Tag: Christianity

Sergiev Posad, Moscow Province, Russia, October 10, 2023

Photo: patriarchia.ru     

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the feast of St. Sergius of Radonezh, October 8, at the monastery founded by the great 14th-century father, where his relics lie in repose.

The primate of the Russian Church was joined by a host of hierarchs and clerics for both the All-Night Vigil on Friday night and the Liturgy on Saturday morning.

At the monastic trapeza following the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch addressed the monastics of the Russian Church with a call to serve their country in a greater way, with increased prayer and ministries such as visiting and tending to those injured in the war, reports Patriarchia.ru.

It’s not enough for monastics just to pray and avoid politics, for this would be a form of hypocrisy liable to Divine condemnation, according to the Patriarch.

Pat. Kirill said to the monks and nuns of the Russian Church:

The example of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra should remind each of us how our devout predecessors understood their ministry. They fought for their country, for their people, for its unity, and if necessary, even fired cannons. Fortunately, we do not need to fire cannons now, but how important it is today to work for the unity of our people, for the consolidation of our society!

Some may withdraw into the shadows, thinking that what’s happening in the world is not their concern, saying, “I pray in my cell, and that’s enough.” But after all, even the Venerable Sergius prayed in his cell, but remaining an elder, a man of prayer, a hermit, he also took a courageous civic stance and blessed the battle of the holy Prince Dmitry Donskoy. So today, addressing all the monastics, I will say: Of course, your first and foremost task is to pray. But pray sincerely, not as we sometimes pray—reciting our rule, going to church—and that’s it. Today, we need to pray with true fervor, from the heart, putting our souls into it. Pray for our homeland, for our Church, which is going through very difficult circumstances because indeed many forces rise against us, both internal and external.

Today, we all need unity. But what is the unity of the Church? The unity of the Church is unity in prayer. Unity is when each of you prays for the Patriarch, who genuinely needs your prayers today; when each of you prays for Russia, for the president, for the military; when each of you understands that you have your place in this struggle for the freedom of our homeland.

Some may say: “Well, I don’t get involved in politics.” But can you imagine St. Sergius responding to Dmitry Donskoy’s call with a shrug, saying: “I don’t get involved in politics, you deal with Mamai yourselves?” Impossible! Because genuine love for the homeland, for the people, can’t be separated from our faith, from our Christian responsibility, if you will, from our asceticism. It’s impossible, sheltering in a quiet, cozy cell, to say: “No, this is not for me—I pray.” Imagine how such hypocrites would face Divine condemnation!

Today, we must not just pray. Today, we need to pray very fervently because we are going through challenging historical trials. The Patriarch feels how cold winds scorch both the Church and our people and our homeland. Therefore, I address you today with a special word. Pray for the homeland because it’s currently resisting global evil. The saints are with us, St. Sergius is with us, the great tradition of Holy Rus’ is with us, and we cannot do otherwise. And all of us must pray and nurture our people in deep Orthodox faith, love for the homeland, and devotion to the traditions of our holy predecessors, among whom is St. Sergius, the Abbot of Radonezh, who didn’t hesitate to bless Dmitry Donskoy for battle. He clearly understood that this was not only a spiritual but also a political act, but the quiet elder was not afraid: He blessed and then prayed. And as a result—victory.

Thus, our Church must not be afraid today, must not stand aside, must not remain silent. What is our role in this universal struggle if we don’t truly pray? We read our prayer rule, count prayers on our prayer rope, but we don’t pray for the most important thing—for the salvation of Russia, for support for the forces who are today on the front line of the struggle for the freedom of our homeland, and that means, for our Church. After all, if there is no free Russia, there will be no free Russian Church. There will be those who will betray it from the inside, and those who will devour it from the outside.

