12 January 2013. A Photo Essay. It Happened on Orthodox Christmas in 2013…

Most Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on 7 January. Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos Giannopoulos of Jerusalem served on Christmas Eve in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in Palestine.

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Coptic Orthodox believers came to St Mark Cathedral in the Abbassia District in Cairo for a service led by newly-elected Patriarch Tawadros Sulayman of Alexandria and all Africa.

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Ethiopian Orthodox believers celebrated the holiday.

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In Šabac, west of the Serbian capital of Belgrade in Mačva Okrug (Šumadija and Western Serbia Region), believers took part in the badnjak, a traditional Serb Christmas Eve custom.

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Believers in Verbovichi (Gomel Oblast. Narovlya Raion), a town south-east of the Belarusian capital of Minsk, at Christmas services. Most Orthodox Christians follow the Julian Calendar for calculating the feasts of the Church Year. There isn’t any such thing as the “Revised Julian Calendar”… that’s just a cobbled-together pseudo-intellectual abortion consisting of the Julian Calendar for calculating Easter and the Gregorian Calendar for fixed feasts… neither fish nor fowl, it isn’t defensible in scholarly terms, nor is it logically-sound in its argument or application, and it shows a lack of charity towards the faithful majority of Orthodox believers who continue to follow the Received Tradition.

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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias served at Christmas at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow (he visited Maternity Home nr 3 afterwards to bring holiday cheer to the mothers, families, and staff).

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Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev was amongst the believers that attended Christmas services at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

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Fireworks were part of the celebrations outside the newly-built Church of the Nativity of Christ in Krasnoyarsk in Siberia.

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In Gaza, Greek Orthodox believers attended Christmas service at St Porfirios Church.

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Over 80 percent of all Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on its traditional date. The rest should reconsider their position. Don’t you want to be in union with the rest of Christ’s Church? What the heterodox do is of no moment to us… they do what they do, and that’s that, and it has NO relevance to the Church. There are three midwinter holidays called “Christmas”:

• Xmas: C S Lewis used this term for the secular midwinter holiday… it’s a good distinction. When most people wish you “Merry Christmas”, this is what they refer to. Show them kindness and charity… say, “Thank you, and the same to you and yours”. Orthodox can keep this as a secular holiday… we keep all the rest of ‘em like the Fourth of July, Fête du Canada, Australia Day, and the May Day Bank Holiday, don’t we? In any case, to give your kids some gifts on this date is good, as it allows them not to feel out-of-place amongst their mates at school. It’s a secular bank-holiday… keep it as such.
• Catholic Christmas: This is the 25 December religious holiday. The Proddies keep this date, too, as they’re the bastard children of Rome. This is a heterodox celebration, and the Church enjoins us to show respect to other religions and their believers. If you’re wished “Merry Christmas” in this sense, again, show charity (for that’s what Christ’s Church COMMANDS you to do), and say, “Thank you, and the same to you and yours”. Many religious people will be hip to the fact that Orthodox Christmas is a different day. Be kind… show respect to their holy day. Oh… don’t forget to break the opłatek with the Soloniewiczs down the street and get the scungilli and calamari for Nona Sophia next-door (she’ll call ‘em scungil and calamad in Sicilian). You might get an invite to the feast… accept and show your gratitude… that’s what real true-blue down n’ dirty Christians do.
• Orthodox Christmas: This is on 7 January on the civil calendar for the rest of this century (it’ll be 8 January in 2100). Most Eastern and Oriental Orthodox believers keep this date; this is Orthosphere Christmas. Don’t you wish that all of us celebrated together on this day?

If you’re not keeping Orthodox Christmas… you should. Most Orthodox who follow Catholic Christmas are guiltless… they didn’t decide to do such… that was the work of notional and misguided heretics such as Meletios Metaxakis and Aleksandr Schmemann. All Russian Orthodox believers in the diaspora should follow the Mother Church… we should not only celebrate when she celebrates, we should be as one, and scrap all the foolish divisions that split us now. The OCA, Paris Exarchate, ROCOR, and MP Abroad are false and pernicious artificial constructs. We should be as one, under the omofor of our Mother Church. God willing, that day will be soon…

Христос раждается!

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BMD

Brouhaha Over SPC Stance on Kosovo

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A report in the Belgrade-based weekly Nedeljnik claimed that the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) “requested the Serbian President and Prime Minister to reject the agreement on integrated crossings management” and that it presented its own plan to solve the Kosovo problem. In the meantime, a spokesman for the SPC Holy Synod specifically branded this report as false.

