Rating: 9,3|Votes: 56

Resolutions of the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, November 13, 2018

The Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which gathered in the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra on November 13, 2018, having heard His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine on the challenges that have arisen recently before the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, adopted the following...

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 13

The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Role in the Crisis Period of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia

Jakub Jiří Jukl

The disunion of our Local Church occurred, where truly a man's foes shall be they of his own household (Mt. 10:36). Our Church will bear the consequences of this schism for many decades.

Rating: 10|Votes: 14

The Truth of God will never be put to shame! Those who keep it will always be proven right—both in history and in eternity!

Archbishop Theodosy (Snigiryov) of Boyarka

Today believers are greatly troubled. How should we present ourselves today, and how can we properly perceive these events? What can be done?

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 18

For a Christian the Most Important Law is the Law of Christ

A talk with Metropolitan Pavel, abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra

Alexandra Nikiforova, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl

Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl is known as a staunch defender of the Kiev Caves Lavra in modern history. He has served as its abbot for twenty-five years. Not only have the Lavra’s buildings risen from ruins in their former glory thanks to his labors and wisdom, spiritual life has been revived here as well.

Rating: 9,1|Votes: 14

Jewish Evangelism: The Religion of Israel as Preparatory, Not Final

Fr. Lawrence Farley

Here I would like to suggest that the religion of Israel was clearly preparatory, and was never meant to be God’s final word to Israel or to mankind.

Rating: 9,4|Votes: 21

“A New Human Being” and a New Concept of the Family

Sergiu Ciocârlan

Development of a new concept of the family is actively underway. With an ever-increasing frequency, we hear such terms as “encouraging positive parenting”, “improving parental competences”, “changing parenting styles” and “combatting gender stereotypes”. What do they mean? Where do all these terms come from?

Rating: 9,5|Votes: 51

Constantinople Papism

Archpriest Vadim Leonov

According to Patriarch Bartholomew, he is the President (head) of the Church.This is no longer a canonical question, but a dogmatic one—a formulated heretical teaching, analogous to the Roman Catholic dogma on the presidency of the Roman pope over the whole Church:

Rating: 9,6|Votes: 25

We Are What We Eat: The Word of God vs The Word of the World

Fr. Ted Bobosh

Many are bored with hearing the Word of God and only want to hear the word of the world. They read and listen to their political extremist talk show hosts and web pages. They have filled their heads and hearts with demonic thoughts – “the word of the world” – and that is why they behave like the violent and destructive demons of the Gospel.

Rating: 9,7|Votes: 26

The Iron Stance of St. Job of Pochaev

Stanislav Minakov

St. Job of Pochaev, the abbot of the Pochaev Lavra, stood unwavering in the faith, and with iron steadfastness struggled against the Uniates who had left Orthodoxy for the protection of the Roman pope.

Rating: 9,3|Votes: 10

Blessed Ekaterina’s Hat and Barankas

Nun Evfimia (Aksamentova)

Not only the sisters of the monastery strove to hear and preserve in their hearts the sagacious words of the blessed one, but pilgrims from different parts of the world would come to Pukhtitsa to meet a living Spirit-bearer and to receive edification.

Rating: 9,6|Votes: 38

The Hospital is an invention of the Church!

St. Basil the Great and the “Basilead”, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Luke of Crimea

Metropolitan Nektarios (Antonopoulos)

In the center of the hospital complex there was a magnificent church, and around it there were structures, guest houses/hotels, schools, orphanages, homes for the poor, and the hospital itself. Such a thing had not existed anywhere else. Saint Basil personally supervised the work, gave advice to the builders, and worked himself.

Rating: 10|Votes: 7

To See or Not To See

Fr. Ted Bobosh

Though the Israelites witnessed what God was doing, they didn’t fully comprehend it. They saw the events but didn’t understand the significance of the events. They saw things happening but didn’t fully realize it was God’s own hand bringing things about. They didn’t see God in the events.

