And since we're on the topic of channel changes, do you guys ever feel like we could do things differently, or better? Any ideas you think we should incorporate into the channel?

(If you're going to make a criticism, please follow up with a solution else we won't take you seriously)

New changes to be made following audience feedback and suggestions:

— More news coverage of Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia & Antiochian Patriarchate 🇷🇴🇧🇬🇬🇪🇸🇾
— Continue posting rate, but also include "news round-up" or "other stories" list at the end of the day for people with little time on their hands
— More posts on culture, theology and history
— Increased coverage of persecution, particularly the plight of Palestinian Orthodox Christians
— Orthodox "Meme of the Week"
— More Otter-dox videos 🦦🦦 (light-hearted content)
— Do more to address criticisms of the ROC's actions in its stand off with the EP
— More on the ground coverage of the culture war being waged in Orthodox countries
— Lives of the Saints & Holy Elders
— Greater focus on bishops, priests and lay people in the Church of Greece who haven't betrayed their flock (the resistance)
— More news on Orthodoxy in Latin America

I can't promise we'll be able to adapt to all these new changes immediately, but we'll start implementing them as quickly as possible 👍🏻👍🏻

Anything else you recommend? Anything else we missed?

(This list will be updated)

🇬🇷 Orthodox abbot says he’ll never ‘give anyone a blessing’ to get COVID shot

— "Elder Parthenius, the orthodox abbot of St. Paul’s Monastery on Mount Athos, said that we are living in the end times and related the push for the experimental COVID-19 injections to the mark of the beast in the Book of Revelation.

“We live in the last times, and at any moment, we may be offered to accept the seal of anti-Christ, the one without which people will not be able to buy and sell anything,” said Fr. Parthenius in a homily on the Feast of the Nativity. “This is my deep conviction. I will not give anyone a blessing to be inoculated.”

🔗 LifeSiteNews | Read Full Article...
—

I'm blessed to now be part of the wonderful work being undertaken at Patristic Faith. (The picture is from a few years ago, my beard is much longer now!) https://www.patristicfaith.com/our-team/fr-zechariah-lynch/

🇷🇺 Russian Orthodox Church creates prayer for gamers

— "Members of the Russian Orthodox Church have come out with 39 new initiatives, including a new prayer service for those who are “possessed with computer passion.”

The initiatives were submitted at the end of 2021 to the Synodal Liturgical Commission, the supreme administrative governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among the other proposals were prayer services for such things as successful surgeries, exams, the start of studies for adults, and even job-hunting. If approved by the commission, the services will become part of the liturgical practices of the Russian Orthodox Church, and churchgoers will be able to request these prayers.

This comes as gaming addiction has become officially recognized as a dangerous disorder in Russia since the start of the year, following the controversial 2018 World Health Organization decision to declare video game addiction a mental health condition."

🔗 RT | Read Full Article...
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🇧🇾 Head of National Assembly thanks Belarusian Orthodox Church for active role in discussing Constitution draft

— "Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova thanked the Belarusian Orthodox Church for their active involvement in the discussion of the Constitution draft as she attended a dialogue platform hosted by the Minsk Diocesan Administration of the Belarusian Orthodox Church on 17 January to discuss the proposed amendments and additions to the Constitution, BelTA has learned."

🔗 BelTA | Read Full Article...
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🇧🇾 Belarusian Orthodox Church's suggested amendments to the country's constitution:

— "According to Chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, priest Igor Vasko, the clergy came up with about 10 proposals to be included in the Constitution. “All of them were based on requests and wishes of the public. The protection of family values ​​​​is a keynote; other important proposals have to do with culture and centuries-old traditions, historical continuity,” Igor Vasko said.

The clergy also suggested that the future Constitution should include an article about the protection of human life from the moment of conception, and a clause that says that the Belarusian people are aware of their responsibility to God, as well as a clause about protection from the destructive impact of information technology."

🇯🇴 Rainbow appears at the site of the Baptism of the Saviour at Theophany

— "On the feast of Theophany, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church captured a rainbow over the Jordan.

