Ukrainian-Canadian Orthodox Metropolitan Speaks at Ukrainian Catholic Synod

It is being reported that Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Winnipeg, first hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, has, in the course of his recent attendance of a session of the synod of the worldwide Ukrainian Catholic episcopate, offered to facilitate a meeting of the primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Major Svyatoslav (Shevchuk), with Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople. During remarks made to the synod, at which he was a speaker, Metropolitan Yurij also pointed to the collaboration in North America between the Eastern and Roman Catholic Churches on the one hand and the Orthodox Churches present on the continent on the other as an example to Orthodoxy and Catholicism in Ukraine on how to work through the animosity that has historically divided the two communions. More on Metropolitan Yurij's  here.

Catholicos Aram Visits USA, Leads Ecumenical Service in Los Angeles Area

Catholicos Aram I (Keshishian) of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cilicia has begun a pastoral visit to the western United States, meeting with clergy and representatives of the various Orthodox churches in the region and leading a prayer service for peace in Egypt and the Middle East with representatives of the Antiochian, Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac Orthodox Churches as well as Evangelical Protestant and Roman Catholic churches at Sts. Mary and Athanasius' Church in the Los Angeles area. More here.

Roman Catholic Pope, Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Meet at Castel Gandolfo

As part of his recent visit to Italy Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk met with Pope Benedict XVI of Rome to discuss relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. The meeting took place with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow. More here.

Ukrainian Orthodox, Catholic First Hierarchs Meet at Kiev Caves Lavra

Ukrainian Catholic Major Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk has met with the head of the Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev, at the latter's residence at the Kiev Caves Lavra. During their meeting the two discussed ways to peacefully resolve disputes over church property ownership, which have been complicated by the transfer to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ukrainian Catholic churches closed by the Soviets. More here.

Inter-Religious Iftar Held in Constantinople

In honor of Ramadan and to witness to inter-religious harmony leaders of Constantinople's Orthodox Christian, Jewish, and Muslim residents have celebrated an iftar (the evening meal that breaks the daytime fast kept by Muslims during Ramadan) in the former imperial capital, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church, Archbishop Aram (Ateshian) of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Constantinople, and Metropolitan Mor Filuxinos (Yusuf) of the Syriac Orthodox Church in western Turkey participating. More here and (in Greek) here.

Jerusalem Patriarch Interviewed on Issues in the Holy Land

In an interview Patriarch Theophilos III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem has said that his largely Arabic-speaking Palestinian Orthodox flock should "refer back to [its] roots" in side-stepping a question about ethnic Greeks' dominance of the Orthodox hierarchy in the Holy Land (which consists of seventeen ethnic Greeks and one ethnic Arab despite the largely Arab and Russian composition of the laity), also saying that one "cannot disregard the Byzantine presence that was here [in the Holy Land]."

In the same interview the patriarch strongly reaffirmed the Church of Jerusalem's involvement in the World Council of Churches and answered questions about the political and religious tensions in the Holy Land. The full interview can be found here.

Assyrian Patriarch Meets with Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan in New York

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV of the Assyrian Church of the East has received Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Mor Cyril (Aphrem) of Teaneck during his pastoral visit to Assyrian parishes in metropolitan New York. During their meeting the two hierarchs discussed the past and present trials faced by their churches as well as their hopes for future rapproachement between the two sister churches. More here.

Assyrian, Ancient Church of the East Hierarchs Concelebrate Funeral in Baghdad

Hierarchs of the Assyrian and Ancient Churches of the East have concelebrated the funeral of a newly reposed parish priest, Fr. Oraham Dinkha, who had served the Church of St. Zaia in Baghdad. The Baghdad-based Ancient Church of the East was formed in opposition to the switch of the Chicago-based Assyrian Church of the East to the Gregorian calendar and the hereditary passing of the patriarchate from uncle to nephew, but has entered into dialogue with the Assyrian Church of the East (whose patriarchate is no longer hereditary) and recently adopted the Gregorian calendar. More here.

