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May 26 is the feast of the early Church father Saint Quadratus of Athens. He is primarily known as a very early apologist for the faith who presented his arguments directly to the emperor Hadrian while the latter was visiting Athens, sometime between AD 124 and AD 132. Practically all of what is known of his life may be found in this brief biographical notice in Saint Jerome’s work, On Illustrious Men: Quadratus, disciple of the apostles, after Publius bishop of Athens had been crowned with martyrdom on account of his faith in Christ, was substituted in his place, and...

<p>JERUSALEM - The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem will open on Sunday for the first time in two months.</p> <p>It is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.</p> <p>Leaders of the three denominations sharing the site said in a statement Saturday that entrance will be limited to 50 people at a time.</p>

The Saint Catherine Church in the small town of Moria on Lesvos, is now being used as a bathroom. A local in Moria described the scene. “The smell inside is unbearable,” said Makis Pavlellis, a butcher. “Discussing with people about the Church, we learned that the metropolitan of Mytilene is aware of the situation in the area nevertheless he does not wish to deal with it for his own reasons.” Only earlier this month Greek City Times reported that the Saint Catherine church in Moria was already trashed by illegal immigrants. This is only the latest incident and rather it...

The modern “neo-communist heirs of Tito” go further and further in their persecution against the Church, causing more and more resistance among the people, His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlja and Nikšić told his supportive flock after being released from 72-hours of police detention. His Grace and seven other clerics were detained in Nikšić from the evening of May 12, following a procession in honor of the greatly beloved St. Basil of Ostrog, until early in the morning on May 16, reports Pravoslavie.ru. After being released, Bp. Joanikije went to the main court building, where a large gathering of faithful...

Having threatened to excommunicate Greek Minister of Education Niki Kerameus for her public statements about the coronavirus being spread through the act of communing of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, His Eminence Ambrose, the retired Metropolitan of Kalavryta, proceeded to do so after the Divine Liturgy yesterday, May 17. However, his decision was not supported by the hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. On April 30, Kerameus stated on Greek television that it is scientifically proven that the coronavirus can be spread through saliva, and thus it is dangerous to take Holy Communion. This statement is...

A short video showing Russia's new cathedral dedicated to the armed forces along with a neighboring memorial. The Cathedral and memorial were built mostly with private donations although the land was given by the city of Moscow.

A spontaneous procession broke out on the streets of Berane, Montenegro in honor of St. George the Victorious on his feast day, May 6. The clergy and laity involved observed social distancing while shouting, “We won’t give up our shrines!” in protest of a law passed in December that gives the state the right to confiscate property from the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Criminal cases were subsequently opened against 5 priests who were involved in the procession, for failing to comply with measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, reports REGNUM. However, the hierarchs and faithful in Montenegro...

A few days ago, after hearing a very distressing bit of social news, I found myself saying, “I don’t want to be here anymore.” It was a voice of despair and sadness. The occasion had been a public altercation in which a stranger spat at a woman. It was the sort of thing that belongs among the lowest of human actions. But it happened. My topic is my own reaction. I found my mind tossed about, looking for comfort or escape. At the end of the day, I shared my thoughts with my wife and said aloud, “I don’t want...

AMAZING drone footage of new Orthodox Christian cathedral for Russian Armed Forces looks impressive. The musical background Is Psalm 91More about this church here: Russia's Massive Military Church Will Open in May -- and It is Magnificent

Yesterday, May 12, Montenegrin police detained His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlja and Nikšić and seven clergymen of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro for participating in celebrations and processions in honor of the greatly beloved St. Basil of Ostrog during the period of coronavirus quarantine, reports the site of the Metropolis of Montenegro. According to those arrested, thousands of faithful gathered in front of the Cathedral of St. Basil to celebrate the great saint on their own initiative. During the arrest, the priests asked the crowd to remain calm and not harm the police in any way. Following the...

The Moscow Church does not want Stalin to be depicted in the new church of the Armed Forces. The disagreement was expressed by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. “I believe that the images of Stalin should definitely not be placed in a Russian Orthodox Church, because Stalin was a persecutor of the Church. the blood of millions, including new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church, is on his conscience, “the Metropolitan told Rossiya 24 (VGTRK) TV channel. “The church is neither an exhibition hall, nor a panorama of the Battle, nor a place where military parades should be depicted,” he...

