News

Christianity is in danger, warns Cyprus Archbishop

Christianity is at stake, especially in Syria, said here Monday Archbishop Chrysostomos, warning that if extremists prevail in Syria, minorities and Christians will feel the repercussions.

The Archbishop said this is something which greatly concerns the Orthodox churches of the region.

Archbishop Chrysostomos, together with the Patriarchs of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros and Jerusalem and all Palestine Theofilos, speaking during a press conference, explained the vision, aims and expectations of the Orthodox Initiative, in the framework of the political and socio-economic changes that are developing nowadays in the wider Middle East region.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk will visit USA to take part in celebrations on the occasion of 200th anniversary of Fort Ross

On 23–28 August 2012, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of Metropolitan Hilarion of New York and Eastern America, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, will visit the United States of America to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Fort Ross, the first symbol of Russian presence in America.

Patriarch Kirill congratulates Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on the 25th anniversary of his ordination

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relation, on the 25th anniversary of his ordination.

To: The Most Reverend Hilarion
Head of the Department for External Church Relations
Permanent Member of the Holy Synod

Your Eminence,

I cordially congratulate you on the 25th anniversary of your ordination.

A quarter of a century has passed since, on the Day of the Holy Transfiguration, you were ordained to assume the lot of pastoral ministry. Being an example of responsible attitude to very task entrusted to you by the Supreme Church Authority, you have done a great deal to bear witness to the intransient beauty and power of Holy Orthodoxy.

Ethiopian church patriarch Abune Paulos dies

The head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Paulos, has died aged 76, the government has announced.

The foreign ministry said he had been receiving treatment over the past week for an undisclosed illness.The patriarch's office is due to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to finalise arrangements for what is expected to be a state funeral.

Abune Paulos led Ethiopia's 40 million Orthodox Christians - half the population - since 1992.

Early Christian Church Discovered in Kakhetia, Georgia

Archaeologists have discovered a church that was built in Kakheti in the 5th century and destroyed in the 14th century. This is a conclusion made by the experts who have recently announced the news about the unique discovery. Specialists of the National Agency of Cultural Heritage Protection have arrived to the valley of the river Duruji, territory of Dolochopi, where an early Christian-era church was found, reports Blagovest-info portal with the reference to internet.ge.

Nicaean Church of Hagia Sophia began functioning as a mosque

Historic Church of St. Sophia in Nicaea (modern Iznik, Turkey), where in 787, held the Seventh Ecumenical Council, began to function as a mosque, to which has already been assigned aMufti. This is reported by "Romfea."

Hagia Sophia in Nicaea was first converted into a mosque in 1331, after the conquest of Asia Minor in the Byzantine Empire, by the Ottoman Turks. It remained a mosque until the arrival of the troops in the region of the Greek army during the campaign that they made in Asia Minor after the First World War.