International Orthodox Christian News

They also discussed the cooperation with the UNESCO in there re-construction of destroyed churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija.

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With its own ruling hierarch, the Exarchate of Mexico now has full diocesan status in the Orthodox Church in America.

Among those present for the historic occasion were His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South, who for many years served as exarch of Mexico, and several founding clergy Mexican Church, including Priest Ramon Merlos and Priest José Raul Valencia.

Speaking in Spanish, Metropolitan Jonah shared his joy in announcing that the exarchate was being elevated to the status of a diocese, thereby fully equipping the Church in Mexico to accomplish the task Christ has set before it. At the end of the Rite of Installation, each bishop congratulated Bishop Alejo.

At present, the Exarchate of Mexico is made up of nine churches and missions, including Mexico City's cathedral, which minister to several thousand faithful.

"It is good to experience, participate in, and help build the Orthodox Church in Mexico as it now enters into this new chapter of its story," said Subdeacon Abraham Labrada, a Mexican seminarian studying at St. Tikhon's Seminary, South Canaan, PA. The seminary's mission choir sang the responses at Saturday evening Vespers and joined the cathedral choir in singing the Sunday Divine Liturgy.

"It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring weekend, and we were very blessed to be here," said guest choir director, Analucia Perdomo, of St. George Church, Pharr, TX. "Through our many visits over the past several years, we've been blessed to see the Mexican Exarchate grow, become a diocese, and now come into its own. It is great to, in some small way, have been part of it all."

In addition to Metropolitan Jonah and Archbishop Dmitri, other members of the OCA Holy Synod who participated in weekend celebration included His Eminence, Archbishop Nathanial of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; and His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West. Other clergy in attendance included Archpriests Ernesto Rios and Ramon Merlos; Archpriest Dennis Pihach, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canada; Igumen Nazario Ipac-Uribe; and Priests José Raul Valencia-Salinas, Jorge Barrera-Zermeno, Antonio Perdomo, and José Luis Serna-Estrada; and Priestmonks Victorin Torres-Martinez and Serafin Mendoza Segundo. A number of deacons, sub-deacons and monastics were also present for the weekend.

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SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] -- The Orthodox Church in America has shipped 276 copies of the new edition of the Orthodox Study Bible to Russia for distribution in theological academies and monasteries in Russia and Ukraine

"Several years ago, approximately $65,000.00 was raised in the OCA's 'Bibles for Russia' special appeal," said OCA treasurer, Priest Michael Tassos. "In September 2008, with the assistance of the representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, an amount of approximately $40,000.00 was transferred to the Russian Bible Society in response to their request that the OCA help fund a project of printing Bibles translated into the Chuvash language."

In consultation with His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, a portion of the remaining sum in the "Bibles for Russia" fund has been used to purchase copies of the Orthodox Study Bible for theological libraries in Russia and Ukraine.

"Fr. Zaccheus has informed us the theological academies in St. Petersburg and Kyiv are particularly excited about having this resource available to their faculty and students," Fr. Michael noted.

"Once the Study Bibles have been shipped and we have the exact figures of what remains in the account," Fr. Michael said, "we will determine how to use the rest of the funds to support the publication and/or dissemination of the Holy Scriptures in Russia."

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On January 26, Saint Nina's Cross was brought to the Dusk Prayer and put down at the center of the temple. This is the very cross with which the saint baptized the whole Georgia. The believers will have a chance to visit the cathedral in the evening of January 27 and worship the miraculous cross. Thanks to the prophecy of St. Nina, all Georgians' enlightener and the equal to the prophets, the Christianity was declared the state religion of Georgia in 326, during the reign of the King Mirian and Queen Nana.

The Georgian Orthodox Church marks St. Nina's Memory day twice a year. June 1 is the day when she arrived in Georgia, while January 27 is her death day.

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Your All Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, our dear and beloved brother in Christ and concelebrant, we Greet Your Holiness in the Lord, and address ourselves to you.

It is with great joy that we heard the joyous announcement of your most worthy election to the Patriarchal Throne of the Church of Russia .

Your spiritual person, your broad and well known theological knowledge, your many years of experience regarding ecclesiastical issues, especially your love for our Holy Church and the faithful people of God, provide the guarantee for your bright Patriarchal tenure.

