One hundred and ten years ago, in the trenches of France, British and German troops heard “Silent Night” being sung. It’s not sure which side sang first or heard it first, but a miracle happened: The Tommies and the Jerries cautiously came out of their trenches and exchanged boisterous Christmas greetings. For many who follow […]
Patriarch John X on the Present Situation in Syria
[Editor’s note: This sermon by His Holiness John X, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, was sent to us last week by one of our readers. Due to technical difficulties on the Patriarchate’s end (in Damascus), we weren’t able to access it. This situation has been resolved. Here it is in full]: Sermon of […]
Uneasy is the Head that Wears the Crown
The title for this post comes from Shakespeare’s Henry IV: Part II (Act 3, scene 1). Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude; And in the calmest and most stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king? Then, happy […]
Making Sense of Syria
Not possible. Way too many moving parts (as it were). Sorry to break it to you all but that country is not going to be united any time soon. Or peaceful. Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and as they say “all the king’s men and all the king’s horses couldn’t put him back together […]
An Orthodox Lingua Franca? Or a Neo-Papalist Stalking Horse?
Thanks to Petros (one of our readers), we came across this interesting essay by Fr Georgios Lekkas, a priest in the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Belgium diocese. It’s well-written and erudite. Unfortunately, it proceeds from some faulty premises, which ultimately invalidate, or at the very least, call into question, its arguments. I will critique the most […]
Did the West Walk into a Trap?
Maybe. Possibly. Probably (see the video below). Anyway, this is going to be a long one, lots of twists and turns, with lots of pictures. Full confession: Gail and I have been having a back-and-forth regarding the fall of Damascus. She is of the opinion that this was orchestrated. I took the opposite tack, that […]
Damascus Has Fallen
Ordinarily, Gail and I try not to post any stories on Sundays, especially before Church. Today is an exception. As you may know by now, Islamic rebels have overrun Damascus and forced President Bashir al-Assad to flee. As this post is being written in real time, we still can’t be sure about the situation on […]
The Destruction of Jezebel and Her Minions
30 Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked through a window. 31 Then, as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 And he looked up at the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So two or three […]
The True Pastor of His Flock
I’m speaking of the man pictured to the left, Bishop Ephraim Maalouli of Aleppo. According to Fr Emmanuel Lemelson’s Twitter feed, Syrian jihadists (re: CIA/Mossad cutouts) are threatening to behead His Grace. https://x.com/Lemelson/status/1863722356213973173 “He reportedly responded by courageously saying he was not afraid and would not leave Aleppo or abandon the city’s Christians.” I anxiously […]
The Most Important Election Ever
For months now, both sides have told us that this was most important election in history. I myself have uttered this refrain as well on more than one occasion. Today however, I am going to surprise you by reconsidering my opinion. In other words, I don’t believe that the ’24 election (which was incredibly momentous) […]
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