Die vom tschechischen Abgeordnetenhaus verabschiedete Novelle des nach langwierigen Staat-Kirche-Verhandlungen 2013 in Kraft getretenen Gesetzes zur Kirchenrestitution ist vom Senat, der zweiten Kammer des Parlaments, abgelehnt worden. Nach einer mehrstündigen Aussprache stimmte am 27. Februar wie erwartet eine große Mehrheit gegen die Novelle. Die erste Parlamentskammer, das Abgeordnetenhaus, hatte im vergangenen Monat eine Besteuerung der Kirchenentschädigung durch den tschechischen Staat f...

On February 28, 2019, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Archbishop Luoma of Turku and Finland, at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in the St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow. Participating in the meeting from the Russian Orthodox Church were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR); Archbishop Amvrosy of Vereya, rector of Moscow the...

Professionals warn of a long-lasting ecological crisis. Pollution and climate change are facts, and the solution is being shown by small communities, including congregations, through their prophetic lifestyle and impact in the world. This topic, among many others, was discussed at the Eco-Congregation Conference on January 5th at the RCH Synod Hall in Budapest. The first lecture of 2019 was from the book of Jeremiah, on critical times. According to the first seven verses of the 29th chapter, ...

His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Krasnoyarsk and Achinsk celebrated the rite of consecration of the tallest memorial cross in Russia on Drokino Mountain at the border of Krasnoyarsk with the Emelianovsky Region, reports the press service of the Krasnoyarsk Diocese. At a height of 154 ft., the stainless steel cross is the tallest in Russia and the third tallest in the world. It was designed to become the new symbol of Krasnoyarsk. Located at the symbolic “gate” to the city, it is perfe...

The Head of Government and the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations agreed to continue cooperation aimed at fostering the governmental family policy. The subject of protection of families and children has become one of the key issues during the meeting between Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman and the heads of denominations held on February 22 at the Club of the Cabinet of Ministers, reports the Institute of Religious Freedom. Speaking at the AUCCRO, the C...

Four dioceses were created for the Patriarchal Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Southeast Asia at today’s meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, reports the Synodal Department for Relations with Society and the Media. The Exarchate itself was established by the Holy Synod on December 28, with the sphere of pastoral responsibility including: Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, Ma...

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorated the memory of St. Seraphim the Wonderworker of Boguchar in the Russian Orthodox dependency Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on 26 February. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the visiting Russian hierarch His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon of Vladimir and Suzdal with the concelebration of the Bulgarian hierarch His Grace Bishop Polycarp of Belogradchik and a number of Bulgarian clergymen, reports the press service of the Russian Orthodox Churc...

Der ukrainische Kirchenstreit zieht weiter Kreise. In der jüngsten Episode wurde Bischof Gedeon (Charon), Abt des Desjatinnij-Klosters in Kiew, bei seiner Ankunft am Flughafen in Kiew am 13. Februar die Einreise verweigert. Der Bischof der Ukrainischen Orthodoxen Kirche (UOK, Moskauer Patriarchat), der von einer USA-Reise zurückkehrte, wurde aufgrund von Problemen mit seinen Dokumenten festgenommen und verließ am folgenden Tag Kiew.

Erstmals hat eine Delegation der neu gegründeten Orthodoxen Kirche der Ukraine (OKU) unter der Leitung von Bischof Pavel (Juristyj) von Odessa die Mönchsrepublik Athos besucht. Trotz der großen Ablehnung gegen die Verleihung der Autokephalie an die OKU durch den Ökumenischen Patriarchen Bartholomaios in der Weltorthodoxie wurde der Delegation offenbar der Zugang zu mehreren Klöstern gewährt. Eine klare Position der Athosmönche ist aber nicht zu erkennen.