Fr. Peter thank you for starting this trend. I been procrastinating. The event was just MARVELOUS. It started on Thursday (July 22) and went till Sunday (July 25). People as far away as Oakland and Seattle and even Canada were there. It was truly the North American Dioceses conference. All who were there felt the unit of the church with the Coptic Church and the British Orthodox Church due to the presence of Bishop Seraphim and Bishop Makarious. The climax of the conference was on Saturday where three clergy were ordained: a deacon, a priest and a hegomen priest. After the ordination, Bishop Seraphim delivered a touching homily on the day’s Gospel – John 11 I am the Good Shepherd. He affirms that those who “climbs some other way are robbers”; but, Pope Antonious is the true shepherd. In Christ Theophilus
I would also say that our Eritrean brothers and sisters need to be a little forceful towards their Coptic brethren. There was an established protocol for which the Holy Synod of both Churches identify the Litany for the fathers to be inclusive of Patriarch of Eritrea (specifically, HH Abouna Antonious). I find it a rarity that at a given parish, his name is mentioned. When Pope Shenouda III was in internal exile, we were begging everyone to remember him. I feel the pain of the Eritrean people, in remembrance, of the pain I felt when Pope Shenouda was exiled.
I feel strongly about this, and would ask that there should be a push at all levels to remember the Church of Eritrea.
Patriarch Antonios is commemorated in all the liturgies of the British Orthodox Church, and I wholeheartedly endorse Ilovesaintmarks reminder that this should take place in all Coptic Orthodox liturgies as a matter of already determined Synodal instruction.
I think it differs with congregations. I know both of my Abouna's Mention HH Patriarch Antonious and Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka in every liturgy. We have to be praying for our fathers of sister churches to shepherd their flocks in Christ :)
Your parish is a minority, just a blip on the map. Unfortunately, it is not a normal practice in the vast majority of parishes. I think I will set up a poll on the site to see what the trend is.
Comments
The event was just MARVELOUS. It started on Thursday (July 22) and went till Sunday (July 25). People as far away as Oakland and Seattle and even Canada were there. It was truly the North American Dioceses conference. All who were there felt the unit of the church with the Coptic Church and the British Orthodox Church due to the presence of Bishop Seraphim and Bishop Makarious.
The climax of the conference was on Saturday where three clergy were ordained: a deacon, a priest and a hegomen priest.
After the ordination, Bishop Seraphim delivered a touching homily on the day’s Gospel – John 11 I am the Good Shepherd. He affirms that those who “climbs some other way are robbers”; but, Pope Antonious is the true shepherd.
In Christ
Theophilus
In Christ
Theophilus
I feel strongly about this, and would ask that there should be a push at all levels to remember the Church of Eritrea.
Father Peter
Pray for me,
Peter
Your parish is a minority, just a blip on the map. Unfortunately, it is not a normal practice in the vast majority of parishes. I think I will set up a poll on the site to see what the trend is.