(AZ Daily Sun) - Father Patrick Henry Reardon's note to his flock at Chicago's All Saints Orthodox Church was short and simple -- yet a sign of how complicated life is becoming for traditional religious believers.

"Because the State of Illinois, through its legislature and governor's office, has now re-defined marriage, marriage licenses issued by agencies of the State of Illinois will no longer be required (or signed) for weddings here at All Saints in Chicago," he wrote in the parish newsletter.

The key words were "or signed." The veteran priest was convinced that he faced a collision between an ancient sacrament and new political realities that define a civil contract. His goal, he said, was not to "put my people in a tough spot," but to stress that believers now face complications when they get married -- period.

The question priests must ask, when signing marriage licenses, is "whether or not you're acting on behalf of the state when you perform that rite. It's clear as hell to me that this is what a priest is doing," said Reardon, reached by telephone.

"Lay people don't face the sacramental question like a priest. They are trying to obtain the same civil contract and benefits as anyone else and they have to get that from the state. It's two different moral questions."

This is a timely question, as the U.S. Supreme Court nears a crossroads on same-sex marriage. The issue of whether clergy should clip this tie to the state is one that is causing tensions -- not just between doctrinal liberals and conservatives, but also between those with differing views of the theology of marriage and approaches to current political realities.

In a recent LifeWay Research survey, 6 in 10 Americans disagreed with the statement that "marriage should be defined and regulated by the state" and 49 percent agreed that "religious weddings should not be connected to the state's definition and recognition of marriage." However, 71 percent of pastors disagreed with the statement, "Clergy should no longer be involved in the state's licensing of marriage."

At the conservative journal First Things, 444 clergy and lay leaders had, as of earlier this week, signed "The Marriage Pledge," promising: "We will no longer sign government-provided marriage certificates. We will ask couples to seek civil marriage separately from their church-related vows and blessings."

These debates are about "strategy and timing, not ... faithfulness," stressed evangelical activist John Stonestreet, writing at BreakPoint.org. Clergy will know it's time to exit the "civil marriage business" when they are forced out.

"Stay in the game! ... Refuse to render to Caesar authority that does not belong to him," Stonestreet argued. "Get censured! Get sued! Be nice and kind, but firm; keep the witness as long as you can."

The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently wrote that any church that embraces the sexual revolution is "no longer a church of Jesus Christ." Yet a pastor who signs a marriage license is "not affirming the state's definition of marriage," he argued, but bearing witness to "the state's role in recognizing marriage as something that stands before and is foundational to society."

This topic is sure to be discussed as clergy and activists gather in Washington, D.C. for the April 25 March for Marriage. Reardon noted that his church's national leader, while not directly addressing the marriage-license issue, sent a pastoral letter to his bishops, clergy and laypeople noting that marriage debates cannot be avoided.

The upcoming Supreme Court decision could "mark a powerful affirmation of marriage between one man and one woman ... or it can initiate a direction which the Holy Orthodox Church can never embrace," stated Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. "Throughout the history of our faith our Holy Fathers have led the Orthodox laity" to unite to "preserve the faith against heresy from within, and against major threats from societies from without."

At his altar, said Reardon, this means, "I cannot represent the State of Illinois anymore. ... I'm not making a political statement. I'm making a theological statement."

(Hamilton Spectator) - At Hamilton's St. Mari Assyrian Church, parishioners endearingly call George Hashimoto, 13, their "small deacon."

"We're proud of him," says Evette Haddad. "He's unique, so we gave him that little title."

George is the church's "Old Testament Reader." It's a distinguished position requiring investiture by the Assyrian bishop in Toronto — an honour bestowed when George was only seven.

St. Mari's priest, Father Younan Marwan, says George is very smart and was "the youngest in our church in the world, I'm sure, when he started reading."

George, whose mother is Assyrian from Iraq and father is Japanese, has spoken and read Assyrian fluently since an early age.

Assyrian is also known as Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, says Deacon Adnan Barkho. Aramaic is akin to "the old English," he says.

