." That essay was written before the book in question was available to the public, and so was not based on my having read that book, but was based on reading a number of essays on the same subject written by Sarah, after listening to a number of talks and interviews she has done, and also based on my own experience with her, as well as with people in the communities she has focused on, along with my 32 years as a member of the <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia">Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR)</a>. This book repeats quite a bit of what Sarah had already put out in public, but it does provide some new information and new accusations that I don't recall her having stated in public previously, and so I will primarily be focusing on what is new in this book.</p><p>One new fact I learned from this book is that she never considered herself to be a member of ROCOR. This is interesting because when she first began appearing as a speaker at various forums and panels, she was routinely identified as a member of ROCOR, and I don't think she would have failed to notice this, but for whatever reason, she made no attempt to correct this information that I have seen, prior to the publication of this book.</p><p>In her book, Sarah Riccardi-Swartz uses pseudonyms for places and people, ostensibly because this is how anthropologists do their thing, but the people and the places she is taking about are easily determined by anyone with the slightest familiarity with the Holy Cross Monastery and Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Wayne, West Virginia. In this review, I will replace these pseudonyms with the real names, because under these circumstances, using pseudonyms is just silliness. I will note this by the use of brackets, where applicable.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Those "Crazy Converts"</b></p><p>One of the notable aspects of this book is how frequently Sarah Riccardi-Swartz chooses to use the label of "convert" -- which is odd, given that she is ostensibly a convert to Orthodoxy herself. For example, as she sets the stage for the rest of her book, she attributes the existence of the parish and monastery in Wayne, West Virginia to converts:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Both [Holy Cross Monastery] and [Christ the Savior Orthodox Church] came to be in [Wayne, WV] in the early 2000s when two converts -- a local university professor, who donated land for the monastery, and a local politician, who built the parish building -- began to missionize the region" (p. 4).</blockquote><p></p><p>This is an example of telling half-truths, in the interest of building the desired narrative. The university professor that she is referring to is Maurice Sill, who is a man I got to know fairly well. He was indeed a convert. But Maurice was a man who had long been married to <a href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/herald-dispatch/name/nadya-sill-obituary?id=15983827">Nadya Danilchik Sill</a>, who was a Russian American who was not a convert, and in fact was the daughter of a very well known, old school, ROCOR priest, Fr. Michael Danilchik (<a href="https://www.saintnicholascathedral.org/StNicholas_History_us.html">who was the first assigned priest for the Seattle ROCOR Cathedral</a>) -- and so it would be difficult to find a person with deeper roots in ROCOR than Nadya Sill had. And given that the property that Maurice and Nadya Sill owned was joint property, and also given that Maurice would not have done anything of that magnitude without the agreement of his wife in any case, the whole truth would be that that this property was donated by a "cradle" member of ROCOR and her convert husband, who had been a convert of many decades by that time -- but this didn't fit the narrative that Sarah wanted to build, and so this fact was simply excluded from being mentioned here.</p><p>Another example of Sarah being selective with the facts that she will mention is that she always mentions that the people she is criticizing are white, except that when she talks about other converts who are not white, she will simply omit any mention of their race. For example, she often mentions a person on Twitter who is known as <a href="https://twitter.com/PatriarchPrimus">Patriarch Primus</a>, and who is a convert to Orthodoxy, but she almost never mentions that he is black, though she will mention that he lives in the South (leaving people to assume he is a white southern "cracker"), and this is clearly because the whole truth doesn't fit her narrative.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Those "Crazy People in ROCOR"</b></p><p>Sarah also took pains to try to portray the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia as some sort of fringe entity. And so, when laying out the landscape of Orthodox Christianity in America, she says:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Historically, other forms of Orthodoxy in the United States, particularly the Greek Archdiocese, the Antiochian Church, and the Orthodox Church of America, focused on assimilation, social care and justice movements, and, in many ways, the mainstreaming of Orthodoxy. ROCOR, however, perhaps because of its noncanonical status until 2007, created an insular social group that would preserve not only their understanding of Orthodox theology, but also particular cultural expressions of faith in order to re-missionize Russia after the end of the Soviet Union. Despite this containment of sorts, ROCOR did attract converts, and within the past thirty-plus years the number of coverts have begun to rise, even prior to the religious reunification between ROCOR and the ROC in 2007, when ROCOR was still considered non-canonical in the Eastern Orthodox world" (p. 24).</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>The history of the Russian Church after the Bolshevik Revolution is complicated, but to make a long story short, the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church by the Soviets resulted in divisions within the Russian Church both inside of Russia and outside of Russia. Between the time of the death of St. Tikhon, who was elected Patriarch of Moscow in 1918, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was of course the Moscow Patriarchate, but at various times there was also the renovationist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renovationism">Living Church</a>, as well as various catacomb groups, though after World War II, both the Living Church and the catacomb groups ceased to exist in any significant forms. Outside of Russia, there were two times when most of the Russian bishops were united together within ROCOR, and then there were times when the Paris Exarchate, American Metropolia, ROCOR, the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Living Church had all gone separate ways. For those who want to read about this history in detail, I would recommend reading the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-Church-Nathaniel-Davis/dp/0813340675/">A Long Walk to Church: A Contemporary History of Russian Orthodoxy,</a>" by Nathaniel Davis, the Orthodoxwiki article "<a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/ROCOR_and_OCA">ROCOR and OCA</a>," and also Metropolitan Kallistos (formerly Timothy Ware)'s "The Orthodox Church (it should be noted, however, that <a href="http://readeralexey.narod.ru/ENGLISH/Ware8.html#.Yq1AbKLMJPY">the older edition goes into much greater detail on this subject</a>). But to be concise, with the exception of the Living Church, which was heretical and schismatic, the rest of the Orthodox Church generally viewed these divisions as unfortunate, temporary, and matters for the Russian Church to settle for itself, when it was free to do so -- which is ultimately what happened. </p><p>Prior to the 1970's, ROCOR regularly concelebrated with the various local Orthodox Churches. For example, <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Vitaly_(Maximenko)_of_Jersey_City">Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko</a>) was one of the consecrators of <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Anthony_(Bashir)_of_New_York">Metropolitan Anthony (Bashir)</a> of the Antiochian Archdiocese -- and that obviously would not have happened if the Antiochians considered ROCOR to be noncanonical.</p><p>Under <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Philaret_(Voznesensky)_of_New_York">Metropolitan Philaret</a>, there was the beginnings of a self-isolation on the part of ROCOR as a whole, that was a reaction to the <a href="http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/philaret_lifting.aspx">lifting of the Anathemas against Papism by Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople</a>, but this was something that varied quite a bit depending on the various bishops of ROCOR, and especially on which local Churches were in question. And the key thing is that this isolation was <b>self-imposed.</b> It was not at all something imposed upon it by any other local Church. ROCOR always maintained close relations with the Serbian Patriarchate (because of the decades prior to World War II when it was headquartered in Serbia with the permission of the Serbian Patriarchate), and also with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem (because ROCOR has always maintained a presence in the Holy Land which continues to the present day, and this was always with the blessings of the Patriarch of Jerusalem). The low point of ROCOR relations with other local Churches was probably in the mid to late 90's under <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Vitaly_(Ustinov)_of_New_York">Metropolitan Vitaly</a>, but even then, no local Church condemned ROCOR as "noncanonical." And I myself frequently concelebrated with the local Serbian clergy the entire time I was a clergyman (beginning in 1995). My spiritual father, who baptized me and my wife was ordained by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_(Saliba)">Metropolitan Philip (Saliba)</a> of the Antiochian Archdiocese, and he was given a canonical release by him to ROCOR in the 80's -- which again, would not have happened if they considered ROCOR to be noncanonical.</p><p>It is also hardly accurate to suggest that the Greek Archdiocese and the OCA were promoting assimilation in America, while ROCOR was not. The oldest continually published Orthodox Journal in English is <a href="https://orthodoxlife.org/about-orthodox-life/">"Orthodox Life," which has been published by Holy Trinity Monastery since 1950</a>. ROCOR sponsored the translation of the first complete set of service books into the English language. The Greek Archdiocese, on the other hand, while it is by far the largest Orthodox jurisdiction in the United States, and certainly has far greater resources, has still not published even half of the service books in English translations, and many of their parishes continue to primarily use Greek, and generally if you talk to Americans who have had the experience of looking into Orthodoxy, Greek parish remain some of the least welcoming parishes to outsiders of any jurisdiction. The OCA has certainly had many parishes that have used English going back before the Bolshevik Revolution, but it has also not published an extensive set of English Language service books of their own, and many of their parishes continued to use mostly Slavonic well into the 80's. You can still find ROCOR parishes that serve mostly in Slavonic, to be sure, and some would be less welcoming to outsiders than others, but on the whole, ROCOR has been very welcoming to non-Russian converts, and this goes back to the 1950's. Speaking from my own experience in ROCOR -- having been in mostly Russian parishes, mostly convert parishes, and parishes with a good mix -- I have never been made to feel unwelcome because I was not a Russian.</p><p>The Antiochians were probably the earliest champions of using English extensively in the United States, and that goes back to the influence of St. Raphael (Hawaweeny), who had the foresight to see that this was necessary if his flock was to keep future generations within the fold, and so they were ahead of the curve on this point.</p><p></p><blockquote>"Because ROCOR was not in communion with most of the Orthodox world for almost eight decades, it has seemingly become an echo chamber or perhaps an incubator of prerevolutionary Russian Orthodox thought. Its emphasis on tradition, adherence to the Old Calendar (Julian), submission to spiritual father confessors, and highly structured gender roles have all become concentrated over the years. These distilled ideological distinctions often put them in opposition to their spiritual cousin, the Orthodox Church in America, which embraced among other things, the New Calendar (Revised Julian), pews, and shorter service rubrics" (p. 28).</blockquote><p></p><p>For Sarah to assert that ROCOR was not in communion with most of the Orthodox world for "nearly eight decades" is an assertion that even the harshest critics of ROCOR would not support -- at least not the ones with the slightest familiarity with the actual history of the period of time in question. </p><p>We live in times that are extremely ideological, and no doubt this is why Sarah cannot imagine embracing Orthodox Tradition and piety without that being an ideology. Ideological thinking is a relatively modern mode of thinking, which is pretty much the opposite of traditional thinking. For more on that, see "<a href="https://youtu.be/KkPytBuDriU">What is Wrong with Ideology?</a>" by Donald Livingston.</p><p>Speaking for myself, when I discovered the Orthodox Faith, it happened to be in ROCOR. There was nothing political about it, and having brought more than a few people into the Church since then, I have only rarely seen where political thinking even played a significant role in the motivation behind someone becoming interested in the Church, much less was it a big factor in moving them to actually convert. </p><p>Sarah also seems unaware of the fact that the OCA was on the Old Calendar until the 1980's, and big parts of it remains on the Old Calendar to this day (the Dioceses of Alaska and Canada, along with scattered parishes throughout the lower 48 states).</p><p>Sarah also fails to explain why being in America requires wearing Roman Catholic clergy suits, being on the New Calendar, shortening the services, or the use of pews. As far back as 1972, it was observed in the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/WHY-CONSERVATIVE-CHURCHES-ARE-GROWING/dp/0865542244">Why Conservative Churches Are Growing: A Study in Sociology of Religion</a>," by Dean Kelley, that liberal churches tend to shrink, and conservative churches tend to grow. So there is no scientific basis for such an assertion -- there is just the bare assertion of Sarah's opinions without any basis.</p><p>For one thing, Roman Catholic clergy suits are of fairly recent vintage. Traditionally, Roman Catholic Priests wore cassocks that were not all that different from the kind of cassocks that Orthodox clergy wear. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVCbACTFmQwTSGPSlSkKYNjWrzirpBNSn0HqPS6ISFPBDg-yfAgPrJEizLP01DIhrfdCJzW6mT4MdGpEv2UfFE-K7opjLcen9OlEDqKPC_IMCSz5f9-OQ3xlY8zx0Lp9MixcmaMaFVdFibbhVNZZ2rSmy7AyvIrng13QeF0MYF1GqVsU/s1600/goingmyway.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVCbACTFmQwTSGPSlSkKYNjWrzirpBNSn0HqPS6ISFPBDg-yfAgPrJEizLP01DIhrfdCJzW6mT4MdGpEv2UfFE-K7opjLcen9OlEDqKPC_IMCSz5f9-OQ3xlY8zx0Lp9MixcmaMaFVdFibbhVNZZ2rSmy7AyvIrng13QeF0MYF1GqVsU/s320/goingmyway.