How to make the sign of the Cross

How to make the sign of the Cross http://fatman2021.multiply.com/  As one moves through the Sign, one recites, at the forehead, “Lord “; at the stomach, “Jesus Christ”, on the right shoulder, “Son of God”; and on the left shoulder, “have mercy on us” followed by a bow(to the ground during great lent). Joining two fingers together-the index and the middle finger-and extending them, with the middle finger slightly bent, represents the two natures of Christ: His Divinity and His Humanity. He is God according to His divinity and Man according to His hummanity, perfect in both natures. The index finger represents His divinity, while the middle finger repersents His hummanity, since He came down from on high and saved those below. The bending of the middle finger is interperted to mean that He bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth for our salvation. And thus it proper to make the Sign of the Cross and to bless; thus was it laid down and ordained by the holy fathers; such is the power of the Sign of the Cross, with which we faithful sign ourselves when we pray, confessing sacramentally the Saviour’s economy: His being begotten of God the Father before all creation; His decent to earth from on high; His Crucifixion; and His second coming, which is the sealing of His entire philanthropic dipensation concerning us. The sign of the cross must be made according to the rules, in the form of a cross; and the right hand, that is, the dextral hand, must be used in crossing oneself, with the thumb and the two lower fingers joined together, and the extended index finger joined to the middle finger, slightly bent; thus should prelates [and] priests give their blessing and thus should men cross themselves. . . . It befits all Orthodox Christians to hold their hand thus, and to make the sign of the cross upon their face with two fingers, and to bow, as we said before. If anyone should fail to give his blessing with two fingers, as Christ did, or should fail to make the sign of the cross with two fingers, may he be accursed.. . ., Chapter 31 of The Council Of The Hundred Chapters. As of Friday, December 21, 2007 all graphics that are in violation of the following standard will be deleted. 1) The woman's dresses are always to be depicted as a full dress which fits over a long-sleeved blouse and full-length slips. An apron is then to depicted over the dress and the "poyas" (belt) are be depicted as being tied around the waist. 2) Unmarried women are to be depicted wearing their hair in a braid down the back. 3) Married women are to be depicted wearing two braids covered with scarves. 4) The women are never permitted to be depicted with cut hair. 5) The women are never to be depicted showing their arms above the wrists nor their legs above the calf, nor any other part of their bodies; thus, the full skirts. 6) The men are to be depicted wearing a rubashka, which is a tunic-like shirt which often has embroidery down the front and a high round collar reminiscent of the clerical collar found in the United States and Europe. 7) The men are to be depicted wearing a belt around the rubashka at waist level. 8) The men are to be depicted with hair cut short in back and on the sides with a fringe of longer hair around the temples and front. 9) The men are to be depicted with a uncut beard.  FAIR USE: In accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107, any copyrighted work on this site is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for non-profit research and educational or criticism purposes only, and IS NOT an infringement of copyright. Wed, 2 Jul 2008 15:16:54 -0000 Sat, 17 May 2008 19:07:00 -0000 How to make the sign of the Cross http://images.fatman2021.multiply.com/logo http://fatman2021.multiply.com 100 100 Bishop responds to forced retirement by Angela Blanchard Thursday, May 15, 2008 "ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The former head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska says he was retired without his permission or knowledge. Leaders of the Orthodox Church in America announced Wednesday that Bishop Nikolai would be retired with the title "Former Bishop of Sitka."     The announcement came months after some clergy and laity in the church accused Nikolai of being verbally and emotionally abusive.     In an e-mail response, Bishop Nikolai says he did not ask to retire and views this as another example of the church disregarding proper procedure.      