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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWNews.com - Pope Benedict has appointed Chorbishop Yousif Habash, a Syrian Catholic priest in Los Angeles, as bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark for Syrian Catholics.
In an interview last month, Chorbishop Habash lamented the effects of the US invasion on Iraqi Christians. “In Mosul before [the U.S.-led Iraq invasion in 2003], there were not the rivers of blood like today,” he said. “Christians were not dying like insects.”
“Since 2003, there hasn't been any progress in Iraq,” he added. “The electricity, water and power [infrastructure] are destroyed.”
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PATRIARCHAL PROCLAMATION FOR PASCHA
B A R T H O L O M E W
By the Grace of God,
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome
and Ecumenical Patriarch,
To all the Faithful of the Church:
Grace, mercy, and peace from Christ the Savior Risen in Glory
* * *
Beloved brothers and sisters, dear children in the Lord,
Christ is Risen!
Once again, the sacred day of Pascha has dawned in full delight and splendor, dispersing joy, comfort, gladness and assurance of life to all faithful, despite the heavy atmosphere that prevails in our world on account of the multidimensional crisis with all its familiar painful consequences for our daily life.
Christ has risen from the tomb as divinely human; and humanity has risen with Him! The tyranny of death belongs to the past. The hopelessness of hades' captivity has irrevocably gone. The only powerful Giver of life, having through His Incarnation voluntarily assumed all of the misfortune of our nature and all that it entails, namely death, has already "brought death to hades by the lightning of divinity,"[1] granting us life - and "life in abundance." (John 10.10)
This abundance of life, which was granted to us by the Risen Lord, is ceaselessly slandered and assaulted by the devil - indeed, these actions are the source of his very name - although he is now weakened, completely powerless, and entirely ridiculous. The devil slanders Life by means of the hubris that still prevails in the world against God, humanity and the creation. The devil assaults Life by means of the sinful tendency that exists within us like "old rust," using this to entrap us either into tangible sin or delusional belief. Hubris is the offspring of that "rust", while both comprise the sinister couple responsible for disrupting relationships within ourselves, with others, as well as with God and the whole creation. Accordingly, it is imperative that we purify ourselves of this rust with great attentiveness and carefulness in order that the profuse life-giving light of the Risen Christ may shine in our mind, soul and body, so that it may in turn dispel the darkness of hubris and pour the "abundance" of life to all the world.
This cannot be achieved by philosophy, science, technology, art, or any ideology; it can only be achieved through faith in what God has condescended for us human beings through His Passion, Crucifixion and Burial, descending to the depths of hades and rising from the dead as the divine-human Jesus Christ. It is also expressed in the sacramental life of the Church as well as through laborious and systematic spiritual struggle. The Church, as the Body of Christ, unceasingly and to the ages experiences the miracle of the Resurrection; through its sacred Mysteries, its Theology and its practical teachings, it offers us the possibility of participating in that miracle, of sharing in the victory over death, of becoming children shaped by the light of the Resurrection and truly "partakers of divine nature." (2 Peter 1.4), just as in the life of every Saint in the past and present. The thorny weeds of passions growing within the depths of our heart, polluted by the rust of "the old self" (Eph. 4.22) must definitely be transformed as soon as possible in Christ, through Christ and for the sake of Christ and His living images that surround us - namely, our fellow human beings - into a bouquet of virtues, holiness, and righteousness. Hence, the sacred hymnographer chants in timely manner: "Let us put on the robe of righteousness, which is whiter than snow, and let us rejoice today in the day of the Pascha; for Christ, the sun of righteousness that rises from the dead, has showered upon us the light of incorruption."[2] The white garment of righteousness was given to us symbolically on the day of our Baptism; and we are invited to cleanse it continually through constant repentance, control of desires, patience in life's pain, and relentless effort to fulfill the commandments of God, and especially the supreme commandment of love. In this way, we are able to participate in the cross-bearing self-emptying of Christ, in order that the Paschal gladness, radiant light, and joyful salvation may enter our life and world.
