SOURCE: BeliefNet.com
A team of family organizations and advocacy groups is beginning to collect signatures for a proposed California voter referendum to overturn the state’s new law requiring schools to teach “gay” history.
The law, signed recently by Gov. Jerry Brown, would require public schools to teach students to look up to homosexuals, lesbians, transgenders, and others who have chosen alternative sexual lifestyles, as role models.
According to the group hoping to force a statewide vote, the law, authored by an openly homosexual lawmaker and approved by majority Democrats, “forces schools to review and replace their curriculum when this money should be used for other purposes.”
The Los Angeles Times noted the law injects “controversial politics into the classroom” and puts politicians in charge of academics in the state. Further, it “requires a selective treatment of history by requiring that only events that reflect positively on people in the LGBT community may be discussed.
Read more:
Sunday, July 31, 2011
This Week in Christian History
SOURCE: Christianity Today
July 31, 1556: Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish Roman Catholic reformer and founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), dies in Rome. During his life he saw 1,000 men join his order and 100 colleges and seminaries established. Apart from his order, Ignatius's greatest legacy he left in his Spiritual Exercises, a devotional guide that has been in constant use for over 460 years.
July 31, 1566: Bartolome de las Casas, the first Spaniard ordained in the New World and "Father to the Indians," dies in Spain. He wrote several books detailing the horrors committed upon Native Americans by the Spanish settlers, and argued for the humanity of the Indians against many of his countrymen who had described them as children or subhuman (see issue 35: Christopher Columbus).
July 31, 1966: After John Lennon proclaims the Beatles to be "more popular than Jesus," residents of Alabama burn the band's records and other products.
August 1, 1714: The "Schism Bill," which was intended to reestablish Catholicism in England, dies with its chief supporter, Queen Anne. For years, Dissenters regarded the date as a day of deliverance, the "Protestant Passover.
August 1, 1897: Pope Leo XIII issues the encyclical Militantis Ecclesiae, which describes Protestantism as the "Lutheran rebellion, whose evil virus goes wandering about in almost all nations.
August 2, 1100: William the Conqueror's son and successor Rufus, a wicked king who delighted in torture, seizing church property, and blasphemy, is mysteriously killed while hunting by an arrow that flew out of nowhere. No one mourned, and England took his eternal damnation for granted.
August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain for the "Indies." Though the explorer was in part driven by a quest for gold and glory, he also saw himself as a missionary. He thought, if there were a shortcut to the East by sea, missionaries could be sent there faster, thus enabling Christians to meet the provision for world evangelization before the Lord could return (see issue 35: Christopher Columbus).
August 4, 1792: By order of revolutionaries, all houses of worship close in France.
August 4, 1892: English medical missionary Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell arrives in Labrador, Newfoundland. He labored as a physician and missionary for 42 years and was instrumental in building orphanages, hospitals, cooperative stores, and other community organizations.
August 5, 642: Oswald, the king of Northumbria who first began the official establishment of Christianity in England, is "martyred" in battle against the pagan Penda of Mercia. Converted at Iona, Scotland, Oswald erected a wooden cross before one of his earliest battles and commanded his soldiers to pray. When he defeated the English king in that battle, Oswald commissioned the Irish monk Aidan to begin establishing Christianity
August 5, 1570: Spanish Jesuits, intent on converting the Native Americans, arrive in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. Six months later, Native Americans massacred the group, and the Jesuits ended their work in the region.
August 5, 1604: John Eliot, the "Apostle to American Indians," is baptized. He succeeded in converting over 3,600 Native American, publishing the Bay Psalm Book (the first book printed in America), and forming the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
August 5, 1656: Eight Quakers from England arrive in Boston, where Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony immediately imprisoned them without trial. They were held until the ships that brought them were ready to take them back to England
August 6, 258: Emperor Valerian executes Bishop of Rome Sixtus II preaching a sermon in a cemetery. The emperor originally tolerated Christians, but switched to persecuting them because he believed they were responsible for the plagues, earthquakes, and other disasters that disturbed his reign
August 6, 1221: Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers (or Dominicans), dies, having just confessed his darkest sin—that, though he had always been chaste, he enjoyed talking with younger women more than older ones. He left this "inheritance" to his followers: "Have charity among you, hold to humility, possess voluntary poverty." A mere five years earlier, he had six followers. At his death, he had thousands
August 6, 1651: Francois Fenelon, Roman Catholic priest and mystical theologian, is born in Perigord, France. His 1697 Explication des Maximes des Saintes is still in print under the title Christian Perfection.
August 6, 1774: Ann Lee and a small band of her followers arrive in New York from Liverpool, England. Though known as the "Shaking Quakers" and later the "Shakers," the millenarian communal society preferred to call itself the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming. They initially did not receive a warm welcome, as they were British and advocated pacifism and celibacy.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Schedule for annual St. Herman of Alaska Pilgrimage announced
SOURCE: OCA Website
KODIAK, AK
Hundreds of faithful will gather here August 7 - 9, 2011, for the annual pilgrimage honoring Saint Herman of Alaska, one of the first Christian missionaries to serve the people of Alaska.
According to Priest Innocent Dresdow of Kodiak’s Holy Resurrection Cathedral, the pilgrimage will open on Sunday, August 7, with a welcoming “Saint Yakov Tea” at the Suniaq Tribal Hall from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the Akathistos Hymn in honor of Saint Herman will be celebrated at the cathedral, where the relics of Saint Herman are enshrined.
On Monday, August 8, boats will depart Saint Paul Harbor for Spruce Island, where Saint Herman lived and prayed from 1808 until his death in 1837. The hierarchical Divine liturgy will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., followed by a picnic on the beach at Monk’s Lagoon at noon. Pilgrims have an opportunity to walk the paths Saint Herman walked, drink from a healing spring, and venerate icons hung on the trunks of aged spruce trees. The Divine Liturgy will be held at the island’s Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam Chapel, built in 1895 on the site where Saint Herman was buried. A soup dinner will be available at the cathedral from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m., when the Vigil will be celebrated.
On Tuesday, August 9, the Feast of Saint Herman, the hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the cathedral at 9:00 a.m., followed by a grand banquet at Kodiak High School Commons at noon. A festival in Sargent Park will be held at 3:00 p.m.
A monk of Valaam Monastery, Saint Herman came to Alaska in 1794 to serve the Alutiiq people and Russian fur traders. A tireless laborer as a simple unordained monk, Saint Herman established the Orthodox Church in Kodiak, defended the people against arguably outrageous treatment by Russian colonial officials, and cared for orphaned children on Spruce Island. He lived out the last 30 years of his life on the island as a hermit. During this time he pioneered gardening, cared for those in need, and worked many miracles of healing and protection. At his death, a column of light was seen throughout the region rising from the forest to the heavens.
Saint Herman of Alaska was glorified by the Church on July 27/August 9, 1970 and is universally recognized as a saint of the Orthodox Church and the protector of the Church in North America.
Additional information may be found athttp://www.dioceseofalaska.org/html/directory.html.
KODIAK, AK
Hundreds of faithful will gather here August 7 - 9, 2011, for the annual pilgrimage honoring Saint Herman of Alaska, one of the first Christian missionaries to serve the people of Alaska.
According to Priest Innocent Dresdow of Kodiak’s Holy Resurrection Cathedral, the pilgrimage will open on Sunday, August 7, with a welcoming “Saint Yakov Tea” at the Suniaq Tribal Hall from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the Akathistos Hymn in honor of Saint Herman will be celebrated at the cathedral, where the relics of Saint Herman are enshrined.
On Tuesday, August 9, the Feast of Saint Herman, the hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the cathedral at 9:00 a.m., followed by a grand banquet at Kodiak High School Commons at noon. A festival in Sargent Park will be held at 3:00 p.m.
A monk of Valaam Monastery, Saint Herman came to Alaska in 1794 to serve the Alutiiq people and Russian fur traders. A tireless laborer as a simple unordained monk, Saint Herman established the Orthodox Church in Kodiak, defended the people against arguably outrageous treatment by Russian colonial officials, and cared for orphaned children on Spruce Island. He lived out the last 30 years of his life on the island as a hermit. During this time he pioneered gardening, cared for those in need, and worked many miracles of healing and protection. At his death, a column of light was seen throughout the region rising from the forest to the heavens.
Saint Herman of Alaska was glorified by the Church on July 27/August 9, 1970 and is universally recognized as a saint of the Orthodox Church and the protector of the Church in North America.
Additional information may be found athttp://www.dioceseofalaska.org/html/directory.html.
Video: Feast of St. Vladimir, Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra (Патриарх совершил литургию в Киево-Печерской лавре)
SOURCE: ROC Website, Office of Department for External Church Relations
On July 28, the commemoration day of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya II of All Georgia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Kiev Laura of the Caves.
Among their concelebrants were all the members of the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod, an assembly of hierarchs from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, representatives of Local Orthodox Churches in Georgia, Romania and Cyprus, as well as numerous clergy.
The liturgy was celebrated on the altar installed in front of the church of the Dormition in the cathedral square. On the altar there was a shrine with particles of the relics of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles. The square was overcrowded with people. The service was broadcast by the Ukrainian television.
After the reading of the Gospel, the Primate of the Russian Church delivered a sermon.
There were three choirs from the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Trinity in Tbilisi, the Metropolitan’s choir of the Ukrainian Church, and the Kiev seminarians’ choir, who sang in Church Slavonic, Georgian and Greek.
After the service, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir said addressing the primates in his homily, ‘The great power in Orthodoxy and in all human life lies in prayer. We have lifted up a prayer today and you have led us in it. For this we bow before you in gratitude. May the Lord through the interception of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles give each of us strength for the lofty service of God and the people. We expect you, Your Holiness, to come to Kiev again so that we may again pray and commune with you’.
Patriarch Kirill greeted the congregation on the occasion and presented Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya with a pectoral icon and an icon of St. Vladimir. He congratulated Metropolitan Vladimir on the 45th anniversary of his episcopal consecration and presented him with a set of pectoral icons. Patriarch Kirill gave the Kiev Laura a copy of the Icon of Our Lady of Valamo.
In his address, Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya noted that he was the first Patriarch of Georgia to come to Kiev. As a token of his visit he gave the Laura an Icon of Our Lady of Pochaev painted by Georgian icon-painters.
Small icons of St. Vladimir with a Patriarchal blessing were distributed to the congregation, the Patriarchal Press Service reported.
Report claims wide homosexual network in Miami archdiocese
SOURCE: Catholic Culture
An extensive homosexual network within the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida, has been exposed by a New York-based magazine that ordinarily specializes in gossip about celebrities.
Gawker bases its report on a detailed dossier that was compiled by a loyal Catholic group, Christifidelis, reporting a widespread and longstanding pattern of homosexual conduct among Miami archdiocesan leaders, including former Archbishop John Favalora. Christifidelis had compiled the information quietly, and intended to show the evidence only to Vatican officials; but Gawker obtained a copy of the report, entitled Miami Vice, and has made the entire dossier available online.
The Christifidelis dossier captured the Vatican’s attention, Gawker reports, and led to the resignation of Archbishop Favalora, who stepped down last year at the age of 74. He was replaced by Archbishop Thomas Wenski—who was, according to Gawker, sent by the Vatican to uproot the homosexual culture in the Miami clergy.
