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Monday, May 31, 2010

Michael's List - Memorial Day, Monday, 31 May 2010



I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for Memorial Day this year, when a message popped up on my blackberry last week. The answer was right in front of me. "The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom," read the email from the Pentagon. Along with the hundreds and hundreds of emails that I get every day, the Pentagon sends out press notices about servicemembers who have died. Every time I get one of these emails, I quickly read it and think of the families who are now grieving, especially on this Memorial Day. "Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht, 24, of College Station, Texas, died May 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan." Sometimes they have died on the other side of the globe. But other times they have died down the street from where I live. "Sgt. Edwin Rivera, 28, of Waterford, Conn., died May 25 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained May 20 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire at Contingency Outpost Xio Haq, Afghanistan." Sometimes the home towns remind me of places that I have heard of before in politics. "Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, 22, of Concord, N.C., died May 24 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire." Other times I notice that it's not a young American who has died. "Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr., 44, of Shreveport, La., died May 24 in Numaniyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device." And there was another reminder that Iraq is still not a safe place for U.S. soldiers. "Staff Sgt. Amilcar H. Gonzalez, 26, of Miami, Fla., died May 21 in Ash Shura, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire." And then there are the sad stories of someone who has died, maybe in nothing more than an accident. "Spc. Stanley J. Sokolowski, III, 26, of Ocean, N.J. died May 20 in Kirkuk, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident." When that email is opening, I always wonder, what town, what state will this one be from? "Pfc. Jason D. Fingar, 24, of Columbia, Mo., died May 22 in Durai, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device." And then I think about the kids in the armed forces from a typical college town. And a town that I know. "Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark, 19, of Gainesville, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan." Those were the emails from the Department of Defense over the last week. The families of these soldiers will have a different Memorial Day in 2010.


On Memorial Day, our nation remembers our most honored dead, those who gave their lives in service to this country. By act of Congress, the last Monday in May is a national day of mourning observed in many parts of the country since the Civil War. "Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic," said U.S. Commander Gen. John Logan in proclaiming the first official Memorial Day on May 30, 1868. On this Memorial Day 2010, we remember not only our heroes lost in prior years or prior wars but, sadly some would say regrettably those added in this year to the number of lives lost in defense of this country. Today, their names will be read at ceremonies throughout Gloucester County. Flags will fly at half staff, "Taps" will sound, and tears will fall. Parades will lead bands of marchers to military memorials and cemeteries in towns in every part of the county in Franklin and Logan townships to the south, in National Park to the north, in Deptford, Washington and Monroe to the east where the very names of the towns recall our nation's heroes. As we stand together at attention today to salute Old Glory, to hail the flags borne by decorated veterans of other wars marching in step with school children and high school bands, we pay homage to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who died in Iraq and Afghanistan this past year as well as those departed in years gone by. As we remember the dead, however, we cannot forget the thousands of men and women whose lives are at risk beneath our flag at this very moment, and we must pause to think of them as well. By custom, flags rise briskly to full staff at noon today to mark our solemn resolve that the sacrifice of those who serve shall not be in vain. At 3 p.m., the National Moment of Remembrance asks all Americans to pause for one minute in unity and gratitude to reflect on the sacrifices made by others abroad so that we might enjoy our freedoms at home. "Live honoring America's fallen every day," states the White House Commission on Remembrance. Live also to honor those still standing tall beneath the flag.


On this Memorial Day, be grateful that Americans' willingness to sacrifice for freedom's sake, instilled by each generation in the next, remains as strong as ever. Today, Americans honor those most worthy of such gratitude -- those who gave their lives in our nation's service. Be proud and thankful that their spirit of sacrifice lives on undiminished among our men and women in uniform, all volunteers, serving and dying today in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Veterans' graves are emblems of that same spirit, whether they hold the remains of heroes who fell in Baghdad or Saigon, on Normandy Beach or in a western European trench. To those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our liberty, all Americans owe the ultimate debt, one greater than we ever can repay fully. We can, however, pay down that debt by ensuring that Memorial Day is about more than picnics, cookouts, ballgames and swimming pools. We must put first -- ahead of enjoying summer fun -- thanking veterans marching in parades, paying proper respect to the flag for which so many have died, caring for the graves of fallen heroes and praying for those lost. Their duty is done. Ours is to honor them, especially today, on Memorial Day, knowing full well that our obligation to them is as eternal, sacred and unchanging as their sacrifice.


U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan remembered friends and colleagues Monday in solemn Memorial Day ceremonies to commemorate all of their nation's war dead. At the sprawling Bagram Air Field, the largest U.S. military base, about 400 soldiers in camouflage uniforms and brown combat boots stood at attention for a moment's silence as Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of some 94,000 U.S. troops in the country, led the ceremony. A bugler played taps and a color guard displayed the U.S. flag and the flags of units serving in eastern Afghanistan where the base is located, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Kabul. A steel construction beam from the World Trade Center destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was unveiled, with the inscription "WTC 9 11 01". The beam was donated by citizens' group the Sons and Daughters of America of Breezy Point, a suburb in Queens, New York, where 29 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks lived, according to a letter read out at the ceremony. McChrystal praised the soldiers for their sacrifice. "Today is about people. It is about the people we have lost and most importantly it's about the people who have been left behind," McChrystal said, referring to the families of those who have died. He later attended another ceremony at Camp Morehead, a smaller base for a commando unit. At Bagram, Maj. John Sherwood, 38, of San Antonio, said Memorial Day is more somber in Afghanistan than in the U.S., as people remember friends who died. "I think about a few people I knew, mostly back in Iraq," said Sherwood, of the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg. Maj. Sonya Powell, 42, of Cincinnati, said she thought of two people: her executive officer who was killed in an aircraft crash in October, and her 4-year-old son, who is waiting for her to come home. "It's very hard, but you don't dwell on it," said Powell, of the 401st Army Field Support Brigade. "You come here, you do your mission, and you pray."


The nation's eyes turn to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday for the annual Memorial Day observance. If you can't make it to D.C., a variety of other local cemeteries offer memorial services closer to home. Here's where to pay your respects. On Monday, May 31, the annual National Memorial Day Observance to honor America’s fallen military service members will take place in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. The National Memorial Day Observance program will begin with a full honor wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11 a.m. The observance program will commence in Memorial Amphitheater directly following the wreath-laying ceremony. If you can't make it, take a few minutes to visit the cemeteries site for a virtual stroll. Arlington National has an interactive map, offering an online tour of the cemetery. And while you're thinking about it, why not become a fan of Arlington National Cemetery on Facebook. Then consider a visit to of these other sites instead. NATIONAL - Veterans Affairs Guide to National Cemeteries - ALABAMA, Alabama National Cemetery; ALASKA, Fort Richardson National Cemetery; ARIZONA, National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona; ARKANSAS, Fayetteville National Cemetery; CALIFORNIA, Golden Gate National Cemetery; COLORADO, Fort Logan National Cemetery; FLORIDA, Barrancas National Cemetery; GEORGIA, Marietta National Cemetery; HAWAII, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; ILLINOIS, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery; INDIANA, Crown Hill National Cemetery; IOWA, Keokuk National Cemetery; KANSAS, Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery; KENTUCKY, Lexington National Cemetery; LOUISIANA, Baton Rouge National Cemetery; MAINE, Togus National Cemetery; MARYLAND, Annapolis National Cemetery; MASSACHUSETTS, Massachusetts National Cemetery; MICHIGAN, Fort Custer National Cemetery; MINNESOTA, Fort Snelling National Cemetery; MISSISSIPPI, Biloxi National Cemetery; MISSOURI, Jefferson City National Cemetery; NEBRASKA, Fort McPherson National Cemetery; NEW JERSEY, Beverly National Cemetery; NEW MEXICO, Santa Fe National Cemetery; NEW YORK, Woodlawn National Cemetery; NORTH CAROLINA, Raleigh National Cemetery; OHIO, Dayton National Cemetery; OKLAHOMA, Fort Gibson National Cemetery; OREGON, Willamette National Cemetery; PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia National Cemetery; PUERTO RICO, Puerto Rico National Cemetery; SOUTH CAROLINA, Beaufort National Cemetery; SOUTH DAKOTA, Black Hills National Cemetery; TENNESSEE, Chattanooga National Cemetery; TEXAS, Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery; VIRGINIA, Alexandria National Cemetery; WASHINGTON, Tahoma National Cemetery; WEST VIRGINIA, West Virginia National Cemetery; WISCONSIN, Wood National Cemetery. INTERNATIONAL - Aisne-Marne, France; Ardennes, Belgium; Brittany, France; Brookwood, England; Cambridge, England; Corozal, Panama; Epinal, France; Flanders Field, Belgium; Florence, Italy; Henri-Chapelle, Belgium; Lorraine, France; Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Manila, Philippines; Meuse-Argonne, France; Mexico City, Mexico; Netherlands, Netherlands; Normandy, France; North Africa, Tunisia; Oise-Aisne, France; Rhone, France; Sicily-Rome, Italy; Somme, France; St. Mihiel, France; Suresnes, France.


