Home page News
DECR vice-chairman calls at the G20 Interfait…

DECR vice-chairman calls at the G20 Interfaith Forum to protect Christians in Africa against genocide

September 13, 2021, the second day of the work of the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna, Italy, was devoted to the theme “The time for healing: peace among cultures, understanding between religions”.

With a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in the forum. It includes Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations (DECR), and Rev. Dimitry Safonov, DECR secretary for interreligious relations. During the second day of the forum, Archbishop Leonid delivered remarks at the focus session on “The Theological Nature of Dialogue”.

The session was chaired by Ms. Alessandra Trotta and Father Adalberto Mainardi of the Monastic Community of Boze. Archbishop Leonid spoke about the experience of interreligious dialogue accumulated by the Russian Orthodox Church, mentioning in particular the work of the Russian-Iranian Commission for Dialogue “Orthodoxy-Islam”, the Interreligious Council in Russia and the Interreligious Working Group for Aid to the Syrian Population. He noted that the Russian Church has given priority to practical interreligious dialogue: “Together we seek answers to the challenges of today: social, economic, international and others”.

Archbishop Leonid devoted the last part of his remarks to the persecution against Christians, giving special attention to their situation in Africa. He said, “Let us be honest before each other and find the courage to admit that in several African countries, while we keep silent, a real elimination of the Christian population is committed. In Nigeria, Congo, Burkina-Faso, Mozambique and other states, armed gangs of extremists purposefully and with impunity commit mass murders of Christians. The case in question is thousands of defenseless and innocent and harmless people”.

Archbishop Leonid also spoke about the discrimination of the clergy and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church: “The rights of the faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious organization in Ukraine, cannot be ignored. Hundreds of her churches have been forcibly seized with the assistance of the authorities to be given over to the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” founded in 2018 by Petr Poroshenko and the Patriarch of Constantinople. Discrimination also takes place at the legal level, as criminals, who use violence against clergy and believers of the canonical Church, as a rule remain unpunished”.

The DECR vice-chairman also drew attention to the destiny of religious shrines in the world. “Imagine, with what a great pain does the defilement or destruction of a church echoes in the hearts of the faithful, or its demonstrative conversion for the needs of a different religion. Encroachment upon a shrine has the most pernicious impact on the interreligious dialogue, on peace and tranquility”, he stressed.

In the conclusion of his remarks, the archpastor reminded the forum that it is planned to hold a World Conference on Interreligious and Inter-ethnic Dialogue in May 2022 in St. Petersburg.

Among the speakers at the session were Hadji Dede Edmond Brahimaj, head of the Sufi community of the Albanian Bektashes; Monsignor Khaled Akasheh, head of the Bureau for Islam of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Dr. Ibrahim an-Naimi, chairman of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue; Bishop Bertram Johannes Meier of Augsburg, who is chair of the sub- commission for interreligious dialogue of the Conference of German Catholic Bishops; and other representatives of interreligious organizations.

 

DECR Communication Service

 

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his enthronement

29.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences over devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand

28.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch concerning tragic developments in Syria

11.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral

09.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Malankara Church

08.03.2025

Delegation of the Malankara Church attends Patriarchal Liturgy on the commemoration day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

08.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia

06.02.2025

Divine Liturgy celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the sixteenth anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

01.02.2025

Condolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church

25.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

Christmas Message by His Holiness Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

06.01.2025

A Joint Session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Took Place

26.12.2024

DECR Chairman participates in Divine Service at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo

30.03.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at the Resurrection Church in Seoul

23.03.2025

The Holy Synod confirms a number of appointments regarding the foreign dioceses and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church.

20.03.2025

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony presents report to the Holy Synod on his visits to Lebanon, Albania, Italy, Serbia and Armenia.

20.03.2025

DECR chairman presents Patriarchal award to Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

18.03.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

17.03.2025

DECR chairman congratulates Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

Session of the commission for international cooperation of the Russian Presidential Council for Interaction between Religious Organizations takes place.

12.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral

09.03.2025

Meeting of the Council of the Christian Interconfessional Advisory Committee has been held

28.02.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk participates in Patriarchal Liturgy in Belgrade

26.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije receives Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk

25.02.2025

DECR Chairman tells participants of the meeting at Nizhny Novgorod seminary about external contacts of the Russian Orthodox Church

22.02.2025

Rector of St George Church at Russia’s Embassy in Prague awarded the Order of Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles

20.02.2025

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

Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب