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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Michael's List - Olympic Medals; Turkish coup plot; FYROM; Greek Indep at White House; Russia, NATO; Petition for Bishop Artemije; Sunday of Orthodoxy



As the world enters day 12 of the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010, the United States is in the lead with 25 medals won. The record holder, however, for most Olympic medals won goes to Norway. The United States follows and the former Soviet Union comes in third. Throughout the history of the Winter Olympic games, Norway has won a total of 290 medals. These consist of 103 gold medals, 101 silver medals, and 86 bronze. The United States is in second place with a total of 237 medals. These include 84 gold, 86 silver, and 67 bronze. The former Soviet Union follows with 217 medals, consisting of 87 gold, 63 silver, and 67 bronze. Germany has earned a total of 192 medals, Austria has 1919, Finland has 152, Canada has 127, Sweden and Switzerland are tied with 121 medals, and the former East Germany has 110. Italy has 105. There are many countries that have never earned a medal in the Olympic games. These nations are as follows: Turkey, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Senegal, Serbia, San Marino, Armenia, Argentina, Andorra, Algeria, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bermuda, Chile, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Greece, Ghana, Georgia, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Iceland, Ireland, Iran, India, Monaco, Montenegro, Macedonia, Mongolia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Madagascar, Lithuania, Lebanon, Philippines, Peru, Pakistan, Nepal, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and South Africa.


Three of Turkey's most senior former military leaders are being held on suspicion of plotting to provoke a conflict with Greece in an attempt to destabilise the country and pave the way for a coup. They are accused of planning to provoke the Greek air force into shooting down a fighter jet to persuade the public the government was unable to guarantee national security. The "Sledgehammer" plot is also said to have involved blowing up mosques and museums in Turkey so they could be blamed on outsiders and undermine the government. The plan, said to have been formulated in 2003, called for Turkish jets to engage in aggressive manoeuvres with Greek counterparts in the sensitive airspace above Aegean Sea. By provoking the Greeks into opening fire the plotters hoped to "turn the clock back to 1923" – the last year of the Greco-Turkish War. Domestic turmoil would be unleashed by separate bomb attacks on prominent mosques. Once riots and demonstrations broke out, the military hoped to step in to oust the newly elected AK Party, which was viewed with suspicion because of its Islamic roots. Among the plans was the seizure of the Fenerbahce football stadium in Istanbul to hold people rounded up in mass arrests. The plotters estimated that 200,000 people in the Istanbul area would pose a threat to public order after martial law was imposed. The secularist Turkish army and judicial establishment has been ensnared by the investigation into the Ergenekon coup plot. It is the latest in a series of plots and conspiracies unearthed since the investigation was launched in 2007. Other schemes included the murder of a Roman Catholic priest and a prominent Armenian journalist.


Greece-FYROM relations are at a "critical crossroad", the UN secretary general's special mediator on the FYROM name issue Matthew Nimetz said Tuesday in statements to Greek state television channel NET ahead of his visit to Athens and Skopje. Nimetz also noted Greek prime minister George Papandreou's influence, with his initiatives in the region of the Western Balkans. According to NET, Nimetz is bringing to the two capitals a package of ideas based on discussions with the two sides and earlier proposals he had made. Nimetz said that the relations between the two countries were at a critical crossroad, and the international dimension of the issue has become very important. He expressed hope that the two countries will manifest leader abilities and creativity and make efforts so that progress may be achieved in his upcoming visit. The UN mediator further said that the present Greek government has placed the name issue among the top items of its foreign policy agenda. From the very beginning it put importance and the issue, and let him know that it was treating it with extreme seriousness, Nimetz continued. He further said that the Greek prime minister has personal influence beyond the name issue, and in the wider region of the western Balkans as well, as a member of the European Union, with his 2014 Agenda and his initiatives in bilateral meetings.


The White House will celebrate Greek Independence Day on March 9th this year. The reason for celebrating two weeks earlier instead of the actual day on March 25th is because president Barrack Obama has a very heavy schedule and will be out of the country on the 25th. As officials reported to a Greek-American member of the congress, the President wouldn’t want to miss the event and disappoint the Greek-American supporters that are already disappointed by the fact that Obama cannot find available dates for a meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Washington. As an American official reported, vice president Joe Biden and probably the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will be present for the Greek Independence day celebration. Archbishop Demetrius, the Ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus and members of congress, will be present. The big question is how many guests will be invited from the Greek-American Community. Last year there was an issue with not providing enough invitations to many Greek organizations, some of which expressed written complaints to the White House.


Responding to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s assurances that Russia should not fear NATO’s advance, Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin wants more than words. In a speech that outlined NATO's mission for the 21st Century, Hillary Clinton emphasized that the 28-member military organization presents no threat to Russia. “While Russia faces challenges to its security, NATO is not among them,” the US Secretary of State told an audience assembled at a Washington hotel ballroom on Monday. “We want a cooperative NATO-Russia relationship that produces concrete results and draws NATO and Russia closer together.” Clinton then said that the key to NATO-Russian relations is a high level of transparency in order to dispel Moscow’s fears that the alliance will one day turn on Russia. Dmitry Rogozin, the tough-talking Russian ambassador to NATO, wasn’t buying a word of it. “In my view, Mrs. Clinton's speech failed to answer the questions that Moscow has repeatedly raised with its US and NATO partners,” he told Interfax on Tuesday. Rogozin then cited a long list of complaints aimed at NATO and its “spontaneous expansion eastwards.” “We cannot be happy with these rules,” he said. “A unilateral world, NATO-centrism, the alliance's spontaneous expansion eastwards and refusal to recognize the principle of integrity and security.” The failure “to take into account Russia's and its partners' interests… is a burp of the Cold War,” the ambassador said. And Russia is not sitting by idly as NATO continues to encroach eastward. At a February 5 session of the Russian Security Council, President Dmitry Medvedev said he had approved Russia's updated military doctrine, which ranked NATO expansion as a major threat. Russia’s new military doctrine mentions, amongst other threats, “the desire to invest the military potential of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with global functions, carried out in violation of international law, and advance the NATO member states’ military infrastructure closer to Russia’s border, particularly by expanding the bloc.


We, the undersigned, address ourselves to His Holiness, Patriarch IRINEJ, and to the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. We respectfully but insistently declare our dismay over the unjustified suspension of His Grace, Bishop ARTEMIJE, from his governance of the Diocese of Ras and Prizren and Kosovo and Metohija and call for immediate restoration of his full authority. There can be little doubt as to why this action has been taken now. Indications have been growing for some time that the western powers, notably Washington, having been frustrated in their desire to “finish the job” in the Balkans, notably in Kosovo and Metohija, have decided to remove the person who, more anyone else, has been the insurmountable obstacle to that goal. Nothing in that is surprising in light of western policies during the past two decades. But far worse even than the current attack itself is the knowledge that the outrages against Vladika Artemije have been perpetrated by his own: by persons acting in the name of the Holy Synod and of the Orthodox Church of Serbia. Today, no one remembers the persecutors of Saint John Chrysostom, who three times sent him into cruel exile, from the last of which he did not return alive. Our appeal is imperative less for Vladika Artemije, whose legacy already is secured, than for the sacred dignity of the Holy Synod itself, of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and of the Serbian people. We declare our full support for Vladika Artemije and urgently appeal to His Holiness, Patriarch Irinej, and to all members of the Holy Synod, that they take immediate action to stop the inhumane process against Vladika Artemije and fully reinstate him.


