| www.chiesarussasanremo.it/ Sanremo, Italy, January 26, 2019 – On October 28 , the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Florence, Italy elected to move from the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to that of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) due to the outrageous interference of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukrainian Church affairs. On January 25 another Italian parish made the same decision. The Church of Christ the Savior, the Great Martyr Catherine, and St. Seraphim of Sarov posted an announcement on its website regarding the jurisdictional change. The parish had been part of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches of Western Europe that was suddenly stripped of its Exarchate status in late November and whose future is now uncertain. An Archdiocesan general assembly is being held on February 23 to discuss the Archdiocese’s response. The church originally belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church, being consecrated in 1913. It moved into the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in 1931. In a letter dated January 23 , Metropolitan Gennadios of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate for Southern Europe suspended the rector, Fr. Dionysiy, from the priesthood for a period of three months for unspecified “anti-canonical actions” and the failure to appear for an appointment at the See of Venice. In Constantinople’s understanding, the parishes of the former Exarchate are already under the geographically corresponding metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Greek dioceses throughout Europe—Met. Gennadios in the given case—though the Archdiocese has not accepted this understanding, continuing to operate under the episcopacy of Archbishop John (Renneteau) of Chariopoulis. The parish’s announcement, which came two days later, reads in full: Due to the aggressive actions of the Italian Metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople against our parish and its rector, we are forced to acknowledge that it is on longer possible to be in Eucharistic communion with this Patriarchate. As the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe is in full canonical and Eucharistic communion with Constantinople, we have decided with great sorrow to leave its jurisdiction and we hope that the parishes of the Archdiocese will return to the Mother Russian Church at the assembly on February 23. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Primate of the Malankara Church arrives in Russia DECR Communication Service, 03.09.2023. On September 3, the Primate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, arrived in Russia at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. The delegation accompanying His Holiness consists of Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos of the Northeast American Diocese, Vice-President of the Department of Ecumenical Relations, President of the Working Group for Coordinating Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church; Metropolitan Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos of Niranam, Holy Synod secretary; Metropolitan Yuhanon Mar Demetrios of Delhi, President of the Department for Ecumenical Relations; Metropolitan Abraham Mar Stephanos of the Diocese of United Kingdom, Europe and Africa, Vice-President of the Department for Ecumenical Relations; Chorebishop Philip Thomas, vicar of the Cathedral of St. Mary the Theotokos in Kuala Lumpur; Rev. Abraham Johns, principal secretary to His Holiness; Rev. Saji Varughese, Priest Trustee; Rev. Aswin Zefrin Fernandis, secretary of the Department of Ecumenical Relations; Rev. Johnson Baiju, secretary to His Holiness; Mr. Biju Oommen, Church Association Secretary; Mr. Jacob Mathew, Working Committee member; Mr. Kevin George Koshy, programme secretary for international relations of the Malankara Church. The Primate of the Malankara Church and his suit were met at Moscow Domodedovo airport by Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, co-chairman of the Working Group for Coordinating Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church; hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christians relations of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), secretary of the Working group; and hierodeacon Petr (Akhmathanov), a DECR staff member. |
| The Patriarch dismisses arguments against his unilateral actions as “black propaganda” Constantinople, October 23, 2018 Photo: spzh.news Finally responding to the pushback against his Patriarchate’s unilateral actions in Ukraine, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has insisted that he will not back down in Ukraine, meaning he will continue to work towards creating an autocephalous Church in Ukraine, although the nation is already the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the headship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting of the city government of the Greek diaspora in Constantinople, Pat. Bartholomew argued that his actions are based on the sacred canons of the holy Orthodox Church and are binding on the entire Church, reports orthodoxia.info . To date, no other Local Orthodox Church that has spoken on the matter has supported Constantinople’s interpretation of the canons and its rights to act unilaterally within another Local Church. He also said that the Russian Church would eventually have to submit and obey his decisions: “Whether or Russian brothers like it or not, sooner or later, they will follow the decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarch, because they have no other choice.” Rather than addressing the in-depth historical and canonical arguments being put forth by Orthodox Synods, primates, and hierarchs around the world, Pat. Bartholomew instead said he is aware of Russian “black propaganda” and “well-paid articles.” He did not mention how much he believes the Russian Orthodox Church is paying other Patriarchates to voice their views. “Our Slavic brothers cannot tolerate the primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and our nation in Orthodoxy,” the Ecumenical Patriarch added. It is unclear what “nation” he is referring to, as he is an ethnic Greek, and the Churches of Greece, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria are also dominated by Greeks and have shown no support or spoken directly against Constantinople’s actions. |
| Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod Statement on the Communique Published by the Patriarchate of Constantinople Source: DECR The reaction of the Moscow Patriarchate will follow at the earliest possible date. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expresses its resolute protest against and deep indignation at the communique published on September 7, 2018, by the Chief Secretariat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople Holy Synod announcing the appointment of two hierarchs of this Church – Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon (USA) and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton (Canada) as ‘exarchs’ of the Patriarchate of Constantinople for Kiev. This decision has been adopted without an agreement with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine and has constituted a gross violation of the church canons prohibiting bishops of one Local Church to interfere in the internal life and affairs of another Local Church (Second Ecumenical Council Canon 2; Council of Trullo Canon 20; Council of Antioch Canon 13; and Council of Sardica Canons 3, 11 and 12). It entirely contradicts the up-until-now invariable position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and personally Patriarch Bartholomew, who has repeatedly stated that he recognizes His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry as the only canonical head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The Patriarchate of Constantinople’s decision to admit to examination the issue of granting autocephaly to ‘the Orthodox faithful of Ukraine’ has been made against the will of the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who have unanimously spoken for the preservation of her existing status. To justify its interference in the affairs of another Local Church, the Patriarch of Constantinople has produced false interpretations of historical facts, referring to his alleged exclusive powers, which he actually does not have and has never had. These actions lead the relations between the Russian Church and the Church of Constantinople to a deadlock and create a real threat to the unity of the whole world Orthodoxy. |
| Patriarch Bartholomew: Genuine sport ultimately promotes tolerance, dialogue and reconciliation among communities and countries Source: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Message By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew For the Opening of the FIFA World Cup. It is with great joy that we respond to the gracious invitation of Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, the honorable President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, to offer a brief message on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in the beautiful country once known as “the land of the holy cross.” There are some manifestations of human civilization that rise above man-made limitations. These signs have always been considered as transcending the worldly order and reaching the divine sphere. Among these, since classical times, athleticism and sport have proved to be inspired and blessed by heaven, demonstrating the drive among human beings to reach above and beyond their given nature. In this perspective, modern sport and competition have the capacity to rise above racial and cultural discrimination, as well as above financial and political differences, while at the same time contributing to social stability and global peace. Genuine sport ultimately promotes tolerance, dialogue and reconciliation among communities and countries. However, beyond these sublime goals and values, organized international sport should at the same time remember those who are easily unnoticed or overlooked in the excitement and exhilaration of the events involving the world’s leading athletes and sponsored by powerful companies. We are, of course, referring to the poor and vulnerable, who are often marginalized or harmed by the same international events. It is our humble prayer and fervent hope that the FIFA World Cup will contribute to world peace and stability, while also proving instrumental in supporting the poorest of the poor in the host country of Brazil and throughout the world. At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 12 th of June, 2014 |
