Tag: Christianity

Bishops in the U.S. and Canada are exhorting the faithful to embrace the virtue of hope during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025, which Pope Francis will commence by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Dec. 24.

The theme of the year, which marks the 2,025th anniversary of Christ’s incarnation, is “Pilgrims of Hope” — and the responsibility to become just that is crucial for humanity as a whole, said Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, in his Dec. 18 pastoral letter on the Jubilee Year.

“The Holy Father calls us to be signs of hope in a world which desperately needs it in this current moment!” wrote Bishop Hying. “The human race is riven by ongoing bloody conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria; 500 million people suffer food inadequacy because of violence in places like the Sudan, Haiti, and Ethiopia. Increasing numbers of people are fleeing their homelands to escape poverty and violence.”

In addition, said Bishop Hying, “our country is divided by profound political conflict and economic imbalance,” while “decreasing numbers of people practice religious faith and increasing numbers have lost their moral mooring in the transcendent order of God.”

He also pointed to “record high” suicide rates and mental health issues, “especially among our beloved young people,” and “own personal struggles, sufferings, and sorrows.

“We can easily fall into despair and sadness when we contemplate the tragedies before us,” he said.

“Hope is hard sometimes,” wrote Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a Dec. 18 reflection on the upcoming Jubilee Year. “We can look around at the world and see plenty of signs that things aren’t the way God intends them to be.”

Amid such darkness, the Jubilee Year offers “a spiritual reboot” that can “reinvigorate our understanding and embrace of Catholicism as we make our pilgrim way to the Father’s house,” said Bishop Hying in his letter.

“We need hope more than ever!” he wrote, stressing that the theological virtue of hope is “much more authentic and resilient than optimism.”

Archbishop Gomez urged the faithful to “make hope more than a feeling.”

Along with faith and charity, hope is one of the three theological virtues, and enables faithful to “desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1817).

“Our hope is true,” wrote Archbishop Gomez. “We hope in the promises of Jesus, who was born for us and died for us, and having risen from the dead now walks with us, as our friend and our leader.”

Several bishops highlighted how the virtue of hope is inextricably bound to Christ’s cross.

In a Dec. 13 commentary, Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan of Camden, New Jersey, said the Jubilee Year logo makes that connection crystal clear.

The logo’s four embracing figures, representing the four corners of the earth, stand aligned behind the cross — the base of which is an anchor — atop waves that Bishop Sullivan said “reflect the rough situations that, at times, happen to us and to the world.”

With the cross “the sign of faith and the source of hope,” the anchor becomes “a symbol of hope,” which “steadies us when life throws punches at us,” wrote Bishop Sullivan.

He cited the motto of the Carthusian religious order, “Stat crux dum volvitur orbis” — or, as Bishop Sullivan translated, “The Cross stands steady as the world goes topsy-turvy.”

“When your experience in life is rocky and turbulent, when the world situation is dangerous, look to the Cross of the Lord and be steadied by the hope it offers,” wrote Bishop Sullivan.

Bishop Patrick M. Neary of St. Cloud, Minnesota, also underlined the connection between hope and the cross in a Dec. 11 commentary on the Jubilee Year, pointing to both his episcopal motto, “Ave Crux, Spes Unica” (“Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope”) and the constitutions of his own religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Quoting the order’s constitutions, Bishop Neary wrote, “Jesus entered into the pain and death that sin inflicts. He accepted the torment but gave us joy in return. We whom he has sent to minister amid the same sin and pain must know that we too shall find the cross and the hope it promises. The face of every human being who suffers is for us the face of Jesus who mounted the cross to take the sting out of death. Ours must be the same cross and the same hope.”

Hope must be nourished through the sacraments, and demonstrated in concrete actions, said a number of bishops.

“We begin with Confession and Holy Communion,” said Canada’s Ukrainian Catholic bishops in their Dec. 18 pastoral letter on the Jubilee Year, adding that “these two Mysteries/Sacraments … have a central role in the Jubilee Year.”

In addition, they said, “becoming an authentic follower of Christ and then living the life of a follower, requires making a sacrifice (often an ongoing sacrifice) and actively witnessing to our faith.”

Bishop John G. Noonan of Orlando, Florida, said that the Jubilee Year, which traces its roots to ancient Judaism, provides fresh opportunities to proclaim the message of Christ’s salvation to a modern world — a task that begins with self-examination, and one that is sustained by the Eucharist.

“It’s hard to translate forgiveness of debt and some of the traditional ways the Jubilee Year was celebrated to the world we live in today, but we can think about what do we need to unload — fear, anger, frustration, vengeance, violence,” said Bishop Noonan in a Jubilee Year interview posted on the Orlando Diocese’s website in July. “Sometimes we’re living with all of this and by osmosis it’s penetrated our lives and become part of who we are. Now it’s time to empty ourselves of it.