So how does a seven-year-old become an Assyrian reader?

George, now in Grade 8 at St. Anthony Daniel school, says he learned to speak Assyrian at a young age because his lives with his mom — his dad is also Christian, but now lives in Japan. His parents met in Iraq, where many Assyrians in Canada are from.

George, at seven, was in Toronto with his church for a special occasion and participating in afternoon prayers, he says, when the bishop heard him and saw him reading. "He asked me if I would like to dedicate my life to God."

George agreed, starting by becoming the Old Testament Reader every Sunday and on special occasions. His duties now include carrying incense around the congregation.

He enjoys it, he says because "I think of my future … I like serving God (and) I don't just think of this world; I think of the next one, too."

It feels good to help, he adds. And doing the readings helps him, too. "Often during Mass, you feel relaxed and lose all your worries in the world … like the war in the Middle East and (conflict) between ISIS and Christians. A lot of the Christians there are Assyrians."

St. Mari's, which belongs to the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, was established in Hamilton in 1990. It is second largest Assyrian Church of the East parish of the four in Ontario, after Toronto, says Father Marwan.

The Hamilton parish started with 60 to 65 families in the 1990s, using space in St. Thomas Anglican Church on Main Street for masses. In 2000, it bought St. Timothy's Anglican Church on Stone Church Road West and made it Assyrian.

It now has 380 families making up roughly 1,000 parishioners, said Marwan. Many are originally from Iraq, with about 15 to 20 per cent from Syria and about 5 per cent from Iran.

The church is also the only place for Hamilton's Assyrians following the Church of the East to gather as a group, socialize and get to know each other.

(OCA) - Saint Andrew House here was the site of the first Orthodox Church in America Mission School April 20-24, 2015.

As reported earlier, funding for the gathering was made possible through a bequest to the OCA for use in the areas of mission and evangelism.

Twenty-six participants—13 clergy and 13 lay leaders representing nearly every OCA diocese—attended, in addition to faculty members headed by Archpriest Eric G. Tosi, OCA Secretary, who organized and facilitated the event. Classes were taught by a number of clergy instructors with years of collective experience in mission ministry.

Father Eric opened the week with presentations on creating a vision of mission ministry and building a community, drawing on his personal experience as a mission priest in years past, while Archpriest David Rucker, a seasoned missionary in Central America, Alaska and elsewhere, offered a detailed presentation on the Theology of Mission. He drew upon numerous resources and shared some of his experiences in the mission field, emphasizing the centrality of not only become “fishers of men,” but the importance of “knowing one’s fish.”

Building upon these themes, the second day opened with classes taught by Priest John Parker, Chair of the OCA’s Department of Evangelization, and Archpriests Daniel Kovalak, Williamsport, PA, and John Reeves, State College, PA. Father Parker emphasized the importance of evaluating mission communities, sharing examples from his own mission ministry. Father Daniel reviewed a number of principles crucial in mission management, while Father Reeves spoke delved into the critical area of stewardship and finance, based on his years of experience in this field.

His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel and His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, engaged participants in nightly roundtable discussions which offered opportunities for free-ranging questions and reflections.

Wednesday’s program opened with a presentation by Father Reeves on the various challenges faced by mission clergy and their communities, after which Archpriest Dr. Steven Voytovich, Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, spoke in detail of the importance of understanding the elements that make up a healthy parish community. In a second presentation, Father Parker shared insights into the centrality of catechesis in sharing the faith with others.

Archpriest Timothy Hojnicki, Mechanicsburg, PA, opened Thursday’s sessions with a presentation in which he used the mission he serves—Holy Apostles—as a “case study” in Church planting. His media presentation was complimented by a similar “case study” in which Archpriest John Pierce, Tacoma, WA, highlighted mission principles in his experience of revitalizing the historic 100-plus year old community he serves. The central theme of their presentations was that every community—whether a newly planted one or a “seasoned” one in need of revitalization—is, ultimately, a mission community.

