St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine is a bridge from tragedy to hope | Op-Ed
“Agape mou” … my love. Those are the words my brother John would whisper whenever he hugged me. It has been more than two decades since I last heard them. John was killed on September
Is ecumenism worthwhile? A seminarian’s reflection on NATI-RETI | Op-Ed
Many Orthodox Christians are wary of ecumenical spaces. Some believe ecumenism is a great heresy, erroneously equating it with religious syncretism. Still others believe the project is completely pointless. In the early years of the
Opinion | Carrying the Clergy-Laity Congress forward
Several months ago, I wrote on this site about the vision for the 2026 Clergy-Laity Congress and our hope that this year’s gathering would be different. Now, having returned from Cleveland earlier this summer, I
What graffiti taught me about ancient manuscripts | Op-Ed
After moving to Athens when I was 15, I found myself surrounded by graffiti on a scale I had not seen in New York, covering entire walls of neighborhoods, highways and even monuments. This made
Opinion | When Lavra burns
When the Russian strike hit the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in the early hours of June 15, 2026, many Ukrainians felt this was something different — not just another episode of war. The Lavra is not simply
Opinion | A stab in the back of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
What we are seeing from those monasteries that support virtually anything coming out of Moscow and turn their backs on His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is not particularly difficult to explain. They claim that their
The revolutionary fathers of two nations: Adamantios Korais and Thomas Jefferson | Op-Ed
The great classical scholar Adamantios Korais might well be thought of as the Greek Thomas Jefferson. Like Thomas Jefferson—the author of the Declaration of Independence, the most influential of the founders of the American republic,
Opinion | Response to ‘The Holy Land is beyond AI’
In her recent op-ed for the Orthodox Observer, “The Holy Land is beyond AI,” Christina Moniodis closes with the observation that sacred sites “endure,” because people are “seeking a lived encounter.” It’s an astute one,
The Holy Land is beyond AI | Op-Ed
The Holy Land—the land of Christ’s birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection—marks a boundary artificial intelligence is unable to cross. Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, and Golgotha are not lost places like Eden, but sites you
Opinion | Why the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese should embrace mandatory retirement
This has been a historic week for the Roman Catholic Church in New York. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Vatican announced a major leadership transition that marks the end of an era and a
There must be no physical barriers to entering God’s house | Op-Ed
The following article was submitted by Jackie Morfesis, a parishioner from Charleston, South Carolina. I cannot express the depth of gratitude I have for the decision to allow service dogs in our Greek Orthodox churches
‘We stand, then, before a colossal challenge’: technology as a democratic challenge | Op-Ed
Evangelos Venizelos, Professor Emeritus of Constitutional Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, has served as Vice President of the Greek Government, and as Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs. The following speech of his
Spiritual power and a geostrategic constant: The Ecumenical Patriarchate, Orthodoxy, and the Archdiocese of America | Op-Ed
Dimitris Avramopoulos, Member of Hellenic Parliament, is the former European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs & Citizenship. In an era of uncertainty and constant upheaval, Orthodoxy remains one of the strongest bonds uniting the global
