SERBIAN CHURCH BURNS IN NYC; FIRE IN 3 MORE ORTHODOX TEMPLES
from: b92.net

(02 May) A large fire has destroyed the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava in central Manhattan, New York City, on Orthodox Easter Sunday. There have been no victims, but the building no longer exists, priest Djokan Majstorovic said, and added: "This church brought together the whole community, it was the only one in New York, and now it's gone. This is terrible, a nightmare, my heart is broken."

More than 170 firefighters worked for four hours to contain the the blaze that broke out at 19:00 hours local time. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. Earlier in the day, more than 700 Orthodox believers celebrated Easter there. The building, dating back to 1890, was empty when the fire broke out. There were no casualties. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) bought the building, designated a New York City landmark, in 1943. The city’s fire commissioner Daniel Nigro told the New York Post that the cause of fire remains under investigation, RT reported. “It’s a very sad day today,” Nigro said.

Also on Sunday, a Macedonian Orthodox church burned to the ground in Sydney, Australia. Four persons, including two firefighters, suffered light injuries. Local fire department officials said that "candles or wiring" are among the possible causes. Media reports are speculating that the fire might have been the work of arsonists,who wished to steal the Easter donations left at the temple.

A 115-year-old Greek Orthodox Church in Melbourne was damaged in a blaze on Easter Sunday. Nobody was injured during this incident, while the cause remains unknown at this time. Fire also spread on Sunday in a hotel in a 19th century building on the premises of the Orthodox Monastery of Valaam, northern Russia, RT reported. The building was a national heritage site belonging to the monastery. [see more photos...]

TURKMENISTAN: CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMP WARNING, FINES, NEW RELIGION LAW, "NO RELIGION" IN ARMY
by : Forum 18 News Service

(18 Apr) Secret police officers warned the pastor of the Baptist Church in Mary not to hold a children's summer camp in 2016 otherwise "it would be a different conversation", Protestants told Forum 18 News Service. One of the officers had led the raid on the same church's children's camp in 2013. Also in February, members of Greater Grace Protestant Church were fined for visiting the town of Tejen to talk to others of their faith. On 12 April, Turkmenistan's new Religion Law came into force. It retains the earlier ban on unregistered religious activity, while increasing the number of founders who can apply for legal status for a religious community from five to 50.

The new government Commission that controls religion needs to approve all religious literature and any new places of worship. Two senior members of parliament refused to discuss the new Law with Forum 18. Members of several religious communities complained that "no religion" is allowed during military service. "You can't have a Koran, Bible or other religious literature and you can't conduct prayers visibly," one told Forum 18. [read more...]

UKRAINIANS CONSIDER EASTER IMPORTANT BUT SELDOM OBSERVE FAST – RESEARCH
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine

(29 Apr) Ukrainians called Easter the most important of the "May holidays." 67% of Ukrainian citizens that participated in the survey of Research-Branding-Group think so, Ukrainian Pravda.Life reports. For more than half of Ukrainian (58%) Easter holidays mean great mystery, for almost a third (30%) it is an occasion to meet relatives and friends, and for 8% it is just a weekend. The research shows that over two-thirds of Ukrainian (70%) regularly celebrate Easter. An important part of Easter is Lent. More than half - 54% - of Ukrainian respondents have indicated that they never observe Lent. 8% always observe it regularly, 33% only sometimes.

In two-thirds of Ukrainian households (62%) follow the tradition to bake Easter cakes at home, while a third (33%) prefer to buy it. The vast majority of Ukrainian (79%) this year plan to bless the "Easter basket", while one in ten (10%) do not, and many (11%) are still undecided. The study was conducted in the period from 11 to 21 April 2016 among residents of Ukraine (excluding Crimea, Sevastopol, uncontrolled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions). [read more...]

LUKASHENKO VISITS TRANSFIGURATION OF SAVIOR CHURCH IN SHKLOV ON EASTER
from: Belarus News

(02 May) Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko visited the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Shklov on Easter on 1 May, lit an Easter candle, had a warm conversation with the congregants and residents of Shklov, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader. In accordance with a good tradition, Alexander Lukashenko visits churches in various regions of Belarus on Easter. This year, the head of state celebrated Easter in his native town. Talking to the residents of Shklov, he said that he is well aware of the problems of Shklov District and the people living there.

Belarus is a young sovereign state; a lot has been done and is still to be done for its development, the head of state said and added that he is responsible for the Belarusian land. “I am responsible for the people who entrusted this post to me,” the President stressed. Alexander Lukashenko urged Belarusians to work hard for the common good without throwing their problems on other people. The state, in turn, will provide necessary assistance. The President believes that everybody should critically evaluate the results of work and try to work even better. “Then everything will be all right,” the head of state is convinced. [read more...]

THREE-FOURTHS OF RUSSIANS DO NOT OBSERVE THE GREAT LENT, BUT PLAN TO CELEBRATE EASTER
from: Interfax-Religion

(29 Apr) Most of Russians (75% in general and 72% of those who call themselves Orthodox believers) did not have any special diet during the Great Lent, which this year ends on April 30, the Lavada-Center told Interfax. During the poll held on April 22-25 among 1600 people in 137 cities and towns of Russia it became clear that only eight per cent of Russians in general and nine per cent of Orthodox believers were going to observe the fast during the last week before Easter.

