Seraphim Hanisch
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
There are two things that the priest in this video said that were correct. One was, “we are not worthy to receive Holy Communion.” That is a statement every single Orthodox Christian can agree with. But it is different when we say it and hopefully mean what we say, that we may be grateful to the Lord for allowing us to receive it anyway. But not so in this church in Toronto. Here, by order of the city, the church had to not give Holy Communion. The presiding priest is clearly heartbroken:
The second thing was what we hear earlier in the video clip. “The persecution of the Church continues.” And, in liberal Toronto this appears to be exactly the case. The Church shown here is a Greek Orthodox community, but the video appears to be unlisted so there is no information about exactly which parish it is or who the priest is.
What is maddening about this is that the priest did not decide to obey God rather than men and do it anyway. This would have been the right action. What is nevertheless good is that the priest is humble, not arrogant, and simply ascribes this horrific order to the state of the believers themselves, including himself, that “we have so little faith, we do not deserve this miracle.” And he would be right in that.
OrthoChristian.com gave some more information that we quote from here:
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto of the Patriarchate of Constantinople published a video of the Sunday service from July 5 at St. Nicholas Church in Toronto on YouTube, in which Fr. Fanourios Pappas emotionally tells his congregation that just the night before he had been informed by diocesan authorities that, per the city’s instructions, he was not to offer the faithful Holy Communion.
The Greek Metropolis of Toronto is headed by Metropolitan Sotirios…
Referring to the “persecution of the Church,” Fr. Fanourios tells his flock:
My brethren, today, I have a great sadness. Last night, we were told from our Archdiocese that the city of Toronto forbade Holy Communion for the area of Toronto, and it looks like the persecution of the Church continues. I have no words to express my disappointment and my sadness. And I feel that I cannot share with you today any sermon because I feel that I cannot talk about faith, about Christ. I feel that at this moment I only want to ask God to forgive us, to forgive our little faith, to forgive our weakness, to forgive us because we are not worthy to keep the great blessing of the Orthodox faith.
In the fuller video [which is no longer available], it could be seen how Fr. Fanourios returned to the altar, brought the chalice out onto the ambo and became choked up as he pronounced, “In the fear of God, with faith and love draw near,” and then immediately returned into the altar.
Looking deeper at the piece, there is something very odd. The City banned only the Greek Orthodox parishes from distributing Communion in Toronto, but apparently this ban was extended to the entire nation of Canada! There is not much more information on this and we will check and update this piece as we gather more.
This site contains the full text of the ordinance given by the City of Toronto, some of which is excerpted below:
All places of worship must adhere to the following requirements: General Guidance
- Suspend all communion-related activities as advised by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
- Suspend all social gatherings, including those that occur before or after the service, as advised by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
- Suspend food services at this time.
- Participation of religious services is limited to no more than 30% of the capacity of your premises.
- Maintain a distance of two metres/six feet between all people, as much as possible.
- Suspend regular childcare and children’s programming.
- Encourage the use of masks, and require that masks be worn when, in rare circumstances, physical distancing is not possible.
- Suspend indoor singing activities and choir service.
- Suspend the sharing and distribution of the following materials and objects: books, communion objects, microphones, prayer mats, prayer shawls, water, chalices, collection plates (please note: this is not an exhaustive list).
- Discontinue use of the holy water stoup.
- Avoid opportunities for the virus to spread through touch, either directly or indirectly through surfaces and objects, including objects that may be used in rituals or ceremonies.
- Perform more frequent and enhanced cleaning and disinfection.
Canada presently ranks #20 in the index of who has the most cases. The country reports about 107,000 cases at present.
This, while at the same time, demonstrations that include violent and murderous rioting in the streets across America and Canada, Toronto and Montreal included. The demonstrations are encouraged by the same city leaders that are telling people to forsake their God and not pray.
The connection is so obvious that the only way not to make it is to willfully refuse to see it.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Video Taken Down already??? Is it available anywhere else? Bitchute?
Replying to myself “Rolling Eyes”… It’s available from this website: https://orthochristian.com/132432.html
Churches are closed everywhere due to Coronavirus. So what! Big deal. Don’t turn a mouse into an elephant.
“This, while at the same time, demonstrations that include violent and murderous rioting in the streets across America and Canada, Toronto and Montreal included. The demonstrations are encouraged by the same city leaders that are telling people to forsake their God and not pray.”
