The guide, young MATTHEW, displayed & practised all the charity & humbleness that God would have desired. Matthew’s light shone! He was generous with his knowledge & time. He was respectful and empathetic. He was an example to us all - May God bless Matthew & his family !
I’m from the same diocese (we share a bishop) and know many of the wonderful people involved in the Greek church in Fiji from the very beginning. What a wonderful surprise for you, i pray it blessed you on the day and ongoing. Sister Thekla is a wonderful iconographer, she has also painted the wonderful icons in the cathedral in Wellington New Zealand. There is so much to the story of this place and it’s a story that is just starting. If you go to Greece, visit the island of Tinos in the Aegean, at the monastery there you will find Fijian nuns who are training to return. If you go to Rhodes you’ll find former residents of the Orphanage staying at a monastery and studying to become priests for Fiji. We Greeks are almost everywhere and where you find a Greek you find a church, where you find a church you find blessings.
Wow! That was such an amazing reply! Thank you! I might like to visit them in the Aegean. Does the monastery permit visitors? Can one lodge there for a few days?
A young Filipino man, who is a Chanter in my Church, has a construction company here in Colorado. He went to Fiji a couple of years ago to help construct of one of the Orthodox Church’s there. We are a big Orthodox family, so we help each other.
As an Orthodox Christian I especially enjoyed this video as it's my goal to visit this church in the very near future when the borders are reopened, along with the one in Labasa. There is a beautifully made documentary film about the Greek Orthodox Mission work in the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa including the establishment of this particular church which I've left a link to. I wouldn't worry too much about misidentifying some of the icons, Orthodox iconography is such a rich tradition laden with complex symbolism which took me quite some time to fully understand. I was completely lost and overwhelmed for the longest time! I also found it interesting that your guide took you to the sanctuary behind the iconostasis, but that's certainly not your fault. To give some perspective, it was nearly 12 years from the time I first started attending my Romanian Orthodox parish to my baptism, and following my baptism I was taken into the sanctuary area for the very first time for my Chrismation! I applaud you for the respect and enthusiasm you showed, not to mention your sincere desire to learn. I did my post graduate study in Anthropology, so I share your passion for the diversity of the human experience. I think you did an amazing job of giving us a glimpse of this beautiful church and monastery, thank you! Oh, and that wind in the bell tower was ethereal... th-cam.com/video/VqopVGY17XY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for that absolutely wonderful reply. I really enjoyed my time at the Greek Orthodox Church in Saweni. I have to be honest, I don't know where I stand on God but I felt a deep spirituality and a pervading sense of goodness there. Whenever I see someone in some unusual religious outfit I make a point of going up to speak to him or her. In that way, I made a connection with someone called Father John of the Egyptian Coptic Church in Fiji. He has invited me to visit his church. Thank you too for that link to the documentary feature. I really enjoyed it. It taught me a lot not least of which was how poetry could be teased out of simple things like social gatherings, photos and icons for storytelling (I hope that makes sense). Some of those small Orthodox churches in Greece (I'm thinking of the one in Rhodes, in particular) looked so beautiful. As for the whispering of the wind in the Saweni church, I think I can easily say I would happily pass a whole day there just listening to it and doing little else!
@@ThePaleBlueDot I can truly relate to your feelings. Even before I was sure about where I stood on God (which was most of my life), I was always (and still am) drawn to churches, mosques, and temples of various faiths and the sense of peace that pervades within their spaces. Coincidentally I was just looking at some photos and information about the Coptic Orthodox churches in Nadi, as I might stopover in Fiji on my way to Los Angeles in a couple of months and was thinking it would be really interesting to have a look while I was there. I'll definitely be attending a Divine Liturgy at the Greek church in Saweni. Anyway, I'm very happy you enjoyed the documentary and I'll be waiting on a notification to join you on your next adventure!
@@Lailand01, when you do get to come over you must visit St Francis Xavier Church in Ra with its frescos which are described as the most important in the Pacific (vlog coming soon) and hear the magnificent singing which touches you to the very core.
God bless the Greek Orthodox Church & its faithful in Fiji. This is very heartwarming to see. I was born into this beautiful Faith and I’ve never looked back. A Faith which kept to its original doctrines and practices without deviation. God bless all in Fiji. ✝️🙏🏻
As a Catholic its nice to see similarity in other Christian denominations. From the vestments, the Saints and church relics....beautiful. The sound of the wind in the background is truly poetry, a credit to the wonderful architecture.