The report from Miami provides accounts of homosexual activity at the archdiocesan seminary and among leading priests of the archdiocese. This activity was condoned, if not actively encouraged, by archdiocesan officials, Christifidelis argues. The report also points to homosexual activity by bishops in other dioceses within the Miami metropolitan region.
Archbishop John Favalora led the Miami archdiocese from 1994 until his retirement in 2010. He had previously been Bishop of St. Petersburg from 1989 to 1994.
For more on this, see The Catholic Church’s Secret Gay Cabal (Gawker) Warning: Crude language, obscene photo
An extensive homosexual network within the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida, has been exposed by a New York-based magazine that ordinarily specializes in gossip about celebrities.
Gawker bases its report on a detailed dossier that was compiled by a loyal Catholic group, Christifidelis, reporting a widespread and longstanding pattern of homosexual conduct among Miami archdiocesan leaders, including former Archbishop John Favalora. Christifidelis had compiled the information quietly, and intended to show the evidence only to Vatican officials; but Gawker obtained a copy of the report, entitled Miami Vice, and has made the entire dossier available online.
The Christifidelis dossier captured the Vatican’s attention, Gawker reports, and led to the resignation of Archbishop Favalora, who stepped down last year at the age of 74. He was replaced by Archbishop Thomas Wenski—who was, according to Gawker, sent by the Vatican to uproot the homosexual culture in the Miami clergy.
The report from Miami provides accounts of homosexual activity at the archdiocesan seminary and among leading priests of the archdiocese. This activity was condoned, if not actively encouraged, by archdiocesan officials, Christifidelis argues. The report also points to homosexual activity by bishops in other dioceses within the Miami metropolitan region.
Archbishop John Favalora led the Miami archdiocese from 1994 until his retirement in 2010. He had previously been Bishop of St. Petersburg from 1989 to 1994.
For more on this, see The Catholic Church’s Secret Gay Cabal (Gawker) Warning: Crude language, obscene photo
The Holy Fools: "God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom"
SOURCE: The Herald News
For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger that human strength.” — 1 Corinthians 1:25
I am fond of the Christian tradition of the Holy Fool. More prevalent in Eastern Orthodox churches than in western churches, the Holy Fools are saints from Christian history who seem to have been a little bit nuts.
For example, in Russia, one of their great Holy Fools was Basil. Basil would walk the streets of 16th century Moscow naked except that he would be weighed down by heavy metal chains. (Think Jacob Marley.) And Basil would throw stones at the windows of the wealthy and he’d steal from dishonest merchants in Red Square. He sounds like the sort of guy who needed to get back on his medications. But the people of Russia knew there was something special about this guy; even something holy in his crazy behavior. And so they named the great cathedral in Red Square after him.
But my favorite Holy Fool comes from the Greek tradition: St. Simeon the Fool from the sixth century. Now, Simeon has all sorts of crazy stories attributed to him. But the best, I think, is this one. One day Simeon went to church. He walked in and proceeded immediately to extinguish all the candles in the room. Next, he began to pull nuts out of his pockets and to throw them at women in the congregation and at the priests. The folks that were there, as you might get imagine, weren’t too pleased with this and tossed Simeon out. But just before he left the building, Simeon knocked over the great table of pastries which I’m sure bugged the heck out of the caterers.
Now, it might seem like Simeon was simply off his rocker. But the reason he threw the nuts was because these priests were eating publicly on Good Friday, which, in those days, was a day for serious fasting. These priests were not honoring Jesus Christ and so Simeon found a playful, if disruptive, way to let them know it.
And so, as crazy as these guys are, I think these fools are on to something. You see, we, in the church, sometimes get a little full of ourselves. We develop an exaggerated sense of our own importance. We have our beautiful buildings and our grand liturgies and we puff ourselves up a little. But the Holy Fools join St. Paul in reminding us is that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is lowly and despised ... so that the one who boasts, boasts only in the Lord.” When Simeon tossed those nuts, he was reminding those present that all we have comes from God.
While it is right and good to have some pride in one’s self, that healthy pride that comes from knowing that we’re all created in God’s image, nevertheless, at the heart of it all, people of faith are called to a deep humility, rooted in the knowledge that all that we have and all that we are is gift.
And, further, I think this humility, this sense of our deep dependence on God, is something that we in the church right now are being called to reclaim. In this new age in which we live, the church is no longer central in society. Church leaders no longer walk the same halls of power and influence that they did even just 50 years ago. In this new time in history, Christians are being called again to be fools for Christ.
And this is by no means a bad thing! Because here’s the important, if not terribly profound, truth: fools have fun! The fool’s church of the 21st century needs to be a place of joy. In fact, I would go so far as to say that a church without fun is not a church at all. This is not to say that the work God calls us to is never important or hard or exhausting. But it is also to say that it is God’s work and so it’s always wrapped up in God’s joy. It is good to be God’s people because, when we engage in the work of God, we get filled with the very spirit of God. We forget this sometimes.
Sometimes our time in church or temple or mosque feels more like duty than benefit. Sometimes it feels more like it drains us than it energizes us. But what the fools remind us of is that, when all is said and done, to live in a community of faith is a very, very good thing. God says to us all, “Come with me, come with me, work with me, be with me and my people, and you will know more joy that you can possibly imagine!”
For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger that human strength.” — 1 Corinthians 1:25
I am fond of the Christian tradition of the Holy Fool. More prevalent in Eastern Orthodox churches than in western churches, the Holy Fools are saints from Christian history who seem to have been a little bit nuts.
 |
| Holy Fool Basil |
For example, in Russia, one of their great Holy Fools was Basil. Basil would walk the streets of 16th century Moscow naked except that he would be weighed down by heavy metal chains. (Think Jacob Marley.) And Basil would throw stones at the windows of the wealthy and he’d steal from dishonest merchants in Red Square. He sounds like the sort of guy who needed to get back on his medications. But the people of Russia knew there was something special about this guy; even something holy in his crazy behavior. And so they named the great cathedral in Red Square after him.
But my favorite Holy Fool comes from the Greek tradition: St. Simeon the Fool from the sixth century. Now, Simeon has all sorts of crazy stories attributed to him. But the best, I think, is this one. One day Simeon went to church. He walked in and proceeded immediately to extinguish all the candles in the room. Next, he began to pull nuts out of his pockets and to throw them at women in the congregation and at the priests. The folks that were there, as you might get imagine, weren’t too pleased with this and tossed Simeon out. But just before he left the building, Simeon knocked over the great table of pastries which I’m sure bugged the heck out of the caterers.
 |
| St. Simeon |
Now, it might seem like Simeon was simply off his rocker. But the reason he threw the nuts was because these priests were eating publicly on Good Friday, which, in those days, was a day for serious fasting. These priests were not honoring Jesus Christ and so Simeon found a playful, if disruptive, way to let them know it.
And so, as crazy as these guys are, I think these fools are on to something. You see, we, in the church, sometimes get a little full of ourselves. We develop an exaggerated sense of our own importance. We have our beautiful buildings and our grand liturgies and we puff ourselves up a little. But the Holy Fools join St. Paul in reminding us is that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is lowly and despised ... so that the one who boasts, boasts only in the Lord.” When Simeon tossed those nuts, he was reminding those present that all we have comes from God.
While it is right and good to have some pride in one’s self, that healthy pride that comes from knowing that we’re all created in God’s image, nevertheless, at the heart of it all, people of faith are called to a deep humility, rooted in the knowledge that all that we have and all that we are is gift.
And, further, I think this humility, this sense of our deep dependence on God, is something that we in the church right now are being called to reclaim. In this new age in which we live, the church is no longer central in society. Church leaders no longer walk the same halls of power and influence that they did even just 50 years ago. In this new time in history, Christians are being called again to be fools for Christ.
And this is by no means a bad thing! Because here’s the important, if not terribly profound, truth: fools have fun! The fool’s church of the 21st century needs to be a place of joy. In fact, I would go so far as to say that a church without fun is not a church at all. This is not to say that the work God calls us to is never important or hard or exhausting. But it is also to say that it is God’s work and so it’s always wrapped up in God’s joy. It is good to be God’s people because, when we engage in the work of God, we get filled with the very spirit of God. We forget this sometimes.
Sometimes our time in church or temple or mosque feels more like duty than benefit. Sometimes it feels more like it drains us than it energizes us. But what the fools remind us of is that, when all is said and done, to live in a community of faith is a very, very good thing. God says to us all, “Come with me, come with me, work with me, be with me and my people, and you will know more joy that you can possibly imagine!”
Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center in Paris
SOURCE: deZeen Magazine
Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center
in Parisby Arch group and Sade Sarl
In March Russian architects Arch-group and French studio Sade Sarl last week won an international competition to design a Russian Orthodox church and cultural centre beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center will include a large public garden surrounded by a glass wall of multimedia screens.
A glass canopy will swoop over part of the garden, joining the stone cultural centre and church with nine golden domes.
See also: Dezeen’s top ten churches
The information that follows is from Arch Group: The Russian Orthodox culture and religion, which are based on spiritual traditions, are playing an extremely important part in Russia’s attempt to overcome its present difficulties and are a source of moral direction for a considerable part of the population. The task of creating a modern, positive, and open image of Russian Orthodoxy follows from the fact that knowledge of Russian Orthodox culture is essential for understanding and interacting with Russia. And yet Russian Orthodox culture is at the present time poorly represented in Europe. The creation of a Russian Orthodox cultural centre in Europe will help strengthen international relations and is of enormous importance from the point of view of education and culture. By making this cultural centre a combination of tradition and modernity it will be possible to attract visitors from all generations, including young people.
Urban planning
The complex in question is situated at the intersection of quai Branly and avenue Rapp, which together form place de la Résistance. The complex’s rear façade faces onto rue de l’Université. The site is located in the eastern corner of the large triangle formed by avenue Rapp, quai Branly, and avenue de la Bourdonnais. The site’s north-eastern corner looks out over place de la Résistance in front of Pont de l’Alma. This corner correlates with the corner of the building on the other side of the square, at the intersection of quai d’Orsay and avenue Bosquet.
An important aspect from the point of view of urban planning is that the design project features an emphatic rounded ‘Parisian corner’ corresponding to the principles which have shaped the existing layout of the surrounding built-up area. This corner and the northern façade shape the view from Pont de l’Alma, which is an important and lively main road linking the 7th and 8th arrondissements.
The site’s northern façade faces quai Branly, which is part of the tourist walk from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. The architectural design of the building’s north façade and its use of media screens are of especial importance given the intensity of traffic on Pont de l’Alma and the pedestrian flows along quai Branly.
Click above for larger image
Directly abutting the complex on quai Branly is an old palace building. On the other side of the palace is a world-famous museum (designed by Jean Nouvel), which has a wall of glass facing the embankment and screening off its garden and Modernist multi-hued museum block. In this way, the palace is incorporated in the dialogue between two modern complexes framing it on either side.
