July 2009

The fourth day of Patriarch Kirill’s visit began with the Divine Liturgy at Svyatogorsk Lavra On July 30, the commemoration of the Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived to the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, where he was met with bread and salt and the flowers by [...]

In completion of his visit to Kyiv His Holiness Patriarch Kirill called to the Holy Protection Convent On July 29, the third day of the pastoral visit to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill called to the Holy Protection Convent in Kyiv. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was accompanied by Deputy [...]

The declaration by His Holiness Aram I of 2009 as the Year of the Armenian Youth coincided with the crisis in the World Economic Order. Like youth everywhere, Armenian youth are facing the consequences of the credit crisis. Unemployment is a real threat to everyone. Youth are disillusioned with the concept of materialism as a [...]

Prime-Minister of Ukraine Yuliya Tymoshenko Greeted Metropolitan Vladimir on His Name Day and Met with Patriarch Kirill Late in the evening Yuliya Tymoshenko arrived to the residence of His Beatitude together with Yuriy Reshetnikov, chair of the State Commission on Religious Affairs. Yuliya Tymoshenko called His Beatitude a true pastor and spiritual father of the [...]

At the official residence of the President of Ukraine – the House of Horodetsky – the meeting of President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began. The central subjects of discussion were the church-state relations in Ukraine and the perspectives of development of the Orthodoxy. At the beginning of [...]

The first session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in the history of the Kyiv Caves Monastery completed On July 27, 2009 the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, presided over by His Holiness patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, was held at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk [...]

A meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has been held in Kyiv with the participation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus. Vladimir Legoida, the head of the synodal information department of the Russian Orthodox Church, announced this to journalists. “It is a historic meeting. It is taking place in [...]

Your Holiness! We are happy to greet You in the blessed Ukrainian land! A year ago the President of Ukraine signed the decree that the church commemoration of St. Vladimir’s day becomes state holiday – the Day of Baptism of Kyivan Rus. Thus, both believing and unbelieving can get familiar with these things. This is [...]

At 8:50 AM the plane with His Holiness the Patriarch on board landed at the airport of Boryspil. At the passenger steps the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was welcome by three girls in national costumes with the traditional bread and salt. With their greeting words “Welcome, Your Holiness, at the holy Ukrainian …

According to INTERFAX, it was once again stated by the Russian Church that there was no political underpinning of the pastoral visit of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine. “His Holiness Patriarch Kirill doesn’t go to Ukraine to resolve any political questions”, stated the head of the Synodal Informational Department …

Representatives of the public organizations of Ukraine addressed to all political parties with appeal not to propagandize their ideology and party branding during the visit of The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill to Ukraine, but “to be tolerant and hold in respect the freedom of conscience of the citizens of Ukraine, their [...]

The Washington Times Religious artifacts on the divided island of Cyprus are in “great peril,” according to a U.S. Helsinki Commission document to be released Tuesday afternoon. Thousands of Orthodox icons, manuscripts, frescoes and mosaics have been looted from churches, chapels and monasteries in northern Cyprus, ending up on international auction blocks, says the document, [...]