Word200309.Pdf

CONTENTS 3 EDITORIAL by Very Rev. John Abdalah N The Most Reverend 5 ADDRESS OF METROPOLITAN PHILIP Metropolitan PHILIP, D.H.L., D.D. TO THE ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION, Primate JULY 2003 The Right Reverend Bishop Antoun, Auxiliary 10 ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE The Right Reverend Bishop Joseph, Auxiliary 14 BRIEF REPORT OF THE FORTY-SIXTH The Right Reverend CONVENTION OF THE ANTIOCHIAN Bishop Basil, Auxiliary ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE The Right Reverend OF NORTH AMERICA Bishop Demetri, Auxiliary Founded in Arabic as 16 SEPTEMBER IS FELLOWSHIP OF Al Kalimat in 1905 ST. JOHN THE DIVINE MONTH by Saint Raphael Hawaweeny Founded in English as 17 THE DEPARTMENT OF The Word in 1957 by Metropolitan Antony Bashir CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Editor in Chief 21 AN ARAB-AMERICAN AT WAR The Very Rev. John P. Abdalah, D.Min. by Sgt. Frank N. Pelligrini Assistant Editor Joanne M. Abdalah, MSW 27 THE DEPARTMENT OF MARRIAGE Editorial Board AND PARISH FAMILY MINISTRIES The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D. Anthony Bashir, Ph.D. The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M. 29 VILLAGE VIEWS AND VIEWPOINTS The Very Rev. Peter Gillquist Linda Hopkins 31 THE ORDER OF ST. IGNATIUS Anne Glynn Mackoul, J.D. Ronald Nicola 32 COMMUNITIES IN ACTION Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D. The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, M.Div. 35 THE PEOPLE SPEAK Design Director Donna Griffin Albert Member The Associated Church Press Conciliar Press Ecumenical News International Orthodox Press Service COVER Editorial Office: The WORD THE HIERARCHS celebrate Divine Liturgy at the Archdiocese 635 Miranda Drive Convention Pittsburgh, PA 15241 e-mail: [email protected] FAX: 1-412-831-5554 Subscription Office: 358 Mountain Road Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s full PO Box 5238 name and parish. Submissions for “Communities in Action” must be Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 approved by the local pastor. Both may be edited for purposes of clarity N and space. All submissions, in hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, should be double-spaced for editing purposes. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: U.S.A. and Canada, $20.00 Foreign Countries, $26.00 Single Copies, $3.00 THE WORD (USPS626-260), published monthly except July and August, by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America at 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, periodicals postage paid at Englewood, New Jersey 07631-5238 and at addi- tional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: THE WORD, 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 VOLUME 47 NO. 7 SEPTEMBER 2003 ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org. 2 The Word EDITORIAL ANTIOCHIAN GENIUS for AMERICA HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 46TH Document outlines how the new diocesan bish- T Convention of the Antiochian Orthodox ops, our own Bishops Antoun, Joseph, Basil and Christian Archdiocese of North America Demetri, with Metropolitan Philip shall consti- began with the troparion of Pentecost and glowed tute a local synod in North America. Our with the fire of the Holy Spirit for two days. This Metropolitan will continue to serve as a member assembly was on fire with excitement and antici- of the Holy Synod of Antioch. Future diocesan pation. As each of the departments bishops would be nominated by the reported on its work, the spirit grew; N Archdiocesan General Assembly, seek when Metropolitan Philip addressed EDITORIAL the blessings of His Beatitude Ignatius the assembly, the excitement swelled; BY IV, the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch finally, when we heard of the great Very Rev. John P. and All the East, then be elected by work accomplished in Geneva by the Abdalah the local Synod of the Autonomous delegates of the Mother Church and N Archdiocese of North America and our own Archdiocese, the excitement approved by its Metropolitan. The reached its crescendo. A resolution endorsing the election of the Metropolitan Primate would begin Geneva Document was presented and, by a roll with the nomination of three candidates by the call vote, 740 of the 743 delegates present General Assembly of the North American (99.6%) endorsed the work of the joint commit- Archdiocese and its local Synod. The names of tee, chaired by Metropolitan George (Khodre). the three nominees for primate would be submit- This document allows for the Antiochian ted to the Holy Synod, who shall elect the Archdiocese of North America to remain united Metropolitan within forty days. Chrism will still spiritually and canonically with come from the Patriarchate and all decisions of the great Church of Antioch the Holy Synod of Antioch concerning matters of while maintaining unity doctrine, liturgy and sacraments shall be binding within our own shores. The on the Autonomous Archdiocese. Relations with genius