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>In the classic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bing_Crosby">Bing Crosby</a> movie, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_My_Way">Going My Way (1944)</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Fitzgerald">Barry Fitzgerald</a> played the old Irish priest Father Fitzgibbon, and he is seen wearing an old fashioned Roman Catholic cassock as well as a clerical biretta which looks no less odd than an Orthodox <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skufia">skufia</a>. Bing Crosby played a young hipster priest, who wears a modern Roman Clergy suit. In the 1940's, you could see why people might have thought that this was an improvement, but looking at the decline in Roman Catholic piety ever since then, I am not so sure it has worked out very well for them, and so why should we emulate failure?</p><p></p><blockquote>"...many of the older Orthodox folks in [Wayne, WV] converted to ROCOR prior to the reunification [of the Russian Church in 2007]. Those who did so, opted to select an Orthodox body without canonical authority. It seems as if these converts were not looking for an unbroken line of apostolic succession, but rather a religious world built for the purposes of preserving and defending what they saw as traditional Orthodoxy and orthopraxy" (p. 29). </blockquote><p></p><p>This statement is a gross distortions of the actual history of ROCOR. It also reflect a rather shallow view of Orthodox Tradition and ecclesiology. Sarah would have her readers believe that <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/John_(Maximovitch)_the_Wonderworker">St. John (Maximovitch)</a> was a fake bishop, "without canonical authority." But no local Church believed that during his life, and none have believed that since then either. He is one of the most highly venerated saints throughout the Orthodox world today.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIZDZln3DFKNl5H-W0vZUFx_GkD2iy5irvndrk8iFuqhsFPhIY1s7SBm_xuoni2hrOqx83rmR-CHG19tu6z02MjSHKha_4ZSwu2Eg2-NTplNXKEgBM2b0g-WksJYbOEndJmvI_d25cfSHT3DiGaZtXUbiLmGb2kvQA16tmgpWH2nhH14/s620/StJohnMaximovich.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="620" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIZDZln3DFKNl5H-W0vZUFx_GkD2iy5irvndrk8iFuqhsFPhIY1s7SBm_xuoni2hrOqx83rmR-CHG19tu6z02MjSHKha_4ZSwu2Eg2-NTplNXKEgBM2b0g-WksJYbOEndJmvI_d25cfSHT3DiGaZtXUbiLmGb2kvQA16tmgpWH2nhH14/s320/StJohnMaximovich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Pluralizing Singular Instances</b></p><p>In speaking of the rise of a "new wave of conservatism" since the 1990s. Sarah spoke of "Shootings in historic Black churches throughout the American South..." (p. 45). I am only aware of one shooting since 1990 in an historic Black Church, and that was the shooting in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_church_shooting">Charleston in 2015</a> -- which was of course horrendous enough by itself, but it is a gross exaggeration to suggest that this happened many times throughout the American South, when we are actually talking about the actions of a lone crazed young man.</p><p>This propensity for taking an isolated case and extrapolating it into something that is ubiquitous perhaps explains how she could take a single layman who allegedly said that he hoped to take up arms on behalf of Russia when it invades the United States (p. 124), and extrapolating this to be a common view among converts in ROCOR. I have been in ROCOR for 32 years, and have never heard anyone say any such thing.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Gender and Sexuality</b></p><p>She is particularly bothered by the fact that people in ROCOR tend to have "ultra-conservative understandings of gender, sexuality, and the roles of women and men should have in the Church, the domestic sphere, and society more broadly" (p.127). The question an Orthodox Christian should be asking, however, is whether or not these views are consistent with the teachings of the Church. Sarah, on the other hand supports homosexuality, transgenderism, and the whole ever expanding alphabet soup of sexual deviancy that the left is promoting. These things are completely contrary to the teachings of the Church, and so she should either humbly submit to the teachings of the Church, or find a religion that better suits her predetermined beliefs. The Orthodox Church is not a religious Burger King, where you can "<a href="https://youtu.be/KJXzkUH72cY">have it your way</a>." The Orthodox Church is what it is, and you can either take it, or you can leave it. See: <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-lgbtqp-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro LGBTQP "Orthodox,"</a> for more information.</p><p></p><blockquote>"Within ROCOR, it is the job of spiritual fathers to monitor how and in what ways men and especially women participate in the church, just as it should be the job of a monarch to guide a country" (p.130).</blockquote><p></p><p> I don't think Sarah knows what she is talking about here. In my parish, I have a Greek American woman choir director who has a Masters of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir Seminary. I have had her teach classes before in the parish in the past, and would do so more frequently if she didn't already have her hands full with the choir. I don't micromanage the choir, because I know that she knows what she is doing. And as a matter of fact, if I have a question about how something ought to be handled liturgically, I often ask for her opinion, because she has been in the Church all of her life, she knows both Greek, Antiochian, and Russian practices fairly well, and so she has a good feel for what is normal or what is odd. I have a Sisterhood Vice-President who is an engineer, and as I often tell my parish, she is the handiest man or woman in the parish. If something needs to be fixed, built, or if I need an opinion on what we ought to do with regard to anything mechanical, I call her. And since I am usually busy serving or hearing confessions, I have little time to pay attention to what happens in the Nave of the Church during the services. I leave that to lay leaders in the parish, both men and women. I certainly am not monitoring the women in my parish during the services, or outside of it. I do hear confessions, and so give advice when it is warranted, and direction when it is called for, but I have told my people where the boundaries are when it comes to pastoral guidance from a priest, and that <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2017/02/stump-priest-spiritual-fathers.html">they should flee any spiritual father that would try to impose monastic style obedience on a layman</a>. For more articles on Women in the Church, <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/Women%20in%20the%20Church">Click Here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Monarchism and American Politics</b></p><p>Sarah seems to think that ROCOR is full of monarchist revolutionaries who want to overthrow the United States government and install a Tsar (p. 126f). You will certainly find a higher than average percentage of people in ROCOR who admire the idea of <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2015/07/stump-priest-monarchy.html">Christian Monarchy</a>, I don't believe I have ever heard anyone seriously suggest that it could be imposed in the United States. There are many prophecies of a new Tsar returning to power in Russia, and so you do find interest in that. But I don't think anyone envisions that happening even in Russia by a violent revolution.</p><p>There are certainly people in ROCOR who are "right-wing," but what that means, even among those who could fairly be labelled as such, varies quite a bit. You have those who are American Nationalists, in the Hamiltonian sense, and then there are those who have more of a small government Jeffersonian view, and then you have just about everything in between. But there are people who are in ROCOR who politically are on the left, but who theologically nevertheless embrace the Traditions and teachings of the Church. I have some in my parish, and I am sure if I had a parish in a heavily Democrat region, I would have a lot more of those folks. I don't tell people how to vote, and I don't get upset if they don't share my opinions on political matters, because I believe in being tolerant of other people, and I can imagine people coming to conclusions that are different from my own without them having to be evil people. If someone denies the teachings of the Church, however, that is obviously another matter altogether.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Russian Collusion Hoax Goes to Church</b></p><p>Sarah repeatedly makes assertions about "Russian interference" in the 2016 election (e.g., p. 76), as if it were a fact. I don't think that it is a coincidence that she began looking for Russian boogeymen in West Virginia in 2017 either. There is no doubt that Sarah is on the political left. She promotes the LGBTQP agenda. She capitalizes "President" when she speaks of Barak Obama (e.g., p.168), but not in reference to Donald Trump. She speaks of people who were merely at the rally in Washington D.C. on January 6th, 2021, as "insurrectionists," even if they were nowhere near the Capital building. Clearly, Sarah was one of those on the political left that was traumatized that Donald Trump was elected, and spent four years arguing that the 2016 election was stolen, but who now argues that any suggestion that the 2020 election might have been less than kosher is a Q-Anon conspiracy theorist. It doesn't seem to matter that the claims about Russia and the 2016 election have since been debunked, and originated with the Hillary Clinton Campaign. Not only is it clear that politics drove Sarah's interest in this research, but if it were not for this political element, it is also clear that few would be paying any attention to her work.</p><p>West Virginia is one of the most conservative states in the United States. It should come as no surprise that you would find a high concentration of political conservatives in a ROCOR parish in rural West Virginia. Had Sarah gone down the street and spent much time in a local Baptist Church, she probably would have found that those people have lots of guns, voted for Trump, and that they don't support transgenderism either. On the other hand, if Sarah went to a ROCOR parish in a heavily Democrat area, while there would probably also be some people who were politically conservative, she would also find a lot of Democrat voters too.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p>In June of 2020, my parish had a serious terroristic threat from someone who referred to our parish as "St. Jonah <b>Russian </b>Orthodox Church," despite the fact that we never use "Russian" in the name of our parish, though we make no secret about being part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.* When that happened, I called the FBI, as well as the local Constables office. The local authorities were very responsive, but the FBI never called me back. I mentioned what had happened to a Protestant minister I know who is fairly well connected. He contacted our Lt. Governor, and he called the FBI. Only then did I get a call back, but in the end, they did almost nothing to track down the person who had made these threats, though he had an online profile that should not have been hard to track down, and he was certainly living in this area. This year, on Old Calendar Annunciation, I finally received a visit from an FBI agent (nearly two years later), who began by mentioning what had happened in 2020, and who said that they just wanted to make sure everything was OK, given tensions around the war in Ukraine. He asked if I would agree to talk to him, and I did. His line of questioning had almost nothing to do with the safety and security of my parish. It was all about what contacts I may have had with the Russian Consulate in Houston, whether the Russian government had any influence over my Church, and things of that nature. Recent history has shown that you don't have to actually be guilty of anything for the FBI to put you in jail. So obviously, this attention is unwelcome, though it would have been nice if they had been more interested in my parish in June of 2020. </p><p>When people like Sarah Riccardi-Swartz promote conspiracy theories that try to convince people that ROCOR is somehow connected to Putin stealing the 2016 election, and is full of a bunch of Fifth Columnists, who are anxiously awaiting the Russian invasion of the United States, so that they can join in on their side, this has real world consequences. If Russophobia continues to heat up in this country because of further deteriorations in our relations with Russia, it is not farfetched that the kind of Blue-Anon conspiracy theories spun by people like Sarah will result in innocent people being seriously harmed or killed. This is dangerous, unchristian, and it is irresponsible.</p><p>Aside from all of that, this book is not particularly well written. Sarah doesn't know her history. She is politically motivated, and she has taken her own spin on isolated people and two particular communities, and made the logical leap that she can fairly characterize the entirety of ROCOR, despite all of the geographic and cultural differences one can find within ROCOR. We have parishes in Australia and New Zealand. These parishes have very different histories than the typical ROCOR parish in the United States and Canada. We have parishes in Latin America, Asia, Great Britan and Western Europe that are even more distinct. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz has made no effort to study ROCOR more broadly than what she could find in Wayne, West Virginia. Anyone with any sense of logic or even just a sense of fairness would not make extrapolations beyond what she actually has studied. But from what I know of the communities in Wayne, West Virginia, I have little reason to believe she was fair to them either. In a recent presentation, she pointed out in passing that these communities did not tolerate hate speech, but she has made an entire career out of suggesting that they are somehow connected with racism and white supremacy... but how she could think that those two things could coexist in the same universe is beyond me.</p><p>*<i>We don't have that on our sign, are website, or anywhere else, because we do not want anyone who is not a Russian to think that this is not a Church for them. Our parish, as a matter of fact, is a fairly diverse parish in comparison with what you would find in the average Orthodox parish in the United States.</i></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-19445251457345504042022-05-14T13:18:00.020-05:002022-12-05T17:06:12.048-06:00The Pro LGBTQP "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6H0WvH_wEs-3blUJxue7BKLDJq2KLsgJ6G9B_TdgfNM4G3wsHA6zLFmAC6cGTk_RIjIvMTOsbzOpJZY5tC1irA-KT43ZS7r822zWAy9xzmwHCstW_Xb4FFYG5ICtj8OX1zFX-DfwnRNaB0wMLvzqG2jZH45ClGd9mGoPF8Lp22fXr6M/s480/athens-pride-priest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="480" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6H0WvH_wEs-3blUJxue7BKLDJq2KLsgJ6G9B_TdgfNM4G3wsHA6zLFmAC6cGTk_RIjIvMTOsbzOpJZY5tC1irA-KT43ZS7r822zWAy9xzmwHCstW_Xb4FFYG5ICtj8OX1zFX-DfwnRNaB0wMLvzqG2jZH45ClGd9mGoPF8Lp22fXr6M/s320/athens-pride-priest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><i>For Part 1, see <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-abortion-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro-Abortion "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 1)</a></i></p><p>The fact that today we have people openly promoting the LGBTQP agenda in the Orthodox Church is something that was unthinkable less than a dozen years ago. But here we are. They are a vocal minority to be sure, but like most leftists, they try to convince people that their opponents are the minority, and they are only motivated by hate.