About Ancient Orthodoxy

Ancient Rite Liturgy

This is the English translation of the Slavonic version from Greek predating the changes introduced after 1666.

Father Theodore Jurewicz sent an e-mail letter to Jerusalem with a PDF file of the entire text of the Divine Liturgy translated from Slavonic to English. In their Old Orthodox Prayer Book the Liturgy does not include the prayers of the priest. One may purchase copies of The Old Orthodox Prayer Book, 1986, Translated and Edited by Priest Pimen Simon, Priest Theodore Jurewicz, Hieromonk German Ciuba, from their address: Church of the Nativity of Christ (Old Rite)  251 East Front Street, Erie, Pennsylvania 16507 USA T:Fx (814) 4598615.

Practical Guide to a Christian

This booklet is a practical guide to orderly staying of an Orthodox Christian in Church of God. Canons and rules, existing traditions and customs of the Church of Christ were used to write this booklet. Some chapters are supplemented with quotes from works of the Church’s Holy Fathers.

Message of the bishops council of the ANCIENT-ORTHODOX CHURCH to the Clergy and all ancient-ortodox christians about the HOLY PASCHAL tables and the CHURCH CALENDAR

The Orthodox Archpriest, being by his duty of service the defender of the faith and the guardian of it from any encroachment by various heretics, as a skilful doctor should not only treat ailments affecting the church body but should also do his best to completely disallow any pernicious contagion of heresy into the Church.

The Catechesis

The Catechesis is a brief consecutive narration of the fundamentals of doctrines: dogmas and traditions of the Christian Orthodox and Synodic Faith in accordance with the confession and teachings of the Holy Eastern Universal Apostolic Church. This Catechesis was printed in the Slavic language in 1649 in the capital city of Moscow under the order of the Tsar and Great Prince of Alexey Mikhailovich, the Sovereign of All Russia, and under the directive of the Most Reverend Holy Joseph, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, for study by all Orthodox Christians, in particular, for teaching of children.

About attitude to the UNORTHODOX

The first of God’s ten Commandments says “I am the LORD thy God… thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2,3). That is why, we, Ancient-Orthodox Christians, have faith in One and Only God. We believe that the One God established One and Only Church, for Christ did not say “I will build my churches” but He said “I will build my church” (Matthews 16:18). And just as there may not be for us another True God but a Triune God, there may not be for us another True Church but the Orthodox Church, as the Apostle said: “One Lord, one faith” (Ephesians 4:5). Thus, we have faith and profess that there is only One True God, only one true faith in Him and only one Church established and headed by Him in which we live as we boldly believe about us.

About the attitude of the Russian Ancient Orthodox Church to civil authorities

Concerning relations with state authorities we do not propose anything new but what was given to us by Our God, Jesus Christ, Himself, His holy apostles and their successors – the holy fathers. For, in this case, just as with any issue, the only measure acceptable to us, the Christians, is God’s Word – the Holy Scriptures – interpreted by holy and wisdom endowed fathers and teachers of the Christ’s Holy Church. It is said: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Encyclical message of the Bishops’ Council of the ANCIENT-ORTHODOX CHURCH to all ancient-ortodox christians

Since its very birth the Church of Christ has cared for invariable protection of the Orthodox dogmas from any damage; with all due strictness, it also cared for fervent observation and protection of other ecclesiastical teachings: symbols, rules, rites, traditions and canons handed down from the Apostles and holy fathers. The covenant of the Apostle Saint Paul has been and is the basis for this, “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:2); “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

The brief history of the RUSSIAN ANCIENT ORTHODOX CHURCH

The Orthodox Faith adopted in Russia in the late Х century A.D. by Equal of the Apostles Great Prince St. Vladimir brought magnificent fruit and was decorated with numerous saints.

The Russian Church, at first as a metropole of the Church of Constantinople and later as an independent Church, i.e. autocephalous, was in unity with the entire Ecumenical Orthodoxy. The history of its development, just as the history of Russia, witnessed numerous hardships: invasions of enemies, civil disorders, various heretical insults. But the Russian Church guided by God always overcame all these hardships with honour, both at the time of Kievan Russia and the time of Moscovite Russia because the Church’s loyal sons defended the authenticity of the Orthodoxy.