Orthodox Churches

Prime Minister of Australia at the Phanar

On Thursday, April 26, 2012, His All-Holiness received the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Julia Gillard, at the Phanar. Issues discussed during the meeting included the significance of dialogue between different religions and cultures worldwide, particularly in countries with multicultural composition, as well as the environmental activities and initiatives of the Patriarchate.

Feast of St. George at Patriarchal Church

On Monday, April 23, 2012, Metropolitan Germanos of Tranoupolis presided over the concelebration of the Divine Liturgy, together with Metropolitans Theoliptos of Iconium and Elpidophoros of Proussa, for the commemoration and celebration of the Feast of St. George the Great Martyr, Patron Saint of the Patriarchal Church at the Phanar. His All-Holiness was present in the sacred altar and following the Divine Liturgy welcomed group of students from Greece and other pilgrims.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with His Holiness Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria and members of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

On 27 April 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met and talked with His Holiness Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria and with members of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia begins his official visit to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

On 27 April 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived in Bulgaria on an official visit to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is accompanied by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; Mr. Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Information Department; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; and protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, assistant to the DECR chairman.

The Patriarch of Romania Consecrated the New Seat of the National Library

On 22 April 2012, Sunday of Saint Thomas, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church consecrated the new seat of the National Library of Romania, in 22 Unirii Ave., Bucharest.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev officiates at the canonization of Schema-Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze)

On St. Thomas Sunday, April 22, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine officiated at the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Church of Ss Anthony and Theodosius at the Dormition Laura of the Caves in Kiev.

Concelebrating with His Beatitude were Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, abbot of the Laura; Archbishop Antoniy of Borispol, head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Rector of the Kievan Theological Schools; Archbishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and Vishnevoye, secretary of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Bishops Nikodim of Zhitomir and Novograd-Volynskiy, Ilariy of Makarov, Panteleimon of Vasilkov, and ordained monks of the Laura.