</p><p>The tactic that the Pro-LGBTQP "Orthodox" have generally taken to promote their agenda is to pretend that the only people concerned about what they are pushing are "fundamentalist" converts. The suggestion being that somehow prior to the time when Americans began to convert to Orthodoxy in large numbers, everyone in the Orthodox Church was fine with the idea that homosexuality was an acceptable lifestyle. Back then, they would have us believe, no one would have objected to embracing transgenderism, or any of the other limitless "sexual preferences" and "gender identities." This is of course complete nonsense. Not only was no one pushing for the acceptance of homosexuality in the Orthodox Church prior to 2009, no one in the Orthodox Church was even contemplating the acceptance of transgenderism, and most had never even heard of it. </p><p>Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association until 1973, when activists pushed the organization to change this designation. It was only in 1987 that homosexuality was completely removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It was in the wake of the AIDS epidemic, which began in 1981, that the acceptance of homosexuality in the wider culture began to increase from something which previously had been close to non-existent.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Schmemann">Fr. Alexander Schmemann</a> is not usually thought of as a fundamentalist convert, and yet one of his students told me that around 1981, he made the statement "I refuse to be the dean of a seminary of pot-smoking homosexuals." This was in the context of him having actually kicked a pot-smoking homosexual seminarian out of the seminary, and so these were not idle words.</p><p>If you look at the views of the Orthodox <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/06/25/global-divide-on-homosexuality-persists/">in traditional Orthodox countries even today, you don't find them embracing homosexuality or transgenderism either</a> -- this is true of their populations as a whole, but it is all the more true when you consider those who actually go to Church.</p><p>I have been blogging since 2004, and the first article I have in which I felt a need to respond to the push for gay marriage was in 2009, and this was completely without reference to any dispute within the Church, because at that time, there was no such dispute. I suspect that this began in 2009 because prior to that, George W. Bush had successfully used the issue to win his second term, by ensuring that there were ballot measures in swing states that banned gay marriage. But after Obama was elected, apparently people on the left felt emboldened, and so the push began. And it was only in 2011 that I began to see Orthodox Christians who were pushing for the acceptance of homosexuality. Initially, this was mostly done anonymously, or in private discussion groups. </p><p>2013 was the year that the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and forced every state to allow for gay marriage. Many dismissed the significance of this at the time, but two things happened almost immediately as a result of it -- this strengthened the general push for the acceptance of homosexuality, and no sooner had gay marriage been forced on the country did the push for the acceptance of transgenderism begin in earnest. </p><p>2014 was the first time to my knowledge that an Orthodox priest began to publicly push for the acceptance of homosexuality. In November of 2014, Fr. Robert Arida posted an essay to the official OCA website. After being overwhelmed with complaints, the OCA removed the essay, though <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141102011931/http://wonder.oca.org/2014/11/01/never-changing-gospel-ever-changing-culture/">you can still read it via the Internet Archive</a>. Among the many statements which responded to this essay, <a href="http://orthodoxhouston.org/arida_response.html">the Orthodox Clergy Association of Houston and Southeast Texas wrote a rebuttal, which was signed by almost of all the clergy in the Association</a> (and was signed by all who were present at the meeting which discussed it). This rebuttal was <a href="https://www.goarch.org/society/civil-rights/-/asset_publisher/XptdT1BfyjZK/content/houston-orthodox-clergy-issue-statement-about-city-s-gay-ordinance">reposted on the Greek Archdiocesan website at the time</a>.</p><p>In 2015, the City of Houston tried to push through an ordinance which would have forced churches and businesses to allow men who identify as women to use women's restrooms. Again, <a href="http://orthodoxhouston.blogspot.com/2015/05/gay-marriage-and-houston-gay-rights.html">the Orthodox Clergy Association issued a statement against it</a>. The ordinance was overturned by a referendum, and it was mostly Black and Hispanic churches in Houston that led the fight against it. Houston is about 44% Hispanic, 24% White (Non-Hispanic), 22% black, and 7% Asian, and so it was not a bunch of racist White people who overturned this ordinance. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Houston,_Texas_Proposition_1">The vote was not even close: 61% opposed to 39% in favor</a>.</p><p>Onto the scene came <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/George%20Demacopoulos">George Demacopoulos</a> and later, Public Orthodoxy. <a href="https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/orthodox-fundamentalism">George wrote an essay attacking those he termed Orthodox Fundamentalists on January 29th, 2015</a>. <a href="http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2015/02/response-to-orthodox-fundamentalists-by.html">I wrote a reply</a>, and we later had a sort of <a href="http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/aftoday/orthodox_fundamentalism_what_is_it_and_does_it_exist">debate hosted by Kevin Allen on Ancient Faith Radio</a>. Since then, George has made attacking anyone who is not ready to embrace homosexuality, transgenderism, modernism, and a whole host of other perversions a career through his website <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/Public%20Orthodoxy">Public Orthodoxy</a>, which is a part of the <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/orthodoxy/">Fordham University Orthodox Christian Studies Center</a>, which has been formally endorsed by the Greek Archdiocese.</p><p>If you look over the <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/">archives of Public Orthodoxy</a>, you will see that it has produced a steady stream of articles that defy almost every aspect of Orthodox Christian morality, and as a matter of fact they regularly argue that while dogmatic issues (which they define as being limited to strictly theological matters) are beyond debate, <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/08/moral-heresy.html">moral issues are not dogmatic, and therefore up for revision</a>. This is a completely novel approach, and one that is heretical and contrary to the clear Tradition of the Church.</p><p>Most recently, the former Chancellor of the OCA, Fr. John Jillions gave a lecture for the Orthodox Theological Society in America, in which he bemoaned those Orthodox "fundamentalists" who are unwilling to dialogue on matters such as homosexuality and transgenderism. He argues that we cannot judge such matters "before the time," which will apparently only come when (so they hope) they finally wear everyone else down with their endless pressing of their agenda and we let them have their way. The problem is that these issues are not up for debate. Not only are the Scriptures clear on these issues, we have numerous canons from Ecumenical Councils, and the clear and unified testimony of the Fathers and Saints of the Church which leave no room for doubt as to what the Church has always taught on these subjects. In this lecture, you see the same kind of mealy-mouthed argumentation that we found in the essay by Fr. Robert Arida, but as time goes on, they are becoming more emboldened. One has to wonder how long their respective bishops will put up with this, but I think at this point, we have to conclude that at least some of the bishops in question allow this to go on because they agree with it.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a2SVk_Zhk2c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>Now if people like Fr. John Jillions wanted to dialogue about how to deal pastorally with people who are struggling with these sins, in order to help them overcome their sins, that would be a dialogue worth having. But you can't have that dialogue with people who are unwilling to concede that we are talking about actual sins. That has to be the starting premise. And to be clear, this is the point that they refuse to concede. In fact, they will almost never provide a direct answer to a direct question on whether or not these things are inherently sinful -- and that is for the simple reason that to say what they actually believe would put them in an indefensible position, and would force their bishops to do something about it.</p><p>We are not opposed to the LGBTQP agenda because we hate those who have been sucked into going along with it. We are opposed to it because this agenda is destructive to these people. As St. Paul tells us, these things are contrary to God's created order, and as such, they can only lead to great misery and the destruction of souls. St. Paul tells us that homosexuals and the transgendered (i.e. effeminate) will not inherit the Kingdom of God:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [<i>malakoi</i>], nor sodomites [i.e., homosexuals, <i>arsenokoitai</i>], nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%206%3A9-11&version=YLT;KJV">1 Corinthians 6:9-11</a>).</blockquote><p>Not inheriting the Kingdom of God is a pretty big deal, if you actually believe in God, and so if you love the people struggling with these issues, you would want to help them to repent and overcome them, rather than affirm them in a choice that will lead to their spiritual deaths. </p><p></p><p>I hope I am wrong, but I believe we are witnessing the unfolding of a full-blown schism. It will not just be over abortion, or over the LGBTQP agenda, or over the other issues we will be looking at, but each of these are pieces to the larger puzzle. If a schism is to be averted, it will only be averted because bishops begin to find their backbones, put their collective foot down, and put a stop to the spreading of these false and destructive teachings.</p><p><b>Update:</b></p><p>Someone has put together a very useful video that provides an overview of what has been going on in terms of the push for the acceptance of LGBTQP ideology in the Orthodox Church, particularly in the English-speaking world:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1EXWIBnMktY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnRvlOy_lZuxJiBRrWfK1dg/videos">The same channel has a 4-part video series</a> that covers the same ground, but provides some additional footage that is very helpful.</p><p><b>Update 2: </b>This is a film that focuses on who is funding the groups promoting the LGBTQP Agenda in the Orthodox Church: <a href="https://rumble.com/v1mq604-the-secret-subversion-of-american-orthodoxy.html">The Secret Subversion of American Orthodoxy</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-renovationist-orthodox-birth-of-new.html"><i>For Part 3 see: The Renovationist "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 3)</i></a></p><b style="text-align: left;">For More, See: </b><p><a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/a_mad_mad_world">Sermon: A Mad Mad World (Which was in response to Fr. John Jillions lecture referenced above)</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/08/moral-heresy.html">Moral Heresy?</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/11/discernment-or-scaffolding.html">Discernment or Scaffolding?</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-living-church-20.html">The Living Church 2.0</a></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2011/07/bible-church-and-homosexuality.html">The Bible the Church and Homosexuality: Obscurantegesis vs the Truth</a></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-71239791991749628862022-05-12T13:12:00.004-05:002022-05-12T13:12:49.323-05:00Reader Services through Pentecost Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3PDWVDgsbYAKnEzN22hFHXEc_Dpd_8XZvIU3e9wQU1N6UZVa6DvQ1bYzTeRg8XAXBbqhIE_uZYJD3wlwUYmRc_HBLq8yyz03rYcR3x4K2EtvWZ9eOM1mL8meIv3cm0IhI3SDjGJttPXY_aLLje-aumRDtbSf_BrioMnQJz3c88TZ71c/s400/pentecost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3PDWVDgsbYAKnEzN22hFHXEc_Dpd_8XZvIU3e9wQU1N6UZVa6DvQ1bYzTeRg8XAXBbqhIE_uZYJD3wlwUYmRc_HBLq8yyz03rYcR3x4K2EtvWZ9eOM1mL8meIv3cm0IhI3SDjGJttPXY_aLLje-aumRDtbSf_BrioMnQJz3c88TZ71c/s320/pentecost.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p>This installment covers the Sundays and Feasts of Old Calendar May, which on the civil Calendar runs from May 14th through June 13th. I intend to keep these texts posted as long as there are states or English speaking countries that are still under lockdown due to the Coronavirus.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>The Eves</b></span></p><p>For the Eves of the upcoming Sundays and Feasts, you could ideally do the Vigil. The fixed portions can be downloaded here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc</a></p><p>or viewed in HTML, here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm</a></p><p>For the Rubrics, see: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/">http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/</a></p><p>The variable portions of the service can be downloaded here (all of these would be served on the eve of their respective days). During this period service variables for the Vigils are all found in one file.</p><p>For the Sunday of the Paralytic (May 15th n.s. / May 2nd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha3.doc</a> </p><p>For Mid-Pentecost (May 18th n.s. / May 5th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/midpentecost.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/midpentecost.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman / St. Nicholas (May 22nd n.s. / May 9th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha4_stnicholas.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha4_stnicholas.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Blind Man (May 29th n.s. / May 16th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha5.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha5.doc</a> </p><p>For the Apodosis of Pascha (June 1st n.s. / May 19th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha_apodosis.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha_apodosis.doc</a> </p><p>For the Ascension of the Lord (June 2nd n.s. / May 20th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_ascension.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_ascension.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (June 5th n.s. / May 23rd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha6.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha6.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Pentecost (June 12th n.s. / May 30th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_pentecost.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_pentecost.doc</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Typika</b></span></p><p>In place of the Liturgies, you would do Typika:</p><p>For the Sunday of the Paralytic (May 15th n.s. / May 2nd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha3.doc</a> </p><p>For Mid-Pentecost (May 18th n.s. / May 5th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_midpentecost.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_midpentecost.