Bartholomew: “The Resurrection of Christ Grants the certainty of transcending the adverse consequences of natural calamity and spiritual perversity”

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Bartholomew: “The Resurrection of Christ Grants the certainty of transcending the adverse consequences of natural calamity and spiritual perversity”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issues Proclamation on the occasion of Easter.

+ B A R T H O L O M E W
By the Mercy of God
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace and Mercy From the Savior Christ Risen in Glory

Beloved children in the Lord,Once again, in a spirit of joy and peace, we address you with the delightful and hopeful greeting: “Christ is Risen!”

The occurrences and events of our time may not seem to justify the exultation of our greeting. The natural destruction caused by seismic tremors and oceanic swells, together with the lurking devastation from possible nuclear explosion, as well as the human sacrifices resulting from military conflict and terrorist action, reveal our world to be in horrible torment and anguish from the pressure of the natural and spiritual forces of evil.

Nevertheless, it is indeed real and grants to faithful Christians the certainty – and to all humanity the possibility – of transcending the adverse consequences of natural calamity and spiritual perversity.

Nature rebels when the arrogant human mind endeavors to tame its boundless forces endowed by the Creator it its seemingly insignificant and inactive elements. In considering from a spiritual perspective the grievous natural phenomena that plague our planet repeatedly and successively in recent times, we appreciate and acknowledge the belief that these are inseparable from the spiritual and ethical deviation of humanity. The signs of this deviation – such as greed, avarice, and an insatiable desire for material wealth, alongside an indifference toward the poverty endured by so many as a result of the imbalanced affluence of the few – may not be clearly related to the natural occurrences in the eyes of scientists. Yet, for someone examining the matter spiritually, sin disturbs the harmony of spiritual and natural relations alike. For, there is a mystical connection between moral and natural evil; if we wish to be liberated from the latter, we must reject the former.

Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the new Adam and God, constitutes the model for the beneficial influence of a saint on the natural world. For Christ healed physical and spiritual illness, granting comfort and healing to all people, while at the same time bringing calm and peace to stormy seas, multiplying five loaves of bread to feed the five thousand, thereby combining the reconciliation of spiritual and natural harmony. If we want to exert a positive impact on the current negative natural and political conditions of our world, then we have no other alternative than faith in the Risen Christ and fulfillment of his saving commandments.

Christ has risen and given new life to the perfect ethos of humankind, which had darkened this ethos. Christ became the first-born and pioneer of the regeneration of the world and the whole of creation. The message of the Resurrection is not empty of meaning for the quality of human life and the balanced function of nature. As we completely and profoundly experience the Resurrection of Christ in the depth our heart, our existence shall favorably impact upon all humanity and the natural world. The natural sciences may not yet fully have underlined the relationship between the regeneration of humanity and the renewal of creation, but the experience of the saints – which should be the aim our own experience – confirms the experientially proven fact that, indeed, a person reborn in Christ restores the harmony of the natural world disturbed by sin. In Christ, the saint can move mountains for the good of the world, while the sinful person, who opposes the ways of God, can shake the earth and raise destructive waves.

Let us approach the sanctity of the Risen Christ in order, through His grace, to calm the natural and moral waves that trouble our world today.

May the grace of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, beloved children in the Lord. Amen.

Holy Pascha 2011
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant for all
before the Risen Christ

Greek-American Receives "Professor of the Year Award"

A. Makris
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Greek-American Receives "Professor of the Year Award"
Nick Schizas

Students of Moraine Valley Community College voted Greek-American Nick Shizas as the recipient of the “professor of the year award.”

“It’s still hard to believe I won because I am just doing what I love.” These are the words of Moraine’s 2011 Professor of the Year, Nick Shizas, of the Psychology department.

A student nominated Shizas for the award and there’s no doubt his other students are in full agreement. Shizas stated he “felt very honored that a student thought so positively about her educational experience in my course” and he was thankful that she nominated him.

It’s no surprise. There’s a sense of realism and authenticity in his teaching that makes students want to listen. It’s most likely because of a relatable past.

A child of parents who emigrated from Greece in the 1970s, Shizas made the most of the opportunity his parents worked for. He graduated from Moraine with an associate’s degree in the early 90s and went on to get his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. After earning his graduate degree in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University, he began treating patients with severe mental disorders.

Winning the award doesn’t change much for Shizas. He intends to happily teach the rest of his career; winning Professor of the Year is just icing on the cake.

In the end, he still gives credit to his students. He happily explains: “I’ve been fortunate to have eager students who want to learn, I thank them for making my classes great to teach!”

(Source & full story: http://www.mvccglacier.com/2011/04/shizas-wins-professor-of-the-year-award/ )

Greek Soft Drink Companies Against Sales Tax

A. Makris
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Greek Soft Drink Companies Against Sales Tax

Soft-drink companies have been putting the pressure on the Development and Competitiveness Ministry in a bid to stop the planned introduction of a tax on fizzy drinks, fruit juice and bottled water, as dictated by a EU-IMF memorandum. The Ministry appears to be siding with the bottlers, according to a senior Ministry source quoted by daily Kathimerini, who said that talks have been launched with the Finance Ministry over the issue.
The memorandum, which Greece signed with the EU and IMF last year in order to obtain a 110 bilion euro rescue loan, states that a tax on non-alcoholic drinks will be introduced as of 2012 in a bid to raise 300 million euros in revenues.
The levy, according to the memorandum, needs to be included in the 2012 draft budget to be prepared by September. Greece’s non-alcoholic drinks market is estimated to be worth one billion euros and the sector is dominated by large multi-nationals, such as Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling, Pepsico-Ivi, Vivartia, FAGE and Nestle. Beverage suppliers are concerned about the impact the tax – which could reach 30% – will have on sliding revenues.
Doubling the price of soft-drinks is estimated to result in a 15% drop in demand, according to industry figures, as bottlers warn about the impact this may have on their operations.

