Ecumenical Patriarchate Catechetical Homily

On the Opening of Holy and Great Lent By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome And Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace and Peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ With our Prayer, Blessing and Forgiveness Beloved brothers and children in the Lord, “The arena of the virtues has opened; those who desire to compete may enter, girding themselves with the good struggle of fasting.” (Triodion, Cheesefare Sunday) Or, better, the arena has always remained open, from the time  [Read more...]

Patriarch Celebrates Historic Liturgy in Ancient Monastery

Orthodox Christians held the first Divine Liturgy in almost 90 years at an ancient monastery on the side of a Turkish mountain Sunday, after the government allowed worship there in a gesture toward religious minorities. At least 1,500 pilgrims, including from Greece and Russia, traveled to the Byzantine-era monastery of Sumela for the service led by Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians. The Islamic-oriented government, which is aiming to expand freedoms as part of its bid to join  [Read more...]