This Memorial Day in Iraq, I have shed many tears for a soldier I never met. I was asked to videotape a memorial service for an Army major killed in action May 24 when an improvised explosive device pierced his mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle near Numaniyah in southern Iraq. The memorial service took place May 27 at Memorial Hall here. Seats were set for 560 people, and it was already half full as soldiers waited for the 10:15 a.m. start time. It was very quiet with hardly a whisper or sound of a weapon placed on the concrete floor. A projector cast photos of the major on a screen at the front of the stage. Soldiers filed in and filled up seats until the hall was standing room only. To videotape, I positioned myself toward the front and to the side. The members of his brigade wore the usual Army combat uniforms, with a few exceptions: instead of camouflaged caps, the members from the 2-108th Cavalry Squadron wore the traditional black Stetson hat with gold tassels, some with blue tassels in reference to that soldier’s infantry background. Many wore silver or gold combat spurs on their combat boots to honor their cavalry heritage. Finally, a soldier asked the assembly to rise for the arrival of the official party. Four soldiers walked on stage. They talked about what a great guy the major was, his great sense of humor and how he was always concerned about his soldiers. They talked about how he gave his watch to a young lieutenant who kept asking what time it was, afraid she would miss a meeting. He told her he had worn that watch without taking it off for a year during his last deployment here and he left without a scratch. He told her to never take it off and she'll go home fine. She is a public affairs officer and every night the watch alarm went off at 6 p.m. She called and asked him how to turn it off and he said he wouldn't tell her. Every evening when the alarm goes off, he told her, she will be reminded that she needs to write more stories about soldiers. When his seemingly routine mission began, the major asked the squadron to fly a flag in honor of his wedding anniversary that day so he could send it back to his wife. The squadron raised his flag in front of headquarters for him. That afternoon, after the attack, they lowered his flag to half-staff, in his memory. The service continued with the chaplain speaking of the major's faith and how he knew he would see his friend in heaven. He choked up at the podium and the squadron command sergeant major walked across the stage to support him. The room was silent, save for the sound of more than 500 battle-tested soldiers sniffling. The chaplain concluded his remarks with a prayer. Immediately, a bagpipe’s wail began at the rear of the hall as a single soldier played “Amazing Grace” while marching down the center aisle. He stopped at the memorial at the front. The memorial was a table covered by a black and gold cloth upon which sat his boots, an inverted rifle standing upright with his helmet placed on top. His dog tags were hanging from the top of the rifle. The table had various items soldiers had placed there: his coffee cup, papers and other things that only have special meaning for them and their lost comrade. When the song ended, the room was called to attention. The first sergeant on stage called for roll call for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop. He yelled, "Captain Lloyd!" A booming voice yelled back, "Here, first sergeant!" "Major Robinson!" "Here, first sergeant." "Major Culver!" There was silence. He yelled, "Maj. Ronald Culver!" Silence. He yelled again, "Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr.!" And a voice said, "He’s not here first sergeant - for he’s gone to Fiddler’s Green." Profound silence. "Sergeant Major, strike Major Culver’s name from the roll." After a few moments the soldiers walked off the stage and taps was played. Soldiers stood and waited their turn to approach the memorial table, touch the dog tags, leave an item or say a prayer. Each performed a slow salute, turned and marched to a line of waiting comrades to express their condolences and share their grief. Maj. Ronald “Wayne” Culver was a member of the Louisiana Army National Guard Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment of Shreveport, La. The 44 year-old officer left behind a wife and two teenage children.


Welcome to the Veterans Page of St. Nicholas Cathedral, the National War Memorial Shrine of the Orthodox Church in America. This page is dedicated to preserving the memory of veterans from Orthodox parishes throughout the United States and Canada. To have your veteran included, please email the following information, in the order shown, to veterans@stnicholasdc.org: Jurisdiction; Name of Home Parish, Location of Home Parish; Full Name of Veteran, Rank, Branch of Service, Status (Active Duty, Reserve Duty, Retired) Years of Service, Wartime Service, Awards for Valor, Deceased/KIA/MIA. Please include the words "VETERANS" in the subject line of all emails. Attach a digital photo (jpeg format) if you like. Address all hardcopy correspondence to Veterans Memorial Coordinator, Saint Nicholas Cathedral, 3500 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007. Names of service members killed in action (KIA) or are missing in action (MIA) not already included on the cathedral's listing of the fallen will be added and duly commemorated in the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Michael's List - Memorial Day; Health Care Reform; FYROM warned; Russia-NATO-missiles; Serbia-EU; American Orthodoxy, Converts



Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country. This is a great time to honor our veterans and famous Americans by visiting the monuments in Washington, DC. The Memorial Day weekend also marks the beginning of the busy summer season and the Washington, DC region celebrates with family friendly events and special services. Here is the 2010 Memorial Day event schedule: PBS' National Memorial Day Concert, Sunday, May 30, 2010, 8 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m.; National Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 31, 2010, beginning at 2 p.m.; Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally, Sunday, May 30, 2010. Departure from the Pentagon at 12 p.m.; GI Film Festival, May 12-16; Arlington National Cemetery, Thursday, May 27, 2010, 4 p.m., Monday, May 31, 2010, 11 a.m.; Navy Memorial, Saturday, May 29, 2010, 11 a.m, Monday, May 31, 2010, 10 a.m.; Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Monday, May 31, 2010, 1 p.m.; World War II Memorial, Monday, May 31, 2010, 9 a.m. and Air Force Memorial, Monday, May 31, 2010, 9 a.m.


This weekend, I had a conversation with someone non-crazy who thinks there is a not-insignificant chance that the Supreme Court will overturn health care reform, or at least the individual mandate (it's not clear what happens to the rest of the law if the mandate goes down; there's some possibility that this would invalidate the entire law). Mind you, this person was not suggesting that the chances were, say, 85%; more like 25%. So we spent a bit of time speculating about what would happen next. We know what happens if the court simply invalidates the mandate: you get New York State, where the cost of insurance spirals out of control, until the few remaining people in the individual market are so sick that the death spiral bottoms out. Adverse selection does have its limits, which is why, even before lemon laws, there was a market (however imperfect) for used cars. What happens after that? That would leave politicians deciding whether to repeal the most popular features, or end individual health insurance as we know it. Fun choice. My guess is that we'd get some weird hybrid model of corporate and state-sponsored insurance--but the state sponsored insurance would probably itself be overwhelmed by adverse selection, or (if we simply funded universal coverage out of tax dollars), by employers dumping their employees onto the public plan. But I have no idea where the money would come from. there's a strong possibility that any ruling that eliminated the individual mandate would make anything but single payer or a national health service illegal. Ironically, a conservative court might push health policy to the left. Or maybe a better way to put it is that it would polarize the choices: incremental tweaks, or single payer. My hope is that in this unlikely event, it would open the way for something more like what I've proposed: catastrophic income insurance for everyone (i.e., the government will cover health care costs above some fairly high percentage of your income), with less support for first-dollar coverage. But that's a pretty wan hope. And unless these lawsuits clear the court systems before 2014, the dislocations would be massive.


Without a solution to the name dispute with Greece, the situation is potentially dismal for Macedonia at the forthcoming June summit of EU leaders, Zoran Thaler, Slovenian member of the European Parliament and Special Rapporteur for Macedonia, told press in Skopje. Thaler warned that the time for a name settlement is running out and that without the solution in hand Skopje has only a slim chance of getting the desired start date for its EU accession talks at the meeting of EU leaders. The move is currently being blocked by Greece. "If there is progress, Macedonia's negotiations will be launched, including concrete tasks for the country, which would be good. On the contrary, and unfortunately this is currently the more realistic option, Macedonia could gradually be taken off the agenda. This means you will no longer be in the focus of the EC's attention," Thaler said on Thursday. Thaler urged Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to step up and “solve the rubicon without fear of how this will affect his personal ratings, the popularity of his party or that of the government. The MEP warned that there is a growing feeling in Brussels that Skopje is not entirely sincere when it says it wants to join the EU. He says that Brussels is becoming suspicious of the true intentions of the government led by Gruevski. Thaler also noted that the country should double its effort to reform its legislation to match European standards. Unlike last year’s reforms progress, which was awarded with a recommendation from the European Commission to open the EU accession talks with Skopje, Thaler noted a setback in the pace of reforms this year. Despite the positive EC report last autumn, Skopje was blocked by Athens from getting the desired start date. Athens argues that its smaller neighbour should not be allowed to join NATO and the EU before changing its official name, Republic of Macedonia. Greece says that Macedonia's name implies territorial claim's against its own northern province, which is also called Macedonia. The ongoing UN led negotiations, which have been held on and off for years, have so far been unsuccessful.