One of the most important components of the design here proposed is the large garden, which occupies the entire site. This garden is open to the public, and in it stands the Russian Orthodox church. The axis of the church coincides with the axis of symmetry of the lateral façade of the palace. In this way, the proposed design not only brings a picturesque garden to the embankment, but visually liberates the side façade of the palace, which joins with the church in forming an axial, symmetrical composition of the kind that is traditional for the old centre of Paris.
The design involves the creation of a new internal alley on the site, running between the existing palace and the Russian Orthodox church. Entrances are likewise to be created on rue de l’Unviersité and avenue Rapp. The entrance from avenue Rapp is intended for people entering the church on festive occasions and for processions of the Cross.
Click above for larger image
Architecture
General principles:
The principal architectural idea behind the complex is to employ traditional church architecture in a modern cultural and religious complex. The unifying element is a transparent canopy, which descends from the domes of the church, covers the garden, and bends around the reconstructed corner building. By linking all the parts of the complex, the canopy gives it integrality, reflecting the fact that religious and secular functions are here combined…. The integrality of the ensemble also makes it possible to meet urban-planning challenges and to recreate the corner of one of Paris’ central street blocks.
The entire look of the complex aims to create a positive, open image of Russian Orthodoxy – one that will make the latter attractive and interesting to parishioners and to inhabitants of and visitors to the city of Paris. The architecture of the complex should attract new people of all ages and kindle in them an interest in Russian spiritual culture.
As in traditional Christian church complexes, the entire area around the church is a garden with a perimeter wall. In the design here proposed, this boundary is more symbolic than real – since it consists of a glass wall made from coated glass of reduced reflectivity. This makes the complex open to the sun, air, and the gazes of people looking in. The glass wall is a media façade on which static and dynamic images may be displayed, together with announcements of forthcoming events at the cultural centre, exhibitions, religious holidays, images of icons, and so on. The project allows for the possibility of using innovative new-media ideas to create a ‘second’, interactive reality in both open and closed space, and to set up an interaction between holographic characters and objects and the real world, creating a new type of communication in real time. This generates enormous scope for putting together a large number of programmes for spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic development and for drawing the attention of people from different generations (and especially young people) to the activities of the centre.
The church is situated at the spot where the ribbon of the canopy and the ribbon of the garden, coming together in the corner building, divide in two as they approach the embankment.
Passing through the entire site is a new alley, which is paved with large slabs of stone with grass growing between them. This alley creates a through passageway from quai Branly to rue de l’Université, giving access to all parts of the cultural and religious complex – namely, the church, garden, and corner building.
The project uses three main materials – white stone for the church (symbolizing Russian tradition); Paris stone for the corner building; and glass for the canopy (symbolizing openness and protection at the same time).
The canopy covers the three main parts of the complex – the church, the garden (which occupies the entire site), and the reconstructed ‘Parisian’ corner building, which accommodates all the remaining functions.
Click above for larger image
The church:
In the centre of the site and in the centre of the garden, behind the glazed media façade overlooking the embankment and avenue Rapp, stands the Russian Orthodox church. The project envisages building the church in a style deriving from the 14th to 16th centuries as a pure and simple structure which will be especially clearly legible against the background of the side façade of the palace. The church faces strictly east, with a deviation of no more than 5 degrees.
The church has five domes and three naves and lateral sanctuaries. Its main volume conforms to the elongated proportions of the traditional church, but the floor area of the interior is approximately 400 m2 as a result of the expanded lower part. There is a possibility of creating a smaller, single-altar underground church (crypt).
The church is to be in the style of the 14th to 16th centuries and constructed of large slabs of white limestone specially imported for this purpose from Russia.
The main, western, entrance to the church is from the new alley. There are two additional entrances – on the south and north sides – which may be used on festive and ritual occasions. In front of the northern entrance, there is a small square in the garden where people may stand in front of the church on days when there is large-scale attendance. The northern entrance can also be used for the Procession of the Cross – which will enter the complex from avenue Rapp, go round the complex along the embankment, and return along the new alley.
The domes are to be constructed using a special technology which will give them a traditional appearance during the day, but allow a golden light to show through the paint at night.
All the drums of the church’s domes are glazed, allowing the interior of the church to be lit by soft and dispersed natural light during the daytime. The windows of the drums and of the walls of the church are designed in such a way as to avoid direct sunlight, especially near the ‘Royal Gates’.
The interior will have traditional wall paintings in the style of Andrey Rublev. The western sanctuary at the main entrance has a staircase leading down to the lower church. The choir is situated on the second tier on the western wall and is accessed via a small spiral staircase.
The main church has a maximum capacity of 600 persons, while the lower church can accommodate 400.
The church may be used for public events – and events of a cultural as well as religious nature, so as to stimulate interest in Russian Orthodox culture.
The garden:
The garden in our project has important symbolic significance. Thanks to the system of terraces and the green roof and terraces of the cultural centre building, the garden occupies the entire plot of land – starting from the embankment, continuing behind the church, and ascending the terraces of the corner ‘Parisian’ building to the bell-tower. The low bell-tower forms the highest point of the complex (with the exception of the domes); it stands in the garden, on the roof of the corner building.
The green terraces and roof, onto which there is a way out from both the residential floors and the cultural centre, will offer an unusual view of Paris and of the complex’s canopy and domes.
The lateral axis of the garden is formed by the absolutely straight line of the new alley, which is complemented by a romantic Russian garden on three levels.
Most of the plants in the garden are ‘Trinity greenery’ of the kind that is traditional in Russia – birch, spruce, maple, lime, and ash. This fits in with the fact that the church in the garden is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Inside the internal radius of the white-stone wall in the corner facing Pont de l’Alma is a small lake with a gurgling spring and a small relaxation area shielded from noise and other people’s gazes.
On the corner of quai Branly and the new alley three existing trees are to be preserved. They will become an organic part of the garden, serving as a symbol of a tactful and caring attitude to the history of this site and of the city as a whole.
Click above for larger image
The cultural centre:
The project contains no separate building for the cultural centre: the entire complex under the canopy is a spiritual and cultural centre. The boundaries of this centre are the glass mediafacades facing quai Branly and avenue Rapp and the facades of the corner building. All the functional areas, including the conference hall, exhibition hall, and so on, come together in the reconstructed ‘Parisian’ building on the corner of rue de l’Université and avenue Rapp.
This kind of unification of secular, residential, and office functions, and of the seminary and parish rooms in a single building means that these spaces can be used with great flexibility in the future and with maximum rationality at the present time.
This building makes the entire complex seem to grow out of the historical flesh of Paris. Part of the façade of the reconstructed building on the edge of the plot will be preserved unmodified. It will gradually turn into a new, modern façade created from recycled blocks of stone taken from the facades of the building that has been dismantled on this site.
The part of the building which borders the garden will be partly taken apart. This will create a system of terraces descending from the green roof right into the garden. This greened cascade with its small picturesque staircases will create a continuous green band beginning at the embankment and ascending right to the roof of the building, where the low bell-tower stands.
The two top residential storeys are set back relative to the bottom storeys and ‘screened’ by a transparent glass-less mesh, the latter being what the canopy covering the garden turns into. The set-back walls and balconies of the residential storeys are greened.
In the depths of the plot, on the inner side of the corner building, two storeys are to be built onto the existing annex. This will give additional space for the use of the parish and seminary. The façade of this annex consists of narrow vertical screens arranged in such a way as to provide privacy and visual comfort in spite of the proximity of the palace.
The conference hall of the cultural centre is in the basement, under the garden. The entrance to it is from the main hall of the reconstructed building.
Inside, the building has an atrium stretching to its full height and admitting natural light to its basement level. Given the different functions that are to be accommodated on different floors, the perimeter of the atrium is to be glazed; this will ensure acoustic comfort and compliance with the French fire-safety regulations.
The central hall and atrium will contain the main staircase linking all the storeys. There are to be separate staircases for the two residential storeys. In this way, the different functional flows are to be divided, but in the event of fire there are sufficient evacuation routes from all storeys.
Functioning
The main entrances to the complex are on the new alley from quai Branly and rue de l’Université. An additional entrance from avenue Rapp may be used during mass events and festive occasions. To provide for such cases, there is a small square in front of the southern entrance to take pressure off the main alley and accommodate a large number of visitors and parishioners beside the church. Processions of the Cross may pass through this square.
Access for automobiles, including to the 15 parking spaces, is from rue de l’Université, through two pairs of gates that form a security buffer. Festive and ritual processions may drive up to the church along the new alley, directly from the embankment and, driving right through the complex, emerge onto rue de l’Université.
Click above for larger image
On entering the complex from the embankment, visitors find themselves in a garden that ascends in front of them up a series of terraces. Advancing along the picturesque alley alongside the historical façade of the palace, they will approach the church. If they do not intend to visit the church itself, they may simply stroll through the garden, sit by the lake and spring, or ascend, in the company of a member of the complex’s staff, through the terraces to the bell-tower in the garden on the roof of the corner building in order to enjoy a fine view of the complex and of Paris to boot. Continuing on their way, they may enter the cultural centre and the central hall – in order to gain access to the offices, seminary, parish rooms, or residential storeys.
On reaching rue de l’Université, the new alley finishes in a covered section giving access to the cultural centre and conference hall. This zone may be closed off on its outside in order to restrict access to the complex, or may be screened off from the church by a sliding wall; in this way flows of visitors to the cultural and religious parts of the complex may be separated.
Entering the corner building from rue de l’Université, visitors find themselves in the central hall and atrium. On this floor there are administrative spaces and rooms belonging to the parish. The central main staircase and central pair of lifts give access to the office storey and the seminary.
Descending, visitors come to a green recreational area with natural daylight entering through a skylight in the roof. This floor contains the parish archives and dining room. All the kitchen facilities serving the cultural centre, dining room, and residential floors have been reduced to a kitchen block in the basement; this block delivers food to individual floors using various lifts. The atrium supplies the kitchen with natural light.
In the basement is a gallery linking the crypt with the atrium of the corner building. Abutting this gallery are technical spaces accommodating the complex’s utilities systems.
In addition to the central lifts and main staircase, there are two independent vertical communication shafts ascending from the central atrium. These are separate blocks of lifts and staircases for the seminarists living on the fourth floor and for the priests living on the fifth. To provide for emergencies, the doors are to be fitted with anti-panic locks and it will be possible for all floors to use these staircases simultaneously as escape routes.
The residential floor occupied by the seminarists will have a small common dining room with a way out onto the terraces.
Click above for larger image
Construction
Basement:
Between the church and the corner building there will be a basement level accommodating the cultural centre’s conference hall. The church is also to have a basement level. These spaces will be joined together into a single system, which will also incorporate the basement of the existing building. This basement will be slightly expanded to accommodate technical spaces used in the operation of the building’s utilities systems. French engineering companies are some of the best at designing basement structures in areas with high levels of ground water. From the structural point of view, a watertight concrete basin will be built on this spot. In the church this basin will be clad with full-size blocks of white stone. No underground works are to be carried out in the area nearest the River Seine.
The church:
With five domes and three naves, this traditional-style church is made from massive blocks of white limestone. The exterior walls are one metre thick. Inside, the vaulting is supported by four massive round columns of stone. The construction is traditional, being based on similar churches from the 14th to 16th centuries.
The cultural centre:
The existing building on the corner of rue de l’Université and avenue Rapp is to be preserved; this will involve partial use of both the building’s structural system and its existing facades. The building’s right-hand wing will be partially dismantled in order to create terraces. The two-storey addition at the rear will be made of reinforced-concrete and metal structures. The roof and terraces will have a layer of earth between 0.3 and 1 metre thick as a bed for trees and bushes. The new façade of the corner building will be clad in stone blocks taken from the dismantled neighbouring Meteo France building. The existing floor panels will be cut to create an atrium stretching the full height of the building.
The garden:
The garden is divided into three parts: a lower garden around the church, a terraced garden in the partially dismantled building, and an upper garden on the roof of the ‘Université’ building. All three gardens will be watered using rainwater collected in cisterns. All the gardens have lighting and sound provided by a modular installation giving adjustable (partial or full) lighting and sound.
Fence:
The complex’s fence is a glass wall consisting of two panes of glass one on top of another. Each pane is 4 x 4 metres, the maximum size made by Saint Gobain, the leading world producer of architectural glazing. The entire construction is supported by glass piers positioned on the inner side of the fence. Use is to be made of a special coated and non-reflective glass. Between the panels of glass are gaps, and the entire wall is considerably lower than the canopy. The piers at intervals of 4 metres and the gaps between the glass panels improve the wall’s acoustics, preventing sound waves spreading along its surface, which extends for 200 metres along avenue Rapp.
The canopy:
The structural rhombic mesh of the canopy is supported by the church and four tree-like columns standing in the garden. In those places where the structure kinks, it is reinforced by internal hawsers. When it reaches the corner building, the canopy turns into the mesh of the second façade; here, however, it is without glass. The basic element of the structure is a rhombus based on a rib approximately 5 x 30 cm high. The rib of the mesh is triangular and narrows towards the bottom. This makes it possible to bring more light into the garden under the canopy and to impart to the structure a light, lacelike appearance as of something in flight. This is a lightweight and transparent structure that admits sufficient light for the trees in the garden, while also standing up well to atmospheric conditions.
Click above for larger image
Sustainability
The main technology proposed by our French engineers is the creation of a self-washing roof. The water used to wash the roofing subsequently helps to heat the building. The essence of this proposal is that the exterior of the entire canopy is to be covered with a thin film of flowing water which is heated by the sun as it flows. This warmed water is then collected in underground reservoirs that preserve heat in the same way that a thermos does, and is used to warm the building. This will help save energy during operation of the cultural centre. Another proposal is to install a large number of photovoltaic and thermal panels on the mesh of the second façade.
A pleasant environment for residents of and visitors to the complex, as for passers-by, will be created by the large volume of vegetation. The garden in effect has a floor area equal to the area of the site; this will improve the environment in this district as a whole.
The recycling of the façade stone of the dismantled buildings, the working of this stone on site, and the partial use of the corner building will reduce the amount of construction materials required to build the complex and will dramatically cut use of transport during construction. Overall, this will reduce harmful emissions attributable to the building of the complex.
To look further ahead, the prevalence of natural materials (glass, stone) used in construction of the complex will have a favourable effect on the complex’s functioning and on its environmental impact on the district and arrondissement.
Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center in Paris
Architects:
Manuel Nunez-Yanovsky,
Mikhail Krymov,
Alexey Goryainov
Client: Russian government
4500 sq.m..
2011 г.
Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center
in Parisby Arch group and Sade Sarl
In March Russian architects Arch-group and French studio Sade Sarl last week won an international competition to design a Russian Orthodox church and cultural centre beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center will include a large public garden surrounded by a glass wall of multimedia screens.
A glass canopy will swoop over part of the garden, joining the stone cultural centre and church with nine golden domes.
See also: Dezeen’s top ten churches
The information that follows is from Arch Group: The Russian Orthodox culture and religion, which are based on spiritual traditions, are playing an extremely important part in Russia’s attempt to overcome its present difficulties and are a source of moral direction for a considerable part of the population. The task of creating a modern, positive, and open image of Russian Orthodoxy follows from the fact that knowledge of Russian Orthodox culture is essential for understanding and interacting with Russia. And yet Russian Orthodox culture is at the present time poorly represented in Europe. The creation of a Russian Orthodox cultural centre in Europe will help strengthen international relations and is of enormous importance from the point of view of education and culture. By making this cultural centre a combination of tradition and modernity it will be possible to attract visitors from all generations, including young people.
Urban planning
The complex in question is situated at the intersection of quai Branly and avenue Rapp, which together form place de la Résistance. The complex’s rear façade faces onto rue de l’Université. The site is located in the eastern corner of the large triangle formed by avenue Rapp, quai Branly, and avenue de la Bourdonnais. The site’s north-eastern corner looks out over place de la Résistance in front of Pont de l’Alma. This corner correlates with the corner of the building on the other side of the square, at the intersection of quai d’Orsay and avenue Bosquet.
An important aspect from the point of view of urban planning is that the design project features an emphatic rounded ‘Parisian corner’ corresponding to the principles which have shaped the existing layout of the surrounding built-up area. This corner and the northern façade shape the view from Pont de l’Alma, which is an important and lively main road linking the 7th and 8th arrondissements.
The site’s northern façade faces quai Branly, which is part of the tourist walk from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. The architectural design of the building’s north façade and its use of media screens are of especial importance given the intensity of traffic on Pont de l’Alma and the pedestrian flows along quai Branly.
Click above for larger image
Directly abutting the complex on quai Branly is an old palace building. On the other side of the palace is a world-famous museum (designed by Jean Nouvel), which has a wall of glass facing the embankment and screening off its garden and Modernist multi-hued museum block. In this way, the palace is incorporated in the dialogue between two modern complexes framing it on either side.
One of the most important components of the design here proposed is the large garden, which occupies the entire site. This garden is open to the public, and in it stands the Russian Orthodox church. The axis of the church coincides with the axis of symmetry of the lateral façade of the palace. In this way, the proposed design not only brings a picturesque garden to the embankment, but visually liberates the side façade of the palace, which joins with the church in forming an axial, symmetrical composition of the kind that is traditional for the old centre of Paris.
The design involves the creation of a new internal alley on the site, running between the existing palace and the Russian Orthodox church. Entrances are likewise to be created on rue de l’Unviersité and avenue Rapp. The entrance from avenue Rapp is intended for people entering the church on festive occasions and for processions of the Cross.
Click above for larger image
Architecture
General principles:
The principal architectural idea behind the complex is to employ traditional church architecture in a modern cultural and religious complex. The unifying element is a transparent canopy, which descends from the domes of the church, covers the garden, and bends around the reconstructed corner building. By linking all the parts of the complex, the canopy gives it integrality, reflecting the fact that religious and secular functions are here combined…. The integrality of the ensemble also makes it possible to meet urban-planning challenges and to recreate the corner of one of Paris’ central street blocks.
The entire look of the complex aims to create a positive, open image of Russian Orthodoxy – one that will make the latter attractive and interesting to parishioners and to inhabitants of and visitors to the city of Paris. The architecture of the complex should attract new people of all ages and kindle in them an interest in Russian spiritual culture.
As in traditional Christian church complexes, the entire area around the church is a garden with a perimeter wall. In the design here proposed, this boundary is more symbolic than real – since it consists of a glass wall made from coated glass of reduced reflectivity. This makes the complex open to the sun, air, and the gazes of people looking in. The glass wall is a media façade on which static and dynamic images may be displayed, together with announcements of forthcoming events at the cultural centre, exhibitions, religious holidays, images of icons, and so on. The project allows for the possibility of using innovative new-media ideas to create a ‘second’, interactive reality in both open and closed space, and to set up an interaction between holographic characters and objects and the real world, creating a new type of communication in real time. This generates enormous scope for putting together a large number of programmes for spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic development and for drawing the attention of people from different generations (and especially young people) to the activities of the centre.
The church is situated at the spot where the ribbon of the canopy and the ribbon of the garden, coming together in the corner building, divide in two as they approach the embankment.
Passing through the entire site is a new alley, which is paved with large slabs of stone with grass growing between them. This alley creates a through passageway from quai Branly to rue de l’Université, giving access to all parts of the cultural and religious complex – namely, the church, garden, and corner building.
The project uses three main materials – white stone for the church (symbolizing Russian tradition); Paris stone for the corner building; and glass for the canopy (symbolizing openness and protection at the same time).
The canopy covers the three main parts of the complex – the church, the garden (which occupies the entire site), and the reconstructed ‘Parisian’ corner building, which accommodates all the remaining functions.
Click above for larger image
The church:
In the centre of the site and in the centre of the garden, behind the glazed media façade overlooking the embankment and avenue Rapp, stands the Russian Orthodox church. The project envisages building the church in a style deriving from the 14th to 16th centuries as a pure and simple structure which will be especially clearly legible against the background of the side façade of the palace. The church faces strictly east, with a deviation of no more than 5 degrees.
The church has five domes and three naves and lateral sanctuaries. Its main volume conforms to the elongated proportions of the traditional church, but the floor area of the interior is approximately 400 m2 as a result of the expanded lower part. There is a possibility of creating a smaller, single-altar underground church (crypt).
The church is to be in the style of the 14th to 16th centuries and constructed of large slabs of white limestone specially imported for this purpose from Russia.
The main, western, entrance to the church is from the new alley. There are two additional entrances – on the south and north sides – which may be used on festive and ritual occasions. In front of the northern entrance, there is a small square in the garden where people may stand in front of the church on days when there is large-scale attendance. The northern entrance can also be used for the Procession of the Cross – which will enter the complex from avenue Rapp, go round the complex along the embankment, and return along the new alley.
The domes are to be constructed using a special technology which will give them a traditional appearance during the day, but allow a golden light to show through the paint at night.
All the drums of the church’s domes are glazed, allowing the interior of the church to be lit by soft and dispersed natural light during the daytime. The windows of the drums and of the walls of the church are designed in such a way as to avoid direct sunlight, especially near the ‘Royal Gates’.
The interior will have traditional wall paintings in the style of Andrey Rublev. The western sanctuary at the main entrance has a staircase leading down to the lower church. The choir is situated on the second tier on the western wall and is accessed via a small spiral staircase.
The main church has a maximum capacity of 600 persons, while the lower church can accommodate 400.
The church may be used for public events – and events of a cultural as well as religious nature, so as to stimulate interest in Russian Orthodox culture.
The garden:
The garden in our project has important symbolic significance. Thanks to the system of terraces and the green roof and terraces of the cultural centre building, the garden occupies the entire plot of land – starting from the embankment, continuing behind the church, and ascending the terraces of the corner ‘Parisian’ building to the bell-tower. The low bell-tower forms the highest point of the complex (with the exception of the domes); it stands in the garden, on the roof of the corner building.
The green terraces and roof, onto which there is a way out from both the residential floors and the cultural centre, will offer an unusual view of Paris and of the complex’s canopy and domes.
The lateral axis of the garden is formed by the absolutely straight line of the new alley, which is complemented by a romantic Russian garden on three levels.
Most of the plants in the garden are ‘Trinity greenery’ of the kind that is traditional in Russia – birch, spruce, maple, lime, and ash. This fits in with the fact that the church in the garden is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Inside the internal radius of the white-stone wall in the corner facing Pont de l’Alma is a small lake with a gurgling spring and a small relaxation area shielded from noise and other people’s gazes.
