Pope Francis said Monday there were plans for a possible second meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, after their historic 2016 encounter in Cuba became a landmark in mending relations severed by the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity. Francis said he planned to meet next week with the Russian church’s foreign envoy Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Russian Orthodox Church’
Russian court fines coronavirus-denying rebel monk
Thursday, July 9th, 2020A Russian court on Tuesday fined a coronavirus-denying monk who has challenged Kremlin lockdown orders for spreading false information about the pandemic. The court in the Ural Mountains region ordered Father Sergiy to pay 90,000 rubles ($1,250). The 65-year-old monk, who has attracted nationwide attention by urging followers to disobey church leadership and ignore church Read more
Russian Orthodox churches in Europe on path to rejoining Moscow
Thursday, September 12th, 2019Russian Orthodox churches in Europe are preparing to reconnect with Moscow after nearly 90 years under the protection of Constantinople. An extraordinary General Assembly of 186 members met in Paris Sept. 7 to decide whether to reconnect with the Russian Orthodox Church, which they left in 1931 because of persecution under Stalin’s anti-religious policy. This Read more
Ukraine schism forcing Russian Orthodox split from Constantinople
Monday, October 15th, 2018
The Russian Orthodox Church says it is being forced to split from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Metropolitan Ilarion, the head of the Russian Orthodox church’s external relations, says Constantinople’s decision allowing the Ukranian Orthodox church to establish itself as an independent church is behind the move. Ilarion says the Constantinople Patriarchate synod’s decision to Read more
Pokemon Go player arrested in church
Thursday, May 4th, 2017A man is facing jail for “inciting religious hatred” after making a video of himself playing Pokemon Go inside a Russian Orthodox church. The footage, which has been watched 1.7 million times on YouTube, shows the man describing Jesus as “the rarest Pokemon”. Read more
Catholic and Russian Orthodox relations – the Pope and the Patriarch
Monday, February 13th, 2017
Catholic and Russian Orthodox relations will take a further step forward this week. Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill are meeting in Switzerland to resume discussions they began last year in Havana. At last year’s meeting, the Catholic and Orthodox leaders discussed Christian brotherhood and unity. This year they will talk about progress and Read more
Outrage as Russia destroys tonnes of Western food
Tuesday, August 11th, 2015
Hundreds of tonnes of food from Western nations have been destroyed in Russia as part of campaign ordered by President Vladimir Putin. The destruction has caused an outcry from anti-poverty campaigners who say the food should have been given to the poor A petition against the action on change.org has already attracted more than 300,000 Read more
The dangers of cowardly ecumenism with Russia
Tuesday, November 4th, 2014
Imagine if the pope were invited to address a summit of Protestant leaders, and used the platform to take a swipe at Italy’s tiny Waldensian Protestant church — complaining that it tries to convert Catholics, and demanding that it shut up about the separation of church and state. Protestants would rightly howl about how crude Read more
Pope backs Russian Church’s position against Pussy Riot
Friday, October 19th, 2012
Pope Benedict XVI reportedly supported the Russian Orthodox Church’s tough stance against the punk band Pussy Riot who were controversially jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral, The Independent of London reported. The pope’s position was announced in comments posted on the website of Patriarch Kirill, head of Read more
Russian Church asks for clemency for Pussy Riot members
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012
The Russian Orthodox Church on Sunday asked for clemency for three jailed members of the rock band Pussy Riot if they repent for their “punk prayer” for deliverance from President Vladimir Putin. A report by the Associated Press, however, said it was unclear whether the women, who were sentenced to two years last month, would Read more