Permanent deployment of the U.S. Patriot missile in Poland will mean the violation of the basic agreement between Russia and NATO signed in 1997, said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko on Friday. "There are no reasons that could justify the deployment of the missiles near Russian borders," said the Russian diplomat. He reminded that the Russia-NATO agreement implied that both parties were not to station permanent armed forces in the border regions. Earlier, Moscow demanded articulate explanations from the United States and Poland of the deployment of Patriot missiles near the Russian border. U.S. Patriot missiles arrived in Poland on Monday. They were deployed in the town of Morag, close to the Russian border, where six training-mode Patriot missiles had been deployed. After 2012, they will be supplemented with the standard SM-3 combat missiles.


Serbia has asked Spain for support to getting a green light in June for forwarding its candidacy for European Union membership. The request also concerns the start of ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Božidar Đelić told Tanjug in Madrid on Thursday. After a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, Đelić said he asked for support to the continuation of the process of Serbia's European integration on the basis of the report of the Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz. Đelić said he and Moratinos also conferred on bilateral relations and on prospects for increasing Spanish investments in Serbia. Serbia is ready to make public a tender worth EUR 22mn for diesel engines for Serbian railways, on the basis of a loan granted by Spain a few years ago, he said. Spanish company Telefonica might possibly be interested in the forthcoming privatization of 40 percent of Telekom Srbija capital, he added.


A new study of Orthodox Christians in America has found a larger-than-expected number of converts, mostly from Roman Catholic and evangelical Protestant backgrounds. The report, released by the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkeley, Calif., surveyed 1,000 members of Greek Orthodox or Orthodox Church in America congregations, which represent about 60 percent of America’s estimated 1.2 million Orthodox Christians. Although Orthodox churches were historically immigrant communities, the study found that nine out of 10 parishioners are now American-born. Thousands of members had converted to the faith as adults: 29 percent of Greek Orthodox are converts, as are 51 percent of the OCA. The study also found unexpectedly high numbers of converts among clergy — 56 percent in the OCA, 14 percent in the Greek Orthodox church. In both cases, the higher OCA numbers reflect that group’s use of English in its worship services. These findings could mean that Orthodox churches are growing in America. The findings, however, indicate that other Christians are increasingly seeking a more traditional worship experience. Compared to a 2005 study of American Catholics, the survey found more Orthodox Christians responding that they could not imagine belonging to another faith group, and fewer agreeing that how a person lives is more important than his or her religious affiliation. The study’s other findings showed a majority of Orthodox Christians would support allowing married bishops, but not female priests. They also want their clergy to work with their Catholic and Protestant counterparts to coordinate a common date for Easter, which typically falls several weeks later for the Orthodox due to their use of an older liturgical calendar.


That's the question I have as the Assembly of all the "canonical" Orthodox bishops of North America gets underway in New York. As I understand it -- and I invite correction if I'm wrong -- the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Greek Orthodox refused to seat bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA -- my church) because they do not recognize its autocephaly. The OCA's Metropolitan Jonah and other bishops were admitted as observers only. I'm still relatively new to Orthodoxy, but I don't understand this. How can they discuss a unified American Orthodox church without the OCA participating at an equal level? Can they not simply recognize the OCA's autocephalous status, however irregular it was granted a generation ago? I hope some of you reader can disabuse me of the suspicion that this is a power play by Old World hierarchs to prevent the emergence of a true, unified American Orthodoxy. The Greek Orthodox recognize this event as the first meeting of American Orthodox bishops -- completely ignoring the 1994 meeting, which the Greek Orthodox in America participated in, but the Ecumenical Patriarch opposed. What is it with the Greek hierarchy? Does this snub of the OCA have anything to do with the clash between Jonah and the EP, in which Jonah told the EP not to meddle in the affairs of American Orthodox churches? What about Antiochian Met. Philip's audacious demotion of several of his own bishops, in what was interpreted as a blow against the Americanization of the Antiochian church in America, and the assertion of power by the Old World? Does the historic visit of the EP to Moscow have anything to do with the timing of the Assembly in America -- by which I mean, did the Moscow patriarch sign off on the sidelining of the OCA as a concession to Bartholomew? I have questions. I don't really understand what's going on here. If you have clarifying answers, let's hear them. UPDATE: Good for Metropolitan Philip! He laid it out in his speech today. Excerpt: We have been on this continent for more than two hundred (200) years. We are no longer little children to have rules imposed on us from 5,000 miles away. Orthodoxy in America has its own ethos. We have our own theological institutions, and we have our own theologians, authors, publications and magazines. We do not intend to be disobedient to the Mother Churches; we just want to dialogue with them and give them the opportunity to know us and understand us. We have been here for a long, long time and we are very grateful to the Almighty God that in our theology and worship, we do express the fullness of the Holy Orthodox faith. More: The second point which I would like to note is concerning the term "Diaspora" which was used several times in the literature which we received from Geneva. I remember, there are many of you who were at the Antiochian Village in 1994 and should remember that the term "Diaspora" was unanimously rejected by our assembly. We are not in Babylon; we are in North America, the new world. We are dealing here with second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth generations of American Orthodox and they refuse to be called "Diaspora." I believe that some of our churches in the Old World are in "Diaspora." In Jerusalem, for example, we have 2,000 Orthodox Christians left. In Constantinople, the glorious capital of the Byzantine Empire, I was told that there are only 2,000 Greek Orthodox left. And the Turkish Government, until now, refuses to let us open that famous Theological School of Khalki, despite the intervention of the presidents of the United States. In Iraq, hundreds of Christians were slaughtered and thousands had to flee Iraq to the Syrian Arab Republic. We are free here in North America -- free to teach, free to preach, free to worship, free to write books and sometimes criticize even the presidents of the United States. We have the full freedom of expression in accordance with the United States Constitution. It is important to note here that the Holy Synod of Antioch, to my knowledge, never discussed the Chambesy decision and the rules of operation in order to formally bless this effort. Philip goes on to ask, with reference to Metropolitan Jonah being excluded from the Executive Committee, how come the OCA are good enough to share the Eucharist with, but not good enough to be part of the decision-making process. Thank you, Metropolitan Philip! Thank you for standing up for us so strongly! And then Philip ends with this bombshell: If I have a vision for the future, it is this: Jerusalem has less than 2,000 Orthodox left. Istanbul has 2,000 Greek Orthodox left. The future of Orthodoxy in the Middle East is uncertain. Thus, for the sake of international Orthodox unity and Orthodox unity in North America, we should with one voice, beg His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch to leave Istanbul and move to Washington, D.C. or New York City and head a united Orthodox Church in this hemisphere. All of us, I am sure, will be blessed to be under his omophorion and Orthodox unity in North America will cease to be a dream, but a reality. UPDATE.2: A priest at the Assembly reports in the comments thread that the OCA reps have been seated and are participating fully. I hope so, but why, then, is Jonah being excluded from the executive committee, as Philip has said?

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Michael's List - Facebook privacy; DADT vote; Terrorist in TX; "Leaving Islam?"; Russia-Azeris-NKR; Intolerance in Kosovo; Orthodox Episcopal Assembly



Facebook will unveil sweeping changes to its privacy settings as early as next week in response to a wave of complaints from advocacy groups and regulators, according to people briefed on the plans. The world's largest social networking site is facing regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe over concerns that its privacy settings are not tight enough. Such criticism has intensified, sparking a flurry of activity within the company, culminating in an executives' meeting on privacy last week at Facebook's Palo Alto headquarters. The changes are likely to include a "master control" that would simplify privacy choices for users. Facebook's new system would allow users to choose to share all content among three broad categories, such as everyone, friends of friends, or just friends. Facebook hopes the master control will offer an alternative to the complicated and often confusing settings users now work with. The company has suggested in briefings that it wanted to make it easier for users to opt out of the controversial instant personalisation feature, which automatically shares users' information with third-party websites.


The chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines objected on Wednesday to a compromise plan to repeal the military’s ban on allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly, a position that put them at odds with President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. In letters solicited by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who is opposed to repeal, the chiefs said they wanted Congress to delay voting on the issue until after Dec. 1, when the Pentagon is to complete a review of how the military should carry out the changes. On Monday, Mr. Gates reluctantly signed on to an agreement with the White House and leading lawmakers that could lead to votes in Congress as soon as this week to repeal the 17-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which requires gay men and lesbians to keep their sexual orientation secret if they want to serve in the military. Under the compromise, if the repeal measure were to pass Congress, the new policy would not be put into effect until after the Pentagon completed its review. Mr. McCain’s solicitation of the letters appeared to be an attempt to give Republicans some cover to vote against repeal, since Republicans could say that they were supporting the view of the top officers of the services who preferred to delay any vote until after Dec. 1. Gay rights advocates have been pushing for a vote before the November midterm elections, when Democrats — who are more likely than Republicans to vote for repeal — are expected to lose seats. Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, told Mr. McCain in his letter that “repealing the law before the completion of the review will be seen by the men and women of the Army as a reversal of our commitment to hear their views before moving forward.” Gen. James T. Conway, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said in his letter that “I encourage the Congress to let the process the secretary of defense created to run its course.” Mr. Gates, who until Monday had urged Congress to take a slow, methodical march toward repeal, had no comment on the letters. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with military personnel in Colorado Springs on Wednesday and said he was comfortable with the proposed legislation because it preserves the right for the president, the defense secretary and himself to certify whether the new law could go into effect. It remained unclear whether the legislation had the votes necessary to pass the House and Senate.


U.S. Homeland Security officials have asked Houston authorities to watch for a member of a Somalia-based terror group who may be coming to Texas through Mexico. The federal department issued an alert last week for, Ahmed Muhammed Dhakane, a suspected member of the al-Shabaab group, which has declared allegiance to al-Qaida. The alert was issued after federal prosecutors added new charges earlier this month against Dhakane, a Somali man who had been picked up in Texas in 2008. He pleaded not guilty May 14 in federal court in San Antonio to three counts of immigration fraud. Dhakane is accused of making false statements under oath in support of his application for asylum. According to the indictment, Dhakane failed to disclose that he was a member or associate of the al-Barakat financial transfer network and Al-Ittihad al-Islami, or the Islamic Union, which wants to impose Islamic law in Somalia. Both are on the Treasury Department's list of global terrorist groups with links to al-Qaida, according to the indictment. The indictment also alleges that Dhakane lied about his movements before entering the United States in March 2008, that he "participated in and later ran a large-scale smuggling enterprise out of Brazil" that smuggled hundreds of people, mostly East Africans, into the United States. Among those smuggled, according to the indictment, were several Somalis affiliated with Al-Ittihad al-Islami. The indictment also alleges he lied when he told officials that a young girl was his wife, when she actually "was a smuggling client" whom he had never married and had "repeatedly raped and impregnated prior to coming to the United States." He threatened to have the girl murdered if U.S. officials learned of the rapes or that he was not her husband, according to the indictment.


The questions on the ads aren't subtle: Leaving Islam? Fatwa on your head? Is your family threatening you? A conservative activist and the organizations she leads have paid several thousand dollars for the ads to run on at least 30 city buses for a month. The ads point to a website called RefugefromIslam.com, which offers information to those wishing to leave Islam, but some Muslims are calling the ads a smoke screen for an anti-Muslim agenda. Pamela Geller, who leads an organization called Stop Islamization of America, said the ads were meant to help provide resources for Muslims who are fearful of leaving the faith. "It's not offensive to Muslims, it's religious freedom," she said. "It's not targeted at practicing Muslims. It doesn't say 'leave,' it says 'leaving' with a question mark." Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said Geller's ad was reviewed and did not violate the agency's guidelines. "The religion in question would not change the determination that the language in the ad does not violate guidelines," MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said Wednesday. The agency had received no complaints since the ads went up on May 14, MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said. The 30 or so buses with the ads pass through all five boroughs of the city.


The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has declared five members of Russia's lower house personae non gratae for observing parliamentary elections in the disputed area of Nagorny Karabakh, a spokesman for the ministry said on Wednesday. "The decision is final. This list may be extended," Elkhan Pulukhov said. However, he conceded, the measure might be reviewed if the five lawmakers admit that their involvement in monitoring the elections was "deliberate malice." The predominantly ethnic Armenian region, at the center of a dispute between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia since the late 1980s, elected its 33-seat parliament on May 23 with a voter turnout of almost 68%. Konstantin Zatulin, one of those declared persona non grata, said the decision was a "demonstrative measure." "I was an observer during presidential and parliamentary elections in Nagorny Karabakh more than once," the lawmaker said, adding it was "surprising" that his decision to take part in monitoring the polls sparked such a reaction "for the first time." The other members from the State Duma considered persona non grata in Azerbaijan are Igor Chernyshenko, Kirill Cherkasov, Tatyana Volozhinskaya, and Maxim Mishchenko. Azerbaijani officials have called the elections in Nagorny Karabakh "illegal," saying they could seriously harm Armenian-Azerbaijani peace efforts. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia. Over 30,000 people are estimated to have died on both sides between 1988 and 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed. Nagorny Karabakh has remained in Armenian control and tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted. The conflict has been mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group that comprises the United States, Russia and France.


Moscow is gravely concerned over the uneasy situation in Kosovo and worsening ethnic intolerance in the region, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin has said. Speaking at an open session of the UN Security Council on Monday, the diplomat said that “Unfortunately, numerous cases of forcing Kosovo Serbs to sell their property and leave the province are disregarded.” Among the alarming signs the Russian ambassador named, for instance, the continuing desecration of Serbian temples and cemeteries. Also, territories of large Serbian enclaves in Kosovo are decreasing while small ones are simply dying out, he said. The situation with the preservation of the Serb Orthodox and cultural heritage leaves a lot to be desired. “In this context the special concern is caused by the NATO-initiated transfer over to the Kosovo police the monitoring of important Serb heritage facilities, the same as the general tendency towards the reduction of the KFOR [NATO Kosovo Force] strength,” he said as quoted by Itar-Tass agency. Another serious issue for concern is cutting Serbian mobile phone networks. In addition, Pristina authorities are intended “to adopt a law establishing the order of entry for Serbian citizens in the territory of Kosovo exclusively with foreign passports.” Churkin specifically underlined that it happens “with the connivance of international missions, first of all, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).” The mission’s indulgence and, sometimes, inactivity “undermine the authority of this mission that is practically going beyond the neutral status determined by its mandate,” the diplomat believes. Churkin stressed that EULEX must strictly observe the principles set by the UNSC Resolution 1244 which authorized international and civil presence in the partially-recognized Republic of Kosovo. Russia’s diplomat urged the mission to “act in a balanced way, taking into account the interests of both sides with the general coordinating functions of the UN Mission in Kosovo.” What should be done, according to the Russian diplomat, is that the international community should give a legal and political assessment to the actions of the Kosovo authorities. “Otherwise it may cause a sharp increase in inter-communal tension,” he stressed.


His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America opened the first day of the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North and Central America on Wednesday morning, May 26, 2010. Among the 60-some hierarchs present were His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and ruling and auxiliary bishops of the Orthodox Church in America. Following opening prayers invoking the Holy Spirit to guide the hierarchs in their deliberations, Archbishop Demetrios, who chairs the Assembly as Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch, addressed his brother hierarchs, outlining common concerns while reviewing the events that led to the historic gathering. "We strive for unity because the Lord asked of us to be one, but diversity and differentiation are not to be feared," Archbishop Demetrios said. "They are gifts that are to be used for the glory of God. Our unity cannot exist to destroy such differentiation; rather, our unity is meant to flourish as a result of our natural diversity, be it linguistic, cultural or ethnic. Is this not exactly the condition of our universal Orthodoxy today?" he asked. "Of course, problems related to unity, or to differentiation, or to both, always existed in the Church, starting already in the time of the Apostles, as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles testifies. This is a valid observation for us today. We come together to face the problems that have arisen in our region, where the Orthodox Faith has flourished for generations," Archbishop Demetrios continued before reflecting on various issues facing Orthodox Christianity in North and Central America and elsewhere around the world. "As we have grown and established ourselves, situations have been created that need our attention and our wisdom." Archbishop Demetrios went on to review the work of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held in Chambésy, Switzerland in June 2009 in response to the extraordinary Synaxis of the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches convened earlier by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The complete text of Archbishop Demetrios’ address may be found on the web site of the Greek Archdiocese. Also addressing the Assembly was its first vice-chair, His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and its second vice-chair, His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian of the Russian Orthodox Church, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States of America. The complete texts of their addresses may be found on the web site of the Antiochian Archdiocese and the web site of the Eastern American and New York Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia respectively. Sessions will resume on Thursday morning, May 27. The Assembly will conclude on Friday, May 28, on which the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral. A gallery of photos appears on the web site of the Greek Archdiocese.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Michael's List - Orthodox Assembly; Cyprus talks; EULEX violates UN; Russia-US-Patriot missiles-Iran ultimatum; Vienna, best city; Kneeling Prayers