The churchgoers should be happy that the church was closed. It was saved from looting. What a whiny, plaintive article! Much ado about nothing. Time killer, space filler text! How utterly stupid and boring.
Spoken like a true athiest. Remember to wear your mask at all times Olivia, Keep drinking alcohol, Keep smoking cigarettes, Stay away from the gyms, Stay indoors, Crank that A/C to keep the CV alive as long as possible, and last but not least enjoy the 24/7 propaganda instead of living.
The correct spelling is “atheist”. Go back to school, you childish dyslexic. Do not forget to wipe yout nose, and learn how to tie your shoe laces first, before writing asinine comments.
I’m glad others are standing up to your negative BS. People who have as many toxic thoughts as you do will eventually be eaten alive inside. You’ll be lucky to get away with just cancer. As Jesus said, “what you sow you will reap.” Karma is real, and the poison you put out you will get in return. People like you never learn.
A few more lessons at school and less running to church might do wonders for your education (unless your IQ is way down, below zero).
One does not have to be an atheist to do any of those things. Your point is…?
He has no point, he just wanted to oppose me.
How right you are. Why is Toronto different to anywhere else?
but abortion clinics are open, bars are open, Walmart is open, Target is open, the government is open, but not Churches.
“There is not much more information on this and we will check and update this piece as it comes.”
Oh no! Save us! Have you got nothing better to do?
Orthodox faith is not a major faith in Canada, it is a fringe religion. They will not roll out the red carpet for you. What do you expect? If all churches are closed due to coronavirus, they will make no exception for the Orthodox church. What a quibble! Calm down, drink a glass of cool lemonade. Pray at home.
True. If prayer is communication between someone and their god, why don’t they do it in private?
Furthermore, if God knows the mind and heart of man, as we are told by religionists, why is there any need to ask him for anything?
Wow someone has nothing better to do! Olivia Kroth needs to calm herself. She also would do well to recall that the same freedom she has NOT to participate in any religion is a space created by the freedom to practice religions, made possible by the faithful Christians who founded the US and Canada. It is pretty basic: the state has NO right whatsoever to tell the Church that it cannot practice. Period. I’m dismayed that the Church is acquiescing to this. Our Catholic churches here in the US do very little to defend their right to exist. The faithless… Read more »
I am not against the practice of religion in general. I am myself of Jewish faith. I practise my religion actively. I like to go every Friday to the Shabbat Ceremony in Moscow’s Choral Synagogue. Due to the coronavirus, all churches, synagogues, temples in Russia are closed. I miss going to Shabbat. However, I do not whine and complain like a little child. I dislike Seraphim Hanisch’s overly zealous moaning and groaning. He is such a wimp, such a baby. Incredible hysterical, a drama queen. It is about time he grew up. The world will not disappear, if the churches… Read more »
George Washington’s. monument is an obelisk, a freemasonry symbol. Many of the “Founding fathers” were Masons, or atheists/ agnostics. How many were Christians?
Dee Cee cannot answer now, is deeply immersed in “some self-reflection and prayerful contemplation”.
You really have shown your true intolerant colours, at last, Olivia. How you must regret your beloved Soviet bloc! Well, sometimes even we ‘cattle’ show some resistance to the fate our masters have chosen for us. Don’t worry though, the Soviet system – as Gorbachev has pointed out – is coming back in the West. You are on the right side of History – for now!! However, some of us would still rather save our souls (figuratively for those myself who are agnostic – let’s call it integrity), than succumb without a whimper.
Hi, man from the moon. Good to hear from you again. Back from the Moon? Did you visit Church there? Or Synagogue? Or did you see only black holes? By the way, I hope you really traveled to the Moon and did not only fake it, like Armstrong did, another one of those numerous US fakers qand liars.
By the way, the Soviet astronauts really reached the Moon, while the US blabbers, fakers and liars did not. It is really a huge shame that telling lies and spreading fake news is innate in the US DNA.
Soviet astronauts reached the Moon? What are their names? This is something the world should know about. When did they do it, and why doesn’t anybody I know in Moscow know about this? I know that many of my students here question the American moon landings, partly because it has been fifty years since it happened and that is long enough to “cloud the picture.” For myself I know they were real because my own uncle helped send two of the Apollo missions to the Moon, specifically Apollo 12 and 16. He was one of their trainers and we have… Read more »
Pray for her, Dee. I don’t think self-reflection is part of Sylvia’s routine, but no one is beyond redemption. I need to curb my own anger, so won’t pretend to be any better.
