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Heads of Alexandrian and Russian Church serve in the Church of Christ the Saviour

On September 5, on the feast day of the Synaxis of the Moscos Saints, His Holiness Patriarch Theodor II of Alexandria and All Africa and His Holiness Patriarch Kyrril of Moscow and All Russia served the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral church of Christ the Saviour.

Source: Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral

Ecumenical Patriarch calls for titanic and righteous battle to protect the environment

The Ecumenical Patriarch said that "for our Orthodox Church, the protection of the environment, as a divine and very good creation, embodies a great responsibility for every human person, regardless of material or financial benefits." The ecumenical patriarch is calling upon Orthodox Christians to "take part in the titanic and righteous battle to alleviate the environmental crisis." Calling for "a standard of economic and social policy whose priority will be the environment, and not unbridled financial gain." The Ecumenical Patriarch said that "for our Orthodox Church, the protection of the environment, as a divine and very good creation, embodies a great responsibility for every human person, regardless of material or financial benefits."

"The direct correlation of the God-given duty and mandate, to work and preserve, with every aspect of contemporary life constitutes the only way to a harmonious co-existence with each and every element of creation, and the entirety of the natural world in general," he added in his September 1 message for the Day of the Protection of the Environment. The day is also the beginning of the Orthodox liturgical year. The patriarch concluded, "Let us motivate ourselves to harmonize our personal and collective life and attitudes with the needs of nature's ecosystems, so that every kind of fauna and flora in the world and in the universe may live and thrive and be preserved."

Patriarch Kyrril consecrates restored icon on the walls of Kremlin

On Saturday, August 28, on the feast day of the Assumption of Mother of God, the President of Russian Federation Dimitry Medvedev and about thousand believers were present at the formal consecration of the icon above the gate of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, done by His Holiness Patriarch Kyrril of Moscow and All Russia.

Restoration complete at İzmir Greek Orthodox church

The sole Greek Orthodox church to survive a fire in the Aegean province of İzmir in 1922 has been restored, municipal officials announced Sunday. The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality released a statement saying that the restoration of the historical Ayavukla Church, which was launched in 2008, was nearly completed.

Patriarch Kirill consecrates icon on Kremlin tower

Last Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and about thousand believers attended a solemn ceremony of consecrating an icon over the gates of the Moscow Kremlin Spasskaya Tower held by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. At 03:00 p.m. sharp with chimes striking, the President and the Patriarch walked out of the Kremlin Building No. 1 and proceeded through the Spasskaya Tower gate to the square. After a prayer service, Patriarch Kirill came up to a platform decorated with white flours that was then elevated to the level of the icon. The Primate sprinkled the icon with holy water and blessed the believers.

Moscow artist presented icon made of roses to Patriarch Kirill

Artist Tatyana Petrova presented Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia an original copy of Andrey Rublyov's Holy Trinity icon made of rose petals. "I worked all summer. I toned blue roses slightly - other colors are natural," Petrova told an Interfax-Religion correspondent after conveying the icon to the Patriarch after the Sunday Liturgy at St. Andronik monastery where the famous icon painter is buried. This year his 650th birthday is celebrated.