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman / St. Nicholas (May 22nd n.s. / May 9th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha4_stnicholas.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha4_stnicholas.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Blind Man (May 29th n.s. / May 16th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha5.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha5.doc</a> </p><p>For the Apodosis of Pascha (June 1st n.s. / May 19th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_apodosisofpascha.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_apodosisofpascha.doc</a> </p><p>For the Ascension of the Lord (June 2nd n.s. / May 20th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_ascension.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_ascension.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (June 5th n.s. / May 23rd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha6.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha6.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Pentecost (June 12th n.s. / May 30th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pentecost.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pentecost.doc</a> </p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-12599208631517230942022-05-05T21:33:00.014-05:002022-05-15T07:00:13.794-05:00The Pro-Abortion "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4V1f041ZUn4HgC9-S2OFiMQ7MVn5GVulFI-Pm2pjWBZj4aZm-gDT-pcE0GuENgLn-qXYcl4NXiLbRj9f7Q8SbM463dJeqSP5HicGMmq3eqxujQQ_C9HmlcebNxcgba8NF4Ezu0LX95Q10HKIeVzXjI8jv88wTa8YKFVOb2MFm4CxFII/s1200/markofephesus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="940" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4V1f041ZUn4HgC9-S2OFiMQ7MVn5GVulFI-Pm2pjWBZj4aZm-gDT-pcE0GuENgLn-qXYcl4NXiLbRj9f7Q8SbM463dJeqSP5HicGMmq3eqxujQQ_C9HmlcebNxcgba8NF4Ezu0LX95Q10HKIeVzXjI8jv88wTa8YKFVOb2MFm4CxFII/s320/markofephesus.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_of_Ephesus">St. Mark of Ephesus,</a> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>who as the Icon shows, famously said </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“</i><i>There can be no compromise in matters of the Orthodox Faith.</i>”</div><p>In recent years, there are lines of division that not only show the signs of an emerging schism in the Orthodox Church -- it is becoming increasingly clear that we are witnessing the birth of a new religion, which will only retain some of the outward trappings of the Orthodox Christian Faith, but in fact is increasingly becoming unrecognizable as Christian. We see this when it comes to how the innovators see the sanctity of life, sexuality, human nature, the Church, and Tradition.</p><p>As we currently contemplate the prospect of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade">Roe vs. Wade</a> being overturned, it is important to remember that in January of this year, at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_for_Life_(Washington,_D.C.)">March for Life</a>, Archbishop Elpidophoros used the occasion to affirm his support for abortion "rights." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinW2TjPmfNgvPSMhlF9QSglrELo6GS9IhREtgqYaaDFE5pXcQYHnSYht6q6iMNbDMUX_fBGygUraRgdMBYO9kPxoj_oXJKWBYmBw_GPS5JBG2hlbBWq3ty0dMcLkm_SR4vr_AeihnLZSwnaZs_PnQO1FTecwOsXEz1_HdLj5euegnBVPg/s700/elpedo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="447" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinW2TjPmfNgvPSMhlF9QSglrELo6GS9IhREtgqYaaDFE5pXcQYHnSYht6q6iMNbDMUX_fBGygUraRgdMBYO9kPxoj_oXJKWBYmBw_GPS5JBG2hlbBWq3ty0dMcLkm_SR4vr_AeihnLZSwnaZs_PnQO1FTecwOsXEz1_HdLj5euegnBVPg/w447-h447/elpedo.jpg" width="447" /></a></div><p>When I first saw the above meme, I thought a critic had put it together, only to find that this was the image from Greek Archdiocesan website -- and so evidently they were proud of what he said, and wanted these two quotes to be especially noted.</p><p>Here is the full text of his speech, taken from <a href="https://www.goarch.org/-/march-for-life-2022">the official website of the Greek Archdiocese</a>:</p><blockquote><p>"Dear Sisters and Brothers,</p><p>Today, we come together in solidarity with our Brother Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.</p><p>We affirm the gift and sanctity of life – all life, born and unborn. As Christians we confess that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God. Every life is worthy of our prayer and our protection, whether in the womb, or in the world. We are all responsible for the well-being of children. We are their “keepers,” and cannot shirk from our accountability for their welfare.</p><p>At the same time, we also affirm our respect for the autonomy of women. It is they who bring forth life into the world. By His incarnation, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ assumed human nature, through His conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary. She freely chose to bring Him into the world, and God respected her freedom. We can and must make the case for life, both born and unborn, by our own example of unconditional love.</p><p>We march not for coercion.</p><p>We march with compassion,</p><p>With empathy,</p><p>With love.</p><p>And with our arms extended to embrace all.</p><p>Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.</p><p>Lord, You have granted us the opportunity to offer these common prayers in unison and have promised that when two or three gather in Your name, You are there also. Fulfill now, O Lord, who was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of Your All-Holy Spirit, the petitions of Your servants. Remember, Lord, the people here present and those who are absent with good cause. Have mercy on them and on us according to the multitude of Your mercy. Remember, O God, all those whom we are not able to commemorate by forgetfulness or because of their multitude since You know the name and age of each, even from their mother's womb. For You, Lord, are the helper of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the savior of the afflicted, the haven of the voyager, and the physician of the sick, the protector of the voiceless. Be all things to all, You who know all people, their requests, their households, and their needs. For You are the Giver of Life, bringing each person from non-being into being, sealing each person with love and sanctity. May we come to the light of Your Truth and glorify You, the Giver of Life, together with Your Father, and Your All-Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Clearly Archbishop Elpidophoros agrees with Roe vs. Wade. And so giving such a speech at the March for Life was an insult and a betrayal of all who have prayed and marched to overturn it for nearly a half century.</p><p>You find the most devote representatives of every Christian denomination at the March for Life, which has taken place every year since Roe vs. Wade made abortion on demand the law of the land. To have an Orthodox bishop participate in this March, be given a platform, and to have him endorse "a woman's right to choose" to kill her baby was an embarrassment. And make no mistake, everyone understood exactly what he was saying. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/02/05/abortion-rights-jews-orthodox-catholic-prolife-prochoice/">Washington Post</a> cited it as an example of a "pro-choice" shift among many Christian and Jewish groups. George Demacopoulos, editor of "Public Orthodoxy," who champions the abandonment of Christian morality in the Orthodox Church, is cited in support of Archbishop Elpidophoros' coming out speech:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"George Demacopoulous [sic], a Fordham University theology professor and expert on Orthodox Christianity noted that abortion is legal in every major Orthodox country. <b>While the faith views abortion as tragic and wrong, he said, it also respects the autonomy of women. </b>Church and state are generally separate, he said, and abortion is more divorced from politics.</p><p>"In the United States, the debate is very much positioned as these two goods at war with one another; we’re being asked to pick. And he’s saying that’s theologically wrong," he said of Elpidophoros. "It’s a Christian truism that you can hold seemingly contradictory views. <b>Christian moral teaching isn’t black and white</b>"" (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/02/05/abortion-rights-jews-orthodox-catholic-prolife-prochoice/">Washington Post: "The threat to Roe v. Wade is driving a religious movement for reproductive choice," by Michelle Boorstein, February 5, 2022</a>, <i>Emphasis added</i>).</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPMFWcOlFjvJTtynX3OFV19sOU2snb2DiQRsuLxSNIS54kQ6LuAh24-nhyOuMV559KxC1qtmSUkvhcI1MY-Qp_mXXXJQJdsHH4lp4SmneugReHHubOkbFNZpbvzpSLdVxrS8ATv2mGcrkrzFC3-Jwt3tZip138GJMCEx0HWCsI3sbh1c/s700/demacopoulos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPMFWcOlFjvJTtynX3OFV19sOU2snb2DiQRsuLxSNIS54kQ6LuAh24-nhyOuMV559KxC1qtmSUkvhcI1MY-Qp_mXXXJQJdsHH4lp4SmneugReHHubOkbFNZpbvzpSLdVxrS8ATv2mGcrkrzFC3-Jwt3tZip138GJMCEx0HWCsI3sbh1c/s320/demacopoulos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/George%20Demacopoulos">George Demacopoulos</a></i></p><p>This is <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/08/moral-heresy.html">part of a pattern on the part of the Fordhamites at "Public Orthodoxy," of downplaying Christian morality, and suggesting that it is fluid, something apart from dogma, and therefore open to debate and revision</a>. Here they suggest that one can affirm the sanctity of life, while supporting the "right" to murder the innocent. Elsewhere, they suggest that perhaps homosexual sex might be allowable, and transgenderism is something we should embrace. Up until recently, while we have seen a shift on the part of modernists in the past decade towards defending sexual deviancy, they at least used to give lip service to being pro-life. Apparently, the slippery slope is a thing, and where it stops, nobody knows.</p><p>What does George Demacopoulos mean when he says that we believe abortion is "tragic and wrong"? The Church has unambiguously taught, from the beginning that abortion is not just a tragedy or a wrong choice, but that it is murder. If you believe it is murder, affirming someone's right to murder someone else is moral nonsense.</p><p>The earliest Christian document outside of the New Testament is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didache">the Didache</a> (which is usually dated to be of first century origin), and it says:</p><p></p><blockquote>"...thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born" (<a href="https://earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lightfoot.html">Didache 2:2</a>).</blockquote><p></p><p>Canon 91 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council states:</p><p></p><blockquote>"As for women who furnish drugs for the purpose of procuring abortion, and those who take foetus-killing poisons, they are made subject to the penalty prescribed for murderers" ((D. Cummings, trans., <i>The Rudder of the Orthodox Catholic Church: The Compilation of the Holy Canons by Saints Nicodemus and Agapius </i>(West Brookfield, MA: The Orthodox Christian Educational Society, 1983), p. 395).</blockquote><p></p><p>Canon 2 of St. Basil (whose canons were specifically affirmed by the 4th and 6th Ecumenical Councils, states:</p><p></p><blockquote>"A woman that aborts deliberately is liable to trial as a murderess" (Ibid, 789).</blockquote><p></p><p>There is absolutely no ambiguity at all on the question of whether or not abortion is murder. How you deal with someone who has engaged in this sin pastorally is another question -- and there certainly is forgiveness for those who confess and repent -- but that it is a sin which is absolutely prohibited by the Church, is as clear as it gets. There are not shades of gray here. You will not find a single Church Father or Saint of the Church that calls abortion anything less than murder.</p><p>The Scriptures are abundantly clear that God takes the shedding of innocent blood very seriously. We are told that God destroyed the kingdom of Judah because they engaged in child sacrifice:</p><p></p><blockquote>"And he [Manasseh] made his son pass through the fire [a form of child sacrifice], and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+21%3A6&version=KJV">2 Kings 21:6</a>).</blockquote><p></p><p></p><blockquote>"Surely at the commandment of the Lord this [the destruction of Judah by the Babylonians] came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+24%3A3-4&version=NKJV">2 Kings 24:3-4</a>).</blockquote><p></p><p>So is it morally tenable to say that you believe abortion is murder, but affirm the "right" of others to engage in it? Let's see how this logic works when applied elsewhere:</p><p>Can a person really be opposed to rape, but not want to "impose their morality" on others? No.</p><p>Could a person oppose lynching, but not want to "impose their morality" on others? No.</p><p>And so clearly a person cannot be opposed abortion, and yet affirm the "right" of others to engage in it. </p><p>Every law reflects someone's morality. There is no reason why Christians should not use their power to vote to influence the laws to protect innocent life. This after all is why the March for Life takes place, and if you want to affirm "abortion rights," you should not only show up at the counter protest, rather than style yourself pro-life -- you should also admit that you have departed from the Orthodox Christian Tradition, because as a matter of fact, you have.</p><p><b>Update:</b> Metropolitan Nathaniel of the Greek Archdiocese felt the need to say something about abortion on Mother's Day Sunday, because as a bishop it is his duty to teach. But watch how he studiously avoids saying anything that might discourage a woman from killing her child in the womb, and ends up affirming that women who abort their babies are mothers too. Well, yes, they are mothers, because the babies they had killed in the womb were really babies, but it would have been good to have said that, and to have pointed out that the Church teaches that this is something that Orthodox Christians are not supposed to do, because it is murder:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ca1YuYYMcOU?start=8519" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p><b>Continued in <i><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pro-lgbtqp-orthodox-birth-of-new.html">The Pro LGBTQP "Orthodox" (The Birth of a New Religion, Part 2)</a></i></b></p><p><b>See Also:</b> <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/08/moral-heresy.html">Moral Heresy?</a></p><p><b>Sermon:</b> <a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/choose_life">Choose Life (Roe vs. Wade and the Orthodox View of Manhood and Womanhood).</a></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-42153740232698087852022-04-11T13:24:00.000-05:002022-04-11T13:24:01.664-05:00Reader Services through the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT58ol9_Ik-JKlzpFVwbMqpo0WzEuNALldvL4oDOKJtff8_KOhLUiVyrb0JPi2-urtenc-YAB-3ovVrXxcUXLHZAhhJ4TZDKlmXMf2e1LeKrD1LccLy4GBtK8lyqlv-lSq-7FH0bYfvtA1p3ml-Kg_fg9NWNK3oG6QwWOQ_oS9Uyz4ed0/s392/paschal_icon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT58ol9_Ik-JKlzpFVwbMqpo0WzEuNALldvL4oDOKJtff8_KOhLUiVyrb0JPi2-urtenc-YAB-3ovVrXxcUXLHZAhhJ4TZDKlmXMf2e1LeKrD1LccLy4GBtK8lyqlv-lSq-7FH0bYfvtA1p3ml-Kg_fg9NWNK3oG6QwWOQ_oS9Uyz4ed0/s320/paschal_icon.gif" width="245" /></a></div><br /><p>This installment covers the Sundays and Feasts of Old Calendar April, which on the civil Calendar runs from April 14th through May 13th. I intend to keep these texts posted as long as there are states or English speaking countries that are still under lockdown due to the Coronavirus.