B A S I L I C A - Theology of Space

The Holy Mt. Athos on CBS, 60 Minutes (part 1)

2011-12-27T21:49:00.004-07:00

The Holy Mt. Athos on CBS, 60 Minutes (part 2)

2011-12-27T21:47:00.002-07:00

Church Of The Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel

2011-12-25T21:10:00.005-07:00

Star marking the traditional site on which Jesus was born in the Grotto of the Nativity.

Exterior of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, from Manger Square.

Exterior of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.

Entrance to the Church of the Nativity is via the small Entry of Humility. The outline of the original large square door and the pointed arch of the smaller Crusader entrance can be seen above the current doorway. The door was reduced to its present small size (which requires adults to stoop upon entering) in the Ottoman period to prevent horses and carts being driven through for the purposes of looting.

The Entry of Humility, the entrance to the Church of the Nativity. The door was reduced to its present small size (which requires adults to stoop upon entering) in the Ottoman period, to prevent horses and carts being driven through for the purposes of looting. As the name indicates, many believe this to be appropriate to the sacred site, as no one can enter it standing tall.

Interior of the Church of the Nativity, looking east towards the altar and the entrance to the Grotto.

Interior of the Church of the Nativity, looking west down the nave. The trapdoors in the floor reveal 4th-century floor mosaics from the Constantinian church.

Greek Orthodox Christmas celebrations in the Church of the Nativity.

Entrance to the Grotto of the Nativity.

Inside the Grotto of the Nativity, looking back towards the entrance.

The Grotto of the Nativity.

Pilgrims reflect at the place of Jesus' birth in the Grotto of the Nativity.

Icon of the Virgin and Child in the Grotto of the Nativity (closer look).

The traditional birthplace of Jesus, marked by a star.

In the Bible

The birth of Jesus is narrated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew gives the impression that Mary and Joseph were from Bethlehem and later moved to Nazareth because of Herod's decree, while Luke indicates that Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem while they were in town for a special census. Scholars tend to see these two stories as irreconcilable and believe Matthew to be more reliable because of historical problems with Luke's version.

But both accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. According to Luke 2:7 (in the traditional translation), Mary "laid him in amanger because there was no room for them in the inn." But the Greek can also be rendered, "she laid him in a manger because they had no space in the room" — we should perhaps imagine Jesus being born in a quiet back room of an overflowing one-room house.

The gospel accounts don't mention a cave, but less than a century later, both Justin Martyr and the Protoevangelium of James say Jesus was born in a cave. This is reasonable, as many houses in the area are still built in front of a cave. The cave part would have been used for stabling and storage - thus the manger.

History

The first evidence of a cave in Bethlehem being venerated as Christ's birthplace is in the writings of Justin Martyr around 160 AD. The tradition is also attested by Origen and Eusebius in the 3rd century.

In 326, Constantine and his mother St. Helena commisioned a church to be built over the cave. This first church, dedicated on May 31, 339, had an octagonal floor plan and was placed directly above the cave. In the center, a 4-meter-wide hole surrounded by a railing provided a view of the cave. Portions of the floor mosaic survive from this period. St. Jerome lived and worked in Bethlehem from 384 AD, and he was buried in a cave beneath the Church of the Nativity.

The Constantinian church was destroyed by Justinian in 530 AD, who built the much larger church that remains today. The Persians spared it during their invasion in 614 AD because, according to legend, they were impressed by a representation of the Magi — fellow Persians — that decorated the building. This was quoted at a 9th-century synod in Jerusalem to show the utility of religious images.

Muslims prevented the application of Hakim's decree (1009) ordering the destruction of Christian monuments because, since the time of Omar (639), they had been permitted to use the south transept for worship.

The Crusaders took Jerusalem on 6 June 1009. Baldwin I and II were crowned there, and in an impressive display of tolerance the Franks and Byzantines cooperated in fully redecorating the interior (1165-69). A Greek inscription in the north transept records this event.

The Church of the Nativity was much neglected in the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, but not destroyed. Much of the church's marble was looted by the Ottomans and now adorns the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. An earthquake in 1834 and a fire in 1869 destroyed the furnishings of the cave, but the church again survived.

In 1847, the theft of the silver star marking the exact site of the Nativity was an ostensible factor in the international crisis over the Holy Places that ultimately led to the Crimean War (1854–56).

In 1852, shared custody of the church was granted to the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches. The Greeks care for the Grotto of the Nativity.

Source

Abbey of Saint-Benoit-du-Lac designed by Romanian architect Daniel S. Hanganu Montreal, Canada

2011-11-30T10:36:00.014-07:00

Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Qué, Municipality, pop 47 (2001c), 53 (1996c), 57 (1991c), inc 1939, area 2.38 km², is located on the shores of Lac Memphrémagog, 40 km southwest of SHERBROOKE. Its sole inhabitants are monks of the Congregation of St-Pierre de Solesme (France).

The community was founded by Dom Paul Vannier in 1912 when he acquired a farm at Point Gibraltar, a peninsula sloping down towards the lake. He and 3 other monks began farming and providing religious services. The sudden death of their founder in 1914 and the outbreak of WWI broke the links with their community in Europe. This nearly meant the collapse of the new foundation. Elevated to the rank of abbey in 1952, the community grew until 1955, when it numbered 79 members.

In 1939 the abbey began the construction of a more monumental monastery than the farmhouse they had occupied. The new monastery was designed by the well-known French Benedictine architect Dom Paul Bellot, and a hostelry designed by Dom Claude-Marie Côté was added in 1955. In 1994 a monumental new church, designed by the Montréal architect Daniel S. HANGANU, was inaugurated.

In addition to spending a large part of their time in meditation and prayer, and conducting elaborate liturgical services accompanied by Gregorian chant, the monks perform intellectual and manual labour. They also welcome visitors wishing to spend some time in a peaceful environment. Source

Church Interior

Monastery

Hotel

Architect Dan Hanganu

Dan Hanganu, CM (born 27 January 1939) is a Romanian-born Canadian architect. Based in Montreal, Quebec, he has designed a number of prominent Quebec buildings, including the new wing of the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the HEC Montréal building, the concert Hall of Rimouski, the UQAM design school and several other mixed-use, commercial, residential and cultural buildings in Montreal, Europe and Asia. Hanganu has an impressive list of awards and publications to his credit including the Order of Canada, the Governor General's award and was also awarded the RAIC gold medal in 2008 for lifetime achievement.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in its announcement that the recipient of the 2008 RAIC Gold Medal is Dan S. Hanganu, FIRAC stated that in choosing Mr. Hanganu, the Gold Medal Selection Committee noted:

"Dan successfully transcends the professional and academic worlds as well as having an extensive body of internationally published articles and project reviews. He understands the impact that architecture can have on people; his work successfully balances function and feeling in a very strong “straight-forward” way."

Mr. Hanganu completed a degree in architecture at the University of Bucharest in 1961, and arrived in Canada in 1970. He leads a diversified practice with projects ranging in scale from single-family houses to entire city blocks. Completed works include numerous housing projects of varying size and complexity, office buildings, hotels and resorts, multi-use complexes, institutional buildings, and several theatres. His wife Anca Hanganu is also an architect practising in Montreal.

WWW:

Abbey of Saint-Benoit-du-Lac

Daniel Sergiu Hanganu

Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg

2011-11-18T13:50:00.003-07:00

Saint Xenia lived during the eighteenth century, but little is known of her life or of her family. She passed most of her life in Petersburg during the reigns of the empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II.

Xenia Grigorievna Petrova was the wife of an army officer, Major Andrew Petrov. After the wedding, the couple lived in St Petersburg. St Xenia became a widow at the age of twenty-six when her husband suddenly died at a party. She grieved for the loss of her husband, and especially because he died without Confession or Holy Communion.

Once her earthly happiness ended, she did not look for it again. From that time forward, Xenia lost interest in the things of this world, and followed the difficult path of foolishness for the sake of Christ. The basis for this strange way of life is to be found in the first Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:18-24, 1 Cor. 2:14, 1 Cor. 3:18-19). The Lord strengthened her and helped her to bear sorrow and misfortune patiently for the next forty-five years.

She started wearing her husband's clothing, and insisted that she be addressed as "Andrew Feodorovich." She told people that it was she, and not her husband, who had died. In a certain sense, this was perfectly true. She abandoned her former way of life and experienced a spiritual rebirth. When she gave away her house and possessions to the poor, her relatives complained to the authorities. After speaking to Xenia, the officials were conviced that she was in her right mind and was entitled to dispose of her property as she saw fit. Soon she had nothing left for herself, so she wandered through the poor section of Petersburg with no place to lay her head. She refused all assistance from her relatives, happy to be free of worldly attachments.

When her late husband's red and green uniform wore out, she clothed herself in rags of those colors. After a while, Xenia left Petersburg for eight years. It is believed that she visited holy Elders and ascetics throughout Russia seeking instruction in the spiritual life. She may have visited St Theodore of Sanaxar (February 19), who had been a military man himself. His life changed dramatically when a young officer died at a drinking party. Perhaps this officer was St Xenia's husband. In any case, she knew St Theodore and profited from his instructions.

Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului - video/rendering

2011-11-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Djakovica, Kosovo

2011-10-25T12:42:00.005-07:00

The Cathedral before complete destruction

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Djakovica was completed in 1999 on the foundations of a five-dome memorial church. The previous church on this site was built as a mausoleum for all killed, murdered and frozen soldiers in the wars of 1912-1918. This church was completed in 1940. But in 1949, on St Sava's Day, the memorial church was destroyed by atheists. Fifty years after, the same happened to a new shrine, which was first desecrated, then set ablaze, mined and finally completely destroyed on 24/25 July 1999.
The Djakovica cathedral was one of the most beautiful recently built churches. Several different types of the ground plan were combined in the interior organization of the space. The basic structure was in the form of an inscribed cross. The cathedral had a central dome and four smaller domes in the corner, lower bays. In this way a spiritual connection with the largest church of the SS Archangels Monastery near Prizren, was achieved. Additional side spaces gave to the church the form of a free cross which followed the pattern of the great early Christian churches, especially the churches of St John in Ephesus and the Holy Apostles in Constantinople built by Emperor Justinian. Side apses were added to transversal brackets whereby a continuity with Knez Lazar's medieval architectural style was successfully established.

The architects of the church were Ljubisa Folic and Radomir Folic.

Rasuna toaca...

2011-06-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Rasuna toaca de utrina
In pacea unei nopti tarzii
Si, rand pe rand, cate-un opait
S-aprinde-n mutele chilii...
De glasul ei tresai pe perna,
Maicuta, tu, cu chip frumos,
Si-alergi in graba la altarul
Mantuitorului Hristos...
Te vad in coltul vechi de strana
Cum stai supusa de rastristi,
Si-atata jale pare scrisa
In ochii tai curati si tristi...
Si cum te-nchini in rugaciune,
Eu ma gandesc induiosat:
Nemilostiva toaca-a noptii
Ce vis frumos ti-a tulburat?...

Octavian Goga

Glas de clopot

2011-06-06T09:19:00.003-07:00

Se tanguia un clopot din turla lui de lemn

Si-adancu-i glas, ca unda, se-mprastia departe.

Prin noaptea fara stele purtand chemari de moarte.

Catunele, buimace, se desteptau la-ndemn...

Neogoit, amarnic, prin vaile desarte

Chema dogitul clopot din turla lui de lemn.

Si-nfiorati de jalea navalnicului zvon,

Crestinii, din bordeie treziti fara de veste,

Ieseau facandu-si cruce si intrebau ce este:

- Ce mort in miezul noptii purtat e la amvon?!...

Aprinsera opaiti miloasele neveste

Si prinsera sa planga cu-al clopotului zvon.

Iar glasul de arama aici parca tuna,

Salbateca putere de blestem dand durerii,

Aici murea de jale... si-n mijlocul tacerii

Multimea-ngrijorata si crunta s-aduna.

Toti se-ntrebau de nu sunt in noaptea Invierii,

Caci clopotul din turla inversunat tuna.

Si-n apriga lui limba certari se talmaceau,

Din buzele-i de schije curgea intelepciune,

Proorociri grozave si psalmi de-ngropaciune,

Manii intunecate ce greu se-nabuseau...

Caci duhul razvratirii parea ca insusi spune

Franturi de psalmi amarnici ce-n zbor se desluseau.

Nedumeriti, o vreme, sarmanii poporeni

Strainul glas de clopot cu frica ascultara;

Dar, fara sa priceapa strigarea lui amara,

Patrunsi de frigul noptii, si preoti si mireni

Intrara in bordeie si iarasi se culcara

Luminile stingandu-si sarmanii poporeni.

Si-n van nalucul clopot din turla lui de lemn,

Imprastiindu-si glasul prin vai si munti departe,

In noaptea fara stele zvarlea chemari desarte;

Nu s-a clintit un suflet la vajnicu-I indemn,

Ci numai pentru sine a jale si a moarte

Suna nauc un clopot din turla lui de lemn.

Vasile Voculescu

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain

2011-04-12T11:45:00.007-07:00

Architecture. The Church Today

When work began on the church, in 1882, the architects, the bricklayers and the labourers worked in a very traditional way. When Gaudí took over the direction he was aware that the works were complex and difficult and tried to take advantage of all the modern techniques available. And so, among other resources, he had railway tracks laid with small wagons to transport the materials, brought in cranes to lift the weights and had the workshops located on the site to make the work easier.

Today, 129 years later, the building of the church follows Gaudí's original idea and, just as he himself did, the best techniques are applied to make the building work safer, more comfortable and faster. It is some time now since the old wagons gave way to powerful cranes, the old manual tools have been replaced by precise electric machines and the materials have been improved to ensure excellent quality in the building process and the final result.

The present Church Technical Office and the management are charged with studying the complexity of Gaudí's original project, doing the calculations and the building plans and directing the works as a whole.

Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí is one of the outstanding figures of Catalan culture and international architecture. He was born in Baix Camp (Reus, Riudoms), but it was in Barcelona that he studied, worked and lived with his family. It is also in the city that we find most of his work. He was first and foremost an architect, but he also designed furniture and objects and worked in town planning and landscaping, amongst other disciplines. In all those fields he developed a highly expressive language of his own and created a body of work that speaks directly to the senses.

History

The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun on 19 March 1882 from a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883 Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then different architects have continued the work after his original idea.

The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years it has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

It has always been an expiatory church, which means that since the outset, 125 years ago now, it has been built from donations. Gaudí himself said: "The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people." The building is still going on and could be finished some time in the first third of the 21st century.

Source: Basilica de la Sagrada familia

Noul Mitropolit al Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului este IPS Andrei

2011-03-18T12:27:00.002-07:00

Noul Mitropolit al Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului este Înaltpreasfinţitul Andrei. Sfântul Sinod a ales astăzi, 18 martie, prin vot secret pe Înaltpreasfinţitul Andrei ca Arhiepiscop al Vadului, Feleacului şi Clujului şi Mitropolit al Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului. În urma votului secret, Înaltpreasfinţitul Părinte Andrei, Arhiepiscopul Alba Iuliei a fost ales cu 29 de voturi din totalul celor 46 exprimate.

“Rezultatul alegerii este următorul, Înaltpreasfinţitul Arhiepiscop Andrei al Alba Iuliei a obţinut 29 de voturi, Preasfinţitul Episcop Vicar Irineu Bistriţeanul a obţinut 17 voturi, deci în total 46 de voturi. Ca urmare a acestei votări, Înaltpreasfinţitul Arhiepiscop Andrei este noul Mitropolit al Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului”, a spus Preafericitul Părinte Patriarh Daniel.

“Orice treptă nouă de promovare înseamnă o jertfelnicie în plus, pentru că tot ceea ce se realizează bine şi se lucrează în mod demn pentru Biserică, în Ardeal mai ales, are o semnificaţie naţională, nu doar pur locală sau regională”, a mai spus Patriarhul României, după cum ne informează TRINITAS TV.

Noul Mitropolit ales şi-a exprimat dorinţa de a continua lucrarea misionară şi de a desfăşura noi proiecte sociale în beneficiul celor păstoriţi.

„Gândul este să continui misiunea deosebit de bogată pe care a întreprins-o Înaltpreasfinţitul Bartolomeu. Voi încerca pe cât se poate să conlucrez cu clerul şi cu poporul, pentru viaţă duhovnicească aleasă. Nu vom neglija, sper, nici slujirea socială, pentru că cele două aripi care îl ridică pe om spre Dumnezeu sunt viaţa duhovnicească şi pe de altă parte implicarea socială. Credinţa trebuie dublată de faptă, nu se poate altfel. Sper să ne ajute Dumnezeu să îndeplinim misiunea cea bună pentru Biserica Domnului Iisus Hristos. Aşa cum spune Preafericitul Părinte Patriarh Daniel, în conlucrarea cu Preafericirea Sa, cu Sfântul Sinod şi în comuniune cu celelalte eparhii, într-o lume în care este foarte multă nevoie de duhovniciei şi de Dumnezeu, trebuie să punem umăr la umăr şi să împlinim misiunea Bisericii Lui', a spus Înaltpreasfinţitul Părinte Andrei.