+BARTHOLOMEW By God’s Grace Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Fullness of the Church, Grace and Peace From our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our most holy Orthodox Church today commemorates its own feast day, and – from this historical and martyric See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the Mother Church of Constantinople directs its blessing, love and concern to all of its faithful and dedicated spiritual children throughout the world, inviting them to concelebrate in prayer. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Those who endeavored over the ages to suppress the Church through various visible and invisible persecutions; those who sought to falsify the Church with their heretical teachings; those who wanted to silence the Church, depriving it of its voice and witness; they all proved unsuccessful. The clouds of Martyrs, the tears of the Ascetics, and the prayers of the Saints protect the Church spiritually, while the Comforter and Spirit of Truth leads it to the fullness of truth. With a sense of duty and responsibility, despite its hurdles and problems, as the First-Throne Church of Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate cares about protecting and establishing the unity of the Orthodox Church, in order that with one voice and in one heart we may confess the Orthodox faith of our Fathers in every age and even in our times. For, Orthodoxy is not a museum treasure that must be preserved; it is a breath of life that must be transmitted and invigorate all people. Orthodoxy is always contemporary, so long as we promote it with humility and interpret it in light of the existential quests and needs of humanity in each historical period and cultural circumstance. To this purpose, Orthodoxy must be in constant dialogue with the world. The Orthodox Church does not fear dialogue because truth is not afraid of dialogue. On the contrary, if Orthodoxy is enclosed within itself and not in dialogue with those outside, it will both fail in its mission and no longer be the “catholic” and “ecumenical” Church. Instead, it will become an introverted and self-contained group, a “ghetto” on the margins of history. This is why the great Fathers of the Church never feared dialogue with the spiritual culture of their age – indeed even with the pagan idolaters and philosophers of their world – thereby influencing and transforming the civilization of their time and offering us a truly ecumenical Church. Today, Orthodoxy is called to continue this dialogue with the outside world in order to provide a witness and the life-giving breath of its faith. However, this dialogue cannot reach the outside world unless it first passes through all those that bear the Christian name. Thus, we must first converse as Christians among ourselves in order to resolve our differences, in order that our witness to the outside world may be credible. Our endeavors for the union of all Christians is the will and command of our Lord, who before His Passion prayed to His Father “that all [namely, His disciples] may be one, so that the world may believe that You sent me.” (John 17.21) It is not possible for the Lord to agonize over the unity of His disciples and for us to remain indifferent about the unity of all Christians. This would constitute criminal betrayal and transgression of His divine commandment. It is precisely for these reasons that, with the mutual agreement and participation of all local Orthodox Churches, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has for many decades conducted official Panorthodox theological dialogues with the larger Christian Churches and Confessions. The aim of these dialogues is, in a spirit of love, to discuss whatever divides Christians both in terms of faith as well as in terms of the organization and life of the Church. These dialogues, together with every effort for peaceful and fraternal relations of the Orthodox Church with other Christians, are unfortunately challenged today in an unacceptably fanatical way – at least by the standards of a genuinely Orthodox ethos – by certain circles that exclusively claim for themselves the title of zealot and defender of Orthodoxy. As if all the Patriarchs and Sacred Synods of the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who unanimously decided on and continue to support these dialogues, were not Orthodox. Yet, these opponents of every effort for the restoration of unity among Christians raise themselves above Episcopal Synods of the Church to the dangerous point of creating schisms within the Church. In their polemical argumentation, these critics of the restoration of unity among Christians do not even hesitate to distort reality in order to deceive and arouse the faithful. Thus, they are silent about the fact that theological dialogues are conducted by unanimous decision of all Orthodox Churches, instead attacking the Ecumenical Patriarchate alone. They disseminate false rumors that union between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches is imminent, while they know well that the differences discussed in these theological dialogues remain numerous and require lengthy debate; moreover, union is not decided by theological commissions but by Church Synods. They assert that the Pope will supposedly subjugate the Orthodox, because they latter submit to dialogue with the Roman Catholics! They condemn those who conduct these dialogues as allegedly “heretics” and “traitors” of Orthodoxy, purely and simply because they converse with non-Orthodox, with whom they share the treasure and truth of our Orthodox faith. They speak condescendingly of every effort for reconciliation among divided Christians and restoration of their unity as purportedly being “the pan-heresy of ecumenism” without providing the slightest evidence that, in its contacts with non-Orthodox, the Orthodox Church has abandoned or denied the doctrines of the Ecumenical Councils and of the Church Fathers. Beloved children in the Lord, Orthodoxy has no need of either fanaticism or bigotry to protect itself. Whoever believes that Orthodoxy has the truth does not fear dialogue, because truth has never been endangered by dialogue. By contrast, when in our day all people strive to resolve their differences through dialogue, Orthodoxy cannot proceed with intolerance and extremism. You should have utmost confidence in your Mother Church. For the Mother Church has over the ages preserved and transmitted Orthodoxy even to other nations. And today, the Mother Church is struggling amid difficult circumstances to maintain Orthodoxy vibrant and venerable throughout the world. From the Ecumenical Patriarchate, this sacred Center of Orthodoxy, we embrace all of you lovingly and bless you paternally, praying that you may journey in health through the holy period of contrition and asceticism known as Holy and Great Lent in order that you may become worthy of celebrating the pure Passion and glorious Resurrection of our Savior Lord with all faithful Orthodox Christians throughout the world. Sunday of Orthodoxy 2010 + Bartholomew of Constantinople Fervent supplicant to God for all

Friday, February 19, 2010

Michael's List - Haiti benefit concert; Cyprus; FYROM; Spain's Diet; NATO on churches, Kosovo; Saakashvili a threat; What to do during Great Lent



In an effort help the orphaned, the sick, the suffering and the homeless of Haiti, the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, 59 East Second St., New York, NY, will host a benefit concert on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. All proceeds from the concert will be sent to International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], the Baltimore-based pan-Orthodox humanitarian agency. Vespers with special petitions for the Haitian people and the relief workers will precede the concert. The concert will feature the world premier of a new Passion Cantata, incorporating hymns of the Crucifixion from Great and Holy Friday. The cantata, based on ancient Russian and Georgian chant and sung a cappella in English, is the work of Robert Sirico, who composed it specifically for the occasion. A select chamber choir, formed for the occasion, will perform under the direction of musician Nicholas Reeves. A $20.00 donation -- all of which will be sent to IOCC -- is suggested. For additional information visit nycathedral.org or go to facebook by clicking here.


The House of Representatives has stressed that Cyprus, just like any other EU member state, must not have either guarantors or rights of intervention by outside powers. In a resolution approved unanimously during Thursday’s plenary session, the House expresses support for the restoration of the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. “In the united Republic of Cyprus, member state of the EU, there should not be provisions for guarantors or guarantees”, the House resolution says. The House underlines that the chapter on security – guarantees is a significant issue for the people of Cyprus and a fundamental matter in the efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus issue. “The arbitrary interpretation of the Treaty of Guarantee by Turkey, to justify the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 and the continuing occupation of 36.4% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus constitute a violation of international law”, the resolution points out, adding that the House “unanimously condemns the arbitrary interpretation of the Treaty of Guarantee by Turkey to attribute legality to the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the continuing occupation of part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus”. It also condemns the “flagrant violations of the fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms of Cypriot citizens” and calls on “Turkey to respect and immediately restore the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the human rights of all Cypriot citizens”. In this way, the House resolution notes that “Turkey will be able to practically show its contribution in achieving a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, as well as its respect and dedication to international law and all the more to the principles and values of the EU, which it aspires to become a member”. Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008, with an aim to reunify the island.


Now is the time for Athens and Skopje to resolve their 19-year old dispute over the use of the name Macedonia, EU enlargement chief Stefan Fuele said Friday. "The leaders have a huge responsibility and a fantastic opportunity to make a lasting contribution to a wider regional stability and prosperity," said Fuele during a visit to Skopje. Macedonia the country was a part of Yugoslavia before independence in 1991, while Greece -- which has a northern province called Macedonia -- considers the name to be part of its heritage. Macedonia joined the United Nations in 1993 under the provisional name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), but UN-led negotiations have yet to resolve the dispute. The European Commission is to discuss the timeline for opening EU membership negotiations with Macedonia next month, but a decision to go ahead hinges on approval from by all EU member states -- including Greece. Macedonia -- an official candidate for EU membership since December 2005 -- "expects the dispute to be overcome in order for the state to be able to become a member of the EU and NATO, which is our strategic aim," he added.


Spaniards are abandoning their much-vaunted Mediterranean diets, experts have warned. Despite research showing that heart disease in Spain is among the lowest in Europe, Spanish people are turning their noses up at the celebrated munch. Instead they are ordering less nutritious dishes from bars and restaurants, the study in British journal Public Health Nutrition confirmed. According to Spain’s environment ministry, a third of all money spent on food – some 90 billion euros – is spent on eating out. The growing neglect of the prized diet has fostered fears about the deteriorating health of Spaniards. Ironically, the falling appetite for the Mediterranean diet comes just as the rest of the world – and Spain’s own government – sings its praises. Officials representing Italy, Greece, Morocco and Spain have presented a motion for the diet to be included in UNESCO’s World Intangible Heritage List. Furthermore, it is now recommended by the American Heart Association. Food scientists revealed that those who enjoy a Mediterranean diet are less likely to suffer from depression. It is also claimed that the risk of dying from cancer or developing Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases also diminishes.


NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples Mark Fitzgerald was in Kosovo on Thursday. He told reporters in Priština that Kosovo police, KPS, and EULEX could in the future guard the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) churches and monasteries. Currently, the structures, which were targets of Kosovo Albanian violence in 1999 and 2004, are guarded by KFOR. KFOR commander, German General Markus Bentler said that this concerns nine of the most important religious and cultural buildings of the SPC heritage in Kosovo. Fitzgerald was also asked to comment on the so-called integration strategy for the northern, Serb areas of the province, aimed at bringing them under the rule of the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština. “Any parallel structure poses a threat to security and peaceful surroundings,” he said, and warned that KFOR would react if 'parallel' structures 'resorted to violence'. Institutions that are not in line with (UNSC) Resolution 1244 are illegal and represent a threat to security,” the U.S. Admiral was reported as stating. Asked whether NATO would support the strategy, he said that NATO was interested in anything that contributes to democracy and unification. Fitzgerald also stated that he could not confirm that KFOR would take part in implementing the strategy – which has been rejected by the local Serbs, official Belgrade, and also Moscow – and added that the NATO-led force in Kosovo would monitor the situation and be ready to react.


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is a greater threat to security in the Black Sea region than the Mistral-class helicopter carrier Russia intends to buy from France, Moscow's envoy to NATO said on Friday. "The real threat in the Black Sea basin is no longer the notorious Mistral that Russia might buy, but Saakashvili himself," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti on Friday. Speaking on Thursday at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Saakashvili criticized the plans of the French authorities to sell Russia a Mistral-class amphibious assault vessel, as well as over recent reports of talks for the sale of armored vehicles. The Russian military earlier announced that it was considering buying one of the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, worth 400-500 million euros (around $540-$675 million), and potentially building three or four vessels of the same class in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS. The French government has approved the sale but Russia has not yet made a final decision. A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The vessel is equipped with a 69-bed hospital and can be used as an amphibious command ship. Many Russian military and industry experts have questioned the financial and military sense of the purchase, but the Russian military has said such a vessel would have allowed the Russian Navy to conduct a more efficient operation in the Black Sea during the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. However, many experts believe that Russia simply wants to gain access to advanced naval technology that could be used in the future in potential conflicts with NATO and its allies.


Most of us realize that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three basic Christian and lenten necessities, but we often realize as well that we cannot keep the strictest lenten regulations of the Church which are, in fact, monastic rules. We know that we will not make a maximum effort and so we sometimes feel frustrated, lost, and without guidance. Do What You Can: When seeking practical advice concerning lenten practices, the only realistic guideline is to do what you can. You know that the essentials are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Intensify your prayer. Fast as fully as possible. (More and more, people are finding that the total abstinence from meat for the entire lenten season is surely not out of the question, even for the laity!) Give to others, asking nothing in return. Know, as well, that all of your fasting, praying, and almsgiving must be exercised in secret. The only real goal and purpose of Great Lent is to enter into a deeper love for God and for those around us. Certain weeks: Another concrete, yet traditional suggestion, is to keep certain lenten weeks in a more careful and strict way than others. For example, the first and third weeks of Great Lent, in addition to Holy Week, can be set aside for a greater and more concentrated lenten effort. Very practically speaking, everyone can keep certain weeks, or at least one week, in a very special way. If this is done, there is no doubt that the result will be very positive and the time spent may prove to be the most inspiring and fruitful time of our entire life. We can only try it and see! What to Do: Here are some concrete guidelines for taking Great Lent more seriously - • Turn off the television, radio, and stereo for the entire lenten season, except for news and serious or educational programs. • Do not visit or engage in outside activities for their own sake. Keep useless talking to a minimum. Do only necessary business, good works, and acts of charity. • Examine and measure every aspect of your life—family, work, society, politics, economics, values, and desires—against the model set forth by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. • Question yourself in regard to love, truth, honest, purity, humility, peace, forgiveness, justice, mercy, hungering, and thirsting for God, wisdom, and knowledge. • In the name of Jesus Christ, forgive all who have offended you and seek forgiveness from those whom you have offended. If it will not be embarrassing or misinterpreted as an act of self-righteousness, express yourself as concretely as possible. Visit, make a phone call, and so forth. • Set aside and give a sizeable portion of your resources to others; the parish, the poor, a social or educational agency. Tell no one what you have done. Ask no gratitude and forgo requesting a receipt. Do not advertise what you are doing. • Fast strictly at all times. Eat no meat, as the basic minimum. Suit your fast to your work, but avoid luxury. Again, tell no one. Do not advertise or discuss your fasting with anyone and avoid judging others who may not be fasting with you. • Pray at home at least at one fixed time each day. Choose a brief rule of prayer, but keep it faithfully. • Read the scriptures in the same brief, yet regular way. You may wish to follow the Church's calendar, read a chapter of a given book on a daily basis, or simply read and reflect upon passages which you happen upon. In addition, meditate upon these: 1 John; Romans 12-14; Matthew 5 - 7, and John 14-17. • Be faithful to Christ's gospel in every word, action, and thought—even the smallest or most insignificant. • Participate in all of the weekly lenten services, especially the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, Saturday evening Great Vespers, and the Sunday Divine Liturgy, confessing seriously and receiving Holy Communion frequently. Peace and Joy: If we do these things, not in a spirit of gloomy self-denial or irritated self-pity, we will gain an awareness of genuine peace and joy in communion with God and those around us. This is guaranteed, and, our participation in and celebration of the least of Our Lord's resurrection will be cherished forever!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Michael's List- Kosovo, EU split, Spain, Greece say "no"; FYROM, Aussies; Iran, Israel, Russia, Abkhazia; Russia, Greece protect Orthodoxy; OCA, Haiti



The European Union on Wednesday displayed its deep split over Kosovo's status as the breakaway province celebrated the second anniversary of its independence from Serbia. Ulrike Lunacek, the European parliament's rapporteur on Kosovo, called for the five EU nations yet to recognise it to do so saying "is high time to focus all efforts to ensure the future" of the tiny Balkan territory. However that call was swiftly rejected by Spain which is one of the five and currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. "It is not a question of European recognition in general terms, these are decisions for member states to take individually. Spain does not recognise Kosovo and has said that's not going to change," a Spanish EU presidency spokesperson said. Spain is backed in its stance by Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia, either in solidarity with Serbia or over concerns that it could create a precedent for their own separatist areas. That divided position "is rendering a coherent European policy towards Kosovo... almost impossible," said Lunacek. The Spanish EU presidency spokesperson argued that there was plenty of very important EU consensus on Kosovo. "There is the EULEX mission which is supported by everybody, and also the process of economic support and the development of the links with the European Union," she said. The some 3,000-strong mission to bring the justice system, police and customs up to European standards took over from the United Nations, which administered Kosovo after the 1999 war. Kosovo unilaterally split from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and its independence has been recognised so far by 65 countries, including the United States as well as the majority of EU countries. Serbia opposes Kosovo's independence, considering the territory as its southern province. It backs and finances the region's parallel administrative, educational and judicial system in areas with a Serb majority.


Greek Ambassador Dimosthenis Stoidis has denied that his country would recognize the unilateral declaration of independence made by Kosovo's Albanians. The top Greek diplomatic envoy in Belgrade was reacting to a recent statement coming from Skender Hyseni, appointed by the government in Priština to be its foreign minister. "It isn't clear to me what the source of Hyseni's information is, or his precise statements. Greece's stable, principled stance on the issue is known," Stoidis said in an interview for Vienna's Der Standard newspaper. He also said that Greek PM George Papandreou recently confirmed this position in his meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić. Papandreou was in Belgrade in early January when he said that the complex issue of Kosovo should be solved based on the UN Charter and respect of international law.


Macedonia threatened to vote against the candidacy of Australia for a seat in the UN Security Council if the Rudd Government does not take action against the Premier of South Australia, Mike Runn. The Skopje government is allegedly deeply troubled by Mike Runn which has accused Macedonia of “theft of Greek history and Greek culture. The Ambassador of Macedonia to Australia, Peter Stogianovski, said he would [not] seek an explanation but an apology. “It will depend on what Canberra tells us as to whether will vote in favour of the nomination of Australia for a seat in the UN Security Council,” said Mr Stogianovski. Mr Runn is however adamant. “I believe what I say and will not apologize,” he said. A day earlier Mr. Runn said: “I will speak about the Greek origin of Macedonia and nobody is going to stop me because it’s something I believe.” Mr. Runn, has for years, supported the Greek position on Macedonia and Cyprus in every possible way, causing anger to residents of Australia from Turkey and Macedonia. He recently accused the president of FYROM as “instigator of problems in the most dangerous way."


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday his country is not planning a war with Iran and that Tehran's concerns over such a conflict are the result of the threat of additional international sanctions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday he believes Israel or its allies are considering a military strike against his country, which has thus far failed to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful. "We are not planning any wars," Netanyahu said, speaking in Moscow after meetings urging Russian officials to approve tougher sanctions against Iran.Israel has been at the forefront of calling for crippling sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program. Israel, like the US and much of the international community, believes Iran's program is aimed at developing a nuclear bomb, which Iran denies. While Israel says it hopes diplomacy will resolve the nuclear standoff, it has not ruled out military action and Iran has frequently mentioned it could suffer a military strike from Israel or its allies. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu denied this, saying the international community was getting closer in agreement over slapping tough sanctions on Iran, which was making the Islamic regime nervous. In Tehran, Ahmadinejad said Israel is "seeking to start a war next spring or summer, although their decision is not final yet," without saying where he got that information. Netanyahu dismissed that talk as "manipulations."


Russia and Abkhazia signed a deal on Wednesday to establish a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic. The deal was signed during Kremlin talks between Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The base is designed "to protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups," the document said. The agreement was signed for a term of 49 years with a possible extension. Russia recognized the republic on the Black Sea in August 2008 after a five-day war to repel an assault by U.S. ally Georgia on another breakaway region, South Ossetia. Georgia fiercely criticized the plans for the base in Abkhazia which it considers part of its territory. Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West.


Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia pointed out to the importance of Russia-Greece spiritual dialogue and their joint protection of Orthodox basis of their cultures. “In the epoch of globalization all of us should bother to preserve values and characteristic features of this (Orthodox – IF) civilization. It suggests strengthening cooperation among Orthodox countries,” Patriarch Kirill said at his meeting with Greek Prime Minister Jorgos Papandreou in patriarchal residence in the Chisty Lane in Moscow. He noted that even in the Soviet Union, where “authorities were very far from the Church,” “Orthodox factor” played a very important role in interstate relations as the Orthodox Church both in Greece and Russia defined “system of people’s values, cultural profile of our nations.” According to the Patriarch, the Russian Church “approves” of the recent Greek authorities’ refusal to remove icons from courtrooms and cancel oath on the Gospels. The Patriarch recalled the Strasbourg Court decision to ban crucifix in Italian schools and expressed his concerns with the fact that many European countries ruled out Christian values from social sphere.


Priest Antonio Perdomo, rector of Saint George the Great Martyr Church, Pharr, TX, arrived in Haiti on the first weekend of February to consult with Orthodox Christian communities and ecumenical partners with regard to ongoing assistance and short and long term needs of those who survived the January 12 earthquake there. Father Antonio was accompanied by Mark Ohanian, senior program coordinator for International Orthodox Christian Charities. He will work with the IOCC team to support of the efforts of Orthodox partners in Haiti, where there are an estimated 3,000 Orthodox Christians. IOCC is currently providing food and hygiene items to 350 Orthodox faithful in six parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia [ROCOR] in Haiti with the support of a $10,000 grant from the ROCOR "Fund for Assistance." Born in the Dominican Republic, Father Antonio is a native Spanish speaker and a member of IOCC's Frontline, a volunteer network of highly trained, credentialed and experienced emergency response personnel. Mr. Ohanian, the team leader who managed recovery and reconstruction projects for IOCC in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a disaster response veteran who grew up in Lebanon during the war and speaks French. Nearly $1.7 million in assistance has been provided by IOCC in the month since the earthquake ravaged much of Haiti's capital and environs. Medicines, medical equipment, water purification and sanitation equipment, tents, hygiene kits, shelter materials, fuel, food, blankets, jerry cans for water and mattresses have been shipped and distributed throughout Haiti in cooperation with ACT Alliance members and Orthodox Christian and other partners. IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] and a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy. To help the victims of disasters around the world, including those in Haiti, log on to www.iocc.org.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Michael's List- PreAncient Greeks; Religious Kosovo; Podujevo massacre; Abkhazia recognition; Taliban capture; Libyan visa ban; GreatLent 7 testaments



Early humans, possibly even prehuman ancestors, appear to have been going to sea much longer than anyone had ever suspected. That is the startling implication of discoveries made the last two summers on the Greek island of Crete. Stone tools found there, archaeologists say, are at least 130,000 years old, which is considered strong evidence for the earliest known seafaring in the Mediterranean and cause for rethinking the maritime capabilities of prehuman cultures. Crete has been an island for more than five million years, meaning that the toolmakers must have arrived by boat. So this seems to push the history of Mediterranean voyaging back more than 100,000 years, specialists in Stone Age archaeology say. Previous artifact discoveries had shown people reaching Cyprus, a few other Greek islands and possibly Sardinia no earlier than 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. the archaeologists who found the tools on Crete noted that the style of the hand axes suggested that they could be up to 700,000 years old. That may be a stretch, they conceded, but the tools resemble artifacts from the stone technology known as Acheulean, which originated with prehuman populations in Africa. More than 2,000 stone artifacts, including the hand axes, were collected on the southwestern shore of Crete, near the town of Plakias, by a team led by Thomas F. Strasser and Eleni Panagopoulou. She is with the Greek Ministry of Culture and he is an associate professor of art history at Providence College in Rhode Island. They were assisted by Greek and American geologists and archaeologists, including Curtis Runnels of Boston University.


A Greek diplomat serving in Pristina was appointed Tuesday to help restore and protect Serb heritage in Kosovo, the European Union and Greek missions said in a statement. Ambassador Dimitris Moschopoulos "will facilitate the development of integrated conservation policies for religious and cultural heritage and will actively engage in increasing awareness of and respect for cultural heritage," the joint statement said. Moschopoulos heads the Greek liaison office in Pristina. Greece, like Serbia a mostly Orthodox Christian country, is one of only five EU nations that have not recognized Kosovo, with its mostly Albanian and Muslim population. Kosovo declared independence two years ago, but Serbia, which sees the province as its heartland and cradle of the Serbian Orthodox Church, continues to fight the secession by diplomatic means. Albanians have destroyed many Serbian shrines since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ousted Belgrade's security forces from Kosovo to end bloodshed in 1999. The most recent wave of destruction occurred in Kosovo-wide riots six years ago. The protection and restoration of Serbian cultural and religious monuments is a commitment Kosovo assumed when it declared its independence, with the backing of the United States and the majority of leading western nations. Some of the Serbian monuments in Kosovo are centuries old but must remain under protection of NATO peacekeepers. The 13th-century Decani monastery near Pec is, for instance, under the protection of UNESCO and also of Italian soldiers stationed there.


On the occasion of nine years since the massacre of 12 Serbs in a terrorist attack on a Niš ekspres bus near Podujevo, Serbian Orthodox Church bishops Atanasije and Teodosije held a memorial service in St Nicholas’ church in downtown Pristina. Another 40 passengers were wounded in that attack. The service was attended by some 150 Serbs. An explosion of a mine laid on the road near the Livadice village, in the vicinity of Podujevo, in northeastern Kosmet, on 16 February 2001, blew up the first of the six buses transporting displaced Kosmet Serbs going, in the company of KFOR, to Gracanica, to visit the graves of their family members. The only person charged with the terrorist attack was a Kosovo Albanian Fljorim Ejupi. In May 2001, he escaped from prison in the US Bondsteel base, and in 2004 he was arrested again in Tirana and taken back to Kosovo. He was convicted of the crime in first-instance proceedings, but the Supreme Court of Kosovo subsequently acquitted him due to an alleged lack of evidence. In June 2009, EULEX launched a new investigation. Members of the team conducting the investigation state they have not identified the perpetrators yet, but that they are aware of the fact that it was impossible for one person only to be behind such a brutal terrorist act. The Church of St Nicholas in Pristina, where the service was held today, was burnt down in Kosovo Albanian violence in March 2004 and has only partly been renovated.


Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh paid an official visit to Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. On August 26, 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing Abkhazia. It followed Georgia's attack against another Caucuses republic, South Ossetia. The republic was also recognized by Venezuela, Nicaragua and the tiny Republic of Nauru, the world's smallest island nation, in the South Pacific. However the Georgian government and most of the world powers still consider Abkhazia part of Georgia's territory. According to Bagapsh, although his republic continues to strive for its recognition, “it’s not going to beg anyone to recognize it. We are going to establish our political situation in the country, our economy and further development, in a way that would leave no questions about whether to recognize us or not,” the Abkhazian President said. On September 17, 2008 in Moscow, Medvedev and Bagapsh signed a treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance which laid the foundation for long-term cooperation. And in September 2009, the sides signed an agreement on military cooperation. In line with that document, Russia has the opportunity to build, use and update military infrastructure and military bases in Abkhazia as well as set up a joint group of forces for times of both war and peace. Bagapsh said his country can’t allow ethnic Georgian refugees to return from Georgia, as it may lead to war. He also noted that his country will not cooperate with Georgia’s current government. “We are open to a dialogue with any state,” Bagapsh said. “But I want to underline it straight away, any cooperation, dialogue or economic relations with the current Georgian administration is out of the question.”


