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 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…
March 31, 2022 Aspects of Episcopal Ministry in Historical Perspective Some of the first mentions of the episcopal ministry appeared in the works of St Paul the Apostle. He wrote about the high standards…
March 28, 2022 Veneration of the Holy Cross. Historical Background Special veneration of the Holy Cross during the third week of Great Lent was established in the 7th century. It was associated with several…
March 24, 2022 Adelphopoiesis. A Forgotten Church Order Strong friendship was valued among the Jews, the Gentiles, and among all other nations. In Christianity, where God commanded love and brotherly attitude towards…
March 14, 2022 Iconoclasm and its Victims. What Happens when the Church Becomes Drawn into Politics? What made Byzantine Christians take up arms against one another in the stronghold of the Orthodox world of the eighth – early ninth centuries? …
February 24, 2022 Antimension: Symbolism and Liturgical Practice In the current liturgical tradition, it is impossible to celebrate the Eucharist without an antimension. In extreme situations, the Chalice can be replaced with…
February 19, 2022 Treasures of Church Literature: Didache The Didache or The Lord’s Teaching through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations is one of the oldest monuments of Christian literature, dating from…
February 19, 2022 Analogion and Its Role in Worship The interior decoration of an Orthodox church is a complex system of liturgical items, serving the common purpose of bringing man closer to God….
February 16, 2022 Eucharist outside the Liturgy in the Ancient Church In the modern practice of the Church, Communion is usually performed only in church and only by the priest. In case of acute need,…