După încheierea procedurii de vot s-a ţinut un moment de reculegere şi s-a intonat „Veşnica pomenire” pentru Mitropolitul Bartolomeu Anania, care ar fi împlinit în această zi 90 de ani.

„Reamintim faptul că în 25 martie, în ziua întronizării se împlinesc cinci ani de la întronizarea fostului mitropolit. Dumnezeu a dorit să fie o coincidenţă de date în aşa fel încât tot ceea ce se realizează în Biserică să aibă şi o semnificaţie duhovnicească; uneori o cunoaştem, uneori o aflăm mai târziu, dar nimic nu este întâmplător, ci totul are un sens”, a precizat Întâistătătorul Bisericii Ortodoxe Române.

Înaltpreasfinţitul Părinte Andrei Andreicuţ s-a născut la 24 ianuarie 1949, în satul Oarţa de Sus, judeţul Maramureş, din părinţii Andrei şi Elena. A urmat liceul în Cehul Silvaniei şi cursurile Facultăţii de Construcţii Căi Ferate din Bucureşti (între anii 1967-1972). După terminarea facultăţii a fost repartizat inginer la Întreprinderea de Construcţii Căi Ferate din Cluj-Napoca.

Începând cu anul 1976 a urmat Institutul Teologic de Grad Universitar din Sibiu, licenţiindu-se în vara anului 1978. În august 1978 a fost hirotonit preot de către Înaltpreasfinţitul Teofil Herineanu, Arhiepiscopul Clujului, activând apoi ca preot paroh timp de şapte ani în oraşul Turda (judeţul Cluj).

Din toamna anului 1985 a fost transferat, la cererea Preasfinţitului Episcop Emilian Birdaş, la Parohia Ortodoxă Română Maieri I din Alba Iulia şi ulterior numit vicar administrativ. A urmat cursurile de doctorat ale Institutului Teologic de Grad Universitar din Bucureşti (începând cu anul 1985), avându-l drept îndrumător pe P.C. Arhid. Prof. Univ. Dr. Petru I. David. Teza şi-a pregătit-o în cadrul aceleiaşi secţii – Teologie sistematică – sub îndrumarea părintelui prof. univ. dr. Dumitru Popescu, obţinând titlul de „Doctor în Teologie” în anul 1998.

În 25 februarie 1990 a fost ales şi hirotonit arhiereu-vicar pentru Episcopia de Alba Iulia, în 4 martie 1990 a fost numit episcop locotenent al Episcopiei Alba Iulia, iar din luna iunie a aceluiaşi an a devenit episcop titular. În 16 iulie 1998 Episcopia Alba Iuliei a fost ridicată la rangul de Arhiepiscopie, iar titularul ei la rangul de arhiepiscop.

Sursa

The Mother of God. Japanese painting on silk

2011-03-16T10:30:00.003-07:00

The Mother of God
Unknown Artist. Japanese painting on silk. 1900-1905

A Letter from the Orthodox Church of Japan

2011-03-14T23:02:00.007-07:00

Sendai Cathedral, before the tsunami

The following letter has made its way around the Internet regarding parishes of the Western Diocese of the Japanese Orthodox Church.

Christ is in our midst!

… This terrible earthquake hit the whole East Japan diocese and devastated the whole city of Sendai, where the episcopal throne of the diocese exists, and almost all the regional Orthodox communities which exist along the Pacific coast.

By order of His Eminence Daniel, the Metropolitan Council has been trying to get information from the beginning of the incident, but does not have enough exact information about the East Japan diocese, because telephone and internet lines are not working properly. They are mostly destroyed and other lines are restricted by the national authorities for the emergency priority

However, by now we have confirmed that at least the clergy of the Sendai Orthodox church including Bishop Seraphim is safe. According to Bishop Seraphim, most of the church buildings in Tohoku parish along the Pacific coast are severely damaged.

Bishop Seraphim of Sendai

There are 24 churches in Tohoku parish. These churches are ministered by 5 priests. Out of these 5, one priest is missing.* We have no exact information about the safety of the parishioners.

Fortunately, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of Tokyo and the building of the Metropolitan Council are totally saved by God’s grace.

His Eminence Daniel is praying fervently that Christ our Savior have mercy upon Japanese Orthodox faithful and the Japanese nation, because the nuclear power plant in Tohoku parish is in a critical situation.

Please remember the Japanese Orthodox Christians in your fervent prayers.

We will provide further information as soon as the situation of the earthquake damage becomes more clear.

With love in Christ

Fr Demitrios Tanaka
Director of External Church Relations
Metropolitan Council
Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan

* Note: According to other media, this priest’s name is Fr. Vasily. He is an elderly priest who lives near the ocean. Please especially remember him in your prayers.

See also: http://www.antiochian.org/node/25461

Japan, with Sendai marked

Manastirea Chiajna - Virtual Tour

2011-02-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

360 Virtual Tour

Înaltpreasfinţitul Părinte Mitropolit Bartolomeu Anania a trecut la Domnul

2011-01-31T22:00:00.001-07:00

Înaltpreasfinţitul Părinte Mitropolit Bartolomeu Anania a trecut la Domnul în această seară la orele 19:25. Într-un comunicat de presă Biroul de presă al Arhiepiscopiei Vadului, Feleacului şi Clujului ne informează:

Cu regret şi durere în suflet, dar cu nădejdea în mila şi mângâierea care vin de la Dumnezeu, Consiliul Eparhial al Arhiepiscopiei Vadului, Feleacului şi Clujului anunță că în ziua de 31 ianuarie 2011, la orele 19:25, Părintele nostru, Arhiepiscopul şi Mitropolitul Bartolomeu ANANIA, și-a început călătoria spre Împărăția Cerurilor.

Decesul a survenit la Secția de Terapie Intensivă a Clinicii Chirurgie I din Cluj-Napoca. Înconjurat de medici, prieteni, ucenici şi colaboratori apropiaţi, trupul Înaltpreasfințitului Bartolomeu a cedat multiplelor afecțiuni care i-au marcat ultima perioadă de viață. Trupul celui care a fost timp de 18 ani Arhiepiscop al Vadului, Feleacului și Clujului şi Mitropolit al Clujului, Albei, Crișanei și Maramureșului va fi depus în Catedrala Mitropolitană din Cluj-Napoca, unde toţi cei care doresc îi vor putea aduce un ultim omagiu.

Ziua înmormântării, în cripta ierarhilor de sub altarul Catedralei Mitropolitane, va fi anunţată ulterior.

În toate aceste zile de doliu, ierarhii, clerul şi credincioşii Bisericii noastre vor înălţa rugăciuni pentru iertarea păcatelor şi dumnezeiasca fericire a sufletului nobil al Părintelui nostru Arhiepiscopul şi Mitropolitul Bartolomeu şi pentru veşnica sa odihnă în Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu, alături de aleşii Săi.

Dumnezeu să îl odihnească în pace și pe toți cei îndurerați să îi aline cu mângâierea Duhului Sfânt!

(Permanenţa Consiliului Eparhial al Arhiepiscopiei Vadului, Feleacului şi Clujului)

Din nou despre bisericile zilelor noastre

2011-01-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

Articol preluat de pe blogul arh. Nic Tulban

În ultima vreme, ne “încântă” ochii proiecte de biserici¹ cu forme nemaivăzute în acest program de arhitectură. La fel cum s-a făcut, de exemplu, acum două secole în amurgul formelor baroce, aici, la noi, în est. În ambele perioade, de fapt în continuitatea ultimelor trei jumătăți de veac, constantă este doar întrebarea “Ce legătură au aceste forme cu ortodoxia?”.

Există o suită de pricini pentru acest defazaj în interiorul arhitecturii ecleziale ortodoxe, între expresia formelor și spațiilor și modul lor de utilizare. Evident, ele nu pot fi expuse întru totul și epuizate de un singur om pe câteva rânduri. Efortul necesar pentru a începe o resincronizare ar putea depăși timpul și gândirea unui singur om, dacă nu chiar cea a unei generații². Dar important este a începe măcar sesizarea existenței problemelor și, mai mult, exprimarea acestora. Ordinea în care voi arăta câteva dintre ele acum și, poate, mai târziu, este pur aleatoare. Datorită lipsei pretenției de a acoperi întreaga problematică a arhitecturii ortodoxe a zilelor noastre, expunerea nu are legătură cu gravitatea sau cu importanța problemelor.

Pentru un arhitect, la abordarea unui nou program, funcție de complexitatea acestuia, are loc un proces de informare, proces care poate fi de durată sau nu. Informarea se va face din domeniul arhitecturii în primul rând, dar are loc și o investigare, mai profundă sau mai superficială, despre activitatea care se desfășoară în clădirea ce urmează a se construi. Pentru orice funcțiune, această informare poate duce la elaborarea unui proiect mai mult sau mai puțin reușit. În regulă, se poate spune, acest rudiment de abordare se poate aplica și pentru construcțiile ecleziale. Totul ar ține, și în cazul acestora, de talentul arhitectului. Dacă ne uităm la tot ceea ce se construiește pe la noi, cam în orice domeniu în care se construiește, observăm că suntem deficitari la acest capitol. Natural, cu ceva excepții (și acestea concentrate cam în zona centrală a capitalei). Dacă ne concentrăm atenția pe clădirile de biserici, constatăm cu mâhnire că excepțiile sunt greu de identificat și foarte lesne de numărat. Ceea ce ne face să ne întrebăm de ce.

Ca o primă observație, putem pleca de la ceea ce se spune în mod curent – anume că ceea ce lipsește arhitecturii bisericii ortodoxe este de fapt o aliniere la “spiritul timpului” în care trăim. Ea nu presupune neapărat "efortul supraomenesc" de a găsi modul de folosire al formelor și tehnologiilor arhitecturii contemporane pentru realizarea bisericilor. Această abordare, obișnuită azi, este greșită. Pentru că ea exprimă în înțelegerea arhitecturii un duh străin ortodoxiei. Este duhul voluntarist al teologiei voluntariste occidentale³. El se exprimă în cult prin voința oamenilor, în frunte cu pastorul, în a se aduna și face cultul. În ortodoxie, cultul este doar o racordare la cultul ceresc, preexistent din veșnicie. Duhul ortodoxiei nu este cel al voinței omului de a face, ci cel al voinței omului de a lăsa Duhul să facă.

Astfel, abordarea arhitecturii bisericii în cheie occidentală este voința arhitectului de a “crea” spațiul pentru cult – care este voința pastorului și a oamenilor. Abordarea ortodoxă este cu totul diferită – arhitectura este doar refacerea spațiului în care are loc alăturarea la Liturghia cerească a cultului.

Aici este una din principalele dificultăți de înțelegere a rostului arhitectului în ortodoxie. El trebuie să se scuture de ideile preconcepute ale creatorului de spațiu, ale celui care vrea să conformeze funcțiunea la spațiu prin ceea ce i-a pus la dispoziție profesia. Abordarea trebuie făcută exact invers. Arhitectul trebuie să înțeleagă că spațiul bisericii există. Există din veșnicie. Misiunea lui este doar de a-l pune în forme vizibile în timp. Aparent, pentru aceasta nu trebuie să fie decât un artist fără imaginație. Brutal și cinic spus, nu are de făcut decât adaptarea unui proiect tip. Proiect tip care există dinaintea lumii. Dar acest proiect tip nu-i poate fi livrat pe calc pentru a-l reproduce, a face sistematizarea verticală și a-l preda liniștit. El este livrat în ample descrieri, care încep de la Sfânta Scriptură și până la noi. Aceste descrieri nu sunt făcute de arhitecți (sau poate, arareori, sunt ceva constructori care au pus și ei în cuvinte demersul lor). Ele nu sunt nici desene. Sunt povești. Pentru înțelegerea lor este necesară trăire. Nu pot fi înțelese din exterior. Este necesară o stare anume pentru a fi permeabili la ele – rugăciunea – care nu este o cerere sau un mijloc de comunicare a unei doctrine sau ideologii, ci este chiar starea de rugăciune, starea, odihna sufletului înaintea lui Dumnezeu.

Revăzând arhitectura bisericilor ortodoxe doar prin acest raționament, ni se deschid perspective pentru percepția unui nou hiatus, de data aceasta strict în modul arhitecților de a vedea acest program. Fară a intenționa a grăi lucruri mari, pot spune că cea mai mare parte a bisericilor clădite la noi sunt proiectate folosind forme moderne sau pastișat baroce (de ex. proiectul pentru catedrală) și mod gândire cu certitudine baroc⁴. Ruptura între expresie și conținut este evidentă. Rezultatul este definit printr-un cuvânt temut: Kitsch.

Și de acest “verdict” sunt responsabili toți arhitecții care evită trăirea. Adică cei mai mulți.

P.S. Despre acest tip de Kitsch într-o postare ceva mai încolo :)

1Mă refer aici direct la cele mai multe dintre proiectele de biserici prezentate în volumul “Concursuri pentru catedrala patriarhală ortodoxă: 1999-2002”, NOI Media Print, București – ediție îngrijită de arh. Augustin Ioan. Dar de asemenea, proiectele de biserici făcute publice (și unele edificate, mai mult sau mai puțin schilod) până la sfârșitul anului 2010, nu sunt excepții de la cele spuse în rândurile de față.

2Chiar dacă, în domeniul teologiei, efortul colosal al părintelui Dumitru Stăniloae, poate contrazice această afirmație.

3În el se ascunde de fapt ideea pașoptistă a renunțării la “înapoierea” noastră, datorată în principal ortodoxiei, pentru a ne alinia la mărețele cuceriri ale științei occidentale.

4Termenul 'Baroc' este folosit aici pentru a desemna un mod exterior de abordare al creației, îm special arhitecturale, în ortodoxie. L-am folosit ca fiind caracteristic pentru înstrăinarea ortodocșilor de ortodoxie la începutul sec. XIX. Perioadă în care arhitectura ortodoxă, în plin avânt revoluționar de pregătire a momentului 1848, a absorbit din occident întreg balastul de gândire și expresie artistică vizibil și acum.

Arh. Nic Tulban

DOCUMENT- Bisericile demolate de Ceausescu (1977-1986)

2010-12-31T03:08:00.003-07:00

Demolished churches in Bucharest, Romania during the communist regime

Saint Apostol Andrew cathedral, Patras, Greece

2010-11-30T23:57:00.005-07:00

Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of the city of Patras, Scotland, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Patras in Greece, Amalfi in Italy, Luqa in Malta, and Esgueira in Portugal. He was also the patron saint of Prussia.
Patras is a city in Achaia , North Peloponnese. There the Apostol spent his last years of his life untill his martyric death. As the first to be called by Jesus Christ into his service, St. Andrew commands a reverence a degree greater than those who have followed. For this reason, St. Andrew is called Protokletos, or "First-called."

St. Andrew, like his brother St. Peter, was a fisherman, a toiler with net and boat recognised in the Psalms of the Old Testament as one of those "who go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep." His love of the sea stemmed from his love of the Creator who made it, and the perils of the sea which he challenged daily forged the character with which he boldly assailed the seas of ignorance and paganism in the sacred trust that had been placed in his keeping.

St. Andrew, who lived in the Holy Land in the ancient city of Bethsaida, accepted Christ with all his heart and after a discipleship with St. John the Baptist went forth to become one of the greatest missionaries in all history. When the apostles drew lots to determine their sphere of labour for the Saviour, St. Andrew exulted in his mission to preach in Asia Minor, part of Greece, and an area along the coast of the Black Sea, including its gateway, the city now known as Istanbul, or Constantinople.

Wherever St. Andrew went he attracted throngs of people who thirsted for a spiritual knowledge. His message of deliverance was so eloquently convincing, even to hostile minds, that he is credited with having converted countless thousands to Christianity in a day when mass media did not exist. As an apostle, his only tools were his power of oratory and his love for Jesus, and his only press agent was the word of mouth of those privileged to hear his homilies.

St. Andrew came to Jerusalem for the First Synod of the Apostles, about 50 AD, another historic first for him and the other apostles, some of whom he had not yet met. There he rejoiced in joining the great St. Peter together with those but for whom Christianity might never have become the glorious human experience it is today. Out of the Synod, the apostles went forth with renewed vigour to establish the ecclesiastical system.

