Sunday, March 31, 2019
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Monday, March 25, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Χειροτονία Σεβ. Μητρ.Σισανίου και Σιατίστης κ. Αθανασίου 23-3-2019 - Ordination to the Episcopacy of Archimandrite Athanasios to serve as the new Metropolitan of Sialia and Siatista - His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece presiding - 23 March 2019 - Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, Athens
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
King Philippe of Belgium Attends Orthodox Divine Liturgy
On 17 March 2019,His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium attended the Divine Liturgy of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent,at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Brussels.The Liturgy also marked the beginning of the celebration of the Orthodox Metropolis of Belgium's 50th anniversary.His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium,Exarch to the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Ecumenical Patriarchate) presided.*
The Metropolis has around 40 parishes using various languages and served by over 50 priests.*
Concelebrating with Metropolitan Athenagoras were His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kyrineia (Church of Cyprus) and His Excellency Bishop Dositheos (Church of Georgia),as well as other clergy from Orthodox jurisdictions in Belgium.
Metropolitan Athenagoras is the sole official representative of the Orthodox Church to the Belgian government.The Orthodox Church was officially recognised by Belgium in 1985.There are a total of about 150,000 Orthodox Christians in Belgium.*
King Philippe's visit was the first by a Belgian monarch to an Orthodox church since King Baudoin's visit to the Church of St.Andrew the Apostle in Ghent in 1980. Also attending the Divine Liturgy with King Philippe were His Eminence Jozef Cardinal de Kesel, Archbishop of Mechelen and Brussels;Mr.Koen Geens, Minister of Justice and Religion; Greek Ambassador to Belgium Eleftheria Galathianaki; and diplomats from various other Orthodox countries,along with a large number of faithful.*
In his address, Metropolitan Athenagoras noted that the Orthodox Church:
has received a place in our society and works in harmony with other Christian Churches and monotheistic religions.
The Metropolis has around 40 parishes using various languages and served by over 50 priests.*
Concelebrating with Metropolitan Athenagoras were His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kyrineia (Church of Cyprus) and His Excellency Bishop Dositheos (Church of Georgia),as well as other clergy from Orthodox jurisdictions in Belgium.
Metropolitan Athenagoras is the sole official representative of the Orthodox Church to the Belgian government.The Orthodox Church was officially recognised by Belgium in 1985.There are a total of about 150,000 Orthodox Christians in Belgium.*
King Philippe's visit was the first by a Belgian monarch to an Orthodox church since King Baudoin's visit to the Church of St.Andrew the Apostle in Ghent in 1980. Also attending the Divine Liturgy with King Philippe were His Eminence Jozef Cardinal de Kesel, Archbishop of Mechelen and Brussels;Mr.Koen Geens, Minister of Justice and Religion; Greek Ambassador to Belgium Eleftheria Galathianaki; and diplomats from various other Orthodox countries,along with a large number of faithful.*
In his address, Metropolitan Athenagoras noted that the Orthodox Church:
has received a place in our society and works in harmony with other Christian Churches and monotheistic religions.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Inside the Tsipras Visit: Greece, Turkey and Constantinople
The visit of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Istanbul and environs on 5 February 2019 is still resonating in the media.It has taken on a life of its own, pointing the way to answers of seemingly intractable problems.
His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidoforos of Proussos (Bursa, Turkey),a Turkish citizen many see as a potential successor to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew or Archbishop Demitrios of America, recently gave an interview to Ethnos about the Tsipras visit to the Halki Theological School on Heybeliada Island,in the Sea of Marmara near Constantinople:
We are all very happy about Mr.Tsipras' historic visit.We lived truly touching moments with the Greek Prime Minister approaching, worshipping at the Halki Theological School, taking part in the Divine Liturgy that was Presided by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
All of these things happened on a very important day: the feast day of St..Photios the Great, the founder of our monastery.The Prime Minister was shown around the empty classrooms and the library by the Patriarch himself.Together, they planted a tree in the historic garden of the School,in the presence of the representative of the Turkish President,Mr.Erdogan.All these things create,I believe,a psychological and political climate where we can truly begin to speak about a jump forward, walking towards the direction of the reopening of the School.*
The entire atmosphere of the Theological School and his visit, which began with his attending the Divine Liturgy, brought the Prime Minister to a state of spirituality.From the moment he lit his candles, you had the feeling that his face shone.*
I believe that we are very close to the phase where Greece and Turkey will be able to surpass these difficulties and tensions.All the prerequisites for this to happen exist.*
I believe that all these "skirmishes" that are pointed out today are precisely the pain of the figuritive childbirth of a peaceful and friendly coexistence between the two nations, which is the prerequisite, the oxygen which the Halki Theological School will breathe and will re-open.I am optimistic.*
Mr.Tsipras planted a tree with the Ecumenical Patriarch and Ibrahim Kalin, President Erdogan's spokesman and National Security Advisor.
