Orthodox Churches

60,000 faithful venerated relics of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr in Urals

This year’s Royal Days celebrations in the Urals were especially important and festive, with the 100th anniversary of the execution of the holy Royal Martyrs being celebrated on July 17, and the execution of St. Elizabeth the Grand Duchess and sister of Tsarina Alexandra, the Nun Barbara, and Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov, the Princes Ioann Konstantinovich, Konstantin Konstantinovich, Igor Konstantinovich, and Vladimir Pavlovich Paley, and Grand Duke Sergei's secretary Fyodor Remez being celebrated on July 18.

Kiev Caves Lavra-Athos-Jerusalem: Unity Through the Ages

80 theologians and academics from 15 countries throughout the world have converged in Kiev today for the opening of the “Kiev Caves Lavra- Athos-Jerusalem: Unity Through the Ages” conference, which is being held today and tomorrow at the Kiev Caves Lavra, reports the International Institute of the Athonite Legacy. In particular, the conference is being attended by representatives from Mt. Athos and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as well as from the UK, USA, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Israel, Austria, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Poland, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and Georgia.

Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York

To My Eminent Brother Archpastors, Honorable Fathers, Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The 20th century was a difficult time for Orthodox Christians on the territory of the Russian Empire, which became the USSR after the Great War, the October Revolution and Civil War. But the more the Church endured persecution, the brighter the lanterns of faith and piety shone in the Russian land. From the Tsar and the members of the Royal Family close to him in spirit, from archpastors and simple monastics, priests, deacons to laypersons came forth a powerful spiritual army of the Church Militant. By 1918, the Russian Church showed two sorts of podvig—that of martyrdom and that of confession. Thank God, today we see how the blood of many millions of the host of Martyrs and Confessors who turned the Russian land red became the seeds of salvation for the spiritual rebirth of our people, in the Fatherland and in the diaspora.

Metropolitan Amfilohije marked the 50th anniversary of priestly ministry

On the feast-day of St. Great-martyr Procopius, fifty years ago, on July 21, 1968, Metropolitan Amfilohije was ordained as hieromonk at the monastery of St. Gerasim of Cephalonia in Argostoli, in the Greek province of Cephalonia.

On the occasion of the great jubilee -  50 years since he has received ordination into the  rank of a hieromonk, His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands in an interview for Radio Svetigora on the feast-day of St. Procopius, exposed  of his ordination as hieromonk explicitly on this feast-day, his monastic life Greece, pastoral experience, the first parish, encounters with great Greek fathers and preachers of that time later recognized as spiritual elders, acquaintances with people like Alexander Solzhenitsyn... The interview was published on the website of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro-Coastlands.

New Publication on the Old Testament

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Publishing Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has published the Armenian translation of “The Old Testament: Contents and Theology”, by Metropolitan Jeremiah Fundas of the Greek Orthodox Church. The book was translated from Greek to Armenian by Rev. Fr. Gabriel Vardanyan, Lecturer at the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary. The book is a complete and comprehensive study of the Old Testament, where the results of recent studies on the Old Testament are taken into account. The author also did not ignore a number of Biblical guides, for example the methods of examination of sources, editions and auxiliary sciences, especially Biblical Archeology conclusions, etc. The book was published by the patronage of the “Deacon Levon and Araxi Zenian” Fund.

Archbishop Leo of Finland to address OCA All-American Council

His Beatitude Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and All Finland will arrive in the U.S. on July 22 at the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington and All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America). Abp. Leo will participate as a guest speaker at the OCA’s 19th All-American Council, running from July 23-27 in St. Louis, Missouri, reports the site of the Finnish Orthodox Church. The theme of the council is “For the Life of the World.” The Finnish primate will address the council on Thursday, July 26, and his speech will be published the next day in English, Finnish, and Russian.