Orthodox & Catholics to Reflect on Common Ethics in Minsk

MINSK, Belarus, OCT. 26, 2011 thanks to Zenit.org


Catholics and Orthodox will gather in Minsk next month to discuss how their shared ethical values can be a contribution to Europe's social fabric. The Nov. 13-15 international conference is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Belarus, and the international NGO Sts. Cyril and Methodius Christian Educational Center of Belarus. It is supported by the Catholic Archdiocese of Minsk-Mogilev.

Topics will include social ethics, the global economic crisis and the crisis of faith, Christian values and the modern legal system, and the issue of Church-state relations. On Nov. 14, an interreligious concert will include Orthodox and Catholic hymns, in addition to secular musical from famous composers in keeping with the spirit of the conference.

Egypt Prayer Day - Saturday 12 November 2011

Letter from His Grace Bishop Angaelos

Friday 21 October, 2O11

Your Graces, Revd Fathers, dear Sisters and Brothers, 

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. These last ten months have been filled with excitement, turbulence and tragedy in and for Egypt. This is a formative stage in Egypt's contemporary history, and a time where the country and its people attempt to transition from one era to another.

Egypt is now in need of our support; the government and her people are in need of divine guidance and the wisdom that can only come from God. Over these past months, and especially in these last two

weeks, we have seen the destruction, and even death, that can come about when there is a confused transition that does not encompass a spirit of inclusion and cohesiveness, and a vision that looks to a more equitable and less discriminatory existence.

For this reason we are gathering together on Saturday 12 November, 2011 from 2pm to 4pm, in partnership with our friends from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, to pray together for Egypt, her leadership, her government, her army, and particularly for her people, that as the proposed elections approach, and as these people try to redefine their future, God's guiding hand will be there in their midst and His comforting Spirit of peace will overshadow them.

I ask you to join me on that day in the Cathedral of Saint George to raise all of this in our prayers, as well as remember those who have lost their lives, have been injured, or have lost loved ones. The address is:

Shephalbury Manor, Broadhall Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG2 8NP, United Kingdom

Tel. : +44-(011438-7452 32

Fax : +44-(0)14 38-313 879

Email: Admin@CopticCentre.com

Website: www.CopticCentre.com

Please accept my apologies for the lateness of this invitation but our attention has been focussed on the Maspero demonstration and the resulting death and destruction that has touched our community both here and in Egypt.

I look forward to seeing and praying with you, and leave you in the care of our gracious Lord.

+Bishop Angaelos

General Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Church, United Kingdom

Please RSVP by email to: admin@CopticCentre.com

The Syrian Orthodox Church and its Diaspora: modern history and contemporary challenges

Centre for Eastern Christianity, Heythrop College, University of London
Wednesday 30 November - Special guest lecture and seminar, 4pm-6pm


The Syrian Orthodox Church and its Diaspora: modern history and contemporary challenges. Dr Sebastian Brock, Reader Emeritus in Syriac Studies, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford
All welcome

What is the Anglican Tradition? The Constantinople Lecture

Anglican & Eastern Churches Association Constantinople Lecture 2011
What is the Anglican Tradition?

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres

Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom, Moscow Road, London W2 4LQ

24th November 2011, 5-30 pm Vespers, 6 pm Lecture, 7-15 pm Reception

Tickets (£15) from the Secretary, Old Deanery, Dean’s Court, London EC4V 5AA

Fr Maximus' Orthodox Study Day

Saturday 19th November 2011

Town End House, Hopton, Nr Wirksworth DE4 4DF


Orthodox Study Day - Number 29
11.00 Beyond Religious Careerisms and Obscure Spiritualities - IS THERE SPACE FOR MERE CHRISTIANITY?  Archimandrite Maximos Lavriotes
1.00 Lunch (Soup etc. provided)

2.00 Titles of the Mother of God in the Akathist  Dr Margaret Barker

4. 00 Tea & Cake

Father Maximus, after 14 years on Mount Athos and 7 years as priest in Cambridge, while Orthodox to his fingertips, has many friends in other denominations. His energies have been devoted to a proper understanding of the Theology of the Early Church as well as to tutoring, lecturing and research. Ring him on 01799513541, or write to 95 Castle St, Saffron Walden, CB10 1BQ, or to mlavriotes@hotmail.com, if you want to know more.

