| Patriarch Irinej places first stone in dome mosaic in massive cathedral of St. Sava in Belgrade Moscow, May 23, 2017 Photo from the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church May 22, 2017 is a day that will be recorded in the annals of the Serbian people’s beloved temple of St. Sava on Belgrade’s Vraar plateau. On this day, the first stones of the mosaic in the church’s dome were placed, reports the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church. During a special prayer service, in the presence of the hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej himself placed the first stone into the mosaic of the Ascension that will adorn the inside of the cupola of the massive St. Sava’s Cathedral. Then stones were also placed by Serbian President Tomislav Nikoli, Crown Prince Alexander II Karaorevi, and Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljevi. Photo from the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church During the ceremony, the Holy Synod awarded Alexander Djukov and G. Kirill Kravchenko, top officials of the Russian Gazprom Neft oil company, with the high decoration of the Order of St. Sava, second degree, for their great contribution to the construction of the St. Sava church. Earlier a donation agreement had been signed by the Society for the Construction of the Church of St. Sava, Gazprom Neft, and a Moscow-based international fund for assistance to UNESCO. Russian specialists have created unique and unprecedented large-scale icons for the looming Cathedral of St. Sava on Belgrade’s Vraar plateau. A solemn presentation of the mosaic decorations for the dome in St. Sava’s took place on December 3, 2016, with the participation of Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic. St. Sava’s Cathedral was conceived of as the patriarchal church for the Serbian Orthodox Church, and is the largest Orthodox Church in Europe. Its construction began in the 1930s on the place where the relics of St. Sava (1175-1236), the founder and first primate of the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church, were burned by Turkish order. After the 1941 bombing of Belgrade construction on the temple ceased altogether, resuming only in 1985. The inside surface area for mosaics is 183,000 square feet. 23 мая 2017 г. скрыть способы оплаты скрыть способы оплаты Смотри также Комментарии Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Archive Agreement on legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church is signed in Montenegro 4 August 2022 year 13:56 His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovi signed a fundamental agreement between the State and the Serbian Orthodox Church on its legal status in the country. The agreement signed in Podgorica on August 3, 2022, safeguards the property and other rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The document was signed in the presence of Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral and Bishops Vasilije of Srem and Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, who are the members of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Bishops Atanasije of Mileševa, Metodije of Budimlja and Nikši and Dimitrije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, the ruling hierarchs of the Serbian Patriarchate’s dioceses with parishes on the territory of Montenegro. Attending the signing ceremony were also Archimandrite Nektarije (Djuric), the chief secretary of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the high-ranking government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs and Minister of agriculture, forestry and water management Vladimir Jokovi, Minister of Human and Minority Rights Fatmir eka, Minister of Health Dragoslav Šeki, and Minister of Finance Aleksandar Damjanovi. Prime Minister Abazovi called the signed document ‘a message of peace and tolerance’ that opens a new page in the church-state relations in Montenegro. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije thanked the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet for their determination and efforts and pointed out that it took a long journey to be covered towards the agreement on the legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church. His Holiness mentioned with gratitude the work done by the late Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral and noted that the legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has been regulated largely due to his personal historical contribution. The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church addressed all citizens of Montenegro irrespective of their world outlook, religious beliefs or nationality, saying, “centuries have shown that we need one another, that we cannot live without other people and that we can do everything when we are together and when there is a place for the others in our hearts. May God bless Montenegro and all people who live here or visit the country.” DECR Communication Service /Patriarchia.ru Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также The Triumph of Orthodoxy and Holy Icons The Triumph of Orthodoxy and Holy Icons An icon celebrating the veneration of icons, the Triumph of Orthodoxy is the festal icon for the first Sunday of Great Lent. As Lent is a period of communal fasting which continues for seven weeks, such triumphalism early on is understandable: it helps to strengthen the faithful for the coming days. From a Homily on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) From a Homily on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) The word anathema means severance, rejection. When the Church anathematizes a teaching, it means that that teaching contains blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and for the sake of salvation it should be rejected and removed, as poison is removed from food. Sunday of Orthodoxy Archpriest Alexander Schmemann Sunday of Orthodoxy Archpriest Alexander Schmemann Rejoicing today in the triumph of Orthodoxy on this first Sunday of Lent, we joyfully commemorate three events: one event belonging to the past; one event to the present; and one event which still belongs to the future. Triumph of Orthodoxy Sunday Fr. Thaddaeus Hardenbrook Triumph of Orthodoxy Sunday Fr. Thaddaeus Hardenbrook After the exercise of Clean Week, the wisdom of the Church grants us a rest in the joy of Triumph of Orthodoxy Sunday. The First Sunday of Lent: The Sunday of Orthodoxy The First Sunday of Lent: The Sunday of Orthodoxy The theme of the victory of the icons, by its emphasis on the incarnation, points us to the basic Christian truth that the one whose death and resurrection we celebrate at Easter was none other than the Word of God who became human in Jesus Christ. Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787). The Holy Icons. Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787). The Holy Icons. The Iconoclasts, by repudiating all representations of God, failed to take full account of the Incarnation. They fell, as so many puritans have done, into a kind of dualism. Regarding matter as a defilement, they wanted a religion freed from all contact with what is material; for they thought that what is spiritual must be non-material. But this is to betray the Incarnation, by allowing no place to Christ’s humanity, to His body; it is to forget that man’s body as well as his soul must be saved and transfigured. Комментарии © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru |
| Archive On the Nativity day the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated Great Compline at the Church of Christ the Saviour 7 January 2020 year 20:53 In the evening of January 7, 2020, the feast of the Nativity of the Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Great Compline at the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. His Holiness was assisted by a great number of bishops, priests and abbots. Among his concelebrants were also representatives of Local Orthodox Churches to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, including Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Orthodox Church of Antioch; Bishop Anthony of Moravici, Serbian Orthodox Church; Archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis), Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Archimandrite Feoktist (Dimirov), Bulgarian Orthodox Church; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; Archpriest Daniel Andreyuk, Orthodox Church in America. Among the worshippers were abbesses, Moscow clergy, members of parish councils, staff members of synodal departments, and numerous believers. Present in the church was also the chairman of the State Duma committee for developing the civil society and for relations with public and religious associations. The Patriarchal service was broadcast live by the TV Tsentr and Soyuz TV channels with commentaries made by Prof. A. Svetozarsky, Moscow Theological Academy. Patriarch Kirill read the Gospel pericope from the old gospel of the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, which is brought out of the sanctuary twice a year for the Nativity and Pascha Great Compline. After the service, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutisty and Kolomna extended compliments of the season to Patriarch Kirill on behalf of the Holy Synod and all the worshippers, saying in particular, “Your Holiness, you address not only the faithful of the Church of Christ, but also show spiritual concern the salvation of the world and each human… We have invariably heard your primatial words and wise advice with analysis of what is going on in the world and in the Russian Orthodox Church”. Patriarch Kirill also received flowers from theological students and young worshippers. His Holiness addressed himself to the congregation with a primatial homily. He also congratulated Metropolitan Juvenaly on the 60th anniversary of his ministry in holy orders and presented him with a pectoral icon. Then, according to tradition, the clergy and laity of the diocese of Moscow extended congratulations to Patriarch Kirill as their ruling bishop. Patriarchal Press Service Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina elected as new head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev, August 13, 2014 On August 13 the results of elections of the new Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine have been announced, reports the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. By decision of the Council of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitanate of Kiev Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina has been elected as the new primate of UOC (the Moscow Patriarchate). 48 bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church voted in favor of him. The elections have been held in two rounds. After the first round, the leaders’ collected votes tallied: Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina – 36, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary – 24, Metropolitan Simeon of Vinnitsa and Mogilev-Podolsky – 9. Metropolitan Onuphry was born on November 5, 1944 in Chernovtsy Region in the family of a clergyman. He took monastic vows in 1971 and in 1988 graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree in theology. In 1988 he was appointed Father-Superior of the Dormition Pochayev Lavra where he served until November 1990. On December 9, 1990, he was consecrated Bishop of Chernovtsy and Bukovina. In 1994 he was raised to the rank of archbishop, and in 2000, to the rank of metropolitan. The Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed the election of Metropolitan Onuphry and is expecting him to perform his peacekeeping mission successfully, reports Interfax-Religion. " We welcome the election of the new leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, " Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, the secretary for the inter-Orthodox relations at the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax-Religion. " The Bishops Council has demonstrated unity, which is particularly important amidst what is happening in Ukraine, " said Father Igor. He also stressed that Metropolitan Onuphry " is well known for his spiritual qualities—he is a man of fervent prayer and a true monk. " " We hope that under his leadership, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will successfully perform its peacekeeping mission aimed at resolving the situation in the country, " the priest said. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has confirmed the decision of the Council of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and has given Metropolitan Onuphry his patriarchal blessing to assume the office of primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. 13 августа 2014 г. Смотри также Комментарии Francisco Hernandez Gamboa 14 августа 2014, 05:00 Me permito felicitar a la nueva cabeza de la Iglesia Ortodoxa en Ucrania,que Dios nuestro secor lo siga guiando en este muy dificil momento por el que pasa ese Pais,Dios lo bendiga. Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Between hierarchism and conciliarity Although the Orthodox believe that their Church constitutes one single body, institutionally, it is a complex system of communities, which are structured hierarchically. It is a common belief that there is a strict hierarchy in the Orthodox Church. This is true, though partly. The Orthodox Church is in fact a fellowship of the Local Churches, without definite hierarchy between them. Also within the Local Churches the conciliar system is quite strong. Alongside the traditional synodal institutions, where mostly Church hierarchs take part, the Orthodox Church retains much of laic participation in the crucial decision-making. An active laic participation in the Church life was strengthened at the beginning of the XX century. That epoch was marked by radical social changes and revolutions with lower social classes taking upper hand in the political and social life. Similar processes penetrated deep into the life of the Orthodox Churches, having become a sort of ‘socialist’ fashion. In many Local Orthodox Churches the hierarchical synodal system, consisted exclusively of bishops, was transformed into a mixed system, with combination of both hierarchical and laic elements. In the Russian Church, for instance, this ‘socialistic’ trend took shape of a so-called ‘Local Council’ (Поместный Собор). In the Orthodox tradition, the institution of a local council always meant a gathering of bishops only. At the beginning of the XX century, however, under the influence of the social reformations, it was transformed into a sort of clergy-laic congress which included delegates from both clergy and laity. Moreover, this ‘socialistic’ kind of ‘Local Council’ was given an ultimate authority in deciding over the most crucial issues of the Church life. The same processes happened in other Local Churches. For instance, in the Church of Constantinople, the institution with the highest authority consisted of two bodies (δο σματα), hierarchical and laic. A similar institution, Congress of clergy and laity (Κληρικολακ συνλευση) for a long period of time elected Primates of the Church of Greece and took most important decisions in the life of this Church. This list can be continued. Nowadays the institution of mixed hierarchical-laic councils is in decline. Some Local Churches got rid of it long time ago. Some are just in the transition process of coming back to the hierarchy-only councils. |
| Archive A hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the first ever liturgy on Mindanao Island in the Philippines 25 June 2018 year 16:37 On June 23-24, 2018, the administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in East and South-East Asia, Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, visited Orthodox communities of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Davao and Kotabato provinces in the Philippines. Those who accompanied the archpastor during his trip to Asia included Hieromonk Pitirim (Dondenko), secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes administrator in East and South-East Asia and senior priest at the church of the Dormition in Singapore; Rev. George Maksimov of the St. Sergius of Radonezh church at Businovo, Moscow; Hierodeacon Juvenaly (Lapshin) cleric of the church of the Life-Giving Trinity at Ostankino, Moscow; D. Petrovsky, Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations; N. Sokolov and K. Marschuk of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative secretariat, sent on service to the Moscow Patriarchate communities in the Philippines; Rev. Stanislav Rasputin, Metropolia of Petrozavodsk; Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), Metropolia of Belgorod; and Rev. Siluan Thompson (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia mission in the Philippines), rector of the church of St. John of Shanghai at Santa Maria village on Mindanao Island. On June 23, Archbishop Sergiy celebrated the first ever hierarchal divine service of the Russian Orthodox tradition on Mindanao Island at the chapel of the Parish of Blessed Matrona of Moscow. For the prayerful memory, His Eminence presented the parish with a lectern icon of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow. On June 24, His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Arakan village, Kotabato province. It is the largest parish in the Philippines; on that day, over 150 people took the Holy Communion at the hierarchal liturgy. After the liturgy, Archbishop Sergiy convey to the flock a blessing from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and presented the parish with a set Eucharistic vessel and a lectern icon of the Nativity of the Moscow Holy Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary. Among the worshippers were Orthodox Philippians and Russians; the liturgy was celebrated in Church Slavonic, Sebuano and English. On the same day, the Russian Orthodox Church delegation visited the Parish of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Makalongot and the Parish of Ss Peter and Paul in Salasan, where thanksgivings were celebrated to the heavenly patrons of these communities. DECR Communication Service /Patriarchia.ru Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Ukrainian Orthodox priest is accused of desecration of national symbols Verbichno, the Ukraine, August 20, 2015 Archpriest Vladimir Greben, Rector of the Orthodox Church of Nativity of the Mother of God in the Verbichno village of the Turiysk district of the Ukraine’s Volhynia region, has been accused of “desecration of the national symbols”, reports Pravlife.org. The priest allegedly ordered to paint over the Ukrainian state emblem on the church gate. Deputy of the Volhynia regional council Alexander Pirozhik (the All-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda”) appealed to the public prosecutor’s office and the Security Service of the Ukraine with the request to look into the “provocation”. According to Archpriest Vladimir, provocations in Verbichno indeed took place and the priest has already reported them to the law-enforcement agencies. The life of the Orthodox community had been peaceful until several “activists” appeared; one of them intends to run for chairman of the village council this autumn. A month ago, the priest relates, these activists (it is the custom with those who seize churches) organized an assembly in the village in order to discuss the matter of jurisdiction of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, but there were no legal consequences of this. The painting over of the national emblem