On 29 October 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the opening of the Istanbul New Airport,which is replacing the Ataturk Airport as the Turkish capital's main airport.Patriarch Bartholomew was invited to the ceremony by President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.He was accompanied by the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,Archimandrite Joachim (Billis).
Earlier in the year,Patriarch Bartholomew had a long sought-after private audience with Mr.Erdogan at the presidential palace in Istanbul.At that time,the leader of the Orthodox Christian world presented a list of requests for the Turkish authorities to consider.*
The new airport will be phased into operation,starting with just a handful of Turkish Airlines flights to destinations within Turkey and Northern Cyprus.This will dramatically increase by full completion in 2028,when up to 200 million passengers a year will be served by the gargantuan enterprise,which is more than double the traffic at the current largest airport in the world,Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.*
In his address,President Erdogan emphasised that the airport will become a hub,not only for the region,but the world.
Besides Patriarch Bartholomew,the event was attended by dignitaries such as the Emir of Qatar,Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani,and President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir.There were also officials from Albania;the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;Moldova;Pakistan;and Serbia at the gala occasion.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Ceremony Reaffirms Enduring Ties Between Jerusalem and Constantinople
Despite the recent belligerence of Moscow,the bonds between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople were unequivocally reaffirmed as the Ecumenical Patriarchate's foremost lay associate,Mr.Panteleimon Vigkas,was honoured by the Jerusalem Patriarchate at an evening ceremony on 22 October 2018 in its Metochion,or ecclesiastical embassy,on the Bosporus in Istanbul,Turkey.At the Metochion's Church of St.George Neochori,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople invested Mr.Vigkas,who holds the title Archon Chartophilakas of the Great Church of Christ,with the honour Crusader of the Panaghian Tomb,rewarding Mr.Vigkas for his Merit of Mercy to the Holy Sepulchre on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine.*
Representing the Jerusalem Patriarchate was His Eminence Archbishop Nektarios of Anthidona,Greece,Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre.Patriarch Bartholomew also presided at the Vespers of St.James the Brother of God,First Bishop of Jerusalem,at the Metochion Church that evening.*
Mr.Vigkas is seldom far from Patriarch Bartholomew's side.He serves as President of the Imvros Educational and Cultural Association,which celebrates the heritage of Imvros,Patriarch Bartholomew's home island,now known as Gokceada,Turkey.
Representing the Jerusalem Patriarchate was His Eminence Archbishop Nektarios of Anthidona,Greece,Commissioner of the Holy Sepulchre.Patriarch Bartholomew also presided at the Vespers of St.James the Brother of God,First Bishop of Jerusalem,at the Metochion Church that evening.*
Mr.Vigkas is seldom far from Patriarch Bartholomew's side.He serves as President of the Imvros Educational and Cultural Association,which celebrates the heritage of Imvros,Patriarch Bartholomew's home island,now known as Gokceada,Turkey.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Holy Monastery of the Panagia Gonia in Kolymbari,Crete with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,Archbishop Anastasios of Albania,Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus - 3 October 2018 - Πατριαρχική Θεία Λειτουργία Ιερά Μονή Παναγίας Γωνιάς Κολυμπάρι ...
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Former Yugoslav Republic Takes First Step to NATO Membership
There were smiles all round at NATO's new headquarters in Brussels,Belgium today,18 October 2018,as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia began Accession Talks with NATO,the first formal step in the process of applying for Alliance membership.The talks will run for two days.*
FYROM uses the name Macedonia,which is also the name of a province in Northern Greece.FYROM not only claims the name,but also the same heritage as the Greeks in that province,tracing it back to the Greek king Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire.This posture angers many Greeks,who see it as a threat to Greek sovereignty.
Nonetheless,the Greek SYRIZA party now in power,led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras,considers the dispute a hindrance to the development of both FYROM and Greece,as well as a danger to European stability.Thus the Greek government entered into successful negotiations with FYROM and they reached agreement on a new name in June 2018:North Macedonia.*
The Brussels talks are headed by FYROM's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska-Jankouska and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Alejandro Alvargonzalez.They include detailed discussion of the political,legal and military requirements for NATO membership.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained:
Once all the constitutional changes on the new name are completed,we can sign the Accession Protocol.
FYROM uses the name Macedonia,which is also the name of a province in Northern Greece.FYROM not only claims the name,but also the same heritage as the Greeks in that province,tracing it back to the Greek king Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire.This posture angers many Greeks,who see it as a threat to Greek sovereignty.
Nonetheless,the Greek SYRIZA party now in power,led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras,considers the dispute a hindrance to the development of both FYROM and Greece,as well as a danger to European stability.Thus the Greek government entered into successful negotiations with FYROM and they reached agreement on a new name in June 2018:North Macedonia.*
The Brussels talks are headed by FYROM's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska-Jankouska and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Alejandro Alvargonzalez.They include detailed discussion of the political,legal and military requirements for NATO membership.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained:
Once all the constitutional changes on the new name are completed,we can sign the Accession Protocol.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Monday, October 15, 2018
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and His Holiness Patriarch Irenej of Serbia with His Eminence Metropolitan Varnavas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis at commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I - 29 September 2018,Greece Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης στην λιμνοθάλασσα Καλοχωρίου και στην Εστί...
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Ukrainian Orthodox Church Reunited to Constantinople,Restored to Communion - but the process continues
His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France,flanked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate's two exarchs to Ukraine,Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton,read a press release today in the Phanar,the Patriarchate of Constantinople's compound in Istanbul,Turkey.It said that,by decree of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,the Patriarchate,the Mother Church,has been reunited with the two schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox groups.Their hierarchy and faithful have been restored to canonical status and readmitted to communion with the Orthodox Church.*
In addition,the Patriarchate has re-established its metochion,or representative church,in the Ukrainian capital Kiev,which had customarily existed there and in other major Ukrainian cities;while the agreement that,by the exercising of ekonomia,had allowed the Patriarchate of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev,has been canceled.
