Crucea.ro

The “feast of Halloween,” celebrated by many in America, is rapidly finding its way in many parts of our world. It is portrayed as harmless fun for children. This could not be any further from the truth! Halloween is normally regarded as one more occasion for a party, one more opportunity for a good time without the least inquiry as to its meaning or origins. It is hardly a surprise when we consider that the greatest feasts of Christianity such as Pascha (Easter) and the Nativity of Christ (for which our ancestors prepared with fasting, prayers and tears) are now to so many, simply dates for eating, drinking and the exchanging of gifts. Be warned: Halloween is not what it appears to be! Its seemingly innocent manifestations represent a memory of an ancient celebration deeply rooted in paganism and demonology; furthermore, it continues to be a form of idolatry in which Satan, the angel of death is worshipped.

Known also as All Hallows Eve, the feast of Halloween began in pre-Christian times. It was originally a Celtic festival celebrated widely among the peoples of the British Isles and northern France. These pagan peoples believed that life was born from death. On this night, a certain deity whom they called Samhain, their lord of Death, was honoured at their New Year’s festival (end of October). On that night, Samhain was believed to lead hosts of evil spirits into the world. Samhain is also identified as the Grim Reaper, the leader of the ancestral ghosts. On the evening of the festival, a huge bonfire built from oak branches, which they believed to be sacred, was ignited in a high place. Upon these, fire sacrifices of crops, animals and even human beings were burned as an offering in order to appease their demon lord. It was also believed that Samhain, being pleased by their faithful offerings, allowed the souls of the dead to return to their homes for a festal visit on this day. Thus they believed that cold, dark creatures filled the night, wandering and begging amongst the living. It is from this belief that the practice of wandering about in the dark dressed up in costumes imitating ghosts, fairies, leprechauns, elves, smurfs (a German nature spirit), and other assorted demons, grew up. It is important to note that the ‘souls of the dead,’ or ghosts, are in fact demons cunningly mimicking the attributes of departed loved ones as much as is necessary to delude the observer. Any attention paid to such illusions is destructive! The dialogue of “trick and treat” is also an integral part of this system of beliefs and practices. It was believed that the souls of the dead who had entered into the world of darkness, decay and death, and therefore into total communion with and submission to the demon Samhain, bore the affliction of great hunger on their festal visit. Out of this grew the practice of begging for “treats” (offerings). If these “treats” were not forthcoming, then the wrath and anger of Samhain would be unleashed through a system of “tricks” (curses).

From an Orthodox Christian viewpoint, participation in these practices at any level is idolatrous, and a genuine betrayal of our God and our Holy Faith. To do so by dressing up and going out would be to willfully seek fellowship with the ‘dead’ whose lord is also known as Satan, the Evil One, who stands against God. Or, to participate by submission to the dialogue of “trick or treat” is to make offering, not to innocent little children, but to the lord of Death, whom they unknowingly serve as proxy for the ‘dead.’
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Following a day of clashes between security forces and Arab rioters in Jerusalem, Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Sunday evening stated that the fate of the capital would be determined by force, not negotiations.
“The fate of Jerusalem will be determined only by confrontation and not by the negotiating tables,” Mashaal said in a speech, according to Channel 10.
“The Israelis want to divide al-Aqsa Mosque, and this is not all. They want to hold their religious ceremonies in the mosque … in preparation for demolishing it and building their temple there,” he reportedly said.
Israel is interested in handling the Jerusalem issue unilaterally so that it is not included in negotiations with the Palestinians, Masha’al claimed.
“Jerusalem is all of Jerusalem, not only [the east Jerusalem neighborhood of] Abu-Dis. The Arabs and Muslims are [the city's] residents, and the Zionists have no claim over it,” he said.
“I call for angry protests in Palestine and in the Arab world. Today, protests began in [the] Gaza [Strip], and we hope they will spread to the West Bank. It is important for there to be a united Palestinian position. We must send a message to the world: In light of the settlements and actions in Jerusalem, there are no negotiations and we must rethink our steps,” the Hamas leader concluded.
Also on Sunday evening, Jordan warned Israel against “provocative behavior” in the city, saying continued violence could “derail all opportunities of peace and stability in the region.”
“Any new provocative attempts by Israeli troops and Jewish extremists such as what happened today in the shrine’s compound represents a flagrant violation of international law and conventions and sets the stage for more tension and acts of violence,” Jordanian Minister for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil Sharif was quoted by the UAE-based Khaleej Times as saying in a statement.
“Jordan, out of its historical responsibilities in being the custodian of the holy places in Jerusalem, is extremely worried about what is taking place and warns against going ahead with this provocative behavior on the part of Israeli troops,” he reportedly added.
According to the report, Sharif urged “an immediate end to such dangerous practices which threaten to derail all opportunities of peace and stability in the region”.
Nine police officers were lightly injured and 21 rioters arrested, during clashes that broke out between Arabs and police on the Temple Mount, in the alleyways of the Old City’s Muslim Quarter and east Jerusalem in a fresh round of violence that threatened to keep already-heightened tensions in the capital simmering.

