NEWS, VIEWS, COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
(borrowed)
The Problem of Socials
The Bible states that “Christ is
the same yesterday, today and tomorrow” (Hebrew 13:8). This statement is one
which guides the Orthodox Church continually in its mission to lead people to
salvation, teaching them to follow all that Christ established; that His
teachings are not subject to change no matter what generation or century we
live in awaiting His second coming.
When you look
at the 40 days of Great Lent along with Holy Week which follows it, for
although Christ did not say “thou shall observe Lent” by direct words. He
established the practice of a special 40 day period, by doing it. We must
remember that the period of time called “Great Lent” follows the example of the
40 day fast that Christ observed in the desert following His Baptism.
Thus, the
Church in an endeavor to guide faithful Christians in a year cycle of observances,
includes events such as this in Christ’s life as a special period for emulation
which also brings personal benefit, both in the renewal of our life practice
and routine today, as well as hopefully a lasting affect on our life from that
point on, leading to our ultimate salvation.
The heart and
soul of lenten life is fasting, repentance-confession, more prayer, church
attendance, alms giving and the limitation of social activities (dances and
parties) to the bear necessity. The last point (social activities) seems to be
the most abused. The Bible tells us that “there is a time and season for
everything” (Ecc 3: 1-7). Concerning socials, clearly there is a time for them.
Dances are wholesome fun and relaxation. They have no place however during
Lent. Those secular establishments who host them and those artists who perform
during this period defile our Orthodox tradition.
It is sad to
observe that social functions are creeping into Lent by various organizations
and establishments and that even musicians come from Greece to the USA during
Great Lent. This places great stress on conscientious Orthodox Christians, for
the desire is there to “keep lent” properly and also to support an organization
or enjoy their fellow countrymen at the same time. The two however, just don’t
mix! What’s the solution? “Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
Avoid social functions during Lent as the Church has guided us through the
centuries.
Information about the Center and its programs on the Internet
Most Reverend Archbishop Nathaniel
Popp, President
The Address: 23300 Davison Avenue, Detroit, Michigan - 48223
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Mission:
"Confessing the Orthodox Christian faith by word and example through
formal instruction, worship and good works."
Official URL address - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org
St. Andrew's Center - Short History:
http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/StAndrews_History.htm
St. Andrew's Up-Date -
http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/St_Andrews_Update.htm
St Andrew's Center - Saguna onLine -
http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/Saguna_OnLine.htm
The Monastic Community
http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/StAndrews_community.htm
St.Raphael of Brooklyn Orthodox Parish -
http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/StRaphael_parish.htm
·
About Us - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/about.htm
A brief description of Saint
Andrew House and the Center for Orthodox Christian Studies.
·
Online
Studies - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/studies_online.htm
Study Orthodox Christian Theology
with real teachers via the internet.
·
Resident
Studies - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/resident_studies.htm
Our full-time program of study,
beginning in September, 2001.
·
Contact Us
- http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/contact_us.htm
How to get in touch with the Center for Orthodox
Christian Studies.
·
How to get
here - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/finding_us.htm
Retreats and Seminars - http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/retreats_seminars.htm
A listing
of our current retreat and seminar offerings.
·
Finding Us
- http://www.standrews-orthodoxstudies.org/finding_us.htm
SAINT ANDREWS CENTER FOR ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN STUDIES
THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY
·
St. Andrew's Center for Orthodox Christian Studies is
hosting a monastic community of 8 monks from the Romanian monastery of Sambata de
Sus. The community will take up residence in the Center on Friday, February 24,
2001. Abbot is Very Rev. Archimandrite Irineu (Duvlea). The community will hold
weekday services in the St. Andrew Chapel and will concelebrate with the
English Community on Saturday evening and Sunday.
ST. ANDREWS CENTER FOR ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN STUDIES
SAINT RAPHAEL OF BROOKLYN ORTHODOX
PARISH
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The Center for Orthodox Christian Studies is hosting an
English Speaking parish under the protection of St Raphael of Brooklyn. Parish
Priest is Rev Leonte Copacia and services are scheduled to commence on May 6,
2001 in the St Andrew Chapel.