Nedeljnik wrote that the proposal has eight points that range from the “abolishment of Petar Stambolić‘s borders to a request to remove US Camp Bondsteel“. In the letter, the SPC Synod reportedly called on the state officials “not to take part in the country’s suicide. We expect the current government and parliament to reconsider all agreements of the previous government about the ‘crossings’ that haven’t been approved by parliament, instead of accepting ‘integrated border management’”. The SPC “requests state organs to demand guarantees from the international community for the return of thousands of expelled [Serbs] from Kosovo, restoration of houses and churches, and to pass a law on restitution of the state and church property in Kosovo before any other talks”. According to the weekly, the letter was sent to President Tomislav Nikolić, Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, and opposition leaders.

The weekly published the letter a day after Dačić met with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi in Brussels, where they discussed the implementation of the integrated crossings management. However, Bishop Irinej Bulović of Bačka denied that the letter is authentic. Today, a delegation of northern Kosovo Serbs will meet with Nikolić, and Dačić and top Serbian officials met late last night. The prime minister said after the meeting that the state leadership fully agreed on a policy towards Kosovo. Nikolić met with Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović in June, July, and November; he asked for the patriarch’s support and blessing for the state policy towards Kosovo.

6 December 2012

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Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović denied that the SPC Holy Synod sent a letter to the state leadership regarding the situation in Kosovo. He told Blic that the Synod didn’t write the letter, which strongly criticises state policy towards Kosovo, saying, “This letter didn’t come from us, and the Church distances itself from the written and released letter”. When asked who the author of the letter was and who’d sent it to the media, Irinej said that he didn’t know, emphasising, “I don’t know who the author was, or, who forwarded it, as the alleged position of the SPC, to the media”. The patriarch said that he’d already presented his position on the situation in Kosovo. Earlier, he stated that Serbia should work towards EU membership, but that it shouldn’t renounce Kosovo for the sake of the EU membership. At the time, Irinej said, “If we have to renounce (Kosovo), thanks for the invitation, we’ll continue to live our difficult and hard lives as we’ve lived in the past 500 years”.

Nedeljnik reported that the SPC Synod requested the state leadership to reject the agreement on integrated crossings management. However, the weekly also published an interview with Metropolitan Amfilohije Radović of Montenegro and the Littoral and Archbishop of Cetinje, who said, “President (Tomislav) Nikolić surely knows the opinion of the Church, and that its position hasn’t changed. Recently, the Synod informed him about the position in writing as well”. Amfilohije didn’t say whether that was in reference to the letter published by Nedeljnik.

6 December 2012

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For now, Patriarch Irinej said that the SPC wouldn’t release a letter sent to President Tomislav Nikolić. He also added that the SPC’s position on Kosovo was well-known. He told Večernje Novosti, “I don’t see any reason why it’d be necessary to release the letter that was given to the President or what would be achieved by it”. Irinej repeated that he didn’t know who wrote and released a letter that claims that the SPC Synod was opposed to state policy on Kosovo and denied that it was authentic, adding, “The position of the Serbian Church on Kosovo’s future is well-known and this letter wouldn’t change anything. We’ve submitted our perspective to the state leadership, so, the release of the letter’s content doesn’t depend on us anymore”.

8 December 2012

B92

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=12&dd=06&nav_id=83513

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=12&dd=06&nav_id=83517

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=12&dd=08&nav_id=83553

MPC Welcomes Proposal for Talks with SPC

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The Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) reacted to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić‘s proposal for resolving a dispute with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). In a statement, the MPC Synod said that they expected the proposal “to lead toward the resumption of suspended dialogue between the churches”. After a week-long analysis, the Macedonian Church welcomed President Nikolić’s call for the resolution of the church dispute through an open dialogue on all issues. The MPC Synod didn’t elaborate on the details as to the direction in which the dialogue could go, but only that it expects its resumption. Before the Synod session, MPC head Archbishop Stefan Veljanovski of Ohrid and Macedonia also welcomed Nikolić’s initiative, adding that the SPC itself is divided over the issue.

Last week, Serbian Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović told Tanjug that the problem with the church in Macedonia could be resolved only in line with the Orthodox canons, taking into consideration the 2002 agreement, which the MPC rejected, and which envisaged an independent archdiocese in Macedonia with a formal union with the SPC and mention of the SPC patriarch. Recently, Serbian and Macedonian Presidents Tomislav Nikolić and Gjorge Ivanov said in Skopje that the Serbian and Macedonian churches should resolve the dispute between them through dialogue, and that they stood ready to help. Nikolić and Ivanov agreed that many things, including that related to churches, depend on good relations between the two countries. The non-canonical MPC unilaterally declared its autocephaly in the summer of 1967.

31 October 2012

B92

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=10&dd=31&nav_id=82935

Patriarch Irinej Sez Talks with Macedonians Only Possible in Line with Canons

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Serbian Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović said that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) “will joyfully accept talks with the non-canonical Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC)”. On Monday, however, he specified in a statement for Tanjug that this is possible “only in line with the canons and previous agreements”. The most important agreement was signed in Niš in 2002. Patriarch Irinej said, “We wish to hold talks, but only in line with the canons, which we must observe, and in line with earlier agreements”.

