Comments on: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Turkish relations improving

By: George Michalopulos

George Michalopulos — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:19:48 +0000

My oh my, the contagion of cynicism seems to be catching. Unfortnately, the Phanar and its minions in the “diaspora” hve nobody but themselves to blame. “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”

may the Lord have mercy,

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:38:55 +0000

Can the EP’s upcoming Mississippi sojourn even be considered a pastoral visit the Church in America?

Lets see the Enviromentalists/Socialists get a week and Coca cola gets their turn but it looks like the Church in America comes in Third.

I would love to see just a good old pastoral visit with goal of strengthening the faitful

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:25:27 +0000

The highlighting above is a little messed up because I hit “post” when I meant to hit “preview.”

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:20:36 +0000

RE (The)… International Inter-religious Ecological Symposium. This conference was started by the Patriarchate in 1995… the actions towards environmental activism of the Patriarchate were initiated by the Patriarch before me… Patriarch Demetrius designated the 1st of September as Environment Day for the Orthodox Church… You will see that we were the first Christian Church to become seriously involved with this issue.

When people say they were “the first” at anything it often makes me wonder.

Not to take anything away from the EP, or Orthodox concern about the environment, or Orthodox efforts to make things better, but I don’t think that the Orthodox “were the first Christian Church to become seriously involved with this issue.”

I believe the first Environment Day was in 1989. The Religion, Science and the Environment symposiums date from 1995 (which the EP notes).

I don’t know if Catholics were “the first,” but the The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace began as a commission in 1967 – over 20 years before the first Environment Day.

“The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is concerned with all that touches upon social justice, the world of work, international life, development in general and social development in particular. It also promotes ethical reflection on the evolution of economic and financial systems and addresses problems related to the environment and the responsible use of the earth’s resources…”

“Because of the interest of the Holy See in the work of the United Nations, the Pontifical Council, in collaboration with the Secretariat of State, has frequent contacts with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, especially at the time of the major international conferences that deal with such questions as development, population, environment, international trade, or human rights….

“The Council also publishes books: reports of meetings that it has organized, systematic collections of pontifical texts on a particular social question, studies on contemporary issues, such as the perspective of the Catholic Church on human rights, the environment, or the ethical dimensions of the economy, financial activities and the world of work.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_pro_20011004_en.html

Unless, of course, the EP doesn’t think that Catholics are “seriously involved with this issue.”

By: Isa Almisry

Isa Almisry — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:32:13 +0000

“We are also trying to have a dialogue with the other Christians that are not united.”

You mean, the Orthodox in North America? LOL.

Maybe his Divine Holiness will meet with Met. Jonah. He’s a very good human being too.

I remember the chorttling after Chambesy, that the EP was coming in the Fall to give us a united Episcopal Assembly. Are any other hierarchs besides his “exarch” on the agenda, or will he be too busy schmoozing the powers that be?

By: Michael Bauman

Michael Bauman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:55:14 +0000

The union will come with God’s will. Nobody knows this, but we as human beings — regardless of religion — have to lay the groundwork of mutual respect, love, and collaboration on issues like ecology, war, peace, sickness, and all these matters that do not need dogmatic unity. These are social issues that we can collaborate on even without religious unity

He may be right about the possibility of collabortion without unity if he is only speaking in institutional and political terms. However, a Christian approach is eschatological and anthropologial. The Christian understanding of our interaction with the rest of creation is absolutely dependent upon Christian eschatology and anthropology. Even the issue of war/peace is difficult to approach at all without addressing the differnt secular and theological eschatological visons that are causing conflict around the world. Somehow, I cannot imagine a Muslim dedictated to the Ummah would really care to collaborate with either Christians or Jews on matters of war and peace. There is not even a common definition of the words.

Love does not mean that we will understand and accept each other, after all Jesus loved and was sent to the Cross. The Church’s love is supposed to be prophetic not sentimental. Why didn’t he just say everything will be fine if we get around a camp fire and sing Kumbaya.

There is a difference between being irenic and humble, desiring to conform oneself to God’s will and being passive.

Lord have mercy and forgive us all.

By: John Panos

John Panos — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:56:59 +0000

By the way, am I the only one who is sick and tired of the load of non sequitors coming from our hierarchs and primates?

It boggles the mind to think they actually believe what they are saying, or worse, are covering what they really believe with the baffling statements that they issue.

And, frankly, it’s an embarrassment to us before the entire world.

Yep. There, I said it.

By: John Panos

John Panos — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:52:03 +0000

The Coca-Cola company chose their president because he’s such a good guy? Really?

This is the man who claims Human economy is failing? Does he know anything about business, economy or human endeavors at all?

I’ll put it as gently as I can: He needs better advisors.

By: George Patsourakos

George Patsourakos — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:37:42 +0000

While visiting the United States from the end of October until November 10, 2009, I hope that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew makes time to discuss American Orthodox unity with the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) and other unity-focused groups.

This is a serious Orthodox issue that the Ecumenical Patriarch needs to address now. Failure to do so might well result in a schism of several Orthodox jurisdictions in America, which could develop their own united American Orthodox Church, since they are tired of waiting for the Ecumenical Patriarch’s approval.