The global financial crisis has affected the Russian Orthodox Church, which, like the State, is curtailing programmes and preparing for the possibility of further cutbacks.

The head of the World Council of Churches has welcomed Metropolitan Kyrill of as the new patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, highlighting his desire for positive global inter-church relations.

The murder of two Jesuit priests from Moscow's Catholic community in their apartment in central Moscow, just a block from the Russian capital's police HQ, is making church officials concerned about recent killings of clerics.

The destruction of ethnic Georgian communities in South Ossetia, the deep wounds to local society and war damage to the capital city confronted a delegation from the World Council of Churches on the second half of a 3-7 September 2008 pastoral visit to Georgia and Russia.

A pastoral delegation sent by the World Council of Churches to Georgia and Russia in the wake of the bitter conflict there has not been able to get safe passage to visit South Ossetia from the Georgian side of the ceasefire line.

A pastoral delegation from the World Council of Churches is visiting Russia and Georgia today. Participants will listen to churches in both countries, encourage efforts for peace and visit displaced people and church aid programmes.

Despite the official end of Russian military operations in Georgia, campaigners say Russia has been dropping cluster bombs on civilians in the Georgian republic - killing, wounding and spreading dangerous unexploded bomblets.

A public statement from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) has called for prayers and assistance for those affected by the recent conflict in the Caucasus.

Russia's president-elect, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's handpicked successor, can count on support from his country's religious organizations which have congratulated him after his landslide victory in the recent elections.

The leader of the Council of Churches in Namibia has expressed concern about environmental problems that could be created if the uranium-rich southern African country accepts an offer by Russia to help build floating nuclear power plants.