®Monomakhos

The True Pastor of His Flock

by

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 await for “the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians” to condemn this action.  For that matter, it would be nice if the Episcopal Assembly of the United States criticized our own  government; after all, the Islamist forces that are perpetrating this outrage (as well as others in the past) are funded by the CIA, Mossad and Turkey.

Erdogan, the wily “Sultan” as always, is playing a double game.  Why do I say this?  For one thing, the Islamic world looks to Turkey, the most powerful Muslim country to chasten Israel for its treatment of the Gazans.  Unfortunately, he’s an Israeli stooge, providing Israel with oil stolen from the American-controlled region of Syria.  Not a good look if you ask me.  The bad thing about playing both sides against the middle is that sooner or later, it will all come crashing down.

As for Bishop Ephraim, I’m not going to hold my breath that anybody in the West is going to come to his aid.  I don’t even expect a strongly worded letter for that matter.  Regardless, I am going to pray for his deliverance.

And may the Lord have mercy –on the West–he’s suffering because of our actions.

Comments

  1. The Ecumenical Patriarch’s deafening silence before the fall of the Assad Regime (only extending public support after the Turkish “victory”) says everything.   That is heartbreaking to say, because our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ also have eyes and see what is happening.

    One consequence of this operation in our sphere is it now puts Antioch in a position to be pressured further by Turkey (who in turn has the EP under its thumb).   I am troubled by the assertions of the EP in recent years.   “Sister Churches” have been replaced by “Daughter Churches” (including the absurdity of calling Antioch a “daughter” when it’s older than Constantinople), combined with a strong assertion of Constantinople as the “Center” of Orthodoxy (unless ecclesial politics is the measure of Orthodoxy).

    This distorted vision of Romiosini does the very thing that they accuse “the Russky Mir” of doing (it seems it’s only ethnophyletism if the Slavs or Arabs do it).   

    Romiosini and the Russky Mir are just expressions of the same idea:  Orthodoxy as life.   Constantinople could disappear tomorrow, and Orthodoxy would go on.  The Moscow Patriarchate DID disappear for a few centuries.   What was once a humble deference and respect for the Byzantine heritage has become an occasion for chauvinism.  It is the same disease that has infected some corners of Russian Orthodoxy.   That they don’t see the beam in their own eye is all the more tragic.

    Orthodoxy does not depend on a physical “See” like the Catholics.   Where did this insane idea come from?

  2. An interesting take on Trump’s election and how it will affect Orthodoxy: https://orthodoxtimes.com/how-trumps-election-shakes-up-orthodoxy/

    Of particular importance is this analysis:

    “Many analysts believe that a Trump presidency will elevate Moscow’s influence on the international stage. And this is likely to significantly bolster the international influence of the Moscow Patriarchate. A series of unfortunate decisions by the Ecumenical Patriarch regarding appointments in Ukraine and Bulgaria has enabled Russia to manipulate the situation to its advantage.”

    The fact that this pro-EP website even acknowledged Bartholomew’s missteps is significant.

    Here’s another:

    “Five years after granting autocephaly to Ukraine, the wound remains unhealed. The two Churches are de facto divided. Those close to Epifaniy, Onufriy, and the Zelensky government do not mince their words.

    “’The Patriarch brought in Emmanuel of Chalcedon to defuse the situation, but instead, he’s created dozens of problems,’ they all agree. Interestingly, all parties involved seem to agree as well.

    “The Patriarch has given carte blanche on the “Ukraine” portfolio to the Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon. In Ukraine, however, he is accused of pursuing “personal agendas.”

    (https://orthodoxtimes.com/metropolitan-of-chalcedons-personal-agenda-in-kyiv/)

    • Sounds more like they are setting Emmanuel up as the ‘fall guy’ to deflect responsibility for this disaster from Bartholomew.

