White House Meeting yields action on Human Trafficking

Archbishop Demetrios member of Advisory Council

NEW YORK – On April 9-10, Archbishop Demetrios participated in the meetings of The President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships to which he had been appointed by President Barack Obama. The Archbishop is one of the 15 members of this Council.

The two-day meetings took place at the Eisenhower Executive Building of the White House in Washington, D.C. The purpose was to submit the Council’s Final Report of Recommendations to the President concerning the building of partnerships between the government and faith-based and neighborhood organizations to eradicate modern-day slavery. Comprised by leaders from diverse religious and non-profit backgrounds, the task of the Council was to produce, in the course of several months, a report which addressed issues of human trafficking at home and abroad, that is, the exploitation of children, women and men for compelled labor or sexual exploitation through the use of force, fraud or coercion.

The Council worked in close cooperation with Joshua DuBois, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and his successor in the same Office Melissa Rogers.

The report contains 10 recommendations which, in partnership with the government, will help to combat and eventually eradicate modern-day slavery and bring healing and dignity in the life of those who have been victimized by it. Among the recommendations are the raising of public awareness to the problem, the appropriate education of the public, the sharing of information, the increasing support from the public, and the collaboration with federal agencies and organizations to combat human trafficking.

President Obama met privately with the Council members in the West Wing, and thanked them for their dedication and input in the preparation of the report and its recommendations.
Commenting on the work of the Council, Archbishop Demetrios said: “It has been a great honor indeed to be appointed by President Barack Obama to a Council of such importance, comprised of outstanding religious and civic leaders. The task has been awesome because we had to deal with the tragic condition of slavery in our own times, of human trafficking ruthlessly involving millions of innocent people. Now is the moment of decisive action to eliminate slavery from the face of the earth. Once and for all!”

The final report was officially presented to the representative of the government, Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, for further utilization and incorporation in the policies of the Administration, and it is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/advisory_council_humantrafficking_report.pdf.

For the first time since the Great Schism, Ecumenical Patriarch to attend Pope's inaugural Mass

3/17/2013 - In a historic development, it was announced that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople will attend Pope Francis' installation Mass in Rome, Tuesday, March 19, the first time such an event as taken place since the Great Schism in 1054.

From The Catholic World Report:

The Ecumenical Patriarch will be accompanied by Ioannis Zizioulas, Metropolitan of Pergamon and co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, as well as Tarassios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Argentina, and Gennadios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Italy.

Relations between Catholics and Orthodox have been improving since the Second Vatican Council through mutual visits, acts of friendship and theological dialogue.

Under Benedict XVI, the dialogue picked up in earnest after a lull. In trying to promote it, the pope suggested ways to express the primacy of Peter's successor that could be acceptable to the Orthodox, finding his inspiration from the undivided Church of the first millennium.

Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for Holy and Great Lent 2013‏

Protocol 23/13 - March 18, 2013

Holy and Great Lent

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This prayerful and reflective season of the year, Holy and Great Lent, is a time when we are led to a deeper level of contemplation of our relationship with God as we engage with the great spiritual resources of our Orthodox faith. One of these resources is the witness of the Saints, which guides us in living in repentance, prayer, humility, and love. Through the cherished record of their holy lives and great deeds in the service of Christ, we are inspired by the Saints to draw near to God, to be filled with His power and presence, and to seek above all things, the fulfillment of His will.

Among the Saints are a group of holy people who were called by God to preach repentance, justice, and mercy--the Prophets. During this season of Great Lent, we encounter the message of the Prophets through readings and commemorations, and especially in their role of preaching the restoration and salvation that would come through the Incarnation and Passion of Christ. At the Vespers of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, we sing: “The divinely inspired Prophets preached You in word and honored You in works…. They renounced the whole world for the Gospel’s sake, and in their suffering they were conformed to Your Passion which they had foretold.”

When we examine the message of the Prophets in the context of Great Lent, we find several themes that guide us in examining our lives and our commitment to God. First is a persistent call to be faithful to God as He is faithful to His people. The Prophets were sent by God to the people of Israel to remind them of their covenant relationship with Him. They preached of all of the wondrous things God had done, and chided the people for their unfaithfulness. They condemned immorality and injustice, and called for a return to mercy and holiness.

