The Shepherd, September 2008
METROPOLITAN KALLISTOS
AT THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE
HIS EMINENCE, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, one of the most widely known and erudite Orthodox spokesmen in this country, was an Ecumenical Observer at the Lambeth Conference earlier in the Summer. Afterwards he was interviewed by Fr. George Westhaver, and the interview published on the Catholic/Orthodox/Anglican Caucus website: <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2056476/posts> His Eminence's comments and apparent equivocations have caused widespread concern among many Orthodox Christians of every stripe. More soberly apprising the comments than many others, who have condemned the Metropolitan in unrestrained terms, one commentator in America has written: “However, with all of the equivocations, one can see that ‘world Orthodoxy’ is willing to explore everything from homosexuality to a new ‘image of the Church’ within a ‘modern context.’ What is amazing is the inability to separate the world from the Church. Like everyone, I also see the changes in values around me, and I accept them. Homosexuals have their social and political rights. I cannot argue against that. Nor, unless they ask me for spiritual counselling, will I criticize what they choose as their view of human sexuality and life. There are also other churches and religions and many images of Christian truth. I acknowledge that, respect it, and recognize it. But that does not mean that I do not adhere to Orthodox views of homosexuality, marriage, the Church, and Truth, or that I do not believe in them as right and correct to the exclusion of ‘modern’ ideas.… When, in the name of being nice and accommodating everyone and everything (and Metropolitan Kallistos really is a good man with good intentions but very wrong ideas, it seems), we forget that Christ and his example is the image of a true human; that Orthodoxy is the criterion of Christianity; that Holy Tradition and the Fathers serve as our guides in antiquity, in the present day, and in the future; and that we are called to the One Body of Christ which is Orthodoxy and certainly not to an artificial Body created by ecumenism and apostasy from the Church -- when we forget these things, we abandon everything that the Bible and our Faith teach.”
BYZANTINE CHANT IN RUSSIA
A POSTING from “Mospat.ru” (26/8/08) states: “Byzantine chants will soon be heard in a convent in the Urals: the nuns have been studying them under the guidance of a protopsaltes from Greece. In the churches of Ekaterinburg’s New-Tikhvin convent, there will soon be heard Byzantine melodies. The sisters of the nunnery are studying the Byzantine tradition under the guidance of the protopsaltes Emmanuel Giannopoulos, professor of the Athens conservatory, as the press service of the Moscow Patriarchate stated. ‘According to the monastery’s rule, in our churches we sing the chants of the ancient traditions,’ said the monastery’s choir director, Mother Judith. ‘The ancient chants create a special feeling: one of piety and prayer. We study them according to the manuscripts, and recreate and sing them at church services. Up till now, we had studied, for the most part, the ancient Russian melodies.’ Professor E. Giannopoulos is teaching the nuns the history and theory of Byzantine music, and the reading of Byzantine neumatic notation (special signs in which the Byzantine melodies were committed to writing), and practical studies in singing. The course will continue for ten days.”
THE HAITIAN MISSION & THE HURRICANE
A PARISHIONER from Haiti addressed the following letter to Archpriest Gregory Williams, who directs the Mission there, under the omophorion of His Grace Bishop Andronik: “We have just finished the service for the Martyrs Florus & Laurus [18th / 31st August]. In this service, we had much for which to thank our God, for His love for us, for, compared with others struck by hurricane Gustav (some of whom had their houses entirely carried off, as well as livestock), we were spared. For that, we give great thanks to God, and beg him to bring help for those so stricken. The hurricane battered us for three days, from Tuesday till Thursday. Fortunately, it began in the morning [rather than during the night, as with our last big storm]. I had to go out at once to St. Augustine’s to open the barrier [which, together with the cloture wall, can act as a dam]; lots of wind and water! Our plants and gardens were devastated (especially the banane (sic) trees). Elsewhere, water rose into the houses, the roads were devastated, even completely cut in some zones. Much destruction in the country (with losses of life at Cayes Jacmel, Jacmel proper, and throughout the zone). The sign for the church & school [at the highway] was destroyed, and some of the stored cement [for construction underway] got wet. Now we’re struggling to hang on and return to some kind of normal life, in the Lord. Life in Haiti is always difficult; now, much worse. Still, Papa, we’re here and struggling to begin life again. It’s an endless re-commencement -- especially for our farmers.” We ask the faithful to pray for and support this struggling mission, working in the most difficult of circumstances.
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