My word addressed to you is painted with such dramatic tones, but it can’t be otherwise, for calm, serene times have passed. The time of the Church’s utmost responsibility for our people and our country has come. And our responsibility lies, first and foremost, in prayer and in helping those who defend our homeland, in helping those who have suffered in defense of the homeland. We must undoubtedly find a place to apply not only our prayerful strength but also our attention and our love. Let it not be the case that patriarchal volunteers visit the hospitals while monks do not. It’s primarily the monastics who should be visiting our wounded! It’s always been that way, even in pre-revolutionary Russia. When we are entering such a challenging historical period, we must all be mobilized. Our bishops, priests, monastics, and nuns—all of us! Everyone must ask himself: What am I doing today for our people, for our fatherland, for the freedom of our Church?

And we will observe how you respond to the words of the Patriarch, whether monastics appear in the hospitals among the wounded soldiers. I address all monastics—if not you, then who? Sisters of Mercy—what were they? Primarily nuns. But I also address the fathers: Monasteries must provide real assistance today for those who are suffering. Brothers, go to the hospitals; don’t spare yourselves! If you spare yourselves, you’ll lose the fatherland, you’ll lose the respect of the people. They’ll ask: “And you, with your long beards, where were you?”

This is my word to all of you, and I hope it will spread throughout Great Rus’. I call on all of you to be vigilant, recognizing the historical responsibility of the Church for the fate of our people and our fatherland. Amen.

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The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) has announced the launch of a National Catholic Mental Health Campaign beginning Oct. 10, which is World Mental Health Day. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of mental health issues, help remove the stigma surrounding mental illness, and encourage those suffering to seek help.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, wrote in a statement on behalf of the USCCB: “Despite its ubiquity, mental illness and mental health challenges often remain associated with embarrassment, shame, or guilt, which can prevent people from seeking and receiving help.”

“Such a stigma contradicts the compassion of Jesus and is contrary to the foundation of Catholic social teaching,” the bishops added. “As pastors, we want to emphasize this point to anyone who is suffering from mental illness or facing mental health challenges: Nobody and nothing can alter or diminish your God-given dignity.”

The campaign will begin with three major components: a novena, virtual roundtables, and advocacy for more resources “so that everyone who needs help can get help.”

The Novena for Mental Health, which starts on Oct. 10, is offered “in solidarity with those suffering from mental health challenges as well as health care professionals, family, and friends who are caring for people in need.”

The novena has a “Pray, Learn, Act” structure that, the bishops hope, will inspire more prayer, reflection, and action that can be taken to address the challenges associated with mental health.

Additionally, each day of the novena includes a reflection on a different theme related to mental health, such as removing stigmas, poverty, and suicide awareness; or a specific population affected by mental health challenges, such as families, children, and young adults.

The complete novena can be found on USCCB’s website.

The virtual roundtables hosted by the USCCB will first start with bishops and then with other key Catholic leaders. The conversations will focus on how mental illness touches everyone’s lives, how to stand against the stigma, and how to discern actions that can be taken to help those in need.

Finally, the bishops urge all Catholics to advocate for bipartisan legislation that “address the severe lack of health care resources for prevention and treatment of mental health conditions.”

Gudziak and Barron concluded with a prayer:

“We pray for the intercession of St. Dymphna and St. John of God, the patron saints of persons experiencing mental illness, as well as St. Luke, the patron of health care, that our work will bear great fruit for such a critical inflection point in our culture today. May the Lord, the Divine Physician, give aid and comfort to all who are suffering, inspire communities to offer greater support to the sick, and grant wisdom to policymakers so that everyone who needs help can get help.”

Donbass, October 10, 2023

Photo: pravoslavie.ru     

A monk of a monastery from the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alapaevsk died in the warzone over the weekend.

Monk Terenty (Dmitriev) of the Monastery of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church volunteered to go to the front, where he helped evacuate the wounded from the battlefield.

He was doing this work when his car was hit by artillary fire on Saturday, October 7, reports Patriarchia.ru.