The White House's lead spokesman is declining to confirm the capture of the Taliban's top military commander. Unnamed officials in Pakistan had said earlier Tuesday that a joint CIA-Pakistani operation captured Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Karachi. At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs said he would not speak on the matter. Gibbs told reporters the fight against extremists involves sensitive intelligence matters and he believes it's best to collect that information without talking about it. Gibbs said reports that Baradar was arrested 10 days ago and was talking to his interrogators were "not helpful." Baradar is the most senior Afghan Taliban leader arrested since the beginning of the Afghan war in 2001.


The European Commission, the EU's executive body, has criticized Libya's decision to suspend issuing visas to citizens from the bloc's Schengen area as "unilateral and disproportionate." "The Commission also regrets that travelers who legally obtained visas before the suspension measure were refused entry when arriving in Libya," said EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom. She added that EU and Schengen countries would discuss the matter this week to "consider the appropriate reaction." A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said the decision by Libya was "regrettable," adding that the government expected the suspension to be cancelled. The move by Tripoli appears to be in response to an announcement by Swiss authorities on Sunday that 188 Libyans, including leader Moammar Gadhafi and his family, are banned from visiting Switzerland. While Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it is one of the 25 European countries in the border-free Schengen area. Citizens of Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania, which are EU members but not in the Schengen zone, were exempt from the decision.


The Season of Great Lent has begun. It is time of renovation, repentance and joy. It is not yet the time of triumphant Easter delight, but a time of quiet and, yet, at the same time, profoundly deep joy, which is not visible at first glance. Perhaps it is due to the fact that during the fast, we once again hope to tear ourselves away from the concerns and worries that have enslaved us within our daily lives. We hope to find our real selves. The Great Lent prepares us for that greatest of celebrations: Easter. It is a real journey. It is the springtime of the spirit. And this spring pilgrimage should bring us to the proper end point, where we will become better then we were at the beginning. How can we go properly through the great fast? (1) To eat well. Before we start talking about the spiritual meaning of the fast, it is important to clarify what exactly our food is. The differences between foods becomes more visible precisely during this fast. The meaning of the fast is not refusing meat or dairy. Food itself does not bring us any closer to God, or take us further away from Him. As we are creatures content on bones and blood, the subject of our nutrition is quite important. There is a general rule: we have to eat “easy” food (namely, we must strive to eat food that gives our bodies and souls a sense of lightness). But it is just as possible to burden yourself with easy food too. Try not to get obsessed with it. Also, there is no need to look for the abundant special fast recipes on the Internet. Perhaps one should try to spend less time cooking your meals. Spend less money on buying your food during the fast. Taking this aspect into account, there is something to think about – such as how reasonable it is to buy special seafood that is allowed by church discipline. At the same time, certain exemptions do indeed exist for certain groups of people (such as those who are ill, hard workers, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and so on). In this case, it would be prudent to get advice from your spiritual leader. If you do not have an opportunity to do that, you need to make your own decision. It is well known that it is better to under-fast then to over-fast. Temperance is a golden rule. (2) To give up bad habits, or addiction to something. Fast is a time of relief. We are being released from those things which enslaves us. In this time, we can make serious attempts to give up our various bad habits or addictions. Everyone has to perform their own good deeds. Someone during this time may give up an addiction to drink or to smoke; someone else will just as likely give up watching of a television series. There is no need to ask the others to perform a kind deed, just try to perform it yourself. (3) To pray regularly. Fasting without prayer is not a true fast, but try to find just 15 or 20 minutes for prayer in the evening and in the morning during the fast. You can read normal prayers for mornings and evenings together with the Gospel. But during Lent, it would be better to add one more short but essential prayer that sets the tone of the fast such as one by Ephraim the Syrian. (4) To read the Holy Bible. During the Great Lent there are three Old Testament books read during the Pre-sanctified Liturgies; Genesis, Isaiah and Proverbs. There is also a tradition during this time to read all Four Gospels at home on your own. It is difficult to be a Christian without knowing the Gospel. If you have not read the Old and The New Testaments yet, try to do so during the next forty days of Lent. Even if you have previously read the whole Bible, please don’t think it’s enough. Our memories are never truly as rock-solid as they seem, and we forget much. Try to read the Gospel regularly. It would be better if you do this every day, after finding a quiet time so that you can concentrate on what you are reading. It would be even better if you can find some time after reading to think about it, and then compare it with your own life and experience. (5) Attend the liturgies. The time of Great Lent is a special time in the order of Church’s routine. One can feel it only by going to church for weekday services, along with the services regularly served on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Alexander Schmemann referred to this time as that of “a light sorrow”. It is the special tone of this time which you can feel only during the beautiful quiet liturgies during the week. Try also to visit the liturgy once or twice during the reading of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. This canon is the longest of all canons of the Orthodox Church. It comes from the depth of the confession and runs throughout with a hope for the Love of Our Father. The Orthodox Church reads this canon by parts in the evenings starting on Monday till Thursday on the First week of Great Lent, and then repeats it all on Wednesday evening of the Fifth week. It is truly necessary to go to Church for Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts. If you can come to church where this liturgy is in the evening, then you can receive communion and feel the anxious expectation of meeting with Jesus Christ. Lastly, it is very important to come to church on the Days of the Passion, beginning from the Great Thursday’s evening. But this time is further away, and it is better to speak about it later. (6) To clear your mind from vanities. During the period of Lent, everyone decides themselves if it would be better to stop completely watching TV, or to avoid visiting blogs, forums and other social networks on the Internet. Truthfully, to read at least one book on a Christian subject would be far more useful. It could be a book about history of the Church, basics of religious doctrine, the interpretation of Holy Bible or something else entirely. It is very necessary to choose a book carefully, due to the variety of the books in existence, and lack of spiritual quality of many of them. Reading books of classical world literature might also be useful as it will keep your mind away from the concerns and worries of everyday life. (7) Try to achieve what you had planned or wanted to achieve. Try to remember your plans and aims. The period of the fast is a time with a positive tone. The main purpose of all restrictions like those found relating to food and pleasures is to give us time and the power to unite ourselves to Christ. This means you should strive to do good things, to love God and to love other people—and sometimes harder yet, yourself. Try to do something that will please not only you but others as well. We all hear the words of Christ before Lent: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” Besides, you could create your own “rules” of the fast. They could be different, but it is important to take it seriously. Fasting is a time that requires us to come to decisions, some of them difficult. It is a time that calls us to make our own conscious efforts to better our lives, and the lives of those around us.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Michael's List - Iran; Turkey, Cyprus talks; UN, Greece, FYROM; Serbia, NATO; Russia, militants killed; Orthodoxy: When we are no longer ethnic



The Iranian government said it will permanently suspend Google Inc's email service in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Wednesday. The report comes as Iran braces for new opposition protests on Thursday during rallies marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Protesters made use of modern networking tools such as Twitter and Gmail instant messaging last June after a disputed election plunged Iran into crisis. Iran's telecommunications agency announced the suspension and said a national email service for Iranian citizens would soon be rolled out, the Wall Street Journal reported.


Turkey's Foreign Ministry lashed out at the European Parliament, blasting it for being in favour of Greece and Cyprus. The European Parliament's role should not be that of the spokesman of the Greek-Cypriot side, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry, after the European Parliament released its report. The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued an announcement reading that although the report numbered Turkey's obligations, it made no reference to the EU's pledges towards Turkey. The announcement also said that the European Parliament's reports sidestepped the constant talks and the creative efforts made by the Turkish-Cypriot side for a solution to the Cyprus row. It also said that such an approach has caused grave disappointment, as the European Parliament's role is not to represent the Greek-Cypriots and adopt all their groundless claims. The Turkish Foreign Ministry's report concluded arguing that Turkey, despite the negative stance of certain cycles and despite the obstacles, will continue defending its rights and will continue going after to meet its target and join the EU.


The president of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have renewed peace talks aimed at reunifying the island of Cyprus, which has been divided for 34 years. "We have to encourage both leaders, President Christofias, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, to take advantage of the next days and weeks to come, and try to intensify also their talks, but I would also like to stress the fact that maybe time is not always your friend, but the quality of the solution, the settlement for Cyprus, should not be some sort of a victim of any kind of time frameworks," said Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Droutsas to Financialmirror.com. In recent weeks, the United Nations has stepped up efforts to rejuvenate the unification process of Cyprus and peace talks between the two leaders. The U.N. has long pursued what it calls a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in the Mediterranean island. "Reaching a mutually acceptable conclusion will require courage, flexibility and vision as well as a spirit of compromise," said Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general, to Al-Jazeera while visiting the island last week. Aside from territorial sovereignty, the issues discussed by both Christofias and Talat include joint governance of the island, resolution of the property claims by thousands of displaced people who became uprooted in past conflict, and the future of tens of thousands of Turkish troops stationed in northern Cyprus. "I cannot say that I am in a position of expressing too much optimism with the present stage of the negotiations," the minister said in a statement to Reuters. Droutsas firmly rejected Talat's stance regarding joint governance of Cyprus. "What we have seen in the latest proposals by Mr. Talat is again the idea, and also the rhetoric, of the past, talking about two independent states forming some sort of confederation," Droutsas added in his statement. The fate of the island is a major source of tension for Turkey in particular, which relies on a unification resolution to overcome its biggest hurdle in joining the European Union. While Talat stated on Friday that he saw progress toward reaching a peace deal with Greek Cypriots and that, "We made quite good progress on very thorny issues," he remained silent on what specific achievements were made. Meanwhile, Greece's deputy foreign minister Dimitris Droutsas called the latest talks "a step back" and said he was not optimistic.