Second, the message of the Prophets emphasizes our need for repentance and for God’s forgiveness. Over and over again, the Prophets exhorted the people to turn from their sinful ways and seek the forgiveness of God. Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity (Hosea 14:1). They warned of the consequences of forsaking Him, but spoke of the healing that would come through forgiveness. Isaiah proclaimed, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

Third, the Prophets preached about the priority of justice in all relationships. Micah stated, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) These exhortations came at a time when kings and judges, religious leaders and the wealthy were ignoring the plight of those living in suffering, of the poor, the widows and orphans. The Prophets called everyone to turn from greed, selfishness, and the exploitation of the weak to relationships grounded in truth and marked by holiness and righteousness. Isaiah preached, “Learn to do good; Seek justice; Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless; Plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17).

The final theme in the message of the Prophets is one of hope in the restoration of communion with God. Many of the Prophets foretold of great tragedies and struggle that would come because of the sins of the people. But messages of judgment were followed by words of hope. Speaking a promise from the Lord the Prophet Hosea said, “They shall return and dwell beneath My shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom as the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:7). Isaiah proclaimed, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 51:11).

In this holy season of Great Lent, these themes guide us in reflection on our lives and our relationship with God. This season of prayer is a time for us to return to God, to be faithful to Him as He has been to us, and to renew our commitment to follow His will. It is a time of repentance, as we examine our actions, attitudes, and priorities, and approach Him with genuine and contrite hearts, seeking His forgiveness. It is a time to reflect on all our relationships with others and on our responses to human need, and ensure that justice and mercy are shown. Finally, in the midst of serious contemplation, deep repentance, spiritual struggle, and earnest prayer, Great Lent is a time when we keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ. Through His life and Passion, through His presence and offering for our salvation, our hope will be renewed and our joy restored in the light and life of His glorious victory!

With paternal love in Christ,

†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America

Patriarchal Catechetical Homily on the occasion of the beginning of Great Lent‏

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
Prot. No. 240

CATECHETICAL HOMILY
ON THE OCCASION OF THE BEGINNING OF GREAT LENT
† B A R T H O L O M E W

By the Mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
To the Plenitude of the Church

Grace and Peace be with you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ together with our Prayer, Blessing and Forgiveness

Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the Lord,

The holy fathers, who arranged everything in an orderly manner, instituted a period of ascetic discipline and spiritual purification for forty days prior to the great feast of the Lord’s resurrection. This ascetic rule assumes the form of a limitation on foods through fasting, but especially an abstinence from evil. The saintly hymnographer characteristically emphasizes that a genuine and favorable form of fasting for God is the estrangement from wrongdoing, control of the tongue, alienation from anger, separation from evil desires, including gossip, deceit and swearing, restoration of justice, disengagement from passionate thoughts, fervent confession, cleansing of the conscience, “which there can be nothing more difficult,” refraining from “harmful passions, from envy and hatred, indeed from every wickedness,” shunning of “the mind’s perversion,” admission of transgressions. For “the Judge is close, at the door,” and he tries hearts and minds, since “He is everywhere present and fills all things.” (Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete)

The aim of bodily ascesis is the purification of the mind and its concentration on the love of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, as well as on the love of our fellow human beings, which constitutes the evidence that we are disciples of the One who loves them. This love must be tangible, resulting in some sacrifice for them on our part. For love without offering the necessary material and spiritual goods to those whom we love is but an empty word. This is particularly true in our age of great moral and financial crisis, when those of us who can are obliged to offer assistance to our fellow human beings with gladness, love and respect. Only then will our joy in the Lord’s resurrection be complete, when our support for the least of His brothers, our own brothers and sisters, is complete. According to the honorable words of St. Basil the Great, “the man who loves his neighbor as himself possesses no more than his neighbor…thus, as much as your wealth increases, so much does your love decrease” (Homily to the Rich, PG 31.281B).

Unfortunately, the world believes that joy comes from gaining and possessing wealth, glory, positions and other pleasures. “There is nothing worse than a person who does not know how to love.” And “when you see someone who needs physical or spiritual healing, do not say to yourself: I wonder why this person was not healed by anyone. Simply heal that person of his or her illness, and do not seek to lay blame on others. If you anoint that person with the word of your teaching, like the oil of healing, if you cure that person with your good nature, restoring that person’s health with your patience, then that person will become the cause of the greatest treasure for you.” (See St. John Chrysostom, Homily 27 on 2 Corinthians and Homily 8 Against the Jews, PG 61.586-587 and PG 48.932-933). The truth is that the joy and satisfaction from offering love and material goods to our fellow human beings is incomparably greater. The conventional social understanding, which the young generation is taught as the most advantageous way of life, is greed and avarice. However, when such notions prevail, they create social turmoil and ultimately harm even those who acquire excessive wealth at the expense of others. The inevitable social division must be alleviated voluntarily by the offering of those who have to those who do not have, as our Lord explicitly teaches: “Let the person who has two garments give to another who has none” (Luke 3:11). It is only when we perceive our unity with all our fellow human beings, and especially the weak, will we journey through the period of Holy and Great Lent in a godly manner and receive the blessing of Christ.