Another 14% of respondents (16% of Orthodox believers) observe the fast partially (for example tried not to drink alcohol and restrict themselves in food). Only one per cent of Russians (one per cent of Orthodox believers) strictly observe the fast. A majority of Russians are going to celebrate Easter. 66% of respondents will decorate Easter eggs (74% of Orthodox believers), buy or bake Easter cakes - 66% and 64% respectively, some will go to see their friends or will welcome guests at their homes - 50% and 55% respectively. 19% of Russians will have Easter cakes blessed, 6% will go to church, 7% will just make presents to their relatives. [read more...]

WHAT IS PASCHA? ORTHODOX EASTER 2016: RUSSIAN, GREEK & OTHER EASTERN CHURCHES CELEBRATE [PHOTOS]
from: International Business Times

(29 Apr) From Greece to Russia, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Easter Sunday on 1 May this year. While many Christians celebrated Easter on March 27 based on the Gregorian calendar, for Orthodox followers who use the Julian calendar, the date falls much later this year. Next year the Gregorian and Julian calendars align and Easter will fall on April 16 for both Orthodox and Western Christian churches.

Orthodox Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and shares unique traditions, from colorful eggs to palm fronds. Some refer to this feast day as Pascha from the Greek transliteration. The large celebrations and prayers take place across Orthodox churches after the end of Lent to mark the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. There are approximately 200 million to 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, with large followings in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Egypt and Ethiopia.

In the streets of Kiev, Ukraine, traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, known as pysanky, are on display for the holiday. Outside of beautiful, decorative eggs, it is traditional for eggs to be dyed red to symbolize the life and the blood of Jesus Christ. It is common for people to also play games with eggs, banging them against each other. Whoever ends up with the noncracked egg is supposed to have luck for the coming year. Many worshippers also bring baskets full of food and special breads to church Easter Sunday to be blessed.

Thousands of people visit Jerusalem every year to take part in Holy Week ceremonies and processions from Palm Sunday until Easter. It is traditional for palm fronds or pussy willow branches to be given out and blessed at church services on Palm Sunday. [see more photos...]

THIS YEAR EASTER TO BE A TEST FOR CHRISTIANITY FOR RUSSIA - POROSHENKO
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine

RUSSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS IN UKRAINE KILL THREE DESPITE EASTER ARMISTICE
from Vatican Radio

DESPITE UKRAINE CRISIS, GOD CHANGES LIVES
from Mission Network News

POROSHENKO CALLS FOR THINKING ABOUT CREATING UNITED ORTHODOX CHURCH IN UKRAINE
from RIA Novosti

ABOUT 4 MILLION PEOPLE PRAYED AT PASCHA EVE SERVICES IN RUSSIA - THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
from Interfax-Religion

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL MEETS WITH A GROUP OF PILGRIMS FROM CHINA
from Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate

LOLA AND MIRJAN’S STORY
from Mission Eurasia

DALLAS HAS A SAINT
from Russia Insider

'HOLY FIRE,' FIREWORKS: ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE EASTER
from Daily Mail

See HOSKEN-NEWS Daily for more of the latest news!

Our first news article SERBIAN CHURCH BURNS IN NYC; FIRE IN 3 MORE ORTHODOX TEMPLES raises the obvious question: what is the connection between these four Orthodox cathedrals in different parts of the world all catching fire on the same day, on Orthodox Pascha (Easter)? Some sources speculate that it is because of Orthodox pressure against the Catholic Church wanting to canonize a Serbian bishop who collaborated with the Nazis. This canonization process was put on hold by the Vatican.

It is very interesting to note that in both Ukraine and Russia, two countries claiming a high percentage of Orthodox Christians in their respective populations, relatively small percentages of the people would observe Lent and Pascha in a religious way: see our news articles UKRAINIANS CONSIDER EASTER IMPORTANT BUT SELDOM OBSERVE FAST – RESEARCH and THREE-FOURTHS OF RUSSIANS DO NOT OBSERVE THE GREAT LENT, BUT PLAN TO CELEBRATE EASTER. Thus the celebration of Christianity's most holy day has taken on a largely secular character in these countries.

Our first Pascha time in the USSR was in 1991, in the waning days of the Soviet Union. We visited the parents of some Russian Jewish immigrants to the U.S. whom we knew, and they told us that they would be celebrating Pascha - what a surprise, Jews celebrating Christ's resurrection! They said it was just a cultural thing to do. They were an elderly couple whose parents had actually helped Lenin lead the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, and they told us: "Communism was an experiment that should have been tried on animals first."

In the West, Easter is just a one-weekend celebration. As in Ukraine and Russia, few people in the West strictly observe the Lenten fast or the Holy Week strict fast. But practicing Orthodox Christians will fast for the six weeks leading up to Holy Week, then increase the fast during Holy Week, especially on Good Friday when they are encouraged to practice a total fast, drinking only water. That makes the Paschal eve service a time of great rejoicing when they shout: "Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!" in English, Slavonic, Greek and possibly Arabic. Then the bishop or priest blesses the Easter baskets filled with meat, sausage, cheese, eggs, wine and other non-fasting foods, and they break the fast. But the celebration of Pascha doesn't end that weekend, the Orthodox continue singing in church and greeting each other with "Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!" for the next six weeks, up until Pentecost.

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