The Ecclesiastical Version of Chuck Norris' Legs
Hiiiii-YAH! Hiiiii-YAH!

I read a really funny posting over at Julie D.'s Happy Catholic titled "Chuck Norris' Favorite Facts...". Essentially, it's a listing of the many, many examples of how the world revolves around Chuck Norris.

Stuff like;

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

The one that I think best describes what I have posted below is the following;

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

Anyhow, I came across this article concerning Patriarch Alexy II of the Russian Orthodox Church. I find it interesting that Patriarch Alexy is saying the same thing that Pope Benedict has been saying for some time now. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not accusing Patriarch Alexy of competing with His Holiness... I look upon it more like an echoing of agreement.

European civilization doomed if does not preserve Christian values - Alexy II
Moscow, December 6, Interfax - If European nations abandon their Christian roots, they are doomed to disappear from the historical arena, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia said. "Modern Europe will not create a new post-Christian culture and civilization but will simply vanish from history," Alexy II said at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on Wednesday evening.

"Losing their Christian roots, the people of Europe will sign their own death warrant," he said. Alexy II recalled that he talked about "the need to preserve moral Christian values," without which "it is hard to imagine European culture and Europe itself," in his speech at the PACE in October this year.Interesting stuff, huh? Now let's take a gander some of the article from Yahoo News;

Pope in rare meeting with Russian Orthodox cleric
By Phil Stewart Fri Dec 7, 9:06 AM ET

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict held a rare meeting on Friday with a senior cleric from the Russian Orthodox Church in a bid to improve often strained relations. Metropolitan Kirill, the head of external relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, was expected to speak with reporters later on Friday. The Vatican did not immediately release any details about the closed-door meeting.

The Russian Orthodox Church split from Rome in the Great Schism of 1054. It had chilly relations with Benedict's predecessor, Pope John Paul II -- a Pole who had campaigned against the atrocities of communism and sought in vain to visit post-communist Russia. Since Benedict's election in 2005, relations have improved and Vatican officials have said they are working towards an eventual meeting between the Pontiff and Russian Patriarch Alexiy II.

Kirill recently told Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano "the big chill is over and it's thawing time" for ties. He said the two churches share the same spiritual and moral problems and should work together.With all that said, let's not forget the recently released document "Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church: Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority" in which the Orthodox agreed in principal to papal primacy.

But there's still much work to be done;

"Both sides agree" there was an order of precedence among the ancient bishops' seats of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, and that the order "was recognized by all in the era of the undivided church," it said.

"Further, they agree that Rome, as the church that 'presides in love,' according to the phrase of St. Ignatius of Antioch, occupied the first place in the 'taxis' (order) and that the bishop of Rome was, therefore, the 'protos' (first) among the patriarchs," it said.

"They disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as 'protos,' a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium," when the East and West were still united, the document said.With all that said, can you imagine one day (probably very soon) a united Christendom against the surging moslem tide?

The Church of The West... The Church of The East... Law & Order... Chuck Norris' legs.

Hiiiii-YAH! Hiiiii-YAH!