Saturday, March 21, 2026

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026/03/saturday-march-21-2026/

St. George

St. George (Romanized: Georgios), a.k.a. George of Lydda, was a Christian martyr. He’s venerated as a saint. He was born in the late 3rd century (circa 270-281 AD) in Cappadocia in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), to Christian parents of noble Greek descent.

According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. He became a soldier in the Roman army. He became a soldier after his dad passed away. He became a Tribunus (a high-ranking officer). He eventually became a member of the Diocletian at Nicomedia.

But he was later executed, as part of the Diocletianic Persecution. In 303 AD, Diocletian issued an edict allowing the persecution of Christians. George was ordered to renounce his faith & offer sacrifices to the Roman gods. He refused. He also tore up the emperor’s edict.

He was beheaded on April 23, 303 AD. His courage was so admired (in some traditions) that it led to Empress Alxandra of Rome to be martyred also.

He’s 1 of the most venerated saints, heroes, & megalomartyrs in Christianity. He has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades. He’s also prominently venerated by the Druze (& by some Muslim groups) as a martyr of monotheistic faith.

In hagiography, he was immortalized in the legend(s) of St. George & the dragon & as 1 of the most prominent military saints. In a famous tale of George rescuing a princess from a dragon in Silene (Libya) 1st appeared in Georgian texts in the 11th century.

It was popularized in the West by the Lombardic “Golden Legend” in the 13th century. In religious iconography, the dragon represents the devil or Paganism, & the princess represents the Church.

In Roman Catholicism, he is also venerated as 1 of the 14 Holy Helpers. His feast day, St. George’s Day, is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The Church of St. George in Lydda (now Lod, Israel) has a sarcophagus traditionally believed to contain George’s relics.

According to tradition, a fierce dragon was causing panic in the city of Silene in Libya when our guy George arrived there. To keep the creature from ravaging the city, the inhabitants gave it 2 sheep each day. But when the sheep were no longer enough, they were forced to sacrifice people chosen by the townesfolk themselves.

Eventually, the king’s daughter was selected, & no one was willing to take her place. Georger saved her by slaying the dragon with a lance. The king was so grateful that he offered George treasures as a reward for saving his daughter’s life.

But George refused & urged him to give to the poor instead. The townspeople were so astonished by what they saw that they all became Christians & were baptised.

George (In Arabic, Jirjis or Girgus) is included in some Muslim texts as a prophetic figure. The Islamic sources state that he loved a group of believers who were in direct contact with the last apostles of Jesus. He was described as a rich merchant who opposed Dadan, the king of Mosul, in his reaction to Apollo’s stature.

After confronting the king, George was tortured many times to 0 effect, was imprisoned, & was aided, allegedly, by angels. Eventually, he was exposed to the fact that the idols were possessed by Satan. But was martyred when the city was destroyed by God in a rain of fire. (This is giving serious Sodom & Gomorrah vibes.)

According to Muslim legends, he was martyred under the rule of Diocletian & was killed 3x. But was resurrected every time. The legend is more developed in the Persian version of al-Tabari, wherein he resurrects the dead, makes trees sprout, & pillars bear flowers.

After 1 of his deaths, the world is covered by darkness, which is lifted only when he’s resurrected. He’s able to convert the queen, but she’s put to death. Then he prays to God to allow him to die, which is granted.

Al-Tah’labi says that George was from Palestine & lived in the times of some disciples of Jesus. He was killed many times by the king of Mosul, & resurrected each time. When the king tried to starve him, he touched a piece of dry wood brought by a woman & turned it green, with varieties of fruits & veggies growing from it. After his 4th death, the city was burnt along with him.

English soldiers under Richard the Lionheart invoked St. George at the Siege of Acre. They brought his “cult” back to Britain, where he replaced Edward the Confessor as the nation’s primary patron because he represented “active” chivalry rather than “passive” monasticism.

In 1348, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter (the oldest and highest order of chivalry in England), putting it under the patronage of St. George. The current British monarch, King Charles III, is the head of the order today.

In the General Roman Calendar, George’s feast day is on April 23. In the Tridentine calendar of 1568, it was given the rank of “Semi double.” In Pope Pius XII’s calendar, the rand was reduced to “Simple.” In Pope Paul VI’s 1969 revision, it appears as an “optional memorial.”

In some countries, like England, the rank is higher. It’s a Solemnity (Roman Catholic) or Feast (Church of England): if it falls between Palm Sunday & the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it’s transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.

The Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates 2 additional feasts in honor of St. George. One is on November 3, commemorating the consecration of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda during the reign of Constantine the Great (305-337). When the church was consecrated, George’s relics were transferred there. The other feast day is on November 26 for a church dedicated to him in Kyiv (or Kiev, Ukraine), circa 1054.

