Armenian Orthodox Catholicos Visits France

Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin has undertaken a pastoral visit to the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Marseille in southern France. While in France Catholicos Karekin celebrated the 80th anniversary of Holy Translators' Church in Marseille and met with the hierarchs, clergy, and representatives of the Armenian Orthodox Church in France as well as with Bishop Anba Athanasius of the Coptic Orthodox Church in France. More here.

French Court in Nice Orders Transfer of Cathedral Keys

A French court in Nice has ordered the city's parish of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe to hand over the keys of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas to the parish established under the Moscow Patriarchate's Diocese of Korsun following the cathedral's transfer to the ownership of the Russian government. The parish has been given 7 days to turn over the keys, with fines of €6,000 to be levied for each additional day taken. More here.

Russian Orthodox Exarchate Maintains Parish Occupation of Cathedral in Nice

The Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe is appealing the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Korsun to expel its parish in Nice on the grounds that the change in ownership of St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Nice should not mandate a change in the jurisdictional affiliation of the parish. More here.

Kiev Theological Academy/Seminary Choir Visits France

Archbishop Antoniy (Pakanich) of Boryspil', auxiliary to Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev, is leading a pilgrimage to holy places in France and Monaco in conjunction with a tour of the Choir of the Kiev Theological Seminary and Academy in the country. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Archbishop of Comana Affirms Exarchate's Union with Constantinople

In his address to Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople during his recent visit to France, Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe reaffirmed his exarchate's union with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, saying that the latter has given it "full freedom to continue to follow [its] vocation to prepare the way for the establishment of a local church." More (in French) here.

Ecumenical Patriarch Visits St. Sergius' in Paris

As part of his ongoing travels in France Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople has visited the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe's St. Sergius' Theological Institute in Paris. The patriarch was welcomed to St. Sergius' by Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana, head of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate. More in Greek here.

Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Consecrates Church in Mulhouse, France

This past Sunday evening Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Bucharest consecrated the Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian in the Alsatian town of Mulhouse. More here.

Patriarch Daniel Consecrates Strasbourg Church

This past weekend Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Bucharest consecrated the Church of St. John the Baptist in Strasbourg, France, during the Sunday Liturgy. In addition to the patriarch Metropolitan Iosif (Pop) of Paris and Bishops Timotei (Lauran) of Madrid and Marc (Alric), auxiliary of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Western and Southern Europe. More here.

Ecumenical Patriarch to Visit France

Patriarch Bartholomew I (Arhondonis) of Constantinople is preparing for a visit to France. During his time in France Patriarch Bartholomew will visit St. Sergius' Theological Institute in Paris and meet with the Orthodox hierarchs serving in the country. More here.

Architect of New Parisian Cathedral an Atheist

The architect of the new Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris, Manuel Nunez-Yanovsky, has confessed to be an atheist, but a "mystic" one who is "closer to Orthodoxy than Catholicism" culturally. Although born in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Nunez-Yanovsky has spent most of his life in France and Spain. More here.

French Photographer Turned Athonite Hieromonk

An interesting story from Interfax about a French photographer who became an Athonite monk can be found here.

Church in Nice Buys Land

The Romanian Orthodox Church of Sts. Constantine and Helena in Nice, France, has successfully raised the funds needed to purchase property in the city upon which to build a permanent church. The paperwork for the purchase was signed this past Friday. More here.

Plans for Paris Cathedral Complex

A write-up about the plans for a new Russian Orthodox cathedral complex in central Paris, complete with a somewhat less than impressive drawing of what the plans will look like, can be found here. (Lovers of good ecclesiastical architecture are encouraged to check out this website.)

ROCOR Metropolitan Sends Personal Representative to Cannes Parish

Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of New York of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad is sending Protopriest Michael Boikov to France to serve as his representative at the stavropeghial Church of St. Michael in Cannes. It is unclear whether the appointment comes as a result of new issues in the often fractious life of the parish or not. More here.

Karekin II Visiting France

Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin has begun a short visit to the Armenian Orthodox Church in France. More here.

Romanian Orthodox Church in Nice Appeals for Aid

The Romanian Orthodox Church of Sts. Constantine and Helena in Nice, France, has issued an appeal for help in buying land for the construction of a church in the city. The land costs 360,000 euros, 200,000 of which have been raised. The remaining 160,000 must be raised by 16 February. To support the parish visit its website here. More here.

Parisian Bishop Visits Solesmes Abbey

In honor of the Westerners' "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" Bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church in France on Thursday presented a lecture on Russian Orthodox monasticism at the Solesmes Abbey before discussing with its abbot ways in which Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic monasteries could work together. More here.

Russian Orthodox Church to be Built in Strasbourg

The city of Strasbourg in France has agreed to allocate land for the construction of a Russian Orthodox church for the city's Russian Orthodox faithful. More here.