Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Yekaterina Filatova Abp. Ieronymos in his report referred to the two committees created by the Holy Synod to investigate the Ukrainian issue, which both recommended recognizing the OCU. The Bishops’ Council of the Greek Orthodox Church, gathered in an extraordinary session today, has resolved to recognize the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU), which was previously recognized only by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which created the new structure last December, reports “Romfea”. It is noted that during the meeting, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece made a report “The Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine”, in which…
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Source: Orthodox Christianity Prespa, North Macedonia — “There is a sense that the Patriarchate of Constantinople will launch formal talks on autocephaly,” Metropolitan Peter of Prespa-Pelagoniski of the schismatic “Macedonian Orthodox Church” (MOC) told reporters recently, as reports Romfea. There have been no official contacts or meetings yet, the MOC hierarch stressed, though he said there has been an informal expression of a desire by Patriarch Bartholomew himself to resolve the issue of the Serbian-Macedonian schism. “There is a disposition by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to resolve the issue of the autocephaly of our church in one of the future sessions of the…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Kiev – Patriarch Bartholomew’s relations with the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches around the world have turned tense thanks to the Ukrainian issue, says His Grace Bishop Victor of Baryshev, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s representative to European international organizations. In particular, things have turned sour between the Phanar and His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus. The former has even received insulting letters from hierarchs in the Patriarchate of Constantinople because of his position on the Ukrainian crisis, Bp. Victor said on the program “Right to Faith” on the First…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Elena Konstantinova Epiphany Dumenko told US Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine William Taylor how the process of formation and recognition of the OCU is going on. On October 3, 2019, the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko met with US Chargé d’Affaires a.i. in Ukraine William Taylor, reports the official website of the newly formed religious structure reports. In particular, according to the press service of the OCU, Dumenko “told Mr. Taylor about the latest events in the religious life in Ukraine”. In addition, Dumenko informed the American Ambassador on how the “process of the formation of the OCU and…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Elena Konstantinova Patriarch Bartholomew did not allow Metropolitan Kipriyan to serve in the church of Sts Constantine and Helena in Adrianople. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople did not allow Metropolitan Kipriyan of Stara Zagora of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to perform the Divine Liturgy in the church of Saints Constantine and Helena of the Bulgarian community in the city of Adrianople in Turkey, the Greek site Romfea reports. The publication notes that the Bulgarian community of the city of Adrianople is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, thus permission and blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate must be…
Source: Orthodox Christianity [Paris] The Archdiocese of Russian Churches in Western Europe, which largely voted to follow its hierarch, His Eminence Archbishop John of Dubna, into the Moscow Patriarchate recently, is already experiencing the fruits of this new life. Yesterday, Abp. John, who was unceremoniously released from the Patriarchate of Constantinople without warning and soon thereafter received by the Russian Church, published an address to his flock, announcing the upcoming Archbishop’s Council and General Assembly of the Archdiocese and the election of two vicar bishops. Abp. John lamented in an interview in February that while he is getting older, Constantinople never permitted the Archdiocese to elect and consecrate new…
Source: Orthodox Christianity [Lastva Grbaljska, Montenegro] – The Serbian Orthodox Church is equal to the ancient Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Constantinople and the rest, and the Church of Christ does not divide along ethnic lines, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia and His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro said at recent celebrations at the Podlastva Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Montenegro. Celebrating the 800th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Serbian Church and the 1,500th anniversary of the monastery on Saturday, September 28, His Holiness stated that “today is a great and blessed day. Eight…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces that the Hon. Mr. George Tsandikos and the Hon. Mrs. Catherine Bouffides-Walsh have submitted to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, their voluntary resignations from the positions of the Vice-President and Secretary of the Archdiocesan Council, respectively. The Archbishop has accepted these resignations with regret, praising the faithful service of both of these prominent members of the Church, distinguished for their ethos, and hard work, for their selflessness and devotion to their ecclesiastical authority. To succeed the above, His Eminence the Archbishop has appointed the Hon. Mr.…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA A whirlwind of events occurred today in connection with the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s former “archdiocese,” composed of parishes of the Russian tradition in Western Europe. Many of these events are revealed in the minutes of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate, which convened a special meeting today (September 14), “thorough remote communications,” to grant an appeal, also made today, by Archbishop John (Renneteau) to Patriarch Kirill. The full text of the minutes is posted at http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5499619.html. An English translation of parts of the minutes have been quickly posted by the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate. https://mospat.ru/en/2019/09/14/news177560/ These…
Source: Orthodox Synaxis The Greek original with the list of signatories can be found here. Your Beatitude, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, Most Reverend Metropolitans of the Church of Greece, Your Beatitude, Your Eminences, As members of the Orthodox Church and, in spirit, children of Your episcopal-fatherly responsibility, we feel the need to address You as our spiritual and ecclesiastical Fathers and to express our unease and distress over the uncanonical granting of Ukrainian autocephaly. We share Your anguish and serious ecclesiological and canonical hesitations and reservations as they have been stated expressly or even silently according to the…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Dear OCL Supporters and Friends, OCL is grateful to YOU, our supporters and friends. Your generous annual donations have enabled us to promote our mission. It is because of your belief in our OCL Mission: Orthodox Unity, transparency, accountability, and laity co- ministry, I want to personally invite you to become a member of OCL’s UNITY ADVOCATE Legacy Society. UNITY ADVOCATE LEGACY SOCIETY is composed of generous and forward-thinking donors who will support our long-term success through a planned gift. It is easy to do. And you don’t have to be a millionaire to do it. …
Source: Orthodox Christianity [PARIS] His Eminence Archbishop John of Chariopoulis, the head of the Archdiocese of Russian Churches in Western Europe, published an open letter to his clergy and laity yesterday, laying out his canonical and legal arguments against the recent decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to canonically release him and move the Archdiocese’s parishes under the local Greek metropolitans, including under Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul in France. The communiqué is published in French on the Archdiocese’s official website. Abp. John opens by characterizing Met. Emmanuel’s letter to the clergy and laity as “falsely alarming about the reality of the legal situation…