Department for External Church Relations
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His Beatitude Metropolitan Christopher celebrates Divine Liturgy at Moscow Metochion of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
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On 12 May 2011, commemoration day of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus and St. Memnon the Wonderworker, His Beatitude Christopher, Archbishop of Prague and Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas’ church in Kotelniki – the Moscow Metochion of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.
Concelebrating were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Bishop Tichon of Komárno (Orthodox Church of the Czezh Lands and Slovakia); archimandrite Zacchaeus (Wood) (Orthodox Church in America); Very Rev. Aleksiy Yuschenko, rector of the metochion; Rev. Dimitry Ageyev, assistant to the DECR chairman; Rev. Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for Inter-Christian relations; and cleric of the Metochion.
H. E. Petr Kolář, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the Russian Federation, with his wife, and Mr. Leonid Sevastianov, executive director of the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation, attended the service.
After the Liturgy, archpriest Aleksiy Yuschenko addressed the Primate of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, expressing joy over his visit to the Metochion and cordially thanking him for celebrating the divine service.
His Beatitude Christopher thanked Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop Tichon of Komárno, and all clerics for concelebration. He expressed his profound sincere gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia for assistance in purchasing a building for Metropolitan’s residence.
Metropolitan Christopher underscored the importance of Metropolitan Hilarion’s responsible ministry as the DECR chairman, noting his contribution to the strengthening and development of relations among the Local Orthodox Churches.
His Beatitude Christopher decorated executive director of the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation Mr. Sevastianov with the Order of Ss. Cyril and Methodius with a golden star – a high award of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Metropolitan Hilarion greeted His Beatitude Metropolitan Christopher on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, saying that he remembered their meeting in Vienna, where he was a ruling bishop at that time, shortly before the Council of the Orthodox Church of the Czezh Lands and Slovakia, talks about its future, and concelebration at St. Nicholas Cathedral. “By the Providence of God, you were elected Primate of your Church some days later. Soon, you will celebrate the fifth anniversary of your enthronement,” Metropolitan Hilarion said and added, “We are happy to render assistance to you as it is natural for the sister church, once the mother church of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Our participation in the creative work for the Church entrusted to you by the Lord brings great joy to us.”
Metropolitan Hilarion concluded his address by wishing Metropolitan Christopher God’s help in his primatial ministry for many good years.
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