Tag: Christianity

Ukraine, April 10, 2025

An OCU “priest” (left and center) led a seizure in which a young woman (right) and several others were attacked. Photo: spzh.eu     

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine continues to face persecution from the state and the schismatics of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” who continue their bloody attacks on churches and their fellow Ukrainians who remain faithful to Orthodoxy.

At least four churches were attacked by these schismatics and nationalists in just one day this week, Tuesday, April 8. They assaulted several people, leaving at least one young woman bleeding, reports Foma, with reference to Ukrainian outlets. In some cases, they managed to seize the churches, and in some they were driven away by the Orthodox parishioners.

Early in the morning, St. Michael’s Church in the village of Svetilnya, Kyiv Province, was seized. Police officers sat in a parked car idly watching as an unknown man cut through the church doors with an angle grinder

The same day, violent activists of the OCU, which enjoys the support of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ukrainian state, seized another church in the Kiev Province—the Holy Dormition Church in the village of Stary Bezradichi.

In this attack, they were led by “Igumen” Vikenty Kozak, secretary of the OCU’s Diocese of Pereyaslav and Vysheneve

Late that evening of the same day, there was an attempt to seize the Church of the Holy Archangels Gabriel and Michael in the city of Storozhinets, Chernivtsi Province.

Upon learning of the plans to seize the church, about 500 parishioners came out to defend it. The clergy and parishioners prayed, proclaiming “Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!” in Church Slavonic, Greek, and Romanian.

And on the night of April 8-9, a group of raiders tried to seize the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Verkhny Stanovtsi, also in the same Chernivtsi Province.

The perpetrators managed to break down the church’s doors and barricade themselves inside. Armed with batons and tear gas, they beat several people, mostly women and elderly parishioners.

A girl with streaks of blood on her face was seen on one of the live broadcasts:

​

The gang of mercenaries was led by OCU ‘priest’ Roman Hryshchuk. Although he hid his face under a hood, St. Nicholas parishioners recognized him.

Nevertheless, the raiders failed to keep the church for themselves, because when the female parishioners told the men of the parish about what had happened, they managed to force the invaders out.

“Armed bandits wanted to seize the church, but hundreds of parishioners who came running to defend the shrine drove them out of the Orthodox church in disgrace. Having failed to achieve their goal, the bandits, led by an OCU priest, destroyed the altar, the sacristan, and all the furnishings of the Orthodox church,” reports the Orthobuk Telegram channel.

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ROME — When it comes to the much-hyped Jubilee Year of 2025, the raw truth of the matter is that many Roman hotel owners, apartment renters, restauranteurs, and cab drivers today find themselves asking some version of the following question: “If a jubilee year fell upon Rome but no one was there to see or hear it, is it actually happening?”

The depressing headline of one recent piece on the Italian website “L’agenzia di viaggi” (“Travel Agency”) sums up the verdict in some circles so far: “Jubilee: High prices, a flop for hotels and short-term rentals.”

At the three-month mark of a yearlong cycle of celebrations and events, the consensus in Rome is that despite a handful of magic moments for some groups, the expected surge in pilgrimage and tourist traffic has not occurred, and a hoped-for “jubilee boost” to the Roman economy may never materialize.

On the other hand, Romans have nonetheless been pleasantly surprised by the fact that many of the promised public works for the Jubilee have been finished more or less on time and on budget, an accomplishment that’s reflecting well on the administration of Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

In fact, to the extent there’s a hero to the jubilee story so far, the 58-year-old Gualtieri, and not the 88-year-old Pope Francis, might be the candidate of choice for people who actually live in the Eternal City.

Francis to date largely has been the missing man of the Jubilee, though of course through no fault of his own. His 38-day stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital battling double pneumonia meant that he missed all Jubilee events over that span, in addition to his usual weekly public appearances.

Even now that Francis is safely back in the Vatican, he’s following doctors’ orders to undergo a two-month convalescence, meaning he may be functionally invisible to Jubilee visitors at least until June.

Granted, that leaves half the year for a “jubilee rebound,” and it was always expected that a disproportionate share of the surge in visitors would come during the warm-weather months of the summer and early fall in Rome.

To date, however, things appear grim for the class of Roman entrepreneurs who were hoping to cash in on the experience.

A recent survey by SoloAffiti, a consulting firm that serves the hotel and short-term rental industry in Italy, found that during the first two months of the Jubilee, meaning January and February, there was no boom in occupancy rates with respect to the same period in 2024.

In fact, according to the survey, because the supply of short-term rentals and hotel beds had been increased in expectation of extra demand, occupancy rates actually fell to 70%, which is an eight percent decrease from 2024. The survey found that almost 18% of rental owners who previously offered their properties on a long-term basis decided this year to shift to short-term rentals in expectation of Jubilee-related occupancies, thereby significantly increasing the available spaces.

Part of the decrease may also be linked to a jump in rental charges for 2025, also linked to the expectation of greater demand, said Silvia Spronelli, the CEO of SoloAffiti.

“The first months of the Holy Year have seen a result in terms of bookings lower than expected, even if it is still early to make a real assessment,” Spronelli said. One of the reasons, she said, may be that pilgrims tend to “choose cheaper accommodation or religious structures, reducing the impact of the Jubilee on traditional tourist rentals.”

The net effect of the mismatch between supply and demand has been to drive rental charges ever higher, with the average rental charge in the city of Rome up 13% from 2024. The highest prices predictably come in the city center, where a two-bedroom space is now running around $1,200 a month and a three-bedroom at $1,500.

A similar study by the Italian commercial group Confocommercio found similar results for restaurants and shops in Rome, citing a 20% drop in total billing over the same period in 2024. A report on Radio Roma summarized the findings as, “Empty restaurants, half-deserted shops and a collapse in cruise-ship tourism: Expectations have not been met.”

