Patriarch Bartholomew urged Ukrainian dissenters to join the Orthodox Church

Strelna, May 31, Interfax - Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople urged Ukrainian dissenters to repent and join the canonic Orthodox Church.
"Let them (dissenters - IF) not hesitate, but join the canonic Orthodox Church which is a ship of salvation," Patriarch Bartholomew said in an interview to Vesti 24 TV which was recorded Sunday in the Constantinovsky Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg.

He noted that speaking with Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and all Ukraine he wished him that "he be honoured by God to see the solution to this problem while alive, and that the schism ceased to exist."

"Our Church does everything with due respect to the existing canonic order (in Ukraine - IF)," Patriarch Bartholomew commented current standpoint by Constantinople Patriarchate on Ukrainian schism.

He expressed willingness of his Church to pray both for "Russian and Ukrainian people."

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7318



Patriarch Kirill gives an excursion in English for Patriarch Bartholomew in Tsarskoye Selo

St. Petersburg, May 31, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople on Sunday evening visited Tsarskoye Selo.

Guard orchestras welcomed the Primates with festival marches.

During the half an hour excursion in main halls of the Yekaterinsky Palace Patriarch Kirill acted as an English speaking guide for the Primate of the Constantinople Church and told him about sights, exhibits of the museum, making stops before the portraits of Russian tsars and empresses and commenting on certain moments of Russian history. The museum's staff members helped the Primate in his story.

Local musicians played harpsichords and flutes to accompany the Patriarchs during their tour in the palace.

Patriarch Bartholomew showed special interest to the Amber room.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7317



Patriarch Kirill: Russian and Constantinople Churches are coming closer together

Saint-Petersburg, May 31, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia states that relations between the Russian and Constantinople Churches are moving forward.

"I am happy that every meeting brings us closer together," Patriarch stated on Saturday after the liturgy in St. Isaac's Cathedral in Saint-Petersburg served together with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

He reminded the words of Patriarch Bartholomew during his visit to Russia in 1993 that Patriarch Bartholomew took back with him "only half of [his] heart because the other half [I am] leaving here."

"Hopefully, you leave your entire heart here this time," Patriarch Kirill said addressing Patriarch Bartholomew and concluded his speech exclaiming "Christ is risen!" in Greek.

After the service Patriarch Kirill showed Patriarch Bartholomew around the historical building of the Synod in Senatskaya Square which houses the working residence of Moscow Patriarch since May 2009.

Heads of two Churches arrived to St. Petersburg by boat from the Constantinople Palace in Strelna on Monday morning. The boat was greeted with bell ringing in the Admiralty Embankment next to the "Bronze Horseman" - the monument to Peter the Great - and both Patriarchs joined the priests carrying church banners and followed along the ranks of Baltic sailors to St. Isaac's Cathedral.


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Patriarch Bartholomew is willing to advance convening of the All-Orthodox Coucil

Strelna, May 31, Interfax - Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople thinks it necessary to advance convening of the All-Orthodox Council with the participation of all local Orthodox Churches.

"We decided to facilitate the process of convening the holy and great Council of all Orthodox Churches," Patriarch Bartholomew said in an interview to Vesti 24 TV which was recorded Sunday in the Constantinovsky Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg.

He referred to the Council as one of the major objectives for the Constantinople Church and stated that the Council and its outcomes would "have the greatest impact on the entire Orthodox world."

According to him, the event's agenda "has been already set up and is well-known to the Orthodox community," it covers ten major points, including the principles of autocephaly and autonomy of the Orthodox Churches, challenges of fasting, and a set of issues related to diptych (the order of mentioning Churches during service - IF.)

"Our Orthodox Church continuously seeks to keep up with the times avoiding to give up anything of its teaching, but at the same time, respond to the spirit of the time helping believers to stand up to the current real world," Patriarch Bartholomew said.

The preliminary work to convene the Council was started as far back as 1960s. The All-Orthodox Council is preceded with the meetings of All-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference and Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission. The Council shall decide the problems which have been accumulating within several centuries, from the time of the last 7th Ecumenical Council, which should be addressed by the entire Church.

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