Category: faith

Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria has denounced the Russian Church as “predatory” for establishing itself in the continent of Africa. There are reasons to criticize the Russian Church which pertain exclusively to the war in Ukraine. The war aside, the ecclesiastical chaos in Orthodoxy has not changed. The Russian Church is still in the right.

When Patriarch Bartholomew recognized the schismatic entity in Ukraine in 2018, Patriarch Theodoros travelled to Ukraine to support the canonical Church under Moscow. Orthodox Christians are not stupid. It is impossible to ignore the complete turnaround by Patriarch Theodoros regarding the Ukrainian Church.

Like Patriarch Bartholomew, the Patriarch of Alexandria has offered no explanations for changing his stance. Until 2018, ALL Orthodox Churches were in full agreement that the synod of Metropolitan Onuphry was the canonical Church. It is impossible not to suspect that there were sinister political and secular motives for the recognition of the schismatic entity by Constantinople and Alexandria.

The Russian Church might want to withdraw from Africa at this point. Not because they were wrong to go there. Because the Russian Church itself which HAD the moral high ground has now lost it because of its failure to condemn the military invasion of Ukraine.

Constantinople, Alexandria, and Moscow are morally compromised by politics. There are twenty four bishops of canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church which refuse to commemorate the Russian Patriarch. Ukraine may very well get its own autocephalous Church but it must be the legitimate Church.

The clergy of the fake Church need to be reordained and reconciled with the real Church. On these terms, autocephaly will become a reality. A solution to the Alexandrian crisis lies in Moscow withdrawing from Africa and the Alexandrian synod opening up its ranks to native Arabs and Africans who make up the faithful of the Church.

Secular politics, Greek, Ukrainian, and Russian need to be separated from the Church of Christ.

Christos Anesti!

Christ is Risen!

It is profoundly disappointing to see that Russia has continued bombing Ukraine into holy week. It is now apparent Russia will bomb Orthodox Ukraine on Pascha. This is the first time an Orthodox country has been bombed on Pascha since 1999 when the Clinton administration bombed Serbia.

There are many of us Greeks who love Russia and who have become disturbed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Over thirty years Russia became a power again to challenge the west’s domination. Politically, I am still sympathetic to Russia but not to the insane war and devastation.

Morality must come before politics. Offensive wars are evil no matter who starts them. Russia had the moral high ground after the American offensive wars in Serbia and Iraq. By invading Ukraine, Russia has forfeited the moral high ground.

The fact that Russia now refuses to stop the war during Pascha does much to discredit the claim that Russia is the defender of Orthodoxy. Politically, Russia is entirely correct in feeling threatened and encircled by NATO. Especially after a history of being invaded.

The moral problem with Russia’s actions has to do with the ordinary citizens of Ukraine. The people of Ukraine are dying and having their homes destroyed. The ordinary Ukrainian is not to blame for NATO or for the actions of the Ukrainian government.

Russia has responded to NATO in a very bad way. Offensive wars and holy wars are not Orthodox. Crusaders are not Orthodox. The Russians need to stop the war immediately. The crucified Christ does not care about politics.

The lord who will rise from the tomb does care about the ordinary citizens of Ukraine. I am a long time believer that Moscow is the third rome (the successor to Byzantium) but that idea is collapsing as long as Moscow continues waging war.

Hagia Sophia: The historic Imperial Gate has been destroyed

The desecration of Hagia Sophia continues. The 1,400 year old gate through which the Christian Emperor used to enter the Great Church has been vandalized. The security guard for Hagia Sophia claims not to know what happened.

This is exactly the type of thing we all feared would happen. The Erdogan government has demonstrated that it is both too fanatical and incompetent to care for Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia was better off under the secular Turks of the Ministry of Culture.

This is an ominous sign. The future of Byzantine iconography is in great danger. The Erdogan government promised that the iconography and other Christian symbols would be maintained. This was a lie.

UNESCO and other art historians must demand that Hagia Sophia become a Museum again. Here is one radical thought. The Greek Orthodox Church should speak up on the grounds of moral, spiritual, and cultural principles. Not just for news headlines.

The Roman Catholic Church has an official stance defining “just wars”. The term “just war” is an oxymoron. No war can be just because innocent people will always be killed in wars. Christians have had to struggle with the subject of war especially in the context of the Gospel in which Christ urges us to turn the other cheek. Christ who was crucified and endured suffering on the cross.

When Constantine legalized Christianity the process of the merger of Church and State began. Christian Emperors found it necessary to wage wars. Some historians have argued that Byzantium had holy wars and have cited the example of Emperor Heraclius who defeated the Persians in 626 AD and liberated the true cross while taking vengeance for the burning of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem earlier on.