His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in America are among over 50 hierarchs participating in the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North America that opened at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel here on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. The convener of the Assembly is His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, acting as Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Assembly is the result of the decision of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, which met in Chambésy Switzerland in June 2009 after the extraordinary Synaxis of all the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches convened by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The gathering is one of twelve Episcopal Assemblies that will be convened around the world in regions where there is no single Orthodox presence. In a recent press release issued by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Demetrios explained that the nature of the assembly is as "a temporary, not a permanent institution. It is simply preparatory to facilitate the process of an ecumenical council (in the future) that will decide the final form of the existence of the Church in a particular country." He further explained that the assembly will meet annually and is not a continuation of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA]. Rather, it works to "prepare a plan for dealing with anomalies, such as more than one bishop in a given locale and other things that interfere with the life of the Church." It is also designed "to project a unified witness of the faith." Sessions will continue through Thursday, May 27. The Assembly will conclude on Friday, May 28, on which the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral.

II. THESTRAITSTIMES - Time running out for Cyprus

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon warned Cypriot leaders on Wednesday that time was running out for a peace deal as they held their first talks since a hardliner won power in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north. Mr Ban's message to the two sides was read out by UN envoy Alexander Downer as Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu held his first formal negotiating session with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias since his poll victory over pro-solution incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat on April 18. "The peace process is at an important point. A settlement is within your grasp and this opportunity must be seized as time is not on your side," the message [read]. "Achieving an agreement will require vision, statesmanship and courage. Your communities want and expect a settlement," the UN chief added. "I truly believe that you can reach an agreement in the coming months." In order to break the ice, the United Nations arranged a social dinner for the pair and their wives on Tuesday evening at a restaurant in the UN-patrolled buffer zone that divides the capital Nicosia. "Things will be judged at the negotiating table and not over the dinner tables," Christofias said afterwards. It was reminiscent of the dinner diplomacy that helped build trust during a 2001 deadlock in a previous round of ultimately abortive reunification talks. Greek Cypriots fear Mr Eroglu's separatist views could derail the latest talks which began in September 2008. But the United Nations said that negotiations would pick up from where they left off on March 30 and that Mr Eroglu was committed to the ongoing process. The UN envoy has said that Mr Eroglu accepted that negotiations would not start from scratch and that a settlement would entail a federal reunited Cyprus with a single international character. Mr Downer said Mr Eroglu had also pledged not to reopen chapters where there had been significant convergence such as governance, power sharing, EU affairs and the economy. The trickiest issues ahead will be property rights, territorial adjustments and security.


Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović today accused the EU mission in the province, EULEX, of taking the side of Kosovo Albanians. Bogdanović reacted to the news out of Priština this Wednesday that EULEX would “prohibit unauthorized visits of Serbian officials” by saying that the cooperation between Belgrade and EULEX was being jeopardized with the announcement. "Clearly, with this move EULEX has taken the side of Priština, assuming the role of the secessionists' advocate, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Bogdanović stated. Bogdanović added that EULEX's decision meant that it also violated the neutrality to which it was obligated by its own mandate. “I demand that EULEX urgently reverse this decision, because otherwise, as I have stated, our cooperation and relations will be seriously brought into question. “I would like to stress that this morning I traveled from Belgrade with no problems to the northern part of the Province, where I am right now. How will anyone prohibit me, born and living in Kosovo and Metohija, or any other politician from the Province, from going to our own homes,” Bogdanović said in his statement.


The deployment of the U.S. Patriot missiles in Poland does not enhance regional security and cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Following the U.S. - Polish Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the United States opened a temporary military base near the northern Polish town of Morag, 80 km (50 miles) from the Russian border. The base, which will become permanent from 2012, will deploy U.S. Patriot missiles and Standard Missile interceptor SM-3s. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it did not understand the logic behind the deployment of the missiles. "We asked America and Poland about this, but did not get a concrete or valid answer," the ministry said. Russia earlier suggested that the U.S. base be moved away from Russia's borders. "Unfortunately, neither Americans nor Polish accepted our arguments," the ministry said. The SOFA agreement was signed on December 11, 2009 in Warsaw by the U.S. deputy secretary of state for arms control and international security and the Polish deputy defense minister.


Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday asked his American counterpart Barack Obama to either choose friendship with Iran by supporting the nuclear swap deal that it had signed earlier this month with Turkey and Brazil or be prepared for a permanent closure of dialogue. “Mr. Obama must know that this proposal is a historic opportunity ... [Mr. Obama should] know that if this opportunity is lost, I doubt the Iranian nation will give a new chance to this gentleman in the future.” The Iranian President said Mr. Obama should be wary of those who want Tehran and Washington to become permanent adversaries. “There are people in the world who want to pit Mr. Obama against the Iranian nation and bring him to the point of no return, where the path to his friendship with Iran will be blocked forever.” Ahmadinejad also aired his misgivings about Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s supposedly ambivalent stance on the nuclear swap deal. “Justifying the behaviour of Mr. Medvedev today has become very difficult,” he said. “The Iranian nation doesn't know whether [Russians] ultimately are friends, whether they stand by us or are after other things. This is not acceptable.” “I hope Russian leaders and officials pay attention to these sincere words and correct themselves, and not let the Iranian nation consider them among its enemies."


Vienna is the best city in the world to live while war-torn Baghdad is the worst, a survey said Wednesday, putting Europe at the top of the rankings with Asia and Africa trailing. The Austrian capital "retains the top spot as the city with the world's best quality of living," British consultancy firm Mercer said in its 2010 Quality of Living Survey. Swiss cities Zurich and Geneva followed in second and third places respectively, while Vancouver in Canada and Auckland in New Zealand were joint fourth. For its annual survey, Mercer assessed the quality of living in 221 cities worldwide, measuring them against New York with an index score of 100 points as the base city. Vienna, which also took the number one spot last year, scored a total 108.6 points, while Baghdad scored the lowest with just 14.7 points. European cities continued to dominate the top 25 cities in the survey, Mercer said, while Canadian cities also had a strong showing. Among cities in Britain, London ranked number 39, Birmingham 55 and Glasgow 57. In the United States, the highest ranking entry was Honolulu in 31st place, followed by San Francisco in 32nd. Singapore was the top-scoring Asian city in 28th place, followed by Tokyo in 40th. Baghdad ranked 221st, remaining at the bottom of the list. It was followed by Bangui in the Central African Republic, N'Djamena in Chad, Khartoum in Sudan and Tbilisi in Georgia. Mercer also awarded cities eco rankings based on water availability and drinkability, waste removal, quality of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion. Calgary in Canada came top of this list, followed by Honolulu in second place and Ottawa and Helsinki in joint third place. Port-au-Prince in Haiti ranked at the bottom of this table, Mercer said.