All concerned were admonished to behave in a peaceful,non-confrontational manner.
The decision to grant autocephaly,or independence,was reaffirmed;yet,as His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Hungary noted,the actual granting of a Tomos of Autocephaly has been postponed until the appropriate time.*
Analysis:The aspiring Church must now hold an assembly and elect a primate,someone who can receive such an important document as a Tomos of Autocephaly.
In addition,the Patriarchate has re-established its metochion,or representative church,in the Ukrainian capital Kiev,which had customarily existed there and in other major Ukrainian cities;while the agreement that,by the exercising of ekonomia,had allowed the Patriarchate of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev,has been canceled.
All concerned were admonished to behave in a peaceful,non-confrontational manner.
The decision to grant autocephaly,or independence,was reaffirmed;yet,as His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Hungary noted,the actual granting of a Tomos of Autocephaly has been postponed until the appropriate time.*
Analysis:The aspiring Church must now hold an assembly and elect a primate,someone who can receive such an important document as a Tomos of Autocephaly.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Bulletin:Ukraine Announcement Imminent - surprises are still possible,if unlikely
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople convened in Istanbul on 9 October 2018 and has reached its decision on autocephaly,or independence,for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.It will be announced in a press release tomorrow,11 October.*
For several weeks,it has been made clear by hierarchs of the Patriarchate that autocephaly has been the preferred option of His All-Holiness Paatriarch Bartholomew.Last Sunday,His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey,who is a member of the Holy and Sacred Synod of Constantinople,published an encyclical letter to his flock informing them that autocephaly was about to be conferred to Ukraine.This intention had been frankly shared with key Orthodox Church leaders in a series of high level meetings.There were also meetings with Ukrainian government officials,particularly President Petro Poroshenko,who is up for re-election.
Analysis:Public opinion polls show the majority of Ukrainians favour autocephaly;but the revanchist Putin regime in Russia and the closely allied Patriarchate of Moscow have sternly rejected the proposal,which would significantly weaken their power and prestige.*
There is little doubt what the announcement will be;but you can never be entirely sure until it is actually made.There could be a nuanced approach that would dissatisfy many Ukrainians,such as granting autonomy now and autocephaly at some point in the future.
For several weeks,it has been made clear by hierarchs of the Patriarchate that autocephaly has been the preferred option of His All-Holiness Paatriarch Bartholomew.Last Sunday,His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey,who is a member of the Holy and Sacred Synod of Constantinople,published an encyclical letter to his flock informing them that autocephaly was about to be conferred to Ukraine.This intention had been frankly shared with key Orthodox Church leaders in a series of high level meetings.There were also meetings with Ukrainian government officials,particularly President Petro Poroshenko,who is up for re-election.
Analysis:Public opinion polls show the majority of Ukrainians favour autocephaly;but the revanchist Putin regime in Russia and the closely allied Patriarchate of Moscow have sternly rejected the proposal,which would significantly weaken their power and prestige.*
There is little doubt what the announcement will be;but you can never be entirely sure until it is actually made.There could be a nuanced approach that would dissatisfy many Ukrainians,such as granting autonomy now and autocephaly at some point in the future.
Friday, October 5, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Colder As She Goes:Britain's New Defence Arctic Strategy
In the face of a Russia that is reopening Cold War era bases in the Arctic and increasing the number of submarine patrols in the area,not to mention violating British sovereignty by conducting a chemical weapons attack on British soil,killing an innocent British citizen in the process,Great Britain's Minister of Defence,Gavin Williamson,is presenting a new Defence Arctic Strategy to the Conservative Party and the British public.
Beginning in 2019,the UK will deploy 800 Royal Marine and British Army commandos to a new base in Northern Norway,close to the border with Russia,every winter for at least 10 years.They will operate with US and Dutch Marines at the outpost,as well as Norwegian troops,drilling to increase their capacity for Arctic warfighting.
Mr.Williamson explained:
We will not let Russia rewrite the outcome of the Cold War.*
Before addressing his concerns to the Conservative Party Conference,Mr.Williamson revealed that:
We see Russian submarine activity very close to the level that it was at the Cold War,and it's right that we start responding to that...This threat has really come back to the fore.If we want to be protecting our interests in what is effectively our own backyard,this is something we need to be doing.*
The US had previously announced that,at Norway's request,it was more than doubling the number of Marines deployed on rotation to Norway from about 330 to 700,and extending the bilateral agreement with Norway for another five years.*
Russia has criticised both moves,saying they are unnecessary and will only increase tensions in the Arctic.
Beginning in 2019,the UK will deploy 800 Royal Marine and British Army commandos to a new base in Northern Norway,close to the border with Russia,every winter for at least 10 years.They will operate with US and Dutch Marines at the outpost,as well as Norwegian troops,drilling to increase their capacity for Arctic warfighting.
Mr.Williamson explained:
We will not let Russia rewrite the outcome of the Cold War.*
Before addressing his concerns to the Conservative Party Conference,Mr.Williamson revealed that:
We see Russian submarine activity very close to the level that it was at the Cold War,and it's right that we start responding to that...This threat has really come back to the fore.If we want to be protecting our interests in what is effectively our own backyard,this is something we need to be doing.*
The US had previously announced that,at Norway's request,it was more than doubling the number of Marines deployed on rotation to Norway from about 330 to 700,and extending the bilateral agreement with Norway for another five years.*
Russia has criticised both moves,saying they are unnecessary and will only increase tensions in the Arctic.
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