“But then, with what are we going to fill ourselves?” said Bishop Noonan, adding that the Jubilee Year is “an inviting of Christ into your life, through the Eucharist, bringing hope into your life and following Christ.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.”

As the doors opened, the bells of the basilica began to peal.

After the reading of a brief passage from the Gospel of John in which Jesus describes himself as “the door,” Pope Francis briefly left the atrium of the basilica, creating some confusion. But when the cardinals in the front row sat down, the others did likewise.

Three minutes later, the pope returned. He was pushed in his wheelchair up the ramp to the Holy Door. In silence, he raised himself from the chair to knock five times, and aides inside slowly opened the door, which had been framed in a garland of green pine branches, decorated with red roses and gold pinecones.

Opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica has been a fixture of the Catholic Church’s celebration of jubilee years since the Holy Year 1450, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis chose “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme for the Holy Year 2025, which began Dec. 24 and will run through Jan. 6, 2026.

The rite of opening the decorated bronze door began inside the basilica with the reading in different languages of biblical passages prophesying the birth of the savior “who brings his kingdom of peace into our world,” as the lector explained.

Then, to emphasize how the birth of Jesus “proclaims the dawn of hope in our world,” the Gospel of St. Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus was proclaimed.

Introduced with a blare of trumpets, the choir sang, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

“The steps we now take are the steps of the whole church, a pilgrim in the world and a witness of peace,” the pope told the assembled cardinals, bishops, ecumenical guests and lay faithful in the atrium of the basilica.

“Holding fast to Christ, the rock of our salvation, enlightened by his word and renewed by his grace,” the pope continued, “may we cross the threshold of this holy temple and so enter into a season of mercy and forgiveness in which every man and woman may encounter and embrace the path of hope, which does not disappoint.”

Echoing the biblical jubilee themes of reconciliation and forgiveness, Pope Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit would soften hardened hearts so that “enemies may speak to each other again, adversaries may join hands and people seek to meet together.”

“Grant that the church may bear faithful witness to your love and may shine forth as a vital sign of the blessed hope of your kingdom,” he prayed.

Normally the Holy Door, to the right of the basilica’s center doors, remains sealed with bricks, a symbolic reminder of the barrier of sin between people and God. The 16 panels on the bronze doors illustrate key moments in salvation history, including the fall of Adam and Eve, the annunciation of Jesus’ birth, Christ presented as the shepherd rescuing a lost sheep, the crucifixion and the risen Jesus appearing to the disciples.

Ten children from 10 different countries, holding hands with their parents, crossed the threshold after the pope and the altar servers, but before the cardinals and bishops. Then 54 people from 27 nations — including the United States and Canada, Australia, Tanzania and Togo, Venezuela and Vietnam — passed through. Many of them wore the traditional dress of their nations or ethnic groups.

Following the rite, Francis celebrated a 7:30 Christmas Eve vigil Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican press office said 6,000 people were inside and, as the pope opened the Holy Door, some 25,000 people were in the square. Dozens of priests went outside to distribute Communion to them during the Mass.

“The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth — how? — as a little child,” the pope said in his homily at the Mass. “If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive, and it embraces our lives forever! Hope does not disappoint.”

Adding to his prepared text, the pope told people, “There is much desolation in the world right now. Think of the wars, of the children gunned down, of the bombs falling on schools and hospitals,” references that he has applied to both Russia’s war on Ukraine and Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Hope is not indifferent but requires courage, he said. It means not being afraid to “speak out against evil and the injustices perpetrated at the expense of the poor.”

Christian hope, “while inviting us to wait patiently for the kingdom to grow and spread,” he said, “also requires of us, even now, to be bold in our anticipation of the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise, to be responsible and not only, but to be compassionate.”

“Tonight, God speaks to each of us and says: there is hope also for you,” the pope said in his homily. To receive that gift of hope, all that is needed is to set out, like the shepherds of Bethlehem did, to meet Jesus.

“For Christians hope is not a ‘happy ending’ which we passively await — it’s not the happy ending of a film — but rather, a promise, the Lord’s promise, to be welcomed here and now in our world of suffering and sighs,” Pope Francis said.

The offer of hope requires a response, he said. God asks people not to “wallow in mediocrity or laziness,” but to notice when things are wrong and try to change them.

“Hope calls us to become pilgrims in search of truth, dreamers who never tire, women and men open to being challenged by God’s dream, which is the dream of a new world where peace and justice reign,” Pope Francis said.

The Holy Year, he said, “calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation: A jubilee for our mother Earth, disfigured by profiteering; a time of jubilee for the poorer countries burdened beneath unfair debts; a time of jubilee for all those who are in bondage to forms of slavery old and new.”

