"Spiritual Invocation" by Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis

Blessed Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis (1886-1983) was for forty years Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Dionysiou at Mount Athos. He has been called "the abbot of abbots of the twentieth century", and "a great man of Greece and of the Orthodox Faith".

Dr. Constantine Cavarnos, who has written the only existing book in English on this significant elder whom he knew personally, characterizes Elder Gabriel as a "remarkable confessor and spiritual guide, a profound analyst of twentieth century society, and an inspiring writer on many vital topics". Below is a piece he wrote in 1965 and is just one of many examples in which his wisdom is manifested, offered here on the anniversary of his falling asleep which occurred on November 6, 1983.

Spiritual Invocation

by Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis

So many years have passed and we still cannot forget the horror of the Second World War and the foreign occupation [Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy]. What can we remember first? The fear and terror of the barbarian conquerors? The bombarding or the hunger? The hundreds of thousands in Greece who were killed or died of starvation? Remembrance of these things chills the blood of man.

But we will say: Glory be to God, all these things are now past; let us no longer recall them. Yet, without our wanting it, they come back to our mind, because we see the "signs of the times", and we understand that these things that have passed are "the beginning of pains".

Now we read of the "seats of fire" that exist at so many places of our planet. We see the conflict of ideas, which divide the world into mutually hating parts, the haste for the production and storing of fearful nuclear weapons. And we ask: For what are all these things? What will be the end result? Alas...war! Yes, a war incomparably more destructive than the last one. And why? What is the cause? The Apostle answers and says: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Thus, sin is the cause of every catastrophe. Without doubt, the cause are the multiform sins that prevail everywhere - sins in the form of moral decline, of arrogant science and arrogant technological development.

Progress and development are good, but without ideals they do not benefit. What is needed above all is spiritual progress, if man is to live well and become happy. The greatest achievement that mankind could offer would be to approach God and attain union with Him.

Now, however, the withdrawal of men from the Creator is beyond dispute and manifest. It is sufficient that we glance at the whole world and we will be convinced of this. Unbelief prevails, materialism, division, indifference, moral crumbling, and in general spiritual decline. What then? "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured by the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isaiah 1:19-20).

These are great truths which have been proclaimed at various times by men of God, Prophets and Saints illuminated by Him, in order that we might know them and come to our senses, and through repentance be delivered from the wrath of God. There are many books that inform us about these truths - the Old Testament, the Holy Gospels, the Book of Revelation of Saint John the Theologian, and other, later works of holy men....

The Book of Revelation says that one third of mankind on the earth will perish.... There will survive the "spiritual men", the "elect" - those who have not been carried away by the current of unbelief and the rest of the sins of our age. Those will survive who have "their hearts lifted up to God", and have patiently endured the temptations and the sorrows of the time. Also, those who have repented, who have sought refuge in the mercy of God will be saved, according to the word of God.

For this reason it is necessary that our spiritual condition be improved and renewed. There must be a total turn to God by all of us. The one-sided progress of science and technology will not benefit us. We see clearly that we have surpassed in arrogance and folly those who undertook to build the Tower of Babel. We fly into space and want to reach the stars, while heaviness of souls nails us down to the earth. There is unimaginable waste of money for our self-destruction, while there is incalculable misery in the world!.... Besides the fearful diseases that scourge people, one third of mankind lives in a state of continuous hunger! How long will God forgive this foolishness and total lack of love?

Beloved brethren, let us not be intoxicated by the rapid advances in technology and scientific dicscoveries. Let us instead be sorrowful for the "impending wrath of God", and let each one of us work, wherever he may happen to be, for the salvation of his soul and the benefit of his neighbor, entreating God to "waive from us His wrath", as He did for the city of Ninevah at the time of Jonas the Prophet. Only the return to God, faith in Him, and love amongst us, will save us.

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Orthodox Philosopher Richard Swinburne on the Existence of God (Video)

Richard G. Swinburne (born December 26, 1934) is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford. Over the last 50 years Swinburne has been a very influential proponent of natural theology, that is, philosophical arguments for the existence of God. His philosophical contributions are primarily in philosophy of religion and philosophy of science. He aroused much discussion with his early work in the philosophy of religion, a trilogy of books consisting of The Coherence of Theism, The Existence of God, and Faith and Reason.

A member of the Eastern Orthodox Church through conversion, he is noted as one of the foremost Christian apologists, arguing in his many articles and books that faith in Christianity is rational and coherent in a rigorous philosophical sense. While he presents many arguments to advance the belief that God exists, he argues that God is a being whose existence is not logically necessary (see modal logic), but metaphysically necessary in a way he defines in his The Christian God. Other subjects on which Swinburne writes include personal identity (in which he espouses a view based on the concept of a soul), and epistemic justification.

Though he is most well-known for his vigorous rational defense of Christian intellectual commitments, he also has a theory of the nature of passionate faith which is developed in his book Faith and Reason.

According to an interview Swinburne did with Foma magazine, he converted from the Church of England to the Greek Orthodox Church around 1996:

"I don’t think I changed my beliefs in any significant way. I always believed in the Apostolic succession: that the Church has to have its authority dating back to the Apostles, and the general teaching of the Orthodox Church on the saints and the prayers for the departed and so on, these things I have always believed."

Since his retirement from the Nolloth Chair in 2002, most of Swinburne’s work has been devoted to producing second editions (largely rewritten and updated) of previous works: The Existence of God (2004), Faith and Reason (2005) and now Revelation (forthcoming).

Swinburne's Categories

Swinburne formulated five categories into which all religious experiences fall:

* Public - a believer 'sees God's hand at work', whereas other explanations are cited (e.g., looking at a beautiful sunset).
* Public - an unusual event that breaches natural law (e.g., walking on water).
* Private - describable using normal language (e.g., Jacob's vision of a ladder).
* Private - indescribable using normal language, usually a mystical experience (e.g., "White did not cease to be white, nor black cease to be black, but black became white and white became black.").
* Private - a non-specific, general feeling of God working in one's life.

Swinburne also coined two principles for the assessment of religious experiences:

Principle of Credulity - with the absence of any reason to disbelieve it, one should accept what appears to be true (e.g., if one sees someone walking on water, one should believe that it is occurring, unless one is under the influence of a hallucinogen).

Principle of Testimony - with the absence of any reason to disbelieve them, one should accept that eye-witnesses or believers are telling the truth when they testify about religious experiences.

(cf. Wikipedia - Richard Swinburne)

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Romanian Elder Teofil Paraian Falls Asleep In the Lord

On the morning of October 29 in the military hospital of the city of Cluj in Romania, Father Teofil (Theophilos) Paraian, the blind elder and confessor of Romania, fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 80. The funeral service was held on October 31.

The Elder was born blind on March 3, 1929 in Topârcea village, near Sibiu. Though handicapped with blindness, this did not prevent him from becoming educated. He attended a primary school for the blind in Cluj-Napoca, from 1935 to 1940. Between 1948 and 1952, Father Teofil attended the Theological School of Sibiu, and from April 1, 1953 entered into the monastic community of Brancoveanu Monastery of Sambata de Sus. Having received a theological degree, and despite his blindness, he was ordained a priest.

