Breaking. The Bishop of London Sarah Mullally - to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury. She is the first woman to hold the Church of England’s highest clerical office.

During a meeting with the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Oana-Silvia Țoiu, Archbishop Elpidophoros lobbied for recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Romanian Orthodox Church is one of the non-recognisers of OCU's autocephalous status.

Response by EP Bartholomew to the chatter on possible change of heart when it comes to Ukraine's autocephaly. "The Ecumenical Patriarchate will never retreat, nor revoke the autocephaly it has granted to Ukraine—and in this I wish to be perfectly clear.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on agreeing on a common Easter date: "There are differing sensitivities among the Churches. It is also our duty to avoid new divisions. For the Orthodox Church, what was established by an Ecumenical Council can only be modified by another Ecumenical Council."

Pope Leo: "The Holy See, since the [Ukraine] war began, has made great efforts to maintain a position that, as difficult as it might be, [is not] one side or the other, but truly neutral." No reaction to the Vatican's neutrality. It would have been different story if Pope Francis had said this.

Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (Extremadura,Spain)-UNESCO world heritage site. One of the most important Marian shrines.

There is a crying need for clergy of all varieties to repudiate this movement, to condemn it in the press and pulpit.

SkyNews reports from London and Tommy Robinson led rally: “People carried crosses. When the crowd arrived at Whitehall, they were led from the stage in a chant of "Christ is King" and then a public recital of the Lord's Prayer shortly after that.” news.sky.com/story/politi...

Putin’s salami slicing exercise aimed at Nato worked better than expected.

Glad the BBC finally picked up on this. “One of the world's most sacred places is being turned into a luxury mega-resort” www.bbc.com/news/article...

A recent move by Jerusalem Municipality to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been criticised by Christian advocacy organisations linked with the Patriarchate. New for Church Times www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

How (un)realistic are Putin's church demands in Ukraine and what could they look like in practice? I spoke with Tetiana Derkatch who gave the contours of what these demands can be and the latest reactions from Ukraine. Today's story for The Tablet www.thetablet.co.uk/news/putins-...

Heresy news latest

Story for Church Times: “Those within the Serbian Orthodox Church know that if Patriarch Porfirije, by brutally dismantling the [SOC's] judicial institutions, eventually expels me from the church community, he will then be able to throw anyone out of the Church whenever he wishes.” Pantelić said.

Before the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, Russian Patriarch Kirill didn't pray for peace in Ukraine, but to "achieve this important, great goal...a fundamental change in relations between the two great nuclear powers [US-Russia]."

Two major diplomatic efforts/initiatives: Alaska and the White House talks with Europe et al. Produced nothing historic. Not even a ceasefire could be agreed upon.

As I've been writing for a while "the church question" was brought up during Trump-Putin talks. "Mr. Putin asked for guarantees for Russian to become an official language again in Ukraine and security for Russian #Orthodox churches, the officials said." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/w...

New for The Tablet - Ahead of the #Alaska talks, Russia maintained that guaranteeing the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has historic ties to Moscow, would be a necessary condition for any tangible progress towards a ceasefire. www.thetablet.co.uk/news/ukraine...

A religious service in Kosovo prompted a fierce reaction from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Story for The Tablet. www.thetablet.co.uk/news/serbian...

Greece says Egypt has pledged to protect St Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, but an internal Brotherhood revolt last week risks undoing recent progress, with some fearing of "external influence". New story for Church Times www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Hello all. Just uploaded a new video on Russia’s decision to ban the “International Satanist Movement” as an extremist organisation. But does this movement even exist in Russia? And what role is Patriarch Kirill playing in all this? youtu.be/mDzA52mZcTA

New Church Times - Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan unveiled a "liberation plan" calling for the replacement of Catholicos Karekin II and urging believers to rally against him at the Armenian Church’s seat in Etchmiadzin www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Russian Patriarch Kirill spoke against “Satanic sects” freely operating in Russia and recruiting young people. Story for Church Times www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Metropolitan Filaret of Lviv and Galicia (Ukrainian Orthodox Church - UOC) today concelebrated liturgy with Metropolitan Naum (MOC-Ohrid Archdiocese) in Strumica. Question is: as a sign of recognition of UOC as independent church or affirming canonical ties via the Russian Orthodox Church?

I did a YouTube video unpacking whether last week’s first meeting between #PopeLeo & Metropolitan Anthony (Russian #Orthodox “foreign minister”) marked a breakthrough in the fraught relations between the Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate youtu.be/mrXa3ugO7pY?... youtu.be/mrXa3ugO7pY?...

I did a YouTube video unpacking whether last week’s first meeting between #PopeLeo & Metropolitan Anthony (Russian #Orthodox “foreign minister”) marked a breakthrough in the fraught relations between the Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate youtu.be/mrXa3ugO7pY?... youtu.be/mrXa3ugO7pY?...