Dr Margaret Barker is a past president of the Society for Old Testament Studies and an expert on the roots of Christian belief, worship and practice in the faith and liturgy of the Temple. www.templestudiesgroup.com

RSVP to Vaila Cochrane, Town End House, Hopton-by- Wirksworth, DE4 4DF. 01629 540349. vaila.cochrane@virgin.net. Contributions up to £15. Maps and bus times on request. All welcome.

Severus of Antioch: Was he a Monophysite?

Fellowship of St Alban & St Sergius


Severus of Antioch: Was he a Monophysite?

11 am, Saturday 12th November, 2011

Saint Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Church, Lancaster Road, W11 1QQ

With James Lewis, Head of Religious Studies at Kingsdale School and lay reader in the Anglican diocese of Southwark

Severus of Antioch was Patriarch of Antioch 512-518








http://sites.google.com/site/stastslondon/

Relations between The Holy See and the Russian Federation in the last years

The Society's Annual Christopher Morris Lecture 2011


Relations between The Holy See and the Russian Federation in the last years
HE Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James

Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, Duke Street, London W1

7.30pm, Thursday 10 November

Preceded by the Pontifical Divine Liturgy at 6.15pm and followed by reception.

Admission free, but prior reservation is essential to johnchrysostom@btinternet.com

Eastern Christianity: Modern History and Contemporary Context

University of Oxford Department of Continuing Education

Eastern Christianity: Modern History and Contemporary Context

Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford

Saturday 5th November, from 9-30 am, Fee £55


Lecturers:

• Dr Sebastian Brock, Emeritus Reader in Syriac Studies, Oxford
• Anthony O’Mahoney, Director of the Centre for Eastern Christianity, Heythrop College
• John Flannery, Heythrop College – Georgian Christianity
• Fr John Woolley, Catholic Diocese of Westminster – Armenian Christianity

More details and to book - http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/dayweekend/index.php

Return and Renewal: Themes in 20th-century Orthodox Theology

Centre for Eastern Christianity, Heythrop College, University of London
Wednesday 2 November - Seminar (with Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue), 4pm-6pm 


Return and Renewal: Themes in 20th-century Orthodox Theology. Charles Miller, Rector of Abingdon, Oxfordshire

All welcome.

The Church and Its Boundaries: A Study of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the World Council of Churches

By Elina Hellqvist

Luther-Agricola-Society
Schriften der Luther-Agricola-Gesellschaft 65
Helsinki 2011, 325 pp.
ISBN 978-951-9047-73-7
ISSN 1236-9675
Soft EUR 30
ID: 55-202-30463
The relationship between the Orthodox Churches and the World Council of Churches (WCC) reached a critical point just before the 8th Assembly of the WCC in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998. The Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC, inaugurated in Harare, worked during the period 1999–2002 to solve the crisis and secure Orthodox participation in the WCC. The study shows how the initial, specific and individual Orthodox concerns led to a profound ecclesiological discussion and that resulted in concrete changes in WCC practices, the best known of which is the change to decision-making by consensus. The study spans the years 1998 to 2006, from the WCC Harare Assembly to the Porto Alegre Assembly. Hence, the initiation and immediate reception of the Special Commission are included in the study.


The book can be ordered from Bookstore Tiedekirja, Kirkkokatu 14, FIN-00170 Helsinki, or online at www.tiedekirja.fi

Pope Benedict addresses the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church

This is Benedict XVI's statement from Monday when he was visited by Archbishop George Alencherry, primate of the Syro-Malabar Church.

