Turkish Government to Return Seized Property to Religious Minorities
The Turkish government said it would return hundreds of properties that were confiscated from religious minorities by the state or other parties over the years since 1936, and would pay compensation for properties that were seized and later sold. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement on Sunday to representatives of more than 150 Christian and Jewish trusts gathered at a dinner he hosted in Istanbul to break the day’s Ramadan fast. The government decree to return the properties, bypassing nationalist opposition in Parliament, was issued late Saturday (27.08.2011).
Patriarch Kirill opens the Moscow meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders
The European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL) opened its meeting on 21 June 2011, at the Church Councils Hall of the Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. It is the first meeting to be held by the Council in Moscow and its theme is ‘Human Rights and Traditional Values in Europe’.
Metropolitan Hilarion: It is urgent that a system of protecting Christians against persecution be organized.
Speech at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation on 18.05.2011
"What are we doing as Christians today to protect our brothers and sisters in faith who are subjected daily to humiliation, threats and discrimination on the grounds of religious intolerance? Regrettably, more often than not we do not go beyond statements, press releases, condolences and politically correct ‘expressions of concern’. The hour has come to move to effective actions. We urgently need to organize a system of protecting Christians against persecution. In the first place, it is necessary to set up information structures to monitor crimes committed on the grounds of religious hatred. The Christian community for all its disunity should unite and request the UN, governmental and international organizations to put an end to the persecution against Christians in today’s world".
PACE President meets with hegumen Philaret (Bulekov)
On 14 April 2011, President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe met with hegumen Philaret (Bulekov), deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, who completes his duties as representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Council of Europe.
English version of Patriarch Kirill’s book presented at London book fair
A presentation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia’s book entitled Freedom and Responsibility. In a Search for Harmony. Human Rights and Personal Dignity took place on April 11, 2011, at the London International Book Fair.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk: European Parliament resolution is a revolutionary one
On 20 January 2011, the European Parliament took an unprecedented step by adopting a resolution on the situation of Christians in the context of freedom of religion. It is for the first time that a major political body of the European Union recognized that Christians are persecuted.
EU leaders to cooperate more actively with religious organizations
Brussels, July 20 Interfax - European Union leaders state they are ready to a closer dialogue with religious organizations, especially in settling social problems.
Speaking at the meeting of the EU leaders with religious leaders held in Brussels, President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek said that they appointed vice-president of the European Parliament responsible for interaction with religious organizations.
Communique of Orthodox Churches’ Representatives to the European Union (17.03.2010)
The task of the meeting was to discuss the participation of Orthodox Churches in dialogue with the EU institutions in view of the implementation of Article 17(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which reads: Recognizing their identity and their specific contribution, the Union shall maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with these churches…”.