His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece meets with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk

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On 9 April 2011, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece met with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), who arrived on a visit to Greece with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Hilarion conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to His Beatitude Ieronymos II, who welcomed the guests saying that the ties of fraternal love have bound the Russian Church and the Church of Greece and Russian and Greek people.

A cordial talk followed discussed during which were bilateral relations and Orthodox cooperation in the preparation of the Pan-Orthodox Council, cooperation in theological education and exchange of students, the Church’s role in the life of contemporary society, pastoral work with the youth, dialogue with the workers of culture and science, and different forms of missionary work.

Taking part in the talk were also Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Laureotiki and archpriest Nikolai Balashov, deputy chairman of the DECR.

His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos and Metropolitan Hilarion delivered welcoming speeches at the Throne Hall of the Archdiocese. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia, Bishop Prokopios of Christianoupolis, protosingel archimandrite Gabriel, and ordained staff member of the Archdiocese.

His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos thanked Metropolitan Hilarion for his visit and asked him to convey the feelings of respect and love of all our brethren here to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

In his address Metropolitan Hilarion noted that it was a great joy for him to visit the Orthodox Church of Greece and meet with its Primate, hierarchs and clerics, and convey greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill who has visited the holy Archdiocese several times as metropolitan and chairman of the DECR.

“We see that the Orthodox Church of Greece finds itself in a difficult situation after the economic crisis. The relations between the church and the state are not cloudless, but we hope that these problems will be resolved, justice will triumph, and the Church will occupy its proper place in this wonderful ancient country sanctified by the apostles’ feet,” Metropolitan Hilarion added.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Greece and the DECR chairman exchanged gifts. Metropolitan Hilarion signed the book of distinguished guests.

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His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece meets with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons