Bulgaria's Turks Call for Second Mosque in Sofia

Representatives of Bulgaria's Turkish minority are calling for the construction of a second mosque in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, to relieve the crowding at the city's downtown mosque and to help discourage future street attacks on Turks forced to pray on the street outside the mosque due to the lack of space. More here.

Kosovar Orthodox Bishop Speaks Out Against Partition of Kosovo

Bishop Teodosije (Sibalic) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and southwestern Serbia has spoken out against proposals by Serbian politicians that Kosovo be partitioned to allow its primarily Serb enclaves to remain part of Serbia, saying that this would result in Kosovo's remaining Serbs suffering even more than they already have. More here.

Roman Catholic Pope Visits Stepinac's Grave in Croatia

During his recent visited to Croatia Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church visited the grave of beatified Archbishop Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac of Zagreb, accused of collusion with the pro-Nazi Ustashe regime in its attempts to ethnically cleanse Croatia of Serbs and Jews, and praised him as 'a defender of the Jews, the Orthodox and of all the persecuted.' More here.

Visoki Decani Monastery Elects New Abbot

With the participation of its former abbot, Bishop Teodosije (Sibalic) of Raska and Prizren, the brotherhood of Kosovo's Visoki Dechani Monastery of the Ascension has elected its deputy superior, Archimandrite Sava (Janjic), as its new abbot. Axios! More (in Serbian) here.

Greek Orthodox Hierarchy Divided Over Greek Economic Crisis, Disestablishment

As Greece continues to struggle through its economic and debt crisis there are growing calls within the hierarchy of the Greek Orthodox Church for its disestablishment to preserve the institutions and finances of the Church and free it from government regulation. A committee has been established to discuss how the crisis will impact the Church, but the hierarchy lacks a united voice as to how the Church of Greece in general should respond to the ongoing issues in Greek life, with some opposing any change in the status quo and others calling the crisis an opportunity for the Church to escape being part of the state. More (in Greek) here.

Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Visits UAE Parish

An auxiliary to Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch, Metropolitan Mor Dionysios (Yuhanon), has made a pastoral visit to the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Zacchaeus in Sharjah, UAE, to celebrate the Lord's Ascension with the young parish, which was established 5 years ago. More (in Arabic) here.

Cypriot Orthodox Holy Synod Meets

At its session today the Holy Synod of the Cypriot Orthodox Church expressed its concern about the possible removal of religious symbols from the classrooms of Cyprus' public schools and defended its first hierarch's public statements on political issues in the country as expressing the Church's views on developments in Cypriot life without becoming involved in politics per se. More (in Greek) here.

Malankara Orthodox Catholicate Celebrates Earth Day in Kottayam

The Catholicate of the independent Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is hosting Earth Day celebrations at its seat in Kottayam, during which Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II of the East planted a tree on the grounds of the Catholicate and noted that, "If greed-driven continual exploitation of nature takes place, human extinction will result." More here.

Russian Orthodox Spokesman Responds to Criticisms of Moscow Church Construction Plans

A spokesperson for the Moscow Patriarchate, Vladimir Legoyda, has responded to criticisms of a recent decision to build roughly 200 new parish churches in metropolitan Moscow by pointing out that church construction does not inhibit the development of much needed social infrastructure like kindergartens and noting a recent initiative to greatly increase the number of residential daycare centers in the Russian capital. Observing that it is not an 'either/or' situation, Legoyda also discussed a recent patriarchal decree that Moscow's new churches to built to include educational centers hosting spaces for Sunday schools, libraries, and youth clubs. More (in Russian) here.

Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod Meeting Cancelled

The annual session of the full Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church has been cancelled due to Pope Shenouda's unexpected return to the USA for medical treatment. More here.

Former Old Believer Center in Bukovina Seeks Restoration Funds

The former center of the world's largest Old Believer accord, the Cathedral of the Dormition in Belokrinitsa, Bukovina (now part of Ukraine), is in need of extensive repairs and seeking for financial assistance from both its small flock and the Ukrainian government. More here.

Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod Glorifies St. Cyprian Klimuts, Establishes Department for Cossack Relations

The Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church met late last week in Polotsk, Belarus, to discuss internal issues in the life of the Church. Among other things the Local Synod glorified St. Cyprian Klimuts and blessed the establishment of a department to regulate the Church's relations with Belarus' Cossacks. More (in Russian) here.

Turkey Considers New Constitution

Calls are growing in Turkey for a new constitution that would enshrine equality for Turkey's non-Muslim citizens. More here.

