“The ideas of a ‘Russian world’ and an ‘Orthodox society’ are based on bad theology,” says Russian Orthodox priest and theologian Cyril Hovorun. “They are heretical ideas. Theologically, they must be seriously deconstructed to reveal their fascistic and authoritarian dimension,” he insists. Hovorun, a 48-year-old native of Ukraine, is an archimandrite in the Ukrainian Orthodox Read more
Gregorian chants, renaissance choral music and incense wafting from a metallic censer. In an era when Kanye West runs gospel-inspired services, and megachurches, like Hillsong, release chart-topping hits, these ancient Christian traditions are, unexpectedly, having a moment. And they’re not just resonating with older generations, either. Younger people are flocking to late-night Latin Mass — Read more
Pope Francis, Sunday wished Patriarch Bartholomew a blessed feast of Saint Andrew and praised their shared friendship. He then went further, expressing his desire for full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Following a long-standing custom, the Holy See sent a delegation to Istanbul to celebrate the feast of Saint Andrew, the patron saint Read more
When it comes to theology, the Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches are very close. We accept the same Nicene Creed, we recognize each other’s priestly and episcopal ordinations, as well as the sacraments of baptism, confession and Eucharist. Catholic and Orthodox teaching on morals are also quite compatible, with both being more conservative than Read more
There are fears that fires in Orthodox churches in Australia, the United States and Russia at Easter are part of a row over a dead Croatian cardinal. Fires occurred at the churches in New York, Melbourne, Sydney and in Russia during the Orthodox Easter last month. Officials fear the fires may have been started in Read more
A married couple from Australia have set out points of concern about the liturgies in their respective Catholic and Greek Orthodox traditions. Writing in Italy’s L’Espresso, Aniello Iannuzzi (Catholic) and Paraskevi Tsironis (Orthodox) say it is impossible for them to receive communion together. “With many families like our own, we cannot wait for unification,” the Read more
Abstaining from animal products during a period of fasting is a practice that dates back to early Christian monastic tradition. This tradition persists in the Orthodox Churches where even today fasting is characterised by abstinence from all animal products. But while abstaining from meat in the Roman tradition is mainly associated with the sacrifice of Read more
Two Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Syria by rebel forces in April are alive, and the head of the Lebanese secret services says negotiations are under way for their release, according to media reports. The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Hassoun Badreddin — the spiritual leader of Sunni Islam, said the bishops are now being held Read more
The leaders of dozens of religious groups have joined the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Southern Baptist Convention in signing an open letter opposing the Obama administration’s contraception mandate. They highlighted the threat to conscience posed by the mandate requiring almost all employers to cover contraception, sterilisation and abortifacient drugs and devices Read more
The April 22nd kidnapping of Syrian archbishops Mar Gregorios Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and the killing of their driver, has reminded us once again of the vulnerability of ancient Christian peoples living in the Middle East. More than 1,000 Christians have been killed Read more