Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

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Matthew
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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by Matthew »

Thanks Barbara! I look forward to it. :D

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Barbara
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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by Barbara »

I pulled it out and now i see it's a Valaam CD, not Solovki as the picture indicated.
The Valaam Chant CDs are much more commonly produced than Solovki ones, I think.

This one is all in Russian, looks like the title is "Blessed Sunday" ? I see "Blagoslovennia Subbota" from
the Cyrillic letters. It was made in 1996 with "Hegumen Pankraty" -

Hey I wonder if this is the same one who was some theoretical spiritual guide for retired/deposed OCA head,
met. Jonah [Paffhausen] ?

Now I DO have at least 2 nice Solovki CDs, but I have to dig them out to provide any details. They are really nice.
This one was handy because of its having been a more recent gift and was floating around.

The Solovki ones are part of the series of Monasteries of the North [not exact title] which included
Valaam, too, plus Tikhvin Monastery too. I have to pull them out ; I could furnish more information.

This was made not for export, though, as the liner notes are completely in Russian.
Others, like that series, or the Akathist to St Danil of Moscow, were clearly intended for both foreign and domestic Orthodox.

They all have the same somber but resonant tone, deeply contemplative.

Nice for Lenten listening !

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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by Matthew »

Hello Barbara,

Here is a picture of the igumen that Father Jonah showed me of his spiritual elder at Valaam.

http://valaam.ru/en/lightval/538/

The greatly revered elder is the little beardless monk second from the left.

I have always wondered how anyone could possibly believe that this is a man. Clearly, it is a woman who has entered the monastery claiming to be a man who for some medical or DNA reason cannot grow a beard. "Suuuuuurrrre! We believe you."

Anyway, a lot of saints did that in the past, so it is not a shame in itself. But I just wonder how people don't rub their chin, arch an eyebrow and say, "Hmmmm..."

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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by Maria »

Icxypion wrote:

Hello Barbara,

Here is a picture of the igumen that Father Jonah showed me of his spiritual elder at Valaam.

http://valaam.ru/en/lightval/538/

The greatly revered elder is the little beardless monk second from the left.

I have always wondered how anyone could possibly believe that this is a man. Clearly, it is a woman who has entered the monastery claiming to be a man who for some medical or DNA reason cannot grow a beard. "Suuuuuurrrre! We believe you."

Anyway, a lot of saints did that in the past, so it is not a shame in itself. But I just wonder how people don't rub their chin, arch an eyebrow and say, "Hmmmm..."

Sometimes there may be physical reasons (a tumor or a genetic abnormality) why a monk does not have a beard.
On the other hand, many women have facial hair, lots of it, and they must remove it or face ridicule.
All these matters could be topics to consider for other threads.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by jgress »

Yeah I don't think we can absolutely say for sure whether that is a man or a woman, but I agree that if pressed I would say a woman. What I'm sure it's not is our business. ;)

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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by Barbara »

No, no !
That's Elder Raphael !
He's well known. I wonder if he is still alive.

Fr Jonah - you mean the former Met of OCA ?
I thought his official story was a Fr Pankratiy.

Elder Raphael is a famous clairvoyant. Also kind of a recluse, I thought.

Are there more pictures of Valaam here on that site, do you happen to know, Icxypion ?

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Re: Solovki [ I know it's MP but fun to see ]

Post by jgress »

I assume all these monks are with the Moscow Patriarchate? I ask because I was intrigued about the claim this Elder Raphael is clairvoyant. Elder Ieronymos of Aegina was known for clairvoyance, but as Fr Anastasios pointed out to me, he only began to show this gift after he left the State Church and joined the True Orthodox (sometime in the 1940s I think).

Of course, I wouldn't want to place limits on God's power and say He can't make someone clairvoyant who is outside the True Church, but still, I'm wondering...

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