Christianity in Europe

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held another two high-profile meetings with Russian leaders on Thursday, as he was received by Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev followed by an audience with Russian Patriach Kyril.

Economic ties were on the agenda during the first meeting, with Medvedev saying Moscow considers Athens "a significant partner with prospects".

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued assurances on Monday that the Holy Light would travel to Greece this year regardless of a call by a group of local atheists' for the flight not to be paid for by the Greek government. The Greek Union of Atheists protested against the annual air transport costs to bring the flame to Greece in a spirit of pomp and pageantry.

BELGRADE - Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) delivered a Christmas epistle calling on the Orthodox believers to pray for peace, love and unity to reign the world this year.

Metropolitan Hilarion Alefeev of Volokolamsk, seen as one of the most influential figures in the Russian Orthodox Church and head of its external relations department, urged Macedonian leaders to release Vraniskovski in order to help the country's church settle its status in the Orthodox world, a well-informed source from the Macedonian Church told BIRN.

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The Turkish government can ‘only benefit from recognizing the ecumenical status of the Patriarchate’ a senior official from the Fener Orthodox Patriarchate says in an exclusive interview Stopping resistance to the title “Ecumenical Patriarchate” and reopening the Halki Seminary can only elevate the reputation of Turkey as a democratic nation, according to a senior official from the Fen

Down a narrow side street, in a district of Istanbul on the Golden Horn well off the beaten tourist track, sit the relatively modest headquarters of the "first among equals" of the world’s estimated 300 million Orthodox Christian believers.

BELGRADE - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will come on Friday on a three-day visit to Serbia, where he will consecrate the newly erected monument to Tsar Nicholas II Romanov and talk with the country's top religious and state officials.

MOSCOW - The competition commission for painting the Cathedral of Saint Sava chose the project for the mosaic painting to decorate the interior of the biggest Orthodox church in the Balkans.

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”.