Delegation of the MTA held negotiations in Addis Ababa

DECR Communication Service, 26.05.2023.

With a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation of the Moscow Theological Academy (MTA) headed by its rector, Bishop Kirill of Zvenigorod, visited Ethiopia. The delegation included Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations and secretary of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church; Rev. Pavel Lizgunov, pro-rector of the MTA training work; Deacon Sergiy Panteleyev, head of the MTA Orientalistic studies; and R. A. Obrosov, a third-year student of the MTA bachelor’s programme.

The aim of the trip was to negotiate the development of academic cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church in pursuance of the agreements reached by the Bilateral Relations Commission’s second meeting held this February in Moscow.

On May 19, the delegation visited the Holy Trinity Academy in Addis Ababa, the leading theological school of the Ethiopian Church, which recently has been granted the status of university. The vice- rector, Archimandrite Hailegabriel Girma, informed the delegation about the structure and work of the Holy Trinity University. The guests were shown the lecture halls and introduced to the training process. They also saw the library named after Archbishop Timotheos Habteselassie Tesfa. The late archbishop of eternal memory headed this educational establishment for over twenty years and previously studied in Leningrad Theological Academy in the same years as did the future Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Then the sides had a preliminary discussion on the agenda items concerning the further development of academic cooperation between the two Churches.

The negotiations continued the following days with the participation of the rector of the Holy Trinity University and co-chairman of the Commission for Dialogue between the Ethiopian Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Abune Philipos of South Omo. Participating in the meeting from the Ethiopian Church were also Archimandrite Hailegabriel Girma, vice-rector of the Holy Trinity University; Rev. Daniel Seyfemihael, head of the Ethiopian Church’s department for church projects; Archimandrite Weldejesus Sefugalato, dean of the Addis-Ababa parishes; Rev. Eyasu Nahusenaye, vice-rector for administrative work; and Rev. Gebreyohannes Gebretsadik, head of the distance-learning program.

The representatives of the Moscow Theological Academy and the Holy Trinity University worked in detail over joint academic projects to be carried out in the 2023-2024 academic year and signed the respective memorandum.

On May 21, Bishop Kirill of Zvenigorod and the delegation members addressed lecturers and students of the Holy Trinity University.

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Delegation of the MTA held negotiations in Addis Ababa

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Patriarch

Department Chairman

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