VOL. LXXXI, No. 11-12 NOV/DEC 2016
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NOV/DEC 2016 VOL. LXXXI, No. 11-12 THE HERALD JACKSON, MI SOLIA — THE HERALD (ISSN 0038-1039) VICE-CHAIRMAN: is published bi-monthly for $15.00 per year: 5LJKW5HY%LVKRS,ULQHX'XYOHD United States, $20.00 per year: Canada, and $25.00 per year in other countries by The Ro- manian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2535 ENGLISH EDITOR / SECRETARY: Grey Tower Road, Jackson, MI 49201-9120. 5HY)U'DYLG2DQFHD Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, Michigan, DQG DGGLWLRQDO RIÀFHV 3KRQH )D[ (PDLO VROLD#URHDRUJ ROMANIAN EDITOR: Internet: http://www.roea.org. 5HY)U'DQ+RDUVWH POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SOLIA — THE HERALD, P.O. Box 185, Grass STAFF: Lake, MI 49240-0185, U.S.A. CHAIRMAN: Photo submissions: Use high resolution/ 95HY'U5HPXV*UDPD quality digital camera settings (at least 300 dpi). 0RVW5HY$UFKELVKRS Mr. Mark Chestnut Articles and news published in SOLIA do not QHFHVVDULO\UHÁHFWWKHYLHZVRUWKHHQGRUVHPHQW Nathaniel Popp 0U5LFKDUG&*UDERZVNL of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. CONTENTS PASTORAL English Section Pastoral Changes ....................................................2 HANGES Pastoral Letter 2016 – The Birth of Our Lord, C His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel ..............3-4 ORDINATIONS / ASSIGNMENTS CIUCUREL, Marius, was ordained into the Holy Scholarships Available Through the ROEA .............5 Diaconate by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, 2015 Family Life / All-Auxiliaries Conference ........6 on October 15, 2016, at St. Mary Church, Anaheim State Funeral Held for Cairo Cathedral Attack CA, and assigned there. Victims .......................................................... 6, 15 SOREM, Ananias (Erik), was ordained into the Holy Patriarch Theodoros II: No Place for Politics Diaconate by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, in Church Matters ................................................7 on October 16, 2016, at St. Mary Church, Anaheim Vatra Generations Appeal ........................................7 CA, and assigned there. Invitation: Romanian Ethnic Art Museum & UNGRIN, Deacon Clayton Michael, was or- St. Mary Cathedral ..............................................7 dained into the Holy Priesthood by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, on November 6, 2016, at St. Help for Veterans – Preventing Suicide, George, Winnipeg MB, and assigned there effective Fr. Dn. Wayne Paul Wright ...........................8, 14 December 1, 2016. Guiding the Ark of Salvation – the Theanthropic Role of the Bishop, Bishop Thomas ........ 9-11, 13 SUSPENSIONS Recipients of the Dumitru Golea Goldy-Gemu DONKA, Rev. Fr. Mihaita, was suspended from Scholarship 2015 & 2016 ............................ 12-13 his duties as parish priest of St. John the Baptizer Church, Kannapolis NC, effective October 6, 2016. Hierarchal Schedule ..............................................15 The suspension was lifted on December 12, 2016, and Financial Report ....................................................16 he remains unassigned. Solia Financial Report ..........................................16 MUNTEAN, Protopresbyter Vasile, who was sus- Romanian Section pended on April 14, 2016, had his suspension lifted 8Q6IkQW$PHULFDQ0DL3XūLQ&XQRVFXW5RPkQLORU on November 1, 2016, in retirement. Sfântul Herman (Gherman) din Alaska, DEPOSITIONS Diacon Nicolae Marinescu ...........................17, 24 BLEAHU, Very Rev. Fr. Romulus, was deposed 'LQ9LDūD3DURKLLORU... ..................................... 