Retired Archbishop Theodosius (Bilchenko) is currently the oldest Orthodox bishop in Belarus—he is now eighty-one. For over two decades—from 1997 to 2019—he headed the oldest diocese in the Belarusian land, that of Polotsk and Glubokoye. For his spiritual and educational activities, he was awarded the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus “For…
“Both Life and Death Are Mysteries”Death is a phenomenon that is ordained for us from above, which means it is good. “>Part 1 Archbishop Theodosius (Bilchenko) of Polotsk and Glubokoe. Photo: Vitvesti.by What is life? —After it’s buried, the human body decays and dissolves into the environment in the form of separate atoms and…
Comedian Forever, whose real name is Akuidolo Orevaoghene, has weighed in on churches paying christian performers when invites to minister in church. Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Forever gave his opinion on the current back-and-forth between pastors and gospel singers. A number of pastors have spoken against gospel singers charging to sing in churches. …
Giv’ot Bar, Israel, March 26, 2025 Photo: jpost.com Archaeologists have uncovered a well-preserved Byzantine-era monastery in the Negev, a desert region of southern Israel, near the Biblical town of Beersheba. Remains of a farmhouse were also uncovered, which, together with the monastery, seem to have been abandoned in the late-6th or early-7th century, possibly…
Tanzania and Madagascar, March 26, 2025 A scene from Tanzania. Photo: exarchate-africa.ru More than 65 people were received into holy Orthodoxy in Tanzania and Madagascar over a 10-day period earlier this month. The Baptisms and Chrismations were celebrated by clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church’s African Exarchate. From March 11 to 15, 2025, the…
Kiev, March 27, 2025 Photo: uoc-news.church The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has expressed serious concern about Ukraine’s law on banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Commission recently published its 2025 annual report, which covers issues of religious freedom around the world in 2024. Zelensky signs bill on banning the Ukrainian Orthodox…
Hanover, Illinois, March 27, 2025 Photo: bdoca.org The Athonite Saints Orthodox Hermitage of the Orthodox Church in America’s Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo opened in Hanover Illinois OCA opens new monastery named for Athonite SaintsServices are celebrated primarily in English, with Greek and Church Slavonic also used. “>in 2023. At that time, the property consisted…
Tallinn, March 26, 2025 Photo: orthodox.ee The Estonian Orthodox Church won a legal victory on Monday. According to the latest ruling, the state may accept the new name recently adopted by the Estonian Orthodox Church. At the same time, Parliament is set to vote today on amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations…
Warsaw, March 26, 2025 Met. Sawa of Poland. Photo: risu.ua The Polish Orthodox Church recently made a donation to the Association of People Suffering from Epilepsy that will be used towards the purchase of medical equipment. Yesterday, His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Poland received a letter from Tadeusz Zaborski, president of the association’s board,…
Tallinn, March 27, 2025 Photo: riigikogu.ee Estonian authorities have taken another step towards banning the Estonian Orthodox Church. The bill on amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which aims to outlaw the EOC because of its canonical connection to the Russian Orthodox Church, passed its second reading in the Riigikogu, Estonian Parliament,…