On the corner of quai Branly and the new alley three existing trees are to be preserved. They will become an organic part of the garden, serving as a symbol of a tactful and caring attitude to the history of this site and of the city as a whole.
Click above for larger image
The cultural centre:
The project contains no separate building for the cultural centre: the entire complex under the canopy is a spiritual and cultural centre. The boundaries of this centre are the glass mediafacades facing quai Branly and avenue Rapp and the facades of the corner building. All the functional areas, including the conference hall, exhibition hall, and so on, come together in the reconstructed ‘Parisian’ building on the corner of rue de l’Université and avenue Rapp.
This kind of unification of secular, residential, and office functions, and of the seminary and parish rooms in a single building means that these spaces can be used with great flexibility in the future and with maximum rationality at the present time.
This building makes the entire complex seem to grow out of the historical flesh of Paris. Part of the façade of the reconstructed building on the edge of the plot will be preserved unmodified. It will gradually turn into a new, modern façade created from recycled blocks of stone taken from the facades of the building that has been dismantled on this site.
The part of the building which borders the garden will be partly taken apart. This will create a system of terraces descending from the green roof right into the garden. This greened cascade with its small picturesque staircases will create a continuous green band beginning at the embankment and ascending right to the roof of the building, where the low bell-tower stands.
The two top residential storeys are set back relative to the bottom storeys and ‘screened’ by a transparent glass-less mesh, the latter being what the canopy covering the garden turns into. The set-back walls and balconies of the residential storeys are greened.
In the depths of the plot, on the inner side of the corner building, two storeys are to be built onto the existing annex. This will give additional space for the use of the parish and seminary. The façade of this annex consists of narrow vertical screens arranged in such a way as to provide privacy and visual comfort in spite of the proximity of the palace.
The conference hall of the cultural centre is in the basement, under the garden. The entrance to it is from the main hall of the reconstructed building.
Inside, the building has an atrium stretching to its full height and admitting natural light to its basement level. Given the different functions that are to be accommodated on different floors, the perimeter of the atrium is to be glazed; this will ensure acoustic comfort and compliance with the French fire-safety regulations.
The central hall and atrium will contain the main staircase linking all the storeys. There are to be separate staircases for the two residential storeys. In this way, the different functional flows are to be divided, but in the event of fire there are sufficient evacuation routes from all storeys.
Functioning
The main entrances to the complex are on the new alley from quai Branly and rue de l’Université. An additional entrance from avenue Rapp may be used during mass events and festive occasions. To provide for such cases, there is a small square in front of the southern entrance to take pressure off the main alley and accommodate a large number of visitors and parishioners beside the church. Processions of the Cross may pass through this square.
Access for automobiles, including to the 15 parking spaces, is from rue de l’Université, through two pairs of gates that form a security buffer. Festive and ritual processions may drive up to the church along the new alley, directly from the embankment and, driving right through the complex, emerge onto rue de l’Université.
Click above for larger image
On entering the complex from the embankment, visitors find themselves in a garden that ascends in front of them up a series of terraces. Advancing along the picturesque alley alongside the historical façade of the palace, they will approach the church. If they do not intend to visit the church itself, they may simply stroll through the garden, sit by the lake and spring, or ascend, in the company of a member of the complex’s staff, through the terraces to the bell-tower in the garden on the roof of the corner building in order to enjoy a fine view of the complex and of Paris to boot. Continuing on their way, they may enter the cultural centre and the central hall – in order to gain access to the offices, seminary, parish rooms, or residential storeys.
On reaching rue de l’Université, the new alley finishes in a covered section giving access to the cultural centre and conference hall. This zone may be closed off on its outside in order to restrict access to the complex, or may be screened off from the church by a sliding wall; in this way flows of visitors to the cultural and religious parts of the complex may be separated.
Entering the corner building from rue de l’Université, visitors find themselves in the central hall and atrium. On this floor there are administrative spaces and rooms belonging to the parish. The central main staircase and central pair of lifts give access to the office storey and the seminary.
Descending, visitors come to a green recreational area with natural daylight entering through a skylight in the roof. This floor contains the parish archives and dining room. All the kitchen facilities serving the cultural centre, dining room, and residential floors have been reduced to a kitchen block in the basement; this block delivers food to individual floors using various lifts. The atrium supplies the kitchen with natural light.
In the basement is a gallery linking the crypt with the atrium of the corner building. Abutting this gallery are technical spaces accommodating the complex’s utilities systems.
In addition to the central lifts and main staircase, there are two independent vertical communication shafts ascending from the central atrium. These are separate blocks of lifts and staircases for the seminarists living on the fourth floor and for the priests living on the fifth. To provide for emergencies, the doors are to be fitted with anti-panic locks and it will be possible for all floors to use these staircases simultaneously as escape routes.
The residential floor occupied by the seminarists will have a small common dining room with a way out onto the terraces.
Click above for larger image
Construction
Basement:
Between the church and the corner building there will be a basement level accommodating the cultural centre’s conference hall. The church is also to have a basement level. These spaces will be joined together into a single system, which will also incorporate the basement of the existing building. This basement will be slightly expanded to accommodate technical spaces used in the operation of the building’s utilities systems. French engineering companies are some of the best at designing basement structures in areas with high levels of ground water. From the structural point of view, a watertight concrete basin will be built on this spot. In the church this basin will be clad with full-size blocks of white stone. No underground works are to be carried out in the area nearest the River Seine.
The church:
With five domes and three naves, this traditional-style church is made from massive blocks of white limestone. The exterior walls are one metre thick. Inside, the vaulting is supported by four massive round columns of stone. The construction is traditional, being based on similar churches from the 14th to 16th centuries.
The cultural centre:
The existing building on the corner of rue de l’Université and avenue Rapp is to be preserved; this will involve partial use of both the building’s structural system and its existing facades. The building’s right-hand wing will be partially dismantled in order to create terraces. The two-storey addition at the rear will be made of reinforced-concrete and metal structures. The roof and terraces will have a layer of earth between 0.3 and 1 metre thick as a bed for trees and bushes. The new façade of the corner building will be clad in stone blocks taken from the dismantled neighbouring Meteo France building. The existing floor panels will be cut to create an atrium stretching the full height of the building.
The garden:
The garden is divided into three parts: a lower garden around the church, a terraced garden in the partially dismantled building, and an upper garden on the roof of the ‘Université’ building. All three gardens will be watered using rainwater collected in cisterns. All the gardens have lighting and sound provided by a modular installation giving adjustable (partial or full) lighting and sound.
Fence:
The complex’s fence is a glass wall consisting of two panes of glass one on top of another. Each pane is 4 x 4 metres, the maximum size made by Saint Gobain, the leading world producer of architectural glazing. The entire construction is supported by glass piers positioned on the inner side of the fence. Use is to be made of a special coated and non-reflective glass. Between the panels of glass are gaps, and the entire wall is considerably lower than the canopy. The piers at intervals of 4 metres and the gaps between the glass panels improve the wall’s acoustics, preventing sound waves spreading along its surface, which extends for 200 metres along avenue Rapp.
The canopy:
The structural rhombic mesh of the canopy is supported by the church and four tree-like columns standing in the garden. In those places where the structure kinks, it is reinforced by internal hawsers. When it reaches the corner building, the canopy turns into the mesh of the second façade; here, however, it is without glass. The basic element of the structure is a rhombus based on a rib approximately 5 x 30 cm high. The rib of the mesh is triangular and narrows towards the bottom. This makes it possible to bring more light into the garden under the canopy and to impart to the structure a light, lacelike appearance as of something in flight. This is a lightweight and transparent structure that admits sufficient light for the trees in the garden, while also standing up well to atmospheric conditions.
Click above for larger image
Sustainability
The main technology proposed by our French engineers is the creation of a self-washing roof. The water used to wash the roofing subsequently helps to heat the building. The essence of this proposal is that the exterior of the entire canopy is to be covered with a thin film of flowing water which is heated by the sun as it flows. This warmed water is then collected in underground reservoirs that preserve heat in the same way that a thermos does, and is used to warm the building. This will help save energy during operation of the cultural centre. Another proposal is to install a large number of photovoltaic and thermal panels on the mesh of the second façade.
A pleasant environment for residents of and visitors to the complex, as for passers-by, will be created by the large volume of vegetation. The garden in effect has a floor area equal to the area of the site; this will improve the environment in this district as a whole.
The recycling of the façade stone of the dismantled buildings, the working of this stone on site, and the partial use of the corner building will reduce the amount of construction materials required to build the complex and will dramatically cut use of transport during construction. Overall, this will reduce harmful emissions attributable to the building of the complex.
To look further ahead, the prevalence of natural materials (glass, stone) used in construction of the complex will have a favourable effect on the complex’s functioning and on its environmental impact on the district and arrondissement.
Cultural and Spiritual Russian Orthodox Center in Paris
Architects:
Manuel Nunez-Yanovsky,
Mikhail Krymov,
Alexey Goryainov
Client: Russian government
4500 sq.m..
2011 г.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tomb of St. Philip the Apostle discovered in Turkey's Denizli
SOURCE: World Bulletin
The tomb of St. Philip the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples of Christianity's central figure Jesus Christ, has been discovered during the ongoing excavations in Turkey's south-western province of Denizli.
Italian professor Francesco D'Andria, the head of the excavation team at the Hierapolis ancient city in Denizli, told reporters on Tuesday that experts had reached the tomb of St. Philip whose name is mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.
Professor D'Andria said archeologists had been working for years to find the tomb of the Biblical figure, and finally, they had managed to reach the monument while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in Hierapolis.
D'Andria said the structure of the tomb and the writings on it proved that it belonged to St. Philip the Apostle, who is recognized as a martyr in the history of Christianity.
Describing the discovery as a major development both for archeology and the Christian world, D'Andria said the tomb, which had not been opened yet, was expected to become an important Christian pilgrimage destination.
Hierapolis, whose name means "sacred city", is an ancient city located next to the renowned Pamukkale, white Travertine terraces, in Denizli province. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city, famous for its historical hot springs used as a spa since the 2nd century, is a mixture of Pagan, Roman, Jewish and early Christian influences.
Ancient tradition associates Hierapolis with St. Philip the Apostle, who is believed to have died in the city around 80 AD. The follower, who is known as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia, is said to have been martyred in Hierapolis. The legend is that St. Philip was crucified upside-down or martyred by beheading.
After the apostle's death, an octagonal tomb named "The Martryium" was erected for him where he is believed to have been martyred.
The tomb of St. Philip the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples of Christianity's central figure Jesus Christ, has been discovered during the ongoing excavations in Turkey's south-western province of Denizli.
Italian professor Francesco D'Andria, the head of the excavation team at the Hierapolis ancient city in Denizli, told reporters on Tuesday that experts had reached the tomb of St. Philip whose name is mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.
Professor D'Andria said archeologists had been working for years to find the tomb of the Biblical figure, and finally, they had managed to reach the monument while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in Hierapolis.
D'Andria said the structure of the tomb and the writings on it proved that it belonged to St. Philip the Apostle, who is recognized as a martyr in the history of Christianity.
