Archaeologists recently unearthed the foundations of a 12th-century church in the Veliky Novgorod Kremlin. The remains are in excellent condition, the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences told Interfax-Religion yesterday. “We were excavating an area of about 385 square feet this year, and, fortunately, a significant fragment of the foundation of…

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His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros Homily for the Vespers of Saint Markella Saint Markella Greek Orthodox Church Wantagh, New York My Beloved Christians, I am so very pleased to be with you tonight for the Vespers and celebration of your Matronal Saint, the Holy Markella of Chios. She is more than a martyr to purity and…

Feverish preparations continue ahead of the first Muslim prayer, in decades, at the Hagia Sophia, set for Friday, two weeks after a shocking and impudent decision by authoritarian Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convert the UNESCO World Heritage site into a mosque. The now Islamist Turkish leader is scheduled to head a top Turkish…

A new round of Church-state dialogue begins in Greece in the coming period, with the relevant education and religious minister, Niki Kerameos, issuing invitations. Topics up for discussion, according to reports, include religious studies in the public education sector, commercially exploiting Church properties, and the legal status of cemeteries, among others.

The secluded cell on the semi-autonomous monastic of Mount Athos, where 20th century saint Dionysios lived, at the St. Anne site, observed a feast day on Tuesday and today. Footage posted today on the pages of the Orthodoxia News Agency shows a con-celebratory Vespers service on Tuesday afternoon, officiated by the Bishop of Doryllaiou, His…

The Orthodox Church in Montenegro this week referred to what it called new threats and blackmail by the government in the small Adriatic country, all in the wake of a latest meeting between Church representatives and government officials. The meeting aimed to resolve a contentious dispute emanating from the government’s passing of a controversial law…

Members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church convened this week, with topics discussed including the sanctity of the Holy Communion amid the ongoing pandemic, the Church’s continuing charity, and the pending local government elections in the country. A statement later noted that “…all of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches remain faithful to the…

Veteran Greek chef Ilias Mamalakis visited the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi this week, where he spoke with elders about monastic cuisine and diet, as well as the extremely high quality products produced on the peninsula, such as its renowned and award-winning organic olive oil and honey. Mamalakis, who has appeared on several TV…