Other analysts confirm the Jubilee is having an overall negative effect on traditional tourism in Rome, drawn not primarily by religious motives but diversions such as art, culture, and shopping. The head of an agency that provides private cars and drivers for higher-end tourists, for example, told Crux that many of his clients have decided to skip 2025 for their visits to Rome, out of fear of Jubilee crowds. 

On the positive side of the ledger, many Romans have been taken aback by the fact that a whole series of civic improvements promised by the city in the run-up to the Jubilee have more or less actually been delivered. Overall, according to a recent report by a city official, 43 worksites opened for the Jubilee have been completed on schedule, coming in under budget at $1 billion spent of the $1.1 billion allocated.

Other worksites that remain open, according to this official, represent projects that were always projected to be completed within 2025-26, for a total expense of an additional $750 million. 

As one Italian newspaper recently put it, Gualtieri so far seems about the lone public figure to be reaping a “jubilee boost” in terms of his public standing. On the other hand, not everyone is singing hosannas: In a January broadcast, Italian journalist Laura Tecce complained of “delays and errors” in public works and predicted it would take 20 years to see if the Jubilee actually had a positive effect on the city.

None of this grumbling, of course, necessarily reaches the pilgrims who actually do make it to Rome for some piece of the Jubilee experience.

For instance, some 4,000 deacons from around the world recently converged on the city to celebrate the Feb. 21-23 Jubilee of Deacons, and to hear them tell it, it was a memorable experience, made all the more so by the coincidence of being present while the pope was suffering.

In an interview with EWTN’s “News Nightly,” Deacon Ron Joseph from the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, summed it up by explaining how the experience made him contemplate the role Francis has had in his own diaconate.

“I remember that in one of his very first interviews he talked about the Church being like a ‘field hospital,’ like a M.A.S.H. unit,” Joseph said. “We don’t ask someone who’s coming from battle about their blood sugar or their cholesterol, we try to heal their wounds.”

“That’s had a profound effect on my ministry as a deacon,” he said. “We need to meet people where they are and offer the mercy and the hope that Jesus Christ offers. When you think about it, the two Jubilee years [Pope Francis] has been part of are the Year of Mercy and the Year of Hope. I think there’s something profound about that.”

For pilgrims such as Joseph, low turnout, high prices and disappointing sales probably all pale in comparison to the deeper meaning of his Jubilee experience. For the Romans who will remain long after he’s back in Columbus, however, those realities nevertheless are an inevitable part of the picture.

On weekends in April, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Barbara has been going blue.

To mark Child Abuse Prevention Month, blue lights illuminate the church’s exterior and blue ribbons decorate trees and doors of the parish, which is located on the east side of the city and has a predominantly Spanish-speaking congregation of some 3,000 families. Confirmation students also celebrate a “Wear Blue Day.”

The couple behind the commemorative decorations and events is Anthony Rodriguez and his wife, Bianca, Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioners since 2000 when they wed.

Both are victims of child sexual abuse.

Rodriguez has made it his mission to encourage children to speak up by visiting churches throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to share his story and show a video about his journey from victim to survivor, produced by an independent documentary filmmaker.

“I need to make sure these kids know they can come forward and say something,” he said.

On April 1, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation honoring Rodriguez and Our Lady of Guadalupe for their efforts in shining a light on child sexual abuse and the need to do everything possible to prevent it and encourage victims to come forward.

“Child abuse prevention is not just a cause I advocate for — it’s my story,” Rodriguez said in accepting the proclamation, sponsored by Supervisor Roy Lee.

“I was once a victim, carrying the scars of my experiences in silence,” Rodriguez said. “Today, I’m a survivor. And from that survival came a promise — a promise that I would never again be silent, a promise to be the voice for those who feel that they don’t have one, and to fight for every child who deserves to feel safe, loved, and valued.”

He added: “To everyone here today, this work doesn’t end with one person or one moment. It takes all of us — our compassion, our commitment, and our voices — to create lasting change. And I believe that together, we can.”

Rodriguez then handed out pins for the supervisors to wear.

Rodriguez was 5 when his uncle started sexually abusing him after his father, a drug user and alcoholic, died of a heart attack at age 35.

The abuse continued for a decade.

For years, Rodriguez, an only child, kept quiet. He joined a gang when he was 12 and spent time in a psychiatric ward three times. He was 15 when the abuse stopped after he told his mother about his offender, an uncle who fled to Mexico when she confronted him.

“My mom believed me,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of these kids don’t have people who believe them. She took it hard. I didn’t say anything for so long because I was scared.”

The aftershocks of being sexually abused continued.

When he was 16, he attempted suicide by overdosing on cocaine and methamphetamine. He wanted his heart to stop.

It wasn’t until he was 24, after he had met Bianca, that he began his journey to becoming a survivor.

Now, Rodriguez is eager to discuss his experience so other victims will have the courage to come forward.

He recalled a young lady who heard his testimony at an archdiocese parish. Two years later, she invited him over to her house with her parents present because she wanted to tell him about being sexually abused.

A police report was filed.

Soon after, the girl’s mother and grandmother confided to Rodriguez that they, too, had been sexually abused by the same man.

“The grandmother’s sister’s husband abused all three generations of women,” Rodriguez said.

All churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are required to have Safeguard the Children Committees in the wake of the clerical sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church more than two decades ago.

Rodriguez and Bianca are longtime co-chairs of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Safeguard the Children Committee, whose campaign theme this year throughout the archdiocese is “Keeping Kids Safe Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.”

Rodriguez, an operations and disaster services specialist for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, also teamed up with the Glendon Association, a Santa Barbara nonprofit whose mission is to save lives and enhance mental health by addressing suicide, child abuse, violence, and troubled relationships.

He is also active in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

In 2013, the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper recognized Rodriguez as a local hero, and in 2015, the Santa Barbara City Council honored him and Our Lady of Guadalupe for their efforts in combating child sexual abuse.