Describing the discovery as a major development both for archeology and the Christian world, D'Andria said the tomb, which had not been opened yet, was expected to become an important Christian pilgrimage destination.
Hierapolis, whose name means "sacred city", is an ancient city located next to the renowned Pamukkale, white Travertine terraces, in Denizli province. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city, famous for its historical hot springs used as a spa since the 2nd century, is a mixture of Pagan, Roman, Jewish and early Christian influences.
Ancient tradition associates Hierapolis with St. Philip the Apostle, who is believed to have died in the city around 80 AD. The follower, who is known as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia, is said to have been martyred in Hierapolis. The legend is that St. Philip was crucified upside-down or martyred by beheading.
After the apostle's death, an octagonal tomb named "The Martryium" was erected for him where he is believed to have been martyred.
Cardinal recommends that Roman Catholics receive Communion on the tongue
.- Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera recently recommended that Catholics receive Communion on the tongue, while kneeling.
“It is to simply know that we are before God himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving,” the prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said in an interview with CNA during his visit to Lima, Peru.
The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Catholics should receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.He recommended that Catholics “receive Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.”
Receiving Communion in this way, the cardinal continued, “is the sign of adoration that needs to be recovered. I think the entire Church needs to receive Communion while kneeling.”
“In fact,” he added, “if one receives while standing, a genuflection or profound bow should be made, and this is not happening.”
“If we trivialize Communion, we trivialize everything, and we cannot lose a moment as important as that of receiving Communion, of recognizing the real presence of Christ there, of the God who is the love above all loves, as we sing in a hymn in Spanish.”
In response to a question about the liturgical abuses that often occur, Cardinal Canizares said they must be “corrected, especially through proper formation: formation for seminarians, for priests, for catechists, for all the Christian faithful.”
Such a formation should ensure that liturgical celebrations take place “in accord with the demands and dignity of the celebration, in accord with the norms of the Church, which is the only way we can authentically celebrate the Eucharist,” he added.
“Bishops have a unique responsibility” in the task of liturgical formation and the correction of abuses, the cardinal said, “and we must not fail to fulfill it, because everything we do to ensure that the Eucharist is celebrated properly will ensure proper participation in the Eucharist.”
“It is to simply know that we are before God himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving,” the prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said in an interview with CNA during his visit to Lima, Peru.
The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Catholics should receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.He recommended that Catholics “receive Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.”
“In fact,” he added, “if one receives while standing, a genuflection or profound bow should be made, and this is not happening.”
“If we trivialize Communion, we trivialize everything, and we cannot lose a moment as important as that of receiving Communion, of recognizing the real presence of Christ there, of the God who is the love above all loves, as we sing in a hymn in Spanish.”
In response to a question about the liturgical abuses that often occur, Cardinal Canizares said they must be “corrected, especially through proper formation: formation for seminarians, for priests, for catechists, for all the Christian faithful.”
Such a formation should ensure that liturgical celebrations take place “in accord with the demands and dignity of the celebration, in accord with the norms of the Church, which is the only way we can authentically celebrate the Eucharist,” he added.
“Bishops have a unique responsibility” in the task of liturgical formation and the correction of abuses, the cardinal said, “and we must not fail to fulfill it, because everything we do to ensure that the Eucharist is celebrated properly will ensure proper participation in the Eucharist.”
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Beckhams a 'bad example' for families
SOURCE: Guardian News UK
With a fourth child, the couple have joined the ranks of the irresponsible, population experts say
David and Victoria Beckham may have been overjoyed to welcome their new daughter, Harper Seven, last week but, according to a growing group of campaigners, the birth of their fourth child make the couple bad role models and environmentally irresponsible.
As the world's population is due to hit seven billion at some point in the next few days, there is an increasing call for the UK to open a public debate about how many children people have.
Now the Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has joined other leading environmentalists in calling for the smashing of what TV zoologist Sir David Attenborough has called the "absurd taboo" in discussing family size in the UK.
Lucas said: "We need to have a far greater public debate about population, whether it focuses on improving family planning or reducing global inequality – and looking again at how we address the strain on our natural resources. The absence of an open and honest discussion about this issue means most people don't give much thought to the scale of global population growth in recent years. In 1930, just one or two generations ago, the world's population stood at around two billion. Today it is around seven billion, and by 2050 it is projected to rise by a third to 9 billion.
"We live as if we have three planets instead of just one. It is interesting that public figures, environmental groups and NGOs in general have tended to steer away from population to the extent that it's become a taboo issue. The horrific consequences of China's one-child policy and of other draconian efforts to regulate procreation have, for many, rendered discussion of the subject completely unpalatable. Yet as long as an issue remains a taboo subject where no one talks about it, then there's very little chance of finding the solutions we need."
It is a view that is being pushed by the UK-based Optimum Population Trust, whose chief executive, Simon Ross, is calling for the government to tackle the UK's high rates of accidental pregnancy and to give child benefits and tax credits only for the first two children. "That would send a clear signal that the government will support sustainable families, but after that you are on your own," he said. "There is a big issue there, family planning is cheap, yet many people don't use it properly and accidental pregnancy rates are very high. We need to change the incentives to make the environmental case that one or two children are fine but three or four are just being selfish.
"The Beckhams, and others like London mayor Boris Johnson, are very bad role models with their large families. There's no point in people trying to reduce their carbon emissions and then increasing them 100% by having another child," he said. "England is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and the fastest-growing in population terms in Europe. In 15 years we'll have an extra 10 million people here."
Attenborough has attacked the last two UN climate summits in Cancún and Copenhagen for ducking the population issue. Giving the President's Lecture at the Royal Society of Arts in March, he made a passionate speech about how the world's baby-making was damaging the planet and called for every country to have a population policy. "The sooner we stabilise our numbers the sooner we stop running up the down escalator," he said.
"Fifty years ago there were about 3 billion people on Earth. Now there are almost 7 billion – almost double – and every one of them needing space. There cannot be more people on this Earth than can be fed."
The population debate has often been overshadowed by what is seen as the disastrous and often inhumane experiment by China, with its notorious one-child policy, and with sensitivity about being seen to criticise birthrates in underdeveloped countries. But campaigners point to the fact that it is the populations of the developed world who use the vast majority of the world's resources.
Lucas said the Green party was not afraid to raise the subject because it was "fundamental" to wellbeing. "The lesson to be learned from China is surely that efforts to curb population growth in a way that restricts individual liberty are dangerous and come at huge human cost," she said. "Policies that focus on increasing access to birth control for all who want it, reducing poverty and inequality, improving food security and tackling environmental degradation are where we should be focusing our attention.
"At its heart, this is a debate about poverty and inequality, as well as about sustainability – and we believe that strong policies to reduce the yawning gulf between rich and poor should underpin every effort to address it.
"I don't believe that government incentives or laws to that effect are what we need. As a richer country, we face different challenges when it comes to population than those in the developing world, where high birth rates are linked to dire poverty and inequality. It's an equally important issue for both richer and poorer nations – this is a global debate which affects us all."
With a fourth child, the couple have joined the ranks of the irresponsible, population experts say
 |
| David and Victoria Beckham with their sons (from left to right) Brooklyn, Cruz and Romeo. Photograph: David Davies/PA |
David and Victoria Beckham may have been overjoyed to welcome their new daughter, Harper Seven, last week but, according to a growing group of campaigners, the birth of their fourth child make the couple bad role models and environmentally irresponsible.
As the world's population is due to hit seven billion at some point in the next few days, there is an increasing call for the UK to open a public debate about how many children people have.
Now the Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has joined other leading environmentalists in calling for the smashing of what TV zoologist Sir David Attenborough has called the "absurd taboo" in discussing family size in the UK.
Lucas said: "We need to have a far greater public debate about population, whether it focuses on improving family planning or reducing global inequality – and looking again at how we address the strain on our natural resources. The absence of an open and honest discussion about this issue means most people don't give much thought to the scale of global population growth in recent years. In 1930, just one or two generations ago, the world's population stood at around two billion. Today it is around seven billion, and by 2050 it is projected to rise by a third to 9 billion.
"We live as if we have three planets instead of just one. It is interesting that public figures, environmental groups and NGOs in general have tended to steer away from population to the extent that it's become a taboo issue. The horrific consequences of China's one-child policy and of other draconian efforts to regulate procreation have, for many, rendered discussion of the subject completely unpalatable. Yet as long as an issue remains a taboo subject where no one talks about it, then there's very little chance of finding the solutions we need."
It is a view that is being pushed by the UK-based Optimum Population Trust, whose chief executive, Simon Ross, is calling for the government to tackle the UK's high rates of accidental pregnancy and to give child benefits and tax credits only for the first two children. "That would send a clear signal that the government will support sustainable families, but after that you are on your own," he said. "There is a big issue there, family planning is cheap, yet many people don't use it properly and accidental pregnancy rates are very high. We need to change the incentives to make the environmental case that one or two children are fine but three or four are just being selfish.
"The Beckhams, and others like London mayor Boris Johnson, are very bad role models with their large families. There's no point in people trying to reduce their carbon emissions and then increasing them 100% by having another child," he said. "England is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and the fastest-growing in population terms in Europe. In 15 years we'll have an extra 10 million people here."
Attenborough has attacked the last two UN climate summits in Cancún and Copenhagen for ducking the population issue. Giving the President's Lecture at the Royal Society of Arts in March, he made a passionate speech about how the world's baby-making was damaging the planet and called for every country to have a population policy. "The sooner we stabilise our numbers the sooner we stop running up the down escalator," he said.
"Fifty years ago there were about 3 billion people on Earth. Now there are almost 7 billion – almost double – and every one of them needing space. There cannot be more people on this Earth than can be fed."
The population debate has often been overshadowed by what is seen as the disastrous and often inhumane experiment by China, with its notorious one-child policy, and with sensitivity about being seen to criticise birthrates in underdeveloped countries. But campaigners point to the fact that it is the populations of the developed world who use the vast majority of the world's resources.
Lucas said the Green party was not afraid to raise the subject because it was "fundamental" to wellbeing. "The lesson to be learned from China is surely that efforts to curb population growth in a way that restricts individual liberty are dangerous and come at huge human cost," she said. "Policies that focus on increasing access to birth control for all who want it, reducing poverty and inequality, improving food security and tackling environmental degradation are where we should be focusing our attention.
"At its heart, this is a debate about poverty and inequality, as well as about sustainability – and we believe that strong policies to reduce the yawning gulf between rich and poor should underpin every effort to address it.
"I don't believe that government incentives or laws to that effect are what we need. As a richer country, we face different challenges when it comes to population than those in the developing world, where high birth rates are linked to dire poverty and inequality. It's an equally important issue for both richer and poorer nations – this is a global debate which affects us all."
First Visit to an Orthodox Church--12 Things I Wish I’d Known…
Source: Frederica Mathewes-Green
Orthodox worship is different! Some of these differences are apparent, if perplexing, from the first moment you walk in a church. Others become noticeable only over time. Here is some information that may help you feel more at home in Orthodox worship—twelve things I wish I’d known before my first visit to an Orthodox church.
