On Saturday, January 30, 2010, Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered the 27^th annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture— this year titled “Theology and the Contemplative Calling: The Image of Humanity in the Philokalia”— and received an honorary doctoral degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary. This is the complete speech, recorded live and brought to you via a co-operative effort by Orthodox Christian Network and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

During his visit, Dr. Williams also attended Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Three Hierarchs in the seminary chapel, and had a lively and frank discussion with St. Vladimir’s theological faculty at a private brunch. After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and the Anglican archbishop both publically expressed their desire for a deeper personal friendship and their hope for deeper understanding and cooperation between their respective communions. Four hundred people attended the lecture and ceremony, distinguished by an episcopal presence from both the Orthodox and Anglican faiths.

The Anglican archbishop received the invitation to be this year’s Schmemann Lecturer for his pioneering work in Russian Orthodox studies and his long-standing interest in Eastern Christian studies. His doctoral work at Oxford University focused on Vladimir N. Lossky, the famous mid-twentieth-century Orthodox theologian; and his first book, Wound of Knowledge, was a study of spirituality from apostolic times to the sixteenth century.

Dr. Williams’s lecture on the “Philokalia,” a collection of monastic writings ranging from the fourth through the fifteenth centuries, reflected his massive knowledge on the subject. Beginning and ending with quotes from Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s classic work, For the Life of the World, he delivered a discourse on the spiritual battle that human beings must wage in journeying from a self-centered life to a life in Christ, according to the writings of the Christian ascetics. Additionally, the Anglican archbishop thanked the seminary for its “overwhelming warm and generous welcome,” which, he stated, crowned his first visit to St. Vladimir’s in 1974, and was all that he “had hoped and prayed for.”

 On today's episode of Come Receive the Light, join Fr. Antonio Perdomo as he speaks with Archimandrite Jose Saravia who is the priest of the mission parish in Bogota, Columbia. Fr. Jose will tell us about his work there, as well as about the importance of Orthodox missions in Latin America. In a short segment, Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Orthodox Church in Mulino, Oregon, is back on the show with Emmy Louvaris today to talk about church etiquette.

 

 Severn people were shot dead early this morning in an incident outside a church in southern Egypt where parishioners were leaving a midnight Christmas Eve service. The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 7th January.

Two vehicles approached the Coptic church in the  Nile community of Naga Hammadi City, 40 miles (64km) from Luxor, as worshipers were leaving a Christmas Eve midnight service. Gunfire was sprayed into the crowd. Seven people were killed, six Christians and a Muslim security guard. Ten others were injured, including two Muslim passers-by.

Later this morning fighting broke out when police tried to disperse a large crowd of Christians gathered outside the local hospital. There are reports of shots having been fired into the air and of at least two people being injured.

The authorities believe that the attack was intended as retaliation for the alleged rape of a young Muslim girl by a Christian man in November that triggered five days of widespread sectarian violence in the area. If this link is confirmed, Egyptian Human Rights activists will expect the police investigation into the shootings should also consider possible negligence on the part of the Interior Ministry for not doing more to prevent such an attack.

Over the past year Christians in Egypt have suffered what appears to be an increasing number of attacks. 

Elsewhere in the Middle East,  on 24 December, the  Western Christmas Eve, a church in Mosul, Iraq was bombed.  According to published reports, two Christians were killed in that attack, and five were injured.  

On today's episode of Come Receive the Light, we welcome Steve Giallourakis and his mother Angie to the show. Steve and Angie are here to talk with us about Steve’s struggle with cancer, their faith and their involvement with the YOCAMA (Young Orthodox Christian Missionary Adventures). Also, please tune in to hear Fr. Christopher’s Christmas message where he asks "Do you have mixed feeling when you hear Merry Christmas?

On today's episode of Come Receive the Light, Fr. Paul Tarazi looks at the message of the Prophets and how it relates to Christ's birth. Also on the program we will hear from Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis, author of the book The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I talks to CBS' 60 Minutes  about the hardships he and his followers face in Turkey

Watch CBS News Videos Online

On today's episode of Come Receive the Light, Fr. Lawrence Farley is back on the show with us this week to tell us about St. James the Apostle whose Feast day  we celebrated on October 23rd. Before that, Peter & Helen Evans speak with Fr. Chris in a short interview on the book Get Serious: The Church's Stand on Contemporary Culture, in which they speak with a variety of people about major issues facing the world today.

Fr. Ted Stylianopoulos, a professor of Orthodox Theology and New Testament at Holy Cross School of Theology, speaks with Fr. Chris about the essential and powerful message of the Gospel. Tune in to find out about the relationship between faith and works, and the scriptural view of salvation. A special short segment will introduce OCN’s coverage on the issue of "Chambesy: The Quest for Orthodox Unity in America." Fr. Chris begins this coverage by speaking to the General Secretary of SCOBA, Rev. Mark Arey. Stay tuned for more insightful reporting in the weeks to come.

Metropolitan Kirill elected head of Russian Orthodox Church
Posted on Tue Jan 27 2009

MOSCOW, January 27 (RIA Novosti) - Metropolitan Kirill has been elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church, becoming the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Kirill received 508 votes, and the second candidate, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk - 169 votes. A total of 700 ballots were cast in the vote, with 23 recognized as invalid.

The Local Council, which is a council of bishops, priests, monks and laymen, including political figures and businessmen, gathered in Moscow earlier on Tuesday to elect the new Russian Orthodox Church leader.

The 700-plus-member group convened for a session to elect a successor to Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December at the age of 79 after leading the revival of the world's largest Orthodox church since 1990. This was the first election of a patriarch since the breakup of the atheist Soviet Union.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who was the Russian Church's interim leader since the death of Alexy II, was the leading candidate on a shortlist that included two other hierarchs chosen in a secret ballot by the Council of Bishops on Sunday.

Kirill, 62, in charge of the church's external relations, has led dialogue with the Vatican, a sensitive issue for the two churches, which split almost 1,000 years ago. He is well-known in Russia through his weekly television program and frequent public appearances.

Kirill received the most votes, 97, in Sunday's ballot.

The other candidates on the shortlist were Metropolitan Kliment with 32 votes, and Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, who received 16 votes. They are seen more as traditionalists. Filaret earlier on Tuesday withdrew his candidacy, urging the electors to vote for Kirill.

The Church Council session is taking place in the sumptuous Christ the Savior Cathedral with clergy clad in ceremonial robes. Streets around the cathedral in central Moscow have been closed to traffic.

The new Russian patriarch is expected to be enthroned on Sunday and his term of office is lifelong.