Free Republic

A nationwide commemorative assembly marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising of 1876 was held at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Yotova. Earlier in the day, a memorial service for the heroes who gave their lives for Bulgaria’s freedom was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky. The service was led by Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, concelebrated by Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, Bishop Ioan of Branitsa, and clergy from the capital. Among those attending were Vice President Yotova, Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, members of the academic community, politicians, and public figures....

A 37-year-old Coptic Christian researcher and YouTuber has filed an appeal to overturn his conviction for posting online videos about Christianity. He was sentenced in January to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor.Augustinos Samaan filed the appeal last week, according to ADF International, the international religious freedom legal advocacy organization representing him.He was arrested in the early hours of Oct. 1, 2025, by masked special forces officers who seized his laptop, phone, books and personal papers, reports Coptic Solidarity, a U.S.-based advocacy group for Egyptian Copts and persecuted minorities.Samaan runs a YouTube channel with more than 800,000 subscribers. His videos...

The Orthodox Church begins with the human condition. Humanity turns from God, who is Life. The result is not a legal sentence imposed from without, but corruption arising from within. Death enters human existence as the intrinsic consequence of separation from God. Scripture names the problem plainly. “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23 (LSB) Death is not something the Father needs to be paid. It is what follows when creatures cut themselves off from the source of life. The question salvation answers, therefore, is not how God can be persuaded to forgive, but how humanity can be rescued...

Like clockwork, whenever there's a military conflict in the Middle East, articles begin popping up regarding the rebuilding of the Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Some claim that construction is already secretly underway. Others maintain that the Temple can not be rebuilt except by the Messiah. The topic even came up at a White House press briefing last October when a reporter asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if the topic of rebuilding the Temple had been brought up in Trump cabinet meetings. "It has not," Ms. Leavitt replied. "No it hasn't" Given that the Temple Mount is currently occupied by...

Saint of the Day – 21 February – St Peter Mavimenus (Died c737) Martyr and probably the Bishop of Damascus. The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Damascus, St Peter Mavinemus, who was killed by some Arabs who visited him in his sickness because he said to them “Whoever does not embrace the Christian and Catholic Faith is lost, like your false prophet, Mahomet.” Peter was Martyred in Damascus (in modern Syria) by the Muslims who, visiting him when he was on a sickbed, had openly said to them : “Whoever does not embrace the Christian and Catholic Faith is lost,...

The decline of religion remains a fundamental reality in most Western countries, particularly in Europe, where over 50% of those under age 40 do not identify with any faith. Even in more religious America, some estimate that as many as 100,000 churches will close in the near future. Meanwhile, the ranks of “Nones,” those outside religious communities, have grown so large that their numbers rival those of Catholics and evangelical Protestants.Yet, as we document in a new report for the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, there are signs that religion is enjoying more than a nascent revival. Data emerging...

Justin Li grappled with questions about justice, morality, and the meaning of life. Li became a believer through a campus Bible study shortly after he began attending its meetings. Li worshiped in an evangelical church that held contemporary services shaped by joyful, fast-paced praise songs. But the upbeat worship music, coupled with his busy work schedule, “made his heart even less quiet,” said Li. Then he stumbled upon Ancient Faith Radio, a digital network of broadcasts offering Eastern Orthodox liturgical music and teaching. The melodies he listened to were simple, solemn, and contemplative. “It felt like another world,”. Li began...

Today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a moment to reflect not only on the Lord’s Baptism but on our own. In an extended sense, when Christ is baptized, so are we, for we are members of His Body. As Christ enters the water, He makes holy the water that will baptize us. He enters the water, and we who are members of His Body go with Him. In these waters He acquires gifts to give us.Let’s examine today’s Gospel in three stages:The Fraternity of Baptism – The text says, Jesus came from Galilee to John at the...

Orthodox Christmas will be observed on January 7, by millions of Christians across Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. While much of the world celebrates Christmas on December 25, Orthodox Christians follow a different liturgical calendar, making their celebration fall 13 days later... The difference in dates arises from the use of two calendars. Most Western Christian churches follow the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct inaccuracies in the older Julian calendar. This reform fixed the date of Christmas as December 25. However, many Orthodox churches chose not to adopt the Gregorian calendar for...

As explained in a previous post, the Nativity of Jesus has been celebrated by Christians on December 25 since antiquity. The feast of the Nativity has always been an opportunity for homiletic fireworks on a grand scale, and the Fathers of the Church took full advantage of the sacred day to wax eloquent. In keeping with this theme, here are a few excerpts from some of the earliest extant homilies delivered by various Church Fathers to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. The first comes from Pope Liberius who reigned in the mid-4th century AD....

On December 6, we celebrate St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the fourth-century archbishop of Myra in Lycia (on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey). None of his writings is extant, but his examples of Christian generosity, virtue and love endure to this day. St. Nicholas is the living embodiment of the words "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). He is also the patron and protector of two cathedrals – Brooklyn and Los Angeles – in our Archdiocese. St. Nicholas of Myra, along with St. Patrick of Ireland, has the rare distinction of being one of the only saints in our...