Christianity was a factor in the wars of Byzantium but they were not holy. The Emperor was considered the “viceroy of God” and the people of the Empire were Christians. At no time however did the Church bless the wars, but only the Emperor and the soldiers who were Christians.

The Canon of Saint Basil prescribed a period of abstention from communion by Christian soldiers who killed during times of war. This was in recognition of the fact that enemy soldiers were people created in the image of God. Christian soldiers were not murderers but their souls needed to be cleansed and so they were required to abstain from communion for a time.

In the tenth century, acting Emperor Nikephoras Phokas waged war against the Arabs in Syria. The Emperor was fiercely religious and attempted to turn the war into a holy war and asked the Church to declare fallen soldiers to be martyrs. The Patriarch objected to the very idea of holy war and made it clear the wars were on behalf of the Empire, not God.

In the first encounter between the Emperor Alexios of Constantinople and the Knights of the First Crusade, the Greeks were appalled by the pro war fanaticism of the visiting westerners. They made clear that they rejected the very concept of holy war. The Crusaders were looked upon by the Greeks as fanatics and barbarians.

When the Orthodox Church blesses the national struggles (Greek War of Independence, Russia against the Nazis) they are not blessing war. They are blessing the people who are fighting, dying, and suffering against a foreign yoke (Turks, Nazis). The present war in Ukraine has become very troubling.

One of the things the Orthodox East could take pride in is that it was not bloodthirsty like the west. The neoconservative and neo liberal wars (Iraq, Serbia) demonstrate quite clearly that the western political mind still believes in Crusading. A millenium ago it was in the name of Christianity and today in the name of democracy.

Russia remains the bastion of Christianity in the world. But its offensive war in Ukraine is not in accordance with Orthodoxy or Byzantium of which Moscow rightfully considers itself to be the successor. Russia remains the third rome on the basis that it is the largest Orthodox country in the world.

On Ukraine however, Moscow has gone astray. Unlike the 2014 intervention, this war is an offensive one. The Russian Church has lost some credibility owing to Patriarch Kyril’s refusal to condemn the war. There are 282 Russian priests who have condemned the war and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has condemned the war.

A Ukrainian priest has called for the convening of an ecumenical council to rule on the public stances of Patriarch Kyril of Moscow. Such a council will also need to challenge Patriarch Bartholomew’s intervention in Ukraine in 2018. The Russian Patriarch may very well be in the wrong but it should be remembered that Patriarch Bartholomolew blessed the Turkish tanks in 2018 that were sent to Syria to fight the Kurds.

Both Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Elpidophoros of America have aligned themselves with the United States that has made war an essential part of its foreign policy. Have either the Patriarch or the Archbishop condemned the bombings of Serbia, Iraq, or Syria? Have they condemned NATO’s expansion to the Russian border?

Russia may be in the wrong for invading Ukraine but as far as NATO goes the Russians have been placed on the defensive. Politics aside, Christian morality dictates that the lives of Ukrainians come before NATO or Russia. God loves the ordinary people suffering in war and for this reason Russia must end the war.

In the end why is Russia wrong? Because Moscow is acting like a western country in starting an offensive war. Orthodox Christians do not expect much from the West. We expect much more from the great Orthodox civilization of Russia.

Orthodoxy rejects offensive wars, western hypocrisy aside.

Holy Week is about to begin. This year we will be thinking about the blood of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. Men, women, and children who are being bombed by other Orthodox Christians. The unpleasant reality is that Russia invaded Ukraine.

One can recognize the serious offenses by NATO against Russia while condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and all atrocities that accompany it. As a pro Russian Greek, it is disheartening to conclude that Russia is in the wrong.

In 1999, Orthodox Christians condemned the bombing of Serbia on Great and Holy Pascha. This year, an Orthodox Christian leader is bombing an Orthodox country. One can dismiss CNN and the New York Times. For ten years, they have promoted anti Russian hysteria and outright lies such as the election hoax.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (the canonical one) has condemned the Russian invasion and fifteen of its bishops refuse to commemorate Patriarch Kyril of Moscow. The Ukrainian Church cannot be dismissed as promoting western propaganda.

In light of continued Russian bombing of Ukraine on the eve of holy week, it is impossible to avoid blaming Russia for the war and its continuation.

The Orthodox Church is getting attention in the world’s media. It is not getting attention in a good way. The Russian Orthodox Church is getting the attention and this is because Patriarch Kyril of Moscow has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. News sources have made references to the Orthodox Churches that oppose the war.

One has to wonder what ordinary people who have never heard of Orthodoxy think of all this. The Russian Patriarch not condemning war even though his flock in Ukraine is being bombed. The media is also referencing the ongoing fights between Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Kyril.

