News

Concerning an inaccurate article for the relations with the Greek-Catholics (Uniates)

With respect to the recently published articles reporting that allegedly His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew believes that it is possible for the Greek Catholics (Uniates) to have a "double union", in other words, full communion with Rome as well as with Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate refutes this inaccurate statement and affirms it was never made. The Ecumenical Patriarchate repeats its position that full union in faith is a prerequisite for sacramental communion.

At the Patriarchate, the 5th of July 2008
From the Chief Secretariat of the Holy Synod

6th Islam-Orthodox Dialogue winds up

The Sixth Islam-Orthodox Dialogue wrapped up here Friday after two days.

A delegation from Religions Dialogue Center at Iran's Culture and Islamic Communications Organization and representatives of Russian Orthodox Church were present in the two-day talks in Moscow. Chancellor of Iran's Islamic Culture and Thought Research Center and a member of the country's Supreme Cultural Revolution Council Hojjatoleslam Sadeqi Rashad headed Iran's five-member team to the talks. The dialogue focused on man and God from the view point of Islam and Orthodox Christianity and the participants issued a final statement at the end.

UNMIK press conference (Pristina July 16, 2008)

Some highlights related to the Djakovica church land usurpation

(...)

UNMIK Spokesperson RussellGeekie

Thank you Edita. Are there any questions?

Kim Radio: Mr. Geekie, what will UNMIK undertake to preventconstruction of City Parkin Gjakova on the foundations of the templeof Holy Trinity which was mined anddemolished three times from 1999 onwards? Municipal Government has beenconstructing the city park without the approval of the Serbian Orthodox Church,although this land is owned by the Orthodox Church. What is your jurisdiction?What can you do to stop annihilation of the Orthodox temple in Gjakova?

Russell: At this time, I would be uncertain of our jurisdiction, asyou put it. What I can tell you is that the SRSG is very much aware of thisissue, and he does - as part of his visits throughout Kosovo, he does plan tovisit Gjakova Municipalitynext week.

Russian Orthodox Church commemorates slain tsar family

The Russian Orthodox Church is holding services and processions across the country on Wednesday and Thursday to commemorate the killing of the last Russian tsar and his family 90 years ago. Tsar Nickolas II, his wife, their four daughters and son, and several servants, were shot dead by the Bolsheviks in a basement in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in the early hours of July 17, 1918. The Romanovs were canonized in 2000. Russia's Investigation Committee marked the anniversary by confirming Wednesday that the bone fragments exhumed near Yekaterinburg last July belong to the emperor's son and heir, and one of his four daughters.

Bishop to represent Russian Orthodox Church in Italy

Italy has begun to register the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia said in the meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in Moscow. "Following the consultations with the Roman Catholic Church, we have started the process of registration of the Russian Orthodox Church in Italy to be represented by a bishop," he said.

Japanese Orthodox first hierarch urges to active preaching among Japanese

Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan is concerned with Orthodox mission among Japanese and urged to work harder in this field.

When speaking at the recent Japanese Autonomous Church Council in Tokyo, the metropolitan said that since its founder St. Nikolay (Kasatkin) decease in 1912, it hadn't grown in number and it made him "feel ashamed."