Home page News
Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Patriarc…

Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Patriarchate of Antioch

On November 21, 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with a delegation representing the Patriarchate of Antioch at the celebrations devoted to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church’s 70th birthday.

The membership of the delegation is as follows: Metropolitan Niphon of Philippople, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Metropolitan Ignatius of France, Central and Southern Europe; and Metropolitan Silouan of the British Islands and Ireland.

Participating in the meeting from the Russian Orthodox side were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR), Bishop Panteleinon of Orekhovo-Zuevo, head of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service; Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations.

Welcoming the delegation, His Holiness said in particular, ‘I am very glad that as envoys of His Beatitude Patriarch John you have come to Moscow to take part in my birthday celebrations. We regret that His Beatitude the Patriarch was unable to come but take it with understanding. Your presence here is very important’.

His Holiness also expressed the conviction that despite the difficulties existing in the life of universal Orthodoxy, by God’s power and with the active participation of Churches they can be overcome. The unity of Orthodox Churches and their cooperation in resolving problems facing the world, the Church and the individual today require joint efforts.

He expressed solidarity and compassion with the suffering peoples of Syria, Iraq and the countries in which blood is spilt today, civilians die at the hands of terrorists and Christians are killed or driven away from their historical homes. ‘Addressing the hierarchs today, I mentioned this tragedy. The Christian world has experienced never before what it is experiencing now’, His Holiness stressed, ‘As to the number of killed Christians, the persecution of Christians in Russia was more cruel and its scale was larger, but if we look at this not in absolute but relative proportions what is happening in the Middle East can be called genocide against the Christian population. At the same time, the elimination and expulsion of Christians destroys all the balances, thus changing the nature of nations and peoples in the Middle East’.

Patriarch Kirill recalled that as far back as the very beginning of the conflict in Syria, he considered it necessary to visit the Orthodox Church of Antioch. That official visit took place in 2011, under the late Patriarch Ignatios. ‘I visited Syria; I saw the ardent faith of your people. Though the hostilities had already begun, there already were terrorist actions, but Damascus stayed impact and would probably stay as such in my memory for good. It was a prosperous Middle Eastern city. I came there for the first time in 1971 and remember what Damascus looked like at that time and what it remained until recently’. He said that the tragic events happening there cause pain to all who understand their possible consequences.

‘That’s why I would like to express my profound condolences in your persons to all those who are suffering in Syria and Iraq’, he continued, ‘Please convey my condolences to His Beatitude Patriarch John and I would like to assure you that the Russian Orthodox Church will continue to do all that depends on it to help suffering people, to work for putting an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and to help establish a lasting peace with justice’.

Having thanked His Holiness for the warm hospitality, the delegation conveyed him a message of fraternal love from His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch and his wishes of long life in Patriarch Kirill’s service of the holy Russian Church and the Russian people who bear the faith in their hearts.

‘As Your Holiness has said, the Russian people endured hard times but in that period many saints shone forth in Russia, and this enkindled the flame of faith in the heart of the Russian people. We very much wish that the feelings and sufferings we are experiencing there could pass through the intercession of Your Holiness and bishops of the Russian Church. We remember: after suffering always comes sanctity. We rely on the good and strong relations binding our two Patriarchates, on the love of the Russian Church for our people in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon’, Metropolitan Ignatios said.

The situation with regard to Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo who was kidnapped near Aleppo in April 2013 together with Metropolitan Mar Gregory John Abraham from the Syriac Orthodox Church remains an unceasing pain for the faithful of the Patriarchate of Antioch. As the participants in the talk noted, the fate of these Christian hierarch remains unknown to this day.

The delegation wished His Holiness long years of life in the service of the Russian Orthodox Church, stressing, ‘You have become a great support for Orthodoxy. Thank you’.

Patriarch Kirill, on his part, informed the delegation that the Russian Orthodox Church raised funds for people suffering from terrorism in the Middle East. Thus, fine tons of medicines and some medical equipment have been supplied recently to the Al-Hosn Patriarchal Hospital. ‘I should say that the people respond to requests and make donations when it concerns those who suffer in the Middle East’, His Holiness stated. He also noted that the first question he raised at his meeting with Pope Francis of Rome was that of the oppression of Christians in the Middle East.

As a gift from Patriarch John of Antioch, Patriarch Kirill received an epigonation, a church vestment.

His Holiness Kirill handed over to the delegation a gift for Patriarch John – a vestment made especially for him, a crozier and a copy of his Collected Works. He presented Metropolitan Philip, Metropolitan Ignatios and Metropolitan Silouan with bishop’s croziers.

DECR Communication Service

Photos by Patriarchal Press Service

Share:
Congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the President of Turkey on his 70th birthday

26.02.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's condolences in connection with the murder of the monks of the Ziquala Abo Monastery in Ethiopia

24.02.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the XII Christmas Parliamentary Meetings at the Federation Council of the Russian Federation

23.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Patriarch of Constantinople is not a free man

07.01.2024

Christmas Message from Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Rus’

06.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had phone conversation with Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol

02.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences over deadly earthquake in northwest China

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates Mr Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on his re-election as President of Egypt

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill welcomes the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the decoration of the Church of St Sava in Belgrade

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Patriarchal greetings on the occasion of 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Vienna and Austria

26.11.2023

Primate of Russian Church presents historic miracle-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God to the faithful and celebrates Liturgy in the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral

04.11.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the participants of the World Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad

01.11.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

31.10.2023

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