Department for External Church Relations
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DECR Chairman tells participants of the meeting at Nizhny Novgorod seminary about external contacts of the Russian Orthodox Church
DECR Communication Service, 22.02.2025.
On February 21, the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary hosted a meeting with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR). Among the participants were Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas; Bishop Filaret of Dalnekonstantinovsky, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese; archpriest Sergy Matveyev, secretary of the Diocesan Administration; archpriest Vasily Spirin, first vice-rector of the Seminary; deans of the church districts and heads of the diocesan departments, as well as teachers and students of the theological school, students of the ‘Pokrov’ training center for church specialists named after Metropolitan Nikolai (Kutepov), and Orthodox youth.
The DECR chairman thanked Metropolitan Georgy for the invitation to visit the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolis and mentioned his previous visits to the Nizhny Novgorod region as the head of the Personal Secretariat of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. “I am glad to be here again and pray at the shrines of the Nizhny Novgorod land,” Metropolitan Anthony said.
During the talk, he spoke about various directions of external activity of the Russian Orthodox Church, in which the DECR is engaged by instruction of the Holy Synod.
Metropolitan Anthony dedicated the main part of his presentation to the topic of inter-Orthodox relations in the modern world.
The hierarch further spoke about the origins of the establishment of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa and expanded on the topic of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, noting the difficulties. He also informed the audience about relations with other Christian churches and communities.
Touching on the topic of interreligious cooperation, Metropolitan Anthony focused on the dialogue with representatives of Islam, noting that both sides are interested in cooperation, including the protection of traditional values.
Continuing the talk, the DECR chairman answered questions from the listeners.
At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas thanked Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk for an interesting talk and said that despite external pressure the Russian Orthodox Church is continuing to stand its ground and serves as a spiritual bond for people.
Metropolitan Anthony presented the Nizhny Novgorod Theological seminary with a book about the history of the Department for External Church Relations.
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