Tag: Christianity

Chișinău, April 25, 2024

Photo: mitropolia.md     

The primate of the Moldovan Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is calling clergy who have left the jurisdiction to repent and return.

Two overlapping canonical structures operate in Moldova: the Moscow Patriarchate’s Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova, and the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Metropolis of Bessarabia, which have essentially tolerated each other since the latter was reestablished in 1991 by a bishop formerly of the Russian Church’s structure.

However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, a number of clerics have left the Metropolis of Chișinău and joined the Metropolis of Bessarabia without a canonical release, several of whom have subsequently been defrocked or suspended by the authorities of the Russian Church’s structure. However, the Romanian Church’s structure, with the backing of the Romanian Holy Synod, Romanian Synod establishes “Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” Ukrainian hierarch respondsA number of important decisions were made during the session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church held in Bucharest on February 29.

“>does not recognize these canonical sanctions, as it considers itself the legitimate Church in Moldova.

Moldovan Church under Moscow calls Romanian Church to dialogue as tensions riseThe head of the Moldovan Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate is calling on the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church to enter into a dialogue about the aggravated ecclesiastical situation in Moldova.

“>Last month, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău of the Moscow Patriarchate issued a call to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania to enter into dialogue concerning the sharp ecclesiastical tensions.

And now, he has issued an appeal to the Church’s former clergy, approved by the Moldovan Synod yesterday. The appeal reads:

To the clerics who have left the Moldovan Orthodox Church,

We observe with pain and disappointment your holiness’ choice to abandon the path you solemnly swore to follow. This action seriously questions the sincerity of your commitment to your pastoral vocation.

We now call on you not only to reflect on the mistakes made but to deeply repent and return to the fold of the Church. As the teachings of our Fathers urge us, repentance is the only way to spiritual rehabilitation and reintegration into the community of believers.

It is unacceptable and deeply regrettable to turn your back on holy duties for any worldly or personal reasons. Mistakes must be acknowledged, and actions corrected. It is essential to understand the severity of the situation created and the negative impact on those who looked to you as spiritual shepherds.

Return to your original vow and embrace again the responsibilities you have neglected. This is not merely an exhortation, but an urgent necessity for the ultimate good of the souls you once promised to shepherd.

May the example of the Holy Apostle Peter, who after denying Christ repented with tears of remorse and was received again by the Savior, inspire you on this journey of return. Your restoration will not only be a personal triumph but a beacon of hope for the entire community that awaits you with open arms.

We await with unwavering hope your immediate return to our Holy Church.

Brethren, abandon your pride and return to your former state!

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St. Zita was born in the early 1200s. Her family was poor, but her mother taught Zita to rely on God and seek his will in every circumstance. By the time she was 12, and was sent to work in the home of the Fatinelli family in Lucca, Zita already had a strong prayer life. 

Zita’s employers lived by a church, and she woke up extremely early every morning to attend daily Mass. She considered her work a means of serving God, and kept herself mindful of his presence even during long hours and exhausting tasks. 

For many years, Zita was treated poorly by her employers, including fits of rage and beatings. She faced this abuse with patience and inner strength from prayer. Over time, her employers came to value her service and appreciate her virtues. 

Zita was promoted to a position of responsibility, but she remained humble. She continued to view her services as doing God’s will, and refused to hold a grudge against those who had mistreated her. Zita remained kind to the people who worked under her direction, and continued to give alms, to the point of personal sacrifice. 

Throughout her life, Zita found a source of strength in the Mass and Communion, which frequently moved her to tears. She set aside time every day for contemplative prayer. 

In one story about Zita, she left her chore of baking bread to tend to someone in need. A few of the other servants told the Fatinelli family that she had abandoned her work, but when they went to investigate, they claimed to have found angels in the kitchen, baking the bread for her. 

After foretelling her own death, and preparing spiritually, Zita died in Lucca on April 27, 1271. Many residents considered her a saint and began seeking her intercession, and a large number of miracles are attributed to her. 

