In an annual Easter ritual sacred to Orthodox Christians, the “holy fire” was distributed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 7 2018, Great Saturday in the Eastern Orthodox calendar.

Regarded as a miracle by believers, the appearance of the “holy fire” is a key event in Orthodox Christian celebrations of Easter.

Occurences of miraculous flames are recorded in texts dating back to the fourth century CE, though the “holy fire” ritual became formalised later.

The event is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church, with a Pope several centuries ago having dismissed it as a fraud. Protestants also do not recognise it as legitimate.

From Jerusalem, the “holy fire” is distributed to several Orthodox Christian countries, including Bulgaria. Special flights convey the flame to ensure that it arrives in time for late-night liturgies on the eve of Easter Sunday.

Read more:

https://sofiaglobe.com/2018/04/07/orthodox-easter-2018-holy-fire-appears-at-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre-in-jerusalem/

Meanwhile:

We on the Right have not yet faced the “cultural Marxism” that has been thoroughly absorbed by our own political and religious institutions (e.g., the churches that celebrate capitalism uncritically). I wonder if we even can. Contemporary Americans have been thoroughly catechized by a culture that teaches that the desiring individual is the center of our politics, and of all reality. The only institution that might have stood up to that is the Church, but it has failed to do so. Alas, the Right has also reached a dead end, it seems to me, though maybe it will be easier for us to find a way out of it, because at least in theory (as distinct from practice), we don’t deny the religious dimension.

Read more:

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/del-noce-left-dead-end-lancellotti/

Karl Marx understood the pain and the existential void of abandoning religious beliefs... The left is still teetering with this. The right rarely had this problem as the name of the game, religiously or not, is to make money...

The world’s richest 1% are on course to control as much as two-thirds of the world’s wealth by 2030, according to a shocking analysis that has lead to a cross-party call for action.

World leaders are being warned that the continued accumulation of wealth at the top will fuel growing distrust and anger over the coming decade unless action is taken to restore the balance.

An alarming projection produced by the House of Commons library suggests that if trends seen since the 2008 financial crash were to continue, then the top 1% will hold 64% of the world’s wealth by 2030. Even taking the financial crash into account, and measuring their assets over a longer period, they would still hold more than half of all wealth.

Since 2008, the wealth of the richest 1% has been growing at an average of 6% a year – much faster than the 3% growth in wealth of the remaining 99% of the world’s population. Should that continue, the top 1% would hold wealth equating to $305tn (£216.5tn) – up from $140tn today.

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/07/global-inequality-tippi...

Picture above: a Russian Orthodox church in Germany. Gus Leonisky library.

We, the Patriarchs: John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and Joseph Absi, Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, condemn and denounce the brutal aggression that took place this morning against our precious country Syria by the USA, France and the UK, under the allegations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. We raise our voices to affirm the following:

This brutal aggression is a clear violation of the international laws and the UN Charter, because it is an unjustified assault on a sovereign country, member of the UN.

It causes us great pain that this assault comes from powerful countries to which Syria did not cause any harm in any way.

The allegations of the USA and other countries that the Syrian army is using chemical weapons and that Syria is a country that owns and uses this kind of weapon, is a claim that is unjustified and unsupported by sufficient and clear evidence.

The timing of this unjustified aggression against Syria, when the independent International Commission for Inquiry was about to start its work in Syria, undermines of the work of this commission.

This brutal aggression destroys the chances for a peaceful political solution and leads to escalation and more complications.

This unjust aggression encourages the terrorist organizations and gives them momentum to continue in their terrorism.

We call upon the Security Council of the United Nations to play its natural role in bringing peace rather than contribute to escalation of wars.

We call upon all churches in the countries that participated in the aggression, to fulfill their Christian duties, according to the teachings of the Gospel, and condemn this aggression and to call their governments to commit to the protection of international peace.

We salute the courage, heroism and sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army which courageously protects Syria and provide security for its people. We pray for the souls of the martyrs and the recovery of the wounded. We are confident that the army will not bow before the external or internal terrorist aggressions; they will continue to fight courageously against terrorism until every inch of the Syrian land is cleansed from terrorism. We, likewise, commend the brave stand of countries which are friendly to the Syria and its people.

We offer our prayers for the safety, victory, and deliverance of Syria from all kinds of wars and terrorism. We also pray for peace in Syria and throughout the world, and call for strengthening the efforts of the national reconciliation for the sake of protecting the country and preserving the dignity of all Syrians.

