Orthodox Churches

Metropolitan Hilarion оf Volokolamsk мeets the Italian President Sergio Mattarella

On 25 June 2015, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

Taking part in the lengthy talk, which was held at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, were H.E. Sergei Razov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Italian Republic, and archimandrite Antony (Sevryuk), secretary of the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate’s parishes in Italy. Discussed was a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

Updated map of churches and monasteries of the Russian Church is available online

Dioceses, monasteries, convents, and parish churches of the Russian Orthodox Church have taken part in the most large-scale Church internet-project, “The universal map of churches and monasteries”, whose beta version recently became available for internet users on the Moscow Patriarchate’s official website.

The pilot version of the project includes more than 15,000 Orthodox sites and embraces not only the territory of the Russian Federation, but also the Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Other countries are to be included in the project as well. The data of “The universal map of churches” will be shared with the largest secular web services as part of their joint partnership programs.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill blesses the Religious Education Centre of the Byelorussian Exarchate

On 20 June 2015, after the All-Night Vigil celebrated in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia proceeded to the building of the Religious Education Centre of the Byelorussian Exarchate and, together with the concelebrating bishops and clerics, blessed the church of St. Cyril of Turov. The ordained lectures of the Minsk theological seminary blessed the premises of the Centre.

Archimandrite Silouan Elected as the Metropolitan of Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of the British Isles & Ireland

Lebanon: The Holy Synod of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All East has elected  Orthodox Church elected Archimandrite Silouan  as the Metropolitan designate of  of Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles &  Ireland during  a session held at  Balamand, Lebanon.

Source: OCP

Metropolitan Hilarion attends the opening of an exhibition devoted to St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles

On June 23, 2015, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR), attended the opening of an exhibition ‘The Baptizer of Rus’. Towards the 1000^th Anniversary of the Demise of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles’.

Patriarch Kirill pays tribute to the defenders of the Brest Fortress

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the ‘The Hero Brest Fortress’ in the night of June 21, which marks the 74^th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated memorial service in commemoration of the defenders of the Brest Fortress and all those fallen in the Great Patriotic War. The service was celebrated at St. Nicholas Church, the historical garrison cathedral located in the fortress.