This past Monday Eve -- that is, on Pentecost Sunday afternoon -- we prayed the Kneeling Prayers at the Vespers for Holy Spirit Day, on Monday. I love coming to each feast day, in its distinctiveness, and partake of some unique aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ communicated through that liturgical celebration. And Pentecost does not disappoint, with its annual Kneeling Prayers. Yet, as a priest and the one leading the people of God in these important prayers, I must admit a certain degree of struggle with these prayers. Undoubtedly, "love-hate relationship" is much too strong, but you get what I mean. These prayers are, well, quite long; priests are tempted to read them quickly, which would result in less than full comprehension. They're read once a year, so there's no opportunity to absorb them over time by repetition, week by week. They're written in classic Byzantine style, not certainly in classic English style, with its genius of directness and simple elegance. I wish that I were more pious, less of a sinner, so that such thoughts wouldn't enter my head like so many birds stealing the fruits of faith, but there you have it. So, let's look more closely at them, in order to understand them better. In these Kneeling Prayers there's actually seven different prayers, done in three sets of kneeling: two in the first set, two in the second set, and three in the third set. Each set ends, sealed as it were with a lovely capstone, with one of the ancient vesperal prayers for light, from the Great Church of Holy Wisdom, in Constantinople. That much makes sense: praying for light as we re-enter the world from the heady days of Pascha-Pentecost, and enter "ordinary time" in our cycle of the church year. We need the light of Christ in the dark paths of this world, as our Gospel for the Feast proclaimed. I believe that the latter is important to the content of these prayers: all the talk (prayer) about forgiveness, strength, and even death makes sense as we turn the corner from the glory of Pascha and into the normal mode of sacramental discipleship. We kneel. We fast. We sin...and confess. We beg for God's mercy. We die...or rather enter into eternal rest in the God of the living. These are the dynamics of authentic spirituality and real life in Christ. Such things always involve struggle, spiritual warfare, and self-denial as we joyfully offer up our lives as a living sacrifice to God, holy and acceptable. They are the core of sacramental discipleship, of preparation and fulfillment in our festal cycles, of self-emptying and divine infilling by the Holy Spirit. Walking in the light is no cakewalk. So, we kneel. And we pray, at length, prayers which embrace the various dimensions of being a Christian seeking the fulness of the Spirit of God this Pentecost season. St. Paul commanded us to pray with understanding. Certainly this is all the more true on the Great Feast of Pentecost. For on this day the Apostles spoke in languages they did not know, in order to be understood by the crowds of non-Palestinian Jews in Jerusalem for the feast. The holy fathers call Pentecost the Anti-Babel: God's remedy for the confusion of tongues when He judged the builders of Babel. So, we need to understand these Kneeling Prayers. Heed, then, the wise words of the late Father Alexander Schmemann, onetime Dean of Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, about these special Pentecostal Prayers: We are invited to kneel. This is our first kneeling since Easter. It signifies that after these fifty days of Paschal joy and fulness, of experiencing the Kingdom of God, the Church now is about to begin her pilgrimage through time and history. It is evening again, and the night approaches, during which temptations and failures await us, when, more than anything else, we need Divine help, that presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who has already revealed to us the joyful End, who now will help us in our effort towards fulfillment and salvation. All this is revealed in the three prayers which the celebrant reads now as we all kneel and listen to him. In the first prayer, we bring to God our repentance, our increased appeal for forgiveness of sins, the first condition for entering into the Kingdom of God. In the second prayer, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us, to teach us to pray and to follow the true path in the dark and difficult night of our earthly existence. Finally, in the third prayer, we remember all those who have achieved their earthly journey, but who are united with us in the eternal God of Love. The joy of Easter has been completed and we again have to wait for the dawn of the Eternal Day. Yet, knowing our weakness, humbling ourselves by kneeling, we also know the joy and the power of the Holy Spirit who has come. We know that God is with us, that in Him is our victory. Thus is completed the feast of Pentecost and we enter "the ordinary time" of the year. Yet, every Sunday now will be called "after Pentecost" — and this means that it is from the power and light of these fifty days that we shall receive our own power, the Divine help in our daily struggle. At Pentecost we decorate our churches with flowers and green branches — for the Church "never grows old, but is always young." It is an evergreen, ever-living Tree of grace and life, of joy and comfort. For the Holy Spirit - "the Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life - comes and abides in us, and cleanses us from all impurity," and fills our life with meaning, love, faith and hope.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Michael's List - Orthodox Episcopal Assembly; Cyprus deal, Pope visit; Iran-Israel; Greece-Russia-Gas; NATO-KFOR; His All Holiness in Russia



The Episcopal Assembly of the canonical Orthodox bishops of North America will be convened in New York City May 26-27, 2010 and will conclude on May 28 with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The convener of the Assembly is His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, acting as Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Some sixty canonical Orthodox hierarchs are expected to attend the assembly. The bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, led by their Primate, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, will participate in the Episcopal Assembly, with a deep desire to make a good contribution to the fruitfulness of the gathering. Metropolitan Jonah issued the following statement: “The Orthodox Church in America has been and is now committed to Orthodox unity and mission in North America. In preparation for the Episcopal Assembly, special prayers have been offered in parishes of the Orthodox Church in America. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit showered on the Church of Christ at Holy Pentecost be fully manifested in the Episcopal Assembly and then multiplied for the glory of God in common mission and witness.”


The leader of Cyprus' Greek Orthodox Church is warning senior clerics opposed to Pope Benedict's visit here next month to either join in welcoming the pontiff or to keep quiet behind closed doors. It will be the pope's first visit to the east Mediterranean island. He is coming, at the invitation of Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, to retrace the steps of the Apostle Paul, who preached here in the 1st century A.D. Influential Limassol Bishop Athanasios has said the Pope would do better not to come because it would provoke Orthodox Christians who view him as a heretic. But Archbishop Chrisostomos II admonished the Bishop, saying he and other like-minded clerics "can stay at home" if they don't like the pope's visit.


The United Nations said on Tuesday a reunification deal on ethnically-split Cyprus was within reach, sounding an upbeat note on the eve of peace talks interrupted for Turkish Cypriot elections. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu start negotiations on Wednesday after a two-month hiatus for elections which saw Eroglu replace moderate leader Mehmet Ali Talat. A deal in the talks is crucial for Turkey to join the European Union. "There is no doubt that a Cyprus solution is doable," said Alexander Downer, the U.N. envoy for Cyprus who acts as a facilitator in negotiations held at a compound straddling a buffer zone separating Cyprus's Greek and Turkish populations. "It is certainly possible. It is not beyond their grasp, it is within their reach," Downer told reporters. Turkey invaded Cyprus's north in 1974. The conflict is a source of bitter dispute between long-time rivals Greece and Turkey, and its resolution is key to Turkey joining the European Union. Greek Cypriots represent Cyprus in the 27-member bloc and say Turkey cannot join until there is a reunification deal on the island. Turkey's EU membership negotiations have been partly frozen because of the stalemate on Cyprus. The objective of the peace talks is re-linking the island as a federation. Eroglu advocates greater independence for his community, which run a breakaway state in north Cyprus recognized only by Ankara. Greek Cypriots want one state with two self-administering areas.


A recent deal that calls for Iran to enrich uranium abroad is "an obvious deception" by Tehran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says."It's an obvious Iranian deception aimed at diverting international public opinion away from sanctions against Iran in the Security Council," he said. "It's a phony proposal since Iran is keeping enough uranium for itself to produce nuclear weapons." Netanyahu praised the American Administration for its actions vis-à-vis Iran. "I welcome the fact that the United States has decided to move forward with sanctions. It’s an important step in the symbolic sense, but we are not distracted by the fact that these sanctions won't stop Iran," he said. "Tougher sanctions would stress the determination to prevent nuclear weapons armament, but I am not certain these too would stop it."US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Iran's letter of notification to the UN atomic watchdog on the nuclear fuel swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil had "a number of deficiencies." "There are a number of deficiencies which do not answer the concerns of the international community."


Gazprom will sing an agreement with the Greek gas operator DESFA for the construction of the Greek section of the South Stream pipeline, on June 7 in Moscow, Russian TV channel Vesti reports. According to the clauses in the contract, Gazprom and DESFA will establish, on a parity basis, a new company in Athens, which will be responsible for the construction and exploitation of the Greek section of the pipeline. The value of the section is estimated at EUR 1 billion. Greece joined the South Stream pipeline project in 2008. South Stream should transport gas from Novorossiysk, under the Black Sea, to the Varna port in Bulgaria, after which it will continue to Austria, Hungary, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia. It is supposed to start functioning in 2015, as its capacity will be up to 63 billion cubic metres a year.


NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the security situation in Kosovo is steadily improving, according to reports. Rasmussen stated that even though the NATO mission in Kosovo (KFOR) would remain in the province, the number of troops in Kosovo would be decreased to 2,000. “The security situation is continuing to improve. Of course, there are political complications and scattered security incidents, but the general trend is stable and moving in the right direction,” Rasmussen said. “I must stress that when KFOR finishes its transition to the appropriate level of presence, we will still have 2,000 soldiers on the ground and many more in the reserves if needed,” he said. Rasmussen did not want to talk about deadlines for the final reduction of the number of KFOR troops, however. “We will stay as long as it is needed and finish the job. It is still early to set any deadlines. We have determined the direction. We told everyone that if the conditions allow it, we intend on gradually decreasing the presence of KFOR troops,” he said. He visited the Dečane monastery on Friday and met with Bishop Teodosije, who told him that Serbs and Serbian Orthodox Churches remain under difficult conditions in Kosovo. Teodosije said that the Church is concerned about the recent attacks on Serb returnees in the village of Žač, adding that the attacks show that “Serb returnees still do not have the minimum amount of freedom and guarantees for a normal and safe life in Kosovo.”


Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople hails the Russian leadership's dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church. "We, as the Mother Church, welcome prospering cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the State. The Russian leadership and the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church are writing a new chapter in history," Patriarch Bartholomew told President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Tuesday. Dialogue between the church and state will help Russian society assert itself on the basis of traditional moral values and Christian ideals. "It is the best guarantee of the nation's future," he said. Patriarch Bartholomew thanked President Medvedev for the invitation to visit the Kremlin. "We are happy to be here in Russia and we are glad that the visit coincides with the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture and with Patriarch Kirill's Name Day. We received Patriarch Kirill with great love and respect at our patriarchate last year," he said. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said in turn that Patriarch Bartholomew's arrival "is of great importance for bilateral relations." "We, local Orthodox Churches, are part of one Church. There is only one Orthodox Church, but Orthodox believers in each country have their specific problems. Therefore, their leaders must meet more often and exchange their pastoral experience", he said. "Also, there are common Orthodox problems, which we could not even start considering for decades. Bilateral relations between our Churches, exchanging visits, and good personal relationships between the Patriarchs, will help resolve these problems," Patriarch Kirill said. "Besides official speeches which convey our positions to the world, we remain in the dialogue of love each day, exchange knowledge and emotions, and most important, pray together and conduct the divine service together. God is with us in that. We believe that God is leading our two Churches and all Orthodox Churches along the path that is in His hands," the Patriarch added.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Michael's List - GoogleTV; Gay conviction; IDF kills 2 terrorists; US military in Asia, START Treaty,GOP; Cyprus-Serbia relations; "Change your Focus"



Google started with smarter searches. Then, with Android, it turned its attention to smart phones. Now, with Google TV, it's looking to smarten up the third and ultimate category of electronic rectangular screens. What does Google TV mean for the idiot box? It's no surprise that Google thinks the Web is special because the Web is searchable. Indeed, the company spends enormous resources refining its algorithm to make the Internet more searchable every day. So Google would like to bring that searchability to television. And hey, while they're at it, Google would like to put the Internet on TV, too. The result is Google TV, a box, QWERTY keyboard and mouse that turns your 30-inch screen into an entertainment hub for television channels, websites via Google Chrome and apps via Google Android. Tubes on the tube? Cool idea. The ultimate utility here probably lies beyond YouTube and BuzzFeed time sucks. Designers and artists and professionals for whom a large screen improves their productivity by orders of magnitude will benefit from a box that lets them work on Web-based projects on a 30-inch, rather than 12-inch, screen. Google TV could make it easier to work at home, but it could also make it easier to, you know, not work. Scrolling through cable listings is, it turns out, a pretty rotten way to find what you want to watch on the telly. That's why they call it channel surfing. It's aimless, rudderless. Why not make channel searching as easy as Web searching? That's what Google TV wants to do. Type a word into the search box, and it returns TV shows, Internet pages, apps, music. That kind of innovation is simple enough for older folks to intuit and useful enough for younger kids to spend a few extra bucks. We won't know how well the hardware/software will run until some critic takes it for a test drive. But I'm rooting for this idea to work.


GENEVA — The UN human rights chief on Friday slammed the "blatantly discriminatory" jailing of a gay couple in Malawi, saying that it sets an alarming precedent for the treatment of homosexuals in the region. "I am shocked and dismayed by the sentence and reports of the treatment of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga while in detention," said Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "The law which enabled the conviction dates back to the colonial era and has lain dormant for a number of years -- rightly so, because it is discriminatory and has the effect of criminalising and stigmatising people based on perceptions of their identity," she added. Pillay said the conviction should be repealed and penal codes that criminalise homosexuality reformed. "Laws that criminalise people on the basis of their sexual orientation are by their nature discriminatory, and as such are in apparent violation of a number of key international treaties and instruments," said Pillay. "It is a question of fundamental rights, not one of geography, history or disparate cultures," Pillay added. "The protection of individuals against discrimination is pervasive in international human rights law. Why should it be suspended for this one group of human beings?"


Two Palestinian terrorists attempted to cross the border into Israel from the Gaza strip Friday afternoon and were killed by IDF forces, Israel Radio reported. The IDF sustained no casualties in the incident, which occurred near Kibbutz Nirim on the border with Gaza. An IDF scouting unit identified the infiltration and a firefight erupted with IDF units called to the area. Several neighboring communities were placed under security alert due to the risk of additional infiltrations, and IDF helicopters arrived to assist the search. As the firefight continued unabated, the IDF began a mortar bombardment of the target area. The Palestinians answered back with mortar fire of their own and the altercation was still going on as of 4 p.m. Friday. The incident follows the Thursday Israeli Air Force strike on three border tunnels in Gaza in response to a Kassam missile launched at Israel that day.


US military presence remains crucial to the balance of power in Asia, says Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. East Asian security still needs the presence of American forces, so the region can continue its economic growth and balance the emergence of China, a country that is also important for this balance as there is no one country that should dominate Asia. This was the message from Mr Lee at the 16th annual Nikkei Future of Asia Symposium in Tokyo. Mr Lee also stressed the need to keep the US bases in Japan. Japan is in the midst of deciding where to relocate the US forces now based in Okinawa, and Mr Lee emphasized that US bases in Japan are necessary to maintain the balance of power in Asia. Mr Lee said: "We believe that their presence brings about stability and peace. They need a base in the northeast, and if there is no base in Japan, they can't deploy their weaponry and project their power. If Japan closes them off from Okinawa, I think it will be a setback for the deployment of the American forces, which is not to the benefit of Asia." Minister Mentor Lee also emphasized that Japan might take the Singaporean model to face the problem of an aging population, by opening up immigration and allowing immigrants' integration into the society without compromising local values.


Russian legislators are preparing to view the ratification of the nuclear arms cuts deal, which was agreed by Moscow and Washington last month. The treaty, heralded as a milestone in the countries' relations, has already been sent to the US Senate. The sides are planning to synchronize the ratification of the historic deal. Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at Federation Council – the upper house of the Russian Parliament – said that the Council and experts from the Defense and Foreign Ministries have held a long an in-depth discussion on the details of the deal. The Russian Government will submit the document to the State Duma by the end of May, estimated Margelov, but he doubted the possibility of approving the deal simultaneously in Russia and the US due to procedural reasons. “There will be a lot of tough questions asked during the hearings prior to ratification both in the US Senate and the Russian Parliament,” Margelov said. “The discussion [in Moscow] will be very similar to what we have already seen on the Capitol Hill,” he asserted. Mikhail Margelov believes that the Republicans would not hinder the approval of the nuclear deal because many of them have been involved in the discussion over the nuclear arms control before. “Let us keep in mind that all the breakthroughs in the sphere of arms control between the US and the Soviet Union were made when the Republicans were in the office in Washington,” reminded Margelov.


Serbian President Boris Tadić and Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias met in Nicosia on Thursday, on the first day of Tadić's two-day visit. At a joint press conference after meeting Tadić, Christofias said that Cyprus supports Serbia and all Western Balkan countries on their path towards integration in the European Union. The integration of these countries in the EU would contribute to the stabilization of the situation and relations in the region, he said. Tadić said that the good bilateral relations are traditional, [and H]e expressed gratitude to Cyprus for its support to Serbia in the process of EU integration and to its defense of its territorial integrity in Kosovo. Cyprus is one of the five member states of the European Union which have not recognized the unilateral declaration. Tadić was also scheduled to meet later with Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus Chrysostomos II.

