Serbian Orthodox Holy Synod Threatens Schism with Romanian Orthodox Church, Glorifies New Martyrs

At its recent session earlier this week the full Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church (the Holy Assembly of Bishops) reiterated its repeated protests to the Bucharest Patriarchate over the schismatic intrusions of the Romanian Orthodox Church on the canonical territory of the Church of Serbia and stated that if the Romanian Orthodox Church does not stop uncanonically celebrating services in eastern Serbia without the permission of the local hierarchy that it would follow the example of the Church of Jerusalem and break communion with the Bucharest Patriarchate.

During its session the full Holy Synod also protested the ongoing persecution of the autonomous Macedonian Orthodox Church by the Macedonian government, glorified the Holy New Martyrs of Momisici of the Turkish Yoke, and discussed the division of the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Sremski Karlovci (currently the largest of the Serbian Orthodox Church) into several more manageable dioceses. More (in Serbian) here.

In Memoriam: Metropolitan Constantine of the UOCUSA

Metropolitan Constantine (Buggan) of Irinoupolis and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and the Diaspora fell asleep today at the age of seventy-six. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Constantine served the UOCUSA in various capacities for forty-five years, forty of those years as a hierarch of either the independent Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) or the UOCUSA (after much of the UAOC in the Ukrainian Diaspora was received into the Ecumenical Patriarchate). May his memory be eternal! More information on Metropolitan Constantine's life can be found here.

OCA Holy Synod Meets in Spring Session

At its recent spring session the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) reviewed recent developments in the life of the OCA, among other things excommunicating Oriental Orthodox Christians received into the OCA should they maintain communion with their native Orthodox Churches and elevating four of the Church's diocesan bishops to the rank of archbishop. More here.

New Bulgarian Orthodox Bishop of Toledo Consecrated

Archimandrite Alexander (Golitzin) was consecrated Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarians today by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and all the serving hierarchs of the American Orthodox Church (with the exception of Bishop Alejo of Mexico City). Axios! The consecration service was well attended, with many clergy and faithful from the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo, the Midwest, and East and West Coasts of the United States in attendance. More here.