Fr. Terenty went to the Donbass as soon as the war began, writes Orthodox activist Oksana Ivanova. “He was very worried about the children. He asked for help with books in Russian, and of course, he asked for prayer. He was a very kind person.”

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At every stop he’s made throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — whether it was volunteering at St. John Vianney Church in Hacienda Heights before he became a priest, or parish assignments at Holy Family Church in Glendale, St. Finbar Church in Burbank, or St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in Santa Clarita — there’s something special about Bishop Albert Bahhuth that has won over parishioners.

Those who attended the new auxiliary bishop’s episcopal ordination described a man who’s happiest when he can be shoulder-to-shoulder with his parishioners and guide them through life’s ups and downs.

“He’s just provided such guidance for us and a very storied leadership,” said Oscar Jaime, a parishioner at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena, where Bahhuth arrived as pastor in 2021. “He came in and really took on that role and succeeded at it. We were really blessed to have him. To see him leave, at the beginning for us it was very sad, but to see what he’s been called to do, it was more a gift for us that we had a bishop from our parish and we were here to celebrate him.

“What a solemn, divine, uplifting, incredible moment,” Jaime added. “Once in a lifetime.”

Jaime’s wife, Cristina, was impressed by Bahhuth’s humility and willingness to help his parishioners.

“He’s been a guiding light,” she said. “I recently heard him talk to the eighth-grade parents because their eighth-graders are going to move on. His message was on point, on how us as parents can guide and be with our kids even when they go through times they don’t want to be part of Mass or be part of the religion at that place and time. 

“Very humble man, very knowledgeable. He gives and gives.”

Michael Marasco and his wife, Cori, flew from Connecticut to attend the ordination.

Marasco was principal at St. Finbar Parish School during Bahhuth’s time there. They have remained close friends since both left the parish.

“He has a very unique mix of apostolic qualities,” Marasco said. “Some people have one of the different pillars of Christianity. He has them all: he’s prayerful, considerate, and humble.

“He’s probably going to stay in the closet for a month after (the ordination) — he doesn’t like attention. We were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with him.”

Marasco said he believes Bahhuth is going to miss parish life — something he acknowledged — but that he will work hard to maintain connections with priests and parishioners.

“I think he’s going to lead by example, and he’s a tireless worker,” he said. “I think these two things are going to inspire people.

“He can inspire people just by saying a confirmation Mass or visiting one of his parishes or schools.”

Back at St. Finbar, Bahhuth always strived to do better, Marasco remembered.

“He was never like, ‘Well, this is good enough,’” Marasco said. “He was always like, ‘What can we do better? What can we do differently?’ If enrollment went up 15% or 20%, he’d say, ‘OK, well, how can we get it up 30%?’ ”

Alice Harutunian attended the ordination with her husband, Deacon Serj Harutunian, who attend Holy Redeemer Church and St. James the Less Church in La Crescenta-Montrose. Being immigrants from Iran, Alice Harutunian was excited that Bahhuth, who’s from Lebanon, would be overseeing the San Fernando Pastoral Region.

She loved Bishop Alex Aclan and hoped Bahhuth would make the region even stronger.

“I haven’t met him yet,” Alice said. “I hope he’ll just be a good shepherd for the sheep and keep the faith and make the Catholic Church stronger. I’m sure he’s going to be great.”

Cherkasy, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, October 10, 2023

Photo: news.church.ua     

His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy, one of the many persecuted hierarchs of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church who is currently facing criminal charges, had the opportunity to address the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday, October 9.

Like other hierarchs, he is being falsely accused of inciting religious enmity and justifying Russian aggression. The evidence included in the prosecutor’s indictment Court case against another UOC hierarch—his diocesan website had links to Russian Church sitesThe Prosecutor’s Office of the Cherkassy Province has submitted an indictment against His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy and Kanev, accusing him of “inciting religious enmity” and “justifying Russian aggression.”

“>in May was that in 2020, the hierarch ordered the creation of a new diocesan website which used a template from the Russian Orthodox Church and had links to Orthodox resources in Russia such as patriarchia.ru (the official ROC site), pravmir.ru, and pravoslavie.ru.

He has been held under house arrest for several months now. The court case against him Case starts against Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy, OCU “clerics” attend as fake “victims”Met. Theodosy made an introductory speech in which he explained that the case is not even about him personally, but rather is just another example of the persecution of the UOC.

“>began in late August.

During a hearing on the report of the UN High Commission for Ukraine, a video recording of His Eminence was played, who was actually in court at that time (though thankfully, the court refused to move Met. Theodosy to a detention center, though he remains under house arrest), reports the Information-Education Department of the UOC.

The Metropolitan said:

Dear participants of the meeting,

As a citizen of Ukraine and a bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I draw the attention of diplomats, members of the UN Human Rights Council, and international organizations to the dire situation in which the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church find themselves.

Our faithful are suffering from violence, hundreds of our churches have been seized, the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra and the Kiev Theological Academy are being forcibly evicted from their premises. Many bishops and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including myself, face criminal charges for our religious beliefs.

Currently, I am under house arrest for my canonical convictions and public statements in defense of the Church. Meanwhile, hostile rhetoric, calls for the use of force to seize churches, and even acts of public violence against our believers go unpunished in Ukraine. Authorities are making mass decisions to expropriate land plots from our communities on which churches have already been built by the faithful of the UOC. Furthermore, the Ukrainian parliament is planning to pass a law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the territory of the state.

I earnestly request that you ensure the effective compliance of Ukraine with its international obligations regarding religious freedom.

Thanks to his speech, Met. Theodosy received the status of a UN human rights defender, which allows the organization’s resources to be used for his protection.

Regarding the bill to ban the UOC, it was reported last week that enough signatures from Parliamentarian Deputies have now been collected to include the bill on the agenda.

Earlier in the same session, the Council was addressed by O. S. Denisov, head of the Public Advocacy NGO, who also spoke about the persecution of the Church.

UOC hierarch sentenced to prison meets with UN Human Rights repsHis Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin is one of several bishops who have been targeted by Ukrainian authorities on fabricated charges of “inciting religious enmity” and “justifying Russian aggression.”

“>Late last month, representatives of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine met with His Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin, who was sentenced to five years in prison, after which they promised to attend his hearings in appeals court.

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A glimpse of heaven.

That’s how Bishop Albert Bahhuth described the experience of being elevated, along with three other Los Angeles priests, to new auxiliary bishop at his Ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Sept. 26.

The appointment capped a remarkable journey that has taken Bishop Bahhuth — the youngest of seven children — from his native Lebanon to the U.S., first as a chemical engineer student, then later area manager for the Stop-N-Go convenience store chain, and finally as co-owner of two Subway sandwich franchises before, after a spiritual awakening, he entered St. John’s Seminary in 1991.

Ordained in 1996, Bahhuth’s first assignment was at St. Gregory the Great Church in Whittier. He then served at Holy Family Church in Glendale for two years.

Before being appointed auxiliary bishop, he was pastor for 11 years at St. Finbar Church in Burbank, then pastor at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in Santa Clarita for two years. He served as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 2015 to 2020.

Several family members attended Bahhuth’s ordination, including two brothers and their wives, a sister, and a handful of nieces and nephews.

“I felt that the whole body of Christ was present there,” Bahhuth said. “Religious and seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops, the archbishop, and the cardinals were all gathered praising God and reciting prayers and songs for his blessings upon all of us, and I could feel the love — it was like a glimpse of heaven.

“I think that’s what heaven will be like, where all the members of the body of Christ are gathered together to praise God.”

Valuable background

Bahhuth views his business background as being valuable in carrying out his new duties as the auxiliary bishop overseeing the San Fernando Pastoral Region.

“Running a small business,” he said, “you deal with budgets and bank accounts, and having that kind of experience prepared me to be able to be a better pastor. I understand budgets and financial reports and marketing and customer service.”