The week concluded with a “hands-on” session by Archpriest John Matusiak, Wheaton, IL, who challenged participants to draft realistic and achievable approaches to developing and expanding mission ministries in their respective situations. Emphasizing the importance of evaluating “what is God calling us to do right here, right now, in the circumstances in which we find ourselves, with those whom God has sent us, and with the resources at our disposal,” he invited participants to share their plans for the future. A wide variety of “customized” plans were presented by the participants.

In the closing session, Archbishop Michael and Father Eric presented certificates to all participants, challenging them to share all that they had learned during the week upon their return to their respective parishes.

Reactions from participants were positive across the board.

“It was a truly incredible week, and I returned home energized,” said Matushka Catherine Vitko, McLean, VA. “Father Mark Koczak and I have laid out a plan for the next six months for missions in our Diocese of Washginton, and I plan to offer a workshop in our parish. I realized when I got home how positive and energetic all the participants were—a true joy.”

Father Mark added that “the fellowship was outstanding, and the school offered good information and super stories about missions in the Church today.”

Archpriest Antonio Perdomo, McAllen, TX, observed that “whether we worship at a small or new mission or at a church established many years ago, every member of the Church is called to be a ‘missionary’ because Christ’s commission to “go and tell the world” is intended for everyone. This means that each person is called to become ‘apostolic’ because each Christian ‘is sent’ and becomes a witness, challenged to share the Good News of Christ to the world.”

“The school gathered a diverse group able to worship and share fellowship in a focused and unencumbered setting,” said John Peskey, Helena, MT. “The information that was shared received immediate, positive and constructive feedback, which was invaluable. The week was truly far reaching and joyous, and I hope that this will be the first of many such opportunities.”

Priest David Bozeman, Waxahachie, TX, who attended with his mission parish’s choir director, Reader Daniel Homiak, found “the OCA Mission School to be incredibly rich and inspiring. The information was applicable and the instructors had real experience that was helpful, motivating, and timely.” He said that he came to the school “hoping to find a ‘system’ or ‘program’ for Church growth, but I quickly found that what I really needed was to learn how to be resourceful, using what we have here and now creatively…. Having the two of us from the same mission participate enabled us to compare notes and formulate a real plan for our mission.” Father David was quick to add that “having clergy and lay leaders from across the OCA was helpful in broadening my perspective, especially when I heard about missions in situations that are totally unlike our own. It was a pleasant surprise to see something conceived and carried out in such a rewarding way.”

“In reflecting on the past week and the participants, the single greatest thing I can add is to simply quote 2 Corinthians 8:23: ‘And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ,’” said Priest Steven Hoskings, Clinton, CT. “The program was certainly engrossing and intense with regards to content. What made it manageable, entertaining and enlightening was the sharing, discussion and interactions of the participants.”

Priest Joel Weir, Crawfordsville, IN, wasted no time in “getting out the word” amongst his parishioners at Saint Stephen Church upon his return. “I sent an initial message to my parish Tuesday morning to ‘get the ball rolling’ on our local application of the Mission School, which I found to be very informative, practical, and inspiring. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned and seeing where our local conversations take us.”

The instructors were equally enthusiastic in their evaluation.

“It was exciting to be involved with this worthy project, to be apart of its inception, and then to see it come together in an organized and well done fashion a year later,” said Father Hojnicki. “It gives me great hope to see so many working for the building up of the church and enjoying fellowship with one another all the while. I am thankful to the Holy Synod for allowing this to happen and for being able to participate. May God continue to bless our efforts!”

According to Father Pierce, “One encounters many good ideas in life that when actualized fall short of the vision. This Mission School, on the other hand, proved to be a meaningful and exciting exchange of lessons and examples to further the Apostolic ministry of ‘expanding the Mission.’ I am encouraged about its potential and the impact it will have on our Church in the years to come.”

A photo gallery of the week is available on the OCA web site and Facebook page.