·
URL
address - http://members.aol.com/USAPatriarchate/Articles/StAndrews_community.htm
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For
further information - E-mail to Fr. Ian Pacurar: pacurar@uakron.edu
·
Did you
know that His Eminence is a pioneer for “Orthodox Unity in the Americas??? If not -
please go to: The (Virtual) American Patriarchate:
http://americanpatriarchate.org
The Romanian people was formed,
together with the Romanian language, between the first and the seventh
centuries A.D. According to the ecclesiastic history, the inhabitants who were
lived in the North of the Danube received the Gospels from Apostle Andrew and
his disciples, in the first to third centuries A.D. Archaeological testimonies
prove that at the end of the fourth century church life was powerful, numerous
religious abodes, priests and faithful existing on the territory of present-day
Romania. The first printings in Romanian were achieved in the Orthodox
monasteries, which also organized the first Romanian schools. The Christian
terminology in the Romanian language is yet another indication that the
proto-Romanians were developed by consensus of the universal church synods. In
accordance with the census of January 7th, 1992, from the sum of 22.760.449
inhabitants of Romania, 19.762.135, that is 86.6 per cent, are Orthodox.
The highest authority of the
Romanian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod, made up of the Patriarch, as
chairman, and all the metropolitans, archbishops, bishop vicars and
archhierarchs-vicars, as members. The executive representative body of the Holy
Synod is the National Church Council.
The Romanian Orthodox Church keeps up relations with nearly
all the Christian churches in the world.
Outside the
country's boundaries, on the territories of neighboring countries, there are a
few million Romanian Orthodox organized in church units. Most of them are in
the Metropolitan Seat of Bessarabia, and in the Northern Bukovina. On December
19th, 1992, the Synod of Romanian Orthodox Church, endorsed the request to
reactivate and receive under its canonical jurisdiction the Metropolitan Seat
of Bessarabia, autonomous and in the old style, based in Chisinau. At present, there are 15 religious
denominations officially acknowledged in Romania: the Romanian Orthodox Church,
the Romanian Church United with Rome, which received official recognition under
CPUN decree no 9 of December 30, the Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession,
the Evangelical Synod-Presbyterian Church, the Unitarian Church, the Armenian Church,
the Christians of Old Rite, the Muslim Cult, the Mosaic Cult, the Christiana
according to the Gospels. To them we may add upwards of 120 religious
associations, both independent and within the denominations. At present, the
denominations freely elect their leading bodies and their servants, without any
interference from the State.
Religious
freedom of the cults in Romania is assured materially as well. The State
supports their activity, granting monthly financial contributions to the
religious staff, earmarking annual sums for the building of new abodes, as well
as the conservation and restoration of valuable assets of the national heritage
in the property of the denominations.
The Romanians
living in the world have also organized in approximately 250 Orthodox
communities, most of them under the canonical jurisdiction of the Romanian
Patriarchate.
The Romanian
churches, representing landmarks in history, are superb monuments of art and
architecture, proving by their variety, in point of construction and painting,
the spirit of an ancient culture, philosophy, art and technique of a people of
universal vocation.
Suicide is the taking of one's own
life. The Orthodox Church has, over the centuries, taught that we do not have
the right to take our own lives, since life is a gift from God which we are
called upon to preserve and enhance. Hence, the Church considers direct
suicide, when a person destroys his or her life with his or her own hand, to be
the most serious kind of murder, because there is no opportunity for
repentance.
The canons and practice of the
Church thus prohibit a Church burial to a person who has committed suicide.
However, if it can be shown that the person who has committed suicide was not
mentally sound, then, upon proper medical and ecclesiastical certification, the
burial can be conducted by the Church. In cases, however, where the deceased
held a philosophical view affirming the right to suicide, or allowed despair to
overcome good judgment, no such allowance can be made.
Morally speaking, there is also the case of indirect
suicide, in which people harm their health through abusive practices such as
excessive smoking, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages. The Orthodox
Church teaches that we are obligated to care for our health, so these kinds of
practices in fact are looked upon as immoral. However, they do not carry the
same negative implications which the direct taking of one's own life has.