The Elder was known for his ability to explain the various themes of the spiritual life with clarity, wisdom and experience. He was widely regarded as one of Romanias most significant spiritual guides, and highly honored by the Romanian youth.

May God give rest to his pure soul and have mercy upon us through his prayers.

Video news report on the Elders funeral (in Romanian)

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Cypriot Anti-Ecumenist Monks and Clergy Punished

This news comes following the uprising of various Orthodox against the recent meeting between Orthodox and Catholics in Paphos of Cyprus. The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus, who met on November 4 and 5, has decided to punish the actions of the monastic and clerical protestors of the recent Dialogue which occurred in Paphos. Specifically the monks of the Holy Monastery of Stavrovouniou were penalized for two months to abstain from Holy Communion; while the clergy of the Holy Metropolis of Trimithountos have been penalized with the withholding of one months salary as well as a rebuke for their rebellion.

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Leo Tolstoy and the Orthodox Church

[Since Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referenced Leo Tolstoy as being an Orthodox Christian in his lecture a few days ago at Georgetown University, I thought I would remind Orthodox Christians that Leo Tolstoy not only was not Orthodox, but he rejected Orthodoxy and in turn was excommunicated for this rejection. Below is more information to enlighten those unaware of the false teachings of Leo Tolstoy. He was a great author, but a poor theologian. - J.S.]

100 Years After Excommunication, Church Cannot Look Kindly Upon Tolstoy

Russian Orthodox hierarchy rejects request of writer's great-great-grandson.

Andrei Zolotov
3/01/2001
Christianity Today

A hundred years after it excommunicated Leo Tolstoy, the Russian Orthodox Church has ignored a plea by his great-great-grandson, Vladimir Tolstoy, to reconsider the writings and reflections of the famous novelist.

Vladimir Tolstoy, director of Leo Tolstoy's Yasnaya Polyana estate museum, told ENI this week that he had written to the church's leader, Patriarch Alexei, in January asking him to review Tolstoy's teaching—the reason for his rejection by the church—on the grounds that the excommunication was a hindrance to national reconciliation.

He told ENI the media had misinterpreted his letter as a plea to lift the excommunication. "I was simply inviting the church to hold a dialogue on this painful subject," Tolstoy said in an interview. "In my letter, there was no request to lift the excommunication or to forgive Tolstoy."

In his letter to the patriarch, the writer's descendant stated that the decision on February 22, 1901, by the Russian Orthodox Church synod to excommunicate Tolstoy had had a "painful effect on all the following course of Russia's history."

The church's act had forced "every Russian Christian" to make a difficult "moral choice." "An Orthodox Christian cannot reject God, but it is also difficult to reject the national genius and prophet, who to this day constitutes the pride and glory of our national culture," Vladimir Tolstoy wrote.

Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is known worldwide for his novels, in particular for War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

In the late 1870s, after completing the two novels, Tolstoy underwent a profound spiritual crisis and began a search for the meaning of life. He found little solace in the writings of philosophers, theologians and scientists, but, as he declares in A Confession, published in 1884, he found insights in the daily life of Russian peasants who told him that everyone must serve God rather than living for themselves.

He emerged from his spiritual crisis as what some have described as a Christian anarchist, attached to the Gospel, but without any belief in immortality and seeing Christ as simply a man. At the same time, Tolstoy rejected the authority of the church and the government.

Tolstoy then gathered a big following as he dedicated most of the second part of his life to writing essays, pamphlets, didactic short stories and plays. His novel Resurrection, published in 1899, includes strong criticism of church ritual. Apparently this was one of the reasons for his excommunication. Tolstoy's views influenced European humanists and India's champion of peace, Mahatma Gandhi.

Vladimir Tolstoy told ENI that the patriarch had not replied to his letter.

But church officials have made it clear in recent statements that they stand by the church's 1901 decision and do not wish to review Tolstoy's writings.

At a press conference on March 4, Patriarch Alexei acknowledged Tolstoy as "a literary genius," but said that the writer's religious views were a different matter. "I do not think we have the right to force a man, who died [almost] 100 years ago, to return to the bosom of the church that he rejected," the patriarch said.

Vsevolod Chaplin, a senior Moscow Patriarchate official, told ENI. "I think everyone in our country, including believers, have respect for Tolstoy as a writer. When he expressed views that contradict its teaching and its spirit, the church, naturally, had the right to say that such views could not be considered Orthodox."

Father Chaplin pointed out that after the 1901 excommunication Tolstoy did not publicly repent for his views. Although there were various stories about the writer receiving absolution and communion before his death, there was strong indication that he had not, Chaplin said.

A review of Tolstoy's reflections and teaching "would make sense only if some proof were discovered that Tolstoy changed his views before his death," Father Chaplin said. "Otherwise, it makes no sense whatsoever." He added that excommunication was "not a curse, as some people think, but an attestation that the writer's beliefs very seriously disagreed with the Orthodox teaching."

Vladimir Tolstoy told ENI that "they [church officials] are trying to avoid the subject. But I received many letters and telephone calls. That reassured me that there is a lot to discuss here."

See also:

Decree of Excommunication of Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy vs the Orthodox Establishment

Tolstoy and Islam

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Fijian Native Ordained to the Holy Diaconate

This is an update from a previous report here.

On Saturday, 12 September 2009, Metropolitan Amphilochios of New Zealand ordained the first native of Fiji, Bartholomew, to the diaconate in the Holy Monastery of the Archangels in Thari on Rhodes.

He will return to his native land to undertake a mission among his people.

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Bulgarian Orthodox Church to Charge More to Approve Divorces

by Clive Leviev-Sawyer
Oct 27 2009
Sophia Echo

A few months after Bulgaria approved changes to its Family Code to allow fast-track divorces, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is planning to increase its fee for recognising a divorce in canon law.

According to a report in mass-circulation daily Trud on October 27 2009, the Sofia metropolitinate of the church plans to increase the fee for approving a divorce from 12 to 30 leva.

Churches marriages and divorces in themselves have no legal effect in Bulgaria. Article 46 of the Bulgarian constitutions says that "matrimony shall be a free union between a man and a woman. Only a civil marriage shall be legal".

However, the church does not allow divorcees to re-marry without official church approval. If approvals are given, the church will allow a person to re-marry up to three times after the first divorce.

While, after the fall of communism, church marriages became more fashionable in Bulgaria, not every civil divorce is matched by an approach to the church for its sanction.

According to Trud, an average 100 dissolutions of religious marriage are issued in Sofia a year, and the numbers are even lower in small eparchies: 39 in Varna and only six in Vratsa in 2008, the newspaper said.

On June 11 2009, Bulgaria’s Parliament approved changes to the Family Code opening the way for fast-track divorces.

Before the change, divorce by mutual consent could be applied for only after three years of marriage. The amendments approved by Parliament allow for divorce a day after the wedding.

