Orthodox Churches

Holy Friday becomes national holiday in Romania

Holy Friday has become an official public non-working holiday in Romania, the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Basilica News Agency reports.

With Romanian President Klaus Iohannis’ signature on the completion of Paragraph 1 of Article 139 of the Labor Code, Romania joined 16 other EU countries on Monday where Holy Friday is already a public holiday.

Finnish Orthodox Church condemns initiative to legalize euthanasia

The Council of Bishops of the Finnish Orthodox Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate recently expressed its official opinion on the civil initiative to legalize euthanasia, at the request of the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Health Issues, reports the site of the Finnish Church.

Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Greater Philadelphia Celebrate Second and Third Sundays of Great Lent

On Sunday March 4th, the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Greater Philadelphia celebrated Great Lenten Vespers for the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, at St. George the Great Martyr Antiochian Orthodox church in Upper Darby.On the prior Friday, a “Nor-Easter” winter storm wrecked havoc over the Greater Philadelphia region, making roads impassable not only due to the amount of snowfall, but also felling many trees and causing widespread disruption of electrical service. This disruption also affected our host parish, with power being restored only thirty minutes prior to the service. Notwithstanding these conditions, the Orthodox clergy and faithful of the Greater Philadelphia region gathered to celebrate the second Sunday of Great Lent, dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas.

Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visits Ethiopia

On 1-4 March 2018, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited Ethiopia to discuss with representatives of the Church of Ethiopia various issues pertaining to the resumption of active contacts between the two Churches.

Trabzon’s vandalized Vazelon Monastery to be restored after years of neglect

A restoration project for the Vazelon Monastery, located in the Maçka district of the Black Sea province of Trabzon, is underway after the ancient site fell into ruins due to neglect, vandalism and treasure hunters’ raids.

The exact foundation date of the monastery in uncertain, though some researchers think the foundation of the monastery could be between A.D. 270-317. The monastery was restored by Emperor Justinianus in 565 and has undergone numerous repairs and restoration processes prior to the present day.

Terrorist attack committed at metropolis headquarters in Thessaloniki

A homemade incendiary device exploded on Tuesday night near the entrance to the building of the Metropolis of Neapolis and Stavroupolis in the Neapolis District of Thessaloniki, reports thestival.gr.