Your Beatitude,

I am pleased to greet you and the members of the Permanent Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church who have travelled to Rome in an expression of communion with the Successor of Peter, and I thank you for your kind words on their behalf and in your own name. This visit is a significant one, as it comes not long after your election as Major Archbishop. By coming here, you provide an eloquent sign of the hierarchical communion that you formally expressed in your recent letter to me requesting confirmation of your election.

Your predecessor, the late Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, has left a legacy upon which you and your brother Bishops will surely wish to build. In this context, I would like to recall the example of the two holy patrons of the Syro-Malabar Church, Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who were beatified by Blessed John Paul II, during his visit to Kerala twenty-five years ago. Later, the grace fell to me to canonize Saint Alphonsa in 2008. At home, the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala continues to enjoy the respect of the local community for its work in education and for its social and charitable institutions at the service of the whole community. I know that life for Christians has been complicated by sectarian mistrust and even violence, but I would urge you to continue to work with people of good will of all religions in the area, in order to maintain the peace and harmony of the region, for the good of the Church and that of all citizens.

Within the Church itself, there are encouraging signs of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life which will help you to maintain your pastoral outreach. To be kept in mind are the ongoing challenges in the formation of the clergy and religious, in Christian family life and in the pastoral care of your faithful. I commend you for your efforts to maintain the strength of your family structures, the quality of Catholic education and catechesis at every level, and your pastoral work with youth. I also encourage you to continue your good work in fostering vocations among young men and women.

In fidelity to the Gospel and to the grace bestowed upon us by Christ our Lord, you and your faithful have flourished at home and abroad in union with the universal Church. By fostering your own authentic liturgical tradition, your faithful have been nourished by word and sacrament in accordance with what was handed down to you by your fathers in the faith. I am also aware of pastoral initiatives in favour of Syro-Malabar Catholics scattered throughout the world. As I did during your Ad Limina Visit in April, allow me again to encourage you in this important task and, especially with regard to your pastoral outreach to Syro-Malabar Catholics living beyond your homeland, I ask you to do so always mindful of the essential need for cooperation with Catholic Bishops and pastors of other rites.

Your Beatitude, dear Brothers Bishops, with these few thoughts I commend you to the intercession of Saint Thomas, the great Apostle of India, Saint Alphonsa and Blessed Kuriakose. I assure you of my affection and prayers and I willingly impart to you, your clergy and religious and all those entrusted to your care, my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Coptic Catholic Patriarch on October Attacks

The Victims "Wanted to Contribute to the Country's Democratic Process"
This is the message from Patriarch Antonios Naguib, patriarch of Alexandria of the Coptic Catholics, regarding the Sunday attack on a group of mostly Christian protesters. More than two dozen people were killed.

Call of the Catholic Church in Egypt

"Be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship, keep praying regularly. … Never pay back evil with evil, but bear in mind the ideals that all regard with respect. As much as possible, and to the utmost of your ability, be in peace with everyone. ... Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good" (Romans 12:12-21, New Jerusalem Bible). In the light of these recommendations of St. Paul, we are seeking our way, at this time in which it is difficult to have a clear vision for the present and the future.

With wounded hearts, we join all the sincere forces of our nation, responsible for the present and the future of our beloved country, to express our deep sorrow for the bloody events, suffered by honest and sincere children of the Nation. They wanted to contribute to the country's democratic process, with peaceful demonstrations, like hundreds of other citizen groups. Unfortunately, it ended with the violent death of around 25 people, the majority of whom were Copts, and 329 injured. We raise our prayers for the eternal rest of the victims, the healing of the injured, and the comfort for the grieving families. We ask that all Masses and prayers, on Sunday 16th of October, be dedicated to these intentions. We also join all Christians, in fasting, and praying, following the call of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, so that God may give His Peace to our dear Country.