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Epic Movie About Muhammad in the Pipeline

Epic Muhammad Movie in Pipeline

An epic movie about Islam's Prophet Muhammad is in the pipeline, backed by a producer of the Lord of the Rings.

2 November 2009
BBC News

American Barrie Osborne, who also produced The Matrix, told Reuters the film would be an "international epic" aimed at "bridging cultures".

In accordance with Islamic rules, the Prophet cannot be depicted on screen. Images of the Prophet are considered blasphemous by Muslims.

The $150m (£91m) English language film should go into production in 2011.

2010 talks

Qatari media company Alnoor Holdings, which is behind the plans, said it wanted to attract the "best international talent" for the film.

"The film will educate people about the true meaning of Islam," Osborne said.

Raja Sharif, vice president of international projects at Alnoor, told Reuters he expected to conclude deals next year.

-----------------------------------

See also: Prophet Muhammad Movie in the Works, But Will It Be Blasphemous?

And for a list of films already in existence about the life of Muhammad, see here.

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European Court: No Crucifixes in Italian Schools

By Alessandra Rizzo (AP, November 3, 2009)

Rome, Italy - Europe's court of human rights said Tuesday the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms, prompting an angry reaction from the Catholic Church and government officials in Rome.

The ruling could force a review of the use of religious symbols in government-run schools across Europe. Saying the crucifix could be disturbing to non-Christian or atheist pupils, the court rejected arguments by Italy's government that it was a national symbol of culture, history, identity, tolerance and secularism.

The Italian government immediately said it would appeal, with one minister saying the court should be ashamed and a conservative senator calling the ruling "absurd." Italian bishops said they were perplexed by the decision from the Strasbourg-based court.

"The multiple significance of the crucifix, which is not just a religious symbol but a cultural sign, has been either ignored or overlooked," the Italian Bishop's Conference said in a statement.

The court ordered the government to pay a euro5,000 ($7,390) fine to Soile Lautsi, the mother of two children who claimed public schools in her northern Italian town refused eight years ago to remove the Roman Catholic symbols from classrooms.

The seven-judge panel, however, stopped short of ordering Italy to remove the crucifixes, which are common in Italian public schools. The ruling can still be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights' Grand Chamber of 17 judges, whose decisions are binding.

Lautsi, who is of Finnish origins, had maintained that the crucifix violates the secular principles the public schools are supposed to uphold, and the right to offer her children a secular education. She filed her case with the European Court of Human Rights in July 2006, after Italy's Constitutional Court dismissed her complaint. Her efforts to rid public schools of religious symbols in a country that is predominantly Roman Catholic had not been welcomed.

In its ruling, the court said the presence of the crucifix "could easily be interpreted by pupils of all ages as a religious sign and they would feel that they were being educated in a school environment bearing the stamp of a given religion." It added that the presence of such symbols could be "disturbing for pupils who practiced other religions or were atheists."

The court said secular, state-run schools must "observe confessional neutrality in the context of public education," where attendance is compulsory.

Lautsi and her husband, Massimo Albertin, said they were satisfied.

"We believe the ruling is a positive signal from Europe to Italy, which seems to increasingly lose its secularism," Albertin was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency from his home in Albano Terme. "The crucifix creates discrimination."

Still, the government maintained the crucifix is a symbol of Italian and European history and tradition

"In our country nobody wants to impose the Catholic religion, let alone with a crucifix," Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini said. But she added that "it is not by eliminating the traditions of individual countries that a united Europe is built."

Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he wanted to see the ruling and the reasons behind it before commenting.

--------------------------

Vatican Denounces Ruling on Crucifixes

(AP, November 4, 2009)

Rome, Italy - The Vatican yesterday denounced a ruling by the European court of human rights that said the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms.

In a decision that could force a review of the use of religious symbols in government-run schools across Europe, the court ordered Italy to pay a $7,390 fine to a mother in northern Italy who fought for eight years to have crucifixes removed from her children’s public school classrooms. The Italian government said it would appeal.

Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said the crucifix was a fundamental sign of the importance of religious values in Italian history and culture and was a symbol of unity and welcoming for all of humanity, not one of exclusion.

He said a European court had no right intervening in such a profoundly Italian matter.

“Religion gives a precious contribution to the formation and moral growth of people, and it’s an essential component in our civilization,’’ he said. “It’s wrong and myopic to try to exclude it from education.’’

The Strasbourg-based court said the crucifix could be disturbing to non-Christian or atheist pupils, rejecting arguments by Italy’s government that it was a national symbol of culture, history, identity, tolerance, and secularism.

But although it fined the government, the panel stopped short of ordering Italy to remove the crucifixes, which are common in Italian public schools. The ruling can still be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights’ Grand Chamber, whose decisions are binding.

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Christian Science Cult: Pray for Healing, Charge for Treatment

Healthcare Provision Seeks to Embrace Prayer Treatments

A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.

By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger
November 3, 2009
Reporting from Washington
LA Times

Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.

The provision was inserted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) with the support of Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and the late Edward M. Kennedy, both of Massachusetts, home to the headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist.

The measure would put Christian Science prayer treatments -- which substitute for or supplement medical treatments -- on the same footing as clinical medicine. While not mentioning the church by name, it would prohibit discrimination against "religious and spiritual healthcare."

It would have a minor effect on the overall cost of the bill -- Christian Science is a small church, and the prayer treatments can cost as little as $20 a day. But it has nevertheless stirred an intense controversy over the constitutional separation of church and state, and the possibility that other churches might seek reimbursements for so-called spiritual healing.

Phil Davis, a senior Christian Science Church official, said prayer treatment was an effective alternative to conventional healthcare.

"We are making the case for this, believing there is a connection between healthcare and spirituality," said Davis, who distributed 11,000 letters last week to Senate officials urging support for the measure.

"We think this is an important aspect of the solution, when you are talking about not only keeping the cost down, but finding effective healthcare," he said.

The provision would apply only to insurance policies offered on a proposed exchange where consumers could shop for plans that meet standards set by the government.

But critics say the measure could have a broader effect, conferring new status and medical legitimacy on practices that lie outside the realm of science.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group of atheists and agnostics that promotes separation of church and state, said the opportunity to receive payment for spiritual care could encourage other groups to seek similar status.

"This would be an absolute invitation to organize," Gaylor said.

The Christian Science Church, which was founded in Boston in 1879, has pushed throughout its history to secure official recognition for its paid prayer practitioners. Their job, as outlined by the church's founder, Mary Baker Eddy, was to pray for healing and charge for treatment at rates similar to those of medical doctors.

In the early 20th century, the church sought recognition from state regulators so the practitioners would not be prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license. Criminal courts have convicted Christian Scientists in cases where children have died after visiting prayer healers instead of receiving conventional medical care. The church says no such incidents have occurred for two decades.

About 90 years ago, private insurance companies began paying for Christian Science prayer treatments, but more recently, managed-care insurers declined reimbursements, insisting on paying for care that produced proven medical results.