In Bulgaria, St. George’s Day is celebrated on May 6. It’s customary to slaughter & roast a lamb. George’s Day is also a public holiday.

In Serbia & Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates St. George on May 6. It’s a common slava (patron saint day) among ethnic Serbs.

In Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria calls St. George the “Prince of Martyrs.” They celebrate his martyrdom on the 23rd of Paremhat of the Coptic Calendar (equal to May 1). The Copts also celebrate the consecration of the 1st church dedicated to him on the 7th of the month of Hatour of the Coptic calendar (equal to November 17).

George is the patron saint of England. His cross forms the national flag of England. By the 14th century, he was declared both the patron saint & protector of the British royal family. He’s also the patron saint of Georgia (the country), Ethiopia, Iberia, Russia, & Bulgaria.

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In Search Of Holy Mother Russia by Ludo Van Eck

The chief purpose of this book is to give the uninformed Western reader a clear idea of everyday life in the USSR and of the Russian Orthodox Church, yet it also touches on a number of other related subjects, such as the history of the Church in Russia and the things in which it differs from other Christian creeds, the church architecture, the celibacy of priests, the veneration of saints, icons, church art, the clergy, divine services, the dogmas of the Church, fasts and feasts, the Sacraments, the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards the issue of peace on Earth, and towards other religions.

You can get the book here and here.

Twitter: @MirTitles
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Foreword 5
A Meeting in Zagorsk 9
An Excursion into the History of the Russian Orthodox Church 25
At the Moscow Patriarchate 29
Zagorsk Revisited 41
Suzdal and Vladimir 60
Leningrad 84
Petrozavodsk and Kizhi 117
Pskov and Pechory 129
An Appeal for Peace 155
West German Clergymen in the USSR 172
One Last Meeting 180
Conclusions 185

#religionInUssr #russianHistory #russianOrthodoxChurch #sovietHistory #sovietLiterature #travel

Orthodox Church Pews Are Overflowing With Converts

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/us/orthodox-christianity.html

From Zero to #HolyWar: The #InternationalCommunity's Failure to Confront the #RussianOrthodoxChurch's Escalating Support for #War Against #Ukraine

15(3) Wake Forest Journal of Law and Policy (2025) 1
85 Pages Posted: 4 Sep 2025
Robert C. Blitt
University of Tennessee, Knoxville - Winston College of Law

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5436699

From 2017...

"The rhetoric of a looming civilizational war has proved persistent. Recent years have seen religious leaders from both the American Christian community and the Russian Orthodox community coming together to bemoan the decline of traditional values. One example is the 2015 Moscow meeting between #PatriarchKirill, the head of the #RussianOrthodoxChurch, and #FranklinGraham, son of the evangelist #BillyGraham. The Patriarch lamented to Graham how, after decades of inspiring underground believers in the Soviet Union with its defense of religious freedom, the West has abandoned the shared 'common Christian moral values' that are the bedrock of a universal 'Christian civilization.'

"But even as Bannon and various religious leaders seek to pit the values of Christianity against those of Islam, there is also an internal competition to decide who gets to define Christian #traditionalism. Two of the main players in this competition, American Christian traditionalists — including conservative Catholics like Bannon as well as evangelicals like Franklin Graham — and Russian Orthodox, are united in their desire to save Christendom from the perceived threat of radical Islam. But buried underneath that superficial agreement is a complex disagreement as to what Christendom even means.

"In Bannon’s telling, the greatest mistake the baby boomers made was to reject the traditional 'Judeo-Christian' values of their parents. He considers this a historical crime, because in his telling it was Judeo-Christian values that enabled Western Europe and the United States to defeat European fascism, and, subsequently, to create an '#EnlightenedCapitalism' that made America great for decades after World War II. The enormous amount of media attention he has received and his various interviews, talks, and documentaries strongly suggest that he believes the world is on the verge of disaster—and that without Judeo-Christianity, the American culture war cannot be won, enlightened capitalism cannot function, and 'Islamic fascism' cannot be defeated.

"This is where Bannon invokes the 'Russian traditionalism' of Vladimir #Putin, and it’s important to recognize why he does so. In his 2014 Vatican talk, Bannon made it clear that Putin is 'playing very strongly to U.S. social conservatives about his message about more traditional values.' As a recent Atlantic essay convincingly argues, upon his return to office in 2012, Putin realized that 'large patches of the West despised #feminism and the #GayRights movement.' Seizing the opportunity, he transformed himself into the 'New World Leader of #Conservatism' whose traditionalism would offer an alternative to the libertine West that had long shunned him."