During this year, which we have declared as “The Year of Global Solidarity,” particularly in light of the serious financial crisis in our world, we must all demonstrate greater concern for the consolation of our brothers and sisters who are deprived of the most elementary resources.

In this way, we shall enter “the arena of virtues that lies before us” in a devout manner and with spiritual progress, we will “enjoy the small coin,” “we will accept the just payment” and we will celebrate with fullness of joy the Holy Resurrection of our Lord, through which “life is truly oriented.” May His Grace and rich Mercy be with you all.

Holy and Great Lent 2013

Your fervent supplicant to God
† B A R T H O L O M E W
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch

OCN Programs for March 11-15

THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK
COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT - THE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO PROGRAM OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
As we prepare for the beginning of Great and Holy Lent, many of us are already answering questions from non-Orthodox friends and family about why we aren't celebrating Easter on the same date this year. How many of us know the answer? Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Department of Religious Education, Tony Vrame, joins us to explain the reason for the difference in dates and to offer some advice on explaining it to others. But first, we'll hear about religious cleansing happening right now in Turkish-occupied Cyprus from Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou.
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THE SOUNDING SOUND OFF
The Sounding is happy to welcome our second OCMC missionary blogger! Meg Photini Engelbach makes her debut with a story from her beginner days, in “Hearing the Voice of God: Reflections on an OCMC Internship” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/missions/international/hearing-the-voice-of-god-reflections-on-an-ocmc-internship.html). Grace Brooks looks back to beginner days of another kind as she ponders “What kind of Lent will I have?” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/orthodoxy-basics/what-kind-of-lent-will-i-have.html). And Deme Mekras shares how his perspective is changing, in “Value of Life” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/culture/value-of-life.html). We hope you will share your own stories of growth and change at www.soundingblog.com or on The Sounding Orthodox Blog Facebook page. We love to hear from you.
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OCN PODCASTS
On Journeys to Orthodoxy, Jeff Burke tells the story of his new beginning, finding Orthodoxy after growing up in a Baptist background. Fr. Athanasios Haros discusses the Great Judgment on Theologically Thinking, helping us better understand the Gospel for Meatfare Sunday. On "Our life in Christ and in America," Host Bill Hinkle continues his conversation with the priest who introduced him and his family to the Orthodox faith back in 1999: Fr. George Livanos, the pastor of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Washington, PA.You won't want to miss this 2nd half of their engaging discussion of politics and faith in America!
Join Roger Hunt for Daily Readings and Remembrances. Each day, we will read the Holy Scriptures and the lives of the Saints. This week featured Saints will include Theophylaktos, Kodratos, Sophronios, and others. Please join us on The Orthodox Christian Network, myocn.net.
On CRTL Greek, Dimitris Karavasilis discusses matters that stem from the parable of the Final Judgment. Matters such as the following: What is Heaven? What are the criteria for people to enter Heaven? What is Hell? Is there such a thing? What are the characteristics of this condition? Is Jesus still among us? Can we meet Him? How can we recognize Him? Does God punish us if we do something wrong? Is the chance of repentance eternal? Join Dimitris to seek for some insight on these matters.
On the pilot episode of Vengan a Recibir la Luz/CRTL Spanish, hosts Fr. Aristidis Arizi and Fr. David Wooten address the question "What is the Orthodox Church?" A Spanish version of "Agni Parthene" and the Gospel Reading of Matthew 22: 2-14 follow. We close with a sermon by Fr. Michael Marcantoni entitled "Preparing Yourself for the Lord's Banquet."
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NEW VIDEO FROM OCN
Look next week for a new video from OCN, responding to Saturday Night Live’s blasphemous parody, “DJesus Uncrossed.”
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WEBINAR
Registration is now open for the upcoming OCN Webinar, “Enriching Our Church School Classrooms.” To see a list of speakers, a schedule for the day, and to register yourself or your parish, visit us at http://www.orthodoxconference.com. See you there!
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THE SHARE THE LIGHT PARTNER COUNT IS UP TO 51!!
Fr. Chris has increased the challenge! Won’t you join us to help attain this year’s goal of 200? With your help and God’s blessings, we are confident that this will be the year that we meet this goal and even surpass it! Our Share the Light Partners support the OCN ministry with donations in the range of $1,000 to $5,000. If you are interested in supporting our OCN outreach ministry at this level, please contact Kathy Chapekis, OCN Annual Giving Coordinator at 954-522-5567.
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DID YOU SHARE THE LIGHT?
Thank you to all the parishes who have participated in this year's OCN - Share the Light Sunday so far. It is not too late to Share the Light if your parish missed out on January 20th. Use the resources at http://www.myocn.net/index.php/Share-the-Light-Sunday.html or invite a staff member from OCN to come visit your parish.
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NEW OCN AMAZON STORE
We have opened a new OCN Amazon store. Visit http://astore.amazon.com/theocnwebstore08-20 to check out the new store, where you can find a wonderful collection of Orthodox books, music, worship supplies, and more!
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WEBCAST
“Prayer” is the topic of this month’s Adult Study Class airing on Sundays at 10:00AM EST starting March 3, 2013 on our website at www.myocn.net. Tune in every Sunday to see the class via video from St. Demetrios in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Each week, we will explore the depths of the Orthodox Faith as we tackle topics of interest to Orthodox Christians and inquirers alike. Visit the Orthodox Study Classes section under Orthodox Video on www.myocn.net to see upcoming class topics and view archived classes.
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FACEBOOK AND TWITTER- Thank you to all of the thousands of you who visit and follow us daily on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orthodox-Christian-Network/84325040329) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/myocn). Look soon to find out more information about new events being planned. It is also a great way to interact with our Executive Director, Fr. Christopher Metropulos, and ask your questions about life and our faith. Check out the “YouTube” buttons on the OCN Facebook Page and The Sounding Orthodox Blog Facebook Page. Watch the OCN YouTube Channel right from Facebook.
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ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsor a program or feature your company on the high-traffic MyOCN.net website during the coming Lenten season. Call 954-522-5567 today.

