Browsing: Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, has asked that prayers for peace and justice in Ukraine continue. Parishes, monasteries, and seminaries are requested to include the following petition in the Litany of Fervent Supplication:  “Again we pray that the people of Ukraine and Russia be granted the wisdom, mutual respect and love which will protect them from violence and preserve them in peace.” By way of background, recent events in Ukraine have catalyzed a major crisis.  The United States, the European Union and NATO are involved in reactions to the events in Crimea. …

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [CSHA] – During our common journey through the Lenten season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, many parishes undertake charitable ministries and projects in Christ-like outreach to others. The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Service and Humanitarian Aid suggests two well-established programs for parish consideration. The first is the Gift of the Heart Kit program initiated by Church World Service (CWS) and strongly supported by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). These humanitarian organizations respond to disasters and all manner of human distress, large and small, working along with other aid partners.  In the US…

Source: Prince of Wales On the fifth day of The Prince of Wales’s tour of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, His Royal Highness visited the Doha Religious Complex. The Prince paid visits to the St Isaac and St George Greek Orthodox Church, which has a vibrant congregation from orthodox communities from across the Arab world; the Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, which holds masses in twelve different languages, and the Anglican Church of the Epiphany, catering to the many Protestant communities present in Qatar. After which, His Royal Highness took part in a discussion with Christian community leaders,…

Source: Independent Balkan News Agency By Daniel Stroe – Bucharest The Romanian Patriarchy has strongly denied taking part in any meeting with the representatives of the US corporation Chevron amid protests in the country against shale gas extraction, after a monk accused the Romanian Patriarch of accepting money from the American company in order to forbid priests to join and encourage such public demonstrations. “The Romanian Patriarchy strongly rejects any insinuation about an alleged meeting of its representatives with delegates of the US corporation Chevron in order to discuss a presumptive financial help for the Church in return for support…

Source: Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR) His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, released an epistle to the entirety of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with recent events in Ukraine. With the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, the attached special petitions and prayerare to be read at all divine services for Meatfare Soul Saturday and Sunday in the parishes and monasteries of the Eastern American Diocese.  Reverend archpastors and pastors, dear brothers and sisters – children of the Church! It is with dismay, pain, and alarm that I have followed…

Source: BosNewsLife Listen to this BosNewsLife News report via Vatican Radio: http://www.bosnewslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/warnow.mp3 By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife KYIV, UKRAINE (BosNewsLife)– The influential Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) says it has removed prayers for the government from its liturgy, after as many as 100 people died when a truce broke down between security forces and anti-government protesters.Thursday’s clashes came while European Union ministers attempted to talk with the embattled president Viktor Yanukovich. Central Kyiv turned into a war zone. Demonstrators were running for cover as snipers and other security forces attacked them. Protesters, some of them wearing helmets, rushed…

Source: Orthodox Church in America YONKERS, NY [SVOTS/Deborah (Malacky) Belonick] – In a recent presentation delivered at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here, Archimandrite Zacharias, a monk of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Tolleshunt Knights by Maldon, Essex, England, inspired an audience of more than 100 people with what he termed “domestic theology”—that is, “simple things” in Church life that bear profound consequences. A podcast of his presentation is now available on Ancient Faith Radio. Father Zacharias, a disciple of Father Sophrony (of blessed memory], who was a disciple of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos, emphasized the importance of each Christian becoming…

Source: World Magazine by Raymond Ibrahim In a new video of the 12 Christian nuns kidnapped by rebels in Syria (see below), the nuns sit in a room while being questioned by an unseen man, presumably one of the captors. He asks them how they are, if they’ve been mistreated, etc. They respond that they are being treated fine, that they very much look forward to returning to their convent, that they heartily thank the world for its concern, and that they continually pray that God grant peace to all nations. Their words say one thing, their expressions and demeanor another. Put…

Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos NEW YORK – Santiago Catralava, the prominent architect selected to design the New St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero, has a record replete with problematic projects and designs and legal problems, TNH has learned. De Zeen Magazine’s January 2 article, “Newer Story Older Story, Valencia to sue Calatrava over Falling Masonry at City of Arts and Sciences,” stated among other things that “Calatrava is facing legal action from his home city of Valencia [Spain] because parts of the opera house roof at his City of Arts and Sciences complex are falling…

Dear Member, Supporter and Friend of Orthodox Christian Laity, Your support and commitment to OCL is more important now as we begin to move into a new era in the United States. This new era is about regularizing the un-canonical organization of the Orthodox Church in the United States. The Patriarchs have asked the bishops to create a new blueprint for a unified Church in the United States.  We need to support our Assembly of Bishops to become our Synod of Bishops.  We are asking you to consider becoming an OCL board member if you have a passion for our…

Source: Order of St Andrew the Apostle – Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Istanbul, Turkey ICOMOS Turkey, the International Council of Monuments and Sites, National Committee of Turkey, recently issued a report (below) regarding two issues of concern have recently emerged regarding Hagia Sophia Museum, the first of those being the plans for the reconstruction of the now extinct building of Hagia Sophia Madrasa, and the second, the public debate surrounding the refunctioning of Hagia Sophia Museum. Read this article on ICOMOS » Read Annex: A Brief Historical Investigation of Haghia Sophia (Fatih) Madrasa » Hagia Sophia Museum, one of…

Source: International Orthodox Christian Charities Baltimore, MD (IOCC) — Syrian civilians evacuated from the embattled city of Homs under a UN-negotiated cease-fire are being aided by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) as they flee to safety. IOCC and its church partner in Syria, The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA), are in Homs assisting in the evacuation that began this weekend and are providing emergency relief to the Syrian people fleeing the city. Among the evacuees were ten youths who were immediately taken to the nearest medical facility for needed vaccines and medical attention. IOCC/GOPA also assisted…