Orthodox Churches

Ukrainian schismatic activists seize canonical priest’s house in Volyn (+ VIDEO)

The violent and belligerent behavior of Ukrainian schismatic-nationalists with new reports of forceful church seizures and attacks on the clergy and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Church coming out nearly every day.

In one of the latest such attacks, the supporters of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” seized the home of Fr. Nazary Filipovich, the rector of St. Nicholas Church in the village of Skobelka in the Volyn Province, and dismantled the room where his faithful parishioners gathered to pray and receive the Sacraments.

Foundation stone of Church of All Saints of Kazakhstan consecrated in capital city

The beginning of a new church was laid in Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan, on Sunday, as part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Diocese of Astana and Alma-Ata, as His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan consecrated the foundation stone for the future Church of All Saints Who Have Shone Forth in Kazakhstan.

Romania’s largest mosaic icon of Virgin Mary applied on National Cathedral’s walls

The largest mosaic depicting the More Spacious than the Heavens Icon of the Mother of God was applied on the half-dome that stands above the altar of the National Cathedral in Bucharest on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.The team of specialists was coordinated by iconographer Daniel Codrescu.

Metropolitan Makarios elected as the new Archbishop of Australia

The Holy Synod unanimously voted for Metropolitan Makarios of Christoupolis to be the new Archbishop of Australia. In order to provide as soon as possible for the replacement of Archbishop Stylianos (who reposed on March 26, 2019), and to serve and lead one of the largest Greek Orthodox Christian communities in the diaspora, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople elected Metropolitan Makarios of Christoupolis as the new Archbishop of Australia on May 9.

President of Uganda pledges $106,000 for Agia Sophia Orthodox cathedral, priests

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda attended the festive laying of the foundation stone for the future Agia Sophia Cathedral in Kampala, near Lake Victoria, on Sunday. The cathedral, intended to be a replica of the famous Agia Sophia in Istanbul, will have a capacity of 2,500 and is projected to cost $4.5 million (17 billion Ugandan shillings). Of this cost, the President has pledged $79,525 (300 million shillings), of which he has already paid $7,950 (30 million shillings), reports the Uganda Media Centre.

Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa elected as new Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America

Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros was elected as the new Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America on Saturday, Greek Reporter USA reports.  The decision was taken in Phanar by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding over the meetings which were held between Thursday and Saturday.  Elpidoforos Lampriniadis was born in Istanbul, in 1967.