This story did not happen to me, but to some women I know well. I’ll call them Lyubov and Olga. Actually, at first there were two (or even three, it depends on how you look at it!) different stories that were destined by Divine Providence to intertwine and once again confirm a long known truth: Those who love St. Spyridon of Tremithus

“>St. Spyridon of Tremithus will never be left without a home, a job or means of subsistence.

Photo: Andrei Petrov / St. Petersburg Diocese     

The first story

Lyubov’s eldest son Misha graduated from the University of Civil Engineering and served in the army. He did not seek happiness somewhere on the side, but returned home to bind his future to his native village. But it’s not so easy to find a good job in our small village. He appealed to various organizations; they invited him to interviews but did not refuse directly, politely promising to call him back.

One day a parishioner of our Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord advised Lyuba [a diminutive form of the name Lyubov.—Trans.] to pray to St. Spyridon of Tremithus, about whom she had known nothing before that. There was no icon of the saint in the church shop. After a while, the parishioner asked about it again.

“Alas, not yet.”

The advice was gradually forgotten.

And one day, having come to the Liturgy, Lyubov met a parishioner Natalia Stanislavovna, who was shining with happiness. It appeared that she had recently returned from a pilgrimage trip to Moscow, where the holy right arm of St. Spyridon of Tremithus had been brought from Corfu.

“This is for you, dear Lyuba,” she said with a smile and handed her a small icon of St. Spyridon that had been placed on his relics.

“How did Natalia Stanislavovna know that I needed this icon? I had never said anything to her.” Lyuba thought on her way home.

And just a few days later Misha got a phone call and was offered a good job. That’s how St. Spyridon himself came to Lyuba’s home to help good people.

The second story

St. Spiridon helped Olga at least twice. This happened even before Lyuba’s story.

At the time, young Olga’s marriage was breaking up. The couple was in divorce proceedings. Olga’s husband Sergei was from a family that was not poor by local standards. And now a nice two-story house in which the couple had lived was being sold. Olga was promised a part of the total sales, with which she could buy a house for herself and her children.

Buyers were found, but they were slow to pay for the house. Her husband suggested that Olga get involved in the process by running around to various offices with the documents.

Everything seemed to be ready, but there was no promised money. Sergei was angry with the buyers who (supposedly) kept putting off the payment. And one day Olya met the people who were buying their house. She asked them when they were going to pay for the purchase.

“We paid everything to Sergei long ago,” came the completely unexpected answer.

The world seemed to collapse around her. First her husband’s betrayal, and now this deception… “How will I live?” she desperately asked herself the same question over and over again. She was left alone with two children—her son Anton, a schoolboy, and her little daughter Alina. Where should she go? She couldn’t go back to her parents in the country because her father had died long ago. Of course, her mother was ready to shelter her daughter and grandchildren, but she lived with her alcoholic son and his family and not alone. Olga worked as a hairdresser and her salary was low. But she was a good hairdresser, and if she had a house, she could earn additional money there. But now?…

Once when she went to a neighboring town on business, her feet themselves brought her to the Church of Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, which is next to the bus station. Once she entered she burst into tears, which flowed without stopping.

“My daughter, what’s wrong with you?” She heard the voice of an elderly woman.

And Olga openly shared her trouble with the stranger. Perhaps she told her even more than she told her own mother, whom she pitied. The woman listened attentively, without interrupting her, and then took the unfortunate woman to a large icon:

“This is Father Spyridon—St. Spyridon of Tremithus. Tell him everything you’ve told me, my child.”

And Olga, surprised at herself, poured out her troubles to old man depicted on the icon as if he were alive.

And in the evening, while cooking dinner, for the first time she caught herself thinking about a loan with which she could buy a small apartment for herself and the children. She even wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. Without much hope, she still sent an application to the bank. And, amazingly, it was approved!

Time went by. It was time for her to vacate the house, but she still had no suitable place to move to. She didn’t want to change the school her son was used to, and her daughter liked her kindergarten too.

And then she got a call from the bank:

“Why are you delaying? Your loan has been approved, despite a number of conditions that are not very favorable for the bank, including your low salary. We are surprised; our employee was recently refused, but they agreed to give you such an amount! Hurry up, otherwise you will lose this opportunity.”

On the same day, her son’s teacher came to have her hair done and told Olga that a small two-room apartment was up for sale in their apartment block. It was inexpensive, but needed repairs. So the pieces of a puzzle began to come together in a picture, as it were. The bank loan was just enough to both buy an apartment and make the repairs! It was as if someone had calculated everything in advance…

The third story

Time flew by. Olga’s son Anton grew up. His graduation from school coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic. Everyone was quarantined from the end of March—students began to study online. Government employees still received salaries while working from home, but the private sector was having a hard time. Olga had to look for a part-time job on the side, but somehow they held on.

