Orthodox Churches

The Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St Savvas the Sanctified

On Monday, the 13^th/26^th of October 2015, the Patriarchate observed the feast of the translation of the relics of St Savvas the Sanctified to the Monastery that was founded by him in the desert of Judea, on the west bank of Cedars stream.

The feast, set by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem on the 13^th/26^th of October, commemorates the fact that on the aforementioned day of the year 1965, the relics of St Savvas the Sanctified, that had been taken by the Crusaders to Venice, were returned by the Roman Catholic Church to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. At the time, the relics were accompanied by Metropolitan Basil of Caesarea and Germanus of Petra, the current Metropolitan of Nazareth, Kyriakos, then a deacon, and Archimandrite Seraphim of St Savvas Monastery. The relics were officially received at David’s Gate and for one week were exhibited for veneration at the Church of the Resurrection. Since then, the relics have been kept at the katholikon of St Savvas Monastery.

The President of Georgia visits the Jerusalem Patriarchate

On Monday, the 6^th/19^th of October 2015, His Excellency the President of Georgia, Mr Giorgi Margvelasvili, visited the Patriarchate. He was accompanied by his esteemed wife, the Ambassador of Georgia to Israel and associates of his.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with William Franklin Graham President of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

  On 28 October 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with William Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

They were joined in the meeting hat took place at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow, by Mr. Viktor Hamm, Vice President of the Association, and archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Patriarch Kirill to again lead celebrations of 1,000th anniversary of Russian presence on Athos

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia plans to visit Athos in spring 2016, when the 1,000th anniversary of Russian presence on Athos is set to be celebrated.

"I hope His Holiness will visit Athos in 2016. I think it will most likely happen in spring. Of course, we will try to mark this wonderful date well," head of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, told reporters in Moscow on Thursday, responding to a question from Interfax-Religion.

St. George of Drama Has Been Entered into the Calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church

At the end of the solemn meeting of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in the presence of His Eminence Pavlos, Metropolitan of Drama, the Holy Synod decided to add St. George (Karslides) the New Confessor of Drama to the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

In the historical parekklesion (chapel) of the Great Martyr St. George of the Patriarchal residence an icon and a reliquary containing a fragment of the holy relics of St. George are sheltered, offered by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos of Drama on July 20, 2010 on the occasion of the birthday of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and of the re-consecration of the historical parekklesion.

Georgian archbishop says, investigations prove that the relics of St. Maximus the Confessor are in Georgia

  With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia the Fifth International Theological Conference was held in Tbilisi. This year scientists, researchers, and Church figures from Serbia, Greece, Russia, the UK and Australia took part in the conference which was dedicated to the life and activity of St. Maximus the Confessor (c. 580-c. 662; feast: August 13/26).