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Eves</span></b></p><p>For the Eves of the upcoming Sundays and Feasts, you could ideally do the Vigil. The fixed portions can be downloaded here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc</a></p><p>or viewed in HTML, here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm</a></p><p>For the Rubrics, see: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/">http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/</a></p><p>The variable portions of the service can be downloaded here (all of these would be served on the eve of their respective days), all the variable material is included in one file. </p><p>Beginning with Lazarus Saturday (April 16th n.s. / April 3rd o.s.) through Pascha (April 24th n.s. / April 11th o.s.), you will find all of the services laid out as reader services here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/holyweek_index_rs.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/holyweek_index_rs.htm</a></p><p>For St. Thomas Sunday (May 1st n.s. / April 18th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha1.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha1.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers (May 8th n.s. / April 25th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha2.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/pascha2.doc</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Typika</b></span></p><p>In place of the Liturgies, you would do Typika:</p><p>Beginning with Lazarus Saturday (April 16th n.s. / April 3rd o.s.) through Pascha (April 24th n.s. / April 11th o.s.), you will find all of the services laid out as reader services here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/holyweek_index_rs.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/holyweek_index_rs.htm</a></p><p>For St. Thomas Sunday (May 1st n.s. / April 18th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha1.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha1.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers (May 8th n.s. / April 25th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha2.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_pascha2.doc</a> </p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-53643319151510555842022-03-17T22:39:00.005-05:002022-03-18T09:13:38.105-05:00Sister Vassa and Public Orthodoxy on Ukraine, Part 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDzBvgB1Y62M0BdomDs6LpqYBPRZkpNHCO4YedAPhLKy6Av0atsMzNdCrEMHD8AURzaCeAYo_Z1QpdYnHHoEr530HVaaK08A1KRb4Qo57QVo9q9pFN8qCF0koSOo00CkwjkHhEIfMHfIa0Uag1jESwW27dIlwrfJpuajW3_Vh_0xmjya4=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDzBvgB1Y62M0BdomDs6LpqYBPRZkpNHCO4YedAPhLKy6Av0atsMzNdCrEMHD8AURzaCeAYo_Z1QpdYnHHoEr530HVaaK08A1KRb4Qo57QVo9q9pFN8qCF0koSOo00CkwjkHhEIfMHfIa0Uag1jESwW27dIlwrfJpuajW3_Vh_0xmjya4=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A wall in <a href="https://orthochristian.com/116903.html">Cathedral of the Schismatic Church in Ukraine</a>, which has been recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In it you see St. George slaying the Russian Double-Headed Eagle, people literally draped in the Ukrainian flag, and you also see the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_Sector">Neo-Nazi Right Sector</a> Flag in the background.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The people at Public Orthodoxy have issued <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/2022/03/13/a-declaration-on-the-russian-world-russkii-mir-teaching/">a declaration against the Russian Church</a> in which they accuse the Russian Church of heresy -- which they assert is the idea of "Русский мир" or "The Russian World." They included accusations against the Russian Church for failing to condemn one of the three major parties in the war in Ukraine (which includes Russia, the post-coup Ukrainian government, and the United States). They also allude to the controversy over the Ecumenical Patriarchate's recognition of the schismatics in Ukraine. I won't repeat what I have said about the complexities of the war, in <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/03/sister-vassa-and-public-orthodoxy-on.html">part 1</a>. And I have written fairly extensively on the Ukrainian schism -- which you can read in full <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/search/label/Ukraine%20Schism">here</a>, but if you only want to read one article, see "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-american-perspective-on-ukraine.html">An American Perspective on the Ukraine Crisis</a>." In this article, I will focus specifically on the merits of the claim that there is a heresy called "The Russian World."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>What Public Orthodoxy has Not Felt a Need to Condemn</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before getting into the merits of their claims in this declaration, I think it is interesting to consider that while Public Orthodoxy has posted numerous articles condemning the Russian Church and its position on the Ukrainian schism, as well as numerous articles condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine (which has been going on for 8 years, and began with <a href="https://rumble.com/vwxxi8-ukraine-on-fire.html">a coup sponsored by the United States</a>), but they have not felt any need to condemn the United States' regime change war in Syria which has raged for 10 years. Far more people have been killed in that war (the current estimates range between 500,000 and 610,000), and this war represents an existential threat to the Orthodox Christians in Syria (which was about 10% of the Syrian population before the war). If the United States had succeeded in installing an Islamic jihadist government in Syria, this would have meant the end of Christianity in Syria, for all practical purposes, and likely the same fate would have befallen Lebanon. Russian military intervention has thus far prevented that from happening, but the United States continues to occupy 10% of Syria, denying Syria access to its own oil resources, and it has imposed crippling sanctions on Syria that are causing immeasurable suffering among the people of Syria -- both Christian and Moslem. So this is an issue that Orthodox Christians ought to be concerned about -- and yet not only has Public Orthodoxy not issued a statement condemning the actions of the American government in Syria, it has hardly said anything about it at all. Perhaps some big money might dry up, if they chose to take such a stand, but one would think anyone who was a believer, and had an ounce of courage would take the right stand regardless. Why the silence? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-immoral-policy-of-united-states.html">The Immoral Policy of the United States Government in Syria</a>," for more information, though the article is from 2016, it nevertheless lays out the reasons why US policy in Syria is undeniably evil.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Public Orthodoxy not only fails to condemn those who oppose Christian morality -- they are one of the chief purveyors of these <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2019/08/moral-heresy.html">heretical teachings</a>. So Public Orthodoxy is hardly a reliable guide on the subject of what is, or is not heretical.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>"Ethno-Phyletism" for Me, but Not for Thee</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One telling fact of this declaration is that it does not include a single quote of a specific statement that it might have cited as an example of the errors they claim the Russian Church is teaching. They also do not reference any document in which one might look to find this heresy espoused. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In a search of the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, I found an article in which Patriarch Kirill summarized what he understands the concept of "The Russian World" to refer to: "<a href="http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3730705.html">Святейший Патриарх Кирилл: Русский мир — особая цивилизация, которую необходимо сберечь</a>," which in English means "His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: The Russian world is a special civilization that must be preserved."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Patriarch Kirill notes that the Orthodox Culture of the Kievan Rus', which is the common heritage of the Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Carpatho-Russians, is not defined by political boundaries, and he has does not see it as promoting the building or rebuilding of any empire. He does see it has something worth preserving, which if lost, would be a loss to humanity. He does not see this as ethnic or racial, but cultural. He also does not assert that this culture is superior to all others, only that it is their culture, and it is worth preserving.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the official conciliar documents of the Russian Church, the question of the Church's relationship to culture has been addressed in detail. "<a href="https://russianorthodoxchurch.ca/en/the-basis-of-the-social-concept-of-the-russian-orthodox-church/2408">The Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church</a>," which was approved in 2000, includes in section II, a statement entitled "<a href="http://russianorthodoxchurch.ca/en/social-concepts-index/social-concepts-church-and-nation">Church and Nation</a>." I would defy anyone to point to anything in this statement, and to lay out a reasoned and supported argument for why it is heretical.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It is especially curious to hear this charge from an organization which is headed by two members of the Greek Archdiocese, because one hears a very similar concept to "The Russian World" fairly frequently, only it is called "Hellenism." A <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Agoarch.org+hellenism&sxsrf=APq-WBtIg61HUl6O9RLcf7tNpykQu2WOMQ%3A1647568142707&source=hp&ei=DuUzYrzPJ52uptQP87uL0A4&iflsig=AHkkrS4AAAAAYjPzHq30R1Hr4EGQOOXcI5OgIknYeqeh&ved=0ahUKEwi8jovPxc72AhUdl4kEHfPdAuoQ4dUDCAk&uact=5&oq=site%3Agoarch.org+hellenism&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BAgjECc6BQgAEIAEOggIABCxAxCDAToLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwE6EQguEIAEELEDEIMBEMcBENEDOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARDRAzoLCC4QgAQQsQMQ1AI6CAgAEIAEELEDOggILhCABBCxAzoLCC4QgAQQxwEQrwE6CAguELEDEIMBOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARCjAjoRCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQxwEQowI6CwguEIAEEMcBENEDUABYuUBgg0VoAHAAeACAAY4BiAGqDJIBAzkuN5gBAKABAaABAg&sclient=gws-wiz">Google search of the official website of the Greek Archdiocese for the word "Hellenism" turns up "About 13,900" hits</a>. One of the first articles to come up is entitled "<a href="https://www.goarch.org/-/hellenic-world-pr">New Program to Promote Hellenism in the United States</a>." And the subtitle of that article is, interestingly enough "The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Foundation for <b>the Hellenic World</b> Announce New Program to Promote Hellenism in the United States" [emphasis added]. In that article, you will see that Archbishop Elpidophoros himself was involved in the promotion of this new program. It certainly seems like Archbishop Elpidophoros thinks that there is a Greek Orthodox culture that is not limited by political boundaries, which is the heritage of all Greek people, and is worth preserving.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So is there a heresy of "The Hellenic World"? If not, it seems like members of a Church that considers the promotion of Hellenism to be a key part of their mission, might want to lay out exactly how this concept is not heretical, before they accuse the Russian Church of heresy for essentially having the same idea with regard to their own culture.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a non-Russian who has been in the Russian Orthodox Church for close to 32 years now, I can tell you that I never felt pressured to become a Russian, nor have I been made to feel like I was a second class member of the Russian Church because I was not a Russian. For more on that, see "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2017/08/stump-priest-converts-and-culture.html">Converts and Culture</a>," and "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-colors-of-russian-church.html">The Colors of the Russian Church</a>."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In short, this declaration consists of a series of assertions that the Russian Church teaches things that they provide no evidence of anyone actually teaching, and they should perhaps examine their own views of Orthodoxy and culture, before they attack those of others.</div><p></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-37762337505827834662022-03-17T15:23:00.002-05:002022-03-17T16:01:04.989-05:00Reader Services through the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyGL5CkccLM434JM9T7eQPW81eapysnpd4w5A6sHHS0SZcyQbm8Mr_qOTkGASzk_Y18QaKTtKLAnXSD_PBqAeN4_6k6xtSs3FC6XD9ThH56hfWi50_6bzo88YNJGkor-svWPE_5T_91jXUVtM-0hL_mtZPq3h6c40ZdzxTIZZB_ceyO90=s440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyGL5CkccLM434JM9T7eQPW81eapysnpd4w5A6sHHS0SZcyQbm8Mr_qOTkGASzk_Y18QaKTtKLAnXSD_PBqAeN4_6k6xtSs3FC6XD9ThH56hfWi50_6bzo88YNJGkor-svWPE_5T_91jXUVtM-0hL_mtZPq3h6c40ZdzxTIZZB_ceyO90=s320" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>This installment covers the Sundays and Feasts of Old Calendar March, which on the civil Calendar runs from March 14th through April 13th. I intend to keep these texts posted as long as there are states or English speaking countries that are still under lockdown due to the Coronavirus.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Eves</span></b></p><p>For the Eves of the upcoming Sundays and Feasts, you could ideally do the Vigil. The fixed portions can be downloaded here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc</a></p><p>or viewed in HTML, here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm</a></p><p>For the Rubrics, see: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/">http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/</a></p><p>The variable portions of the service can be downloaded here (all of these would be served on the eve of their respective days). The Sunday services prior to Pascha require two files, because these combinations do not repeat annually. Beginning with Pascha, all the variable material is included in one file. On Sundays, there are some hymns that are appointed according to which Matins Gospel is read. To find out which one is read, you also need to look at the Rubrics. For those texts, you will find them here: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/matinsgospel.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/matinsgospel.doc</a> Those hymns are usually done at the Exapostilaria and then at the Doxasticon at the Praises.</p><p>For the Sunday of the St. Gregory Palamas (March 20th n.s. / March 7th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent2.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent2.doc</a> </p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone6.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone6.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of the Cross (March 27th n.s. / March 14th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent3.doc</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone7.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone7.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of St. John Climacus (April 3rd n.s. / March 21st o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent4.