Georgian Parliament Passes Law Allowing Registration of Armenian Orthodox Diocese

The Georgian Parliament has finally passed a law to allow for the registration of Georgia's largest minority religious organizations, first among them the Armenian Orthodox Church's diocese in Georgia. Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) of the Georgian Orthodox Church opposed the new law, saying that national debates should be held to establish whether a majority of Georgians supported the measure. Georgian ultranationalists also opposed the law, saying that neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan should be required to register the Georgian Orthodox Church in their countries first despite the miniscule size of their Georgian communities. More here and 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.

Patriarch Irinej Receives Representatives of Serb Refugees from Croatia

Representatives of associations representing Serb refugees from Croatia have visited the seat of the Pech Patriarchate in Belgrade to bring their concerns to the attention of Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovich) of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Since the end of the conflict between Croatia and its Serb minority in the 1990s the Croatian government has failed to restore the property of its Serb citizens, identify the remains in unmarked graves across the country, or to establish an impartial system of courts to try those involved in war crimes during the period. More here.

Metropolitan Nikitas, Bishop Ilia Report on Astoria Monastery

Metropolitan Nikitas of the Dardanelles and Bishop Ilia (Katre) of Philomelion have visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate to report their findings at St. Irene Chrysovolantou's Monastery in Astoria, New York, concerning the activities of its former abbot, Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is expected to issue a final decision on the status of the Monastery and Metropolitan Paisios in the near future.

At Bishop Ilia's direction the Monastery, which was received into the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church with the guarantee of its right to follow the Julian calendar, will be celebrating its feast day this year according to the Gregorian calendar. More (in Greek) here.

Tyvan-Language Bible to be Released

In connection with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Tyva the Russian Orthodox Church is releasing the first full translation of the Bible into the Tyvan language. More (in Russian) here.

Egyptian Court Orders ID Changes

An Egyptian court has ruled that Christians returning to Christianity from Islam should be allowed to change their state identification to reflect their return to their Christian faith. More 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 Hilarion Concludes Paraguay Visit

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has concluded his visit to Paraguay. On his Sunday in the country Metropolitan Hilarion concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Platon of Buenos Aires not in one of the Paraguayan capital's Russian Orthodox churches (of which there are at least three), but rather in its Roman Catholic cathedral. More here and here.

End of Clashes Over Harassment in Minya

Calm has returned to the Upper Egyptian city of Minya after clashes on Thursday over a Muslim bus driver's harassment of a Coptic Orthodox girl. Several shops were burned down during the fighting and seven people were treated for gunshot wounds, but no fatalities have been reported. More here.

40th Anniversary of Patriarch Maxim's Enthronement Celebrated in Sofia

Celebrations are being held today in Sofia, Bulgaria, to mark the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Maxim (Minkov) of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Delegations representing the Constantinopolitan, Alexandrian, Jerusalemite, Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Cypriot, Greek, Albanian, Polish, and Czechoslovak Orthodox Churches are present in the Bulgarian capital to participate in the celebratory Sunday Liturgy served this morning in Sofia's Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva.

Archbishop Chrysostomos II (Demetriou) of the Cypriot Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Christopher (Pulec) of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church are present in person to participate in the celebrations. More (in Bulgarian) here.

All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference Begins in France

The All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference has opened in France, on its second day celebrating the feast of St. John of Paris and San Francisco with a festal Divine Liturgy concelebrated by Bishops Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva and Theodosius (Ivaschenko) of Seattle of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and observed by Archbishop Gabriel (de Vylder) of Comana of the Russian Orthodox Exarchate of Western Europe. More here.

Quote of the Day: Elder Ephraim of Philotheou

Compel yourselves; say the prayer; stop idle talk; close your mouths to criticism; place doors and locks against unnecessary words. Time passes and does not come back, and woe to us if time goes by without spiritual profit.

Holy New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke

Joyous feast! On this third Sunday after Pentecost we commemorate the Holy New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke who suffered after the Ottoman Turkish conquest of the last remnants of the East Roman Empire and the Balkans. Hierarchs, clergymen, and faithful all witnessed to Christ regardless of their level of learning, their class, or their ethnicity. Muslim converts to Orthodoxy who were martyred for their faith are also included amongst the New Martyrs. More on today's feast can be found here and here. May the New Martyrs' blessings and prayers be with us all!