VII. PRAVMIR - Change your Focus

God is fitting us for the battles of life. Sorrow, frustration, and pain are often the tools He uses to shape and mold our lives so that we become reflections of God's mercy and grace to others. While He is not the author of heartache and tragedy, He certainly knows exactly how to use them for our benefit and His glory. One of the hardest lessons we will ever learn is how to take a negative situation and turn it into a ositive experience. In Psalm 23, King David reminds us that all of life is a matter of faith and perspective. He writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me" David's words are stepping-stones to a great faith. If we practice the principles that he lived by, God will develop a conquering faith within our lives. David lived with adversity and, from time to time, we will too. No one escapes difficulty; it is inescapable in a fallen world. The key is in what we do with our feelings of defeat, discouragement, and criticism. You may be thinking, "But you don't know my circumstances. There is no way for you to understand the pressure I feel or the discouragement that plagues my heart."While we can't truly know or understand the hurt another person may be experiencing, we do know that there is one person who understands perfectly, and that is Jesus Christ. He was rejected, betrayed, criticized, and crucified. If you are looking for someone to identify with the pain that you are feeling, do what David did — look up and realize that there is someone who is walking through the valley with you. No matter how dark life becomes, Christ will lead you to victory. Paul was another person who faced constant opposition. He was criticized for his work and ministry. Sadly, the criticism did not come from the Roman government or from enemy forces; it came from men and women who were from the same heritage as the apostle. It also came from within the Church. Each time he entered a city, Paul immediately went up to the synagogue to preach God's message of saving grace to the Jews. Then he would turn his attention to the Gentiles. Many times, there was no welcome mat for the visiting apostle. At Iconium, Paul was met with great criticism. Because of the threats made against him, he fled to Lystra where, after hearing him preach the gospel, many came to know Christ as their Savior (see Acts 14). However, Paul was stoned by the Jews, thrown out of the city, and left for dead. Even this could not break Paul's spirit, desire, or his will to tell others about God's eternal love and forgiveness. In Acts 14, we read that "after the disciples had gathered around him, [Paul] got up and went back into the city" (v.20). Paul did not lose heart. His faith never wavered, his love for the Lord never flagged, and he never turned away from what God had called him to do. Are you facing a difficult situation? Is your ability to cope fading? God will provide the strength, wisdom, and courage that you need to continue. Every heartache, every frustration, every disappointment, and every failure is used by God to draw us closer to Himself. We may not understand why we have to face opposition at home, at our jobs, or even in our service to Christ, but God knows and understands, and this is all that counts. Here's how to turn an oppressive situation into an opportunity for God: Realize that God is with you at all times. God never leaves you alone to face the frustrations of this world. If it seems that you cannot hear His voice, be patient, be still, and be committed to trusting Him before you make a single move. Faithfulness, obedience, and willingness to wait on the Lord's timing speak volumes to God. Recognize the hand of God in your circumstances. Andrew Murray wrote that the storms of life are the advent of God's coming — "the evidence of His presence" surrounding us. We are His beloved children and when we hurt, He hurts with us. When we face heartache, He comes to our aid. When we are mistreated, He is grieved and goes to work on our behalf. React with selfless love. If anyone had an impressive resume, it was the Apostle Paul. He was educated at the best schools, held some of the highest social positions, and achieved tremendous knowledge and status, but none of this was important to him. Paul was not angry with his persecutors and he did not waste time seeking vengeance or retribution. Instead, he blessed those who sought to hurt him. In Philippians he writes, "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:7-8). When we feel like the worst of life is upon us, we need to remember that Christ has gone before us (see Deuteronomy 31:8), He is with us, and He works for the good of those who love Him (see Romans 8:28).

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Michael's List - War, S. Ossetia; Serbia-Cyprus relations; FYROM; Israel-PA talks; US atomic deals w/Israel; UN-Iran; Pope, Cyprus, Orthodox Church



Victims of Georgia's attack on South Ossetia in August 2008 may now have an EU-approved document on their hands if they want their cases to be heard at the international criminal court in The Hague. On Thursday the European Parliament supported the findings of a special report which says Georgia “triggered the war” with heavy artillery attack on Tskhinval. It adds that this attack was not an isolated event, but the culmination of years of mounting tensions, for which all sides bear responsibility. Members of the parliament also voted to increase and further support the EU mission in the Caucasus.


Serbian President Boris Tadić and his Cypriot counterpart Dimitris Hristofias said in Nicosia today the two countries have traditionally excellent relations and consistently support each other in the preservation of territorial integrity. Such relations were additionally strengthened in the years that were hard for Serbia, said Tadic and added Cyprus supports Serbia in its EU integrations and in the defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity in Kosmet. Cyprus is one of the five EU states that have not recognized the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo. The Cypriot president said Cyprus would continue extending support to Serbia, adding that the admission of all West Balkan states to the EU would considerably contribute to the stabilization of circumstances in the region. The two presidents stressed it is necessary to intensify mutual economic relations, as last year the trade exchange was not at a satisfactory level.


Greek MEP Georgios Komutsakos said that his country will not lift the blockade before Macedonia’s pre-accession talks in the EU until the name dispute is solved, Macedonian Vecer daily reports. According to the MEP, who is former spokesperson of the Greek Foreign Ministry, the meetings between Macedonian and Greek prime ministers – Nikola Gruevski and Georgios Papandreou, are a positive thing but they bring no positive outcome. “There are meetings and talks but no change in the positions,” Komutsakos remarked.


Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday met with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, as the Israel-Palestinian proximity talks entered their second round. "Israel hopes that the Palestinians will also try to create a positive atmosphere, and will not try to make international case against Israel, for example the actions they took against Israel to prevent their acceptance to the OECD," Netanyahu’s communications adviser Nir Hefetz said in a statement." Netanyahu has expressed his interest in progressing the proximity talks, so they can reach direct talks as soon as possible," Hefetz added.


As countries debate on a nuclear-free Middle East at a UN conference in New York, the US has declassified a secret report revealing its atomic dealings with Israel in the 1950s-1960s. Political analyst Mitchell Barak believes that supporting Israel’s nuclear weapon capability is still one of Washington’s priorities. “I don’t think it is a secret that it is in the best interest of the United States that Israel possess some nuclear capability,” political analyst Mitchell Barak said. “It is the most stable thing for the region and it will actually help the surrounding countries as well.”


Fresh UN sanctions against Iran along with additional measures taken by governments could force Tehran to change its stance on uranium enrichment, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said. He said the proposed sanctions would underscore Iran's isolation and also provide a "legal platform" for countries and organizations, including the European Union, to take tough action against Tehran over its nuclear program. While previous UN resolutions had failed to alter Tehran's policy, "the ratcheting up of what other countries are willing to do on their own using the resolution as a basis does have the potential to change behavior." Iran's elaborate efforts to block the UN Security Council resolution suggested Tehran was worried about the effect of anoher round of sanctions, the defense secretary said. "If the resolution did not have an impact in Iran, it's not clear to me why the Iranians would have made -- are making and have been making such an extraordinary effort to prevent it from being passed," Gates said. "If it were irrelevant as far as they were concerned, I don't think you'd see them expending the kind of diplomatic and other kinds of energy to try and prevent its passage." The fourth round of sanctions would expand an existing arms embargo, measures against Iran's banking sector and ban it from mining uranium and developing ballistic missiles overseas, according to a US official in New York. Gates said "the resolution provides a new legal platform that allows individual countries and organizations, such as the EU, to take significantly more stringent actions on their own that go way beyond, well beyond what the UN resolution calls for in and of itself." France expects a majority of the 15-member Security Council to support the resolution, diplomats said Thursday. Washington and its allies have dismissed a deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil in which Tehran agreed to send around half its stock of low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for more highly-enriched nuclear fuel.


There is growing speculation that the Pope’s visit to Cyprus next month for talks with Orthodox leaders could lead to a long-awaited summit between the pontiff and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill I to heal the 11th-century schism between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity. In a move toward reconciliation today Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of external affairs for the Moscow Patriarchate, delivered a message of greetings from Patriarch Kirill at a concert of Russian music in the Vatican attended by the Pope. Chrysostomos II, the Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus, said this week that he hoped to arrange a summit and offered Cyprus as a possible venue. His previous attempts to arrange a papal meeting with the late Patriarch Alexei II were unsuccessful. Metropolitan Hilarion said that there were still outstanding issues between Rome and Moscow, including tensions over the role of Greek Catholics in western Ukraine. “The theological dialogue still has a long way to go,” he said. However a summit meeting was “our desire, it is a hope, and we must work for it”, he said, adding that “People and times have changed”. The Vatican concert, the highlight of several days of “Russian spiritual culture” in Rome, was the fruit of a meeting last September between the Pope and Metropolitan Hilarion, at which they agreed to reinforce cultural links between Catholics and Orthodox Christians as a mark of “shared Christian values”. Metropolitan Hilarion said that an encounter between the Pope and the Patriarch “should be a historic event, not just because it is the first meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, but especially because such a meeting must be sign of the intention to move our relations forward”. Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, said that a summit would show an increasingly secularised world that the Western and Eastern churches “have the same positions on moral questions”. Archbishop Chrysostomos II this week called on the Orthodox faithful to stay calm during the Pope’s visit from 4-6 June and not to heed “provocative calls” for protests or demonstrations from “irresponsible elements”. He said that the visit posed “not even the slightest danger to our faith”, and rumours that he would sign a theological agreement with the Pope were untrue. Theological dialogue remained the responsibility of the joint Catholic-Orthodox Theological Committee.

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