Orthodox Churches

OCA, ROCOR Metropolitans, hierarchs concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at ROCOR's NYC cathedral

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign, New York, NY, on Saturday, December 10, 2011. The celebration marked the first time in nearly 70 years that the primates and hierarchs of the OCA and ROCOR have concelebrated. It is noteworthy that the Liturgy was celebrated on the cathedral’s Patronal Feast of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, which was present during the Divine Liturgy.

Metropolitan Hilarion arrives in Holy Mount Athos

On December 14^th, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion began his pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos. Metropolitan Hilarion is accompanied by archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; protodeacon Alexiy Trunin; hierodeacon Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman; Leonid Sevastianov, executive director of the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation; and DECR staff members Anatoly Churyakov and Feodor Shulga.

Greek version of Patriarch Kirill’s book ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ presented in Thessaloniki

On December 13, 2011, the Greek version of Patriarch Kirill’s book ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ was presented at the Megaro Mousikis palace in Thessaloniki. The book was published with the support of the Archdiocese of Athens, En Plo Publishers and the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity.

Present at the event were Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki, the diocesan clergy, Russian General Consul A. Popov, the Russian Orthodox Church’s delegation as well as journalists and public figures.

The Patriarch of Romania at the Anniversary of the Saint Patron of Saint Spiridon the Old Church of Bucharest

On 12 December, the church of Saint Spiridon the Old celebrates its saint patron. Today, 11 December 2011, on the eve of the feast of Saint Hierarch Spiridon, the faithful of the parish enjoyed the presence of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

After the Vesper service celebrated in the holy place of worship, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon in which he eulogised the personality of Saint Hierarch Spiridon of Trimitunda.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Primate of the Church of Greece

On 11 December 2011, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visiting Greece with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of His Beatitude Hieronymus, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, met with the Primate of the Church of Greece at his residence.

After the meeting His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymus gave a reception on the occasion of the visit of the Russian Orthodox Church’s hierarch. Aalso invited were Metropolitan Vassileios of Elasson, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Messogaia and Laureotiki, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnais and Petroupolis, Bishop Feodorit of Nazianzus, Bishop Procopios of Christianopolos, Bishop Gabriel of Diavleia, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Greece Vladimir Chkhikvishvili, and Metropolitan Hilarion’s suite.