Coptic, Syriac, and Armenian Orthodox Meet in Cairo to Discuss Political, Ecumenical Issues

The standing committee of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, comprised of representatives of the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox Churches and the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cilicia, has met in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss their relations and their shared positions in Middle Eastern and global ecumenical dialogues. More (in Arabic) here and here.

Syriac Orthodox, Assyrian Christian Hierarchs Meet in California

Metropolitans Mor Clemis (Eugene) of Burbank and Mor Cyril (Aphrem) of Teaneck of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the United States have met with Bishop Mar Awa (Royel) of Modesto of the Assyrian Church of the East to discuss the ongoing theological dialogues between the two churches aimed at overcoming their Christological differences so that the Assyrian and Suryoyo people, who speak dialects of the same Syriac language, can be united again in faith. More here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Concludes Paraguay Visit

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has concluded his visit to Paraguay. On his Sunday in the country Metropolitan Hilarion concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Platon of Buenos Aires not in one of the Paraguayan capital's Russian Orthodox churches (of which there are at least three), but rather in its Roman Catholic cathedral. More here and here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Begins Paraguay Visit

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun his visit to Paraguay, being welcomed to the South American nation's capital by Metropolitan Platon (Udovenko) of Buenos Aires of the Russian Orthodox Church and Paraguayan officials. During his stay in Paraguay Metropolitan Hilarion will be visiting the country's Russian Orthodox parishes, meeting with Paraguayan and Russian officials, and delivering a lecture at the Catholic University of Paraguay. More here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with Archbishop Jerome, Participates in Orthodox-Catholic Commission

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun another visit to Greece, meeting with Archbishop Jerome II (Liapis) of Athens in the Greek capital to discuss relations between the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches before proceeding to Crete to participate in a meeting of the working group of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. More here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with German Catholic Leaders

During his visit to Germany last weekend Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk and Archbishop Theophan of Berlin of the Russian Orthodox Church met with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church in German to discuss relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and ways the two churches could work with one another, particularly on social issues. More (in Russian) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with Representatives of Church and State in Hungary

During a visit to Budapest for an interreligious conference Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church met with the primate of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary and the Hungarian prime minister to discuss the possibilities for cooperation between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in Hungary and the European Union in the defense of 'family values.' More (in Russian) here.

Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Representatives Meet in Warsaw

As part of his ongoing visit to Poland Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church has met with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland and the Vatican. The meeting was held with the hope of promoting the reconciliation of the Polish and Russian peoples and to discuss issues on which the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches can make a common stand. More (in Russian) here.

Patriarch Philaret, Archbishop Major Svyatoslav Discuss Areas of Inter-Church Cooperation

This past week Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Archbishop Major Metropolitan Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church met in Kiev to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the two churches, among them social issues, relations between the churches and the Ukrainian government, and education. More here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Attends Conference in Jamaica

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church has arrived in Jamaica to take part in an ecumenical peace conference being held in the country. Nothing has been said about whether Metropolitan Hilarion will visit any of the parishes of the Orthodox Church in Jamaica, which is part of the Church of Ethiopia. More here.

Update (2:59pm): The text of Metropolitan Hilarion's speech at the conference can be found here.

Muslim-Christian Summit in Lebanon

Patriarchs Ignatios IV (Hazim) and Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch, Catholicos Aram I (Keshishian) of Sis, and other hierarchs of the Antiochian and Syriac Orthodox Churches have participated in a Christian-Muslim conference at the patriarchate of the Maronite Catholic Church in Bkerke, Lebanon, to discuss the growing divisions in Lebanese society. More here.

Russian Orthodox, Assyrian Hierarchs Meet

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church has met with Bishop Mar Iskhaq (Yosip) of Nohadra, who serves in the Diocese of Northern Iraq and Russia of the Assyrian Church of the East.

During the meeting Bishop Mar Isaac asked Metropolitan Hilarion to greet Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow on behalf of the head of the Church of the East, Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and to help the Church of the East in raising awareness of the plight of Iraq's Christians.

More here.