Athanasius of Finland ☦️🇫🇮

Christ is risen!

MARCH 26, 2026 — The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) is considering the glorification of Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, potentially making him its first U.S.-born saint, Abp. Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who heads the church’s canonization commission, told the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America. “We have discussed this possibility and created a special commission to study the issue, collect materials, and gather accounts of miracles associated with him,” His Eminence said. “If approved, he would become the first U.S.-born saint canonized by ROCOR.”

acting in such a manner. He alludes to a tradition from Bukhārī's Ṣaḥīḥ, but I’m unsure which one. Perhaps it's this passage from kitāb al-tawḥīd, where Ibn ʿAbbās is cited as saying that “none may efface a single utterance (lafẓ) of scripture from God’s books.”

In the Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldūn rejects the idea that the Jews literally corrupted the text of the Torah, saying that the view that they corrupted it is “outweighed by the evidence accepted by rigorous scholars” and that custom prevents people gifted with divine scripture from...

@AEnjoyer447201 Honestly some of these takes are really bad

@Farid_0v @sebastien_c123 💀💀💀 bro

Fascinating video by @sebastien_c123 in which Paul is condemned by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

Dr Ali Ataie puts it in the best way possible Stop making bad arguments like this please, it makes us look bad

The Savior’s Cross, now - at the HOLY SEPULCHRE. Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us, Your creation!

@ModernTalkings2 @IbnJalid @Alfredovich65 Yeah I'm pretty sure he's been switching back and forth on this for like a decade

@IbnJalid @Alfredovich65 He used to hold a view like this before switching to seeing the Bible as corrupted (and, apparently, now switching back): youtu.be/f_IWwFysqIM?si…

Today I read parts of "The Gospels in Islamic Context" (2025) and came across a chapter by Ali Ataie. He argues that the canonical gospels (and the Diatessaron) are authoritative, and partly outlines how they may be interpreted consistently with Islam. Interesting contribution.

@AbuKhamr @4xiom_ Still confused about the exact date of this work. I've heard multiple people say it's way, way post-Islamic, so the influence could go from the Qur'an to Ethiopian 3 Maccabees

@4xiom_ Yes indeed. The text even parallels the Qur’an in noting that Adam was created from clay while Satan was created from fire. I cover such briefly in this video: youtu.be/UVGacaEAo5c

In Ethiopic 3 Maccabees 1:15, Satan says: አውደቀኒ እግዚአብሔር እምንበርየ በብሂለ ኢየሰግድ ለዘይቴሐተኒ "The Lord cast me down from my [manbar] with the statement that I will not prostrate to that which is beneath me"

@AEnjoyer447201 Better to DM

@AlFinlandi I remember you said that you are not convinced by the onomastic arguments like named popularity. Could you tell me why?

So the whole point of the miracle *isn't* a flame appearing out of nowhere in the tomb to light the candle which the patriarch then uses to light the other candles? I thought that's why he's searched in the first place? As the video points out however the sacristan is *not searched*, and also it literally has both a former sacristan *and the current sacristan* admitting they light the candle before the patriarch enters.

@AlFinlandi @sherifhanna Again proves absolutely nothing. The patriarch is reviewed also that isnt where the miracle takes place. These idiots are not relevant

I don't think my fellow Orthodox should be using the (alleged) miracle of the Holy Fire as evidence for Orthodoxy, especially to gloat against other churches. I see this a lot, unfortunately, especially during Lent . Firstly, the actual "miracle" seems dubious, at least in the form it's presented today (where a fire descends on the tomb of the Lord and the Patriarch of Jerusalem lits his candle from this flame). Here's a very good presentation (90+ minutes) with a lot of evidence from various hierarchs in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, it also includes video footage of the Patriarch of Jerusalem entering the Holy Sepulchre and showing a pre-lit candle inside and many other evidences: youtu.be/m6cowtwedvU?is… Second, even if the miracle is true, it should bring us to humility, not make us gloat over others. This is at the core of the Gospel, we shouldn't be prideful, miracles should bring us to humility and repentance. That said our faith should not be founded upon any alleged modern miracles but on the resurrection of Christ, and in His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

@Nicholai_Korea @sherifhanna There's literally a red flame on the left

@sherifhanna @AlFinlandi A shaky video and a random person who is not the Patriarch. Cope and seeth more.

I honestly think it's some sort of popular lay piety because of the history (I think there probably was a genuine miracle at some point) and the hierarchs don't want to scandalize the people openly. One can argue the fire is genuinely miraculous insofar as it doesn't burn initially (which would fit with the idea that it becomes miraculous through sanctification)

@AlFinlandi top one most painful watches and im not eastern orthodox. my question is if a miracle is occurring (sanctification), why lie and add another? we dont say bread manifests ex nihilo for communion

I don't think the miracle itself is made up, there's plenty of attestation to it in the early and medieval church. I'm just thinking the current form is exaggerated because of lay piety, eg. if you watch the video the hierarchs say the actual miracle is the sanctification of the fire, not the fire itself. I think this is corroborated by the fire seemingly not burning anyone (and Agen points out it might be miraculous), and I'm inclined to agree. Like I said it's important our faith isn't founded on any alleged modern miracles.

@AlFinlandi I'm more so kind of scandalized by the fact that the hierarchs made it up and lied, and I get this question of what else did they lie about as well now

@Nicholai_Korea I'm Eastern Orthodox lol

@AlFinlandi Idc what a coptic schismatic has to say about our miracle we graciously allow you guys to sorta partake in.

As I alluded to in the post, I'm mainly taking issue with the idea that a fire miraculously descends inside the tomb while the Patriarch is inside. It could be that God sanctifies the (natural) fire so it doesn't burn. In fact even in the video multiple people interviewed said the real miracle is in the sanctification of the (again, natural) fire through prayer, so that would probably fit with what Rod talks about in his article.

@AlFinlandi thoughts? theamericanconservative.com/the-holy-fire-…

@FinnishZoomer Anything more on this? I've never seen any official magisterial document from the Vatican that says this especially post V2. Not doubting you, just interested.

@roddreher Those sacraments dont give salvation

Hammer away, dear. Amazingly enough, I didn't leave Jesus. By Catholic lights, I didn't really leave the Church. You've only been Catholic for under two years, but if you dig deeper into your church's teaching, you'll see that Catholicism recognizes Orthodox orders and sacraments

Yeah, I honestly don't know how to feel about all that. I've been skeptical of the Holy Fire for a few years now, but the cumulative evidence in the video is pretty overwhelming. It's possible certain hierarchs have had good intentions in wanting to not scandalize people, and it's why they've kept quiet. Also could be it was genuine but stopped at some point, but because the tradition was already in place, It's still done. That said it doesn't really affect my faith because I've never taken it as proof that Orthodoxy or Christianity is true, I've always just viewed it as a symbolic practice to remember Christ's resurrection.

@AlFinlandi But this covers more recent centuries and there are other traditions that could mean the holy fire is true but the visual evidence seems enough

@Alex_Ortodoxie I'm well familiar Agen is Oriental Orthodox, that doesn't negate the actual evidence in the video

FYI the “Apostolic Orthodoxy” YouTube channel is another Oriental Orthodox LARPing as Orthodox.

Those are all interesting questions. I think it's possible the practice goes back to a genuine miracle (the earliest reports say the tomb was sealed and after it was opened there was a lit fire), I'm moreso talking about how some people especially online use the current practice as evidence for Orthodoxy especially in a polemic against other churches.

@AlFinlandi I think if I ever have the privilege of being at the Holy Sepulcher on Easter, I’m just gonna have to hold my arm in the fire without waving it back in forth like you see in countless videos.