Sour Looks On Bishops' Faces?

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@ the OP: Take a look at some old photographs sometime. You will notice that NOBODY smiled in photos prior to the 1940s or so. The custom (it is only that) of trying to look happy when having one’s photo taken was originally an American thing and is still not universal. Also, having a beard tends to make a man look more serious or “dour”-- a lot of it has to do with the mustache giving the mouth area a down-turned appearance.
 
A great many of the EO Bishops do look quite grumpy in their photos…

And it’s cultural.

The OCA Bishops generally look pleasant in their photos.

As do the Ruthenian Catholic Bishops.

There are exceptions.

Few look radiant or truly joyous, but a few do.
 
Melchior said:
This is typical for Orthodox Clergy from all the pictures I have seen. I think alot of it harkens back to how people posed for pictures in general in Eastern European and Orthodox countries such as Greece. My Greek in-laws have many old picture from the 1920 through the 1940’s and everyone posed with these grim looks on their faces. I think “cheese” was a later thing.
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As per the usual, you can find anything on Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_cheese

Even the history of “cheese” 👍
 
PolkaDotPelican said:
I was looking at some photos of the men who constitute the hierarchy of the XYZ Eastern Orthodox Church. Of the 20 or so photos I looked at maybe two of the men were smiling.

The rest did not have neutral looks on their faces either. They had what appeared to be rather bitter and sour looks on their faces.

I would find it antagonizing if I was a member of that particularly church. Is the sour look part of the East? A cultural thing? Seems more like bad manners to me or maybe the attempt to play the modern-day martyr?
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Whatever the motivation, this certainly falls into a class of posts calculated to slur the East by the rather bizarre technique of associating facial expressions with spirituality or the ability to spiritually serve the faithful. I rather suspect that, with your keen eye for discerning one’s heart, soul, and intellect by the observed facial characteristics, there is likely some high-level post in the US intelligence services, immigration, federal law enforcement agencies, or homeland security, just waiting to be filled by one with your skills.

Meanwhile, until your offer letter arrives, I thought I’d give you links to some of those dour Eastern hierarchs, to afford you an opportunity to keep those prescient eyeballs of yours sharpened. So, for your viewing interest, a rather diverse group - all Orthodox, as my Orthodox brethren’s spiritual fathers seem to be the focus of your discerning orbit at the moment.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew

His Beatitude Patriarch Alexi II

His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist, of blessed memory

(right) His Holiness Patriarch Abune Paulos, (center) His Holiness Catholicos and Patriarch Aram I

His Beatitude Patriarch and Catholicos Karekin I with His Holiness Pope John Paul II, both of blessed memory

Metropolitan Herman and Metropolitan Nikolaj

Metropolitan Nicholas

Let me know if there are any Eastern Catholic hierarchs behaving in this same sinster manner and I’ll search them out as well :rolleyes:

Many years,

Neil
 
PolkaDotPelican said:
No, my original posting was not obnoxious.
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Lily’s post was not ad hominem. My post was not ad hominem (but admittedly a bit sarcastic). Do you know what ad hominem means?

But I will say that your original post was obnoxious and not worthy of discussion of a thread.

Sour looks on the face!

Perhaps this is all a joke?

Oh the odd things one sees on internet forums. :rolleyes:
 
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Mickey:
But I will say that your original post was obnoxious and not worthy of discussion of a thread.
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and yet here you are posting to it …
 
Were the pictures old? Maybe that was just the custom of the place at the time the photos were taken.
PolkaDotPelican said:
I was looking at some photos of the men who constitute the hierarchy of the XYZ Eastern Orthodox Church. Of the 20 or so photos I looked at maybe two of the men were smiling.

The rest did not have neutral looks on their faces either. They had what appeared to be rather bitter and sour looks on their faces.

I would find it antagonizing if I was a member of that particularly church. Is the sour look part of the East? A cultural thing? Seems more like bad manners to me or maybe the attempt to play the modern-day martyr?
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A picture speaks a thousand words?

Perhaps, but . . .

Probably, only a psychiatrist, or an FBI Profiler, or a phrenologist might have the necessary tools to construct the character profile of a person based solely on a photograph.

Still, the results would be inexact!

The eyes have it, you say! They are the windows to a person’s inner being, his soul?

Many, like myself, have indulged themselves in “reading” another person’s character, at a distance, and almost always come short. It is, indeed, akin to judging a book by its cover!

Try it on these:

The chief hierarchs of Orthodox jurisdictions under the SCOBA:

scoba.us/jurisdictions.html

The bishops of the OCA:

oca.org/HSepiscopacy.asp?SID=7
 
Based on my analysis, Metropolitan Christopher at this link is the holiest:

scoba.us/jurisdictions.html

😉

All the other bishops are looking at the camera, or off to the side… He’s the only one looking up to heaven.

:rotfl:
Amadeus said:
A picture speaks a thousand words?

Perhaps, but . . .

Probably, only a psychiatrist, or an FBI Profiler, or a phrenologist might have the necessary tools to construct the character profile of a person based solely on a photograph.

Still, the results would be inexact!

The eyes have it, you say! They are the windows to a person’s inner being, his soul?

Many, like myself, have indulged themselves in “reading” another person’s character, at a distance, and almost always come short. It is, indeed, akin to judging a book by its cover!

Try it on these:

The chief hierarchs of Orthodox jurisdictions under the SCOBA:

scoba.us/jurisdictions.html

The bishops of the OCA:

oca.org/HSepiscopacy.asp?SID=7
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This is one of my favorites, Vladyka Benjamin of San Francisco. He was definitely differentiating himself from the ordinarily more dour formal poses of the other bishops.

Every time I see it it cracks me up!



This one is pretty nice too, I imagine Vladyka Seraphim was still thinking of bishop Benjamin’s antics at the studio and trying to keep a straight face when this was snapped…

 
PolkaDotPelican said:
I was looking at some photos of the men who constitute the hierarchy of the XYZ Eastern Orthodox Church. Of the 20 or so photos I looked at maybe two of the men were smiling.

The rest did not have neutral looks on their faces either. They had what appeared to be rather bitter and sour looks on their faces.

I would find it antagonizing if I was a member of that particularly church. Is the sour look part of the East? A cultural thing? Seems more like bad manners to me or maybe the attempt to play the modern-day martyr?
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Maybe it was at the end of the day they were all tired and just wanted to go home. Maybe they don’t like getting their picture taken…some folks have trouble smiling for a pic, some just take lousy pictures.You never know, could be a number of reasons they look grumpy. I don’t know if it is fair to base all bishops on this one photo. I think, that your personal experience with your own priests and bishops is what matters anyway.
 
Hesychios said:
This is one of my favorites, Vladyka Benjamin of San Francisco. He was definitely differentiating himself from the ordinarily more dour formal poses of the other bishops.

Every time I see it it cracks me up!

http://www.oca.org/Images/HolySynod/portraits/bp.benjamin.jpg

This one is pretty nice too, I imagine Vladyka Seraphim was still thinking of bishop Benjamin’s antics at the studio and trying to keep a straight face when this was snapped…

http://www.oca.org/Images/HolySynod/portraits/bp.seraphim.jpg
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Michael,

You took the words right out of my mouth. That picture of Vladyka Benjamin is the best 👍

Many years,

Neil
 
Irish_Melkite said:
Michael,

You took the words right out of my mouth. That picture of Vladyka Benjamin is the best 👍

Many years,

Neil
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I like the one of Vladika Seraphim. As Hesychios said, he looks like he can hardly hold a straight face. It looks like he is thinking of something that is hysterical.
 
Surely this thread belongs in the non-catholic forum according to current rules:rolleyes:
 
St_Benedict said:
Surely this thread belongs in the non-catholic forum according to current rules:rolleyes:
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I would really appreciate it if posters stopped expecting me to stumble on commentaries inside of threads which are meant for the moderator and should be sent in a PM or through the BPR function.

If you think a rule is being violated, such as a thread not posted in the correct forum, please contact me privately and don’t post about it in the thread.
 
IDK man, in most of the pictures I’ve seen on this thread, the esteemed gentlemen look very kind and grandfatherly, like someone I would trust. Maybe you just saw a picture that was taken on a bad day? What was the background? Maybe they had all just come from a funeral, for cryin out loud!? 😉
 
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