The website of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced that Elder Dobri Dobrev, known around the world for his great love and sacrifice of charity to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and people, has reposed in the Lord. He was 103 years old. “We regret to report that Dobri Dimitrov Dobrev (Grandpa Dobri), loved by all, reposed in the…
His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated Sunday the Divine Liturgy at the St George Cathedral in the Phanar, during which Metropolitan-elect Chrysostom of Symi was ordained to the episcopate. During its February 7 working session, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected the Very Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Pitsis, Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of…
Hieromonk Makarios of Simonopetra launched Saturday his latest volume entitled Mystagogie du Grand Carême. Essai de théologie du temps liturgique (Mystagogy of Great Lent. A theological essay on liturgical time). Attending the event was His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe. The book launch was held at the Holy Archangels Cathedral…
In an interview with Russia’s international news agency RIA, His Beatitude John, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, speaks about the current situation in Syria and the restoration of the country’s places of worship. He points out that both the terrorist acts and the war in Syria have no ties to “any particular religion or…
His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and all of Africa last month announced that online courses of Orthodox theology will be available at the St. Mark’s Academy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. According to the official website of the Patriarchate, those interested will be able to access Orthodox theology courses in English through email and…
Visiting Nicosia, at the invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos, Archbishop Demetrios of America received on Sunday the highest distinction in the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the gold medal of St. Barnabas, in a ceremony that took place at the headquarters of the Cypriot archbishopric. The distinction offered in the presence of the President of…
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America has announced the ordination and enthronement dates of Metropolitan-elect Nathanael of Chicago. The ordination of Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides to the Episcopacy will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City (319 East 74thStreet New York, NY 10021).…
Athonite monks celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the eastern side of the continent of Antarctica for the first time ever on January 30, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists. Footage of the monks’ visit was shot, and a video has been posted on the YouTube channel of the Information Portal of Holy Mt. Athos. The monks celebrated the Divine…
The Roman Colosseum will be illuminated by red lights later this month to draw attention to the persecution of Christians around the world, and especially in Syria and Iraq. On Saturday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. the Colosseum will be spotlighted in red, to represent the blood of Christians who have been wounded or lost…
On the day that God made Adam, He made him in the likeness of God. Male and female He made them, He blessed them and He named them ‘Man’. (Gen 5:1-2) Dear young Orthodox Christians in Germany, As bishops of your Church in Germany we wish to speak about some topical issues in this letter…
The Royal Hall of the National Art Museum hosted Wednesday a ceremony to award the Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, Aurel Vainer, the honorary citizenship of Bucharest. Attending the event was Patriarch Daniel who presented Aurel Vainer as ‘an example of solidarity and cooperation, both at local and at international level.’…
Many old Albanian Orthodox churches and the art they contain lie in ruins due to decades of neglect but they could attract tourists if they are repaired, according to experts. A man lights candles at The Orthodox church of Saint Mary in Labova Kryqit, Gjirokaster, Albania January 24, 2018. The government and the Orthodox church…
The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected unanimously Wednesday the Very Reverend Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides as Metropolitan of Chicago. Immediately following the election, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America stated: “I express my wholehearted congratulations on the election of Very Reverend Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides as Metropolitan of Chicago, wishing the abundant blessing of God…
The consecration ceremony of the century-long desired Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral is scheduled for the end of November to mark the 100th anniversary of Romania’s 1918 Great Union. We have looked into the next stages of construction that must be completed until the new Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest will be consecrated. ‘At present the works…
The Synod (assembly of bishops) of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja met Tuesday at the patriarchal residence in Bucharest under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. During the February 6 meeting, the hierarchs agreed on proposing Saint Matrona of Moscow to be added to the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The procedure…
‘Unity. Faith. Nation’ is the motto under which 2,500 young people from Romania and abroad will meet in Sibiu during the fifth edition of the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO) on 6-9 September 2018. The ITO 2018 event was launched officially at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sibiu, on the International Day of Orthodox Youth,…
During his Sunday homily Patriarch Daniel of Romania reflected on the parable of the prodigal son stressing the inestimable value of the human soul and spoke about man’s freedom, the mystery of repentance and God’s infinite forgiving love for every repenting sinner. The Romanian Patriarch noted that the Heavenly Father refers to us with a…
Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril will visit Bulgaria in early March. This is what the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zaharova said. “The visit of the patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill is planned for the 140th anniversary of the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke as a result of the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878). The program…
His Beatitude Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece celebrates on 7 February 2018 a decade since his election as head of the Greek Orthodox Church. His Beatitude Hieronymos II born Ioannis Liapis in Oinofyta, Boeotia, in 1938, is a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy and of the Faculty of Theology of the…
We released this year’s first issue of the Basilica.ro monthly review. The January 2018 edition is now available in colour pdf format for downloading and local distribution. Each monthly edition will feature select articles that had been published on the Basilica News Agency website during the previous month. Feel free to download, read and distribute the Good to Know.