We all wholeheartedly, therefore, pray that the Arch Shepherd Jesus Christ will strengthen your All Holiness, in constant health and much strength, and for many years, rightly keeping the word of His Truth, for the commendation and praise of the Russian Church and all Orthodoxy.

In congratulating you again for your most worthy election, we embrace Your All Holiness and remain Your beloved brother in Christ.

THEODOROS II,

Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa

In the Great City of Alexandria
28^th January 2008

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Based on this decision, the Catholicosate informs the community organizations, academic institutions, scholars and the general public of the following plans:

1) During October 29-30 2009, a conference will be held in Antelias, dedicated to the Adana massacres under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I. All those interested in participating in the event should contact the Catholicosate of Cilicia.

2) A Special Committee, in cooperation with The Department of Armenian Studies of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, will screen and sponsor publications related to the Adana massacres. The Catholicosate invites researchers, scholars, writers and all those who possess relevant works are invited to submit their proposals to the Catholicosate.

3) We invite all Armenians in the community who own valuable artifacts, photos and archive documents that relate to the Armenians of Adana and their massacre, to make them available to the Catholicosate for the planned exhibition.

The deadline to receive all materials is 31 March 2009. All contacts and enquiries should be addressed to:

Bishop Nareg Alemezian

Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia

Department of Ecumenical Relations

P.O.Box: 70 317

Antelias, Lebanon

Tel: +961-4-410001, +961-3-486943

Fax: +961-4-417 971

E-mail : ecumcil@armenianorthodoxchurch.org

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His Holiness Aram I headed to Dubai, the Unites Arab Emirates on January 29. During his visit to the country and the community, His Holiness will deliver his pontifical address at the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Sharja.

He will then preside over the fund-raising event planned to gather donations for funding activities related to the Armenian Cause. The Pontiff will also deliver a lecture at the American University of Sharja and hold a number of important meetings. His Holiness will return to Antelias on February 3.

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Moscow, January 28, Interfax - There is no meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on the immediate agenda of Kirill, who was elected on Tuesday as head of the Russian Orthodox Church, nor does Kirill take a different stance on the Vatican than late Patriarch Alexy II did, a Russian bishop said on Wednesday.

"Setting the date for a meeting [between Patriarch Kirill and] the Pope is not on the immediate agenda nor are there any immediate plans to bring forward such a meeting," Hilarion, Bishop of Vienna and Austria and the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to European organizations, told Interfax-Religion.

"The position of Metropolitan Kirill on his meeting with the Pope, or on the entire range of relations with the Catholic Church, for that matter, in no way differs from the position of the late Patriarch Alexy," Hilarion said.

"As the holy Patriarch Alexy said, and as Patriarch Kirill says now, such a meeting can take place when the problems that prevent such a meeting are solved," the Bishop said. "There is willingness on both sides to meet each other halfway and solve these problems."

"As for how soon they will be solved, we believe this depends on the leadership of the Catholic Church," Hilarion said.

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Vatican, January 28, Interfax - Pope Benedict XVI has sent his greetings to Patriarch Kirill, the newly elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church, expressing the hope for a broader dialogue between the two Churches.

"I assure Your Holiness of my spiritual closeness and of the Catholic Church's commitment to cooperate with the Russian Orthodox Church for an ever clearer witness to the truth of the Christian message and to the values which alone can sustain today's world along the way of peace, justice and loving care of the marginalized," the Pope says in a telegram, made available by Interfax-Religion on Wednesday.

"I have received with gladness the news of your election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. I warmly congratulate you and wish you every strength and joy in the fulfillment of the great task which lies before you as you guide the Church, over which you now preside, along the path of spiritual growth and unity," Pope Benedict XVI writes.

"In prayer, I ask the Lord to grant you an abundance of wisdom to discern his will, to persevere in loving service of the people, entrusted to your patriarchal ministry, and to sustain them in fidelity to the Gospel and the great traditions of Russian Orthodoxy," the Pontiff said.

"May the Almighty also bless your efforts to maintain communion among the Orthodox churches and to seek that fullness of communion which is the goal of Catholic-Orthodox collaboration and dialogue," Pope Benedict said.

