Free Republic

"The Patriarchate of Constantinople is struggling with the Russian Church for influence in the Orthodox world. The Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates are in tense relations today because of Ukraine.” Russian Orthodox priests are complaining they are unable to obtain Schengen visas for EU travel through Greek missions as relations between Athens and Moscow worsens... In a report carried by the BBC’s Russian-language service on Thursday, a source from the church in Constantinople claimed this Greek “policy” is because “Russian priests … are perceived as potential spies and agents of influence”. Several priests told the BBC they had either been refused...

CAIRO, November 26 (IslamOnline.net) - A leading European cardinal claimed that Islam could not integrate into Europe unless it makes a clear break between religion and state as Roman Catholicism went through after the French revolution. Belgium's Cardinal Godfried Danneels is one of a few Catholic churchmen tipped as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II. Danneels said in an interview with Reuters that Muslims should be ready to show more flexibility to interpret the Noble Qur’an. "I think, I hope that it is possible to create a European Islam which has gone through its own French Revolution. It...