Take a chill pill guys , its his vlog , documenting his experiences in a neutral manner, trying his best. And its very insightful ,showing places you can visit in fiji, besides the expensive hotels and beautiful beaches.
@@AmanSharma-lc3lc Vinaka, Aman. Vanua Levu and Taveuni are very high on my list! I'll leave it till the dry season for obvious reasons plus I want to get some better camera equipment from Australia first for more advanced videography. I'm fortunate in that I've re-discovered some family in Labasa who have asked me to stay when I come. Thanks for your encouraging remarks! :)
What's amazing is that i never knew this Religion even existed in Fiji let alone a church and Monastery. Thank you for this very interesting Vlog and especially to the viewers who commented and shared their knowledge on some of the information. Never stop exploring and learning. God Bless.
Thank you for watching. I have a lot more to share about Fiji. Alas, the country is stuck in a bit of a rut right now with Covid but there is light at the end of the tunnel. :)
I love Your enthusiasm, may God bless You and no worries about false explanations, happens to the best, You were clearly acting with love for God amd that is very rare, so thank You very much.
Thank you for your kind comments and your goodness! 😃 I absolutely loved the spirit of the church: the art, the rustling of the wind and I’m sure I’d love the singing if I got round to listening to it. I’ve heard something similar on TH-cam.
Lovely Just a couple of corrections - referring to the symbol in the red prayer book inside the church near the alter is the crest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople being under its jurisdiction Bishops , Priest , Deacons all under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - not the Greek cross , no such thing thing as a Greek Cross BTW. - Bishops thrown is we’re the Bishop sits upon his visit , since he had direct authority and the Reverend Father represents the Bishop - very important to know this in the Eastern-Greek Orthodox Church. - FYI , only members of the Eastern-Greek Orthodox Church are permitted access to Mont Athos , understandably so , Mont Athos is not a tourist attraction- it’s a very religious place , whereby it’s inhabitants pry continuously for the salvation of mankind. I especially appreciated your enthusiasm and energy 🙂
The third one is not true. The monasteries allow inside people of other denominations or other faiths or irreligious too. There are hundreds of such visitors every year. You were very correct on the first two. Peace.
@@eleftheriosmas Thanks! I’d love to visit Greek islands looking at and staying in monasteries where possible. It’s such a different and refreshing look at life. ✌️😃👍
@@ThePaleBlueDot well there are Monasteries in the islands, sure, but if you want to have the ultimate experience if literally going back in time 1000 years you should definately go to Mount Athos (we call it Holy Mountain - Agion Oros), which is a small peninsula in Macedonia region in northern Greece. The Monasteries there comprise a semiautonomous, self-governed Republic, with a special status recognised through various international treaties, an EU Treaty Protocol and our Constitution. No women are allowed inside the Peninsula and the Monasteries preserve a tradition of 1000 years.
@@eleftheriosmas You’ve made my day! Thank you! I normally vlog everyday but I’ve been unable to because we’ve been badly hit by the Delta variant of the coronavirus. After Fiji, I wanted to head to Southern Italy to vlog (Basilicata. The hospitality I received there had a huge impact on my life) , then hopefully cover a lot of Greece (I’ve read the books by Patrick Leigh Fermor on Manu in the Southern Peloponnese. Wonderful stuff). And I would dearly love to visit Mount Athos. (I have a Lonely Planet book that covers it and much of Greece). 😃👌👍✌️
It doesn't matter whether is right or wrong what he tries to explain but the good thing is to see that the people all over the world live in fiji. Fiji is in the bible cos God said that i will send my peoples to the world from Sun Rise (fiji) to sun set.
The Holy Icon in the entrance was John the Baptist, not the Apostle. The other one was the Holy Trinity, not Jesus and Moses. No such thing as a "Greek cross". The symnol on the book was the initials of Christ ΧΡ (Χριστός). Later on the middle list on the hymns wasnt modern Greek for God's sake, it was the way to read and pronounce in english the Greek text.
Thanks for letting me know. I bought an ebook on Greek Orthodox traditions shortly after I visited. Wonderful. It’s all part of life’s rich variety. 😃😃
@@ThePaleBlueDot not that you offended us very much, but the tradition is such, that only after the permission of someone in charge and for a good reason, a non orthodox enters the sanctuary, and absolutely by the side doors, not the Main Gate, witch is always closed if there is no Mass. When you see an Angel (Michael and Gabriel), on the doors of the sanctuary left and right, they are there for a good reason. It's called Security in our modern times 😉 Obviously your young helpful guide had no authority to grand you such a permission, but it's God's Will that because of this small mistake, now the World knows what's hidden inside and don't think our churches as creepy. 😇
Just to clarify some things: The icon of "God and Moses" is actually the icon representing the Holy Trinity. Panagia (All Holy)/Theotokos = Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The icon which was referred to as "youthful-looking God", is Jesus Christ, to be precise. "The Dormition" is the term that should be used to refer to the repose of the Mother of God, not "The Annunciation", which is a different biblical event. A non-Orthodox shouldn't actually enter the Sanctuary and only an ordained priest may touch the Altar. Anyway, an interesting video and a beautiful Church. Regards.