(Fordham) Friday, June 26 – Saturday, June 27, 2015 In 2016, the leaders of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches from around the world will gather at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople/Istanbul for a much discussed and anticipated Council.

This conference is a series of papers, panel discussions, and a research poster competition addressing several themes from the Agenda for the Great and Holy Council:

• Autocephaly and Diaspora
• The Canonical Impediments to Marriage
• Ecumenical Relations
• The Contribution of the Orthodox Church to the Realization of Justice, Freedom, Brotherhood, and Love among Peoples
• Fasting regulations

His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia will present the Florovsky Lecture, the keynote of the conference. A scholar at the University of Oxford who lectures throughout the world, Metropolitan Kallistos resonates equally with laypersons and clerics, on both timeless mysteries and urgent contemporary concerns...

(ideastream) - Today, ideastream concludes its series – “Cleveland Tough: Tales of Survival and Perseverance.” This week, we hear from 48-year-old Carl Cook, a man whose father was a federal judge, and mother was a doctor. But early on, Cook got caught up in gangs, drug addiction, and served time in jail….before turning to a life of helping the poor and homeless.

My name is Carl Cook, I got involved with gangs.

We were called the Alpha Aces, and we used to bang with a gang called the Survivors off St. Clair.

That’s how I kinda got hooked on crack cocaine, uh, heroin. Y’know, we started to sell it, then I started to use it.

On jail time as both a retreat and a performance

I was in the city county jail quite often. The key to survival in prison life is -- and I’ll say it kinda simply -- is wear a mask. We have to be somebody we may not be. We need to have that tough image, and that’s the survival instincts. Got (into) a couple fights, but that’s just territorial stuff...

(AOB) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA has launched a study on Orthodox Parish Life in America. All Orthodox parishes in the US are invited to take part in this study. When completed and published, it will provide a comprehensive picture of Orthodox parishes in 21st century America. The study explores various questions, including engagement of youth and young adults in Church life, usage of social media, and programs run by parishes.

The study is conducted as an online survey, which is to be completed by parish clergy. The survey can be accessed here.

If you are a parish priest and have a few minutes to share your thoughts, suggestions and concerns, please click on the link above and complete the questionnaire. The study is anonymous. The survey does not ask for names of parishes and individual responses will not be shared with anyone. We ask you to share this invitation and the link to the study with your fellow clergy.

We are grateful for your input on this unique study project. If you have questions or comments, contact the Assembly's Research Coordinator, Alexei D. Krindatch at akrindatch@aol.com

(mospat.ru) - On 29 April 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the head of the Armenian Catholic Church, Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia Nerses Bedros XIX.

Taking part in the meeting, which took place at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in St. Daniel stavropegic monastery, were Archbishop Raphael Minassian, ordinary of the Armenian Catholic Church for Armenian, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe; Mgr. Bedros Petrossian, vicar of the Armenian Catholic Church in Russia and rector of the Armenian Catholic parish in Moscow; archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); and hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov). DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Catholicos-Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX greeted each other, saying ‘Christ is Risen!’

The head of the Armenian Catholic Church made a trip to Armenia and currently is visiting Russia. His visit was timed to the centennial of the Armenian genocide. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said: ‘This date reminds us of the tragedy which the Armenian people survived in 1914-15, when over one million and a half of Armenians lost their lives. Such tragedies should not be wiped out from historical memory. If they are forgotten, they can be repeated.’

His Holiness added that Christians are running a terrible risk in the Middle East, North Africa and some other regions. They are being killed only because they are Christians. Speaking about the tragedy in Kessab, His Holiness noted that the Armenians had fallen victim to the extermination of peaceful population. He said, ‘We know about the suffering of our brothers in Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Forty-five churches in the Iraqi city of Mosul had been ruined, and Christians had been either killed, or ousted of the country.’

His Holiness underscored: ‘The tragedy of the Armenian people that happened a century ago makes us to comprehend that today it is also necessary to fight for human rights and religious freedom.