All programs are available on Internet Radio, Podcast, and On Demand at www.myocn.net.

The Orthodox Christian Network is an official agency of the Assembly of Bishops, and originally commissioned by SCOBA, to create a national, sustainable, and effective media witness for Orthodox Christianity throughout North America. In a constantly changing media landscape, OCN delivers positive, relevant Orthodox content via multiple delivery platforms, reaching today’s internet users via broadcast, podcast, video, blogging, and webinar content. “Come Receive the Light,” OCN’s flagship program hosted by Fr. Christopher Metropulos, is the only nationally syndicated Orthodox Christian radio broadcast. OCN works in direct collaboration with Sister Assembly agencies (e.g., IOCC, OCMC, OCF, OCPM), as well as with various Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and pan-Orthodox, para-church organizations. Our goal is to engage the broader culture of North America with Orthodox Christianity’s rich theological, spiritual, and moral heritage, and to thereby strengthen the Orthodox Church’s witness and contribution to the culture in which we live.

International Herald Tribune reports on 'Minority Rites'

2/28/2013 - The International Herald Tribune recently reported on 'Minority Rites,' by Andrew Finkel, concerning the forcibly shut-down Halki Seminary on Heybeliada Island.

The International Herald Tribune, part of The New York Times, is an international newspaper printed at 38 sites throughout the world and for sale in more than 160 countries and territories.

Minority Rites
2/27/2013
By Andrew Finkel

Read this article on the International Herald Tribune website »

ISTANBUL -- The Princes' Islands are a chain of volcanic droplets off the coast of Istanbul, famous for their grand Palladian-style wooden summer homes and sweet-smelling pine woods. From one of the hilltops of the second-largest, Heybeliada, "the saddle-bagged" island, the view across the water is of a metropolis in motion, growing higher and wider, eating into more and more green space every year. But on Heybeliada itself, the only distractions are the squawk of seagulls and the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages (no cars allowed). There, it is easy to imagine that time has stood still.

In a way, history has indeed been frozen on Heybeliada since 1971. This was the year when the Turkish government imposed a form of martial law and shut down educational institutions not under state control. The hilltop seminary, the Holy Theological School of Halki, which had since the mid-19th century trained generation after generation of Greek Orthodox priests, was closed. Later, some of its land was confiscated.

