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Introduction: Periodic breathing (PB) is considered physiological in the neonatal period and usually disappears in the first months of life. There are few data available on persistent PB after the neonatal period. The objective of this study was to characterize infants born at term with persistent PB after the age of 1 month through polysomnography (PSG) performed during symptoms., Methods: This retrospective case series included infants born at term between 2012 and 2021, without an underlying disease, who presented with symptoms of persistent PB during a PSG. Persistent PB was defined as more than 1 % of total sleep time (TST) of PB after 1 month of life, and PB was defined as a succession of at least three episodes of central apnea lasting more than 3 s and separated by less than 20 s of normal breathing., Results: A total of 10 infants born at term were included. They underwent PSG for brief resolved unexplained events, desaturation, pauses in breathing, cyanosis, and/or signs of respiratory distress. The percentage of TST spent with PB was 18.1 % before 3 months of age (n = 7), and 4.7 % between 3 and 6 months of age (n = 10). During the first PSG, ≥3 % of desaturation events were observed in 77-100 % of the PB episodes. At the first PSG, nine of the 10 infants had an obstructive apnea-hypopnea index of >10/h and five of 10 infants had a central apnea index of >5/h. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was suspected in eight infants. All infants showed improvement in the initial symptoms during the first year of life., Conclusion: This study presents cases of persistent and symptomatic PB after 1 month of life in infants born at term. The interesting finding was the presence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and/or central apnea syndrome in the majority of children, along with GER., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 French Society of Pediatrics. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and asthma are two common respiratory disorders in children and adults. Apart from common risk factors, such as obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease and allergic rhinitis, emerging evidence suggest that the two diseases may complicate the clinical course of each other. On one hand, OSA modifies asthmatic airway inflammation and is associated with poor asthma control. On the other hand, asthma and its medications increase the collapsibility of the upper airways contributing to the development and worsening of OSA. The overnight respiratory symptoms of OSA and asthma are often similar, and an inpatient polysomnography is often necessary for a proper diagnosis, especially in children. Continuous positive pressure, the gold standard treatment for OSA can improve asthma control in patients suffering from both diseases. However, there is limited evidence how anti-asthma medications act in the same patients. Nevertheless, adenotonsillectomy seems to be effective in children with concomitant asthma and OSA. This review summarises the evidence for the bidirectional link between asthma and OSA, focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and highlights the need for further research., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and objectives : As pelvic floor disorders are often difficult to assess thoroughly based on clinical examination alone, the use of imaging as a complementary technique is helpful. This study's aim was to investigate by transperineal ultrasound (US) if there was any significant difference in the mobility of the bladder neck in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) without a cystocele and in those with SUI and an associated cystocele. The study also investigated whether the number of vaginal births and/or the heaviest newborn's birth weight was correlated with the bladder neck mobility. Materials and Methods : A total of 71 women suffering from SUI were included in the study and divided into two groups based on the presence of a cystocele. Their bladder neck mobility was evaluated by transperineal US, calculating the distance from the inferior margin of the symphysis pubis to the bladder neck (SPBN), and the dorsocaudal linear movement (DLM), term used to illustrate the displacement of the bladder neck by subtracting rest and Valsalva values. GraphPad Prism 8 was used for statistical analysis. Results : Within both study groups, the SPBN values were significantly higher and the DLM values were significantly lower at rest as compared to Valsalva maneuver ( p < 0.05). No significant difference between the groups regarding SPBN and DLM values at rest, Valsalva, or subtraction was demonstrated. A significant positive correlation was found between the bladder neck mobility and the heaviest newborn's birth weight, regardless of the presence of a cystocele ( p = 0.042). Conclusions : The presence of a cystocele had no significant impact on the bladder neck mobility measurements in patients with SUI. The heaviest newborn's birth weight positively correlated with bladder neck hypermobility, as quantified by SPBN.