of the Ukraine was merely a scheduled repair of the fence round the church territory: the fencing was repainted in blue and during the works the upper yellow-blue plank on the gate was covered with a new layer of paint. Will the law-enforcement officers see a crime in this? It remains to be seen. According to the Pro.church.ua portal, there was no image of the national emblem on the church gate. On the very day when respective “loud” publications appeared in the Volhynia regional press, an assembly was held in Verbichno regarding a reformation of the village council. The activists took advantage of the opportunity and tried to give the discussion another turn: regarding the church jurisdiction; but the community was not interested in their initiative. According to Fr. Vladimir who has served in this village for 38 years, the new Church-political group of activists is closely linked with the All-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda” (“Freedom”) whose representative voiced the “sensational” request at the session of the Volhynia regional council on August 14, 2015. The Church of Nativity of the Mother of God was built in 1886. It is an architectural monument and, obviously, is another target of initiators of seizures of canonical Orthodox churches. 22 августа 2015 г. Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Archive Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion on the Annulment of Anti-Church Provisions in Montenegro’s Laws 7 February 2021 year 17:04 At the end of January, the president of Montenegro Milo ukanovi was obliged to sign into law amendments made by parliament on freedom of conscience, thereby abolishing provisions of legislations which were discriminatory towards the Serbian Orthodox Church. The amendments to the notorious 2019 law were voted for by the new parliament, in which for the first time in thirty years the pro-presidential party found itself in opposition. Commenting on this event on air in the The Church and the World TV programme, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion stated that ukanovi “at the time when his party was in power enacted a law by which church buildings could be taken away from the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, and this caused a huge wave of protest throughout all of Montenegro.” “Thousands of people, in spite of the restrictions brought in at the start of the pandemic, came out onto the streets to make clear that they would not hand over their churches and holy sites. The bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, including the ever-memorable metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amphilochius, fought for this discriminatory law to be abolished,” said the chairman of the DECR. He believes that it was the stubborn position of the Montenegrin president, who insisted that this law be brought into effect, is what led to his party being defeated. “The people will never forgive any attempts to get rid of holy sites,” metropolitan Hilarion emphasized, noting that ukanovi “did not heed the voice of the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church and those who had warned him what would happen.” “And it happened – and now his party finds itself in opposition,” continued the metropolitan. “The party which called for the removal of the discriminatory parts of the law won and now these discriminatory parts have been removed.” Metropolitan Hilarion is confident that this event is a huge victory for both the Serbian Orthodox Church and for all of canonical Orthodoxy. “Mr. ukanovi wanted to repeat in Montenegro that which happened in Ukraine under president Poroshenko. He achieved this only in as far as his political career is over in much the same way as Mr. Poroshenko’s political career is over. But the canonical church stood its ground and will stand its ground.” At the same time, His Eminence noted that the Serbian Church’s victory came at a price. In the autumn of 2020, the metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amphilochius died from coronavirus; he did more than anybody to ensure that the discriminatory parts of the law on freedom of conscience in Montenegro would be removed. DECR Communication Service /Patriarchia.ru Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Archive Holy Synod calls upon Primates of Local Orthodox Churches to initiate pan-Orthodox discussion on the church situation in Ukraine 14 September 2018 year 20:29 On 14 September 2018, at its extraordinary session , the Holy Synod adopted a statement concerning the uncanonical invasion of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. “The unilateral, uncanonical actions of the See of Constantinople in the territory of Ukraine, committed while ignoring completely the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, indicate a direct support for the Ukrainian schism. It constitutes a great temptation among the millions-strong flock of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that the Patriarchate of Constantinople, considering itself to be the Mother Church for the Ukrainian Church, gives to its daughter a stone instead of bread and a serpent instead of a fish (cf. Lk. 11:11),” the statement reads. The document notes that “in this critical situation, when Constantinople has practically refused to resolve the matter by means of dialogue,” the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to suspend the liturgical prayerful commemoration of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the con-celebration with hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. “In the event that the Patriarchate of Constantinople will continue to carry out its uncanonical activities in the territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we will be compelled to completely break off the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. All the responsibility for the tragic consequences of this division will lie personally with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the hierarchs supporting him,” the statement says. Being aware that the current situation puts in jeopardy the whole world Orthodoxy, the members of the Synod asked the Local Autocephalous Churches for support and called upon the Primates of the Churches “to fully realize our shared responsibility for the fate of the world Orthodoxy and initiate a fraternal pan-Orthodox discussion on the church situation in Ukraine.” Patriarchal Press Service Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
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