The rest of Turkey has changed a lot in the intervening years. In 1999, twin earthquakes on either side of the Aegean Sea produced a rapprochement between Turks and Greeks, and much longstanding bitterness -- the result of earlier conflicts in the Aegean and in Cyprus -- dissipated.

Turkey no longer argues that it should limit the rights of Turkish citizens who are Greek Orthodox, tit-for-tat, because the Greek government does the same. In any event, Athens has ceded far more rights to the Turkish Muslims of Thrace, lifting restrictions on the sale and repair of property.

But the Halki seminary remains closed.

Meanwhile, the die-hard, anti-Greek stance of Turkish officialdom has softened. Turkish courts have started returning land that had been seized -- illegally, they say -- from non-Muslim religious foundations, including land around the Halki seminary and the Greek Orthodox orphanage on the hilltop of the next island.

The Turkish government itself seems eager to improve relations with the 3,000 Greek Orthodox and other non-Muslims who live in Turkey and their powerful lobbyists abroad. The Turkish foreign minister and minister of education say that Halki should reopen; the United States and the European Commission regularly push for the same.

And yet the Halki seminary remains closed.

Why? I think the explanation has nothing to do with vestigial resentment between Turks and Greeks and everything to do with the government's care not to alienate mainstream Islam.

The problem with reopening the Halki seminary is that if Greek Orthodox priests are allowed to be trained there again, in an institution outside the state's control, the Turkish government could come under pressure to extend that right to Muslims.

The current government very much represents the Sunni mainstream. Last week Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the halls where Alevis -- Turkey's Shiites and 15 percent of the population -- congregate are mere cultural centers, not places of worship.

The implication is that real Muslims pray in mosques and under the government's watchful eyes, like those of the powerful and well-funded Presidency of Religious Affairs, which licenses after-school Koranic courses, administers Turkey's quota for sending pilgrims on the hajj and pays the clerics who prepare the weekly sermon.

Turkey, formally a secular democracy, may want to become more liberal toward its religious minorities, but not at the risk of tolerating more diversity within the Muslim mainstream.

And so the Halki seminary remains closed.

Andrew Finkel has been a foreign correspondent in Istanbul for over 20 years, as well as a columnist for Turkish-language newspapers. He is the author of the book "Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know."

