Department for External Church Relations
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Primate of Orthodox Church of Antioch meets with DECR vice-chairman, Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania
On August 1-4, 2020, Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, undertook a working visit to the Syrian Arab Republic with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
On August 2, Archbishop Leonid was received by His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East at the Patriarchal residence in the Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George in the Valley of Christians, Homs province. They were joined in the meeting by Bishop Efraim of Seleucia, secretary of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Antioch; Hegumen Arseniy (Sokolov), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East; Archimandrite Arsenios (Dahdal), abbot of St George Monastery; Mr. A.S. Kozlenko, first secretary of Russia’s Embassy in Syria; and Dr. Khaled Atanas, director of the Al-Hosn Patriarchal Hospital.
His Beatitude conveyed cordial greetings to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and on behalf of the Patriarchate of Antioch expressed gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church and all the Russian people for supporting their Christian brothers in Syria. His Beatitude Patriarch John also shared with those present warm memories of his visits to Russia.
Discussed during the meeting were various issues pertaining to further implementation of humanitarian and social projects in the territory of Syria with the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church.
While in Syria, Vladyka Leonid also visited a church and a chapel at the Hmeimim air base and met with Rev. Yevgeny Andreyev, who serves there, and with representatives of the air command group of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.
On his visit the DECR vice-chairman was accompanied by Hegumen Arseniy (Sokolov), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.
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