International

Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina received in Thessaloniki by Metropolitan Philotheos during pilgrimage

Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina, accompanied by 60 pilgrims from his metropolia, was received on Monday afternoon by Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki. The meeting took place at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Gregory Palamas, where Metropolitan Philotheos welcomed the visitors, expressing his joy at the visit of “Romanian brethren of the same faith.” Also…

Apr 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Bishop consecrates chapel at Lakkoskete on Mount Athos

His Grace Bishop Iustin of Maramureș and Sătmar consecrated on Sunday the chapel of the Meeting of the Lord Cell at Lakkoskete on Mount Athos. Joining the service were clergy accompanying the hierarch on his Athonite pilgrimage, together with the skete’s monastic brotherhood. “The main reason for our pilgrimage, that of the delegation of the…

Apr 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Middle East patriarchs renew appeal 13 years after Aleppo bishops’ abduction

Patriarch John X of Antioch and Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II issued a new joint appeal on Wednesday over the 2013 abduction of two Aleppo bishops, calling the unresolved case “an affront of deceit” and renewing a plea for truth and Christian solidarity in the Middle East. The statement referred to the kidnapping of Metropolitan Paul…

Apr 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Jerusalem Patriarch says Resurrection is ‘living reality’, urges Christians to remain in Holy Land

“The event of the Resurrection is not merely a remembrance of something belonging to the past, but subsists as a living and active reality, grounded in the mystical power of the Cross,” Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem said in his Easter message this year. “In the sacrifice of the Cross and the victory of the…

Apr 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew calls Resurrection message a ‘gospel of peace’ in Easter address

“The message of the Cross and the Resurrection resounds today as a Gospel of peace, reconciliation, and justice,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said in his Easter pastoral message. His All-Holiness stressed the profound significance of the Resurrection, describing it as “the manifest victory of life over death, renews all creation, and opens to humanity the…

Apr 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Greek Orthodox Church reiterates opposition to same-sex marriage and adoption after court ruling

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece has reiterated its position on the recognition of civil same-sex marriages and the possibility for such couples to adopt children, the Orthodoxia News Agency reported. The statement comes after Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled in March that the right of same-sex couples to adopt children is…

Apr 6, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew admitted to French Academy, warns on risks of AI to truth

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was admitted on Monday as an associate member of the French Academy, where he said the institution “places itself at the service of the principles of ethics and the common good.” The induction ceremony took place under the dome of the Académie Française, where His All-Holiness was formally received as an…

Apr 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Antioch Patriarchate urges Syrian authorities to act after attack on Christian city in Hama

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East has called on Syrian authorities to take action following an overnight attack on March 27–28 in the city of Al-Suqaylabiyah, in Syria’s western Hama region. Attack in Al-Suqaylabiyah The city was subjected to attacks and intimidation from surrounding areas, including acts of violence and vandalism…

Apr 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew says Akathist Hymn is ‘magnificent ode to freedom’ at Constantinople Conference

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said the Akathist Hymn is “a magnificent ode to freedom” at the opening of a conference marking 1,400 years since its first chanting. The event took place on Thursday, March 26, at the Marasli Patriarchal Urban School in Istanbul, Turkey, and was attended by hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, clergy, diplomatic…

Apr 2, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Churches and EU Officials mark 1,400 years of Akathist Hymn at Brussels event

Representatives of the Orthodox sister Churches and European Union institutions on Wednesday marked the 1,400th anniversary of the first chanting of the Akathist Hymn of the Mother of God at an event in Brussels. The gathering was organised by the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU) and took place…

Apr 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Jerusalem Christian leaders issue Easter appeal for peace amid Middle East conflict

Leaders of the Christian communities in Jerusalem, including the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, issued a Paschal message calling for peace amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that “a new and devastating regional war has once again plunged the…

Apr 1, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu