The Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, His Grace Hilarion, this week referred to the possibility of an official visit to the country by the Roman Catholic Pope. Hilarion, who is also the chairman of the Russian Church’s department of external relations and a permanent member of its Holy Synod, spoke during an interview to a Swiss news…

More reports of persecution of Christians in the predominately Muslim country of Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa, were reported this week. According to the website opendoorsusa more than 30 Christians were arrested over the last few days, following another 141 arrests weeks ago, with most of those arrested being women in the capital of…

The director of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Synodal Department of Charity, Marina Studenkina, this week referred to the recent legislative bans on abortion in a handful of states in the US south. Studenkina called on the Russian government to “… take note of the example”, while again promoting the Russian Church’s position in favor of the rights…

Τhe new Archbishop of Australia, His Eminence Makarios, spoke this week to the Orthodoxia news agency and journalist Maria Giachnaki, over his priorities for the Archdiocese of Australia, Hellenism on the island-continent and the Ecumenical Patriarch. Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis, who hails from Crete, also touched on the need for a Church hierarch to be educated and…

The abbots of Athos monasteries have asked His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry to issue UOC pilgrims certificates confirming their affiliation with the canonical Church. The UOJ publishes a circular of the Kiev Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, according to which all pilgrims from Ukraine who are going to Holy Mount Athos will have to carry…

On Sunday, May 26, the Church of St. Basil of the Moscow Patriarchate in the suburbs of Mexico City was vandalized, as unknown perpetrators broke the windows, ransacking the church once inside. Parish rector Fr. Kyrill Chakon commented that such incidents happen frequently, reports Pravoslavie.ru. Some time ago, the power lines were cut and stolen, leaving…

On Monday May 21/ June 3, 2019, the Patriarchate and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood celebrated the commemoration of the Holy Glorious Sovereigns and Equals to the Apostles Constantine and Helen. Saints Constantine and Helen are celebrated by the Church as equals to the Apostles due the Mediolanon decree in 312 A.D., by Constantine the Great, which…

Archbishop Michael of Prague thanked the hierarchs and the clergy of the UOC for joint divine services on the day of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena. On June 3, 2019, on the day of veneration of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Day of Remembrance of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena, a festive…

A number of Russian airports have been officially renamed in honor of famous historical Russian figures, including Royal Martyr Tsar Nicholas II and St. Olga the Equal-to-the-Apostles and others, reports Foma. The new names were assigned according to the results of the Great Names of Russia contest held in the fall, and in accordance with the…