Establishment of New Serbian Orthodox Diocese Marked in Vienna

Bishops Irinej of Bachka and Constantine of Central Europe of the Serbian Orthodox Church have concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in Vienna's Church of the Resurrection to mark the formal handing over of care for the Serbian Orthodox Church in Austria and Switzerland to Bishop Irinej, who was made locum tenens of the new Eparchy of Vienna during the recent Holy Assembly of Bishops in Belgrade. More here.

First Meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of Switzerland

The first meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of Switzerland is being held today in Chambesy, Switzerland, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Jeremiah (Calligiorgis) of Geneva of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church. The decision to establish an assembly for Switzerland was taken in March. The Assembly's membership consists of Metropolitans Jeremiah of Geneva, John (Yazigi) of Paris of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and Iosif (Pop) of Paris of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Bishops Nestor (Sirotenko) of Korsun of the Russian Orthodox Church, Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and Konstantin (Djokic) of Himmelsthur of the Serbian Orthodox Church. More here.

Swiss President Visits Echmiadzin

Yesterday Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin met with Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey at Holy Echmiadzin as part of the latter's visit to independent Armenia. During the course of the meeting Catholicos Karekin thanked Ms. Calmy-Rey for her efforts to improve relations between Armenia and Turkey as well as for Switzerland's recognition of the Armenian Genocide. More here.