Fr. Peter-Michael Preble: Sunday of Orthodoxy Calls us to Emulate the Courage of our Fathers in the Faith
Fr. Peter-Michael Preble tells us just as our Orthodox Fathers fought to preserve the sacred images (because they knew that destroying the icons of Christ would lead to a denial of the Incarnation in the end), we are called to defend the icons of "flesh and blood" -- the human person. It's a strong sermon but entirely fitting for our times. Source: Fr. Peter-Michael Preble Blog To the … (more...)
Advice Orthodox Can Heed — Abp. Timothy Dolan: A Good Time to Revive Your Faith
Roman Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan offers advice that applies to Christians across the board. Some highlights: If there is not some sacrifice, hardship, and challenge to living our Catholic faith, we usually end up taking it for granted and setting it aside. Dr. Philip Jenkins, the scholar of religion at Penn State University, observes a bit of raw data: the Church grows rapidly, and … (more...)
Urban Mission Retreat — Equipping Orthodox Missionaries — June 20-24, 2012
Webmasters: Download the code (text file) to display this flyer on your site. How can I make a difference here at home? In June 2012, St. Raphael church is hosting a hands-on missionary retreat to take on that very question. Held at the St. Andrew Center in Detroit, the retreat will focus on the church's mission and ministry to those in need right here in our own back yard. For high … (more...)
Something Deadly This Way Comes
- HT: OrthodoxNet.com Blog The insatiable appetite of the Culture of Death The debate over abortion comes down to one essential issue — the moral status of the unborn child. Those making the case for the legalization of abortion argue that the developing fetus lacks a moral status that would trump a woman’s desire to abort the child. Those arguing against abortion do so by making the … (more...)
The Church Will Become Small
Source: Catholic Education Resource Center | Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) The church will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. As the number of her adherents diminishes . . . she will lose many of her social privileges. . . As a small society, [the … (more...)
Deconstructing the ‘Internal Contradiction’ in the GOA
Andrew Estocin asks: Father JJ, how do you see this internal contradiction playing out with regards to the riots and unrest in Greece? The GOA has never addressed the moral and social underpinnings of these problems. Is the GOA so captive to the fantasy narrative of the Greek Community in America that it is unable to engage on these issues? Athens burns but the party at the Ritz Carlton in … (more...)
Catholic Politicians Who Attack Church Should Remember God’s Judgment
With stern words Roman Catholic Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois warned Catholic politcians last Friday that any collaboration with "assaults against the faith" would one day face the judgment of God. Orthodox bishops should take notice. The report states: When asked specifically about recent actions of Democratic Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius and … (more...)
Catholic Bishops to Obama: No Compromise, Rescind the Mandate
Source: Vatican Radio Full text of the US Catholic Bishops' statement in response to President Obama's proposed changes to the HHS mandate: The Catholic bishops have long supported access to life-affirming healthcare for all, and the conscience rights of everyone involved in the complex process of providing that healthcare. That is why we raised two serious objections to the "preventive … (more...)
Russian Orthodox Church Canonizes New Martyr Who Died at the Hands of the Nazis
- Source: Orthodox Cognate The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has canonized Russian national Alexander Schmorell, a native of Orenburg, who was executed by the Nazi regime in 1943 for organizing an anti-fascist student group called the White Rose, the Church Bulletin publication reported. The ceremony to glorify St. Alexander of Munich, who was 25 yeas old when he died, ended in … (more...)
Obama and the Dictatorship of Relativism
When the Manhattan Declaration first came out, Orthodox signers came under considerable criticism. Too much culture wars was the usual response. I signed the document because I saw that efforts to institutionalize secular liberalism could only succeed if dissenting voices were silenced. The cost of that silence is high and will include the loss of liberty if it succeeds. Secular fundamentalism … (more...)
65 Orthodox Church Bishops Call on Obama to ‘Rescind’ the ‘Unjust’ Contraception Mandate
Source: LifeSite News NEW YORK, NY, February 6, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The 65 canonical bishops of the Orthodox Church have asked President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to repeal the mandate that religious institutions provide birth control, sterilization, and Plan B abortion drugs in their health care coverage. The Assembly of Canonical … (more...)
Outrageous Choice: Religious Freedom or Healthcare?
From the essay: Every Christian, not just Catholics, should be outraged by the Obama Administration’s decision. The regulations represent a move to define religious liberty in the narrowest possible terms...Given the Catholic presence in areas such as health care, education and other social services, this is folly. Think of the public services that won’t be delivered to people in need. … (more...)
Gov. Michael Dukakis on OCN “Politics, Faith, and Integrity”
AOI Observer reader Andrew Estocin asked for a separate posting on the recent interview of Gov. Michael Dukakis on Orthodox Christian Network. I am glad to oblige because, like Andrew, I too have been critical about the lauding of Greek Orthodox politicians by the Greek Orthodox Church without any mention of their often radical positions against the sanctity of life. Dukakis is a Baby Boomer … (more...)
Orthodox Bishops Speak Out Against HHH Mandate
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, which is comprised of the 65 canonical Orthodox bishops in the United States, Canada and Mexico, join their voices with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and all those who adamantly protest the recent decision by the United States Department of Health and … (more...)
Orthodox Bishops Assembly Silent on Moral Issues
By John Couretas - At an October 1970 meeting of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the Americas (SCOBA), which was called to discuss the burning question of an independent American Church, the presiding conference chair Archbishop Iakovos got fed up and quit. Official letters raising the subject of independence had been sent to the “mother Churches” in … (more...)