@@ThePaleBlueDot The Orthodox Church has many traditions; Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, etc. Nevertheless, they are united in one same faith as one family of the Orthodox Church. It'd be lovely if you'd visit Orthodox Churches of other traditions as well.
And the icon of St. John, is “St. John the Baptist” and not St. John the Apostle. But I am surprised about the icon of the Holy Trinity since it depicts God the Father as a older man.
Actually the icons are explained wrong, the first John You mentioned is not John apostle but the Baptist. The one were You thought Moses and God is an icon on the brink of canonicity, hut it is actually supposed to show The Holy Trinity it is Christ and The Father on the Right and the Dove represents Holy Spirit. Anyways great video, may God bless the growth of truth in Fiji!
Non-taken. You 'd find the Greek Churces in mainlamd Greece which are built in the way they are meant 100% and without these consecions like these walls etc a lot "creepier". We know how your churches look like and the difference is great. We in the other side consider them like "c'mon, rly, that' a storage house or conference room at best. Definately not a church"😛. And you haven't even seen them while they are on service with the Byzantine chants being chanted. Honestly, all my life i wanted to see some Proty freak out of shock once. It 'd be super funny, even with the accusations that will follow up😂😂😂. Edit: i was pretty early on in the video when i wrote my comment. Now that i saw better the interior of the church to me it looks more like a former protestant church which we bought and added the [front part with the icons, that splits the altar area from the rest of the church]😅
@@eleftheriosmas Hilarious! I’m like that sometimes so I fully understand. I like the spontaneity of your remarks and how you provided an update rather than correcting them. I would dearly love to attend a Greek service in Greece or maybe in some place such as Melbourne where there’s a large Greek expatriate community. When I get excited I hardly eat! So all this richness of life is great at keeping me trim! 👌😃
3:08 that actually John the Baptist not the apostle. 4:00 and that actually the holy Trinity not Moses, guy in red and blue is Jesus, old one is God the father and the pigeon is the holy spirit.
Please take my comment as a positive correction. One: John was not an Apostle. He baptized Christ and got beheaded many years before Christ started His ministry, crucified, resurrected and his Senders (Apostles) spread His Word to the World. Two. The icon to the right doesn't depict Moses for God's sake. It represents the Holy Trinity. The Dove representing the Holy Spirit, above the heads of the Father and the Son, is very visible. So its not Moses but Jesus. Fourth. You are permitted to enter the Holy Altar, but only after permission, (not granted by your helpful young guide) and even so, you don't touch it, or walk on the front of the Altar, only from behind. Five. The icon after you exited the Altar is not the Holly Trinity. As the Greek description on the Icon says, it's the "Hosting (Philoxenia) of Abraham", at the time the Angels came to him in Egypt to give him guidance of how Israelites will Exit Egypt and he offered dinner to the Angels. Six. The "young god" is a young King indeed with his majestic Crown 👑 and everything, you know why ? Because He is the Son of God, the King of the Kings and our Lord, Jesus ! He got crucified at the age of 33. Very young. As human. As God He has no age. Seven That's all. No more. You are excused of course. You are not very familiar with Christian traditions and Orthodox in particular, but even through your ignorance of the details God's Will, used you as an instrument to make His Holly Presence in these small islands, known to the World. Thank God and thank you ❤️ Greetings from Greece. Now, thanks to you, I know that there is a church waiting for me, if I ever visit the Fiji Islands.
@@bonniejohnstone Thank you, Bonnie. I believe his comments were harsher until edited. I don't mind. I know I experienced such incredible beauty and serenity in the church that I felt so lucky.
My friend. Only priests are allowed to stand and walk in front of the Holy Alter. What you are doing is really very disrespectful and l know you are not aware of it but l hope you read this and never do it again. You can walk around the Holy Alter but never in front of it. Also you do not enter the Holy Alter from the main entrance. Only priests can do that! You broke all the rules and it’s so so disrespectful to the point of being sinful.
In the Orthodox tradition a person who is not baptized in the Orthodox way. Only priests and deacons are allowed to enter the sanctuary of the church. It is also forbidden for anyone other than the priest and the deacon to touch the table where the Bible was commanded. You have broken this tradition and then hopefully you will not repeat it.
My friend you are wrong. Any male person can inter the Holy sanctuary if given permission but they must enter from the side door. However, only priests can enter from the main entrance and only a priest can stand in front of the Holy Alter and touch the Bible on the Holy Alter!
@@kourostatis I know, sometimes I also enter the sanctuary as a man. I only mentioned the priest and the deacon to make it clearer. Although the author of the video was a man, he is not Orthodox and I think it was not accepted for him to enter the Holy Altar.
The boy did not know much about Orthodoxy to tell him about the Saturdays of the souls of which we have two during the year. Also the man was looking at Saint John the Baptist and thought he was an apostile and then he went on the other icon of the Holy Trinity (in my opinion God should not be painted) and he thought it was God sitting with prophet Moses and later on he was looking at the icon of Christ and thought it was God at a very young age.
@@kourostatis Unfortunately, he did not know much... I hope he will learn and be a good Orthodox. So what do you think about the church pews? I do not like. In the temples of my country there are only a few chairs, the rest of the space is empty and people are standing.
I suggest future coverage should be well planned and researched. A lot of errors was committed today... It destroyed the integrity of the video. You went halfway to quality.
What’s wrong with you?! 27 years ago I walked into an Orthodox Church for the first time and had no idea who was looking back at me from the icons!!! Never saw a censor before either!
The guide, young MATTHEW, displayed & practised all the charity & humbleness that God would have desired.
Matthew’s light shone!
He was generous with his knowledge & time.
He was respectful and empathetic.
He was an example to us all -
May God bless Matthew & his family !
He is a lovely guy.
I’m from the same diocese (we share a bishop) and know many of the wonderful people involved in the Greek church in Fiji from the very beginning. What a wonderful surprise for you, i pray it blessed you on the day and ongoing.
Sister Thekla is a wonderful iconographer, she has also painted the wonderful icons in the cathedral in Wellington New Zealand. There is so much to the story of this place and it’s a story that is just starting.
If you go to Greece, visit the island of Tinos in the Aegean, at the monastery there you will find Fijian nuns who are training to return. If you go to Rhodes you’ll find former residents of the Orphanage staying at a monastery and studying to become priests for Fiji.
We Greeks are almost everywhere and where you find a Greek you find a church, where you find a church you find blessings.
Wow! That was such an amazing reply! Thank you! I might like to visit them in the Aegean. Does the monastery permit visitors? Can one lodge there for a few days?
✝️🙏🏻
I greet you with respect, you have nice videos, can you tell me the monastery in Fiji is for monks? Do you have a contact number from theere? Thanks
OMG - I am Fijian and been through this road a couple of times since 2015. Didn’t know we had this in Fiji..
Yes, I know. Fiji is full of hidden wonders!
A young Filipino man, who is a Chanter in my Church, has a construction company here in Colorado. He went to Fiji a couple of years ago to help construct of one of the Orthodox Church’s there. We are a big Orthodox family, so we help each other.
Beautiful!
Thank you!
As an Orthodox Christian I especially enjoyed this video as it's my goal to visit this church in the very near future when the borders are reopened, along with the one in Labasa. There is a beautifully made documentary film about the Greek Orthodox Mission work in the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa including the establishment of this particular church which I've left a link to. I wouldn't worry too much about misidentifying some of the icons, Orthodox iconography is such a rich tradition laden with complex symbolism which took me quite some time to fully understand. I was completely lost and overwhelmed for the longest time! I also found it interesting that your guide took you to the sanctuary behind the iconostasis, but that's certainly not your fault. To give some perspective, it was nearly 12 years from the time I first started attending my Romanian Orthodox parish to my baptism, and following my baptism I was taken into the sanctuary area for the very first time for my Chrismation! I applaud you for the respect and enthusiasm you showed, not to mention your sincere desire to learn. I did my post graduate study in Anthropology, so I share your passion for the diversity of the human experience. I think you did an amazing job of giving us a glimpse of this beautiful church and monastery, thank you!
