Saturday, March 31, 2018
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
In Memoriam Metropolitan Iakovos of Pringiponnisos (Princes Island):Hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne Dies in Istanbul
On 28 March 2018 at 3:00 am,His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos of Pringiponnisos (Princes Island,Turkey) departed this life at an Istanbul Hospital after a long illness.He was about 71.His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew served the trisagion memorial service at the Church of St.George in the Patriarchal compound,the Phanar.*
Born in Constantinople,Metropolitan Iakovos (Sofroniadis) attended the Zografio Gymnasium (high school) and subsequently entered Halki Theological School.On 14 September 1969,he was ordained a hierodeacon with the name Iakovos.Upon graduating from Halki in 1970,he was appointed Patriarchal Deacon and Rapporteur (researcher) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.In 1974,he was promoted to Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate.Elected Metropolitan of Laodicea in 1984 and a Hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne in 1994,he was transferred to the Metropolis of Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara,near Istanbul.*
In the course of his career,His Eminence was the author of many articles,studies and speeches in the journals of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.Basically,he was a scholar in residence and was honoured by several Churches,including those of Jeruslaem;Russia;Greece;Romania;and Georgia;as well as many Metropolises and Institutions.In 2011,he was elected Associate Member of the historic Literary Association of Parnassos.He was also conferred with an Honourary Doctorate by the Democritus University of Thrace.
Born in Constantinople,Metropolitan Iakovos (Sofroniadis) attended the Zografio Gymnasium (high school) and subsequently entered Halki Theological School.On 14 September 1969,he was ordained a hierodeacon with the name Iakovos.Upon graduating from Halki in 1970,he was appointed Patriarchal Deacon and Rapporteur (researcher) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.In 1974,he was promoted to Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate.Elected Metropolitan of Laodicea in 1984 and a Hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne in 1994,he was transferred to the Metropolis of Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara,near Istanbul.*
In the course of his career,His Eminence was the author of many articles,studies and speeches in the journals of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.Basically,he was a scholar in residence and was honoured by several Churches,including those of Jeruslaem;Russia;Greece;Romania;and Georgia;as well as many Metropolises and Institutions.In 2011,he was elected Associate Member of the historic Literary Association of Parnassos.He was also conferred with an Honourary Doctorate by the Democritus University of Thrace.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Monday, March 26, 2018
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Princeton Workshop to Address the Thought of Maximus Confessor (580-622 AD)
The Philosopher and Church Father Maximus Confessor was,as a thinker,positioned between Late Antiquity and Byzantium.A workshop at Princeton University by Sotiris Mitralexis,Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the City University of Istanbul and Stanley Seeger Visiting Research Fellow,Hellenic Studies,Princeton,will seek to clarify the implications for Maximus' precise positioning in the intellectual currents of Late Antique Thought,of his apparently inconsistent conception of "intelligible creation."An attempt will be made to ascertain whether the supposed self-contradictions in his concept can be reconciled.*
Professor Mitralexis has a doctorate in Philosophy from Freie University,Berlin (2014) and a doctorate in Theology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2017);as well as a Classics degree from the University of Athens.He is the author of "From Mercy Repose:A Comtemporary Reading of Maximus Confessor's Theory of Time (2017).*
The workshop will take place on 30 March 2018 at 1:30 pm in Room 103 of the Scheide Caldwell House at Princeton University,New Jersey.
Professor Mitralexis has a doctorate in Philosophy from Freie University,Berlin (2014) and a doctorate in Theology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2017);as well as a Classics degree from the University of Athens.He is the author of "From Mercy Repose:A Comtemporary Reading of Maximus Confessor's Theory of Time (2017).*
The workshop will take place on 30 March 2018 at 1:30 pm in Room 103 of the Scheide Caldwell House at Princeton University,New Jersey.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Around a War-torn Region,Part 2:CENTCOM Commander Briefs Congress on the Strategic Road Ahead
US Army General Joseph L. Votel,Commander,US Central Command,continued to brief the House Armed Services Committee on 27 February 2018 on the challenges CENTCOM faces in its massive Area of Responsibility:
We do maintain a constant presence in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,into the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as well,and through our very close partnership with our partners.We have three combined maritime task forces that are led out of our naval headquarters in Bahrain,that include a variety of different nations.I think that this is a very key way for us to maintain our influence and pursue our interests in the CENTCOM maritime environment.*
In the Bab el Mandeb Strait,60-70 ships a day go through it.Mining is a very real threat that we have to pay attention to,using our intelligence and experience to help our partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE to optimise their capabilities.We absolutely do have intelligence assets on the Bab el Mandeb,and I would be very glad to go into the details with you in a different setting.*
In Afghanistan this season,our intention is to grab the initiative,break the stalemate and begin to expand population control in this year and next (the Taliban currently have 12% of the population under their control,while the Afghan government has 64% of the population,and the rest is contested),and then ensure that we create an environment for credible elections to take place.It's one of the most important things that the Afghan people need to see from their government.