Libyan PM in Phone Talks with George Papandreou

A. Makris
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Libyan PM in Phone Talks with George Papandreou

Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi held telephone talks on Saturday with Greek PM and reiterated Libya’s commitment to United Nations resolutions, the state news agency JANA reported.
Mahmoudi also told George Papandreou that Libya was committed to the African Union’s peace initiative. The “colonial crusaders’ aggression”, an apparent reference to NATO military operations against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, violated those resolutions, JANA quoted Mahmoudi as saying.
“The exchange discussed Greece’s role in ending those excesses,” he added.
(source: reuters)

EU not ruling out new Greek debt measures

A. Makris
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EU not ruling out new Greek debt measures

The European Union has not ruled out new measures to ease Greece’s intractable debt problem, the European Commission’s chief representative in Athens said in an interview published on Saturday.
“The analysis of the Greek debt will be made by the EU, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank at the next review of the recovery plan in May,” Panos Karvounis told the daily To Vima.
“According to the conclusions of that review, the analysis could lead to an adaptation of the measures foreseen in the financial recovery plan,” he added.
(source: afp)

Hellenic Congress Asks Greek-Canadian Voters not to Vote for Liberal Party

Marianna Kourti
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Hellenic Congress Asks Greek-Canadian Voters not to Vote for Liberal Party

The Hellenic Congress of Quebec is asking Greek voters of the Federal riding of Laval Les-Îles to think twice before voting in the upcoming Federal elections on May 2, 2011. Despite the fact that there are 30,000 voters of Greek descent who regularly vote for Liberals, the Party has arbitrarily decided to nominate a candidate of non-Greek origin to run in Laval Les-Iles. The Congress President, Peter Georgakakos, mentioned that the Party should have appreciated the Greek vote and have put a Greek-Canadian as a candidate in the riding. Now Congress is urging Greek voters to show their disapproval of that decision by not voting for the Liberal Party in this race.

Epitaphios Procession in Astoria Despite Cold Weather

Marianna Kourti
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Epitaphios Procession in Astoria Despite Cold Weather

Greek-Orthodox churches in Astoria met pilgrims on the streets of the city at 10:00 yesterday night. Despite the bitter cold, the Greeks of the area followed with patience the Epitaph of the church they belong to.
There are many Orthodox churches in Astoria and each one of them tried to decorate its Epitaph with the most beautiful flowers.
The expatriates who live in New York but not in Astoria, went earlier and waited to worship, to admire and bless each other for Easter.

Italy Honors Haris Alexiou with “Golden Lily” Award

Marianna Kourti
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Italy Honors Haris Alexiou with “Golden Lily” Award

The name of Haris Alexiou will now join those of Lech Walesa, Jack Lang, Claudia Cardinale and Roberto Benini, as she is going to be honored with the “Golden Lily” award on the 9th of May. Italy will honor the Greek singer for her music, her contribution to European culture and for her special relationship with Italian music, honoring both her and Greece. Italians call Haris Alexiou “the greatest Greek singer” and the invitation for the award was given to her by the President of the Institute, Alfonso de Virgiliis. Haris Alexiou will be awarded in a special event in Florence, at the historic theatre Teatro della Pergola, which has been there for four centuries. The title of the award is “Una vita per la musica   ̶   Giglio d’oro”. It is should be mentioned that Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, is also going to be awarded, making the award even more important.

Email Trader Under Interrogation in London

Polina Dimea
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Email Trader Under Interrogation in London

Paul Moss, a London trader working for U.S. bank Citigroup is being interrogated by Interpol in London over an email into rumours that Athens could be forced to restructure its national debt during Easter.

Citigroup is insisting it has done nothing wrong . “We are co-operating with the authorities and do not consider there to have been any wrongdoing by Citi or its employees,” the bank said.

According to The Financial Times, the email appeared to have been sent to Sarris Charalambos, whose identity is unclear. The email itself was littered with market jargon.  It is written in casual style and revealed a friendship between the two men.

Tom Hanks Celebrates Good Friday with Greek Orthodox Community in Los Angeles

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Tom Hanks Celebrates Good Friday with Greek Orthodox Community in Los Angeles

On Friday evening, the Christian Orthodox population of Los Angeles gathered at the Saint Sophia Cathedral for Good Friday’s Liturgy and periphery of Epitaphios. Many celebrities of Greek descent, or with a “Greek connection” come to the church to attend the service. Tom Hanks is there every year, and he is one of the men that carry the Epitaphios. There also was Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson with her friend Nia Vardalos. Another person who carried the Epitaphios was  20th Century Fox CEO Jim Gianopulos.  According to people that work for Saint Sophia, Tom Hanks is very religious, and goes to church almost every day throughout the holy week. The celebration of the Holy week continues with Liturgy on Saturday morning and the Resurrection liturgy on Saturday night. On Sunday, there are private Easter parties- one of those at Jim Gianopulos’ house- and the pic-nic of the Saint Sophia Cathedral at the Rosebowl in Pasadena.

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