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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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30.10.2009, [12:25] // Foreign relations // risu.org.ua
MOSCOW — Interfax reported on October 29, 2009, that the Russian Foreign Ministry has described the U.S. Department of State’s 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom as politically biased.
"There is an impression that the authors decided not to bother themselves with releasing updated information. The text of the Russian section in the report coincides with its’ last year's version virtually word for word and again contains a standard set of critical remarks addressed at Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Such an approach forces us once again to repeat our earlier judgments about the U.S. Department of State’s report as a politically biased document distorting facts, which deliberately misrepresents the real situation regarding freedom of faith in Russia and hushes up positive trends in this field," it said.
"Russia's state policy is aimed at ensuring freedom of religion – after all, the authors of the report acknowledge this themselves. We pursue such a policy not in order to win the U.S. Department of State's approval and get higher rankings in its annual report. Inter-faith peace and accord is Russia's priceless heritage, which we treat extremely carefully and take all the necessary efforts for its preservation," the Foreign Ministry said.
• http://www.interfax-religion.com
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29.10.2009, [15:22] // Foreign relations // risu.org.ua
WASHINGTON — On October 26, 2009, the Bureau for Democracy and Human Rights of the US State Department published the annual report on human rights observance in the world’s countries. The report on Ukraine includes an evaluation of religious freedom in the country. It stresses that the Constitution of Ukraine guarantees the freedom of religion and the government protects that right, however, certain religious minorities and non-traditional religious groups have difficulties in registering and purchasing property. There is no state religion in Ukraine, however, stresses the document, local authorities sometimes give preferences to religious denominations which have the largest number of adherents in a given region.
For the full text of the English-language report please visit: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127342.htm
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27.10.2009, [10:07] // UOC-KP //
USA — The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret, started his archpastoral visit to the United States on October 23, 2009. For ten days he will get acquainted with the life of parishes of the UOC-KP in the USA.
According to the press service of the UOC-KP, Patriarch Filaret is to conduct several services in the Ukrainian parishes of USA and hold a number of meetings during his visit.
• http://www.cerkva.info/2009/10/24/visit_in_USA.html
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Vatican - 20091027
To His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal 1:3)
On the joyful occasion of the tenth anniversary of your election and enthronement as Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, I extend to Your Holiness my warm fraternal greetings.
I give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed on the Armenian Apostolic Church through Your Holiness's ministry. I also know of your personal commitment to dialogue, cooperation and friendship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church, clearly expressed by the various meetings that have taken place recently between Your Holiness and the Successor of Peter. I pray that the good relations that have been established between us may continue to grow in the years ahead.
The recovery of freedom for the Church in Armenia towards the end of the last century brought joy to Christians throughout the world. The immense task of rebuilding the ecclesial community fell upon Your Holiness's shoulders. What has already been achieved, in such a short time, is truly remarkable: new initiatives have flourished for the Christian education of the young, for the training of clergy, the creation of new parishes, the building of new churches and community centres, as well as the promotion of Christian values in the social and cultural life of the nation.
Your Holiness, I implore Almighty God that, through the intercession of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, we may be ever more closely united in a holy bond of Christian faith, hope and love. On this significant anniversary, I pray that the blessings of the Triune God may rest upon Your Holiness: may the love of God the Father enfold you, the wisdom of the Son enlighten you and the fire of the Holy Spirit inspire you.
With sentiments of esteem, I assure you of my fraternal affection in the Lord.
From the Vatican, 27 October 2009
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
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NEW ORLEANS - In the Byzantine Cathedral of the Holy Trinity of New Orleans, the oldest Orthodox Christian Community in America, established in 1864, orthodox faithful had gathered early Sunday morning, Oct. 25, waiting for His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to arrive for Matins service and the Divine Liturgy. His All Holiness dressed in his Episcopal Mandyas (Episcopal mantel) presided over the services, blessed the faithful and delivered words of love and wisdom.
His All Holiness after the reading of the Gospel, in his homily to the hundreds of faithful who attended the Liturgy acknowledged the devastation and the suffering caused by hurricane Katrina and commended the people of the Community and the City of New Orleans for their resolve for recovery and rebirth.
Focusing attention to the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the places where the seven Ecumenical Councils took place, His All Holiness said that "to this day, the Ecumenical Patriarchate continues to safeguard this truth, (the dogmatic truth of Christianity - Orthodoxy) while the Apostolic Throne of Saint Andrew continues to keep these historic Sees alive - even if only with the witness of a few."
The Ecumenical Patriarch explained the history and the purpose of the Religion, Science and the Environment (RSE) Symposia and in particular this Eighth one entitled "Restoring Balance: The Great Mississippi River," which had just concluded here and said: "When we began on the Sacred Island of Patmos, we chose this location for a very specific reason. We recognized, in the apocalyptic vision of St. John the Theologian, a prophetic call to action for our planet and for all who live herein. From the Isle of Patmos, the Evangelist bore witness to coming catastrophe, even to the scorching of a third of the earth, a third of all trees - and the poisoning of a third of the seas, and a third of all rivers and fresh water. (Revelation 8:7-11). This vision is a call to arms for all of us, not merely to take action for environmental responsibility and reason, but to take a closer look at the root cause of our declining world - and that is the decline in our human values, our human relationships, and the very understanding of what it means to be a human being."
"Welcome apostle of healing, peace, truth and care for the people and for the environment," said at the conclusion of the Liturgy Archbishop Demetrios of America welcoming the Ecumenical Patriarch and thanked him for his pastoral care for all Orthodoxy and especially the flock of the Archdiocese of America. His Eminence further characterized the Ecumenical Patriarch "an agent of the healing process and conveyor of the Grace of God."
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin who was present at the church, also welcomed His All Holiness to the City and expressed his gratitude for the support and the prayers of the Ecumenical Patriarch for the people of New Orleans.
Photos and additional resources are available at: http://www.patriarchate.org/news/media
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GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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CWNews.com - Spurred on by a June meeting of the world’s Eastern Orthodox patriarchs that called for greater unity among Orthodox Christians outside historically Orthodox lands, a pan-Orthodox lay group is exploring the possibility of unification of Eastern Orthodox Christians in the United States. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople quashed a similar initiative in 1994.
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