What are you talking? Of course, Dee Cee is praying day and night, deeply immersed in “self-reflection” and “contemplation”. I wonder what she is contemplating: a Russian Orthodox picture, her bank account, the damaged and looted shops in the USA? Maybe she will let us know soon ….
Your anger has totally blinded you, once more, poor Man from the Moon. Again you were not able to get my name right, because you are too angry. My name is Olivia, not Sylvia. In case you do not like “Olivia”, I can offer my two middle names: Eva or Maria. Will that be easier and better for you? Am so glad to ease your pain!
There has been a war against the Orthodox Church for over 500 years. The Roman Catholic Church cannot tolerate any Christians that do not bow to Rome. In my mind, the Orthodox priest should have handed out communion and let each person make a decision for themselves.
Only by the Catholic Church, John? Today’s Marxists don’t care for either, nor for religion in general. French Revolution, Bolshevik Revolution, Vatican II, 1968 …
There has also been a war against Judaism for hundreds of years: Tsarist progroms in Imperial Russia against Russian Jews, stealing their property, killing them or driving them out, with the help of the Russian Orthodox Church that gladly confiscated Jewish belongings after the progroms. Furthermore the hunting down of people of Jewish faith culminated in the Nazi Holocaust. I need not write more about that, the facts are very well known. In Russia, nature religions also had phases when they were oppressed, with the help of the Russian Orthodox Church, trying to impose itself on everybody, everywhere, at any… Read more »
Which is why,I suppose, Jewish Bolsheviks were justified in killing or starving the death millions of them? The problem with Christianity is that few Christians live up to the teaching of Christ, we humans are all ‘fallen’. As a devout Jew, I wonder which version of the daily prayer you practice – that original ”may the apostates have no hope, and all Christians perish instantly” – or the more opaque ‘heretics’ – with a special place in Hell (beside Jesus while he’s boiled in excrement), reserved for those ‘self-hating’ Jews, who convert to Christianity or even just oppose the nastiness… Read more »
I I pray with the Torah.
Religious intolerance The Russian Orthodox Church has always helped to foster religious intolerance. In Imperial Russia, it took part in the pogroms of Jews, it helped to suppress nature religions of native peoples in the Russian North and Far East. Now again, the Orthodox Church wants to drag people more and more into darkness, back into the Middle Ages, calls them to humility, devotion and consent. The priests themselves do not tolerate tolerance. The Orthodox Church in Russia has always been at the service of the property class. In Imperialist Russia, the Orthodox Church helped to loot and exploit people, called… Read more »
So somehow having a quiet liturgy and taking communion – which was never abolished even during the Spanish flu and all epidemics since and has never been shown to be associated with increased infection, must be stamped out. Yet gathering in the 100’s and 1000’s and chanting slogans in the USA and causing untold destruction is never a problem.What a world we have come to.
That quiet liturgy can be celebrated via Internet, and the Communion will be taken again as soon as the Churches re-open. So far, nobody has died from not taking Communion. However, many people have died from COVID-19. The church people are so stubborn and uneducated, as if they were still living in the dark Middle Ages. Many centuries have passed by without enlightening them, alas. Those are really frightening pockets of darkness and blindness.
On that, I differ. Many people have died from not going to Church and not taking Communion. Of course, there are no “official statistics” on that because what secular culture would want to investigate something like this? They would not enjoy condemning themselves. However, the Republic of Georgia never closed anything, and to yesterday’s date the whole nation which is deeply Orthodox Christian, has had no virus outbreaks in the Church and only 958 cases in the entire country. This makes me wonder at what we are still doing wrong in Russia that we are at number four in the… Read more »
The Orthodox Church in Russia is evil, it is Satan’s spaw,n. Here you can see a satanic Orthodox priest “exorcising” a woman. Believe it or not, this is not the Medieval Ages, this in the 21st century:
And look at all those black crows watching this satanic ritual! Anybody following the Satanic Orthodox Church is not quite in his or her right mind. Better go into a psychiatric ward instead of Satan’s Church.