For the context of Mr. Rizkalla’s addendum see our letter to the editors of August 2, of which the writer is but one of several who voiced similar questions. Rightly does Mr. Rizkalla remind us that it is precisely through the united acclamation of the local faithful that God begins to manifest His saints and glorify those who are His own. God reveals them to the Church as saints precisely because we on earth need them, their witness, their holy example.

Forty-Nine Holy Martyrs of Scetis (AD 444)

There seem to be a number of concerns that the title martyr was given hastily, or unjustifiably, in my “Anba Epiphanius the Neo-Hieromartyr,” since “[t]he identity and motive of the murderer are unknown as of yet, despite the speculations of many.” Perhaps an explanation of its use here is in order to assuage concerned readers.

Those who have lived under the yoke of persecutory regimes and in antagonistic milieus are all too familiar with cases of people who suddenly disappear or die inexplicably. Enquiries into what happened may follow, but ultimately get swept under the rug as unsolvable, much to the sorrow of those impacted, who desire closure. Despite the mystery that surrounds the details pertaining to these injustices, people somehow know deep inside what happened.

It is certainly not prudent, or desirable, to speculate on what happened to Anba Epiphanius. However, his troubled environment is known to most who are familiar with the situation in Egypt and the Church there. My eulogy may have given a mere passing glance at what the bishop had to endure personally, and could have seemed as nothing to the casual reader. Nevertheless, those who have similarly suffered—directly, or indirectly—simply knew what had happened. That would explain the widespread sharing of Anba Epiphanius’ murder on social media and elsewhere. Read More

Anba Epiphanius the Neo-Hieromartyr
June 27, 1954 ~ July 29, 2018
Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great in Scetis, Egypt

Introduction

It is not at all easy to find adequate words to do justice to a servant of God, particularly one such as the Right Reverend Anba (Arabic, from Coptic apa, abba, from Syriac abbā, meaning father; a title for a Coptic bishop or saint) Epiphanius, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great in Scetis, Egypt, who so loved God to the point of offering his life wholly to Him as a sacrifice. No matter what is said or written, it cannot capture the depth that underlies such a person. Even so, I thank Orthodoxy in Dialogue for so graciously affording me with the opportunity to eulogize the Church’s neo-hieromartyr and to introduce him to the blog’s readership.

A Life in Few Lines

Anba Epiphanius was born on June 27, 1954, in Tanta, Egypt. He received a baccalaureate in medicine and surgery from the University of Tanta in 1978, having specialized in otorhinolaryngology. On February 17, 1984, Anba Epiphanius entered the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great, whose Spiritual Father was Hegoumen Mattá al-Miskīn (Matthew the Poor: 1919-2006), himself an affluent, well-educated pharmacist who imitated St. Anthony the Great, selling his possessions in response to the Lord’s call, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, give it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, and follow me!” (Mt 19:21). Anba Epiphanius received his monastic tonsure on April 21, 1984, and was ordained to the priesthood on October 17, 2002. Read More

JULY 2018

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Ecumenical Patriarch Takes Moscow Down a Peg over Church Relations with Ukraine

Calls for Articles: Reprise

Orthodoxy and Islam: Toward a Comparative Theology

Before His Death, 10-Year-Old Anthony Avalos Came Out as Gay

A Spiritual Journey: The Under-Reporting of Religion & Faith in the Canadian Media

On Being Orthodox & Genderqueer: An Interview with “Lindsey”

Headscarves: Some Thoughts on Orthodoxy and Culture

The Wheel 13/14: Father Pavel Florensky and the Sacrament of Love

On the Neurobiology of Sin: An Interview with Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) Read More

Our Open Letter to the Church: The Humanitarian Crisis at the US-Mexico Border drew a range of mixed reactions from our readers. At one extreme stood the letter’s 115 signatories: an Orthodox bishop, priests, academics, and laity, joined by many clergy and laity representing other Christian traditions.

To this list we gratefully add the names of those very few hierarchs who issued a letter to the White House or a public statement: in alphabetical order, Metropolitan Nicolae (Condrea), Bishop David (Mahaffey), Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard), Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo), Metropolitan Antony (Scharba), Metropolitan Nathanael (Symeonides), and Archbishop Daniel (Zelinsky). You may find their letters or statements under their names in our Archives by Author with the exception of Archbishop Lazar, whose statement took the form of a letter to the editors.

At the other extreme stood those angered by our letter, who felt that the institutional Orthodox church and even individual Orthodox Christians should play no role in the public life of a pluralistic secular democracy. Orthodox bishops, many of these thought, should restrict themselves to ministering to the spiritual needs of their flocks.

Yet, year after year in our preparation for Great Lent, we are confronted with the Sunday of the Last Judgment. We also have the witness of Mother Maria of Paris, among our most universally beloved of modern Orthodox saints. What do these say to us, both as Church and as individual Orthodox Christians?

In publishing the present article Orthodoxy in Dialogue wishes to raise the following questons:

1. Should the Orthodox Church of the 21st century articulate a more robust “social justice doctrine?”
2. Given the fundamentally eschatological focus of Orthodox liturgy, theology, and ascetical spirituality, what might an Orthodox social justice doctrine look like? How would it maintain the necessary tension between the present world and the world to come? How does the Orthodox Church avoid becoming little more than just another social justice agency operating under a thin religious veneer?

St. Maria of Paris (1891-1945)

America is full of churches that sing songs about grace, hope, and love, yet are unwilling to provide those same things to refugees and immigrants. These churches preach about the “good news” and claim to follow the “gospel truth,” but are dismissive of their own involvement in partisan lies, and seem perfectly content supporting blatantly dishonest political leaders. Instead of being an inspiring “light unto the world,” many Christians have propagated fear-mongering rhetoric and participated in racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and bigotry … all while claiming to follow God.

Much of westernized Christianity has turned the concept of worship into a compartmentalized idea — verbally praising God in song, a segmented event that typically occurs at the beginnings and ends of church services.

But if this is truly what we believe worship is, then we’re severely limiting our reverence to God.

And if we’re opposed to helping refugees, immigrants, and the vulnerable while reciting lyrics about being “saved” and “redeemed,” we’re being hypocritically sinful.

The Bible boldly proclaims: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20).

Read More