The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, received players and coaching staff of the AEK Athens men’s water polo team late last week. The AEK Athens water polo side was in the Bosporus metropolis for a friendly match with a local Turkish team. AEK has its roots in early 20th century…

  Roughly 20,000 Australian dollars were collected during a charity event at the St. Nektarios Orthodox Monastery in Adelaide, held for orphans in Madagascar. In a recent tour of an orphanage on the Indian Ocean island nation, the Alexandria Patriarchate’s Metropolitan of Madagascar, His Eminence Ignatios, was greeted by children singing the “Ti Ypermacho” masterpiece…

  The Moscow Patriarchate’s Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, His Eminence Hilarion, has referred to the great value placed upon therapy, both physical and spiritual, as well as preparation for the eternal life after death. Hilarion, who is also the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR), noted that “… no philosopher has…

  The newly enthroned Metropolitan of Fthiotida, His Eminence Simeon, commenced pastoral visits within his Metropolis on Sunday, first touring the main hospital in the south-central city of Lamia, the capital of Fthiotida prefecture. His Eminence Simeon assured the hospital’s administrators that the Holy Metropolis of Fthiotida will always remain an active partner and supporter…

  The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, this week addressed a letter to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, His Holiness Kirill, expressing his concern over recent developments in the Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region and in Abkhazia. In the same letter, Ilia decries a decision to send graduates of Russian…

  A five-day debate began today in Greece’s Parliament on possible revision of eligible constitutional articles, roughly a week after the current center-right Greek government opted not to re-institute a provision in the country’s penal code prohibiting insult to religion. One of the constitutional articles eligible for revision is Article III, the definitive text in…

On Saturday, November 3/16, 2019, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of St. George the Great Martyr and Trophy-bearer at his holy Church in Lydda. On this day the Church celebrates the translation of the relics of St. George from Rome where he suffered a martyr’s death, in 4th century A.D., to his hometown Lydda, and…

  But wealth, someone may say, bring honor to those who possess them, and give them the power to take vengeance on their enemies easily. Tell me, is this really a reason why riches seem desirable to you and worth striving for—that they nourish the most dangerous passion in our nature? That they lead anger…

His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey has released his Christmas Fast Encyclical. Read the full text below:   The Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy Esteemed Members of the Metropolitan Council, Esteemed Members of the Parish Councils, Philoptochos Sisterhood, Faculty and Students of the Catechetical and Greek Afternoon Schools, Directors and Participants of all Youth…