The Fatinelli family contributed to the cause of Zita’s canonization. The earliest account of her life was found in a family manuscript and was published in 1688. Pope Innocent XII canonized Zita in 1696. 

In 1580, St. Zita’s body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt, but has since been mummified. It is venerated today in the Basilica of St. Frediano, where she attended Mass.

Belgium, April 25, 2024

The Nativity of the Theotokos Church in Kortrijk. Photo: archiepiskopia.be     

Two new Orthodox churches were formally opened in Belgium in the month of April.

On Saturday, April 13, His Eminence Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium of the Moscow Patriarchate consecrated the altar and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kortrijk in northwestern Belgium, the diocese reports.

Abp. Simon consecrating the altar. Photo archiepiskopia.be     

Vladyka Simon was joined by four priests and five deacons, mainly from Brussels.

During the consecration, relics of St. Vladimir of Kiev and Galicia were placed inside the altar table.

Following the service, all present were treated to a fraternal meal.

Bulgarian Mission of St. Zlata in Antwerp. Photo: dobrotoliubie.com     

A week later, the Bulgarian Orthodox Mission of New Martyr Chryse (Zlata) of Meglena, BulgariaNew Martyr Zlata (Chryse) This “golden vessel of virginity and undefiled bride of Christ,” was born in the village of Slatena, Meglena diocese, on the border of Bulgaria and Serbia, while Bulgaria was under the Turkish Yoke.

“>St. Zlata of Maglen, was officially opened in the city of Antwerp, reports Dobrotoliubie.

The mission community meets in the Catholic Chapel of the Holy Name of Christ. About 60 people attended the Divine Liturgy on April 20, celebrated by mission founder and rector Fr. Stoyan Berbatov and Fr. Nikolay Nikolov from the Bulgarian parish in Cologne.

Photo: dobrotoliubie.com     

The Lord’s Prayer was read in Slavonic, Bulgarian, Flemish, German, and French.

Following the service, the parish president symbolically cut the ribbon to the singing of “Many Years.”

“We hope and sincerely believe that the creation of a church community for Bulgarians living in this area will contribute to bringing the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection to the hearts and souls of our compatriots,” said Fr. Stoyan.

The day continued with a Lenten meal and live folk music.

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South Kinangop, Kenya, April 26, 2024

    

On Sunday, April 21, Abbot John of St. Moses the Black Monastery in Kenya concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Fr. Methodios J.M. Kariuki, rector of the new Church of Nektarios and head of the St Barnabas Orthodox Orphanage and SchoolWe started St Barnabas Orthodox Orphanage and School in a poverty scarred neighborhood and it impelled us to start learning about the challenges facing our neighbours especially their children.

“>St. Barnabas Orthodox Orphanage and School.

After the Divine celebration all the faithful gathered at the site of the new church building and prayed together for the Lord Jesus to bless the community with resources to build the much-needed church.

Ground was broken on Kenya: Ground broken on new Church of St. Nektarios that will serve local orphanage (+VIDEO)On Tuesday, March 26, ground was broken for the construction of a new church in honor of St. Nektarios of Aegina (Patriarchate of Alexandria) in rural Kenya.

“>March 26 for the construction of the church, which will also serve the children of the St. Barnabas Mission.

    

“The community is rapidly growing, bearing witness to the need for more mission efforts in the area,” says Fr. Methodios.

The rector is pleading with potential benefactors to reach out and help in the building of this church. Inquire at info@orthodoxmissionkenya.org or visit the St. Barnabas website.

“Let all pray together for this new Orthodox community,” writes Fr. Methodios.

OrthoChristian has reported on several mass Baptisms at St. Barnabas’, including in 11 baptized at Kenyan orphanage during visit of “Orthodox Africa” charity directorThe joyous occasion of the Baptisms came during the visit of Fr. Silouan (Brown), the founder and director of Orthodox Africa, which currently supports five missions in Kenya, and one parish in Uganda, with the goal of helping them achieve long-term sustainability.