“Anthony has been good about going around and talking about his experience not only here but at other parishes in the archdiocese as well as organizations in the community at large to heighten awareness,” said Father Pedro J. Lopez, who’s been pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe for 10 years.

In his comments after accepting the Board of Supervisors’ proclamation, Rodriguez said of Our Lady of Guadalupe: “We strive to protect [children], to educate others, and to stand boldly and unrelentingly for their rights. As a community, it’s our shared responsibility to ensure that every child has the freedom to dream without fear, to grow without harm, and to thrive without barriers.”

In an interview, he added: “I know for a fact if we would have had this program [Safeguard the Children] for my mom when I was young, things would have been different.

“Nobody talked about it back then. These kids depend on adults, and we have to be the ones who are their eyes, ears, and voice.”

Tallinn, April 10, 2025

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn. Photos: postimees.ee     

The Riigikogu, Estonian Parliament, has adopted the law aimed at banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

The amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations earned 60 votes for and 13 against in its third reading yesterday, reports postimees.ee. According to Estonian law, after three readings, a bill goes to the President for promulgation.

The amendments state that no church, monastery, or parish operating in Estonia should, in its activities, be subordinate to or connected with a governing body located in a foreign state that poses a threat to state security, public order, or the constitutional order of Estonia.

The Parliament earlier Estonian Parliament declares Russian Church accomplice in state aggression, Estonian hierarch respondsThe Riigikogu adopted a statement on Monday, May 6, which formally identifies the Moscow Patriarchate as a supporter of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“>declared the Moscow Patriarchate a supporter of military aggression, but has failed to demonstrate how the Church poses a threat to Estonia. On the contrary, the authorities have acknowledged on multiple occasions that they Estonian gov’t sees no tangible threat from Estonian Church but pressuring its parishes to join Constantinople“We’ve already held the first [parish] meetings and plan to further expand this activity next week,” said Raivo Kuyt, Vice Chancellor for Population and Civil Society of the Ministry of the Interior.”>see no dangerous activity from the Church. According to the statutes of the Estonian Church, it’s independently administered in Tallinn, maintaining only a non-legal canonical connection to the Moscow Patriarchate, but Estonian authorities have failed to deal with this reality.

Postimees explains: “To comply with the law’s requirements, it’s necessary to significantly change the statutes and cease interaction with the Church center in Moscow.” However, the Estonian Church has already changed its statutes to strengthen and more fully reflect its independence, but the registration commission refused to accept the new statutes, accepting them only after being forced to Estonian Church successfully registers new name emphasizing autonomy, but state threat remainsAfter a battle lasting several months, the Estonian Orthodox Church was finally able to register with a new legal name on Monday, March 31.

“>by court decision.

If the requirements of the new law aren’t met within two months, the Minister of Internal Affairs can apply to the courts to adjudicate ecclesiastical canonical matters and liquidate legal entities associated with the given Church.

Meanwhile, an explanatory note on the bill argues that Estonia respects religious freedom.

According to the former head of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs and leader of the Social Democrats in the Riigikogu Lauri Läänemets, the state will take the Church’s property in the case of liquidation.

The Estonian Church published a response today, stating:

Although laws should be universal, it’s obvious that in this case we’re dealing with a law specifically directed against the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church and the Pükhtitsa Monastery. Despite the fact that we’ve always been a law-abiding Church, observing all the laws of the Republic of Estonia and contributing to the well-being of Estonian society, it was deemed necessary to change the law.

There has been a concerted media campaign against the Church since the authorities determined to ban the Church, the statement notes.

As the bill restricts the Church’s religious freedom, it will appeal to the President and the Chancellor of Justice to evaluate it. The Church also intends to appeal to international organizations, “as freedom of religion is universal and affects global principles.”

“We will continue to serve in our parishes. If we entrust ourselves to the Lord and seek God’s will in our lives without grumbling and despondency, the Lord won’t leave us without His help and will help us to endure all trials,” the statement concludes.

On the other hand, the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s structure in Estonia has, rather than supporting persecuted Orthodox Christians, come out in Constantinople’s Estonian Church supports ban of Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow PatriarchateEstonian Parliament is currently considering a bill that will ban the activities of the EOC.

“>support of the ban, and yesterday, the Finnish Orthodox Church, also under Constantinople, did the same.

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Bergen, Norway, April 9, 2025

Photo: ​vl.no   

A parish of the Moscow Patriarchate in Norway has resolved to leave the jurisdiction.

The parish community of the Holy Theophany Church in Bergen, Norway, voted 135-16 on Sunday, April 6, to leave the Patriarchate, the rector Fr. Dmitry Ostanin reported on Facebook.

A message on the church website from March 15 announcing the parish meeting points to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s support for the war in Ukraine as the reason for the initiative to leave the Russian Church, describing it as “in direct conflict with the ethical, moral, and evangelical principles on which the activities of our parish are based.”

This is especially important, the message states, given that many of the parishioners are Ukrainians, including refugees.

Fr. Dmitry, who comes from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, has served in Norway since 2006, as a choir director, deacon and priest. He was appointed rector of the Holy Theophany Church in August 2007.

He has been very vocal about his stance against the war in Ukraine. In 2022, he signed an open anti-war appeal of ROC priests. Officially, he ceased to be the rector of the church in Bergen on March 12, 2024, when he was recalled to the disposal of Pat. Kirill by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate. However, he ignored this order, and according to a number of sources, was suspended by Pat. Kirill on June 7, 2024.

According to the parish’s updated statutes, having left the Moscow Patriarchate, it is “not subordinate to any Patriarchate or part of any canonical jurisdiction. This does not, however, exclude such a possibility in the future by amending these statutes.”

Interestingly, the statutes also state that the parish conducts its activities throughout all of Norway.