The Internal Revenue Service allows the cost of the prayer sessions to be counted among itemized medical expenses for income tax purposes -- one of the only religious treatments explicitly identified as deductible by the IRS. Some federal medical insurance programs, including those for military families, also reimburse for prayer treatment.

The spiritual healing provision was introduced in the House by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), whose district includes a Christian Science school, Principia College.

Two committees in the House voted to include the measure in their versions of the overhaul, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) stripped it from the consolidated House bill last week after a few members argued it was unconstitutional.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, said the provision raised serious questions about government support of religion.

"I think when Congress mandates that health companies provide coverage for prayer, it has the effect of the government advancing religion," he said.

The legal issue, however, may not be cut and dried.

Michael McConnell, who heads the Stanford University Constitutional Law Center, said that "as long as patients are the ones who choose, and religious choices are given no legal preference or advantage, the proposals would appear to be consistent with constitutional standards."

In the Senate, the provision is included in a version of the bill drafted by the health committee. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is considering whether to include it in the consolidated bill he will send to the Senate floor.

Kerry's spokeswoman, Whitney Smith, disputed that insurers would be forced to cover prayer. Instead, she said, "the amendment would prevent insurers from discriminating against benefits that qualify as spiritual care if the care is recognized by the IRS as a legitimate medical expense. Plans are free to impose standards on spiritual and medical care as long as both are treated equally. It does not mandate that plans provide spiritual care."

Hatch said, "I offered this amendment because I believe that everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, should have access to healthcare."

But Dr. Norman Fost, a pediatrician and medical ethicist at the University of Wisconsin, said the measure went against the goal of reducing healthcare costs by improving evidence-based medical practices.

"They want a special exception for people who use unproved treatments, and they also want to get paid for it," he said. "They want people who use prayer to have it just automatically accepted as a legitimate therapy."

Christian Science leaders say many critics misunderstand their faith. Christian Scientists do not reject medical care, church leaders said. Instead, they promote spiritual healing and do not interfere with decisions about whether to pursue medical help.

Davis has been trained as a practitioner and still occasionally treats the sick.

"We'll talk to them about their relationship to God," he said. "We'll talk to them about citations or biblical passages they might study. We refer to it as treatment. It's an affirmation of their relationship with God, and the understanding that comes from their prayer, of their relationship with God."

During the day, Davis may see multiple patients and pray for them at different moments. He charges them $20 to $40 for the day, saying, "I think that it would be considered modest by any standard."

The church, which has seen a steady decline in adherents, does not reveal membership numbers. It claims between 1,700 and 1,800 congregations in more than 60 countries.

Davis said the church consulted legal experts to develop legislation that was constitutional and consonant with the overall goals of healthcare reform. It also hired a major Washington law firm, Mayer Brown, to lobby for the provision.

"We think this is an important aspect of the solution," Davis said, arguing that Christian Scientists are leading the fight for all who believe in spiritual healing. "We don't believe there should be hurdles between an individual and spiritual treatment that could be the most important solution to healthcare in this country."

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Q & A: Why Is There No Official Orthodox Position on the Issue of Evolution and Origins?

I received the following important question in an email recently for which I have been given permission to reprint, along with my answer, below:

Question:

I am having difficulties with a particular issue; the issue of understanding Evolution and its place in the Eastern Orthodox church today.

I am a "cradle" Orthodox and so my experience, through the Orthodox church, on this topic has been that "Christ is not a decendant of monkeys/apes". I have been taught to be loyal to these matters and I have always considered it disrespectful to even want to consider Christ as an ape. Infact, Elder Paisios has boldly stated that it is "blasphemous" to think in this way (this comment can be found in his Epistles). I place much trust in these Saints and Elders of our church, since I have also experienced their divine wisdom first hand and so this is the line of thinking I have comfortably adopted without questioning it using man's rational mind.

What I have come to understand is that our modern day Church is infact divided on this matter. There are two groups, those who are compatabilist or those who are incompatabilist (cf. OrthodoxWiki for an explanation of terms).

Not dwelling on Patristics (since I am not a theologian), I can think of a modern day example of Father Seraphim Rose who holds the position of an incompatablist (ie. he does not support the idea that Christ is a decendant of a monkey).

My dilemma is, and what is eating me I suppose, why does the administrative Orthodox church not hold a position on this matter when it is clear that many of our Saints do? Is there "room for everyone on this matter" (as a new convert boldly stated to me) when only one group can be right. In Orthodoxy (or even philosophy) there can only ever be One Truth so both groups can not be right and, like I mentioned I prefer to place my trust in divine revelation than man made proofs.

I understand from Scripture that, being challenged by the Pharisees as to whether he is from the devil or from God, that Christ announces that a house divided can not stand ... so then, why is our Orthodox church allowing itself to be divided on this topic please?

Further, for someone like myself, who places a huge trust and emphasis on the enlightened words of not just ordinary Orthodox but amazing saints like Elder Porfyrios ... am I sinning for standing up and defending Christ's image? I have been called an ideologist (which I am not).

I hope I make some sense, once upon a time the Church had no answers with regards to the Arian controversy and was divided. Then God revealed through miraculous means that their could only be "one truth" (on that matter) through miraculous means ... This topic for me IS a modern day controversy and though some people think - what does it have to do with salvation, I wonder how important it is to defend the "Tree of Life" from the "Tree of Death" (Darwinism and its variations).

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Answer:

I completely agree with your evaluation of this topic. It is true the Orthodox Church has no "official" position on this topic, but the reason for this is because the topic is within the realm of science and not theology. Scientific theories are adopted one day and dropped the next based on the evidence, and if the Church was to take a position on the topic it could lead to the same danger that condemned someone like Copernicus or Galileo in the West for disagreeing with an official position of the Church on a scientific matter. In the Orthodox Church, we have avoided such controversies and have always adapted with the scientific theories of the day. Both science and theology are in the business of teaching truth and its conclusions can never contradict one another. The former is based on the evidence while the second on revelation. The former deals with the creation while the latter deals with the Creator.

However, science is one thing and philosophy is another. The problem with modern science is that it has as its foundations not mere science but in fact a certain philosophical worldview. This is what Darwinism is precisely - it is a philosophical worldview through which scientific evidence is understood. The danger in using science like this is that it creates a story, or even myths if you will, that are not based on evidence but on mere conjecture and imagination. So if the Church were to take a position, I would encourage it to condemn the use of philosophical presuppositions when evaluating scientific evidence.

Unfortunately very few, if any, Orthodox theologians are studying this topic to be able to even write about it. The reason I make some posts on it in my weblog is because I do want Orthodox to be more aware of these issues. It is one of many topics I plan to tackle more formally, God willing. I feel very passionately about it because when I was in 9th grade I followed the logical conclusions of my High School Biology class and ended up being an atheist. When I finally came back to Faith I vowed that I would study the depths of this topic and unmask it, which I have been and will.