[Catholic / Orthodox Caucus] The Patriarch of Constantinople is asking more than Rome can giveWhen Pope Leo XIV attended the Divine Liturgy, his presence beside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to Christian unity at a moment when secular governments in East and West are engaged in closed-door political conflict.During his homily, Patriarch Bartholomew emphasised the spiritual unity of the two Churches while acknowledging the formidable theological barriers that continue to obstruct communion between the Eastern and Western Christian traditions.“As successors of the two holy Apostles, the founders of our respective Churches,” he said, referring to Peter and Andrew, “we...

The story of the Egyptian Copts is a haunting chronicle of endurance in the face of historical upheaval, systemic marginalization, and cultural erasure. Once the majority population under Byzantine rule, the Copts now constitute a vulnerable Christian minority in a predominantly Muslim Egypt. Their long and painful journey—from spiritual pre-eminence in ancient Alexandria to their present status as a marginalized community—reveals both the tragic consequences of Islamic conquest and remarkable resilience of Christian communities under duress. In antiquity, Alexandria stood out as an academic powerhouse of early Christianity—arguably one of the most influential intellectual capitals of the Christian world. Founded...

[Catholic / Orthodox Caucus] Pope Leo XIV issues joint blessing with Orthodox Patriarch BartholomewPope Leo concluded his two-day trip to Turkey with a shared blessing alongside Patriarch Bartholomew I before flying out to Beirut, Lebanon.As part of the last public act of his apostolic journey to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV imparted an ecumenical blessing together with the Eastern Patriarch Bartholomew I.On November 30, Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew I appeared on the square of the Church of Saint George in Constantinople to bless the crowd in turn, in Latin and in Greek, respectively. Afterward, they took each other by...

Gathering leading scholars, hierarchs, educators, and students, the conference addressed past statements, current research and modes of co-operation, and outstanding obstacles. Conversation included theological, liturgical, and pastoral approaches. “The second half of the twentieth century saw many unofficial consultations and official meetings between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox church families. Their resulting documents—full of promise—were formally received by only a small number of churches from either side, while the rest have waited for an official response,” the conference description read. “It is time to see where the churches are and reassess the findings of the dialogues.” “As Christians from both...

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, in an interview conducted during the Sixth World Conference of the Faith and Order Commission in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, reflects on the deep heritage of the Coptic Orthodox Church, its unique roles, and the importance of hosting the historic conference, which drew more than 400 people who explored the theme “Where now for visible unity?”Your Holiness, you mentioned in one of your statements that “A homeland without churches is better than churches without a homeland.” Can you clarify this statement? How do you describe the role of the Coptic Orthodox Church in this context?...

Popular protestant apologist “Cleave to Antiquity” has announced that he is becoming an Orthodox Christian, catching many of his recent collaborators by surprise. “Cleave to Antiquity” is the moniker of Pastor Benjamin Merritt, who serves at a non-denominational church in Holiday, Florida. There, Merritt leads apologetics classes “Defend the Faith,” which cover topics ranging from refuting Seventh-day Adventism to addressing Freemasonry and Catholicism. Notably, pastor Ben started his YouTube channel specifically to respond to claims of Eastern Orthodoxy and has been active in the apologetics circuit since then, laying down show after show exposing the errors of their beliefs. And...

Las Vegas residents were left outraged as congregants at an Ethiopian orthodox church continue to illegally park their vehicles on lawns and driveways. Neighbors of the Hamere Noah Kidane Mihret and Saint Michael Ethiopian Church told KLAS they have repeatedly reached out to Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft and used the Fixit app as they were instructed, but nothing has changed in years. 'We document that and we provide that proof and we have found that there's no follow up,' said Daria Wu, who gathered her fellow neighbors to discuss the issues they have faced during the services at the...

The feast day of Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine, is commemorated by Catholics on August 18. Aside from her role as matriarch of the Constantinian dynasty, Helena is most remembered today for her finding of the True Cross of Jesus Christ. This discovery took place during Helena's celebrated pilgrimage to the Holy Land near the end of her life, during which time she undertook the task of uncovering the sites associated with Christ's life and passion and the building of commemorative shrines. Eusebius Pamphilus, Helena's contemporary and bishop of Caesarea Maritima, records many of Helena's deeds during this trek....

An evangelical global pro-life organization has urged Christians, especially Catholics, to work together across denominations to further the pro-life movement and more effectively protect unborn lives from abortion. PassionLife remarked in a July 9 news release that denominations’ “respective theological differences” should not hamper their “joint effort and impact.” Instead, Christians, regardless of their beliefs, should work together as “collaborating co-belligerents,” the organization said. PassionLife works around the globe as a mission partner for local churches and organizations, especially those in areas where abortion rates are extremely high. The organization offers training in Christian pro-life teaching, evangelization, and pro-life counseling...