Orthodox Churches

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on a visit to Patriarchate of Constantinople

On August 20, 20011, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, arrived in Istanbul. He was met at the airport by Russian Consul General A. Yerkhov and representatives of the Church of Constantinople. On the same day, the DECR chairman met with His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

Optional course of elementary Orthodoxy to be introduced in 650 daycare centers of Moscow region

Optional classes on elementary Orthodoxy will be introduced in children's day care centers of the Moscow region, the Minister of Education Lidiya Antonova said at a Moscow regional teachers' forum.

"In 2011-2012, we introduce a new course on Orthodox Culture in young children's care system. New resource and reference materials will be released by September 1," Lidiya Antonova said.

Poland’s Holy Hill of Grabarka draws Orthodox Christian pilgrims

Some 15,000 Orthodox Christian pilgrims carried crosses, drank holy water and prayed on Friday at a hill in eastern Poland they believe to be sacred in a colourful celebration of their faith and identity in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country.

Land sites selected in Moscow to build 200 churches

The Moscow government has selected 200 land sites to build Russian Orthodox churches, First Vice Mayor Vladimir Resin said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

"Land sites have been picked for 200 churches already and construction is underway on 19," Resin said.

The construction is being funded by non-budgetary sources, on donations being accumulated in a special fund, he added.

Source: Interfax

Metropolitan Hilarion meets with Patriarch Ignatios of Antioch

On August 20, 2011, His Beatitude Ignatios IV, Patriarch of Great Antioch and All the East, received in audience Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, who came to Syria for a working visit with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. In a warm and cordial talk, which took place at the Patriarchate of Antioch, they discussed the bilateral relations between the two Patriarchates and some topical problems concerning the life of Universal Orthodoxy.

5th anniversary of the consecration of Trinity Church marked in Pyongyang

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a Russian Orthodox Church delegation led by Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for institutions abroad, visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for celebrations marking the 5th anniversary of the consecration of the Trinity Church in Pyongyang.