The LA diocese stretches as far north as Visalia, but recently was expanded to include Fresno. If we applied this expansion consistently, it would also include some of the churches just south of the San Francisco Bay Area that are presently under P…
@minatasgeel
Even if we grant that Anba Michael wasnt ordained on 8 states but on those churches, isn't it still uncanonical for Anba Karas to be ordained on churches in PA and MD that belong to Anba Michael?
@copticuser20
If he was a general bishop, it's standard practice that that's all the ordination words would say - "oskof 3am". Mentioning specific cities and not mentioning the word "3am" anywhere in the ordination indicates that it is a diocese. …
@minasoliman
STSA isn't under his guidance either. And I understand the Fairfax parish has other "satellite" parishes, which I am not sure if they are under Anba Michael either. And he is considered a general bishop despite the fact that he was or…
@Girgisantony
It's not like this is the only allegation of simony in church history - or even recent history. You need to place these sorts of things in their proper context. Clergy are fallible and in 2nd/3rd world countries financial transparen…
I don't have any inside information regarding the allegation of simony, and you probably can't trust anyone who claims they do. But just to clarify the accusation is that the money was transferred from the diocese funds after his enthronement as bi…
I would also add - how do you know that this is not just a phase that will go away? What is is that your father of confession "doesn't understand"? It is actually quite common for teenagers (especially males) to experience same-sex attraction and …
Mabsoota wrote a great post, you should consider what she says. I'm just going to reply to your points systematically as that is what you asked.
1. Everyone experiences temptation, especially at your age. Both homosexual and heterosexual acts outs…
Many youth meetings in Egypt and the West
Many prayer meetings in Egypt and the West
During communion in "mission churches" without a diocesan bishop, like SMSV run by Fr Pishoy Salama and STSA run by Fr Anthony Messeh
I think you mean "Orthodox non-devotional songs", this is the category (#3) I placed Of All Nations in. Orthodox devotional songs (category #1) are liturgical hymns eg Hitenni or a doxology or a hoos.
In regard to why these category #3 songs exis…
@Aba
It can be helpful to think about 3 categories of songs
1. Orthodox devotional
2. Non-orthodox devotional
3. Non-devotional, eg campfire songs
I think the songs you are asking about fall into the 3rd category.
@kassiane
Well, it is true that we are not in communion, and communion is how unity is expressed. So she does have the right to say that we are not one (yet). According to the Creed, there is only One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic (Orthodox) Churc…
@ShareTheLord
I'm not sure. Nothing to do with CopticWorld. But he runs the LACopts website so he seems to be very tech savvy, and they are a very advanced diocese so they are bound to have something like that.
@kassiane
"But, on the other hand, I DO want to feel that I have a close "friend" in God-someone that loves me and will always be there for me. Much of this is probably because I came from a broken home and never really had a "family." Group is go…
@kassiane
"Existentialism, a call for individual freedom, is a natural product of struggle between two extreme attitudes; the literal church life that Europe practiced especially in the middle ages and the extreme liberal church life that many weste…
Of course, this is a topic that needs true spiritual discernment. It's not just about making a list of problems in the song. But nonetheless, I'll brainstorm some here:- romantic/emotional tune- no sense of corporate worship, focus solely on "me a…
@kassiane
Pentecostalism has its roots in the Second Great Awakening and Methodism (revivalistic Protestantism). The two are linked. The former is a later and more extreme development of the latter.
The song does not "offend God". And you are rig…