What is the place of women in the church and in life in general? After all, the Orthodox view is a special view. And the opinions of different priests can differ greatly from each other (even if we do not take into account the misogynist Tkachev) – someone sees Delilah and Herodias in women, someone – myrrh-bearers.
In the world created by God, a man and a woman are two absolutely equal parts of a single whole: the world simply could not exist if they did not complement each other.
It is this unity that the Apostle Paul emphasizes, speaking about the earthly segment of human history: “the two will become one flesh.”
If we talk about eternity, then in it, according to the words of the same Paul: “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” And this is the same unity, but in its exclusive fullness (“marriage is only a prophetic image of the future century, of humanity in slalu naturae integrae [in a state of integral nature]” – Pavel Evdokimov).
As for the role of women… There is an interesting moment in the Gospel, which for some reason is traditionally ignored by Orthodox (and perhaps other Christian) preachers.
We know that Christ was born of Mary. She became the focus in which the thousand-year history of the Jewish people converged. All the prophets, patriarchs and kings of the people of Israel lived so that at some point this young girl would agree to become the mother of God and give Him the opportunity to save us all.
God did not use her as a “walking incubator” (which is what Orthodox pastors seriously see as the purpose of women), did not deceive her, as Zeus did with Alcmene, Leda or Danae, He chose her as the mother of His Son and gave her the right to freely respond with consent or refusal.
All this is common knowledge. But few people pay attention to the fact that there is no place for a man in this story.
There is God and a woman who save the world. There is Christ, who, dying on the cross, conquers death and redeems humanity with his blood. And there is Mary, standing at the cross of her Divine Son, whose “weapon pierces the soul.”
And all the men are somewhere out there – feasting in palaces, judging, making sacrifices, betraying, shaking with hatred or fear, preaching, fighting, teaching.
They have their own role in this “divine tragedy”, but at this culmination of human history, the main role is played by two – God and Woman.
And true Christianity by no means reduced the entire role of a woman to the birth of children and household chores.
For example, St. Paula, a highly educated woman, helped Blessed Jerome in his work on translating the Bible.
The monasteries of England and Ireland in the 6th and 7th centuries became centers for the training of erudite women who were knowledgeable in theology, canon law, and wrote Latin poetry. St. Gertrude translated the Holy Scriptures from Greek. Female monastic orders in Catholicism carried out a wide variety of social services.
From an Orthodox perspective on the matter, a useful synthesis is provided by a document from the year 2000 – “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church”, approved by the Holy Synod of Bishops, in the year of the Great Jubilee, at the border between the millennia.
The foundations of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church are intended to serve as a guide for synodal institutions, dioceses, monasteries, parishes and other canonical church institutions in their relations with state power, with various secular organizations, with non-church mass media. On the basis of this document, the ecclesiastical Hierarchy adopts decisions on various issues, the relevance of which is limited within the boundaries of individual countries or to some short period of time, as well as when the subject of consideration is sufficiently private. The document is included in the educational process of the spiritual schools of the Moscow Patriarchate. In accordance with the changes in state and social life, the emergence of new problems in this area, which are important for the Church, the foundations of its social concept can be developed and improved. The results of this process are confirmed by the Holy Synod, by Local or Bishops’ Councils:
X. 5. In the pre-Christian world there existed the idea of woman as an inferior being compared to man. The Church of Christ revealed the dignity and vocation of women in all their fullness by giving them a deep religious justification, which found its peak in the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Orthodox teaching, the blessed Mary, blessed among women (Luke 1:28), manifested in herself that highest degree of moral purity, spiritual perfection and holiness to which man can rise and which surpasses in dignity the ranks of angels. In her person, motherhood is sanctified and the importance of the feminine is affirmed. The mystery of the Incarnation takes place with the participation of the Mother of God, as she participates in the work of salvation and rebirth of man. The Church deeply honors the evangelical myrrh-bearing women, as well as the numerous Christian figures glorified by the feats of martyrdom, confession and righteousness. From the very beginning of the existence of the ecclesiastical community, women actively participated in its organization, liturgical life, missionary work, preaching, education and charity.
Valuing highly the social role of women and welcoming their political, cultural and social equality with men, at the same time the Church opposes tendencies to belittle the role of women as wife and mother. The fundamental equality of dignity of the sexes does not eliminate their natural differences and does not mean the identification of their vocation both in the family and in society. In particular, the Church cannot misinterpret the words of St. app. Paul about the special responsibility of the man who is called to be “head of the woman” and to love her as Christ loves His Church or about the call of the woman to submit to the man as the Church submits to Christ (Eph. 5 :22-33; Col. 3:18). Here, of course, we are not talking about the despotism of the man or the fortification of the woman, but about the primacy of responsibility, care and love; it should also not be forgotten that all Christians are called to obey “one another in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:21). Therefore, “neither a man without a woman, nor a woman without a man, is in the Lord.” For as the woman is from the man, so the man is through the woman, and everything is from God” (I Cor. 11:11-12).
Representatives of some social currents tend to downplay, and sometimes even deny the importance of marriage and the institution of the family, paying attention mainly to the social importance of women, including activities that are slightly compatible or even incompatible with female nature (such as for example work involving heavy physical labor). The frequent calls for an artificial equalization of the participation of men and women in all spheres of human activity. The Church sees the purpose of woman not simply in imitating man or competing with him, but in developing her God-given abilities, which are inherent only in her nature. By not emphasizing only the system of distribution of social functions, Christian anthropology places women in a much higher place than modern non-religious ideas. The desire to destroy or minimize natural division in the public sphere is not inherent in ecclesiastical reason. Gender differences, as well as social and ethical ones, do not hinder access to the salvation that Christ has brought to all people: “There is no longer Jew, nor Greek; there is no longer slave, nor free; neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). At the same time, this sotiological statement does not imply the artificial unification of human diversity and should not be mechanically applied to all public relations.
Acts of the Apostles, chapter 11. The displeasure of the believers in Jerusalem against Peter because of his association with the uncircumcised and the pacification of the discontented (1 – 18). Preaching the Gospel outside Palestine, especially in Antioch (10-21). Barnabas and Saul in Antioch (22 – 26). Prophecy of famine and almsgiving for Christians in Judea (27-30)
Acts. 11:1. The apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also accepted the word of God.
Acts. 11:2. And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised besought him,
Acts. 11:3. saying, you went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.
The believers among the Jews (i.e. those who were circumcised) do not reproach Peter for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and baptizing them, but only for “going to the uncircumcised and eating with them…”. In essence, they could not object to the preaching of Christ among the Gentiles, since they could not forget the command of the Lord himself “teach all nations, baptizing them” – Matt. 28:19. Their protest was only against Peter’s permitted communion with the uncircumcised.
As the church song “Tako bysha eshke kosni uchenitsy” (fourth gospel verse, 4 voice) says of the One who himself had once fought so much against those who unreasonably reproached Him that he “eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners”.
In this case the protest of the extreme zealots of the Jewish law and customs, which were not even commanded by Moses, but were only the traditions of unknown old men, was the more dangerous, for it was a manifestation of that false teaching which the late Judaizing false teachers propagated with such force, and which was ready to demand the compulsion of all Judaism, with its circumcision and customs, as a condition of entry into Christianity.
