For the first time since his debilitating stroke four years ago, His Eminence, Metropolitan Pavlos offered a Monday night talk at the Cathedral of St. Markella, following Great Compline.
Prior to his illness, the Monday night discussions were a staple at the Cathedral. His Eminence had long wanted to resume them, and was finally able, by the grace of God, to offer such a talk. He spoke for around 45 minutes on a variety of topics, including the Descent of Christ into Hades, and the lack of faith in the Holy Eucharist which is leading some to propose plastic disposable spoons for Holy Communion; naturally, His Eminence criticized this blasphemy. For one thing, these people seek to make liars out of the authors of the prayers which speak of Holy Communion being for the health of both soul and body. Receiving Christ cannot make one sick, and the fact that the idea has even been entertained by some is a cause for sorrow.
It is hoped that the Monday talks will resume with regularity, and we will post any relevant schedules here on the website.
In the early 20th century, the idea of promoting the union of Churches (Orthodox and heterodox) began to gain ground among circles in the Eastern Orthodox Church by establishing a "Communion of Churches" modeled on the League of Nations.
The Patriarchal Encyclical of 1920 foresaw a series of steps toward the “union of the Churches,” of which the first was the change of the calendar for the simultaneous celebration of feast days by all the “Churches.” The content of the encyclical was kept secret from the faithful and only after a few years became known. Read more...
Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church is a beautiful mission parish near downtown Tucson, a city in southern Arizona. It was started in 1997 by Father John Bockman, who was a missionary Priest formerly serving missions in Tennessee and Massachusetts since 1990. Father John served the faithful in Tucson and the surrounding area in his home Chapel until his repose in November of 2000. His wife, Presbytera Valerie, continued to make her home Chapel available for the mission, with clergy from Saint Nectarios Orthodox Church in Seattle and His Eminence, Metropolitan Moses of Toronto (then of Portland), visiting to provide the Divine Services.
Read more...2025 Youth Conference
Please join us for the 2025 youth conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! To learn more, visit the conference website.
Q. Are the prayers in the blue prayer book [A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery —ed.] compulsory for everyone? I mean their morning prayers and the service of Small Compline. My confessor gave me a special rule but wasn’t clear about whether this replaced the book prayers or was in addition to them. Read more...