“>May 2017 and 13 children baptized into Christ at Kenyan orphanage (+ VIDEO)Mass Baptisms have become somewhat commonplace in Africa in the past few years. The latest joyous news comes from the St. Barnabas Orphanage and School in Njabini, Kenya, where 13 children were united to Christ in holy Baptism on Saturday, January 26.”>January 2019.

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Louisiana State Police executed a search warrant on the Archdiocese of New Orleans April 25 for documents related to a widening investigation into how the archdiocese has handled allegations of clerical sex abuse.

Louisiana State Police Trooper Jacob Pucheu, public information officer, told OSV News by email that the search took place “during a meeting with representatives and counsel for the Archdiocese of New Orleans” and the state police’s special victims unit investigators.

“The Archdiocese is actively cooperating with investigators and the terms of the search warrant,” said Pucheu in his statement. “This investigation remains ongoing, and there is no additional information available at this time.”

The Archdiocese of New Orleans had been ordered by a New Orleans criminal court to turn over the records, as part of a long-running criminal investigation involving multiple accused priests.

According to The Guardian, New Orleans Magistrate Juana M. Lombard signed off on the order April 22, allowing Louisiana State Police to obtain from the archdiocese files identifying all priests and permanent deacons who had been accused of sexual abuse with minors.

In addition, the archdiocese was required to account for the dates of initial complaints, and to specify whether any cases had been handed over to the police, said The Guardian, citing “multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter.”

The newspaper also said that police have requested “copies of all communications” among New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond and “his aides, as well as their superiors at the Vatican” regarding abuse.

A spokesperson with the archdiocese told OSV News in an email that “as always, the Archdiocese will continue to cooperate in all law enforcement investigations.”

Pucheu told OSV News by email that the request marked an expansion of the investigation into retired New Orleans priest Msgr. Lawrence Hecker.

State troopers provided a sworn statement to Lombard April 22 stating they suspected the archdiocese knew about, but failed to properly report, widespread abuse. Lombard’s order, a copy of which OSV News has requested, did not name any archdiocesan officials — including Archbishop Aymond — as being under criminal investigation, according to The Guardian.

The 92-year-old Msgr. Hecker was indicted by a grand jury in September 2023 for aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature and theft. According to New Orleans Police Department reports, Msgr. Hecker raped and kidnapped a victim, who was not named, between Jan. 1, 1975, and Dec. 31, 1976.

A team of forensic psychiatrists recently said the 92-year-old priest is unfit to stand trial due to short-term memory loss, according to The Guardian, citing a report reviewed by its team and local television station WWL.

In response to an OSV News inquiry at the time of Hecker’s arrest, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said in a statement that Msgr. Hecker “has not had priestly faculties since 2002,” and that he was “included on the list of clergy removed from ministry for abuse of a minor in 2018.”

The archdiocese also told OSV News at the time that it had “reported Lawrence Hecker to law enforcement authorities in different jurisdictions multiple times since 2002,” and had “fully cooperated and will continue to cooperate with any law enforcement investigation” into the retired priest.

Pucheu told OSV News that in 2022 the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations Special Victims Unit had “initiated an investigation into the Archdiocese of New Orleans following numerous complaints of child sexual abuse.

“Since the inception of the investigation, investigators have executed a search warrant and arrested former Priest, Lawrence Hecker,” said Pucheu. “As part of the ongoing investigation, on Monday, April 22, 2024, SVU investigators obtained an additional search warrant to collect information and documents from the Archdiocese of New Orleans.”

Pucheu noted that the archdiocese “is cooperating with investigators to fulfill the terms of the search warrant,” adding, “This investigation remains ongoing with no further information available at this time.”

In a 1999 statement made to the archdiocese, Msgr. Hecker himself had acknowledged committing “overtly sexual acts” with at least three underage boys in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also confessed to having close relationships with four other boys into the 1980s.

In August 2023, The Guardian and WWL conducted a surprise interview with Msgr. Hecker at his apartment complex, with the disheveled-looking priest chalking his abuse up to the sexually permissive behavior of the time.

