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Source: Ekathimerini.com Greece’s Orthodox bishops have voted unanimously to reject planned government legislation for marriage equality that would also allow for the adoption of children by same-sex couples. A meeting of the Holy Synod further decided to address an open letter to all 300 members of parliament outlining the church’s objections to the proposed legislation. The letter will also be read out in churches across the country on February 4. In a statement, the Synod said that while it is the state’s responsibility to legislate, “this parameter neither deprives the church of freedom of speech, nor relieves the church of…

Source: Religion News Service Contentious issues of church polity have been exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. By Meagan Saliashvili (RNS) — Nearly 400 Orthodox Christian theologians from 44 countries convened in the largest international conference of its kind in Greece on Thursday (Jan. 12) to discuss “Nicaea-sized” questions facing the Eastern Orthodox Church amid war and bitter division. Some of the most contentious issues at the Mega-Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association, meeting in Volos, have been exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which exacerbated a split between a newly independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine…

Source: Religion News Service The letter to the Russian patriarch comes amid calls to expel him and the Russian Orthodox Church from the WCC. By Jack Jenkins (RNS) — The head of the World Council of Churches is urging Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, to call for a cease-fire in Ukraine as Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this weekend. “People lost their trust and hope in politicians and in a possible peaceful negotiation and a ceasefire,” the Rev. Ioan Sauca, a Romanian Orthodox priest and acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, wrote in a letter…

Source: Orthodoxy in Dialogue A nuclear priesthood has arisen in Russia. From portable churches to the consecration of weapons systems, the Russian Orthodox Church has been integrated into every facet of the armed forces to become a vital part of Russian national security, politics, and identity. This extraordinary intertwining of church and military is nowhere more visible than in the nuclear weapons community, where the priesthood has penetrated all levels of command and the Church has positioned itself as a guardian of the state’s nuclear potential. Russian Nuclear Orthodoxy considers how, since the Soviet collapse in 1991, the Church has worked…

Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists by Konstantin Shemliuk What is behind the concern of US officials about the rights of the Orthodox? At the Athens conference on disinformation and news manipulation held on March 5, the ex-US Ambassador to Ukraine and now the Ambassador to Greece Jeffrey Payette made a strong statement about Russia’s efforts to undermine the authority of Patriarch Bartholomew: ”We’ve seen evidence of this kind of manipulation of information in Greece. We’ve seen Russian efforts in the Church, the efforts to undermine the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch.” He particularly stressed that “the purpose of this event tonight is to…

Source: Russia Today by Jim Jatras Originally published on October 3, 2018 One of the most contentious and significant controversies in the world today is also one of the least-well understood. In part, this is because it involves matters of faith and church governance, the importance of which many people, especially some of a secular mind who scorn mere “religion,” tend to underestimate. That is a mistake, certainly with respect to the storm that seems on the verge of plunging Ukraine into a new cycle of violence. That may happen if, as seems quite possible, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople recognizes an “autocephalous” (completely self-ruling)…

Source: The National Herald June 24-30, 2017 Edition – Page 12 By Peter Marudas Once again, The National Herald has demonstrated its unique role in stimulating dialogue and the open exchange of ideas concerning important matters facing our community. Its most recent contribution was reflected in two informative items appearing in the May 6 edition regarding the status of the Greek-American political presence in Washington. First, a Herald editorial titled “Emerging Greek-American Leaders” is a serious and thoughtful review of our past and present-emerging leadership in Washington. The other, an article by Washington insiders, Andy and Mike Manatos, suggests that…

Source: Pravoslavie.ru Politicians should not interfere in Church matters, and it’s necessary to observe the principle of the indivisibility of the Church, declared Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa in an interview with RIA-Novosti, commenting on the situation with the efforts to create an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. “I know Ukraine very well—both bishops and laity—and have a very good understanding about what incentives the people are pursuing, who are trying now to sow discord in Ukraine. From the very beginning, when the problem of the Church schism had only just arisen, the Alexandrian Patriarchate and…

Source: Vestnik Kavkaza Not long ago, Pope Francis called on Catholics to participate in politics, calling it “one of the highest forms of love, as its aim is taking care of the global welfare.” According to katolik.ru, the Pope also stressed that participation in politics was a kind of martyrdom, as it demanded faithfulness to the ideal of the global welfare and bearing a heavy cross of disappointments and sins. “Can a Catholic be involved in politics? Of course, he should do it. Should a Catholic interfere in politics? He should do it!” the Pope believes. The Russian Orthodox Church…

Source: Voices from Russia The website of Novospassky Monastery noted that on 5 February, a Greek Orthodox Church delegation, headed by Metropolitan Panteleimon Kalpakidis of Veria and Naousa arrived in Moscow from Greece bringing a reliquary containing the hand of St Demetrios of Salonika the Great Martyr. At the airport, the superior of the Novospassky Stavropegial Monastery and the MP First Deputy Chancellor, Bishop Savva Mikheyev of Voskresensk met the delegation. From the airport, they took the reliquary to the Novospassky Monastery, where the clergy served a molieben at the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. St Demetrios is the patron saint of…

Source: Notes on Arab Orthodoxy Like any news, this should be taken with a shaker of salt, but it’s consistent with a lot of what was said during the last few days of the negotiations to acheive the release of the Lebanese Shi’ite pilgrims kidnapped last year in Azaz, on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Arabic original can be read here.  What Prevented Metropolitans Yazigi and Ibrahim from Returning with the Lebanese Captives? by Maher el-Khatib Despite the great joy that spread over all regions of Lebanon at the return home of those kidnapped in the Syrian city of Azaz, following the considerable efforts…

Source: The Economist As municipal leaders in Romania are up for election on June 10th they are receiving help from an unexpected place. In the run-up to the poll preaching not only the word of God but also the one of local politicians has become a custom in several churches in Romania. Romanian media recently revealed that in some churches in Bucharest and other cities around the country, churchgoers found campaign leaflets next to candles and incense envelopes. Clerics are not making a secret of their political activities. During a recent official visit to Iasi, the biggest city in the…