"Response to Myself"

Fr. Robert Arida, rector of Boston's Holy Trinity Cathedral, has released a reflection on the recent political developments in New York that is worth reading.

"Shades of Grey: The Record of Archbishop Stepinac"

An excellent survey on why many have reservations over the veneration of Roman Catholic Archbishop Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac of Zagreb can be found here. Yes, the biases and past political associations of the author, Srdja Trifkovic, are well known. They do not, however, change Cardinal Stepinac's words or actions, and the article is therefore worth a read.

"Spiritual Charity"

A great article by Fr. Oliver Herbel on the interconnectedness of salvation in Orthodoxy and giving can be found here.

"One Citizenship or Two?"

An excellent article by Fr. Georges Massouh, professor of Islamic studies at Lebanon's Balamand University, on citizenship in the Dar al-Islam (the Islamic world) can be found here.

"When Taking Cover Is Not Enough"

An excellent article by Archimandrite Meletius (Webber), Abbot of St. John of San Francisco's Monastery in Manton, California, on contentiousness and argumentativeness in parish life can be found here.

Russia's Ukrainian Diaspora

An article on the difficult position of the large Ukrainian Diaspora in the Russian Federation, much of which is partially or completely assimilated into the Russian people (check out how many Ukrainian names have been born by government ministers), can be found here.

"Arab Christians and their Rights"

An excellent article explaining the reasoning behind the ancient Orthodox Churches' defense of the Middle Eastern dictatorships they have found themselves in over the last few decades can be found here.

"Despre Botezul în Duhul Sfânt"

A good Romanian-language article on baptism and repentance after baptism (our 'second baptism' in a sense) can be found here.

"Cardinal George Suspends Reverend Pfleger"

This interesting article on an ongoing dispute in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago can be found here.

Particularly of interest to me was the implication that Roman Catholic priests, in this particular archdiocese anyways, only serve 12-year terms as parish rectors to avoid them becoming too close to their parishes (my wording, not the article's). While I can understand a little of why such a policy would be in place, it seems at the same time to be a violation of the historic understanding of the priest as the father of his parish church. There's certainly an unhealthy closeness that can develop, but on the whole one would think it better for a priest to know and be known by his flock. Thoughts? :-)

Hat tip to Ad Orientem for posting this article!

"Muslims Who Venerate St. George"

An interesting article on the annual Turkish Muslim pilgrimage to the Church of St. George on Principo Island in the Marmara can be found here.

"Egypt at a Crossroads"

An interesting article on the current perception of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamism in Egypt and its political future can be found here.

"The Locus and Economy of Community"

An excellent article by Fr. Andrew Damick on globalization and locality can be found here.

"West Virginia Monastic Life"

A lovely article on Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, West Virginia, from West Virginia Public Broadcasting can be found here.

"Theodora"

An interesting survey of the life of St. Theodora, wife of St. Justinian and venerated by the Local Orthodox Churches that accept and reject Chalcedon, can be found here. It has some innaccuracies (for example, the author at one point refers to the controversy over Chalcedon as involving Trinitarian theology, not Christology), but is a good read nonetheless. Enjoy!

"The Holy Spirit as Feminine in Early Syriac Literature"

I finally found an online version of Sebastian Brock's article on the femininity of the Holy Spirit in Syriac, "The Holy Spirit as Feminine in Early Syriac Literature." Enjoy!

Antiochian Orthodox Church in North America Recognizes Monasticism as Necessary in the Church

The opening of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America to monasticism continues this month with an article on the necessity of monasticism in the life of the Church in the archdiocesan magazine The Word, a link to which can be found here.

A Review of "The Popes: A History"

An excellent review by Diarmaid MacCulloch of The Popes: A History can be found here.

Church Attendance in the Russian Diaspora

An interesting article by Archpriest Serafim Gan of St. Seraphim's Church in Sea Cliff, New York, on the issue of declining church attendance in the West can be found here.

"Church Recognizes Growing Need for Mental Health Services"

An interesting article on how mental health issues are dealt with by southern California's Copts (and no doubt by many other communities worldwide) can be found here.

"Fighting Child Marriage in Ethiopia"

An article on the unfortunately rather widespread practice of child marriage in Ethiopia can be found here.