Orthodox Churches

Feast of Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher at Hilandar Monastery

The feast of Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher, marking nine centuries since his birth, was solemnly celebrated at the Hilandar Monastery

On the eve of the feast-day, February 28nd, His Grace Bishop Jovan of Ulpiana, Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch, as well as numerous guests from Mt. Athos and all the Serbian lands, arrived to the monastery. The Bishop was welcomed by the brotherhood and the abbot of the monastery. His Grace officiated the all-night Vigil service and the Hierarchal Liturgy next morning.

Patriarch Kirril: I appeal to all the powers that be - do not allow violence against civilians!

Message from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia regarding the situation in Ukraine, on 2 March 2014.  

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has sent the following Message to Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See of Kiev, Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, to the Archpastors, Pastors and All the Faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the Situation in Ukraine:

Your Eminence Onufry Beloved in the Lord, Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See of Kiev,

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church

On 24 February 2014, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visited Athens and met with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece.

The participants in the meeting discussed various issues of the bilateral relations between the Russian and the Greek Orthodox Churches, as well as some questions of the pan-Orthodox agenda, and shared their opinions on the situation of Christians in the Middle East and other regions.

Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina elected Locum Tenens of Metropolitanate of Kiev

On February 24, 2014, a meeting of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church took place, reports Patriarchia.ru. According to the statutes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa and Izmayil, the senior (according to consecration) permanent member of the Synod, presided over the meeting.

Relics of a great Georgian saint, elder Gabriel (Urgebadze), uncovered

On February 22, 2014, in the Georgian town of Mtskheta—the former capital of the early Georgian kingdom of Iberia—a significant event happened at the Samtavro Convent, which Orthodox Christians of Georgia and all over the world had waited with great reverence and love. The holy relics of the great elder and wonder-worker, Blessed Father Gabriel (Urgebadze), fool-for-Christ, were uncovered.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas parish in Oxford

On 23 February 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visited the Oxford parish of the Sourozh diocese and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker. The DECR chairman visited Great Britain upon the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia Concelebrating with Metropolitan Hilarion were Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh; Rev. Stephen Platt, rector of the parish; Hieromonk Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman; and protodeacon Dimitry Nedostupenko, a cleric of the London Cathedral of the Dormition. Praying at the service was Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia.

During the Litany of Fervent Supplication, prayers were said for the end of discord and for the re-establishment of peace in the Ukrainian land. Metropolitan Hilarion prayed for all those killed during the armed clashes in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities and towns.