Changes

*2009 The European Court on Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Turkey violated the property rights of the ''Bozcaada Kimisis Teodoku Greek Orthodox Church'' on the Aegean island of Bozcaada; the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] has filed more than two dozen cases with the ECHR to recover some of the thousands of properties it has lost; US President Barack Obama made an explicit appeal in his speech to the Turkish Parliament for the reopening of the hotly contested Greek Orthodox [[Theological School of Halki|seminary on Halki]], viewed by the European Union and others as a test case for religious freedom in Turkey; a delegation from the Orthodox Church of Greece headed by Metropolitan Nectarios of Kerkira, Paxoi and Diapontioi Nisoi visited several monasteries in West Ukraine; Patr. Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)|Oriental Church of Antioch]] went on an official visit to Greece, as the guests of the Greek Government and the Greek Orthodox Church to congratulate the new Abp. of the Greek Church and to renew the relationship between both churches; Elder [[Joseph of Vatopedi]] reposes peacefully, funeral service held [[July 1]]; Russian Orthodox Patr. [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kirill]] called on Turkish authorities to re-open the [[Theological School of Halki|Theological Seminary on Halki]]; over 1,000 Muslims rallied in the city streets of Athens over unsubstantiated claims that Greek police allegedly tore up and trampled on the Quran, smashing 75 cars, injuring 14 people, overturning trash bins and attacking banks; a group of Orthodox clergy in Greece, led by three senior archbishops, published a manifesto, ''[http://www.impantokratoros.gr/FA9AF77F.en.aspx A Confession of Faith Against Ecumenism],'' pledging to resist all ecumenical ties with Roman Catholics and Protestants, amongst its signatories including six metropolitans, as well as 49 archimandrites, 22 hieromonks, and 30 nuns and abbesses, as well as many other priests and church elders.

*2010 On Sunday, [[August 15]], 2010 Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] conducted the first [[Divine Liturgy]] in 88 years at the historic monastery of [[Panagia Soumela]] in [[w:Trabzon|Trapezounta]], northeastern Turkey, marking the first official religious service carried out at the ancient monastery since the foundation of the modern Turkish Republic; death of Metr. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina]], a prolific spiritual writer and defender of traditional Orthodox theology.

==See also==