On Friday, the Presidents of Serbia and Macedonia, Tomislav Nikolić and Gjorge Ivanov respectively, stated that the SPC and the MPC should resolve the dispute between them through dialogue, and added that they, as presidents of these two countries, would help the process be successful. Nikolić and Ivanov agreed that many things, but primarily, the Church issue, depended on good relations between the two countries.

Patriarch Irinej, who was at the time the bishop of Niš, hosted a meeting in Niš on 17 May 2002, and was one of the signatories of the agreement on establishment of the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid, and on overcoming the schism between the canonical SPC and the uncanonical MPC. The agreement implied recognition of broad church autonomy for the dioceses in the Republic of Macedonia, whilst, in return, the Archbishopric of Ohrid was to be part of the SPC formally, and the SPC Patriarch would confirm the election of the First Hierarch of the Macedonian Church.

Five out of seven Macedonian bishops accepted the draft agreement. However, on 28 May, they dismissed the importance of the agreement they had signed in Niš, and told the Macedonian public that it was only a working document, with no binding character. The only bishop who subsequently accepted and signed the Niš agreement was Metropolitan Jovan of Veles and Povardarie, appointed by the SPC Holy Synod as head of the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid in May 2003, which according to the SPC, is still in force. The non-canonical MPC unilaterally declared its autocephaly in the summer of 1967; it’s headed at present by Archbishop Stefan Veljanovski of Ohrid and Macedonia, but the SPC doesn’t recognise it.

29 October 2012

B92

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=10&dd=29&nav_id=82897

Anti-Serb Graffiti on Orthodox Church in Hungary

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MTI reported that vandals painted anti-Serb graffiti on a Serbian Orthodox church in the town of Szentendre near Budapest. Hungarian police stated that vandals spray-painted the walls of the Serbian Orthodox church and a memorial plaque of Serbian writer Jakov Ignjatović in the last two days. On Friday night, Fr Zoran, a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Budapest told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) that the graffiti painted on the church included the saying, “Death to Chetniks”. He said that vandals painted “Go back to your Serbia” on the memorial plaque and on the walls of the Serbian school, adding that flyers with similar texts were handed out in the town. MTI emphasised that an investigation was underway. The headquarters of the SPC Diocese of Budapest are located in Szentendre. The Serbian museum, library, and archives located in the town are of utmost importance for the remaining Serbs in Szentendre. Serbs first came to Szentendre during the Great Serb Migration in 1690, led by Serbian Patriarch Arsenije Čarnojević.

27 October 2012

B92

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=10&dd=27&nav_id=82867

SPC Condemns Possible Removal of Church in Kosovo

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On Tuesday, the Serbian Orthodox (SPC) Diocese of Raška-Prizren opposed the removal of an unfinished church in Priština. The diocese also opposed its turning into a memorial museum of Kosovo Albanians, underlining that this constituted an open call for discrimination and continued destruction of Serb heritage in Kosovo. The diocese voiced concern over “the relentless campaign by Kosovo hard-line media aimed at turning the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour into a memorial museum of Kosovo Albanians or removing it completely”. The diocese strongly condemned the ideas that one could hear at a recent meeting of the Senate of the Kosovo University in Priština, as an attempt to infringe not only on the property rights of the SPC, which in the early 1990s obtained a building permit for this church in centre of Priština in keeping with the law, but most importantly on religious rights and freedoms of the Serb Orthodox population in Kosovo.

It said in a statement, “At a time, when in the centre of Priština, in the vicinity of the Church, a huge Roman Catholic Cathedral was built, and work on one of the largest mosque in the Balkans are being planned, the intention to destroy or desecrate the unfinished Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in the vicinity of the University building constitutes an open call for discrimination, and continuation of the process of destruction of the Serb spiritual heritage in Kosovo and Metohija. The idea that the church should be turned into a memorial museum of Kosovo Albanians is particularly cynical and immoral, taking into account that almost the entire Serb population was forced to leave Priština, so, now, only around 50 elderly people remain out of 40,000 Serbs. The calls coming from the circles of the University of Priština for the destruction of a Christian church in the centre, which for years now was used as a landfill and public toilet, send a message to the world about open intolerance and religious hatred which after the armed conflict in Kosovo and Metohija led to systematic destruction of 150 Serb Orthodox churches and sacrilege of hundreds of Christian graveyards”.

3 October 2012

B92

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=10&dd=03&nav_id=82463

Editor’s Note:

Simply observe this… as much as the Democrats support Kosovo, the neocon Republicans are twice as rabid. That is, if you vote for Willard Romney, you spit on the courageous stand of Christian Serbia. There are no two ways about it.

BMD