We address this from the Phanar, where we experience the suffering of Holy Friday and the light of the Resurrection, as we express to you the affection of the Mother Church, wholeheartedly wishing for all the saving gift and Paschal blessing of the Lord of Life, who rose from the dead.
Holy Pascha 2010
Fervent supplicant for all before the Lord
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
[1] Dismissal Hymn of the Resurrection, First Tone.
[2] From Vespers on the Sunday of Thomas.
To be read in churches during the Divine Liturgy, following the Holy Gospel, on the Feast of Pascha.
Contact: PRESS OFFICE
Stavros Papagermanos
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April 4, 2010
Holy Pascha
The Feast of Feasts
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ἀνέστη!
In the joy and light of the glorious Resurrection of our Lord we gather on this Holy and Great Feast of Pascha to celebrate the life-giving presence and power of Christ. On this day, we give the highest praise to God for His love. On this feast, our thankfulness is unceasing, as we contemplate our restoration from death to life. Today, we offer the brightest witness throughout the world as we proclaim our faith in our Savior. On this day, our hearts are enlivened with the victory of the ages. Christ is risen. Death has been defeated, and we will live forever in blessed communion with God.
On this Feast of Feasts we recognize that the Resurrection of Christ and our salvation is absolutely the work of God. In His great love for us, He fulfilled His divine promise of redemption. This love brought us into existence. His love endured even through our disobedience. In this great love, He established a means by which we would be reconciled to Him, the bondage of sin and death would be broken, and we could have and experience life as He intended it to be. This we could not accomplish on our own. It is God, and God alone who commands the light to shine out of the darkness, who in the midst of death, brings life.
The beautiful and unwaning light of Pascha shines in our hearts, illuminating our souls with the power of the Resurrection and giving us a glimpse of our eternal salvation. God in His great wisdom directs this light into our hearts, our souls, our very being, permeating our entire person with truth and grace. This light resonates with who we are and what we were created to be. In the light of Pascha we know that we were not made for sin and death. We have been created for a blessed and unending life. We have been formed in His image for genuine and loving relationships with God and one another. This is not knowledge that comes from great intellectual quests or that can be acquired with wealth or status. It is a divine knowledge offered to all, and on this day we are all called to come and receive this light so that we might forever be illumined in truth and transformed in love.
This transformation and the joy that comes through the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6) is very real and powerful to us because Christ is in our midst. All of this has and continues to be accomplished through Him. Through His Incarnation He shared in our humanity, and through His power as the Son of God He overcame sin and death. It is His glory that shines in our hearts revealing the purpose and potential of our lives. In His face we see what we are called to be. We see the deep and enduring love of God. We see the willing sacrifice for our redemption. We see a tender invitation to return to communion with God. In our painful experience of the wounded world in which we live, of conditions of blinding darkness and utter confusion that surrounds our contemporary humanity, we see our Risen Lord in triumphant honor and glory, calling all to come to Him and receive the light of life. On this day we celebrate that wonderful knowledge of His glory: Christ is in our midst, and He always shall be.
May this light of divine truth that shines in our hearts be ever brighter on this great and glorious Feast of Pascha. May our joy be so immense and the love that we share so complete that each and every person and all of creation will hear our hymn and know that Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
With paternal love in Christ,
†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0237
Web: http://www.goarch.org - Email:
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VATICAN – (RISU.ORG.UA) - On March 17, 2010, the Vatican reported that Pope Benedict XVI appointed the titular Bishop of Bononia and Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy, Milan Shashik, the eparch of the eparchy, reports Radio Vatican.
Bishop Milan has headed the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy as the Apostolic Administrator since November 12, 2002. He was born on September 17, 1952, in Slovakia. After graduating from school he joined the Association of Missionaries, studied philosophy and theology in the Bratislava Seminary, and in 1976 was ordained a priest. He completed the Licentiate program in theology in Rome, after which he worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv for six years. In 2003 he was consecrated as a bishop by Pope John Paul II.