Regarding the theory of Evolution, I should mention that the great majority of Orthodox scholars believe in Theistic Evolution. In their fear of opposing the science of the day, they have in turn subjected our theology to the interpretations and conjectures of scientists by doing this. And as I mentioned earlier, what they are in fact doing is intermingling Orthodox theology with Darwinian philosophy - not science. This is very grievous to me, and as you mentioned, it is not the view supported by the Saints. St. Nektarios actually wrote a book on Darwinian Evolution and he is one of the first Christians to offer a critique on this topic in the early 20th century. I recommend also the booklet Biological Evolutionism by Dr Constantine Cavarnos, a former Harvard professor of Philosophy, who also evaluates Darwinian theory as a philosophy which contradicts Orthodoxy and lacks any scientific support.

Though I am sympathetic to Creationism, I would prefer not to be called a Creationist either. Creationism in some ways does also what Darwinism does, but instead of a philosphy, Creationism mixes theology with science. Thus this also limits both theology and science. It is also too literalistic when it comes to Scriptural interpretations and such exegetical methods are not adopted or endorsed by the Church Fathers in the strict sense. Creationism is basically a reaction against Darwinism and a product of Fundamentalist Protestantism.

If I were to put my support anywhere, though on a somewhat limited scale, it would be the Intelligent Design movement. Though very misunderstood by its critics and by Orthodox theologians like Metropolitan John Zizioulas who critiques it, it actually does not stray from Scriptural and Patristic interpretations of how we can evaluate our origins (it was actually the type of science adopted by the Church Fathers). It also does not take a theological position of any sort. What people don't realize is that before Darwinism, the scientific method was primarily one of Intelligent Design. It basically attributes the irreducible complexity of the universe to a designer, whoever that designer is. It does not make use of Scripture or any sort of revelation, since science should not draw upon any sources of revelation or even philosophy. Darwin actually set out to prove ID was wrong after the death of his daughter made him angry against God and caused him to become a skeptic. Darwinism thus became a critique of ID. Since the 1990's ID has been making a major comeback since the evidence in fact supports the theory of irreducible complexity, most notably at the cellular level. The Darwinist arguments these days are merely rhetorical.

So yes, when it comes to scientific issues, we are as fish swimming upstream as far as guidance from the Church comes these days. But if we separate science from both philosophy and theology, as well as separate theology from both science and philosophy, we can honestly evaluate where the evidence lies. What is most important is that the truths of Orthodoxy can never be compromised by true and honest science.

Hope this helps a bit.

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A Changeless Faith for A Changing World: An Address of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

ADDRESS

OF HIS ALL HOLINESS

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

B A R T H O L O M E W


“A CHANGELESS FAITH FOR A CHANGING WORLD”


Center for American Progress and Georgetown University

Gaston Hall of Georgetown University

Washington, DC

(November 3, 2009)

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

* * *

Thank you very much, Professor James J. O'Donnell, Provost of Georgetown University, and John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress. We are also especially grateful for the students who are present with us today, and for their interest.

Progress is often equated with change. So let us acknowledge this: it may appear strange for a progressive think tank to sponsor a lecture by the leader of a faith that takes pride in how little it has changed in 2,000 years. The fact is that our first instinct in Orthodoxy is to conserve the precious faith that has been handed down to us in an unbroken line from Jesus Christ through the Apostles. In the case of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, the First See of the Orthodox World, it has been handed to us through St. Andrew the Apostle, to whose See we are the 270th successor.

But even though our faith may be 2,000 years old, our thinking is not. True progress is a balance between preserving the essence of a certain way of life and changing things that are not essential. Christianity was born a revolutionary faith – and we have preserved that. In other words, paradoxically, we have succeeded in not changing a faith that is itself dedicated to change.

Let us, as the lawyers would say, make a disclaimer: By calling Christianity revolutionary, and saying it is dedicated to change, we are not siding with Progressives – just as, by conserving it, we are not siding with Conservatives. All political factions believe God is on their side – as Abraham Lincoln said of the Union and Confederacy, “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.”

The only side we take is that of our faith – which today may seem to land us in one political camp, tomorrow another – but in truth we are always and only in one camp, that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John Podesta, in his wonderful book, “The Power of Progress,” gives a very lucid account of American progressivism. Its core beliefs are boundless opportunity for all… equal access to education, good jobs, fair pay… and the freedom to pursue one’s dreams. It also encompasses personal and national security… respect for the environment… and harmony among nations.

Although Orthodoxy has never taken up the banner of progressivism per se, we have taken up many causes over the centuries that are progressive by definition – and today we will discuss three of them in particular:

1. Nonviolence;
2. Philanthropy, specifically in the form of healthcare; and
3. Environmentalism.

Let us begin with a Christian concept that has led to some of the most significant changes of the last century that were not delivered at the barrel of a gun – quite the opposite. It is the Christian concept of nonviolence, even and especially in the face of evil.

We said earlier that Christianity is a revolutionary faith. The highest law of all was to love God and one another

Now we all know the political and theological revolution that followed – the Roman Empire eventually adopted Christianity, which spread like a cleansing fire and rose to dominance in Europe, Asia Minor, Northern Africa, and beyond. We do not always pay as much attention to the revolution in thinking that helped achieve this dominance.

In the early years, citizens of Rome saw Christ’s followers persecuted, tortured, brutalized, and murdered in huge numbers, throughout the Empire. In most cases, they did not resist the evil that was done to them – but rather, they went willingly to their painful deaths. Why? Of course they had faith – a giant faith, a faith rarely seen in human history. But many in the pagan world had faith, and yet, when threatened, they resisted. The world had never before seen anything like the willing martyrdom of these early followers of Christ.

The world had never before seen it simply because it was a completely new and radical idea introduced by Jesus and described in Matthew 5 (38-39, 43-44):

“You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, resist not evil: but whoever smites you on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also…. I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Now if that is not a revolutionary concept, we don’t know what is. And the proof lies not only in the rapid spread of Christianity among the Romans who witnessed these martyrs and were awestruck by their example. The proof can be seen in our own time, in the civil rights revolution that in less than 50 years brought America from Bull Connor to Barack Obama. It was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s doctrine of nonviolence in the face of evil that made the movement unstoppable by any human force. It is one of the most powerful ideas known to man – and yet it did not come from man, in fact for human beings it is completely counter-intuitive – our first instinct is to strike back, not turn the other cheek.

We Orthodox Christians will forever hold in our hearts the late Archbishop of America Iakovos of blessed memory, who shared the faith, courage, and humility of those early Christian martyrs and joined hands with Dr. King in Selma, Alabama, in March of 1965. But there is another Orthodox link in this chain...

Dr. King was extremely conversant with Christian theology, and yet at a critical juncture early in the civil rights movement, he began to doubt the power of love to resolve social problems. A chance conversation about Gandhi led King to study the Mahatma’s successful use of nonviolence to gain freedom for India – and that restored Dr. King’s belief that love was powerful enough to gain civil rights for African-Americans.