While condemning again all acts of violence and all those who commit such acts, we call on officials to take the necessary steps and firm measures to provide security and safety, establish clear and stable solutions to the problems that cause tension and conflict, uphold the law's supremacy in dealing with conflicts and crimes, and ensure the objectivity of the Media. We have full confidence that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Government and the Judiciary, are able to lead the country to stability and security, ensuring the well-being and dignity of all citizens.

We call on all members of our Churches to dedicate their whole strength, to live in a sincere spirit of citizenship, of caring fraternity with all their brothers and sisters in the Country, and to work diligently in all the fields in which they are engaged, and positions they occupy. We call on them also to participate, in Egypt and abroad, in the current political and electoral process -- this is a sacred duty, which it is not allowed to abdicate -- aiming at establishing a modern democratic State, based on the law, full citizenship, equality, justice, and the guarantee of freedoms. This is in order to ensure a better future for Egypt, a shining future based on hope and work, to which we continue to contribute generously through our institutions for education, charity and development, at the service and for the good of all the citizens of our beloved Egypt, trusting in the Divine Providence that sustains us.

May the Almighty and Loving God help us, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, come to our aid, for His glory and the good of the whole Country.



Kobri-El-Kobbeh, Cairo - October 13, 2011



+ Antonios Naguib



Patriarch Cardinal of Alexandria of the Coptic Catholics
President of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt

Conference: Eastern Christianity: Modern History and Contemporary Context

5 November 2011

Oxford University Department of Continuing Education

• Anthony O'Mahony, Centre for Eastern Christianity, Heythrop College - Coptic Christianity in Modern Egypt
• Dr Sebastian Brock, Oxford - The Syriac Christian Tradition
• Dr John Flannery, Heythrop - Georgian Christianity, ancient and modern, renewal and revival
• Fr John Whooley, London - The Armenian Christian Tradition

 Further details from www.conted.ox.ac.uk

Arab Spring Becomes Terrible Autumn

Egyptian Bloodshed Darkens Horizon
By Robert Cheaib


ROME, OCT. 11, 2011 thanks to Zenit.org

Until Sunday, shining in the eyes of youth was the image of Egyptians -- Muslims and Christians -- united in a whimper that became a cry, which awakened the noblest desires: the desire for liberty and justice and the hope for a better future.

Until Sunday, because the image of armored vehicles crushing paralyzed protesters drowned the dream and opened eyes to a sight that clouds the horizon of the Arab Spring. The dream -- whose protagonists were Muslims and Christians of Egypt gathered as one people in Al Tahir Square -- faded with the outbreak of violence and became a nightmare with an unpredictable future.

A peaceful protest ended with scenes of unheard of violence described in the Saudi newspaper Al-Hayat as "the most bloody event since the revolution of 'Jan. 25,' which led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak's dictatorship." According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, there are 24 dead and 212 wounded.

It all began last Sunday with a peaceful protest by Coptic Christians, upset over the recent attack on a church in Assuan, in southern Egypt. The protesters deplored the silence of the authorities regarding what happened. The Copts were calling for the resignation of the governor of the province, Mustafa As-Sayyed, accusing him of having caused the attack. As-Sayyed said -- as confirmed by the newspaper Tariq Al-Akhbar -- that the church was illegal, inasmuch as the building had been transformed into a church by manipulating the authorizations. The extremists took note of these statements and set fire to the place of Christian worship.

The day after the attack, instead of condemning it, As-Sayyed said that "there has been no attack because there are no churches in Assuan," as reported on the Christian Web site Coptreal. Such statements sparked Coptic indignation, which led to Sunday's protest that began in the Shabra neighborhood and marched to the headquarters of the national television, appealing for state protection for places of Christian worship and equality of rights for all citizens. The protesters also called for the resignation of As-Sayyed, accusing him of sympathizing with the Muslim extremists. The crowd, made up not only of Christians but also Muslims who support their rights, also deplored the line adopted by state television to awaken anti-Christian feelings.

During the protest, some vandals threw stones and fired at the crowd. The Copts responded by throwing stones in turn. At that moment, security forces and the army intervened violently repressing the protesters with armored vehicles. Coptic priest Father Daoud said he saw a tank roll over five protesters.