Source and more: Jerusalem Post

(Mănăstirea Cetăţuia din Iaşi, stema Moldovei

Sursa: blogul d-lui Dumitru Agachi

In 1921, la 25 octombrie (in calendarul civil, care se schimbase inca din 1919), s-a nascut Majestatea Sa Regele Mihai, care implineste azi 88 de ani. La multi ani!

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government’s initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.

Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the flu, known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor’s offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.

Source & more here.

O mostra de argumentatie neocalendarista:

Mitropolitul Serafim de Pireu:
O RĂTĂCIRE COMUNĂ:
ZELOTISMUL RADICAL ŞI ECUMENISMUL SINCRETIST

Înalt preasfinţitul Mitropolit explică de ce nu întrerupe pomenirea ecumeniştilor.

Mitropolitul Serafim de Pireu a trimis o scrisoare către domnul Dimitrios Hatzinikolaos, profesor suplinitor în Ştiinţe Economice la Universitatea din Ioannina, prin care îi răspunde asupra conţinutului scrisorii, care a fost publicată în „Orthodoxos Typos” („Presa Ortodoxă”), despre „Calendarului Strămoşesc”.
În această scrisoare, Mitropolitul de Pireu susţine că: ecumenismul sincretist şi zelotismul radical constituie două feţe ale aceleiaşi monede de rătăcire. Paralel, Mitropolitul de Pireu explică de ce nu întrerupe pomenirea (la Sfânta Liturghie a) ecumeniştilor, în timp ce justifică parţial comportamentul Patriarhiei Ecumenice (în ciuda faptului că nu este de acord cu el), care se află în robia închisului stat kemalic şi caută sprijin la forurile internaţionale. Întregul text al scrisorii are următorul conţinut:

„Distinsule Domn Profesor,

Am citit scrisoarea Dumneavoastră, pe care o numiţi deschisă, către smerenia mea, caracterizându-mă „nou-calendaristul” Mitropolit de Pireu, ca şi cererile pe care mi le adresaţi prin ea şi V-aş ruga să-mi permiteţi ca, fără nicio dispoziţie reacţionară, să Vă informez că nu m-am ridicat – precum spuneţi – împotriva ortodocşilor ce urmează calendarul strămoşesc, pentru că Biserica lui Hristos cea Una, Sfântă, Sobornicească, Apostolească şi Nedespărţită este constituită din Biserici Autocefale, din care unele urmează calendarul iulian îndreptat, iar altele calendarul neîndreptat numit şi strămoşesc. Prin urmare, eronat Vă exprimaţi despre aşa-numitul meu atac împotriva ortodocşilor calendarului strămoşesc.
Micimea mea, pentru faptul că mişcările au avut loc între hotarele jurisdicţiei mele canonice, a adus la cunoştinţă, precum avea datoria, pleromei Bisericii asupra precarităţii canonice şi eclesiologice a celor din afara Trupului Bisericii care acţionează şi se autodefinesc drept Adevăraţii Creştini Ortodocşi.
Şi aceasta, iubite domn profesor, pentru că Biserica pe care a întemeiat-o Domnul în ziua Cincizecimii prin pogorârea Preasfântului şi de viaţă-Făcătorului-Duh este doar Una şi nu are nicio soră, iar drept Cap al Ei îl are doar pe Întemeietorul Ei, Domnul Iisus Hristos, al Cărui preacurat şi sfinţit Trup îl constituie.
Din acest Trup fac parte sfinţii care din veac au bineplăcut lui Dumnezeu, prima fiind Preacurata şi Preasfânta Născătoare de Dumnezeu, apoi Apostolii, Părinţii, Martirii, Cuvioşii, Drepţii, care se află în ceruri şi care se luptă pe pământ. De aceea nu există nicio posibilitate sub pretextul oricărei justificări sau cauzalităţi binecinstitoare de a întemeia o Biserică, adică un Trup al lui Hristos, dintr-o convingere şi inspiraţie umană, cum în mod tragic o fac para-sinagoga romano-catolică, monofiziţii anti-calcedonieni şi nefericitele comunităţile protestante.
Din păcate aceeaşi tactică au aplicat-o şi cei ce s-au autodefinit ca Adevăraţii Creştini Ortodocşi, considerând că prin orice declaraţie „dizidentă” a celor ce legiferează de la Dumnezeu, dogmatic şi eclesiologic, ei trebuie să întemeieze o Biserică, adică un Trup al lui Hristos şi bineînţeles divizându-se, caterisindu-se şi anatematizându-se reciproc. Gândesc logic că vă daţi seama de lipsa de demnitate şi de tragismul unor astfel de acţiuni, pe care le justificaţi, după cum se vede din textul Dumneavoastră, prin alunecarea în ecumenismul sincretist a unor slujitori ai Trupului Bisericii.
Să mi se îngăduie să spun că atât zelotismul radical, cât şi ecumenismul sincretist constituie două părţi ale aceleiaşi monede înşelătoare şi sunt despărţite de comuniunea cu Dumnezeul cel întreit sfânt al adevărului şi al dreptăţii.
Mă întrebaţi de ce nu încetez pomenirea celor care au manifestat de-a lungul vremurilor teze ecumeniste sincretiste, dar vă daţi seama, sper, că o astfel de acţiune atât de serioasă presupune, conform Dreptului Canonic al Preasfintei Biserici Ortodoxe Universale şi de asemenea conform Dumnezeieştilor şi Sfintelor Canoane 13 şi 15 ale Sinodului numit I-II, proclamarea publică şi pe faţă a eresului şi a învăţăturii eretice în Biserică, care va fi materializată nu doar prin declaraţii absurde (ἐξ ἀνοησίας), făcute dintr-o politeţe prost înţeleasă sau din interes politic, ca în cazurile de mai sus, ci printr-o participare conştientă la erezie demonstrată prin împărtăşirea din acelaşi Potir. Însă aşa ceva din fericire nu s-a întâmplat şi prin urmare cererea Dumneavoastră este nefondată.
Declar cu toată puterea, că în orice caz, atunci când voi fi informat şi mă voi încredinţa de o astfel de cădere tragică a oricărui cleric, imediat şi înaintea impunerii sinodale voi interzice în hotarele jurisdicţiei mele canonice pomenirea canonică a respectivei persoane.

Aici, Distinsule Domn Profesor, nu trebuie să se ignore faptul că noi vorbim din interiorul securităţii pe care ne-o oferă Patria elină, însă cei ce slujesc Neamul din Preacinstitul Tron Ecumenic vorbesc din perspectiva situaţiei lor tragice şi de sub ghearele încârligate ale severului stat turc kemalic şi caută sprijin la forurile internaţionale prin reprezentanţii comunităţilor religioase eretice locale şi împotriva acestora, de foarte multe ori, încearcă de nevoie să conveargă lucrurile explicabil, fapt cu care eu personal nu sunt de acord, dar pe care pot să măcar să-l înţeleg.

Încheind smerit Vă doresc, ca să vă daţi seama de adevărul lucrurilor.”
Serafim, Mitropolit de Pireu”

Sursa: „Orthodoxos Typos”, 14-08-2009; traducere din limba greacă: Ieromonahul Fotie, via Impantokratoros.gr

“To all intent and purposes, mutual recognition of each others Mysteries already exists between us. We do not have communion in the Mysteries, but we do recognize each others Mysteries”, declared Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev) on the air during a broadcast of the program “The Church and the World” on the television channel “Russia”, on October 17th.

