Orthodox Churches

Patriarch Daniel speaks about the National Cathedral

Patriarch Daniel has given an interview to the Romanian public television (TVR) to mark his tenth anniversary of patriarchal ministry. In the first part of the interview broadcast in the TVR religious show The Universe of Faith (Universul credinței), the Patriarch recalled how the Romanian Orthodox Church was in 2007 and pointed to the reason of building the National Cathedral.

Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev will baptize every fifth child in Orthodox families

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has responded positively to the idea of representatives of the clergy that he baptize newborns in large families.

During the annual diocesan assembly of the clergy of the Kiev Diocese, His Beatitude stated that he is willing to celebrate the Mystery of Baptism for every fifth child in large Orthodox families.

Archbishop Anastasios given Albanian citizenship after 25 years of ministry

In a letter delivered on Sunday, His Excellency Ilir Meta, President of the Republic of Albania, offered his heartfelt congratulations to His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania who was granted Albanian citizenship by presidential decree no. 10700 on Friday, reports the site of the Albanian Orthodox Church.

Number of churches in Russia could double, hit pre-revolutionary number within 30 years

According to available statistics, an average of three churches a day are opened in the Russian Orthodox Church, and if construction continues at such a pace, the number of churches in Russia will double within 25-30 years, reaching pre-revolutionary levels, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, the chairman of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, recently stated on the television program “The Church and the World,” reports RIA-Novosti.

Kiev Diocese releases statistics—has over 1,000 monastics

As of the end of 2017, the Kiev Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has 396 parishes, 777 clergy, and more than 1,000 monastics according to the report of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine at the diocesan assembly yesterday, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hagia Sophia consecrated 1,480 years ago today

1480 years ago today, in 537 AD, the grand Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople was solemnly consecrated. According to Emperor Justinian I’s design, the church was to become the jewel of the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, and serve as an expression of the empire’s greatness. Up to 10,000 people worked on its construction daily.