Nikolai stepped down and left the state nearly two weeks ago. " http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/229/Bishop_responds_to_forced_retirement Sat, 17 May 2008 19:07:00 -0000 Calif. bishop brings message of healing to Kodiak By RALPH GIBBS Mirror Writer Now that Bishop Nikolai Soraich has left Alaska, many Orthodox Alaska Diocese members are wondering how the rift between the bishop’s supporters and detractors will be healed, especially in light of some recent comments by Bishop Nikolai’s aide Archimandrite Isadore. Early last week, Bishop Benjamin and Archpriest Alexander Garklavs visited Alaska to answer that question. The two Orthodox Church in America clerics traveled to Anchorage to consecrate the new St. Tikon church, and took the opportunity afterwards to travel to Kodiak to meet with clerics and parishioners. Bishop Benjamin tried to start the healing process once Bishop Nikolai agreed to step down by posting a letter to OCA members on the Alaska Diocese Web site. “There is pain, hurt and perhaps even fear among you,” he wrote. “I can assure you all, the situation will not stay the same. All of who have taken part in the recent drama needs to forgive each other. There are not, nor can there eve... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/228/Calif._bishop_brings_message_of_healing_to_Kodiak Thu, 15 May 2008 19:00:00 -0000 +NIKOLAI RETIRED BY SYNOD The Synod of Bishops of the OCA acted decisively today by retiring Bishop Nikolai of Alaska and announcing the see was now officially "vacant". This means that the controversial former Bishop of Sitka, who had been on a personal "leave of absence", will not be returning to Alaska in his former office. +Nikolai physically left the state last Wednesday, but did not attend the meeting in Syosset that ultimately decided his fate. At the same time the Synod refused to release the former Bishop of Alaska's two chief assistants, Archmandrite Isidore (Brittain), Chancellor of the Dicoese, and hieromonk  Panteleimon (Erikson) from the jurisdiction of the OCA to the Serbian Church as the Bishop had requested.  The Synod also re-affirmed that Metropolitan Herman will remain as locum tenens of the diocese, while Bishop Benjamin will serve as the actual administrator. In an announcement published late this afternoon, the Synod stated: "The Holy Synod of Bishops, meeting at its full, r... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/227/NIKOLAI_RETIRED_BY_SYNOD Thu, 15 May 2008 18:56:00 -0000 Alaska diocese struggle draws to a close as Bishop Nikolai steps down By Ralph Gibbs Mirror Writer When this week comes to a close, so too will another chapter in the history of the Orthodox Church in America Alaska diocese. In a May 1 interview with KTUU television in Anchorage last week, Bishop Nikolai Soraich said he would step down as diocese leader by the end of this week. “I’m going to be leaving Alaska and taking some time to visit family and friends whom I’ve neglected for the last seven years since I’ve been in Alaska,” the bishop said. The statement confirmed what many said after an April 17 meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops in which Bishop Nikolai opted for a voluntary leave of absence. Church leader Metropolitan Herman said Bishop Nikolai agreed to a voluntary leave of absence after hearing testimony from the Right Rev. Tikhon Mollard, bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Most Rev. Nathaniel Popp, archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. Many, including Mark Stokoe, who runs ocanews.org Web ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/226/Alaska_diocese_struggle_draws_to_a_close_as_Bishop_Nikolai_steps_down Tue, 13 May 2008 02:50:00 -0000 CORE ISSUES FACING THE OCA by Rev. Deacon John Zarras Introduction I am a member of the OrganizationalTask Force, which Metropolitan Herman established in September 2006 to study the OCA Chancery’s operations and staff performance. Our goal was to increase productivity and accountability while lowering operating costs. The Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synod unanimously approved and adopted the Task Force recommendations in December 2006 and asked it to continue its work with the focus shifting to implementation. In December 2006, His Beatitude, with the concurrence and support of the Metropolitan Council, appointed me to be the Transition Officer to facilitate and oversee the passage of the Chancery from the old organization to the new. I served in this position until December 2007, then resigned when I saw that we had reached the objectives set forth in my charter: Implementing the new organization; Evaluating on-board Chancery personnel and future personnel needs; Searching for and hiring new Chancery lead... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/225/CORE_ISSUES_FACING_THE_OCA_ Tue, 6 May 2008 19:29:00 -0000 LET GOD ARISE ! We are faced by a scandal. In some quarters, a scandal means everyone being shocked by some secret that got out. There is loss of reputation and embarrassment. Public opinion is stirred up. Essentially, a cover-up had failed. It is not that anyone necessarily cares about what had happened, but that the thing is known. The eleventh commandment, cynics would say, has been violated: Thou shalt not be found out. In the life of the Church, however, a scandal is something far more terrible. Its origin is in genuine evils that Christians should care about and not tolerate; but what makes it specifically a scandal is the added potential of wrecking the faith of believers. A scandal is something we do that is not only sinful but which also places a stumbling block in another’s path, our brother or sister for whom Christ died. This is most serious, since, please God, we may repent of our sins, but how can we repair the harm we have caused others? A scandal caused by Orthodox is a wounding of the... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/224/LET_GOD_ARISE_ Tue, 6 May 2008 19:25:00 -0000 The Real Scandal of the OCA by Fr. Ted Bobosh, Dayton OH   The Orthodox Church in America, in being given autocephaly by the Russian Orthodox Church, received a gift of freedom – the freedom to bring to life on the North American Continent an indigenous Orthodox Church.  Our task is not to make present in North America Russian or Greek or Romanian or Serbian or Arab or Albanian Orthodoxy, though as an immigrant church we have done all of those things.   The task given to the OCA in its creation is to find a way to speak to America about the Orthodox Faith and to incarnate Orthodoxy in America as Orthodoxy has uniquely been incarnate in other cultures where it has taken root, such as in Russia, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Syria, Lebanon and many other places in Africa, the Mideast, the Balkans and Europe.  The freedom to embody Orthodoxy in America, to make incarnate the Orthodox Church on the North American continent, has proven to be a very challenging task.  Having a document which sa... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/223/The_Real_Scandal_of_the_OCA Tue, 6 May 2008 19:20:00 -0000 Six Million Dollar Lawsuit Filed Against OCA, Others  Employment Discrimination and Retaliation Alleged by Maryland Couple • Contend Priest Breached Seal Of Confession To Embarrass, Harm Them  Lack of accountability and financial misconduct have cost the OCA at least three million dollars in the past decade. That figure may be about to double as a six-million dollar lawsuit was filed against Metropolitan Herman, the Orthodox Church in America, the Diocese of Washington and New York, Fr. Raymond Velencia, the Orthodox Church of St. Matthew (OCA), St. Matthew Housing Development, Inc., and the Board of Directors of St. Matthew Housing Development, Inc., on Thursday, May 1st in Howard County, Maryland.  And for the same reasons...... Allegations of Financial Misconduct The lawsuit was brought by two former parishioners of St. Matthew’s, Kristine Patico Koumentakos and her husband, Nicholas Koumentakos. The suit is based on charges of employment discrimination and retaliation against Mrs. Koumentakos, the former director ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/222/Six_Million_Dollar_Lawsuit_Filed_Against_OCA_Others Tue, 6 May 2008 19:17:00 -0000 ‘Alcoholism’ plays role in attacks against bishop, chancellor claims by ALEX DeMARBAN A top official in the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska blasted priests who hope to overthrow the bishop, calling some "paranoid" and overly fearful because they’re battling alcoholism. The rebellion comes because the bishop’s strict demands clashed with the priests’ once-easy lifestyle, said Chancellor Archimandrite Isidore, the diocese’s second-ranking official and a close supporter of Bishop Nikolai Soraich. Their "slanderous" attacks voiced on Websites, media reports and during an investigation this month by national church leaders have saddened Soraich and will likely force him from Alaska, Isidore said. The Very Rev. Peter Askoar, a village priest from Russian Mission and a Soraich opponent, said clergy aren’t angry because of increased work. Alcoholism isn’t a factor in their outrage either. The root of the problem is the bishop’s "my way or no way" approach and his trampling of Alaska Native culture, Askoar said. The chancellor, who sparked much of the outcry ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/221 Tue, 6 May 2008 19:15:00 -0000 Russian Orthodox bishop leaving Alaska by Sean Doogan Thursday, May 1, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The leader of the Alaska Russian Orthodox Church said he is stepping down, and will leave the state within a week. For months, Bishop Nikolai Soraich has been at the center of a growing divide within the Alaska church. After seven years in the state, some parishioners asked church officials for his removal. Thursday, Bishop Nikolai said he is leaving, so the Alaska church may heal, and move forward. "I'm going to be leaving Alaska and taking some time to visit family and friends whom I've neglected for the last seven years since I've been in Alaska," Nikolai said. When he first arrived in Alaska, he was welcomed by local church members. But a growing divide within the church forced some to ask for the bishop's removal earlier this year. "When I came here the diocese was divided and that was because of the bishop prior to me," Nikolai said. "And to divide or to continue to allow that division to be here, I just don't think it's th... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/220/Russian_Orthodox_bishop_leaving_Alaska Tue, 6 May 2008 19:13:00 -0000 Celtic Orthodox Christian Church True Celtic Christianity follows the complete Christian Faith, and calls to mind some often overlooked truths. They are not beliefs which should distinguish us from any other right-believing church, but are necessary components of the True Christian Faith which are sadly neglected in our time. Among those beliefs are: <UL> <UL> <LI>The world can be an opportunity for encountering God's Grace. <LI>We are supposed to be co-workers with God, to heal and bless the world. <LI>All of our acts should be appropriate to be worthy offerings to God. <LI>We are united in the Body of Christ by sharing the same Faith and Sacraments regardless of time or place, in a holy "chain of charity." <LI>No person is ever cut off from God's Love and Grace.  Anyone can  answer God's call, turn to Him before the Last Judgement and receive Salvation. <LI>Prayer for the dead can assist in saving lost souls from Hell. <LI>Only the combination of fidelity to the Christian Faith and the succession of Grace in the Apostolic succession of... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/219/Celtic_Orthodox_Christian_Church Tue, 6 May 2008 19:10:00 -0000 Celtic Orthodox Christian Church: Followers of Jesus Christ Celtic Orthodox Christian Church Holy Face of Jesus "This is the declaration which we have heard from Him and declare unto you: That God is light and in Him there is no darkness. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another: And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7 Come, Receive Jesus Christ, God the Son: His Body, His Blood, so that there be Life in you. May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord reveal His face unto you and have mercy. May the Lord turn His Face to you and give you peace. Celtic Orthodox Christian Church Box 72102, Akron, OH, 44372 Archdiocese@celticchristianity.org http://fatman2021.multiply.com/links/item/22/Celtic_Orthodox_Christian_Church_Followers_of_Jesus_Christ Tue, 6 May 2008 19:08:19 -0000 Vestments of the Celtic Orthodox Christian Church Attire while on Non-Liturgical Church business: <UL> <LI>The ordinary attire of all clergy is a Black Cassock or tunic.  This may be of any style. <LI>Clergy who are Celi De are to wear the Habit:  <UL> <LI>cassock <LI>black hooded  circular chasuble ( when laid out flat, a Celtic chasubles is a circle 8-10 feet in diameter with the neck hole and hood in the center)  </LI></UL>Both are of a black heavy fabric. The chasuble  may be removed according to need as it is an overcoat.  <LI>Priests wear <UL> <LI>the Cross of their office over the chasuble. <LI>Abbots may carry a short, straight walking stick with rounded top or open-form wooden crook <LI>Archpriests may carry a short, straight walking stick with rounded top. </LI></UL> <LI>Bishops wear <UL> <LI>Cross or Rationale of their office over the chasuble. <LI>ring on their right hand. They may carry the straight walking stick with rounded top or open-form wooden crook</LI></UL></LI></UL> <IMG height=207 src="http://celticchristianity.org/images/celede.jpg" width=129> Liturgical dress: <BLOCKQUOTE>Servers and all Clerics: <UL> <LI>cassock <LI>alb </LI></UL></BLOCKQUOTE> <IMG height=207 src="http://celticchristianity.org/images/cleric.jpg" width=129> <BLOCKQUOTE>Subdeacon: <UL> <LI>cassock <LI>amice <LI>alb <LI>s... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/218/Vestments_of_the_Celtic_Orthodox_Christian_Church Tue, 6 May 2008 19:04:00 -0000 Vestments of Syriac Orthodox Clergy The clergy of the Syrian Orthodox Church have unique vestments quite distinct from other Christian denominations. The vestments worn by the clergy vary with their hierarchical order in the priesthood. The deacons, the priests, the bishops, and the patriarch have distinct liturgical vestments. <H1>Priests</H1> <IMG hspace=10 src="http://sor.cua.edu/Vestments/BP.jpg" align=right vspace=10 border=0> The priest's daily dress is a black robe; in India, due to the hot weather, priests tend to wear a white robe. Bishops usually wear a black or a red robe with a red belt. They do not, however, wear a red robe in the presence of the Patriarch who wears a red robe. Bishops visiting a diocese outside their jurisdiction also wear black robes in deference to the bishop of the diocese, who alone wears red robes. The liturgical vestments are worn by the priest during the Order of Aaron in the preparatory prayers that precede the celebration of the divine mysteries. The priest first puts away his outer garments, saying: Remove from me, O Lord God, the unholy garments wherewith Satan has clo... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/217/Vestments_of_Syriac_Orthodox_Clergy_ Sat, 3 May 2008 02:08:00 -0000 News From Around the OCA Western Pennsylvania Election Postponed • Paffhausen To Be Vicar for the South • Fr. Isidore Says +Nikolai Victim of "Slander" • Diocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania The Diocese of Western Pennsylvania's Extraordinary Assembly to nominate a candidate for the office of Ruling Bishop of the Archdiocese, scheduled for this Saturday, May 3rd, at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Allison Park outside of Pittsburgh, has been postponed until sometime after July 1. The postponement was granted by Metropolitan Herman, as Locum Tenens, at the unanimous request of the Diocesan Council, meeting in emergency session on Monday night, April 28th, following the unexpected news last week that one of the two candidates proposed by the Diocesan Council, sitting as the nominating committee, had withdrawn his name. According to a short announcement posted on the Western PA diocesan website: "We have been advised that due to extraordinary circumstances, Igumen Jonah (Paffhausen) has withdrawn his ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/216/News_From_Around_the_OCA Sat, 3 May 2008 01:55:00 -0000 Alaska Papers React to Bishop Nikolai's Departure From the Anchorage Daily News: Alaska bishop goes on leave RUSSIAN ORTHODOX: Nikolai's leadership under investigation. By MEGAN HOLLAND Published: April 18th, 2008 Bishop Nikolai Soraich, head of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska, is taking a voluntarily leave of absence after hearing the preliminary results of an internal investigation into his leadership. The leave of absence is effective immediately, according to the Web site of the New York-based Orthodox Church in America. Nikolai's leadership record will be reviewed at the May meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops, the governing body of the church, the Web site says. The Alaska church has been rocked by controversy since last spring, when allegations of sexual misconduct by a priest emerged. Since then, internal bickering and public accusations have dominated the normally quiet church with about 25,000 members in Alaska. Much of the controversy has centered on what critics say is Nikolai's domineering leadership style and his ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/215/Alaska_Papers_React_to_Bishop_Nikolais_Departure Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:57:00 -0000 The Morning After Bishop Nikolai was restored by synod There was a significant earthquake in the Cook Inlet on 3/28/2008, halfway between Anchorage and Kodiak. But it was the entire OCA that shook as the Synod of Bishops reversed its earlier decision to place the controversial Bishop of Alaska on a mandatory “Leave of Absence” while an investigation is conducted. The Synod decided to re-instate Bishop Nikolai and allow the Bishop to remain in the Diocese while new “inquiries” are made. Fr. Alexander Garklavs, the Chancellor of the OCA, was therefore removed as the Diocesan Administrator. In explaining their decision, the Bishops stated they were “aware of the concerns of clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Alaska”, but recognized “the express desire of their diocesan hierarch to address these concerns, and to take whatever action is necessary to restore peace”. Two members of the Synod, Archbishop Nathaniel of the Romanian Archdiocese and Bishop Tikhon of Eastern Pennsylvania, will now “ travel to Alaska, to inquire into these concerns”... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/214/The_Morning_After_Bishop_Nikolai_was_restored_by_synod Wed, 9 Apr 2008 04:28:00 -0000 Baptists Baptists are a variety of Evangelical <A class=new title=Protestantism href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Protestantism&action=edit">Protestantism</A>. Baptists claim 90 million members worldwide, approximately seventy percent of which reside in the United States. Baptists cannot trace their denomination's beginnings to any one founder. Most reputable historians teach that John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, two Englishmen connected to the separatist movement from the <A title="Anglican Communion" href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Anglican_Communion">Church of England</A>, gave this group its general ideas, though. Smyth and Helwys disagreed with the Church of England on doctrines such as infant baptism (hence the name Baptist), ecclesiastical authority, and church-state relations, among other things. Since the separatist movement was persecuted by the English government, Smyth exiled himself to the Netherlands and established the first Baptist church there in 1609. Helwys, however, stayed in England and started the first English Baptist church two years later. Today, this schismatic group is referred to as the General Baptists. Years later, though, the Particular Baptists,... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/213/Baptists Tue, 8 Apr 2008 04:23:00 -0000 Anti-Orthodox <H2>Protestant Polemics</H2> The difficulty with most of these sites is not that they are criticizing <A class=mw-redirect title="Orthodox Christianity" href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Christianity">Orthodox Christianity</A> as it is but basing their critiques on misconceptions of Orthodox doctrine and practice. Sometimes elements of Orthodox teaching can be recognized, but the way they are put together is often quite bizarre. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote about how heretics took elements of the faith and rearranged them, so that what once was a mosaic of a king becomes an image of a dog (or something else). One significant exception is <A class=new title="Daniel Clendenin" href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Daniel_Clendenin&action=edit">Daniel Clendenin</A>, whom many Orthodox Christians respect for being much more thorough in his research. In that, he is relatively unique among modern critics of Orthodoxy. His ultimate reason for rejecting Orthodoxy is spelled out in terms of his commitment to Protestant distinctives, a viewpoint which draws the lines clearly, rather than proceeding from the position that we all share the same basic assumptions and that one's interlocutor is drawing dishonest conclusi... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/212/Anti-Orthodox Tue, 8 Apr 2008 04:16:00 -0000 Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church) is the largest <A class=mw-redirect title="Mormon fundamentalist" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_fundamentalist">Mormon fundamentalist</A> denomination and one of America's largest practitioners of <A title="Plural marriage" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plural_marriage">plural marriage</A>. The FLDS Church emerged in the 1930s as an offshoot of <A title="The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</A> (LDS Church); the split occurred largely because of the LDS Church's continued renunciation of <A title=Polygamy href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy">polygamy</A> and its decision to excommunicate practitioners of plural marriage in southern <A title=Utah href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah">Utah</A> and northern <A title=Arizona href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">Arizona</A>. There is no official connection between the FLDS Church and the LDS Church; they are distinct and separate denominations. Since its inception, the headquarters of the FLDS Church have been in <A title="Hildale, Utah" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildale%2C_Utah">Hildale</A>, <A title=Utah href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah">Utah</A>, which is a <A class=mw-redirect title="Twin cities" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_cities">twin city</A> with <A title="Colorado City, Arizona" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_City%2C_Arizona">Colorado City</A>, <A title=Arizona href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">Arizona</A>. However, news reports since 2004 have suggested a possible shift of the church's headquarters to <A title="Eldorado, Texas" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldorado%2C_Texas">Eldorado</A>, <A title=Texas href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas">Texas</A>, where a <A title=Temple href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple">temple</A> has been built by FLDS Church members. As of 2007, the church was being led by <A title="Warren Jeffs" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs">Warren Jeffs</A>, who succeeded his ... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/211/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter_Day_Saints Tue, 8 Apr 2008 04:01:00 -0000 Olaf II of Norway Olaf II Haraldsson (<A title=995 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/995">995</A> – <A title="July 29" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_29">July 29</A>, <A title=1030 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1030">1030</A>), was king of <A title=Norway href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway">Norway</A> from <A title=1015 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1015">1015</A>–<A title=1028 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1028">1028</A>, (known during his lifetime as the Stout or Thick (Olav Digre) and after his <A title=Canonization href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization">canonization</A> as Saint Olaf), was born in the year in which <A title="Olaf I of Norway" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_I_of_Norway">Olaf Tryggvason</A> came to <A title=Norway href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway">Norway</A>. His mother was <A title="Åsta