“If a Roman Catholic priest converts to Orthodoxy, we receive him as a priest, and we do not re-ordain him. And that means that, de facto, we recognize the Mysteries of the Roman Catholic Church”, explained Archbishop Hilarion. (…)

Sursa: credo.ru

“У нас фактически существует взаимное признание Таинств. У нас нет общения в Таинствах, но мы признаем Таинства”, – заявил архиепископ Иларион (Алфеев) в эфире передачи “Церковь и мир” на телеканале Россия 17 октября.

“Если католический священник обратится в православие, мы его принимаем как священника, мы не рукополагаем его заново. А это значит, что де факто мы признаем Таинства Католической Церкви,” – пояснил архиепископ Иларион.

Отвечая на вопрос о том, могут ли католики причащаться у православных или православные у католиков, архиепископ Иларион сказал, что такого причащения быть не должно, поскольку у православных и католиков “нарушено евхаристическое общение”. При этом он уточнил, что в некоторых случаях такое причащение возможно: “Бывают исключительные случаи, когда, например, умирает католик где-то в городе, где нет вообще поблизости католического священника. Он приглашает православного священника. Вот в таком случае, я думаю, православный священник должен прийти и дать причастие этому человеку”.

Архиепископ Волоколамский Иларион, викарий Патриарха Московского и всея Руси, является председателем ОВЦС МП и постоянным членом Священного Синода РПЦ МП по должности.

Via Apologeticum, doua marturii ale spectacolului dezolant al “ecumenismului ortodox”. O slujba de Pogorarea Duhului Sfant, la care slujesc preotii bisericii oficiale a Greciei si alti heterodocsi, la capatul careia se “impartaseste” intreaga audienta, a carei componenta se vadeste in imaginile urmatoare.

By Archbishop Averky

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. (Mk 8:34).

The Great Fast is a season of repentance; and repentance is that struggle to
contend against sinful passions and lusts which is so difficult for man that the
Lord, the Judge of the contest Himself, likened it to the bearing of a cross. We
are vividly reminded of this at the very midpoint of the Great Fast, on the
Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross. Just as the Lord bore the Cross for the
sake of our salvation, so each of us must bear “his cross” in order to attain
the salvation prepared for us by the Lord.

Without the cross, without struggle, there can be no salvation! This is what
true Christianity teaches. The teaching on struggle, on the bearing of the
cross, runs like a scarlet thread through all the Sacred Scriptures and all of
the history of the Church; and the lives of those holy ones who were pleasing
unto God, the spiritual athletes of Christian piety, clearly bear witness to
this. The Great Fast is merely an annually repeated exercise in the bearing of
one’s cross in this life, an exercise in spiritual struggle inseparably bound up
with the entire life of the true Christian.

But now, in the twentieth century of the Christian era, “wise men” have
appeared—”neo-Christians,” as some of them refer to themselves—who do not wish
to hear of this. They preach a new sort of saccharine, sentimental, rosy-hued
neo-Christian love and the unrestricted enjoyment of all the delights of this
transitory earthly life. They totally ignore the innumerable passages in Holy
Writ which forcefully and eloquently speak of spiritual struggles, of emulating
Christ the Savior in crucifying oneself, of the many sorrows which await the
Christian in this life, beginning with the words which Christ the Savior Himself
addressed to His disciples at the Mystical Supper: In the world ye shall have
tribulation. (Jn 16:33). And this is because, as the Lord Himself explained,
true Christians are not of the world (Jn 15:19), since the whole world lieth in
wickedness (I Jn 5:19). This is why Christians must not love this world and the
things that are in the world (I Jn 2:15); the friendship of the world is enmity
with God, and whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God. (Jas 4:4).

These modern “wise men” somehow fail to see that the Word of God nowhere
promises Christians full spiritual satisfaction and paradisical blessedness in
this earthly life. Quite the contrary; it emphasizes that life on earth will
move further and further away from the Law of God; that, in respect to morality,
men will fall lower and lower (II Tim 3:1-5); that all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse
and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (II Tim 3:12-13); and that, finally,
the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up. (II Pet 3:10). But
there will appear new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
(II Pet 3:13)—a wondrous New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven (Rev
21:2), which was shown to John, the beholder of mysteries, during the revelation
accorded him.