St. Andrew alone is credited with having set up parishes throughout Asia Minor, in Pontos, Bithynia, Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, Scythia (Russia, where he is still regarded as patron saint) and in the capital city of Byzantium. It was in Byzantium that St. Andrew ordained Stachys as first bishop of Byzantium (later Constantinople), thereby establishing an unbroken line of 270 patriarchs down to the present day Patriarch Bartholomeos 1st. From Byzantium, St. Andrew went on to more glory through his compelling oratory and power of healing through Jesus Christ. He eventually found himself in Achaia, in the city of Patras, where he was to suffer death.

St. Andrew committed the grave crime in the eyes of the state of converting Maximilla, wife of the ruler Aigeates, to Christianity. Despite the fact that he was then eighty years old, it was ordered that he be put to death by being nailed upside down to an X-shaped cross. After three days of agony on this vile device, St. Andrew died. The great fisherman had cast his net for Christ for the last time.

In 357 the relics of Saint Andrew were removed from Patras and deposited in the church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

The head of the saint, was given by the Byzantine despot Thomas Palaeologus to Pope Pius II in 1461.On 24 September 1964, in an ecumenical gesture, the head was returned to the people of Patras by the pope Pope Paul VI.

The relics, which consist of the small finger and part of the top of the cranium of Saint Andrew, have since that time been kept in the Church of St. Andrew at Patras in a special tomb, and are reverenced in a special ceremony every November 30and . On 24 September 1964, in an ecumenical gesture, the head was returned to the people of Patras by the pope.

Unholy Conversion As Church Becomes A Tesco

2010-11-29T22:58:00.008-07:00

Temple of commerce: A Tesco Express store has opened in Bournemouth, Dorset after the supermarket giant purchased a former Methodist church

Prophet exchanged for profit as Tesco opens latest convenience shop in a church!
(Bournemouth, Dorset, UK)

Shoppers who pray for cheaper groceries might just get what they wish for after a branch of Tesco opened in a former church. The building has been drastically altered to sell groceries underneath its original ornate stained glass windows. The former Westbourne Methodist Church is now selling food, alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets after the retail giant moved in. Pews have been stripped out in favour of checkouts in the controversial conversion to a Tesco Express. The move has upset some members of the community, who have criticised the latest expansion of the multi-national supermarket. The Reverend Dr Bob McKinley, former minister at the church, said it was 'sad' to see the building become a shop - but that the church had no control over whom the building was sold to. He said: 'Our main concern was the people. Although it is sad, it is only a building. 'You could say it is not appropriate to have a Tesco Express in it but once it is sold it is no longer under our control.' James Rippon, a 36-year-old accountant who lives nearby, said: 'It just seems such a shame for this beautiful building to be turned into a Tesco. 'It seems like you can't go anywhere in England today without being within spitting distance of one. 'I understand that having the building empty is no good for anyone, but it seems odd that a former church is being used to sell cigarettes, alcohol and lottery tickets. 'It feels like just another step in the increasing marginalisation of Christianity in our community. 'I suppose it represents people's priorities nowadays - the convenience of being able to buy their bread a few miles closer is more important than prayer and religion.' The decision to open the store has been supported by some members of the Westbourne Traders Association, who hope it will attract more shoppers to the area. But Rob Forbes, owner of family-run Seamoor News, said the Tesco store 'spooks you out.' He said: 'I have to cross myself every time I walk past it.'

Tills ringing, not bells: A worker hands over change to a customer

Altar-ing the church: A customer pays for his purchase at the new shop which has caused some concern in the local community

Biblical characters depicted in ornate stained glass windows now look down on shoppers browsing the aisles in the historic building near Bournemouth. But the conversion of the former Westbourne Methodist Church has divided opinion. Christians opposing the scheme have highlighted a passage in the Bible detailing Jesus' efforts to rid the Temple of Herod, saying 'Get these out of here! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise'.

Source

World's tallest Jesus completed in Poland

2010-11-17T12:53:00.002-07:00

Work on the world's tallest effigy of Jesus Christ was completed in the small Polish town of Świebodzin at the weekend. A giant 700-ton crane was specially drafted in to lift the figure's outstretched arms and crowned head into place. An earlier attempt some weeks earlier failed when a different crane was unable to lift the the plaster and fiber glass mass. The body of the finished statue measures 33-meters-tall, one meter for each year in Christ's life. A three-meter-tall crown and 16-meter-tall mound bring the figure's total height to 52 meters. The effigy overshadows Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer, which stands at 39.6 meters tall, and the Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, which stands at 40.44 meters. The project has been the lifelong ambition of Father Sylwester Zawadzki who recovered from two heart attacks during the construction process to finally see his dream realized. “This is the culmination of my life's work as a priest. I felt inspired to fulfill Jesus' will, and today I give thanks to him for allowing me to fulfill his will,” Father Zawadzki, told onlookers and reporters. The statue will be officially consecrated on November 21.

Source

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

2010-11-04T13:37:00.003-07:00

This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. After assuming power in 1855 in the wake of Russia’s disastrous defeat in the Crimean war against Britain, France and Turkey, Alexander II initiated a number of reforms. In 1861 he freed the Russian serfs (peasants, who were almost enslaved to their owners) from their ties to their masters and undertook a rigorous program of military, judicial and urban reforms, never before attempted in Russia. However, during the second half of his reign Alexander II grew wary of the dangers of his system of reforms, having only barely survived a series of attempts on his life, including an explosion in the Winter Palace and the derailment of a train. Alexander II was finally assassinated in 1881 by a group of revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage.
The decision was taken to build a church on the spot where the Emperor was mortally wounded. The church was built between 1883 and 1907 and was officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church (a.k.a. The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood ). The construction of the church was almost entirely funded by the Imperial family and thousands of private donators. Both the interior and exterior of the church is decorated with incredibly detailed mosaics, designed and created by the most prominent Russian artists of the day (V.M. Vasnetsov, M.V. Nesterov and M.A. Vrubel). Interestingly, despite the church’s very obviously Russian aspect, its principle architect, A. Parland, was not even Russian by birth.
The church was closed for services in the 1930s, when the Bolsheviks went on an offensive against religion and destroyed churches all over the country. It remained closed and under restoration for over 30 years and was finally re-opened in 1997 in all its dazzling former glory. The view of the church from Nevsky Prospekt is absolutely breathtaking.
NOTE: Translations of the church’s name vary between guidebooks and include The Church of the Savior on Blood, The Resurrection Church and The Church of the Resurrection of Christ.

Sacred Destinations

House (of God) for Sale (II)

2010-10-26T11:21:00.002-07:00

3BR, 2.5BA, Pulpit, Bell Tower, $7.5M

SAN FRANCISCO
The century-old church has a pulpit, a pew and a bell tower. But instead of a congregation, the historic, red-brick structure has a single occupant, the homeowner. Siamak Akhavan purchased the 20,000-square-foot building five years ago and transformed it into an unusual single-family residence. Now, he's ready to sell. He has put the former Golden Gate Lutheran Church on the market for $7.49 million. "Some people say that it's weird and eerie, but my perspective is that this is a house of the Lord," Marcus Miller, a real estate agent representing Akhavan, told AOL News. "What better place to re-purpose and live than a house that has been blessed. One could say it's a step toward heaven."
.......
The city of San Francisco condemned the church. Attempts to sell it were unsuccessful until Akhavan, an engineer who ran a seismic retrofit company, stepped in and paid $2.25 million for it in 2007. "Face it, in our society, our values are changing and people are spending the Sabbath day differently," said Miller, the son of a Lutheran minister. Akhavan spent nearly $3 million converting the church into a 12-room single-family residence, with three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a meditation room at the top of the bell tower, a chef's kitchen and a very large living room. He said the conversion of churches to serve other purposes has become common in many parts of the world. "I travel a lot, and I see a lot of churches being transformed into houses, restaurants, even nightclubs in Europe," Akhavan told AOL News. "In Montreal, I have seen them turned into galleries. There is not as much demand for churches. The congregations hang on to it until they have to do a lot of work, and then they decide it's not worth it." The church is in a neighborhood that is zoned residential, so Akhavan could not turn it into a commercial structure. Converting the space into condominium units would have meant substantially altering the character of the building and damaging such features as the high ceiling of the nave and chancel. So he decided to turn the church into a single-family home and maintain as much of its original character as possible. He hired artists to hand-paint the coffered ceiling and restore the stained-glass windows. He spent $200,000 to put on a new roof and $400,000 to replace windows and doors. He installed skylights, restored wood floors and paneling, and created a six-car garage in one corner of the vast ground floor.

Source

Living Room

Master Bedroom

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Dining Room

Garage

Floor Plans

Formerly the Golden Gate Lutheran Church for Sale on Zillow.com (I)

2010-10-25T13:18:00.007-07:00

Take a look at this former church in San Francisco’s Mission District that has spared no expense for its re-do and furnishings.
It’s for sale for $7,490,000.

COMING SOON! Formerly the Golden Gate Lutheran Church, this stunning Gothic Revival style building is now one of the most extraordinary and largest single family homes in San Francisco. This one-of-a-kind property features an enormous living area that includes the original sanctuary with soaring, coffered and hand-painted ceilings, arched windows framing Dolores Park as well as most of the original stained glass windows, custom mahogany wood finishes, four fireplaces (2 wood-burning & 2 gas), a new chef's kitchen and a spacious dining room. The Master suite level features a marble Roman tub room, dressing room and incredible 360 degree views from the tower meditation room and deck. The home includes an expansive ground floor level that could be used as exhibition space, recording studio, gym and/or home office. There is also a garage that accommodates 4-6 cars.…

This is an amazingly warm and inviting space, in spite of the square footage due to all the warm wood. Incredible neighborhood with Dolores Park directly across the street and some of the hottest cafes and restaurants in San Francisco just a short block away.

Zillow.com

Falling Through Cracks / City churches are closing because they can't afford earthquake retrofitting

Even with its parapets and stained glass, Golden Gate Lutheran Church on the corner of 19th Street and Dolores in the Mission isn't the prettiest building around. Truth be told, the red-brick edifice built in 1912 has a bit of the humble workhorse about it. Nor does it attract the most worshippers. According to Pastor Ed Miller, the congregation of active members amounts to only about 35 or 40 people.
But like so many inner-city churches, it made itself relevant -- and for some people indispensable -- by filling gaps in our yawning social safety net. Until recently, it was a bustle of activity morning, noon and night. Over two dozen 12-step programs met there weekly, some with hundreds of participants.
In the past few years, the church housed a homeless shelter and a preschool. Four afternoons a week, it sponsored a drop-in program for anyone who needed a hot meal and a place to come in off the streets.
Three other churches -- two Pentecostal churches (one gay and one straight) and a Mennonite church -- shared the sanctuary for worshipping services. In the purest sense of the word, despite the small congregation, the church had become a refuge. For those without family, it offered fellowship. For those without government assistance (or enough of it), it offered food, shelter and other basic needs.
Now the building grows ever quieter as its many groups search for other places to meet. Soon the doors will close altogether. Then the church will enter a real estate no-man's-land. Why? Because it's caught between a seismic building code and a very hard place.
Golden Gate Lutheran Church is only one of over 25 places of worship and an estimated 2,500 buildings around the city that have been affected by new seismic codes for unreinforced masonry buildings. In the years since the unreinforced masonry building code was written in 1992 (generally referred to as the UMB code), most of these buildings have been brought up to code or demolished.
But an estimated 300 buildings -- including several churches and synagogues -- remain noncompliant. Feb. 15 was the deadline for bringing all buildings in San Francisco into compliance, so the city is stepping up its efforts, after granting repeated extensions to property owners.
"We try to be as fair as we can," said UMB building inspector Jerry Sullivan. "We try to make it clear to property owners what their legal responsibility is."
But for many congregations, fulfilling that legal responsibility carries too high a price.
"We just can't afford it," said Miller from his shadowy book-lined office off the sanctuary. He told me the church had made a good-faith effort to bring the building into compliance, spending $130,000 to fix the roof and parapets in 1998. But the estimates for the interior work -- around $2.5 million -- are far beyond the community's means.

Source

Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral designed by Louis Sullivan - Chicago, IL

2010-10-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Address: 1121 N. Leavitt St.
Year Built: 1903
Architect: Louis H Sullivan
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: March 21, 1979

Designed to resemble the Russian provincial churches known to its first parishioners, this elegant church is an unexpected feature of its neighborhood. Even more surprising is the fact that its construction was partially paid for by Russian Czar Nicholas II. The walls of the church are load-bearing brick covered with stucco; the detailing of the two-story rectory repeats the same sinuous curve found in the roofline of the church. The ideologies held by the client and the designer harmonized well in this project, producing one of the most-inspired, small-scale works of influential architect Louis Sullivan.

History

The church was commissioned by the growing Russian congregation of Chicago, Illinois, and stands within the neighborhood known today as Ukrainian Village. It remains one of only two Orthodox Churches servicing the orthodox community in Ukrainian Village. Construction work, partly financed by Tsar St. Nicholas II of Russia, lasted from 1899 to 1903. The church retains many features of the Russian provincial architecture, including an octagonal dome and a frontal belltower. It is believed that the emigrants wished the church to be "remindful of the small, intimate, rural buildings they left behind in the Old World".Actually, the church would have passed unnoticed in the Russian countryside, if it were not for Sullivan's hallmark modern sensibility. The cathedral's interior is based on the St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev.The church is highlighted in numerous books on church architecture, among them Chicago Churches: A Photographic Essay by Elizabeth Johnson (Uppercase Books Inc, 1999) as well as The Spiritual Traveler's Guide to Chicago and Illinois by Marilyn Chiat (HiddenSpring 2004). The church was consecrated by St.Tikhon of Moscow and was under the spiritual guidance of St. John of Chicago (Kochurov) during its early years.
The church was elevated to a cathedral in 1923, and stands today a member of the Orthodox community in Chicago. It serves as the Cathedral Church of the Orthodox Church in America with Archpriest John Adamcio as its dean.

Source

Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului - machetele proiectelor aflate in concurs

2010-10-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Pr. dr. Mihai Valică către Biroul de Presă al Patriarhiei

2010-07-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Pentru că mi-aţi pomenit numele, acum câteva zile, în comunicatul de presă „Drept la replică: Mult duh de răzvrătire şi puţin spirit realist”, vă răspund următoarele:

1) Nu am afirmat niciodată şi niciunde că nu doresc construcţia Catedralei Neamului, ba dimpotrivă, ca unul care am construit mai multe biserici, nu am cum să fiu împotrivă. Îmi doresc mult să se construiacă această Catedrală şi să ne reprezinte şi ca naţie, şi ca trăire ortodoxă. Tocmai pentru că sunt preot ortodox şi fac parte din naţia română am scris acel studiu şi am fundamentat biblic şi patristic importanţa construirii unei biserici. Citiţi tot articolul, nu doar titlul

2) Vă sfătuiesc ca, pe viitor, să nu mai minţiţi, deoarece sunteţi creştini şi unii chiar preoţi. De aceea ar fi bine să mergeţi la Prea Fericitul Patriarh şi să-i spuneţi că aţi minţit, răstălmăcind tendenţios articolul meu, să vă pocăiţi şi să luaţi cuvenita mustrare

3) Este trist să constaţi că responsabilitatea preoţească este considerată „duh de răzvrătire”, iar credinţa mea în intervenţia directă, dar tainică a lui Dumnezeu în contrucţia unei biserici, chiar în momentele cele mai grele, este privită ca „puţin spirit realist”. Dacă se iau în calcul doar greutăţile, evidenţele actuale de criză şi realismul uman pe care le invocaţi, atunci un David realist ar fi fugit de Goliat, iar în cazul de faţă ar fi alergat la bancheri şi la cămătari. Nu de mai mult realism avem nevoie acum, ci de mai multă credinţă. Şi de un David..

4) Opinia mea este că, chiar pentru început, să construieşti Catedrala Neamului cu bani de împrumut nu ne reprezintă credinţa şi nici neamul, care este foarte generos atunci când este vorba de Biserică, ci trebuie doar motivat şi îndrumat duhovniceşte, iar nu pus sub presiunea băncilor. Mântuitorul nostru Iisus Hristos a scos zarafii din templu cu biciul, iar administraţia patriarhală îi aduce înapoi

5) Aţi scris că atitudinea mea este „incompatibilă cu preoţia”. Nimic mai fals. Tocmai preoţii sau profesorii de Teologie, care iau parte activă la viaţa Bisericii, fie cu experienţa lor pastorală, fie cu fundamentarea teologică pentru construcţia Catedralei Neamului, care „este o necesitate de ordin liturgic şi pastoral” fără îndoială, aceia sunt compatibili cu preoţia, dacă mai credem că Biserica cuprinde şi pe mirean, şi pe preot, şi pe episcop, în mod simfonic şi sinergic. Cred că într-adevăr incompatibile cu preoţia sunt minciuna, dezinformarea, necredinţa şi păcatele de moarte, ceea ce, până una-alta, nu reprezintă cazul meu.