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Metropolitan Kirill garnered 508 (72%) out of the 702 votes during the election on Tuesday. To be elected Patriarch, a candidate had to be supported by more than half of the delegates.

Another 169 votes (24%) went to Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk. Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, who was also nominated for Patriarch by the Bishops' Council several days ago, had withdrawn from the elections in favor of Metropolitan Kirill about two hours before the voting.

Out of the 702 ballots given out to the delegates for voting, 700 were retrieved from the ballot box, and 677 of them were found valid and the other 23 invalid. Metropolitan Isidor of Yekaterinodar and Kuban, the head of the tabulation board, proclaimed the result of the voting from the ambo of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The belfry of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior announced the election of the 16th patriarch of Moscow and All Russia by a peal of bells. The Czars' Bell started tolling first, and then all the other bells played a historic melody dating back to the 17th century. The Reut, one of the oldest bells in the Kremlin, also started chiming immediately after the voting result was announced.

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Moscow, January 27, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church will not make any compromise with other Christian confessions as far as faith is concerned, and will hold a dialog with the most sensible of them, Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill said.

"I would like to emphasize that there can be no question about compromise of faith with other confessions... On the contrary, many other confessions are attracted particularly by our firmness in our Orthodox belief, our endurance under the pressure of various forces willing to weaken the Christian presence in the modern world," Metropolitan Kirill said while presenting his report to the Local Council at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on Tuesday.

This is exactly how "they see the hope for the revival of the Christianity in Europe and the world," he said.

"Our dialog with other confessions is aimed at supporting those partners who are ready to oppose, together with us, the marginalization of religion, to speak out for believers' rights and to build one's life according to one's own principles, to defend the underlying meaning of morality in the life of an individual and society," the Patriarchal Locum Tenens said.

"Today, Christianity is, on the one hand, experiencing the pressure of aggressive and ungodly secularism, which dominates Western society. On the other hand, it is suffering from a number of attempts by Protestant communities to radically review Christianity and the Gospel morality, which in effect facilitates the aforesaid secularist pressure," the hierarch said.

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Moscow, January 27, Interfax - In many respects, it was acting Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill, who prevented attempts of Western missionaries to gain control over Russian people in the early 1990s.

"Metropolitan Kirill very firmly, emotionally and toughly talked with all these Western people, both state and religious figures. Then we made many of them change their mind, many of these people winded down their work in Russia, and now we see that such are activities are not developed any more," deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said on air Radonezh radio.

According to him, rumors that "Metropolitan Kirill is going to surrender Russia to the West are myth."

"He is person who clearly understands that there is no Russia without Orthodoxy and doesn't accept any attempts to make Russia Catholic, Protestant or some pseudo-Orthodox country, where the Church will be dissolved in reforms or changed by some kind of reforms," Fr. Vsevold stressed.

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Moscow, January 27, Interfax - Patriarch Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, one of the three candidates for the Moscow Patriarchal See, withdrew his candidacy at a Church Council session on Tuesday afternoon, a source attending the forum told Interfax-Religion.

The Church Council also decided not to nominate more candidates for Patriarch, the source said.

Thus, the Council has to choose the 16th Patriarch of the Russian Church from only two candidates: Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk. According to the credentials committee, 702 delegates are participating in the Council work.

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Moscow, January 25, Interfax - The Archbishop's Council of the Russian Orthodox Church has approved Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Metropolitan Kiment of Kaluga and Borovsk and Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, who is also the head of the Byelorussian Orthodox Church, as candidates for Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Kirill won 97 votes, Metropolitan Kliment - 32 votes and Metropolitan Filaret - 16 votes. Some 198 out of 202 bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate took part in the Archbishop's Council, with four being unable to attend it. Head of the counting board of the Archbishop's Council Metropolitan Isidor of Yekaterinodar and Kuban announced the results of the voting.

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Moscow, January 22, Interfax - Locum Tenens of the Moscow Patriarchal See Metropolitan Kirill has congratulated Barack Obama on his inauguration as U.S. president. "The American people pin hopes for the country's peaceful and creative development, for overcoming the serious economic crisis and for strengthening the principles of friendship and cooperation in international relations on your future work," Metropolitan Kirill said in a message of greetings, posted on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

"We live in a difficult time of political and economic contradictions and of numerous threats to peace and security," he said.

