Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 1, 2005

RUSSIAN PATRIARCH ALEXEY II AND PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SEND POPE JOHN PAUL II THEIR WISHES FOR QUICK RECOVERY

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to Pope John Paul II wishing him “a quick recovery”. When the pope suffered his first breathing crisis, His Holiness Patriarch Alexey II of Moscow and All-Russia sent him a message with his “brotherly prayers”, saying he asked God to give the pope the strength to carry on “for common Christian ministry of peace and justice”.

In a brief communique, Joaquin Navarro Valls, director of the Vatican press office, said that four days after undergoing a tracheotomy, John Paul II is recovering normally and that his medical condition is generally good.

Sources: Mosnews and Zenit News

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
HOLDS EXTRAORDINARY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS

An extraordinary assembly of all metropolitans and bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church was held in Athens in the middle of February 2005 to deliberate problems in the Church that have provoked negative reactions and calls by some influential politicians for the complete separation of Church and state.

Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece has publicly expressed his deep regret because of the behavior of certain members of the clergy and their involvement in inappropriate matters. The Church wants all of these incidents to be completely and fully investigated.

Archbishop Christodoulos received full support for his “program of change”.

RUSSIAN CHURCH TO BE BUILT IN ROME

Work is expected to begin soon on construction of a Russian Orthodox church in Rome to be dedicated to St. Katherine. The church will be located on the land of the Russian diplomatic mission, next to the Abamelek villa. The total cost of building the shrine is expected to be 3.5 million euros and so far 400,000 euros have been collected. The cornerstone was consecrated in 2001 but there have not been enough funds to begin work.

His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the president of the Department of External Church Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that in addition to its pastoral service the church would have an important church diplomatic role.

Holy Tsar Nikolai II Romanov intended to build a Russian church in Rome before World War I. The idea was restored in the 1990’s. Negotiations with Roman municipal authorities for licensing took ten years. The officials demanded that the church be smaller and lower, not 30 meters tall as originally specified.

BOMB FOUND ON ROOF OF ST GEORGE CATHEDRAL IN FANAR

Construction workers doing work on the Constantinople (Istanbul) Patriarchate found a bomb on the roof of St. George Orthodox Cathedral on February 19. The police quickly deactivated and removed the lethal device. A similar tomb was tossed into the courtyard of the Patriarchate in October of last year, where it exploded and caused damage.

The Greek ministry of foreign affairs sharply protested and demanded complete security for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

ST SIMEON’S DAY FESTIVITIES END IN PODGORICA

A formal program was organized in the Missionary Spiritual Center in Podgorica on the occasion of the feast of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher, ending this year’s St. Simeon’s Day festivities in the Montenegrin capital. Participants in the program included poet Blagoje Bakovic, actors Momir Bradic and Vesna Pavlovic, and the musical duet Nebojsa and Bojana Brdaric from Lovcenac.

THEOLOGY STUDENTS ATTEND PATRONAL
FEAST IN STUDENICA MONASTERY

The patronal feast of the monastery of Studenica, the feast of the Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher (February 26/13) was commemorated with an all-night wake and Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Hrizostom of Zica with the concelebration of a large number of priests and chanting by the students of the Theological Faculty in Belgrade.

As part of the practical instruction the students of the Theological Faculty prepared the program for the all-night wake served on the occasion of the feast of the Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher in the catholicon of the monastery of Studenica.

The group arrived in Studenica late in the afternoon. In the church, where everyone carried out his assigned duties, days of preparation proved to be fruitful. The chanters were divided into the protopsalt (lead singer, psalmist), lambadaris, domestiks (directors) and canonarchs led during the entire service was led by the tipikar. After the chanting of the ninth hour and a little of the evening service, all venerated the holy relicts of Sts. Simeon, Simon and Anastasije. The group from Belgrade was welcomed and shown to their quarters by the abbot himself, Archimandrite Tihon. The great wake began at nine o’clock in the evening after the arrival of Bishop Hrizostom. The blessings of the holiday could be felt everywhere: in the altar overfilled with priests, the many monks, the choir balconies crowded with chanters, the glitter of festal vestments, medieval frescoes, sweet chanting, and in general the magnificent and beautiful service made everyone present feel as if they were on the Holy Mountain, and allowed them to experience the atmosphere of the wake where healing myrrh began to flow from the imperishable body of Venerable Simeon. Anixandaria, a festal procession through the narthex of the church, chanting of the canon, alternating lighting and snuffing of candles, the swaying of the polielei, etc. all brought a special spiritual joy as few had had the opportunity to see, let alone participate in such a grand spiritual experience. Almost nothing was omitted from the typicon and the service lasted until almost four o’clock in the morning. The students overcame their weariness and the cold by following the example of Bishop Hrizostom, a former member of the Holy Mountain and the senior member in attendance, who stood motionless for almost the entire time. After a brief pause of only a few hours, the Bishop served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy followed by the cutting of the slava cake and wishing a happy holiday to the host and the guests. This was followed by a festal luncheon accompanied by an authentic dish of Mt. Athos slava wheat and a sincere homily of thanksgiving by the leader of the group, assistant professor Srboljub Ubiparipovic.

Then, thanks to the abbess of the monastery of Gradac, Mother Jefimija, we then visited the monasteries of Stara Pavlica and Nova Pavlica located on the western slopes of Mt. Kopaonik. Filled with spiritual peace the entire group set out for Belgrade, giving thanks to God and of course to its hosts for everything.

V.T.

[Serbian Translation Services]