The situation degenerated into total chaos, the army and police began to throw tear gas and rubber balls at the protesters, who then threw anything within their reach in response. State television reported that the protesters set some police cars on fire.

The army and police intensified their presence and imposed a curfew beginning Monday morning.

France Presse reported on the situation of the wounded and dead in Cairo's Coptic hospital, stating that some of the corpses were completely disfigured and unrecognizable.

Al-Hayat reported that that night a group of peaceful Muslims marched to the Coptic hospital raising signs and crying out: "Christians and Muslims, just one hand," and deploring what happened.


Reaction of the Coptic Church

In a communiqué to ZENIT, the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt commented on the lamentable events, and exhorted the military council and the Egyptian government "to assume its national responsibilities and manage the present situation, guarding justice and protecting the dignity of all citizens without discrimination.

The Egyptian Catholic prelates also affirmed that the Catholic Church in Egypt "raises her prayers to God to protect Egypt and its people" and assures her prayers for the victims of the latest episodes of violence.

Egypt has been the scene of growing interreligious tensions in recent months. A number of Christian churches have been the target of terrorist attacks.

The new Egyptian authorities have tried to change some discriminatory laws that placed severe restrictions on the construction of Christian places of worship, but these laws are faced with great opposition by fundamentalist currents that aspire to presidential power in this November's elections.

Light of the East - SSJC US Western Region Fall 2011 Newsletter

Download here.

Russia Denies Permit to Build Catholic Church

By Anita S. Bourdin, PSKOV, Russia, OCT. 7, 2011 thanks to Zenit.org

Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of the Diocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, Russia, is protesting against the rejection of a permit to build a Catholic church in the northeastern Russian town of Pskov. In a statement published on Tuesday, Archbishop Pezzi lamented this "deliberate discrimination against the Catholic population of Pskov," reported Vatican Radio. The prelate criticized the local administration's refusal to renew the permit to build a Catholic church, dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity, with the pretext that construction had not begun before the previous permit ran out.

In fact, construction began 10 years ago, and the parish complex is already completed, noted Archbishop Pezzi. Construction began in the year 2000 because the authorities refused to restore to the Catholic Church its cathedral. It is the only Catholic church in this city of close to 200,000 inhabitants. In 2005, the then president of the Russian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, consecrated the lower part of the church under construction. The work was financed by the faithful and donations.

Every day the faithful prepare food for the poor and handicapped children. They also have an educational project for street children and help families with handicapped children. This help is given to everyone, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Pope Benedict receives Orthodox University Honour

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 5, 2011 thanks to Zenit.org


At the end of today’s general audience, Benedict XVI received the Gold Medal of the Apostle Jason of Thessalonica from a delegation of the Theology Department of the University of Thessalonica.

The medal was given to him personally by the president of the Association of Post Graduates and Doctoral Candidates of the university, Stefanos Athanasiou, and by the secretary-general, Zizis Siskos.

In his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square this morning, the Holy Father addressed the delegation of the University of Thessalonica, saying that he felt "profoundly honored" by this "kind gesture," which is an "eloquent sign of the growing understanding and dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox Christians."

"I pray that it will be a presage of even greater progress in our efforts to respond in fidelity, truth and charity to the Lord’s calls to unity," stressed the Pontiff.

According to Tradition, the apostle Jason is one of the seventy disciples; he appears in Acts 17, during St. Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica. He is greatly venerated by the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches.

5th Annual Conference in honour of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

29 October 2011

St Sava's Serbian Orthodox Church, Lancaster Road, London W11
Metropolitan Anthony: Priest & Pastor, The Influence of His Spiritual Vision

• Fr Michael Fortounatto
• Fr Michael Evdokimov
• Karin Greenhead
• Dr Alexander Filonenko

10-15 onwards

 

More details from: http://mitras.ru