WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE CLERGY by Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The following statement appeared on November 19, 2025 on the website of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate under the title Archons Question White House Meeting with Russian Orthodox Clergy Who Are Lobbyists for Putin. (See also What Is an Archon?) The Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), characterized previously by Orthodoxy in Dialogue as “little more than one of the two arms of the Moscow Patriarchate’s disinformation apparatus,” has responded with a series of condemnations of the Archons’ statement by various authors. (See, for example, Serbian Dean Denounces Archons’ Statement on Pan-Orthodox Advocacy for UOC. The UOC, or Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is the Kremlin’s ecclesiastical operation in Ukraine, as distinguished from the OCU, or Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in January 2019.)

Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP) note with dismay and regret that Russian Orthodox clergy who are boosters of Vladimir Putin’s unjust, immoral and monstrous war against Ukraine are meeting this week with White House officials and Congressional leaders in Washington.

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TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

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Grant rest eternal in blessed repose, O Lord,

to the souls of Thy servants who have fallen asleep,

and may their memory be eternal.

Memory eternal. Memory eternal. Memory eternal.

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TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH by Hermione Madsen

My name is Hermione Madsen. I’m an Orthodox Christian, Supiaq Alutiiq, and a trans woman from Kodiak, Alaska — a place where the sea, faith, and ancestral spirit all live close together. I walk the path of both tradition and transformation, seeking to follow Christ with honesty and love. The lives of the saints, especially St. Herman of Alaska, have shaped my heart and given me hope when I felt unseen.

My journey in the Orthodox Church has not been easy. I’ve faced rejection, silence, and even persecution from some who could not see Christ’s image in me. I’ve been denied confession and Communion, and watched the community I love turn away in fear. Yet, even through that pain, I’ve learned that true Orthodoxy is not built on exclusion but on the mercy and compassion of Jesus Himself. His love has never left me — and it is that same love I want to share with others who feel cast aside. Read More

CHARLIE KIRK AND HIS EXAMPLE AND LESSON: OPEN LETTER TO METROPOLITAN TIKHON (SHEVKUNOV) by Jan Michael Ostrowski

Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) is known to English-language readers as the author of Everyday Saints and Other Stories, written when he was abbot of Sretensky Monastery. The following open letter responds to his The Example of Charlie Kirk Is a Lesson for Us, which appeared in Russian on Pravoslavie.Ru with the title “If You Eliminate Me, Others will Rise Up and Speak out Louder”: On Charlie Kirk and His Statements, and in English translation on Orthodox Christianity .

Your Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea: 

I’ve read with some interest your recently published article entitled, “The Example of Charlie Kirk is a Lesson for Us.” I have some thoughts to share. Read More