Metropolitan Laurus deceased

First hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Metropolitan Laurus of Eastern America and New York Diocese deceased on Sunday at the age of 80. Metropolitan Laurus passed away on the Feast of Orthodoxy. He was born Vassily Mikhailovich Skurla on January 1, 1928, in the village of Ladomirova, present day Slovakia. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1950, and became a hieromonk in 1954. Fr. Laurus graduated from the Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in 1954 and was appointed its inspector in 1960. He was elevated to archimandrite on April 17, 1966. Archimandrite Laurus was consecrated bishop of Manhattan on August 12, 1967, and appointed archbishop of Syracuse and Holy Trinity on October 20, 1981. The same year Laurus was elected First hierarch and Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York.

Metropolitan Laurus was actively involved in restoring canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia and abroad broken after the civil war. Metropolitan Laurus will be buried at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, where the ROCOR administrative center is situated and where previous ROCOR first hierarchs were buried.

Bulletin Issued by the VMA’s Medical Council on the Health Condition of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle

The Main Medical Council engaged in the treatment of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle headed by Chief of the Military Medical Academy Major General Prof. Dr. Miodrag Jevtic, PhD, met at 10 o'clock a.m. on March 12, 2008.

The Council gave a detailed analysis of the course of the disease, as well as the diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation measures that had been adopted. Following a four month long treatment of serious cardiac, pulmonary and neurological disfunctions with life-threatening complications, a very favourable therapeutic effect has been achieved along with an improved general health condition.

The current health condition of His Holiness has been stabilized. The pace of the functional recovery is appropriate for the patient's age. His Holiness is conscious and able to follow his interlocutors in a light conversation. The patient receives visitors and spends part of the day in a sitting position.

In order to maintain the achieved condition and avoid possible recurrent complications, it is mandatory to provide the patient with full general care and medical monitoring, which would be difficult to establish elsewhere.

In the Council's opinion, the medical monitoring and physical rehabilitaion program should be continued at the Military Medical Academy.

The VMA Administration

To the Right Honourable Helen Clark

The Right Honourable Helen Clark
Prime Minister
PO Box 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Honourable Prime Minister:

We write to you on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the patriotic Serbian community in New Zealand to offer our sincere appreciation to you and to the Government of New Zealand for your prudent decision not to extend diplomatic recognition to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and secession from the Republic of Serbia.

Kosovo including its integral territory of Metohija is Serbia's spiritual Jerusalem and the very cradle of the Serbian nation. Kosovo is and remains a province of the sovereign Republic of Serbia in accordance with The Charter of The United Nations, Security Council Resolution 1244, as well as all relevant international conventions on human rights, the rights of peoples and on the inviolability of internationally recognized borders. Therefore, the recognition of Kosovo as an independent entity would violate every established norm of International Law concerned with nation building.

Call for Kosovo reversal

AUSTRALIA'S Serbian Orthodox bishop has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urging him to reverse Australia's recognition of Kosovo and warning that it increases the risk of terrorism. Bishop Irinej told Mr Rudd that the Government had a foreign policy mandate to be independent rather than automatically falling into line with the US and Britain. "Recognition of Kosovo betrays this trust placed in you and your Government by the Australian people," he wrote in the letter. At least 2000 members of Melbourne's Serb community are expected to gather at Federation Square tonight to oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia, announced at the weekend.

Archbishop Paul requests second reading of Rudd Government

ANTIOCHIAN ARCHBISHOP PAUL OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND REQUESTS SECOND READING OF RUDD GOVERNMENT

Sydney, 10 March 2008, His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop Paul of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand in his letters to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith, requested a second reading of their decision of 19 February 2008 to recognise Kosovo's unilateral secession from the Republic of Serbia. "The determination of final status can neither be seen as a reward for systematic violence and organized terror", stated the Archbishop, "nor undertaken without the continued, full involvement of the Serbian government and the United Nations." For these reasons, the head of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Australia urged Prime Minister Rudd and his government to revoke their decision to recognise Kosovo independence, while using Australia's good standing as an international citizen to respect the rule of law by fostering negotiation and constructive dialogue among the interested parties.

Source: http://www.antiochian.org.au

Cheesefare Sunday

CHEESEFARE SUNDAY (Matthew 6:14-21).

The theme of this Sunday refers to the expulsion of Adam from Paradise. Adam in Paradise misused his freedom by allowing himself to be persuaded by the evil one to disobey the command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The evil one convinced him that by so doing he would know more than God. The Church in its hymnology presents the condition of Adam outside of Paradise as weeping and working hard for his livelihood. The Gospel passage of the day refers to the manner of praying, fasting, almsgiving and all good works. These are to be done in secret, without boasting. The meaning of this Sunday is the condescension of God to the human weakness, "for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (v. 14-15). This is emphasized in the Lord's Prayer.,The week (six days) preceding Sunday of Cheese and after Meat Sunday, is the addition to the period of the Great Lent which completes the forty days of fasting (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). The name of this Sunday, "Cheese", implies that the fast of this week is the gradual transition from eating meat to the strict fast of Lent, which starts the next day, Monday, with the first Sunday of Lent at the end of the preliminary seven days (Sunday of Orthodoxy).