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Enthronement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah

The chancery of the Orthodox Church in America has announced the following tentative schedule for the enthronement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC. In Saturday, December 27, 2008 in St. Nicholas Cathedral Vigil will be celebrated by Metropolitan Jonah, members of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops, guest hierarchs and clergy. In Sunday, December 28, 2008 in St. Nicholas Cathedral will be Entrance and Greeting of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah and Hierarchal Divine Liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Jonah, members of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops, guest hierarchs and clergy.

Source: Interfax religion

Atheism contradicts science

Scientific worldview can't be atheistic, renowned theologian and professor of Moscow theological schools Alexey Osipov said. "If the world is endless than the science can't prove there's no God," Osipov said at a conference Science. Philosophy. Religion organized by St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation. According to the theologian, science and religion do not oppose one another, but should jointly oppose various superstitions and false doctrines.

Disputes on world origin make no sense from theological standpoint

Disputes between advocates of evolution and creation scientists are senseless from theological standpoint and do not have any vital meaning, Professor of the Moscow Theological Schools Alexey Osipov said. "I believe such disputes are sad event of our time. Fundamentalists of the creation science don't understand a simple thing: the question of creation or evolution makes no sense to theology," Osipov told an Interfax-Religion correspondent in a lobby interview of the Science. Philosophy. Religion conference organized by St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation in the Moscow Region this week.

European Union beats Soviet Russia in atheism, a French philosopher believes

Renowned French philosopher-traditionalist, geo-politician and founder of the Nouvelle Droite (French for New Right - IF) Alain de Benoist believes modern Europe "has beaten the USSR record" in the mass atheism. "Europe has reached such level of atheism that Russia didn't have even after forced totalitarian policy of the Soviet period," Benois said at a meeting with Russian scientists in the Conservative Studies Center at the Sociology Faculty of the Moscow State University.

Russian Orthodox figures ask Saudi King’s permission to build a Christian church in Arabia

Representatives of Orthodox public organizations addressed the King of Saudi Arabia an open letter with a request to build an Orthodox Church in his country. The address, conveyed to Interfax-Religion, was initiated after the Saudi Kingdom announced its plans to build a mosque in Moscow.

"You often say that Islam is a religion of justice. However, if Saudi Arabia builds mosques in dozens of Christian countries, isn't it just to build a church for Christians living in Your Kingdom!" the letter says.

Russian Church against defining holodomor as genocide, but urges to denounce Bolshevik actions that caused it

The Moscow Patriarchate believes actions of Bolsheviks that caused mass famine of the 1930s should be decisively assessed, but urges to renounce attempts to consider the tragedy genocide. "The theme of mass holodomor of the 1930s gives grounds for thinking both in Ukraine and in Russia. Kiev should understand that this tragedy didn't affect only Ukrainian people, and Moscow should decisively condemn Bolshevik actions that resulted in mass famine," Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told Interfax-Religion on Thursday.