Purpose: Postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common occurrence in women, and it has a profound effect on women's health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for postpartum SUI and the relative importance of each factor, including pelvic floor ultrasound measurement data and clinical data. Method: Pregnant women who delivered in our hospital from March 2021 to January 2022 were selected as the study population. The clinical and anatomical Data from women with SUI and those without SUI were collected and analyzed. The clinical and anatomical risk factors associated with postpartum SUI were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 255 participants were recruited. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR:1.215, 95% CI:1.097–1.346, P < 0.001), vaginal delivery (OR:3.05, 95% CI:1.328–7.016, P < 0.009), parity (OR:3.059, 95% CI:1.506–6.216, P < 0.002), bladder neck descent (OR:4.159, 95% CI: 2.010–8.605, P < 0.001), the angle of the internal urethral orifice funnel (OR:1.133, 95% CI:1.091–1.176, P < 0.001) were important independent risk factors for postpartum SUI (all P < 0.05). The AUC was 0.883 (95% CI: 0.839–0.926) in the model. Conclusions: Age, vaginal delivery, parity, bladder neck descent and the angle of the internal urethral orifice funnel are independent risk factors for postpartum SUI. To prevent the occurrence of postpartum SUI, high-risk factors of postpartum SUI should be identified as early as possible during pregnancy and after delivery, and postpartum pelvic floor rehabilitation training should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study is to evaluate and compare the improvement of upper airway morphology and hyoid bone position in children with Class II mandibular retrusion treated with Invisalign mandibular advancement (MA) and Twin-Block (TB) appliances, utilizing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: 32 children aged between 8 and 11.5 years old were included in this study, with an average age of 10.2 years old. These children were divided into two groups, MA and TB, with 16 children in each group. Changes in upper airway morphology and hyoid bone position before and after treatment were analyzed using CBCT. Results: (1) Changes in upper airway before and after treatment: the oropharynx volume (Or-V), the oropharynx minimum cross-sectional area (Or-mCSA), the hypopharynx volume (Hy-V), and the hypopharynx minimum cross-sectional area (Hy-mCSA) in both the MA and TB groups increased after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05) compared to pre-treatment status. (2) Changes in hyoid bone position before and after treatment: The distances between H point and third cervical vertebra (H-C3), H point and pogonion (H-RGN), H point and mandibular plane (H-MP), H point and Frankfort horizontal plane (H-FH), H and S point (H-S), and H point and palatal plane (H-PP) in both the MA and TB groups increased after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both MA and TB appliances effectively improved the structural narrowness of the upper airway and reduced respiratory resistance, thus improving breath quality. However, MA showed more effectiveness in improving the narrowest part of the hypopharynx compared to TB. Both appliances also promoted anterior downward movement of the hyoid bone, which opens the upper airway of the oropharynx and hypopharynx and helps the upper airway morphology return to normal range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and potential predictors of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a cohort of adults with severe asthma. Methods: From March 2021 to December 2021, this cross-sectional study enrolled patients with severe asthma receiving biologics, who were consecutively referred for sleep evaluation irrespective of sleep-related symptoms. Clinical and functional data, including three OSA screening instruments (GOAL, STOP-Bang, and NoSAS) were recorded. All participants underwent a portable sleep test (ApneaLink Air™). OSA diagnosis was based on the respiratory disturbance index ≥ 5.0/h and subclassified according to severity thresholds. Data were subjected to logistic regression tests to identify possible predictors for OSA. Discrimination was estimated from the area under the curve (AUC). Results: Overall, 56 outpatients were included (80% females): 54% with any OSA, 13% with moderate-to-severe OSA, and 4% with severe OSA. In the multivariate analysis, no parameter emerged as an independent predictor for OSA: age (p = 0.080), body mass index (p = 0.060), loud snoring (p = 0.130), and hypertension (p = 0.848). No screening instrument was useful to predict any OSA: GOAL (AUC: 0.714; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.579–0.849), NoSAS (AUC: 0.645; 95% CI: 0.497–0.793), and STOP-Bang (AUC: 0.640; 95% CI: 0.493–0.788). Similarly, no screening tool was also useful for predicting moderate-to-severe OSA or severe OSA. Conclusion: Patients with evere asthma receiving biologics exhibit a high prevalence of OSA. However, no clinical, functional, or OSA screening instrument showed acceptable discriminatory ability to predict the presence of OSA in these patients with severe asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obese asthma is a complex phenotype and further characterization of the pathophysiology is needed. This study aimed to explore inflammation‐related plasma biomarkers in lean and overweight/obese asthmatics. Methods: We elucidated levels of inflammation‐related plasma proteins in obese asthma phenotypes in the population‐based cohort BAMSE (Swedish: Children, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiology) using