This is already an extreme with which Peter, and later to an even greater extent Paul, struggle – even after the Apostolic Council puts an end to this matter once and for all with its authoritative decrees.
Acts. 11:4. And Peter began to tell them all in turn, saying:
Peter’s account of the event at Caesarea is almost identical to the account of the deist. Peter does not directly answer the reproach leveled at him for going to the uncircumcised and conversing with them, but simply rejects it by the indisputably revealed will of God for the admission of Gentiles into Christ’s Church. When this happens – and not so much by the will and actions of Peter, but by the will and signs of God, it would obviously be unreasonable to oppose God and not recognize them as full members of Christ’s brotherhood, so that in communication with they can no longer be ashamed of anything.
Acts. 11:5. I was in the city of Joppa, and as I was praying, I was carried away and saw a vision: a vessel descended, as if a great cloth, let down from heaven by its four corners, and came near to me.
Acts. 11:6. As I gazed upon it and looked, I saw quadrupeds of the earth, beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
Acts. 11:7. And I heard a voice saying to me: get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!
Acts. 11:8. And I said: no, Lord, because nothing dirty or impure has ever entered my mouth.
Acts. 11:9. And a voice from heaven spoke to me again: what God has cleansed, you do not consider unclean.
Acts. 11:10. This happened three times; and again everything rose to the sky.
Acts. 11:11. And behold, at that hour, three men stopped in front of the house where I was, sent from Caesarea to me.
Acts. 11:12. And the Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six brothers came with me, and we entered the man’s house.
Acts. 11:13. He told us how he saw an Angel (saint) in his house, who stood and said to him: send men to Joppa and call Simon, called Peter;
Acts. 11:14. he will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.
Acts. 11:15. And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came upon them, as upon us at first.
Acts. 11:16 a.m. Then I remembered the words of the Lord, how He spoke: “John baptizes with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts. 11:17. If, therefore, God gave them an equal gift, as he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who am I to hinder God?
Acts. 11:18. When they heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying: God has also given the Gentiles repentance for life.
After this explanation, Peter’s critics not only calmed down, but also praised God, who had also given the Gentiles “repentance for life”, i.e. life in the eternal kingdom of Christ. “Do you see,” says St. John Chrysostom, “what the speech of Peter, who recounts in detail what happened, has done? Because of this, they glorified God, because He also gave them repentance: these words humbled them! Then at last the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles…”
Acts. 11:19. And those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose at the killing of Stephen came to Phenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and preached the word to no one except to the Jews.
Meanwhile, those scattered by the persecutions that followed Stephen reached Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word only to the Jews.
After setting forth the events which require special attention and which occurred after the murder of Stephen (Acts 8, Acts 9, Acts 10), the author proceeds to describe the activities of the scattered believers outside the borders of Judea and Samaria. Its purpose is to present more vividly the important results of the persecution and dispersion of the Christians. “The persecution – says Saint John Chrysostom – has brought no small benefit to the preaching of the Gospel. If the enemies had deliberately sought to spread the Church, they would have done no different: I mean, to scatter the teachers.’
“Phoenicia” – a coastal strip of land north of Galilee, at that time subject to the Romans, with the once famous cities of Tire and Sidon.
“Cyprus” – a large island located near the Syrophoenician coast of the Mediterranean Sea (see Acts 4:36).
“Antioch” – a large and then flourishing city in northwestern Syria, on the Orontes River, 6 hours’ journey from the sea (about 30 versts), founded by Antiochus, father of Seleucus Nicator, founder of the Seleucid kingdom. Its predominant population was Greek, but there were also many Jews. Greek education and language also prevailed in the city.
“they preached the word to no one, except to Jews.” They followed the rule once stated by the apostle Paul that the Jews were the first to be preached the word of God (Acts 13:46).
In this way they preached the gospel to the Jews, bypassing the Gentiles, “not because of human fear, which was nothing to them, but desiring to keep the law and be condescending to them” (St. John Chrysostom), that is, to the Jews who thought that have the greatest rights to be proclaimed with the evangelical gospel.
Acts. 11:20. There were some of them Cypriots and Cyrenes who, having entered Antioch, spoke to the Greeks and preached the Lord Jesus.
“Cyprians and Cyreneans.” After the events at Caesarea (the conversion of Cornelius) the strict distinction between Jews and Gentiles regarding the right to enter Christ’s Church completely lost its force, and since then the spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles has increased. The believers from among the Hellenistic Jews (“Cypriots and Cyrenes”) showed special zeal in this regard, who, coming to Antioch, openly “spoke to the Greeks and preached the good news of the Lord Jesus” and were completely successful, creating the first large community of Christians among the pagans, played a major role in the life of the early Christian Church.
Acts. 11:21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great multitude believed and turned to the Lord.
“And the hand of the Lord was with them,” i. with the preachers. They were strengthened by a special gracious power of God, through which they performed signs and wonders.
Acts. 11:22 a.m. Word of this came to the Jerusalem church, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
“There was word of it.” In Greek: ὁ λόγος … περὶ αὐτῶν. Literally: “the word for them.”
“to the Jerusalem church” – in its full composition, with the apostles at the head, who sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. Why exactly Barnabas? Barnabas was best suited in case any misunderstandings arose, such as those mentioned in Acts. 11: 2 – 3 and for the leadership of the new Christian community. He was a native of the same Cyprus, whence some of the Antiochian preachers were (Acts 11:20, Acts 4:36); was especially respected in the Jerusalem church (Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-27), was a “good man” and gracious (Acts 11:24). He had a special gift of persuasion and comfort, as the very name Barnabas indicates (Acts 4:36). Such a man must have seemed peculiarly capable of allaying any disturbances that might arise, and of bringing the whole life of the community into a proper spirit.
Acts. 11:23. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and exhorted all with a sincere heart to abide in the Lord,
Upon his arrival, Barnabas could only rejoice in God’s grace among the Christians in Antioch, whom he asked “to abide in the Lord with a sincere heart.” In Greek: τῇ προθέσει τῆς καρδίας προσμένειν τῷ Κυρίῳ. In the Slavic translation: “Izvoleniem serdka terpeti o Gospode”. Literally: with the intent of the heart to abide with the Lord. St. John Chrysostom suggests that after Barnabas praised and approved the believing people, he converted even more people to Christ.
Acts. 11:24. for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And many people joined the Lord.
“because” – refers to verse 22. It explains why Barnabas was sent, and also why Barnabas rejoiced so much and took to heart the condition of the new converts.
Acts. 11:25. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.
Barnabas doubtless wished to direct Saul, who had removed to Tarsus from Jerusalem, to the new and wide field of activity which had opened up, for which, as an apostle to the Gentiles, he was destined (Acts 8:15, 29-30).
Acts. 11:26. A whole year they gathered together in church and taught a great multitude; and first in Antioch the disciples were called Christians.
“they were meeting in church.” Common worship meetings of Christians are meant.
“they taught quite a people.” In Greek: διδάξαι ὄχλον ἱκανόν. I.e. they instructed and confirmed the new converts in the truths of the faith and the rules of the Christian life. It is noteworthy that Saul’s preaching activity is here described (though jointly with Barnabas) by the word “teaching” (διδάξαι), which is usually used only for apostolic preaching (Acts 4:2, 18, 5:25, 28, 42; cf. Acts 2:42).
