Orthodox Churches

Orthodox celebrate holy fire ritual in Jerusalem

Thousands of Orthodox faithful, carrying torches and bundles of candles signifying the 33 years of Jesus' life, packed into Christianity's holiest shrine on Saturday to celebrate Easter Week's holy fire ritual. Christians traditionally believe Jesus was crucified and buried at the site in Jerusalem's Old City where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now stands.

Patriarchal Proclamation Pascha 2009

BARTHOLOMEW

By the Grace of God
Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome
And Ecumenical Patriarch

To the Plenitude of the Church
Grace, Peace and Mercy
By the Savior Christ Risen in Glory

Dearly beloved brothers and children in the Lord,

Christ is Risen!

In sullenness, one day in the 19th century, humankind heard from the lips of the tragic philosopher: "God is dead! We killed him! All of us are his murderers ... God will remain dead! What else are the churches but tombs and graves of God?" And only a few decades later, we heard from the lips of his younger colleague: "Gentlemen, I declare to you the death of God!"

President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Dimitri Christofias met Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria

On 9th April 2009, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Dimitri Christofias and his wife met Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, at the Patriarchal See.

In a ceremony which took place in the Throne Room His Beatitude awarded the Great Cross of the Curch of the Apostle Mark, with a star, to His Excellency. "We thank Cyprus, which always with humanity and good will aids and supports the missionary efforts of the Patriarchate of Alexandria throughout the African Continent", noted the Venerable Primate.

Patriarch Kirill’s sermon at rock concert sets the style of new missionary policy, the Russian Church believes

Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Bishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk promises to diversify missionary policy of the Church and forms of church dialogue with youth.

"Today Church and society is in fact one and the same thing. Our church believers go to discos and rock-concerts, and if there's a chance to give some church tinge to such youth meetings and punches, if young people are glad to hear a few words from a priest, why doesn't he go there and say these few words?" Bishop Hilarion said on Friday at Interfax press conference.

Meeting between Patriarch Kirill and President Lukashenko takes more than three hours

The meeting between Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko took more than three and a half hours and was the Patriarch's most lengthy meeting with a head-of-state.

"I wanted to attract your attention to the open character of the talks. I wished to learn the position of the president on various issues," Kirill said.

Aid to the suffering people of Zimbabwe

His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, in his concern for the suffering people of Zimbabwe, made an imploring request to the "SOLIDARITY" NGO of the Church of Greece, for food to be sent to this African country.

The above-named NGO, in reply to His Beatitude's request, passed on to the International Developmental Co-operation of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a start to the assistance, the following amounts in humanistic aid: 1800 kg sugar, 2922 kg flour, and 1415 kg olive oil.