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Report: Anglicans and OCA to work for unity

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Update: (10/11) Ancient Faith Radio has the audio from, “In the Footsteps of Tikhon and Grafton – Anglican and Orthodox Identity, Ministry and Mission in the 21th Century,” the Anglican-Orthodox Conference featuring discussions and addresses by representatives of St. Vladimir’s Seminary and Nashotah House. Listen here.

The History of Anglican/Orthodox Relations
Fr. Stephen Platt moderated and the speakers were Fr. Chad Hatfield and Fr. Arnold Klukas.

Anglican/Orthodox Enculturation
Mrs. Glynn Mackoul moderated and the speakers were Fr. William Olnhausen and Fr. Jack Gabig.

Bishops and Mission
Fr. Chad Hatfield moderated and the speakers were Bishop Melchizedek and Bishop Frank Lyons.

Anglican/Orthodox Theological Training
Fr. Arnold Klukas moderated and the speakers were Fr. Chad Hatfield and Dean Munday

The Future of Anglican and Orthodox Relations
Both Deans moderated and the speakers were Archbishop William Duncan and Metropolitan Jonah.

Anglican/Orthodox Relations In Practice
In the final session the speakers are Fr. Stephen Platt and Bishop Keith Ackerman. The session begins with Fr. Stephen giving an overview of the Fellowship of Sts. Alban and Sergius.

Continue reading →

Archbishop Puhalo: ‘No angry God’

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“Archbishop Lazar Puhalo believes in compassion,” begins the article in the Sun Journal of Lewiston, Maine. Reporter Lindsay Tice caught up with the archbishop at a talk he gave yesterday to students at University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College. (HT: OBL News)

Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

Dressed in black robes and sporting a long white and gray beard, Puhalo spoke to students over a potluck lunch held in the college’s second-floor lounge. Encouraged by questions, he jumped from topic to topic, covering in two-and-a-half hours: same-sex marriage, universal health care, women’s rights, religious fundamentalism, politics, an individual’s impact on society, ecology, suffering, compassion, fear, hatred, faith, hope and love.

“There is no hand of an angry God. There is no angry God,” he said, adding, “If God’s so full of hate, what’s he got to teach us?”

Puhalo lambasted what he sees as Christian hypocrisy and bigotry, saying too many religious people moralize and judge while too few help and support. He also spoke against politicians’ use of religion and fear to gain supporters, particularly when it comes to universal health care and same-sex marriage — both of which he supports and are already available in his home country of Canada.

Universal health care is an example of basic compassion for others, Puhalo said. And he believes that same-sex marriage is an issue of democratic rights for citizens, not an issue for religious groups.

“We (the Christian church) don’t have a copyright on the word marriage,” he said.

The newspaper identified Archbishop Puhalo as “the head of the North American Orthodox Christian Church and world-renowned philosopher and advocate of human rights, women’s rights, and the environment … ”

But officially, as described by OrthodoxWiki, he is the Most Reverend Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa, a retired hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America, and the founding abbot of the Monastery of All Saints of North America, Canada.

OrthodoxWiki notes that the much traveled cleric “is known for his prolific (and, at times, controversial) theological writings, particularly regarding the aerial toll houses.”

Metropolitan Methodios: Fear of swine flu should not keep faithful from Holy Communion

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A statement from Metropolitan Methodios, issued by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston:

Metropolitan Methodios of Boston (GOA)

The Center of Disease Control (CDC), fearing an H1N1 Pandemic, strongly discourages participation in group activities, recommending individuals, (especially children) with colds or the flu remain at home and follow the instructions of their medical doctors. Many faithful have approached our Parish Priests expressing concern about their participation in worship services, especially in the sacramental life of the Church. While the warnings of the medical community should be heeded by persons with colds and flue-like symptoms, people, in general, should not panic but carry on with their usual activities, including going to church and receiving Holy Communion.

It should be noted, that the Church has always been clear in its belief that diseases are not transmitted from the Holy Chalice which we believe contains the very body and blood of our Savior. Hence, the distribution of Holy Communion was never a question even when various diseases ravaged the world. As is well known, Priests consume what remains in the Chalice at the end of the Divine Liturgy, regardless whether it was celebrated in a parish church, a hospital or hospice chapel.

Orthodox Faithful have always acted responsibly. As we face the reality of the present flu pandemic fears, Orthodox Christians are urged to use discretion as they follow the directives of the medical community.

Chambesy: Ready for the New World?

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Fr. Ted Bobosh, an OCA priest and author, offers an analysis of the Rules of Operation for the forthcoming episcopal assembly scheduled for May 2010 in the United States.

Fr. Ted Bobosh

The chairmanship of the Episcopal Assemblies is key because it is the chairman who basically set the agenda for the work of the Assemblies. In other words the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be deciding what can and cannot be discussed and what direction discussions may take.

The bishops of Chambesy while allowing the bishops in a region to discuss Orthodox unity, are not leaving it solely to the discretion of the local bishops how to inact or implement that unity. Here the Ecumenical Patriarch has reserved the right of final say for himself and apparently he will have veto power over the decisions of the Episcopal Assemblies.

In his analysis, Fr. Ted also points out that there is a fundamental understanding about church and state relations in the United States that may not be fully comprehended by Old World bishops:

Orthodox bishops wear the garb of imperial Byzantium obvious in the miter they wear. Yet in America bishops do not represent the interest of the state, the state is forbidden from influencing the election of bishops or the policies of a religion. Orthodox bishops however have often acted like national ambassadors to the American government, and seem to love having photo opportunities with American presidents as if they as bishops were in fact government representatives rather than Christian bishops.

Orthodoxy must embrace a totally new attitude toward the new world. Of course one would think at this point in its own history the Ecumenical Patriarch might be willing to consider giving up any imperial pretentions as well as imperial dress and insignias considering their own existence in an officially secular, but de facto Muslim state, in favor of other dress that might be more appropriate to our being disciples of Christ in the non-Byzantine world. Perhaps the Turkish state would not allow such a change in the Orthodox leadership in Turkey and prefers to remind the Orthodox bishops through their dress that they in fact are the last representatives of a defeated empire.

The real question for all Orthodox is whether we will work through the Episcopal Assemblies to assure that Christ is the head of our Church and not just limit headship to men even if canonically correct.

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Table for one?

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Over at Ad Orientem, John wonders about the Green Patriarch’s pending trip (HT: George M.)

By my count H.A.H.’s itinerary includes…

6 liturgical functions + 1 prayer service at the UN
8 functions at which he will be honored or given some form of award
3 excursions that appear to be mainly sight seeing
2 functions where he will be speaking but do not appear to be aimed at honoring the EP and…
24 dinners, or private receptions in his honor with VIPs (excluding private meetings with Orthodox clergy). Many of these dinners and receptions will be taking place in 5 star establishments such as the Waldorf Astoria where H.A.H will be staying for much of his visit.

I am very glad to see that His All Holiness will be fed decently during his visit.

Still I wonder… Continue reading →

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