“first in Antioch the disciples were called Christians.” Until then, the followers of the Lord were called disciples, brothers, believers, etc. In two places in the New Testament (Acts 26:28 and 1 Pet. 4:16) this name is used by people who were not in the Church. This suggests that the giving of the name Christians is hardly due to the Christians themselves. It is doubtful that it also came from the Jews, who would not dare to give the sacred name Christ (translation of the Hebrew Messiah) to the followers of the One whom they did not consider as such. Therefore, it remains with the greatest probability to suppose that the name Christians was given to the believers by the Antiochian pagans. They did not know the dogmatic and religious-historical meaning of the name Messiah, and accepted its Greek translation (Christ) as a proper name, thus naming the party of His followers. The new name was particularly successful, because it united all those who professed the new faith in one – both those who came from among the Jews and those from the Gentiles who learned Christianity completely independently of Judaism.
Acts. 11:27. In those days, prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch.
“prophets came down.” Among the various spiritual gifts in which the supreme church of Christ was so rich, at that time the gift of prophecy also manifested itself in some believers, i.e. the foretelling of future events beyond the reach of natural human knowledge (1 Cor. 12:10). One of these prophets was Agabus, who is mentioned again later (Acts 21:10).
Acts. 11:28. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the whole universe, just as it happened under Caesar Claudius.
“announced by the Spirit.” In Greek: ἐσήμανε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματα. In the Slavic translation: it was intended by the Spirit. I.e. announced by some sign, an external figurative action, symbolic of what was suggested to him by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 21:10).
“throughout the whole universe…a great famine.” A strong expression is used, signifying the coming of a great famine everywhere (cf. Luke 2:1), in many places, and perhaps not at the same time, but over several years, district by district, and not everywhere at once. The chronicler notes that such a famine “occurred under Claudius Caesar.” This is the successor of Caligula, who ruled the empire 41-54 BC. During all this time a famine raged in certain places in the Roman Empire, and about 44 a great famine occurred throughout Palestine (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XX, 2, 6; 5, 2; Eusebius of Caesarea. Ecclesiastical History. II, 11 ). About the year 50 there was a famine in Italy itself and in other provinces (Tacitus, Annals. XII, 43).
Acts. 11:29. Then the disciples decided, each according to his means, to send help to the brothers who lived in Judea;
In Greek: τῶν δὲ μαθητῶν καθὼς ηὐπορεῖτό τις. Literally: of the disciples, as many as they could, decided… This apparently happened at the beginning of the famine in Judea. Then, for the first time, the touching and brotherly love and unity between the individual Christian communities was manifested.
Acts. 11:30. this they did, sending the collected to the presbyters under Barnabas and Saul.
“to the presbyters.” This is the first mention of presbyters in apostolic history. As appears from further references (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23, 20, etc.) and from the apostolic epistles (Titus 1:4; 1 Tim. 5:17, 19, etc.), the presbyters were the leaders of the individual Christian communities, shepherds and teachers and performers of the sacraments (cf. Acts 20:17, 28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 5:1; James 5:14-15).
They were ordained to ministry by the laying on of hands by the apostles (Acts 14:23) or the bishops (1 Tim. 5:22). In those cities where the Christian societies were more numerous, for example Jerusalem, Ephesus, etc., there were several presbyters each (Acts 15:1, 4, etc.; Acts 20:17).
Of the original institution of this sacred degree there is no such special testimony as, for example, of the institution of deacons (Acts 6, etc.). One thing is clear, that the custom of ordaining presbyters in the newly founded Christian communities was established very early (Acts 14:27), apparently caused by the urgent need for each community to have, in addition to a bishop, an authoritative and authorized by the apostolic authority leader, a superior, shepherd and teacher, minister of the sacraments.
It was to the presbyters, as the closest representatives of the individual municipalities, that the help of the Antiochians was handed over.
Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A.P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.
Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10. The centurion Cornelius, the appearance of the angel, his ambassadorship to Peter (1-8). Peter’s vision and his meeting with the messengers of Cornelius (9-22). Peter’s journey to Cornelius, preaching in his house, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the hearers and their baptism (23-48)
Acts. 10:1. There was in Caesarea a man named Cornelius, a centurion of a regiment called Italian,
“in Caesarea.” See for this city the interpretation to Acts. 8:40.
“of a regiment called Italian.” This regiment consisted really of Italians, not of soldiers recruited from the natives. Caesarea was the residence of the Roman procurators of Palestine, and therefore they had a special regiment of natural Romans or Italians, as more reliable and skilful warriors. It is probable that Cornelius, the centurion of this regiment, was also a natural Roman or Italian. He was not even a Jewish proselyte, but a Gentile with a good soul and natural piety (cf. Acts 10:28, 34 and before that Acts 10:11, 1, 18, 15:7). The incorporation of such a person into the Church of Christ, and that directly, without any mediation on the part of the Jews, even in the form of proselytism at the gate, is an event of great importance, an epoch in the history of the apostolic Church.
This particular importance of the event of the first conversion of a pagan to Christ also speaks of the fact that it took place through the mediation of the first apostle of Christ – Peter, who was deliberately called by God from another city, although at that time in Caesarea there was the famous evangelist and baptizer of the Ethiopian noble Philip.
Acts. 10:2. a pious and God-fearing man with all his household; he gave many alms to the people and always prayed to God.
“God-fearing … and always prayed to God.” These words show that Cornelius was a worshiper of the One true God, of whom he had probably learned from intercourse with the Jews and their worship, but who worshiped Him in his own way, as his pious heart prompted him, independently and independently of the forms of Jewish worship. worship.
Acts. 10:3. About the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an Angel of God, who came to him and said to him: Cornelius!
“saw clearly in a vision” – εἶδεν ἐν ὁράματι φανερῶς. In the Slavic translation: “saw in visions appeared”. This means that the vision was in a waking state, not in a dream (St. John Chrysostom). It happened about the ninth hour of the day (corresponding to 3:00 p.m.), which was the usual time for prayer among the Jews. Cornelius also prayed at this time, having fasted until that hour (Acts 10:30).
Acts. 10:4. And he looked at him and fearfully said: what, Lord? The angel answered him: your prayers and your alms have gone up as a memorial before God.
“scared”. St. John Chrysostom explains this fear to Cornelius as follows: “The vision created fear in him, but a moderate fear, so that it only made him cautious. The angel’s words dispelled this fear, or more precisely, the praise contained in them softened the unpleasant feeling of fear…”.
“went up as a memorial to God” – a human description of God’s favor to Cornelius because of his prayers and good works.
Acts. 10:5. And now, send men to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter:
Acts. 10:6. he is on a visit to a certain Simona, whose house is by the sea; he will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.
“he will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.” In the Slavic translation: “he speaks to you, you and your entire home will be saved in them.” However, the Greek text is quite different: “οὗτος λαλήσει σοι τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν”, which means: he will tell you what to do.
With this vision, the Lord discovered that good works and piety are not enough by themselves – they must be sanctified through faith in the Savior Christ, which gives value and foundation to the good disposition of man.
