Lynn Parish Calls for Removal of Metropolitan Methodios of Boston

The clergy and faithful of St. George's Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, remain adamant that their parish cannot and will not pay an additional $20,000 in dues assessed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and are calling on Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople to remove Metropolitan Methodios (Tournas) from the Metropolis of Boston. More here.

Astoria Monastery Changed to New Calendar

It appears that the formerly Old Calendrist Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovolantou in Astoria, New York, has been switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian since the assumption of its administration by Bishop Ilia (Katre) of Philomelion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When the Monastery was received into the Church of Constantinople as a stavropeghial institution it was with the understanding that it and its dependencies would be free to maintain their traditional life and the traditional calendar, but that is apparently no longer the case (at least in the Monastery itself).

Ukrainian Catholic Primate on Relations with the Moscow Patriarchate

Archbishop Major Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has said that he hopes to put "phantom pains of the past" behind the Church in its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, saying that he believes that the wounds between the two churches can be healed "when [they] heal [their] memory with mutual forgiveness." More here.

OCA Holy Synod Begins Spring Session in Chicago

The Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has began its spring session today in Chicago's Church of Christ the Savior. Please keep it in your prayers as it seeks to clarify the role of the metropolitan in the life of the OCA as a whole and also deal with other issues that have recently arisen in the life of the Church.

Update (3/5/2011): The first day of the Holy Synod's meeting was reportedly "conciliatory and peaceful."

Camelia Shehata Refuses Church's Request to Appear on Egyptian TV

The lawyer of Camelia Shehata has announced that, contrary to the recent statement of the Coptic Orthodox Church, she will not appear on television in the near future, further stating that she lives happily with her husband and son, remains an Orthodox Christian, and does not wish to have such a high profile in Egyptian public life. More here.

Consecration of Bishop Matthias of Chicago

Commenting on the consecration of Bishop Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago this past weekend, the website of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) noted that in addition to all the actively serving hierarchs of the OCA, with the exception of auxiliary Bishop Irineu (Duvlea) of Dearborn Heights, Archbishop Nicolae (Condrea) of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Two Americas also participated in the new bishop's consecration.

In attendance at the consecration as observers were auxiliary Bishops Peter (Lukianoff) of Cleveland of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia's Eparchy of Chicago and Mid-America and Demetrios (Kantzavelos) of Mokissos, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. More here.

Superior of Kiev Caves Lavra Elevated to Rank of Metropolitan

Archbishop Pavel (Lebed) of Vyshhorod, auxiliary to Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev and superior of the Kiev Caves Lavra, was elevated to the rank of metropolitan this past St. Thomas' Sunday with the title "of Vyshhorod and Chernobyl." More here.

Annual Ukrainian Orthodox Pilgrimage to New Jersey

The annual Ukrainian Orthodox pilgrimage to St. Andrew's Memorial Church in South Bound Brook, New Jersey, has once again taken place on St. Thomas' Sunday. The Sunday Liturgy, the main service of the pilgrimage weekend, was concelebrated by Metropolitan Constantine (Buggan) of Irinoupolis, First Hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOCUSA), Archbishop Antony of Hierapolis, and Bishop Daniel (Zelinskyy) of Pamphilon.

Many clergy and laity participated in the pilgrimage, which is hosted by the administrative center of the UOCUSA and St. Andrew's Church, which was built as a memorial to the victims of the government-engineered famine (Holodomor) in Soviet Ukraine. More here.

West Coast HOCNA Petitions to Join Genuine Orthodox in Greece

Metropolitan Moses of Portland and his auxiliary, Bishop Sergios of Loch Lomond, of the 'Holy Orthodox Church of North America' (the HOCNA, a Greek Orthodox Old Calendrist schism from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) have petitioned to be received into the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece, a large Greek Orthodox Old Calendrist synod with a heretofore minor presence in North America. More here.

In his statements on the matter Metropolitan Moses rejected the "gerontocracy" that has ruled the HOCNA since its founding as a jurisdiction effectively governed out of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts. His comments on the issue and his reasons for appealing to the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece for reception into its jurisdiction can be found here.

Australian Catholic Bishop Placed in Early Retirement

Pope Benedict XVI of Rome has placed a Roman Catholic bishop in Australia in early retirement for his support of the ordination of women to the Roman Catholic priesthood and the recognition of mainstream Protestant clergymen in Australia as clergy. More here. Hat tip to Ad Orientem for posting this first!

