Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Agia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Montreal


    

On Sunday, August 7th/20th, His Beatitude Archbishop Makarios celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Church of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in Montreal, Canada. The Liturgy was attended by a multitude of faithful who have been in waiting for many years to have their Church ready again after it was destroyed in a fire. There was great joy in all the Clergy and people attending, especially since the Liturgy was celebrated the day after the Transfiguration of our Lord. 




                  



              

Monday, August 21, 2023

Metropolis of Germany

 History of the Metropolis of Germany

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His Eminence Metropolitan Moses, was born on June 5, 1981 in Füssen/Allgäu, Germany and grew up in Würzburg.

At the age of 17 (1998) he entered the seminary in Germany and studied theology. At the age of 20 he entered the monastery of St. Ephraim in Glanerbrug (NL) and was tonsured a monk there. After another year he was ordained a priest there, making him the youngest priest of the Syrian Monophysite Church. During the four years of his stay in the Netherlands (2000-2004) he was youth pastor for six churches. After this activity he was employed in Sweden (2005-2006) as a parish priest. In 2006 he did further training at the Theological School of Maria Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland. In August 2007, at the request of many believers, the Indian Synod of the Syrian Monophysite Church established and confirmed a new Archdiocese of Europe. By these dispositions, on November 21, 2007, His Eminence was ordained Metropolitan with an autonomous status for this Archdiocese. In February 2009, the same Synod elevated the Autonomous Archdiocese to Autocephalous Church status.

In addition to his great pastoral work, which he devotes himself to every day, in 2012 His Eminence founded the first and so far only Orthodox monastery in Thuringia, the monastery of the Holy Archangel Gabriel in the rural community of Georgenthal, Altenbergen.

His Eminence's desire to fulfill his pastoral ministry in true Orthodoxy has grown over the years. It was by the grace of God that he came into contact with the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece. Finally, on December 18, 2016, His Eminence Moses was accepted as Archbishop of the newly established Archdiocese of Germany by the decision of the Synod (under Angelos of Avlona) as Archbishop of the newly established Archdiocese of Germany. Also, His Eminence was first tonsured into the great-schema of monasticism.

It was his greatest desire to serve and belong to the only and true Church of Christ. Since then he has wholeheartedly served the true Orthodox faith of our holy Fathers of the Church together with his clergy in fidelity and sincerity.

On December 18, 2017, His Eminence was elevated to Metropolitan with autonomous status by synodal resolution. On January 11, 2020, the synod met and awarded His Eminence autocephaly for Germany and the diaspora. On July 27 / August 9, 2023, His Beatitude Macarios of Athens and All Greece, together with all the Hierarchs of the Holy Genuine Orthodox Church, received His Eminence Moses into full communion and as a member of the Holy Synod.

The seat of his Autocephalous Metropolis is the monastery of St. Archangel Gabriel in the rural community of Georgenthal, OT Altenbergen (Thuringia).

Websites in German: 

https://genuinorthodox.com/index.html 

https://www.orthodoxe-kirche.com