Metropolitan Hilarion meets with president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

30 November, 2013 – Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, met with the president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Jozef Michalik, Metropolitan of Przemysl.

Archbishop Jozef Michalik warmly welcomed his high guest at the building of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. He pointed to the great importance of the conference on “The Future of Christianity in Europe – The Role of Polish and Russian Churches and Nations”, for which Metropolitan Hilarion came to Poland. The archbishop stressed that the conference became a practical step towards the implementation of principles laid in the Joint Message to the Russian and Polish Peoples on reconciliation signed on August 17, 2012, during the historic visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Hilarion, on his part, thanked the archbishop for the hospitality and conveyed him a fraternal greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who attaches great importance to the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. The DECR chairman proposed that conferences similar to that held in Warsaw in those days be conducted on a regular basis, with each meeting devoted to a certain theme of concern for the both Churches.

The sides also discussed prospects for the development of inter-church cooperation in protecting Christians in the Middle East from violence and discrimination and in bearing common witness to traditional Christian values in today’s European society. Special attention was given to cooperation between the two Churches in theological education and in culture in the light of events to be held in 2015 declared the Year of Poland in Russia and the Year of Russia in Poland.

In conclusion of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion presented Archbishop Michalik with a copy of the Polish version of his book The Sacrament of the Faith. The archbishop presented the metropolitan with an edition of his sermons delivered on the Lord’s and the Virgin’s holidays.

DECR Communication Service

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Metropolitan Hilarion meets with president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons