Archbishop Elpidophoros

From the public Facebook page of Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America:

Our hearts are in pain. I ask all the faithful to join me in lifting up our prayers for the innocent victims and their families and the El Paso, TX community in the aftermath of another senseless and horrific mass shooting. (August 3)

Must our hearts break—yet again—so soon with two senseless shootings in 24 hours? Join me in lighting a candle this morning for these innocent victims and for the people of El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. (August 4)

Is this as good as it gets? Read More

This article appeared as an op-ed with a different title at the Kyiv Post on August 6, 2019.

Stepan Bandera (1909-1959)

On July 31 UNIAN reported that “Patriarch” Filaret Denysenko’s long, controversial run at the center of Ukrainian religious life had just come to an inglorious end as he was effectively escorted offstage—not by the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), to whose warnings and disciplinary actions he has proven spectacularly indifferent, but by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Justice. The former has confirmed that the never canonical “Kyiv Patriarchate” (UOC-KP) ceased to exist as a legally registered entity at the OCU’s Unification Council of December 15, 2018, while the latter has rejected Denysenko’s appeal to “extend” the Patriarchate’s registration seven and a half months after it was terminated by his own consent.

Orthodoxy in Dialogue’s readers around the world, largely supportive of Ukraine’s quest for political and ecclesiastical emancipation from Moscow, breathed a collective sigh of relief when they heard the news. Now the life and mission of the OCU could move forward without the embarrassing distraction of a 90-year old narcissist clamoring for one more pirouette in the spotlight.

Or so it seemed. Read More

Ministry of Culture Confirms Liquidation of Filaret’s “Kyiv Patriarchate”

On July 30, Honorary Patriarch Filaret appealed to the Ministry of Justice to “prolong” registration of the UOC-KP.

Photo credit: UNIAN

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine on Wednesday confirmed the liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate following the Unification Council held on December 15, 2018.

The statement of the Ministry of Culture reads that the UOC-KP ceased to exist by joining the Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

In particular, by order of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine of January 30, 2019, No. 54, the Charter of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was registered. Read More

JULY 2019

LGBTQI Listening Tour: An Open Letter to Our Bishops in the USA and Canada

On Sodomy

A Special Kind of Orthodox Clergy Directory

The Patriarchal Saga that Keeps on Giving

From the Fathers: The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Two Men in Bed Together?

Open Letter Delivered to the Bishops

Response to Our Open Letter by Archbishop Mark (Maymon)

St. Seraphim of Sarov: Patron Saint of Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal

Unanswered Letter to an OCA Bishop (or, Where Are the Pastors?)

Importance of Church-State Cooperation in the European Context Read More

Recently Giacomo Sanfilippo reached out to us at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) with an offer of help. He expressed to RAICES that a central focus of Orthodoxy in Dialogue has been to advocate and care for the hungry, the homeless, the stranger, and the foreigner.

This is where our missions align. 

RAICES began in 1986 as a small immigration legal services provider in South Texas, but has grown to include not only legal services but social and community services, as well as advocacy programs to meet the needs of immigrant populations. RAICES means Roots in Spanish, and our story is rooted in the fight for immigrant justice. We believe that through legal services, social programs, and advocacy we can all not only find common ground but create thriving and diverse communities where everyone can prosper. Read More

This is the second article in our Anglican Church and Same-Sex Marriage series. See our Invitation to Dialogue if you would like to add your voice on this important topic which crosses ecclesial and denominational borders. You need not be Anglican to participate.

Anglican Church of Canada says no to same-sex marriage (CTV)
Anglican Church of Canada rejects same-sex marriage amendment (Globe and Mail)
Southwestern Ontario Anglican Diocese to allow same-sex marriage (CBC)
Pastoral Guidelines for Same-Sex Marriages (Anglican Diocese of Toronto)

Confused by these headlines? Who wouldn’t be? How can “yes” and “no” be said at the same time, by the same church, in the same week? Are marriages of LGBT+ Christians accepted or rejected in the Anglican Church of Canada?

My intention is not to attempt a theological analysis of same-sex marriage, but rather to ensure that readers of Orthodoxy in Dialogue are aware of the process of discernment that engaged Anglicans behind the headlines, and to provide some commentary on the shape that Anglican pastoral and spiritual practice will take going forward. Read More

English-speaking Orthodox faithful in the United States who have wanted to learn the liturgical arts of the Orthodox Church — music, iconography, vestments, architecture and furnishings design, etc. — have historically had limited opportunities to study with knowledgeable teachers. Some have had the opportunity to go overseas to countries such as Greece and Russia to study, but this approach poses many barriers — cost, time, and language, just to begin with. Self-study has been a solution for others, but the quality of available reference materials in English has been unreliable, and the dangers with this approach have included incomplete grounding in fundamentals and lack of live feedback.

In recent years, however, many American Orthodox Christians who have had the opportunity to study the liturgical arts have embraced the responsibility to pass on what they have learned. Not only that, but some church leaders have recognized the need for establishing organized educational initiatives so that such teachers may teach, and those who want to learn can do so without needing to fly across the ocean. Read More