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Church World Digest — July 13, 2026

July 13, 2026 · 3 min read

On the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, celebrated on July 12 according to the Julian calendar, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia served the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, joined in prayer by cadets of the Military Academy and the Military Medical Academy. In his sermon the Patriarch stressed that faith is never an individual accomplishment but the faith of the whole Church: "The Church is not a community of identical individuals who think in the same way. It is a community of diverse gifts, yet one and unique because it has one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ." After the Liturgy he took part in a voluntary blood donation campaign organized at the parish hall together with the Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/patriarch-of-serbia-the-church-is-a-community-of-different-gifts-united-in-christ/)

The Georgian Orthodox Church also kept the feast of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, with Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III presiding at the festal celebration in Tbilisi. The feast day gathered clergy and faithful of the Patriarchate of Georgia at the close of the Apostles Fast. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/catholicos-patriarch-shio-iii-celebrates-feast-of-saints-peter-and-paul-in-tbilisi/)

At the Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided on Saturday, July 11, at the episcopal ordination of Bishop Isidoros of Andida, celebrated during the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia. The new hierarch, formerly Archimandrite Isidoros Katsos, is a theologian who teaches at the Faculty of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/ordination-of-bishop-elect-of-andida-to-take-place-at-the-phanar-on-saturday-11-july/)

Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East sent a message of condolence to the Emir of Qatar on the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former ruler of the country. The gesture reflects the long tradition of respectful relations between the Patriarchate of Antioch and the Muslim world of the Middle East. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/patriarch-of-antioch-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-sheikh-hamad-bin-khalifa-al-thani/)

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia celebrated the feast of Saint Paisios the Athonite with solemnity and deep reverence. In his homily the Archbishop of Australia reminded the faithful that Saint Paisios, whatever trials he endured, never considered turning against the Church. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/archbishop-of-australia-st-paisios-never-considered-turning-against-the-church/)

In Austria, the Monastery of Saint Paisios celebrated its patronal feast on Sunday, July 12, with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy presided over by Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria. The commemoration of the beloved Athonite elder was thus kept on the same weekend by Orthodox faithful in Central Europe and Australia alike. (Orthodox Times, https://orthodoxtimes.com/monastery-of-st-paisios-in-austria-celebrates-patronal-feast-with-hierarchical-divine-liturgy/)

In North America, Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese visited Ontario, Canada, in early July, celebrating the 75th anniversary of a parish and making his first visit to the site of a future monastery. In Lakewood, Colorado, about 400 faithful gathered at St. John Chrysostom Church for the Rocky Mountain Parish Life Conference, growing deeper in the faith through workshops, divine services, and fellowship. (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, https://www.antiochian.org/)

In the wider Christian world, the Church of England reports that the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, met with the Minister for Employment alongside Christian charities to discuss how churches can support the growing number of young people not in work, education, or training. Parishes will also launch free football clubs for children as part of a new outreach programme, an example of church buildings serving their neighborhoods beyond Sunday worship. (Church of England, https://www.churchofengland.org/media/news)

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Gheorghe Radu

It's good that Patriarch Porphyry spoke about the different gifts united in Christ, I really liked this idea. And the blood donation campaign after Mass seems to me a concrete and good thing, exactly what we should do more often. Here in Sibiu, we once participated in a similar one, it turned out well.

Larisa Stoica

Yes, the idea of the different gifts united in Christ stayed in my mind, it's a simple but profound thing. The blood drive after Mass sounds like exactly the kind of practical gesture we need. In Sibiu, which parish was the one you went to?

Bogdan Popescu

Yes, that's exactly what Patriarch Porphyry said - different gifts, one Head. The blood donation campaign after the Liturgy also seemed to me a concrete thing, not just words. In Sibiu, I went to the parish in the Hippodrome neighborhood, they did it there two years ago, a doctor from the hospital also came. Have you ever participated in such a thing?

Petru Ciobanu

Yes, I also liked how Porphyry connected the different gifts to the one Head, Christ – it sounds simple, but it makes you look at the parish differently. The blood campaign after Mass is really the kind of concrete thing that is sometimes missing here. In Sibiu, I went to the parish in the Hippodrome two years ago, but have you ever participated in such an action after the service?

Marius Florea

No, I haven't gotten around to a blood donation drive after Mass yet, but it sounds like a really good idea. At our place, at the restaurant, after the Sunday service, we sometimes stay to talk with the parishioners about practical matters, like supplies for pilgrimages, but the blood would be a more concrete step. What do you think, would something like this work in Constanța, near the sea?

Anca Munteanu

Yes, that phrase about the different gifts and one Head gave me something to think about too, especially when I see how differently we each work in the parish. The blood donation campaign after Mass is really a good, concrete example, not just a sermon. In Sibiu, I went to the parish in Hipodrom two years ago, but did you participate in any similar action in Timișoara?

Alexandra Rusu

Yes, Patriarch Porfirije's phrase made me also look at our various parishioners in the parish differently. The blood donation campaign after Mass seems to me the best concrete example, exactly as you say. Here in Iași, we once participated in a similar action with the Institute of Hematology, but not in Timișoara - what did you see in Sibiu in the Hippodrome, did a lot of people come?