The UN secretary general's mediator on the FYROM name issue, Matthew Nimetz, will visit Greece in the last week of February, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras announced in Athens on Thursday. Delavekouras underlined Greece's desire for proceeding to a solution of the name issue, a condition of which is FYROM's refraining from aggressive moves, and the neighboring country's "creative participation" in the dialogue with Greece. A solution is feasible, he said, but it is a matter of Skopje's political volition, and added that a solution will "unblock" FYROM's Euro-Atlantic prospect.


President Boris Tadić met with NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe Admiral James Stavridis on Thursday. They discussed Serbia's activities within the Partnership for Peace program and cooperation with KFOR in preserving peace and security in Kosovo. A statement after the meeting said that "Tadić feels that the Kosovo Serbs are still the most endangered people in the entire Europe, which is why KFOR has to continue protecting them, their monasteries and churches, regardless of the decision to reduce the number of its soldiers in the province". Tadić stated that the so-called northern Kosovo reintegration plan is a threat to stability throughout the region, the president's press service announced. The meeting in Belgrade was also attended by Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac and VS CoGS Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletić.


At least 20 militants were killed by federal law enforcers in the southern Russia's republic of Ingushetia. The operation began on Thursday at 4 a.m. in the Sunzha district, Ingushetia, on the Ingush border with Chechnya. It was stopped in the evening because of darkness, but resumed on Friday morning. A group of 20 to 25 militants have been cornered by law enforcement officers. On Friday afternoon a Federal Security Service official said that 20 enemy fighters were killed in the operation. The search for more dead and possible survivors continued. Federal forces suffered no casualties. Before the operation started, the militants were advised to surrender several times, but they answered with gunfire, the Interfax news agency quoted a police source as saying. Ramzan Kadyrov, President of the Chechen republic, recalled that last summer in this area Chechen and Ingush police carried out a series of successful operations, killing tens of militants and their leaders. “This nest of wasps was stirred last year. Now we need to get rid of it completely,” added Kadyrov.


What will happen to our churches when a majority of the membership does not have an ethnic lineage similar to the ethnic jurisdiction to which the church belongs? I was at a Greek festival yesterday. It was a church to which I had never been, but desired to support it. I am not Greek, but I love all things "ethnic." In reading the program for the festival, it was noted that the ethnic makeup of the parish was 40% Greek, and 60% non-Greek. This made me think about future years. This church has been growing mostly through converts. These converts most likely do not convert because the church was Greek, but because the faith was Orthodoxy. What will happen though if or when this parish becomes Greek in name only? What will happen to the Greek festival when the church has only a token number of Greeks, who may be too old to teach the children the dances, or play in the Greek band? I was reminded of my though when I came across an article on the internet about this same Greek/non-Greek split in a Greek church in Mississippi. The parish council president said "We have more converts than Greeks." The priest of this church is a new priest and a convert. When will these churches, who are attracting converts and currently have more converts than Greeks, lose their Greek heritage or traditions? This phenomenon in the Orthodox Church in the USA and other non-traditionally Orthodox countries, may not be new, but it is certainly a issue that will become far more wide spread. As the Orthodox Church gains recognition within the USA, it is inevitable that many churches outside of major metropolitan areas will trend towards fewer first, second or third generation immigrants. The first-wave of Americans that will enter these churches will certainly be indoctrinated in the ways of the ethnic traditions and festivals. But what will happen in two or three generations of Americans? Will these churches be able to maintain traditions when there is not an explicit cultural connection to the tradition? There is already precedent for this "loss" in the churches in America. How? Language. Now, don't get me wrong, I think it is imperative that the language of the Church is the language of the people. But how many churches started in America with services completely in Greek, Arabic, or Russian? How many still exist? Why this change? Because the Bishops and the priests saw that people who had never spoken Greek or Russian or Arabic were entering the church, and they too needed to be served by the church by teaching about God in the language they understood. To me, this is the great beauty of the feast of Pentecost. Not only did Jesus save me through His death and resurrection, but He desired that all nations be baptized. Speaking the languages people understood was the first step. There are people in these proud ethnic churches that lament that their children do not know the language of their ancestors. That they do not care for the traditions they have held. This is the first sign. True, there will always be those that greatly love their heritage and will seek to instill at least some aspect of it in their children and neighbors. But will it be enough to keep the Greek festivals? In the two parishes of which I have been a member, both were under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese or North America. Essentially a church of Arabic ethnic heritage. In the first church, it was started by mostly converts, and I was gratefully a member at the founding of the church. There was only one or two "Arabic" families in this church when it was founded. They were overwhelmed by the number of convert families that founded the church. We also had as many Russians and Greeks as Arabs. We had a convert priest that artfully and enthusiastically included as many ethnic traditions as possible, even traditions from cultures that were not part of our church. This was and is a glorious thing! As converts we felt connection through the traditions to the ancient church. The wonderful traditions also had an effect of reinforcing the spiritual understanding that was the catalyst for the tradition. The second parish of which I became a member and am currently a member, has no ethnic members: 100% convert. There is a sadness for me that I do not get to learn about how people of other cultures approached Orthodoxy, just by participating in their traditions. There is a sadness that we do not celebrate St. Barbara's day with the traditional cookies. Or celebrate St. George Day. Or celebrate St. Nicholas day with a particular tradition. Our church does have its own traditions, but these traditions, as lovely as they are, are limited to our church (or to the nearby churches). What is great about the Greek or Arabic or Russian traditions, is that they span churches, nations, peoples, and languages. I hope that as a church in America, we never lose the various ethnic traditions, and never lose sight of the fact that they can be used to bring Orthodoxy to life. Maybe in typical American fashion, our churches, no matter what ethnicity or lack thereof, will investigate and encourage church traditions that we have been given as a gift. In addition, maybe in two or three generations, we will have a set of traditions that are typically American Orthodox, that will reflect our shared heritage.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Michael's List - NATO, Russia; UN, FYROM, Athens; Kurds, Turkey, occupied Cyprus, Serbia, Bosnian Serbs; Lent, Spiritual Exercise



NATO should view Russia's new military doctrine as a signal the alliance needs to change its attitude if it wants better relations with Moscow, a senior Russian parliamentarian said Thursday. Since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, NATO has expanded from 12 members to 28, absorbing the majority of Moscow's Cold War allies in Eastern Europe and some former Soviet republics. "Our partners during talks had the chance to see [the signal] when [Russia's] top leaders included NATO's expansion into the list of threats to Russia. This is not just expert opinion," Konstantin Kosachyov, who heads the Russian lower house's international committee, said after a Moscow meeting of experts from both sides that involved the NATO group of "wise men. This is how our people see this process. This is a serious concern hindering fully-fledged cooperation between Russia and NATO," he told journalists. Last week, President Dmitry Medvedev approved the new military doctrine which includes the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and lists NATO's eastward expansion and U.S. anti-missile shield plans as national threats. "If NATO is really interested in establishing a partnership with Russia, it should take these concerns into account," Kosachyov said. He also said that discussions between Russian and NATO representatives failed to clear all the differences, but added he hoped talks would continue in Washington later in February. Anders Fogh Rasmussen took over at the Western military bloc last year pledging to improve ties with Moscow, which were frozen after Russia's five-day war with Georgia in 2008. Russia and NATO have since resumed formal contacts. Improvements in Russia-NATO relations have been helped by a course towards "resetting" thorny relations between Moscow and Washington.


The UN secretary general's mediator on the FYROM name issue, Matthew Nimetz, will visit Greece in the last week of February, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras announced in Athens on Thursday. Delavekouras underlined Greece's desire for proceeding to a solution of the name issue, a condition of which is FYROM's refraining from aggressive moves, and the neighboring country's "creative participation" in the dialogue with Greece. A solution is feasible, he said, but it is a matter of Skopje's political volition, and added that a solution will "unblock" FYROM's Euro-Atlantic prospect.

