Religion

In a move that is likely to cause considerable irritation in Kiev, the Georgian Orthodox Church on Monday (7 June) hosted a delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate. Ilia II, the Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch, and his locum tenens, Metropolitan Shio met the delegation led by Bishop Antony on Monday (7 June).

In a recent wide-ranging interview Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, appeared to be reinterpreting – if not exactly redefining – the relationship between state and religion in the Kingdom. This is highly dangerous and uncharted territory for a Saudi leader, but something that is absolutely necessary if the Kingdom is to reinvent itself as a modern progressive state, whilst respecting the religious foundations which are part of its legacy and legitimacy.

In an annual ceremony revered by Orthodox Christian communities all over the world as a key part of Easter celebrations, the “Holy Fire” appeared in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on May 1. Flames were later taken by plane to Orthodox communities across the world.

On his third and last day of his historic visit to Iraq, the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Sunday morning, arrived at the Hosh al-Bieaa centre in Mosul where he prayed, amidst the ruins of war and along with the people of Iraq, for all the victims of war in the country and throughout the Middle East.

Pope Francis met this Saturday morning in Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husayni Al-Sistani in a visit which stressed the importance of friendship, mutual respect and dialogue between religious communities.

The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, continues with his official and pastoral visit to Iraq today. The Pope arrived in Baghdad on Friday on the first papal visit to Iraq in history.