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Address of Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW to the XIIth General Assembly of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church

Your Holiness,
Synodal Fathers,

It is at once humbling and inspiring to be graciously invited by Your Holiness to address the XIIth Ordinary General Assembly of this auspicious Synod of Bishops, an historical meeting of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church from throughout the world, gathered in one place to meditate on "the Word of God" and deliberate on the experience and expression of this Word "in the Life and Mission of the Church."

15th All-American Council

"The documentation now posted on the web site includes reports from the Chancellor, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Director of Ministries and Communications," said OCA Secretary, Archpriest Eric G. Tosi. "Delegates will also find a financial report that contains complete 2007 and partial 2008 financial statements for the OCA and for its stavropegial institutions."

Other material included are reports from each OCA ministry department, St. Vladimir's and St. Tikhon's seminaries, stavropegial monasteries, St. Catherine's Representation Church in Moscow, and the report from the Pension Board.

Cuba's first Russian Orthodox cathedral opens

Cuba's first Russian Orthodox cathedral was consecrated Sunday amid church bells, liturgical chants and the presence of President Raul Castro, in a sign of goodwill toward the island's former chief benefactor.

Russian diplomats and members of Cuba's dwindling Russian community crowded into the whitewashed seaside cathedral, which is topped by a gleaming gold dome.

Patriarch Alexy II believes Ahtisaari doesn't deserve a Nobel Peace Prize

Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia was critical about giving 2008 Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who worked out the plan for "a peaceful separation of Kosovo. It was unjust to award Mr. Ahtisaari who contributed to separation of Kosovo from Serbia with an international peace prize," Alexy II said in his meeting with Serbian Ambassador Stanimir Vukicevic in the Moscow patriarchal residence.

Orthodox Christian leaders meet at the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Patriarchs, primates and representatives of all the Patriarchal and Autochephalous Orthodox Churches recommitted themselves to overcome intra-Orthodox conflicts as well as to continue theological dialogues with Christians from other confessions at a 10-12 October meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

"Overcoming the internal conflicts of the Orthodox Church through the surrendering of nationalistic, ethnic and ideological extremes of the past" is a requisite for the "word of Orthodoxy [to] have a necessary impact on the contemporary world," reads a message issued at the end of the meeting.

Russian Orthodox Church suspends Conference of European Churches membership

The Russian Orthodox Church suspended its membership of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on Saturday, the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations told Interfax-Religion.

"The reason for this decision was the unwillingness to consider a membership application by the Estonian Orthodox Church, a self-governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate, which is illegitimate, groundless and going against the constitution and the CEC rules," it said.