Home page News
DECR chairman opens off-site session of the Commit…

DECR chairman opens off-site session of the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union

On 6 October 2017, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, an off-site meeting of the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU) took place at the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. The meeting on "The Manifestation of Solidarity of the Orthodox Church and the Peoples of the World in the Face of Extremism and Terrorism" was opened by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, DECR chairman.

Taking part in the session were the following CROCEU members: Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Patriarchate of Constantinople); Metropolitan Athanasios of Achaia (Church of Greece); Bishop Porfyrios of Naples (Church of Cyprus); Archimandrite Aimilianos (Bogiannu) (Patriarchate of Constantinople); Archimandrite Atanas (Sultanov) (Bulgarian Church); Hegumen Philip (Ryabykh) (Moscow Patriarchate); Archpriest Sorin Selaru (Romanian Church); Archpriest Georgios Lekkas (Church of Greece); Rev. George Valku (Romanian Church); and Hieromonk Nektarios (Ioannou) (Church of Cyprus).

Among those who attended the meeting and delivered presentations were Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation; Mr. Vladimir Andreyev, deputy director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Sergey Melnikov, executive secretary of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Organizations under the President of the Russian Federation; and Mrs. Elena Agapova, deputy chair of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society.

Taking part in the meeting were also Archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far-abroad countries; and Deacon Andrei Titushkin of the DECR Secretariat for Far-Abroad Countries.

Addressing all those present, Metropolitan Hilarion said in particular:

“We see these days that the grossest violations of human rights, first of all of Christians, are being committed in the zones of armed conflicts. People are deprived of basic necessities, suffering from hunger and various diseases, and are often subjected to tortures and violence, undergoing all possible afflictions. Believers in Christ are becoming martyrs and confessors. Great many people are trying to save their lives, using all means they can, including the inconceivable ones, to move to the countries of the Old World".

As the DECR chairman noted, in order to oppose the spread of the terror threat, the Russian Orthodox Church strives to develop the dialogue with traditional religious communities in Russia, to take part in the peace-making activities and promote moral values and ideals in society. The archpastor also drew the attention of the participants in the meeting to the problem of discrimination of the canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine and expressed gratitude to those Local Churches that speak out in defense of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, emphasized the importance of the dialogue with the government and pan-European institutions that combat terrorism and extremism, in order to ensure that the integration of migrants is carried out in respect to their cultural and religious identity, but at the same time in compliance with the laws and traditions of the host countries.

Mr. Vladimir Andreyev, deputy director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted in his address that the competent government institutions played the decisive role in combating terrorism. However, to solve this difficult problem, the state cannon do without the assistance of traditional religious communities, first of all, the Russian Orthodox Church.

As the moderator of the CROCEU Moscow meeting, Hegumen Philip (Ryabykh) pointed out in his speech, the Orthodox Church and other traditional religions have to oppose destructive ideas by supporting constructive ideas and projects. He presented to the participants in the meeting the 2016 annual report of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Representation in Strasbourg on the violation of the rights of Orthodox Christians in Europe. The document mentions over 150 such cases.

To conclude the meeting, the CROCEU members expressed their gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church for the opportunity to discuss such significant and topical problem as spread of terrorism in the world.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in COP29 Summit of Religious Leaders

06.11.2024

DECR chairman concludes his visit to India

03.11.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with young Indian Christians

02.11.2024

Primate of Malankara Church of India receives Order of Glory and Honour, 1st Class

02.11.2024

DECR chairman takes part in church celebrations in India

02.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

DECR Chairman has begun his visit to India

31.10.2024

Work of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is declared successful

24.10.2024

Synod acknowledges importance of bilateral projects carried out in collaboration with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

24.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

DECR Chairman heads celebrations for the fifteenth anniversary of the consecration of the Dormition Church at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

19.10.2024

Saint Petersburg Theological Academy hosts conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) entitled ‘The Person of Metropolitan Nikodim in the History of the Church’.

16.10.2024

DECR Chairman meets with President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference

15.10.2024

Participants of the Divine Service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya congratulated the DECR Chairman on his 40th birthday.

12.10.2024

Russian diplomat given Patriarchal award.

10.10.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب