His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew prayerfully attended the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, 30 August, at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar, at which His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos of Canada presided. The Divine Liturgy was attended by the Hierarchs who are members of the Holy and Sacred Synod, together with a large number…

“In the Orthodox tradition, the sacred icon constitutes a threshold that connects earth with heaven, the temporal with the eternal. As the faithful stand before an icon, they become aware that the Kingdom of God is not something distant or abstract, but is present and active within the life of the world. When we contemplate…

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate convened for its regular session on Saturday, 29 August, under the presidency of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and examined a series of matters listed on the agenda, concerning which the appropriate decisions were taken. During the session, as noted in the relevant communiqué: “The Small…

By Salvatore Ambrosino August 28, 2026 WASHINGTON D.C. — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America joined religious leaders representing multiple faith traditions at the U.S. Department of Justice on August 27 for a high-level gathering focused on strengthening protections for houses of worship, safeguarding religious freedom and confronting religious hatred. The gathering, convened by the…

On the morning of Thursday, 14/27 August 2026, the Service of the Lamentations of the Dormition of the Theotokos was observed at the Church of the Dormition in Gethsemane. For this service, the Patriarchal Entourage, under His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos, departed from the Patriarchate at 7:30 a.m. and proceeded on…

The National Cathedral will reopen its doors to worshippers during the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO 2026), which will take place in Bucharest from 31 August to 3 September. According to a statement from the Romanian Patriarchate’s Press Office, the National Cathedral will host several liturgical services and conferences next week. On Thursday, 3…

His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia received Romanian President Nicușor Dan on Thursday at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. The meeting took place during the Romanian president’s visit marking the 35th anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s proclamation of independence. The delegation welcomed by Metropolitan Antonie included Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, Romania’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to…

The Historic Community of Stavrodromi The memory of Saint Phanourios was celebrated with particular splendour at the magnificent Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, on the occasion of the feast of the Hagiasma (Holy Spring) located within the church grounds. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Tralee.   vema.com.au  

WASHINGTON, D.C — At the invitation of Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America visited the U.S. Department of State for a substantive and constructive meeting on issues of mutual concern. There was a warm discussion on the protection and advancement of religious freedom,…