Mr.Tsipras said:
The reopening of the School will not be a point or a message of discord or dispute, or differentiation or division; but it will be a message of friendship, mutual understanding and brotherhood between our two peoples.*
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said:
This is a nest of science and culture.It is inexplicable that a school that was founded and opened in 1844 during the Ottoman period, was closed down during the Republican period, and has been closed for half a century.
The Orthodox Church and, in general, the contemporary world, are in need of theologians and religious leaders without blinders,fundamentalism or intolerance-ministers of dialogue and love.*
His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidoforos of Proussos (Bursa, Turkey),a Turkish citizen many see as a potential successor to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew or Archbishop Demitrios of America, recently gave an interview to Ethnos about the Tsipras visit to the Halki Theological School on Heybeliada Island,in the Sea of Marmara near Constantinople:
We are all very happy about Mr.Tsipras' historic visit.We lived truly touching moments with the Greek Prime Minister approaching, worshipping at the Halki Theological School, taking part in the Divine Liturgy that was Presided by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
All of these things happened on a very important day: the feast day of St..Photios the Great, the founder of our monastery.The Prime Minister was shown around the empty classrooms and the library by the Patriarch himself.Together, they planted a tree in the historic garden of the School,in the presence of the representative of the Turkish President,Mr.Erdogan.All these things create,I believe,a psychological and political climate where we can truly begin to speak about a jump forward, walking towards the direction of the reopening of the School.*
The entire atmosphere of the Theological School and his visit, which began with his attending the Divine Liturgy, brought the Prime Minister to a state of spirituality.From the moment he lit his candles, you had the feeling that his face shone.*
I believe that we are very close to the phase where Greece and Turkey will be able to surpass these difficulties and tensions.All the prerequisites for this to happen exist.*
I believe that all these "skirmishes" that are pointed out today are precisely the pain of the figuritive childbirth of a peaceful and friendly coexistence between the two nations, which is the prerequisite, the oxygen which the Halki Theological School will breathe and will re-open.I am optimistic.*
Mr.Tsipras planted a tree with the Ecumenical Patriarch and Ibrahim Kalin, President Erdogan's spokesman and National Security Advisor.
Mr.Tsipras said:
The reopening of the School will not be a point or a message of discord or dispute, or differentiation or division; but it will be a message of friendship, mutual understanding and brotherhood between our two peoples.*
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said:
This is a nest of science and culture.It is inexplicable that a school that was founded and opened in 1844 during the Ottoman period, was closed down during the Republican period, and has been closed for half a century.
The Orthodox Church and, in general, the contemporary world, are in need of theologians and religious leaders without blinders,fundamentalism or intolerance-ministers of dialogue and love.*
Earlier in the day,Mr.Tsipras visited the landmark cathedral of the Byzantine Empire,Hagia Sophia, but declined to make any remarks for the press.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Church of Cyprus Backs Ukrainian Autocephaly
The Orthodox Church of Cyprus has expressed its approval of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine.The Holy Synod of the Cypriot Church met to discuss Ukraine on 18 February 2019.
The Church of Cyprus said it fully supports Ukraine in its desire to create a local Orthodox Church. Ukraine had every right to ask Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant them Autocephaly.*
The Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church had the opportunity to come to the Council and state their position openly and negotiate a dialogue, but this never happened.Therefore they did not have the right to ignore the Council and interfere in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's affairs, and they shall not have such a right in the future.*
Even though the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was designed to solve an internal religious split, so far,many contradictions and tensions have remained, the Church of Cyprus acknowledged.*
His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus is Primate of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus.
The Church of Cyprus said it fully supports Ukraine in its desire to create a local Orthodox Church. Ukraine had every right to ask Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant them Autocephaly.*
The Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church had the opportunity to come to the Council and state their position openly and negotiate a dialogue, but this never happened.Therefore they did not have the right to ignore the Council and interfere in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's affairs, and they shall not have such a right in the future.*
Even though the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was designed to solve an internal religious split, so far,many contradictions and tensions have remained, the Church of Cyprus acknowledged.*
His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus is Primate of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus.
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