Free Republic

Neither the police nor an ambulance was called to the sceneOnce again, a unique and at the same time terrible incident occurred in Russia. Begging for alms, a man in a cassock and holding an icon beat a pensioner.The corresponding video appeared in Telegram. The reason, apparently, (to view the video, scroll to the end of the page).The footage shows how the man, despite the fact that he was in a priest's cassock, and was holding an icon in his hands, kicked a woman. It is noted that this happened near the subway.A pensioner was selling flowers, and a man...

Ukraine’s leader believes seizing the historic Kiev Pechersk Lavra will strengthen “spiritual independence” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has endorsed the order to expel monks of the canonical Orthodox church from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, insinuating they were agents of Russia. Moscow has called on all Christian churches, as well as the UN and other international organizations, to respond to the “outrageous” decision.

Moscow, July 25, Interfax - A remembrance service for victims of Soviet-era repressions was held by the Solovetsky Stone on Moscow Lubyanskaya Square on Monday. "Many are trying to tell us that that period should be forgotten together with the great number of victims," head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said at the ceremony. The Church, the public, veterans and political repression victims "must do their best so that no one and nothing is forgotten," he said. Society cannot live a calm life or "have a decent future" unless it learns the lessons...

It's the sound people have been waiting to hear for decades. The famous Danilov Bells, which escaped the Communist era axe and returned from Harvard last year, have rung today at their original residence in Moscow. They were sold to the U.S. in the late 1920s and returned to Russia after 78 years of exile. And today, all 18 Danilov Bells have rung together for the first time. The Head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill, and the capital’s Mayor, Yury Luzhkov, have been attending the ceremony. "The most important thing about the homecoming of the Danilov bells is that...

COLCHESTER, Conn. -- A church in Colchester was leveled by an explosion Friday morning. St. Mary's Ukrainian Church on Route 16, also known as Linwood Ave., was flattened by the explosion just before 7 a.m., according to state police. State police spokesman, Sgt. J. Paul Vance, said the area had been cordoned off and the highway was shut down in both directions. Vance said there was no initial report of injuries and there was no immediate indication of what caused the explosion. The state fire marshal was called to the scene as well utility company crews.

27 September 2003 16:13 Bitter Russian Church wants peace with Rome The Russian Orthodox Church ardently desires reconciliation with Roman Catholics to end a 1,000-year rift, even if it is still bitter about perceived insults in recent years, a high official said on Saturday. "Christian unity is important to defend our common values amid the secularisation of society," the Moscow Patriarchate's Secretary for External Relations told Reuters in an interview. "In Catholics we see brethren and share a heritage of sacred tradition. The things which divide us are not so important in comparison," said Archpriest Nikolai Balashov. Balashov is part...