Month: July 2010

National Herald
By Theodore Kalmoukos

During his address to the 40th Clergy-Laity Congress in Atlanta, Georgia Archdiocesan Council Vice-President Michael Jaharis advocated increased use of the English language and greater efforts to reach out to the youth, converts, and Greek Americans not currently active in the Church.ATLANTA — Archdiocesan Council Vice-President Michael Jaharis proposed using the English language for the Divine Liturgy and other worship services even in parishes comprised largely of Greek speaking faithful, during his address at the 40th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which was being attended by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s representative Archbishop Irenaios of Crete and hundreds of other delegates from the clergy and laity. At the same time, however, he portrayed himself as a staunch supporter of the Greek language and Hellenism.
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At the Expo, the Chinese authorities allow the Orthodox community to celebrate regular prayer services. Local communist officials also present at the ceremony commemorating the saint, who reunited the Orthodox community in the early thirties.

Shanghai (AsiaNews) – The small Chinese Orthodox community have celebrated St. John of Shanghai with a “moleben,” a solemn liturgy. The ceremony was chaired by Archpriest Alexei Kiselevich, rector of the Orthodox community of the metropolis, in the church of St. Nicholas.

Many foreign faithful in town to visit the Expo also took part in the moleben, as well as local government representatives. In fact the authorities allowed the Orthodox to hold regular prayer services during the universal exhibition. During the year, however, the Orthodox Church is normally under strict control: regular celebrations take place only within the Russian embassy. The Orthodox Church is not among the five religions recognized by the government.
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