Orthodox Churches

Metropolitan Hilarion in Hungary

On 14^th December 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), arrived in Budapest at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, Zsolt Semjén, and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Meeting Metropolitan Hilarion were Zoltan Challokeze, head of Mr. Semjén’s cabinet, Ms Martha Linke from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Valery Platonov, cultural attaché of the Russian embassy in Budapest.

Metropolitan Hilarion meets with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn Archbishop and Metropolitan Arsenius of Austria

On 13th December 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, made a short stop in Vienna on his way to Budapest. He is to visit Hungary at the invitation of the Hungarian leadership and with the blessing of his holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Upon arrival in the capital of Austria, Metropolitan Hilarion visited St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral and was warmly welcomed by the rector, archpriest Vladimir Tyschuk.

That same day in the evening, Metropolitan Hilarion met with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, in the Archbishop’s palace. They discussed the situation in the Middle East and various aspects of Orthodox-Catholic relations, including the topics of theological dialogue between the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Monaco

His All-Holiness traveled to Monaco, where he was invited to address the 6th World Policy Conference. The topic of his presentation is the global importance and impact of religion in our world. His All-Holiness also paid a formal visit to Prince Albert II of Monaco. Accompanying the Ecumenical Patriarch are Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and Patriarchal Deacon Gregorios.

Canonization of Two New Saints by the Ecumenical Patriarchate

On Tuesday, November 27, 2013, the Sacred and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided the formal inclusion in the List of Saints of the Orthodox Church of elder Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia and of venerable Meletios of Lardos.

• Feast Day of Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia: December 2nd.
• Feast Day of Saint Meletios of Lardos: February 12th.

Construction of first Orthodox church in Strasbourg begins

On December 7, 2013, on Saturday, feast-day of Holy Great-Martyr Catherine, on the parcel of land assigned by the city of Strasbourg for the Russian Orthodox Church on the Boussingault Street on the bank of the canal de la Marne in the quarter 15, a prayer service for the beginning of the construction work was performed, reports Romphea.

"Orthodox Christians of Strasbourg have long been waiting for this moment. Work to obtain administrative authorization went on for several years."

Particle of the Precious Life-giving Cross of the Lord from the Holy City of Jerusalem for the first time in England

On request of Archbishop Gregory (Ecumenical Patriarchate) and Archbishop Elysion (Moscow Patriarchate), the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Teophilos of Jerusalem allowed that the great holy shrine of the Christian world be brought to England.

The Holy Cross came on 29 November 2013 at the Greek Cathedral church of All Saints in London. On Saturday, 7 December 2013 at 3 p.m. the Precious Life-giving Cross was delivered to the Russian Orthodox church of the Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple in Manchester. Archbishop Elysion served the rite of supplication with concelebration of Russian clergy and protopresbyter-stavrophor Aleksandar Ilic, parish priest of the Serbian church of Saint John the Baptist in Halifax (Diocese of Britain and Scandinavia). The church was full with faithful  who came to adore the Precious Cross.