Photo Gallery: Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens (GOC-K) serves Divine Liturgy at St Markella’s Cathedral, Astoria, NY
Here are some pictures from last Sunday (Sunday after the Exaltation), when His Beatitude +Kallinikos of Athens and All Greece (GOC-K) served Divine Liturgy at St Markella’s Cathedral in Astoria, NY, USA. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Eminence +Pavlos of North and South America, His Eminence +Moses of Portland and the Western United States, His Eminence +Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia, His Grace +Photios of Marathon, His Grace +Christodoulos of Theoupolis, and His Grace +Demetrios of Boston.
The meeting of the Eparchial Synod was scheduled to take place today, and news about its proceedings should be available shortly.
Chairs?? Soooo many chairs. What happened to the Orthodox tradition of standing most of the time during services, with chairs or benches being along the walls of the church for when it was *really* needed, for short rests, and the elderly?
I hope this is not a big trend with most TOC synods or churches.
James, indeed this was something for all of us to adjust to. However this isn’t something that keeps us seperated. Our churches that have joined remain as they were, as you and I are both used to. I might add, that although they are there, the faithful do remain standing most of the time, at least where I have visited. Personally, I am still adjusting to anything “different” as we are used to the standard HOCNA model, however I need to remind myself often the different isn’t wrong.
Stan Ihoria: Actually, it’s not just a HOCNA model…it’s from ancient times, long before the Roman Catholics even split for the last time from Orthodoxy. My concern, as i’m sure others share, is…when you start changing traditions and letting inovations from groups that we don’t promote in, even as *small* as chairs and benches all over the place, then those other traditions that are slightly linked to those change eventually, too…to where you find, one day, that you have become exactly what you swore you never would. Not to get into politics, but, that’s exactly what the socialists are doing to the US…changing *little* things here and there, things that *everyone* thinks sound nice and harmless…till the US becomes no different than the former USSR.
Not that I couldn’t improvise and stand…hold a *silent protest (lol)* against the implementation of chairs and benches all over the church. But, it’s a slippery slope, I fear. As I see it happen in other organizations.
Let us not forget that standing during services comes from the tradition of standing reverently before God and the Holy Things. Sitting encourages our minds and bodies to become lazy. For our minds to easily be distracted. And, while worshiping, that’s really not a good thing.