Orthodox Churches

Crucifix ban in Italian school comes under fire from churches

Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops have urged the European Court of Human Rights to revoke a judgment against school crucifixes in Italy as the institution prepared to consider an appeal on the issue.

"We hope people's religious feelings will be taken into account," the Italian (Catholic) Bishops' Conference had written in a statement on 16 June. "A decision not to penalise the presence of the Cross and religious symbols in the public sphere would reflect the principle of subsidiarity which regulates relations between States and European institutions."

Orthodox women seek "theology of healing"

The need for a "theology of healing" was the central theme of a recent international encounter between Orthodox women and Christians of both sexes from other traditions.

Female leadership in the life of the church - be it in the area of worship, education, administration or social care - should not be "understood as seeking power and prestige but as a deeper commitment to love and service that responds to the sacrificing love of Christ" stated the women and men who took part in the 8-12 July meeting at the St Vlash Theological Academy in Albania.

NORTH AMERICAN HIERARCHS MEET IN NY(read Bishop Maxim's article in Path of Orthodoxy)

World Council of Churches delegation meets with DECR staff

The delegation of the World Council of Churches met with the Department of External Church Relations staff on July 1, 2010. Participating in the meeting were DECR vice-chairman Hegumen Philip Riabykh, DECR acting secretary for inter-Christian relations Rev. Dimitry Sizonenko, DECR communication service director Rev. George Zavershinsky, DECR translation service director Rev. Arseny Chernikin; as well as Rev. Alexander Vasyutin of the DECR secretariat for inter-Christian relations, and other DECR staff members.

The WCC delegation included WCC deputy general secretary Georgios Lemopoulos (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand (Serbian Orthodox Church), WCC commission for interchurch cooperation executive secretary Archpriest Daniil Buda (Patriarchate of Romania), Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi (Anglican Church of Burundi), Metropolitan Bishoi (Coptic Church), Prof. Dr. Dagmar Heller, Ecumenical Institute Bossey, and others.

Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev meets with Rev. Andrew Hamburg, president of the Synod of German Evangelical Luther Church

The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine, met on 30 June 2010 with the president of the Synod of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine, Rev. Andrew Hamburg. They discussed bilateral relations, the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports. The Rev. Andrew Hamburg is also deputy chairman of the group ‘Reconciliation in Europe - the Churches' Task in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany'. The aim of this group is to seek ways of cooperation between Christian Churches in solving social problems in Eastern and Central Europe. At present, the group is preparing an international conference on migration in today's Europe.

Press Conference - Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, World Council of Churches General Secretary in Moscow

World Council of Churches General Secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, who is in Moscow on an official visit, and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations, answered questions from the Russian and foreign mass media on June 30, 2010, at the DECR.

Metropolitan Hilarion introduced the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, noting that it was his first visit to the Russian Orthodox Church after his election as WCC general secretary.