Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman’s message of greetings to participants in events devoted to 165th birthday of Queen Olga Constantinovna of the Hellenes
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR), sent the following message of greetings to the participants in the solemn events devoted to the Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna, which took place from October 31 to November 1, 2016, in Athens.
Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
I cordially greet you all as you have gathered together in Greece to participate in the solemn events of the charity program devoted to the memory of the 165th birthday of the Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna, Queen of the Hellenes.
The peoples of Russia and Greece are united by sincere friendship and common spiritual values. The Baptism of Rus’ is linked with the Greek Orthodoxy which brought to our compatriots the treasure of true faith and opened access to the world culture.
An outstanding personality, Olga Constantinovna the Queen of the Hellenes, a granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I and progenitress of many today’s monarchs and their relatives, made a substantial contribution to the Russian-Greek relations. She was engaged in active educational and charitable work, founded a naval military hospital and a Russian church and a cemetery at the Russian fleet base in Greek Piraeus. The Greek Queen Olga has left a rich legacy that helps to strengthen relations between the two nations today too.
I wish the participants in commemorative events God’s help and blessed success.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk
Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate
Patriarch
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