Oh, and that wind in the bell tower was ethereal...
th-cam.com/video/VqopVGY17XY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for that absolutely wonderful reply. I really enjoyed my time at the Greek Orthodox Church in Saweni. I have to be honest, I don't know where I stand on God but I felt a deep spirituality and a pervading sense of goodness there. Whenever I see someone in some unusual religious outfit I make a point of going up to speak to him or her. In that way, I made a connection with someone called Father John of the Egyptian Coptic Church in Fiji. He has invited me to visit his church. Thank you too for that link to the documentary feature. I really enjoyed it. It taught me a lot not least of which was how poetry could be teased out of simple things like social gatherings, photos and icons for storytelling (I hope that makes sense). Some of those small Orthodox churches in Greece (I'm thinking of the one in Rhodes, in particular) looked so beautiful. As for the whispering of the wind in the Saweni church, I think I can easily say I would happily pass a whole day there just listening to it and doing little else!
@@ThePaleBlueDot I can truly relate to your feelings. Even before I was sure about where I stood on God (which was most of my life), I was always (and still am) drawn to churches, mosques, and temples of various faiths and the sense of peace that pervades within their spaces. Coincidentally I was just looking at some photos and information about the Coptic Orthodox churches in Nadi, as I might stopover in Fiji on my way to Los Angeles in a couple of months and was thinking it would be really interesting to have a look while I was there. I'll definitely be attending a Divine Liturgy at the Greek church in Saweni. Anyway, I'm very happy you enjoyed the documentary and I'll be waiting on a notification to join you on your next adventure!
@@Lailand01, when you do get to come over you must visit St Francis Xavier Church in Ra with its frescos which are described as the most important in the Pacific (vlog coming soon) and hear the magnificent singing which touches you to the very core.
@@ThePaleBlueDot Thanks for that, I'll put that on the 'to do' list!
Thank you for doing this video of the Greek Orthodox Church Holy Trinity and the Greek Orthodox Monastery!!
Glad you liked it! 😃😎👍🏽👏🏽👌🏽
God bless the Greek Orthodox Church & its faithful in Fiji. This is very heartwarming to see. I was born into this beautiful Faith and I’ve never looked back. A Faith which kept to its original doctrines and practices without deviation. God bless all in Fiji. ✝️🙏🏻
Thank you! You should visit Fiji some time. 😃
@@ThePaleBlueDot - indeed I will, God bless. ✝️🙏🏻
As a Catholic its nice to see similarity in other Christian denominations. From the vestments, the Saints and church relics....beautiful. The sound of the wind in the background is truly poetry, a credit to the wonderful architecture.
I agree. I’d love to get specialised sound recording equipment just to record that beautiful wind sound. 😃
@@ThePaleBlueDot am searching for your pig hunting vlog
@@willycagibulakamenio8861 I'll do one soon! :)
WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DIED MAINLY ON TWO SATURDAYS A YEAR ,AND ALSO EVERY SATURDAY IS FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEAD.
Take a chill pill guys , its his vlog , documenting his experiences in a neutral manner, trying his best. And its very insightful ,showing places you can visit in fiji, besides the expensive hotels and beautiful beaches.
Thanks, Aman! It's a tough job sometimes! :)
@@ThePaleBlueDot waiting for your work on vanua Levu and taveuni..keep up the good work. Doing well, mate..
@@AmanSharma-lc3lc Vinaka, Aman. Vanua Levu and Taveuni are very high on my list! I'll leave it till the dry season for obvious reasons plus I want to get some better camera equipment from Australia first for more advanced videography. I'm fortunate in that I've re-discovered some family in Labasa who have asked me to stay when I come. Thanks for your encouraging remarks! :)
Great Video, thanks Azeem!
My pleasure! I only wish there was more like this in Fiji. It was a wonderful experience for me.
Icon with the sheep is called Christ The Good Shepherd
The icons are stunning to look at. I just couldn’t get over their beauty.
Im very interested in visiting this holy place very soon what a wonder so amazed at this i didn't even know that this existed.. mind blowing
Yes, indeed. Fiji is full of wonderful and unexpected places. :)
Thank you sir for this educational video.I pass by this building not fully knowing what it is.great video
I wonder how many locals attend
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it! I would like to go back to attend a service and maybe find out how many there are in the congregation.
What's amazing is that i never knew this Religion even existed in Fiji let alone a church and Monastery. Thank you for this very interesting Vlog and especially to the viewers who commented and shared their knowledge on some of the information. Never stop exploring and learning. God Bless.
Thank you for watching. I have a lot more to share about Fiji. Alas, the country is stuck in a bit of a rut right now with Covid but there is light at the end of the tunnel. :)
FOR ME,IT DOESN T MATTER IF YOU MAKE SOME MISTAKES .BECAUSE THE WHOLE VIDEO IS INFORMATIVE AND YOUR INTENTIONS ARE GOOD.