That story is well-known --- what you may not know is that Gandhi’s inspiration was an Orthodox Christian whose name will be familiar to you – Leo Tolstoy – who in 1893 wrote a seminal book not about Christian ideas, but rather how to put those ideas into practice, especially the ideas expressed in Matthew 5. “The Kingdom of God Is within You” was translated into English in 1894 and the same year a copy came into the possession of a young Hindu lawyer in South Africa. Gandhi found the book “overwhelming” and after launching his campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience in India in 1906, could often be seen carrying Tolstoy’s writings with him into jail. The two men corresponded until Tolstoy’s death in 1910, and in fact the last long letter Tolstoy wrote was to Gandhi.

Tolstoy had his own inspiration not only in the New Testament but also in the works of others who took seriously the injunction of Jesus to “resist not evil,” including the American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and the pacifist Adin Ballou. But it is safe to say that, in the hands of Orthodox Christians such as Tolstoy and Iakovos, the doctrine of nonviolence helped lead to some remarkably progressive achievements.

Let us move on to a topic that is extremely timely – because of the healthcare debate in this country – to healthcare the concept of philanthropy in its most essential meaning, from the Greek, “love of human beings.”

How many people know that the modern hospital originated in the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire?

It is widely acknowledged that the first hospitals were created in Cappadocia, which is now part of Turkey, sometime around 370 A.D. by St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea. There had been a tradition since Antiquity of maintaining hostels for those without food or shelter, or travelers on a long journey. St. Basil was apparently the first to add doctors and staff to look after the sick.

Later that century, our revered predecessor on the Ecumenical Throne, St. John Chrysostom, opened hospitals in Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire. It is important to note that these institutions were funded by the Emperor and by the Church, respectively – in other words, they were public institutions, free of charge and created for the public good.

By the end of the sixth century, hospitals could be found throughout the empire. They were usually maintained by the Church, in keeping with the parable of the Last Judgment in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (25:35-36):

‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

Byzantine hospitals began as institutions for the poor, but by the seventh century they began to service the wealthy, including relatives of the royal family.

These were well-organized institutions – doctors made daily rounds of patients, except on Christian holy days… nurses or physicians’ assistants looked after patients’ needs and carried out doctors’ orders… while orderlies carried out the less skilled chores such as cleaning and so on.

At least one Byzantine emperor, Manuel I Commenus, was a trained physician himself. During his reign from 1143 to 1180, he personally treated patients in the Empire’s hospitals.

In summary, it is clear that we owe the Byzantines the development of the modern institutions we call hospitals. But what may be more important, we owe to them the view that every member of society, from the greatest to the least, deserved the best quality healthcare available at the time. This is obviously relevant today, and as the U.S. debates the best way to provide healthcare for its citizens, we hope and pray that the Byzantine-Orthodox approach provides a model worthy of emulation.

Just as every human life is a gift from God, to be treated with love and respect, so is all the rest of Creation – which is why the Orthodox Church has also been a leading voice for healing the environment.

We have followed with great interest and sincere concern, the efforts to curb the destructive effects that human beings have wrought upon the natural world. We view with alarm the dangerous consequences of humanity’s disregard for the survival of God's creation.

Our predecessor, the late Patriarch Dimitrios of blessed memory, invited the whole world to offer, together with the Great Church of Christ, prayers of thanksgiving and supplications for the protection of the gift of creation. Since 1989, every September 1st, the beginning of the ecclesiastical calendar has been designated as a day of prayer for the protection of the environment, throughout the Orthodox world.

It is fair to ask: Beyond any platitudes, what can Orthodox Christianity contribute to the movement to protect the environment? Fortunately, we have a very specific answer: We believe that through our unique liturgical and ascetic ethos, Orthodox spirituality can provide significant moral and ethical direction toward a new awareness about the planet.

Our sin toward the world – the spiritual root of all our pollution – lies in our refusal to view life and the world as a sacrament of thanksgiving, and as a gift of constant communion with God on a global scale.

We believe that our first task is to raise the consciousness of adults who most use the resources and gifts of the planet. Ultimately, it is for our children that we must perceive our every action in the world as having a direct effect upon the future of the environment. At the heart of the relationship between man and environment is the relationship between human beings. As individuals, we live not only in vertical relationships to God, and horizontal relationships to one another, but also in a complex web of relationships that extend throughout our lives, our cultures and the material world.

Human beings and the environment form a seamless garment of existence; a complex fabric that we believe is fashioned by God. As human beings, created “in the image and likeness of God” (Gen. 1:26), we are called to recognize this interdependence between our environment and ourselves. Moreover, human beings participated in Creation by giving names to the things that God created. There is no escaping our responsibility for the environment.

There is also an ascetic element in our responsibility toward God's creation. This asceticism requires voluntary restraint, in order for us to live in harmony with our environment. By reducing consumption – known in Orthodox theology as “encratia” or self-control – we ensure that resources are left for others in the world.

We must challenge ourselves to align our personal and spiritual attitudes with public policy. Encratia frees us of our self-centered neediness, that we may do good works for others. We do this out of a personal love for the natural world around us. We are called to work in humble harmony with creation and not in arrogant supremacy against it. Asceticism provides an example whereby we may live simply.

Asceticism is not a flight from society and the world, but a communal attitude of mind and way of life that leads to the respectful use, and not the abuse of material goods. Excessive consumption issues from our estrangement from self, from land, from life, and from God. Consuming the fruits of the earth unrestrained, we become consumed ourselves, by avarice and greed. Excessive consumption leaves us emptied, out-of-touch with our deepest self. Asceticism is a corrective practice, a vision of repentance. Such a vision can lead us from repentance to return, the return to a world in which we give, as well as take from creation.

We are of the deeply held belief that many human beings have come to behave as materialistic tyrants. Those that tyrannize the earth are themselves, sadly, tyrannized. We have been called by God, to “be fruitful, increase and have dominion in the earth” (Gen 1:28). Dominion is not domination – it is an eschatological sign of the perfect Kingdom of God, where corruption and death are no more.

If human beings treated one another’s personal property the way they sometimes treat their environment, we would view that behavior as anti-social. We would impose the judicial measures necessary to restore wrongly appropriated personal possessions. It is therefore appropriate for us to seek ethical and even legal recourse where possible, in matters of ecological crimes.

It follows that, to commit a crime against the natural world, is a sin. For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation… for humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands… for humans to injure other humans with disease… for humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances… these are sins.

In prayer, we ask for the forgiveness of sins committed both willingly and unwillingly. And it is certainly God’s forgiveness that we must ask, for causing harm to His creation.

Thus we begin the process of healing our worldly environment which was blessed with Beauty and created by God. Then we may also begin to participate responsibly, as persons making informed choices in both the whole of creation, and within our own souls.

It is with that understanding that we have called upon the world's leaders to take action to halt the destructive changes to global climate that are being caused by human activity. This common cause unites all humankind – just as the waters of the world are all united. To save one river is to save all rivers and all oceans. God created heaven and earth as a united whole, and we must take a holistic view of creation. For us in the Patriarchate, “Ecumenical” is more than a name – it is a world-view and way of life.

