Services Being Translated Into Ossetian

In a recent interview Archbishop Zosima (Ostapenko) of Vladikavkaz expressed the hope that by the 1,100th anniversary of the Baptism of the Alans in 2014 the translation of the divine services into the Ossetian language would be complete so that the Alans' modern day descendants could pray in their own language. The full Russian-language interview, which covers the overall state of the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Vladikavkaz, can be found 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.

SSPX District Superior Permits Vernacular Masses

In a recent interview Fr. Daniel Couture, the district superior for Asia of the traditionalist Roman Catholic Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), discussed the practice of his district to encourage mainline Roman Catholic priests who want to serve the traditional Mass and do not know Latin to serve in the local vernacular. Fr. Daniel also discussed the collapse of the spiritual life of Roman Catholic clergy in many dioceses in Southeast Asia. More here.

Bishop Theophylact of Pyatigorsk Interviewed on Orthodoxy in Turkmenistan

Bishop Theophylact of Pyatigorsk and the Orthodox Church in Circassia, administrator of the patriarchal Russian Orthodox parishes in Turkmenistan, has granted an interview on the status of the Orthodox Church in Turkmenistan. Overall the situation seems to be improving, with the parishes coming under the direct authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox Christian religious literature being allowed into the country, and several new parishes currently in the process of being registered with the Turkmenistani government.

During the interview Bishop Theophylact also discussed his recent pastoral visit to Turkmenistan over Pascha and the ongoing efforts to translate the divine services into Turkmen. More (in Russian) here.

All-Ukrainian Council to Review Church Life, Not Encourage 'Political Orthodoxy'

In an interview Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev has confirmed that the intention of the upcoming All-Ukrainian Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not to somehow change the Church's status, but to review its work over the two decades since the grant of autonomy and the 1992 All-Ukrainian Council in Kharkiv. More here.

Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau Interviewed on Moldovan Orthodoxy, Relations with the EU

In an interview Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of the Moldovan Orthodox Church has accused the European Union of trying to use loans to the Moldovan government as a means of enacting laws in Moldova "alien to [Moldovan] spiritual and moral traditions." During the interview Metropolitan Vladimir also expressed his opposition to the official registration of Moldova's Muslim League and his hope for the Synaxis of All the Saints of Moldova to be included in the general calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. More (in Russian) here.

Metropolitan Varsanufiy On Smaller Dioceses, Regional Metropolias

In an interview recently published in The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Varsanufiy (Sudakov) of Saransk has responded to questions on the ongoing division of the Russian Orthodox Church's existing eparchies into smaller ones, noting that it is impossible for a hierarch to be an effective shepherd of his diocese when it consists of 300 parishes or more as is often the case today.

As stated by Metropolitan Varsanufiy in the interview, the Russian Orthodox Church's long-term goal is to raise the ratio of churches to people (currently at one for every ten thousand Russians) and enable the Church's episcopate to better oversee their flocks through the creation of smaller, more manageable dioceses. (Metropolitan Varsanufiy's own Eparchy of Saransk included over four hundred parishes prior to its recent division into three eparchies.) In the interview Metropolitan Varsanufiy also discussed the possibility of devolving some central authority to regional metropolias, as has already occurred in the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan.

The full interview (in Russian) can be found here.

Interview on Russian Orthodoxy in New Zealand

An interesting interview with Fr. Vladimir Boikov, head of the New Zealand Deanery of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad's Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, can be found here.

"From Russia, With Love"

An interview by the Evangelical Protestant Christianity Today with Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church can be found here.

"Young Bulgarians Turn to Monastic Life"

An interesting interview with the secretary of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Eparchy of Vidin concerning the growth of monasticism in Bulgaria since the fall of Communism can be found here.

Interview with Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau

An interesting Romanian-language interview with Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau on the situation of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and Romanians from Moldova abroad can be found here.

Interview on Yuriy Gagarin's Faith

In honor of today's celebration of Yuriy Gagarin and the first manned spaceflight I'd like to bring this interview to your attention. Enjoy!

Patriarch Irinej on Serbia and Russia

Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovich) of the Serbian Orthodox Church has given an interview on relations between the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches. More in Russian here.

Russian Orthodox Educational Reforms to Gain Western Recognition

Speaking on the ongoing reform of theological education in the institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archimandrite Kirill (Hovorun) has said that one of the intentions of the reform is to gain recognition of degrees awarded by the Church's seminaries, academies, and universities by institutions of higher education in the West. His full comments can be found here (in Russian).

Russian-Language Interview about Russian Orthodoxy in the Far East, Southeast Asia

An interesting Russian-language interview with Fr. Dmitriy Pozdnyayev of Sts. Peter and Paul's Church in Hong Kong about the life of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Fart East and Southeast Asia can be found here.

Metropolitan Hilarion on the Pentarchy

In an interview Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has reaffirmed his belief that preparations for a general council of the Local Orthodox Churches will continue and also noted the purely secular origins of the pentarchy, the ranking of the five (now four) ancient patriarchates in the Mediterranean world above the other Local Orthodox Churches that have been established after them, and of the notion of Moscow as a 'Third Rome' that has been popular in Russia. More here.

Yours truly is naturally hopeful that the ideal of the Third Rome will be abandoned by the Russian Orthodox Church so that the Fourth Rome can take its rightful place in world Orthodoxy ;-). And, of course, 'a fifth there shall not be'...

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch to Remain in Damascus

In an interview Metropolitan Mor Gregorios (Yohanna) of Aleppo of the Syriac Orthodox Church has spoken against recent rumors that preparations are being made to transfer the seat of the Patriarchate of Antioch from Damascus to India or Turkey. More here. The rumors have developed as political unrest has spread in Syria, long a haven for the Middle East's Christians under the ruling al-Assad family.

AFR Interview on Metropolitan Nicholas of the ACROD

Ancient Faith Radio has posted an interview with Protopresbyter Frank Miloro, chancellor of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese (ACROD), about the newly reposed Metropolitan Nicholas (Smisko) of Amissos here.

Metropolitan Juvenaly on Novodevichiy Monastery

An interesting interview with Metropolitan Yuvenaliy (Poyarkov) of Krutitsy and Kolomna of the Russian Orthodox Church concerning the transfer of the branch of the State Historical Museum at Moscow's New Maidens' Monastery to the Church can be found here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Confident Council Preparations Will Resume

In an interview Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has expressed his confidence that the preparations for a general council of the Local Orthodox Churches (perhaps even a "great and holy" council ;-) ) will resume "in the near future." More here.