Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the Feast of Theophany, January 6, 2026, issued an appeal to the Ukrainian hierarchy under Metropolitan Onufriy to reconsider its stance against unification of the Orthodox Christian faithful in Ukraine, and explained once again the reasoning behind his grant of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine on January 5, 2019. “Our motives,” His All-Holiness said, “were entirely ecclesiological. We were not guided by expediency, nor did we make a hasty or superficial judgment on this long-standing issue, as some have accused us. As was our duty, we received…
Browsing: Governance Top Stories
Source: Orthodox Observer Today, Jan. 13, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a response to an aggressive polemic released a day earlier by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The Ecumenical Patriarchate characterized the accusations directed at Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as baseless and unworthy of engagement. In its responding communiqué, the Ecumenical Patriarchate recalled that since its 2018 decision to proclaim the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, it has deliberately chosen not to reply to the steady stream of similar attacks emanating from political and ecclesiastical circles within the Russian Federation. That principled restraint, it stressed, continues to guide…
Source: Oinos Educational Consulting by Frank Marangos D.Min., Ed.D., OSJ “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me, and drink.” John 7:37 Last month, during the first week of December 2025, the global water community gathered in Marrakech, the former imperial city of Morocco, for the 19th Annual World Water Congress. Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and co-organized by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), the prestigious event gathered policymakers, practitioners, civil leaders, and private sector representatives to exchange knowledge about “Water in a Changing World: Innovation and Adaptation.” Based on the groundbreaking research that was…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PDF As we round the corner and enter a new year on the civil calendar, the first issue of The WORD in 2026 offers articles for spiritual reflection and edification. The online edition is now available as an issuu.com flipbook or a downloadable PDF. Editorial – Let Us Give Thanks and Rejoice by His Eminence Met. Saba Deep Calleth Unto Deep by Fr. Peter Kavanaugh Finding Strength in the Humble Places by Fr. Joshua Makoul St. Nikiforos the Leper and Wonderworker by Fr. Michael Shanbour Spiritual Words by Met. Ephrem Kyriakos Theophany–An Exposition of…
Source: Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Adapted from an article by Rev. Dr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMF “When I converted to the Orthodox Church, I was helped by two people who took me in hand and helped me integrate into the Church and the community. In a few years, I was completely integrated into both. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They are my best friends. I urge you to emphasize my experience in one of your columns to help converts become integrated.” ~An E-mail respondent~ Like the individual quoted…
Source: Assembly of Bishops: Inter-Parish Associations With great joy, the Assembly of Bishops’ Inter-Parish Associations ministry announces the establishment of 6 new Inter-Parish Associations in 2025. These areas include: Denver, Colorado Indianapolis, Indiana Northern New Jersey Manhattan, New York City Worcester, Massachusetts Youngstown, Ohio Inter-Parish Associations promote communication, camaraderie, and cooperation across Orthodox Christian parishes of all jurisdictions in a given geographical area. They are local (city/town level), parishes are the Members, and their leadership includes both clergy and laity. Their purpose is to break down barriers across Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and, as a unified Orthodox Christian community, witness Christ’s…
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…
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: 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 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,…