Orthodox Churches

New book by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk presented in Moscow

On 22 July 2016, the presentation of a new book “The Beginning of the Gospel” by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, rector of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Postgraduate Studies, chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, took place at the assembly hall of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute.

The Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem visits the Patriarchate

On the morning of Saturday, the 3^rd/16^th of July 2016, the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem, Mr Fouad Twal, accompanied by two clerics, visited the Patriarchate on the occasion of his retirement after eight years in the position of Patriarch at the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, first established in 1845.

The Gathering of the Apostles in Tiberias (2016)

On Wednesday, the 30^th of June/13^th of July 2016, the Patriarchate observed the feast of the Gathering of the Twelve Apostles at the Monastery dedicated to them in Tiberias, on the west coast of the Tiberian Sea.

15th Russian-German Forum of Civil Societies “Petersburg Dialogue”

The 15th Russian-German Forum of Civil Societies “Petersburg Dialogue” was held on July 14-15, 2016, in St. Petersburg, under the theme “Russia and Germany in Face of Global Challenges”.

Participating in the event were representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, including Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) and cochairman of the Churches in Europe working group; Archpriest Sergiy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for the far-abroad; Hieromonk Ioann Kopeikin, pro-rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies; Archpriest Constantine Golovatsky, head of the St. Petersburg diocesan youth department; Rev. Antony Borisov, pro-rector of Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary; Rev. Iliya Kosykh, head of the DECR Communication Service; V. Kipshidze, deputy head of the Department for Church-Society and Mass Media Relations; S. Ochkanov, DECR secretariat for the far-abroad; and F. Champion, DECR secretariat for inter-Christian relations.

Victims of the terror act commemorated at St. Nicholas’s in Nice

On July 17, 2016, Bishop Nestor of Chersonese, who came to Nice in connection with the tragic events, which took place in the city on the night of July 15, celebrated the Sunday Divine Liturgy and after it a requiem service for the victims of the barbaric terrorist act committed in the city.

Message of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

MESSAGE 
of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church
to the Orthodox people and to all people of good will

To God, "the Father of mercies and all comfort," we address a hymn of thanksgiving and praise for having enabled us to gather during the week of Pentecost (18-26 June 2016) on Crete, where the Apostle Paul and his disciple Titus preached the Gospel in the early years of the life of the Church. We give thanks to the Triune God who was well pleased that in one accord we should bring to a conclusion the work of the Holy and Great Council that was convoked by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch. Bartholomew by the common will of their Beatitudes the Primates of the local Orthodox Autocephalous Churches.