The Pastor, the Pulpit and "the Word"

Risque? O yes!
To the point? You bet!
Orthodox message? I believe so, actually....

Axios!

Axios! and many years to Bishop Svyatoslav (Shevchuk), reportedly elected Supreme Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church cf. Джерело публікації: risu.org.ua.

The Kyiv Post reports the following:

New head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church elected
Today at 17:00 Interfax-Ukraine The new head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) was elected on Thursday by the Synod of Bishops, but his name is not to be disclosed until his candidacy is confirmed by the Vatican, a source close to the UGCC has told Interfax-Ukraine.

It was reported that on Thursday, participants in the electoral synod of the UGCC had conducted a vote under a simplified scheme, according to which the head of the church is elected by a simple majority vote. The first three days of the election produced no result, as two thirds of the vote was required for a victory.

The bishop elected as head of the UGCC, after confirmation from Rome, will take a vow to faithfully carry out his duties. He will take office after the enthronement, which, according to the Web site of the UGCC, is to be held in Kyiv on March 27.

Forty church bishops participated in the synod.

The election of a new head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was set after the Pope in February 2011 accepted the resignation of Cardinal Lubomir Husar as UGCC head, on health grounds.

Also, see

Ukrainian Catholic Bishops already elected a new head of UGCC

24-03-2011

On the fourth day of the Electoral Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church bishops made ​​a choice, unoffical source informed RISU. However, there is no official confirmation of elections from the Vatican yet, and name of new head of UGCC is not disclosed. Now bishops are waiting for a response from the Apostolic See.

Source RISU

And if you read Ukrainian, check out this site.

Please, Dear God,

have mercy on the people of Japan, all the suffering people in the Middle East, and all your sinful servants throughout this corrupt world.

Through the prayers of the Theotokos and the Martyrs Evdokia, Antonia, the Martyrs Nestor, Tribimos, and the Holy Agapios of Batopedeia, Martyrii of Zelenetski, and Domnina the female Monastic. Amen, kai Amen.

Assorted Stories on the Net

On this third day of the Great Fast (or "Ash Wednesday" for all our Roman readers), a few interesting finds across the Internet presented in no particular order.

Unborn babies played music in the womb 'remember the melodies when they are born'

A New Tool for Creative Thinking: Mind-Body Dissonance

'Six shot dead' in Egyptian religious clashes

'In God We Trust' suit rejected by Supreme Court

Marriage 101

What harm does it do?

Is “Yuck!” a good enough reason?

Fasting from Technology

Hmm! Maybe that last entry gives pause for thought....

Upside-Down Religion

Check out the offering by David Warren over at Real Clear Religion. It's entitled, We Have an Upside-Down Religion. I won't even quote it; I'll just say, Read it.

A Child's Voice is Silenced in Tripoli (and on Rutledge) as Planned

Where is the outrage?
Where is the shame at the continued slaughter?
Can we really pretend to be righteous
when innocents die,
murdered by those
who claim authority
and blasphemous right?

What has happened to our consciences
that we bray at the suffering of animals,
yet turn a blind eye to a massacre
taking place here in our sight?

How can we lay ourselves down
to hypocritical sleep
while blood stains the ground
and angels weep?

They cry out to God for help
and we, who claim to be His children,
refuse to hear
the dirge that will one day haunt our memory
and condemn us for complacency
for ever more.

And on that day we will mourn,
O yes, and bewail our inaction
laid naked as sin unto ages.

Let prayer be the start of our work,
not the excuse for our inaction.

What Politics Too Often is in the US

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Hipster Kitty lolz!

Especially apropos during tax season.

Which reminds me, if it's tax season why can't we shoot them?