On the Steadfastness of the Orthodox Church

In every age the Church is provoked by the worldly mindset to innovate, departing from the narrow, royal path which both follows the Holy Fathers and leads to eternal life. Our day is especially characterized by this temptation to cease being steadfastly faithful to the sacred deposit.

Fortunately for the faithful, they have not been left bereft of holy and prophetic voices which resound in the heavens with divine wisdom and crystal-clear clarity. Over a century ago, in much calmer times, such wisdom and clarity was brought forth by the perceptive pastoral pen of Saint Raphael of Brooklyn. Straddling the old and new worlds, with a perspective unique then and now, as powerful as it is pertinent, Saint Raphael expounds the Orthodox outlook on the “modernization” of the Church, the possibility of women’s ordination (including deaconesses), a change of the dating of Pascha, and the reasons for the differences in the Orthodox and heterodox calendars.

Let the faithful run herein to Saint Raphael and take refuge in the truth of our Faith, which is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), finding thus the solace and succor that they seek in these latter days of apostasy.

About the Author

Saint Raphael of Brooklyn was born Rafla Hawaweeny in Beirut, Lebanon on November 20, 1860. He was raised and educated at in Damascus, eventually attending the Patriarchal School, then later attended the School of Orthodox Theology in Halki, and the Theological Academy in Kiev. He became the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America at New York City in the year 1904 by St. Tikhon (Archbishop of Moscow) and Bishop Innocent New York City. St. Raphael founded the present-day primatial cathedral of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (St. Nicholas Cathedral), established thirty parishes, and helped found St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. He served as bishop of Brooklyn until his death on February 27, 1915. Bishop Raphael was officially glorified by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America in the year 2000. He is commemorated on February 27 (OCA), the day of his repose, and the first Saturday of November (Antioch).

Details

First published (softcover): July 1, 2024
Length (softcover): 48 pages
Size (softcover): 5.5 x 8.5 inches

New Release: “Union with Rome?” By Saint Raphael of Brooklyn

On the Steadfastness of the Orthodox Church

About the Author

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