‘The Russians take the destiny of the Armenian people close to heart, as the history of our nations has been closely intertwined; therefore we feel solidarity, mutual love and support.’

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted that the Russian Orthodox Church had maintained good relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church and with the Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia. He wished Catholicos-Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX God’s help in his labours and said: ‘I happened to visit Lebanon and meet with the Catholic Patriarchs. We talked about the hard situation of Christians in the Middle East, and I expressed concern of the Russian Church over the fact of Christians’ leaving the region. We must work together for the sake of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.’

His Holiness Kirill is convinced that current events are an extra incentive for the development of relations among Christians of different nationalities and of common action in defence of their rights.

The head of the Armenian Catholic Church expressed solidarity with position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the situation in the Middle East and in other regions.

He spoke about his participation in the commemorative events and added: ‘If we do not cooperate and work together, the tragedies like the Armenian genocide will continue in the entire world, especially in the Middle East.’

Catholicos-Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX also spoke about the great sacrifice of the Armenians, Russians and other people in the 20th century, and about people who are giving their lives for Christ.

He also noted that Christians in the Middle East looked at Russia as at their defender and the main hope. Catholicos-Patriarch expressed gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for support of the persecuted Christians in the Middle East and in other regions.

MERRILLVILLE (NWI) - Their Sunday finest wasn’t what one would typically see outside a Greek Orthodox cathedral.

Instead of suits and dresses, the men and women who revved their engines at St. Constantine and Helen in Merrillville were more likely to sport leather vests, bandanas or Harley-Davidson T-shirts.

Yet, members of a religious culture steeped in tradition welcomed them warmly Sunday morning for its first annual Bike Blessing and Memorial Ride.

Just as about 50 motorcycles geared up for a 45-minute ride, they received an extra boost from a higher power – with an ethnic twist.

Still handing out Communion bread to regular parishioners after service in the parking lot, the church’s two priests sprinkled holy water and recited prayers in two languages before and as bikers who waited in the parking lot hit the road. We can hope he wasn't dishing out the Eucharist in a parking lot. I'm betting on antidoron.

“God bless you. May you ride with the wind in your hair,” the Rev. Ted Poteres told the crowd.

The ride and the blessing itself – with tickets costing $25 for riders and $10 per passenger – was a church fundraiser, said organizer Tommy Papadopoulos.

Proceeds will fund the purchase of a new sign and assist its Greek school – semi-formal classes that teach the Greek language and culture to descendants of immigrants now well assimilated in the United States.

Papadopoulos estimated it raised about $4,000. They hope to make it a yearly event, he said.

The ride is also in memory of parishioner Larry Papadakis – a mechanic who died suddenly at 66 in January.

His son, Emanuel, 41, said his father emigrated from Greece with very limited English proficiency and eventually opened his Hobart shop in 1974.

The event was a fitting tribute for a man who loved fixing “anything with moving parts,” he said.

Although the blessing was well taken as a way to support a charitable cause, many bikers said they were generally not superstitious when it came to road safety.

“I’ve seen plenty of the results of motorcycle accidents and if I was (sic) superstitious, I would never get near a motorcycle,” said Dan Grzemski, 59, a retired Chicago police officer.

Proper maintenance – keeping the tires properly inflated, lights working, oil changed, wearing proper gear and watching out for road hazards – were the main thing, said Don Hewitt, 62, region director for ABATE of Indiana, a motorcycle safety organization.

Motorcycle blessings like this are fairly common custom for some riders, he said.

Catholic Pope Francis blessed thousands of bikers in St. Peter’s Square to commemorate Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary in 2013, according to the Associated Press.

Following the example of other Greek churches in Chicago who have similar blessings, Poteres said their welcoming was no different than for any of their own members.

“It brings that feeling that you are not alone, that Christ is always with them,” he said.

It goes back to a Greek word – Philoxenia – befriending strangers, Poteres said, “that’s what we have here.”