Belorussian Orthodox Glorify New Saint

This past Friday Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk led services glorifying the New Hieromartyr Constantine (Zhdanov) of Disna, whose glorification was recently blessed by the Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church in light of the 2007 discovery that the Saint's relics were incorrupt. Metropolitan Philaret was joined in the services by many of the other hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in Belarus. More here and (in Russian) here.

Pictured is St. Constantine prior to his martyrdom in 1919.

Catholicos Aram Commemorates Victims of Battle of Sardarabad

On the last Sunday in May, following the Divine Liturgy, Catholicos Aram I (Keshishian) of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cilicia celebrated a memorial for all the soldiers who died fighting to establish the first Republic of Armenia in the 1918 Battle of Sardarabad. More here.

Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia Enthroned

The Romanian Orthodox Church's newly elected Archbishop Irineu (Pop) of Alba Iulia was enthroned over the weekend by Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj in the presence of Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Bucharest and many other hierarchs of the Church of Romania and hundreds of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia. In the practice of the Romanian Orthodox Church metropolitans enthrone their suffragan archbishops and bishops, whilst the patriarch enthrones the metropolitans. More (in Romanian) here.

Kazakh Orthodox Local Synod Meets in Uralsk

The Local Synod of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan has met under its first hierarch, Metropolitan Alexander (Mogilev) of Astana, in Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to discuss issues in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. Among other things the assembled hierarchs approved plans for a September visit by the Kursk-Root Icon and blessed the commemoration of the Astana Icon of the Theotokos.

The Local Synod's session closed with a concelebration of services in Uralsk's Cathedral of the Nativity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Eparchy of Uralsk. More (in Russian) here.

Romanian Orthodox Parish Opens in Canberra

Bishop Mihail of Sydney of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Australia and New Zealand has celebrated the first Sunday Liturgy of the new Romanian Orthodox parish in the Australian federal capital, Canberra. The services were hosted by the Romanian Embassy in Canberra and were followed by a general assembly of the community to elect a parish council. More (in Romanian) here.

Russian Orthodox Church Nears Completion in UAE

Construction on the first Russian Orthodox parish in the Arabian Peninsula, the Church of St. Philip in Sharjah, UAE, is nearing completion. When completed the parish compound will house an educational and cultural center in addition to the church, which has the distinction of being the only church on the Arabian Peninsula with crosses on its domes. The church's cornerstone was laid by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow when he was still serving as Metropolitan of Smolensk. More here and (in Russian) here.

It is unclear from what I've read whether St. Philip's is functioning as a regular parish of the Russian Orthodox Church or as a representation to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. I believe that Arabia is understood to fall under the latter's jurisdiction, but perhaps that is not the case?

Update (7/6/2011): The English-language release of the Moscow Patriarchate on the construction states that St. Philip's functions as a parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, whose canonical territory the Arabian Peninsula is, with clergy being provided by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Praises Late Abkhazian President

Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) of the Georgian Orthodox Church has praised the newly reposed Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh in his condolences to the latter's family as "a dignified member of the Abkhazian people and [an] Orthodox Christian." 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.

Pope Shenouda Returns to USA for Medical Care

The Coptic Orthodox Church's 88-year old Pope Shenouda III (al-Suriani) has returned to the United States for medical treatment. More here.

PNCC Organizes Sister Church in Scandinavia

As part of its efforts to organize a conservative Old Catholic 'Union of Scranton' the US-based Polish National Catholic Church is preparing to appoint a bishop for its outreach in Scandinavia, which has been organized as the Nordic Catholic Church. More here.

In Memoriam: Fr. Dn. Polycarp Sherwood

Fr. Dn. Polycarp Robert Sherwood of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in Ontario unexpectedly fell asleep earlier this afternoon. Fr. Polycarp was a long-time supporter, both financially and in terms of time and talent, of Christ the Savior Monastery in Hamilton, Ontario, and is survived by his wife and family. Fr. Polycarp's funeral Mass will reportedly be at St. Mark's Church in Denver, Colorado, after which he is to be buried on the grounds of St. Laurence's Center, a Western Orthodox retreat center in Talahasee Creek, Colorado. May his memory be eternal!

2011 Western Orthodox Conference Announced

It has been announced that the Western Rites conference being sponsored by the Fraternity of St. Gregory the Great for the Western Orthodox clergy and faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia will be held this October at a retreat center in upstate New York. The conference will also be open to the Western Orthodox clergy and faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. More here.