Rating: 7,6|Votes: 18

What Happened That Day in the Library

Fr. Stephen Freeman

It is occasionally the case that we remember precisely where we were at a point in time, in which everything is before or after that moment. It is a Kairos, a particular moment that changes everything.

Rating: 10|Votes: 24

“Don't Be Bird Brains”, Or the School of Courage from Geronda Gregory

Olga Orlova

While asking for his blessing, we saw his work-weary hands. At the sight of his hands we learned a lesson which is so useful for modern men. His hands literally preached hard work.

Rating: 8|Votes: 24

Jewish Evangelism: “To the Jew First”

Fr. Lawrence Farley

I am not unaware of how unpopular such a project can be today. The unpopularity of the attempt to convince Jews of the truth of Christianity goes back a long way.

Rating: 9,6|Votes: 88

“I Never Had the Slightest Desire to Leave My Diocese”

A Conversation with Fr. Mark Tyson on His Decision to Leave the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Jesse Dominick, Fr. Mark Tyson

Following his conscience, Fr. Mark Tyson recently moved from the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to ROCOR due to Constantinople's recent actions in Ukraine. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), Fr. Mark offered us the following interview in which he speaks more in-depth about his time in ACROD, his reasons for transferring to ROCOR, and what the future holds for him.

Rating: 8,6|Votes: 27

Kazan Churches Around the World

Water colors of Ivan Krasnobayev

Ivan Krasnobayev

Ivan Krasnobayev, a young architect from the city of Kazan, prepared a series of works dedicated to Kazan Churches that have been built around the world.

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 39

Miracles Happen at the Right Time

Archpriest Oleg Vrona

Nun Seraphima faced a grave, unsolvable problem: how to fulfill her filial duty without leaving the monastery. The only way out seems obvious for everyone—to leave the monastery to take care of her ailing, elderly mother.

Rating: 9,2|Votes: 20

Was James, the Brother of the Lord, Among the Twelve Apostles?

Fr. John Whiteford

Question: "I read recently that James, the “brother of the Lord," was not one of the 12 Apostles. Are there not two James’ among the twelve? Please elaborate and clarify the identity of these 3 (or 2?) individuals?"

Rating: 9,4|Votes: 27

The Historical Case for Infant Baptism

Fr. Lawrence Farley

This quick survey of church history reveals that for whatever varied reasons it was allowed, the Church did indeed allow babies to be baptized even before Constantine gave us a break.

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 43

Will we have a name when we die?

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (16:19-31)

Fr. James Guirguis

Today we hear the story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a story that ought to make us stand back and take account of our lives and see whether or not we are on the right path. Why should we do this? Because Jesus our Lord offers us a reality that we in the modern world do not really accept.

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 52

On Death and Dying: Three Stories of Eternal Life

Nina Pavlova

“Why don’t you let her go?” I asked the husband. “Can’t you see that she is suffering and wants to depart to God? It will be better for her there.” “What does that mean, ‘better’?” Her husband didn’t understand.

Rating: 8,9|Votes: 43

A closer look at the Ecumenical Patriarch’s ecclesiology and its statements about itself

Anna Stickles

The main problem is the claim of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that it is a source of order, life, orthodoxy…. whatever, for the rest of the Church. The claim seems to be that the Ecumenical Patriarch is somehow the essence and beginning of the Church in the way Adam is the beginning of the human race or the Father the source of the Trinity.

Rating: 8,7|Votes: 39

Ukraine is the Canonical Territory of the Russian Church

Fr. Theodore Zisis

Will it come to pass, that Constantinople can now, these days, voluntarily invade the canonical territories of autocephalous Churches under the pretext that they once belonged to its jurisdiction?

Rating: 9,5|Votes: 22

The Legacy of Father Nicola Yanney

Matthew Namee

Before Nicola were at least two paths—one narrow and one broad. The broad path would have been remarriage, and you could hardly fault him for choosing that path. The narrow path was kind of an unheard-of path.