Comments on: New Year’s Resolutions

By: andre

andre — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:39:31 +0000

Noel,
With age sometimes wisdom comes. There are reasons that Canon Law states age requirements for ordinations – of course 30 and 35 was at one time considered “middle age”. Perhaps it is time to re-visit those age requirements in Canon law. A priest of 50 and a bishop at 60 certainly has a better perspective on life and is likely to be more pastoral than a 25 year old fresh out of Seminary or a bishop who is ordained at barely 35 who has never seen the inside of a monastery for more than a few weeks. I know this from experience as I was quickly ordained and elevated – but what did I know at the age of 25? Certainly not enough to be put in charge of souls. But, I listened to my bishop and accepted the titles and responsibilities.

To be sure there are very good priest and parishioners who do the work of Christ and reflect His love and forgiveness in every thing that they do.
We need to be more honest but then again, so do the bishops and priests.
I bid you peace.
Andriy

By: andre

andre — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:21:14 +0000

In reply to Rachel.

Rachel,
I have read and really studied the Boswell book. There are scholars – and I think due to the volatility of this subject they are the only ones worth reading as commentary on Boswell, who do take issue with several of Boswell’s conclusions. There is a book called “The Boswell Thesis”. It is a collection of articles by scholars in the various fields commenting on Boswell’s work. In general they acknowledge that the services existed, however there is no agreement on their meaning or purpose. As with any study of early liturgics in the Church, it is very possible that they have various meanings. To illustrate my point – look at the contemporary Orthodox Church. Is there a single practice when celebrating baptisms, marriages, funerals, confessions? No, there is not. What is important to me is that the Orthodox Church needs to recognize the need for same-sex crownings and develop such a service – which can be based on the earlier “brotherhood” services. As we know such services are already being celebrated by Orthodox priests in mainstream jurisdictions.
Andriy

By: Noel Warren

Noel Warren — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:27:50 +0000

As a young man my 3 NY resolutions were usually more sex, more money and less work. Kind of fits the current state of the Greek Orthodox Church, at least in Greece, according to your article. Anyway as John Lennon said “life is what happens when you are making other plans”, because my wife got most of the money in the divorce, I had to retire from work through illness and at 62 sex is is becoming so difficult it is hardly worthwhile. Despite all this or because of it, LIFE IS GOOD!
I find it sad that parishioners are leaving the Church in droves rather than standing up and waving their cheque books at the Bishops and saying “fix it or else”. In Australia the laity are so timid. With the decline in membership the noisey well organized rigth wing conservatives capture the podium.
Anyway we shall never give up!
Cheers, Noel.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 02:19:13 +0000

With regards to the service of Adelphopoiesis, I read John Boswell’s book on the topic, and found it to be a very good read. But whenever I look it up, other Christians usually condemn it. I’m not sure this is due to their general attitude towards homosexuality (so they can’t see the book as anything but wrong as default) or an issue with his research/scholarship. Have you read it? And if so, what did you think?