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Kozelsk, Kaluga Province, Russia, April 10, 2025

Photo: optina.ru     

A significant event took place at Optina Monastery last week. The reconstruction of its historical symbol, a trumpeting angel, was completed and the angel was installed atop the Vladimir Tower on April 4.

In pre-revolutionary Optina, the majestic figure of the trumpeting angel crowned the main entrance to the monastery, the Holy Gates, and was visible from afar. After the revolution, it was lost, and with the revival of the monastery, a wooden copy was erected, which over time deteriorated and no longer served as a functioning weathervane, the monastery reports.

Photo: optina.ru     

Now, during the reconstruction, the figure of the angel, made from especially durable metal, has been equipped with a unique rotating mechanism ensuring ease of movement and strength of attachment even during strong gusts of wind.

The monastery writes:

The Book of Revelation of John the Theologian speaks of angels who will announce to the world the approach of the end times: And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets (Rev. 8:2). Just as a weathervane catches the slightest breath of wind, so the figure of the trumpeting angel reminds us of the need to be attentive to the signs of the times, to be sober and vigilant, ready to meet the Lord coming in glory: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come(Mt. 24:42).

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Vologda wanderer Alexander Krainev It has long been observed that it is extremely harmful to a man’s soul and body to thoughtlessly and mindlessly take on someone else’s Christian exploits. We knew someone who, in pursuit of lofty endeavors, wouldn’t let experienced, intelligent people bring him down to earth—he rushed to “live the life of a holy ascetic” in the woods near Vologda. He left the world carrying a backpack, matches and canned food. The Vologda mosquitoes took the burden of enlightenment upon themselves and prompted the aspiring ascetic to return home—and he didn’t even finish his canned food, despite it being Lenten. Prudent, experienced people strictly forbade us to laugh: “There’ll be plenty of reasons to be ashamed of ourselves, make no mistake!” Well, that’s for sure! And that’s without mosquitoes…

One of us, after finally growing up (but obviously not in spirit), decided to follow the exploits of Venerable Alexis the Man of GodThe parents sought the missing Alexis everywhere, but without success. The servants sent by Euphemianus also arrived in Edessa, but they did not recognize the beggar sitting at the portico as their master.

“>St. Alexis, the Man of God, and abandoned his family “for the love of God.” Fortunately, he returned back to the fold, but, as he explains it, it was every bit as shameful. In a moment of merriment, I asked my mother-in-law what she’d do if her favorite son-in-law decided to take the same path. “Do you see Dvina?” the old lady didn’t appreciate my joke (she resides on the right bank of the river). “The Northern Dvina. That’s where you belong! Wisecracker, eh! Go do some work, you сhatterbox.” Her pastoral method is certainly foolproof.

I think all of us have had many times of irrationality. Some of us took the knocks themselves, while others saw the mistakes in others. Thus, it is truly important to exercise caution and have an adequate estimation of our anything-but-ascetic abilities. Only when we exercise discerment we will be able to do the right thing, reasonably and justly.

Taking up the cross is a labor that is truly personal and intimate. All of us have our own measure, always wondrous.

I was told this story not long ago in the From Moscow to the Northern ThebaidIt wasn’t without God’s providence that I ended up here. Thus, from Sretensky Monastery in the center of Moscow, I wound up in the Northern Thebaid, which I’m very glad about. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities for humility.

“>Zaonikiev Vladimirskaya Icon of the Mother of God Hermitage, a poor monastery near Vologda. It was about a local man Alexander Krainev, who was a blessed saint, and a beggar.

In a chapel at the St. Mitrophan cemetery in St. Petersburg, a tombstone over his grave carried a brief inscription, “Wanderer Alexander Krainev, died December 10, 1889 at the age of seventy-one.” The chapel, just like the cemetery, was destroyed by the Bolsheviks in the late 1920s and only several years ago its foundations were discovered by archaeologists from the St. Petersburg State University. One of the ascetic labors undertaken by the wanderer Alexander (or, as he called himself, “Alexandrushko”) was helping struggling churches and monasteries—he wandered around Russia, collecting alms and giving them to the needy.

The future ascetic was born in the village of Erdenevo of Vologda uyezd¹ near the Zaonikiev Vladimirskaya Icon Hermitage, one of the then famous monasteries of the Russian North located fifteen versts² from Vologda. He had a difficult, even frightful lot.

From the age of fifteen, Alexander worked as a spademan, and when he turned twenty, he married a poor village girl Olga Sokolova. The young family lived together with his sisters, who disliked their new relative. The saying, “Four brothers-in-law are better than one sister-in-law” may sound humorous, but if you should happen to live in such a hell yourself, you could be led to despair. That’s what happened to Alexander—he’d often find work further away from home and work longer shifts, and then he took to drinking, which caused epileptic seizures. The birth of their children didn’t help either: scandals, yelling, screaming, drinking sprees, absences— in a nutshell, the whole deal. Twenty years passed, and Alexander saw with his own eyes what such agony was leading him to. Probably fear for his fate after death contributed to the fact that the poor soul made a final decision: to leave home and family, to put on ascetic chains, and wander to holy places collecting alms for the restoration of struggling churches.

From the life of the blessed wanderer, we learn about his meeting with Holy Hierarch Philaret (Drozdov). Standing in front of the Metropolitan was

“a skinny wanderer of average height, with dark skin and black hair, who wore a rather shabby homespun peasant coat. He looked like a beggar who had traveled many a hundred versts. Alexander asked the Metropolitan’s blessing to be a wanderer and wear chains. The Metropolitan warned the wanderer that what he was about to do would require from him longsuffering and meekness. Falling at the feet of the Metropolitan, the wanderer promised to try his best to remain meek and to bear his cross with patience, also asking him to pray for the servant of God Alexander.”

The chains the wanderer had wrapped around his body weighed a pood and three pounds—which is seventeen kilograms in modern measurement.