How he came to be a businessman — much less a priest — after leaving war-torn Lebanon and studying to become a chemical engineer is a story in itself. 

Bahhuth worked for one year as a chemical engineer professor at the University of Wyoming. Then he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked at Stop-N-Go for four years — eventually moving up from graveyard shift cashier to, eventually, area sales manager.

“When I saw him, I was really taken aback,” said his sister-in-law, Claude Bahhuth. “What are you doing? You have your Ph.D. in chemical engineering and you’re working the graveyard shift at a convenience store. What’s that about? Better for you to go back home. He said, ‘No, this is not going to be forever. I have to do what I have to do.’

“He’s very determined. He’s not afraid. He will do whatever it takes.”

After that, he and his brother purchased two Subway shops.

All the while, his faith grew.

“I wanted to be more involved in my church and my faith and that’s why I decided to purchase the Subway franchises,” Bahhuth said. “To have my own business and have more control over my hours. I had more time to be in church.”

After his sister-in-law got a job at St. John Vianney Church in Hacienda Heights, Bahhuth became an active parishioner, helping to open the parish’s first food bank and catching the attention of Msgr. Joe Shea, who became his vocation director when Bahhuth was considering becoming a priest.

Shea attended Bahhuth’s ordination and later worked with him at Holy Family in Glendale for two years when Shea was the pastor there.

“He’s a man of God and a great teacher and preacher,” Shea said of Bahhuth. “He has a heart of compassion. He is visionary and creative. He’s an excellent administrator and organizer. He’s kind, but not a pushover — he’s unflappable when it comes to addressing problems.”

But the business aspect is only a small part of the job. Bahhuth knows what the most important is.

“In running churches, we need to understand who and where our people are and how can we attract them to come to Jesus,” Bahhuth said. “How can we sell Jesus to them with all the other things that are competing for their attention and efforts? That’s the challenging part.”

Praying for priests

Bishop Bahhuth is eager to dive into his new duties.

“My main role will be to care for the priests of the archdiocese because they’re the ones who are in the parishes and they’re the ones on the front lines of our faith,” he said, adding:

“If we want to evangelize and stoke the fires of faith in people’s hearts, it’s got to start with our priests. If they’re not on fire, they’re not going to get anyone else on fire.”

Bahhuth said being a priest or pastor isn’t especially easy these days.

“There’s a lot of responsibility and administrative work, and none of us became priests to do that, but still, we must deal with it in addition to focusing on the people and administering the sacraments and preaching the good news.

“That’s why I see my role as telling priests how much we appreciate their work and supporting them in any way — and obviously praying for them and the people of God in my region.”

Bahhuth never planned on rising this high in the archdiocese.

“Why did God choose me from among many others?” he said. “People ask me, ‘Could you have said no?’ And yes, I could have. But to me, how could I say no?

“This is not something I wanted or something I worked for, so I must believe it’s something that was God’s will for me. And how can I say no to that?”

Athens, October 10, 2023

Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr     

A number of hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Greece have retired or reposed recently. Thus, during the first day of its latest session yesterday, Monday, October 9, the Council of Bishops elected 10 new hierarchs, and three more are to be elected today.

The most anticipated election was that of Metropolitan of Thessaloniki. Metropolitan Anthimos (Roussas), who led the Metropolis for nearly two decades, Long-time bishop of Thessaloniki resignsMetropolitan Anthimos (Roussas), who has led the Metropolis of Thessaloniki for nearly two decades, submitted his letter of resignation to the Archbishop of Athens on Monday.

“>retired in August.

With a total of 73 votes, Bishop Philotheos of Oreoi, an assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Athens, was elected as the new Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, reports Vima Orthodoxias.

