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Ukraine and Ecumenical Patriarchate Sign Agreement to Establish Independent Ukrainian Church
Official Report from President of Ukraine

President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed the Agreement “On Cooperation and Interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople” [on Saturday, November 3, 2018]. This is an agreement on cooperation in the creation of an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine: the Ecumenical Patriarch provides the Tomos, recognizing the independence of the Ukrainian Church, and presents it to the Primate elected by the Council.

The Head of State stressed that this day is historic for the creation of an independent Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, as today the agreement was signed on the establishment of an independent Ukrainian Church.

“The Agreement we signed today provides all the conditions for the process of preparing for the Council, the process of giving the Tomos to be brought to a strict conformity with the canons of the Orthodox Church. I congratulate you all on signing this Agreement. I want to emphasize that November 3 is a historic day for the creation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church,” Petro Poroshenko said. Read More

Father Robert F. Taft, SJ

January 9, 1932 ~ November 2, 2018

Memory Eternal

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Sergei Semionovich Troitsky

August 8, 1881 ~ November 2, 1910

Memory Eternal ~ Вѣчная Память

Friend and Intended Life-Companion (Спутник Жизни, “Husband”) of Pavel Alexandrovich Florensky

My meek one, my radiant one! Our vaulted room greeted me with coldness, sadness, and loneliness when I opened its door for the first time after my trip. But, alas, I entered it alone, without you. But you are not with me, and the whole world seems deserted. I am alone, absolutely alone in the whole world. 

Мой кроткïй, мой ясный! Холодомъ, грустью и одиночествомъ дохнула на меня наша сводчатая комната, когда я въ первый разъ послѣ поѣздки открылъ дверь въ нее. Теперь,—увы!—, я вошелъ въ нее уже одинъ, безъ тебя. Но нѣтъ тебя со мною, и весь мïръ кажется запустѣлымъ. Я одинокъ, абсолютно одинокъ въ цѣломъ свѣтѣ.

“I know he will rise on the day of resurrection, the last day.” Nevertheless, with a kind of tranquil grief, I repeat before our cross, which you made from an ordinary stick and which our gentle Elder blessed, I repeat, “Lord! If Thou hadst been here, my Brother would not have died.”

«Знаю, что воскреснетъ въ воскресенïе, въ послѣдный день». И все таки, съ какою-то умиротворенною мукой, повтворяю предъ нашимъ крестомъ, который тобою сдѣланъ изъ простой палки, который освященъ нашимъ ласковымъ Старцемъ: «Господи! если бы ты былъ здѣсь, не умеръ бы Братъ мой». Read More

Stefan Kleinhenz

During the Trump era, Republicans have struggled to exhibit compassion. The GOP touts its principles, but without compassion those principles are worthless.  

President Trump ordered 5,000 soldiers to be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border to defend the country from a migrant caravan of women and children. In 1957, President Eisenhower gave similar orders, but he sent the Arkansas National Guard to protect and defend nine African American students and their rights to attend school with white kids.

A time will come (and it may already be here) when the populace, regardless of policies and values, will look to public leaders to embody compassion. The Democrats have mastered the game of emotions and, whether they are sincere or not, people are drawn to leaders that at least appear to possess the basic human qualities of love. People are drawn to leaders that care.

The GOP must prioritize humanity over policy, and if it can’t, Republicans risk being voted out. In a number of humanitarian issues, Republicans hurt themselves.When it comes to gun violence, Republicans tend to spend very little time, if any, on the human impact of the tragedy. They immediately jump to the defense of the Second Amendment instead. With health care policy, Republicans allow themselves to be painted as leaders who don’t care if certain Americans won’t be able to afford treatment because it’s more important to have a smaller government. And with immigration, Republicans show no compassion for the families seeking a better life for their children, reverting instead to the talking point that the immigrants are illegal aliens and lawbreakers. Read More