Osadné - koncert Zboru duchovenstva Sankt-Peterburgskej metropolie, 22.10.2016 - YouTube - Concert of the Clergy Corps of the Holy Metropolis of Saint Petersburg

Church of the Ascension of Our Lord,village of Osadne,Snina District,Presov Region,Slovakia*Priest:Father Peter Soroka*This was under His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia,towards the end of his life.

Thousands of Russians defy Putin with protest chants at Navalny’s funeral - BBC News

They could only find one church that would hold his funeral.His widow feared arrest if she returned to Russia.His parents attended the funeral and kissed him in his open coffin.

Russian Orthodox priests face persecution from state and church for supporting peace in Ukraine

Livestream: Keynote Speech: His All Holiness Bartholomew - begins at 8:53

Panorthodox Synod : PUTIN HAS TRIED AND FAILED TO MANIPULATE UKRAINE'S ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS by Dr.Cyril Hovorun

Panorthodox Synod : PUTIN HAS TRIED AND FAILED TO MANIPULATE UKRAINE'S...:     Telegraph His goal was to alienate religious members of Ukrainian society from Zelensky’s government, which tr...

Rowan Williams adds his voice to calls for the WCC to eject Russian Orthodox Church

Rowan Williams adds his voice to calls for the WCC to eject Russian Orthodox Church: THE former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams has backed calls for the Russian Orthodox Church t...

Panorthodox Synod : METROPOLITAN OF PERISTERI: CANONICAL EVALUATION FOR THE PATRIARCHATE OF ALEXANDRIA - For what purpose is the Russian Orthodox Church unilaterally breaking communion?

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Panorthodox Synod : METROPOLITAN EPIFANIY: ROC PATRIARCH ACTS LIKE PUT...

Panorthodox Synod : METROPOLITAN EPIFANIY: ROC PATRIARCH ACTS LIKE PUT...:              Фото: Митрополит Епіфаній Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is similar to Russian President Vladimir Putin, because the ROC has...

Tchaikovsky: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom - National Academic Choir of Ukraine "Dumke" - Yevhen Savchuk

Where the OCU Stands Today:Ukrainian Orthodox Church Is One Year Old

Bulletin:Ecumenical Patriarchate and Moscow Patriarchate Meet in New Jersey

On 23 October 2019,a surprise meeting took place between His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America (Ecumenical Patriarchate) and His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Moscow Patriarchate) and His Eminence Archbishop Joseph of New York (Patriarchate of Antioch). The luncheon and dialogue took place at the Antiochian Archdiocese headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.*
Following the luncheon, the hierarchs discussed the current situation in the Orthodox world.As well, Archbishop Elpidophoros and Metropolitan Hilarion exchanged gifts described as "meaningful". The two patriarchates had been estranged when the Ecumenical Patriarchate granted autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine over Moscow's objections.

The Life-Giving Garden - The Psalmopevtsy Ensemble

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.

Bells at St.John the Clairvoyant Skete,Optina Pustyn Monastery,Russia - Праздничный звон на колокольне в Иоанно-Предтеченском скиту Оптиной пустыни

Orthodoxy in France:New Russian Orthodox Cathedral Draws Large Crowds

At least 12,000 people visited the new  Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Cultural Centre on Branly Quai in Paris over the weekend.Recommended by leading publications Le Monde and Figaro,legions of Parisians and tourists stood in line for hours for a guided tour by the clergy and staff of the complex,which was built from 2014-16 and opened on 9 October 2016.The Cultural Centre features exhibit space,parish facilities,a Russian/French day school for 150 pupils and a seminary.*
The prevailing opinion of the visitors was positive,seeing the cathedral as being a welcome addition to the cultural resources of the area.The cathedral has an iconostas;but its white interior walls have yet to be written with iconography.The exterior is a tasteful blend of traditional and contemporary styles,topped by the customary golden onion domes.*
The weekend tours were part of the annual Days of National Heritage in Paris.A similar Russian Orthodox church/cultural centre complex has recently opened in Strasbourg,France.The Church of All Saints is the first Eastern Orthodox church in that city,and was topped by a three-bar cross on 2 July 2017.*
The Handbook of the Orthodox Church in France says there are 500,000 Orthodox Christians in France.Many Romanian and Russian emigres and workers have swelled the ranks in recent years.There are 278 parishes,21 monasteries and three seminaries overseen by 10 bishops,and served by 330 priests and deacons.The Romanian Orthodox Church has the most parishes in France (91).