  4. * Evil: ‘Catholics for Choice’ Use Virgin Mary to Push
    Abortion in Sickest Christmas Ad Ever Created *
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/evil-catholics-choice-use-virgin-mary-push-abortion/

    ‘ Nominations have officially closed for 2024’s Most Demonic Social Media Post award. We have a clear winner.

    If that sounds flippant under the circumstances, then perhaps the reader will pardon a bit of facetiousness, for some outrages strike us as so shocking that we cannot muster the appropriate condemnatory words. Thus, we turn to humor and prayer. And that fact alone proves that God brings light even from extreme darkness.

    Sunday on the social media platform X, a non-profit organization called “Catholics for Choice” promoted its pro-abortion agenda by suggesting that the Virgin Mary could have aborted her child, Jesus.

    “This holiday season, remember that Mary had a choice, and you should, too,” the tweet read.

    This holiday season, remember that Mary had a choice, and you should, too.

    — Catholics for Choice (@Catholic4Choice) December 1, 2024

    Fortunately, most X users found the post repellent.

    For instance, X’s crowd-sourced “Community Note” system pointed out the obvious regarding the Virgin Mary’s “choice.”

    “The Catholic Church teaches that Mary gave her free and informed ‘yes’ to God’s plan to bear Jesus, a decision made »before« His conception,” the Note read. … ‘

  5. Not unrelatedly, some thoughts on today’s readings. Because the powerful hide behind their processes to do bad things and hurt a lot of people. Because they can. Because they don’t care. Because they are sociopaths. Thank God for the rare true shepherds, those who are self-sacrificing who by their example show us the way of Christ…

    10th Sunday of Luke: Ephesians 6:10-17; Luke 13:10-17

    “People or Policy?”

    For a society to function, there need to be certain consistencies that have to be implicit in how people are governed. The rule of law was not a new idea with the founding of the United States. Thousands of years ago, God gave Moses His law to govern His people of Israel. The Church itself has canon law, where rules were established to address relevant issues for a time or all time according to the conscience of the Church, as guided by the Holy Spirit.

    Whether speaking of the Mosaic Law of ancient Israel, a secular constitutional republic, or the Church, humans over time have ways of distorting, manipulating, and perverting the essence of the law in both its letter and spirit.

    In response to the devastations of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, the Amish came and donated their materials and labor in a work of love to build over a hundred tiny homes, doing what they could, to help the people in need. Then the government kicked out the evacuees from the homes because they didn’t meet building code. This sounds a lot like what happened after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. The picture of empty FEMA trailers there, not allowed to be occupied due to code violations, were eventually auctioned off for pennies on the dollar. Back in North Carolina today, many people displaced by the hurricane still have no stable shelter over their heads as winter sets in. Because policies seem to be more important than people. The more significant the human organization is, the less significant the human person is.

    We heard in today’s Gospel reading how Jesus put people over policies. In healing a woman on the Sabbath, Jesus broke a Jewish law in the eyes of the Pharisees, because the Sabbath was established by God as a day of rest. The idea of a day in the week to be devoted to spiritual pursuits, rest for the body and support for the soul, had a common-sense component, which Jesus pointed out in response to His accusers: It was acceptable to care for animals on the Sabbath even though doing so was technically “work,” yet the Pharisees considered it a sin for Jesus to heal a human being who had suffered from a crippling physical disability, because it violated the Sabbath.

    Of course, it wasn’t that the Pharisees respected the Law of Moses. Rather, they used it selectively to make their authority felt. Since Jesus was seen as a threat to their status quo, they tried to make an example of Him—but it backfired. They sought to put Jesus to shame, but instead their conniving ways were exposed and they were put to shame. Jesus revealed their hypocrisy. He showed everyone there that God is interested in the needs of people, not in manipulatively applied laws that distort the very intent of those laws.

