Orthodox Churches

Icon of St. Luke the Physician to be sent to International Space Station

On March 11 in the Church of St. Romanos the Melodist, in the tomb of the Romanov boyars, the vicar of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and deputy abbot of Moscow’s Novospassky Monastery Bishop Sava of Voskresensk blessed an icon of Holy Hierarch and Confessor Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) the Physician of Simferopol which is to be sent to the International Space Station. The icon has since been sent to the Russian Federal Space Agency by the Institute of Biomedical Problems, and is scheduled to be sent to the space station from April till July 2017, reports the monastery’s website.

Diplomats from Bosnia and Herzegovina at The Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Monday morning, 28th February/13th March 2017, the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Mladen Ivanić visited the Patriarchate, being in Israel for a visit. The President was escorted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Igor Crnadak, the Ambassador Mrs. Jelena Rajaković and Bishop of Slavonia Jovan Culibrk.

Patriarch Kirill prays for victims of revolution on anniversary of Tsar’s abdication

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill served the Liturgy of the Presanctified Liturgy today to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the abdication of St. Tsar Nicholas II from the Russian throne. The primate celebrated in the Kazan Church in Moscow’s Kolomenskoe Park, where the miraculous “Enthroned” or “Reigning” Icon of the Mother of God was found on the same day as the Tsar’s abdication.

Actor Richard Dere visits The Patriachate of Jerusalem

On Friday evening, 25th February/10th March 2017, the actor Mr. Richard Gere visited the Patriarchate escorted by two people known to him and the Patriarchate, Mr. Jamal Narsi and Mr. Zahi Houri.

Cyprus’ first Russian-style Church to be consecrated March 27

The consecration and grand opening of Cyprus’ first Russian-style Orthodox church, named in honor of St. Andrew the First-Called, will take place on March 27, RIA-Novosti reports. This is the first church on the island built in the Russian style for the spiritual nourishment of the Russian-language faithful of the Metropolis of Tamasos of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, which is why it’s unique. In short, this is a truly great event which will contribute to the strengthening of the friendship between our Churches and people,  reflected Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, the head of the Secretariat for Inter-Orthodox Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Affairs (DECR).

International Orthodox Chaplains’ Association supports chaplains of canonical Ukrainian Church

The statement of the Third International Conference of Orthodox Military Chaplains, held October 17-21, 2016 by the Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish army in Warsaw, was published on March 8 on the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Synodal Department for Relations with the Armed Forces.

The statement expressed approval and support for the decision to introduce military chaplains in Ukraine, reminding that the international Orthodox community recognizes only the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, reports the Information Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The self-styled and nationalistic “Kiev Patriarchate” and “Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church” are schismatic, in communion with no one.