MICHAEL SISCO, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND LOYALTY IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH by Lydia Bringerud
In 2018, NPR conducted an interview with a former neo-Nazi, Christian Picciolini. In the interview, Picciolini discusses how terms like “alt-right” and “white nationalist” were invented by white supremacists to sound more palatable to average Americans, and points out the prevalence of these words in the news today. He goes on to discuss how there was a specific push in the 1980s and 90s to give the movement a face-lift, including encouraging members to wear business suits, recruit college students, and join law enforcement and the military. Picciolini believes that efforts like this have been successful, and that this is how some white supremacists are able to fly under the radar and enter political office today.
It is my belief that some of these young men are joining the Orthodox Church in increasing numbers as well, and if believers are not awake to the way theology and church history can be twisted to accommodate their views, they may continue to fly under the radar, shaping the direction the Church takes in the US and beyond.
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WHAT DO WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6, 2021? by Archbishop Paul (Gassios) of Chicago
This most recent instalment of Archbishop Paul’s Reflections appeared on January 20 on the Orthodox Family Life page of the website of the Diocese of the Midwest, Orthodox Church in America.
Two weeks ago I posted about why Jesus needed to be baptized. I then went on to celebrate Theophany Liturgy at Holy Trinity Cathedral. I had a glorious experience. The feast taught me about what community is, as the “worship of the Trinity made manifest.” I truly believe that we find true communion with one another in the waters the Lord sanctified when He entered the Jordan. The waters we prayed over that day became waters of sanctification, salvation, reconciliation, and love.
Then I went home that day only to observe the horrendous sight of our nation’s Capitol being invaded. The Congress needed to suspend their work for a short time to be kept in a place of safety. Thankfully, by evening, the Congress was able to reassemble and continue their work. I felt as if I went from heaven to hell that day.
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FATHER MARK HODGES WHINES TO LIFESITE NEWS ABOUT LGBTQ PEOPLE, UNFAIR REPORTING
This article by Doug Mainwaring appeared earlier today on LifeSite News with the title Priest suspended for attending Jan. 6 DC rally is target of LGBT attacks. LifeSite had previously gone after Orthodoxy in Dialogue for our support of Father James Martin, SJ.
We question whether Father Hodges has the blessing of Archbishop Paul (Gassios) to speak to the press, especially as he repeatedly refutes His Eminence’s reasons for suspending him.
LIMA, Ohio, January 25, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — The priest who was suspended after attending the controversial “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., earlier this month believes that news outlets covering his story are overlooking the crucial role that LGBT activists played in triggering his ordeal.
Fr. Mark Hodges, an Orthodox priest living in Ohio (who is also a former LifeSiteNews writer) said that when he has communicated with media outlets reporting on his story, he has been careful to point out that “LGBT targeting” is “the origin of this controversy.”
None of the more than three dozen local, national, and international reports mention that significant detail. “They sidestep it completely,” noted Hodges.
The Orthodox priest said that he attended the January 6 event not as a Donald Trump fan but as a supporter of election integrity.
“The rally was advertised as an entirely peaceful protest for election transparency,” said Hodges. “To me and to nearly everyone I talked to at the rally, it wasn’t about Trump versus Biden, or Left versus Right, but about free and fair elections.”
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ORTHODOXY IN DIALOGUE 