Read more:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/03/steve-bannon-american-evangelicals-russian-orthodox/519900/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/BndXk

#NewWorldOrder? #MAGA #MAGADeathCult #ChristoFacists #ChristoFascism #ProFamily #TraditionalFamily #TradWives #AntiGay #AntiAbortion #ROC #Evangelicals #CorporateColonialism #Oligarchs #AntiWoke #TrumpIsARussianAsset

From 2014... How #USEvangelicals Fueled the Rise of #Russia’s ‘#ProFamily’ Right

An alliance is born between #AntiGay, #AntiAbortion American groups and the #RussianOrthodoxChurch

by Adam Federman, January 7, 2014

Long excerpt [pay attention to the names named!] :

"This rising #Russian social #conservative movement frequently invokes the argument that #ProGay and #WomensRights groups are puppets of the West, which is seeking to undermine Russian autonomy and interfere in the country’s internal affairs. At an annual meeting of journalists and academics presided over by Vladimir #Putin in Valdai in September, the Russian president said that European countries had strayed from their roots by legalizing #GayMarriage. He urged Russians to embrace the conservative values of the #OrthodoxChurch and other traditional religions and issued a warning to those who might want to challenge those values. 'Russia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are unconditional—these are red lines no one is allowed to cross,' he declared.

"Several #LGBT rights groups have been targeted under another new law, which requires any nongovernmental organization that receives funding from other countries for political activities to register as a '#ForeignAgent.' Failure to do so can lead to investigations, legal action or crippling fines. The implication is that these groups are not only agents of the West but also out of touch with everyday Russians.

"The irony is that it is the new conservative vanguard—anti-gay, anti-abortion and pro–'#TraditionalFamily'—that has most successfully cultivated the West’s financial and institutional support. Scott Lively, an extreme anti-gay campaigner, all but took credit for the new law, calling it 'one of the proudest achievements of my career,' while #BrianBrown, president of the #NationalOrganizationForMarriage, visited Moscow with much fanfare just before the new law was passed. But the language of Russia’s anti-gay and anti-abortion movement seems to borrow most heavily from mainstream evangelicals and conservative politicians in the United States and Europe. Referring to the anti-abortion bill passed in 2011, Lyubov Erofeeva, executive director of the Russian Association for Population and Development, a women’s advocacy group, said: 'It was 100 percent clear that everything was copied from the experience of American #fundamentalists and conservative circles of several European countries where #abortion is forbidden or restricted severely.'

"The church’s close ties with American evangelicals reflect a shift in policy. For much of the post-Soviet period, the Russian Orthodox Church held evangelical denominations at arm’s length, fearing that they would compete for influence within Russia. But as the church has consolidated its power, it has come to view the evangelical community as a partner. 'The #ROC realizes that the evangelical denominations are not their opponents but rather their allies in the relations between the church and the secular population,' says Olga Kazmina, a professor of ethnology at Moscow State University.

" 'It’s a re-envisioned paradigm,' says Father #LeonidKishkovsky, head of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of External Affairs. In many ways, it makes sense, he adds: both religious groups share an ideological commitment and have grown disillusioned with the way mainline churches have dealt with issues like gay marriage and abortion. 'But what I’m quite nervous about is the ideological core which actually motivates both sides,' Kishkovsky says. 'Where is the motivating force? Is it in faith? Or is it in political ideology?'

"The Russian Orthodox Church’s chief emissary to the US evangelical community is #HilarionAlfeyev, a high-ranking bishop and chairman of the powerful Department of External Church Relations (the position previously held by #PatriarchKirill). In February 2011, the 47-year-old Alfeyev traveled to Washington, where he met with prominent evangelical and 'pro-family' leaders; and then to Dallas, where he addressed thousands of members of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church and emphasized the importance of 'creat[ing] new alliances,' especially around issues of marriage, abortion and the family. Alfeyev also visited the #DallasTheologicalSeminary and had an hour-long meeting with #GeorgeWBush.

"The trip to Dallas grew out of an increasingly close friendship between church leaders and a small circle of American and European Christian businessmen in Moscow. Alfeyev’s visit was organized by #JerryFullinwider, an #OilExecutive and elder of the #HighlandParkChurch who, until recently, had business interests in Russia. Fullinwider, a member of the #KochBrothers’ circle of major donors—those who have given more than $1 million to #Koch-related causes—met Alfeyev through his friend Bob Foresman, head of #Barclays Capital in Russia. This select group of businessmen has unusual access to Alfeyev. In an interview for this article, Fullinwider described having dinner at Alfeyev’s private residence on a recent trip to Moscow. 'He’s a real busy guy,' says Fullinwider. 'He’s very, very hard to get in touch with unless you have a special number and you know the main guy who handles him, who’s a good friend of mine.'

