Die Russische Orthodoxe Kirche (ROK) sieht im Bericht zur internationalen Religionsfreiheit für das Jahr 2016 des US-Außenministeriums Fortschritte, was die Einschätzung der Religionsfreiheit in Russland betrifft. Andererseits kritisierte sie die Verwendung von einseitigen und ungenauen Quellen, wie aus einem Brief von Metropolit Ilarion (Alfejev), Leiter des Kirchlichen Außenamtes des Moskauer Patriarchats, an den amerikanischen Außenminister Rex Tillerson hervorgeht.

On 1st February 2020, after the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, and an assembly of hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church, a reception took place in the Cathedral’s Refectory Chambers on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of His Holiness’ enthronement. Among those delivering speeches of greetings were Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and Moldova; Mr. Igor Schegolev, Preside...

Die religiösen Oberhäupter Armeniens und Aserbaidschans haben sich auf Einladung von Patriarch Kirill in Moskau getroffen. Bei dem Treffen am 13. Oktober 2021 im Danilov-Kloster tauschten sich der Katholikos-Patriarch der Armenischen Apostolischen Kirche, Karekin II., und Großmufti und Scheich-ul-Islam des Kaukasus, Allahschukur Paschazade, über die aktuellen Probleme zwischen Armenien und Aserbaidschan aus. Alle drei Religionsführer betonten das „einzigartige friedensstiftende Potenzial“ ihr...

Vertreter der „traditionellen Religionen Russlands“ haben zusammen mit dem Zentrum für Strategische Entwicklung (CSR) Herangehensweisen an die „Entwicklungsstrategie der Russischen Föderation 2018–2024“ besprochen. Bei der Tagung ging es um die „Werte des zukünftigen Russland“. Das CSR ist eine regierungsnahe Vereinigung, in der Experten Vorschläge zur wirtschaftlichen, gesellschaftlichen, technologischen und außenpolitisch...

Mehrere Religionsgemeinschaften in Russland haben sich mit wenigen Einschränkungen positiv zu einem Gesetzesentwurf für den Schutz traditioneller Werte geäußert. Der Entwurf mit dem Titel „Grundlagen der staatlichen Politik zum Schutz und zur Stärkung traditioneller russischer geistlich-moralischer Werte“ wurde im Dezember 2021 vom Kulturministerium zur Diskussion gestellt. Die Bevölkerung konnte sich bis am 4. Februar online zum Entwurf äußern, die Gesellschaftliche Kammer der Russischen Föd...

Registered trademarks for consumer good should not be permitted to use images of saints and other religious symbols, says the Interreligious Council of Russia. The Council met last week to discuss the issue, given that there have been many cases lately of trademarks using religious symbols that are venerated by believers, especially on alcoholic beverages, the Council reports. “The application of images or names of saints to alcoholic beverages and their use as a trademark can be regarded as ...

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the rite of consecration of the restored Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on the territory of the Theotokos Monastery in the capital city of Tatarstan on July 21. The consecration coincides with the feast of the Appearance of the Kazan Icon in 1579. The cathedral was restored over the course of 5 years, nearly identical to the original form of the cathedral that was blown up by the godless authorities on May 4, ...

Archpriest Konstantin Tatarintsev, who holds the position of First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church's Synodal Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies and Head of the Sector for Interaction with the Russian Aerospace Forces, shared whether it is permissible for priests to have weapons. This was reported by Nasha Niva. "Nuclear weapons have enormous destructive power. On the one hand, one might assume that it is unacceptable to sanctify that ...

His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has been elevated to the rank of Metropolitan in honor of his 40 years of episcopal service. The decision to honor Metropolitan Mark, the longest serving ROCOR hierarch, was made by unanimous decision of the ROCOR Holy Synod, which met in New York from December 6 to 10, reports the Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe. The white klobuk, worn only by metropolitans in the Russian tradition, was laid ...

