The Orthodox faithful of Shanghai had double cause for celebration this year on the feast of Pascha, as they were able to celebrate the feast in the Cathedral of the “Surety of Sinners” Icon of the Mother of God for the first time in more than 50 years. Several hundred believers from China, Russia, Serbian,…

On 6 May 2019, Archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, secretary for far abroad countries, Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with Mr. Magne Bart, head of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in the RF, Belarus and Moldova. They were joined in the meeting, which took place at the DECR premises, by…

A meeting was held at the Georgian Patriarchate over the issue of David Gareja, a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II hosted Sheikh of All Georgia Ramin Igidov and east Georgia Mufti Iasin Aliyev together with church officials. “The guests underlined that…

Meetings were held with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan and the representative of the head of the Caucasian Muslims’ Union in connection with the Davit Gareji issue in the Patriarchate of Georgia on May 4-5, – head of the Patriarchate’s press service, Andria Jagmaidze, reports. “The Patriarchate will be actively involved in solving the problem related…

The Government, the Patriarchate and the Foundation “Iveria” signed a joint memorandum at the Patriarchate on Wednesday. As InterPressNews was informed by the Government’s Administration, the Memorandum aims to provide a framework for cooperation between the sides on the construction and development of the scientific-research and cultural-educational center-museum of modern and high international standards nearby…

ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL Protocol No. 74/19 May 8, 2019 To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic…

Elder Emilianos Simonopetritis (born Alexandros Vafiadis) reposed on Thursday at the age of 85. The Elder Emilianos, who was born in Piraeus, served as the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonas Petras between 1973 and 2000. A feature is posted today on the Orthodoxia News Agency‘s webpages, as well as an excerpt on the…

The arrival in Canada of a Pakistani Christian woman who spent years on the death row in her native country after being wrongly condemned for blasphemy again shifted the focus on the dire conditions faced by Christians in that predominantly Muslim country. At present, some 218 Pakistani Christian women are believed to be held in…

The Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Novi Sad and Backa, His Grace Irinej, this week expressed concern over the situation in Kosovo, specifically, in the Balkans, and in general with what he called the continued strengthening of the Muslim element in the region. He spoke at a conference on the future of Europe. “We should not…