data from 2069 24‐26‐year‐olds. Subjects were divided into lean asthma (n = 166), lean controls (n = 1440), overweight/obese asthma (n = 73) and overweight/obese controls (n = 390). Protein levels (n = 92) were analysed using the Olink Proseek Multiplex Inflammation panel. Results: Of the 92 included proteins, 41 were associated with lean and/or overweight/obese asthma. The majority of proteins associated with overweight/obese asthma also associated with overweight/obesity among non‐asthmatics. Beta‐nerve growth factor (BetaNGF), interleukin 10 (IL‐10), and matrix metalloproteinase 10 (MMP10) were associated only with lean asthma while C‐C motif chemokine 20 (CCL20), fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), interleukin 5 (IL‐5), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 9 (TNFRSF9), and urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) were associated only with overweight/obese asthma. Overweight/obesity modified the association between asthma and 3 of the proteins: fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), interleukin 4 (IL‐4), and urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA). In the overweight/obese group, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) was associated with non‐allergic asthma but not allergic asthma. Conclusion: These data indicate distinct plasma protein phenotypes in lean and overweight/obese asthmatics which, in turn, can impact upon therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The relationship between asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widely debated topic in the scientific literature with the controversy surrounding the bi-directional nature of the correlation. Case presentation:We report the case of a 59-year-old male being affected by severe allergic eosinophilic asthma and severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] 32 ev·hr-1). Due to a clinical worsening of asthma (aggravation of dyspnea, chest constriction and night-time respiratory symptoms), despite the optimal therapy for asthma and recurrent administration of systemic corticosteroids, we have added-on treatment with benralizumab (monoclonal anti-interleukin 5 antibody). After eight months, the patient reported an improvement in asthma control (asthma control test [ACT]= 25 points), in pulmonary function and a good control of nocturnal symptoms of both diseases (i.e., wheezing, snoring, etc.). Then, the follow up polysomnography (PSG) was performed resulting in a high reduction of OSA severity (~18% AHI) even if obstructive events persisted and almost resolution of nocturnal hypoxemia. So, a trial with positive airway pressure (PAP) was proposed to the patient, who declined. Conclusions: In consideration of our experience, we suggest that the nocturnal profile of patients with severe asthma should be always studied by a sleep investigation to prevent the negative effects of interaction with OSA. However, further studies on larger samples are needed to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of benralizumab on obstructive events during sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) percentile, asthma, sex, and age on the paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity. Furthermore, to determine the possible predictive role of the BMI percentile and age in severe OSA., Methods: This retrospective study included 921 children aged 2-18 years diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), Spearman's correlation, Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were performed and area under the curve (AUC) was determined., Results: We observed a significant association between a higher BMI percentile and the severity of OSA (p < 0.001, ρ = 0.15). The correlation also was significant under (p = 0.007, ρ = 0.11) and over 7 (p = 0.0002, ρ = 0.23) years of age. There was no association between the severity of OSA and the presence of asthma (p = 0.9) or sex (p = 0.891), respectively. Age was significantly related to OSA severity (p = 0.01, ρ = 0.08). Although both the BMI percentile (0.59 AUC [0.54-0.65]) and age (0.58 AUC [0.52-0.63]) predicted severe OSA, according to the sensitivity and specificity values of the ROC curve, the association presents a slight clinical relevance., Conclusions: OSA severity is determined by the BMI percentile and age in children; however, these factors are unsuitable for predicting severe OSA in clinical practice. Based on our results, obesity is also a significant risk factor for OSA in younger children. Our study highlights that older, overweight, and obese children have a higher risk for severe OSA., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In this study the author presents the steps it went through, which are: Theological Institute (1924-1925), with three years of study instruction; b. Theological Academy (1925-1948), with four years of study instruction, without having the right to grant the academic degree in Theology and c. Theological Institute of University Rank (1948-1952), with four years of study preparation and having the right to grant the academic degree in Theology; during the spring of 1952, the Romanian communist regime abusively dissolved the Theological Institute of University Orthodox Degree of Cluj, although at that time, due to its professorate, it was a prestigious Superior Theological School of our country. After the Revolution of December 1989, at Pr. Prof. Dr. Alexandru Moraru's initiative (from the Orthodox Theological Seminary of Cluj-Napoca), to which adhered Pr. Prof. Dr. Valer Vel, Pr. Prof. Drd. Vasile Stanciu and Pr. Prof. Drd. Stelian Tofana, in the spring of 1990, the Romanian