Home page News
World Council of Churches leaders meet with delega…

World Council of Churches leaders meet with delegation of Moscow Patriarchate

DECR Communication Service, 01.09.2022. 

On September 1, in Karlsruhe, Germany, leaders of the World Council of Churches met with the Moscow Patriarchate delegation led by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk.

Present at the meeting from the WCC were WCC acting Secretary General Archpriest John Sauka, moderator of the WCC Central Committee Dr Agnes Abuom, vice-moderators of the WCC Central Committee Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste and Mary Ann Swenson, and co-moderator of the WCC Standing Committee on Consensus and Cooperation Bishop Simo Peura.

Greeting the delegation, Archpriest John Sauka said, ‘In the World Council of Churches we speak the language of faith not politics; we are an open platform for all. The Russian Orthodox Church is a full-fledged part of our fellowship’. Speaking about today’s political confrontation caused by the situation in Ukraine, the WCC general Secretary stressed that any isolation of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation at the General Assembly is quite out of question.

Dr Agnes Abuom noted that the position of the World Council of Churches concerning the membership of the Russian Orthodox Church in this organization is in keeping with the decisions of the Central Committee by which the WCC should remain an open platform for dialogue of all Christians.

Addressing the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Nifon noted how important it is ‘to be in solidarity with one another despite all the existing complications’.

In his response, Metropolitan Anthony said, ‘We have come for the 11th General Assembly of the WCC as representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since the Moscow Patriarchate joined the WCC in 1961, mankind has endured multiple upheavals but we have always known that we can freely participate in the work of this major religious forum the task of which is to speak not of politics but of the Christian message to the world’.

Touching upon the crisis in Ukraine, the DECR chairman noted that the Russian Orthodox Church is doing all that is possible to help those affected by the conflict. The hierarch stressed that with a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, prayers are lifted at every Divine Liturgy for the establishment of peace, and the Church has participated in giving humanitarian aid to regions affected by the hostilities and implemented large-scale programs of help to refugees.

In this connection, Metropolitan Anthony expressed strong disagreement with the speech made a day before by President of Germany F.-W. Steinmaier with its ungrounded criticism of the Moscow Patriarchate and pointed to the inadmissibility of using a religious factor for political purposes.

 

In conclusion of the meeting, the representatives of the WCC leadership wished the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church a successful and fruitful work.

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with representatives of Macedonian Orthodox Church in Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra

08.10.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Serbian First Lady

08.10.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Honorary Chair of Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation

21.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill takes part in the closing ceremony of VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with religious leaders on the sidelines of the Congress in Astana

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Russia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks at the opening of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends greetings to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

17.09.2025

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

02.09.2025

Visit of Deans of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa to Russia concludes

01.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-Night Vigil in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the eve of Dormition

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates MGIMO rector Anatoly Torkunov on his 75th birthday

26.08.2025

DECR chairman concludes his visit to Northern Iraq

02.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Hierarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church

01.10.2025

DECR Chairman meets in Erbil with Director for the Preservation of Assyrian Cultural Heritage

01.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan

30.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with Russia’s Consul General in Erbil

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

29.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs of Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Council of Ulema of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with representatives of Christian communities of Iraq

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony takes part in the Assyrian Church of the East Conference dedicated to the First Ecumenical Council

28.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with the Primate and Members of the Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East

28.09.2025

Visit of the DECR Chairman to Northern Iraq begins

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolasmk leads patronal celebrations at the Church of the Renewal of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Danilovskaya Sloboda

26.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Israel’s ambassador to Russia

25.09.2025

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