But her heart ached when she thought about how her son would study and how she would pay the mortgage. Again the solution came after asking for help from St. Spyridon: She would sell the apartment, and use the money to buy a private house and pay off the mortgage.¹

“And, believe me,” Olga related with tears in her eyes, “the money for the apartment was just enough to buy a house and pay off the remaining part of the loan.”

Moreover, her apartment was bought by that very Misha whom St. Spyridon had once helped find a job. Mikhail moved in with his young wife and their young son.

In truth, wondrous is God in His saints! Holy Father Spyridon, pray to God for us!

On this winter feast of St. Herman of Alaska, we would like to draw our readers’ attention to the present day Alaska Diocese, where the blessed clergy is a mix of Aleut, Tlingit, Eskimos, and mixed-raced Russian and native peoples—the descendants of our Holy Father Herman’s dear ones. Let’s watch Bishop Alexei (Trader) of Alaska as he talks about the renewal of the clergy fund in his historical diocese.

    

Dear Friends and Benefactors of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska,

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

On the occasion of the winter feast of the patron of North America, Saint Herman of Alaska, the Orthodox Church in America announced the Third Annual Collection for the Clergy Endowment of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. There is a certain joy and peace that comes to any of us when we take care of our brothers and sisters in need of our help. And that joy becomes even greater when we can practically see that help making lives a bit better by the grace of God who nudges us to be co-laborers with Him.  

    

I am writing to you today not only to offer you again another opportunity to give before Christmas, but also to show you how your offering is being distributed to the faithful priests of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. On October 27th, the faithful Alaskan clergy received a disbursement check from the Diocese in a way that connects each of them to the work of first missionaries and that connects each of you to the generosity of the first patrons of our diocese, such as Saint John of Krondstadt and the many who gave in Imperial Russia, so that the mission would be a success. In my word to the clergy, I explained to them how the endowment will work and that through God’s mercy, the support for clergy that was first provided to them in lands of Alaska in the 1790s is now being restored in 2024, because they have good Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters who care in the Orthodox Churches of America. I also reminded them that they should receive their stipends with the dignity of a worthy servant of the Lord, keeping in mind the words of Saint Paul to the Apostle Timothy, “the labourer is worthy of his reward” (1 Timothy 4:9).  For those interested in my pastoral word to my clergy about the endowment, a video of that address can be found here.

    

In closing, I would just like to share with you that I have received warm responses from the clergy, expressing their gratitude, telling me how they would buy food in the big city (of Anchorage), and that at least for a little while, life will be a bit easier for their families and loved ones. That is because of your love and your help. May it continue to the Glory of God born in Bethlehem as a little child.

    

With much gratitude in Christ,

+Bishop Alexei

+Allgiliyaq Kilirnaq

+Епископ Алексий

The God-protected Diocese of Sitka and Alaska

Toledo, December 23, 2024

Photo: stnikolaiorthodoxchurch.org Prayers are being requested for His Eminence Archbishop Alexander of Dallas, the South, and the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America.

The Bulgarian Diocese reported on December 20: “Last week, His Eminence was diagnosed with increased PSA levels indicating a biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer.”

Abp. Alexander, 76, has been serving as a hierarch for 12 years.

The diocese continues:

On Tuesday, December 17th, he consulted his oncologist. His treatment plan will include androgen deprivation therapy followed by 39 radiation sessions. Treatments will begin in early January, after the Nativity feast, and will be completed by early April. As a result, His Eminence will not be traveling or giving talks from January 3 until the conclusion of treatment.

“Pleaes keep Archbishop Alexander in your prayers,” the diocese entreats.

***

Archbishop Alexander (Golitzin) was born in Burbank, CA in 1948 and raised attending Saint Innocent Church, Tarzana, CA. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He spent seven years pursuing doctoral studies at Oxford University in England under His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware). During this time, he also spent two years in Greece, including one year at Simonos Petras Monastery on Mt. Athos.

After receiving his D.Phil. in 1980, Bishop Alexander returned to the US. He was ordained to the diaconate in January 1982 and to the priesthood two years later. In 1986, he was tonsured to monastic orders. He served OCA missions in northern California and headed the Diocese of the West’s mission committee.

In 1989, Archbishop Alexander took a teaching position with the Theology Department at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, a position that he left at the end of April 2012. While teaching at Marquette University, he had been attached to Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Milwaukee, WI. For 22 years, he preached, taught and served at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, and witnessed to the Gospel and to Orthodox Christian theology at Marquette University. He helped attract a dozen Orthodox Christian students to doctoral work in theology at Marquette.

