Home page News
The 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference begins…

The 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference begins its sessions

On October 12, 2015, the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference began its sessions at the Orthodox Center of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Chambesy near Geneva. It is chaired by Metropolitan John of Pergamon, Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s delegation, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), greeted the participants on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and conveyed to them wishes of success in their work.

On the instruction of Patriarch Kirill, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed the Russian Orthodox Church’s special concern for the situation in the Middle East, where the raging terrorism threatens the very existence of the Christian community, and called to joint efforts to ensure that our brothers and sisters in the Middle East could feel safe.

The DECR chairman informed the conference about the results reached by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church which had considered draft conciliar documents and sent its response to the secretariat for preparing a Holy and Great Council.

On the instruction of Patriarch Kirill, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed the Russian Orthodox Church’s deep concern over the anti-canonical actions made by hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Ukrainian church structures in the USA and Canada as they arrive in Ukraine allegedly on behalf to the Patriarch of Constantinople without informing about it the canonical Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, come into contact with the schismatics, declare the alleged readiness of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the schismatics, challenge the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s universally recognized canonical acts of the past centuries, accept with honour the persons defrocked and excommunicated from the Church, letting them ‘celebrate’ in their churches and praying together with them. ‘We ask the Patriarchate of Constantinople to give an assessment to these anti-canonical actions and oblige these hierarchs to stop such actions destroying our pan-Orthodox unity’, Metropolitan Hilarion stated.

In conclusion, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s delegation expressed hope that, despite the existing difficulties, the participants in the Conference will be able, in the spirit of fraternal unanimity and cooperation, to prepare the Pan-Orthodox Council at a time when Orthodoxy needs it so much.

The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church also included Archbishop Mark of Berlin-German and Great Britain (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia), Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, Archimandrite Prof. Irinei (Steenberg) of the ROCOR diocese of Western America, and the Rev. Anatoly Churyakov, acting as an interpreter.

The other Local Orthodox Churches are represented by the delegations consisting of:

Metropolitan Emmanuel of France; archimandrite Bartholomaios (Samaras), protopresbyter Georgios Tsetsis, archimandrite Prodromos (Xenakis) – Patriarchate of Constantinople;

Metropolitan Sergios of the Cape of Good Hope, Metropolitan Ieronymos of Mwanza, archimandrite Nikolaos (Ioannidis) – Patriarchate of Alexandria;

Metropolitan Damaskinos of São Paolo and All Brazil; Metropolitan Basilius of Akkar; Mr. George Ghandour – Patriarchate of Antioch;

Metropolitan Hysychios of Kapitolias, archbishop Aristarchos of Konstantina, Prof. Theodoros Yiagou – Patriarchate of Jerusalem;

Metropolitan Gerasime of Zugdidi and Tsaiši, Metropolitan Andrea of Gorij and Aten, protopresbyter Georgi Zviadadze, monk Anthimoz (Javakhishvili) – Patriarchate of Georgia;

Metropolitan Amfilohije of Crna Gora and Primorje; Bishop Irinej of Bačka; archpriest Gajo Gajić – Patriarchate of Serbia;

Metropolitan Nifon of Târgovişte, archpriest Viorel Ioniţa – Romanian Patriarchate;

Metropolitan Joan of Varna and Veliky Preslav, Dr. Dimitar Arnaudov ­– Bulgarian Patriarchate;

Metropolitan Georgios of Paphos, Bishop Christophoros of Karpasia – Orthodox Church of Cyprus;

Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Peristerion; Metropolitan Ignatios of Dimitrias and Almyros, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia – Orthodox Church of Greece;

Metropolitan Joan of Korça, Metropolitan Demetrios of Girokastra, Mr. Pyrros Kondylis – Albanian Orthodox Church;

Bishop Jerzy of Siemiatycze, archpriest Andrzej Kuzma – Polish Orthodox Church;

Archbishop Juraj of Michalovce and Košice, Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), archpriest Milan Gerka – Orthodox Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia.

 

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov

21.07.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill receives a delegation of the Malankara Church of India

19.07.2025

On the day of commemoration of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

18.07.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill сelebrates All-Night Vigil at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

17.07.2025

Primate of the Russian Church сelebrates Little Vespers with Akathist to St. Sergius of Radonezh at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

17.07.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch over terrorist attack on Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus

22.06.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders

19.06.2025

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Liturgy at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra on the Feast of the Holy Trinity

08.06.2025

Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches participate in Patriarchal service on the occasion of Saints Cyril and Methodius Day.

24.05.2025

Congratulatory Address by the members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the occasion of his name’s day.

24.05.2025

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church participates in the Paschal reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

20.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates Pope Leo XIV on his election to the See of Rome

09.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro

08.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the President of Cuba

08.05.2025

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church awarded highest order of the Republic of Serbia

08.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill receives a delegation of the Malankara Church of India

19.07.2025

On the day of commemoration of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

18.07.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill сelebrates All-Night Vigil at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

17.07.2025

Primate of the Russian Church сelebrates Little Vespers with Akathist to St. Sergius of Radonezh at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

17.07.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk leads celebrations at Moscow Metochion of Serbian Orthodox Church on its patronal feast

12.07.2025

Editorial board of Church and Time journal meets in Moscow

02.07.2025

DECR Chairman: the politicization of the World Council of Churches puts its future under threat

01.07.2025

Delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate participates in the work of the WCC Central Committee in South Africa

18.06.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Russian Ambassador to South Africa

17.06.2025

DECR Chairman arrives in South Africa

16.06.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with students of the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy

12.06.2025

DECR secretary for affairs of the far abroad archpriest Sergy Zvonaryov defends doctoral dissertation.

09.06.2025

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Liturgy at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra on the Feast of the Holy Trinity

08.06.2025

Presidential Council for Coordination with Religious Organisations meets in Moscow

05.06.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk meets with the Assyrian Patriarch

31.05.2025

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