| Patriarch Bartholomew: The unnecessary loss of life is always difficult to comprehend Source: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Message By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew On The Tragic Sinking Of The South Korean Ferry It is with heavy heart that we continue to witness, together with the entire world, the fateful consequences of the tragic sinking of the South Korean ferry, which cost so many young lives, wrenching from them their innocent dreams and aspirations, while devastating entire families and changing them forever. At this sad hour, we offer our heartfelt prayer to the survivors and our consolation to the families of all the victims. The unnecessary loss of life is always difficult to comprehend, but it is particularly unfathomable when it comes to young men and women at the very prime of their education and dynamism. The political and civil authorities in South Korea will undoubtedly discern the painful causes and rightful accountability pertaining to this maritime calamity over the days and weeks ahead. However, our attention and supplication are primarily directed to the victims and their loved ones. No word suffices to describe the stress and suffering of these young students and their teachers – both the hundreds who regrettably drowned and the scores who barely survived. Silence is perhaps the most fitting response in their memory and honor. Still, we pray for the repose of the dead, the discovery of the missing, the comfort of the rescued, the strength of their kin, the endurance of the teachers, the forgiveness of those responsible, and the solidarity of an entire world that mourns together with the wonderful people of South Korea. Among them all of us at the Ecumenical Patriarchate have been praying from the minute we learned of this tragedy. In this “bright week” that follows Easter in the Orthodox Church, we take consolation in the fact that the light of the risen Lord shines more brightly than all the darkness that we see around us at this time of sorrow. Christ is Risen! |
| According to the head of the Opposition Bloc in the Verkhovna Rada, such actions are aimed at exerting pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church © Mikhail Palinchak/Press Office of the President of Ukraine/TASS KIEV, December 3. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) is questioning about 20 priests from the Rovno and Sarny Dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, head of the Opposition Bloc faction in the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Vadim Novinsky said at a meeting of the Rada’s conciliation board. “At this very moment, SBU investigators are questioning about 20 priests from the Rovno and Sarny Dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” he said. According to Novinsky, such actions are aimed at exerting pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church “for one purpose – to compel the prelates of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to participate in the unification council of the so-called local church, which the people are already calling ‘the church of the Poroshenko Patriarchate’.” On Friday, agents from the Ukrainian spy agency conducted searches at the residence of Metropolitan Pavel, the head of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (or the Kiev Monastery of the Caves), as well as in the monastery’s country farm located in the Voronkov settlement, in the Kiev Region. The SBU was investigating Metropolitan Pavel under a criminal code covering “violations of civil equality depending on ethnic or religious background, and incitement to religious hostility.” A booklet and Metropolitan Pavel’s international passport were seized during the searches. The Lavra’s head slammed the spy agency’s actions as political pressure on him. Ukrainian church crisis On October 11, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople confirmed its decision to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, and revoked the 1686 decision on transferring the Kiev Metropolitanate under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. In addition, Constantinople lifted the anathema from the leaders of Ukraine’s two non-canonical churches, Filaret of the Kiev Patriarchate and Makary of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. In response to these decisions, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church ruled on October 15 that full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was no longer possible. |
| Russian Church Suspends Commemoration of Pat. Bartholomew and Concelebration with Constantinople Hierarchs, Eucharistic Communion not Broken Source: OrthoChristian Photo: asianews.it As a result of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s appointment of two exarch bishops in Ukraine without any blessing from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved at its extraordinary session today that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will cease commemorating His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople during the Divine Liturgy. The primates of the world’s 15 autocephalous Orthodox Churches typically commemorate one another at various points during the Divine Liturgy. They also resolved to suspend concelebration with Constantinople hierarchs and to suspend participation in all structures chaired or co-chaired by representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), the head of the Department for External Church Relations, stated at a press briefing today, as RIA-Novosti reports. However, these measures do not indicate a break in Eucharistic communion: “Eucharist communion between the Churches has not been interrupted. This decision does not deprive the clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church of the possibility of holding joint services,” explained Patriarchal Press Secretary Fr. Alexander Volkov. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church previously stated that it will break Eucharistic communion with Constantinople in the case that it grants autocephaly to a Ukrainian church. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine also announced at the meeting today that the canonical Church will not be meeting with the exarchs, who have already arrived in Kiev, inasmuch as they have no blessing to be on the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| UOC Official Believes Most of its Parishioners Won’t Leave for Constantinople’s “Autocephaly” Source: Interfax-Religion In spite of Constantinople’s plans to set up a new church structure in Ukraine, majority of parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not leave it, head of the UOC administration Metropolitan Antony of Borispol and Brovary believes. “Our Church does not accept this action and will not serve together with this “church”. The Church is a big spiritual family and it means that majority of our believers and parishioners will stay in the canonical Church, they won’t betray their pastors, as they love them and follow them,” the metropolitan said in his interview with the Romfea Greek news agency. Some people will leave, but very few, mainly those who caused problems . The hierarch noted that Ukrainian families would face disputes, “our churches will be seized, brothers will fight against each other, there will be conflicts,” the events of the 1990-s when Ukraine went through the schism would repeat. Metropolitan Antony said that believers and clergy “have a terrible feeling about this.” “We’re expecting the worst,” he said. The UOC official laments that Patriarch Bartholomew with his recent statements only deepened the schism existing in Ukraine. “Our Church is under great pressure and the Mother-Church instead of protecting her daughter only adds fuel to the fire,” the metropolitan said and added that “persistent and stubborn attempts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to heal the schism in Ukraine with autocephaly are not a medicine, but poison both for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the whole body of the Ecumenical Orthodoxy.” The UOC administration head repeated the idea to call for a special Council. “From the history of the Church we see that as soon as a problem, heresy or schism appeared, Local or Ecumenical Council were called for. (…) Only together, with prayer, considering what is good for the Church, under guidance and blessing of the Holy Spirit we will find the settlement of the problem and avoid even greater problems,” the hierarch believes. |
| Source: Basilica News Agency January 23, 2016 Address of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, delivered in the opening of the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches, January 22, 2016, Chambésy, Switzerland: Your Holiness, Your Beatitudes, Your Eminences, Your Graces, Dear brothers in Christ, First, we give thanks to God for this blessed event that allows us to express our co-responsibility for the life of the entire Orthodox Church and to collaborate for the assembly of the future Holy and Great Orthodox Synod. We are grateful to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for inviting us to this Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches held at the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland. Furthermore, we appreciate the works undertaken by the representatives of the Orthodox Churches during the last meetings of the Special Commission for Preparing Documents of the Holy and Great Synod and during the fifth Pre-Synodal Conference, even though there are still several aspects regarding the final form of the documents that need to be clarified or dealt with. The introductory report of the Ecumenical Patriarch indicates that the final preparation of the Holy and Great Orthodox Synod represents a difficult task, but not an impossible one when we ask the help of God and collaborate with great responsibility. The entire world has already been informed regarding the summoning of the Holy and Great Orthodox Synod later this year, in the month of June. On the other hand, there are some Orthodox theologians, monastics and lay people who consider the Pan-Orthodox Synod unnecessary for the moment, or that it has not been sufficiently prepared (although over 50 years were dedicated to its preparation). In order to emphasize the necessity of the meeting of the future Holy and Great Synod, we must recall that conciliarity represents a canonical norm of the ecclesial life in every Autocephalous Orthodox Church. However, synodality must also become a rule for universal Orthodoxy, by regular Synodal meetings (every 5, 7 or 10 years). From this point of view, the future Holy and Great Synod must not be considered an eschatological event, but rather an important historical event for the development of synodality on a Pan-Orthodox level. More precisely, other Pan-Orthodox Synods must successively follow the future Pan-Orthodox Synod, in order to discuss the themes on which consensus has not been yet reached, or other new themes related to current problems in the life of the Church or society, such as: family life; parish and monastery life against the phenomenon of secularization; massive migration, especially caused by armed conflicts or by economic crises; solidarity with persecuted Christians all over the world, and other major themes related to the pastoral and social ministry of the Church in the world. |
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