A few weeks later, during a brief Aug. 24, 2023, phone call with OSV News, Msgr. Hecker denied his admission of abuse.

“Things get twisted around,” he said before hanging up.

However, in January, prosecutors said that Msgr. Hecker had admitted under oath that he views child pornography.

Huși, Vaslui County, Romania, April 26, 2024

Photo: mitropoliabasarabiei.md     

A group of needy elderly and children of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Metropolis of Bessarabia in Moldova have received humanitarian aid from the Huși Orthodox Philanthropic Association.

A group of priests and pious Christians from the Huși Diocese in neighboring Romania visited needy parishioners at several churches in Moldova, presenting them with gifts of money and food as part of a Pascha campaign, reports the Metropolis of Bessarabia.

The campaign is entitled, “We Bring Light into Our Souls at Pascha.”

The report states:

The Orthodox Christian Philanthropy Association of Huși, established with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși, is a living example of Christian solidarity and dedication to those in need. Since 2018, this non-profit association has been carrying out social and charitable activities, currently having seven social establishments and conducting numerous humanitarian actions in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

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Amid an ongoing back and forth between the Vatican and the German bishops conference over a controversial new ecclesial body, four of the nation’s prelates have refused to participate in the planning process, opting instead to wait for direction from Rome.

In a statement released simultaneously April 24, Bishop Gregor Maria Franz Hanke of Eichstätt, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg said they wish “to continue on the path to a more synodal Church in harmony with the universal Church.”

The reference is to Pope Francis’s ongoing Synod of Bishops on Synodality, launched in 2021 and set to conclude this October with a second Rome-based gathering, and which is touching on several of the same issues as Germany’s own national synodal process, referred to as the “synodal way.”

In their statement, Hanke, Woelki, Oster and Voderholzer said that Vatican objections to the German Synodal Way have repeatedly made it clear that a proposed Synodal Council, a new governing body for the church in Germany consisting of both bishops and laypeople, is not acceptable.

Specifically, they said the proposed Synodal Council, “as envisaged and formulated in the resolution of the Synodal Way, was not compatible with the sacramental constitution of the Church.”

On these grounds, the bishops said they “still do not want to take part” in a special Synodal Committee, whose goal is to formally establish the Synodal Council, and the statutes for which were set to be voted on earlier this year, until the vote was halted at the request of the Vatican.

The four bishops who signed the statement also cast doubt on the German Bishops’ Conference’s status as the official sponsor of the Synodal Committee, since four of its members do not support the entity.

Svyatogorsk, Donetsk Province, Ukraine, April 26, 2024

Photo: svlavra.church.ua     

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) Security Service detains Metropolitan-abbot of Ukrainian Church’s Svyatogorsk LavraSecurity Service (SBU) employees blocked and searched the monastery this morning.

“>detained His Eminence Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, the abbot of the Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra, yesterday.

According to a court ruling, he is to be held in a pre-trial detention center for 60 days without the possibility of bail. The SBU announced that he is under official investigation for allegedly revealing the position of Ukrainian soldiers to Russians during a homily. He faces up to 8 years in prison.

The Telegram channel First Cossack published today the video of the relevant homily, from September 23, in which Met. Arseny mentions that pilgrims and volunteers were detained for hours at roadblock checkpoints and thus were unable to reach the monastery for the feast of All Saints of Svyatogorsk.

The hierarch notes that the checkpoints were in the nearby village of Tatyanovka, but does not mention any specific addresses. The video of the sermon was only published two days later, after the feast was already over and the checkpoints were no longer there.

Messages and appeals on behalf of Met. Arseny have already come from several sources.

His Eminence Metropolitan Evlogy of Sumy published an appeal to President Vladimir Zelensky, noting that Met. Arseny is a wise and pious abbot and a Ukrainian patriot. He also recalls his many years of humanitarian activity.

The Svyatogorsk abbot has very illnesses and needs constant medical supervision, thus Met. Evlogy appeals to the president to release Met. Arseny from detention, so he can be properly attended to.