of this document autocephalous Orthodox Churches outside of allows enough autonomy North America, and ecumenical policy with for the North American regard to other Christian and non-Christian bod- Antiochian ies shall continue to be governed by the Holy Church to Synod of Antioch. minister The genius of this agreement is that it effectively allows for the Autonomous Archdiocese without in America to continue to benefit losing our from the rich and holy traditions cherished of Antioch tie to the while meet- Mother ing the Church. practical The administra- Geneva tive needs of the growing September 2003 3 EDITORIAL and vibrant North American Church. The “Spirit in this land has weakened our Christian witness. of Antioch” is one that has been inclusive and Our Church cannot tolerate division. We need to enthusiastic from the start. St. Paul’s missionary work together with other Orthodox as much as work was based in the city of Antioch, which was possible. Our unity will allow us to work more mostly Gentile but included a population that effectively with other Orthodox Churches here. was culturally and racially diverse. It included Thanks to God, the Geneva agreement allows for people who were both Jewish and non-Jewish, Antiochian unity within the American shores Greek-speaking and non Greek-speaking, multi- and unity with the Mother Church. With much lingual and of varied origins. It was a city of peo- pride in Antioch, I recognize this Antiochian ple from various dispersions who relocated to document as part of the genius, flexibility and this ancient capital after being displaced from love that reflects the ancient “spirit of Antioch.” their homelands for a multitude of reasons. This I believe that history will record this agreement was the cultural background that allowed Paul to to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and a gift to preach a message which would inspire and con- world Orthodoxy. vert much of the known world. Hence, the expe- Our Father and Shepherd Metropolitan Philip riences of Antioch allow the Antiochian Church will attend the Holy Synod Meeting in October, a special witness to America, which is also cul- when the Synod will receive the Geneva turally and racially diverse. Bringing this same Document which it commissioned. I pray that witness to America today is of great importance. the same Holy Spirit that came to the Church at America is filled with thousands of religious tra- Pentecost, dwelt with the commission of the Holy ditions. For Orthodoxy to prosper here today, Synod of Antioch in Geneva, and warmed the we need a united voice. faithful of our Archdiocese in Miami, will guide The Church in America treasures our unity our Holy Synod of Antioch when it assembles in on this North American continent. We have October to receive and act on the Geneva agree- already suffered too many schisms in our short ment. May God bless our Father and Patriarch history, Antacky-Russe and New York-Toledo, Ignatius and all of the Holy Metropolitans of our and we know that disunity among the Orthodox Holy Antiochian Church. 4 The Word Address of Metropolitan Philip to the ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION, 2003 MIAMI, FLORIDA Your Eminences, Your Graces, do not deserve to be His followers. tual and physical sickness. Did He Beloved Clergy, Esteemed Members We cannot serve others if we do not come to our broken world out of of the Board of Trustees, Parish love them. In John 12:26, Jesus said: necessity? Was He forced to come Councils, and all Faithful of our “If anyone serves me, he must fol- and serve us? No, He came out of God-protected Archdiocese, low me.” And to follow Him, we absolute love, willingness and in full must take up the cross and follow obedience to the Father. St. Paul “The son of man came not to be Him. The road to the kingdom is puts it this way in Galatians 4:4, “In served, but to serve, and to give His narrow, difficult, covered with the fullness of time, God sent forth life as ransom for many” (Matt. thorns and hissing reptiles. Are we His son, born of a woman,” to make 20:28). willing to walk this road and accept us God’s sons. Because of His love this challenge? for us, “The Word became flesh and S YOU WELL KNOW, THE Some thinkers ask, “What hap- dwelt among us full of grace and A theme of our convention this pened to Christianity? It is ineffec- truth” (John 1:14). He became man year is “service.” In order to tive, marginalized, and without any in order to make us “partakers of understand this theme, we must impact on our moral, spiritual, polit- the Divine nature” (II Peter 1:4). know its context. In Matthew 20:20, ical and social life.” I say, “Nothing The whole purpose of the incarna- “the mother of the sons of Zebedee has happened to Christianity; it is tion, then, was to rescue us from the came up to Him (Jesus) with her still treasured in the Church which corruption of death, and this is the sons, and kneeling before Him, she Christ established and redeemed by ultimate of love and service.

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