Pr. dr. Mihai Valică

Drept la replică: Mult duh de răzvrătire şi puţin spirit realist

2010-07-14T10:56:00.006-07:00

Biroul de presă al Patriarhie Române, ne informează:

În cotidianul Crai Nou din Suceava din 1 iulie 2010, a fost publicat articolul intitulat Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului, între împlinire, dileme morale şi deziluzie, semnat de pr. Prof. dr. Mihai Valică de la catedrala Sfânta Treime din Vatra Dornei. În legătură cu unele opinii ale autorului, precizăm:

Din toamna anului 2007, construirea Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului reprezintă un proiect prioritar al Patriarhiei Române. În acest moment, Patriarhia Română a ajuns la etapa încheierii contractului de proiectare cu firma câştigătoare, obţinerea autorizaţiei de construire, alegerea constructorului sau constructorilor viitoarei Catedrale patriarhale şi începerea efectivă a lucrărilor.
Întrucât costurile ridicării Catedralei la „roşu” sunt estimate la aproximativ 100 milioane de euro, în condiţiile nealocării unui sprijin financiar de la bugetul de stat (aşa cum prevede Legea pentru construirea Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului), Patriarhia Română intenţionează să solicite deschiderea unei linii de creditare la una sau mai multe bănci. Această modalitate de finanţare a construirii Catedralei, folosită la construirea altor lăcaşuri de cult din Bucureşti şi din ţară, nu justifică niciuna din temerile autorului articolului şi nici atitudinea sa incompatibilă cu preoţia, deoarece nu ajută deloc Biserica pe care pretinde că o slujeşte, ci doar o tulbură, întrucât el nu oferă soluţii realiste imediate ca alternativă la împrumutul bancar.

Precizăm că tocmai pentru a evita plata unor dobânzi bancare mari, Patriarhia Română va iniţia o campanie de colectare de fonduri prin donaţii benevole din partea clerului şi credincioşilor ortodocşi români din ţară şi din diaspora română. Ajutorul bancar este necesar acum pentru că Patriarhia Română se află în faza în care nu mai poate amâna începerea lucrărilor de construire a Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului, care este o necesitate de ordin liturgic şi pastoral.

Este trist să constaţi faptul că, într-o pagină din ziarul Crai Nou girată de protopopiatul Câmpulung Moldovenesc, un preot ortodox cu statut de profesor de teologie se poate înscrie în rândul celor ce se străduiesc din răsputeri să critice şi să împiedice construirea Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului.

Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului intre implinire, dileme morale si deziluzie

2010-06-14T09:12:00.016-07:00

un articol de Pr. prof. dr. Mihai Valica

1. Solutia hristica — atitudine duhovniceasca impotriva crizei

Comunicatul de presa al Patriarhiei Romane, referitor la multumirile aduse credinciosilor pentru sustinerea financiara a Bisericilor in constructie[1] arata clar ca principalii contribuabili sunt credinciosii, iar Statul sustine, pe alocuri, cu sume simbolice comparativ cu contributia filantropica proprie a BOR[2] pentru cetatenii acestei tari, precum si prin parteneriatul social-diaconal incheiat cu Statul, conform art. 29 din Constitutie si a Legii nr. 489/2006.

Potrivit legilor in vigoare Biserica Ortodoxa Romana nu se substituie Statului, ci, prin mijloace specifice contribuie la coeziunea si pacea sociala, la identificarea de solutii concrete si realiste spre a depasi grava criza economica si finaciara. In acest context Patriarhia Romana propune ca solutie anticriza, urmatoarele mijloace spirituale, care, din punct de vedere duhovnicesc, pot depasi “orice fel de criza”[3]:

1. predicarea permanenta a Evangheliei pacii si a iubirii fata de aproapele;

2. indreptarea morala a celor ce ne conduc[4];

3. o “credinta tare si cooperare cu scop sfant” prin contructia de Biserici[5];

4. “prin sporirea credintei, a rugaciunii si cooperarii pentru a finaliza un lacas de cult care aduna oameni, care sunt invatati sa se respecte si sa se ajute reciproc”, etc[6].

Aceste indemnuri si sfaturi parintesti de profunda spiritualitate si duhovnicie au adus in sufletul multor preoti si credinciosi speranta, o motivatie de unitate si impreuna lucrare ecclesiala deosebita si o sansa reala pentru a intari solidaritatea si cooperarea dintre credinciosi, inclusiv intarirea vietii spirituale, care permite oamenilor sa depaseasca criza, fara sa se “autodemoleze”, sau sa ajunga “la deznadejde sau la dezumanizare”.[7]

Cred ca Bisericile vor salva sufletul romanului prin harul peste har, care va prisosi in inima lui prin dumnezeiestile Liturghii si Sf. Taine savarsite in ele.

Cine priveste doar la “aspectul ca se cheltuie bani” repeta gestul lui Iuda, care ingrijorat ca s-a risipit mirul de nard de mare pret pledeaza pentru saraci, fara sa-i pese de ei (Ioan 12, 4–6).

Omul are o latura morala care, daca se degradeaza, poate afecta si distruge mult mai mult decat partea materiala a lumii. De aceea spatiul bisericilor poate constitui spatii de reabilitare morala si duhovniceasca, care vor genera adevarate “laboratoare spirituale” de ajutorare a omului si de refacere a societatii. In acest sens Sf. Ioan Gura de Aur scria: “contructia de Biserici este mai buna decat milostenia”[8] intrucat ele sunt locuri care dau un puternic impuls pentru actiunile filantropice si de indumnezeire a omului[9].

Astfel se combate individualismul, cultivand spiritul comunitar prin constructia de Biserici si asezaminte filantropice de slujire diaconla a proapelui; se evita “consacrarea esecului” unui lucru bine inceput, cu speranta, dar nefinalizat, in cazul celor in constructie; se poate preveni fatalismul si esecul economic, financiar si social, cauzat in general de criza morala si spirituala a societatii la toate nivelurile, si reprezinta o alternativa reala si viabila pentru clasa politica, guvern si societatea civila, care din pacate duc lipsa nu numai de solutii economice viabile, ci si de actiune si de viziune duhovniceasca si de credinta suficienta pentru rezolvarea crizei actuale…

Citeste mai departe aici: Atitudini

Hagia Sofia

2010-06-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

The History of the Hagia Sophia

The Byzantine Church of Hagia Sophia stands atop the first hill of Constantinople at the tip of the historic peninsula, surrounded by the waters of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn on three sides. It was built by Justinian I between 532 and 537 and is located in close proximity to the Great Palace of the Emperors, the Hippodrome, and the Church of Hagia Irene. The third known church to be built at its site since 360, the Justinian church replaced the smaller basilica built by Theodosius II in 415, which burnt down in the Nika riots against Justinian I and Empress Theodora. Beginning construction immediately after suppressing the revolt, Justinian commissioned physicist Isidoros of Miletus, and mathematician Anthemios of Thrales (today's Aydin) to build a church larger and more permanent than its precedents to unify the church and reassert his authority as the emperor. There is little that remains from the earlier churches beside the baptistery and the skeuophylakion. The skeuophylakion, a round building that houses the patriarchal treasure, is located off the east corner and the baptistery, which was converted into an Ottoman tomb in 1639, stands to the southwest.

The grand dome of the Hagia Sophia, an impressive technical feat for its time, is often thought to symbolize the infinity of the cosmos signified by the Holy Soul to which the church was dedicated. It took five years to reconstruct the dome after it collapsed in an earthquake in 557. The new dome, which is taller and braced with forty ribs, was partially rebuilt after damage in the 859 and 989 earthquakes. Plundered during the Latin invasion following the Forth Crusade in 1204, the church was restored under Andronicos II during Palaeologan rule. The great southeast arch was reconstructed after the 1344 earthquake. As the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for over a thousand years, with the brief exception of the Latin occupation, the Hagia Sophia was the center of Eastern Christianity from 360 to the Ottoman conversion. Its importance as the center of religious authority in the Byzantine capital was compounded with its role as the primary setting for state rituals and pageantry. The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, which put an end to the Byzantine Empire, began the era of Islamic worship in the holy structure, which Mehmed II converted into a mosque immediately after his conquest.

Known then on as the Ayasofya Mosque, the Hagia Sophia remained the Great Mosque of the Ottoman capital until its secularization under the Turkish Republic In 1934. Little was modified during the initial conversion when a mihrab, a minber and a wooden minaret were added to the structure. Mehmed II built a madrasa near the mosque and organized a waqf for its expenses. Extensive restorations were conducted by Mimar Sinan during the rule of Selim II; the original sultan's lodge was added at this time. Mimar Sinan built the Tomb of Selim II to the southeast of the mosque in 1577 and the tombs of Murad III and Mehmed III were built next to it in the 1600s. Mahmud I, who ordered a restoration of the mosque in 1739, added an ablution fountain, Koranic school, soup kitchen and library, making the mosque the center of a social complex. Perhaps the most well known restoration of the Hagia Sophia was completed between 1847-49 during the rule of Abdülmecid II, who invited Swiss architects Gaspare and Guiseppe Fossati to renovate the building. In addition to consolidating the dome and vaults and straightening columns, the two architects brothers revised the decoration of the exterior and the interior. The discovery of the figural mosaics after the secularization of Hagia Sophia, was guided by the descriptions of the Fossati brothers who uncovered them a century earlier for cleaning and recording. An earlier record of the Hagia Sophia mosaics is found in the travel sketches of Swedish engineer Cornelius Loos from 1710-1711.

The period of systematic study, restoration and cleaning of Hagia Sophia, initiated by the Byzantine Institute of the United States and the Dumbarton Oaks Field Committee in the 1940s, still continues to our day. Archaeological research led by K. J. Conant, W. Emerson, R. L. Van Nice, P.A. Underwood, T. Whittemore, E. Hawkins, R. J. Mainstone and C. Mango have illuminated different aspects related to the history, structure and decoration of the Justinian church. A. M. Schneider and F. Dirimtekin after him have excavated remains of the earlier churches outside the Justinian church. A colloquium convened at Princeton University in 1989 has led the way towards a computer-based structural modeling of the church directed by Prof. A. Çakmak. This work has provided the basis for a new restoration project underway since 1995 that focuses on structural monitoring to gauge long-term stability of the structure along with historical restoration. The Hagia Sophia was included in the annual list of 100 most endangered monuments published by the World Monuments Fund in 1996 and in 1998, to secure funds for continued work. Considered a significant influence on the conception of classical Ottoman architecture, the Hagia Sophia is open to visitors as a public museum.

The Architecture of the Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is a domed basilica, oriented on the northwest-southeast axis. Entered from the northwest through an outer and inner narthex, the church consists of a rectangular nave flanked by an aisle and gallery on the sides and an apsidal sanctuary, projecting southeast.

Each narthex comprises nine cross-vaulted bays; the narthexes were originally preceded by a large atrium enclosed by a colonnade, portions of which were still standing in the 1870s. The inner narthex is taller than, and about twice as wide as, the outer narthex, and has a second level linked to the nave galleries. It is lit by a row of clerestory windows to the northwest. Passages attached to either end of the inner narthex give access to the gallery. The passage to the southwest also served as the ceremonial entrance for emperors; its entryway is adorned with a pair of elaborate bronze doors with 9th century monograms. Its inner door has a 10th century mosaic in its lunette depicting Emperors Constantine and Justinian offering models of Constantinople and Hagia Sophia to enthroned Virgin and Christ. While the outer narthex is largely devoid of decoration, the walls of the inner narthex are lined with polychrome marble panels and bordered by a deep continuous frieze and its vaults are adorned with mosaics with geometric motifs and crosses on a gold background.

Nine doors lead from the inner narthex into the nave. The tall entryway at the center is called the Imperial Door and is crowned by a mosaic depicting an emperor prostrating before Christ Pantocrator, flanked by portraits of the Virgin and Archangel Gabriel. The nave is roughly twice as long as it is wide without the flanking galleries and it measures 73.5 meters long and 69.5 meters wide including the galleries. It has four niches at the corners, which are carved into the aisle and galleries. A grand dome, raised 56 meters from the ground, crowns the nave. Its forty windows, located between supporting ribs at the base, give the impression of floating. At its apex, originally adorned with a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, is a calligraphic medallion quoting the Light Verse (24:35), inscribed by Mustafa Izzet Efendi during the Fossati restoration. The weight of the dome is carried on pendentives and four colossal piers, which are connected by arcades separating the aisle and galleries. The aisle is significantly taller than the galleries, where the intercolumnal width has been kept smaller to maintain the proportion. To the northwest and southeast, single arches braced by large semi-domes receive the lateral loads and distribute it to three smaller semi-domes that crown the nave niches and - to the southeast - the sanctuary apse.

The length of clear span afforded by the combination of the central dome and the semi-domes was unprecedented at the time of Hagia Sophia's construction. To the northeast and southwest, in contrast, heavy double arches and pier buttresses were erected to counter the thrust of the dome. The disparity of the type and strength of structural support provided by the these two supporting systems has in time caused the elliptical deformation of the dome base, whose diameter varies from 32.2 meters on the longitudinal axis to 32.7 meters along the transverse axis. Other factors, such as haste of original construction and uneven repair of vaulting through the centuries have multiplied the effects of the deformation, also visible on the piers and the grand arches. Flying buttresses were added to the northwest façade as early as the 9th or 10th century, supplemented by the construction of buttresses to the south and southeast by Andronicus II in early 13th century, amended by the Ottomans. These additions, among others, have transformed the exterior appearance of the church and the quality of light inside the nave and galleries.

The nave is paved with marble panels, which were revealed after the prayer rugs were removed in 1934. Its porphyry and verde antico columns, which were gathered from pagan temples of Western Anatolia, are crowned with elaborately carved capitals that bear the monogram of Justinian I. The decorative cornices separating the aisle, gallery and clerestory levels brace the structure and provide lateral support. There are no figural mosaics remaining of the original decoration of the church, which lasted well into the rule of Justinius II (565-578) after the completion of the structure. Of the mosaics set after the Iconoclastic era (726-842), some were lost to earthquakes, water damage and, most recently, tourists. The oldest mosaic in the church is found in the apse semi-dome and depicts the Virgin and the Child. Two angels are depicted on the semi-dome arch; the one on the right, mostly intact, is Archangel Gabriel. Above, to the left and right, mosaics of local saints lined up below clerestory windows and frescoes depicting Seraphim adorn the pendentives. A large amount of mosaics remains covered in the dome, whose roofing was recently renovated to prevent water damage during their conservation. Some of the most famous mosaics, including a Deisis panel and imperial portraits, are found in the southwest gallery, which was used for religious meetings and ceremonies.

There are many Ottoman additions visible in the nave, many of which were transformed during the Fossati restoration. Among earlier Ottoman work are two 16th century tile panels to the right of the mihrab, which depict the Holy Ka'aba and the other, shows the tomb of the Prophet. A band of blue tiles with Koranic inscriptions, signed 1607, wrap the sanctuary apsis below the window level. The marble minbar also believed to be of this period. There are four marble platforms abutting the piers; these and the muezzin's platform (müezzin mahfili) were built by Murad III in late 16th century. Murad IV (1612-1640) added the marble preacher's pulpit (kürsü), located next to the eastern niche. Working between 1847-49 under Abdülmecid II, The Fossati brothers rebuilt the mihrab and the sultan's lodge in the contemporary style and renovated the sultan's kiosk (hünkar köskü) to the north of the church, which provides access into the lodge from the exterior. Eight colossal disks, bearing the names of God, the Prophet, the four Caliphs and the two sons of Ali, were commissioned to calligrapher Kazasker Izzet Efendi and replaced older panels hanging on the piers. These works have been kept in place after secularization, while other calligraphic panels were taken to the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. The wrought iron chandeliers and the stained glass windows in the sanctuary are also from the Fossati redecoration.

The Hagia Sophia has four minarets at its corners that were added at different times. The brick minaret at the southern corner is attributed to Mehmed II, and a second stone minaret was added to the north by Mimar Sinan during his restoration. The remaining two minarets are identical and date from the Murad III period.