    We need to recognize how we, too often, are concerned with getting what we want rather than what God would have us do as is shown plainly in Scripture and lived in the example of the saints. Like the Pharisees, we can rationalize and justify ourselves, manipulate circumstances, facts, and even our own memories to get what we want out of people and situations. This is our challenge today, in an adversarial system that prizes control and shaming opposition rather than prizing authentic justice: We can become like the Pharisees. We can become so insistent in having things our way, because of our pride, because of our need to control, that mercy and compassion are unimportant to us. This is how fallen humanity operates.

    We live in a time of great spiritual trials, where evil becomes unveiled as we attempt to grow in Christ. Natural disasters can be thought of as a metaphor for evil, while man-made disasters a manifestation of evil, in either case sweeping across a defenseless population. Evil is opportunistic, and the watery torrents of falsehood, the rivers of enmity, the winds of faithlessness, and the heartlessness of authorities’ token response to crises leave devastated souls in their wake.

    The woman whom Jesus healed can be seen as a symbol of suffering humanity. Throughout history humanity has been burdened with physical, emotional, and spiritual sicknesses. Life is a gift that can lift us to the mountain of joy but also, inescapably, to the valley of tears. Both individually and collectively, people face countless wars, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters. All of us are vulnerable to injury and sickness in our body, mind, and spirit.

    In today’s Epistle reading, we heard from Saint Paul in his letter to the Church at Ephesus that in Christ, the wall of hostility and enmity are taken down. Only in Christ can we find deep, lasting peace and freedom. Only in the community of the Church are we fellow citizens—brothers and sisters in Christ—the community of which He is the Cornerstone. Only in Christ is complete restoration of body, mind, and spirit. The more we dwell in Christ, the more we become the dwelling place of Christ.

    As we enter the final days of Advent, may we prepare our hearts as the manger of Bethlehem, to receive the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as a newborn babe. And may we prioritize people over policies. Amen.

    • Bartholomew: “With the fortunate alignment of the celebration of Easter next year between Eastern and Western Christianity, we believe it presents a golden opportunity to reach an agreement with Pope Francis for the permanent establishment of a unified Easter celebration date for the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, following the Canon of our Church. We are optimistic that the Anglican Church and other Protestant communities will gladly adopt such an agreement….we propose instituting this practice on a global Christian level, based on the Orthodox Church’s method of determining Easter. … ”

      Has the Pope agreed to celebrate Easter
      according to the Orthodox Canon?
      And if he does not, what then?

  8. * Why did Dumenko support “Georgian Maidan?” *
    https://spzh.eu/en/zashhita-very/83382-why-did-dumenko-support-georgian-maidan

    05 December | Author: Konstantin Shemliuk

    * Epifaniy Dumenko made a surprising statement, calling on Georgians to support the “pro-European” protests. Is this the voice of a church leader or a politician? *

    ‘ On December 3, 2024, the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko, issued a statement that essentially supported the protests in Georgia organized by opposition forces.

    “The Orthodox Church of Ukraine and me personally, as its Primate, pray for the people of Georgia, we wish our brothers and sisters to protect their independence and their future as a free European nation. The truth will prevail! May God bless all who are on the side of truth!” Dumenko wrote.

    From a political perspective, the words of the OCU leader sound like direct interference in the affairs of another state, while from a Christian standpoint, they seem to contradict the principles outlined in the Gospel.

    * Calls for protests and violence? *

    In his statement, Dumenko expressed a desire for God to bless the Georgians who stand on the “side of truth.” There is no doubt that by “truth,” Epifaniy meant the opposition, which is organizing protests in Georgia. The problem, however, is that any large-scale protests inevitably exacerbate the political situation in the country, provoke conflicts, and almost always end in violence.

    For this reason, the Georgian Church, shortly after the start of active confrontations, called on all parties to respect each other’s views and refrain from violence “for the sake of the Christian spirit.”

