Crucea.ro

Pentru a “ocroti” o euro-cupa de fotbal din anul 2012, uniatii ucraineni au nascocit o “icoana”.

Mai multe imagini aici.

Informatie de pe grupul Greek Orthodox Old Calendarist de pe Yahoo.

Resurse disponibile pe Internet despre cele sase zile ale Facerii, pe site-ul www.hexaimeron.ro.

I remember an incredible story. One man was working with mules in a french forest called Sologne. The animals were used to tract pieces of tree from the woods to the roads, where trucks can pick’em and carry’em to the factory.
Then came a day when his boss told he bought something like a motorized engine, and mules were over. He went home alone cause his mules were sold to a butcher, for meat. The unfortunate guy spoke, like many others like him, such a secret langage with his mules, so nobody was able to make’em walk without him.
His boss asked him to come to the factory. A truck was waiting there. He had to lead his mules to the slaughter, cause he was the only man they understood.
The guy who told me this story was a friend of mine. He remembered the man had eyes and voice full of tears when he was telling this old story, and he was an old man.
World’s cruel.
Olivier, from France

Source: the Donkeys group at yahoo.com

GENEVA, Switzerland, Standard Newswire

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will open the meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order, which will take place in Kolympari, Crete, Greece, from 7 to 14 October 2009.
At this plenary meeting, the 120 members of the commission, which is seen as Christianity’s most representative theological forum, will address the question of Christian unity from new perspectives.
Participants at the Crete gathering will not only address issues that have traditionally divided Christian denominations, but also matters that have become divisive in more recent times even within churches, such as questions of moral discernment.
This new approach will be rooted in a reflection on how churches relate to their sources of theological authority, and developed through case studies illustrating how churches use these references to make moral decisions.
WCC president from Europe Dr Mary Tanner will encourage participants to engage in what she affirms could be the beginning of a new phase in Faith and Order’s history.

The main theme of the meeting “Called to be the One Church” will be addressed by:
•Metropolitan Prof. Gennadios of Sassima, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople;
•Rev. Dr Maake Masango, Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, South Africa;
•Rev. Dr Marianela de la Paz Cot, Episcopal Church in Cuba;
•Dr Minna Hietamäki, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland;
•Sister Ha Fong Maria Ko, Roman Catholic Church, China/Italy.

The discussion on the future of the study “The Nature and Mission of the Church” will be stimulated by contributions from:
•Rev. Dr Paul Collins, Church of England;
•Rev. Dr Hermen Shastri, Methodist Church in Malaysia
•Rev. Dr Viorel Ionita, a Romanian Orthodox Church.

More information on the meeting

În aceasta luna, în ziua a douazecea, pomenirea Sfântului Marelui Mucenic Eustatie si Teopista, sotia lui, si doi fii ai lor: Agapie si Teopist.

Acest sfânt mare Mucenic Eustatie, pe când se numea înca Placid, iar femeia lui, Tatiana, a fost general peste osti la Roma, pe vremea împaratului Traian (catre anul 100). Si desi era un pagân bogat, el stralucea cu virtutile, si mai ales era foarte milostiv fata de saraci. Vazând deci Dumnezeu buna înclinare a sufletului lui, i s-a descoperit într-un chip asemanator celui în care s-a aratat Sfantului Apostol Pavel. Caci fiind într-o zi la vânat, i s-a aratat un cerb si a început a-l goni; si apropiindu-se a vazut între coarnele lui cinstita Cruce a lui Hristos, stralucind mai mult decât soarele, si pe dânsa chipul lui Hristos, si a auzit glas de la Cruce, zicând: “O, Placide ! pentru ce ma prigonesti ? Eu sunt Hristos, pe Care tu cinstesti fara sa stii prin lucrarile tale cele bune.” Uimit si speriat, Placid a cazut de pe cal si a ramas fara cunostinta mai multe ceasuri. Mântuitorul i-a aparut si a doua oara, ca sa fie încredintat de adevarul din prima vedenie si ca sa-i spuna ca El este Dumnezeu, Creatorul cerului si al pamântului, si ca din iubire pentru om a luat firea omeneasca si s-a întrupat pentru noi. Atunci Placide a crezut cu toata inima sa si s-a botezat, el si toata casa lui. Iar din botez el s-a numit Eustatie, sotia lui, Teopista, iar cei doi copii ai lor : Agapie si Teopist. Vazând credinta si virtutile sale, Domnul i-a aparut din nou si i-a spus ca o sa ajunga, ca Iov, sa îndure mari încercari din partea diavolului, dar ca Harul va fi cu el.