III. KATHIMERINI - Kurdish editor jailed

A Turkish court yesterday sentenced the editor-in-chief of a Kurdish-language newspaper to 21 years and three months in jail on charges of spreading separatist propaganda. The court ruled that Ozan Kilinc had “disseminated the propaganda of a terrorist organization” by publishing reports and pictures on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its jailed leader in 12 separate issues of the Azadiya Welat (Independence of Homeland) daily in June last year. Kilinc, who also owns the newspaper, was found guilty of “committing a crime on behalf of the terrorist organization.” The judges issued an arrest warrant for the editor, who was not present in the courtroom. Founded in 1994 as a weekly which turned into a daily in 2006, Azadiya Welat has often been the target of judicial action on grounds that it is a mouthpiece for the PKK, which has led a bloody 25-year rebellion against Ankara. The paper’s previous editor-in-chief, Vedat Kursun, has been in jail for the past 13 months while being tried for spreading rebel propaganda, praising criminals and aiding and abetting rebels, according to Bianet, a civic body defending freedom of expression.


Turkey said Wednesday it would not withdraw troops from the divided island of Cyprus, rejecting a call from the European Parliament (EP), the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. European lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a resolution that urged Turkey to start prompt withdrawal of troops from Cyprus, a Mediterranean island divided into the Turkish north and Greek south since 1974. Turkey's Chief Negotiator for European Union (EU) talks Egemen Bagis said Wednesday it was impossible for Turkey to accept the sections regarding Cyprus in the resolution. "Turkey does not have a plan or view to withdraw troops from the island," Bagis was quoted as saying before meeting Atlantic Council President Frederick Kempe in Ankara. Bagis said the EP resolution on Turkey, an EU aspirant, lost its impartiality and "reflected a compromise among political groups in the parliament rather than the facts in Turkey." "EU process is important for Turkey, however, it is not as important as to make us sacrifice Cyprus. Cyprus is a national cause for all of us," he said.The EU agreed to launch accession talks with Turkey in October 2005 but progress was slow as the 27-nation bloc has urged Ankara to normalize relations with Cyprus and speed up reforms to improve human rights and democracy. Ankara retains some 35,000 troops in the north and refuses to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, which has international recognition.


Cyprus is supporting Serbia’s position regarding Kosovo, stated Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac on Wednesday. He was meeting with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias in Nicosia. The minister said that he had received assurances that Cyprus was supporting Serbia's position on Kosovo not only because of friendly relations, but also because they were convinced that this was the way to defending principles of the modern world, international law and UN system. Pointing out that Cyprus had a similar problem, Šutanovac noted that Serbia had unselfish and unconditional support of the country and its president in the European integrations. As during the previous meeting with Cypriot Defense Minister Costas Papacostas, he spoke to Christofias about cooperation in the defense sector, which should be expanded. According to the Serbian defense minister, Serbia has offered education to Cypriot officers at its Military Academy and Military Medical Academy (VMA). Serbian and Cypriot special units have already had joint training which will be continued and visits of cadets and officers have also been agreed, it was announced. Šutanovac and Papacostas signed an agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the area of defense, and the Serbian minister told reporters that Serbia was grateful for the principled position that Cyprus had on Kosovo. He repeated Serbia’s stance regarding Cyprus was that the only correct approach was diplomatic, through negotiations and searching for a solution within the Helsinki Charter, international legal order and UN resolutions. Šutanovac also placed a wreath at the monument at the military cemetery in Nicosia, where Cypriot soldiers killed in the Turkish invasion in 1974 were buried. After the invasion, Cyprus lost control of over 36.2 percent of its territory.


The parliament of the semi-autonomous Bosnian Serb region has paved the way for a referendum on the 1995 Dayton peace accords, prompting criticism from opposition parties and foreign governments. In a move that could widen the rift in Bosnia's already divided society, the Bosnian Serb region has passed a law making it easier to hold public referendums on controversial issues. This primarily includes the legitimacy of the Dayton peace accords, which ended the 1992-1995 war, and the work of international peace envoy Valentin Inzko. Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik said his government had no hidden agenda with the vote. "We want to pass a law and then call a referendum about the support to the Dayton peace agreement and decisions disparaging it," he said. Post-war Bosnia comprises two largely autonomous regions: the Serb-run Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat-run Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, united under a weak federal government. Previous laws allowed Muslim and Croat minorities in the Bosnian Serb parliament to block referendums with stalling tactics until a deadline passed, but the reform rids the laws of the time limits. While referendums held only in the Serb-governed region would have no legal standing in Bosnia, they could cause political and social upheaval in the country.


"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable …. I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:25, 27, ESV). Lent is a time of year to remember that God has seen fit to make us not airy spirits but embodied human beings living in a beautiful, material world. The soul fills the body the way fire fills a lump of coal, and what the body learns, the soul absorbs as well. Spiritual disciplines such as fasting are analogous to weight-lifting equipment. One who uses them in a disciplined way will be stronger, not just when he's lifting weights, but also for every situation he meets. While some people think of Lent as a time to personally choose something to "give up," the practice of the Eastern Christians, from the earliest centuries, is to observe a common fast. This is not a complete fast, but rather abstaining from meat and dairy—basically a vegan diet. There's something to be said for following an ancient, universal Lenten custom like this instead of choosing your own adventure. Most of us are not capable of being our own spiritual directors. We don't have the perspective needed to choose the things that will really change us. A fast like this, observed for 2,000 years by Eastern Christians in lands from Eastern Europe to Africa, India, and Alaska, is time-tested. In Lent we are one not only with the church through time, but also with those in our local church. Orthodox Lent begins with the Rite of Forgiveness, in which all church members form a circle and, one at a time, stand face-to-face with each other and ask forgiveness. This experience is profoundly healing and also preventive; I'm more likely to restrain a harsh word in July if I recall that I will have to ask this person's forgiveness again in March. Lenten disciplines train us like athletes, strengthening our earthly bodies and souls, healing the body of believers in our local parish, and forging union with the body of Christ throughout time. "Forgetting what lies behind" and the sins of the past, we "press on" to combat those sins that lie ahead, made stronger by our Lenten disciplines, "for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Michael's List - Ukraine runoff; Spain, ICJ, Kosovo; UN, FYROM, Greece, Sarkozy; Cyprus, Potato crops freeze; Metropolitan Jonah, Great Lent 2010



Despite the fact that preliminary results of the runoff presidential elections in Ukraine have shown victory to Victor Yanukovich, tensions are far from decreasing in Ukraine. The head of the Yulia Timoshenko’s election campaign office, Aleksandr Turchinov, announced on Wednesday that the second round of the elections has seen “falsifications that substantially affected results of the voting.” Turchinov added that the office is ready to provide concrete evidence of falsifications to international observers, journalists and court. He said that the office has sent documents demanding recounting of votes at over 900 polling stations to the Central Election Committee of the country. Meanwhile, Yulia Timoshenko herself has remained silent. Political analyst Aleksey Garan told RT that, although it is Timoshenko’s right to challenge the results of the voting, she should not expect it to be an easy task. “There were certainly some irregularities in the east of the country and in Crimea,” he said. “Mostly they were at a very, very local level, which is really difficult to see for international observers.” ”It is the right of Timoshenko to go and contest the results to the court and there is understanding she will do this. The question is, what information she and her lawyers have on file and whether it would be able to prove that there were falsifications which finally lead to distortion in the results,” he added. Meanwhile, Victor Yanukovich has called on Yulia Timoshenko to accept the “people’s will” and to the leave her post as prime minister. "I am addressing the prime minister with a formal call to resign and to go into opposition,” he said in a statement to his fellow citizens, placed on the Party of Regions website. “My call to the members of the parliamentary coalition is to suspend their activity in order to let me enter into negotiations with different factions over forming a new Cabinet," he added. “The country does not need another political crisis,” Yanukovich persisted. “People have distinctly spoken for a change of power.”


Spanish ambassador to Serbia Inigo de Palacio Espana said that he believes that the ICJ’s decision will open up chance for new dialogue regarding Kosovo. “Spain completely agrees with the government's stance that the opinion of the International Court of Justice, which is expected in the summer, will offer a very important opportunity for restarting dialogue, that would help us find a functional, sustainable agreement for all sides involved in the Kosovo question, which we believe remains unsolved,” he said. Asked whether it was realistic to expect the Kosovo Albanian government, that unilaterally proclaimed independence and received recognition from a number of countries, would return to the negotiating table, he said that the question of status was a "very wide concept”. "I believe that it would be in the best interest of everyone, Priština included, to solve the question of Kosovo’s full-fledged membership in the international community, which is not the case today, because Kosovo is not a UN member, and is having difficulty integrating into regional organizations, while only a third of the international community has recognized it. It would be in the best interest of Priština to find a way to find a solution through a bilateral agreement with Belgrade,” the ambassador said. The Spanish ambassador also stated that a solution for the Kosovo question was not a condition for Serbia gaining the status of an EU candidate, but that it "could come up in one of the later phases of membership negotiations. I believe that Serbia will be able to become a candidate for EU membership and at the same time keep its stance in relation to the legal status of Kosovo,” he said.