Acts. 10:7. When the Angel who had spoken to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his servants and a pious soldier from among those who were constantly with him,
“two of his servants” – δύο τῶν οἰκετῶν αὐτοῦ. Literally, it means “his household,” that is, people who are closer to the master of the house than ordinary servants. They were distinguished by the same piety as Cornelius himself (Acts 10:2).
Acts. 10:8. and, having told them all, sent them to Joppa.
“told them all.” The purpose of the servants is to persuade Peter to go with them to their master (Acts 10:22). Blessed Theophylact writes: “He told them everything in order to persuade Peter to come to him, because he considered it indecent to call him to him because of his authority (of a centurion).”
Acts. 10:9. The next day, as they were traveling and approaching the city, Peter, about the sixth hour, went up on the flat roof of the house to pray.
“The next day … about six o’clock.” The distance from Caesarea to Joppa is about 40-45 versts (1 verst – 1066.8 m.). Those sent by Cornelius after the ninth hour (after 3 p.m., Acts 10:3) probably left the same day in the evening. So they could arrive in Joppa the next day at noon (about six o’clock).
“went up to the flat roof of the house to pray.” The flat roofs of houses in the East are very comfortable places for prayer. This is where Peter also goes up to pray at the appointed hour.
Acts. 10:10. And being hungry, he asked to eat; while they were preparing him, he drifted off,
“he came into rapture” – ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἔκστασις (lit. fell into ecstasy). In the Slavic translation: “horror struck me”. According to Blessed Theophylact, this is a state in which “a person has no control over his senses, being drawn into the spiritual world.” Saint John Chrysostom writes the same.
Acts. 10:11. and – he sees heaven opened, and a vessel descending to him, as it were a great cloth tied at the four ends and let down to the earth;
Acts. 10:12. in it were all the quadrupeds of the earth, beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
“in it were all the quadrupeds of the earth” – πάντα τὰ τετράποδα τῆς γῆς. Literally: all the four-legged creatures of the earth. In the Slavic translation: “all four-legged land”. As one interpreter justly remarks, “This contemplation cannot be measured humanly, for the ecstasy gave Peter other eyes…”.
Acts. 10:13. And a voice was heard to him: get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!
“get up, Peter” – ἀναστάς, Πέτρε, θῦσον καὶ φάγε. In the Slavic translation: rise up Petre, slaughter and eat! The participle ἀναστάς is used, which here means incitement to the action commanded, as in Acts. 9:11, 39 and elsewhere.
“slaughter and eat”. The vision accommodates the hunger experienced by Peter at that moment, and suggests the most ordinary preparation of food, but with unusual consumption.
Acts. 10:14. And Peter said: No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unclean or unclean.
Although in the descending cloth Peter may find clean animals to be eaten, yet he answers the invitation with a definite negative – μηδαμῶς, Κύριες· Literally: “by no means, Lord!” He answers in this way because of the unusual for he indifference with which the voice treats the unclean animals prohibited for use according to the law, and it is precisely them that he has in mind.
“Lord.” Since the voice came from the open sky, Peter answered it with the usual address “Lord!”, feeling in his heart that the vision came from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The meaning and purpose of this vision is as follows: all the animals in the canvas symbolically represent all mankind: the clean animals mean the Jewish people, and the unclean animals the Gentiles. With the death of Christ the Savior on the Cross, as a sacrifice to God, offered for the whole world, purification is given to all, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, who together must enter the Church of Christ, into the kingdom of the Messiah, alien to every vice and defilement, being washed and continually washed by the blood of the Lamb of God.
Acts. 10:15. And again a voice came to him: what God has cleansed, you do not consider unclean.
It is also understood that the purification of the Gentiles and their entry into the Church of Christ did not require the mediation of Jewish external rites and regulations, which for Judaism itself had a temporary and transitory character. The right of this entrance is given only because of the all-encompassing significance of the sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross.
Acts. 10:16. This happened three times, and the judgment went up to heaven again.
“It shall be three times.” I.e. the vision, the conversation with Peter was repeated three times, as a sign of the undoubted truth of what was seen and heard, and to assure Peter of the immutability of the Divine decision.
“and the judgment went up again to heaven.” In the pure and holy realm, where even the impure is made pure and preserved as such by God, together with that which has always been pure.
Acts. 10:17. And when Peter was at a loss as to what the vision which he saw meant, behold, the men sent by Cornelia, inquiring about Simon’s house, stopped at the door
“Peter was perplexed.” Peter does not immediately realize what this vision means, but further events explain it.
Acts. 10:18. and, having called one, they asked: Is Simon, who is called Peter, staying here?
“they called one, they asked”. It is not clear from the narrative whether Peter heard this exclamation. It is further said that the Holy Spirit, through a new inner revelation, communicated to him the messengers of Cornelius.
Acts. 10:19. And while Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him: behold, three people are looking for you.
Acts. 10:20. Get up, get down, and go with them without the least hesitation; for I sent them.
“Arise, come down, and go with them” – ἀναστὰς κατάβηθι καὶ πορεύου. See the interpretation on Acts. 10:13.
“without hesitating in the least” – μηδὲν διακρινόμενος. That means without any hesitation. Was this prescient warning given in view of the well-known strict views of the apostle, which must have put him in difficulty whether to follow the invitation to go to Gentiles, with whom intercourse was forbidden by the Jewish law (Acts 10:28)?
Acts. 10:21. When he went down to the men sent by Cornelius to him, Peter said: I am the one you are looking for; what job did you come for?
“for what business did you come?” In the Russian translation (“For what purpose did you come?”) again, an inaccuracy was admitted, as the Slavic translation is closer to the original: “kaya есть vina, ее же ради приидосте?”. In Greek: τίς ἡ αἰτία δι᾿ ἣν πάρεστε; That is, the literal translation is: What is the reason why you have come?
Acts. 10:22. And they answered: the centurion Cornelius, a virtuous and God-fearing man, with a good name among all the Jewish people, received a revelation from a holy angel to call you to his house and listen to your speeches.
“with a good name among all the Jewish people.” From these words, it becomes clear that a large part of Cornelius’ benefactions were precisely among the Jews, who in this respect resembled the other famous evangelical centurion – the one from Capernaum.
“to listen to your speeches” – ἀκοῦσαι ῥήματα παρὰ σοῦ. I.e. to hear your words, your sermon, which should teach me what I need to do for my salvation.
Acts. 10:23. Then Peter invited them in and gave them a feast. And the next day he arose and went with them; and some of the Joppian brothers went with him.
“some of the brothers of Joppa” – i.e. of the believers at Joppa, who were six, as appears from the further account (Acts 11:12).
Peter entertained the messengers of Cornelius, and as they needed rest, they did not set out until the next day, and probably not very early. They did not arrive at Caesarea until the next day, the fourth day after the vision received by Cornelius (Acts 10:30).
Acts. 10:24. The next day they entered Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having summoned his relatives and close friends.
“had called together his relatives and close friends”, who were quite a large group of people (Acts 10:27), of one mind with Cornelius and ready with him to believe in Christ according to the word of Peter. It was the first community of pure pagans to join Christianity without the mediation of Jewish cultic institutions.
Acts. 10:25. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.
Acts. 10:26. And Peter lifted him up and said: get up, I am also a man!
Peter refused Cornelius’s obeisance, not only out of humility, but because he felt in this act that Cornelius was honoring him as some embodiment of a higher power, which was so characteristic of the heathen conception of gods in human form (Acts 14:11).
