June 17, 2022 Autocephaly, Autonomy and Self-governance in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Autocephaly Autocephaly is the status of the Church that allows it to govern itself (from the Greek autos – self, and kephalē – head)….
June 10, 2022 Why Do Monastics Receive New Names in Tonsure, and Who Gets to Choose Them? In the Orthodox Church, taking monastic tonsure means changing one’s name. For example, Saint Seraphim of Sarov bore the name Bartholomew before he became…
June 6, 2022 The Feast of the Holy Trinity: Facts about the Orthodox Pentecost The Feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles that bestowed on them the spiritual…
May 30, 2022 Orthodoxy vs. Catholicism – How Are They Similar and Different? Differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches Sadly, divisions within churches have occurred throughout history. However, one schism – called the Great Schism –…
May 22, 2022 Monastic Clothing in Orthodoxy Browse our online store and find the items that inspire you Orthodox monks are required to wear distinctive vestments designed to remind them of…
May 18, 2022 Married or Celibate? The Evolution of the Views on the Celibacy Rule for Orthodox Bishops In the Russian Church tradition, bishops have historically been drawn from monastics, and rarely from the Ryasophore monks*. Conversely, in the Greek tradition, Ryasophore…
May 14, 2022 7 Liturgical Colors and Their Meanings Church Statutes have no rules about the colours of the liturgical vestments. In practice, however, it is customary for the clergy to wear certain…
May 13, 2022 Why Would an Archbishop ever Ride a Donkey? In the past, newly ordained Orthodox bishops used to ride into town on a donkey. This ritual evoked the Entry of the Lord into…
May 13, 2022 What Is a Tabernacle, and What Purpose Does It Serve? A tabernacle is a sacred vessel for keeping the Holy Gifts — the Body and Blood of Christ. The Holy Gifts are prepared on…
May 5, 2022 Liturgical Vestments of the Clergy The Orthodox Church uses the term Liturgical vestments in reference to garments worn by the Orthodox clergymen and ministers exclusively while performing religious rites….
April 27, 2022 Holy Friday beyond the Gospel The gospel narrative of the events of the Holy Friday focuses on the Crucifixion and death of the Savior on the Cross. It mentions…
April 16, 2022 Copying Errors: How the Ancient Scribes Changed the Text of the Bible In Europe, it took until 1445 for Johann Gutenberg to invent his printing press. Before that, all the books had to be copied by…