(GoFundMe) - My name is Fr. Alexis Baldwin. I am the priest at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission in North Augusta, SC. In October of 2014, I was assigned to Holy Resurrection which is home to a small, but dedicated Mission community which continues to spread the Gospel of Christ and work to establish an Orthodox presence in our area.

We have been blessed to have arrived with an already acquired piece of land.

For the first few months, we worked to secure and allot funds for renovation for a little chapel.

One of the aspects we have discovered about our renovations is that our roof is not in great shape. This pre-existing building that is now our chapel needs updating/renovation work for the roof.

Roof renovation would be completed by the same local contractor who completed our initial chapel work. The new roof would be a metal one, instead of the current worn out shingle one. The total cost of completed work is estimated to be $6,000.

As a small mission community of four or so families, we have pulled together $2,000 in building funds. We have nearly enough to give the down payment required to initiate the work. What we are hoping to accomplish with our gofundme project is help to secure the rest of the funding to complete the work.

Lay Sermon by Eugene Rose. May 1965 (Pravmir) - For too many of us, perhaps, the weeks following the radiant Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ are a time of relaxation and even of indulgence; the rigors of the Fast being ended, the body revels while the spirit grows weak. But if this is unfortunately so, it is our own fault and not the fault of the Holy Church; for she never ceases to draw our minds upward and instruct us as to what thoughts and actions are appropriate for Orthodox Christians in this holy season.

Each Sunday after Easter has a special name drawn from the appointed Gospel reading; between Easter and the Ascension there are the Sundays of St. Thomas, of the Myrrh bearers, of the Paralytic, of the Samaritan Woman, of the Blind Man. Another special feast, to which too little attention is usually paid, occurs on the Wednesday of the fourth week after Easter and is called “Mid-Pentecost.” This feast commemorates the event in the life of the Savior when, in the middle of the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, He taught in the Temple concerning His being sent from God and concerning the living water of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which all those who thirst may receive from Him (St. John 7:14-39).

As celebrated by Orthodox Christians, this feast occurs exactly midway between Easter and Pentecost and serves as a link between them. It continues the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection, emphasizing His Divine nature and glory; for it was proper to no one but to God to conquer death. At the same time it reminds us of the approaching Descent of the Holy Spirit and prepares us for it, teaching us to find in Christ our God the Source of life and grace, He Who sends the Holy Spirit (St. John 16:7), and to become ourselves not merely recipients, but even givers of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: “He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (St. John 7:38).

Faith has grown weak in our day, and few live up to this teaching: but even for the weakest there is at least one lesson to be learned from the teaching of this feast of Mid-Pentecost: thirst. Even while feasting on the good things of this earth that are permitted to us in this joyful season, we should yet thirst for what lies above the earth, for the Holy Spirit Whose coming we await even while we enjoy the presence among us of the Risen Lord. Thus we sing in the Troparion of the feast:

Tone VIII

Having come to the middle of the feast,

refresh my thirsty soul with the streams of piety;

for Thou, O Savior, didst say to all:

Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink.

O Christ our God, Source of Life, glory to Thee.

ROME (Crux) — Calls for the creation of “safe havens” for Christians in Iraq and Syria, as well as the creation of an international police force capable of identifying and apprehending the authors of terrorist acts, surfaced at a recent summit of leaders of all Christian churches in the Middle East along with politicians, diplomats, and activists.

On behalf of the region’s suffering minority groups, those leaders say it’s time to “get past the alarm” caused by the rise in anti-Christian violence and start taking concrete measures, warning that a Middle East with few Christians, or none at all, would lose its identity.

The appeal came from a late April conference on Christians in the Middle East held in Bari, Italy, and organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay movement focused on ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue as well as conflict resolution. It brought together prelates from all the major Christian denominations in the region, as well as political and diplomatic figures and activists for minority rights.

Sant’Egidio’s founder, Italian Catholic historian and former government minister Andrea Riccardi, voiced hope that a “Bari roundtable” may become a standing forum for discussing the situation facing Christians in the Middle East.

