| On July 27, 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the delegations of Local Orthodox Churches, who came to Moscow for the millennium of the demise of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles. Photo: http://www.patriarchia.ru/ There were delegations of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Poland, the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and Orthodox Church in America. Present at the meeting were also Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative secretariat, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, and other ROC clergy in charge of inter-Orthodox relations. Addressing the gathering, Patriarch Kirill said in particular, ‘One thousand years have elapsed since the demise of the Baptizer of Rus’, but his memory has not died away to become an exclusive property of academic science, but continues living in the hearts of millions of the faithful in all the nations who derive their sources from the Dniester baptismal font… Alien to one another and capable of indifference, strife or political union before, the nations, by their communion with Christ, became one Body of His Church, uniting in the Spirit of God with all who are near and who are far and opening up anew in brotherly love’. His Holiness said that the commemoration days of such Baptizers of nations as Prince Vladimir, King Boris of Bulgaria, Prince Rostislav of Moravia, St, Nina the Enlightener of Georgia, and others are not only national days but also the celebration of the Plenitude of the Church. ‘We see today that the commemoration celebrations devoted to the Baptizer of Rus’ have brought together representatives of Churches from all over the world who like loving brothers celebrate our unity’. Patriarch Kirill also spoke about unity as a characteristic of the Church of Christ and a value for any Orthodox Christian. ‘It is the greatest gift of God that, despite many political and other conflicts, we have preserved our unity… We are united in that together we repulse those who wish to sow discord and divisions in the Church… |
| 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 The policy of the Ukrainian authorities to destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was stated at a meeting of the UN Security Council DECR Communication Service, 03.08.2023. On 26 July 2023, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council was held, the topic of which was the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian authorities. In her statement, the Director of the Alliance of Civilisations, Ms. Nihal Saad, stated in particular that, according to the " Review of the human rights situation in Ukraine " published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, during the reporting period fr om February to April, violence against members and supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had increased. For instance, the Ukrainian authorities conducted searches in places of worship and other facilities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, announced suspicions against clergymen and placed several of them under house arrest, including one of the main hierarchs of the UOC, on the basis of little or no evidence (at the moment, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl is in custody - note). In addition, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine prematurely cancelled the contract with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church regarding the lease of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Also mentioned were illegal decisions of a number of city and regional councils, which banned the activities of the canonical Church on their territory, and actions of local councils, which are aimed at cancelling agreements with it regarding the lease of municipal property. " Thus, we are concerned that the cumulative impact of the government " s actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may be discriminatory, " summarised Nihal Saad. She also described as a worrying sign " an upsurge in hate speech and a number of incidents of violence against members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church " . According to the report, " officials, bloggers and opinion leaders used discriminatory and inflammatory rhetoric and openly incited violence " against clergy and supporters of the canonical Church, while " the government and law enforcement agencies failed to take effective action against incidents of hate speech " . |
| UN anti-blasphemy measures have sinister goals, observers say United Nations, November 24, 2010 Islamic countries Monday (November 22) won United Nations backing for an anti-blasphemy measure Canada and other Western critics say risks being used to limit freedom of speech. Combating Defamation of Religions passed 85–50 with 42 abstentions in a key UN General Assembly committee, and will enter into the international record after an expected rubber stamp by the plenary later in the year. But while the draft’s sponsors say it and earlier similar measures are aimed at preventing violence against worshippers regardless of religion, religious tolerance advocates warn the resolutions are being accumulated for a more sinister goal. “It provides international cover for domestic anti-blasphemy laws, and there are a number of people who are in prison today because they have been accused of committing blasphemy,” said Bennett Graham, international program director with the Becket Fund, a think tank aimed at promoting religious liberty. “Those arrests are made legitimate by the UN body’s (effective) stamp of approval.” Passage of the resolution is part of a 10-year action plan the 57-state Organization of Islamic Conference launched in 2005 to ensure “renaissance” of the “Muslim Ummah” or community. While the current resolution is non-binding, Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan reminded the UN’s Human Rights Council this year that the OIC ultimately seeks a “new instrument or convention” on the issue. Such a measure would impose its terms on signatory states. “Each time the resolution comes up, we get a measure of where the world is on this issue, and we see that the campaign has been ramped up,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based monitoring group UN Watch. While this year’s draft is less Islam-centric that resolutions of earlier years, analysts note it is more emphatic in linking religion defamation and incitement to violence. That “risks limiting a broad range of peaceful speech and expression,” Neuer argues. |
