Department for External Church Relations
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Christian Youth Forum sponsored by CICC takes place
DECR Communication Service, 20.07.2022.
On July 19, 2022, the Christian Youth Forum on “Christian Youth in Media Space” sponsored by the Christian Interconfessional Consultative Committee (CICC) opened at the Pilgrim Centre of St. John the Theologian Monastery in the Diocese of Saransk and Mordovia.
The forum is attended by over seventy representatives of Christian confessions from twenty-two regions of Russia, Germany. Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus. Addressing the participants via video, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia pointed out at the importance of young people’s participation in infosphere and of their growing ability for dialogue with the older generation. His Holiness said: “A skill to set forth one’s position in a well-argued manner is a valuable asset helping to be engaged in a dialogue among generations and fulfilling the most important commandment of Christ to love one’s neighbours.” The Primate if the Russian Orthodox Church hopes that “the forum would open up new prospects for bringing witness about Church in the rapidly changing media space.”
Addressing the participants at the opening of the forum, the head of the Republic of Mordovia, Mr. Artyom A. Zdunov, thanked all those who have responded to the invitation to take part in it. “Our Republic is honoured to host this important forum being held by the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the heads of other Christian confessions. Mordovia has accumulated a considerable experience in the work with Orthodox youth,” he said and expressed his gratitude to the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations for its important role played in organizing the forum.
Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia warmly greeted the participants and presented a report on “Christian values in the world of modern youth.” He wished the young people to stand firm in Christian love and be ready to meet challenges facing Christians today.
Bishop Serafim of Istra, chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs, greeted the participants, saying: “All young religious believers in Russia who are taking part in the interconfessional meeting may find new forms of Christian witness topical and completely comprehensible to people of different ages and nationalities. Forum theme is very important. Young people would learn specific features of the gospel witness on the Internet, and the word of God will grow and multiply (Acts 12:24) through their efforts. Media space with its special rules and subtleties allows finding new features in the talks about Christ with people of the same age and helps to extend horizons of the Gospel mission. At the same time, it needs a thorough and diligent research which is impossible to conduct acting alone.”
Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov), secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR) and secretary of the CICC, read out greetings from the DECR chairman Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk and told the participants about cooperation among Christian confessions in the modern world.
The forum will complete its work on July 22.
Photo: Official website of the bodies of state authority in the Republic of Mordovia
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