Acts. 10:27. And conversing with him, he entered and found many assembled.
Acts. 10:28. And he said to them: you know that it is not forgiven for a Jew to gather or get close to another tribe; but God revealed to me not to consider any person dirty or impure.
There is no prohibition in the Mosaic Law for a Jew to communicate with foreigners (Gentiles); it is the petty severity of the later rabbinate, which, under the influence of Pharisaism, developed the idea of the holiness of the chosen people to an excessive degree.
Thanks to the well-known influence of the Pharisaic teachings on the people, this view of relations with the pagans immediately acquired the meaning of a general custom and a firmly established rule – a law, which was also reflected in the way of action of the first supreme apostle.
“not to consider any person dirty or impure” – in the sense of the above-mentioned Pharisaic views, as the impossibility of a pagan to be purified and sanctified through faith in Christ, regardless of Judaism.
Acts. 10:29. Therefore, being invited, I came without objection. Now, I ask, on what business did you send for me?
“on what errand didst thou send for me.” Peter already knew in part what the purpose of his coming was. But now he wants to hear this once more from the mouth of Cornelius and the others present, “so that they themselves may confess and be corrected in the faith.” (Blessed Theophylact, Saint John Chrysostom).
The apostle addresses not only Cornelius, but also the rest of the assembled people, assuming in them the same intention and perceiving the invitation of Cornelius as addressed on behalf of all of them.
Acts. 10:30. Cornelius answered: from four days until this hour I fasted, and at the ninth hour I prayed at home; and behold, there stood before me a man in a bright garment
Acts. 10:31. and said: Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God.
Acts. 10:32. So send to Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter; he is a guest at Simona Usmarya’s, by the sea; he will come and talk to you.
Acts. 10:33. I sent for you at once, and you did well to come. Now, therefore, we all stand before God to hear everything that God has commanded you.
“we all stand before God.” These words are a reverent expression of faith in an omnipresent and omniscient God, and show a readiness to fulfill His will, which they expect to be revealed to them by Peter.
Acts. 10:34. Peter spoke and said: truly, I confess that God does not look on faces;
“Peter spoke and said” – Ἀνοίξας δὲ Πέτρος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἶπεν. In the Slavic translation: otverz ze Peter usta said. Literally: Peter opened his mouth and said. See Acts. 8:35.
“indeed, I admit” – ἐπ᾿ ἀληθειας καταλαμβάνομαι. Literally: I really understand. These words show the greatest degree of certainty and confidence.
Acts. 10:35. but in every nation the one who fears Him and walks in righteousness is acceptable to Him.
“is pleasing to Him” – δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστι, i.e. they are accepted by Him, they are not rejected, they are not deprived of the right to participate in the gracious kingdom of Christ. This does not mean that a person can believe whatever he wants and thus be pleasing to God, as long as he acts according to natural justice. Such an understanding would mean that the Christian faith is not necessary for salvation and pleasing God and would allow religious indifference, which is impossible. As it is impossible to be blessed without Christ, outside Christ’s church.
Peter’s point is not that faith does not matter, but that nationality does not matter in bringing to Christ: he who is pleasing to God in any nation on earth can be brought to Christ and joined to His church where he becomes righteous before God. In such a spirit is the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom: “”How? Is he who is of the Persians pleasing to Him? If he is worthy, he will be liked in such a way as to merit faith. Therefore He did not despise even the Ethiopian eunuch. But what, say some, are we to think of men who fear God and yet are neglected? No, no godly man is neglected, for such a man can never be despised.’
Acts. 10:36. He sent the children of Israel the word, announcing peace through Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of all.
“send . . . the word,” i.e. The Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, the Son of God, who preaches the kingdom of God, the kingdom of peace and salvation on earth.
“Who is Lord of all.” These words are great for both Jews and Gentiles, because here for the first time in front of Gentiles Jesus Christ is clearly called the Lord “of all” – i.e. both Jews and Gentiles. He calls all men into His kingdom, and all have an equal right to enter it.
Acts. 10:37. You know about the events that took place throughout Judea, which began in Galilee after the baptism preached by John:
“you know about the events that happened”. The apostle supposes that his hearers had heard of these events, at least of the most important ones of the life of Jesus Christ, because they lived not far from these places, and also because, being well disposed to the Jewish faith, they could not fail to be interested in the events, the rumor of which also circulated in the surrounding lands of Palestine.
“they started from Galilee”- τὸ γενόμενον ῥῆμα … ἀρξάμενον ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. In the Slavic translation: vy veste verb, which was throughout Judea, beginning with Galilee. The word “ῥῆμα” means a verb, a word, a word, and then that which causes them.
“from Galilee”. There the Lord begins His public ministry after baptism (John 2ff.)
Acts. 10:38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went out into Judea, doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
“anointed … Jesus.” Of course, in terms of humanity – as the blessed Theophylact of Ohrid interpreted this place: “since He humbled Himself and accepted our flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14), it is said of Him that He, as a man, accepts what is in a nature like God’. This anointing took place at the baptism of Jesus Christ.
“God was with Him.” This is a careful expression of the thought of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The apostle expresses himself in such a way as not to give rise to pagan ideas about the divinity of Jesus, whom the pagans could easily take for the incarnation of one or another pagan deity. Because of the weakness of the listeners, the apostle spoke less about the Person of Christ than he should (St. John Chrysostom).
Acts. 10:39. And we are witnesses of all that He did in the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and how they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree.
Acts. 10:40. God resurrected Him on the third day and gave Him to appear –
Cf. Acts. 1:8, 3:15, 5:30, 2:32.
Acts 10:41. not to all the people, but to us, the pre-chosen witnesses of God, who ate and drank with Him, after His resurrection from the dead.
Cf. John 17:6, 9, 11, 6:37; Rome. 50:1; 1 Cor.1:1; Gal. 1:1, 15; Luke 24:41–43; John 21:12.
Acts. 10:42. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the Judge appointed by God over the living and the dead.
Cf. Acts. 3:24, 2:38; John 3:15; Rome. 3:25, 10:10.
Act. 10:43. Of Him, all the prophets testify that whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name.
Acts. 10:44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to the word.
“While Peter was still speaking…” (see Acts chapter 11). This is the only case in the entire apostolic history in which the Holy Spirit descends on those who join the Christian community even before they are baptized. No doubt this was necessary because of the extreme importance of the events – the first accession of Gentiles to the Church of Christ without the mediation of Judaism, after which this mode of accession was to receive an authority of indisputability.
St. John Chrysostom wrote on this occasion: “Look at God’s house-building. Peter had not yet finished his speech, and the baptism was not yet finished, but as they … received the beginning of the teaching and believed … the Spirit came [upon them]. God does this with the intention of giving Peter a strong justification. Not only did they receive the Spirit, but they began to speak in tongues… Why does it happen this way? For the sake of the Jews, for it was too displeasing for them to see this.’
Act. 10:45. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on Gentiles as well;
“the believers of the circumcision . . . were astonished.” This astonishment is explained by the prevailing belief at that time that the Gentiles should be accepted into the Church of Christ only after they become proselytes of Judaism – an opinion with which they continued to comply even after this event, as can be seen from the following events (Acts. 11 et seq.; Acts 15).