Sources:

Dirimtekin, Feridun. [1964]. Saint Sophia Museum. Istanbul: Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey.

Fossati, Gaspare. 1852. Aya Sofia, Constantinople : as recently restored by order of H. M. the sultan Abdul-Medjid. London: R. & C. Colnagni & Co.

Hoffmann, Volker. 1999. Die Hagia Sophia in Istanbul : Bilder aus sechs Jahrhunderten und Gaspare Fossatis Restaurierung der Jahre 1847-1849. Bern : P. Lang.

Lethaby, W. R. and Harold Swainson. 1894. The church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople; a study of Byzantine building. London, New York: Macmillan & Co.

Mark, Robert and Ahmet S. Çakmak. 1992. Hagia Sophia from the age of Justinian to the present. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Mainstone, Rowland J. 1997. Hagia Sophia: architecture, structure, and liturgy of Justinian's great church. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Van Nice, R.L. 1965. Saint Sophia in Istanbul; an architectural survey. Washington, D. C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies.

Greek Orthodox Christian Byzantine Music in Hagia Sofia - Istanbul, Turkey

2010-06-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the Only True and Apostolic Church

2010-06-05T15:35:00.001-07:00

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

INTRODUCTION TO THE JESUS PRAYER by H.R.H. Princess Ileana of Romania (Mother Alexandra)

2010-05-24T21:49:00.004-07:00

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

     I have often read the Jesus Prayer in prayer books and heard it in church, but my attention was drawn to it first some years ago in Romania. There in a small Monastery of Sâmbata, tucked away at the foot of the Carpathians in the heart of the deep forest, its little white church reflected in a crystal-clear mountain pond, I met a monk who practiced the "prayer of the heart". Profound peace and silence reigned at Sâmbata in those days; it was a place of rest and strength—I pray God it still is.
     I have wandered far since I last saw Sâmbata, and all the while the Jesus Prayer lay as a precious gift buried in my heart. It remained inactive until a few years ago, when I read The Way of a Pilgrim. Since then I have been seeking to practice it continually. At times I lapse; nonetheless, the prayer has opened unbelievable vistas within my heart and soul.
     The Jesus Prayer, or the Prayer of the Heart, centers on the Holy Name itself. It may be said in its entirety: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner;" it may be changed to "us sinners" or to other persons named, or it may be shortened. The power lies in the name of Jesus; thus "Jesus," alone, may fulfill the whole need of the one who prays.
     The Prayer goes back to the New Testament and has had a long, traditional use. The method of contemplation based upon the Holy Name is attributed to St. Simeon, called the "New Theologian" (949-1022). When he was 14 years old, St. Simeon had a vision of heavenly light in which he seemed to be separated from his body. Amazed, and overcome with an overpowering joy, he felt a consuming humility, and cried, borrowing the Publican's prayer (Luke 18:13), "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me." Long after the vision had disappeared, the great joy returned to St. Simeon each time he repeated the prayer; and he taught his disciples to worship likewise. The prayer evolved into its expanded form: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner." In this guise it has come down to us from generation to generation of pious monks and laymen.

Mother Alexandra (1909-1991) of Holy Transfiguration Monastery,

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

     The invocation of the Holy Name is not peculiar to the Orthodox Church but is used by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Protestants, though to a lesser degree. On Mount Sinai and Athos the monks worked out a whole system of contemplation based upon this simple prayer, practiced in complete silence. These monks came to be known as "Quietists" (in Greek: "Hesychasts").
     St. Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), the last of the great Church Fathers, became the exponent of the Hesychasts. He won, after a long drawn out battle, an irrefutable place for the Jesus Prayer and the Quietists within the Church. In the 18th century when tsardom hampered monasticism in Russia, and the Turks crushed Orthodoxy in Greece, the Neamtzu monastery in Moldavia (Romania) became one of the great centers for the Jesus Prayer.
     The Prayer is held to be so outstandingly spiritual because it is focused wholly on Jesus: all thoughts, striving, hope, faith and love are outpoured in devotion to God the Son. It fulfills two basic injunctions of the New Testament. In one, Jesus said: "I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16: 23, 24). In the other precept we find St. Paul's injunction to pray without ceasing, (1. Thess. 5:17). Further, it follows Jesus' instructions upon how to pray (which He gave at the same time He taught His followers the Lord's Prayer): "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:6).

H.R.H. Princess Ileana of Romania

     And Jesus taught that all impetus, good and bad, originates in men's hearts. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45).
     Upon these and many other precepts of the New Testament as well as the Old, the Holy Fathers, even before St. Simeon, based their fervent and simple prayer. They developed a method of contemplation in which unceasing prayer became as natural as breathing, following the rhythmic cadence of the heart beat.
     All roads that lead to God are beset with pitfalls because the enemy (Satan) ever lies in wait to trip us up. He naturally attacks most assiduously when we are bent on finding our way to salvation, for that is what he most strives to hinder. In mystical prayer the temptations we encounter exceed all others in danger; because our thoughts are on a higher level, the allurements are proportionally subtler. Someone said that "mysticism started in mist and ended in schism"; this cynical remark, spoken by an unbeliever, has a certain truth in it. Mysticism is of real spiritual value only when it is practiced with absolute sobriety.
     At one time a controversy arose concerning certain Quietists who fell into excessive acts of piety and fasting because they lost the sense of moderation upon which our Church lays so great a value. We need not dwell upon misuses of the Jesus Prayer, except to realize that all exaggerations are harmful and that we should at all times use self-restraint. "Practice of the Jesus Prayer is the traditional fulfillment of the injunction of the Apostle Paul to 'pray always:' it has nothing to do with the mysticism which is the heritage of pagan ancestry."
     The Orthodox Church is full of deep mystic life which she guards and encompasses with the strength of her traditional rules; thus her mystics seldom go astray. "The 'ascetical life' is a life in which 'acquired' virtues, i.e. virtues resulting from a personal effort, only accompanied by that general grace which God grants to every good will, prevail. The 'mystical life' is a life in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are predominant over human efforts, and in which 'infused' virtues are predominant over the 'acquired' ones; the soul has become more passive than active. Let us use a classical comparison. Between the ascetic life, that is, the life in which human action predominates, and the mystical life, that is, the life in which God's action predominates, there is the same difference as between rowing a boat and sailing it; the oar is the ascetic effort, the sail is the mystical passivity which is unfurled to catch the divine wind." The Jesus Prayer is the core of mystical prayer, and it can be used by anyone, at any time. There is nothing mysterious about this (let us not confuse "mysterious" with "mystic"). We start by following the precepts and examples frequently given by our Lord. First, go aside into a quiet place: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile" (Mark 6:31); "Study to be quiet" (I. Thess. 4: 11); then pray in secret—alone and in silence.
     The phrases "to pray in secret, alone and in silence" need, I feel, a little expanding. "Secret" should be understood as it is used in the Bible: for instance, Jesus tells us to do our charity secretly-not letting the left hand know what the right one does. We should not parade our devotions, nor boast about them. "Alone" means to separate ourselves from our immediate surroundings and disturbing influences. As a matter of fact, never are we in so much company as when we pray". . . seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. . ." (Hebrews 12:1). The witnesses are all those who pray: Angels, Archangels, saints and sinners, the living and the dead. It is in prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, that we become keenly aware of belonging to the living body of Christ. In "silence" implies that we do not speak our prayer audibly. We do not even meditate on the words; we use them only to reach beyond them to the essence itself.
     In our busy lives this is not easy, yet it can be done-we can each of us find a few minutes in which to use a prayer consisting of only a few words, or even only one. This prayer should be repeated quietly, unhurriedly, thoughtfully. Each thought should be concentrated on Jesus, forgetting all else, both joys and sorrows. Any stray thought, however good or pious, can become an obstacle.
     When you embrace a dear one you do not stop to meditate how and why you love—you just love wholeheartedly. It is the same when spiritually we grasp Jesus the Christ to our heart. If we pay heed to the depth and quality of our love, it means that we are preoccupied with our own reactions, rather than giving ourselves unreservedly to Jesus —holding nothing back. Think the prayer as you breathe in and out; calm both mind and body, using as rhythm the heartbeat. Do not search for words, but go on repeating the Prayer, or Jesus' name alone, in love and adoration. That is ALL! Strange—in this little there is more than all!
     It is good to have regular hours for prayer and to retire whenever possible to the same room or place, possibly before an icon. The icon is loaded with the objective presence of the One depicted, and thus greatly assists our invocation. Orthodox monks and nuns find that to use a rosary helps to keep the attention fixed. Or you may find it best quietly to close your eyes—focusing them inward.
     The Jesus Prayer can be used for worship and petition; as intercession, invocation, adoration, and as thanksgiving. It is a means by which we lay all that is in our hearts, both for God and man, at the feet of Jesus. It is a means of communion with God and with all those who pray. The fact that we can train our hearts to go on praying even when we sleep, keeps us uninterruptedly within the community of prayer. This is no fanciful statement; many have experienced this life-giving fact. We cannot, of course, attain this continuity of prayer all at once, but it is achievable; for all that is worthwhile we must ". . . run with patience the race that is set before us . . ." (Hebrews 12:1).
     I had a most striking proof of uninterrupted communion with all those who pray when I lately underwent surgery. I lay long under anesthesia. "Jesus" had been my last conscious thought, and the first word on my lips as I awoke. It was marvelous beyond words to find that although I knew nothing of what was happening to my body I never lost cognizance of being prayed-for and of praying myself. After such an experience one no longer wonders that there are great souls who devote their lives exclusively to prayer.
     Prayer has always been of very real importance to me, and the habit formed in early childhood of morning and evening prayer has never left me; but in the practice of the Jesus Prayer I am but a beginner. I would, nonetheless, like to awaken interest in this prayer because, even if I have only touched the hem of a heavenly garment, I have touched it—and the joy is so great I would share it with others. It is not every man's way of prayer; you may not find in it the same joy that I find, for your way may be quite a different one—yet equally bountiful.
     In fear and joy, in loneliness and companionship, it is ever with me. Not only in the silence of daily devotions, but at all times and in all places. It transforms, for me, frowns into smiles; it beautifies, as if a film had been washed off an old picture so that the colors appear clear and bright, like nature on a warm spring day after a shower. Even despair has become attenuated and repentance has achieved its purpose.
     When I arise in the morning, it starts me joyfully upon a new day. When I travel by air, land, or sea, it sings within my breast. When I stand upon a platform and face my listeners, it beats encouragement. When I gather my children around me, it murmurs a blessing. And at the end of a weary day, when I lay me down to rest, I give my heart over to Jesus: "(Lord) into thy hands I commend my spirit". I sleep—but my heart as it beats prays on: "JESUS".

Ecumenismul in arta bisericeasca

2010-05-17T22:17:00.006-07:00

Parte centrale

La Madre di Dio in trono con Gesù e due angeli ai lati

Biserica ortodoxa la Cluj pictata de pictorul Papei

BISERICA ORTODOXĂ ”SCHIMBAREA LA FAŢĂ” - CLUJ, ROMÂNIA

Bd. Eroilor 24-26

Chiesa ortodossa della Trasfigurazione

"Pictura în spirit ecumenic este o premieră la Cluj şi vine să atenueze conflictul dintre greco-catolici şi ortodocşi, cel puţin la nivel simbolic."

Radu Preda

Biserica ortodoxă de pe Bulevardul Eroilor va fi pictată de pictorul papilor Ioan Paul al II-lea şi Benedict al XVI-lea şi de un artist plastic timişorean.

Marko Ivan Rupnik, pictorul personal al Papei Ioan Paul al II-lea şi al Papei Benedict al XVI-lea, este implicat într-un proiect artistic religios de tip ecumenic, demarat de Mitropolia Clujului, Albei, Crişanei şi Maramureşului. împreună cu artistul plastic timişorean Silviu Oravitzan, el va picta interiorul Bisericii Ortodoxe “Schimbarea la Faţă” de pe B-dul Eroilor.

Cel care a iniţiat acest proiect a fost teologul Radu Preda, de la Centrul de Cercetări Interreligioase. “E voba de un ecumenism al frumuseţii. Partea cu lemn aurit o să o facă Oravitzan, iar mozaicul catolicul iezuit, Marko Ivan Rubnik. Cei doi reuşesc să-şi îmbine stilurile pentru a crea un tot unitar”, a spus Preda. Acesta a povestit reporterului ZIUA de CLUJ şi cum s-a ajuns la această colaborare.

“Artiştii s-au întâlnit la New York, unde Oravitzan a avut o expoziţie la Muzeul de Artă Catolică, iar Rupnik le-a remarcat. De aici a venit ideea de a lucra în comun”, a spus Preda. Pictura în spirit ecumenic este o premieră la Cluj şi vine să atenueze conflictul dintre greco-catolici şi ortodocşi, cel puţin la nivel simbolic.

Cei doi artişti plastici au vizitat ieri dimineaţă biserica împreună cu Mitropolitul Bartolomeu, teologul Radu Preda, mijlocitorul acţiunii, consilierul cultural al Mitropoliei, Ştefan Iloaie şi preotul paroh Titus Moldovan. Consilierii Mitropolitului i-au arătat acestuia planşe cu viitoarele picturi şi mozaicuri ce vor împodobi biserica, iar acestea au fost analizate împreună cu pictorul Papei, timp de o oră.

“Dorim să arătăm prin această operă comună că creştinii din întreaga Europă pot să lucreze împreună. Să arătăm lumii ca îl iubim pe Dumnezeu”, a spus Rupnik. Finalizarea lucrărilor se estimează a avea loc în decembrie 2009.

Singurul pictor agreat atât de Papa Ioan Paul al II-lea, cât şi de Benedict al XVI-lea, slovenul Marko Ivan Rupnik este o personalitate complexă, în care gânditorul creştin se întâlneşte cu artistul plastic de mare talent. Profesor la Universitatea Gregoriană din Roma, Rubnik este autorul unor volume valoroase de reflecţie teologică şi artistică, cum ar fi “Arta, memorie a comuniunii”, “Cuvânt şi imagine”, “în focul rugului aprins”.

Ca artist, în afara picturii expuse în diverse oraşe europene, este autorul mozaicului monumental al Capelei Redemptoris Mater din Palatul Apostolic de la Vatican. Rupnik a venit la Cluj din partea Centrului “Aletti” de la Roma, centru de creaţie artistică religioasă condus de renumitul cardinal Thomas Spidlik. Rupnik şi Spidlik au publicat împreună în 2002 la editura Dacia un volum important de teologie intitulat “Credinţă şi Icoană”.

Marco Ivan Rupnik, pictorul Papilor Ioan Paul al ll-lea şi Benedict al Vl-lea, a venit la Cluj-Napoca să realizeze pictura interioară din Biserica „Schimbarea la Faţă”.

Proiectul este unic prin faptul că o biserică ortodoxă este pictată de un pictor catolic şi de un artist plastic român, Silviu Oravi Oravitzan.

„Vom folosi o tehnică veche, care constă în mozaic din ceramică poleit cu aur. Eu mă inspir din iconografia primului mileniu şi sper din tot sufletul ca acest proiect să reuşească, deoarece adevăratul spirit creştin este acela care ne ţine împreună”, a declarat, ieri, Marco Ivan Rupnik.

Cel care a avut ideea de a-l aduce pe Rupnik la Cluj este cunoscutul teolog Radu Preda. „Am fost în apartamentele private ale Papei de la Vatican şi în capela privată şi am văzut picturile lui Ivan Rupnik. Atunci mi-a venit ideea să îi pun la aceeaşi masă pe Silviu Oravitzan şi pe Ivan Rupnik”, a spus Radu Preda.

ICONOGRAFIA

Parte superiore: etimasia

L’angelo accanto al trono

Il volto della Madre di Dio

Cristo benedicente

Particolare dell’etimasia

Particolare

Etimasia

In tutte le chiese bizantine, dietro l’iconostasi c’è l’altare sul quale è sempre posta la Sacra Scrittura aperta e tutto è pronto per la santa liturgia. L’immagine più vicina all’altare è il Cristo sacerdote tra i gerarchi. Questo crea un bellissimo scenario della santa liturgia, l’unico sacerdozio è quello di Cristo che attraverso l’episcopato ininterrottamente si compie attraverso il sacerdote che entra dietro l’iconostasi per celebrare.