"The system of international relations is going through fundamental and fast changes, which deeply affect the interests of all nations and each individual. New challenges and threats of a trans-border nature are emerging. In such conditions, exclusive responsibility for the future of the world is vested on state and public figures," Metropolitan Kirill said. The Russian Church sees "adherence to inter-cultural and inter-civilization dialogue, and to the moral values in one's private and in the public and international life" as a way to resolve these problems, he said.

"A significant part of the American people stick to the Russian Orthodox tradition or are part of the Russian Church's flock. With representatives of other religious communities they contribute worthily to the country's national development and to strengthening its scientific and cultural ties," he added. Hopefully, "the new presidential administration will be attentive to their spiritual needs," Metropolitan Kiril said.

"I do believe that the spirit of trust and mutual understanding will be typical of our relations, and of the United States' relations with the nations, the Russian Orthodox Church ministers to," he said.

Diocese of Eastern America and New York

Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York

Bishop George of Mayfield, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York

Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York

Bishop Daniel of Erie, Vicar of the President of the Synod of Bishops for Old Believers

Bishop Ambroise (Cantacuzene)

1. Protopriest Alexey Petrovich Ohotin, Rector of Annunciation Church, New York
2. Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY
3. Alexei Serafimovich Slobodskoy, Parishioner of St Seraphim Church, Sea Cliff, NY
   

Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America

Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America

1. Protopriest Andre Papkov, Senior Priest of Holy Protection Cathedral, Chicago, IL
2. Archimandrite John (Magramm), Rector of Resurrection of Christ Skete, Fridley, MN
3. Andrei Pavlovich Urtiev, Treasurer of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America
   

Diocese of San Francisco and Western America

Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America

Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco and Western America

1. Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, Rector of Transfiguration Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA
2. Peter Alendrovich Karakozoff, Parishioner of the Cathedral of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” San Francisco, CA

Diocese of Montreal and Canada

Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada

1. Yuri Georgievich Miloslavsky, Administrator of the Chancery of the Diocese of Montreal and Canada
   

Diocese of Berlin and Germany

Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany

Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, Vicar Bishop of the German Diocese

1. Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff
2. Hegumen Evfimy (Logvinov)
3. Michael Gorachek
   

Diocese of Great Britain

1. Priest Peter Baulk
2. Vera Alexandrovna MacNagan
   

Diocese of Western Europe

Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe

1. Protopriest Pavel Nikolaevich Tsvetkoff, Senior Priest of Elevation of the Cross Cathedral, Geneva, Switzerland
2. Bernard Petrovich le Caro, Member of the Diocesan Council and of the Commission on the New Martyrs Glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
   

Diocese of South America

Bishop John of Caracas, Administrator of the Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in South America

1. Protopriest Vladimir Nikolaevich Skalon, Rector of Resurrection Cathedral, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Igor Nikolaevich Andrushkevich, Parishioner of Resurrection Cathedral, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Diocese of Australia and New Zealand

1. Protopriest Michael Protopopoff, Rector of Church of Our Lady’s Dormition, Dandenong, Australia, Dean of Victoria
2. Abbess Anna (Karipoff), Presentation Sisterhood, Bungarby, Australia
3. Protodeacon Alexander Kotliaroff, Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, Sydney, Australia
   

A complete list of delegates to the Council may be viewed here (in Russian).

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Hindus have praised Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania for promoting “respect towards the environment” and calling over-exploitation and contempt towards nature an “unforgivable abuse”.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauded Archbishop His Beatitude Anastasios’s powerful stand in this regard: “…cultivation of a religious conscience, with evident interest in the natural environment, constitutes the basic element of glorification and gratitude towards the Creator of the Universe.”

Faiths coming out in support of the environment was a remarkable signal, Rajan Zed said and urged all world religious leaders, religions and denominations to openly bless the environmental causes. Ancient Hindu scriptures, especially Atharva-Veda, were highly respectful of mother nature, he added.

We may believe in different religions, yet we share the same home—our Earth. We must learn to happily progress or miserably perish together. For man can live individually but can only survive collectively, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, says quoting scriptures.

Christianity came to Albania before the fourth century AD. Autocephalous Church has launched a "Program for the Protection of the Environment” whose purpose is “protection of the eco-system, managing solid waste, etc.” Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

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