"Russian Community Calls Austin Home"

The Daily Texan has run an article on an Austin area parish currently pastored by an old internet friend of mine, Hieromonk Aidan (Keller), that can be found here.

Jobs: Upstate New York Camp Counselors, Volunteers

St. Andrew's Camp in Cleveland, New York, is seeking counselors and volunteers to work during its 4-week season this summer. Although an institution of the American Orthodox Diocese of New York and New Jersey the Camp welcomes counselors and volunteers regardless of their jurisdictional affiliation. More here.

"Istanbul Rums Pondering"

A recently published article from the Hurriyet Daily News on Constantinople's dwindling Greek minority and the upcoming Turkish elections can be found here.

Georgia Criticized as Threat to Armenian Cultural Heritage

A noted Armenian artist has singled out Georgia as a greater threat to Armenia's cultural heritage outside its current borders than Turkey, saying that Turkey is obvious in its negative actions, whereas "Georgia acts in secret." More here.

Camelia Shehata to Appear on TV

It has been announced that Camelia Shehata, at the center of a controversy over conversion in Egypt (namely its acceptability when it's to Islam and its illegality when it's not), will appear on television in a few days to (once again) refute claims that she is being held against her will by the Coptic Orthodox Church because of her desire to become a Muslim. More here.

Church to be Consecrated in Northern Idaho

This coming Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers Bishop Joseph (al-Zehlaoui) of Los Angeles of the Antiochian Orthodox Church will consecrate the newly completed Church of the Holy Myrrhbearers in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. More on the upcoming consecration and the parish's history can be found here.

Arsonists Attack Ancient Circassian Church

Arsonists have attempted to burn the ancient Church of St. George near the village of Kosta Khetagurovo in Karachayevo-Cherkessia in southern Russia. Fortunately there was no significant structural damage to the stone church, a remnant of an era in the region's past when it was largely Orthodox Christian (prior to the area's conversion to Islam). More here.

311 Edict of Toleration Commemorated in Bulgaria

Celebrations were held on Bright Saturday in Sofia, Bulgaria, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Toleration, an edict of the Roman Emperors Galerius, St. Constantine, and Licinius that formally ended the persecution Orthodox Christianity in the Roman Empire. The celebrations in Sofia began with a commemorative Paschal Liturgy in the ancient Church of the Holy Wisdom celebrated by seven metropolitans and auxiliary bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. More (in Bulgarian) here.

Bishop of Yeysk Consecrated in Sergiev Posad

On St. Thomas' Sunday Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow and twelve other metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church concelebrated the consecration of Archimandrite Herman (Kamalov) as Bishop of Yeysk and auxiliary of the Eparchy of Yekaterinodar in the Sergiev Posad Lavra's Cathedral of the Dormition. Axios! More (in Russian) here.

Pictured is the newly consecrated Bishop Herman blessing the faithful after the services in Sergiev Posad.

New Poll of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine

A recent poll has shown that of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians 46% self-identify as members of the autonomous Church of Ukraine under the Moscow Patriarchate and 22% self-identify as members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate. More (in Russian) here. Hat tip to Ad Orientem for linking to a reposting of this!

Bishop of Chicago Consecrated and Enthroned

Archimandrite Matthias (Moriak) has been consecrated to the episcopacy and is being enthroned today as Bishop of Chicago and Midwestern America of the American Orthodox Church. Axios!!! A brief biography of our new bishop can be found here.

Photo of the Day: Bishop Matthias of Chicago

The newly consecrated Bishop Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago and Midwestern America. Axios!!!

Egyptian Prosecution Requests Testimony from Camelia Shehata

The Egyptian public prosecution office has requested that Camelia Shehata, a Coptic Orthodox Christian supposedly being kept against her will from converting to Islam (and in actuality in hiding from the assortment of Islamists who would like her to convert to Islam regardless of her feelings on the matter), appear to testify in a case that has been filed against the Coptic Orthodox Church regarding its 'holding' of her. More here.

Malankara Orthodox Metropolitan to Consecrate Seattle Area Church in May

Metropolitan Alexios Mar Eusebius of Stafford and the Southwest American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will be celebrating the consecration of the newly completed temple of St. Thomas the Apostle's Church in Renton (metro Seattle), Washington, this coming 6/7 May. More here.

The Truth Behind "OCA Truth"

OCA News has posted an excellent overview of the authors and motives behind the OCA Truth website.