Home page News
Third round of negotiations held in Egypt on&…

Third round of negotiations held in Egypt on developing academic cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church

Fr om October 11-17, 2021, the third round of negotiations was held in Egypt on the development of cooperation in the academic sphere between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Coptic Church as part of the work of the Commission for Bilateral Dialogue. 

With a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the delegation was led by Bishop Siluan of Petergof, rector of St. Petersburg Theological Academy. The delegation included Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations and secretary of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church, Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate; Rev. Pavel Lizgunov, pro-rector for training, Moscow Theological Academy; Archpriest Vladimir Khulap, pro-rector for training, St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Archpriest Dimitry Yurevich, head of the Chair of Bible Studies, St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Hieromonk Bartholomew (Magnitsky), head of the Chair of Ancient Languages, St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Deacon Sergiy Panteleyev, head of the Oriental studies, Moscow Theological Academy; S. I. Sudosa, head of the protocol section, St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and I. Chernykh, a post-graduate student, St. Petersburg Theological Academy. 

The delegation visited the leading theological schools of the Coptic Church and met with their leaders and students. In Cairo in particular, they visited the Coptic St. Athanasius of Alexandria Seminary, where they were welcomed by its rector, Bishop Michael, the First Patriarchal Vicar in Cairo. The guests were taken on a tour of lecture halls and classes and were introduced to the training process. In the new assembly hall, a discussion took place on the process of implementation of the agreements reached at the previous round of the negotiations, which took place in November 2019 in Russia, and on further plans of academic cooperation between the two Churches. 

The following day, the Moscow Patriarchate delegation visited the Institute of Coptic Studies, where they negotiated with its director, Dr Iskhak Ibrahim Agban and the faculty. They were also introduced to the area of scientific researches made in the Coptic Churches and the development of church art.

In the third negotiation place, the Theological Academy of the Coptic Church, the negotiation point was cooperation between the higher stages of theological education in the two Churches. 

After that, the delegation visited one of the largest seminaries in Egypt located in the El Muharraq Monastery of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Assiut Province. The guests were welcomed by its abbot, Bishop Bigoul, who remembered his recent visit to Russia in August-September 2021 as leader of a delegation of monks of the Coptic Church. The guests also met with the leaders and students of the seminary located in the monastery and with the monastery brethren. They discussed the similarity of the education systems in the Russian and Coptic Churches and the common monastic heritage based on the tradition of St. Anthony the Great. 

The delegation visited the main church of the monastery founded on the place where, according to the tradition of the Coptic Church, the Holy Family stayed for over six months during their flight to Egypt. According to the version established in Egypt, it was the place where the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt” (Is. 19:19). 

The delegation also visited shrines in Cairo including the church of Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, the cave church at the place where the Holy Family stopped, the church of Great Martyr Barbara, the al-Muharraq (Hanging) church and the Convent of St. Gregory the Victor. The delegation was warmly welcomed in the Monastery of St. Anthony the Great and the Monastery of St. Paul of Thebes, wh ere the guests were given a solemn welcome by the abbot, Bishop Daniel, assistant to the Coptic Patriarch for monasteries and monkhood. 

The delegation was accompanied by members of the Working Group for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church, Bishop Cyril, vicar of the diocese of Los Angeles, and Hieromonk Benjamin, a member of El-Muharraq monastic community and pro-rector for educational work of the Coptic theological Seminary in Cairo. 

DECR Communication Service 

Share:
Phone conversation took place between the Primates of Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches

17.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Phone conversation took place between the Primates of Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches

17.11.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

17.11.2024

Conference dedicated to centennial of the Holy Trinity Russian church is held in Belgrade

16.11.2024

Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in COP29 Summit of Religious Leaders

06.11.2024

DECR chairman concludes his visit to India

03.11.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with young Indian Christians

02.11.2024

Primate of Malankara Church of India receives Order of Glory and Honour, 1st Class

02.11.2024

DECR chairman takes part in church celebrations in India

02.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

DECR Chairman has begun his visit to India

31.10.2024

Work of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is declared successful

24.10.2024

Synod acknowledges importance of bilateral projects carried out in collaboration with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

24.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

DECR Chairman heads celebrations for the fifteenth anniversary of the consecration of the Dormition Church at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

19.10.2024

Saint Petersburg Theological Academy hosts conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) entitled ‘The Person of Metropolitan Nikodim in the History of the Church’.

16.10.2024

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