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent4.doc</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone8.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone8.doc</a></p><p>For the Great Canon, (which this year is on Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent, due to Annunciation), for those who are not use to doing services, I would recommend that you use the text of Small Compline: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/compline.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/compline.htm</a> and then, right after the Creed, you would do the Great Canon. This text has the text has the text for the Great Canon on the 5th week of Lent, beginning on page 42:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/greatcanon_sts.pdf">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/greatcanon_sts.pdf</a></p><p>For the Feast of Annunciation (April 7th n.s. / March 25th o.s.):</p><p>Annunciation is one of the more complicated services in the Liturgy Year. If anyone wants to try to put it together, the rubrics and texts are posted here:</p><p><a href="https://saintjonah.org/services/annunciation_index.htm">https://saintjonah.org/services/annunciation_index.htm</a></p><p>But for most people, I would suggest that if you are unable to go to Church, on the eve of the feast (Monday night) use this text for Small Compline, which has the Annunciation Canon in it, laid out for lay use:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/smallcompline_annunciation.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/smallcompline_annunciation.doc</a></p><p>For the Fifth Friday of Great Lent, we do the service of the Akathist Hymn. For those not use to doing services, I would recommend using this text, which follows the more simple Greek order of service, but is arranged as a Reader Service:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/smallcompline_akathist.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/smallcompline_akathist.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (April 10th n.s. / March 28th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent5.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent5.doc</a> </p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone1.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone1.doc</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Typika</span></b></p><p>In place of the Liturgies, you would do Typika:</p><p>For the Sunday of the St. Gregory Palamas (March 20th n.s. / March 7th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent2_t6.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent2_t6.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of the Cross (March 27th n.s. / March 14th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent3_t7.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent3_t7.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of St. John Climacus (April 3rd n.s. / March 21st o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent4_t8.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent4_t8.doc</a></p><p>For the Feast of Annunciation (April 7th n.s. / March 25th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_annunciation.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_annunciation.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (April 10th n.s. / March 28th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent5_t1.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent5_t1.doc</a></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-29039075398602803922022-03-16T15:02:00.023-05:002023-01-19T05:21:34.279-06:00Sister Vassa and Public Orthodoxy on Ukraine, Part 1<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOqlsImOLHwuBBKeyP5ClY4xJaQ3ReZmGyPycnZsdmAM8b0pArvZKmRJOa4i5K1OGOyCuyp8RiDsYCwBjvnr93gaCGTUIs886V_8f81lTxrUK-H3E8zp0UbVoI0nqJQpWE5xNVmXK2UVYB_x4fRLthQa-aTRRxtD8-R1nBgSemheJYsXo=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOqlsImOLHwuBBKeyP5ClY4xJaQ3ReZmGyPycnZsdmAM8b0pArvZKmRJOa4i5K1OGOyCuyp8RiDsYCwBjvnr93gaCGTUIs886V_8f81lTxrUK-H3E8zp0UbVoI0nqJQpWE5xNVmXK2UVYB_x4fRLthQa-aTRRxtD8-R1nBgSemheJYsXo=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Once again, Sister Vassa and Public Orthodoxy have boldly staked out positions, which just happens to coincide with the fashionable opinion of the moment. <a href="https://youtu.be/1OhLtsDa9EU">In a video</a> by Sister Vassa, and then in <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/2022/03/13/a-declaration-on-the-russian-world-russkii-mir-teaching/">a declaration published by Public Orthodoxy</a> (which Sister Vassa signed), they express their belief that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is evil, that Putin is solely to blame, and that the Russian Church should condemn Putin for it. And the declaration goes on to accuse the Russian Church of outright heresy. In this response, I will focus my attention on Sister Vassa's video. <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2022/03/sister-vassa-and-public-orthodoxy-on_17.html">In part 2, I will address the Public Orthodoxy declaration</a>.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Intentional Fog of War Propaganda</b></div><p></p><p>Before getting into Sister Vassa's specific assertions, I would like to remind those who are old enough to remember the lead up to the first Gulf War -- and to inform those who were too young or not yet born -- of the lies our government propaganda machine churned out to talk us into going to war. I remember it well, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps because I believed the things we were told. Iraq had invaded Kuwait, and we were told horror stories of how the Iraqi soldiers treated Kuwaitis. One of the more memorable things we were told was that Iraqi soldiers burst into hospitals, took babies out of incubators, left them on the floors to die, and then carted those incubators off to Iraq. There was testimony to this effect before the United States Congress, from a young woman who claimed to have been an eye witness to these barbarous acts. George H. W. Bush alluded to this frequently as he beat the war drums. This could not stand. Something had to be done. The only problem was, it was a lie. The young woman who testified before Congress happened to be the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States, and had not been in Kuwait at all during or after the Iraqi invasion. Of course, this only came to light long after the war was over. In 1990 and in 2003, the vast majority of Americans supported going to war with Iraq. Today, the vast majority of Americans believe it was a mistake.</p><p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkRylMGLPMU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p>Then under Bill Clinton we launched a war against Serbia, in which we bombed them back to the stone age, killed thousands of civilians, and carved off Kosovo from Serbia, where we still have American troops stationed to this day. This also happened due to the stenographers in the mainstream media, which dutifully presented a one-sided story of a complicated civil war, along with countless fabrications and lies which were designed to inflame the emotions of the American people... and then the United States did exactly what we are accusing Russia of doing right now.</p><p>In the lead up to the second Gulf War we were assured that there were weapons of mass destruction being amassed by Sadam Hussein, and this also turned out to be a lie. We invaded Iraq, and a country that was 10% Christian now has few remaining Christians because we unleashed Islamic Jihadists that Sadam Hussein had kept on a short leash, and the country has been a wreck ever since. I think there are few people left who would not gladly turn back the clock, and put Sadam Hussein back in charge of Iraq. As bad as he was, the world was a far safer place, and Iraq was a far better and safer place too.</p><p>More recently we launched regime change wars in <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-immoral-policy-of-united-states.html">Syria</a> and Libya in which our military played direct roles, which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and millions of refugees. What we did in Libya caused further Islamic terror in other parts of Africa, as Libyan weapons made their way into the hands of Islamic terrorists, like Boko Haram. We have seen open slave markets, and human misery increased exponentially all because we wanted to take out the latest Hitler of the Month. If when we embarked on these regime change wars, we were creating paradises in their stead, perhaps one could justify this as a foreign policy theme, but instead, we consistently make bad situations into hell holes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMby2tE4GJEQQZQ8DpsWgfvIRdWxQQOyA9j0MpRi6TBplOYGSW1DVFDJCuH0kYxQJ3JBeAG-TuojV5wwfiDxffQPpW2ptQazxkBl2ogZIqFpQJThWozpxzNrRPfLEwcZxVFvYIGLe05yqRS0iNl_p3aZh30LmE4Es3TO7sFqU7TnMf2og=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMby2tE4GJEQQZQ8DpsWgfvIRdWxQQOyA9j0MpRi6TBplOYGSW1DVFDJCuH0kYxQJ3JBeAG-TuojV5wwfiDxffQPpW2ptQazxkBl2ogZIqFpQJThWozpxzNrRPfLEwcZxVFvYIGLe05yqRS0iNl_p3aZh30LmE4Es3TO7sFqU7TnMf2og=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>I could go on, but we have been repeatedly lied into going to war in country after country, and in almost every case, the situation has been made far worse by our actions. But the point here is that the media willfully presented propaganda to the American people, designed to whip up public opinion and get them to support American foreign policy based on lies.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Complexities of the War in Ukraine</b></p><p>In Sister Vassa's comments, she repeats a great deal of the spin we are hearing in the western media, as if it were all true, and there was nothing more to it. Her arguments amount to appeals to emotion based on the media narrative, and appeals to majority opinion, rather than on reason, evidence, or logical argument. The problem here is we should know by now that we cannot put a lot of faith in what our government or the media tells us when our government is trying to push public opinion to support a war. And make no mistake, that is what is happening. We are being asked to support an economic war, which will have huge repercussions on our own economy, as well as every economy in the world -- which will disproportionately affect the poor throughout the world, and put them in positions in which keeping body and soul together will be extremely difficult. We are being asked to supply weapons to one side, and there is the very real prospect that we could soon be drawn into the fighting on the ground before all is said and done, if we are not careful.</p><p>Anyone who is presenting this war in simple terms is either ignorant of the facts, or is trying to deceive you, and they are certainly not advancing the cause of peace. This war has an extremely complicated background. For one thing, Ukraine was never an independent country prior to the 1990's. For most of the last 3 centuries it has been united with Russia, and so there are strong ties to Russia, particularly with the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine. Ukraine has had two "revolutions" since it became independent, both of which the United States had more than a small role in. In 2014, we had a blatant coup d'etat in which our country sponsored the violent overthrow of the lawfully elected government of the country. As a result there was unrest throughout Eastern and Southern Ukraine. The Russian government seized Crimea, which has been the base for the Russian Black Sea fleet since Catherine the Great, and whose population overwhelming supported the action. In most of the South, unrest was violently squelched, but in Eastern Ukraine, two regions declared their independence, and with Russian support, were able to keep from being crushed by the new Ukrainian government, but the people in those regions have been subjected to continuous shelling by the Ukrainian military for the past 8 years, and about 14,000 people have been killed... but CNN didn't bother stoking anyone into being outraged about those deaths -- and in fact, most people are unaware of this aspect of the present conflict entirely. </p><p>For more on the 2014 Coup, see the documentary <a href="https://rumble.com/vwxxi8-ukraine-on-fire.html">Ukraine on Fire</a>, the follow up documentary <a href="https://rumble.com/vwzvlr-revealing-ukraine-2019-oliver-stone-director-igor-lopatonok-mirror.html">Ukraine Revealed</a>, as well as <a href="https://youtu.be/M_Gzgu47wAc">How US-backed Maidan coup, Russiagate led to war in Ukraine</a>.</p><p>Since 2014, there have been two peace agreements that have been signed which would have ended the war in Eastern Ukraine, and in both cases, nothing came of them, because the president of Ukraine was either unable, or unwilling to implement them. I am sure the politics of this is very difficult to navigate, but while the last two Ukrainian presidents both ran on a platform of bringing peace to Eastern Ukraine, and they may both have been very sincere in their intentions, neither was able to accomplish their stated intentions... for whatever reason. <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/03/04/how-zelensky-made-peace-with-neo-nazis/">Zelensky even went to Eastern Ukraine and personally ordered the overtly Nazi Azov Battalion to withdraw... and they simply refused to do so</a>. So it is unclear who has really been running the show in Ukraine.</p><p>On top of the 8 year war against Russian speaking people in Eastern Ukraine, Zelensky suggested in February of this year that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-zelensky-suggests-ukraine-may-pursue-nuclear-weapons-to-counter-russia-putin-responds">Ukraine would be seeking to acquire Nuclear weapons</a>, and Ukraine has stated its intention to join NATO, and to retake Crimea from Russia... by force if necessary. Russia had laid out to the US a list of its "Red Lines," the biggest of which is Ukraine entering NATO, and the US refused to accommodate Russia on any of its concerns. Countless experts have been warning that this policy of NATO expansion would eventually lead to a military response from Russia:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1H0rCqaGtJw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O7Lk5nr35XM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>And so given that this was entirely predictable, one has to wonder why the Biden administration chose to continue to press ahead with NATO expansion, rather than to press Ukraine to actually implement the Minsk agreements, and end the 8 year war in Eastern Ukraine.</p><p>Sister Vassa notes that even Fox and CNN agree that this is all Russia's fault. The problem is that war is the one remaining bi-partisan issue in America. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Racket-Original-Smedley-Butler/dp/1939438586">The establishments of both parties generally support going to war</a>. Fox News has generally taken the same stance.</p><p>Sister Vassa dismisses concerns about Nazis in Ukraine because Israel sides with the US, Zelensky is Jewish, Ukraine fought against the Nazis in World War II, and she suggests that like any other country, Ukraine simply has people with various political leanings. But Israel has little choice but to side with the US, given that the US is Israel's only ally in the world, and heavily funds and supplies its military. Zelensky is Jewish, but that doesn't prove that there are not Nazis throughout Ukraine's military and security forces, and when you have overtly Nazi Battalions that are part of the Ukrainian Army, that is not just having some kooks in your country. Yes, 8 million Ukrainians died fighting the Nazis, but many of those from Western Ukraine died fighting for the Nazis. You had Ukrainian divisions of the SS. And they have a Nazi war criminal that is celebrated as a National hero -- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepan_Bandera">Stepan Bandera</a>. Obviously the average Ukrainian is not a Nazi, and one could argue that the Russian government makes more of this than is warranted, but pretending that this is not a real issue is either ignorant or dishonest.