The new Metropolitan of Limnos and Aghios Efstratios, His Eminence Ierotheos, was enthroned on Thursday during a splendorous ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, in Limnos’ capital, and in the presence of Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos. The Ecumenical Patriarch was represented by the Metropolitan of Prikonissos, His Eminence…

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, this week concluded his tour of the Benelux countries, visiting the Metropolis of Belgium on Thursday, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary since its founding. After his busy itinerary in the Benelux countries, His All Holiness, often referred to in the international press as…

A last-minute decision by the Greek government not to include the offense of malicious blasphemy of religion in a revised penal code – which was ratified by a large majority of Parliament deputies on Wednesday evening – continued to generate negative reactions and dissatisfaction on the part of the Church. In a related development, debate…

The Church today venerates the memory of Philip the Apostle. St. Philip was one of the Twelve Apostles, hailing from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was a compatriot of Andrew and Peter. When the Lord Jesus summoned him to the dignity of apostleship, he immediately sought out and found Nathanael. Having preached the Gospel throughout many…

The faithful on the Dodecanese island of Rhodes today commemorates the memory of the city of Rhodes’ patron saint, St. Constantine of Hydra. The annual celebration, nevertheless, again brings to the forefront the unfortunate fact that the island capital lacks a cathedral dedicated to St. St. Constantine of Hydra. As a result, the ecclesiastical commemoration…

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland said on Thursday that the patriarch had been sent an invitation by the Evangelical Lutheran, Orthodox, and Catholic churches of Finland. The patriarch is expected to meet with the heads of the Finnish churches. “Current issues will be addressed,” a press release said. The last time a patriarch of…

On 12 November 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with H.E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation. They were joined in the meeting by Ms. Sanja Jayatilleka, the Ambassador’s wife; Ms….

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has called on the global community to pay attention to the persecution of Christians in Africa. “As the primate of the largest of the Local Orthodox Churches, I have to point to discrimination in a number of countries, including my coreligionists, which are often persecuted,” he said at…

November 14, 2019 – His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, has begun his visit to Azerbaijan. At Heydar Aliyev Airport, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was met by Archbishop Alexander of Baku and Azerbaijan, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan M. Bocharnikov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu, and Azerbaijan’s first deputy…