OCN Programs for February 25 - March 1

THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK
COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT - THE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO PROGRAM OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
Have you ever wondered why Orthodox Christians ask the Saints for intercession? Or why we pray for the forgiveness and salvation of those who have already passed away? On this week's program, Dr. David C. Ford, a professor of church history at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary, explains why these practices are Biblical and fully part of the ancient Christian faith. Also, Dr. Maria Khoury is an Orthodox Christian who has lived with her husband for almost 18 years in the Palestinian occupied territory and talks with us about their day-to-day struggles in that part of the Holy Land.
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THE SOUNDING SOUND OFF
One of our bloggers, Dr. Maria Khoury, is a guest on this week’s “Come Receive the Light” radio program. She’s also sharing her thoughts as she returns to the Holy Land, in “How is Your Spiritual GPS?” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/missions/international/cloud-of-witnesses/how-is-your-spiritual-gps.html) Chrissi Hart shares her feelings about a book of letters her husband wrote to their son, in “Letters from Your Father” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/home-and-family/parenting/letters-from-your-father.html). And Fr. Lawrence Farley takes on Mars Hill in “Schlock Sells: A review of Rob Bell’s best-seller ‘Love Wins’” (http://www.soundingblog.com/index.php/culture/book-reviews/schlock-sells-a-review-of-rob-bells-best-seller-love-wins.html). Visit us early and often at www.soundingblog.com or share your thoughts on The Sounding Orthodox Blog Facebook page. We’re here every day!
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OCN PODCASTS
On Theologically Thinking, Fr. Stanley Harakas points us toward Lent through a presentation on the Sundays approaching the Fast, starting with this Sunday, the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican. On Journeys to Orthodoxy, we hear the story of Ron Moore, who found the True Faith and has shared it with the World.
Join Roger Hunt for Daily Readings and Remembrances. Each day, we will read the Holy Scriptures and the lives of the Saints. This week featured Saints will include Timothy the Righteous, Leo, Bishop of Catania; Polycarp; and others.
On CRTL Greek, Dimitris Karavasilis discusses the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. This Sunday is the beginning of the Triodion. Our Orthodox Church has placed this parable in the beginning of this period to help us realize that we can not approach Easter without first cultivating good motives, giving life to the forgotten virtues of our faith. Pride and Humility are the main concerns of this parable. The discussion in this week’s program will contribute to focusing on our own attitude towards God, people, and ourselves.
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TRAVEL WITH OCN
A JOURNEY OF FAITH - PILGRIMAGE TO TURKEY - OCN, Rev. Dr. Christopher Metropulos, and Rev. Dr. Steven Zorzos are hosting a pilgrimage to Turkey: Constantinople-Cappadocia-Smyrni from May 22-31, 2013! For 9 days and 7 nights, visit the 17th century Ecumenical Patriarchate, where you will bear witness to its solemn existence, spiritual strength, and religious devotion. Look for more details on www.myocn.net, and also watch for a travel blog during the pilgrimage. Call Cloud Tours for trip details – 718-721-3808. DEADLINE has been extended! Sign up TODAY!
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THE SHARE THE LIGHT PARTNER COUNT IS UP TO 48!!
Fr. Chris has increased the challenge! Won’t you join us to help attain this year’s goal of 200? With your help and God’s blessings, we are confident that this will be the year that we meet this goal and even surpass it! Our Share the Light Partners support the OCN ministry with donations in the range of $1,000 to $5,000. If you are interested in supporting our OCN outreach ministry at this level, please contact Kathy Chapekis, OCN Annual Giving Coordinator at 954-522-5567.
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DID YOU SHARE THE LIGHT?
Thank you to all the parishes who have participated in this year's OCN - Share the Light Sunday so far. It is not too late to Share the Light if your parish missed out on January 20th. Use the resources at http://www.myocn.net/index.php/Share-the-Light-Sunday.html or invite a staff member from OCN to come visit your parish.
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ST. DEMETRIOS ORATORICAL FESTIVAL
The oratorical Festival, an opportunity for our students to express their thoughts about their faith through oration, will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2013. The festival is held annually in the spring and topics vary from Church life to what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. Each participant offers a speech on his or her related topic at the local level. Finalists, based on results, may proceed to the National Festival.
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NEW OCN AMAZON STORE
We have opened a new OCN Amazon store. Visit http://astore.amazon.com/theocnwebstore08-20 to check out the new store, where you can find a wonderful collection of Orthodox books, music, worship supplies, and more!
******************
WEBINAR
Registration is now open for the upcoming OCN Webinar, “Enriching Our Church School Classrooms.” To see a list of speakers, a schedule for the day, and to register yourself or your parish, visit us at http://www.orthodoxconference.com. See you there!
******************
WEBCAST
“Prayer” is the topic of this month’s Adult Study Class airing on Sundays at 10:00AM EST starting February 24, 2013 on our website at www.myocn.net. Tune in every Sunday to see the class via video from St. Demetrios in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Each week, we will explore the depths of the Orthodox Faith as we tackle topics of interest to Orthodox Christians and inquirers alike. Visit the Orthodox Study Classes section under Orthodox Video on www.myocn.net to see upcoming class topics and view archived classes.
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FACEBOOK AND TWITTER- Thank you to all of the thousands of you who visit and follow us daily on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orthodox-Christian-Network/84325040329) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/myocn). Look soon to find out more information about new events being planned. It is also a great way to interact with our Executive Director, Fr. Christopher Metropulos, and ask your questions about life and our faith. Check out the “YouTube” buttons on the OCN Facebook Page and The Sounding Orthodox Blog Facebook Page. Watch the OCN YouTube Channel right from Facebook.
******************
ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsor a program or feature your company on the high-traffic MyOCN.net website during the coming Lenten season. Call 954-522-5567 today.

All programs are available on Internet Radio, Podcast, and On Demand at www.myocn.net.

The Orthodox Christian Network is an official agency of the Assembly of Bishops, and originally commissioned by SCOBA, to create a national, sustainable, and effective media witness for Orthodox Christianity throughout North America. In a constantly changing media landscape, OCN delivers positive, relevant Orthodox content via multiple delivery platforms, reaching today’s internet users via broadcast, podcast, video, blogging, and webinar content. “Come Receive the Light,” OCN’s flagship program hosted by Fr. Christopher Metropulos, is the only nationally syndicated Orthodox Christian radio broadcast. OCN works in direct collaboration with Sister Assembly agencies (e.g., IOCC, OCMC, OCF, OCPM), as well as with various Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and pan-Orthodox, para-church organizations. Our goal is to engage the broader culture of North America with Orthodox Christianity’s rich theological, spiritual, and moral heritage, and to thereby strengthen the Orthodox Church’s witness and contribution to the culture in which we live.