The Russian Church is beginning to pay a price for its reluctance to condemn the war. Fifteen bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have stopped commemorating Patriarch Kyril during liturgy. There is evidence that the canonical Churches are beginning to join the non canonical “Church” established by Patriarch Bartholomew in 2018. The Russian Patriarch is losing his Church in Ukraine.

“Supporters” of Patriarch Bartholomew have condemned the war and this is correct considering that innocent people are dying. However, they are taking cheap shots and diminishing their moral high ground by using the war to justify Constantinople’s intrusions on the canonical territory of Moscow. The word “supporters” is in italics because both Constantinople and Moscow have supporters as if they were political leaders feuding with one another.

Leaving political sympathies aside (I am a Hellenic Russophile) the issue before all Orthodox Christians is one of morality. From a strictly moral and spiritual perspective the war is sinful and wrong. Russia needs to end the war and the Russian Church has to make clear its opposition to the war.

The Orthodox Church must find its voice. If there is anything the present Ukrainian crisis demonstrates it is that the Church is universal consisting of various local Churches that are its members but the Church can only be one. The Church of Constantinople is one part of the Church and Moscow is another part.

We have seen in the past few years that it is possible for one member of the Church to go astray. This happened to Constantinople when it began to claim universal authority over the whole Church. It is now happening to Moscow which appears to out of touch with its own priests. Over two hundred and eighty Russian priests have condemned the war.

Most Orthodox Churches have condemned the war. It would be better if all the local Churches were able to formulate a common stance against the war at a time when the world is watching the Orthodox Church. Constantinople should not criticize Moscow. Constantinople should adopt a posture of reconciliation and should offer apologies for its intervention in Ukraine.

Moscow in turn should condemn the military invasion of Ukraine. Many of us are tired of the Church becoming divided by factionalism. By taking a moral position against war does not denote being against Russia or being unsympathetic to Russia’s diplomatic and political stances.

The war is distinguishable from politics. The Orthodox Church must remember that morality comes from heaven. Morality over politics. The Orthodox Churches must condemn this war and should refrain from being partisan against one another.

When Orthodox Patriarchs are warring with one another, how can they be a good example to the secular leaders of warring nations?

What an immoral state of affairs in which we commemorate the triumph of Orthodoxy! One Orthodox country has invaded another Orthodox country. Orthodox and other Christians in Ukraine are fleeing the bombs of Orthodox Christians!

When Orthodox Christians are not killing each other, Patriarchs are feuding with one another and denouncing one another. This blog has been critical of Patriarch Bartholomew and it is now time to criticize Patriarch Kyril of Moscow as well. Patriarch Kyril has badly mishandled the Russian Church’s position on the Ukrainian war.

There are certain things that Patriarch Kyril has said that are true about the west’s hostility toward Russia. It was in poor taste to make these points while Ukraine is being bombed. The present inter Orthodox wars bring to mind the destructive and mad policies of the past.

During the fourteenth century Emperor John Cantacuzenos of Constantinople turned to help from the Turks to fight Orthodox Serbs. Greeks and Serbs were at war. The Greek Emperor brought in Turkish mercenaries to the Balkans to fight the Serbs. The Turks did not leave and the Ottoman Turkish conquest of the Balkans was begun.

During the first Balkan War, Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria fought the Turks. The Bulgarians were unhappy with their share of territory and proceeded to attack fellow Orthodox Greeks and Serbs. The Greeks and the Serbs (joined by Romania) got the upper hand. Bulgarians burned Greek Churches and Greeks burned Bulgarian Churches! Orthodox Christians indeed!

On March 12 we commemorate the triumph of the icons and the defeat of the iconoclast heresy. What triumph do we commemorate in the midst of war and inter Church strife? It did not have to be this way.

Exactly thirty years ago, a young and energetic new Patriarch in Constantinople convened a remarkable synaxis at the Patriarchate to commemorate the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The heads of all Orthodox Churches were there except the Archbishop of Cyprus and the Patriarch of the Georgian Church. It was a display of real Orthodox unity coming on the heals of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of Orthodox Churches from the communist yoke.

For the peace of the Church and the world, things seemed promising. Now we see how things have transpired. Wars in Ukraine over the Church have been accompanied by a real military war.

There are three Patriarchs in Orthodoxy today (Constantinople, Alexandria, Moscow) who behave more like politicians than spiritual leaders. Patriarch of Moscow faces a rebellion from the bishops of the canonical Church in Ukraine whose faithful do not wish to hear the name of the Russian commemorated in the liturgy. Greeks should not be throwing stones at the Russian Patriarch.

Patriarch Bartholomew gave his blessing to Turkish troops in 2018 who proceeded to invade the Kurdish regions of Syria. Patriarch Bartholomew in collaboration with the State Department started the Church war in Ukraine. Adding to this chaos, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria has the audacity to condemn the Russian Church for establishing an exarchate in Africa when Alexandria entered into communion with schismatics in Ukraine.

