Sunday of Orthodoxy in Libertyville, Illinois

The first Sunday of the Great Fast is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy. On this day, in commemoration of the victory of Orthodoxy over heresies, the holy Church, as a loving Mother, invites her faithful children to venerate and honor in piety the holy icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Saints. Once every year, on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Orthodox people in America emerge from their ethnic islands to celebrate the triumph of the Orthodox Faith over the iconoclastic heresy.

Members of Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC meet with Minister Jeremic

Minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia Vuk Jeremic met today with the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church before meetings which he is going to have at the headquarters of the UNESCO, as well as at other international forums, and which have as agoal to remind of five years of the March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohia (March 17, 2004) during which was destroyed 35 churches and monasteries.

Pan-Orthodox evening vesper in Vienna

On the first week of Great Lent, when church celebrates Sunday of Orthodoxy, reminding us of a first victory of Orthodoxy over iconoclasm, and re-establishment of icons in Constantinople in 843. AD, according to tradition, the Orthodox faithful living in capital of Austria, together are attending the Pan-Orthodox vesper service, served by priesthood of Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Czech, Georgian Orthodox church and the patriarchate of Constantinople and patriarchate of Antioch,  each year in other church. 

Exhibition “St. Paul the Apostle yesterday, today and tomorrow”, the Christian cultural centre, May 2009

On the occasion of 2000 years sincethe birth of St. Paul the Apostle, the Christian cultural centre in Belgrade, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Serbia and the patronage of the Archbishopric Belgrade and Karlovac, has announced a bidding to award a participation to a thematic exhibition of icons and religious paintings titled St. Paul the Apostle yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Raffi Gregorian visited Bishop VasilijeRaffi Gregorian visited Bishop Vasilije

His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik and Tuzla received yesterday, at the temporary office of the Diocese - a monastery of St. Vasilije of Ostrog in Bijeljina, Raffi Gregorian, Brcko Supervisor and Deputy High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On this occasion they discussed about political and security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Brcko District, and also about other issues that are burdening normal functioning of the Church in this region.

In introductory presentation, Bishop Vasilije congratulated 10-years jubilee of the District of Brcko, also mentioning the momentary problems of the Church regarding the subject"catechism" on the territory of the Brcko District. During the discussion, Raffi Gregorian explained reasons why cathehism was late, also claiming that catechism will get, from September of the next year, the same status as others subjects.

Then it was being discussed on financial help increase for religious communities and the renewal of destroyed buildings, as well as on providing help for the returnees to their homes, renewal of their homes and a necessary agricultural mechanisation supply.

The problem of the property restitution in Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation was pointed out, especially the Seminary building in Sarajevo, for only the Serbian Orthodox Church does not have its Seminary of theology in Sarajevo. The common statement is that it would be purposeful to solve this problem as soon as possible.

The lack of the Ministry of Faith or a Direction for Faith was also pointed out in Federation, therefore religious communities do not have nowhere to turn to in order to solve problems.

Very hard labour conditions were also mentioned and the existence of Inter-religious Council.

The worrying point was the fact that only two of five bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina are in their offices, while the offices in Sarajevo, Mostar and Tuzla are vacant.

At the end of the talks, satisfaction was expressed because of the meeting which enabled many questions, and therefore these meetings are very essential.

Source: Diocese of Zvornik and Tuzla 

Medvedev signs decree on financing of New Jerusalem Monastery renovation

President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday signed a decree on the recreation of the New Jerusalem Monastery. The government was instructed to subsidise the monastery restoration fund from the federal budget starting in 2009.