Orthodox church

The spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians said on Wednesday that Russia's powerful Orthodox Church shared responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine but that he stood ready to help in Russia's postwar "spiritual regeneration".

In what is seen as a blow to Moscow, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios stated on Tuesday that he will cooperate with Lithuanian authorities to establish a new branch in the Baltic country to ensure that people of faith are no longer only under the supervision of the Russian church.

The head of Cyprus' Orthodox Church Archbishop Georgios formally assumed his new duties Sunday following an enthronement ceremony evoking the splendor of centuries of Byzantine tradition before an audience of clergy from around the world with the notable exception of the Russian church.

Final preparations are almost complete for the opening of Mor Efrem (St. Ephrem) Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church in Istanbul, the first church built in the history of modern Türkiye.

While the church in the Bakırköy district is planned to be opened in two months, comprehensible work is being carried out to eliminate the last deficiencies.

Today, after Epiphany, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of St. Prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist. The day is popular as Ivanovden in Bulgaria (Ivan's Day) and is among the holidays with the largest number people who have a name day in our country - over 347 thousand.

By George Gilson

Titular Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Dodoni shocked the Greek public and caused an ecclesiastical and political uproar over his preposterous remark in an interview that touched on abortion and rape that a woman must have "participated" and essentially consented to rape if she remains pregnant from a rapist.

By Petros Tatsopoulos

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" or "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"?

Depending on whether we see the glass half-full or half-empty, we can quote Neil Armstrong or Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).

Covid-19 pandemic in Greece: 10,528 new infections on Wed.; nine related deaths; 94 intubated patients

The Orthodox Church commemorates one of the most revered saints, the great martyr George the Victorious.

On St. George's Day, more than 220,000 Bulgarians have a name day, and Georgi (George) is the most common male name in Bulgaria. Nearly 152 thousand people in the country have it.

By Evangelos Venizelos*

In the wake of the Russian attack and the war in Ukraine, the arguments heard in 2018-2019 regarding the granting of autocephaly [independence from the Moscow Patriarchate] to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine came to the surface once more, mainly due to a speech by Vladimir Putin.

Today, Holy Thursday, the Orthodox Church commemorates a number of events in the last days of Jesus Christ related to his saving work for humanity.