(Radio Free Europe, www.rferl.org, 27. Januar 2023) An ultraconservative, coronavirus-denying Russian priest who was stripped of his religious rank and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison in 2021 has been handed an additional sentence of 5 1/2 years in prison on charge of inciting hatred toward Catholics, Muslims, and Jews. The Babushkin district court ruled on January 27 that it was combining the two sentences, meaning the general prison term for Nikolai Romanov, also known as Father Sergiy...

Die Russische Orthodoxe Kirche (ROK) möchte mit dem neuen Direktor der Isaakskathedrale in St. Petersburg, Jurij Mudrov, zusammenarbeiten. Mudrov sei ein Mann, der in Museumskreisen bekannt sei, und die Eparchie St. Petersburg wünsche ein konstruktives Zusammenwirken, wie eine Sprecherin der Eparchie am 16 Juni bekannt gab. Einen Tag zuvor hatte der russische Präsident Vladimir Putin dazu aufgerufen, die Diskussionen um die Isaakskathedrale zu entpolitisieren.

Metropolit Ilarion (Alfejev), der Leiter des Außenamtes des Moskauer Patriarchats, hat einen Bericht des UN-Menschenrechtskomitees zur Ukraine begrüßt. Die kritische Beurteilung zur Religionsfreiheit lobte er im Namen der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche (ROK) als „sehr sachlichen Entscheid zur Situation mit der Verfolgung der Gläubigen der kanonischen Ukrainischen Orthodoxen Kirche (UOK)“. Ilarion hofft, dass der Bericht auch im Patriarchat von Konstantinopel wahrgenommen wird. Denn dort seien „...

The commission of the Russian Orthodox Church tasked with studying the results of the extensive scientific examinations of the remains believed to be those of the holy Royal Martyrs reports that the remains are indeed those of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The commission was created in 2015, and after reviewing the results from several years of expert examinations by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, it has published its report and conclusions on the site of the Russia...

On 24 January 2019, a multimedia round table ‘Violation of Believers’ Rights in Ukraine’ organized by the Russian Association for the Defense of Religious Freedom took place at the International multimedia press centre MIA ‘Russia Today.” Among those attending were Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and Mr. Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass ...

The Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies (CMI) held a round-table conference on Theology in the Modern World: Russian and Foreign Experience, as part of the 26th Christmas Educational Readings. With the blessing of CMI rector Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the event was opened by CMI pro-rector for academic work Prof. D. Shmonin. The round table was attended by representatives of secular and ecclesial higher education institutes, synodal and diocesan departments in...

After 104 years, St. Andrei Rublev’s world-famous Holy Trinity Icon has finally returned to its historical home at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra for good. The 15th-century icon initially found its home on the iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the Lavra, founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in the 14th century. However, when the godless authorities came to power in Russia, they removed the icon from the monastery. In 1929, after nine years in a museum in Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad), ...

The Justice Ministry has put the Jehovah's Witnesses on the list of organizations prohibited in Russia. "The Russian Justice Ministry has added the Jehovah's Witnesses Management Center in Russia religious organization, as well as 395 affiliated local religious organizations to the list of civil, religious and other non-governmental organizations regarding which a court order on liquidation or prohibition has taken effect pursuant to the Federal Law on Suppression of Extremist Activity," the ...

Radio Free Europe: Following an outcry from its academics, the Russian Academy of Sciences has decided to retract its decision to name the head of the Russian Orthodox Church an honorary professor. Patriarch Kirill was due to formally accept the award at the academy's headquarters in Moscow on January 22 along with Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko. The decision to bestow the title on the speaker of the upper house was also reversed. "The question of awarding the title of ho...

In June 2019, the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Hegumen Arseny (Sokolov), visited the Patriarchate of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Damascus and met with Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Jack Yakoub, head of the Patriarchal Youth Department. They discussed in particular some academic projects. It was agreed to begin in the next academic year a students exchange between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church. ...

A new subsection has been opened on the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church dedicated to the “Historical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church,” providing documents, publications, and news dedicated to the ongoing crisis in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. As the announcement reads, “Throughout its 1,000-year history, the Russian Orthodox Church, despite the changing political circumstances and temporary divisions, include the two-century period of forced separation from the Kiev Metro...