Orthodox Churches

New Year at the Patriarchate of Alexandria

On 31st December His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, received in his Private Patriarchal Office, according to custom, His Eminence Gabriel, Metropolitan of Leontopolis, His Grace Meletios Bishop of Naucratis and the rest of the clergy of the Patriarchal Court and the Holy Archdiocese of Alexandria, who sand the carols and conveyed their festive wishes. He then listened to the carols and received wishes for the new year of salvation, 2016 from the staff of the Patriarchate, to whom His Beatitude gave blessings and gifts.

Patriarch of Jerusalem addresses the President of Israel on the occasion of the New Year 2016

On Monday, the 15^th/28^th of December 2015, the Leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem made a long-established visit to the President of the State of Israel on the occasion of the new year 2016.

In the context of the meeting, the President of Israel, Mr Reuven Rivlin, addressed the Heads of Churches and their Entourage, underlining the following:

The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord at the Romanian Patriarchate

The Orthodox Church celebrates each year on December 25^th the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, commonly known as Christmas.

On this great feast day, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, presided the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. Together with His Beatitude concelebrated His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, and His Grace Qais of Erzurum, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch of Antioch, surrounded by an assembly of priests and deacons.

Christmas Celebrated with Grandeur in Tirana

Christmas is always distinguished for the festive atmosphere that creates and the sense of joy it brings for everyone and everywhere. Its spirit can be felt long before the feast, in the particular church services of this period, such as the Hours, the Holy Unction etc, but also in the festive attire in which the capital of Albania gets dressed at this season. Not to mention, the numerous activites organized with the Orthodox children and young adults, like concerts, carol singing etc, and charitable activities, such as paying visits and delievering gifts to the nursing homes, prisons, centers for children with disabilities, etc.

Archbishop Anastasios, the science lover who became an apostle of peace

Renowned for his friendly, peaceful attitude and his inspiring speeches, nothing seems impossible for this man. He has struggled and faced a multitude of difficulties including severe illness and persecution, and he was asked to take up a new position at age 62. He committed to a country whose language and culture were unknown to him, arriving in the only officially declared atheist state, asked to rebuild the church.

In Tirana, Albania, 24 years later, he hosted the Global Christian Forum (GCF) consultation from 1-5 November. There, 150 high-level leaders and representatives of various church traditions from more than 60 countries gathered to listen and learn, and to stand in solidarity with churches and Christians experiencing discrimination and persecution in the world today.“It’s the fruit of our work together in Albania,” said Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral in St. Petersbug Opens After Restoration, First in 225 Years

One of the largest and most known churches in St Petersburg, the St. Vladimir cathedral has opened after a a major restoration, the first since the commissioning of the edifice 225 years ago.

Also on Sunday, an episcopal liturgy was held in the cathedral to close out the St. Petersburg part of the festivities for the 1,000th anniversary since the death of Vladimir the Duke of Kiev, who baptized the early medieval kingdom of Kievan Rus in 988.

"The were no redecorations in the cathedral from the time of its opening and it has undergone restoration for the first time," a spokesman for the St Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church told TASS.

"This is one of the few churches in this city that has never been closed, although four attempts were made in the 1930's to close it down," he said.