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a most extraordinary place. Back when I was coming to the faith (c. 2006), there was maybe one half hour video about Athos, and now there are so many video essays, YouTube is a wonderful resource (and a terrifying one, but that's for other stuff hah)

I'm still here, tend to check the forum every day or so, but yes, certainly not the hive of activity it was back in the 2000s. I sometimes look at Reddit and such sites, but I find the overall tone quite polemic. Would rather have restrained quietude than outright fighting for the sake of noise

Blessed Feast of the Annunciation! I saw this introit to the Magnificat and thought it to be quite beautiful: ‘Holy Mary, come to the aid of us poor ones; strengthen the faint-hearted, console those who weep, pray for your people be a help to the priests, intercede for pious women, may all...

It is also profitable when reading the Navigatio to consider it as an allegorical account of the life of the monastic (and by extension, us), as being one of journeying. The islands and beasts he encounters speak of stages in one's life toward the Kingdom. As we celebrated Forgiveness Vespers...

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus | Happy St David [of Wales] Day

I sincerely hope so. God is merciful, society, not so much. If the man committed the sin in a public manner which degrades his character, it may be prudent of the church not to elect him to the office of presbyter, lest he cause scandal. This is a sort of 'worst case' scenario. Regardless, with...

the point I was trying to establish is that we ought to be careful when applying the canons too rigorously, lest we sweep away men of such devotion as we see and read in Fr Seraphim of Platina.

A harsh reading of the Canons would dispose of many saints, and those who many consider saints. I think here of a young man who in the 1960s cruised the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of same-sex love, and ultimately gave himself over to a greater love, that is Christ and the institution...

it does concern me how the Greek church (and the Œcumenical Patriarchate) is gaining this reputation of visible deviation from the Orthodox ideal, however I trust (oh how I trust!) that these cases quoted above are deep in nuance and circumstance. Regardless, please be assured that there are a...

the clerical collar is just an evolution of a starched white collar tucked under the cassock. I agree, the tabs are a bit daft, especially the little plastic ones. Take pride in one's laundry and do it properly. I knew a protestant minister who would cut his own out of white plastic milk bottles...

really wonderful! I do wonder though whether the tradition of hand carving is going to remain with us as we definitely have the means now with advances in technology to achieve something similar with programmable CNC routing machines.

The high/late medieval western analogue to the iconostasis, the 'rood screen', bears a passing resemblance to those in the Christian east, and I have been searching for a nice example to post here however they do seem quite different beasts. Though many churches in East Anglia maintain their old...

it is unclear as to which European political body is being referred. I assume it is the 'Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe'? Which does include Ukraine among its members, but not the Russian Federation [the UK, Switzerland, and Norway are also members, without being members of the...

It sounds like a error in statistical reporting. What is possible is that Italy has experienced zero population growth over a three month period. This would mean there are births, but with the average Italian woman producing 1.24 children, it is easily offset with the mortality rate.

mine is my birth name, and the name I was christened as a baby in the Church of England. I did want a fancy 'Orthodox' name, but fortunately my godfather saw through my [misplaced?] intentions. I guess 'Constantine' is an odd name for someone living in Wales

Monastic buildings adjoining the church have certainly been reduced to rubble. I do not know about the church building itself, but the photographs look quite terrible.

Blessed feast Anhelya! Sorry to hear about the church and road closures, hope you were able to remember the feast in some way today :) This feast always reminds me of a children’s song/‘hymn’ which I never liked. I was advised when expressing my displeasure of it that it is in fact quite sound...

I would protest, but as the UK and much of Europe is a colony of the USA, I can't really comment

I do not believe people choose atheism because they want to sin, that suggests that they believe in a god. Rather, the god of popular culture is a mean spirited autocrat and a prop to some pretty heinous opinions among its followers. (the appropriation of christianity by groups to support their...

I don't think Russia is embarressed by its special relationship with the PRC. They kind of make a big deal about the BRICS economic grouping [Brazil, Russia, India, China, S. Africa]