In June 2010, the Bulgarian Diocese initiated a search for a candidate to succeed His Eminence, Archbishop Kirill who reposed in the Lord in 2007. “Of the 22 possible candidates reviewed in the first phase of the search, after an intensive review process, two candidates were presented to the diocese’s Fifth Congress-Sobor in June 2011,” noted the diocesan Consecration Committee Chair, Archpriest Andrew Jarmus. “Bishop Alexander was the candidate elected by the Congress-Sobor’s clergy and lay delegates.”

In October 2011, the members of the OCA’s Holy Synod of Bishops elected Archimandrite Alexander Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese.

On Saturday, May 5, 2012, he was consecrated Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese during a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Rossford, OH.

Archbishop Alexander is the second Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese. He succeeds His Eminence, the late Archbishop Kirill [Yonchev]. Archbishop Kirill had overseen the diocese from 1964 to 2007; in 1976, Archbishop Kirill had brought the diocese under the omophorion of the Orthodox Church in America.

On March 30, 2016, Bishop Alexander was elected Bishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese.

During the 2017 Spring Session of the Holy Synod, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.

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Moscow, December 23, 2024

Photo: patriarchia.ru     

A priest must be an example for the people in every single aspect of his life, whether inside or outside of church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia emphasized in his report to the Moscow Clergy Meeting on December 20.

Referring to the Holy Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Tim. 4:12: Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity, the Russian primate offered pastoral counsel from a number of angles.

“By placing these words of the Apostle on the reverse side of the priestly pectoral cross, our predecessors meant that the Apostolic instruction should not be perceived as an unattainable ideal or just general words about good things. The priest is truly called to be an example for his flock,” the Patriarch said, introducing the topic.

Be an example in word

Pat. Kirill discusses the importance of measured and responsible speech among Orthodox priests, emphasizing that a priest’s word is central to his ministry both from the pulpit and in everyday life. He stresses that priests must maintain dignity in their speech, warning that “you mustn’t shock people with your words” and that using trendy language or jargon doesn’t make priests more relatable to their flock. Instead, their words “should be worthy of respect and a willingness to be heard.”

His Holiness particularly addresses the challenges of the social media age, where quick responses and the desire for approval can compromise pastoral responsibility. He specifically warns against priests becoming “literally dependent on the approval of their audience,” and urges clergy who appear in media to exercise restraint. He concludes by calling for “less self-promotion, less desire to impress, and more pastoral responsibility and missionary persistence,” emphasizing that a priest’s speech should always be grounded in Scripture and patristic wisdom, with careful consideration of when to speak and when to maintain “delicate silence.”

Be an example in life

The Patriarch emphasizes the critical importance of a priest’s behavior and demeanor, particularly within sacred spaces. He emphasizes reverent conduct in the church, especially in the altar, drawing on historical examples from post-war Leningrad where “people came to church with such reverence and the priesthood conducted themselves with such reverence in the church.” Pat. Kirill warns against casualness in sacred spaces, noting that “habituation to the sacred always borders on indifference, and in some extreme cases leads to sacrilege.”

The Russian primate extends his discussion to modern challenges, particularly addressing inappropriate behaviors in the altar such as casual conversations and mobile phone use. he stresses that clergy must maintain appropriate conduct both inside and outside the church, avoiding both “negligence and luxury that demonstratively contrasts with the standard of living of the flock.” The Patriarch concludes that “everything must have a measure, determined by tactfulness, which should be constantly developed and maintained within oneself.” He emphasizes that these guidelines aren’t meant for external control but for self-regulation by clergy members.

Be an example in love

Pat. Kirill emphasizes that a priest is undoubtedly called to be a model for the faithful in their relationships with others, avoiding both sycophancy and familiarity, and especially arrogance in communications with parishioners, church workers, and other clergy. He particularly emphasizes that rectors must create an atmosphere of mutual understanding, support, and respect in parishes—primarily through their own example. Speaking of love, he notes that “true love cannot be reduced to feeling or emotional experience. Love is a life practice, a general structure of daily actions of a person striving to follow God’s commandments and evangelical truth.”

The Russian primate warns against elevating family members through special parish positions, stating that relatives “should stand among the people and be together with everyone.” While acknowledging that priests’ family members can beneficially participate in church life, he cautions that their involvement in financial matters or parish management can lead to misunderstandings. He addresses the destructive nature of conflicts between clergy, particularly those serving at the same altar, noting that such conflicts can drive people away from church life. Following the Lord’s command “Have peace among yourselves,” he concludes, largely defines a priest’s image as a loving shepherd among his flock.

Be an example in the spiritual life

Pat. Kirill acknowledges the Church’s important social role and expresses gratitude for clergy and laity’s efforts in helping war victims, soldiers, families, and the sick. However, he emphasizes that “the Church is not just an institution for implementing various social functions, however important they may be. It is primarily a ship of salvation, the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven.” He stresses that no public or administrative activities should take precedence over conducting services, preaching God’s Word, and prayer.

