Visit of His Beatitude Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria
16. January 2018 - 16:35
On Sunday, January 7, 2018, His All-Holiness received His Beatitude Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria together with the members of his entourage—various metropolitans and clergy of the Church of Bulgaria—at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, during His Beatitude’s visit for the reopening of the newly renovated Church of St. Stephen in the Phanar District.
The Feast of Theophany at the Phanar
16. January 2018 - 16:34
On Saturday, January 6, 2018, His All-Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with members of the Holy and Sacred Synod on the occasion of the Feast of Theophany at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. Among the numerous faithful in attendance were His Excellency John Amanatidis, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Evangelos Sekeris, Consul General of the Hellenic Republic to Istanbul, and the Honorable Oleksandr Gaman, Consul General of Ukraine to Istanbul. Following the Divine Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch led the traditional blessing of the waters and the throwing of the cross into the Golden Horn.
Visits of Christian Churches for the Christmas Feast
16. January 2018 - 16:28
The Franciscan Brotherhood visited the Patriarchate on the occasion of Christmas under its Hegoumen Fr. Francesco Patton at 9.15 a.m. on Tuesday December 27, 2017/ January 9, 2018.
Metropolitan Rastislav of Czech Lands and Slovakia in interview with Basilica.ro
15. January 2018 - 16:03
Basilica.ro: What are the most important problems that the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church experienced during the communist regime? How did you manage to overcome them?
HB Met. Rastislav: Our local Church has not experienced such persecutions on a large scale, as was the case, for example, of the Russian Orthodox Church in Soviet Russia. Of course, there was total control over the clergy, but this cannot be called open hostility. In the late 1950s, the Uniate parishes in Slovakia were forcibly attached to the Orthodox Church, which were like delay-action mines for future generations.
Percentage of Russians condemning abortion has tripled in 20 years
15. January 2018 - 15:57
The proportion of Russian citizens who consider abortion unacceptable has tripled over the course of the past 20 years, from 12% to 35%. The number that condemns adultery and same-sex relationships has also significantly increased, according to data from a recent Levada Center sociological survey. According to experts, the change in public opinion attests to the strengthening of traditional family values, Pravoslavie.ru reports.