Today's Zaman reports on 'Patriarch Bartholomew found out about commission on Halki through media'

Today's Zaman newspaper recently reported on 'Patriarch Bartholomew found out about commission on Halki through media'. Today's Zaman is one of two English-language dailies based in Turkey and reports on domestic and international coverage. The published article can be read in its entirety below or on the Today's Zaman website.

Patriarch Bartholomew found out about commission on Halki through media

2/17/2013 - Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul has said he learned that a special commission was set up to decide the fate of the Halki Seminary, which has been closed for more than four decades, from newspapers.

The patriarch, referred to as the Fener Rum patriarch in the Turkish press because authorities find the word "ecumenical" politically threatening, spoke to the Milliyet daily in an interview published on Sunday. Bartholomew commented on developments regarding the Halki Seminary, which was established in 1844 on the island of Heybeliada. The seminary was closed in 1971 under a law that put religious and military training under state control.

It was the only school where Turkey's Greek minority educated clergy. The theological school once trained generations of Greek Orthodox leaders, including Patriarch Bartholomew, who is one of its 900 graduates.

Civil society groups have long been arguing that it was closed unlawfully and that its reopening will require political will to bypass obstacles from anti-EU groups in Turkey, but steps in that direction have so far been slow.

Bartholomew said: "We are very sorry about this. It is not easy to understand how a house of knowledge can remain shut for 42 years in a modern Turkey." He said the Patriarchate had been given false hopes many times about a possible re-opening of the school. "Recently, we read in the Hurriyet daily that a new commission was established, but we are learning about this from the media. There is no representative of the Patriarchate on this commission. It is as if we are not a party relevant to this issue."

He said of the Halki Seminary: "[Mustafa Kemal] Ataturk didn't shut it down, nor did [Ismet] Inonu or [Adnan] Menderes. It was shut down in 1971 [the year of the March 12 military coup] when there was a politically extraordinary situation in Ankara. And we have been given false hopes so many times since that day. We have been waiting for our school to reopen for 42 years. Where is our school? Where is our freedom of religion? Where is our freedom of education? Where are human rights? Where is [the Treaty of] Lausanne?" The patriarch said that the Lausanne Treaty clearly states that non-Muslim minorities in Turkey can open schools providing religious education using their own funds. He also noted, "We don't want a new school, we just want our school to start operating again."

The patriarch also commented on preparations to open a new Greek School on Gokceada (Imbros), an island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Canakkale province. The Ministry of Education last month gave permission to the Greek community of the island to open a primary school on Gokceada. He also said it was good news that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered Turkish citizenship to a number of archbishops in 2009, allowing all these individuals to participate in patriarchal elections.

"We are grateful to our prime minister. But the other issues that I have talked about are wearing us out, saddening us. This is also creating an impression that we are second-class citizens. For example, ambassadors, foreign prime ministers and presidents come to visit [the Patriarchate] and they enquire about our situation. When we explain to them the facts, they find it hard to understand. I don't want to put Turkey down, I tell them the facts just like I am telling them now."

He also said there was a time when the Foreign Ministry tried to block visits from foreign delegations to the Patriarchate.

Pope Benedict XVI exits on his own terms

WASHINGTON BUREAU: Terry Mattingly's religion column for 2/13/13.

In the spring of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI stopped in Aquila, Italy, to pray at the shrine of St. Celestine V.

The pope left his pallium -- a wool garment that resembles a yoke, symbolizing bonds between a shepherd and his flock -- on this medieval pope's tomb. Then, 15 months later, he visited a cathedral outside Rome to pray before the relics, once again, of St. Celestine V.

Few noticed Benedict's actions. So who was this saint? He was the elderly priest who, "somewhat against his will," was elected pope in 1294, noted theologian Scott Hahn of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Before long, Pope Celestine V issued a decree allowing occupants of St. Peter's throne to step down -- a step he then proceeded to take.

Looking back, it appears Benedict's visit to shrines honoring this particular pope were "probably more than pious acts," noted Hahn, on his Facebook page. "More likely, they were profound and symbolic gestures of a very personal nature, which conveyed a message that a pope can hardly deliver any other way."