The Russian primate particularly emphasizes the need for clergy to maintain inner spiritual discipline despite their busy lives. He insists that priests must find “a space of inner silence and freedom, a reasonable detachment from vain affairs,” including time for prayer, thoughtful reading, and reflection. He warns that “it’s impossible to pray and think concentratedly if consciousness is flickering with an endless series of news and images of this rapidly passing world with its anxiety and vanity.” This spiritual focus, he concludes, enables priests to inspire their parishioners toward a richer spiritual life in Christ and conscious participation in Church Sacraments.

Be an example in faith

His Holiness emphasizes that teaching the faith is a direct duty of clergy as successors to the Apostles, but it goes far beyond mere pedagogy. “Heart believes unto righteousness, and mouth confesses unto salvation,” he quotes from the Apostle Paul, stressing that true faith is incompatible with indifference and compromise in worldview and moral issues. The Russian primate insists that clergy should not be embarrassed by the uncompromising nature of the Gospel message, urging them to convey God’s commandments accurately and convincingly regardless of their audience’s status.

He then addresses specific pastoral concerns, particularly regarding marriage and monastic guidance. While warning against both excessive strictness and leniency, he emphasizes that “any advice from a spiritual father should be circumspect. And there should never be categorical advice—’only this way and no other.’“ The Patriarch expresses particular concern about clergy who might compromise Church teaching by encouraging couples to live together before marriage or delay Church weddings after civil registration. He concludes by addressing the need for pre-marriage catechesis, though suggesting that such preparation need not follow an absolutely uniform pattern.

Be an example in purity

The Patriarch teaches that the Apostolic instruction to be an example in purity encompasses all other aspects—being an example in word, life, spirit, and faith—since purity implies an absence of any ambiguity or hidden impure motivations in a pastor’s words, ministry, and way of life. He emphasizes that priests must first apply the high moral truths they preach to themselves, warning against the danger of imposing “burdens too heavy to bear” on others while avoiding them personally.

The Russian primate acknowledges that while blatant financial misconduct has become rare, impurity can take subtler forms, such as seeking honors or cultivating unhealthy personal attachments from parishioners. “A pastor must lead his flock to communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, not with himself,” he stresses, warning against creating a personal following whether in real life or online. He particularly addresses the challenge of maintaining appropriate boundaries with parishioners who may seek emotional compensation for their personal difficulties through excessive attachment to their priest, emphasizing the importance of “reasonable, chaste detachment” in pastoral care.

***

The Patriarch concludes:

Dear bishops, fathers and brothers! I thank all of you who labor diligently in Christ’s vineyard. It brings me joy to know that you, having chosen the path of service at God’s altar, strive with diligence, attention and zeal, in the words of one of the prayers over those being ordained to the priesthood, to please the Lord in all things and to live worthy of the honor granted to you by the power of God’s election. Therefore, I urge you to receive my words today not to shame you (cf. 1 Cor. 4:14), but as a call, according to the Apostle Paul’s words to Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee (1 Tim. 4:16).

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Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, December 23, 2024

Photo: iglesiaortodoxaserbiasca.org     

The Serbian Orthodox hierarch of South and Central America visited an Orthodox Church in the Dominican Republic earlier this month and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the local Orthodox faithful. He also consecrated the church’s new bell tower.

His Grace Bishop Kirilo of South Buenos Aires and Central America celebrated the Liturgy at the Caribbean’s first Serbian Orthodox church under construction in Dominican RepublicThe church is modeled after the Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery in Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a crypt dedicated to Holy Prince Lazar and St. Alexander Nevsky.

“>Holy Transfiguration Church in Punta Cana, on Sunday, December 8. The church is similar in architecture to the ancient Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo and therefore is considered the “Caribbean Gračanica.” It is the first Serbian Orthodox Church in the entire Caribbean, the Diocese of Buenos Aires, South and Central America reports.

After the Liturgy, Bp. Kirilo consecrated the bell tower built next to the church. The bells were donated by families from Podgorica, Montenegro and Skopje, North Macedonia.

Before the service, Bp. Kirilo celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism for the child Dimitry, and during the Liturgy, he celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for Barbara Konatar from Venezuela.

After the service, the faithful enjoyed a special lunch.

It’s hoped that the construction of the church will be completely finished by this coming Pascha, says parish rector Archimandrite Evstatije (Azdejkovic). The church unites all Orthodox peoples living in these areas: Serbs, Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians, Greeks, Bulgarians. It also has a crypt dedicated to Holy Prince Lazar and Alexander Nevsky, as protectors of the Slavic peoples.

