Eastern Orthodox Church

BELGRADE - An exhibition titled “Govor Krsta” (The Speech of the Cross) will open at the National Museum in Belgrade on Thursday, offering visitors an insight into the multi-layered symbolic meanings associated with the cross.

VIENNA - Bishop Andrej of Austria-Switzerland of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) was enthroned at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Vienna in the presence of political and religious representatives of Serbia and Austria on Sunday.

Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Sunday at Toplita, Harghita County, awarded the Badge of Honour of the Romanian Army, the highest such award, to Christian Orthodox Archbishop Ioan Selejan of Covasna and Harghita.

Russian minister receives SPC medal

BELGRADE -- Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej presented on Friday Russia's Minister of Regional Development Igor Slyunyayev with the Medal of Holy Emperor Constantine.

The accolade was given "for Slyunyayev's love towards the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serbian people," Tanjug reported.

BELGRADE - Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej presented on Friday Russia's Minister of Regional Development Igor Slyunyayev with the Medal of Holy Emperor Constantine for his love towards the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people.

Situated in the province of Lapusna, the Republic of Moldova, this foundation is traditionally attributed to Stephen the Great. Legend has it that, upon returning from a battle against that Tartars on the Dnester River, Stephen stopped over in a beautiful glade in the middle of a secular wood, where his soldiers saw a deer hunted by a pack of wolves.

The gem of mediaeval Moldavian churches, Saint George's Church of Voronet has become famous for its magnificent interior and exterior paintings, conspicuous of which is the blue hue, known in the world as the Voronet blue.

The mayors of Athens and Thessaloniki, Giorgos Kaminis and Yiannis Boutaris, have joined forces in an appeal for cremation to be allowed in Greece, an option that has been enacted by law but never fulfilled amid opposition from the Church of Greece, among others.

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios was greeted by Archbishop Ieronymos at the Athens Archdiocese on Wednesday, the first day of a three-day visit to Greece by the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Vartholomaios was expected to open a health conference in Athens on Wednesday before making his debut visit to the Saronic Gulf island of Hydra on Thursday.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church demanded the cancellation of the Sofia Pride 2014 gay parade, due to take place this Saturday. 

In a statement the Church urged the state and city institutions, as well as the organizers of the event, to cancel “this march of proud sin” and the accompanying events and exhibitions, because of their “unnatural and dissolute nature”.