International

USA Orthodox Bishops aim to intensify cooperation between jurisdictions

The canonical Orthodox bishops in the United States of America aim to enhance spiritual unity, communication, and cooperation among the parishes of various jurisdictions situated in the same geographic areas. The canonical Orthodox hierarchs in the United States met this week in Cleveland, Ohio, for their ninth annual meeting under the chairmanship of the Greek Archbishop Demetrios of…

Oct 4, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou speaks in Bucharest about universal priesthood

The Very Rev. Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou spoke Tuesday evening about universal priesthood during a conference held at the Bucharest Faculty of Orthodox Theology. ‘Since the beginning and the end of all things is Jesus Christ, we always begin by invoking his name and making the sign of the Holy Cross,’ he said. Archimandrite Zacharias shared…

Oct 4, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Serbian Patriarch Irinej visits Holy Mount Athos

His Beatitude Patriarch Irinej of Serbia arrived on Monday, October 1, on the Holy Mount Athos, after commemorating together with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the soldiers who heroically sacrificed their lives during the First World War in Thessaloniki. In Karyes, the Holy Mount’s capital, the Serbian Patriarch was welcomed by the Civil Governor Konstantinos Dimca, and…

Oct 4, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Serbian Patriarch Irinej plant olive tree in Thessaloniki to send message of peace

His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Patriarch Irinej of Serbia on Sunday, Sept. 30, planted an olive tree at the Zeitenlik Military Cemetery in Thessaloniki sending a message of reconciliation and peace to the world on the centennial of the end of First World War. The event marking the 100th anniversary of the…

Oct 4, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America begins its annual meeting in Cleveland

On Tuesday, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America convened its ninth annual meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. The day began with a celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio. The Romanian Orthodox Church is represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas.…

Oct 3, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodoxy is largest religion in Latvia

According to the latest sociological survey, Orthodoxy is the largest religion in Latvia, with every fourth resident identifying as an Orthodox Christian. The survey was conducted by the SKDS research center, and the results were reported by center director Arnis Kakatins on his Twitter page, Orthochristian reports. According to this year’s survey, 26% of the population…

Oct 2, 2018Gheorghe Anghel

Newly-elected Greek Metropolitan of New Zealand enthroned at Wellington Annunciation Cathedral

His Eminence Myron Ktistakis, the newly elected Greek Metropolitan of New Zealand, was enthroned Saturday, September 22, at the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Wellington, Ekklisia Online reports. The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate during its working session in May 2018 elected the Very Rev. Archimandrite Myron Ktistakis as head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis…

Sep 25, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

VIDEO: 5 monks play semantron simultaneously at St Amphilochios the New canonization ceremony

In a video posted on Facebook by Mattheos Melianos, five Orthodox monks were playing the semantron simultaneously during the Divine Liturgy celebrated last week at St John the Theologian Monastery of Patmos on the occasion of the canonization ceremony of Saint Amphilochios the New. The semantron or semandron (Greek: σήμαντρον), or semanterion (σημαντήριον), is a…

Sep 25, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Miraculous church of Panagia Plataniotissa in Kalavryta

At the village of Plataniotissa, 30km northwest of Kalavryta, at a beautiful green location, is one of the holiest and most unique pilgrimages of Greece, Panagia Plataniotissa (All Holy Virgin of the Plane Tree) which is tucked inside the hollow of a large plane tree, Greek City Times reports. It’s a special and natural phenomenon which…

Sep 24, 2018Gheorghe Anghel

Joint declaration of Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw regarding the situation of Ukraine

Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw signed Friday a joint declaration in which they appeal ‘to all on whom depends the elimination of the church misunderstandings regarding the acquisition of autocephaly by the Ukrainian Church: please, do whatever is within your might to stave off the conflict concerning the question in order…

Sep 24, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Poland’s sole Orthodox hermitage celebrates 500 years of its holy site

The Skete of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves in Ordynki, near the town of Narev, the only Orthodox hermitage in Poland, celebrated 500 years of the holy site on which it is built. On Saturday, the feast of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the skete with pilgrims…

Sep 21, 2018Sorin Ioniţe