Jordan, Palestine No Longer Recognize Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian

 Jordan and Palestine on Thursday issued a joint statement, announcing their decision to suspend their recognition of Archbishop Nourhan Manougian as the Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem, the holy land and Jordan.

Putin instructed to introduce a ceasefire in Ukraine for Christmas

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to introduce a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 Moscow time on January 6 to 24:00 on January 7.

Russian patriarch Kirill calls for Orthodox Christmas truce in Ukraine

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on Thursday for both sides of the war in Ukraine to observe a Christmas truce.

Holy Fire ignites in Jerusalem (VIDEO rt) ...

Thousands of Christians have lit torches and candles from a holy flame that 'miraculously' emerged from the tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on the eve of Orthodox Easter.

­The Holy Fire ignited after Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem delivered a prayer. To make sure he had no unholy sources of fire, he was searched by Israeli security forces before entering a small chamber marking the site of Christ' tomb.

'Holy Fire' lights up Jerusalem church for Easter ...

Thousands of Orthodox Christians filled Jerusalem's ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre and spilled out into the narrow streets on Saturday for the "Holy Fire" ceremony on the eve of Orthodox Easter.

Believers hold that the fire is miraculously sent from heaven to ignite candles held by the Greek Orthodox patriarch in an annual rite dating back to the 4th century that symbolises the resurrection of Jesus.