Christmas Greeting from Boris Tadic, President of the Republic of Serbia

President of the Republic of Serbia Boris Tadic congratulated Christmas to the Serbian Orthodox Church and all believers who celebrate this holiday using the Julian calendar.

"I wish that this great holiday spend in peace and welfare, with family and friends. Peace from God! Christ is Born!", it was said in the President's greeting.

2010 Nativity Encyclical of His Grace Bishop Maxim

2010 Nativity Encyclical of His Holiness Patriarch IRINEJ

The Serbian Orthodox Church

to her spiritual children at Christmas, 2010

+IRINEJ

By the Grace of God
Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, with all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Christmas greeting:

Peace from God! Christ is Born!

Blessed and most joyous news, dear brothers and sisters in Christ the Lord, begins with the words of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). That news reveals and witnesses to us and to everyone, to heaven and to earth, and to all visible and invisible worlds, a two-in-one mystery and truth.

Ecumenical Patriarch expresses condolences to Pope Shenouda about deadly terror attacks

by the mercy of God,

Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch

Your Beatitude Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of the Coptic Church of Alexandria, our beloved brother in the Lord: Grace be to you and peace from God.

We hasten to express to Your Beatitude our sincerest and whole-hearted condolences for the recent terrorist attack outside of Saints Coptic Church. Words cannot adequately express our shock and sorrow at the magnitude of this tragedy; the ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness of the assailants has shaken Christians and people of good will all over the world. This unjust and unjustifiable incident has revealed to us and to the entire world the great price that Christians continue to pay for their faith in Christ Jesus.

During this most difficult time of pain, therefore, we would like to assure you and your faithful of our complete solidarity and support. Please know that we always stand prayerfully beside you as we continue to journey on the difficult paths of our respective Churches. May all those who have recently lost their lives find peace and comfort in the embrace of Abraham.

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 3rd of January 2011

Your Beatitude's
beloved brother in Christ,

+ BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople-
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch

Patriarch IRINEJ expresses condolences to Pope Shenouda III about deadly terror attacks

His Holiness Patriarch IRINEJ expresses condolence to Pope Shenouda III about deadly terror attacks:

"On the sad occasion of the terrorist attack on the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, where 21 persons lost theirs lives, We address this sincere condolence to Your Holiness, Coptic Church, to families of the slaughtered, likewise to the all Christian people of Egypt with prayers toward God, for the repose of souls of the innocent people, and comfort of the pain of their beloved ones."

Bishop Irinej offers condolences to Coptic Orthodox Christians

In a letter of 4 January 2011, His Grace Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand expressed his heartfelt prayers and extended the deepest sympathies of his clergy, monastics and faithful to His Grace Coptic Orthodox Bishop Suriel of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions and to Bishop Suriel's faithful flock which, in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ, is now in deep mourning.