Read more:

http://www.voltairenet.org/article200743.html

Following with the pope:

At the initiative of the Patriarch of Moscow, Cyril the First (Orthodox) and in collaboration with Pope Francis of Rome (Catholic), an alliance in opposition to the war in Syria is in the process of being welded between the following patriarchs: Bartholomew the First of Constantinople, Theophile III of Jerusalem, Theodor II of Alexandria and John X of Antioch.

The initiative follows the Joint Declaration made by the Greek Orthodox, the Syrian Orthodox and the Greek – Melkite Catholics of Antioch and the entire Orient on the bombings in Syria. This declaration was published in Damascus, the capital of Syria on 14 April.

Read more:

http://www.voltairenet.org/article200856.html

I believe you won't see any of this in the Western media — except, may be, a bit of guffaw about it...

Today, the new US ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, who, together with Victoria Nuland organized the coup d’etat in Kiev in 2014 [1], is determined to set up an Independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The Orthodox Church is organized into 7 patriarchies. Of these, the patriarch of Constantinople is “the first among equals”. The ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has practically no religious followers in Turkey but shepherds a flock consisting of the Greek diaspora all over the world. In contrast, the Patriarch at Moscow, Cyril I, has all orthodox Russians including Ukrainians, in his flock.

The separation of the Ukrainian orthodox from the Patriarchy of Moscow would signify a harsh coup for Russian culture in the country.

From May 2018, Bartholomew I has refused to grant visas to the orthodox fathers of the Patriarch of Moscow desiring to go to Mount Athos.

On 31 July 2018, Bartholomew I signed a joint declaration with the leaders of religious minorities in Turkey assuring that this country is marvellous and that religion flourishes there even though in the past such was not always the case [2]. This text awakened the anger of believers of different religions that suffer intimidation and humiIiation on a daily basis at the hands of the Turkish administration.

On 31 August, Cyril and Bartholomew had a friendly meeting in Istanbul. But on 6 September, the Patriarch of Constantinople, appointed two special envoys tasked with establishing an independent church in Ukraine. The leaders of the canonical Church of Kiev refused to recognize them.

For his part, Filareto, the Ukrainian ecclesiastical leader of Kiev, a former KGB agent who was ex-communicated following the fall of the Soviet Union, creates a sect, the “Ukrainian Orthodox Autocephalous Church” (non-canonical). He supported those responsible for the coup at Kiev and qualified the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as “Cain” and “Judas”. Nowadays, he is considered as the leader of the Independent Church that could be recognized by Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople.

On 14 September 2018, Filareto went to the United States. He was received in the Department of State with two special envoys of Bartholomew I, who had just met the President Petro Poroshenko, in Kiev.

He was also received by the former Vice President Joe Biden, with whom he has maintained close relations since 2014. Nowadays, Biden’s son, R. Hunter Biden, sits on the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, the leading Ukrainian company for gas exploration. Philareto has decorated Joe Biden with the Order of St Vladimir, just as he had done with Senator John Mc Cain.

A dispute going way back in time on the Orthodox Church of Macedonia is also in the process of being revived but in a different form: this time the Patriarch of Constantinople refuses to recognize it as long as it used the name of “Macedonia” (which Greece considers to be its exclusively).

Cyril met a Special Synod in Moscow. On 14 September, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to no longer “name” in the prayer, the Patriarch of Constantinople. That it to say, to no longer pray for him. It also decided “to suspend” all “concelebrations” with him, finally, and “to break” all working relations on the matters that they were working on together.

On 19 September, the Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa, Theodore II, called the two parties to reason. A schism is possible.

Translation 
Anoosha Boralessa

Read more:

http://www.voltairenet.org/article203161.html

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The Holy Synod, the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church, has ruled that any further clerical relations with Constantinople are impossible, Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s External Relations Department, told journalists, de facto announcing the breach of relations between the two churches.

“A decision about the full break of relations with the Constantinople Patriarchate has been taken at a Synod meeting” that is currently been held in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, Hilarion said, as cited by TASS.

The move comes days after the Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate decided to eventually grant the so-called autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, thus making the clerical organization, which earlier enjoyed a broad autonomy within the Moscow Patriarchate, fully independent.

The Moscow Patriarchate also said that it would not abide by any decisions taken by Constantinople and related to the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. “All these decisions are unlawful and canonically void,” Hilarion said, adding that “the Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize these decisions and will not follow them.”

At the same time, the Russian Church expressed its hope that “a common sense will prevail” and Constantinople will change its decision. However, it still accused the Ecumenical Patriarch of initiating the “schism.”