1. What’s all this commotion?
During the early part of the service the church may seem to be in a hubbub, with people walking up to the front of the church, praying in front of the iconostasis (the standing icons in front of the altar), kissing things and lighting candles, even though the service is already going on. In fact, when you came in the service was already going on, although the sign outside clearly said “Divine Liturgy, 9:30.” You felt embarrassed to apparently be late, but these people are even later, and they’re walking all around inside the church. What’s going on here?In an Orthodox church there is only one Eucharistic service (Divine Liturgy) per Sunday, and it is preceded by an hour-long service of Matins (or Orthros) and several short preparatory services before that. There is no break between these services—one begins as soon as the previous ends, and posted starting times are just educated guesses. Altogether, the priest will be at the altar on Sunday morning for over three hours, “standing in the flame,” as one Orthodox priest put it.
As a result of this state of continous flow, there is no point at which everyone is sitting quietly in a pew waiting for the entrance hymn to start, glancing at their watches approaching 9:30. Orthodox worshippers arrive at any point from the beginning of Matins through the early part of the Liturgy, a span of well over an hour. No matter when they arrive, something is sure to be already going on, so Orthodox don’t let this hamper them from going through the private prayers appropriate to just entering a church. This is distracting to newcomers, and may even seem disrespectful, but soon you begin to recognize it as an expression of a faith that is not merely formal but very personal. Of course, there is still no good excuse for showing up after 9:30, but punctuality is unfortunately one of the few virtues many Orthodox lack.
2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus.
In the Orthodox tradition, the faithful stand up for nearly the entire service. Really. In some Orthodox churches, there won’t even be any chairs, except a few scattered at the edges of the room for those who need them. Expect variation in practice: some churches, especially those that bought already-existing church buildings, will have well-used pews. In any case, if you find the amount of standing too challenging you’re welcome to take a seat. No one minds or probably even notices. Long-term standing gets easier with practice.3. In this sign.
To say that we make the sign of the cross frequently would be an understatement. We sign ourselves whenever the Trinity is invoked, whenever we venerate the cross or an icon, and on many other occasions in the course of the Liturgy. But people aren’t expected to do everything the same way. Some people cross themselves three times in a row, and some finish by sweeping their right hand to the floor. On first entering a church people may come up to an icon, make a “metania”—crossing themselves and bowing with right hand to the floor—twice, then kiss the icon, then make one more metania. This becomes familiar with time, but at first it can seem like secret-handshake stuff that you are sure to get wrong. Don’t worry, you don’t have to follow suit.We cross with our right hands from right to left (push, not pull), the opposite of Roman Catholics and high-church Protestants. We hold our hands in a prescribed way: thumb and first two fingertips pressed together, last two fingers pressed down to the palm. Here as elsewhere, the Orthodox impulse is to make everything we do reinforce the Faith. Can you figure out the symbolism? (Three fingers together for the Trinity; two fingers brought down to the palm for the two natures of Christ, and his coming down to earth.) This, too, takes practice. A beginner’s imprecise arrangement of fingers won’t get you denounced as a heretic.
4. What, no kneelers?
Generally, we don’t kneel. We do sometimes prostrate. This is not like prostration in the Roman Catholic tradition, lying out flat on the floor. To make a prostration we kneel, place our hands on the floor and touch our foreheads down between our hands. It’s just like those photos of middle-eastern worship, which look to Westerners like a sea of behinds. At first prostration feels embarrassing, but no one else is embarrassed, so after a while it feels OK. Ladies will learn that full skirts are best for prostrations, as flat shoes are best for standing.Sometimes we do this and get right back up again, as during the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which is used frequently during Lent. Other times we get down and stay there awhile, as some congregations do during part of the Eucharistic prayer.
Not everyone prostrates. Some kneel, some stand with head bowed; in a pew they might slide forward and sit crouched over. Standing there feeling awkward is all right too. No one will notice if you don’t prostrate. In Orthodoxy there is a wider acceptance of individualized expressions of piety, rather than a sense that people are watching you and getting offended if you do it wrong.
One former Episcopal priest said that seeing people prostrate themselves was one of the things that made him most eager to become Orthodox. He thought, “That’s how we should be before God.”
5. With Love and Kisses
We kiss stuff. When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons (Jesus on the feet and other saints on the hands, ideally). You’ll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss the edge of the priest’s vestment as he passes by, the acolytes kiss his hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the cross at the end of the service. When we talk about “venerating” something we usually mean crossing ourselves and kissing it.We kiss each other before we take communion (“Greet one another with a kiss of love,” 1 Peter 5:14). When Roman Catholics or high-church Protestants “pass the peace,” they give a hug, handshake, or peck on the cheek; that’s how Westerners greet each other. In Orthodoxy different cultures are at play: Greeks and Arabs kiss on two cheeks, and Slavs come back again for a third. Follow the lead of those around you and try not to bump your nose.
The usual greeting is “Christ is in our midst” and response, “He is and shall be.” Don’t worry if you forget what to say. The greeting is not the one familiar to Episcopalians, “The peace of the Lord be with you.” Nor is it “Hi, nice church you have here.” Exchanging the kiss of peace is a liturgical act, a sign of mystical unity. Chatting and fellowship is for later.
6. Blessed bread and consecrated bread.
Only Orthodox may take communion, but anyone may have some of the blessed bread. Here’s how it works: the round communion loaf, baked by a parishioner, is imprinted with a seal. In the preparation service before the Liturgy, the priest cuts out a section of the seal and sets it aside; it is called the “Lamb”. The rest of the bread is cut up and placed in a large basket, and blessed by the priest.During the eucharistic prayer, the Lamb is consecrated to be the Body of Christ, and the chalice of wine is consecrated as His Blood. Here’s the surprising part: the priest places the “Lamb” in the chalice with the wine. When we receive communion, we file up to the priest, standing and opening our mouths wide while he gives us a fragment of the wine-soaked bread from a golden spoon. He also prays over us, calling us by our first name or the saint-name which we chose when we were baptized or chrismated (received into the church by anointing with blessed oil).
As we file past the priest, we come to an altar boy holding the basket of blessed bread. People will take portions for themselves and for visitors and non-Orthodox friends around them. If someone hands you a piece of blessed bread, do not panic; it is not the eucharistic Body. It is a sign of fellowship.
Visitors are sometimes offended that they are not allowed to receive communion. Orthodox believe that receiving communion is broader than me-and-Jesus; it acknowledges faith in historic Orthodox doctrine, obedience to a particular Orthodox bishop, and a commitment to a particular Orthodox worshipping community. There’s nothing exclusive about this; everyone is invited to make this commitment to the Orthodox Church. But the Eucharist is the Church’s treasure, and it is reserved for those who have united themselves with the Church. An analogy could be to reserving marital relations until after the wedding.
We also handle the Eucharist with more gravity than many denominations do, further explaining why we guard it from common access. We believe it is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. We ourselves do not receive communion unless we are making regular confession of our sins to a priest and are at peace with other communicants. We fast from all food and drink—yes, even a morning cup of coffee—from midnight the night before communion.
This leads to the general topic of fasting. When newcomers learn of the Orthodox practice, their usual reaction is, “You must be kidding.” We fast from meat, fish, dairy products, wine and olive oil nearly every Wednesday and Friday, and during four other periods during the year, the longest being Great Lent before Pascha (Easter). Altogether this adds up to nearly half the year. Here, as elsewhere, expect great variation. With the counsel of their priest, people decide to what extent they can keep these fasts, both physically and spiritually—attempting too much rigor too soon breeds frustration and defeat. Nobody’s fast is anyone else’s business. As St. John Chrysostom says in his beloved Paschal sermon, everyone is welcomed to the feast whether they fasted or not: “You sober and you heedless, honor the day…Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast.”
The important point is that the fast is not rigid rules that you break at grave risk, nor is it a punishment for sin. Fasting is exercise to stretch and strengthen us, medicine for our souls’ health. In consultation with your priest as your spiritual doctor, you can arrive at a fasting schedule that will stretch but not break you. Next year you may be ready for more. In fact, as time goes by, and as they experience the camaraderie of fasting together with a loving community, most people discover they start relishing the challenge.
7. Where’s the General Confession?
In our experience, we don’t have any general sins; they’re all quite specific. There is no complete confession-prayer in the Liturgy. Orthodox are expected to be making regular, private confession to their priest.The role of the pastor is much more that of a spiritual father than it is in other denominations. He is not called by his first name alone, but referred to as “Father Firstname.” His wife also holds a special role as parish mother, and she gets a title too, though it varies from one culture to another: either “Khouria” (Arabic), or “Presbytera” (Greek), both of which mean “priest’s wife;” or “Matushka” (Russian), which means “Mama.”
Another difference you may notice is in the Nicene Creed, which may be said or sung, depending on the parish. If we are saying that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and you from force of habit add, “and the Son,” you will be alone. The “filioque” was added to the Creed some six hundred years after it was written, and we adhere to the original. High-church visitors will also notice that we don’t bow or genuflect during the “and was incarnate.” Nor do we restrict our use of “Alleluia” during Lent (when the sisters at one Episcopal convent are referring to it as “the ‘A’ word”); in fact, during Matins in Lent, the Alleluias are more plentiful than ever.
8. Music, music, music.
About seventy-five percent of the service is congregational singing. Traditionally, Orthodox use no instruments, although some churches will have organs. Usually a small choir leads the people in a cappella harmony, with the level of congregational response varying from parish to parish. The style of music varies as well, from very Oriental-sounding solo chant in an Arabic church to more Western-sounding four-part harmony in a Russian church, with lots of variation in between.This constant singing is a little overwhelming at first; it feels like getting on the first step of an escalator and being carried along in a rush until you step off ninety minutes later. It has been fairly said that the liturgy is one continuous song.
What keeps this from being exhausting is that it’s pretty much the *same* song every week. Relatively little changes from Sunday to Sunday; the same prayers and hymns appear in the same places, and before long you know it by heart. Then you fall into the presence of God in a way you never can when flipping from prayer book to bulletin to hymnal.
9. Making editors squirm.
Is there a concise way to say something? Can extra adjectives be deleted? Can the briskest, most pointed prose be boiled down one more time to a more refined level? Then it’s not Orthodox worship. If there’s a longer way to say something, the Orthodox will find it. In Orthodox worship, more is always more, in every area including prayer. When the priest or deacon intones, “Let us complete our prayer to the Lord,” expect to still be standing there fifteen minutes later.The original liturgy lasted something over five hours; those people must have been on fire for God. The Liturgy of St. Basil edited this down to about two and a half, and later (around 400 A.D.) the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom further reduced it to about one and a half. Most Sundays we use the St. John Chrysostom liturgy, although for some services (e.g., Sundays in Lent, Christmas Eve) we use the longer Liturgy of St. Basil.
10. Our Champion Leader
A constant feature of Orthodox worship is veneration of the Virgin Mary, the “champion leader” of all Christians. We often address her as “Theotokos,” which means “Mother of God.” In providing the physical means for God to become man, she made possible our salvation.But though we honor her, as Scripture foretold (“All generations will call me blessed,” Luke 1:48), this doesn’t mean that we think she or any of the other saints have magical powers or are demi-gods. When we sing “Holy Theotokos, save us,” we don’t mean that she grants us eternal salvation, but that we seek her prayers for our protection and growth in faith. Just as we ask for each other’s prayers, we ask for the prayers of Mary and other saints as well. They’re not dead, after all, just departed to the other side. Icons surround us to remind us of all the saints who are joining us invisibly in worship.