Russian Bishop Excoriates the Bolshevik Revolution

His Grace Bishop Nazary of Kronstadt,Russia decried the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 that resulted in the Communist persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church for several decades,including the martyrdom of untold thousands of Christians and the widescale destruction of churches.He had welcomed the relics of two of those new martyrs,Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna and Nun Barbara,at the airport when they arrived from New York for a visit at the behest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia,a branch of the Moscow Patriarchate.*
Speaking at the moleben,or prayer service,before the relics at the St.Alexander Nevsky Monastery's Holy Trinity Cathedral in St.Petersburg,Bishop Nazary recalled that:
One hundred years ago in our glorious city the revolution began.Many people still welcome it as an achievement,and this means that atonement has not yet arrived in our society.I'm more inclined to call this event the great disaster that befell not only Russia,but the whole territory of the Russian Empire.This revolution marked the beginning of the division.The only positive outcome of these events is that the patriarchate was restored to Russia.*
New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elisabeth and Nun Barbara were killed by the Bolsheviks on 18 July 1918,along with several other royals.They were thrown down a mine shaft and blown up with hand grenades that were tossed in.Their relics were at St.Alexander Nevsky from 5-9 May,and will be at the cathedral of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God in honor of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov from 9-11 May.

Patriarch Kirill Meets with Italian President,Seeks Catholic-Orthodox Push for European Cohesion

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the President of Italy,Sergio Mattarella,who was visiting Moscow,on 12 April.During the talks at the Danilov Monastery,headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church,the spiritual leader of more than 100 million souls in Russia,Ukraine,Belarus and the diaspora,remarked that:
The Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church can and should do everything to make the world a more peaceful place;to decrease the level of confrontation between East and West so that we again feel ourselves belonging to one cultural environment,which we call Europe.
I think our shared convictions-Pope Francis' and mine-are that today the religious factor should contribute to reconciliation of people in the European continent and spiritual union among them.*
In the joint declaration signed by Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis following their historic first meeting of a Catholic and Russian Orthodox primate in Havana,Cuba on 12 February 2016,they summoned Catholics and Orthodox to work together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation and to give shared witness to the Spirit of truth in these difficult times:
We call upon Christians of Eastern and Western Europe to unite in their shared witness to Christ and the Gospel,so that Europe may preserve its soul,shaped by two thousand years of Christian tradition.

Lost Stravinsky Composition Rediscovered,Performed - special report

An Igor Stravinsky piece written just before "The Firebird" has been rediscovered and performed in Russia after more than a century of absence from the classical music world.Stravinsky said he became separated from the score of "Funeral Song Op.5" in the chaos when he left Russia after the Revolution.He was sure,however,that the orchestral parts were preserved in one of the St.Petersburg orchestral libraries.He wanted someone to look for them,as he would be curious himself to see what he was composing at that time.They were indeed finally rediscovered in spring 2015 during a stock relocation by the St.Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory library.
Stravinsky,who was Russian Orthodox,said he thought it was the best of his works before "The Firebird."In the event,"Funeral Song,"written as an elegy following the death of Stravinsky's composition teacher and mentor Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,was performed only once in 1909 before it disappeared seemingly into oblivion until alert conservatory staff noticed it at the bottom of essentially a pile of junky scores.The 12 minute-long piece,characterised by the same fermenting chromatisation of the bass as "The Firebird," was performed on 2 December 2016 by the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.It will also be performed by major orchestras worldwide over the next 15 months,including the Philharmonia Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 19 February 2017.
The Taylor Star's reaction upon listening to this music:Magnificent.It fits right in with "The Firebird."We so miss this level of brilliance in classical music composition today.

