Orthodox Churches

Russian Church opens the first monastery in Ingushetia

The Holy Synod of the Russian Church at its session on Wednesday approved of Bishop of Makhachkala and Grozny Varlaam’s initiative to open the New Sinai Monastery in the Stanitsa of Ordzhonikidzevskaya (Sleptsovskaya) in Ingushetia.

Bishop Varlaam is appointed the hegumen of the convent – the only one set up in the Makhachkala Diocese, which was established in late 2012. This diocese works not only in Ingushetia, but also in Dagestan and Chechnya.

Ancient church robbed in Belarus

Unidentified persons have robbed the Church of Holy Martyr Parasceva in the Mesyatichi village of Pinsk district, between 12.00 of March 14 and 15.00 of March 15, reportsTelegraf.by.

Breaking off the lock of the entrance door and damaging the inner door, they stole five icons, two Gospels, and one silver chalice.

A criminal case has been initiated (section 1 of article 205, the penal code of Belarus: "A covert larceny", which stipulates up to three years of imprisonment), reported the Directorate of Internal Affairs of the Brest regional executive committee.

According to earlier reports of Telegraf, in the village of Chersk of the Brest district unidentified persons had robbed St. Michael's Church, built in the 17th century. According to the church rector, robbers between 16.00 of August 4 and 07.00 of August 5 2012 forced the lock of the storage room, stole 13 icons, one Gospel, a wooden crucifix, 10 bottles of communion wine, a brocade cloth, a paten and chalice veil and 37,000 rubles from the church.

Bishop Naum elected as new Bulgarian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Rousse

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s governing body, the Holy Synod, on March 23 2014 elected Bishop Naum of Stob as the new Metropolitan of Rousse, to succeed Neofit who became the church’s Patriarch in February 2013.

Metropolitan Philip Enters Eternal Rest

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, with great sadness, announces the passing unto life eternal of His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Philip, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America. Metropolitan Philip Saliba passed away on March 19 at the age of 84.

Biography

Metropolitan Philip was born on June 10, 1931, in Abou Mizan, Lebanon, the fourth of five children to Elias and Saleema Saliba. After completing his primary education at the Shouier Elementary School, he entered the Balamand Orthodox Seminary, near Tripoli, Lebanon, at the age of fourteen. He subsequently attended and was graduated from the Orthodox Secondary School in Homs, Syria, and the Assiyeh Orthodox College in Damascus, Syria.

Sunday of Orthodoxy 2014

Bringing to life the words of the Psalmist, “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133: 1), the canonical Orthodox bishops of the western United States – Metropolitan Gerasimos, Archbishop Joseph, Archbishop Benjamin, and our Bishop Maxim – are admired for their concerted efforts to gather their clergy and faithful together in worship and fellowship. The latest occurrence of this was here at the Cathedral on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9, 2014, for the first Sunday of Great Lent, which commemorates the return of icons to the Church in the year 843 after the heresy of iconoclasm was overcome.

Talks on cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Neapolis University take place in Cyprus

Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Student Exchange Commission visited Cyprus on 15-17 March 2014 with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and at the invitation of the Neapolis University in Pafos and Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamasos and Orinis.