In terms of concrete action, Riccardi recalled a proposal he launched three years ago to carve out a “Safe Haven” for Christians in the Nineveh Plains, a region of Iraq north and east of the city of Mosul.

It’s an area with a heavy concentration of Christians, and Riccardi has suggested that an international force could secure the area to ensure that it doesn’t become the next ISIS target.

Approximately 30,000 Christians reportedly have since fled the Nineveh Plains for fear of falling into the hands of radical Islamists. According to recent news reports, Iraqi Christians are currently forming their own defense force in the Nineveh Plains, with some 3,000 men having volunteered for training.

Marco Impagliazzo, the president of Sant’Egidio, floated a different idea: the creation of an international police force capable of intervening in emergency situations when minority groups such as Christians are under assault.

As a model, Impagliazzo mentioned UNIFIL, a peacekeeping force under the Italian flag and the United Nations that is currently working in Lebanon.

Also at the Bari gathering, Gregory III, Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, called for “an ecumenical initiative of all Churches, able to work out a peace plan to bring to the common table of the great powers.”

Argentinian Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for Eastern Church, said the indifference and inaction regarding the “true and real dismantling” of the centuries-old coexistence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle East is “a scandal.”

Christians of the region “deserve our solidarity, our gratitude, and every possible support,” Sandri said.

Sandri’s comments came just ahead of a three-day visit to Iraq. Before leaving, he complained that “vested interests” and politics are being put before the lives of the people involved.

“We trust that from deep within their hearts each one of them, leaders and militants, can recognize their blindness … and commit to build rather than to destroy and annihilate,” he said.

British Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, was also among the participants in the summit in Bari. He said that a similar responsibility lies with religious leaders living outside of the region. He called on them to move their faithful to support persecuted minorities, both with prayer and concrete gestures of solidarity, because “Christians in the region feel alone or abandoned.”

Gallagher also called for mechanisms to encourage Muslim-majority countries to address the phenomenon of terrorism in a serious way, including reviewing the teaching delivered in their mosques and schools.

Echoing Pope Francis, Gallagher called for the promotion of peace through diplomacy and by stopping the arms trade.

“What has the path of violence produced other than further destruction, without solving the problems?” he asked.

Catholic cardinals and priests, Patriarchs of Orthodox and Ancient Oriental Churches, as well as politicians and several ambassadors to the Holy See, including the US, Russian, German and British top diplomats, were among those participating in the meeting.

The Christian population in both Iraq and Syria has been in freefall due to constant violence in recent years.

From an estimated 1.5 million Christians living in Iraq before the US invasion in 2003, today fewer than 400,000 remain, with an estimated 200,000 living as refugees in Erbil and Baghdad. The situation in Syria is similar. Before a civil war broke out four years ago, Syria’s 1.8 million Christians represented 10 percent of the total population. Today, at least 500,000 have fled.

(OCN) - His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is hosting the second Halki Summit on “Theology, Ecology, and the Word.” Co-sponsored by Southern New Hampshire University, the summit will be held on the island of Halki from June 8-10, 2015.

Continuing the legacy established by the Ecumenical Patriarchate for over twenty-five years, Halki Summit II follows a series of pioneering ecological initiatives, including eight international symposia (1995-2009) and five summer seminars (1994-1998).

Halki Summit I, “a conversation on environment, ethics and innovation,” was held in June 2012 and featured prominent speakers, such as environmentalists Jane Goodall and Bill McKibben, as well as scientists James Hansen and Amory Lovins.

Halki Summit II will draw distinguished literary and environmental leaders, including Terry Eagleton (literary theorist and critic) and Terry Tempest Williams (poet and author), as well as James Balog (mountaineer and photographer), Raj Patel (author and activist) and Timothy Gorringe (theologian and apiculturist), for an inspiring “conversation on the environment, literature and the arts.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will open the summit on June 8th, while Metropolitan John [Zizioulas] of Pergamon, the most prominent Orthodox spokesman on the environment, will deliver the keynote address.