11. The three doors.
Every Orthodox church will have an iconostasis before its altar. “Iconostasis” means “icon-stand”, and it can be as simple as a large image of Christ on the right and a corresponding image of the Virgin and Child on the left. In a more established church, the iconostasis may be a literal wall, adorned with icons. Some versions shield the altar from view, except when the central doors stand open.The basic set-up of two large icons creates, if you use your imagination, three doors. The central one, in front of the altar itself, is called the “Holy Doors” or “Royal Doors,” because there the King of Glory comes out to the congregation in the Eucharist. Only the priest and deacons, who bear the Eucharist, use the Holy Doors.
The openings on the other sides of the icons, if there is a complete iconostasis, have doors with icons of angels; they are termed the “Deacon’s Doors.” Altar boys and others with business behind the altar use these, although no one is to go through any of the doors without an appropriate reason. Altar service—priests, deacons, altar boys—is restricted to males. Females are invited to participate in every other area of church life. Their contribution has been honored equally with men’s since the days of the martyrs; you can’t look at an Orthodox altar without seeing Mary and other holy women. In most Orthodox churches, women do everything else men do: lead congregational singing, paint icons, teach classes, read the epistle, and serve on the parish council.
12. Where does an American fit in?
Flipping through the Yellow Pages in a large city you might see a multiplicity of Orthodox churches: Greek, Romanian, Carpatho-Russian, Antiochian, Serbian, and on and on. Is Orthodoxy really so tribal? Do these divisions represent theological squabbles and schisms?Not at all. All these Orthodox churches are one church. The ethnic designation refers to what is called the parish’s “jurisdiction” and identifies which bishops hold authority there. There are about 6 million Orthodox in North America and 250 million in the world, making Orthodoxy the second-largest Christian communion.
The astonishing thing about this ethnic multiplicity is its theological and moral unity. Orthodox throughout the world hold unanimously to the fundamental Christian doctrines taught by the Apostles and handed down by their successors, the bishops, throughout the centuries. One could attribute this unity to historical accident. We would attribute it to the Holy Spirit.
Why then the multiplicity of ethnic churches? These national designations obviously represent geographic realities. Since North America is also a geographic unity, one day we will likewise have a unified national church—an American Orthodox Church. This was the original plan, but due to a number of complicated historical factors, it didn’t happen that way. Instead, each ethnic group of Orthodox immigrating to this country developed its own church structure. This multiplication of Orthodox jurisdictions is a temporary aberration and much prayer and planning is going into breaking through those unnecessary walls.
Currently the largest American jurisdictions are the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, The Orthodox Church in America (Russian roots), and the Antiochian Archdiocese (Arabic roots). The liturgy is substantially the same in all, though there may be variation in language used and type of music.
I wish it could be said that every local parish eagerly welcomes newcomers, but some are still so close to their immigrant experience that they are mystified as to why outsiders would be interested. Visiting several Orthodox parishes will help you learn where you’re most comfortable. You will probably be looking for one that uses plenty of English in its services. Many parishes with high proportions of converts will have services entirely in English.
Orthodoxy seems startlingly different at first, but as the weeks go by it gets to be less so. It will begin to feel more and more like home, and will gradually draw you into your true home, the Kingdom of God. I hope that your first visit to an Orthodox church will be enjoyable, and that it won’t be your last.
An edited version of the following is available as a brochure from Conciliar Press (800) 967-7377
Day of Baptism of Rus Celebrated in Ukraine
SOURCE: RISU
The Day of Remembrance of Prince Volodymyr of Kyiv is celebrated on 28 July. He was a grandson of the Holy Princess Olha, whose day of remembrance is celebrated on 24 July. Prince Volodymyr not only converted to Christianity himself but also helped to make Christianity the state religion of the Kyivan Rus. Therefore, 28 July is celebrated as a state holiday in Ukraine, the Day of Baptism of the Kyivan Rus.
The prince was born in 954 in Kyiv. He ruled in Kyiv for 35 years from 980 to 1015.
There are many versions as to the place and time of the prince’s baptism. The chronicle mentions the year 988. There is a controversy as to whether he was baptized in Kyiv or Chersonese. After his baptism, the prince ordered the Kyivers to be baptized and to throw the pagan idols in the River Dnieper. The baptism of the Kyivers was more or less non-violent, whereas in other principalities it was imposed with fire and sword.
Many churches, including the Tithe Church, were built on his instruction.
However, Christianity appeared in the Ukrainian lands long before the baptism of Volodymyr. The spread of Christianity in Ukraine is dated back to the 1st century and is associated with the stay of Apostle Andrew on the hills of Kyiv. His mission to the Crimea is an established historic fact. There is detailed historic information about the first Christian martyrs in the Crimea. In particular, one of the first Roman bishops, Pope Clement I perished there as a martyr. His head was later found by St. Cyril and Methodius.
Various sources mention baptism of the Kyiv Prince Ascold in 860, during his campaign against Constantinople. Some historians assume that the prince then attempted to baptize the Kyivers and even brought bishops to establish the church hierarchy. However, in 882, he was killed and the religious reform failed due to strong resistance of the pagans.
However, Christian communities remained in Kyiv, which fact is indicated by an agreement between Rus and Constantinople concluded in 941 under Prince Ihor.
A new rise of Christianity in Rus began under Princess Olha who was recognized equal to the Apostles as well as Prince Volodymyr.
In the western Ukrainian lands, Christianity spread in the 9-10th cc from Moravia where the Church was established by St. Cyril and Methodius.
Therefore, the baptism of Rus by Prince Volodymyr was the completion of the long process of Christianization of the Kyivan Rus.
The Day of Baptism of the Kyivan Rus, 28 July became an official holiday in 2008 according to a presidential decree of Viktor Yushchenko.
The Day of Remembrance of Prince Volodymyr of Kyiv is celebrated on 28 July. He was a grandson of the Holy Princess Olha, whose day of remembrance is celebrated on 24 July. Prince Volodymyr not only converted to Christianity himself but also helped to make Christianity the state religion of the Kyivan Rus. Therefore, 28 July is celebrated as a state holiday in Ukraine, the Day of Baptism of the Kyivan Rus.
The prince was born in 954 in Kyiv. He ruled in Kyiv for 35 years from 980 to 1015.
There are many versions as to the place and time of the prince’s baptism. The chronicle mentions the year 988. There is a controversy as to whether he was baptized in Kyiv or Chersonese. After his baptism, the prince ordered the Kyivers to be baptized and to throw the pagan idols in the River Dnieper. The baptism of the Kyivers was more or less non-violent, whereas in other principalities it was imposed with fire and sword.
Many churches, including the Tithe Church, were built on his instruction. However, Christianity appeared in the Ukrainian lands long before the baptism of Volodymyr. The spread of Christianity in Ukraine is dated back to the 1st century and is associated with the stay of Apostle Andrew on the hills of Kyiv. His mission to the Crimea is an established historic fact. There is detailed historic information about the first Christian martyrs in the Crimea. In particular, one of the first Roman bishops, Pope Clement I perished there as a martyr. His head was later found by St. Cyril and Methodius.
Various sources mention baptism of the Kyiv Prince Ascold in 860, during his campaign against Constantinople. Some historians assume that the prince then attempted to baptize the Kyivers and even brought bishops to establish the church hierarchy. However, in 882, he was killed and the religious reform failed due to strong resistance of the pagans.
However, Christian communities remained in Kyiv, which fact is indicated by an agreement between Rus and Constantinople concluded in 941 under Prince Ihor.
A new rise of Christianity in Rus began under Princess Olha who was recognized equal to the Apostles as well as Prince Volodymyr.
In the western Ukrainian lands, Christianity spread in the 9-10th cc from Moravia where the Church was established by St. Cyril and Methodius.
Therefore, the baptism of Rus by Prince Volodymyr was the completion of the long process of Christianization of the Kyivan Rus.
The Day of Baptism of the Kyivan Rus, 28 July became an official holiday in 2008 according to a presidential decree of Viktor Yushchenko.
Filaret Calls UOC-MP to Establish One Local Ukrainian Church
SOURCE: RISU
On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret addressed Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodn), the clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate with a call to continue constructive dialogue in order to establish one local Orthodox Ukrainian Church. So reported www.tyzhden.ua with reference to the web site of UOC-KP.
“On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, I address you again with a call to continue constructive dialogue in order to overcome the church divide,” stresses the address.
“We invariably are ready to renew the dialogue and we wait for constructive actions of UOC-MP in this regard,” stated the head of the Kyivan Patriarchate.
“At the same time, we are convinced that the only correct way to renew the unity of the Church is a dialogue which is ultimately aimed at the establishment of one local Orthodox Ukrainian church centered round the Kyivan throne,” reads the address.
The document also notes that the recent events in the Ukrainian religious life “allow one to see once again that as far as the “Ukrainian question” is concerned, the Moscow Patriarchate acts not according to the canons and not for the good of Orthodoxy but from the viewpoint of the political interests of retaining of power in the “Russian world.”
“Therefore, any calls to the Kyivan Patriarchate to come under the umbrella of Moscow are hopeless: the hierarchy of ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) repeatedly showed and continues to prove with their actions in Ukraine, Estonia, Moldova, Georgia and the whole Ecumenical orthodoxy that the main thing for the Moscow Patriarchate now is not the good of the Church but establishment of the “Russian world” as a political tool of the influence of Moscow in the post-Soviet space,” reads the address of Patriarch Filaret.
“We desire the Church unity in Ukraine. But it does not equal subordination to Moscow Patriarchate. An increasing number of people in Ukraine, including your environment, understand that,” notes the document.
“On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, I address you again with a call to continue constructive dialogue in order to overcome the church divide,” stresses the address.
“We invariably are ready to renew the dialogue and we wait for constructive actions of UOC-MP in this regard,” stated the head of the Kyivan Patriarchate.
“At the same time, we are convinced that the only correct way to renew the unity of the Church is a dialogue which is ultimately aimed at the establishment of one local Orthodox Ukrainian church centered round the Kyivan throne,” reads the address.
The document also notes that the recent events in the Ukrainian religious life “allow one to see once again that as far as the “Ukrainian question” is concerned, the Moscow Patriarchate acts not according to the canons and not for the good of Orthodoxy but from the viewpoint of the political interests of retaining of power in the “Russian world.”
“Therefore, any calls to the Kyivan Patriarchate to come under the umbrella of Moscow are hopeless: the hierarchy of ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) repeatedly showed and continues to prove with their actions in Ukraine, Estonia, Moldova, Georgia and the whole Ecumenical orthodoxy that the main thing for the Moscow Patriarchate now is not the good of the Church but establishment of the “Russian world” as a political tool of the influence of Moscow in the post-Soviet space,” reads the address of Patriarch Filaret.
“We desire the Church unity in Ukraine. But it does not equal subordination to Moscow Patriarchate. An increasing number of people in Ukraine, including your environment, understand that,” notes the document.
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