C’è un’ininterrotta linea da Cristo fino ad oggi che fa visibilmente percepire la dimensione transtemporale della liturgia. Ma normalmente in alto, sopra l’altare, all’interno dell’arco absidale, si trova rappresentata l’etimasía, un motivo iconografico cristiano di origine orientale, composto essenzialmente da un trono sormontato da una croce (dal greco he hetoimasía tu thrónu, “la preparazione del trono”). Si tratta del trono fatto in modo da diventare l’altare sul quale è posta la Parola di Dio. Dietro ad esso si alza la croce con i segni della passione: la corona, la lancia, il bastone con l’issopo... Accanto ci sono due angeli o due cherubini, che appartengono a quella classe di esseri celesti che si copre il volto con le ali. Il significato teologico è chiaro: lo stesso libro che è sull’altare è anche in cielo, l’autorità della sua veridicità è testimoniata dall’incarnazione e dalla passione.

Questo verbo incarnato in Gesù Cristo, morto e risorto, vive l’eterna liturgia in cielo presso il Padre. E lo stesso Cristo vive e si manifesta nel suo corpo che è la Chiesa e celebra la santa liturgia sulla terra. Si esplicitano così i due registri della liturgia del corpo di Cristo. La Chiesa attende la seconda venuta del nostro Signore quando questi verrà e si siederà sul trono, a giudicare la storia secondo la parola “come in cielo così in terra”. Il libro dell’etimasía e dell’altare è lo stesso: e il giudizio sarà sul criterio della Parola resa carne, consumata nell’amore che è la Pasqua. I segni della passione fanno da schienale al trono della Parola. La linea orizzontale, che è quella che ha portato alla passione di Cristo, si incontra così con la linea verticale che unisce il cielo alla terra. Il sacerdozio che attraversa la storia compie il suo ministero sull’asse verticale.

ICONOSTASUL

Iconostasul este realizat de artistul Silviu Oravitzan

ARHITECTURA

Surse:

Parohia Ortodoxă ”Schimbarea La Față”

CENTRO ALETTI

Theologhia

Manastirea Chiajna (Chiajna Monastery - Bucharest, Romania)

2010-05-07T13:17:00.005-07:00

Aproape ca uitasem de Manastirea Chiajna si de soarta ei trista. Azi insa mi-am amintit de ctitoria lui Mavrogheni citind un articol in Romania Libera, editia online, articol pe care il preiau partial. Ironia face ca in acelasi ziar am citit articolul Politicienii miluiesc Biserica pentru succesul în alegeri. Oare cand ne vom milui si de Manastirea Chiajna?

La prima vedere, România nu e prea bogată în monumente istorice, dar ar putea fi, dacă ar avea guvernanţi demni de măreţia trecutului.

Mânăstirea Chiajna, monument istoric şi de artă de la sfârşitul veacului al XVIII-lea, deşi ruinată, impresionează şi astăzi prin mărime, ca şi prin ceea ce a mai rămas din frumuseţea ei de altădată. Monumentul a fost înconjurat de nenumărate legende.

Ctitorul acestei măreţe mânăstiri a fost Nicolae Mavrogheni, iubitor de artă şi de fast, care a domnit între anii 1786 şi 1790. Biserica a fost construită în stil neoclasic, cu un plan arhitectural deosebit de interesant şi frumos. Au lucrat la ea aceiaşi meşteri care au ridicat şi conacul Văcăreştilor, din apropierea Târgoviştei, azi şi el ruinat. Se pare că, deşi a fost terminată, nu a fost târnosită, întrucât ctitorul ei, bănuit de trădare, a fost mazilit şi ucis de turci, sosiţi la Bucureşti în vederea războiului cu austriecii şi cu ruşii, la care era nevoită să ia parte şi oastea Ţării Româneşti. A rămas legenda că în această biserică nu s-ar fi slujit niciodată, fiind bombardată de turci chiar înainte de târnosire, sub pretextul că impunătoarea mânăstire ar fi mai degrabă o cetate. După alte surse, sfântul lăcaş ar fi fost părăsit în vremea ciumei de pe timpul unui Ipsilanti. Alte izvoare spun că mânăstirea ar fi funcţionat la 1792, dar ar fi fost părăsită în vremea ciumei de pe timpul domnitorului Mihai Suţu. Printre legendele care înconjoară Mânăstirea Chiajna se află şi una care spune că însuşi mitropolitul Ţării Româneşti, Cozma, ar fi murit de ciumă chiar în această biserică. Apoi, clopotul ei cel mare ar fi fost aruncat în apele revărsate ale Dâmboviţei şi, după spusele localnicilor, se aude bătând în nopţile cu Lună Plină. Numele mânăstirii a fost pus în legătură cu celebra doamnă Chiajna, deşi nu are nici o legătură cu apriga eroină, doar că se află pe o fostă moşie a acesteia.

Adrian Bucurescu, RL

Cititi articolul aici.

Biserica Sfântului Mormânt (Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Jerusalem)

2010-04-02T10:01:00.006-07:00

The holiest site in Christianity: the tomb of Christ inside the edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This slab is believed to be where Jesus' body was laid in the tomb. The vase of candles marks the place where his head was. The banner behind it varies with the liturgical seasons: this one is after Easter and says "Christ is Risen."

The edicule and large dome over the site of the tomb of Christ, in the Rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The layout and location of the Rotunda has not changed since Constantine built the first church here in the 4th century.

View of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. On the left is the Crusader facade and entrance courtyard and the truncated Crusader bell tower. The larger blue dome is directly over the tomb of the Christ; the smaller one is over the Catholicon (Greek Orthodox cathedral). The small white dome is near Calvary. On the far right is the roof, which includes the humble structures of Ethiopian Orthodox monks. The dome just seen on the far right is over the Chapel of St. Helen.

Floor plan

The ambulatory to the northwest of the central edicule (Sepulchre) in the Rotunda. The sunlight comes from an oculus in the large dome above the edicule.

View of the edicule (tomb of Christ) and the Catholicon (Greek Orthodox cathedral) from an upper gallery.

The Chapel of Adam, located directly beneath Calvary and entered via a door near the Stone of Unction.

View at the top of the stairs of Calvary or Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified. The first chapel (right) is owned by the Catholics and is Station 11 on the Via Dolorosa. Just beyond that (center) is a small statue of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, which is Station 13. On the far left is the Greek Orthodox Calvary, which contains the actual Rock of Calvary (Station 12) around which this church was built.

Stairway to Calvary, located on the right just inside the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Pilgrims at the stone of unction.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) by Eastern Christians, is a large Christian church within the Old City of Jerusalem. The ground the church rests on is venerated by many Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary where the New Testament records that Jesus Christ was crucified. It also contains the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century, and the portions of it administered by the Orthodox are in the care of the Church of Jerusalem. The Church commemorates the founding of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on September 13.

The initial building was founded by Constantine the Great in 335, after he had removed a pagan temple on the site that was possibly the Temple of Aphrodite built by Hadrian. Constantine had sent his mother St. Helen to find the site; during excavations she is said to have discovered the True Cross. The church was built around the excavated hill of the Crucifixion and was actually three connected churches built over the three different holy sites, including a great basilica (the Martyrium visited by the nun Egeria in the 380s), an enclosed colonnaded atrium (the Triportico) built around the traditional Rock of Calvary, and a rotunda, called the Anastasis ("Resurrection"), which contained the remains of the cave that St. Helen and St. Macarius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, had identified with the burial site of Jesus. The surrounding rock was cut away, and the Tomb was encased in a structure called the Edicule (from the Latin aediculum, small building) in the center of the rotunda. The dome of the rotunda was completed by the end of the 4th century. Article continues here.

Articolul in limba româna este aici.

*** 360° Virtual tour of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

Cuvîntul-clopot

2010-03-31T14:55:00.005-07:00

Schitul Prodromu

† Cel ce face din Evanghelia scrisa o Evanghelie traita l-a aflat pe Hristos.

† Mintea ceea ce iubeste la aceea se gandeste, de iubesti pe Dumnezeu, la el te gandesti mereu.

† De vrei mintea s-o sfintesti,

Pe Hristos sa-l pomenesti,

Cu cat mai mult te vei sili,

Prezenta Lui o vei simti.

† Traiesc ca-n vis, traiesc ca-n noapte, de nimic nu-s sigur ca de moarte.

† Scump e timpul ce-l traim, el spune sa ne silim.

† Timpul sta in mana ta, sa faci din el ce vei vrea.

† Acum e timpul sa te silesti, talantul sa-l inmultesti.

† La moarte te vei gandi, timpul scump tie-ti va fi
Nu-l vei pierde asa usor, nici gandind, nici vorbitor.

† De vrei sa razi cand vei muri, trebuie sa plangi cand vei trai,
Iar viata ta asa sa-ti fie, sa astepti moartea cu bucurie.

† Cel mai fericit om esti, Cand cu Dumnezeu vorbesti.

† Fapta buna ce o faci, cu smerenie s-ombraci,
Ca Dumnezeu mult iubeste, pe omul ce se smereste.

† Azi toata lumea se sileste,
Sa traiasca-nparateste,
Dar de suflet nu grijeste.

† Sfarsitul cum te-a aflat, asa vei fi judecat.

† Sileste-te, fii treaz mereu, sa-L ai viu pe Dumnezeu.

† Cel ce va face si va invata, acela mare om se va chema.

Cugetarile athonite au fost rostite de parintele Iulian de la schitul romanesc Prodromu si notate de Mihai Scemtovici.

Schitul Prodromu de la Sfîntul Munte

Forme vechi si noi in spatiul monahal athonit

2010-03-26T12:09:00.012-07:00

Foto: Iulian Capsali

Church of the Annunciation (Biserica Bunei Vestiri) - Nazareth, Israel

2010-03-25T14:43:00.002-07:00

St. Gabriel Greek-Orthodox Church is located in the center of the downtown Nazareth, on the main road, near Mary's Well water trough structure. According to the Greek Orthodox tradition, this was the place where Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, was announced by the angel Gabriel that she will have a son of God. Note that the Catholics have an alternative location of the Annunciation - at the Basilica of Annunciation.

The church is located over an underground spring, which according to Eastern Orthodox belief is where the Virgin Mary was drawing water at the time of the Annunciation. Water from the spring still runs inside the apse of the church and also fed the adjacent site of Mary's Well, located 150 yards (140 m) away.

Cine şi cum proiectează bisericile mântuirii neamului românesc?

2010-03-22T11:11:00.005-07:00

Catedrala

arh. Nic Tulban

Deci, Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului nu va fi nici mică, nici mare, nici ieftină, nici scumpă, ci, sperăm, un simbol al sufletului românesc în rugăciune înălţătoare la cer! „Întrucât o biserică ortodoxă este învelişul arhitectural al unui conţinut spiritual, şi anume comuniunea oamenilor credincioşi cu Hristos – capul Bisericii celei vii, „Acelaşi ieri, astăzi şi în veci” (Evrei 13, 8) fiecare biserică ortodoxă trebuie să exprime eternitatea în timp, deci în fiecare veac. Iar amprenta de veac se vede în ceea ce se aduce nou ca un reflex şi ca o ofrandă a veacului respectiv, nu numai privitor la materialele construcţiei, ci şi ca interpretare a spaţiului sacru. (PF Daniel)

Biserica este întruchipare, nu este înveliș. Arhitectul nu plăsmuiește 'coji', ci, prin lucrarea sa creatoare, prezintă, în volume și spaţii, chiar Liturghia. Spaţiul creat este întruchiparea întregii lumi, a spaţiului vieţii pământești a Mântuitorului și a spaţiului Eshatonului. Tocmai aici este ceea ce nu se înţelege, nici de către arhitectul laic, nici de către teologul liturgist: lucrarea arhitectului este act liturgic, nu este doar carapacea în care acesta are loc. Spațiul liturgic se află într-o situație critică acum – spațiul nu este înțeles de cei care au ceva în comun cu Liturghia (clerul), iar liturgica nu este înțeleasă de cei care conformează spațiul (arhitecții). Depășirea acestei dihotomii este esențială pentru punerea problemei încă din faza embrionară a arhtiecturii unei așa-numite catedrale a întregii țări. Spațiul bisericii trebuie înțeles întotdeauna împreună cu clădirea care-l determină, trebuie înțeles permanent ca fiind determinat liturgic. Prin reducere la absurd, presupunând că arhitectul nu realizează decât “învelişul arhitectural”, acesta nu poate fi înţeles decât ca generator de eterogenitate. Forma lui îm această ipoteză nu poate fi dată de altceva decât de imaginaţia (sau de alte atribute exclusive ale) arhitectului. Spaţiul astfel creat este unul din multele spaţii create de om, ca răspunsuri la varii programe arhitecturale. Nu este cu nimic mai presus sau mai prejos decât alte spaţii, în care au loc alte activităţi umane, cu un conţinut mai mult sau mai puţin spiritual. El nu mai este astfel spațiul iconic al bisericii. Omul nu îl mai percepe ca pelerin, credincios, ci ca simplu călător, vizitator.

Dimpotrivă, abordând lucrarea arhitectului ca lucrare liturgică, ea nu mai este înveliș, ea este parte a liturghiei. Ea intră în relaţie cu cele trei spaţii pomenite mai sus – cosmosul întreg, spaţiul Țării Sfinte și spaţiul Eshatonului – și exprimă în forme această relaţie. Exprimarea ei în timp nu trebuie făcută în metoda modernă, pe care o avem de la Leibniz și Newton – calculul diferenţial și integral. Noi nu suntem nevoiţi a împărţi timpul în veacuri (diferenţiere) - și a-l determina pe cel în care trăim, urmând ca apoi să integrăm, pentru a simboliza comuniunea din toate veacurile. Exprimarea ei în timp se face în primul rând prin trăire ortodoxă. Această trăire nu se poate realiza decât în comuniune liturgică. Din acest motiv am putea saluta inițiativa Patriarhiei de a încredința lucrările de proiectare unui colectiv cât mai larg de arhitecți. Astfel, spațiul catedralei ar fi realizat nu în ultimul rând prin trăirea ortodoxă și a arhitecților (nu doar a specialiștilor în aceasta, i.e. clerul, vorba prof. Răducă la conferinţa televizată transmisă în seara de 9.03.10 la Trinitas TV). Dar 'liantul' pentru o asemenea comuniune ortodoxă în arhitectură este Hristos, nu o 'ilustrare de temă' elaborată la nivelul unei documentaţii tehnice. Iar în comunicatele Patriarhiei nu s-a pus niciodată problema astfel. Modul ierarhilor de a vedea biserica imensă în care se va afla (dacă se va construi) Patriarhia nu a fost prezentat liturgic, ci doar ilustrat printr-un anteproiect discutabil. Poveștile actualului patriarh despre turlele din Bucovina care înțeapă cerul sau despre spațiul de cult care înfățișează cele trei regiuni istorice românești nu pot fi luate în seamă decât pentru a iți câteva zâmbete.

Citi mai departe aici

Arhitectul și Liturghia

arh. Nic Tulban

Considerând tema ca fiind un dat (imuabil, de către un om presupus infailibil) arhitectul trebuie să se conformeze ei fără posibilitate de tăgadă; el nu poate fi decât un “traducător” din limbajul textului în limbajul formelor de arhitectură. Are de înfruntat și de rezolvat (poate la fel de imuabil) toate dificultățile semantice pe care i le ridică atât înțelegerea primului, cât și exprimarea în cel de-al doilea. Printre acestea se insinuează și problemele de compatibilitate între textul temei și situl în care edificiul urmează a se edifica, pe de o parte, iar pe de altă parte, interferențele între datele de temă, datele de sit și formarea culturală a arhitectului. Rezultatul, constituit în primul rând din proiectul de arhitectură și apoi (cel puțin cronologic) în edificiul proiectat, este tributar a două surse de “informații”: datele de temă și datele din substratul personal pe care arhitectul le folosește pentru a interpreta și înțelege datele de temă.

Cum se pune problema la construirea unei biserici? În cel mai bun caz, datele de temă sunt primite prin viu grai sau în scris, de către arhitect, de la preot. Ele conțin atât o serie de parametri pe care edificiul trebuie să-i respecte (funcțiunile conexe spațiului liturgic, număr de credincioși, etc.), cât și o serie de idei mai mult sau mai puțin preconocepute, pe care preotul le “livrează” împreună. Acestea pot fi constituite din diverși alți parametri, de obicei geometrici, ai clădirii – de pildă înălțime; pot conține și relații cu situl – vizibilitate din anumite puncte, de exemplu vederea crucii ca dominând alte diferite edificii din vecinătate; preconcepții legate de configurația planimetrică – de obicei este solicitată simbolica crucii în plan, dar se pleacă și de la alte forme de obiecte în uz liturgic – cum ar fi potirul. Clerici cunoscători în ale arhitecturii liturgice (și nu doar) leagă, prin prezentarea temei, simbolizarea latinității neamului nostru de dimensiuni monumentale dar și de planul basilical, considerând această latinitate, asemenea celor de la Blaj, determinantă pentru expresia ortodoxă (pentru cazul nostru, în arhitectură). Această paletă de date de intrare, de cele mai multe ori eterogene dacă nu chiar contradictorii, este asimilată de arhitect prin intermediul cunoștințelor sale într-ale bisericii. Problema acestei asimilări este de cele mai multe ori imposibil de rezolvat fără compromisuri. Iar compromisurile sunt vizibile în primul rând în bisericile edificate în ultima vreme și în siturile pe care acestea le domină.