It's very clear that the majority of the ISR (Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance) in the region is being provided by the United States.We have the largest concentration of MQ-9s (drones) down at Kandahar Airfield to support General Nicholson and his forces,and that's adequate for what he needs right now;but,given his druthers,I'm sure that he would want more,and so we would want more in all these areas.The faster that we can continue to provide those capabilities,the better.*
I am concerned that these areas in the Southwest of Syria are becoming collection zones of
unsavoury elements,and eventually they will have to be dealt with.I am concerned that these will become bigger problems.In places like Idlib,these groups that have come together do potentially pose long-term challenges for the security of the region,above and beyond Syria,General Votel told the Members of Congress on Capitol Hill last month.
We do maintain a constant presence in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,into the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as well,and through our very close partnership with our partners.We have three combined maritime task forces that are led out of our naval headquarters in Bahrain,that include a variety of different nations.I think that this is a very key way for us to maintain our influence and pursue our interests in the CENTCOM maritime environment.*
In the Bab el Mandeb Strait,60-70 ships a day go through it.Mining is a very real threat that we have to pay attention to,using our intelligence and experience to help our partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE to optimise their capabilities.We absolutely do have intelligence assets on the Bab el Mandeb,and I would be very glad to go into the details with you in a different setting.*
In Afghanistan this season,our intention is to grab the initiative,break the stalemate and begin to expand population control in this year and next (the Taliban currently have 12% of the population under their control,while the Afghan government has 64% of the population,and the rest is contested),and then ensure that we create an environment for credible elections to take place.It's one of the most important things that the Afghan people need to see from their government.
It's very clear that the majority of the ISR (Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance) in the region is being provided by the United States.We have the largest concentration of MQ-9s (drones) down at Kandahar Airfield to support General Nicholson and his forces,and that's adequate for what he needs right now;but,given his druthers,I'm sure that he would want more,and so we would want more in all these areas.The faster that we can continue to provide those capabilities,the better.*
I am concerned that these areas in the Southwest of Syria are becoming collection zones of
unsavoury elements,and eventually they will have to be dealt with.I am concerned that these will become bigger problems.In places like Idlib,these groups that have come together do potentially pose long-term challenges for the security of the region,above and beyond Syria,General Votel told the Members of Congress on Capitol Hill last month.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Friday, March 9, 2018
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Austrian Chancellor Meets with Patriarch Bartholomew - offers support to the Church
On 27 February 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the Orthodox Law (Orthodoxoxengesetz) in Vienna,Austria.Enacted on 23 June,1967,it gave legal status to the Church's ecclesiastical and social activities.Under the law,the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Austria,its parishes and dioceses,which are within the Ecumenical Patriarchate,are given the status of public corporations.The Conference of Orthodox Bishops of Austria,chaired by the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Austria,is given legal recognition as well,including the privilege of commenting on legislation.*
The anniversary events began with Vespers at St.George Greek Orthodox Church in Vienna.The commemoration then moved to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church for speeches on the life of the Orthodox Church in Austria.His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch of Switzerland,Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,brought greetings from His Holiness Pope Francis,who also donated 100,000 euros toward building the first Orthodox Monastery in Austria in honour of the occasion.*
Earlier in the day,Patriarch Bartholomew was received at the Chancellery by His Excellency Sebastian Kurz,Chancellor of Austria.He was accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria.They discussed several topics of relevance to Church and society today,including the respect for religious freedom and human rights;the Ecumenical Patriarchate's role and position in Turkey;the position of the Church in Austria;and the possibilities for supporting the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Austria.They also discussed Austria's assumption of the European Union presidency later this year.Chancellor Kurz said Austria was ready to support the important work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
With some 400,000-450,000 members,the Orthodox Church is the second largest group of Christians in Austria,after the Roman Catholic Church.Besides the Greek Orthodox Metropolis,there are Russian,Serbian,Romainian and Bulgarian Orthodox parishes in the country as well.*
In a tweet,Chancellor Kurz said:
The Orthodox faith community makes a valuable contribution to living together in Austria.Above all,I should like to congratulate you on the 50th anniversary of the Orthodox Law.
The anniversary events began with Vespers at St.George Greek Orthodox Church in Vienna.The commemoration then moved to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church for speeches on the life of the Orthodox Church in Austria.His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch of Switzerland,Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,brought greetings from His Holiness Pope Francis,who also donated 100,000 euros toward building the first Orthodox Monastery in Austria in honour of the occasion.*
Earlier in the day,Patriarch Bartholomew was received at the Chancellery by His Excellency Sebastian Kurz,Chancellor of Austria.He was accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria.They discussed several topics of relevance to Church and society today,including the respect for religious freedom and human rights;the Ecumenical Patriarchate's role and position in Turkey;the position of the Church in Austria;and the possibilities for supporting the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Austria.They also discussed Austria's assumption of the European Union presidency later this year.Chancellor Kurz said Austria was ready to support the important work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
With some 400,000-450,000 members,the Orthodox Church is the second largest group of Christians in Austria,after the Roman Catholic Church.Besides the Greek Orthodox Metropolis,there are Russian,Serbian,Romainian and Bulgarian Orthodox parishes in the country as well.*
In a tweet,Chancellor Kurz said:
The Orthodox faith community makes a valuable contribution to living together in Austria.Above all,I should like to congratulate you on the 50th anniversary of the Orthodox Law.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Friday, March 2, 2018
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