Department for External Church Relations
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Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Primate of Orthodox Church of Antioch
DECR Communication Service, 26/01/2025
On January 25th, during his work trip to Lebanon, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visited the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology of the University of Balamand. There he was received by His Beatitude Patriarch John X of the Great Antioch and All the East.
They were joined in the meeting by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR deputy chairman; Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), rector of the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Beirut, representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East; Priest Nikolai Vasin, secretary to the DECR chairman; as well as Archimandrite Jack (Khalil), dean of St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology; and Mr Alexander Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Lebanon.
Metropolitan Anthony conveyed to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch brotherly greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, along with His Holiness’ assurances of support for His Beatitude and his flock in these trying times.
In the cordial atmosphere, the participants in the meeting discussed at length a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern, including the plight of Christians in the Middle East and other regions, prospects of promoting further the fraternal cooperation between the Antiochian and the Moscow Patriarchates, and the current state of inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations.
To commemorate their meeting, Metropolitan Anthony presented to His Beatitude Patriarch John a holy panagia.
After the meeting, Patriarch John gave a dinner in honour of the DECR chairman and other members of the Russian Church’s delegation.
Patriarch
Department Chairman
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