Turkish authorities allow Russian priests to celebrate liturgy in Ephesus
Believers of the ROC in Turkey. Photo: mospat.ru
On September 22, the commemoration day of Righteous Joachim and Anna and the remembrance of the Third Ecumenical Council, priests and Orthodox believers of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the liturgy in the Turkish city of Ephesus, reports the DECR ROC website.
The liturgy was led by the clergyman responsible for the pastoral care of Moscow Patriarchate believers in the territory of the Turkish Republic, Priest Georgy Sergeyev, concelebrated by Fr Alexiy Golovin, who ministers to the Moscow Patriarchate community in Antalya.
Pilgrims from Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Marmaris, and Kuşadası attended the religious service.
After the liturgy, the clergyman thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey for granting permission to conduct the religious service at the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, located in the historical city of Ephesus.
Previously, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, said that the Russian Orthodox Church cannot deny pastoral care to Orthodox believers in Turkey.
Read also
In Egypt, police arrested Christians who were victims of attacks by Muslims
Copts were released on the condition that they withdraw their complaints against the attackers.
Primate of Macedonian Church congratulates Lavra's abbot on name day
Archbishop Stefan noted the zeal of the Lavra's abbot, who shares the sorrows of his flock.
Persecuted community in Stari Broskivtsi marks patronal feast in new church
The rector thanked the faithful for building a new church to replace the one that was seized.
Authorities hold “memorial” concert in church seized from UOC in Chernihiv
Believers expressed outrage over the transformation of an ancient shrine into a concert venue.
Kremenchuk authorities force OCU to remove fence around Trinity Cathedral
The mayor of Kremenchuk ordered the fence removed and the church’s “strangely divided” land plot reduced.
LGBT Catholics march in Rome Pride parade with rainbow cross
Participants in the gay pride march said the “rainbow cross” is a visible sign of the LGBT community’s presence within the Church.