[cheesypeetyz]

To put a closure perhaps to the subject of the paparokades, they didn't have the blessing of their Bishop and they are not popular in anyway anymore. Their experiment was like a firework that exploded and went back to non-existence. The outcome was rather sad.

But that's not the case with fth Sergei and the other fathers as I assume from the article. And if you are worried about what the Fathers would say, Dova, then discrimination could be a good answer. The way may be a little unorthodox but the purpose and the message are very orthodox. Afterall Jesus ate with prostitutes and thieves, didn't He. And He visited them in their unholy and sinful places. And He brought them back to His Father.

Alice, I can understand what you meant now that you've explained it. The not-so-friendly attitude at the church to those we don't know is something that troubles me a lot. I think that is the true crisis in our Church. Sometimes I feel we've lost our ability to just be (like) a human to another person. We pursue the blessing of this holy priest or a word of wisdom of a saint monk and at the same time we fail to do the simplest thing, say hello to a newcomer to our church (as you wrote in your post). Excuse me if I am too pessimistic but I believe we will have to answer some tough questions in the after life and I fear they won't be the ones we expect.

ps: priests start slowly to realise second liturgies are needed. My spiritual father does one and the attendance is high. I attend the earlier because I get too hungry but the later one suits many people. It wouldn't kill though the parents to convince their children not stay too late on a Saturday night so as to go to church for a change. Just a suggestion...


Panayota