International

US Assembly of Bishops launches Covid-19 Resource Centre for Orthodox Christians

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA announces a resource center for clergy and faithful during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Resource Center includes updated news from the various jurisdictions as well as practical guidelines and resources for families, ministry leaders, parish leadership, and everyone. The Center can be accessed here and will be updated…

Mar 31, 2020Iulian Dumitraşcu

Monks in Mount Athos and Meteora unite their prayers against coronavirus

A vigil was held on Mount Athos in a wholesome atmosphere of respect for our Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mary, and Saint Charalambos concerning the coronavirus pandemic. As the coronavirus has become a scourge worldwide, the Orthodox Church said a special prayer of Metropolitan of Edessa for the protection of the faithful. On Friday evening,…

Mar 30, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Mt. Athos to hold vigils and processions against coronavirus

Holy Mount Athos is closed to pilgrims until the end of March, but its monasteries continue prayer and religious services even more fervently. The governing Holy Community of Mount Athos has urged all churches and sketes on its territory to hold cross processions and officiate All-Night Vigils to the Mother of God, who is the…

Mar 27, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Church of Holy Sepulchre closed for one week. Orthodox Church to continue all services

Israeli authorities have decided to close the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a week as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic. The closure does not affect the divine services, which will be performed according to the normal schedule, in the absence of the faithful. The church was closed shortly after 5:00 PM yesterday, as…

Mar 26, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Archbishop of Athens: Let’s turn our homes into churches

On the day of the Third Salutations to the Theotokos, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens asked the faithful to turn every house into a church. The Archbishop, stating that the right decisions have been made by the Hierarchy and the State, urged again the faithful to abide by the self-protection measures to prevent the spread of…

Mar 23, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Mount Athos closes for pilgrims and visitors because of the coronavirus epidemic

Deputy civil governor of Mount Athos Aristos Kasmiroglou has suspended the entrance of outside visitors and pilgrims to the Athonite State until March 30, 2020, according to Orthodox Times, which quotes Greek website ethnos.gr. This decision excludes officials and employees of Athos. The Holy Community of Mount Athos accepted the government’s decisions as formulated in…

Mar 20, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Polish Church adds 30 names to Synaxis of Podlasie Martyrs

At the meeting of the Bishops’ Council of the Polish Orthodox Church on October 29, 30 names were added to the Synaxis of the Martyrs of Chełm and Podlasie. Now, another 30 holy martyrs have been glorified among the saints and added to the Synaxis. The Bishops’ Council of the Polish Church met on Tuesday, March…

Mar 20, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Antiochian Archdiocese of America publishes service texts for faithful home reading

During the coronavirus outbreak, the Archdiocese has given the blessing to its faithful to read the texts of religious services at home. The faithful participation to church services has been banned in the United States during the instated state of emergency. Therefore, the Department of Liturgics of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America…

Mar 20, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Now is the time of personal and social responsibility, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew says

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed a pastoral message on Wednesday “as a result of the global threat posed by the pandemic of the new coronavirus”, in which he stressed that “now is the time of personal and social responsibility”, a real opportunity to change for the better, in the direction of love and solidarity. His Holiness…

Mar 19, 2020Gheorghe Anghel

Archbishop of Athens attends swearing-in ceremony of Greece’s first female president

Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a former judge at the Council of State, the Administrative Supreme Court of Greece, was sworn in last Friday as the country’s first woman president. In January, she was elected with overwhelming majority by the Greek Parliament. She is 63 and was born in Thessaloniki. She had an almost four-decade career at the…

Mar 19, 2020Ștefana Totorcea

Romanian Professor appointed at SVOTS for Patristics

Father Bogdan Bucur, from  St. Anthony Orthodox parish in Butler, Pennsylvania (the Antiochian Archdiocese), was appointed professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) in New York. He graduated the Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Justinian the Patriarch” of the University of Bucharest and in 2000 he moved with his wife in the United…

Mar 13, 2020Ștefana Totorcea