Gudbrandsdatter" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85sta_Gudbrandsdatter">Åsta Gudbrandsdatter</A>, and his father was <A title="Harald Grenske" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Grenske">Harald Grenske</A>, great-grandchild of <A title="Harald I of Norway" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_I_of_Norway">Harald I Fairhair</A>. In modern day Norway he is known as Olav den Hellige or Olaf the Holy as a result of his sainthood. King Olaf II Haraldsson of <A title=Norway href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway">Norway</A> had the given name Óláfr in <A title="Old Norse" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse">Old Norse</A>. (Etymology: Anu - "forefather", Leifr - "heir".) Olav is the modern equivalent in <A title="Norwegian language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_language">Norwegian</A>, formerly often spelt Olaf. His name in <A title="Icelandic language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_language">Icelandic</A> is Ólafur, in <A title="Danish language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language">Danish</A> Oluf, in <A title="Swedish language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_language">Swedish</A> Olof. Other names, such as Oláfr hinn helgi, Olavus rex, and Olaf (as used in English) are used interchangeably (see the <A title=Heimskringla href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimskringla">Heimskringla</A> of <A title="Snorri Sturluson" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_Sturluson">Snorri Sturluson</A>). He is sometimes referred to as <A title="Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Perpetuus_Norvegiae">Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae</A>, eternal King of Norway, a designation which goes back to the thirteenth century.... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/journal/item/210/Olaf_II_of_Norway Thu, 3 Apr 2008 04:34:00 -0000 Main Page - OrthodoxWiki OrthodoxWiki, a free-content encyclopedia and information center for Orthodox http://fatman2021.multiply.com/links/item/20/Main_Page_-_OrthodoxWiki Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:14:06 -0000 Greek Orthodox Old Calendar Church -- Holy Metropolis of America - Home The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church established by Jesus Christ in 33 AD. From that time on, the successors to the Apostles, the bishops, have maintained incorrupt this holy faith. The Holy Metropolis of North and South America is an autonomous diocese of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece, under His Beatitude, Archbishop Chrysostomos II. Founded in 1954 by His Eminence, Metropolitan Petros of Astoria, the Metropolis now consists of some ten parishes and missions and several monasteries. Our bishop is His Eminence, Metropolitan Pavlos, and his assistant bishop is His Grace, Bishop Christodoulos. We invite you to visit one of our parishes or to get in contact with us if you have any questions about our Church. http://fatman2021.multiply.com/links/item/18/Greek_Orthodox_Old_Calendar_Church_--_Holy_Metropolis_of_America_-_Home Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:04:26 -0000 Genuine Orthodox Church of America When we speak of the word canonicity we mean nothing other than that which is according to the rules (canons) of the Church. These commandments are binding on all Christians, especially the bishops who are sworn to uphold the canons and teachings of Christ. When a bishop or a Synod does not obey the canons they are considered renegades and lawless and this lawlessness will inevitably lead to heresy. We say a church is canonical if it keeps or maintains two essential requirements. +++ First a bishop must maintain at all times and continuously the teachings and traditions of the Orthodox Church. In other words, he must preach the Orthodox Faith which was once handed down to us by the holy Apostles, our predecessors in the Church. +++ Secondly a bishop must have the continuous apostolic succession in his ordination. In other words, he must be part of the unbroken line of ordinations which can be traced back to the holy Apostles, and which have occurred only in the Church. When... http://fatman2021.multiply.com/links/item/17/Genuine_Orthodox_Church_of_America Sat, 23 Feb 2008 03:18:01 -0000 The Old Believers - Treasures of the Library of Congress. 1990 This video shows us why the Nikonite way of makeing the of sign of the cross is heresy, in that it puts the Holy Trinity on the cross, instead of the two natures of Christ. http://fatman2021.multiply.com/video/item/57/The_Old_Believers_-_Treasures_of_the_Library_of_Congress._1990_ Fri, 1 Feb 2008 22:32:18 -0000 The Church of the Nativity Russian Orthodox Old Rite parish located in Erie, PA. History on Old Believers, as well as information on Orthodox http://fatman2021.multiply.com/links/item/16/The_Church_of_the_Nativity Fri, 1 Feb 2008 22:05:31 -0000