Fyodor Dostoevsky's Meeting With Archbishop Nicholas Kasatkin the Missionary of Japan

By Michael K. Makrakis

Although Dostoevsky was born in Moscow (30 October 1821), he spent his life in St. Petersburg since May 1837 changing many times his place of abode. His last address was on Kuznechny Lane, near the Church of Vladimirskaya. This is where he received the invitation of the Society of the Friends of Russian Literature to attend the unveiling of the Pushkin bust in Moscow and give a speech. It was April-May of 1880. Dostoevsky was then writing his last book "The Brothers Karamazov". Although he did not want to interrupt his work, his huge love for Pushkin made him finally decide to travel to Moscow.

He left on 22 May. His wife, Anna Grigoryevna, who accompanied him to the station, begged him to write to her every day describing all the details. This is why he composed the letters covering the period he stayed in Moscow: from the next day of his arrival (23-24 May) until the 8th of June, 1880, the day he gave the speech for Pushkin. This speech caused so much upheaval that it was characterised as a true "historical fact". As he writes in one of his letters (13 June 1880) after his speech "the people started sobbing and embracing one another swearing to be better in the future."

The Fundamentalism of “Political Correctness”

The Fundamentalism of “Political Correctness”

December 15, 2024

By Metropolitan Amphilochios of Kissamos and Selino

I read somewhere and I agree that in our times we are experiencing a form of “democratic” dictatorship against thought and expression. It is about the one-sided interpretation, according to one's whim, of the term “politically correct”. It is obvious, commonplace and self-evident that no one has the right and can insult or commit wrongdoing against diversity (political, social, gender, religion, origin, language, etc.), as any form of legitimacy of the different that leads to racism which is reprehensible and unacceptable. After all, the rejection of the different, because it is different, is a manifestation of racist behavior and mentality.

And while we agree on the need to protect the correct everyday behavior of citizens, within the framework of the favored state, what is strange and difficult to understand, much less accept, and raises many questions, is the fact that, as far as Christianity is concerned, the term "politically correct" seems to be unknown or rather not applicable by all those who defend its correctness and necessity. When, for example, works of art, films, posters, cartoons and everything else are employed by modern bad craftsmen of our times, who disrespect and ridicule the sacred symbols of the faith of Christ (the symbol of the Cross, the sacred face of the Virgin Mary, the face of Christ, etc.), with the aim and goal of deconstructing the faith, then not only is the logic of "political correctness" not applied, but anyone who raises a different discourse, point of view, opinion and voice, from that which serves "political correctness", is targeted and attacked as an alleged "dark-minded", "homophobic", "Christian Talibanist", etc., by all its defenders.

Actress Juliette Binoche Acclaims Saint Paisios the Athonite and Byzantine Iconography In Award Speech

The 65th Thessaloniki Film Festival welcomed two of the most prolific stars of contemporary cinema, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, on Friday, November 1st 2024, at the Olympion theater. The two renowned actors received the Festival’s honorary Golden Alexander award prior to the screening of the monumental film The English Patient (1996), which marked their second collaboration (their first was in 1992's Wuthering Heights) and garnered Juliette Binoche an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Ralph Fiennes a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

The thank you speech of Juliette Binoche was particularly interesting for Greek Orthodox Christians, because she opened with the following words:

"Your skies and seas are an inspiration in my life - in our lives. Your words and thoughts through Sophocles, Homer, the great philosophers and the saints, especially Saint Paisios, are feeding my path and heart. Thank you for what you give to the world (applause). I had the most amazing day today in Thessaloniki (applause). Visiting your monasteries, walking in your streets, feeling your stones and trees and eating your bread, fish and vegetables and admiring your Byzantine Treasures, like icons. What a beautiful journey!"

 

A few years ago in Greece a former MP Petros Tatsopoulos caused a major uproar when he publicly mocked a Greek tv series based on the life of Saint Paisios the Athonite as a work of fiction, since it portrays him working miracles and having visions, which he does not believe in, and he criticized such depictions as keeping Greeks in the Middle Ages. Now, just a few days ago, a renowned foreign actress from France received a prestigious award in Greece, and not only acclaimed Saint Paisios, but put him and other Orthodox Christian saints in succession with Sophocles and Homer, and with them spoke of her admiration for the monasteries of Thessaloniki and the treasures of Byzantium, especially its iconography. Essentially she sees the ancient Greek spirit and Orthodox Christianity are an unbroken historical continuity that proclaims the greatness of Greece to the world. And this isn't just an ordinary actress saying this, but Juliette Binoche is the first actress to win the European "Best Actress Triple Crown" (winning the Best Actress awards at the Berlin, Cannes & Venice film festivals), as well as the previously mentioned Academy Award, among many others.

Movie: "Saint Chryse - A Ray of Light in the Years of Slavery" (2023)

Saint Chryse - A Ray of Light in the Years of Slavery

Directed by Nikos Katsoulis

Produced by the Metropolis of Edessa, Pella and Almopia

Released in 2023

In Greek with English subtitles

"Saint Chryse - A Ray of Light in the Years of Slavery" is the true story of the martyrdom of Saint Chryse, a young girl who lived in Slatena, Almopia (present-day village of "Chryse") in the late 18th century.

The plot of the movie takes place in 1795, in the village of Slatena. It is winter, so the young Chryse, a devout Orthodox Christian, goes to get firewood. Chryse is abducted by a local Muslim man who is infatuated with her. The young woman endures terrible suffering over the following nine months. She consistently undergoes physical and mental abuse since she won't accept Islam and wed her kidnapper. On October 13, 1795, she is horrifyingly murdered for her refusal to compromise her faith in Christ.

The "Policing" of our Lives (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Society needs the police to impose order and balance on it, but man is uncomfortable with the policing of his personal life. Unfortunately, however, policing is increasingly moving into the private and internal areas of man, not necessarily by the police, but by modern technology.

We all know that phones, mobile and fixed, are monitored for social and national security. Also, various voices are heard about the chips that are inserted everywhere, even in ID cards.

However, the policing is done in ways that we do not suspect, since the mobile "smart" phones determine at least the place of our stay, and the GPS that we use for our path to the exact destination, tracks us with precision.