One more Russian church to open in Thailand

Preparatory works have started in the Thai city of Pattaya, where the Russian Orthodox Church of All Saints is to be erected, the official website of Moscow Patriarchate reports. To cut down big trees growing at the acquired site, permission from the Nature Conservancy was required. Besides, in compliance with the police instructions, the parking area earlier situated here was removed.

Protect Sunday as a special day, church group tells EU

A grouping of Europe's Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches has urged the European Union to protect Sunday as a day of rest, as the 27-nation grouping considers new regulations on working time. "Scientific research shows that Sunday is more closely connected with the health of workers than any other day of the week," the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches said in a statement issued on March 16 following a meeting at Nyborg in Denmark.

Statement: Anti-discrimination on the basis of some personal inclination is not the same as freedom of expression of that person

Because of the different, and frequently one-sided or wrong interpretations of problems regarding the anti-discrimination Bill in some media, I am giving, in order to explain and inform impartially , following personal statement , which represents also the position of the Holy Synod of my Church and the positions of all the traditional Churches and religious communities.

Basic rights and freedom are also basic values of the legal order and society in whole. There belongs also anti-discrimination, that is a principle of equal protection of rights and freedoms. However, possible sources of discrimination are something totally different.

SVS faculty footprints: March 2009

The faculty of St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVS) serve the Orthodox Christian Church worldwide through their research, teaching, writing, and membership in various church ministries. Their activities throughout the globe-which include everything from presenting retreats at local parishes in the U.S. to witnessing to their faith at ecumenical venues-leave memorable "footprints," as they spread the message of Christ crucified and continue to follow his path.

Footprints far and wide during lenten season

As part of the annual pre-Lenten series at the eminent Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, seminary dean, presented the topic "The Apostle Paul and the Mystery of the Cross" (Feb 18). Additionally, he delivered the homily for the Sunday of Orthodoxy at Ss. Peter and Paul Church (AOCANA) Potomac, MD (Mar 8). On March 14 and 20, respectively, he will act as retreat master at St. Mary Church, Brooklyn, NY and at St. Anthony Church in Bergenfield, NJ (both AOCANA) and will focus on the topic "The Tomb and the Womb: The Birth of Christ in Our Hearts."

Communique regarding the pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija on March 17, 2004 and 10-years of the NATO bombing

This March 17 is five years since the pogrom committed upon the Serbian orthodox people and the orthodox sanctuaries in Kosovo and Metohija. This pogrom of the Albanian terrorists drove out new more than four thousand Serbs from their ages-long hearts, destroyed hundreds of homes, demolished new over thirty churches, and because of it also new innocent victims were fallen. All this happened in thepresence of international civilian and military forces, the UNMIK and the KFOR. Until today no one has been accused for this violence and public crime. And all that is just a continuation of the NATO bombing and the unequalled pogrom, violence, murders and destruction of hundreds of sanctuaries in 1999 in Kosovo and Metohija.

Again burglary in Old Church in Mostar

In Mostar in the night between Friday and Saturday (March 13-14, 2009), a hospitality residence and a bookshop,which are located next to Church of Nativity of the Mother of God - the Old Churchin Bjelusine, a district of Mostar. This is the first robbery and burglary of the church property in Mostar after almost one year, when offenders, who had broken into and desecrated the church after 10 days of previous burglaries, were arrested and went to trial. The investigation on the spot was carried out by members of the Ministry of Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

Source: Diocese of Zahumlje and Herzegovina - CC Mostar