Thank you! Have a blessed day! 😃😃😃
I love Your enthusiasm, may God bless You and no worries about false explanations, happens to the best, You were clearly acting with love for God amd that is very rare, so thank You very much.
Thank you for your kind comments and your goodness! 😃 I absolutely loved the spirit of the church: the art, the rustling of the wind and I’m sure I’d love the singing if I got round to listening to it. I’ve heard something similar on TH-cam.
"That sound......Poetry of the wind"😊🙌
😁 Wait till I get a stereo digital audio recorder and return to the church to record that glorious sound!
Hi yes indeed it a beautiful church, awesome video and always good to see you as well, you be in in nice videos .miss fiji.
Thank you, Pamela. Fiji constantly surprises me. There is so much to see and so much for me to document. :)
Thanks for sharing Extraordinary indeed.
I loved the place. It gave me a real sense of calm.
its only allowed to orthodox priests to stand in front of the Holy Altar (Agia Trapeza).just for you to know.
Thanks. 😃
Lovely
Just a couple of corrections
- referring to the symbol in the red prayer book inside the church near the alter is the crest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople being under its jurisdiction Bishops , Priest , Deacons all under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - not the Greek cross , no such thing thing as a Greek Cross BTW.
- Bishops thrown is we’re the Bishop sits upon his visit , since he had direct authority and the Reverend Father represents the Bishop - very important to know this in the Eastern-Greek Orthodox Church.
- FYI , only members of the Eastern-Greek Orthodox Church are permitted access to Mont Athos , understandably so , Mont Athos is not a tourist attraction- it’s a very religious place , whereby it’s inhabitants pry continuously for the salvation of mankind.
I especially appreciated your enthusiasm and energy
🙂
Thank you Mr V. It was such a beautiful experience for me and such a rare treat in Fiji.
The third one is not true. The monasteries allow inside people of other denominations or other faiths or irreligious too. There are hundreds of such visitors every year. You were very correct on the first two. Peace.
@@eleftheriosmas Thanks! I’d love to visit Greek islands looking at and staying in monasteries where possible. It’s such a different and refreshing look at life. ✌️😃👍
@@ThePaleBlueDot well there are Monasteries in the islands, sure, but if you want to have the ultimate experience if literally going back in time 1000 years you should definately go to Mount Athos (we call it Holy Mountain - Agion Oros), which is a small peninsula in Macedonia region in northern Greece. The Monasteries there comprise a semiautonomous, self-governed Republic, with a special status recognised through various international treaties, an EU Treaty Protocol and our Constitution. No women are allowed inside the Peninsula and the Monasteries preserve a tradition of 1000 years.
@@eleftheriosmas You’ve made my day! Thank you! I normally vlog everyday but I’ve been unable to because we’ve been badly hit by the Delta variant of the coronavirus. After Fiji, I wanted to head to Southern Italy to vlog (Basilicata. The hospitality I received there had a huge impact on my life) , then hopefully cover a lot of Greece (I’ve read the books by Patrick Leigh Fermor on Manu in the Southern Peloponnese. Wonderful stuff). And I would dearly love to visit Mount Athos. (I have a Lonely Planet book that covers it and much of Greece). 😃👌👍✌️
IT S NOT JOHN THE APOSTLE.IT S JOHN THE BAPTIST AND FORERUNNER.IN ADDITION IT S NOT MOSES BUT IT S THE HOLY TRINITY,FATER SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
YOU,TOO.THE WELL INTENTIONED PEOPLE WILL FIND THE WAY.
Thank you! 🙌🏽👌🏽🙏🏽👍🏽🫶🏽
neat
Thanks!
It doesn't matter whether is right or wrong what he tries to explain but the good thing is to see that the people all over the world live in fiji. Fiji is in the bible cos God said that i will send my peoples to the world from Sun Rise (fiji) to sun set.
Nice one, Eddie.
Damn Pale Blue Dot - your editing is everything to me .... Make your video more interesting ... Great shots too ...
Thank you Korro for your kind remarks and feedback!
The Holy Icon in the entrance was John the Baptist, not the Apostle.
The other one was the Holy Trinity, not Jesus and Moses.
No such thing as a "Greek cross". The symnol on the book was the initials of Christ ΧΡ (Χριστός).
Later on the middle list on the hymns wasnt modern Greek for God's sake, it was the way to read and pronounce in english the Greek text.
Thanks for letting me know. I bought an ebook on Greek Orthodox traditions shortly after I visited. Wonderful. It’s all part of life’s rich variety. 😃😃
The 'Young looking God' is just an icon of Christ. Canonically we depict God always just as an icon of Christ.
Thank you for the info. 🙏🏽🫶🏽👏🏽🙌🏽👍🏽👌🏽😃
Dear friend you should not have entered the Sanctuary of the alter behind the tall icon screen ; so you know next time. 💐☦️💐
Yes, thank you. I didn't know it at the time. I did ask my guide.
@@ThePaleBlueDot not that you offended us very much, but the tradition is such, that only after the permission of someone in charge and for a good reason, a non orthodox enters the sanctuary, and absolutely by the side doors, not the Main Gate, witch is always closed if there is no Mass.
When you see an Angel (Michael and Gabriel), on the doors of the sanctuary left and right, they are there for a good reason. It's called Security in our modern times 😉
Obviously your young helpful guide had no authority to grand you such a permission, but it's God's Will that because of this small mistake, now the World knows what's hidden inside and don't think our churches as creepy. 😇
@@iggo45 Thank you for the heads up. I'm always keen to learn. :)
Just to clarify some things:
The icon of "God and Moses" is actually the icon representing the Holy Trinity.
Panagia (All Holy)/Theotokos = Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
The icon which was referred to as "youthful-looking God", is Jesus Christ, to be precise.
"The Dormition" is the term that should be used to refer to the repose of the Mother of God, not "The Annunciation", which is a different biblical event.
A non-Orthodox shouldn't actually enter the Sanctuary and only an ordained priest may touch the Altar.
Anyway, an interesting video and a beautiful Church.
Regards.
Thank you for your contribution. I'd love to visit other Greek Orthodox Churches around the world and I would especially like to visit Mount Athos.
@@ThePaleBlueDot The Orthodox Church has many traditions; Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, etc. Nevertheless, they are united in one same faith as one family of the Orthodox Church. It'd be lovely if you'd visit Orthodox Churches of other traditions as well.
@@symphonymph3562 That is my plan. I simply love the variety of the world. :)
And the icon of St. John, is “St. John the Baptist” and not St. John the Apostle. But I am surprised about the icon of the Holy Trinity since it depicts God the Father as a older man.
@@baoduong2203 Thank you for your feedback.
Actually the icons are explained wrong, the first John You mentioned is not John apostle but the Baptist. The one were You thought Moses and God is an icon on the brink of canonicity, hut it is actually supposed to show The Holy Trinity it is Christ and The Father on the Right and the Dove represents Holy Spirit. Anyways great video, may God bless the growth of truth in Fiji!
I wish the church all the best from the bottom of my heart. 🙏🏽👏🏽🫶🏽👍🏽🙌🏽👌🏽😃
IT SNOT THE ANNUNCIATION ,ITS THE DORMITION OF SAINT MARY.
I'm a Tuvaluan and we dont have Orthodox church in Tuvalu i wish to covert to orthodox i am living in Suva right now
Are there any Greek Orthodox Churches in Suva?
@@ThePaleBlueDot i was looking for an Orthodox church and found one in Samabula st a small one and hope to visit it soon
@@BobKia good to hear. 😃👌🏽👍🏽🫶🏾
The young fijian boy looks good.
He was very lively!
Thats God the Father and Jesus Christ
I am a Protestant Christian and I find the Greek Orthodox Church a little bit creepy but intriguing at the same time. No offence meant.
All part of life's rich tapestry, Vt Warrior.
Creepy is an odd word choice
Non-taken. You 'd find the Greek Churces in mainlamd Greece which are built in the way they are meant 100% and without these consecions like these walls etc a lot "creepier". We know how your churches look like and the difference is great. We in the other side consider them like "c'mon, rly, that' a storage house or conference room at best. Definately not a church"😛. And you haven't even seen them while they are on service with the Byzantine chants being chanted.
Honestly, all my life i wanted to see some Proty freak out of shock once. It 'd be super funny, even with the accusations that will follow up😂😂😂.
Edit: i was pretty early on in the video when i wrote my comment. Now that i saw better the interior of the church to me it looks more like a former protestant church which we bought and added the [front part with the icons, that splits the altar area from the rest of the church]😅
@@eleftheriosmas or a mini auditorium
@@eleftheriosmas Hilarious! I’m like that sometimes so I fully understand. I like the spontaneity of your remarks and how you provided an update rather than correcting them. I would dearly love to attend a Greek service in Greece or maybe in some place such as Melbourne where there’s a large Greek expatriate community. When I get excited I hardly eat! So all this richness of life is great at keeping me trim! 👌😃
3:08 that actually John the Baptist not the apostle. 4:00 and that actually the holy Trinity not Moses, guy in red and blue is Jesus, old one is God the father and the pigeon is the holy spirit.
