News

President Putin attends the opening of a Pilgrims House near the Jordan River

On June 26, 2012, during his visit to Jordan, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the inauguration of a Pilgrims House for Russian pilgrims in the territory of the religious and archaeological preserve ‘The Place of the Baptism of Jesus Christ on the Jordan River’.

Participating in the ceremony from the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem were His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine; Metropolitan Benedict of Philadelphia, patriarchal representative to Jordan; Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, general secretary of the Church of Jerusalem’s Holy Synod; and members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. The Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for institutions abroad; Archimandrite Isidore (Minaev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; and Hegumen Feofan (Lukyanov), deputy head of the Mission.

Faith and Order Standing Committee meets in Pinang, Malaysia

On June 17, 2012, the Standing Committee of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches met in Pinang, Malaysia. The Committee consists of 30 persons representing Local Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church and various Protestant denominations.

In the course of its work to last till June 23 the Standing Committee will sum up the work it has carried out for the last six years and consider the documents on ecclesiology and morality. It will also review the progress made in the work on the draft document on sources of authority in the Church, which had been initiated by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her diamond jubilee, the 60th anniversary of ascension to the throne, and together with her celebrates the whole Commonwealth, in which also lives a large number of Orthodox Christian Serbs.

As the spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Christians living in Australia and New Zealand, His Grace Bishop Irinej on behalf of all the faithful congratulated Her Majesty, stressing our joy that Her Majesty is both our Sovereign and Godmother to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic of Serbia.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej meets with Apostolic Nuncio Mr. Orlando Antonini in Belgrade

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch met today in the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade with Monsignor Orlando Antonini, Apostolic Nuncio.

Final day of the International Conference

The last working day of the International conference (313-2012), on May 5 at the Center Hotel in Novi Sad, with the blessing of the host, His Grace Bishop Dr Irinej of Backa, moderator of this stage of the meeting, Rev. Rüdiger Noll, gave the foreword to John Kinahan, the representative of the Forum 18 organization which role is the protection of human religious rights.