The Hierarchs of Local Churches come together to form human rights groupThe press release on the creation of the association notes that UN representatives have repeatedly raised concerns about the violations of the rights of the UOC and its faithful.

“>Church Against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination human rights organization stated that it considers the arrest of Met. Arseny to be unfounded, illegal, and politically motivated, and also called for his release from detention.

Robert Amsterdam, the lawyer representing the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church pro bono, also made a video statement about the ordeal, stating that Ukraine is trying to remove Church leaders before passing the bill to ban the UOC.

The brotherhood of the Svyatogorsk Lavra issued its own appeal on behalf of its persecuted abbot, emphasizing that the charge against him is far-fetched, as he revealed nothing of a miliary nature during his homily.

The brotherhood writes:

We believe that the application of a pre-trial detention measure, including without the alternative of posting bail, does not correspond to either the circumstances of the alleged offense or the personality of the suspect and demonstrates inhumane treatment of a respected person, who is also in poor health. Metropolitan Arseny suffers from severe illnesses and therefore requires constant medical supervision and treatment, which cannot be provided in pre-trial detention conditions. The arrest of the bishop is a blatant violation of human rights and is aimed at forcibly removing Metropolitan Arseny from his duties as the abbot of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, one of the main spiritual centers of Ukraine, and his isolation.

The brethren of the Svyatogorsk Lavra prayerfully support Metropolitan Arseny, await his earliest release from arrest, and consider the charges against the bishop to be artificial and contrived. Despite the extensive destruction of the monastery, with the support of Metropolitan Arseny, services continue to be held in the Lavra to this day, and the monastery’s brethren continue to carry out their monastic duties daily. Also, the Lavra provides full support to a large number of people who have lost their own homes due to military actions.

Metropolitan Arseny is, as it were, the heart of the Lavra; without him, it is impossible to imagine the Svyatogorsk Monastery. For all of us living in the Lavra, Vladyka Arseniy is an irreplaceable spiritual mentor, administrator, and intercessor. Therefore, the isolation of the bishop is a heavy blow for all of us.

We thank all of you, dear brothers and sisters, for the prayers and words of support that are sent to the Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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Catholic bishops in England and Wales have rejected “gender identity theory,” reminding Catholic schools and parishes to uphold traditional teachings on human identity and sexuality.

“Many conflicting, divergent and often contradictory views of the human person have found wide acceptance … they have led to holders of traditional theories being cancelled or even losing their jobs,” the bishops said.

“We should never seek to cause offense to another, including in situations where the other person advocates a view of reality that is different from or departs from the Church’s vision of the human person. Yet care should be taken to resist the temptation to adopt the language of gender ideology in our institutions,” they added.

The call was included in an 11-page “Intricately Woven by the Lord” pastoral reflection on gender, published April 24 by the Westminster-based bishops’ conference.

The document said a “new language” had evolved around terms such as “trans,” “transgender” and “gender fluidity,” adding the bishops wished to help parents and families “pass on the truth regarding the human person” to their children, while also accompanying those struggling “with their identity as male or female.”

“This ideology leads to education programs and legislative enactments that promote a personal identity and emotional intimacy radically separated from the biological difference between male and female. Consequently, human identity becomes a choice for the individual, one which can also change over time,” the text noted.

“Such a view of the human person is highly pervasive across sections of society, raising significant and pressing pastoral challenges for the church, as well as challenges in the fields of law, medicine, education, business and religious freedom.”

Gender studies have featured at Western universities since the 1950s, with many proponents insisting a traditional focus on binary male-female roles discriminates against people displaying sexual variance.

The past decade has seen a sharp increase in people wishing to change sex, although opponents have voiced fears about the loss of female-only spaces in jails and hospitals, as well as unfairness in sports where biological men compete as women.

In Britain, where transgender citizens make up 0.5% of the population of 67.85 million, according to a 2021 census, public health doctors stopped prescribing puberty-blocking hormones to youngsters with gender dysphoria on safety grounds April 1, while an April 10 report said gender services for children were steered by ideology rather than “normal principles of pediatrics and mental health.”

In Scotland, a new Hate Crime and Public Order Act, enforced April 1, made it a potential criminal offense to question a person’s transgender identity or “varied sex characteristics,” and was condemned as contrary to church teaching by the Scottish bishops’ conference long before it came into force.

In their April 24 reflection, the U.K. bishops said people “across different spheres of society” shared the Catholic Church’s belief, founded on the Book of Genesis, in “the importance of the human body as created.”

“Being male or female is … ‘fundamental component of personality,’” the bishops said, citing the 2004 Vatican document on the collaboration of men and women in the church and in the world.

“We are to honor our body resisting medical interventions, intended to ‘reassign’ gender where these destroy the body’s fertility or sexual function. Views that promote a misleading view of the human body are deeply concerning as they foster such a limited and flawed view of the human person,” the bishops wrote.

The document said male and female roles were determined not just by “biological or genetic factors,” but also by “temperament, family history, culture, experience, education, the influence of friends, family members and respected persons,” the document said.

However, pastoral accompaniment of those facing gender incongruence and dysphoria should also be based on “respect for parents as primary educators.”

“We cannot encourage or give support to reconstructive or drug based medical intervention that harms the body,” the bishops’ document said.

Among numerous church documents, U.K.’s bishops’ reflection quotes the pope’s apostolic exhortations “Evangelii Gaudium” (2013) and “Amoris Laetitia” (2016), as well as “Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite dignity”), an April 8 declaration by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deplored mistreatment of people because of sexual orientation, but also criticized use of gender theory to justify sex changes and “new rights.”

The bishops said Dignitas Infinita had “solidified” papal teachings, highlighting “the importance of holding together the pastoral care of those experiencing gender dysphoria or identifying as transgender and the need to proclaim the truth of the human person.”

They added that the church offered a compassionate, sensitive and respectful welcome to adult Catholics who had “chosen to transition socially and medically,” but said Catholic parishes, workplaces and schools should reflect “the foundational Catholic understanding of the human person” in their work.

Addressing an April 24 London press conference, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said the bishops’ Reflection was in “absolute harmony” with the Vatican.

However, he added that it was not intended as a “doctrinal statement,” and said it would be up to Catholic educators to decide whether “preferred pronouns” would be allowed for students who identify as trans or LGBTQ+ at Catholic schools.

Acts 9:26-31 / Ps. 22:26-28, 30-3 / 2 Jn. 3:18-24 / Jn. 15:1-8

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he is the true vine that God intended Israel to be — the source of divine life and wisdom for the nations (see Sirach 24:17-24).

In baptism, each of us was joined to him by the Holy Spirit. As a branch grows from a tree, our souls are to draw life from him, nourished by his word and the Eucharist.

Paul in today’s First Reading seeks to be grafted onto the visible expression of Christ the true vine — his Church. Once the chief persecutor of the Church, he encounters initial resistance and suspicion. But he is known by his fruits, by his powerful witness to the Lord working in his life (see Matthew 7:16-20).

We, too, are commanded today to bear good fruits as his disciples, so that our lives give glory to God. Like Paul’s life, our lives must bear witness to his goodness.

Jesus cautions us, however, that if we’re bearing fruit, we can expect that God will “prune” us — as a gardener trims and cuts back a plant so that it will grow stronger and bear even more fruit. He is teaching us today how to look at our sufferings and trials with the eyes of faith.

We need to see our struggles as pruning, by which we are being disciplined and trained so that we can grow in holiness and bear fruits of righteousness (see Hebrews 12:4-11).

We need to always remain rooted in him, as today’s Epistle tells us. We remain in him by keeping his commandment of love, by pondering his words, letting them dwell richly in us (see Colossians 3:16), and by always seeking to do what pleases him.

In everything we must be guided by humility, remembering that apart from him we can do nothing.

As we sing in today’s Psalm, we must fulfill our vows, turning to the Lord in worship, proclaiming his praises, until all families come to know his justice in their lives.