Holiness and Sanctification
https://orthochristian.com/161903.html

Metropolitan Seraphim (Joanta) of Germany and Central Europe

This is fundamental to the Christian life.

The Birth of Civilization, or the Baptism of Russia as a Turning Point in Russian History
https://orthochristian.com/161921.html

Professor Alexei Svetozarsky, Vitaly Kaplan

Of course, the majority of people did not understand the full depth of the Christian teaching, but they accepted it in the simplicity of their hearts, out of trust. It is a distinctive characteristic of patriarchal societies: “This is what our elders did, and we will imitate it.” For example, the Tale of Bygone Years conveys this position as follows: if the prince, the boyars, and the armed force (“druzhina”) had not assessed this faith positively and had not considered it to be their own, then they would have had no reason to get baptized.

Abbess Alexandra (Zharin): “How Will You Get Closer to God While Lying on the Sofa?”
https://orthochristian.com/161929.html

Abbess Alexandra (Zharin)

The Orthodox were terribly persecuted by the secular authorities of Rzeczpospolita, the Catholics and Uniates. People were humiliated, deprived of their civil rights, tortured and killed, but they remained faithful to Orthodoxy.

Belarus: 18 receive river Baptism on feast of Baptism of Rus’
https://orthochristian.com/161927.html

The feast of St. Vladimir the great and the Baptism of Rus’ was festively celebrated at Belarus’ St. Elisha-Larishevsky Monastery with a Baptismal Liturgy in the Neman River.

Church-museum complex at site of Baptism of Rus’ to open next week
https://orthochristian.com/161894.html

New Chersonesos will be able to receive up to 50,000 guests per day, and according to Met. Tikhon, will be the largest historical-archaeological park in Russia. Admission is free.

Synod temporarily suspends Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) while commission investigates accusations
https://orthochristian.com/161897.html

The Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate resolved yesterday to temporarily suspend His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Budapest while a commission “studies the situation in the Diocese of Budapest and Hungary.”

Another New Martyr canonized by Russian Orthodox Church
https://orthochristian.com/161898.html

The Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate resolved to canonize another saint among the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church.

New feast: Translation of Rublev Trinity Icon to the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra
https://orthochristian.com/161896.html

After 104 years, St. Andrei Rublev’s Holy Trinity Icon finally returned to its historical home at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra for good.

Why Must We Hold Services in Ruined Churches?
https://orthochristian.com/161931.html

Natalia Gorenok

All that remained of the once large ancient village was the vacated Sts. Peter and Paul Church standing in the middle of the field, and its cemetery, practically as forsaken as the church...

Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates Baptism of Rus’, feast of St. Vladimir the Great (+VIDEO)
https://orthochristian.com/161926.html

The Divine Liturgy for the feast was also celebrated in the Church of St. Agapit, one of the only Lavra churches still open to the canonical UOC amidst the state’s ongoing campaign of Church persecution.

Orthodox hierarchs condemn blasphemous Olympics opening
https://orthochristian.com/161942.html

A number of Orthodox hierarchs from various Local Churches have responded to the blasphemous display at the opening of the Olympics ceremony on Friday.

Grave of Bulgaria’s Patriarch Neofit desecrated for second time
https://orthochristian.com/161893.html

Actions have been taken to restore the icon, and law enforcement authorities have been notified about the incident.