Pope Francis Receives Priceless Gift From Patriarch of Moscow

On 15 September 2016,His Holiness Pope Francis met at the Vatican with His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk,Chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Russian Orthodox Church.Before their meeting,Metropolitan Ilarion presented Pope Francis with a special gift from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.It is a relic of St.Seraphim of Sarov,the spiritual luminary of nineteenth century Russia.The relic is encased in a golden,egg-shaped reliquary,which the Pope promptly genuflected to and kissed.He asked Metropolitan Ilarion,who is in Rome as Head of the Russian Delegation to The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church,to convey to Patriarch Kirill his gratitude and brotherly love.*
During their meeting,the two hierarchs discussed the state of relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches following the historic first meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill in Havana,Cuba last February.They also reviewed the suffering of Christians in the Middle East,stressing the need for more joint actions to alleviate it.His Eminence told the pontiff about the initiatives the Moscow Patriarchate has taken to provide aid to Syria and praised the Pope for his own peace efforts in the region.On the cultural front,the Pope and the Metropolitan noted that the Church of Rome and the Moscow Patriarchate have exchange study tours for Russian Orthodox and Catholic theology students underway.

Ecumenical Patriarchate Responds to Ukrainian Parliament,Sends Representative to Meet With President Poroshenko

The Ecumenical Patriarchate is intensifying its involvement in the issue of Orthodox Church unity in Ukraine:
First,it has established a special synodal commission to examine the Verkhovna Rada,or Ukkrainian Parliament,appeal for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.In a previous appeal,which the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not respond to,the Verkhovna Rada recently asked His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to issue a Tomos of Autocephaly and to recognise that the 1686 act transferring the Metropolitanate of Kiev to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church in defiance of canon law was invalid.*
The good news for Ukraine is that "Orthodoxy without Moscow" (in light of the holding of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church despite Moscow's non-attendance) can undertake a sober and serious consideration of Ukraine's bid for autocephaly,wrote Ukrainian columnist Andrew Sorokowski.*
Second,on 29 July 2016,the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent a representative,His Eminence Archbishop Job of Telmessos,to Kiev for a meeting with the President of Ukraine,Petro Poroshenko.Mr.Poroshenko said he was grateful that the Mother Church of Constantinople is now attending to the issue of a single national Orthodox Church,referring to the special commission set up to look into the proposal for Ukrainian autocephaly,according to the Presidential Press Office.The President assured Archbishop Job that the Ukrainian authorities are united in their aspiration for a single national Orthodox Church and noted that the given issue is becoming increasingly topical against the backdrop of global challenges.We should help the believers implement their aspirations on the single Church.*
For his part,Archbishop Job conveyed the greetings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the entire Mother Church of Constantinople.He assured the President that the Ecumenical Patriarch wants to help Ukraine.The two then discussed the role of state and Church in the prevention of the use of the religious factor for destabilisation of the situation in Ukraine.The President said the task of the government was not to give opportunities to provoke inter-religious and inter-confessional conflicts and expressed satisfaction with the recent work of the law enforcement bodies.*
Mr.Poroshenko also congratulated the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the successful holding of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church:
I think it has approved and strengthened the authority of His All-Holiness in the Orthodox world,Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told the Patriarchal representative,His Eminence Archbishop Job of Telmessos.*
There are currently three Orthodox jurisdictions in Ukraine,the largest of which,and the only one of which is recognised by the other Orthodox Churches,is under the primacy of Metropolitan Onufry of the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia.The other two jurisdictions desire autocephaly.