Russian Orthodox Church Plans to Established More Metropolias, Dioceses

In his sermon during his recent visit to Moscow's New Savior Monastery Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke at length on the work of the Russian Orthodox Church in creating new dioceses, noting that it is grounded in the decisions of the All-Russian Council of 1917 and 1918 and done to reestablish the diocesan church as a family known and truly cared for by its shepherd in fact and not only in theory. The patriarch also touched on the All-Russian Council's call for the establishment of regional metropolias to organize and oversee the life of the Russian Orthodox Church at an intermediate level. More (in Russian) here.

Bishop Jovan of Nish Enthroned

Bishop Jovan (Puric) of Nish has been enthroned in his eparchy by Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Pech and twelve other hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church. More here. Bishop Jovan's homily at the enthronement services can be found here.

Patriarch Cyril Calls on Orthodox Christians to Attend to Their Souls

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has called on the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church to transfer their attention from the external beauty of the monasteries and churches to the internal state of their souls, saying that, "We are restoring the external grandeur [of the churches] to raise the bar for our interior spiritual work. Looking at the grandeur and beauty created by the hands of our ancestors, we understand that such greatness and beauty cannot be created from scratch." More (in Russian) here.

Fr. Gerasim Leads Chicago Lenten Seminar

Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel), former abbot of St. Herman's Monastery in Platina, California, led a Lenten seminar at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection in Libertyville, Illinois, earlier this week. Fr. Gerasim, currently a student at St. Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, New York, is widely expected to be the next Bishop of Sitka. More here.

"On Intrigues in the Church"

An excellent sermon delivered by Bishop Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan on the Sunday of Orthodoxy can be found here.

Speech of Metropolitan Elpidophoros at His Consecration

In his homily following his consecration to the episcopacy Metropolitan Elpidophoros () of Brusa laxed eloquent in his praise of Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople, even noting his "[love] of liturgy and of monasticism." This may strike members in the Church of Constantinople as somewhat ironic given the ongoing tensions between Patriarch Bartholomew and Mount Athos, tensions that very nearly prompted Elder Ephraim (Philotheotis) to establish his North American monasteries under the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad rather than the Ecumenical Patriarchate's dioceses on the continent.

Fortunately, Metropolitan Elpidophoros went on to matters more at the core of Patriarch Bartholomew's patriarchate, noting that, "Above and beyond all [in the Patriarch's labors] lies the good of the Phanar, the projection of the ecumenicity of the Throne." In thanking the various delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches, governments, and monasteries assembled for their presence the good metropolitan also overlooked the presence of representatives of the American Orthodox Church (OCA).

A full text of the new metropolitan's speech can be found here.

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Joyous feast! The Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy was established in the Byzantine Rite to commemorate the final restoration of the holy icons in the East Roman Empire. It has since taken on a wider meaning to commemorate the triumph of Orthodoxy over all the heresies that have assailed the Faith since the preaching of the Apostles.

Today's feast is also the third anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla) of New York of thrice blessed memory. More on his life can be found here. Вечная память! May his memory be eternal!

A beautiful sermon on today's feast by Fr. Alexander Schmemann can be found here.

Patriarch Cyril Speaks Against Legalism

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has called on the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church not to turn the Gospel into a system of rules and regulations that associate the Church in the people's mind "with a system of restrictions that...obscure the essence of the divine message." More here.

A Homily on St. Brigid

A lovely sermon about St. Brigid can be found here.

A Homily on Theophany

A Theophany homily by St. Philaret (Vosnesenky) the Confessor of New York can be found here.

"A Letter to the Priest" by Fr. Thomas (Bitar)

A beautiful talk on the priesthood by Archimandrite Thomas (Bitar) of the Douma Monastery in Lebanon to the priests of the Metropolis of Tripoli can be found here.