(OPINION) At first glance, the attacks that took place in 2004 may appear to be a spontaneous reaction of locals to the unfortunate drowning of Albanian boys and the alleged involvement of Serbian individuals in the incident. However, the ruins of Serbian homes, churches and monasteries tell a different story.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Since 2000, the two holidays have overlapped every year but four — in 2005, 2008, 2016 and this spring. Easter is calculated based on the Christian liturgical calendar tied to the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Passover, on the other hand, is determined by the Jewish calendar, which is also lunar-based. That’s where the similarities end.
Read More(REVIEW) This film is not just a historical overview of the growth of Orthodox Christianity in America’s northernmost state among Native Alaskans; it also captures the fusion of Native Alaskan culture and Orthodox spirituality. The film shows what we can learn from Alaskan Orthodoxy. Becoming fully human, caring for the land and the animals are main themes discussed in this documentary. These lessons are not just important for Orthodox Christians, but for all human beings.
Read More“Sacred Alaska” is an award-winning, visually stunning documentary with compelling storytelling. The film explores the profound influence of Orthodoxy, brought by St. Herman and Russian monks in the late 18th century, on Native Alaskan society. It also highlights the unique fusion of Native Alaskan indigenous beliefs with Orthodox traditions.
Read MoreIn 2021, Navalny expressed hope that the Orthodox church in Russia could act as a mediator between the people and the state. He recognized this was unlikely; but if his demise tells us anything, it’s that moral courage in Russia’s mother church isn’t totally dead. On the contrary, we might see a resurrection yet.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Armenian quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City is facing its biggest crisis in a long time. A Jewish businessman with connections to the radical settler movement is poised to develop a quarter of the neighborhood’s territory, with plans to build a luxury hotel. If this goes ahead, it will significantly change part of the Old City.
Read MoreNow is a good time as any to look ahead to what this year will bring. For Orthodox Christians, it means marking down the top Orthodox events of 2024. In fact, the next 12 months promise to be eventful ones — from academic conferences to film festivals to summer retreats and international gatherings.
Read MoreThe ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major calendar change and the deepening rift between Constantinople and Moscow defined 2023 for the Orthodox church around the world. Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of the year.
Read MoreFor many years, Sotiris Skoufis operated his own business of wholesale fabrics in his native Athens. In 2015, he grew physically ill from back pain. At the same time, he went financially broke by the economic crisis in his homeland. Mentally exhausted, he traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic and his life would be forever changed.
Read MoreMetropolitan Job of Pisidia is an Orthodox bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He is the Permanent Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches and co-President of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic church and the Orthodox church. These significant posts make him a top diplomat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Read MoreThe work of five Ukrainian artists, whose art varies across artistic tradition and highlight the beauty of Ukraine and its people, is currently on view at the Sheen Center’s Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider Gallery. The exhibition, “Beauty During Wartime and Before,” is particularly meant to honor resilience and faith during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read MoreOnly a few scholars and researchers have a comprehensive understanding of the religious aspects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are not many Orthodox theologians and journalists who delve into discussions about Orthodox Christianity and its compatibility with Western values.
Read MoreA blast went off at a building located on the campus of St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, a place where scores of Palestinians had been sheltering from Israeli air strikes. Some 500 Muslims and Christians had been staying on the church grounds following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians.
Read MoreOctober is Orthodox Awareness Month. Orthodox Christian Fellowship, a leading Eastern Orthodox student organization, dedicated the month to raise awareness of OCF in the Orthodox community and among non-Orthodox students on college campuses nationwide.
Read More(REVIEW) Watching documentary films is never easy. Oftentimes, documentaries can be both intellectually challenging and culturally enriching — especially if they are about the church and faith. The majority of Orthodox Christian documentaries are produced in non-English speaking countries such as Russia, Greece and Serbia. With the growth of the Orthodox church around the globe, English-speaking countries are slowly catching up.
Read More(OPINION) The bishops of Aleppo, Syria — Metropolitan Paul Yazigi and Metropolitan Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church — disappeared 10 years ago while seeking the release of two kidnapped priests. Their car was surrounded by a pack of armed men as they maneuvered through risky checkpoints west of Aleppo. Their driver died in the gunfire, but a survivor later testified that the kidnappers were not speaking Arabic and appeared to be from Chechnya.
Read MoreSome Muslims, Jews and other religious minorities in Thessaloniki also believe the city has found harmony between Abrahamic faiths in the past and can do so again. And one such olive branch toward religious understanding is taking root at the School of Theology in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which is the first Greek university to implement an academic program on Islamic studies.
Read MoreThe feast day of saints Peter and Paul is a significant celebration in the Christian calendar because it commemorates the lives of two martyrs. The annual feast, observed on June 29, holds deep religious and historical significance for Christians around the world.
Read MoreTourists and pilgrims despairing about finding a genuine souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land that wasn’t mass-manufactured in China, India, Turkey or Egypt might wish to consider visiting the Bethlehem Icon Centre — perhaps the only school in the Middle East that teaches the ancient Christian tradition of iconography.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Thousands of people have spent the past few weeks waiting in line for hours in a small Missouri town to see a nun whose body has barely decomposed since she died in 2019 at age 95. Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s body was exhumed in April, according to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in Gower, Missouri. What it all means is rooted in Catholic belief that something supernatural has taken place.
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