We hope the three examples we have chosen – a nonviolent pursuit of social change… care for the health and welfare of all in the community… and respect and love for the environment as God’s creation – illustrate some of the ways in which one of the most conservative members of the Christian family has played a role in some very progressive causes.

But we also hope we have made clear that neither these causes, nor the conservative causes we may undertake – none of these things define the Church of God, no matter what any human being may assert. The Church encompasses all of God’s creation – and indeed, that is our key theme for today – we are all connected, and that connection is God.

The Lord fills all of creation with His Divine presence in one continuous connection from the substance of atoms to the Mind of God. Let us work together to renew the harmony between heaven and earth, and transfigure every detail, every particle of life. Let us love one another, and lovingly learn from one another, for the edification of God's people, for the sanctification of God's creation, and for the glorification of God's most holy Name. Amen.

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Dedication of the Temple of the Holy Great Martyr George in Lydda (Photos)

The Holy Church of St. George in Lydda of Palestine - outside view (whose Feast of Dedication is celebrated on Novemeber 3)

A church built in Lydda during the reign of Emperor Constantine I (reigned 306–337), was consecrated to "a man of the highest distinction", according to the Church History of Eusebius of Caesarea; the name of the patron was not disclosed, but later he was asserted to have been George. This consecration occurred on November 3. By the time of the Muslim conquest in the seventh century, a basilica dedicated to the Saint in Lydda was in existence. The church was destroyed in 1010 but was later rebuilt and dedicated to Saint George by the Crusaders. In 1191 and during the conflict known as the Third Crusade (1189–1192), the church was again destroyed by the forces of Saladin, Sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty (reigned 1171–1193). A new church was erected in 1872 and is still standing.

Entrance

Inside

Iconostasis

Highly venerated icon of St. George

The chains of St. George

Tomb of St. George

Below is a video of the Church of St. George in Lydda

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
As we the faithful flee for refuge unto thee, O George, and thy protection and thy speedy help, we now entreat, O prizewinner of Christ Saviour, that we who hymn thee be delivered from the snares laid by the enemy and from every kind of peril and adversity, that we all may cry: Rejoice, O holy Great Martyr George.

For prior links about Saints George, see here and here.

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The Holy Monastery of Mega Spelaion in Kalavryta (2)

Continued from Part 1

The Site of the Sacred Monastery

The sacred and historic Monastery of the Great Cave in the martyric and much-suffering region of Kalavryta is three hours distant from the city by foot or fifteen minutes by automobile. It is a palace built by God to which, like clouds and like doves with nestlings, crowds of the faithful come in order to worship the image of the all-holy and grace-filled countenance of our Mistress and Queen of all, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, which was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist, and to seek the grace of the Mother of God. This monastery is that blessed land which scatters abroad spiritual perfumes and scents of heavenly sweetness, because it possesses this treasure of great price.

For this reason, every soul which loves God longs to apprehend in every way this beautiful religious monument which is an unfailed fountain of consolation and strength. Furthermore, for all those who approach with faith, there results a refreshment of soul, joy of the heart, illumination of the eyes, sweetness for the mouth, help for the helpless, deliverance for those in need, guidance for the fortunate, and establishment of the virtuous.

Symeon and Theodore

The blessed fathers Symeon and Theodore, who discovered the holy icon, were brothers according to the flesh. They were born, according to the Synaxarion, at the beginning of the fourth century in Thessalonika, the bride of the Thermaic Gulf and the capital of martyric Macedonia. It is also argued they lived in the ninth century[1] however, since the details of their life only seem to fit with this time period.

They had the good fortune to be the children of a pious and holy family, which was diligent to rear them with all care and planted in them divine love and an inclination to strive continually for perfection and the exercise of the virtues. Since they had been educated in a manner pleasing to God and had acquired the character of the first man Adam, they subjected completely the carnal and earthly will to the knowledge and commandments of Christ. They studied rhetoric, philosophy, and poetry but principally applied themselves to understand the doctrine of theology. They succeeded in forming in themselves the figure of the ideal Christian who combines harmoniously in his life religion and virtue. Their principal goal was how to become pleasing to God and to gain Him. The angelic life of the monks of the desert aroused and literally enraptured within them the desire to abandon all worldy dreams of vanity and withdrew to the desert. Looking only to the true and eternal life, they were clothed with the habit of the monastic and angelic life.

Desiring greatly that spiritual mount where ascends and stands he "whose hands are innocent and is pure of heart", they ascended in the beginning Mt. Olympus where they remained a good time. From there they went to Mt. Ossa and later reached beautiful Mt. Pelion, thus "running with patience" that good race which they had entered. Living in continual prayer and study of the divine words and looking only to "Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith", they became temples of the Holy Spirit and most pure abodes of God. They also never ceased to glorify the Mother of our Lord, the immaculate Theotokos, whom they invoked as an intercessor to her only-begotten Son and God for the sake of themselves and the world.

After they had exercised themselves in the contest for virtue in the aforementioned mountains for a long time, they then visited Mt. Athos where they came to know many illumined hesychasts and men of the desert. From these unique, living figures of perfection they gathered many elements useful for the life according to God. Later, being urged on by longing for the divine, they travelled to worship those places where God walked, Jerusalem and Mt. Tabor.

They travelled to and venerated all the places where the feet of the God-Man, our Savior, walked and where were accomplished the mysteries of universal salvation. Moreover, they travelled to Sinai, that mountain walked upon by God, and where "the Lord spake" to Moses the God-seer "face to face as one speaks to his own friend". They kissed there with tears in their eyes the holy earth of that mystic bush that burned yet was not consumed prefiguring the great mystery of God's dispensation. They visted all the shrines that exist in those places which are tokens of God's manifestations there, conversed with venerable elders in the desert round about, and so experienced indescribable joy. Finally, after they had returned by divine command to Jerusalem, they received the great office of the priesthood from the most sacred Maximus, bishop of the Holy City Jerusalem.[2]

While the blessed pair were living there, each one seperately was deemed worthy to see the same vision in a dream and to receive from above the same divine and sweet command. The Queen of Heaven, mary the Mother of God, appeared unto them, crowned with divine glory and splendor and escorted by the apostles Paul, Andrew, and Luke. They ordered the brothers to go to Achaia to find the icon of the Virgin Mary sculpted in relief by the Evangelist Luke, and which, by the goodwill and grace of her Son, is an exact likeness of her divine countenance. When the brothers awoke, they narrated everything to the most sacred Maximus. After glorifying God, they departed from Jerusalem for Achaia, which had been spiritually sown, watered, and cultivated evangelically by those same three venerable and divine men, the holy Apostles Paul, Andrew and Luke.