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/441323-russian-orthodox-church-ukraine/

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The US branch of the Constantinople Patriarchate is at risk of a split after self-rule was granted to Ukrainian schismatics, a Russian priest in Texas said. One Greek parish has already quit and joined the Russian Church.

The believers in the US “react quite differently” to the January move by Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew to grant Ukraine’s request for its own Orthodox Church independent from Moscow, Archpriest John Whiteford of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad said.

Among the American Greeks there are those who support their Patriarch no matter what he does… Many are confused by those events. But there are voices, which are heard clearly, of those who refuse to accept the actions of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Ukraine.”

One parish in Texas where Whiteford serves at the St. Jonah Church in Spring has already cut ties with Constantinople as the believers there simply can’t agree with Bartholomew’s decision on Ukraine, he said.

“Most of the other representatives of the local churches in North America have clearly expressed their opposition to the stance” taken by Constantinople, the archpriest said.

He also blamed the Constantinople Patriarchate of increasingly deviating from the Orthodox dogma in recent years, including some of its representatives in the US who support same-sex relations. Such a liberal course and the Ukrainian issue may cause a split in the Greek archdiocese in the US and Canada, Whiteford predicted.

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/russia/452867-ukraine-church-us-constantinople/

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The Left in this country [USA] has a serious problem: they don’t want to talk about religion and are particularly allergic to the phrase “Islamic terrorism.”

On Easter Sunday, Catholic churches and international hotels across Sri Lanka were targeted by radical Islamist suicide bombers. In a stunning display of how far the Left’s allergy has spread, former president Barack Obama, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and former HUD secretary Julián Castro all tweeted condolences to “Easter worshippers.”

Hillary’s tweet works overtime to avoid naming a religion, stating: “On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. I’m praying for everyone affected by today’s horrific attacks on Easter worshippers and travelers in Sri Lanka.”

“Holy weekend for many faiths”? The only religions celebrating holidays were Jews (Passover) and Christians (Easter).

“The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka,” Barack Obama tweeted.

“We’re actually called Christians not ‘Easter worshippers’ wouldn’t hurt to maybe just say that,” National Review writer Alexandra DeSantis tweeted, as conservatives throughout the Twitter became incensed over the phrase. Breitbart called the tweets a “sympathy snub” that showed Obama and friends “could not bring themselves to identify the victims of the attacks as ‘Christians.'” A Washington Times op-ed called the phrase anti-Christian.

The backlash was so intense that Slate felt the need to run an article defending the phrase:

“Easter worshippers” describes Christians in church on Easter Sunday. The term is more descriptive than “Christians,” because it conveys the additional fact that the victims were actively celebrating Easter when they were killed. They are worshippers, and it is Easter. If it helps, try putting the emphasis on worshippers in the phrase: It’s Easter worshippers, not Easter-worshippers.

Well, actually no, that’s not how this works. Christians don’t gather in church on the Easter holiday to worship Easter. They gather to worship God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ in particular; hence why the gathered worshippers are called “Christian.”

This phrase fits well with the stunningly illiterate reporting we’ve seen on recent church bombings and attacks. For instance, the New York Times ran a story last week that said a priest had rescued the Crown of Thorns and a small statue of Jesus from the flames of Notre Dame—apparently not realizing that the “Body of Christ” refers to the Catholic sacrament and not a statue.

It’s also possible that this phrase was repeated by so many Democratic politicians because it was created by a public relations firm that works for the Democratic National Committee, like MWWPR. These agencies draft guidance, talking points, speeches, and social media posts. Politicians, with the obvious exception of Donald Trump, rarely post their own original thoughts online. Given that these tweets were posted during the Easter holiday, it seems likely that this was drafted by a PR company with ties to the Democratic Party.

But the biggest takeaway of the phrase “Easter worshippers” is that it is a symptom of a much deeper problem: the Left’s inability to call things what they are.

Read more:

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/easter-worshippers-and-...

I am with TAC in this one, though I am a rabid atheist. Describing Christians as "Easter Worshippers" is a bit as if I said I am a "non-believer on Sundays". 

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Have you ever seen this phrase used in many religious (and some less religious) posters: "Jesus Saves"?

Well, the New York Post pushed the pun with its cover a few days ago after the Notre Dame fire:

I though it was very funny...

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Oh! And remember the Xmas hoolahboolah:

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/31043

Russia’s Patriarch Kirill presented the unity charter to Archbishop John (Renneteau) during a ceremony at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Moscow’s Patriarchate’s largest church. John, who shall remain in charge of the Western European parishes, was previously given the title ‘Archbishop of Dubna’.

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/472469-russian-church-western-europe/

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