Orthodox Churches

Prophet Elias commemorated in Maaloule near Nazareth

 On Saturday, the 13^th/26^th of July 2014, the memory of the Prophet Elias the Thesbite was commemorated in advance at the Church dedicated to him in the area of Maaloule, a suburb of Nazareth.

The feast of Prophet Elijah Celebrated at St. Eilias Church – Al Tabale in Damascus

The feast of Prophet Elijah Celebrated was celebrated at the St. Eilias Church – Al Tabale in Damascus. Patriarch John X of Antioch and All East led the celebrations. Divine Liturgy was observed and several many faithful took part in the feast and received blessings from the hierarch of the Church of Antioch. Prayers were made for global peace.

Exhibition in honour of Saint Sergius of Radonezh opens in Washington

An exhibition dedicated to the 700^th anniversary of the birth of one of the most venerated Orthodox saints – St. Sergius of Radonezh, has opened in Washington, reports ITAR-TASS.

The exposition is located at the Russian Center of Science and Culture in the capital of the USA. Several dozen photographs of rare icons of St. Sergius, images of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra as well as photographs made during the official solemn celebrations on the occasion of the Orthodox feast in Sergyiev Posad in the Moscow region are on exhibit.

Prophet Elijah commemorated in the town Maaloule near Nazareth

On Saturday, the 13^th/26^th of July 2014, the memory of the Prophet Elias the Thesbite was commemorated in advance at the Church dedicated to him in the area of Maaloule, a suburb of Nazareth.

The Church of the Prophet Elias used to belong to the Arab-speaking Community of the Patriarchate which abandoned its seat upon the foundation of the state of Israel, in 1948. Since then, the area has been a military base. In recent years, the Patriarchate, mainly through the actions of Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth and Archimandrite Hilarion, the Abbot at the Monastery of Tabor, went on to restore, renovate and reopen it.

Patriarch John X of Antioch receives Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of Antioch

On July 26, 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II visited His Beatitude John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East at his residence in Damascus.

His Holiness discussed with His Beatitude the latest developments concerning the abducted bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yaziji. Moreover, Patriarch Aphrem II told Patriarch John X on the proceedings and outcome of the meeting he convened at Atchaneh on the situation of the Christians of Mosul. In particular, they discussed the invitation to a meeting of the Patriarchs to work together and raise a united voice which carries the demands for all Christians in the Middle East.

Metropolitan Hilarion speaks at a University Post-graduate's Summer Debate Camp

On July 27, 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk spoke at the closing of the GAIDPARK-2014 summer debate camp at Vinogradovo near Moscow. The event was organized by the Yegor Gaidar Foundation, a non-commercial organization, in cooperation with the Polytechnic Museum.

Since July 20, over one hundred university post-graduates from various cities in Russia have attended lectures given by prominent experts in economics, sociology genetics and urbanistics and held debates on the future of the individual, society, city and civilization.

As the organizers asked Metropolitan Hilarion find a way to motivate students for making the right choice of their profession and lifestyle he spoke first about his own experience and motive for joining the Church. “At a certain stage in one’s life one comes to face a dilemma between a life for the good of others and a life for one’s own self. Paradoxically as it may seem, those who do not spare themselves for the sake of others, giving themselves, their material resources, their intellectual and spiritual abilities for the welfare of other people, feel happy. They give without losing anything, and the more they give the more they gain. As Christ said, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and, and all these things shall be added to you’”, he said.