This was a message consistent with the 86-year-old pope's stunning announcement this week -- days before the start of Lent -- that he would end his eight-year papacy on Feb. 28. Although it has been seven centuries since the voluntary resignation of a pope, this option remains in canon law and was affirmed by Pope Paul VI in 1975 and the Blessed John Paul II in 1996.

Benedict said he was thinking about the future of the papacy, not the past: "In today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

The Vatican Press Office noted these words were consistent with his thoughts in the 2010 book, "Light of the World." While it would be wrong to flee in times of trouble, Benedict said: "When a Pope realizes clearly that he is no longer physically, mentally, and spiritually capable of carrying out his role, then there is legally the possibility, and also the obligation, to resign."

Vatican leaders are planning for the election of a pope by Easter, thus creating a whirlwind of activity. Reactions, so far, have included:
* Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert -- an active Catholic -- quipped that "popes don't quit. God has a way of telling popes when it's time to retire. It's called death." Father James Martin, a Jesuit known as The Colbert Report chaplain, later tweeted that he should have told the comedian, "Pope Benedict XVI is raising the bar when it comes to giving things up for Lent."
* On the far doctrinal left, Catholics United noted: "The Catholic church hierarchy has been seen as an institution overly focused on issues of human sexuality, such as opposition to access to birth control and marriage equality. ... The next pope has a unique opportunity to radically shift the agenda of the church."
* Among journalists, "The Fix" blogger Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post tweeted: "Pope Benedict, following Sarah Palin's lead, resigns."
* This pope's departure drew several tributes from Protestant conservatives. Benedict reminded the world that humans are not mere machines, "collections of nerve endings, that spark with sensation when rubbed together," noted theologian Russell Moore of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The pope defended Down syndrome babies and Alzheimer's patients, as well as those "society wants to dehumanize with language: 'embryo,' 'fetus,' 'anchor baby,' 'illegal alien,' 'collateral damage,' and so on."
* Strategically, the key is that Benedict's "out of the blue" decision will do much to prevent the months or even years of political maneuvering that precede papal elections, wrote Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answer. It also helps that Benedict did not act in response to calls for his retirement, such as the campaign aimed at John Paul II.

At the same time, he noted, "advancing medical technology means increasingly long life spans with a longer period of frail health. ... Unless we get really wizard regenerative medical technology really soon, we're likely to have more popes in that kind of situation, and thus there are likely to be more resignations in the future."

Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Issues Statement at the Announcement of the Retirement of Pope Benedict XVI

NEW YORK – Upon being informed on the way to his native island of Imvros of the imminent retirement of Pope Benedict from the Petrine Throne of Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued a formal declaration and personal statement to the media, responding with sadness to the news. His All-Holiness closely cooperated with the Pope during the tenure of Pope Benedict, issuing joint statements on contemporary problems facing humanity and realizing official exchange visits, but above all resuming in 2007 the conversations of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches (established in 1980 and interrupted in 2000). His Holiness Pope Benedict accepted a formal invitation from His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to visit the Phanar in November, 2006, on the occasion of the Patronal Feast of the Church of Constantinople. He also invited the Ecumenical Patriarch to deliver the only address by an ecumenical leader during the official celebrations in St. Peter’s Square for the 50th Anniversary since the opening of the 2nd Vatican Council in October, 2012. Below is the text of the formal statement by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Statement by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew At the Announcement of the Retirement of Benedict XVI, Pope of Rome
(February 11, 2013)

It is with regret that we have learned of the decision by His Holiness Pope Benedict to retire from his Throne, because with his wisdom and experience he could have provided much more to the Church and the world.

Pope Benedict leaves an indelible mark on the life and history of the Roman Catholic Church, sealed not only by his brief papacy, but also by his broad and longstanding contribution as a theologian and hierarch of his Church, as well as his universally acknowledged prestige.

His writings will long speak of his deep theological understanding, through his knowledge of the Fathers of the undivided Church, his familiarity with contemporary reality, and his keen interest in the problems of humankind.

We Orthodox will always honor him as a friend of our Church and a faithful servant of the sacred proposition for the union of all. Moreover, we shall rejoice upon learning of his sound health and the productivity of his theological work.

Personally, we remember with emotion his visit to the See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate over six years ago, together with the numerous encounters and excellent cooperation, which we enjoyed throughout the duration of his primatial ministry.

From the Phanar, we pray that the Lord will manifest his worthy successor as the head of the sister Church of Rome, and that we may also continue with this successor on our common journey toward the unity of all unto the glory of God.