Two other metropolitans were also elected:

And six assistant bishops:

• Archimandrite Epiphanios Karageorgos as Bishop of Talantio

• Archimandrite Ignatios Sotiriadis as Bishop of Salona

• Archimandrite Pavlos Kitsos as Bishop of Thespies

• Archimandrite Nikodimos Efstathiou as Bishop of Skopelos

• Archimandrite Apostolos Kavaliotis as Bishop of Tanagra

• Archimandrite Theophilos Mantzavrakos as Bishop of Lacedaemonia

• Archimandrite Christophoros Angelopoulos as Bishop of Amphipolis

***

The newly elected Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki was born on July 9, 1977, in Chalkida.

He initially studied at the Higher Ecclesiastical School of Athens (1995-1998) and then at the Theological School of the University of Athens (1998-2002). He pursued postgraduate studies at the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

On February 16, 2002, he became a monk at the Monastery of St. George Arma (near the village of Fylla, Evia). On February 17, 2002, he was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida. On June 19, 2002, he was ordained a priest by the same Metropolitan, receiving the title of archimandrite.

He served as a preacher (2002-2009) and General Archpastoral Commissioner (2009-2016) of the Metropolis of Chalkida, Istiaia, and Northern Sporades. Additionally, he worked in youth catechesis, serving as a catechist and leading one of the camp seasons at the camps of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida in Rovies. Since 2014, he has been a member of the Child Protection Society of Chalkida, representing the Metropolis.

He holds a diploma in Byzantine Music (2000) and served as director and professor at the School of Byzantine Music of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida. He also taught as a professor in the special schools of the Metropolis for Catechism Candidates and Camping Leaders.

For several years, he coordinated the parents’ schools of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida. He served as a member of the administrative board of the Ecclesiastical Orphanage of Boys and the St. Timothy of Evripos Cultural Foundation.

In 2016, he was appointed Secretary of the Synodal Committee for Ecclesiastical Education and Training of the Clergy. In 2018, he was appointed First Secretary-Recorder of the Holy Synod. On March 21, 2019, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, following a decision by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens.

On October 11, 2019, with the proposal of the Archbishop, he was elected Assistant Bishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens with the title of the former Diocese of Oreoi. He was consecrated on October 15, 2019, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens by the Archbishop of Athens, with the participation of a group of Metropolitans.

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If you’re like me, you spend way too much using glowing rectangles to consume news items sent by an algorithm designed to keep the attention of your eyeballs for as long as possible.

The algorithm “knows” that I’m interested in Catholic stuff, so naturally I’m fed all kinds of Catholic stuff. But it isn’t “good news” Catholic stuff. Most of it is “bad news” Catholic stuff.

I’ve known the “if it bleeds, it leads” rule going back to my broadcast journalism class in South Bend, Indiana, circa 1995. And I guess the race to the bottom of the brain stem still works the same way. The algorithm “knows” that I’ll stay scrolling longer if it can make me horrified or angry. Bonus points, apparently, if I get horrified and angry.

The “content” delivered to my devices generally leaves me horrified and/or angry, which in turn leaves me (along with a dramatic and increasing number of others) anxious and depressed. And I’m especially anxious and depressed about things in the Catholic Church: the sex abuse crises. Bankruptcies. Failing schools and parishes. Deepening divisions.

But every so often, I get pulled out of this virtual world and into the real, embodied, and genuinely communal world of the Church, where I witness things that make me effusively positive about her.

The last time this happened was a visit to Sacramento to give a workshop for leaders at the California Catholic Conference (which I wrote about here). Even amidst so many difficulties, these folks stayed positive, faithful, and holy. 

It happened again recently, and again thanks to an invitation to California, this time from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to give a workshop on bioethics for those who work in various mission-centered places of Catholic health care.

While in the area, I was also able to encounter the Church in some other ways. One was being introduced to Christ Cathedral of Orange County, an astonishing glass structure which welcomes some 11,000 Catholics for Mass each weekend — liturgies drawing people of every race, language, and way of life from around the world. (The Orange Diocese is led by the indefatigable Bishop Kevin Vann, a transplanted Midwest boy like me.)

