Metropolitan Hilarion (L), First Hierarch of ROCOR, greets Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (R)

On March 22, two days ago, we published a report entitled ROCOR Allows Parishes to Stop Commemorating Patriarch Kirill. This turned overnight into one of our most viewed articles to date worldwide.

Yesterday, Father Gregory Joyce, secretary of the ROCOR Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, writing on behalf of Archbishop Peter, denied our report on the diocesan website. Oddly, the ROCOR website fails to address the question at all.* Read More

Metropolitan Hilarion (C), First Hierarch, with the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

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On March 21, 2022 the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) took the decision to allow individual parishes to stop commemorating Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in liturgical services, whether or not the parish’s local bishop continues to do so. This information was conveyed for publication to Orthodoxy in Dialogue by an internal source with first-hand knowledge of the matter. Read More

Mr. Lacey’s video responds to Part 1 and Part 2 of Father John Whiteford’s screed against Sister Vassa (Larin), Public Orthodoxy, and Ukraine.

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(Illustration by author)

One could hear crying, weeping, and groaning everywhere, the blood that the Tsar was shedding on a daily basis cried to the Martyr.[…] And there! The merciful and great Demetrius came around! Holy Demetrius set off to rescue his people saying, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them in as well.” Demetrius himself delivered a blow to the wretched Tsar and knocked him from his horse. And those who walked with him saw it clearly, how the great Martyr had swiftly and vigorously attacked him, killing him with his spear.  (From John Staurakios, The Miracles of Holy Demetrius, 13^th century  [author’s translation and adjustment])

Philippe Buc writes in his book on War, Martyrdom, and Terror (2012) that Eastern Orthodoxy has no tradition of religious wars or even a theology that justifies violence. This might be true to some extent if one looks for a Western-style comprehensive theology of just wars. The majority of Orthodox theology does not, at a glance, mention war as an option, but only peace. The business of war will frequently be dismissed from theological works. More often will quotes appear like the ones from Canon XII of Nicaea I that explicitly compares military service to men returning “like dogs, to their own vomit.” [i] Read More