Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
May 5, 2006

REGULAR MEETING OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS
TO BEGIN ON MONDAY, MAY 15

This year’s regular meeting of the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church will begin on Monday, May 15, 2006, in the Patriarch’s residence in Belgrade. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the patriarchal church of St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher with the Invocation of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops is to consider all current issues relating to the life of the Church and the people. This meeting will be attended by all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

SERBIAN PATRIARCH PAVLE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle was released today at 12:00 noon from the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade after an extended recovery, which proceeded according to plan.

Serbian president Boris Tadic visited Patriarch Pavle yesterday in the Military Medical Academy and on that occasion expressed his satisfaction with the improvement in the Patriarch’s health. The Press Service was informed that His Holiness and the Serbian president discussed the current situation in the land.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SUSPENDS RELATIONS
WITH SWEDISH LUTHERANS

The Moscow Patriarchate has suspended relations with the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Sweden after it decided to establish an official ceremony to bless homosexual couples, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday.

“We have received with great disappointment and grief the news that not only does the Lutheran Church of Sweden not oppose so-called homosexual marriages, but has even ruled to establish an official blessing ceremony,” the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement at a session in Moscow.

The members of the Synod believe that the Church of Sweden’s decision contradicts the Biblical concept of family and marriage “and the testimonies of the Holy Writing leave us no doubt that homosexuality is considered a sin and ’confusion’,” the statement says.

Source: www.mosnews.com