I was also able to have dinner with some of the men and women of the LA Focolare houses, a wonderfully positive, international, joyful, dedicated, and holy group of people. And, as Pope Francis says, always smiling and always — somehow — able to live in the present moment. (Something that is close to the opposite of a life trapped in online scrolling.) They have their message of unity, faithfulness, and dialogue to bring to a wounded and divided Church and world, and it is a message we need now more than ever. Again, what a time to be with folks who are such a light in the darkness!

At the bioethics workshop itself, I was able to engage with people making a real difference throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Toward the end of my formal remarks I warned the audience that, as an academic who doesn’t live in reality, I was going to make some unrealistic suggestions that perhaps the Church of Los Angeles could aspire to.

I suggested that, in response to the dementia crisis, we can and should repurpose many of our empty buildings (convents, schools, rectories, etc.) for care homes that facilitate a counter-culture of encounter and hospitality. The new buildings should have bars, large projection screens, and more so that locals can come have a drink, watch the big game or recent movie, or just hang out with the residents. Children should do their confirmation hours there helping out and creating a series of mutually beneficial intergenerational relationships. Multiple age groups and walks of life should work the community garden to bring fresh produce to the tables of the residents. 

At the break, one of the several Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles who attended — all of whom were professionals in health care — came up to me and said basically, “You know what you just proposed? We’re actually working on putting it into practice.” And wouldn’t you know it, through their unique skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, they actually are working replacing our consumerist throwaway culture with an outreach that is based on the Holy Father’s call for intergenerational encounter and hospitality for the elderly, sick, and disabled. We need to do all we can to support such beautiful and essential ministries. (You can donate to the sisters here.)

Now, I’m not saying we should not shrink from our responsibilities to address difficulties in the Church. But these kinds of experiences help avoid getting trapped in the “if it bleeds, it leads” expectation. The key is to keep perspective, live within the embodied reality of the Church, and avoid getting doused by the firehose of bad news coming from social media. 

Are there people who are hurting? No doubt. Are there bad things going on about which we must stay informed? Absolutely. Is the Church in most places in good hands with people doing grace-filled things? You better believe it. Just put the phone down and take a look.

Archpriest Viktor Gorbach, rector of the Church of St. Innocent of Moscow in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, has talked on the spiritual benefit of children’s awkward years for their parents.

—Why does it often happen that the children of Christians—whether of priests or laypeople—to put it mildly, don’t always please their parents? At first a child is like an angel, and his parents dote up on him, but when the time comes for another awkward age, the child does things that would make your hair stand on end. Why does this happen?

—Because society and parents expect too much from the children from Orthodox families, whether from clergy children or from others. We have already “drawn” their halos with angelic wings, although it is too early. The holiness that we wish for our children is attained in spiritual warfare, but there has been almost no warfare yet, while we hurry to “hang medals” on them. But later, when the time comes for real spiritual warfare, we see that everything is so difficult and that we “hung medals” too early. In my experience and judgment, an honest look at our own “military merits” helps a great deal here—what can we boast of? A victory over our passions or the absolute and irrevocable “breach” of the “blockade” of our own judgmentalism, Pride, Vanity, and Self-Esteem. From the Legacy of the Optina EldersIn the world, pride and self-esteem are sometimes raised almost to the status of virtues or signs of the nobility of one’s nature. This view is erroneous and happens, according to the words of St. Macarius, “out of ignorance or from darkening by the passions.”

“>vanity, and Love of Money, the Sin of Distrust in GodSpeaking about love of money in our days is just the same as describing hot weather in summer. Everyone suffers torment from the scorching heat in July, and it seems there is no way to hide from it, though there are air conditioners, fans, shady places, and cold water. Very few people like the blazing sun, while the love of money captures our hearts and enslaves us. And this may happen even to those who have no money in their pockets…”>love of money? Let’s not hurry—neither in assessing the depth of the fall of our children, nor in assessing our spiritual growth.

