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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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23.10.2009, [15:16] // Inter-Christian relations //
UZHHOROD — With the blessing of Bishop Tykhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, on October 21, 2009, a delegation of the American Orthodox Autocephalous Church (USA) came to St. Cyril and Methodius’ Uzhhorod Ukrainian Theological Academy. RISU was informed by the press service of the academy that the delegation was received by its rector, Protopriest Viktor Bed, on the blessing of Metropolitan Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.
The meeting dealt with questions of establishing international cooperation in the area of scholarly-educational activities, the modernization of the educational process, and the government of the higher education of the Bologna Process for creating one European educational space.
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Lviv - 20091022 - A joint meeting of the bishops of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Churches of Ukraine took place on October 19-20, 2009. The meeting began with the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Dormition of Holy Mother of God of the Roman Catholic Church of Lviv. Archbishop-metropolitan of Lviv Mechyslav Mokshytskyj led the Liturgy. The sermon was said by His Beatitude Lubomyr, the head of the UGCC, who marked that "every community of people is a sign of activity of the Holy Spirit."
"Such a meeting of bishops of two churches, which represent different traditions, is a visible sign of unity of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. This should become a visible sign of the possibility of unity in today's society," commented Reverend Bishop Bohdan (Dzyurakh), secretary of Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, to the Information Department.
On October 20, at 8 a.m. with the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantium rite led by the Most Reverend Bishop Ihor (Voznyak), Archbishop of Lviv, in the retreat center of Lviv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, began the second day of the joint meeting of bishops. The working meetings were conducted after the Liturgy. The main theme of the meetings was "The Word of God in life and the mission of the church."
Bishop Peter Herkulyan Mal'chuk, auxiliary bishop of Odessa-Simferopol Diocese, gave a speech presenting the results of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, which was conducted last year in Rome and was devoted to the theme of God’s Word. Afterwards, a discussion was held where the bishops of both churches shared their opinions and visions on how to better preach God’s Word.
"It should be noted that one of the results of the discussion was a suggestion that next year joint retreats for the bishops of the two churches be held," said Bishop Bohdan in conclusion.
Information Department of the UGCC- Details
October 28, 2009
OXI Day
For you, brethren, have been called to freedom.
Galatians 5:13
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,
With gracious hearts for our blessed faith and heritage, we observe the annual commemoration of OXI Day once again. The significance of our remembrance of this special day originated in a firm stand against the forces of tyranny and oppression that threatened Greece and the world in 1940. It is also inextricably linked to our identity as Hellenes and Orthodox Christians.
The resounding "NO" to the occupation and subjugation of Greece that was proclaimed in the words and deeds of the people, affirmed the deep faith of these people in words of St. Paul, you have been called to freedom (Galatians 5:13), and stated emphatically the love of freedom and truth that characterized the Hellenic mind, a mind that had sustained generations through centuries of oppression, and that nurtured the hope of many as they waited for justice and peace. The reply to the leadership of Fascist regimes was also marked by courage and honor. The military resources of Greece were no match for the terrorizing war machine of the occupiers. The reply of "NO" to their requests could only be supported by the courage to stand for what was right and the honor to endure the sacrifice that would follow. For the people of Greece did suffer for their stand, and on this day we commemorate the sacrifice of life, property, and well-being for the sake of freedom and justice.
As Orthodox Christians we also can affirm in our commemoration the strength and power of the faith that we share with those who endured the pain and tragedy of occupation. As believers in the One who loves us and gave himself up for us (Ephesians 5:2), we know the redemptive power of God's grace, which instills within us courage to endure and have hope in all circumstances. We also share in a divine love that inspires us to stand for freedom and truth, to offer our lives and resources in service, and to carry a cross of sacrifice so that others may know the ineffable joy of freedom and redemption.
On this OXI Day of remembrance may we offer prayers for the blessed memory of those who sacrificed so much in their stand for what is just, true, and honorable. May we also affirm our commitment to the unwavering defense of freedom, truth, and justice by all means and always under the guidance and protection of our loving 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:
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By Jesús Colina
PAPHOS, Cyprus, OCT. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has progressed in its reflection on the role of the bishop of Rome.
The commission issued a joint communiqué reporting on its progress at the end of its 11th plenary session, ended today in Paphos. The document in question is titled "The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium."
The document is based on a draft prepared by an Orthodox-Catholic committee, which met in Crete last year. At present, the commission is reflecting on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church in the first millennium -- before the Great Schism of 1054.
The current work of the commission responds to the appeal made by Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical "Ut Unum Sint" on the "ecumenical commitment," in which he proposed "finding a way to exercise the primacy that, without giving up in any way what is essential to its mission, opens to a new situation."
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CWNews.com - The head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus has vowed to discipline Orthodox monks and clerics whose protest against a Catholic wedding led to the wedding’s cancellation. The priest had received permission to hold the wedding in an Orthodox church.
“For someone-- whether a lay or clerical person-- to place his opinion above the opinion and decisions of the local synods of the whole of the Orthodox faith amounts to vanity, and indeed satanic vanity,” said Archbishop Chrysostomos II, head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus since 2006. Urging the protestors to “get their feet back on the ground and gain some redemptive humility,” he said that clerics who took part in the protest would be suspended without pay and that monks who took part would be denied Holy Communion for several weeks.
“If they don’t like it, they should take off their robes and leave the formal Church,” he said. “Let them go and set up their own church.”
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KYIV-MOSCOW - By the invitation of the chair of the Synodal Information Department of the Russian Orthodox Church Volodymyr Legoyda and with the blessing of the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, the chair of the Synodal Department for Information and Education, archpriest Heorhii Kovalenko, took part in the work of the board of the Synodal Information Department of the Russian Orthodox Church. The UOC-MP web site posted this information on October 8, 2009.
The members of the board and the guests exchanged ideas regarding the main strategic directions for the informational development of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate noted that it was also due to the joint and active work of the Moscow Patriarchy and the Kyiv Metropolis with the secular media that the visit of Patriarch Kirill to Ukraine was positively received by the Ukrainian society. At the same time archpriest Heorhii pointed out the necessity of constant informational support of the initiatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its hierarchy, and also brought to the attention of those present that in its information policy the Russian Orthodox Church should always regard that the Moscow Patriarchate is larger than the Russian Federation.
Discussing the strategy of informational development of the Russian Orthodox Church, the press secretary for the primate of the UOC-MP also noted that the church media needs to be the instrument of conciliarism and an active means of church communication.
• http://www.orthodox.org.ua