Acts. 10:46. for they heard them speak in tongues and glorify God. Then Peter said:
Acts. 10:47. can anyone prevent those who have received the Holy Spirit, as well as we, from being baptized with water?
Peter draws a completely natural conclusion from the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, namely, that through this descent all obstacles to their inclusion in the Church of Christ, as well as the need for the mediation of the Jewish cult regulations, have been removed. But he thinks that those who have received the Holy Spirit should be baptized, because this is an unchangeable commandment of the Lord (Matt. 28:18).
Acts. 10:48. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.
“commanded them to be baptized.” Obviously, he did not baptize them himself, but one of those who came with him (1 Cor. 1:17).
“in the name of Jesus Christ”. Cf. Acts. 2:36.
“he was asked.” Peter certainly granted their request to establish them in the new Christian faith.
The scribe tells nothing more about Cornelius. According to church tradition, he was later bishop of Caesarea, preached Christ in various countries and died a martyr’s death. His memory is celebrated on September 13.
Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A.P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.
Nineteen months since conflict erupted between rival militaries the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the transfer of power to civilian rule, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) expressed deep concern that more than three million people have now been forced to flee the country in search of safety.
“It’s been over a year and a half of unimaginable suffering, brutal atrocities and widespread human rights violations,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR Director of External Relations. “Every day of every minute, thousands of lives are shattered by war and violence away from the world’s attention.”
Speaking in Geneva after visiting displaced communities sheltering in neighbouring Chad, Ms. Hyde described Chad as “a sanctuary, a lifeline” for 700,000 war refugees.
“I spoke to people who watched while their families were murdered,” she said. “People are targeted on the basis of their ethnicity. Men and boys are killed and their bodies are burned. Women raped while fleeing. People told me over and over again how they remember the bodies they saw abandoned by the road as they were fleeing.”
The UNHCR official explained that in the face of massive needs, the UN agency and partners had relocated more than 370,000 refugees in Chad “to six new-build settlements and 10 extensions of pre-existing settlements, all completed in record time. But tens of thousands of families are still waiting for that opportunity to start over”.
Forgotten emergency
The exodus from Sudan has put pressure on surrounding countries to provide assistance to all those in need of shelter and basic services.
“Other countries neighbouring Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Central African Republic have gone above and beyond their means, not only providing safety for people to flee, but extending a chance to refugees to start rebuilding their lives while in exile,” the UNHCR official said.
“Continuing bloodshed” in Sudan’s Darfurs and across the country has created the world’s worst civilian protection crisis in decades, but “the world is not paying any attention”, Ms. Hyde insisted.
In October alone, some 60,000 Sudanese arrived in Chad following an escalation of fighting in Darfur and as floodwaters receded.
The border town of Adre used to be home to 40,000 people, but it now hosts around 230,000 Sudanese refugees; many spend months in harsh conditions while waiting to be relocated inland.
“The exodus from Sudan continues, reaching levels not seen since the beginning of the crisis,” explained Ms. Hyde. “People are arriving in desperate conditions, carrying nothing but memories of unimaginable violence they witnessed and survived – things no one should have to endure.”
As UNHCR continues to register new arrivals in Chad, it reported that a full 71 per cent of suffered human rights violations in Sudan while fleeing.
Of 180 people who fled the Darfur city of El Geneina towards Chad, all but 17 were “massacred”, Ms. Hyde said, recounting the testimony of one young woman who escaped. “Of the 17 that survived, all of the women were raped…six of the women who survived the rape committed suicide.”
The $1.5 billion Refugee Response Plan for Sudan’s displaced which aims to assist 2.7 million people in five neighbouring countries is only 29 per cent funded. “Chad and its people…have been more than generous, more than welcoming,” Ms. Hyde said.
“I heard over and over again that they felt one with the Sudanese community. But we need that support. We need support now.”
At the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference on 11-22 November, the EU will work with international partners to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement of limiting global average temperature rise to as close as possible to 1.5C.
In a newly released report, the European Investment Bank (EIB) reveals that Africa’s fintech sector has nearly tripled in size since 2020, bringing vital financial services to underserved communities across the continent. However, the report, Finance in Africa 2024, also underscores significant barriers to growth: high funding costs and limited capital, which are hindering Africa’s climate and digital transitions.
“Fintech is revolutionizing the way we think about finance in Africa,” noted EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “By leveraging technology, we can improve access to finance for millions and foster sustainable economic growth.”
The rapid expansion of digital finance solutions is shifting the African financial landscape, with fintech firms multiplying from 450 in 2020 to 1,263 in early 2024. This boom is increasing access to credit, particularly benefiting small businesses and marginalized populations, according to the EIB’s ninth annual Banking in Africa survey.
While digital solutions flourish, traditional banking in Africa faces considerable challenges. About one-third of African banks reported a lack of capital and cited funding costs as obstacles to growth. These constraints contribute to Africa’s declining private-sector credit, which fell from 56% of GDP in 2007 to 36% in 2022, stalling progress in industrialization and economic resilience.
EIB Chief Economist Debora Revoltella emphasized the urgency of addressing these challenges to unlock Africa’s potential. “While we see some signs of improvement, the high cost of finance remains a source of concern. As we navigate the dual challenges of climate change and digital transformation, the role of multilateral development bank lending is even more relevant in supporting sustainable growth on the continent.”
The report highlights Africa’s heightened vulnerability to climate change, with 34% of surveyed banks noting asset quality deterioration due to extreme weather events. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are particularly affected, as climate-related risks undermine their resilience and creditworthiness. Revoltella’s call to action underscores the need for financing models that can absorb climate risks while fostering economic growth.
Gender-sensitive lending is another notable trend identified in the report. Nine out of 10 banks across Africa are considering or implementing a gender strategy, encouraged by data showing better loan performance among women-led businesses. Nearly 70% of banks reported lower rates of non-performing loans for women-owned firms, and 17% plan to introduce a dedicated gender strategy to expand this promising avenue.
Economic conditions in Africa are gradually improving, with sovereign bond yields falling, giving several nations renewed access to international bond markets. However, the EIB Financial Conditions Index still shows overall financial conditions as restrictive, posing challenges to private-sector growth.
The EIB Global, a division dedicated to international partnerships, seeks to bridge these financial gaps by supporting sustainable investment in Africa. Through initiatives such as Global Gateway, EIB Global aims to mobilize €100 billion in investment by 2027, with a particular focus on digital infrastructure and climate resilience.
The Finance in Africa 2024 report offers a comprehensive analysis of both the opportunities and the structural challenges facing Africa’s financial sector. As fintech continues to transform the region’s financial services, the EIB’s report underscores that easing financial barriers and investing in climate adaptation are essential steps toward a sustainable and inclusive economic future in Africa
At the European Political Community (EPC) meeting in Budapest, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined a strategic vision for Europe’s future, emphasizing transatlantic relations, economic resilience, and defense preparedness.
Von der Leyen began by congratulating Donald J. Trump on his recent electoral victory, expressing eagerness to strengthen the transatlantic bond. This gesture underscores the EU‘s commitment to robust relations with the United States, a key ally in addressing global challenges.
The President highlighted Europe‘s unity in overcoming recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy challenges stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine. She stressed the importance of continued collaboration to navigate future challenges.
