News

Iran to restore 3 Armenian churches

Iran is ready to launch works for restoration of 3 Armenian churches in the Tghmut river basin.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Atrpatakan, Supreme Archimandrite Grigor Chiftchyan addressed the Aras economic zone department for protection of cultural and religious monuments with a request to observe the norms of Armenian church construction, Blagovest-Info reported.

Iran has 7 free economic zones, with the Republic’s government planning to use them for development of economy and tourism. Extensive grounds owned by Armenian Church, as well as 3 churches – St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Sargis and St. George are situated in Aras.

Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko meets with participants in 4th Orthodox-Catholic Forum

On June 3, 2014, Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko received in audience participants in the 4th Orthodox-Catholic Forum “Religion and Cultural Diversity: Challenges for Christian Churches in Europe”, which opened yesterday in Minsk.

The meeting, which took place at the Palace of Independence, was attended by Orthodox and Catholic hierarchs and theologians from 22 European countries.

Mr Lukashenko welcomed the guests, stressing that the life of Europe is based on the Christian worldview. The co-chairmen of the Forum, Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima (Patriarchate of Constantinople), and Cardinal Peter Erdö, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, greeted the president. Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus, addressed himself to President Lukashenko.

Festive reception at Russia’s General Consulate in New York on the occasion of 700th birthday of St. Sergius of Radonezh

It was the first event in the chain of festive activities to be held in the USA to celebrate St. Sergius’s birthday.

The reception was attended by general consuls of Bulgaria, Serbia and Cyprus in New York, Bishop Jerome (ROCOR), clergy of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Russian Church Outside of Russia, as well as clergy of the Orthodox Churches of Antioch and Bulgaria and the Orthodox Church in America. Among the guests were Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, deputy general secretary of the Faith and Order Department of the National Council of Churches in the USA, and representatives of public and cultural organizations, the website of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA reports.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew And Pope Francis Issue Joint Declaration

 His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Francis crossed a fifty-year milestone today, continuing the legacy of their predecessors Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. In 1964, those leaders broke a silence of centuries and paved the way toward greater dialogue.

Meeting this afternoon at the Apostolic Delegation in the Old City of Jerusalem, the global heads of the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Churches signed a Joint Declaration affirming their commitment to seek unity between their respective ecclesial bodies. Moreover, they expressed their profound concern for the situation of Christians in the Middle East and for their fundamental right to remain full citizens of their homelands:

I.A.O. Conference Seminar on Mass Media Begins in Thessaloniki

The Interparliementrary Assembly on Orthodoxy Seminar Conference on Mass Media has kicked off in Thessaloniki on 12th May 2014. The conference seminar has attracted several mass media professionals and journalist from various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches , Pan- Orthodox organizations along with ecumenical delegations.

The first day witnessed the following events: Where Opening address was given by Mr. Sergei Popov, Member of the Russian State Duma, President of the I.A.O. General Assembly , Opening of the works by the Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson Mr. Simos Kedikoglou (tbc.) 

Columbia University Concert Features St. Vladimir’s Chorale

The St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale with Robin Freeman (Photos: Stephen Osburn)The Axion Estin chanters, with Eleftherios EleftheriadisA joint concert titled “Heaven and Earth: Sacred Music from the Byzantine Greek and Slavic Eastern Orthodox Christian Traditions,” was offered by the St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale, under the direction of SVOTS Lecturer in Choral Conducting Robin Freeman, and by chanters under the direction of Eleftherios Eleftheriadis of the Axion Estin Foundation. The highly regarded Protopsaltis of St. Nicholas Shrine Church in Flushing, NY, Eleftherios has taught two public continuing education courses in Byzantine Music at St. Vladimir’s, while conductor and soloist Robin Freeman has been involved with SVOTS music since 2006.