----------------------------

1. A historical study published in 1985 by Panselinos Editions of Mt. Athos, titled The Thessalonian Saints Symeon and Theodore, First Dwellers of Athos and Patrons of All Greece, written by El. Anagnostaki and the Hieromonk Justin, places the birth and activity of the Saints in the ninth century, during the Iconoclast Controversy. There is no record of the Monastery before this time as well, and it would still place them as the first recorded monastics of Mount Athos. However, there may be some sort of tradition that did originate in the fourth century, or, as is sometimes the case, the Synaxarion may have confused the lives of these two Saints with someone else.

2. Bishop Maximus III of Jerusalem (333-348). The naming of Bishop Maximus is one argument that supports the fourth century date for these Saints.

The Exhibition Hall of the Monastery. It was completely renovated by Archimandrite Nikephoros Theodoropoulos in 1985.

To be continued...Part 3

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Which Saint Has the Best Cash Flow?

[An interesting study. I wonder what these figures would be for the Orthodox. I think statistics would vary from region to region in the Orthodox world more than the West. Otherwise everything would be determined from Russian practices, who hold the majority. - J.S.]

A Question for the Holiday Season: Which Saint Has the Best Cash Flow?

Bruce Watson
Nov 1st 2009
Daily Finance

Earlier this week, Forbes magazine released its list of the top-earning dead celebrities. Although the list highlighted French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent as the biggest name among those who have shrugged off the mortal coil, it was dominated by entertainers, including Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and -- surprisingly -- Rogers and Hammerstein. But what of those who toiled in less lucrative professions? With All Saints Day 2009 finally here, we decided to take a peek at the Christian saints who continue to inspire devotion -- and, yes, cash flow -- long after their passage into the great beyond.

The trouble is that, unlike celebrities, most saints aren't focused on worldly things like profit. While some churches and religious sites charge admission or solicit donations, most are free. For that matter, although religious tracts and books can be copyrighted, the likeness rights of saints generally aren't licensed, which means that tallying the specific earnings of individual saints can be almost impossible.

Even so, it is possible to make a few educated guesses. The most popular saint for the faithful is undoubtedly Jesus' mother. In addition to direct veneration of the Virgin Mary, which inspires sales of numerous medals, statues, candles, scapulars and other items, her visitations in Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, and Guadalupe continue to draw devoted pilgrims from around the world. She has been the subject of thousands of books and pamphlets, and her likeness adorns an almost infinite array of items.

Saints Hit the Big Screen

One interesting measure of profitability is film gross While many saints, including St. Bernadette, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Thomas Beckett, have inspired highly profitable films, the winner in this particular category is probably St. Joan of Arc. The central figure of at least 16 films, the history of Joan of Arc films dates back to almost the beginning of the film industry: the first Joan of Arc movie was produced in 1895. Her last major depiction, 1999's The Messenger, was directed by Luc Besson and starred Milla Jovovich. It grossed over $14 million in the United States.

But what of the lesser-known saints? Phil Dinovo, of Patron Saint Medals.com, pointed out that two of the most popular religious figures are St. Jude and St. Rita, both of whom are associated with desperate causes. For that matter, St. Michael and St. Christopher -- both of whom are associated with the military -- have drawn a great deal of devotion, especially over the past eight years. Given the state of the real estate market, one can only imagine how many distressed homeowners are burying St. Joseph statues in their yards in the desperate hope that his intervention will help them sell their homes.

Dinovo also offered a few surprises. St. Francis of Assisi, who is generally associated with animals, is very big with pet owners, who often have their animals' names carved on the back of the medals. Similarly, St. Gerard, who is invoked by pregnant women in hopes of a safe delivery, is very popular. Other saints wax and wane in popularity, depending upon the season: for example, St. Hubert -- associated with woodsmen -- is often invoked during hunting season.

Joan of Arc's cinematic victories aside, the most popular saint -- apart from Mary -- is probably Christopher, who is invoked by bachelors, teamsters, epileptics, gardeners, porters, sailors, and toothache sufferers. However, his most powerful association is with travel, and thousands of people wear St. Christopher medals or prominently place them in cars. While the Catholic Church removed him from the calendar of saints in 1969, the rumor that his sainthood has been stripped is untrue; he continues to be an acceptable saint for veneration. Good thing, too: his close association with travel makes St. Christopher one of the few religious figures whose medals can be purchased in auto parts stores.

A Famous Heartthrob

Ironically, two of the most prominent saints have strange or confusing associations. Saint Valentine, the alleged inspiration for Hallmark's biggest holiday, is actually exceedingly obscure: although many early Roman saints were named Valentine, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the identity of the holy man loosely associated with February 14th. He could be one of three people: a Roman priest, an Italian bishop, or an African martyr. Alternately, he might have never existed.

The association between romance and Valentine's day is also somewhat confusing: although Valentine has been given shared custody of lovers, their original patron saint was St. Raphael, Archangel. For that matter, Valentine isn't really associated with any of the other Valentines day activities: letter writers probably fall within St. Francis de Sales' purview, while candy-makers have St. Macarius and florists are under the protection of St. Dorothea of Cappadocia. In fact, although February 14th has been a Christian love holiday since the 14th century, it is probably a carryover from Lupercalia, a Roman pagan festival that honored the wolves who suckled Romulus and Remus. As part of the holiday, early Romans would indulge in various fertility and mating rituals.

Starting in the late 1700's, February 14th became a day to anonymously exchange love notes; chocolate and roses entered the equation in the mid-1900's. In the face of a modern flower-and-confectionary industry that pushes 58 million pounds of chocolate and rakes in $448 million in candy sales every year, the fact that early Christian martyrs named Valentine had nothing to do with the holiday is relatively unimportant.

The Most Famous Saint of All

The same could be said of the most famous saint of all: Saint Nick. While many people already know that Coca-Cola and cartoonist Thomas Nast share responsibility for the modern image of Santa, common wisdom holds that Father Christmas was originally inspired by St. Nicholas of Myrna. A 4th century Greek bishop who was famously generous to the poor and paid dowries for three pour poor-but-pious maidens, his connection to Christmas may lie in the fact that he is the patron saint of children and merchants (as well as sailors, fishermen, merchants, the falsely accused, repentant thieves, pharmacists, archers, and pawnbrokers). More appropriate Christmas saints might include St. Martin of Tours, the preferred saint of drunken partygoers; St. Claude de la Colombiere, the patron saint of toymakers; and either St. Dorothea of Cappadocia or St. Hubert, who would be good choices for Christmas tree growers.

In a historical lens, the modern Santa Claus bears far more relation to various Slavic and Germanic gods, including the Norse God Odin, who was closely associated with the Yule festival. For that matter, Santa Claus and his dark companion the Krampas could easily fit into the Slavic tradition of Czernobog and Byelobog, the dark and light gods of winter and spring. Still, paganism gave way to Christianity over a thousand years ago, so it is hardly surprising that menacing European idols have been cast aside in favor of a round-faced, jolly present-giver.

As popular as St. Nick is, it's interesting to note that most religious medals and images of saints are made in China; for that matter, so are most plastic flowers, toys, teddy bears and religious statues. Regardless of the saint, the irony may be that the biggest beneficiary of saintly devotion may be a country where the most popular religion is Buddhism.

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