Gentleness was one of his distinctive qualities

Alexander began wandering around the world. From his native land near Vologda and then to Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pochaev, Rostov, the Caucasus, Jerusalem, Solovki, the Holy Mountain… Heat, cold, hunger (he ate nothing but bread and water), dressed in rags—if you compare this with our modern, comfortable pilgrimage trips, for some reason the desire to condemn him, “a weakling who failed to cope with the hardships of family life and deal with his alcoholism”—slowly disappears. Add to this the inevitable suspicion, unfriendliness, ridicule, hardships, illnesses, scolding, mockery, and sometimes beatings—the “fairy tale of wanderings” will lack any romantic appeal and rosy expectations. Some pilgrims, they say, manage to quarrel even while travelling in comfortable buses and on airplanes—but you just try to keep peace of mind and kind attitude to people when they literally fling mud at you. But he managed to do it; according to the people of St. Petersburg, one of his distinctive qualities was his gentleness.

He’d tell those who asked him to pray for them, “How can I pray to God for others? It is you who must pray for Alexandrushka-the-fool!” When he was offered monasticism in his native Zaonikiev hermitage, he replied, “A fool isn’t worthy of the angelic rank.” He spoke simply and sincerely from his heart, and this corrected many people. If he chanced upon a drunkard, he’d sigh, remember something and say, “My brother, my dear one, what if I beg you on bended knees that you, for Christ’s sake, no longer drink wine?” And he’d do as he said, bowing down low. Who of us can call a drunkard a brother, sincerely, from the heart?

Helping struggling parishes was his special concern. There is evidence of funds collected by the wanderer for various repairs, new iconostases, roof repair, and liturgical utensils, especially for churches around Vologda. The vast majority of these churches, however, were destroyed in times of persecution.

One day, Alexander came to his native village. The locals thought he came for good. But it wasn’t so—he came to say goodbye to his wife. They asked forgiveness of each other for the pain they had caused. “Forgive me for grumbling against you when you went on your wanderings. Pray, my beloved, for my sinful soul!” “And you forgive me, my poor one, for your life with me wasn’t at all beautiful, you had to endure much grief in your loneliness,” this is what we read in the life of the wanderer about the last conversation between wife and husband. Can we forgive each other we stand, at least, on the threshold of eternity? Without sharp words and biting expressions, spoken in resentment, with pursed mouth and followed by sighs? Can we really do that?

Blessed wanderer Alexander Krainev died in St. Petersburg and was buried in the Church of the Savior on Sennaya Street. Eyewitnesses reported that crowds of people, literally, thousands of people who saw in him a man of prayer, a friend, and a helper, accompanied him to the St. Mitrophan cemetery.

A chapel at the grave of Alexander Krainev. Drawing published in “Russian Pilgrim” magazine, 1911. According to Elena Mikhailova, Doctor of History, head of the G. S. Lebedev archaeology, historical sociology and cultural heritage workshop at St. Petersburg State University, “the Vologda wanderer Alexander Krainev was revered in St. Petersburg almost as much as the St. Xenia of PetersburgSt. Xenia of Petersburg

“>Blessed Xenia. He was to be canonized before revolution, but the timing was wrong.”

“Later, his pious followers built a chapel over his grave. A cross was erected inside the chapel, with an undying lampada burning next to it. Just as during the wanderer’s earthly life, a cup hanging nearby was filled with donations. Here you could encounter poor old women and elegantly dressed ladies, simple peasants and noble aristocrats. In grief or in need, in sickness or in sorrow, anyone could come to the grave of the wanderer to pray and be inspired at this place of his earthly repose, with meekness, humility, patience, love for God and neighbor. The afflicted would leave this place feeling peace in their souls and relief in their hearts. His chains and the heavy staff he always carried with him are now kept in the sacristy of the cemetery church,” we can read in the old newspapers.

In 1927, the authorities decided on “the immediate closure of the St. Mitrophan cemetery.” Two years later, four cemetery churches and three chapels were closed down and demolished, one of them being the chapel over the grave of the wanderer Alexander Krainev. After the destruction of the churches in the St. Mitrophan cemetery, the books with records of numerous miracles at the prayers of the wanderer and on his grave also disappeared.

In the 1980s and 90s, warehouses belonging to “Intourist” and later a garbage dump were located on the place of the wanderer’s grave

From the 1930–50s, all the tombstones in the burial ground were destroyed. In the eighties and nineties, warehouses belonging to “Intourist” and later a garbage dump filled with trash, old foliage and soil were set up on the place of the wanderer’s grave.

Since 2006, the wanderer Alexander Krainev has been prayerfully commemorated at the place of his burial.

In 2010, with the blessing of Archpriest Vladimir Sorokin, a cross was erected at the place of Alexander Mikhailovich’s grave.

A cross at the gravesite of Alexander Krainev     

On what was formerly the village of Erdenevo near Vologda, there is now a field. The Zaonikiev Vladimirskaya Icon of the Mother of God Hermitage is being restored nearby. This is the place where the blessed man is always remembered, and all who are heavy-hearted are prayed for here, following the example of the wanderer Alexander. They always keep in mind, that a cross and ascetic labors are truly personal and hidden things. Everyone has his own measure, and it’s always wondrous!

On RepentanceFather Kyrik was an experienced practitioner of the prayer of the heart and edified his spiritual children primarily through his own example.

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On ConfessionWe must firmly believe in our Lord Jesus Christ’s labor on the Cross before His Heavenly Father, and that He tore up our sins on the Cross and gave us great mercy—which we don’t deserve.

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Photo: azbyka.ru     

But since the On the Sign of the CrossWhat is the significance of the sign of the Cross? Why is it performed when it is? When is it preformed besides after a prayer? Fr. John Whiteford answers these questions on his blog.