18-19 from the Priesthood, and his name removed from the ranks of the clergy of the Romanian Orthodox 6FULVRDUH3DVWRUDOD²1DũWHUHD'RPQXOXL Episcopate of America and the Orthodox Church in nostru Iisus Hristos, America by the Holy Synod of Bishops, effective IPS Arhiepiscop Nathaniel ...........................20-21 October 19, 2016. &ROLQGąP'RDPQH&ROLQG, Cristian Zamrii .....22-23 &RQIHULQūD´9LDūDvQ)DPLOLHµũL Intrunirea 2UJDQL]DūLLORU$X[LOLUDUHDOH(SLVFRSLHL ...24 ADDRESS CHANGE COVER: Nativity of Christ from the the Paphos region Send your change of addresses to: of Cyprus. The icon resides in the Monastery of Panagia SOLIA, PO BOX 185 Chrysorrogiatissa and was reportedly painted by Parthe- GRASS LAKE, MI 49240 USA nios (1790-1848), a Cypriot folk painter. RUVROLD#URHDRUJ 2 PRAY AND WORK FOR ORTHODOX UNITY IN NORTH AMERICA SOLIA NOV/DEC 2016 PASTORAL LETTER 2016 THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST ´$QG,ZLOOPDNHP\KRPHDPRQJWKHPDQGOLYHZLWKWKHP¶,ZLOOEHWKHLU*RG and they shall EHP\SHRSOH·µ (2 Cor. 6:16; Lev. 26:11-19) Beloved Spiritual Children in Christ: Reverend Clergy, Venerable Monastics and Devout Faithful of our God-protected Episcopate: Dearly Beloved, Once again, after a long year, we are today celebrating the birth of the Sun of Righteous- ness, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world! The burden of the weeks and months, the cares and decisions made, are laid aside on this great day of joy and feasting for the gladness in our hearts on the celebration of the birth of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. In reflecting on his holy feast day, our spirits are renewed with the strength and courage which comes from eternal hope. Today, if we listen with our hearts, we can hear the beat of the angels’ wings as they hov- er over the manger of the newborn Christ child and the mighty rush of their flight as they descend to the shepherds to announce the great tidings: The Christ is born! What joy was in the heart of the ever-virgin Mary, of Joseph the Protector, of the shepherds, magi. Even the EHDVWVRIWKHÀHOGDQGWKHFDYHDQGPRXQWDLQVUHMRLFHG Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all of creation, nature and man, has striven to find its true and proper relationship with its creator. Man, in his search but in his pride fell farther and farther from heaven, growing more and more distant from the Almighty; and God saw that his image and likeness was darkened by sin and had become overwrought with despair. ´:KDWZDV*RGWRGRLQWKHIDFHRIWKLVGHKXPDQL]HGPDQNLQGWKLVXQLYHUVDOKLGLQJ RIWKHNQRZOHGJHRIKLPVHOIE\WKHZLOHVRIWKHHYLOVSLULWV"µasks St. Athanasius the Great. ´:KDWHOVHFRXOGKHSRVVLEO\GREHLQJ*RGEXWUHQHZKLVLPDJHLQPDQNLQGVRWKDW WKURXJKLWPDQPLJKWRQFHPRUHFRPHWRNQRZKLP"µ God had sent prophets and even angels to call man back to him, but it was necessary for the Creator himself to stoop to earth to lift man to