Patriarchate, in compliance with the Address no. 766 from 16th of March of 1990, as well as the Ministry of Education, in compliance with the Address no. 1748 from the 30th of March of 1990, approved the reestablishment of the University Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca, which became in 1992 the Faculty of Theology of the "Babes-Bolyai" University of Cluj-Napoca. During the two decades of activity, the Faculty can be proud of the exceptional teaching staffs, who are Ph. Ds., who published in Romania and abroad, who are members in Associations and Societies here and in other parts of the world. During the twenty years` activity, some graduates of the Faculty became bishops of the Romanian Orthodox Church, university or seminary teaching staff, Religion teachers, important social assistants, specialists in restoring old church art and many priests who honor their mission; all of them serve the ancient Church and our nation with dignity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although adenotonsillectomy considerably reduces OSA and systemic inflammation, whether and how systemic inflammation influences the effects of adenotonsillectomy on OSA has yet to be determined., Methods: This study investigated the associations between changes in anatomical variables, % changes in subjective OSA-18 questionnaire scores, % changes in 11 polysomnographic parameters, and % changes in 27 systemic inflammatory biomarkers in 74 children with OSA., Results: Fifty-six (75.6%) boys and 18 (24.4%) girls with the mean age of 7.4 ± 2.2 years and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 14.2 ± 15.9 events/h were included in the statistical analysis. The mean period between before and after adenotonsillectomy was 5.6 ± 2.6 months. After adenotonsillectomy, the OSA-18 score, eight of 11 polysomnographic parameters, and 20 of 27 inflammatory biomarkers significantly improved (all p < 0.005). Notably, there were significant associations between change in tonsil size and % change in AHI ( r = 0.23), change in tonsil size and % changes in interleukin-8 (IL-8) ( r = 0.34), change in tonsil size and % change in and IL-10 ( r = -0.36), % change in IL-8 and % change in C-C chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) ( r = 0.30), and % change in CCL5 and % change in AHI ( r = 0.38) (all p < 0.005). Interestingly, % change in IL-8 and % change in CCL5 serially mediated the relationship between change in tonsil size and % change in AHI (total effect: β = 16.672, standard error = 8.274, p = 0.048)., Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that systemic inflammation is not only a complication of OSA but also that it mediates the surgical effects, which may open avenues for potential interventions to reduce tonsil size and OSA severity through the regulation of IL-8 and CCL5., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2023, the Chinese Medical Association.)

An editorial is presented discussing the bidirectional relationship between asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pediatric patients, highlighting the common risk factors, shared pathogenic mechanisms, and the need for further research in this area. Topics include the prevalence of OSA in asthmatic children, the absence of significant associations between OSA and asthma severity in a cross-sectional study, and the socioeconomic distribution of the study participants.

Some Reflections on the Destiny of Image in Modernity. The image's itinerary through history is closely dependent on the cultural context. This fact becomes even more obvious when one analyses the image's recent destiny. Self-reference is one of modernity's dominant traits, one easily identified among the characteristics of the image in media society. If from the point of view of semiotics there is a break of the natural connection between signified and signifier, in the case of the image already Jean-Luc Marion notices, already at the end of the '80s, that the image enjoys an ever greater independence from the reality it should represent. Modern image is supposed to be free from any original. This new status generates changes on the anthropological level, as G. Sartori warns. Consequently, a certain type of iconoclasm appears, one that attempts to bring the image back to its iconic state. And this means rediscovering the natural image-original ratio, following the kenotic model of the icon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Orthodox Church doesn't speak about Ordination like the western theology does, but it speaks about … or …. It doesn't speak about sacerdos and sacerdotium, but it speaks about …. It doesn't speak about ministerium, but it speaks about …. When we speak about … we don't have a parallel linguistic system, but almost a different system because the same word can be translated and interpreted through different words. In two texts from Pastoral Letters I try to show that priesthood is not something contrary to charisma, but also charisma (gift from God). 1Tim 4,14: Some commentators pointed out that the grace/gift referred to in this verse is learning with power, given to those called to be a priest; others saw a clear reference to the priest's service. Considering the context, and also that the priestly service doesn't exclude, but includes learning the Gospel with power, as well as the Patristic interpretation, I think that the concept of charisma in this context refers to grace/gift given by ordination to the service of a priest. 