Department for External Church Relations
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Metropolitan Hilarion chairs session of the Chinese Patriarchal Metochion Board of Trustees
On 28 January 2020, a session of the Board of Trustees of the Chinese Patriarchal Metochion at the church of St. Nicholas in Golutvino district of Moscow took place at the parish house of the church of “Joy to All Who Sorrow” icon of the Mother of God, Bolshaya Ordynka str. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), chairs the newly appointed Boards of Trustees with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The Rev. Alexy Yusupov, secretary of the Chinese Patriarchal Metochion, and Hieromonk Kirill (Peregudov) a DECR staff member, were among those who attended the session.
Metropolitan Hilarion addressed them, saying: ‘Our common task is to contribute to the development of the Chinese metochion, as a real centre of interaction with the Chinese diaspora, first of all with people who live in the territory of Russia on a permanent or temporary basis, but also with the Orthodox believers residing in China. We should help the metochion go in full swing and become a real centre of attraction for scholars and specialist on China with knowledge of Orthodoxy. ‘Archpriest Igor Zuev, rector of the Chinese Patriarchal Metochion, told the audience about projects being implemented at the Metochion and demanding support in the near future. Presenting proposals were all members of the Board of Trustees that is to be enlarged.
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Established by the Holy Synod, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission had worked in China since 1713. In 1908 the Holy Synod resolved to arrange the Moscow Metochion of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in China; the solution was implemented in 1913.
In 1922 the metochion church was sealed up and no divine services were celebrated. In 1978 a part of the building was pulled down and in 1990 the area became a waste ground.
In 2007, the Holy Synod in its action on the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church decided to continue efforts being made in dialogue with the Chinese side to normalize the situation of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church and to open its metochion in Moscow.
On 7 February 2011, Patriarch Kirill decreed that a Chinese Patriarchal Metochion be established at the St. Nicholas church at Golutvino district of the capital city. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the consecration of the church building returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. The consecration was performed by Patriarch Alexy II on 4 March 1995.
The Chinese Patriarchal Metochion (www.orthodoxchine.ru) was established for religious education of the Chinese believers as a centre of educational and publishing activities where the Chinese believers can get the Orthodox literature and knowledge about Orthodoxy in their mother tongue.
At present Divine liturgies are celebrated in Chinese every Sunday; and liturgies in the Church Slavonic and Chinese – every Saturday and on the days of great feasts. The Russian-Chinese cultural centre called ‘The Firebird’ holds talks about Russian history and culture for the Chinese and the Chinese language courses for the Russians. Dogmatic theology and liturgy lesions in Chinese are given. Sightseeing tours of Moscow, Moscow region and the Golden Ring of Russia are arranged for the Chinese; mission trips to the dioceses are undertaken to celebrate the liturgy in Chinese there. It has become a tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year by the Russian and Chinese parishioners together.
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