New Mission in SE Washington

It is my joy on this feast of St. John the Wonderworker to report that Archbishop Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has dedicated a new mission of his diocese in southeastern Washington to St. John! More here.

St. Peter of Alexandria

Joyous feast! On this day the calendar of the Coptic Orthodox Church commemorates Pope St. Peter of Alexandria, the 34th occupant of the throne of St. Mark and successor of the last pope to shepherd both the supporters and opponents of the Council of Chalcedon, Pope Theodosius I.

Although St. Justinian exiled Pope Theodosius to Upper Egypt and appointed another pope in his place, the supporters of the Christology of St. Cyril continued to recognize him as pope until his death in 567. At that time the opponents of Chalcedon went to a monastery in what today is el-Zogag and elected St. Peter as Pope of Alexandria.

The Copts' election of a new pope emboldened the Orthodox in Syria, also deprived of their own patriarch, to elect a Patriarch of Antioch supporting the Christology of Sts. Cyril and Severus. Neither Pope St. Peter nor the new Syriac Orthodox patriarch dared to take up residence in their sees, however, due to the persecutions ordered by the East Roman emperor in Constantinople.

Thus it was during St. Peter's papacy that the Orthodox were permanently divided, with the majority of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful in Upper and Lower Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia together with the monks of Scete submitting to his authority.

More on St. Peter's life can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!

St. John of San Francisco

Joyous feast! С праздником! Today we commemorate the 45th anniversary of the falling asleep of one of the great fathers of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, the missionary and wonderworker St. John, who served as Bishop of Shanghai and later as Archbishop first of Paris and then of San Francisco. Books could be filled with the many miracles worked through St. John both during his life and since his death, so I'll refer you here rather than try to summarize them all on this blog. May St. John's blessing and prayers be with us all!

OCA Holy Synod Rejects Episcopal Candidate for Alaskan Orthodox Church

A leading candidate in consideration for nomination as the next Bishop of Sitka, Archimandrite Juvenaly (Repass), is apparently no longer a candidate for the vacant Alaskan Orthodox cathedra following the recent refusal of the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church to approve his candidacy. More here.

Russian Court Rules Scientologist Literature Extremist

A court of Russia's Moscow region has recommended that Scientologist brochures and books be placed on the list of extremist literature banned in the Russian Federation. The ruling must be reviewed by the Russian Ministry of Justice before the ban can be put in place. 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.

Serbian, Macedonian Presidents Meet in Montenegro

At a meeting in Montenegro the presidents of Serbia and Macedonia have expressed their satisfaction over the development of relations between the two former member republics of Yugoslavia as well as their hope that the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox Churches would overcome their schism, which both presidents recognized as beign their responsibility, not that of the Serbian or Macedonian governments. More here.

Russian Orthodox Bishop Committed to Protecting Yakut Culture, Organizing a Seminary

During a press conference the newly consecrated Bishop Roman of Yakutsk and the Lena has expressed his intention to have his see's theological school reorganized as a seminary to better provide the pastoral training needed for the clergy of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia. Bishop Roman also expressed his concern over the corrosivie effects of globalization on Yakut culture and the commitment of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia to protecting the Yakut nation and its cultural traditions. More (in Russian) here.

Ethiopian Court Sentences Asendabo Perpetrators

An Ethiopian court has sentenced 558 people involved in attacks on Evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Christians in southwestern Ethiopia with jail terms ranging from 6 months to 25 years. More here.

Russian Orthodox Bishop Calls on "Cossack Autocephalous Church" Organizers to Repent

Bishop Kirill (Pokrovskiy) of Stavropol', chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's commission on relations with the Cossacks, has called on the organizers of a "Cossack Autocephalous Church," found this past June in the Russian city of Podolsk, to repent of their schism and embrace the unity of the Orthodox Church to prevent the further division of the Cossack movement in Russia. More (in Russian) here.

"Response to Myself"

Fr. Robert Arida, rector of Boston's Holy Trinity Cathedral, has released a reflection on the recent political developments in New York that is worth reading.

Metropolitan Hilarion Begins Paraguay Visit

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun his visit to Paraguay, being welcomed to the South American nation's capital by Metropolitan Platon (Udovenko) of Buenos Aires of the Russian Orthodox Church and Paraguayan officials. During his stay in Paraguay Metropolitan Hilarion will be visiting the country's Russian Orthodox parishes, meeting with Paraguayan and Russian officials, and delivering a lecture at the Catholic University of Paraguay. More here.