Here is the story of its mission and its founder, Konstantin Malofeev--the Russian tycoon who decided to open an Orthodox news channelOn a sunny afternoon in Moscow, the Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeev is holding court in the studios of his television channel Tsargrad TV, dressed in a designer suit, a blue silk handkerchief peeking from his breast pocket. Above him is a makeshift cathedral cupola weighing in at half a ton. Behind him are 24ft-high windows through which the Kremlin’s red towers are visible, their glass stars glistening. Malofeev is in a buoyant mood. In a sign of his growing...

This year’s Easter celebrations have revealed deep tensions in church-state relations throughout the world. On what Christians regard as the most holy of days, when worship momentarily lifts us above the cares of this world, earthly power struggles were also taking place. In Russia, Orthodox believers insisted on their right to attend church and receive the sacrament. While 1-2 percent of the population attends church on a regular Sunday, the Pascha celebrations typically bring out ten times this number. The people’s central concern is to receive the Eucharist, the bread and wine that they regard as the very body and...

Moscow, May 4, Interfax - Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Expert Council on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration Works Archpriest Leonid Kalinin does not agree to remove mosaic with Stalin from the interior of the main Church of the Russian Armed Forces. "No one is interested how the Victory is depicted, everyone is interested whether there is Stalin or not. He will be there! He surely will! If they say to remove him, let them do it, but I won't give such orders. I don't have right and authority to tear up the page from the book of history,"...

Moscow, May 4, Interfax - Spokesman of the Russian Orthodox Church Vladimir Legoyda believes that Stalin's depiction should not be placed in the main church of the Russian Armed Forces. On air Vera radio, he noted that the practice of depicting secular people in church had always existed, but Stalin's figure had a very definite symbolism. "Many troubles in lives of our people were connected with his name and it can't be ruled out," the church official explained. Not definitely evaluating Stalin's personality from the historic point of view, Legoyda expressed his personal viewpoint, saying that Stalin should not be...

The Greek Government Counsellor on the coronavirus pandemic, Ilias Mosialos, urged people to avoid receiving Holy Communion until a safe vaccine is discovered. Despite the objections of the Hierarchy, which declares that the Holy Communion is a non-negotiable matter, when Ilias Mosialos was asked about the Holy Communion during an interview, he pointed out: “In my opinion, we should avoid receiving it (the Holy Communion), until we have a safe vaccine. It would be useful to consider whether it is possible to receive it in a different and safer way.” “I would like to emphasise that Archbishop Elpidophoros of America...

The special committee decided the removal of the mosaic with Vladimir Putin from the Church of the Russian Armed Forces at the instigation of the President of Russia himself. Bishop Stefan of Klin stated to Russian media that the committee responsible for the interior decoration of the church “decided to remove the mosaic with the image of the Russian president, which was his wish.” The Bishop also pointed out that the mosaic was still under construction and that it was very likely that its composition would change. It is recalled that a few days ago it became known that the...

Churches in Greece and Cyprus reopened yesterday, May 4, for Orthodox faithful to offer prayers, light candles, and venerate icons and holy relics. The faithful will be able to return to the Divine services on May 17 in Greece and June 1 in Cyprus. Numerous faithful began visiting the churches from early in the morning in Greece, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency. The Church has pledged that all health precautions, including social distancing, masks, gloves, and the disinfection of churches will be followed. Cathedrals will remain open after services are celebrated in order to properly ventilate. In cathedrals, the ratio...

The chairman of the Religious and Foundation Employees’ Union (Diyanet Bir-Sen), Hasan Türüt, has called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to allow a Muslim prayer to be performed in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, following the lifting of the ban due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Turkish media reports, Türüt said that the first Friday after the coronavirus pandemic the Muslim prayer should be performed in Hagia Sophia, as Mehmed the Conqueror did on the first Friday after the Fall of Constantinople. “Hagia Sophia is the means to bring about the resurrection of the world. We must all show...

Why put so much emphasis on people gathering in worship once a week, when there are far more people crowding in public transport, pharmacies, and grocery stores?According to the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, a ban on Church attendance is an unjustified offense against God, and those who reject the Church’s Communion thereby reject Christ Himself. “Communion from one chalice is the highest confirmation of the love and unity of the flock with Christ, and those who refuse this, refuse the Savior . . . "The Georgian Patriarchate issued a strong statement, both reiterating its call for...