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The severity of the weather and relaxations in fasting

Archimandrite Justin (Parvu) We are going through the wonderful The Nativity FastThe Nativity Fast

“>fast of the joy of the Nativity of Christ, so beautiful and so suitable for the severe winter season. There is continually inclement weather around, with sharp frosts, winds, snowstorms, mercilessness and severity for the body. Apparently, this is why the Typicon provides some relaxations for us in fasting on Saturdays, Sundays, and allowing fish.

Why is there relaxation in fasting?

An explanation should be given for these relaxations. Because, my brethren, relaxations in Orthodox life are allowed for weak people. Not for those who really strive to labor hard in the process of fasting.

And again, there are many aspects of observing the fast. I can fast splendidly: eat beans, a variety of treats, take snacks with aperitifs—the culinary delicacies that came to us from time immemorial from the West.¹ Well, now we cook all sorts of gastronomic contrivances… Besides, we no longer know, no longer see our ancient corn flatcake served with white Turkish pumpkin. We no longer see placinda (cheese pies) with apples, with our traditional plums and rice, when our mothers would take away the dishes at the beginning of the fasting season. There were clay bowls, which she would put into a beautiful basket and take up to the attic, bringing down dishes of worse quality from there. Wooden spoons and that’s it. Everyone did it.

The whole family should fast

Nowadays people think: “My child is still small, he can’t fast.” Yes, he cannot fast, but he is the first to play pranks!

One day a mother came to confession, and the priest told her:

“Make sure that your whole family observes the fast.”

“But how is it possible? My daughter is only fifteen, and she cannot fast!”

And who was at the discotheque on Saturday? She was walking with her daughter, and asked her, “Elena, where are you going tonight?” “I’m going to take a walk with my friend…” she answers. So she’s not too young for the disco, but too young to observe the fast?

How to fast genuinely?

And that’s how it’s done. I will give you another thing to consider: Fasting is fasting! However, it does not really matter what you eat. First of all, what matters is how you serve food during the fast. Because, for instance, you can eat non-fasting food, but eat very moderately, very abstinently and get up from the table with the thought that it would be nice to eat some more food. And this “some more food”, if you do not serve it, means fasting. If we have lunch at noon or one in the afternoon, then half an hour later (or half an hour before lunch) we eat another spoonful of food or an apple, a chestnut, a banana, and then eat a cookie—and so on all day long, then we become the same as our horses in former times, with a nosebag hanging next to the shaft. Every horse had its own nosebag: it would stand for a while, then stick its muzzle into the bag with oats, and start munching!

The risk of fasting for naught

And so our Christian is served food all the time, all day long, and he “fasts”… Know that in this case your entire fast is brought to naught! It’s gone! The table should be set at the same time daily, fasting should be observed with great rigor, and between the meals you must not eat anything! Only then will a little abstinence manifest itself. After all, what is fasting in essence? It is abstinence. Now you can eat, as we said, or you can even fast on Pascha Day, when you are told, “Take a glass of wine, take two or three dishes.” But, as the Holy Fathers teach, everything in moderation. And then you always fast. This is an attribute of a true Christian—to always be in a state of vigilance and watchfulness in all respects.

Ancient customs

Now wonderful festivities are coming, connected with our marvelous customs, with St. Nicholas

“>St. Nicholas the Wonderworker—this father of presents. These customs, which have been observed since ancient times for the joy of our children, are drawing closer and closer. So announce this and tell everybody in advance about the great feast! Thus the path of fasting will become wider before St. Nicholas Day.

Know that this fast is the most beautiful, the most balanced and the most moderate one. We Romanians, for example, have been under two spheres of influence—Greek and Slavic. Well, the Romanian people learned from both, and eventually developed their own customs. And it continues to be a great thing for us to visit the elderly, the pregnant wives, the children, and the sick. The priest says as he comes to every house: “Get ready for the holy days!”—for Pascha, for St. Peter’s feast, the The Deep Meaning of the Nativity of ChristAnd may these holy days pass as a judgment over our conscience, our entire lives, and our actions, because only then will we be able to say that they were unto our salvation, because they provided us with the means for spiritual struggle in repentance, humility, and a change of life, and at the same time, encouraged us to turn to God, to entreat His great mercy with humility and love.

“>Nativity of Christ, and the Dormition.

Fasting as rest for the soul and body

There are people who use the conditions of old age and infirmity as an excuse for relaxations in fasting, but know that this is to their detriment! Because fasting, my dear ones, is recommended for everyone, from top to bottom! In both the spiritual and the scientific worlds, from the lord to the last country bumpkin, from most highly educated to the lowest—the state of rest for soul and body is recommended to everyone.

“But I can’t fast, because I have a bad liver… My kidneys and heart hurt.”

Know that there are no diseases in fasting, and illness does not exist to harm you in fasting.

Conscience, experience and self-control during fasting

But we proceed from the idea that we are sick. Besides, we have everything at hand. And even if a bishop or a priest gives us permission to relax our fast, everyone nevertheless has his own conscience. And both the one who allows and the one who is allowed are in some danger. One says:

“I can’t! The doctor says I can’t fast. I can’t!”