All of this is not to the liking of the “neo-Christians.” They want blessedness
here in this world, burdened with its multitude of sins and iniquities; and they
await this blessedness with impatience. They consider one of the surest ways of
attaining it to be the “ecumenical movement,” the union and unification of all
peoples in one new “church” which will comprise not only Roman Catholics and
Protestants, but also Jews, Moslems and pagans, each retaining his own
convictions and errors. This imaginary “Christian” love, in the name of the
future blessedness of men on earth, cannot but trample upon the Truth.

The destruction of this earth with everything on it, although clearly foretold
by the Word of God, is considered by them to be something indescribably
horrible, as though it were not consistent with the omnipotence of God and,
apparently, quite undesirable. They reluctantly admit the destruction of earth
(for how can one not accept something prophesied in the Word of God?), but with
the condition that it will take place in the far, far distant, mist-enshrouded
future, not centuries, but millions of years from now.

What is the reason for this? One might say, because they are weak of faith, or
lacking entirely in faith in the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
age to come. For them everything is in this earthly life, and when it ends for
them, everything does.

In a few of its points—especially in the expectation of the blessed life in this
world—such a frame of mind closely resembles the widespread heresy of the first
centuries of Christianity called “chiliasm.” This is the expectation of a
thousand-year reign of Christ on earth; therefore the modern manifestation of
this heresy may be termed “neo-chiliasm.”

One should be aware and keep in mind that chiliasm was condemned by the Second
Ecumenical Council in the year 381; and therefore to believe in it now in the
twentieth century, even in part, is quite unforgivable. Besides which, this
contemporary “neo-chiliasm” is far worse than the ancient chiliastic heresy in
that at its basis indubitably lies a disbelief in the life of the age to come
and the passionate desire to attain blessedness here on earth, using all the
improvements and achievements of the material progress of our times.

This false teaching wreaks terrible harm, lulling to sleep the spiritual
vigilance of the faithful and suggesting to them that the end of the world is
far away (if in fact there will be an end?), and therefore there is no
particular need to watch and pray, to which Christ the Savior constantly called
His followers (cf. Mt 26:41), since everything in the world is gradually getting
better and better, spiritual progress keeping step with materialism. And the
terrible phenomena which we observe at the present time are all temporary; all
has happened before, and all will ultimately pass away, and an extraordinary
flourishing of Christianity will replace it, in which, of course, the ecumenists
will occupy the principal and honored places.

Thus, everything is fine! It is not necessary to labor over oneself, and no
spiritual struggle is required; the fasts may be abolished. Everything will get
better all by itself, until the Kingdom of God is finally established on earth
with universal earthly satisfaction and blessedness.

Brethren! Is it not clear where the ultimate source of this alluring false
teaching is found? Who suggests all these thoughts to contemporary Christians
with the purpose of overthrowing all of Christianity? As an infectious plague,
as fire, must we fear this “neo-chiliasm” which is so profoundly contrary to the
teaching of the Word of God, the teaching of the Holy Fathers and all of the
centuries-old teachings of our Holy Church, by which many, many thousands of the
righteous have been saved.

Without spiritual struggle there is not, and cannot be true Christianity!
Therefore, our path does not lie with all the modern movements, nor with
ecumenists, nor with the new-chiliasts.

Our faith is the faith of the holy ascetics, the apostolic faith, the faith of
the Fathers, the Orthodox Faith which, hath made the whole world steadfast (from
the service for the Sunday of Orthodoxy). This faith and only this faith will we
firmly adhere to in these evil days in which we now live.

Amen

Fratele Dan mi-a atras atentia intr-un comentariu asupra acestei date. La rindul meu, in satul unde m-am mutat acum doi ani, i-am povestit unui localnic despre acest episod. “Voi nu sarbatoriti Sf. Paraschiva?, m-a intrebat, cind m-a vazut citind afisul petrecerii cu lautari, mici si must care inchipuie traditionala “actiune” a obstei cu prilejul hramului bisericii inchinate sfintei mucenite. “Ba da”, i-am zis, “dar o facem pe 14 octombrie dupa calendarul bisericesc, nu acum”, am explicat. “Acum 85 de ani, aceasta zi, in care sarbatorim Sfintitul Acoperamint al Maicii Domnului, a fost schimbata cu sila in Sf. Paraschiva.”

Trista zi.

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.