—We naively expect that our Orthodox children will definitely not have any problems and temptations. We have excessive expectations, and they are not always fulfilled. Why?

—Because, as it seems to me, we forget the meaning of the word “Savior” and take it lightly. After all, the Savior is needed by those who have something to be saved from, who sincerely feel and understand the need for salvation. No one can be saved without Christ, even a Christian child, and—I will tell you a terrible secret—even a Christian himself (whether a layman or a priest). Nobody! Absolutely everyone needs Christ. If there were at least one such perfect person, there would have been no need for Christ to come into the world. We put our hope in the child; more than that, we demand from him things we ourselves are unable to fulfil. We read in the Psalms: Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (Ps. 145:3). You see, we must trust in God’s all-powerful help rather than in our feeble strength. Of course, our efforts are necessary: we have no right to be idle, thinking that God “will save us anyway”; but without Him we won’t be able to do anything, neither we nor our children.

—It seems that in some sense we should become like God in this case.

—Yes, it’s about respecting a person’s free will, which is so important for Christ that even He, no matter how He desires it, cannot save us without our consent. After all, we value our own On Christian FreedomThe God of the Christian is the God that respects our freedom.

“>freedom. Why do we deprive our children of it? Do you remember the proverb, “A mother’s prayer will reach the bottom of the sea”? I believe the same goes for a father’s prayer for his children. So the time inevitably comes when our main parental task will consist precisely of prayer for our children—not of reproaches and wailing, but of humble yet really strong prayers. “Let us commend our whole life to Christ our God” is a very comforting call at the Divine Liturgy. Christ knows how to deal with such challenges, believe me. He well understands our awkward years (and has everyone come out of their awkward stage?)—so let’s give freedom to Him and to our children.

Looking at the The Geometry of TemptationProbably everyone has in their lifetime heard someone admit roughly the following: “I’m unlucky; all my life I’ve been surrounded by scoundrels.” Others say the exact opposite: “I’m lucky. All my life I’ve had such wonderful people with me, kind and upright.” What is the reason for such contradictory opinions?

“>temptations that our grown–up children are faced with, let’s bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2)—the result is known not only to the Galatians. I repeat: it is useful to remember ourselves at this age—how many gray hairs appeared on the heads of our parents and grandparents because of us! Perhaps even what our former angels are doing now is a mild version of our “exploits”. You have to agree, it’s a good reason for humility! So ,to some extent we should be grateful to our children who make us turn gray. Let’s not despair, alright? God knows how to help a person at any age.

St. Francis Borgia was born on Oct. 28, 1510, in Spain. He was the son of the Duke of Gandia, the great grandson of Pope Alexander VI, on his father’s side, and of King Ferdinand of Aragon on his mother’s side. 

Francis’ grandmother and mother lived with a convent of Poor Clares, and led the court of the Borgia in piety, restoring some of the scandalous lineage of the Borgia family. Francis grew in faith, and became a favorite at the court of Charles V. One day, Francis was traveling through Alcala, when he saw a man being escorted to prison by the Inquisition. That man was St. Ignatius of Loyola, who would have a profound impact on Francis’ life. 

In 1539, Francis was made the Viceroy of Catalonia, and then became Duke of Gandia after his father’s death four years later. He built a university, became a Doctor in theology, and invited the Jesuits to his duchy. 

After his wife died in 1546, Francis entered the Society of Jesus, but the pope ordered him to stay in the world, until he had taken care of his 10 children and his duchy. Two years later, Francis left Gandia and joined the Jesuits in Rome. He convinced Ignatius to found the Roman College, and then went to Spain, where he was known for his preaching and his holy example. 

In 1565, Francis was elected as general, and initiated many projects with great zeal even though he was in ill health. He is known for so many reforms and projects with the Jesuit society that he has been considered its second founder. 

St. Francis died on Sept. 30, 1572, and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1670.