All right. But if your physician is a Christian and knows the measure of things, then know that he will not tell you to eat non-fasting food, meat and fatty products during a fasting period with the disease that you have. But if he is not a Christian and has never experienced any diseases or fasting, then he will certainly say:

“You can’t fast! Eat!”

So, if our salvation were to depend on the physician, then it would be in some danger.

Therefore, act according to your conscience, not according to what your body dictates to you. For can train it and shape it as you live your whole life. If you train it in self-restraint and limits, then you can direct it wherever you want. If you give it relaxations and permissions, it will guide you and ultimately lead you into the abyss and the judgment seat of God—not the way you should be, but the way you were in your life.

Cheongju, South Korea, December 24, 2024

Photo: churchkr.com     

Another parish has opened in the Russian Orthodox Church’s Korean Diocese.

The Church of All Saints in Incheon held its first Divine Liturgy on New parish opens in populous South Korean cityA new parish of the Korean diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church held its first Divine Liturgy over the weekend.

“>December 8, and on Sunday, December 22, the first Liturgy was held at the new parish of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Bodiless Powers in Cheongju, the capital of North Chungcheong Province, reports the Korean Diocese.

The parish was formed at the request of residents from the city and nearby towns with concentrated Russian-speaking populations. The first service gathered not only Orthodox residents of the city but also believers who traveled from Daejeon, Cheonan, and other settlements in North and South Chungcheong Provinces.

Photo: churchkr.com     

The Divine Liturgy in the newly established parish was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Theophan of Korea, concelebrating with Hierodeacon Nectary (Lima).

Before the start of the Liturgy, the Archbishop served a moleben with the blessing of water and sprinkled the walls of the premises where the service was held with holy water.

The parish doesn’t have its own facility yet, and services will temporarily be held at the Joy child development center. Parishioners participated in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, some of them for the first time since moving to South Korea.

Concluding the service, the Archbishop addressed the gathering with a sermon, emphasizing the need for Christians to regularly participate in church Sacraments, and wished the parish continued development. After the service, the hierarch met with parishioners over a shared meal.

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Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod Province, Russia, December 24, 2024

Photo: nne.ru     

The reconstruction of the Holy Dormition-Sarov Hermitage, known especially as the home of the great St. Seraphim of Sarov, continued yesterday with the consecration of a rebuilt church.

His Eminence Metropolitan George of Nizhny Novgorod served the rite of the Great Consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, followed by the Divine Liturgy. His Eminence was concelebrated by the monastery’s abbot Igumen Nikon (Ivashkov), the dean of the Sarov District Archpriest Lev Yushkov, and other clergy of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, reports the Metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod.

Met. George addressed those present with a hierarchical message:

The consecration of a church is always a special spiritual joy both on earth and in Heaven. Today, more than ever, we feel the connection of times, seeing how the once-desecrated Sarov Monastery has been revived over the course of 20 years. It seemed impossible to restore this ancient holy site. But by God’s mercy and through the efforts of many people, it has again appeared before us in its grandeur. Of course, there is still much to be done, such as beautifying the monastery quarters, but the main thing is that spiritual life should increase here. And even though the brotherhood here is not as numerous now, we remember the words: Fear not, little flock… (Lk. 12:32). I thank all the monastery’s brotherhood for their labors, may the Lord continue to send you spiritual and physical strength to worthily carry out your service for the glory of the Lord. Everything happens according to His will, and today, seeing the restored Sarov Monastery, we rejoice and take comfort in being witnesses and participants in this good work.

All those present were given icons of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon in memory of the church’s consecration.

***

Photo: nne.ru     

The church dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon is located in one of the monastery’s buildings next to the bell tower. Before the revolution, this building housed a 20-bed monastery hospital. In 1892, a house church dedicated to the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon was consecrated within the hospital building. The current Church of St. Panteleimon was established in the building’s premises in 2024.

The restoration of this church is another step in recreating the complex of the Holy Dormition Sarov Hermitage. Notably, the Church of St. Panteleimon is the last on the list of already restored churches within the monastery complex.

The architectural appearance of the Sarov Hermitage developed throughout its existence. Initially, all buildings and churches were wooden. The earliest lithograph, dated to the early 1760s, already shows all churches and the front wall made of stone.

Bishop Theophil (Raev) of Tambov and Penza had a significant influence on the reorganization of the monastery square. During his visit to the monastery in 1789, he drew up a renovation plan, which served as guidance for a string of abbots.

Gradually, the first wooden churches were replaced with stone structures. By 1903, when a church was built and consecrated in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov above the cell where he lived, the monastery took on its final formed appearance, recognizable and uniquely distinctive.

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