On the day of Theophany, a rainbow appeared over the Jordan River at the site of the Baptism of the Saviour. The phenomenon was captured by Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev, a cleric of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, a sacrist of the Metochion of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and Righteous Tabitha in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. He took the photo on the territory of the pilgrimage residence at the site of the Baptism of our Lord in Jordan. The photos were posted on his personal Facebook page.

“At the site of the Baptism of the Savior right now,” the priest wrote on the social network."

🔗 Union of Orthodox Journalists | Read Full Article...
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🇫🇮 Finnish MP Facing Jail After Tweeting Bible Verse Says Case a Test of Religious Freedom

— "A former government minister facing jail after tweeting a Bible verse said that her trial next week will be a test of religious freedom.

Päivi Räsänen, a physician and mother of five, explained that she had a “calm mind” ahead of the criminal trial beginning on Jan. 24.

“I trust that we still live in a democracy, and we have our constitution and international agreements that guarantee our freedom of speech and religion,” said Räsänen, Finland’s interior minister from 2011 to 2015."

🔗 National Catholic Register | Read Full Article...
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🇷🇺 Russian Orthodox Patriarch is not a Bitcoiner, church clarifies

— "Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus', the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, has not urged his flock to invest in Bitcoin, despite videos claiming otherwise.

A clip recently emerged claiming that Kirill had urged the faithful to invest in cryptocurrencies. While the video does include genuine comments from the patriarch regarding the benefits of robotics for the economy, and a mention of Bitcoin (BTC), the comments were heavily edited, with the narrator further claiming that the leader would bless potential crypto investors in a special service at a Moscow church."

🔗 Coin Telegraph | Read Full Article...
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*Dying of laughter* 😂😂

In Russian, a cross in the sky on feast of Holy Theophany

NEWS ROUND-UP (JANUARY 19)

Main Stories
🇧🇾 National Assembly head thanks Belarusian Church for active role in discussing Constitution draft
🇫🇮 Finnish MP Facing Jail After Tweeting Bible Verse Says Case a Test of Religious Freedom
🇷🇺 Russian Orthodox Church creates prayer for gamers
🇯🇴 Rainbow appears at the site of the Baptism of the Saviour at Theophany
🇷🇺 Russian Orthodox Patriarch is not a Bitcoiner, church clarifies

Other News
🇷🇺 Orthodox Christians plunge into icy waters for Epiphany celebration
🇷🇺 Patriarch Kirill: Part of the Orthodox Churches may fall into schism
🇪🇬 Patriarchate of Alexandria to brief all Orthodox Churches over what it calls ‘intrusion’ by ROC onto its jurisdiction
🇫🇷 French president calls for ‘right to abortion’ to be added to EU charter
🇵🇸 Christian Population in Israel Shows Scarce Growth, Falling behind Muslims and Jews
🇺🇦 “Patriarch” Filaret demands to restore the UOC-KP through the court
🇬🇪 Georgian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany today
🇺🇸 New Poll: 52% of Millennials Want Abortions Banned After Unborn Baby’s Heart Starts Beating
🇹🇷 Metropolitan Amphilochius of Adrianople resigns
🇲🇪 U.S. upset with the "SOC impact on independent institutions of Montenegro"

— What does everyone think of the news round-up format?

Jason Miller appears to have actually said he will ban religious nationalism on Gettr.
https://youtu.be/jyYG3zag4GY

There's no way GETTR is coming back from this lmao

🇷🇸 Serbian churches vandalized in Montenegro, Bosnia

— "Serbian Orthodox churches in places like Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro are not infrequently attacked and vandalized, and unfortunately, two more such attacks have occurred this week.

In Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, vandals desecrated the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, spray painting a derogatory curse word on the wall, reports the Metropolis of Montenegro."

🔗 OrthoChristian | Read Full Article...
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Controlled opposition rushing in to defend GETTR 😂😂

GETTR is over party 🎉🎉

"Admin, stop posting cringe!"

> okay, okay 😳😤