Thanks for that Luka. :)
Please take my comment as a positive correction.
One:
John was not an Apostle. He baptized Christ and got beheaded many years before Christ started His ministry, crucified, resurrected and his Senders (Apostles) spread His Word to the World.
Two.
The icon to the right doesn't depict Moses for God's sake. It represents the Holy Trinity. The Dove representing the Holy Spirit, above the heads of the Father and the Son, is very visible.
So its not Moses but Jesus.
Fourth.
You are permitted to enter the Holy Altar, but only after permission, (not granted by your helpful young guide) and even so, you don't touch it, or walk on the front of the Altar, only from behind.
Five.
The icon after you exited the Altar is not the Holly Trinity. As the Greek description on the Icon says, it's the "Hosting (Philoxenia) of Abraham", at the time the Angels came to him in Egypt to give him guidance of how Israelites will Exit Egypt and he offered dinner to the Angels.
Six.
The "young god" is a young King indeed with his majestic Crown 👑 and everything, you know why ? Because He is the Son of God, the King of the Kings and our Lord, Jesus ! He got crucified at the age of 33. Very young. As human. As God He has no age.
Seven
That's all. No more. You are excused of course. You are not very familiar with Christian traditions and Orthodox in particular, but even through your ignorance of the details God's Will, used you as an instrument to make His Holly Presence in these small islands, known to the World. Thank God and thank you ❤️
Greetings from Greece. Now, thanks to you, I know that there is a church waiting for me, if I ever visit the Fiji Islands.
Wow! A fascinating load of information. I hope you know there are about three Greek Orthodox Churches in Fiji. They possess a serene beauty.
I’m Orthodox and the things you said are true but he didn’t know. It wasn’t his fault so you could have explained in a softer, kinder way.
@@bonniejohnstone but that is what i did im my 1st paragraph, and ended with a big ❤️ at the end.
@@bonniejohnstone Thank you, Bonnie. I believe his comments were harsher until edited. I don't mind. I know I experienced such incredible beauty and serenity in the church that I felt so lucky.
The icon was of the Holy Trinity God Christ and the Holy Spirit
Thanks! 😃😃
My friend. Only priests are allowed to stand and walk in front of the Holy Alter. What you are doing is really very disrespectful and l know you are not aware of it but l hope you read this and never do it again. You can walk around the Holy Alter but never in front of it. Also you do not enter the Holy Alter from the main entrance. Only priests can do that! You broke all the rules and it’s so so disrespectful to the point of being sinful.
Whoops! Sorry!
In the Orthodox tradition a person who is not baptized in the Orthodox way. Only priests and deacons are allowed to enter the sanctuary of the church. It is also forbidden for anyone other than the priest and the deacon to touch the table where the Bible was commanded. You have broken this tradition and then hopefully you will not repeat it.
My friend you are wrong. Any male person can inter the Holy sanctuary if given permission but they must enter from the side door. However, only priests can enter from the main entrance and only a priest can stand in front of the Holy Alter and touch the Bible on the Holy Alter!
@@kourostatis I know, sometimes I also enter the sanctuary as a man. I only mentioned the priest and the deacon to make it clearer. Although the author of the video was a man, he is not Orthodox and I think it was not accepted for him to enter the Holy Altar.
@@Dorotheos.sabashvili Yes you are right and he was very disrespectful
The boy did not know much about Orthodoxy to tell him about the Saturdays of the souls of which we have two during the year. Also the man was looking at Saint John the Baptist and thought he was an apostile and then he went on the other icon of the Holy Trinity (in my opinion God should not be painted) and he thought it was God sitting with prophet Moses and later on he was looking at the icon of Christ and thought it was God at a very young age.
@@kourostatis Unfortunately, he did not know much... I hope he will learn and be a good Orthodox. So what do you think about the church pews? I do not like. In the temples of my country there are only a few chairs, the rest of the space is empty and people are standing.
I suggest future coverage should be well planned and researched. A lot of errors was committed today... It destroyed the integrity of the video. You went halfway to quality.
Thats not God and Moses whats wrong with you.
That the Father The Son and the Holy Spirit.
What’s wrong with you?!
27 years ago I walked into an Orthodox Church for the first time and had no idea who was looking back at me from the icons!!! Never saw a censor before either!