International Conference In Paris: The Legacy of Father Alexander Schmemann

A large and enthusiastic crowd packed the conference hall of the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris from December 11-14, 2008 to hear speakers from around the world present papers on "The Legacy of Father Alexander Schmemann." Among the speakers were several SVS faculty and alumni, including Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir's; The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA); Joost Van Rossum, Professor of Church History at St. Sergius; Jean-François Colosimo, Professor of the History of Philosophy and Byzantine Theology at St. Sergius; The Very Rev. Alexis Vinogradov, rector of St. Gregory the Theologian Church, Wappingers Falls, NY; Stig Symeon Froyshov, Professor of Ancient Church History and Patristics at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Oslo; and The Rev. William Mills, rector of the Nativity of the Theotokos Church, Charlotte, NC.

Formal academy dedicated to Slobodan Jovanovic

Last night giving an inspired speech HisEminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral attended a formalacademy at the Kolarac Foundation in Belgrade on the occasion of founding a Slobodan Jovanovic Fund. The Fund isgoing to deal with publishing the rich written heritage of Slobodan Jovanovicas well as let our and international public learn about the life and the worksof this significant Serbian, who was banned and unjustly ignored in previous decades.

Order of St Sava presented to academician Miodrag Pavlovic

His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, on behalf of his Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Serbia, presented today, on the occasion of 80 years of life, to academician and poet Miodrag Pavlovic the Order of St. Sava for his demonstrated love to the Holy Mother Church, particularly manifested by the priceless contribution to our cultural heritage and a true testimony of the orthodox spirituality.

News statistics of the Russian Orthodox Church released

The number of churches and chapels acting in Moscow has increased from 851 to 872 since December 2007, Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutistsy and Kolomna told a meeting of the capital's clergy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

He also cited the data saying that about 1838 clergymen are working in the capital today (last year their number equaled to 1770). The Russian Orthodox Church has 157 dioceses (compared to 142 last year), 203 bishops including 149 ruling bishops and 48 vicar bishops. The total number of clergy in the Russian Church equals to 30 670.

The Trent Agreed Statement on the Family of the First European Catholic-Orthodox Forum

Preamble

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we, thirty representatives of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches in Europe, from countries stretching from the Urals to the Atlantic, have gathered together for the First European Catholic-Orthodox Forum. We express our gratitude to all who have worked for the success of this meeting, especially to the Archbishop of Trent who warmly received us and offered hospitality. The meeting has been organised by the Council of European Bishops Conferences (CCEE), in close collaboration with various Orthodox Churches and some of the dicasteries of the Holy See.
We have expressed our deep sorrow at the sudden death of His Holiness, Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia, who had warmly extended his blessing upon the project of this Forum.

Holy See Sets Bioethics Standards for Research and Aborted Fetal Vaccines

In an instruction released December 12th, 2008, Dignitatis Personae, the Holy See clarified a number of issues in biomedical research and their application to family life that have been hotbeds of contention for decades.

"Dignitatis Personae acknowledges that previous standards by some ethics committees have not been "sufficient" and the Holy See has taken steps to assist both parents who vaccinate their children and researchers who use aborted fetal or embryonic material," stated Children of God for Life's Executive Director, Debi Vinnedge.