ROC and Vatican plan to join efforts in helping Syrian children

Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are planning to develop joint projects to help Syria, reports Interfax-Religion. Within the framework of a humanitarian mission sent to Syria on December 18, humanitarian aid and children's Christmas presents to Russian-Syrian families that lost their breadwinners in the war will be delivered.

"We are planning to hold joint humanitarian actions aimed at helping Syrian children and destroyed shrines," said DECR’s secretary for Inter-Christian Relations Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov).

Along with this, in the foreseeable future additional meetings with the participation of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches will be held in Lebanon and Syria, which once again will bring together representatives of different faiths in order to coordinate actions aimed at helping the victims.

In October, another humanitarian project of the two Churches was held. In all the cities of Syria a rally "Peace to Children" was organized, in which schoolchildren prepared an appeal and drawings urging the international community to stop the war in the country. The three heads of the Syrian Churches (Antioch, the Syriac-Jacobite and Melkite) handed children’s messages over to the EU leadership and the United Nations High Commissioner.

Read also

Elder Gabriel: US pressured Patriarch Bartholomew to intervene in UOC affairs

The Swiss schema-archimandrite revealed details of what he says was external pressure on the Ecumenical Patriarch’s decisions.

Romanian Patriarch discusses situation in Ukraine with U.S. State Dept ambassador

Patriarch Daniel reminded State Department representatives of Romania’s efforts to welcome and assist large numbers of Ukrainian refugees.

UOC church in Tysovets marks 135th anniversary of consecration

Metropolitan Meletiy led the festal Liturgy marking the 135th anniversary of the church’s consecration in Tysovets.

Swiss elder: Murdered Sviatohirsk Lavra monk should be glorified as martyr

Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge) said Monk Varsonofy’s death was a true act of martyrdom for the faith.

“Flexibility and friendship”: Pope approves note on interreligious dialogue

The new Holy See document calls for replacing hostility in interreligious relations with greater engagement and cooperation with people of other faiths.

Ostapenko reports 18 judicial recusals in 3-year Lavra case

The reserve’s director reported 18 judicial recusals over three years of proceedings concerning the termination of the lease agreement with the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and criticized the work of the judicial system.