| Introduction The general meaning of the word “catholicity” in the under- standing of linguists and theologians is approximately the following: catholicity means general, common, universal (in the qualitative and quantitative senses), whole, total, existing and meaningful for all, one and plural at the same time, possessing organic unity. In the Christian understanding, catholic means possessing the fullness of all the positive qualities necessary for the well-being and salvation of all mankind; 1 accepted by the Church everywhere, always and by everyone; 2 possessing the wholeness of truth and holiness; infinitely multiform but united in God in faith and church organization. According to the Slavophiles, catholicity unites all Christians in faith, freedom, and love, in the Holy Spirit, in the revelation of God, and in Holy Tradition. Catholicity can be related to the whole universe inasmuch as it is renewed in Jesus Christ and inasmuch as the Church has the gift and the purpose of communicating the fullness of God to the whole world. Catholicity means particularly confessing the true doctrine (Orthodoxy), or belonging to the Orthodox Church. In Patristic thought catholicity is not only the inner property of the Church, but is manifested with evidence in her unity in time and space and also in the general organization of the Church (according to the Roman Catholics, in the Papacy). Finally, catholicity originates in the will of God the Father to save mankind. It is accomplished in Jesus Christ 3 in whom dwells the saving fullness and perfection. Catholicity is given by the universal life-creating power of the Holy Spirit in a variety of His gifts. The Protestant understanding differs from that of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic in that catholicity is recognized to be limited and relative; it means general comprehensiveness, a rather vague principle of unity acceptable for many. It can also be understood as something which is generally accepted by all mankind. The general abstract scheme of catholicity can be described in this way: any being in which unity and plurality are internally united possesses catholicity. This being does not possess catholicity if it is comprised of parts which are united only externally. The unity on which catholicity can be based must possess such a fullness of existence which would be capable of comprehending the whole being. This unity can possess two forms: it can be the principle from which all other forms of the being proceed (for example Jesus Christ as the source of the existence of the Church) ; or it can be a principle of consubstantiality which from within determines the form of existence of all the component elements of the being (for example, the common nature of the Church of all nations throughout all ages). |
| 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 Address of the DECR chairman Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk at the meeting of the UN Security Council On January 17, 2023, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, delivered an on-line address at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Dear Mr. Chairman: I thank you for the opportunity to address this distinguished gathering. The Russian Orthodox Church on her own and in cooperation with other Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant confessions and representatives of world traditional religions is taking part within the realm of possibility in defending the rights of religious believers all over the world, and Christians in particular. At present we have grave concerns about the flagrant violation of human and constitutional rights of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. It is difficult to overestimate peacemaking potential of Church and religion in interstate and civil conflicts. Orthodox Christianity has been a common spiritual and cultural basis of the life of people in Russia and Ukraine for many centuries and could help restore mutual understanding in future. Yet, the very basis of such dialogue is being undermined in Ukraine right now by the Ukrainian authorities’ attempts to destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which is not a political, but religious organization uniting over 12,000 communities and millions of Ukrainian citizens. On December 1, 2022, the Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council took a decision which in actual fact restricts the rights of communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The executive body issued instructions: – to draft a bill “on the impossibility of activities in Ukraine of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia.” Actually, this means the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, though her governing centre is in Kiev and not in Moscow and she is independent of the Russian Orthodox Church in its administration; |
| 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 A number of hierarchs of Local Orthodox Churches announced the creation of an international human rights association DECR Communication Service, 29.12.2023. The international human rights association " The Church against xenophobia and religious discrimination " was established by a number of hierarchs and clergymen of Local Orthodox Churches together with the non-governmental organisations " Public Advocacy " , " VSI Zmogaus teisiu apsauga " and " European institute for religion and law " which all have a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The corresponding agreement was signed on 19 December 2023, according to a press release issued by the Geneva Press Club. The creation of a new human rights association was a response to violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The coordinating council of the new human rights association included: Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Timothy of Bostra (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem); Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem); Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad); Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); Archpriest Demetrius Sidor, rector of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Uzhgorod (Ukrainian Orthodox Church). According to the press release, " religious leaders and human rights activists called on the Ukrainian authorities and President Zelensky to stop violations of the rights of the UOC believers and addressed the UN special mandate holders, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Council with statements about the facts of violations of the rights of this organization " . |
| 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 Metropolitan Hilarion concelebrates with His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of America and Canada, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York On July 10, 2021, with a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, arrived to the United States of America for a working visit. At the airport of New-York, His Eminence Hilarion was met by general consul of the Russian Federation in New York S. K. Ovsyannikov and clergy of the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral - Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov), Archpriest Jaroslav Lutoshkin and Rev. Mark Rashkov. On July 11, His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas Cathedral. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk concelebrated. Participating in the service were also Rev. Alessandro Margheritino, secretary of the Orthodox Church in America, and the clergy of the cathedral. Addressing Metropolitan Tikhon after the service, His Eminence Hilarion said: “Your Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, though much Metropolitan of All America and Canada! Allow me to extend cordial greetings to you on behalf of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, at the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York. On many occasions, you have been a guest of this cathedral - the center of the spiritual and liturgical presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the American land, but lately the pandemic has prevented you from visiting this church. And today when the pandemic, though weakened, is still there in the American continent, we have an opportunity to give you a cordial welcome here. This trial has fallen to the lot of all the nations in the world. We remember how on the last Pascha many churches in both Russia and here in America were closed for parishioners, though worship services were celebrated and the Bloodless Sacrifice continued to be offered, most people could see it only on the screens of their computers and could not be present at the service in the church. |