Cititi mai departe aici

Un pelerin la Sfântul Munte

2010-03-21T01:42:00.007-07:00

Anul trecut in decembrie prietenul Iulian Capsali a fost in pelerinaj la Muntele Athos, mai precis la Manastirea Vatopedou si la Schitul Sf. Ipatie. Ii multumesc pentru ca mi-a ingaduit sa public aceste frumoase fotografii. (Foto: Alistair Ian Blyth)

Romanian Orthodox Monasteries (Manastiri din Romania)

2010-03-12T10:12:00.004-07:00

Chile's earthquake (February 27, 2010) destroyed the Church of the Divine Providence

2010-03-11T12:15:00.005-07:00

Photo by Santiago Vanegas

One of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history rocked Chile on Saturday, February 27, 2010 killing more than 700 people, toppling buildings and freeways. The Church of the Divine Providence in Avenue Providencia of Santiago, Chile, suffered structural damage from the tremors. This photo was taken a few hours after the earthquake.

Still recovering from a monstrous earthquake last month, Chile was rocked this morning (March 11, 2010) by a significant 7.2 magnitude earthquake. That temblor was then followed by magnitude 6.9 and 6.0 quakes.

Update, 9:39am MST - The USGS has downgraded the largest quake today to a magnitude 6.9 and the second to a 6.7. Since the major magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck that nation on February 27th, aftershocks have continued to frighten residents and threaten to collapse already weakened structures.

Frescoes explained - Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, Butte, MT

2010-02-08T00:07:00.002-07:00

Pantocrator – The Ruler of all (The Lord Almighty); Exodus 3:14; Revelation 1:8; 4:8

“And God said unto Moses, I am that I am: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14) “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation) 1:8 “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8) When one enters the Orthodox Church, the immediate message that is conveyed is that “God is with us.” This is certainly communicated by the Fresco or image of Christ written inside the very top of the dome. In this image, He looks down on the faithful gathered in the church and blesses them with His right hand. In His left hand he holds the Scriptures opened with words: “ I am the light of the world.” John 8:12 In this fresco, Jesus Christ is depicted frontally as a half figure. His face is authoritative, but also compassionate with his eyes opened looking directly at the faithful gathered in the church. The outer robe is a blue (himation) and the inner one is a red (chiton) color symbolizing his humanity and divinity. The broad band over his right shoulder called clavus, is a remnant from the Roman imperial court that indicates high official status. On the right side of Christ’s figure is the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ, IC XC, Ιησους Χριστός. A halo enclosing a cross has the Greek words Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Exodus 3:13) in the abbreviated form ΟΩΝ, translated “I am who I am,” or “The existing One.” He is the perfect, indescribable, and absolutely transcendent God. In this icon, Jesus Christ is shown in glory to represent His Second coming. It shows Him as the Lightgiver, the Divine Teacher, instructing His followers in the word of Truth. Having in mind the oval shape of the domes in Orthodox Churches, it appears that Christ embraces the faithful gathered in the church. This is certainly another reality conveyed to us, i.e. Christ embraces the whole creation. He is the Creator of the Universe. He is the Redeemer of the Universe. To face our Creator means to repent and find out who we are. When we look at His image, we see what we were made to be, bearers of the divine image. This lifelong process is called theosis (deification), becoming Christ like by grace, not nature.

Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:21; Isaiah 7:14

St. Archangel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to announce the Good News, the Incarnation, to Mary. He greeted her with the words: “Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favor with God, and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.” (St. Luke 1:30-31) During her conversation with Archangel Gabriel, Mary favorably responded by accepting God’s will: “And Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (St. Luke 1:38) By accepting God’s will, Mary becomes a mediator between heaven and earth; she has done what Eve of old failed to do, therefore Mary is referred to as the New Eve.

Nativity of our Lord: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1:7; John 1:1-18

In this fresco, the Holy Mother of God is depicted half sitting, leaning over her newborn child, Emanuel. The child is wrapped in the swaddling cloths lying in the crib that looks more like a grave. In this, we see the mystery of Incarnation, but also the mystery of sacrifice, i.e. Christ’s death on the cross. Above Mary are angels singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) Below Mary and the Child is Joseph resting his chin in his arm. On the top left side are the three wise men offering their gifts to the new Born King: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Theophany of our Lord: Matthew 3: 13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-34, Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1; 2 Peter 1:17

The Theophany or Epiphany is another major Feast day in the Liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church. Theophany (manifestation or revelation of God) or Epiphany (revelation) is celebrated on January 6 (Julian calendar). In this fresco, we see Christ standing in the Jordan River having St. John the Baptist on his left and angels on the right side assisting Christ. The Holy Trinity is manifested on this Feast day, Christ was in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit was descending upon him, and God the Father spoke. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway, out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17) By descending into water, Christ sanctifies it, but immediately comes out for he had no need for cleansing.

Transfiguration of our Lord: Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:1-21

The Transfiguration is one of twelve major Feast days; it is celebrated on August 6. From the synoptic Gospels we learn that Christ took his three disciples, Peter, James, and John to Tabor Mountain, and surrounded with Moses and Elijah, he transfigured. Prophets Elijah and Moses where present, because the former stands for all the prophets, while the latter stands for the law. They were conversing about the forthcoming events in Jerusalem. The Greek word for transfiguration is metamorphosis, meaning to progress from one state of being into another. Here too, as in the Theophany, the voice of the God Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:5) The transfiguration feast is the revelation of Christ’s Divine nature, manifestation of the Trinity, and the confirmation of the continuity between the Old and New Testament.

Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19; Psalm 118:25-26; Zechariah 9:9, 14:4; 2 Kings 9:13

The entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday, is one of the twelve major Feast days. It was foretold by Prophet Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9) This fresco, according to St. John Cassian (365-435) can be interpreted on four different levels. The first level is literal referring to the historic event; Christ entered a Jewish capital, Jerusalem, riding a donkey. The second level is allegorical or typological in which Jerusalem stands for the Church that Christ established by his death and resurrection. On the moral or tropological level, Jerusalem stands for the individual soul that received Christ in baptism. The last analogical level, Jerusalem refers to the eternal abodes in the world to come – the heavenly Jerusalem.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ-The Descent into Hades: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10; Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27-32, 33-35, Psalm 56:13, 116:8, 1 Peter 3:19; 4:6

The Resurrection of Christ or Pascha is the Feast of Feasts. Christ is depicted in white clothes pulling our ancestors, Adam and Eve, out of Hades. Beneath him, the gates of hell are shattered and nails and locks are clearly visible. Death could not have kept Christ captive. On either side of Christ, we can see the righteous from the Old Testament who also heard the Good News preached to them by Christ. “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” (1 Peter 3:19)

Ascension of our Lord: Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24: 50-53; Acts: 1:9-11; John 20:17; Ephesians 4:8

In this icon, Jesus Christ is depicted above his disciples and his holy mother. He is being carried by one angel on either side. He is surrounded with mandorla, which stands for his divinity and glorified state. His disciples below are looking up and two angels speak to them: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) The ascension Feast day marks the end of Christ’s earthly life, beginning of the Church epoch, and the expectation of Christ’s second glorious coming.

The fresco work

Holy Trinity Orthodox Christian Church

Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate, Butte, MT

Source: http://www.holytrinitybutte.org/

BASILICA January 2010

2010-01-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

Orthodox World - Russia (Россия)

Santorini (Σαντορίνη) and Meteora (Μετέωρα)

Meteora, Greece

The Orthodox Church

Haiti's earthquake destroyed the National Cathedral - Port-au-Prince

Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului - PRINCIPII GENERALE COMPOZIŢIONALE

Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului - Proiectul susţinut de Patriarhia Română

Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului - Extras din Caietul de Sarcini / Tema de Proiectare

Orthodox World - Russia (Россия)

2010-01-25T20:30:00.011-07:00

Eastern Orthodox World

Understanding Orthodoxy (excerpts from orthodoxworld.ru)

1. The Church Building

External Arrangement

Orthodox churches generally take one of several shapes that have a particular mystical significance. The most common shape is an oblong or rectangular shape, imitating the form of a ship. As a ship, under the guidance of a master helmsman conveys men through the stormy seas to a calm harbor, so the Church, guided by Christ, carries men unharmed across the stormy seas of sin and strife to the peaceful haven of the Kingdom of Heaven. (read post)

Internal Arrangement

The interior of an Orthodox church is divided into several parts. One enters the church through the Porch where, in ancient times, the keepers (Penitents forbidden to enter the church proper) stood. From the Porch one entered the Vestibule (Narthex; Lity - Greek; Pritvor - Russian), in ancient times a large, spacious place, wherein the Catechumens received instruction while preparing for Baptism, and also where Penitents excluded from Holy Communion stood. (read post)

The Iconostasis

The most prominent feature of an Orthodox church is the Iconostasis, consisting of one or more rows of Icons and broken by a set of doors in the center (the Holy Doors) and a door at each side (the Deacon's Doors), In ancient times, the Iconostasis was probably a screen placed at the extreme Eastern end of the church (a tradition still preserved by Russian Old-Believers), but quite early it was moved out from the wall as a sort of barrier between the Nave and the Altar, with the opening and closing of curtains making the Altar both visible and inaccessible. (read post)

The Altar and Its Furnishings

The Altar which lies beyond the Iconostasis, is set aside for those who perform the Divine services, and normally persons not consecrated to the service of the Church are not permitted to enter. Occupying the central place in the Altar is the Holy Table (Russian - Prestol), which represents the Throne of God, with the Lord Himself invisibly present there. (read post)

The Bells

A striking component of Orthodox worship is the ringing of bells. Every daily cycle of public divine services starts with the ringing of bells and no one who has witnessed the procession around the church at Holy Pascha can forget the almost continuous ringing of all the church bells. (read post)

Candles and Their Symbolism

Lit candles and Icon lamps (lampadas) have a special symbolic meaning in the Christian Church, and no Christian service can be held without them. In the Old Testament, when the first temple of God was built on earth - the Tabernacle - services were held in it with lamps as the Lord Himself had ordained (Ex. 40:5, 25). Following the example of the Old Testament Church, the lighting of candles and of lampadas was without fail included in the New Testament Church's services. (read post)

2. The Icons

An Icon as an Image

Icons cannot be referred to as works of art using the common meaning of the word. Icons are not paintings. Artists use lines and colour to represent people and events belonging to material life. Since the Renaissance, life and nature have been depicted in paintings by reproducing three-dimensional space on a plane; people, animals, landscapes and things. (read post)

Reverse Perspective

Understanding icons may be difficult due to a special way of conveying space and the beings and objects inside it. We look at pictures with the eyes of a European, and what we see in them seems to resemble what we see around. 'Verisimilitude' in European painting is achieved by using linear perspective. (read post)

Time in Icon

To be able to understand icons it is necessary to know how people of the Middle Ages perceived and understood the concept of time. The difference between the concept of time in Western Europe and that in Byzantium was formed in the Renaissance period, when Europe, unlike Byzantium, acquired the new attitudes and outlook towards the world. (read post)

Light in Icon

If we speak about icons it is necessary to mention "the lightful Grace of Christ". An orthodox doctrine - isichasm - found expression in icon-painting. God is unknowable in His essence but He shows Himself through His Grace - the divine energy is effused by Him into the world. According to St. Gregory Palama (1296-1359) Jesus Christ is the Light, and his teaching is the enlightenment of people. (read post)

Symbolism of Colors in Icon

An introductory discussion on the symbolism of colors in icons Byzantines considered that the meaning of art is beauty. They painted icons that shined with metallic gold and bright colors. In their art each color had its place and value. Colors - whether bright or dark - were never mixed but always used pure. In Byzantium, color was considered to have the same substance as words, indeed each color had its own value and meaning. (read post)

How Were the Icons Painted

Icon-painting in Old Russia was a sacred profession. On the one hand, conforming to the canon impoverished the creative process since the iconography of an image was strictly prescribed. But on the other hand it forced a painter to focus all his skill on the essence of his painting. Traditions affected not only iconography but also materials, on which icons were painted, priming substances, methods of preparing surfaces for painting, dye making techniques, and painting sequence. (read post)

Rediscovery of Icon in the XX c.

The Life of an icon was no longer than a hundred years. Then the image on it grew dark because drying oil changed its colour, and it got covered with soot from the candles. Therefore, the image was renovated: New ones were applied upon hardly visible outlines. In the XX century, when restoration techniques became more perfect, suddenly bright, pure colours showed through under the old layer of drying oil. (read post)

Iconostasis

The iconostasis is quite a solid screen stretching from the northern to the southern wall of a church, whereon icons are arranged in a predefined order. This screen divides the Altar from the church's middle part. There are three doors in the iconostasis. The central doors are called the Holy Doors. And a man who is not in a Holy order is not permitted to enter them. (read post)

Icons of Theotokos

There is no other subject in Christian iconography, exclusive of the Savior, that has been painted so often and with so much love, as the image of the Most Holy Theotokos. Iconographers of all times tried to impart to the face of Theotokos as much beauty, gentleness, dignity and grandeur as they could imagine. Russian icons always show the Mother of God grieving. (read post)

Further reading:

3. Great Feasts

4. The Holy Sacraments

5. Orthodox Worship

6. History of the Church

7. Monkhood

8. Russian Saints

9. Saints and Martyrs of XX c.

10. Orthodox Church Today

11. The Miraculous Icons

12. Liturgical Music

Source: orthodoxworld.ru

Santorini (Σαντορίνη) and Meteora (Μετέωρα)

2010-01-24T12:48:00.003-07:00

Yannis Larios Photography

Santorini
Meteora

Meteora, Greece

2010-01-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Orthodox Church

2010-01-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Haiti's earthquake destroyed the National Cathedral - Port-au-Prince

2010-01-14T14:39:00.023-07:00

The National Cathedral was built in 1884. The entire roof collapsed.

A portion of downtown Port-au-Prince, including the National Cathedral, on March 2008. (Image from Google Earth.)

The same part of Port-au-Prince after the January 12, 2010, earthquake, which destroyed the Cathedral, among many other structures. The archbishop of Port-au-Prince is among the many who have died in the disaster. (Image from Google Earth.)

National Cathedral before earthquake - Haiti, Port-au-Prince

Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului - PRINCIPII GENERALE COMPOZIŢIONALE

2010-01-08T14:59:00.004-07:00

PRINCIPII GENERALE COMPOZIŢIONALE

Compoziţia globală a ansamblului trebuie să fie expresia simbolului cultic al capitalei unei ţări din Uniunea Europeană.
România este singura ţară din Uniunea Europeană care nu are o catedrală reprezentativă în capitala sa.
Trebuie în acest sens găsită acea conformare a ansamblului, care să aducă nota de originalitate, de specificitate cultică şi culturală, devenind un edificiu cu expresie de distincţie în comunitatea Ortodoxiei Europei Orientale, purtând totodată specificul unei catedrale ortodoxe.
Prin modul de rezolvare a ansamblului trebuie să fie adusă nota specifică a Ortodoxiei româneşti, România fiind singura ţară latină ortodoxă şi având o mare diasporă în Occident.
Pe lângă faptul că se împlineşte o necesitate liturgică a timpului nostru, Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului trebuie să fie în acelaşi timp o expresie a demnităţii naţionale în secolul al XXI-lea.
Din punctul de vedere al spaţiului, edificiul urmează să fie un răspuns cu semnificaţie duhovnicească pentru participarea a mii de credincioşi la ceremonialele liturgice ale Patriarhiei. Cu prilejul anumitor ceremonii festive, al marilor sărbători religioase sau momente solemne bisericeşti cu caracter naţional sau internaţional trebuie să se poată asigura întrunirea unui număr foarte mare de credincioşi şi, ca atare, necesitatea unui spaţiu amplu. În acest caz spaţiul exterior trebuie să ofere un cadru cu expresie cultică de complementaritate a atmosferei din interiorul Catedralei.
Pentru a intra în incintă se vor prevedea 12 porţi principale, care vor purta numele celor 12 apostoli sau numele unor sfinţi români cu cinstire deosebită în popor. Pentru etapa imediată, aceste porţi vor fi prevăzute pe cele două străzi principale.
În zona neocupată de construcţii, întreagă incintă va fi amenajată ca parc, cu plantaţii, alei, fântâni arteziene, eventual mici monumente sculpturale, chioşcuri, bănci, mici parcaje, etc.
Acestea vor fi puse în valoare pe timpul întunericului de un iluminat decorativ adecvat. În mod special, marea platformă pe care va fi amplasată Catedrala, va fi bordată cu lampadare ce vor avea formă de cupă constituindu-se în “poartă a cerului“, simbolul biblic pentru locaşul de cult, (conform Facere 28,17).
Subteran se vor găsi galerii pentru instalaţii, care să lege cele două clădiri de la intrare cu nivelurile inferioare ale Catedralei. Aceste galerii vor fi în legătură şi cu un mare parcaj subteran dimensionat pentru cca. 250 de automobile. Adiacent acestuia vor fi o serie de spaţii necesare diverselor funcţiuni tehnico-gospodăreşti dar şi unele din sfera serviciilor (aparate cu autoservire a pelerinilor pentru băuturi nealcoolice, etc.).
În incintă vor fi forate două puţuri de mare adâncime pentru alimentarea cu apă potabilă.
Dar fără îndoială componenta dominantă va fi edificiul monumental al Catedralei. Acesta va fi polarizatorul tuturor celorlalte anexe ce vor întregi ansamblul.

