Orthodox Churches

The newly appointed representative of the World Russian People’s Council to the United Nations visits the Church of St. Catherin

On 16 May 2010, the seventh Sunday after Pascha and the commemoration day of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, archpriest Igor Vyzhanov concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Moscow Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in-the-Fields, representation of the Orthodox Church in America to the Russian Orthodox Church, at the invitation of its rector, archimandrite Zacchaeus (Wood). The Revd. Igor was appointed to St. Nicholas Church in New York and representative of the World Russian People's Council to the United Nations by the Holy Synod on 5 March 2010.

Walled-in icons discovered on the Kremlin towers

Ancient icons were discovered on the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya Towers of the Kremlin. They were walled in during Soviet times and have been deemed lost for a long time now. "The fact is that the icons were discovered at least on two towers (of the Kremlin - IF). This is an epoch-making event as far as cultural discoveries are concerned," head of the Council of Trustees of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation Vladimir Yakunin said at a press conference held by Interfax.

Patriarch Kirill writes special prayer for Victory Day

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia wrote a special prayer for clerics and Orthodox believers to read on the Victory Day. "I bless that from this year on all parishes of the Russian Church conduct a festival prayer service on the Victory Day to commemorate the escape of our people from the horrific deadly enemy, from danger our Motherland had never known in its history," Patriarch Kirill said after a Divine Liturgy in St. George Church at Poklonnaya Gora.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with renowned Greek theologian Christos Yannaras

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations and rector of the Church Post-Graduate School met, on 7 May 2010 at the DECR, with Prof. Christos Yannaras, a renowned Greek theologian and religious philosopher. In a warm atmosphere they discussed various aspects of Russian-Greek cultural and academic relations.

Metropolian Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk begins his visit to Italy

His Eminence Filaret, Patriarchal Exarch to All Belarus and Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, began on May 3, 2010, his visit to Italy. He will take part in an international conference on ‘The Poor - the Treasure of the Church. The Orthodox and Catholics in Charity' and make a key-report on Charity: Theology and Life of the Orthodox Church, the press service of the Byelorussian Orthodox Church has reported.

Commemoration of Saints serving as Patriarchs of Constantinople

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided at the service of Great Vespers at the Patriarchal Church in commemoration of Saints who served as Archbishops and Patriarchs of Constantinople. In attendance were Metropolitans of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as members of the Roman Catholic Focolare Movement.

Source: www.patriarchate.org (Photo by N. Manginas)