Continuare aici.

Poate ati aflat sau vazut scenele acestea, cu un pastor neoprotestant predicind intr-o biserica ortodoxa. E o scena emotionanta, cu oameni cu sufletul deschis, plingind si rugindu-se (intr-un chip heterodox). Infricosatoare scena: sint acolo oameni pe care simt, omeneste, ca as putea sa ii iubesc si sa ii inteleg fara rezerve, insa, pe de alta parte, ii vad schimonosind cu totul dreapta credinta. Trebuie sa va marturisesc ca nu am putut urmari materialul pina la sfirsit. De fapt, abia daca am vazut prima din cele patru parti ale acestei filmari. Am plins, speriat ca asa ceva se intimpla si ca pot vedea cu ochii mei cum bietii oameni, ca niste oite, sint dusi la pieire duhovniceasca. Culmea, plingeau si ei, de emotie si bucurie.

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O stire referitoare la moartea unei oficialitati locale semnaleaza:

Ceremonia de înmormântare va începe duminică la ora 14 şi va avea loc la sediul Primăriei Municipiului Mediaş. Slujba de înmormântare va fi oficiată de Înalt Prea Sfinţia Sa Mitropolitul Ardealului, Laurenţiu Streza şi Preot Protopop, Reinhard Guib, Episcop Vicar al Bisericii Evanghelice alături de un sobor de preoţi. Cortegiul funerar se va deplasa pe traseul Primăria Municipiului Mediaş şi străzile Mihai Eminescu-Carpaţi-Nucului-1 Decembrie-Academician Moraru-Johannes Honterus-Piaţa Enescu-străzile I. Ghe. Duca-Cloşca-Hermann Oberth-Sibiului-Calafat-Blajului-Iacob Pisso, din nou strada Sibiului, strada Axente Sever şi strada Păcii. Convoiul funerar se va opri la Cimitirul Evanghelic unde va fi oficiată slujba de înhumare în jurul orei 16.30.

Nu stiu daca e o eroare de tipar. Daca nu e, un ierarh ortodox va “oficia”, impreuna cu un heterodox, in cadrul unui ritual de tip religios, ca nu stiu cum altfel sa numesc asta, slujba de inmormantare (urmata de cea de inhumare?).

Dumnezeu sa-l ierte pe raposat!

Bishop Ambrose of Khabarovsk has provided us with some instructive anecdotes from the Soviet past.

Once the Soviet minister of education Lunacharsky and the pro-Soviet renovationist heretic Vvedensky were having a public debate. Lunacharsky said: “I came from the apes, but this man [Vvedensky] declares that he was created in the image and likeness of God. But look what progress I have made by comparison with the apes, and how this man has been degraded by comparison with God!”

Again, there was an old woman who handed in a note for the commemoration of “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin”. But the priest did not want to commemorate him – a clearly anti-Soviet act. The old woman complained: “I’m paying money, and you are not commemorating this man. You know: I’m a communist from such-and-such a year…” But the priest found a ready reply, quoting from a well-known Soviet hymn: “Lenin lived. Lenin is alive. Lenin will live. So he must not be commemorated among the reposed.”

(Via Vladimir Moss, from the Live Journal of Nun Xenia (Mitrenina))

By Vladimir Moss

The Russian church writer Lev Regelson has recently pointed out: “The concept of the ‘Local’ [pomestnoj] Church has long ago lost its literal sense. Nobody is surprised any longer by the existence of communities of the Russian Church in Africa, consisting of local aborigines. So that now it would be more correct to speak about the Autocephalous Russian Church as the historical successor of the Orthodox Church of the Russian Empire, which has gone beyond the bounds of the territorial, state or national principle.” In fact, not only has the concept of the Local Church been lost: the administration of the Orthodox Church as a whole has been in a state of increasing anarchy since the fall and break-up of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires in 1917-18. The resultant enormous political changes, combined with the creation of large Orthodox minorities of various nationalities in the non-Orthodox countries of the West, have created huge problems of administration that have stretched the concept of the Local Church almost to breaking point. If these problems have afflicted the heretical, but more-or-less well-organized Churches of “World Orthodoxy”, they threaten completely to tear apart the right-believing, but divided True Orthodox Churches. This article is an attempt to introduce some clarity into the debate by going back to basic principles, on the one hand, and the witness of Church history, on the other.

1. Basic Principles

The first principle of Church organization, according to canon law and the early patristic sources (such as St. Ignatius of Antioch), is that the primary unit of the Local Church is the bishop and the Christians of the territory he administers. There can be only one bishop for any one given territorial unit. All the Christians living within that territory, whatever their nationality, must submit to the bishop of the territory. It is forbidden to create sub-units within the territorial unit on the basis of race, class or any other criterion unless they are blessed by the bishop and under his overall control. It is forbidden to divide the territorial unit into smaller sub-units, each with his own bishop, without the agreement of the bishop of that territory.

Although the power of the bishop is largely autocratic within his diocese so long as he rightly divides the word of truth, he is obliged to join with other bishops of neighbouring territories to form synods presided over by the senior of the bishops – the metropolitan or archbishop. This rank does not constitute a fourth level of the priesthood above bishops, priests and deacons, and a metropolitans or archbishop cannot impose his will on the other members of his synods. At the same time, the bishops of a synod cannot make any decisions in synod without the agreement of the metropolitan or archbishop.

Synods of bishops have the right to investigate complaints against the behaviour of an individual bishop within his diocese and to discipline, or even to defrock, him if he is found to have transgressed the dogmas or canons of the Church. Moreover, they, and they alone, have the right to ordain the successors of bishops who have been defrocked or who have died, and to create new dioceses. It is this collective, collegial character of the episcopate, as expressed in the meetings and decision-making of synods of bishops, that both ensures apostolic succession within individual dioceses and the organizational unity of the Orthodox Church as a whole.

In essence, these two levels of Church organization – that of the individual diocese, and that of the metropolitan or archiepiscopal district – are the only levels of Church organization that are required in order that the Church should carry out all her essential functions…

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Adriana Săftoiu testează atenţia deputaţilor. Cum poţi să declari orice în Parlamentul României
de Liliana RUSE, Gandul

Că parlamentarii nu sunt atenţi la ce se întâmplă în jurul lor, la şedinţele de plen, e deja un truism. Deputatul PNL Adriana Săftoiu a vrut totuşi să verifice această teză şi şi-a testat colegii marţi dimineaţa, la sesiunea de declaraţii politice. În prezenţa a zece deputaţi, Săftoiu a citit, de la tribună, o falsă declaraţie politică, în fapt o alăturare de citate din oameni politici şi jurnalişti americani, fără nicio legătură între ele, cu teme mergând de la sclavie, sărăcie, terorism şi folosirea arborilor de tisa de Pacific în tratarea cancerului.

Săftoiu a citit declaraţia ca şi cum ar fi unitară, cursiv şi liniştit, fără să facă vreo pauză şi fără să spună că preia nişte citate. Deputaţii prezenţi în sală au aplaudat-o la final iar preşedinta de şedinţă, Daniela Popa (PC), i-a mulţumit la final. Nici ziariştii n-au remarcat nimic ciudat în declaraţia politică nonsens.

Iată ce a citit în plen Adriana Săftoiu:

“Domnilor parlamentari,
Cea mai mare creştere a ratei sărăciei în rândul copiilor, în anii din urmă, s-a produs în acele state în care nivelul ajutoarelor sociale este cel mai ridicat. Cele mai mici creşteri – de fapt, descreşteri – ale ratei sărăciei la copii au fost înregistrate în statele care limitează nivelul acestor fonduri. (citat din Cary Bauer, preşedintele Consiliului american pentru Cercetări Familiale – n.red.).

Nu ne îndoim că fiecare american ştie că sclavia este injustă şi am plătit un preţ teribil pentru ea şi trebuie să continuăm să remediem această situaţie. Iar a spune că este injustă şi că o regretăm nu este un lucru rău. (Bill Clinton)

Dezbaterea nu ar trebui să se axeze pe recrudescenţa conflictului ori pe detaliile sale. Această dezbatere nu ar trebui să se refere nici măcar la războiul dus până acum în Irak, la greşelile comise ori la întrebarea dacă putem câştiga în plan militar sau nu. Dacă le permitem democraţilor să ne împingă într-o dezbatere asupra recrudescenţei sau a situaţiei actuale din Irak, vom pierde.(Shadegg si Hoekstra, doi membri ai Camerei Reprezentantilor, într-o petiţie comună)

Fiecare naţiune, indiferent de regiune, are acum de luat o decizie: ori sunteţi cu noi ori sunteti cu teroriştii. (George W. Bush)

Pe de altă parte, faptul că nivelul calitativ al şcolilor nu se corelează cu cel educativ nu are niciun efect asupra insistenţei sindicatelor că banii reprezintă un factor esenţial. Ultima linie de apărare deja prabuşită a celor care militează pentru sistemul public de educaţie este lipsa de educaţie a publicului. (George Will, comentator la Washington Post)

Arborii de tisa de Pacific pot fi tăiaţi sau procesaţi pentru a se obţine o importantă substanţă chimică, taxolul, care poate vindeca anumite forme de cancer pulmonar, ovarian şi de san la pacienţi care, netrataţi astfel, ar muri. Alegerea pare a fi una uşoară – sacrificăm copacul pentru o viaţă de om – dar numai până când aflăm că pentru fiecare pacient tratat trebuie tăiaţi trei copaci. (Al. Gore)

Trei copaci sau o viaţă umană, trei copaci sau posibilitatea de a prelungi viata unui bolnav? Eu aş alege omul, persoana, fiinţa umană, aş spune că merită să tăiem pentru ea trei copaci. Putem sacrifica trei copaci pentru a salva viaţa unui om. Dar pentru vicepreşedinte se pare că acest lucru nu este la fel de clar. (David McIntosh, membru al Camerei Reprezentantilor)

Cine plăteşte preţul? Eu nu voi plăti niciun preţ personal. Copiii mei sunt prea mari, iar nepotul mi-e prea mic. Nici dvs, după câte înţeleg, nu veţi plăti un preţ personal, prin membrii familiei. Şi atunci, cine plăteşte preţul? Militarii americani şi familiile lor. Eu am vrut doar să vă reamintesc acest lucru.(Barbara Boxer, senator)

Vă mulţumesc pentru atenţie”

“Putem spune lucruri alandala sau perfect logice. Oricum nu contează”

Adriana Săftoiu spune că urmăreşte de o jumătate de an felul în care sunt citite declaraţiile politice şi cum arată, de fapt, viaţa parlamentară în România. “Am vrut să le arăt colegilor că putem să spunem orice, lucruri alandala, ilogice sau, dimpotrivă, lucruri perfect logice şi de substanţă, că oricum nu contează. Aceste declaraţii politice nu urmăresc decât să motiveze activitatea parlamentarilor. Le găseşti pe site sau în Monitorul Oficial şi senatorii şi deputaţii pot să spună că au fost activi, fără să îi intereseze dacă ele au vreo finalitatate”, ne-a declarat Săftoiu.