1. COMPONENTELE ANSAMBLULUI

3. 1. INCINTA
Conceptul noului ansamblu al catedralei trebuie să aibă o dublă semnificaţie în plan semiologic cu reverberaţii evident liturgice.
- Prima semnificaţie se referă la conformarea în plan a ansamblului. Aceasta trebuie sa reprezinte caracterul liturgic-misionar pe care tematica îl subliniază în cele ce urmează.
- Cea de a doua semnificaţie este dată fără îndoială de componenta dominantă a întregului: Catedrala. Aceasta va fi polarizatoarea tuturor celorlalte componente, pivot al compoziţiei generale. Fiecare se va înscrie pe coordonate proprii, susţinând însă întregul, în semnificaţia sa duhovnicească.
- Elementele componente ale ansamblului sunt trei:
3.1.1. Incinta de acces care are în centrul său fântână–baptisteriu, simbol al Tainei Botezului. Ea este delimitată în partea de vest de cele două clădiri cu volumetrie concavă spre incintă: casa “Sfântul Andrei” (pentru cler şi întruniri) şi casa “Pelerinul” (pentru pelerini), orientate către catedrală.
3.1.2. Aceasta conformare planimetrică se continuă prin doua fronturi tot concave, materializate prin lampadare. Dispunerea lor, sugerând piciorul unui mare potir, reprezintă locul de împlinire în comuniune a credincioşilor, o baie a renaşterii noastre prin recunoştinţa pe care o exprimăm faţă de Dumnezeu. Lampadarele, configurând potirul prin lumină, simbolizează Taina Mirungerii. Ele sunt simbolul morţii faţă de păcat şi al învierii pentru sfinţenie şi viaţă veşnică.
3.1.3. În final compoziţia ansamblului este încununată de biserică. Văzută ca lăcaş de cult trebuie să reţinem că Biserica este expresia de comuniune, mărturisitoare a lui Hristos Domnul şi se împărtăşeşte cu El. Ea este lăcaşul Sfintei Euharistii. De aceea, altarul, locul unde se sfinţesc Darurile Euharistice, este locul central al bisericii. Este foarte important să cunoaştem conţinutul spiritual al credinţei, pentru ca lăcaşul de cult să simbolizeze, să semnifice în formă zidită, Cuvântul care zideşte comuniunea; un lăcaş de cult este cuvânt construit în simbol. Chiar dacă nu se aude nimic în biserică, felul în care aceasta este construită devine o predică, o reflecţie teologică, sete de cuvânt teologic zidit, este cuvântul vizualizat, nu numai prin icoane, ci şi prin modul de a organiza spaţiul, ca spaţiu sacru pentru întâlnirea şi comuniunea cu Dumnezeu Cel Unul Sfânt, cu Sfânta Treime.
Din acest punct de vedere pentru biserică avem trei etape distincte si complementare:

Biserica în forma de corabie care este obligatorie potrivit Constituţiilor Apostolice care sunt scrise la sfârşitul sec. al III-lea, începutul sec. al IV-lea. În Constituţiile Apostolice, Cartea a doua, cap. 57, este prevăzut ca, biserica, înainte de toate, “să fie lungă şi încăpătoare, apoi să fie îndreptată cu altarul spre răsărit, de amândouă părţile în faţă sa, în altar să aibă pastoforii, adică Proscomidiarul şi Diaconiconul; în fine, să fie asemenea unei corăbii”. Acesta este un act normativ care stabileşte cum trebuie să fie biserica. Până acum, această formă recomandată cu insistenţa şi cu o anumită obligativitate nu este întâmplătoare, nu este arbitrară. Nu avem voie să construim nimic arbitrar, ce nu are motivaţie teologică, pentru că nu este asimilabil construcţiei bisericii. Totuşi, se pot dezvolta sau aprofunda sensuri teologice din Sfânta Scriptură în arhitectura sacră, punând accentul pe aspecte ce nu au fost suficient evidenţiate în epoca precedentă. Există o libertate foarte mare în construcţii, cu condiţia ca arhitectul să fie teolog, sau să fie sfătuit de un teolog, în înţelesul că arhitectura, când aduce ceva nou ca formă, nu aduce ceva nou şi în conţinut în ceea ce priveşte credinţa.
Imaginea de corabie a fost inspirată din Sfânta Scriptură a Vechiului Testament şi din Evanghelii. De ce ne aminteşte biserica în formă de corabie? În primul rând de corabia lui Noe, corabia salvării, căci nu este vorba de o simpla corabie de pescuit, este vorba de corabia care ne salvează, ne mântuieşte de la o încercare grea, ne scapă de la moarte, de potop. Corabia lui Noe era o prefigurare a bisericii, corabie-mântuire ca salvare de păcat şi de moartea cea veşnică a sufletului despărţit de Dumnezeu.
A doua formă care se regăseşte în biserica în formă de corabie, este cortul, sau templul lui Moise, cel care era mobil, era deplasabil.
A treia realitate la care biserica în formă de corabie trimite prin simbolismul ei, este templul din Ierusalim, care avea trei spaţii diferite: unul pentru popor, unul pentru preoţi şi Sfânta Sfintelor, în care intra o singura dată arhiereul. Aceste trei prefigurări ale bisericii din Vechiul Testament, sunt completate cu o realitate foarte prezentă în Noul Testament şi anume legătura dintre Hristos şi corabie. Hristos Domnul a predicat oamenilor de pe mare, din corabie, iar corabia, ca simbol, nu este doar preluată din Vechiul Testament, ci este şi un memorial al prezentei lui Hristos în corabie atunci când predică. Deci are amvonul Lui în corabie. De aceea Evanghelia se citeşte dintr-un spaţiu în formă de corabie, pentru că El a vorbit adesea din corabie persoanelor aflate la malul mării. Cele mai profunde lecţii de eclesiologie despre taina Bisericii, le-a dat Hristos Domnul ucenicilor Săi în legătură cu marea şi corabia.
Pescuirea minunata are loc folosind corabia, iar după ce a pescuit în mod minunat mult peşte, Hristos îi spune lui Petru: de acum vă voi face pescari de oameni, adică, pescuiţi nu cu undiţa, ci prin cuvântul Evangheliei, prin propovăduire, prin modul de a propovădui şi de a păstori pe oameni. Deci, corabia din pescuirea minunată este o prefigurare a lucrării Evangheliei a spaţiului liturgic numit biserică, construită în formă de corabie.
Mai mult decât atât, când marea este învolburată din cauza furtunii iar Hristos se odihneşte în corabie, ucenicii Îl trezesc, pentru că sunt, cu tot profesionismul lor de corăbieri şi pescari, copleşiţi şi nu mai pot face faţă singuri furtunii dar când Îl trezesc pe Hristos care dormea în corabie, El a certat vânturile şi marea, iar acestea s-au potolit. Ei s-au întrebat: cine este Omul acesta de care ascultă vântul şi marea? În tâlcuirea Sfinţilor Părinţi, marea învolburată este lumea, este istoria plină de surprize, persecuţii, încercări, răsturnări de situaţie, iar Biserica este corabia salvatoare în care se află Hristos. În general se iscă furtună mare în societate, în viaţa noastră când noi uităm de Hristos, dar când Îl trezim pe Hristos din noi, când credinţa noastră vie se întăreşte, devine vie, atunci corabia credinţei şi a rugăciunii ne salvează.
O altă minune, tot în legătură cu corabia, este aceea în care Hristos nu Se afla în corabie, ci numai ucenicii săi în timp de noapte iar furtuna îi sperie, însă El vine spre ei mergând pe apă. Petru doreşte să vină la El mergând tot pe apă, iar când se îndoieşte, Petru se afundă. Iar Domnul îl mustră şi îi spune: puţin credinciosule, pentru ce te-ai îndoit? Şi se urcă împreună în corabie, iar furtuna se potoleşte.
Iată câteva momente din Evanghelii în care vedem taina Bisericii exprimată în raport cu prezenţa lui Hristos în corabie, sau îndreptându-se spre corabie. Din aceste motive Constituţiile Apostolice sfătuiesc să fie construite bisericile în formă de corabie ca memorial al lucrării mântuitoare a lui Dumnezeu în Vechiul Testament şi în Noul Testament. Biserica în forma de corabie este cea mai răspândită formă din punct de vedere arhitectural.
Mai târziu, când reflexia teologică a Bisericii privind arhitectura locaşului de cult a luat în considerare nu numai Evangheliile, ci şi epistolele pauline, în care se arată că Hristos este capul Bisericii, iar Biserica este trupul Său şi că Hristos, Pantocratorul, Atotţiitorul este Cel care menţine în existenţă toată creaţia (vezi I Corinteni 12,12-13 şi 27 şi Efeseni 1, 22-23; 4,3; Coloseni 1,18), s-a simţit nevoia ca Biserica să cuprindă în corabie sub formă de cruce greacă sau latină, taina Crucii, sau taina prezenţei lui Hristos cel răstignit şi înviat, care conduce corabia mântuirii. În corabie, Hristos conduce corabia din Sfântul Altar, prin Sfânta Evanghelie şi prin Sfintele Taine. Dar trebuie subliniat faptul că Hristos Cel euharistic de pe Sfânta Masă din Altar, este prezent şi în ceruri, iar Liturghia Bisericii de pe pământ se leagă cu Liturghia îngerilor şi sfinţilor din ceruri. Aşa apare nevoia spaţiului liturgic cruciform.

Deci a doua etapă în arhitectura creştină a bisericii este spaţiul liturgic cruciform: fie că este vorba de crucea latină, fie că este vorba de crucea bizantină, cu o absidă principală (Altar) şi doua abside laterale. Totul este concentrat pe prezenţa lui Hristos Cel răstignit, înviat şi înălţat la cer, pentru a arăta că Cel ce a coborât pe pământ s-a făcut om, ca pe noi oamenii să ne înalţe la ceruri. Această coborâre şi înălţare este simbolizată de cupola bizantină, dar mai ales de turla moldavă care conţine în ea coborârea lui Hristos – Dumnezeu – Pantocratorul, simbolizată de cupola interioară şi ridicarea omului prin Hristos în iubirea şi slava Sfintei Treimi, înălţare simbolizată prin turla în formă ascuţită, care punctează cerul.

O a treia etapă, care înseamnă o dezvoltare teologică mai profundă a tainei Bisericii, este biserica lui Hristos, casă a Preasfintei Treimi. Hristos nu este singur; El este întotdeauna cu Tatăl şi cu Duhul Sfânt, iar cei ce se împărtăşesc cu Hristos sunt cei botezaţi în numele Preasfintei Treimi. Întreg cultul ortodox este ritmat de rugăciunea - cântare: Slavă Tatălui şi Fiului şi Sfântului Duh şi acum şi pururea şi în vecii vecilor. Dacă Îl lăudăm pe Domnul acum, Îl vom lauda pururea şi în vecii vecilor. Biserica este pregustare a comuniunii eterne cu Sfânta Treime din Împărăţia cerurilor, iar acest aspect este foarte puternic subliniat în slujba de sfinţire a bisericii, către sfârşitul ei, când se cântă: „Această casă Tatăl a zidit, această casă Fiul a-ntărit, această casă Duhul Sfânt a înnoit-o, a luminat-o, a sfinţit-o şi a sfinţit sufletele noastre”. Deci, ne sfinţim în Biserică din harul Preasfintei Treimi, iar Biserica, această corabie a mântuirii, acest spaţiul cruciform al comuniunii cu Hristos Cel răstignit, înviat şi înălţat la cer este totodată casa Preasfintei Treimi. Aproape tot ce apare compus din trei elemente, se poate referi simbolic la Sfânta Treime: planul triconic, trei turle, trei nave, trei altare, trei uşi sau trei porţi, trei arcuri poate fi exprimat prin ideea centrală că Hristos Capul Bisericii este Unul din Sfânta Treime iar noi suntem botezaţi în numele Sfintei Treimi şi pregustăm din lumea aceasta pacea şi bucuria din Împărăţia Preasfintei Treimi (conform Romani 14,17).
Aşadar această Catedrală trebuie să fie un simbol arhitectural al supremului moment liturgic, cel al Euharistiei, al împărtăşirii cu Hristos, Unul din Sfânta Treime. De aceea se impune reprezentarea printr-o configuraţie simbolizând “POTIRUL”. Cupa potirului va cuprinde deci edificiul Catedralei în care se vor săvârşi Sfintele Taine. În centrul cupei înălţându-se biserica, aceasta va avea ca semn al menirii sale misionare înălţătoare turlă a Pantocratorului, încununată cu crucea patriarhală. Piciorul potirului care simbolizează iubirea infinită a Sfintei Treimi care cuprinde întreg universul creat, va fi reprezentat prin lampadare dispuse într-o mişcare evazată, semn al deschiderii misionare a bisericii, îndemnul său către credincioşi la smerenie şi pocăinţă, dar şi chemarea oamenilor la comuniunea eternă cu Dumnezeu. Aceste două braţe luminoase ale piciorului potirului vor delimita incinta în care, la marile sărbători, credincioşii vor putea urmări oficierea Sfintei Liturghii în exteriorul Catedralei.
În incintă se va putea urmări ceremonialul religios, ce se va desfăşura în catedrală sau în pridvorul său, şi prin proiecţii redate pe mari ecrane TV. Delimitarea acestei zone va fi realizată pe latura sa de vest prin două clădiri: casa “Pelerinul“ şi casa “Sfântul Apostol Andrei“ destinate adăpostirii unor întruniri cu caracter teologic sau unor activităţi cultural-misionare ale Patriarhiei.
- Suplimentar s-ar putea menţiona o a treia semnificaţie ce va fi percepută de credincioşi în parcursul lor de la intrarea în incintă până la porţile catedralei, această desfăşurare de fronturi deschise fiind reflectarea spiritualităţii poporului român, aceea de deschidere către natura înconjurătoare, de necesitate a comunicării, de dialog (simbolizate prin pridvor asemănător cerdacului de la casa creştinului).
În portic vor fi reprezentate prin biserici pictate sau sfinţi români, zonele geografice şi istorice, în care Biserica Ortodoxă Română a fost şi este prezentă: Ţara Românească, Moldova şi Transilvania dar şi diaspora română actuală.

Sursa: Agentia de stiri Basilica

Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului - Proiectul susţinut de Patriarhia Română

2010-01-06T22:22:00.010-07:00

Plansa 15. Vedere perspectiva fatada sud

Plansa 16. Vedere perspectiva fatada altar

Plansa 14. Vedere perspectiva intrare vest

Plansa 1. Plan subsol cota -17,50

Plansa 2. Plan demisol II cota -11,00

Plansa 3. Plan demisol I cota -6,80

Plansa 4. Plan parter cota ±0,00

Plansa 5. Plan balcon I cota +10,40

Plansa 6. Plan balcon II cota +15,90

Plansa 7. Planuri turn clopotnita

Plansa 8. Fatada principala

Plansa 9. Fatada laterala

Plansa 10. Fatada altar

Plansa 11. Sectiune longitudinala A-A

Plansa 12. Sectiune transversala prin pronaos B-B

Plansa 13. Sectiune prin turlele pronaosului C-C

Imagini grafice din interior

NOTA: Faceti click pe imagini pentru marirea planselor desenate.

Sursa: Agentia de stiri Basilica