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Source: RIA Novosti MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti) – More than 82,000 Moscow residents bathed in icy cold water to mark the Epiphany early Saturday, as air temperature in the Russian capital stood at minus 13 degrees Celsius (+ 8.6 Fahrenheit), a spokesman for the Emergency Ministry’s Moscow branch said Saturday. Epiphany, also known as Theophany, is one of the Great Feasts, marking the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and the beginning of his ministry. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the holiday on January 19, in line with the Julian calendar. Honoring an…

Source: The Hill By Jennifer Martinez Tweet Two leading religious groups on Friday voiced support for President Obama’s call for Congress to appropriate $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to study gun violence and possible links to violent video games and media images. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said more research needs to be done to understand the effect that violent entertainment content has on young children. “We know that media influences young people and their behavior,” Helen Osman, secretary of communications for the U.S. bishops’ conference, said in a…

Source: Zenit News Two months ago, an appeal was made by three regional Bishops who “launched an SOS to avoid catastrophe.”  The Bishops stated that “nothing has been done: no one cares for the exhausted population of Hassake, who urgently need humanitarian aid.” Syrian Catholic Bishop Jacques Behnan Hindo and Syrian Orthodox Bishop Matta Roham are intensifying efforts to contact other Christian Syrian leaders and humanitarian organizations, but the response they have received so far has been minimal. “It is impossible to bring aid to Hassake because it is too dangerous and lacks minimal security conditions,” the Bishops stated. Islamist…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] In line with the Orthodox Church in America’s Strategic Plan, as embraced by delegates to the 16th All-American Council in 2011, a small group of volunteers has been working on the Youth Department’s approach to social media. The group, led by Priest Christopher Rowe, has produced a short video spot now available for viewing. Filming and editing services were offered by Matthew Andrews of Holy Assumption Church, Philedelphia, PA, with the assistance of Justin Nescott of Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Allison Park, PA; Priest John Vitko of Saint Luke Church, McLean, VA;…

Source: Fordham University By Joanna Klimaski In the United States, less than 1 percent of people identify as Orthodox Christians—however, with an estimated population in excess of 260 million worldwide, Orthodox Christianity represents the second largest Christian tradition in the world. Now, a grant secured by two Fordham scholars will help bridge the gap between the U.S. population and this important segment of Christians living in some of the most significant global hot-spots. The Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University has received a prestigious challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency and…

Source: The Daily Star By Wassim Mroueh BEIRUT: Following a surprise meeting chaired by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Rai Friday, rival Christian leaders called for adopting an electoral law that provides fair representation for all sects, in an apparent retreat from agreeing to the controversial Orthodox electoral proposal. “It was agreed and stressed that it is necessary to adopt an electoral law that provides the best and fairest representation for all Lebanese sects,” said a brief statement issued after the meeting. Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun; Amin Gemayel, the head of the Kataeb Party; and Marada Movement leader Suleiman…

Source: Sofia News Agency The Sofia Bishopric has labeled the Friday refusal of the Diocesan Council of prelates and vicars to sign the list of representatives from the Sofia Diocese to elect a new patriarch a “sabotage.” The list was prepared by interim Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Kiril. The Bishopric admits that there have been disagreements in the process of preparing the list, but their escalation, they say, was a clear sign that the story aims at sabotaging the election. The statement, issued Saturday, further stresses that such act is unacceptable in the light of clerical discipline and canonical spirit.…

Source: Providence Journal By Richard C. Dujardin PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island’s Orthodox Christian clergy are urging the rejection of any proposals that would redefine marriage as anything other than as a union between a man and woman. In a statement signed by 18 of its member priests and issued Friday, the Rhode Island Orthodox Clergy Fellowship said, “We must remember that God Himself is the author of marriage and that the well being of the individual person and human society at large is closely bound up with the health state of family as it has been understood since the…

Source: Catholic World News Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II in May 1981, met this week with the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. The January 7 conversation took place at Agca’s request. Agca reportedly told the Ecumenical Patriarch that he had spent many hours reading the Bible while in prison. After his conviction in an Italian court for the attempted murder of the Pontiff, Agca spent 19 years in prison in Rome before he was released in 2000, as part of a general amnesty declared by Italian authorities at the prompting of Pope John…

Source: The National Herald Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA – His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus told TNH that he blamed the current Cypriot government of Demetris Christofias for the economic crisis as well as the political dead ends. “I believe that the government didn’t do its duty. It let things to roll over on their own.” Chrysostomos added that “I can tell you that the government worked negatively and that is why we have come to this point. At any rate now, it’s leaving in two months and we are going to have a new government.” The prelate revealed that…

Source: The National Herald TNH staff HAVANA, CUBA – More than 80 Archons and Greek Orthodox faithful journeyed to Havana, Cuba for a 6-day pilgrimage to visit Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral from December 5 to 10. The pilgrimage was sponsored by the Order of St Andrew and led by its spiritual advisor, Father Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The trip culminated in a celebration of the Feast of Saint Nicholas and took place under the auspices of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras. The trip was remarkable in the context of modern Cuba. “On the first night, the pilgrims…

Source: The National Herald CONSTANTINOPLE (From the website of Today’s Zaman) – Following a meeting held on Friday, the Council of Foundations — part of Turkey’s Directorate General for Foundations (VGM) — returned 190 hectares of forest to the Greek Orthodox Halki (Heybeliada) Seminary in Istanbul. According to the decision, 190 hectares of woodlands near the Halki Seminary will be given to the seminary’s owner, the Aya Triada Monastery Foundation. This is the biggest property return to a minority group in the history of Turkey. Established in 1844 on the island of Heybeliada, Halki Seminary was closed in 1971 under…