Orthodox Churches

Patriarch Kirill awards executives of the Presidential Administration

On December 4, 2013, the Day of the Presentation of Our Lady to the Temple, after the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Assumption, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia presented high church awards to some executives of the Presidential Administration, at the Patriarchal chambers in the Moscow Kremlin.

Mr. Yu. Ushakov, Presidential assistant, and Mr. A. Manzhosin, chief of the Presidential Directorate for Foreign Policy, were awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov (2^nd degree). Mr. V. Nazarenko and Mr. F. Ilyichev, deputy chiefs of the Directorate, were awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh (3d degree). Mr. D. Agafonov, head of a department in the same directorate, was honoured with the Medal of St. Daniel of Moscow.

Thronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

On Saturday, November 30, 2013, the Ecumenical Patriarchate celebrated its Thronal Feast, the Feast of St. Andrew, First-Called of the Apostles, at the Patriarchal Church of St. George.

In accordance with the traditional practice of exchanging formal visitations with the Church of Rome, a delegation was sent by His Holiness Pope Francis to attend the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Thronal Feast. The delegation, headed by Kurt Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, arrived on Thursday, November 28, 2013. After being received by His All-Holiness on Friday morning, official conversations took place between the members of the delegation and the Synodal Committee for Dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, whereafter the delegation also visited the Holy Theological School of Halki.

Conference ‘The Future of Christianity in Europe. The Roles of Churches and Peoples of Poland and Russia’ completes its work in Warsaw

On 30 November 2013, the Russian-Polish Conference, ‘The Future of Christianity in Europe. The Roles of Churches and Peoples of Poland and Russia,’ completed its work at the Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.

Orthodox Mission in Sierra Leone

People are born, live and die in unimaginable conditions

We say our prayers, go to Church on Sundays, try our best to fulfil the commandments and we sincerely give thanks to God for all He blesses us with as we battle through life. Meanwhile, we worry about our security, fear for our children's future and obsess over our retirement fund. We fall prey to a host of stress related ailments, generally dislike our employment and tremble with terror at the sight of our ageing bodies. We find respite in retail therapy, renewal in the occasional nip and tuck and purpose in befriending the world through social media. Such first world problems, such sure to fail, new age solutions. At the other end of the planet, a different story unfolds.

The Feast of Saint Philoumenos the Hieromartyr at Jerusalem Patriarchate

On Thursday the 15^th/28^th of November 2013, the Hieromartyr Saint Philoumenos the Hagiotaphite was commemorated one day in advance due to pastoral reasons.

The feast was celebrated at Jacob’s Well, where the then Hegoumen, Archimandrite Philoumenos, had suffered a martyr’s death on the 16^th/29^th of November 1979. Following a decision in 2009 of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Saint’s martyrdom was added to the Synaxarion of Hieromartyrs (Martyrology).

Moscow Synodal Choir on tour to Moravia

The Moscow Synodal Choir was on tour to Moravia in the end of November. The tour was organized by the Elizabeth and Sergius Educational Society, the Foundation for the Revival of the Moscow Synodal Choir and the Czech advertising agency SNIP&CO with the support of the South Moravia and Zlin administrations, the Russian general consulate in Brno and the Znojmo City Council. This event became part of the Russian Culture festival in the Czech Republic and was dated to the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ and the 1150^th anniversary of the coming of Ss Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia.