Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
April 12, 2015
Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ανέστη!
Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес!
Хрыстос уваскрос! Сапраўды ўваскрос!
Христос възкръсна! Наистина възкръсна!
Христос васкрсе! Ваистину васкрсе!
Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!
Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес!
المسيح قام! حقا قام! المسيح قام! بالحقيقة قام!
ქრისტე აღსდგა! ჭეშმარიტად აღსდგა
We have no right to humble and victimize the image of God
April 2, 2015
“We have no right to humble and victimize the image of God.”[1] Do you find those words offensive or un-Christian or un-Orthodox? Surprisingly, many bishops of the Orthodox Church do. These words were spoken, according to sources, by the Metropolitan of Pergamon, John Zizioulas, a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at a February 2015 meeting at the Patriarchal Center of Chambesy, Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting was a gathering of the Inter-Orthodox Special Committee established to prepare for the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. The Great Council, according to the Synaxis of Primates, will take place in Istanbul in 2016.
In his speech, His Eminence Metropolitan John spoke of the need for sexual minorities to “be protected from any kind of discrimination and injustice.” In his remarks to the group of bishops, the Metropolitan is quoted as further elaborating upon his views on a much neglected topic, homosexuals in the Orthodox Church: “Let us ask ourselves if we need to consider homosexuals scapegoats who deserve to suffer persecution. And if we don’t want to establish that these people must be protected, it means that we want to be punish and imprison them.”[2] (more…)