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Letter of His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III for Pascha 2010
From Gregorios, servant of Jesus Christ,
by the grace of God, Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East,
of Alexandria and of Jerusalem,
to their excellencies, the bishops, members of the venerable Holy Synod,
to our sons, the priests,
and to all our sons and daughters in Jesus Christ
Celebrating Pascha Together
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Celebrating Pascha together!
What joy fills the Christian world, East and West! Yes, we rejoice at celebrating the glorious Feast of Pascha together, the holy Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes, East and West! All Christians, both those who follow the Julian calendar and those who follow the Gregorian calendar, are all celebrating together! What is more, we shall celebrate together in the same way in the year 2011! We thank the Lord for this gift.
This fact is the result of the ecclesiastical calendar that governs the annual celebration of the Feast of Pascha. We published a brief summative study on the topic in the third volume of liturgical books that we compiled, revised and published between 1992 and 2000, as requested by our predecessor of blessed memory, Patriarch Maximos V, after our election by the Holy Synod as president of the liturgical commission in 1986.
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March 25, 2010
Feast of the Annunciation
Day of Greek Independence
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary chanting these words, “Today is the crowning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery that is from all ages.” In the Announcement of the Archangel Gabriel to the Theotokos, God offered His divine plan for our salvation. In the same event the nature and purpose of the message of the Gospel was made known. God’s grace and the means of salvation were revealed, the good news was proclaimed by His messenger, and the hearer and receiver of the Word of God responded in faith.
The event of the Annunciation was foundational for the Gospel, a message of God’s love that would be carried to the ends of the earth. The means for our salvation through the Incarnation of the Son of God had been established before all ages. The time of the revelation had come, and God chose the recipient of this divine blessing and sent the heavenly messenger to her so that all humanity would know of His grace. This act of God towards us and for our salvation defines the Gospel. The Gospel is the Evangelismos, the annunciation of the “good news” of God’s love and the path of restoration to life and eternal communion with Him.
The will of God was joyfully announced by the Archangel Gabriel. The role of the messenger presents us with a second aspect of the Gospel that is celebrated in this Feast of Evangelismos. The Gospel is and must be proclaimed. It is shared by those who are sent to offer to all the saving message of God. Jesus proclaimed that He was the fulfillment of the message of salvation (Luke 4:19). The Apostles were commissioned to go to all the nations and to preach the Gospel and teach what Christ had taught them (Matthew 28:18-20). All who receive the Holy Spirit are called to be witnesses of Christ throughout the entire world (Acts 1:8). For the Gospel to be received it must be heard. For it to be heard it must be proclaimed. For it to be proclaimed, we must be willing to share the Gospel through both word and deed.
The Feast of the Annunciation is a significant day in our spiritual heritage. This is also a day upon which we observe an important commemoration of our cultural heritage, the Day of Greek Independence. As both our spiritual and cultural heritage are joined together in our Hellenic identity, so this sacred feast of the Church and this day of remembrance and celebration of freedom are linked in a very unique way. The Gospel of salvation revealed in the Annunciation to the Theotokos is the message of our spiritual freedom in Christ. This ultimate freedom from sin and death is essential to any understanding of the freedom and self-determination that is enshrined in the establishment of modern democracies. We were created by God to be free to live in fellowship with Him and free from all that injures and destroys life. We were also created to live in relationship with one another, using our freedom to establish societies that are free from oppression, exploitation, and tyranny. These were the aims of our fathers and mothers who offered their lives and property so that the people of Greece might be free, and this is a freedom that we still have and cherish.
On this day may we remember and be grateful for the freedom we have inherited, both in Greece and in America. May we use this freedom, not to satisfy personal desires, but for the wellbeing of all. May we use it to proclaim a Gospel of salvation and freedom that will not only bless and guide us through our sojourn in this world, but will also lead us into eternal life in the kingdom of God.
With paternal love in Christ,
†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0237
Web: http://www.goarch.org - Email:
Contact: PRESS OFFICE
Stavros Papagermanos