Reversing climate change and restoring the depletion of the earth’s resources first and foremost require a change in values and beliefs in order for people to incorporate the ethical and spiritual dimensions of environmental sustainability into their lives and practices. Halki Summit II hopes to contribute toward this sacred vision and goal.

For further information on speakers and sessions, visit the Halki Summit II website here.

(STOTS) - This July St. Tikhon’s Monastery and Seminary will open its doors to welcome the PaTRAM Institute for a second intensive workshop for church musicians. This year’s program boasts an exciting collaboration between PaTRAM and Blagovest Bells.

Clinicians:

Vladimir Gorbik – PaTRAM Artistic Director, Choirmaster Moscow Podvorye of Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, Conducting Instructor (joining us virtually from Moscow)

Vladimir Morosan – Founder Musica Russica Rehearsal Technique Instructor, Congregational Singing Lecturer

Benedict Sheehan – Music Instructor St. Tikhon’s Monastery & Seminary, Conducting Instructor, Vocal Instructor

Mark Galperin – General Manager Blagovest Bells, Russian Orthodox Bells Lecturer

Constantine Stade – Bell Installation and Ringing Specialist, Russian Orthodox Bell Ringing Instructor

Training in this program will focus on techniques and materials specifically applicable to small choirs (e.g. from 2 to 8 singers) singing repertoire in English. This includes small ensemble vocal, conducting, and rehearsal techniques. These kinds of ensembles are certainly the norm in most parish situations, and leading and singing in them requires specific skills. Each participant will have the opportunity to be coached personally. Singers will be placed in one of several small ensembles, in which they will receive personal voice coaching in confident, yet sensitive ensemble singing. Conducting applicants, chosen by audition, will have private conducting coaching and will lead the small ensembles in the services that end the program.

Blagovest Bell’s participation in this year’s program will provide the unprecedented opportunity for intensive, one-on-one training in traditional Russian Orthodox bell ringing. Traditional bell ringing is often considered a luxury. However, when St. Innocent Veniaminov— America’s first Orthodox bishop (1840-1868)— traveled Alaska, he had with him a priest, a deacon, a subdeacon, a reader— and a bell ringer. Using the beautiful bells of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, and a mobile set of bells, the guest experts from Blagovest will train participants in the proper setup of Orthodox church bells, traditional ringing techniques, and the canonical peals. Bell ringing participants will also ring the peals in the services that end the program.

Our daily lecture and discussion series will include the fascinating topic of congregational singing. So many church musicians find themselves awash with enthusiastic singers in the congregation, but lacking in highly-trained and committed choir singers. Congregational singing is often the chosen solution to this situation. This year’s lectures will focus on the historical precedent for congregational singing, its efficacy as a liturgical music model, and how and when it is best undertaken. Participants will experience the incorporation of congregational singing in the services at the end of the program.

Participants will enjoy the elegance and convenience of the newly constructed Pioneer Plaza Best Western in nearby Carbondale, Pa. Daily dinners and lectures will be held in the Pioneer Plaza’s ballroom. And guests will enjoy their full breakfast buffet before heading to St. Tikhon’s for rehearsals and coaching.

Tuition costs:

Singers – $250

Conductors – $400

Bell-Ringers – $300

Auditors – $150

Room & Board: $435

Sunday-Friday nights stay at Pioneer Plaza Best Western (double occupancy)

All meals: breakfast buffet at hotel, lunches at St. Tikhon’s during workshop rehearsals, lecture dinners in ballroom, final brunch after Saturday liturgy.

To register follow the link here.

(RNS) - The Vatican formally recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty, finalized on Wednesday.

The treaty, which follows a decision in 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state, is the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state.

Pope Francis is due to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this weekend, when two new saints from the Holy Land will be canonized.

The treaty, not yet signed, makes clear the Holy See has switched its diplomatic relations from the Palestinian Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine.