News

Metropolitan officially handed over duties to new Bishop of Raska-Prizren

Metropolitan Amfilohije,  Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija until recently, along with sisterhood of the monastery of Gracanica and clerks of the Diocese solemnly welcomed yesterday in the monastery of Gracanica newly-enthroned Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren.

Patriarch Irinej visits the threatened in Kraljevo

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch visited the Diocese of Zica, and in Kraljevo, along with Bishop Hrizostom of Zica, the church of Holy Trinity, damaged in a recent earthquake. His Holiness Serbian Patriarch in an evangelic spirit promised the threatened people the help of the Church and the believers.

Patriarch was welcomed in front of the church of St. Trinity, built in 1824, by bishops Hrizostom of Zica and fr. Jovan Djerem, head of the church. During the visit to Diocese of Zica and Kraljevo, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Backa walked along the city streets, met with Mayor Ljubisa Simovic, visited a hospital, and at the end of the visit he was in the monastery of Zica, because that church from XIII century was also damages in the recent earthquake.

Head of the Synodal Department suggests to get back to discussion over bases of Russian political system

Head of the synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin suggests filling the "gap in legitimacy" in Russian state system that has formed in result of the October revolution.

"Bolsheviks who seized power in 1917 made it impossible to hold a constituent assembly that had to choose a form of governance for the country. This gap in legitimacy still questions the succession of our state system, accord with people's will and the choice that was made without it," Father Vsevolod said at a round table held during the Orthodox Russia exhibition forum in Moscow.

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Robbers in the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch along with His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa received today in the Patriarchate court in Belgrade prof. Dr. Gerhard Robbers, the member of the Constitutional Court of Germany and director of the Institute for European Constitutional Law. The reception was attended by prof. Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic,minister of Faith of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Dragan Curovic, state secretary of the Ministry of faith and Dr. Sima Avramovic, professor of the Faculty of Law in Belgrade.

Croatian archdiocese gives cherished relic to Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Archdiocese of Zadar, Croatia, has handed over a relic of St. Simeon to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in an ecumenical gesture that the Orthodox Archbishop Theofylactus said should be "inscripted in the history of the Church in Jerusalem with golden letters."

Relics of St. Simeon-who held the infant Jesus in the Temple-was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the 13th century, and was apparently destined for Venice when a storm on the Adriatic Sea forced the ship off course toward what is now Croatia. The saint's remains have been venerated in Zadar since that time.

Russian senator urges creation of intl fund to protect Kosovo holy sites

Alexander Torshin, first deputy speaker of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, has proposed establishing an international fund to protect holy sites in Kosovo. "It is necessary to set up a fund that would be international and would be responsible for helping rebuild, maintain and, should such a need arise, protect Orthodox churches and monasteries in Serbia's enclaves of Kosovo and Metohija," Torshin told Interfax on Tuesday.