“>Sign of the Cross is inextricably bound up with prayer, the following must be said about it: Crossing yourself and bowing are two separate acts. We must make the Sign of the Cross with faith and love for the Lord Who was crucified for us, with a vivid awareness of the meaning of the Cross; that is, Who died on the Cross and for whom. We must cross ourselves reverently—first make the Sign of the Cross on yourself, then bow only when the right hand falls from the left shoulder, and not simultaneously with making the cross, and not with the back alone, but also with the head, even with your thought or spirit, whether making bows from the waist or prostrations. God doesn’t need our bodily worship, but mainly our living faith, feeling and spirit, or thoughts. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24). Truth is the understanding that we bow to the essential Truth—God, and to bow in spirit means also in thought and living consciousness. But since as the body humbles itself, so does the soul that lives in the body, and for this reason we also bow with the body.

Now let us speak about What is Prayer?A great prayerful power is at work in the prayers of the Holy Fathers, and whoever enters into them with all his attention and zeal will certainly taste of this prayerful power to the extent that his state of mind converges with the content of the prayer.

“>prayer itself. Prayer is needed or necessary mainly so that a man might know his dependence on God. Church prayer is higher than home prayer. However, the former doesn’t exclude the latter (home prayer). 100 prostrations made at home can’t compare with one word in the Church: “Lord, have mercy!” And to keep the mind from dispersing, standing during church prayer, we must mentally repeat what is being sung or read there and not just listen with our ears, enjoying the singing. But we must understand what they sing. And if you can’t hear the reading, say to yourself the short prayer, “Lord, have mercy!” Therefore, knowing the importance of church prayer, every (Orthodox) Christian soul, if it can’t be in the holy church during the celebration of a service, and especially the Holy Liturgy, should at the hour it’s being served stand for a short prayer with vivid awareness of what is being celebrated in the holy church at that moment in the presence of the faithful children of God—of which you are one. Sigh to God and thank Him for the salvation of all mankind, and in particular for the salvation of yourself—unworthy of His great and rich mercy as you are.

After prayer, don’t immediately turn to your usual work or occupations, but nourish yourself for at least a few minutes with the feeling and awareness that just occupied your soul, which was elevated to your Creator through the mind and feelings of the heart. Since this prayerful approach constitutes the fruit of prayer, without it the enemy of our salvation steals the seed of prayer from our hearts and we’re left without fruit. It’s like the Savior’s parable about the sower of wheat, whose grains fell by the roadside. These seeds weren’t hidden in the depths of the soil of our heart with great diligence. Instead, they remained on the surface due to our carelessness and excessive fuss, to the point of forgetting God, Who is the Sower of the word of our salvation. Then our enemy the devil, using the birds that exist within us, steals the seeds of the Holy Sower. As a result, we’re left without the fruit of salvation. How simply and imperceptibly for us the devil defeats us with our own weapons! Protect, O Lord, Your sinful servants, from such insensibility and inattention to our own salvation!

Before prayer, we have to attune ourselves for piety, that is, to think about who we are and Who is He with Whom we want to talk? We’re dust and ashes, and He’s the Creator of the heavens and the earth, before Whom Cherubim and Seraphim tremble… Such a comparison will cause a feeling of contrition of spirit; then cry out to the Lord: “Woe is me, a sinner!” And then say to yourself: “Lord, bless me to offer You prayer and supplications to Your compassion for my insignificance.” Then pronounce every word of prayer separately, as if syllable by syllable, pronouncing the words as if listening to yourself, and pronounce the words of prayer in a plaintive tone, like beggars ask for alms… and don’t think that we’re somehow doing God a favor with our prayer, but recognize that this is our obligation as creatures to the Creator. Whoever doesn’t pray with a contrite heart is humbled by God, but a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise (Ps. 50:19); that is, He won’t leave you without the help of grace.

However, due to the weakness of our nature, there are inevitably temptations from demons, brought into our thoughts, as well as distraction of the mind to the point of forgetting what you’re saying, as your mind wanders away from prayer to memories of places you’ve been, things you’ve seen, things you’ve heard, and so on. But in order to fix such weakness, you have to go back to the place in your prayers where you noticed your mind was scattered, and reread what you read inattentively, and you must repent, saying: “Lord, forgive me and help me!” Because without grace-filled help from the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing good or even think about and correct ourselves. If the Lord doesn’t build a house (our spiritual home), we labor in vain, says the Church hymn. There are people who, when they notice that their mind is scattered during prayer, try to restrain it and their thoughts by focusing on some sacred topic—for example a holy icon—or they imagine Heaven opened and those who live there: the Savior or the Mother of God, or the angels.

This kind of prayer with the imagination is improper, because demons, as incorporeal beings, easily approach our soul and spirit, taking the forms of our thoughts and imaginations and acting through them according to their evil will for the destruction of our soul. During prayer, it’s inappropriate to imagine God according to His human nature, that is, how He lived on earth and suffered and died on the Cross, for (now) His Body, transfigured by His Divinity, is beyond reason and understanding—not only human, but also angelic, and therefore beyond our imagination. During prayer, we need to have a vivid conviction that we’re praying to the Omnipresent God, Who is before us and within us, and therefore knows before we ask what we need and what we want and ask for at the moment. But when reading Holy Scripture—about His life, sufferings, and death for us sinners on the Cross—we can and should picture Him according to His humanity and sympathize with His sufferings for the sake of our salvation. In this case, picturing Him in human flesh is useful and salvific. When praying, we shouldn’t think that we’re doing God a favor, that He’ll reward us for our prayer; but we should realize that praying to Him is our duty as His creatures…

For the Lord said: So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants (Lk. 17:10).