    It goes without saying that the position of the Georgian Patriarchate is more in line with the Gospel than Dumenko’s stance. After all, in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

    Georgia is a country with a centuries-old Christian tradition. Its people are spiritually guided by the Georgian Orthodox Church, which is autocephalous, or independent. This means that only its representatives have the right to give moral and spiritual assessments of events within the country.

    In this context, Dumenko’s words appear highly unethical because his statement undermines the position of the Georgian Church, making him seem more “democratic” and “progressive” by comparison. It’s akin to a passerby who, seeing the father trying to separate his two brawling sons, encourages the brothers to continue fighting, suggesting that the elder should win.

    * Why was this statement made? *

    Until now, only politicians from abroad had commented on the “Georgian Maidan.” No religious leaders had expressed views on this issue. Thus, Dumenko’s statement appears quite unusual. Why was it made?

    There could be several reasons, all of them political.

    First, it is possible that Dumenko hopes to “capitalize” on the protests if the opposition succeeds. In such a scenario, Dumenko’s structure might have a chance of being recognized by the Georgian Church through government pressure on the Patriarchate. Moreover, the escalation of protests, violence, and conflicts increases the opposition’s chances of coming to power. Harsh as it may sound, escalation benefits the OCU. Unfortunately.

    Second, even if he has such interests, it is unlikely that Dumenko acted on his own initiative. If the protests fail, the Georgian Church’s stance on not recognizing the OCU could become even more unyielding – hardly a favorable outcome for Dumenko. He must be aware of this. At least.

    Thus, it’s plausible that he was “asked” to speak out and support the position of the Western “democratic community.” Who asked him? Likely the same forces that lobbied for the creation of the OCU in 2018.

    On the other hand, Dumenko’s words may have been prompted by certain political circles within Ukraine, who are eager to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the West.

    The day following the statement made by the OCU leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also made a “Georgian” statement, announcing sanctions against the Georgian government for “surrendering Georgia to Putin.” Those sanctioned included the country’s prime minister, the founder of the Georgian Dream Party, the mayor of Tbilisi, the ministers of internal affairs, culture, sports, youth, regional development, and infrastructure, among others.

    Regardless of who was behind Dumenko’s statement, it is clear that these politicians continue to use the OCU to advance their own agendas.

    * Conclusions *

    The Church, founded by Christ, is called to remain apolitical because its mission is to save souls, not participate in power struggles. Christ clearly separated the spiritual from the earthly, saying: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). The Church’s role is to lead people to God, serve as a moral and spiritual beacon for society, and teach love, peace, and understanding.

    The “Georgian” statement by the head of the OCU, however, is that of a politician acting in the immediate interests of certain geopolitical forces.

    It fits neatly into the broader context of the OCU functioning as a “player” on the domestic and international political stage. However, it has little to do with the Gospel. ‘

    • I’ve had the thought for a while that the ante keeps getting raised for more outrageous things to come out of the usual suspects whose bad reputations are earned, in order to force the rest of the Orthodox world to step up and say “Enough!” and begin the canonical processes to take decisive action for the protection of the Church and the Reasoning Sheep of the Lord’s Pasture.

  9. From the Oxford Union Debate:

    * Susan Abulhawa | This House Believes Israel is
    an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide | 7/8 *
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW5U_ZqGmZU

    [Video – 20:36]

    “Susan Abulhawa speaks in proposition of the motion that This House
    Believes Israel is an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide”

    Simple. Honest. Heartbreaking.

  10. AB Anastasios of Albania has issued a statement in support a few days ago and today AB Ieronymos of Athens asked the FMof Greece to protect the Orthodox of Aleppo… Most people do not realize how deeply Orthodox and likely deeply Greek these people are. It was in these areas that the Byzantine Empire had first established the “Akrites” (Frontier Guards) who were ferocious fighters over one thousand years ago… And their main task was to repel attacks from invaders mostly Muslim… To hear in news reports today about their astonishing bravery is unbelievable proof that DNA has more power in our lives than we each can imagine…