Twenty-year memorial service

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch served on Saturday, August 27, 2011 the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of St. Mark the Apostle and the Evangelist and the twenty-year memorial service to Serbian Patriarch German of blessed repose. His Holiness was concelebrated by priests of the church, former close associates of Patriarch German, protodeacons: Dr Stanimir Spasovic, Tomislav Milanovic and Stevan Rapajic. The choir of the Church of St. Mark chanted.

XXII International Congress of Byzantine Studies in Sofia

XXIII International Congress of Byzantine Studies opened on August 22, 2011, in Sofia. It is held once in every five years in various countries which have their own tradition of Byzantine studies. It is already for the second time that the congress is held in the Bulgarian capital. It hosted the 4th congress in 1934. The official opening of the forum took place in the afternoon in the University of Sofia. In the evening, a reception was held at the State Museum of History on the occasion of the opening of the congress. Present at the reception was Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem

On August 25, 2011, His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, received Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, who came to the Holy Land for a working visit with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Metropolitan Hilarion conveyed to His Beatitude words of greetings and support from the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and thanked him for the attention he gave to pilgrims who come in a great number to the Holy Land from the Moscow Patriarchate.

Chechnya saw the first mass baptism in its today’s history

Archbishop Zosima of Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala performed the first mass baptism ceremony in Chechen history in the river Terek of Naursky dirstrict.

35 five citizens of Naursky and Shelkovsky districts were converted to Orthodoxy, press service of Chechen leader reports Friday.

"Keep your Orthodox faith, live in peace with each other, avoid evil, make your families and grow your children," Father Zosima wished to the young Christians.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on a visit to Patriarchate of Constantinople

On August 20, 20011, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, arrived in Istanbul. He was met at the airport by Russian Consul General A. Yerkhov and representatives of the Church of Constantinople. On the same day, the DECR chairman met with His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

Serbian Patriarch meets with Director of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch along with his Vicar, Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno received on August 23, 2011 in an official visit, Director of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service, Mr. Viktor Ivanov.

In discussion  significant issues of drug trafficking were pointed out, which do not just represent a criminal offense, but also entail many other misdeeds. Mr. Ivanov informed His Holliness with results of the research of his Federal Service regarding a distribution of narcotics that finance later a variety of illegal activities of certain criminal structures, which do not care about the spiritual, moral, and mental health of those who were caught into the trap of drug addiction, but exclusively a personal and quick gain.