"Alfeyev’s first trip to the United States paved the way for others, and in October 2012 he delivered a lecture at Villanova University, where he received an honorary degree and paid a visit to the Milwaukee-based #LyndeAndHarryBradleyFoundation. One of the largest donor organizations of its kind in the United States, the #BradleyFoundation, with more than $600 million in assets, is known for its contributions to US conservative groups like the #HeritageFoundation and the #HeartlandInstitute. But its charity isn’t limited to home: over the last four years, the foundation has given $750,000 to the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation in Moscow, a new educational and cultural initiative founded in 2009 by Alfeyev, Russian #billionaire and pharmaceutical magnate #VadimYakunin, and #LeonidSevastianov, a 35-year-old international business consultant and head of Stratinvest.ru, a consulting and public relations firm. In 2009, through Alfeyev’s charity, the Bradley Foundation donated $150,000 to support the 'Day of the Family,' a recently created Russian holiday honoring faith and fidelity. The annual event has been championed by #SvetlanaMedvedeva, wife of Prime Minister #DmitriMedvedev, a staunch #AntiAbortion advocate.

“We want to promote the idea of the unity between the West and Russia on the basis of common Christian roots,” Sevastianov told Inside the Vatican magazine in 2009. “We believe in this alliance among traditional Christian countries…and we believe that, with a united voice, we can be a strong force against the radical secular world which has become dominant in our societies.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/how-us-evangelicals-fueled-rise-russias-pro-family-right/

#TradFamily #TradWives #TrumpIsARussianAsset #AntiWoke #ChristoFacists #ChristoFascism #evangelicals #RabidRight #MAGADeathCult #BigOil #CorporateColonialism #Billionaires

A Russian asset: Trump’s policy behavior confirms evidence he was groomed by the Kremlin since the 1980s

The “Kyiv Independent” published an explosive interview on February 26 that torched any lingering doubt about President Donald Trump’s deep ties to Russian intelligence

Posted by Insights | Mar 8, 2025

Excerpt: "Many Americans once dismissed reports of #Trump’s ties to Russian intelligence as wild conspiracy theories. Yet [#CraigUnger]’s findings, presented in his books 'House of Trump, House of #Putin' and '#AmericanKompromat,' outline a consistent chain of events stretching back more than 40 years.

"Soviet operatives, later replaced by Russian #oligarchs, funneled suspicious cash into Trump’s real estate deals and played upon his narcissistic vanity. Over time, the strategy shaped Trump’s worldview to align seamlessly with the Kremlin’s long-term interests. Today, Russia reaps enormous gains as the White House methodically undermines Western unity, weakening NATO, and eroding confidence among America’s most vital allies.

"The pattern was on full display during Trump’s U.N. address, where he castigated Ukraine for 'bringing its troubles on itself' and chided Europe for failing to 'handle its own backyard.'

"In those remarks, he reversed decades of bipartisan consensus that the United States should confront unprovoked aggression in Europe. Instead of backing a nation under siege, Trump effectively blamed Kyiv’s government for the devastation wrought by Russian firepower.

"Putin’s state media wasted no time broadcasting those segments, painting the U.S. president as an enlightened leader who recognizes the Kremlin’s alleged right to expand its sphere of influence.

"Unger’s new revelations sent shockwaves through Washington circles. Once portrayed by supporters as a patriotic firebrand, Trump now looks more like a Trojan horse carefully cultivated by Russian intelligence. The journalist’s interview with the Kyiv Independent highlighted key phases of infiltration: financial bailouts for Trump when U.S. banks shunned him, orchestrated praise from Russian figures, and direct contact with individuals linked to the KGB’s successor services.

"The result, Unger insisted, was a president whose foreign policy systematically furthers Moscow’s objectives — even if he never receives direct orders. In intelligence parlance, that is the very definition of an 'asset.'

"Those who scoff at the notion that a sitting U.S. president could be co-opted by a foreign power willfully ignore reams of evidence. Unger references KGB files showing that Soviet handlers identified Trump’s egotism and business desperation as exploitable weaknesses. They recognized that lavish deals, flattery, and carefully timed loans could bind him to Russian interests."

Read more:
https://www.acom/explainers/russian-asset-trumps-policy-behavior-confirms-evidence-groomed-kremlin-since-1980s/

#ChristoFacists #ChistoFascism
#RussianOrthodoxChurch
#AntiGBLTQ #AntiImmigrant
#Gilead #AntiWoke #TrumpIsARussianAsset