The Bulgarian Orthodox, Who Are They?

"and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Matthew28 19-20

In the world of Christian Orthodoxy, the orthodox are world wide; they are communities who hold fast to the values and norms practiced by the earliest Christians prior to the split of the Greco-Roman church in the earlier centuries, about 900 years ago. They call it Schism. Schisms are not limited to the Christian world; they exist in most if not all the major religions of the world. While the two world wide faith communities, Roman and Orthodox, point to differences in their interpretations, and valuations of varying points, they are indeed more alike than they are different. And while differing with one another, they are not denying the other. Both are monotheistic; both believe in the Trinitarian father, son and holy spirit. They are Christians. Their patrimony is also alike, owing its start in Judaism.

And yet within the world of Orthodoxy itself, there comes some difference. Some causes are given as nationalistic, some as emphasis and some as interpretations of the ancient texts themselves. Recall that the Orthodox tradition has endured a long history of Divine Rulers, kings and emperors who ruled as the head of most these churches; thus they are not without their individual peculiarities as is the Roman Catholic world with its great See of Peter in Rome.

Examining for example the Bulgarian Orthodox Christian church, is to view a bit of their cultural traditions as well. And what, if any, are their policies? Then there is, here in the United States, a consortium of Orthodoxy, The Orthodox Church in America in which the Bulgarians take part. Writing for the curious and for the faithful, Father Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus of Saint Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood, New York has compiled a series of books for educational purposes to give strong instruction in the continued meaning and witness of the orthodox tradition. He titles it simply as The Orthodox Faith. Readers may learn that the church is focused on teaching so that believers will go forth and teach, making disciples of the way. And yet not all within the world orthodox fold accept this group, the Orthodox Church of America.

I first came upon this constellation of orthodoxy while learning about the Inuit Indians of Alaska and was interested to learn that some Orthodox Monasteries are located there. So this truly is a part of the story of what makes the United States of America. Please challenge yourself to learn a bit more about the "hidden" America.

The Exorcist

"A woman in her early forties... had shaken so violently, that Fr. Vince had seen her levitate five inches off the chair..." The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio

We've all seen the movies, the terror and the screaming. Possessed by Demons, souls in degrees of domination are suffocated by the Evil One, some call the angel, Satan. So much superstition. Nonsense-- there may be evil in the world but truly, this Hollywood stuff is too, too much, you say. Perhaps in the world, there is the seen and the unseen. In his book, The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio, we learn about the "shadow" world, one inhabited by the dark, the evil and the wicked energies of the world. "Thinking of the day when a person's spiritual well being would rest in their hands... adamant about not engaging the Demon... when the Demon talks, you should not listen to him... you should not ask him questions... never place yourself beyond the power of God, in the darkness."

At the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign campus will appear on October 26, 2009 at 7 pm in Foellinger Auditorium, the Reverend Father Vincent Lampert of the Diocese of Indianapolis, Indiana. Fr. Vincent is one of only 12 officially trained and approved Exorcists practicing in the United States today. He will speak about the Ritual of Exorcism and relate some of his experiences.

"Even Exorcists admit there a lot of mystery to it," writes Baglio. "The crucial role of cooperation between the Exorcist and his [local] Bishop, ensuring that only officially appointed Exorcists perform the Ritual." The Teaching of the Roman Catholic Christian Church regarding exorcism states its authority and tradition to be the biblical passages in which Jesus the Christ cast out Demons, the book of Saint Mark 5:9, and healed those so afflicted. Today before engaging in the ritual of exorcism, the Exorcist must make a determination if the person is suffering from spiritual illness and possession, or is suffering from another type of mental illness such as depression or psychosis.

Those suffering from these types of illnesses are referred to psychologists or psychiatrists. Often however, the Exorcist uses a team approach to healing the afflicted and several practitioners of other disciplines are involved with the person seeking exorcism. The Demon's main 'trick' is to make us think we are unworthy of God's redeeming love; yet it is God the father who has made us in love to be like him, and his own. All are worthy of redemption, so the exorcisms go on.