Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria has completed his first “Peace Visit” as a recently elected primate of a Local Orthodox Church. It was a four-day (Dec. 25-28) visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Before the visit, it was well-known that differences exist between Patriarch Daniil and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on important issues such as the status of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the existence of primacy at the universal level. There are no indications that these differences were resolved by the visit. However, the dialogue and personal contacts that occurred resulted in a visit that…
Author: Webmaster
Source: Orthodox Observer By Office of National Ministries The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has embarked on a landmark survey with the aim of equipping parish clergy, ministry leaders, and ministry workers to build up healthy parish communities (cf. Ephesians 4:12). The study, launched on December 1, is designed to bring parish voices to the forefront and guide Archdiocesan ministry support, resources, and investment where they will most effectively strengthen parish life. “Our parishes are the heartbeat of our Archdiocese,” said His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. “As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America By Giselle Soares “Behold, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3) This Nativity season, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, is partnering with Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the Let Children Live campaign—a simple yet powerful invitation to pray for Palestinian children by name, lifting them up in advocacy and love. Each participant receives the name of a Palestinian child, regardless of faith background; the campaign embraces children who are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or…
Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to All the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Mercy and Peace from the Savior Christ Born in Bethlehem Most honorable Brother Hierarchs, Beloved children in the Lord, Having once again been found worthy of reaching the great feast of the Nativity in the flesh of the Son and Word of God, we glorify the “inexpressible and incomprehensible condescension” of the Savior of the human race and Redeemer of all creation from corruption, even…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] More than 100 clergy of the Orthodox Church in America gathered online for the Office of Pastoral Life’s Winter 2025 Synaxis on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The quarterly gathering offered space for prayerful reflection, shared learning and encouragement, and featured His Eminence Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska as keynote speaker. In his presentation, “Hard-Pressed Yet Not Crushed”: Avoiding Burnout and Promoting Flourishing, Archbishop Alexei invited clergy into an honest and hope-filled conversation about the interior and exterior pressures of pastoral ministry. Drawing from Holy Scripture, the Psalms and the pastoral wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, His…
Source: Orthodox Observer By Fr. Alexander Karloutsos This has been a historic week for the Roman Catholic Church in New York. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Vatican announced a major leadership transition that marks the end of an era and a significant shift in the church’s direction. Pope Leo XIV officially accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has served as the Archbishop of New York since 2009. Cardinal Dolan turned 75 in February 2025, the mandatory age for Catholic bishops to submit their retirement letter. Despite his “larger-than-life” personality and a legacy spanning 16 years of influential leadership in…
Source: Public Orthodoxy You cut through the silvery—gold sea at the foot of Mount Athos to make the funeral service of Archimandrite Vasileios Iverites,[1] and through countless dizzying thoughts, your mind is nailed for a moment on the hymn of the Vespers on Palm Sunday: “Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together…”[2] For forty years, the figure of Elder Vasileios has been engraved in you, so familiar that you felt you were not taking a trip to Mount Athos but returning to it. You often felt, when he spoke, that you were not comprehending his words but…
Source: The National Herald By Antonis H. Diamataris NEW YORK — It was, apparently, a chance meeting. Yet it was a shattering encounter—one that stays with you, one that gives you strength and hope. The historic Monastery of Gouverneto, founded between 1537 and 1548 in Akrotiri, stands on a plateau near Chania Airport and the Holy Trinity Tzagaróli Monastery. There, Elder Ieronymos, the monastery’s abbot—who immediately wins you over with his kindness and humility—received my wife and me in the archontariki, the monastery’s reception room. He offered us refreshments, spoke about the history of the monastery, and told us how he…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] The Orthodox Church in America has joined the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gračanica–Midwestern America, the Catholic bishops of Illinois and the Illinois Catholic Health Association in filing an amicus brief in the case NIFLA v. Treto in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The brief challenges a law that requires healthcare providers, which abstain from performing abortions, to nevertheless still provide patients with referrals to abortion providers and to deliver state-mandated statements promoting the supposed benefits of abortion in order to receive certain legal protections. The Orthodox Church has always taught that…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, the Office of the Chancellor is announcing the publication of the newly updated A Commemorative List of the Departed Servants of Orthodoxy in North America: Diptychs of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in the Lord. This 2025 edition contains a revised and expanded list of departed clergy, monastics, and laity who have labored for the Orthodox Church in America, from the Alaskan mission to the present day. The Diptychs are now available for download as a PDF and printed copies will be distributed to all parishes,…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Since the controversial 2018 “unification” council in Ukraine, Fr. Yaroslav Yasenets has served as a priest in the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.” Recently, he left that structure citing a number of systemic issues which could perhaps be summarized as a prioritization of state loyalty over faith in Christ and adherence to Orthodoxy. In this UOJ-USA Exclusive, Fr. Yaroslav gives us an insider’s look at the state of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” its capture by the state and foreign actors, its crumbling relations with Istanbul, and how its clergy—and chaplains—weaponize state resources against the Ukrainian…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The Board of Trustees of Hellenic College–Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston, chaired by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, decided on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, to sell a large portion of its real estate (land) to an environmental company, as The National Herald revealed on November 29, 2025. The expected sale price is $1.2 million per acre, and the School is projected to earn between $22 million and $30 million. It is emphasized that the School and its property were purchased in 1947 through the savings and contributions of the…