heaven. ´:KDWZRQGHUIXOSURJUHVV«µexclaims St. John Chrysostom. ´+HÀUVWVHQGVDQJHOVWRPHQWKHQOHDGVWKHPHQWRKHDYHQO\WKLQJV$ KHDYHQLVPDGHRQHDUWKVLQFHKHDYHQPXVWWDNHWRLWVHOIWKHWKLQJVRIWKHHDUWKµJacob the Patriarch cried out: ´+HLVFRPLQJDQGWKHSHRSOHZLOOJDWKHUDURXQGKLPµ The coming of the Savior was to wipe off the dust from the image of God in man and to restore him to his rightful place as heir of his Father’s kingdom. St. Athanasius also tells us that, ´7KH:RUGRI*RGFRPHVLQKLVRZQSHUVRQEHFDXVHLWZDVKHDORQHWKHLPDJHRIWKH )DWKHUZKRFRXOGUHFUHDWHPDQDIWHUWKH,PDJHµquoting the words of our Lord: ´,FDPHWR VHHNDQGVDYHWKDWZKLFKZDVORVWµIt was therefore necessary for God himself to come to us, announces St. Leo the Great, ´)RUXQOHVVKHZHUHWUXH*RGKHFRXOGEULQJXVQRDLGDQG ZHUHKHQRWWUXHPDQKHFRXOGRIIHUXVQRH[DPSOHµ The reason, therefore, for which Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, explains St. John Chrysostom is: ´«WKDWFRPLQJDPRQJXVKHPD\WHDFKXVDQGWHDFKLQJ XVOHDGXVE\WKHKDQGWRWKHWKLQJVWKDWPHQFDQQRWVHH)RUVLQFHPHQEHOLHYHWKDWWKHH\HV DUHPRUHWUXVWZRUWK\WKDQWKHHDUVWKH\GRXEWRIWKDWZKLFKWKH\GRQRWVHHDQGVRKHKDV GHLJQHGWRVKRZKLPVHOILQERGLO\SUHVHQFHWKDWKHPD\UHPRYHDOOGRXEWµ SOLIA NOV/DEC 2016 PRAY AND WORK FOR ORTHODOX UNITY IN NORTH AMERICA 3 In teaching us, Christ has opened our minds to the Scriptures and to the prophets, indeed, as David said: ´+HVKDOOFRPHGRZQZHOFRPHDVDUDLQRQWKLUVW\VRLOµHis birth is of cos- mic importance. It has value not only for me personally, not merely for my family and nation but for the universe of which he is the Creator. Indeed he is welcome! Coming to know him, we are called to worship him. ´)RULI&KULVWLV*RGDVLQGHHG KHLVEXWWRRNQRWKXPDQQDWXUHXSRQKLPZHDUHVWUDQJHUVWRVDOYDWLRQ/HWXVWKHQ ZRUVKLSKLPDV*RGµsays St. Cyril of Jerusalem, ´EXWEHOLHYHWKDWKHDOVRZDVPDGH PDQµ Jesus the Savior, Christ the Anointed One, came as ´EUHDG GRZQ IURP KHDYHQ WKDW KHPLJKWIHHGWKHKXQJU\µinvites St. Cyril; and men of every age have hungered and thirsted for the truth of his place in creation; and today’s celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace reminds the world that, indeed, man is the son of the King who calls all to eternal inheritance. Do we rejoice today in his birth? Yes! We do! ´$FNQRZOHGJH2&KULVWLDQWKDWGLJQLW\ ZKLFKLV\RXUVµexhorts St. Leo. Dignity, yes! For we are also the ´WHPSOHVRIWKH+RO\ 6SLULWµ(1 Cor. 6:19) in whom God dwells and with Whom he walks, calling each of us by name. Thus, we are never alone, not even in the darkest hour; not when satanic hands pull down our holiest shrines and churches. “*RGLVZLWKXV8QGHUVWDQGRQDWLRQDQG VXEPLW\RXUVHOIIRU*RGLVZLWKXV” (Isaiah). Wherever there is a true believer, there is the Church, and there is the temple of God. The steadfast worshipper holds fast to the cradle of the Christ Child and sings out with St. John Chrysostom: ´, UHMRLFH EHDULQJ LQ P\ DUPV WKH FUDGOH RI &KULVW )RU WKLV LV DOOP\KRSHDQGWKLVLVP\OLIHWKLVLVP\VDOYDWLRQWKLVLVP\LQVWUXPHQWRIVRQJWKH KDUSRIP\VRXOµ At the birth of Christ, the angels cried out: ´*ORU\WR*RGLQWKHKLJKHVWKHDYHQVDQG RQHDUWKSHDFHWRPHQZKRHQMR\KLVIDYRUµ(Lk. 2:14). ´7KLVSHDFHZDVPDGHWKURXJK &KULVW+LPVHOIIRU+HUHFRQFLOHGXVZLWKWKH)DWKHUDQGWR*RGµSt. Cyril exclaims. ´,QSHUVHFXWLRQDQGLQVRUURZLQJRRGWLPHVDQGLQUHMRLFLQJWKHSHDFHRI*RGNQRZV QRERXQGVµ(Is. 9:7). Thus, today, our own joy knows no bounds;