The Church should be a force for morality in peace in the midst of the present war. Instead, Patriarchs are taking partisan political stances by siding with secular authorities. The Orthodox Churches must remember that in our tradition there is no such thing as “Crusades” or “Holy War”. There is no such thing as just war as the Roman Catholics teach.

The Emperor Alexios Comnenos of Constantinople and the members of his Court were critical of the Roman Catholic Crusaders for mixing faith and war. This writer is a Hellenic nationalist and a proud Russophile. At this hour, the Orthodox world should be thinking about the ordinary people in Ukraine.

On the other hand, there are the Russian speakers of Eastern Ukraine who were bombed an harassed for years by Ukrainian fascists. We should be thinking all these people who are created in the image of God. The war must end!

Being opposed to the war does not make one sympathetic to either NATO or the United States. NATO’s expansion and a decade’s worth of anti Russian hate in the media contributed to tensions. At this point, Russia should heed the calls of Orthodox Patriarchs who have appealed to Moscow for an end to the war.

The most important Orthodox bishop in the world right now is his beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev. He is the canonical bishop of Ukraine who along with his clergy and faithful have endured persecution by the schismatic entity for several years. The invasion of Ukraine does not make their plight easier.

The War Must End!

Written on the eve of the Sunday of Orthodoxy 2022

Theodore Karakostas

Orthodoxy in America is divided between various “jurisdictions”. These include the OCA (Orthodox Church in America), Antiochian, Greek, Russian and other Orthodox Churches. According to Canon Law, there must be one bishop or Church in each place.

There are established Orthodox Churches in Russia, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Georgia and elsewhere. There is no reason why there should not be an American Church that unites all Orthodox in America. The Greek Archdiocese has become involved in international politics involving both the State Department and the governments of Greece and Turkey.

The Russians are involved with Russia. Here in America, we can begin to separate the spiritual from the political. Certainly, we can all be supportive of the old countries but the priority of the Church is to evangelize in accordance with the will of Jesus Christ. It really is past time to solve this problem.

At a time when international problems are growing and people are becoming fearful, the voice of God is needed to be heard. All Orthodox should focus on building a united Church in America that will free itself from the political problems afflicting the Churches in the mother lands. We are Orthodox Christians and we should focus now on spiritual matters rather than on factionalism and division.

A united Orthodox Church in America should have been established long ago. It is time for all Orthodox in America to temporarily put Constantinople and Moscow aside and focus on what is happening here. There are souls to be saved and a fight that is looming from the neo pagans and secularists.

Let us reflect. A united Church in America that is fully autocephalous would be in a better position to witness Orthodoxy in America and to help the Orthodox lands that are in so much turmoil and pain.

As a Greek Orthodox in America, I am profoundly uncomfortable with the state of Orthodoxy in the world. Orthodox Russia has invaded Orthodox Ukraine. Invading other countries is wrong regardless of religion. That Ukraine is Orthodox makes this war doubly tragic.

While tension rise between the West and Russia, Orthodox Churches are feuding among each other. Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria has lashed out at the Russian Church for establishing an exarchate in Africa. The Patriarch arrogantly forgets his offense in establishing communion with a schismatic sect on the territory of the Russian Church.

Patriarch Bartholomew without remorse continues arrogantly behaving as if he is not responsible for the greatest schism in Orthodoxy in nearly one thousand years. Patriarch Kyril of Moscow missed the opportunity to speak critically of the war in Ukraine and many bishops of the suffering Ukrainian Church and people have ceased commemorating him.

The Orthodox Churches are behaving badly. They serve as examples to the secular rulers of the world. Patriarch Bartholomew is aligned with Washington and Patriarck Kyril has dangerously aligned himself with the war. In Russia, at least two hundred and seventy two priests have signed a letter calling on President Putin to stop the war.

Orthodox Patriarchs should remember they are supposed to serve Christ first and foremost! Morality is above politics and comes from heaven. Many of us Orthodox seem to have forgotten this in our zeal and our anger at past injustices.

As it stands now, political differences can wait. The Ukrainian people deserve our sympathy and moral support. As the world waits for the politicians to come to the table, the Patriarchs should be an example of how to behave. If the Patriarchs cannot reconcile with one another, why should the politicians of the world?

Morality before politics. Orthodoxy before politics.

Today is Clean Monday in the Orthodox Church. The Great Fast has begun. A great way for the fast to proceed would by for Orthodox Russia to stop bombing Orthodox Ukraine. The Orthodox Churches have already appealed to President Putin to stop the bombing.

New appeals should be made in light of the beginning of Great Lent. Politics should be put aside and consideration should be given to the people of Ukraine and the soldiers of both countries. Russia should stop the war and let negotiations proceed.