Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the Bible Belt

                   

The richness of America’s spiritual patrimony is borne out by the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral – located in Greenville, South Carolina.

[The city was the childhood home of two famous preachers: Jesse Jackson and John Piper. Greenville is also where Bob Jones University is based.]


Charles Joiner, the deacon at Saint George’s, has crafted their superb websites.

Take a look at this two-minute video of the Cathedral; and an essay on the Jesus Prayer.

Catholics and Protestants can deepen their faith by anchoring themselves a bit in the life of Eastern Orthodoxy. Here is an overview in pamphlet form put together by the deacon.

                               

"Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon..."
                    (Revelation 12)

Interiority and Influence

“Women in the Church must be valued, not ‘clericalised.’ Whoever thinks of women as cardinals suffers a bit from clericalism.”                                       (Pope Francis)

         

In an essay by Alice von Hildebrand, she lays out the reasons why feminine influence is the real deal – not worldly power.


And on a related question posed by Doctor Pence: is Matter necessary in order to have masculinity & femininity? He says no:

"I think this is a very crucial truth we must ponder and try to clarify. I would try to defend this: Masculinity and Femininity are fundamental complementary SPIRITUAL categories that are made manifest in Christ and the Apostles and Our Lady. Masculinity and Femininity (like personhood) reside in the Divine, and precede the creation of matter some 14 billion years ago."


Men are called to be on the ramparts – defending women and the interior castle!
                                   

PHYSICAL ECOLOGY: "A failing people, a springless autumn"

It’s always fascinating to check in on current fertility rates around the world. This article from earlier this year explains how the U.S. is now below the 2.1 replacement level.

[The rate is the expected number of children born per woman in her child-bearing years].

With the world average at 2.47, here are some of the laggards:

1.61 – Russia
1.59 – Canada
1.58 – European Union average
1.55 – mainland China
1.48 – Spain
1.42 – Germany
1.41 – Italy and Japan
1.32 – Poland
1.29 – Ukraine
1.24 – South Korea
1.11 – Taiwan

Most of the top countries on the list are African.

                       

"And the last king of the line of Anárion had no heir."
      (Lord of the Rings)

Cardinal Mahony – "... a man who was troubled over abuse but more worried about scandal..."

                                 

This LA Times profile of Roger Mahony, who headed up the Catholic Church in Los Angeles (by far the largest of our nearly 200 dioceses), lays out the problem that bedevils the American bishops: the refusal to answer the bell and purge the priesthood.

One comes away from the article thinking Mahony was quite adept at pasturing the shepherds, while leaving the sheep unguarded! The Cardinal hid within the robes of Holy Mother Church instead of protecting her purity. He was the ultimate church careerist that Pope Francis has so forcefully condemned. Acutely aware of extending his celebrity status, he was oblivious to his kingly duties as Shepherd.

It would be a good start if the successors to the Apostles took to heart the deeper meaning of Jesus' washing of the feet on Holy Thursday.

"Our number-one job is to protect children and young people."                              (Cardinal Mahony)