A U.N. special envoy on the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece will pay a visit to Skopje on Feb. 23 for a fresh round of talks. The Macedonian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that U.N. envoy Matthew Nimetz has accepted this date proposed by the Macedonian government in a bid to step up efforts to solve the problem. The two neighboring countries are locked in a 19-year-long row over the use of the name Macedonia. Athens insists that the name of the Republic of Macedonia implies territorial claims of its own northern province of the same name. In December last year the EU postponed a decision on opening accession talks with Macedonia, citing the unresolved row as the reason. In 2008, Athens, which is also a member of NATO, prevented Skopje from entering the organization over the same dispute. Nimetz is expected to launch a fresh round of talks between the two countries. His latest visits last autumn did not produce anything substantial results. Although there are no official details on the talks, local media in both countries said some variants of the compound name of the Republic of Northern Macedonia might be acceptable to both sides.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou reiterated here, moments after his official meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, that the Greek government will unwaveringly implement the EU-mandated Stability Programme "to the letter". Papandreou arrived in the French capital for talks with French leadership, as he was received by Sarkozy at the Palais d' Elysee. In speaking to reporters, Papandreou said the target for 2010, namely, a reduction in the budget deficit by four percentage points (from the current 12.7 percent) remains unchanged. Besides the pressing deficit and credit crisis plaguing Greece, Papandreou said issues dealing with the Balkans, the Cyprus problem, climate change and even Europe's position on the international stage were discussed. The Greek premier and foreign minister was scheduled to meet in the afternoon with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and the president of the French National Assembly Bernard Accoyer. "We had an excellent meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, where the deep relations of friendship and cooperation between Greece and France were confirmed," Papandreou stressed.


Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias pledged to continue reunification talks yesterday, dismissing criticism from a former coalition partner of tactical blunders in negotiations with estranged Turkish Cypriots. The Socialist EDEK party quit Cyprus’s left-wing coalition government on Monday, accusing Christofias of making unacceptable concessions in peace talks with Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish-Cypriot leader. The talks, seeking to end decades of division and a conflict harming Turkey’s ambitions of joining the European Union, started in September 2008. “We are not so close to a solution as some would suggest both here and abroad, but we are working for a solution and this process is ongoing,” Christofias said in a statement. “No one can prejudge the outcome, and certainly not suggest that we are trapped on a dangerous path. That is unsubstantiated and wrong,” he added. EDEK and the centrist Democratic Party had supported Christofias, a communist party leader, in presidential elections in 2008. Their departure does not mean early elections, since Cyprus has a presidential system of government with a strong executive. It does however underline the many obstacles both Greek and Turkish Cypriots will need to overcome before coming anywhere close to a deal. Talat, Christofias’s key negotiating partner in talks, is also not without domestic problems. He faces elections in April and could lose to a hardliner. EDEK, seen hawkish in their approach to reunification, have repeatedly said Christofias’s decision to start negotiations failed to meet a condition that there be a common basis for discussions. The Democratic Party shares EDEK’s misgivings. Greek and Turkish Cypriots are attempting to reunite Cyprus as a two-zone federation. Grievances are focused on Christofias’s offer of a rotating presidency with Turkish Cypriots and the voting system. “The basic principle is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” Christofias said. “The problems [in the negotiation process] are tangible, as is the prospect of solving the Cyprus problem.”


Seventy per cent of potato crops suffered extensive damage in the Famagusta district, farmers complained yesterday. AKEL deputy Yiannakis Gabriel told reporters the damage caused to crops due to the past three nights’ freezing temperatures had brought about irreversible damage. He said the damage was 80 to 90 per cent complete and had been verified by Agriculture department officials who had visited the area. Gabriel said the Farmers’ Organisation and the Agriculture Ministry had to make a record of the damages so that the farmers could be compensated as soon as possible after going to enormous expense to invest in their crops. Without compensation potato farmers would be unable to support their families, he added. Potato farmer Adamos Fellas from Sotira village in the Famagusta district said the destruction had taken on biblical proportions. He said the crops had been planted three months ago and that at the start of March they had been due for export to Britain and other countries. “They can no longer cope after the past three nights’ freeze,” he said. The potato farmer explained that the spuds were no bigger than a partridge egg and the larger ones were no bigger than a chicken egg, which were not tradable. “That’s why we are calling on the Farmers’ Association to visit the potato plantations to evaluate the damage and to go ahead with the compensation,” he said. The farmers explained that the reason they hadn’t watered the crops during the past few nights during the freeze was because of the rainfall this year. They said the fields were already very damp and that had they been watered they risked damaging the potatoes further.


To the Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of The Orthodox Church in America. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The gateway to divine repentance has been opened: let us enter eagerly, purified in our bodies and observing abstinence from food and passions, as obedient servants of Christ who has called the world into the heavenly Kingdom. Let us offer to the King of all a tenth part of the whole year, that we may look with love upon His Resurrection. We approach the Great Fast as our preparation to celebrate the life-giving Passion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Great Lent is a time of great beauty and profundity, a time which the Church calls the "tithe of the year" which we give to Christ in a spirit of fasting and self-denial. We fast, we pray, we go to services, and we give alms. But what is different in us the very day after Pascha? Have we attained inner peace? Have we come to self-control over our passions? Has my soul been healed, even a little? Lent is the time for repentance. But that repentance does not simply mean feeling sorry for our sins, much less trying to do some kind of penitential acts to atone for them. Rather, the goal of repentance is the transformation of our minds and hearts, our very consciousness. It means a transformation of our whole life. To engage it means that we have to embrace change. This change not only affects our diet for a few weeks, or abstaining from some bad habits. It means a different way of behaving, of perceiving God, ourselves, our neighbors. It means a rejection and renunciation of the ways we have been living and treating others, and the adoption of a new way of life. We have to come to the recognition that how we have been living and behaving does not lead us deeper into communion with God and our neighbors, but rather alienates us from both, and from our very self. So often we become trapped by our own self-righteousness and pride, thinking that we do not have to change. This is delusion. If we are so sure of ourselves, how have we left room for God to even show us our shortcomings? We fall into the trap of the Pharisee. This is especially the case when we let ourselves criticize and judge our neighbors. If we allow ourselves to judge and criticize, then we can be sure that we have cast God out of our lives. Who needs Him, if I can judge everyone and everything? We pick and pick at our neighbors, from external appearances to deep judgments about their integrity. And in so doing, we destroy our own souls. We project all our own insecurities on those around us, not caring whose feelings we hurt or whose lives we destroy. And in reality, it has nothing to do with that other person; our judgment is only an image of myself and my insecurities, and the sins we don't want to admit to ourselves. If we judge and criticize our neighbor, our fasting is in vain. Our repentance is hypocrisy. And we make a mockery of Jesus Christ. We receive the Eucharist unto damnation. And we are oblivious to it, in our own self-righteousness. Repentance, being "transformed in the renewal of our minds," means that, like the Prodigal, we have "come to ourselves," and recognized that our minds and hearts have taken the wrong road. We can perhaps see some of the damage we are causing to ourselves and others. We recognize that our minds are filled with angry, suspicious, judgmental, and self-righteous thoughts, and that we have no inner peace. How do we repent? The first thing we must do is withdraw from the stimulus: to stop exposing ourselves -- temporarily -- to the issues and people that bring up these angry thoughts and judgments. We have to stop ourselves from rehearsing the wrongs done to us (and hence our judgment and condemnation of the person who wronged us), and realize this is just our own self-justification rooted in pride and vainglory. Then we need to pray that God will forgive us for our anger and pride, and forgive the other for what he or she has done. Then we can let it go. So long as we are provoked by thoughts of the remembrance of wrongs (resentments), and react with anger, we have not worked it through. But when the remembrance of something no longer disturbs our peace, we know that God has worked in our hearts. Great Lent can be a clinic, a hospital, for our souls that are sick with the passions. Have we been healed? We can have our minds and hearts lifted up to heaven itself, if we want. We can use Great Lent to lay the foundational stones of discipline, and build habits that will stay with us the rest of the year. We can emerge from Lent with our hearts illumined and our minds cleansed, with a new way of being. Will we allow ourselves to change and be transformed in repentance? It is only this transformation that will open our spiritual eyes, that in our hearts and with all our being we will be able to shout with joy, "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!" With love in our Merciful Savior, +JONAH, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada.
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