When you pray, you must give unflagging attention to who you are and with Whom you’re speaking! For the Holy Scripture says: Take heed to yourselves (Lk. 17:3). Our attention should be connected to and inseparable from prayer, just as the body is connected to and inseparable from the soul. Attention should go before and guard against mental enemies at work in our members, and let prayer follow after attention, immediately destroying all those evil thoughts that attention initially battled. Upon this battle (with the thoughts) of attention and prayer hang the life and death of the soul. If the attention keeps prayer pure, then the soul succeeds, but if we don’t pay attention, but leave it unguarded and it’s defiled by evil thoughts, then it becomes useless and ineffective. When a man raises his hands, eyes, and mind to Heaven during prayer while holding divine thoughts, envisioning Heavenly blessings, ranks of angels, and the abodes of the saints, he stirs his soul toward longing and love for God—sometimes even to tears. However, there’s also a great danger here.

But if one should stop with this way of prayer, little by little he begins to boast in his heart without realizing it: He thinks that what he does is from the grace of God for his consolation. And this is a sign of demonic pride. Such a man is in extreme danger and he will lose his mind. Those on this path, who see light with their bodily eyes, smell sweet scents, and hear voices with their ears, etc., are deceived. Some of them have gone mad and wander from place to place in a frenzy. And others were like them deceived by accepting the devil who was transformed and appeared to them in the form of an angel of light; and yet others have taken their own lives in various ways and forms, about which it’s frightening even to speak. And who can recount the various charms and machinations of the devil! From what’s been said, it’s clear that any reasonable man can understand what harm comes from the method of prayer described here.

There’s another type of prayer, when a man brings his mind within himself, drawing it away from all things sensory, guards his senses, gathers all his thoughts so they don’t wander around the vain things of this world, but delves into the words of the prayer he’s saying. The distinctive feature of this prayer is that it occurs only in the head, while thoughts battle thoughts. Such a man is like one fighting his enemies at night in the dark. He can’t see them clearly because he’s in his head, while evil thoughts come from the heart. He doesn’t see these enemies because he isn’t attentive to his heart. In his pride, such a man despises others and condemns them, but praises himself, dreaming that he’s worthy to lead others.

There’s another means of being attentive in prayer, which is wonderful and inexplicable for those who don’t know it experientially. This supreme prayer is experienced only by those who have an experienced guide, to whom those desiring this highest prayer must submit as iron to a blacksmith—for such devotion and humility causes all of the devil’s machinations to vanish like smoke. Such a disciple is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, by Whom every soul (of the humble) lives and is exalted by purity, illuminated by the Triune Unity in a sacred mystery. In general, those who aren’t attentive to themselves and don’t guard their minds can’t become pure in heart to be vouchsafed to see God, and can’t be poor in spirit. You think to be heard by God, yet you don’t feel or hear yourself: Know yourself and then you’ll know God.

So, in order to rise above the earth and ascend to Heaven, we must first pray to God for prayer itself; that He might teach us how to pray to Him. And blessed is he who prays to God with feeling in his heart (this method of prayer is the best)—this is the highest sign of prayer. But in order to achieve such prayer, we must first pray for the abatement of the passions—that is, the vain thoughts and feelings that overwhelm us—and then practice prayer orally or vocally, then in a whisper, and then with the mind or thoughts. But we mustn’t pray with the mind until the Holy Spirit has prepared a place for Himself in our hearts. This requires strict consistency in the labor of prayer, otherwise you’ll stray from the path of true prayer and remain outside the saving ark!

There are such people of God who, having read ascetical books, immediately want to imitate the ascetics whose prayerful feats are described in the books, and therefore the readers of these books keep their attention on the sensory heart, desiring to unite their mind with their heart—the highest acheivment of prayer. However, no one should take up such an ascetic feat without an experienced guide, because first of all the sensory heart itself will ache to the point of sharp colic, and the entire chest will ache, and then out of necessity you will abandon all prayer, even prayers from a book, let alone the prayer of the mind and heart… Others, during prayer, direct their thoughts to the heights of Heaven and imagine Divine things and objects, unaware that demons have a habit of inhabiting our imagination and seducing those who pray this way. First, such men of prayer come to self-deception, then to demonic delusion, and then to madness and to the utter destruction of the soul.

There is, therefore, self-deception and delusion first of the mind, and then of the heart. The first two types of delusion can be healed with the help of an experienced spiritual father, provided that the deluded one will be in perfect submission to him and fulfill his instructions down to the smallest details. And in the third case, that is, delusion of the heart, no one, not even the saints, can correct the deluded man but God alone. Usually such unfortunate people perish irrevocably forever!… This last delusion manifests itself in blasphemy against God, and the first two phenomena—the types of delusion—are manifest in self-satisfaction, vanity, and spiritual pride; that is, the man is convinced that he does good deeds by his own strength and careful diligence, without the help of God, without the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is blasphemy against Him.

Thus, the Lord God not only doesn’t accept the prayers of those who pray to Him with the imagination of their mind, but turns away from such men in anger, and consequently, since the grace of the Holy Spirit departs from us, demons come to our soul and even fight over it amongst themselves, as if defending it from the attack of a demon like themselves; in reality, they all seek our destruction. Oh, how numerous are the devil’s machinations! But God will not despise the contrite of spirit and humble of heart, but will hear their prayers, have mercy upon them, and save them.

To be continued…

The Vatican’s financial authority reported a significant drop in suspicious activity reports in 2024, attributing the decline to “progressive refinement” in the selection process rather than diminished vigilance, according to its annual report published Wednesday.

The Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF), the Vatican’s financial watchdog, received 79 suspicious activity reports in 2024, compared with 123 in 2023, representing a roughly 36% decrease.

“In this context, a numerical reduction is a piece of positive news as it represents an increase in quality and not a reduction in attention by reporting entities,” states the report released on April 9.

Despite fewer reports, ASIF transmitted 11 reports to the Office of the Promoter of Justice (the Vatican’s prosecutor) in 2024 — the same number as in 2023 — suggesting greater precision in identifying potentially criminal financial activity.

