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Whilst the articles listed below give a comprehensive overview
of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, please note that they are not exhaustive.
Other articles that directly or indirectly touch the subject can
be found in our site through the Index
to Articles page.
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St
Andrew and St Clement: Apostolic Founders of Kyivan Christianity
St Andrew the Apostle is also the Founder
of the Church of Kyiv. Sent
to preach to the Scythians in what is now Ukraine, St Andrew was
accompanied by three Scythian missionaries, Sts. Inna, Pinna and Rimma.
He stopped at the hills surrounding the
area that was to become Kyiv. As
if by a special gift of clairvoyance, St Andrew erected a Cross there
and prophesied that a great city would be built there with many Churches
of God.>>>more
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The
Synthesis of Orthodox Faith and Ukrainian Culture
Ukrainian Orthodoxy in Canada and the U.S. has also developed its own
traditions, drawing on the cultural riches of North America.
So what does "Ukrainian Orthodoxy" or "Kyivan
Christianity" really mean?
Clearly, it is a composite spiritual identity and tradition.
It means being a part of the heritage of Kyivan Orthodox
Christianity, founded by Sts. Andrew and Volodymyr.>>>more
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When
Eastern Catholics come home to Orthodoxy
But being Orthodox is much more than outward observances and symbols!
Eastern Catholic priests and parishioners I have come across seem
to accept everything Orthodoxy believes in, on a theoretical level, but
adhere to the Roman theology of the Pope.
That is interesting, but it is incoherent. It really isn't taking Orthodoxy seriously and it shows, deep
down, a misunderstanding of Orthodox theology and what it really
represents.>>>more
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A Brief History of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
In 1990, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada entered into eucharistic communion
with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This made it a duly recognized member of the
Orthodox family which consists of four ancient Patriarchates (Constantinople, Jerusalem,
Alexandria and Antioch) and over a dozen other autocephalous (self-headed) and autonomous
Churches, some also headed by Patriarchs. >>>more
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Brest'-Litovsk 1596: The
"Unia" makes us strong?
There is probably no other single issue in Church history that evokes
sharper reaction and comment than the history of the Union of
Brest'-Litovsk.
In the years following its signing in 1596, Church leaders and others
produced many apologetical and even combative religious works to either
praise or attack the "Unia.">>>more
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Kyivan Metropolitan Petro Mohyla and Church Unity
What is not commonly known is the important contribution of the Orthodox Metropolitan
of Kyiv, Petro Mohyla (1596-1647), not only to the work of church unity, a contribution
which required immense faith, courage and determination on his part, but also to the
development of the image of the Orthodox Catholic communion required to make it the
important partner that it is in the movement of ecumenism, a term which he most likely had
never heard. Like many geniuses of the human soul, Petro Mohyla was in many respects a man
ahead of his time.>>>more
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St Herman of Alaska and the
Kyivan Missionary Vision
When the monk, Herman, went to Alaska, he was going as a representative
of a well-established missionary tradition that preached the Gospel
while, at the same time, inculturated the message of Christ within the
familiar context of the people being evangelized.
St Herman is said to have been of Ukrainian ancestry because of his
Ukrainian "G" when he signed his name. The Ukrainian alphabet had 33 letters, one more than the
Russian. While the Russian
"G" always had a hard sound, the Ukrainian alphabet had a
separate letter for it that looked like an upside down 'L' with an
upward line on its tip.>>>more
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St Paisius Velichkovsky and the Prayer of the
Heart
It is in the famous book, The Way of the Pilgrim, that many of us first
come across the name of this Holy Church Father who dedicated his life
to Patristics and to the "Prayer of the Heart."
Born in Poltava in Ukraine, Paisius was descended from a proud and noble
family, many of whom were Kozak officers. Throughout his life, and whenever he signed his name, Paisius
would always underline his Ukrainian identity with the added words,
"Native of Poltava.">>>more
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The Icon Corner: A "How To"
Icon
corners started out as a characteristically Slavic feature of an
Orthodox home. And the
Ukrainian Church has a very rich tradition in this respect.
The
main corner of the ancient Slavic house in pre-Christian times was
considered the most sacred and spiritual part of one's home.
This
is the corner that one faces when one immediately enters the main
room. The determination
of this was easier in the days when most homes had only one room!>>>more
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The
Life IN Christ
The Orthodox Church and her spirituality proclaims a harmony between the
Humanity and Divinity of Christ. This
is seen in her iconography as well as in her liturgy.
Christ's Humanity is shown and worshipped as transfigured by
virtue of the fact that Christ is a Divine Person Who has taken on our
nature. In so doing, the
possibility of being transfigured in Christ through participation in His
Deified Humanity is made open to us who are Members of His Body.>>>more
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Our
Ukrainian Church Fathers and Teachers
The Church of Kyiv had long ago established this day (Gregorian October
18)in commemoration
of all her sainted Metropolitans. >>>more
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Kyivan
Veneration for the Mantle of Protection of the Mother of God
Today's Feast (Gregorian October 14), the Pokrova or Protection of our
Lady the Theotokos, is a national one of the Ukrainian people.>>>more
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Saint
Olha the Great: Never send a man to do a woman's job . . .
Today (July 24) being the feast of St Olha, the
Sovereign of Kyivan Rus'-Ukraine, we should take a moment to
reflect on the enduring impact of this noble woman on the
historical, cultural and national development of Ukraine and
Eastern Europe as a whole.
The grandmother of St Volodymyr the Great, she truly
shaped her grandson into what she knew he would become.
She did the same for the peoples and kingdom she ruled
over. >>>more
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Saint Volodymyr the Baptizer: Wetting cultural appetites for the Gospel
The period between July 28 and August 14 is a significant one in
the history of the Kyivan Church.
These dates frame a time of celebration of St Volodymyr and
his legacy to our Church.
The first date is his proper feast, while the latter date
marks the day on which Volodymyr officially received Orthodox
Christianity as the state religion of Kyivan Rus'-Ukraine in A.D.
988.
What was it exactly that this Sovereign did and why is it
so significant? >>>more
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I am planning a trip to Poland and Ukraine, and have thought
about making a portion of the trip a
pilgrimage. Which holy places for Orthodox in Poland
and Ukraine would you recommend to make a pilgrimage to,
with the potential of paying respects
to Holy Relics?
see answer |
Speaking of Tongues: Does the Ukrainian language threaten the
survival of our Church? As
with all Churches that embody a particular cultural identity and
tradition, the Ukrainian Church has lost members as a result of
assimilation, religious indifference and other causes. One popular
viewpoint sees the use of the Ukrainian language in the liturgical
services as one of the greatest “roadblocks” in maintaining
younger members in the Ukrainian Church or attracting new members.
This is one of the most sensitive issues around for our community,
but it is not well served by our pretending it does not exist.
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