2 Tim. 1,6: Like in 1Tim 4,14 the word … for some refers to the grace/gift of the ministry in general and for others to the deacon's or priest's grace/gift. What is evident in this context is the close link between this gift and preaching. Thus, we could say with Saint Paul (1 Cor. 9,16) that above the man who received the grace/gift of ministry stands the duty to preach the Gospel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the theological dialogue between the Evangelical Church in Germany and the Romanian Orthodox Church, initiated in 1979, one can identify four categories of theological issues approached during the discussions: the relation between Scripture and Tradition, the Holy Sacraments, Christology and Ecclesiology. This assessment synthesizes the main theological agreements reached in the course of the dialogue. The author analyzes the final reports of each round of discussions, considering them to be the synthesis of the issues approached. Although it appears that the issues concerning the relation between the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition, Ecclesiology, Sacraments led to a substantial agreement, the concepts and terms were not clearly defined, and this remains a major requirement of the future dialogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Orthodox Church in Romania cellebrates this year 125 years of autocephaly, that is one and a quarter of a century of total independence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Mother-Church of the majority of local Orthodoxies in Balcans and Eastern Europe. It is well known that the relation between "mother" and her "daugthers" was, most of the times, a tense one, especially after the fall of Byzantium under the Turks. Taking advantage of the essential nationalism of the modernity, the local Orthodox Churches gradually unyoked themselves of the bonds with a center lacking more and more in resources and, politically speaking, totally unrepresentative. What was natural according to the national emancipation turned into something profoundly problematic from the ecclesiological point of view, because the equilibrium between unity and diversity was deeply altered. The most illustrative example is the Orthodox diaspora, "organized" strictly according to ethnical criteria, preserving the connection with the Mother-Church, but being in open contradiction with the canonic norms of the Ecumenical Councils. Moreover, even the relations between the neighbouring Orthodox Churches, as those between Romania and the Republic of Moldova or those between Russia and Ukraine, will be articulated according to the filial pattern, already compromised, the Romanian communities being claimed by two "mothers", one of origin and the other of historical conjucture. One example of the difficulty degree of this type of pastoration in modernity is given by the recent appeal of the Patriarchate in Bucharest to the Romanians from diaspora, calling them to rejoin the Mother-Church, as well as by the reactions of some theologians belonging to the Othodoxy of French language and culture. The present study analyzes, from a social-theological perspective, such dilemmas which, in fact, cover a deficit of understanding not only the Tradition, but also the modernity as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Profound changes which Europe passed in the eighteenth century were felt in Greece and to all Orthodox peoples of South-Eastern Europe, by young people who studied at European universities. Very soon the epicenter of the dispute between Greek Enlightenment scholars and traditionalists scholars moved even in the St. Mount, once the establishment of Athonite Academy and revival movement initiated by its teachers and athonite monk. The climax of the confrontation between representatives of the spiritual revival movement was the famous dispute between Corais Adamntios and Athanasios of Paros in a polemic of echo. Church is not opposed in principle to people enlightenment and to the science, evidence the modern program of the Academy Athonite Studies in Schools and Academies in Greece, Bucharest and Iasi, but emphasizes the need for spiritual rebirth of the people, by editing the writings of the Philokalia with the anthropocentric humanism of Western Enlightenment. There was never overlooked the fact that the Orthodox Church represents the consciousness of the nation and the main cultural expression. The Orthodoxes remain anchored in the tradition offered by faith and this tradition translates in mentality and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holy Scripture offers specific testimony regarding the presence and work of the Divine Logos in history and the possibility and responsibility of humanity to achieve deification. In Scripture, through the Lord Christ, rational truth is united and identified with personal Truth. In this sense, the words of Scripture, in addition to the presentation of past and future events, reveal Christ, renewing and animating believers in the life of the Church. Through the Divine Liturgy, the life of Christ emanating from Scripture becomes the Church's life, always alive and ever present for all who belong to Him, regardless of whichever time and place they live. From the liturgical perspective, Scripture must be seen as the path that leads one to Christ, nourished along the way by the divine food and drink that gives them life and strengthens them in their search. The Divine Liturgy lives and breathes Scripture in the most sensitive and real manner possible; therefore, the content of Divine Liturgy, one can say, is presented as a sublime "patristic commentary of Scripture." The Divine Liturgy achieves a connection between the mystical "today" of Scripture and the meaningful dimension of the liturgical "today" in the deep reality of the eternal "today" of the Kingdom of Heaven, present here and now. Among the Orthodox, Scripture not only prepares the faithful to participate in the Divine Liturgy, but the Liturgy but also spiritually empowers then to experience the wider depths of the Divine Word for greater personal discovery. There exists a reciprocal relationship between Scripture and Liturgy that is not limited to the house of worship, but extends outward in the daily lives of believers. According to the Holy Fathers, Holy Scripture must never be absent from one's spiritual life. The honor and obedience manifested in its words are identified with obedience to God. Scripture brings spiritual power and a true sense of actualized existence into the life of the Christian believer, compelling him or her to pray more fervently and personally involved in the Divine Liturgy, in private prayer, and other church offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analyses Dumitru Staniloae's attitude towards his contemporary ecumenism in particular and towards the ecumenical movement in general. At the same time it approaches the specific contribution of the Romanian Orthodox theologian to the inter-confessional and ecumenical dialogue both through his participations in certain ecumenical meetings and by spreading some key-concepts in order to understand the ecumenism, especially from the Orthodox perspective. Father Staniloae's theological work represents an authentic invitation to dialogue between Churches and even between religions founded on love and on the cosmic dimension of the salvation achieved by Jesus Christ. To his opinion, the Orthodox Church is Una Sancta, always opened in Christ's love towards the others, always receptive to their soteriological destiny in Christ, the center of creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the ecumenism is a characteristic concept of the modern and contemporary Christianity, its principles can also be noticed in the work and activity of many Christian personalities across history. The present article proposes an analysis of Saint Isaac the Syrian's work from an ecumenical perspective. The manner in which his work and his biography have been transmitted and perceived, as well as the sacramental theology the east-Syrian mystic developed, open the possibility for new insights and new ways of approaching the ecumenical dialogue. It is particularly his inclusive Eucharistic vision, according to which the Holy Eucharist should only be denied to those who disbelieve its role and its forgiving and redeeming power, which represents nowadays a challenge for those involved in ecumenical relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to extract some essential aspects regarding the image in the orthodox mission, as an attitude of reconfiguration towards the blast of imaginary phenomena in contemporary society. In the first place missiology and mission have to underlay the pneumatic importance of icon to the Church and its mission, revealing the icon's potentials. To rich the understanding of how icon operates we have to get beyond the meaning of idol, [sign] and symbol, in order to demarcate the concepts and to establish the connexity between them, helped by adjacent disciplines as philosophy-phenomenology, psychology or iconography. We will proceed to the understanding of media image in comparison with the icon, with all the consequences which appear in the spiritual life. The success of covering the spiritual dimension of the icon reveals a certain kind of vision-visibility, iconic. The element of new consists in the accommodation of iconic vision to love hermeneutic which works in many directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper tries to offer some arguments in favour of articulating an Orthodox social theology suitable for the challenges of the present world. The analysis starts from the actual moment characterized, on the one side, by the consequences of the communism' fall, especially in Europe, but also by the intensification, at a global level, of the debate regarding the so-called post-secular relationship between religion and the public area, on the other side. Within this context, the local Orthodox Churches from East-Europe are called to make use of their regained freedom and to take part to the society project of the countries where they preach the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In order to do this, the Orthodox theology must rediscover the foundations of its proper public involvement and reexamine the eventual inhibitions, cautions or prejudices concerning its spiritual and, at the same time, historical mission. A commonplace of the Western analysis about Orthodoxy, turned into a reproach, is the one concerning the supposed indifference of it towards the social crises and towards society in general, a fact explicable if we have in mind the close relationship between the Eastern Church and the political authority of any kind. This is why the Orthodox Church must have a systematic opinion on these aspects, too, in its desire to have a normative message within the present society. In fact, it is an inevitable step on the way of retrieving the prophetic conscience, a conscience almost totally insensitive during the decades of communist dominion. Based on the critical genuine conscience of the Church, the Orthodox social theology must help in the first place the ecclesial body to understand better the data of modernity and the profound effects of it, both at a personal and at a collective level. Following the patristic pattern of the dialogue between the data of faith and those of the world, the Orthodox social theology is called, through the actual reading of Tradition, to offer to the philanthropic practice of the Church a visionary frame, to establish a more visible relationship between ortho-doxy and ortho-praxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The territorial-political complexity of the subject under consideration urged us to study in this paper only the way of electing the mayors in those 81 administrative-territorial units of the Cluj County: the cities of Cluj-Napoca, Turda, Dej, Câmpia Turzii and Dej, the town of Huedin and the 75 communes. As a result of the elections, held in two rounds (1st of June 2008, with the election of 32 among the mayors and 15 of June 2008, with the election of the reminder of 49 mandates), the 81 mayor offices went to the following political parties: the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP, with 28 mandates, respectively 34,6 %), the National Liberal Party (NLP, 23 and 28,4 %), the Social Democratic Party (SDP, 17 and 21,0 %), the Democratic Union of Hungarians from Romania (DUHR, 8 and 9,9 %), Independent Candidates (IC, 3 and 3,7 %), the New Generation Party-Christian Democratic (NGP-CD, 1 and 1,2 %) and the Democratic Force (DF, 1 and 1,2 %). The dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party (Cluj-Napoca, Turda, Câmpia Turzii and Gherla) can be noticed in the urban centers of the county, and also a territorial distribution of the mandates according to proximity and neighborhood effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The line separating the Orthodox from the Filioquist triadology consists in the theological method. The primary elements of the Filioquist doctrine are dialectical thinking and essentialism, doubled by a logic of the separation - because the self-sufficient reason's cataphatism cannot overcome agnosticism -,whereas the Orthodox perspective embraces a Trinitarian vision within the Holy Spirit, equally apodictic and apophatic, personalistic and ontological. It is the dogmatic of the ecclesial, spiritual and contemplative experience versus the dogmatic of rational speculation. For the Orthodox Church Filioque has been and still remains a heresy condemned by the pan-orthodox synods and the holy fathers who have exerted their authority in the Church. From a dogmatic point of view, Filioque remains one of the crucial obstacles against the ecclesial reunification of Christendom. Despite having shown open-mindedness towards the Orthodox standpoint the Catholic Church has not relinquished Filioque, if not reaffirmed it in its official documents. Even more so, there are only insufficient signs of it renouncing the filioquist vision which penetrates its entire system of doctrines, and the theological method that has led to this doctrinarian innovation. Contemporary Catholic theology admits to a "complementary" validity of the Orthodox teaching on the Holy Spirit's proceeding, but only in as much as it can be integrated in the Catholic filioquist triadology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meeting of the Orthodox world's leaders, held in Constantinople, in October 2008, the second one of this new millennium, may be rightly called an event. On one side, within the context of the still bleeding wounds of history, to which new ones are added, such a meeting, presided by the Ecumenical Patriarch and having among the participants the Patriarch of Russia, was considered not likely to be held. On the other side, faced with the extraordinary challenges of the present, the Orthodoxy had to give a signal, to address to their believers a clarifying message. In other words, in spite of a week canonical unity, the Eastern Church has proved at least its ethical unity, based in its turn on the dogmatic and liturgical unity. The present article reviews the main crisis situations which question the Orthodox unity. Then, we focus on the social and pastoral context of the countries where Orthodoxy is of a majority; last, but not least, we argue on the meaning and the importance of the message of October 2008. The translation of this message into Romanian is given in the addendum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Orthodox Church during communism era has two histories: one traced by those in power, and one that has been recently revealed through documents discovered and examined by historians. This paper analyzes the situation of the Romanian Orthodox Church immediately after the atheistic communist regime had been installed in Romania, using references taken both from official documents dating during the period of The Patriarch Justinian (The Social Apostolate), and from the archives of the Securitate (The Romanian Secret Services), documents issued by the Department for religions, by the party or taken from the confessional archives. It discusses a series of attitudes and facts that have been interpreted either as acts of abdication from the prophetical mission of the Church or as attempts to survive. The paper's objective is to show that the Patriarch Justinian used "a double discourse" to deal with the challenges of the world he was living in, but still, the Church had a missionary strategy that can generate, at least partially, a model of Christian confession in the context of a secularized society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes several interpretations of the sexuality, sexual identity and existence of homosexuality among Nahuas in Mexico before and after the Spanish colonialism. Reasons behind the emergence of the multiple constructions of homosexuality; Indications of the relation of sodomy to the gods, sacrifice and ritual prior to the conquest; Factors to consider in analyzing indigenous sexualities.