“This is evidenced by the quality of the relations and the various forms of cooperation with domestic and international authorities as well as the good results achieved by the IOR [Institute for Works of Religion],” wrote Carmelo Barbagallo, ASIF president, in the report’s introduction.

The report details that of the 79 suspicious activity reports received, 73 came from the Vatican’s bank, the Institute for Works of Religion, with 36 of these connected to high-risk jurisdictions. Various Holy See and Vatican City State authorities submitted the remaining six reports.

ASIF also noted an increase in preventive measures during 2024, including two suspensions of transactions totaling 817,280 euros (about $900,000) and two blocks of accounts at the IOR.

The financial watchdog highlighted positive developments in international cooperation, with 32 outgoing requests for information or spontaneous communications to foreign counterparts in 2024, up from 22 in 2023. ASIF also received 13 such communications from foreign financial intelligence units, compared with 10 in the previous year.

Particularly noteworthy was the outcome of the follow-up evaluation by Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering watchdog.

The body assessed the Holy See’s progress in addressing deficiencies identified in the April 2021 Mutual Evaluation Report.

“The Moneyval committee recognized that significant progress had been achieved and expressed a positive assessment in relation to the three recommendations,” the report states. These recommendations concerned correspondent banking, wire transfers, and transparency of legal persons.

“As a result of these findings, the next technical compliance evaluation is scheduled in four years.”

The IOR “confirms as a solid and well-organized entity,” according to the report, based on ASIF’s “constant and systematic activity of verification” of profiles relevant to the “sound, prudent, and sustainable management” of the institute.

The report also details significant leadership changes at ASIF, with Federico Antellini Russo appointed as director with the function of vice president in November 2024, replacing Giuseppe Schlitzer, whose five-year term concluded on March 31.

In his final introduction as director, Schlitzer expressed gratitude to Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, “for the opportunity granted to me to serve the Holy See in such a prestigious position” and extended thanks to Barbagallo and all ASIF staff.

With fear “the driving force” in the current global climate, nations must recommit to nuclear disarmament and the regulation of artificial intelligence, said Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations.

The Holy See established diplomatic relations with the U.N. in 1957, representing the Vatican City State as well as the supreme authority of the Catholic Church, including the pope as bishop of Rome and the head of the college of bishops.

In remarks Archbishop Caccia delivered to the U.N. Disarmament Commission April 8 in New York, he restated the Holy See’s call to all nations to “overcome the fallacy of nuclear deterrence” and “to accede to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

Adopted by the U.N. in 2017, the treaty serves as a legally binding instrument towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. To date, there are 94 state signatories and 73 states party to the treaty.

Neither the U.S. nor Russia, which together account for approximately 88% of the world’s nuclear weapons, have adopted the treaty.

Archbishop Caccia urged “a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect” at an upcoming session regarding the treaty in order to further its advancement.

The regulation of AI, which has increasingly transformed the defense industry, is also crucial, said the archbishop.

He cited the “multiple challenges posed by the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence,” noting that their “increasing weaponization could pose further existential risks.”

In his statement, Archbishop Caccia surveyed the broader context for his calls to action.

“As political instability and conflicts continue to rise across various regions of the world, many states have turned to military solutions in an effort to safeguard their sovereignty and protect their interests,” said Archbishop Caccia.

As a result, he said, deterrence is “often seen as the essential guiding principle.”

Currently, more than 120 conflicts are taking place throughout the world, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Among the most prominent are Russia’s war in Ukraine; the Israel-Hamas war; civil wars in Myanmar and Sudan; insurgencies in various African nations, as well as in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and armed gang violence that has destabilized Haiti.

Defense spending has soared worldwide, with the global total reaching a record high of close to $2.5 trillion in 2024, up more than 7% from 2023 and averaging just under 2% of nations’ gross domestic product. The European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada have accelerated defense investments, as moves by the U.S. under the Trump administration have unsettled longstanding defense alliances.

Archbishop Caccia said the shift towards defense investment “comes at a significant cost, not only in terms of financial resources but also in terms of the erosion of multilateralism, dialogue and international cooperation, which have long been the cornerstones of our collective efforts.”

He quoted St. John XXIII’s 1963 encyclical, “Pacem in Terris” (“Peace on Earth”): “There is a common belief that under modern conditions peace cannot be assured except on the basis of an equal balance of armaments … If one country increases its military strength, others are immediately roused by a competitive spirit to augment their own supply of armaments.”

Those words “resonate deeply today,” said Archbishop Caccia, adding that “the cycle of arms buildup and the logic of deterrence foster an atmosphere of suspicion and division.” This in turn, he said, “pushes the international community further from the prospect of achieving lasting peace.”

In particular, he said, “the threat of nuclear conflict is once again alarmingly close,” stressing that “it is imperative to recommit, with renewed urgency, to the path of disarmament.”

Nuclear proliferation, along with other weapons of mass destruction, “multiplies risks and offers only the illusion of peace,” while obscuring “the true path to peace,” said Archbishop Caccia.

Moreover, pursuit of nuclear deterrence fails to account for “the changing nature and complexity of conflicts and the undeniable reality that any use of these weapons would have catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences,” he said. “These repercussions would not discriminate between combatants and non-combatants and would cause lasting damage, harming both present and future generations.”

While a legal framework on AI may be “beyond the immediate scope” of the U.N.’s disarmament commission, he said, “the principles, guidelines, and recommendations developed here” can contribute to instruments that ensure “the use of new and emerging technologies does not fuel violent escalation of any kind, but rather benefits all humanity and peace worldwide.”

Archbishop Caccia concluded by quoting Pope Francis’ January address to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, saying, “In the face of the increasingly concrete threat of a world war, the vocation of diplomacy is to foster dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less ‘convenient’ or not considered legitimized to negotiate.

“Only in this way is it possible to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which are the root of every destructive determination to wage war,” said the pope.