Ea afirmă că a făcut acest gest ca “revoltă” faţă de felul în care aleşii îşi asumă responsabilitatea pentru ceea ce ar trebui să fie activitatea parlamentară. “Facem pur şi simplu exerciţii de oratorie”, mai spune deputatul PNL.

Is Catholic-Orthodox Unity in Sight?

The Catholic Archbishop of Moscow has given a remarkably upbeat assessment of relations with the Orthodox Church, saying unity between Catholics and Orthodox could be achieved “within a few months.”

In an interview today in Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi said the miracle of reunification “is possible, indeed it has never been so close.” The archbishop added that Catholic-Orthodox reunification, the end of the historic schism that has divided them for a millennium, and spiritual communion between the two churches “could happen soon, also within a few months.”

“Basically we were united for a thousand years,” Archbishop Pezzi said. “Then for another thousand we were divided. Now the path to rapprochement is at its peak, and the third millennium of the Church could begin as a sign of unity.” He said there were “no formal obstacles” but that “everything depends on a real desire for communion.”

On the part of the Catholic Church, he added, “the desire is very much alive.”

Archbishop Pezzi, 49, whose proper title is Metropolitan Archbishop of the Mother of God Archdiocese in Moscow, said that now there are “no real obstacles” on the path towards full communion and reunification. On issues of modernity, Catholics and Orthodox Christians feel the same way, he said: “Nothing separates us on bioethics, the family, and the protection of life.”

Also on matters of doctrine, the two churches are essentially in agreement. “There remains the question of papal primacy,” Archbishop Pezzi acknowledged, “and this will be a concern at the next meeting of the Catholic-Orthodox Commission. But to me, it doesn’t seem impossible to reach an agreement.”

Prospects for union with the Orthodox have increased markedly in recent years with the election of Pope Benedict XVI, whose work as a theologian in greatly admired in Orthodox circles. Benedict is also without the burden of the difficult political history between Poland and Russia, which hindered Polish Pope John Paul II from making as much progress as he would have liked regarding Catholic-Orthodox unity.

Relations have also been greatly helped by the election of Patriarch Kirill I earlier this year as leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is by far the largest of the national churches in the Orthodox Church. As the former head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external relations, Kirill met Benedict on several occasions before and after he became Pope, and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch is well acquainted with the Roman Curia and with Catholicism.

Source: NCRegister

Paul B. Farrell
Marketwatch, August 9th, 2009 4

Warning: Behavioral economics means one thing to Wall Street and Washington and something quite different to Main Street. It depends on whether you’re the nudger or nudgee, the manipulator or the manipulated, the guys making lots of money or the folks being scammed.

Average folks erroneously believe behavioral economics helps them. But behavioral nudgers just want to help themselves.

And both political parties are guilty. Behavioral economics is all the rage since the new president hired some academic behaviorists. That also helped the GOP, made average folks forget the former president had his nudgers, too, like former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Moreover, his party recently hired 350 lobbyists, many former Senators and Congressmen, to kill the new guy’s health-care reform.

The truth is, folks, behavioral economics, nudging, manipulation and lobbying, whatever you call it, has been a part of American politics for a long time under many names, though neither party publicly admits their nudging strategies.

Puzzled? Ask yourself: Why is the GOP so aggressively demonizing Obama’s health-care reform as “socialism?” Why? Yes, something smells fishy, especially since the GOP created the biggest “socialized medicine” program ever with Medicare drugs.

Then suddenly the “why” hit me. Here’s why … All the fear-mongering about health-care “socialism” is actually a strategic smoke screen, a brilliant counterattack, a sneaky political cover-up of the GOP’s recent historic takeover of America using taxpayer-funded bailout money against us. Get it? The Right’s making Left turns into “socialism.”

You heard me. In “Bailout Nation,” money manager Barry Ritholtz summarizes this clandestine takeover of the great American democracy, led by Paulson and the Goldman Conspiracy juggernaut. In less than a year America has become “Socialism for the Rich! Capitalism for the Rest,” says Ritholtz.

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