Central to her address were three strategic priorities:
Joint Plan for Competitiveness, Digitalization, and Decarbonization: Von der Leyen referenced the Draghi Report, authored by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, which calls for substantial EU investments to enhance competitiveness and address climate goals. The report recommends annual investments of €750 billion to €800 billion to keep pace with global competitors like the U.S. and China. Euronews
Reducing Overdependencies and Leveling the Economic Playing Field: The President emphasized the need to mitigate Europe‘s reliance on external entities, fostering a more balanced economic environment. This aligns with Draghi’s recommendations for a comprehensive industrial strategy to prevent the EU from lagging behind global competitors. Financial Times
Enhancing Defense Capabilities and Preparedness: Drawing on the Niinistö Report by former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, von der Leyen advocated for bolstering Europe’s defense mechanisms. The report suggests that the EU allocate 20% of its budget to security and crisis preparedness, addressing geopolitical tensions and climate change risks. Financial Times
Von der Leyen’s address reflects a proactive approach to Europe’s future, building on expert insights to navigate complex global dynamics. Her call to action underscores the EU’s commitment to unity and strategic planning in the face of evolving challenges.
Today’s world faces profound challenges, with one of the most significant being the crisis in international institutions established after World War II. The United Nations increasingly struggles to de-escalate military tensions, even in Europe, and cannot reform to meet new conditions. If one of the UN Security Council’s permanent members violates the Charter, it can use its veto to block compromise and neutralize the organization’s peacekeeping efforts.
Under these circumstances, the world needs a new mediator—a person or institution with universal authority capable of influencing opposing sides. Pope Francis and the Holy See have this potential due to his spiritual influence, which reaches beyond confessional boundaries. His approach, often called the “peace algorithm,” rests on the belief that peace is achieved not through military victories but by creating conditions where all parties in a conflict can feel they have emerged victorious.
In the initial months of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Pope Francis proposed a “peace algorithm” designed, in his view, to satisfy both sides. This “algorithm” is not aimed at achieving a tactical victory but at creating common ground for all parties involved. For Francis, true victory means productive cooperation capable of confronting global challenges such as climate change or the need to explore space as Earth’s resources dwindle.
Rome as an Archetype
Pope Francis evokes the image of ancient Rome—a symbol of Pax Romana, in which diverse cultures coexisted harmoniously. The civilizations of Europe, Russia, America, and Asia are all deeply rooted in Rome’s cultural legacy. In this context, the Pope envisions Rome as a unifying symbol, not just metaphorically but also politically. Modern Rome, unburdened by historical entanglements between religion and politics, can serve as a model for new alliances among nations that recognize their shared cultural and historical contexts.
A Neutral Vatican
Since its establishment as a modern state in 1929, the Vatican has adhered to a principle of neutrality in international affairs. This tradition has been solidified by leaders like Pope John Paul II, who condemned the Iraq War and attempted to mediate between Saddam Hussein and the U.S., and Pope Benedict XVI, who criticized the war in Libya. Pope Francis continues this mission, meeting with world leaders—including Erdogan and Modi—and fostering respectful relations with both the West and with China and Russia. As a result, the Vatican has earned a reputation as a reliable intermediary in international relations.
The Papal Peace Plan for Ukraine
Recently, the Vatican released a peace plan for Ukraine that outlines the following steps:
Returning forcibly displaced children to their homeland under international oversight.
Full mutual exchange of prisoners of war, with a commitment to keep them from future military involvement.
Amnesty for individuals convicted of criticizing authorities (especially political prisoners) on both sides, affirming the principle of freedom of expression.
Lifting sanctions on relatives of Russian oligarchs who have not directly financed the military actions or engaged in political activities, as a goodwill gesture. These measures are intended to foster an atmosphere of trust conducive to further steps toward peace.
Outlines of a New World Order
Pope Francis proposes establishing a new, independent international forum for resolving global conflicts, where the Vatican could serve as a hub for negotiations. In a world where truly neutral states are dwindling, the Vatican maintains its potential as a mediator. The Holy See’s image is unassociated with any threat of revanchism or militarism, strengthening its role as a neutral party in global peacebuilding.
A Global Project of Unity and Justice
Pope Francis’s peace algorithm offers a path to fair and peaceful coexistence based on cultural values and respect for historical heritage. This approach views compromise as a formula that allows each side to feel victorious. This vision encourages calls to grant Pope Francis a broad international mandate as the principal mediator between conflicting parties in Ukraine. Such a mandate could be granted by the UN Security Council or the General Assembly, signaling the organization’s readiness for reform. The Vatican and the Pope, with no vested interest in this conflict, genuinely seek peace. With an official mandate, Pope Francis could propose effective and fair solutions to stop the bloodshed and restore stability to the region. Expanding his authority would be an essential step toward true and lasting peace.
KINGNEWSWIRE // Valencia, Spain – Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) have coordinated over 3000 hours of volunteer work so far in Valencia and the applications of volunteers keep growing, while still much more is needed. VMs in Valencia are cleaning streets, houses, garages, delivering food, clothes, and tools, all thanks to the solidarity of the Scientology network in Spain, joined by friends and relatives, and the generous support of the International Association of Scientologists, thanks to whom more volunteers are arriving to contribute in the rescue and rebuilding of “normal life” as much as possible.
On October 29, 2024, Spain faced a catastrophic hydrological disaster as a cold drop, or DANA, unleashed torrential rains across the region, particularly devastating upto 65 villages of the province of Valencia and surroundings. This isolated high-level depression, classified as a “mesoscale convective system”, resulted in staggering rainfall totals, with some areas recording over 600 liters per square meter. The AVAMET observatory in Turís (Valencia) registered a staggering 640.8 l/m², while Chiva logged 600.2 l/m², leading to the overflow of rivers and ravines along the Mediterranean coast. The aftermath has been tragic; at least 217 lives have been lost—211 in Valencia, along with casualties in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia—while the material damage is expected to be extensive. This event ranks among the worst hydrological disasters in Spain‘s history, reminiscent of previous calamitous events such as those in Vallés and Biescas.
Video of Agencia EFE, broadcasted by Spanish newspaper ABC.
But as the waters raised and the challenges mounted, so too did a profound show of humanity and resilience with thousands and thousands of volunteers. Among the frontline responders that include Red Cross, Caritas, Civil Protection and others, are the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, whose vibrant yellow shirts have become synonymous with hope and support in disaster-stricken areas around the world. These volunteers have mobilized tirelessly, offering essential assistance, logistical support, and emotional solace to those whose lives have been upended.
In the face of crisis, the courage of the human spirit becomes a powerful force—and in Valencia (SPAIN), that spirit is shared and strengthened through community efforts, international aid, and dedicated volunteerism.
The Floods of Valencia: Scale of the Disaster
While the very capital seems to be physically untouched by the disaster, residential areas and businesses of circa 65 villages of the province are now unrecognizable, buried under the murky waters that continue to hinder the passing of people and cars. Media reports estimates of over 200 people dead, and thousands disappeared, and thousands more that have been forced to evacuate, many of who are now living in precarious conditions as emergency shelters reach capacity and many new improvised shelters appear thanks to the goodwill of neighboring cities and villages.
