Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman meets with Hungary’s State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians
On 28 November 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with Mt. Tristan Azbej, Hungary’s State Secretary for the aid to persecuted Christians.
They were joined in the meeting by Rev. Sergy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far abroad countries.
Mr. Azbej warmly greeted the guests and told them about Hungary’s experience in hosting conferences on the defence of persecuted Christians.
DECR chairman thanked the government of Hungary for the invitation to the 2nd International Conference on Christian Persecution and spoke in praise of the Hungarian authorities for their efforts in standing for the right of Christians to peaceful life in the land of their forefathers.
Metropolitan Hilarion noted a great significance of the October meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with the heads of Christian Churches in the Middle East and expressed his concern over the preservation of Christian heritage in the region.
Participants in the meeting concurred in the opinion that persecution of Christians must be put on the agenda of international relations and that this problem should be discussed by international organizations, national governments and religious communities.
Mr. Azbej noted the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Christian world as far as the defence of traditional values and persecuted Christians is concerned.
Patriarch
Department Chairman
Sermons
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24.12.2025
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06.11.2020