Christian world

Metropolitan Porfirije congratulated Easter to Zagreb Archbishop Bozanic

His Eminence Dr. Porfirije, Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Zagreb-Ljubljana, sent an Easter message to the Archbishop of Zagreb, His Eminence Cardinal Josip Bozanic and all the faithful of the Catholic Church:

- Your Eminence Cardinal, wishing most  sincerely and  brotherly that You may spend the forth-coming feast-days in peace, joy and love, I  congratulate to You, Your clergy, all your colleagues and to all  the faithful of the Catholic Church a Happy and God blessed greatest Christian Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and greet You with the most joyous greeting:

Christ is Risen - Indeed He is Risen!

Pilgrims baptism in th river Jordan

On Holy and Great Tuesday morning, 29th March/11th April 2017, the pilgrims’ baptism took place as a seal of their pilgrimage theory, at the bank of the river Jordan, at the place where our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist. Pilgrims were from Greece and other Orthodox countries. The service was led by the Patriarchal Commissioner Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, with the participation of approximately 700 pilgrims.

Thousands to walk Via Dolorosa today in Jerusalem with prayer for Ukraine

Orthodox believers from Ukraine and various corners of the earth will walk the Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow, bearing copies of famous wonderworking icons of the Mother of God from Ukraine, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“Every year, on Holy Friday in Jerusalem they have a cross procession along those streets where the feet of Christ the Savior stepped, Who bore His heavy Cross. The rite of this procession is celebrated every year, headed by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine,” said Met. Anthony (Pakanich), Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Churches in Southern Egypt to Curtail Easter Celebrations After Deadly Bombings

Several Egyptian churches in the southern city of Minya said on Tuesday that they will cut back on Easter festivities in solidarity with the families of 45 Coptic Christians killed in the attacks in Egypt’s northern cities of Tanta and Alexandria earlier this week. The Minya Coptic Orthodox Diocese said in a statement that, in mourning for victims of the twin terror attacks during Palm Sunday ceremonies, their celebrations will be limited to the liturgical prayers.

Russian parliament offers to replace bells of monastery in Maaloula, Syria

Deputies of the Russian State Duma have proposed replacing the bells at St. Thekla Orthodox Monastery in Maaloula, Syria, reports Interfax-Religion. “We, the members of the committee and panel for the protection of Christian values have addressed the patriarch with an offer to replace the bells in place of those earlier stolen from the Monastery of St. Thekla,” said Sergei Gavrilov, head of the Duma committee for the development of civil society and religious organizations. The legislator added that he and other Duma deputies from the Syrian relations group had personally been to St. Thekla’s while in Syria to visit Russian troops there. They saw firsthand the consequences of its capture by terrorists.

500 churches closed, 400 mosques opened in London since 2001

500 Churches of all denominations have been converted into private homes in London since 2001, while 423 new mosques have appeared in that time, often in converted church buildings, according to the not-for-profit international policy council and think tank Gatestone Institute. “London is more Islamic than many Muslim countries put together,” according to Maulana Syed Raza Rizvi, one of London’s leading Islamic clerics. The number of English identifying as Anglicans dropped by 1.7 million, from 21 to 17% between 2012 and 2014, while the number of Muslims grew by nearly a million, with converts often embracing the violence of Islam.