This article appeared yesterday at Religion News Service. See source for additional photos from the conference.

Metropolitan Ambrosios (Zografos) speaks during the Mega-Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association meeting in Volos, Greece, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of IOTA

Nearly 400 Orthodox Christian theologians from 44 countries convened in the largest international conference of its kind in Greece on Thursday (Jan. 12) to discuss “Nicaea-sized” questions facing the Eastern Orthodox Church amid war and bitter division.

Some of the most contentious issues at the Mega-Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association, meeting in Volos, have been exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which exacerbated a split between a newly independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kyiv and the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Metropolitan Ambrosios (Zografos) of Korea and Exarch of Japan, a bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, told the assembly Wednesday evening that the various branches of Orthodox Christianity had fomented a heresy by taking sides in the war, calling it “an unspeakable travesty” that as a result, “most Orthodox leaders have failed to condemn this diabolical war unequivocally. Read More

Remembering our friend and mentor, Jim Forest, with a song from the Sixties Peace Movement. Jim reposed in the Lord one year ago today. He touched many lives, including mine starting in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. He resurfaced in my life when I came into the Orthodox Church in 1999. May Jim’s memory be eternal.

GET TOGETHER

Love is but a song we sing,
Fear’s the way we die,
You can make the mountains ring,
Or make the Angels cry,
Though the bird is on the wing,
You may not know why. Read More

For context see the Metropolitan Joseph: The Scandal section in our Archives 2020-23 linked at the top of this page. Most noteworthy in the following Open Letter is the Board of Trustees’ flagrant violation of the canons and the Archdiocesan constitution in nominating the Patriarchal Vicar as Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. This and other questions raised below acquire added urgency as the Special Convention to elect the new Metropolitan takes place on January 13, a week from today. How can the faithful of the Antiochian Archdiocese trust that the process be conducted properly?

The Vicar’s letter withdrawing his name from consideration and other pertinent information are attached below.

In our last parish council meeting, council members had many questions regarding the nomination process to elect the next Metropolitan of The Antiochian Orthodox Church of North America. Many have received emails about the process, and most of them are well informed about the qualifications for Metropolitan Archbishop and Diocesan Bishop according to both the Patriarchate and Archdiocesan constitutions. They follow the Archdiocese news on social media, and they are confused by the contradicting and non-transparent messages coming from the Patriarchal Vicar and his committee (Vicar, bishops, and Board of Trustees) at the Headquarters of the Antiochian Archdiocese in Englewood NJ. 

Why aren’t the Vicar and his committee communicating back to all parishes the questions and responses that people have been asking the Patriarchal Vicar as he’s been touring North America? Are other parishes also not privy to this information?  Read More

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 2022

Sergei Troitsky: Memory Eternal ~ Вѣчная Память

Joseph Al-Zehlaoui’s Farewell Buried after Orthodoxy in Dialogue Objects

Patriarchal Vicar for Antiochian Archdiocese Condemns Sexual and Gender Diversity, Women’s Rights, Feminism, Etc. as Mental Illness, Satanic, Pagan

Responding to the Patriarchal Vicar on Sexuality & Gender

Inconsistencies between Orthodox Criticism of Israel and Support of Russia

Archbishop of Cyprus Falls Asleep; Hero to Ukrainian Church

A Question for Metropolitan Antonios

Patriarch John, Archdiocesan Delegates Meet; Just More Business as Usual?

On Living and Dying as a Gay Person in the Armenian Church

Giacomo Sanfilippo on the Asceticism of Same-Sex Love: A Podcast Interview Read More