| Archbishop Louis Sako Once again, Christians are fleeing Iraq. But this time, it’s not because they are under attack from the jihadi extremists who have terrorized their communities for the past fourteen years. It’s not even because of ISIS, which physically occupied the Nineveh Plain until just recently. It’s because they have lost hope that they can ever trust their neighbors again. “The situation for Christians is catastrophic,” the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Babylon , Archbishop Louis Sako, told me during a recent trip to northern Iraq. According to the Hammurabi Human Rights Organizations , nearly half of the 120,000 Christian refugees who fled the Nineveh Plain to the camps controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government when ISIS attacked in June 2014 have now left the country for good. “Emigration actually increased after the liberation,” said Louis Markos, a town councilman from Baghdeda (also known as Qaraqosh), the regional capitol of the Assyrian homeland in the Nineveh Plain, about 20 miles southeast of Mosul. “When people went back and saw their houses ransacked, burned, or destroyed, they lost heart. They had waited for three years for their nightmare to end. It never did.” While the U.S. government has earmarked more than million in reconstruction funds to help restore vital infrastructure to the Christian and Yezidi areas in northern Iraq, so far local residents see only devastation. “We haven’t seen a dollar of U.S. reconstruction funds,” the Patriarch told me. “Nothing has come.” A U.S. official involved in the funding, which Vice President Mike Pence pledged personally to the Patriarch when he visited the White House in May, told me the money has been sent to U.S. AID in Erbil and to the United Nations. “It’s to be spent on restoring water and electricity in the Nineveh Plain,” he said. “But if there are no people, they can’t spend it. “It’s a chicken and egg problem, I admit,” he added. “No people, no power. No power and water, no people.” |
| Communiqu of the Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church Regarding the recent events in Kosovo and Metohija The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at their special meeting held at the Patriarchate on February 17, 2008 brings the following public address for the local and international media regarding the latest events in Kosovo and Metohija admin 21 February 2008 Source: www.serborth.org The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at their special meeting held at the Patriarchate on February 17, 2008 brings the following public address for the local and international media regarding the latest events in Kosovo and Metohija: As the Church has stated countless times in the past also now she states that Kosovo and Metohija was and must remain an integral part of Serbia, in accordance to the United Nations Charter, the Security Council Resolution 1244, as well as all other similar international conventions on human rights and the rights of a people and the protection of internationally recognized borders. Any other decision represents a violation of Divine and human laws, as well as an assault with long ranging consequences, for both the Balkans and all of Europe. All internationally recognized and ratified conventions, not annulled till now by any international act, beginning with the Agreement concluded in 1913, the international resolutions dated 1918 and 1945, to until the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 from 1999, together with the recent acceptance into UN membership of integral Serbia, all confirm that excluding Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia represents a form of violence equal only to the periods of occupations and tyranny, which we hoped definitely belonged to the past of Europe and the world. In this particular case it represents a new legalization of the centuries-old Ottoman tyranny and its impact on the entire region, as well as a repetition of the application of a Fascistic solution (that of Mussolini and Hitler) to the Kosovo question from the time of World War II, when Kosovo and Metohija were annexed to so-called Great Albania, when hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Serbs were expelled from their homes, just like in 1999, with the objective of not having them return, ever. |
| Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Our faith should not be regarded as stagnant or even obsolete Source: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Scholars’ Meeting at the Phanar (January 5, 2016) AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov Beloved and distinguished scholars, We warmly welcome you all to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to the Church of Constantinople, the Church of St. Andrew “the first-called of the Apostles” and his disciple, St. Stachys of “the Seventy Apostles,” an institution with a history spanning seventeen centuries, during which it has retained its administrative offices in this very city through times of majesty and times of martyrdom. As you all know very well and appreciate through your studies, this extraordinary region is filled with significance for our Church. It is here that St. John (the Apostle of love) wrote his Gospel; it is here that St. Paul (the Apostle to the nations) addressed the earliest Apostolic communities; it is here – in Asia Minor, not in Greece or Italy – that all of the earliest councils of the Church that defined and shaped the Christian doctrine were convened; and it is here that the spiritual treasures of Byzantium – its profound theological, spiritual and cultural legacy – have been faithfully maintained to this day. Nevertheless, as you are also aware and as you surely understand, Orthodoxy is a faith at once rooted in the past, yet at the same time a Church looking toward the future. It is characterized by a profound sense of continuity with the times and teachings of the Apostolic Church and the Church of the Fathers; but it is also a Church that draws from its rich heritage in order to respond to modern challenges and dilemmas. It is precisely this dual nature that permits Orthodoxy to speak boldly about critical contemporary issues – precisely because it is a “living tradition.” Dear friends, you are here at a critical time, a complex time, a challenging time – both for our Orthodox Church but also for the entire world. We have invited you for this personal encounter and exchange at the Phanar because we consider you as a small representative group of a much larger segment of our Church, a symbol of our loving concern for all those ministering to the Word of God in manifold ways throughout the world. You comprise theologians and historians, scholars and teachers, women and men from the United States and Europe, as well as from Asia and Australia. You educate and work with a wide range of people – Orthodox and non-Orthodox, Christian and non-Christian, academic and ecumenical – translating the fundamental principles of our faith in response to the vital challenges of our time. |
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