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KfaAyiP8Wuc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>The BBC has reported on the heavy role played by Nazis in Ukrainian politics as well:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5SBo0akeDMY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEKQsnRGv7s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>A good case can be made that the primary reason why the Minsk Agreements have never been implemented is that the Ukrainian government has a legitimate fear of being overthrown by these Nazi forces.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NFngc_8RiVc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>You cannot honestly discuss the current war in Ukraine without addressing the 2014 coup, the last 8 years of war in Eastern Ukraine and the 14,000 people (mostly Russian speaking Ukrainians) who have been killed under nearly constant shelling, and dealing with the role of various Nazi groups in both the coup and the war, and you certainly cannot discuss this without mentioning the United States' role in all of the aforementioned. And yet Sister Vassa almost completely ignored all of this.</p><p>To say that this war is all Putin's fault is, at the very least, simplistic. If you say it is all his fault, you are in effect saying it is not the United States' fault, or the fault of the post-coup Ukrainian government. But it is quite possible that there is some blame that is due to each party here. And while God knows exactly how much everyone responsible is to blame, I don't believe we do, at this point. It certainly simplifies things if you can paint one side as heartless people who take babies out of incubators and throw them on the floor, but it probably is better to wait until you have a better idea of what has actually happened before you jump to simplistic conclusions.</p><p>Furthermore, laying all the blame on Putin takes off any pressure for the US or Ukraine to seek a compromise solution, and at this point, a compromise solution is the only way the fighting will end in the short term. So while people who take this position have the self satisfaction of virtue signaling, and can claim that they are for peace, they actually are making it less likely that peace will be restored any time soon.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Pastoral Issues for the Russian Church</b></p><p>Aside from the problem with pinning the blame on only one side when we don't have sufficient evidence to really reach that conclusion, the Russian Church has the very real problem of having people who are on the various sides, and everywhere in between -- and this is true just among the Ukrainians in the Russian Church. In my parish alone I have Ukrainian people who believe Russia is coming to the rescue, and people who think Putin is evil, and then people who have mixed opinions. I don't want to alienate any of those people. They all have family and friends who are suffering, and many who have been killed or will be killed. The Church has to rise above such things, and appeal to all sides to find a way towards peace.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p>We can all agree that war is evil. We are praying for a swift end to the war. And in the meantime we are doing what we can to raise money to help those who have been displaced by the war. No one in the Russian Church wanted to see things come to this point. All sides should do what they can to end this war as soon as possible. We can certainly say that anyone who contributed to causing this war will have a lot to answer for before God. Anyone who chooses war when they have other viable options is committing a great sin. God knows the truth. At this point, I don't believe we do.</p><p>This war was certainly preventable. I believe the US government could have prevented it, and so if I was going to condemn anyone, I would have to start with the government that at least theoretically answers to the American people.</p><p><b>For more information:</b></p><p><a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/the_war_in_ukraine">Sermon; The War in Ukraine</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/god_is_on_the_throne">Sermon: God is on the Throne</a></p><p><b>Update: </b>Let me clarify one point so that no one is confused. It is not my place or the place of the Church to tell Ukrainians that they should not want to have an independent country, nor would it be to say that they should. Ukrainians themselves are not of one mind on this question, and so obviously everyone cannot have their way when people disagree. They should find a peaceful way to resolve such disputes, but this really should be a matter that they settle without outside interference.</p><p>Furthermore, war is always an evil thing, and there is always at least one side that is in the wrong. Sometimes both sides are in the wrong. Reasonable people can disagree about such things, because we all have limited knowledge, and we come from our own perspective. God, however, knows exactly who is to blame, and it would be a horrible thing to have to answer for on the day of judgment.</p><p><b>Update 2: </b>One other point, just to be clear. Anyone has the right to think or say whatever they believe to be true about the current war in Ukraine. If Sister Vassa had simply voiced her opposition to it, I wouldn't have responded. It is the accusation that the Church has to condemn one of the three major parties to this war, but not condemn either of the other two, that I take issue with. War is horrible. Everyone with any compassion would rather it not have happened, and would want it to end as soon as possible. But the reasons for why we are where we are at this point in history are not simple, and demanding that the Church pretend otherwise, and exonerate the US and the post-coup government of Ukraine, while laying the blame only on the Russian government, is not a reasonable position to take. If Russia had invaded Ukraine out of the blue, that would be a different matter, but there has been a war going on for 8 years, and so it is not nearly so clear cut. More facts will hopefully come out, and as they do I hope everyone will revise their opinions accordingly, but that is how I see it at this point.</p><p>Also, one commentator mentioned that a lot of other people collaborated with the Nazis, including Russians. I can understand why people living under Stalin, knowing only what they knew at the time, might have thought that Hitler was the lesser of the two evils. However, when you have groups of Ukrainians in 2022, who choose to identify with this particular chapter of their history, and identify themselves as Nazis, they have a lot less of an excuse then their grandfathers had. And furthermore, when you have those people functioning openly in the Ukraine military, in Nazi units, it is a far more problematic matter. Every country has its share of kooks. Most don't have Kook Battalions in their military.</p><p><br /></p></div>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-43645482075780507142022-02-12T09:48:00.000-06:002022-02-12T09:48:40.988-06:00Reader Services through the First Sunday of Lent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis8V51A4O_jR9MEdyw8x5cPIv5twIP6C5EFJn8VkUlUu26WpEVJPQbbCeiMeAKeHr8J7VDBIZtgXxryMTeV1HTJhfLTof49184cCXuUCUydoQcjVChND2E8EmmJkKTcch1aK-wmmkQ1s1XRX7xQOKeXgs4LQ6K0ueUkbzUABvpfnaeAsQ=s720" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis8V51A4O_jR9MEdyw8x5cPIv5twIP6C5EFJn8VkUlUu26WpEVJPQbbCeiMeAKeHr8J7VDBIZtgXxryMTeV1HTJhfLTof49184cCXuUCUydoQcjVChND2E8EmmJkKTcch1aK-wmmkQ1s1XRX7xQOKeXgs4LQ6K0ueUkbzUABvpfnaeAsQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>This installment covers the Sundays and Feasts of Old Calendar February, which on the civil Calendar runs from February 14th through March 13th. I intend to keep these texts posted as long as there are states or English-speaking countries that are still under lockdown due to the Coronavirus.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Eves</span></b></p><p>For the Eves of the upcoming Sundays and Feasts, you could ideally do the Vigil. The fixed portions can be downloaded here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/reader_vigil.doc</a></p><p>or viewed in HTML, here:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil.htm</a></p><p>For the Rubrics, see: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/">http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/</a></p><p>The variable portions of the service can be downloaded here (all of these would be served on the eve of their respective days). The Sunday services require two files, because these combinations do not repeat annually. In addition to the files linked for the Sundays below, you will need to use the appropriate Katavasia, which for this time period is the <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/presentation.htm">Katavasia of the Presentation</a>, and then various Katavasiae from the Triodion -- the respective <a href="https://saintjonah.org/rub/">Rubrics</a> will tell you which. Also, on Sundays, there are some hymns that are appointed according to which Matins Gospel is read. To find out which one is read, you also need to look at the Rubrics. For those texts, you will find them here: <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/matinsgospel.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/matinsgospel.doc</a> Those hymns are usually done at the Exapostilaria and then at the Doxasticon at the Praises.</p><p>Vigil for the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord (February 15th n.s. / February 2nd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_presentation.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/vigil_presentation.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of the Prodigal Son / Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord (February 20th n.s. / February 7th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod2_february07.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod2_february07.doc</a> </p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone2.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone2.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of the Last Judgment (February 27th n.s. / February 14th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod3.doc</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone3.doc</a></p><p>For the Cheesefare Sunday (March 6th n.s. / February 21st o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod4_forerunner.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/triod4_forerunner.doc</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone4.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone4.doc</a></p><p>For Forgiveness Sunday Vespers (done on Sunday Evening), this text has everything laid out exactly as it would be done, with nothing omitted:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/forgivenessvespers_rs.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/forgivenessvespers_rs.doc</a></p><p>First Week of Lent: for Monday (March 7 / February 22) through Thursday (March 10 / February 25), the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is done. </p><p><a href="http://stjonah.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/greatcanon_sts.pdf">http://stjonah.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/greatcanon_sts.pdf</a></p><p>Ideally, this is done as a part of <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/greatcompline.htm">Great Compline</a>, but if that is too much, you can do it as part of <a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/compline.htm">Small Compline</a>.</p><p>On the Fridays of Great Lent, you can do the Akathist with Small Compline:</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/akathistforlent.htm">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/akathistforlent.htm</a></p><p>For the First Sunday of Lent (March 13th n.s. / February 28th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent1.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/lent1.doc</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone5.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/tone5.doc</a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Typika</span></b></p><p>In place of the Liturgies, you would do Typika:</p><p>For the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord (February 15th n.s. / February 2nd o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_presentation.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_presentation.doc</a></p><p>For the Sunday of the Prodigal Son / Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord (February 20th n.s. / February 7th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod2_february07.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod2_february07.doc</a> </p><p>For the Sunday of the Last Judgment (February 27th n.s. / February 14th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod3_t3.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod3_t3.doc</a></p><p>For the Cheesefare Sunday (March 6th n.s. / February 21st o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod4_forerunner.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_triod4_forerunner.doc</a></p><p>For the First Sunday of Lent (March 13th n.s. / February 28th o.s.):</p><p><a href="http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent1_t5.doc">http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typika_lent1_t5.doc</a></p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9761494.post-47427267288535517512022-02-05T09:12:00.007-06:002022-02-08T21:07:22.327-06:00What Happens When "Scholars" Fail to Address Arguments and Evidence Presented to Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8olpnYthR9rem4pZfU4zF5fs2JVY6DBXmWvLIpnlt2mIGk8bOJlKFWzyTrChOOHPv79uLWyG1tK7qC4kzqyzwflib58DGgibdE-NEEGE6_hL5vSj84cqN2Wx2_eXW8lqxVou7L0nCKxqEeIAkuX2nzJY1cFX8G1gN8JU_DiC2ru5ghII=s515" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="515" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8olpnYthR9rem4pZfU4zF5fs2JVY6DBXmWvLIpnlt2mIGk8bOJlKFWzyTrChOOHPv79uLWyG1tK7qC4kzqyzwflib58DGgibdE-NEEGE6_hL5vSj84cqN2Wx2_eXW8lqxVou7L0nCKxqEeIAkuX2nzJY1cFX8G1gN8JU_DiC2ru5ghII=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Lynching of 17 Chinese in California 1871</i></div><p>Aram Sarkisian has posted <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/2022/02/04/what-happens-when-scholars-of-orthodoxy-write-about-white-christian-nationalism/">another hit piece</a> in "Public Orthodoxy" that attacks the <a href="https://southernorthodox.org/">Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship</a>, as well as myself and others.</p><p>He begins by complaining about some of the online harassment he has received as a result of <a href="https://publicorthodoxy.org/2021/12/03/orthodox-lost-cause/">his previous essay</a>. I truly I am sorry to hear that. However, this is not something unique to him or people of his political or religious views. My parish had a credible terrorist threat in June 2020 that I had to get the FBI, as well as state and local authorities, and my parish had to spend thousands of dollars to increase security. Mean tweets are far more easily handled. If you have someone saying stupid things to you online, blocking them is usually the best and quickest solution. The anonymity of the internet, and the fact that most social media platforms let people use pseudonyms create the environment that promotes that sort of behavior. Pointing out things that Aram Sarkisian has posted in the past, however, is not harassment, and it is certainly something that he feels free to do too.