For many, the journey to safety has been fraught with obstacles. Families have been separated, elderly residents are stranded, and with roads heavily hindered, some have had no choice but to start pulling out the waters themselves from the garages and underground rooms. Yet, amid these scenes of despair, a concerted effort by local authorities, humanitarian groups, improvised volunteers and Scientology Volunteers Ministers has given the city a glimmer of hope.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers: A History of Service
The Volunteer Ministers program, an outreach initiative by the Church of Scientology, was established in the early 1970s by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Designed to provide humanitarian relief in areas of crisis, the Volunteer Ministers have served as a bridge of help and solace for decades. Their motto, as established by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is “Something can be done about it,” and it captures the very essence of their mission: a belief that in the face of adversity, proactive assistance can always offer a path forward.
These yellow-shirted volunteers have been present in some of the most challenging disaster scenarios worldwide, from Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes in Haiti, the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and many others, including Turkey, Morroco, Italy, Czeck Republic and many others. Equipped with both specialized training in emergency response and a compassionate ethos, the VMs have gained a reputation as dependable responders. They work in collaboration with other humanitarian groups, adapting their efforts to fit the particular needs of each crisis.
In Valencia, the VMs have been among the first to respond, coordinating their efforts with Civil Protection, local emergency services, and have provided the needed shelter and support to the internationally known Mexican rescue team of “Los Topos.” Their contributions range from distributing essential supplies—food, water, blankets, boots, clothers, heavy machinery and even toys—to providing emotional support for those grappling with the loss of homes, livelihoods, and a sense of security.
Coordinating with “Los Topos”: An International Alliance of Aid
Alongside the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, the arrival of “Los Topos” (the Moles), an elite Mexican rescue team, has bolstered relief efforts. Known for their exceptional skills in urban search and rescue, especially under collapsed buildings and rubble, Los Topos have coordinated with the VMs, regional authorities and rescue workers, to maximize the reach of their support. In Valencia, their expertise gives invaluable hope, especially in evacuating residents trapped in partially submerged structures or reaching isolated communities.
The bond between the Volunteer Ministers and Los Topos dates back years, and their shared history of disaster response has allowed them to develop a seamless working relationship. Los Topos, named for their ability to “tunnel” through debris and difficult terrain, are widely recognized for their bravery and commitment in some of the world’s most daunting rescue scenarios. In Valencia, their arrival has brought a renewed sense of hope for those still waiting to be rescued, as well as for families anxiously awaiting news of loved ones.
Stories of Resilience and Hope
In the flood-ravaged neighborhoods, survivors speak of the warmth and dedication shown by the Volunteer Ministers.
The VMs have set up coordination hub and storage place plus a relief station to receive and distributed donated materials. They are also helping coordinate spaces for those affected to rest, receive supplies, and find comfort, as well as helping improvised volunteers from around the country and the world, so that they have spaces to sleep. VMs are providing information and networking for families to learn about their options, find temporary shelter, and meet volunteers who lend a compassionate ear. Many are deeply moved by the genuine care and support they receive from the Volunteer Ministers.
“These people gave me hope when I thought there was none left,” shared one of the victims of the flooding. “They didn’t just hand me a blanket and food—they stayed and listened to me. It made all the difference.”
A United Front Against Adversity
The strength of Valencia’s response lies in its people—the local residents and international allies who stand side by side in the face of immense hardship. The Volunteer Ministers and Los Topos exemplify the powerful synergy that can emerge when individuals, communities, and humanitarian groups work together. The volunteers come from diverse backgrounds but share a common purpose: to be there for others, regardless of circumstance.
While Valencia’s road to recovery will be a long one, the support pouring in from all corners of the world is a reminder of our collective humanity. And as the city confronts the daunting task of rebuilding, it does so with the knowledge that it is not alone.
Looking Ahead: Rebuilding with Hope
As mud and water slowly recede, the focus shifts from rescue to rebuilding. The Volunteer Ministers have pledged to stay in Valencia for as long as they are needed, committing not only to immediate disaster relief but also to long-term recovery efforts. Their presence will be instrumental as residents return to salvage their homes and attempt to rebuild their lives.
For now, in the midst of uncertainty, there is hope. It’s a hope carried by each volunteer who extends a hand, each rescuer who pulls someone from danger, and each community member who remains steadfast. The people of Valencia are not facing this disaster alone—they are bolstered by a global network of compassion, resilience, and unwavering support.
Over the past 5 years, the von der Leyen Commission has passed more environmental regulations than any in history. The Green Deal was a triumph of soaring rhetoric and self-satisfaction. But the Regulations themselves were just words on a page – with no more force in the real world than the endless tweets and press releases emanating from MEPs’ offices.
Now, though, the implementation is here. The real world, it turns out, does not share the Green Deal architects’ vision. That huge number you wrote because it made a great headline – it’s not feasible in such a short time in the real world. The granular data requirements you added because they made the EU appear tough – they’re expensive in the real world.
The real world is where most EU citizens live. Dependent on local and global supply chains. Sensitive to changes in the price of food, energy and materials. Concerned that local and national businesses – that provide good jobs for millions of Europeans – are facing higher bills and more red tape.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has now collided with the real world: the implementation deadline was planned for 30th December 2024 but has now been delayed by 12 months. Those in power have finally realized that if EUDR actually does go ahead in December, then chaos will reign. Why?
It’s simple. The regulation is not written with the real world in mind. The EUDR covers commodities largely produced in the developing world: palm oil from Malaysia; coffee from Ethiopia; cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire; rubber from Thailand; soy from Brazil; and so on. The EUDR imposes draconian requirements on small farmers in those countries who produce these commodities. Some of the requirements – like detailed geotargeting of crops; submission of millions of individual supply chain data points – would be very challenging for Western multinationals. EUDR, in its far-sighted ambition – tries to impose these demands on small farmers in Africa or Asia who do not own a smartphone.
Re-read the list of food products above, coming from the developing world. Imagine a supermarket bill where each of those products has increased in price, or reduced in supply. Almost every single one of the 450 million EU citizens will be negatively impacted. All because of an EU regulation.
Earlier this year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly asked Ursula von der Leyen to delay EUDR – for this reason. Twenty of the EU’s Agriculture Ministers have made the same demand. Senior MEPs, including the leading EPP MEP on the Environment Committee, Peter Liese, also backed a delay.
However – these interventions were late, and this entire situation was avoidable. The EU’s trading partners had been warning about the problems for years. Ministers and trade officials from Malaysia predicted precisely this outcome of chaos and uncertainty, as far back as Spring 2023. No-one in Brussels listened: the hubris of the bureaucrats overrode the real-life experience of the traders, farmers and suppliers from the developing world.
The new Commissioner nominees Jessika Roswall, Wopke Hoekstra and Teresa Ribera now have 12 months to fix the problems. If not, they face the possibility of January 2026 being dominated by supply chain chaos, sharply rising food prices, and restricted supply of core commodities.
The three new overlapping Commissioners for environment and climate should, one hopes, learn from this farce: listen more to our trading partners. Seek genuine engagement with the private sector inside and outside the EU. Resist the hubris of the EU bubble that thinks that sophisticated global supply chains can simply enact EU press releases with no negative effects on consumers. Will the lessons be learned? We can hope so, yes. But let’s be honest: that hope comes without any real expectation.
