Department for External Church Relations
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Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk meets with the Assyrian Patriarch
DECR Communication service, 31.05.2025.
On May 31, 2025, a meeting took place in Moscow between Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III of the Assyrian Church of the East, who is visiting Russia at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.The meeting was held at the hotel of the Pokrovsky Stavropigial Convent, which serves as the residence of the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East during his stay in Moscow. Members of his accompanying delegation participated in the meeting, including:Metropolitan Mar Afrem Athneil of Syria; Bishop Mar Narsai Benjamin of Iran, Armenia, and Georgia; Chorbishop Samano Odisho, rector of the Assyrian Church of the Holy Virgin Mary in Moscow and representative of the Assyrian Church of the East in Russia; Priest Peter Pavlov, rector of the Assyrian Church of St. George the Victorious in Krasnodar; Priest Ephraim Alkhas, rector of the Assyrian community in Rostov-on-Don; Deacon Roland Bidzhamov, representative of the Assyrian community in Moscow.
Representing the Moscow Patriarchate were: Bishop Kliment of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov, co-chair of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations and Secretary of the Dialogue Commission; S.G. Alferov, a DECR staff member.
Metropolitan Antony welcomed the distinguished guest and his delegation on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.
During the meeting, the participants emphasized the centuries-old friendly relations between the peoples under the spiritual care of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, noting that these ties not only endured but were strengthened during the trials of the past and present centuries.
The DECR Chairman expressed gratitude for the fraternal support extended by the Assyrian Church of the East to the Moscow Patriarchate, including in international forums.
Acknowledging the high level of cooperation within the bilateral Dialogue Commission, Metropolitan Antony highlighted the significant contribution of Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III, who was its first co-chair from the Assyrian Church of the East.
The participants discussed current priorities of the Commission’s work, including theological consultations, translation projects, youth initiatives, humanitarian efforts, and educational and cultural programs aimed at fostering deeper mutual understanding of the two Churches’ spiritual traditions.
His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa and Metropolitan Antony also discussed plans for advancing bilateral cooperation in the coming year and other matters of mutual interest.
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