New York City, September 20, 2022
Met. Gabriel of Lovech of the Bulgarian Church (left), Met. Ioanikije of Montenegro of the Serbian Church (right). Photo: mitropolija.com
A number of hierarchical concelebrations between Local Churches have taken place lately, several involving hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Montenegro
On Saturday, September 17, His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church arrived in Montenegro, and attended the All-Night Vigil at Cetinje Monastery with his host, His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro.
The Bulgarian hierarch was awarded the Golden Image of St. Peter of Cetinje for “fostering love among the Local Orthodox Churches and promoting spiritual and cultural ties between the fraternal Slavic peoples.”
The next morning, the Bulgarian and Serbian hierarchs concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. George in Podgorica. Later that day, Met. Gabriel visited Morača Monastery, which is celebrating its 770th anniversary.
Slovakia
Abp. Viktor (left) and Met. Alexei (center) of the Ukrainian Church, Abp. Juraj (right) of the Czech-Slovak Church. Photo: news.church.ua
On Sunday, September 18, the Ukrainian hierarchs His Eminence Metropolitan Alexei of Voznesensk and His Eminence Archbishop Viktor of Baryshevka concelebrated with His Eminence Archbishop Juraj of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia at his cathedral in Michalovce, reports the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The service was celebrated in Church Slavonic and Slovak.
Abp. Juraj thanked the Ukrainian hierarchs for their visit and expressed his warm greetings to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. In turn, Abp. Viktor expressed his gratitude to the Slovakian hierarch for the spiritual and material assistance ($1,200, 560) provided by his diocese to Ukrainian refugees.
Serbia
Met. Luke of the Ukrainian Church (left), Serbian Pat. Porfirije (center), Met. Pimen of the Macedonian Church (left). Photo: tvhram.rs
On Sunday, September 18, His Eminence Metropolitan Pimen of Europe of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and His Eminence Luke of Zaporozhye of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church joined His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije and a host of Serbian Orthodox hierarchs for the enthronement of His Grace Bishop Jeroteja of Šabac at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Addressing the visiting hierarchs, the newly enthroned Bp. Jeroteja said:
I express my deep gratitude to Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye, who, coming from the suffering Ukrainian Orthodox Church, testifies to us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. From the bottom of my heart, I thank His Eminence Archbishop Jovan, His Eminence Metropolitan Pimen, and His Eminence Bishop Marko for steadfastly witnessing and preserving the traditional faith in the people of fraternal North Macedonia and for being with us today.
United States
Bp. Longin of the Serbian Church (left), Abp. Viktor of the Ukrainian Church (right). Photo: synod.com
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas was enthroned as the new First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Sunday, surrounded by his fellow ROCOR hierarchs, as OrthoChristian reported yesterday.
They were also joined by, according to the official ROCOR report, His Eminence Archbishop Viktory of Artzysk, Vicar of the Odessa Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gračanica and Midwestern America of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
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