</p><p>Aram Sarkisian again plays the game of guilt by association, and he also didn't quote a single thing I actually said in <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2021/12/orthodox-america-has-cultural-marxist.html">my response to his first essay</a> (nor did he provide a link to my article, so people could read it for themselves and come to their own conclusions). Instead, he mischaracterized what I said, and put his own twist on it. He also failed to address any of the contemporary moral issues that I pointed out -- nor did he explain his strange silence about them. The only contemporary moral issues he does talk about are abortion and the LGBTQP agenda, and on those issues, he promotes baby killing and sexual immorality. We cannot change the past, but we can do something about genocide in China, the genocide against Christians in Africa and the Middle East, the killing of a million babies a year in this country, the promotion of sexual immorality, and the rise of Marxism (the most evil and murderous ideology in human history) -- particularly in the academic environment that Sarkisian lives and works in. But saying something against those things might actually cost Dr. Sarkisian something professionally and personally.</p><p>He wrote, with regard to my response to him:</p><blockquote><p>"Co-founder Fr. John Whiteford explained <a href="https://youtu.be/wUwPMQPBwxY?t=631">on the Michael Sisco Show in October</a>, after all, that racial harmony in the antebellum South was such that the concept of segregation did not exist there—until it was exported from the North. Fr. John too asserted that post-Reconstruction Jim Crow segregation wasn’t all that bad for Black southerners—just misunderstood and misremembered."</p></blockquote><p>I of course said no such thing, and in fact stated pretty much the opposite. The problem here is that it is unfair to compare the South at any point in its history with an ideal society, and to find it wanting. What is fair is to compare it with other societies at the same time. And as a matter of fact, it is true that there was no segregation in the South prior to the late 19th century -- there was subordination, but not segregation. In the North at that same time, blacks were excluded from society, pushed to the margins, and allowed not even the most basic of rights. As Alexis de Tocqueville put it, in his book <i>Democracy in America</i>: </p><p></p><blockquote>“So the Negro [in the North] is free, but he cannot share the rights, pleasures, labors, griefs, or even the tomb of him whose equal he has been declared; there is nowhere where he can meet him, neither in life nor in death.”</blockquote><p></p><p>Northerners, in fact, often criticized Southerners for living in too close proximity to black people. For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wilmot">David Wilmot</a> (of Pennsylvania) wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote>“By God, sir, men born and nursed of white women are not going to be ruled by men who were brought up on the milk of some damn Negro wench!” (Brion McClanahan "<a href="https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/is-white-supremacy-an-exclusively-southern-ideology/">Is “White Supremacy” an Exclusively “Southern” Ideology?</a>")</blockquote><p></p><p>There also were free blacks in the antebellum South, many of whom became prosperous. Many became slave owners themselves. Some even became very wealthy (e.g. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_King_(architect)">Horace King</a>). </p><p>It is also true that Jim Crow laws originated in the North, and only came to the South with the New South Movement (which was a progressive movement, by the way -- for more information, see the book "<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Career-Jim-Crow/dp/0195146905">The Strange Career of Jim Crow</a></i>," by C. Vann Woodward (Oxford University Press, 1955). I never suggested that the Jim Crow period was a good time for black people. The fact people put laws in place to force segregation is evidence that there were many people who were doing the opposite. The same is also true of laws against <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2017/12/interracial-marriage-and-orthodox-faith.html">interracial marriage</a>. I believe that government-imposed segregation is wrong, and while I also think it is not a good thing even when voluntary, there have been many black scholars that have argued that black people were better off under segregation (economically especially), and you have many who are now pushing Critical Race Theory, that are promoting segregation today. I am glad legal segregation is a thing of the past (at least outside of American Universities). But here again, Dr. Sarkisian wants to compare the South with perfection, but fails to compare it with other contemporary examples. Segregation was very common in the North and West of the United States, and still is, in practice today. And the point is that even after segregation ceased to be legally enforced in the North, it remained a more pervasive and absolute reality than it ever was in the South.</p><p>I happen to have the ability to see this from both a Northern and Southern perspective, because while my father was from Texas, and came from a deeply rooted Southern family, my mother was from Chicago, and her family was mostly Northern in origin. I wouldn't throw either side of my family under the bus, but let's just say that I didn't hear much racist talk from the folks who were from the South. Chicago remains one of the most segregated cities to this day, but it is not particularly unique among large northern cities.</p><p>A black minister I know of pointed out what he saw as the difference between life in the South and life in the North in the post World War II era. He said white people in the South didn't mind living next to black people, but didn't want them to have more than they did. White people in the North, didn't care what black people had, but didn't want to live anywhere near them. That is of course a somewhat exaggerated generalization, but I think it has a lot of truth to it, if we are talking about life prior to about 1980.</p><p>Aram Sarkisian wrote: </p><p></p><blockquote>"There is little I could do in this brief essay that might even begin to dismantle such staggering historical falsehoods, nor do I think Fr. Whiteford would care to hear it."</blockquote><p></p><p>I would actually love to see Dr. Sarkisian reply to the substance of my essay, but I am not holding my breath. I suspect he will continue to reply to his straw man characterizations of things I have said, rather than what I actually said.</p><p></p><blockquote>"They were never dehumanized to the status of property, never barred from schools and universities on account of their race, were never asked to count bubbles on a bar of soap so they could vote, never had to hold their bladder until they found a “colored” bathroom, and knew they would never experience the terror of the lynching tree."</blockquote><p></p><p>I have addressed the issues of slavery, and how this was an American problem, and a world wide problem, and not a specifically Southern Problem in "<a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2021/12/orthodox-america-has-cultural-marxist.html">Orthodox America Has a Cultural Marxist Problem</a>," Lynching was also an American problem. It was worse in the South in the wake of Reconstruction, because of the divide and conquer policies of Radical Reconstruction, which sought to cement Republican political control, rather than to bring about racial reconciliation in the South. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_massacre_of_1871">largest single incident of lynching happened in California in 1871</a>, and the people lynched were actually Chinese. Chinese laborers were routinely abused and killed in the American West. The Chinese who worked on the railroad were paid slave labor wages, asked to do the most dangerous work, and little concern for their safety was given... which is the origin of the phrase "<a href="https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Chinaman%27s+chance">a Chinaman's chance</a>," which was usually used in the form of "He hasn't got a Chinamen's chance," which given the slim odds Chinese people were usually given in America, basically means whoever is being spoken off hasn't even got those slim chances. And there would no doubt have been a lot more lynchings of Chinese, except Western politicians managed to pass the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act">Chinese Exclusion Act</a>, and effectively made it impossible for Chinese to immigrate to the United States prior to 1943, when it was finally repealed. Blacks were lynched in nearly every state in the Union. They were lynched more frequently in the South, because there were a lot more black people in the South, but <a href="http://archive.tuskegee.edu/repository/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Lynchings-Stats-Year-Dates-Causes.pdf">of the lower 48 states, 44 of them had incidents of blacks being lynched</a>, and while the numbers are lower, white people were lynched frequently too. Lynching is of course a horrible crime, and it is of course a good thing that we do not see it very much anymore.</p><blockquote>"To be clear, no one is saying that racist ideas are held by all Orthodox Christians in the American South, or that American racism has been, or is now limited only to that region. And there is nothing wrong with Orthodox evangelism to the South. But if evangelism draws on racist Lost Cause mythology and iconography of the failed Confederate rebellion, especially at a moment of renewed Confederate nostalgia, it is important that these ideas are stopped from becoming mainstream. When a group bears witness to Orthodoxy using an image of Stonewall Jackson in uniform with his hand upon a Bible, as is found on the Ludwell Fellowship website, could the message be any clearer?" </blockquote><p></p><p><a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2021/12/orthodox-america-has-cultural-marxist.html">I addressed the question of the Lost Cause and Righteous Cause myth</a>s, but Dr. Sarkisian didn't bother to address any of my arguments or the evidence I presented, but instead simply repeats the accusation. Booker T. Washington was an actual slave, and yet he had this to say of Stonewall Jackson and Lee:</p><p></p><blockquote>"The first white people in America, certainly the first in the South to exhibit their interest in the reaching of the Negro and saving his soul through the medium of the Sunday-school were Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall Jackson.' ... Where Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall’ Jackson have led in the redemption of the Negro through the Sunday-school, the rest of us can afford to follow.”</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUWU4-VWyGuPwgPv-uTRLhtkMJjyiSojhPHIq8o5L63CbQ61jx4BONHGgzO0em463oMdUkMPSKmmsXG32AmJEGibokt93BQu2JUkJSZooPKnptnFK4ZgrdZrK9U22pUkBuabki3gKVNAeVOh7vw0G5MGHVwX3D0uiQjwYMG-uQIq1sZqg=s1536" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUWU4-VWyGuPwgPv-uTRLhtkMJjyiSojhPHIq8o5L63CbQ61jx4BONHGgzO0em463oMdUkMPSKmmsXG32AmJEGibokt93BQu2JUkJSZooPKnptnFK4ZgrdZrK9U22pUkBuabki3gKVNAeVOh7vw0G5MGHVwX3D0uiQjwYMG-uQIq1sZqg=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Stained glass window in the historically black <a href="https://www.5thavepresbychurchroanoke.com/">5th Avenue Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia</a>. The scene is of an army camped by a river, and the text contains Stonewall Jackson's last words. It says, "In Memory of Stonewall Jackson. Let us cross the river and rest in the shade of the trees."</i></p><p>Stonewall Jackson taught a <a href="https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2005/03/stonewall-jacksons-black-sunday-school.html">black Sunday School class</a>, (which taught children how to read and write -- not just about the faith) and supplied its needs out of his own pocket, and out of that Sunday School class came <a href="https://youtu.be/FvkAOYecTAU">four black churches, and several Black clergymen, who held him in high regard</a>. There is even a stained-glass window dedicated to Stonewall Jackson in one the churches founded by these clergymen. In dismissing Stonewall Jackson as some sort of cartoonish evil character, Dr. Sarkisian is also dismissing the memory of these black people who knew and admired him. Stonewall Jackson is a good example of the deep religious piety that you find in the South. It has not normally been an Orthodox piety up until now, but it does provide us with something to work with. In my experience, I have seen this kind of piety especially found among the black folks I have worked with over the nearly three decades that I worked for the State of Texas.</p><p></p><blockquote>"And it’s just as alarming that one of its primary voices is Fr. Whiteford, who has appeared on the “Dissident Mama” podcast, and who promoted the Fellowship alongside another co-founder, Dr. Clark Carlton, on the Michael Sisco Show. One loses plausible deniability when they repeatedly seek and out and accept these kinds of platforms to spread harmful historical falsehoods, especially when they wear a cassock."</blockquote><p></p><p>I firmly believe, have written, and have preached, that hating someone on the basis of race, or mistreating someone on the basis of race is a sin. I don't believe Michael Sisco or Rebecca Dillingham disagree with that at all. Michael often makes fun of his critics by tweaking them in sarcastic ways, but that is a different matter. Rebecca pushes back against Cultural Marxists, but this is because of what she loves (her children, thus the moniker "Dissident Mama'), not what she hates. I am sure that they have said many things I wouldn't agree with, or said things in ways that I wouldn't say them, but having gotten to know them personally, I don't believe that they hate people, based on race or for any other reason. I believe that the Golden Rule applies to everyone, regardless of race, and I believe that they do too.</p><p>And by the way, I have also appeared on Roman Catholic podcasts, and Protestant podcasts, and I would even appear on a podcast by someone like Aram Sarkisian, so long as I thought the format would be fair. </p><p>What Aram Sarkisian wants us to do is to hold Southerners to standards that no other group is held too. Do you hear any scholars lecturing Africans, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, or Latin Americans about how they should be ashamed of their own history because it included slavery? No, you do not. You also don't hear them talk very much about slavery in the United States that involved anyone other than Southerners, even though New Englanders ran the Slave Trade, which was the most brutal and inhumane aspect of American slavery. I am not a great student of Armenian history, but I suspect it included slavery too, and I also suspect that Armenians do not have a long history of embracing cultural and racial diversity. However, I would not expect Aram Sarkisian to denounce his ancestors, because that would be evil. The Golden Rule suggests that one should not expect other people to do what they would not want to do themselves.</p>Fr. John Whitefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03455863282054302939noreply@blogger.com