Before meeting Pope Leo, the Russian Orthodox 'foreign minister' Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk accused the Vatican of 'not being neutral' in the Russia-Ukraine war, rejecting Pope Leo's 2nd offer to host peace talks. My new piece for @The_Tablet www.thetablet.co.uk/news/pope-le...

Great to be in London for the 11th ICCEES World Congress at UCL chairing a panel on religion in Russian strategy and how the Russian Orthodox Church interacts and underpins aspects of Russian strategic thinking.

His 2nd "No". "President of Estonia, Alar Karis said that, according to the explanatory memorandum to the law, the legislation not only addressed administrative relationships, but also sought to regulate church teachings and religious rites." Church Times www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Story for The Tablet “The church will have 30 days to comply, with a possible 60-day extension. If they meet the requirements, the matter closes. If not, the Kyiv Metropolitanate will be officially recognised as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, and the case goes to court."

Metropolitan Stephanos backs the government's position that the operations of the Moscow Patriarchate pose a security issue. "We cannot allow a situation where national security is threatened through or under the cover of a religious org," For Church Times: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Zelensky revokes citizenship of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Onufry.

The UOC stated that Onufry has "never requested state authorities of other states to be granted another citizenship.” However, some Ukrainian outlets published what appears to be Onufry’s Russian passport issued in 2002. Developing story (Tablet) www.thetablet.co.uk/news/ukraine...

BREAKING! Ukraine’s President Zelensky has signed an order revoking the citizenship of Metropolitan Onufry, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which has historically been tied to the Moscow Patriarchate. Ukraine’s SBU says he acquired a Russian citizenship in 2002.

Just published the new weekly Divine Dispatch briefing on the shifting frontlines of church geopolitics. www.divinediplomacy.com/p/divine-dis...

Just published the new weekly Divine Dispatch briefing on the shifting frontlines of church geopolitics. www.divinediplomacy.com/p/divine-dis...

last week, Kyiv experienced the deadliest attack this year. Georg Gänswein, the nuncio to the Baltic States, asked: “How can the patriarch [Kirill] support the war? It is actually a fratricidal war,-Orthodox fighting Orthodox. How can he support it?” www.thetablet.co.uk/news/world-c...

the transfer of parishes in Ukraine from the UOC to OCU can lead to violence, as was the case last week in the southwestern city of Chernivtsi, when a group of young men stormed the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, clashing with UOC supporters. Read more: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

After the horrific terrorist attack on an Orthodox church, Syria's state representatives vow to take action. The head of the Advisory Office for Religious Affairs said such a crime contradicted Syria’s customs and values. Today's story for The Tablet. www.thetablet.co.uk/news/suicide...

Some saw the recent ROCOR statement as a form of dissent aimed at both President Putin and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, but it is not directed at Russia's war in Ukraine; rather, it concerns the growing embrace of Soviet historical revisionism. I unpack this for Church Times.

New for The Tablet. “Russia’s brutal terror threatens not only our people, but also our most precious heritage of global cultural significance,” Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement on social media. www.thetablet.co.uk/news/histori...

Great roundup of security anxieties from the functioning of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe and the direction where things are heading. www.theparliamentmag...

If you missed Wednesday’s Substack post, here’s my recap of Orthodox-related stories that caught my eye this week and the new addition: analytical insights into Istanbul's change of tone regarding the church split in Ukraine.

If you missed Wednesday’s Substack post, here’s my recap of Orthodox-related stories that caught my eye this week and the new addition: analytical insights into Istanbul's change of tone regarding the church split in Ukraine.

“The UOC primate Metropolitan Onufriy instead insisted that the actions he took in 2022 “fundamentally changed” the life of the Church, such that “after 27 May 2022, we [were] no longer part of the Patriarchate of Moscow” Report for The Tablet. www.thetablet.co.uk/...

This week’s Divine Dispatch is out, just as news breaks of a phone call btw Putin & Pope Leo. From protests in North Macedonia to uncertainty over the Sinai monastery status. Plus - a new “Deep Dive” section with analytical commentary on a notable shift in tone from Istanbul regarding Ukraine.

The status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is on the list of demands from Moscow in the peace memorandum presented in Istanbul to the Ukrainian side. #Ukraine "Lifting restrictions on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)"

Hellenism and Orthodoxy face yet another historical fall - warned Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens A court ruling on St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai sparked backlash from Greek Orthodox leaders, though Egypt insists it has no such intentions. New report for ChurchTimes www.churchtimes.co.u...

Hellenism and Orthodoxy face yet another historical fall - warned Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens A court ruling on St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai sparked backlash from Greek Orthodox leaders, though Egypt insists it has no such intentions. New report for ChurchTimes www.churchtimes.co.u...

New Divine Dispatch Substack is OUT. Orthodox-related stories that caught my eye this week. www.divinediplomacy.com/p/divine-dis...