Christian world

Number of abortions in Russia has decreased by 24,5%

Head of the Russian Health Ministry Veronika Skvortsova reports that the number of abortions in the country has decreased.

"It is important to say that thanks to active measures of psychological support of pregnant women, organization of pre-abortion consultation service in maternity hospitals and prenatal clinics, the number of abortions has decreased by 8% in 2015. That is 67,000 children born. And if compared to 2011 - by 24,5%," Skvortsova said on Wednesday speaking at a governmental session dedicated to the demographic situation in Russia.

Remnants From Ancient Church Unearthed in Gaza by Construction Workers

Construction workers in Gaza have discovered ancient ruins that archaeologists say may be part of a Byzantine church dating from around 1,500 years ago, the Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said Monday.

Turks building a mosque in Amsterdam called "Hagia Sophia"

With outrageous activity Turks are advancing in the building and opening of a mosque called "Hagia Sophia" in Amsterdam, which is an exact replica of the sacred symbol of Orthodoxy in Constantinople, reports Romfea.

The Abkhazian Constitution now officially bans abortions

The president of Abkhazia Raul Khajimba has signed into law an amendment to the republic’s constitution aimed at state protection for the life of mothers and unborn children.

To this law, chapter 2 of the Abkhazian constitution, is added another article which reads: "Abkhazia recognizes the value and inviolability of family life and takes measures in order to protect and strengthen the family as a fundamental and independent institution. The state equally safeguards the life of the mother and the unborn child.

Walk for Peace in Syria

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II headed a “walk for peace in Syria” with the clergy of the Archdiocese of Aleppo and the participants of the Suryoyo Youth Gathering in Aleppo.

New Publication on the Manuscripts and the Armenian Genocide

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the Publishing Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has published the book “The Armenian Genocide and the Loss of Armenian Manuscripts and Salvation”.

The first section of the book (S. Golanjyan, Armenian Massacres and the Loss of Our Manuscripts) discussed the loss of Armenian manuscripts and the culture of printed books as a result of two decades of Turkish barbarity – at the end of the XIX century and in the early of the XX century. In next the composition titled “Brief Description of Prominent Monasteries in Vaspurakan” written by Very Rev. Fr. Archimandrite Hovhannes Hyusyan; the destruction of the monasteries in Vaspurakan is described. The third work includes depictions of manuscripts and their records.

The next two works are researches Mr. Gevorg Ter-Vardanyan, on a manuscript that survived the Armenian Genocide and a fragment of a manuscript. These are the publication of valuable historical documents concerning the XVIII century, which prior to 1919, were kept in the St. Thomas the Apostle Monastery in Agulis.