Home page News
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Po…

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Pope Francis

On 13th February 2020, at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, met with Pope Francis.

The DECR chairman conveyed to the Pope of Rome greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Pope Francis also conveyed his warm brotherly regards to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Discussed at the meeting held in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and goodwill were topical issues pertaining to the relationships between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church. Metropolitan Hilarion told about the Conference on “The Saints – Signs and Seeds of Unity” that had taken place the day before at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, marking the 4th anniversary of the historic meeting in Havana between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill. The head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian hierarch noted the uttermost importance for the bilateral relations of the bringing of the particle of the holy relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Bari to Russia in May-July 2017, in compliance with the agreement reached during the meeting in Havana. Metropolitan Hilarion presented to His Holiness a book-album telling about the journey of the miracle-working relics to Russia. The book was published in the Italian language by the Poznaniye Foundation in 2018.

The participants in the meeting expressed their satisfaction at the fruitful development of cooperation between the two Churches within the framework of the Joint Working Group established for that purpose. For instance, in recent years the Summer Institutes project has shown considerable promise, providing an opportunity to clergymen and students from the Roman Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate to undertake educational visits to Moscow and Rome respectively and learn more about the traditions and present-day life of the two Churches.

Metropolitan Hilarion informed the Pope about the results of the latest session of the Joint Working Group held at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on 12th February. By including social issues in its agenda the Working Group broadened the scope of cooperation between the two Churches, which is of great importance for the implementation of joint projects in rendering humanitarian aid to the population of Syria affected by the war in the country.

The DECR chairman devoted particular attention to the project of rendering medical aid to the Syrian children injured during the hostilities in Syria, and thanked the Kirche in Not Catholic Charitable Foundation for taking part in this project.

Acting as interpreters during the meeting were Rev. Alexy Dikarev, DECR staff member, and Subdeacon Ivan Nikolayev.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion presented to His Holiness members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church who had arrived in Rome on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the Havana meeting: Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Archpriest Leonid Kalinin, chairman of the Expert Council for Church Art, Architecture and Restoration, member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; Rev. Alexander Aleshin, vice-chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry; Archpriest Kirill Kaleda, rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church in Butovo, Moscow; Hieromonk Ioann (Kopeykin), executive director of the Poznaniye Foundation; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; and Senior Subdeacon Vyacheslav Li.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates His Holiness Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria on his election and enthronement

30.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Met with the Released Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav

25.06.2024

Patriarch Kirill led the bringing of the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by the Venerable Andrei Rublev, to the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

22.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with senior Russian Protestants

18.06.2024

Participants of the Divine Service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya congratulated the DECR Chairman on his 40th birthday.

12.10.2024

DECR Chairman delivered a lecture to students of the Russian Orthodox University

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

DECR chairman attends reception given by Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation

22.09.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with delegation of Orthodox Church in America

16.09.2024

DECR сhairman сelebrates in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Paris

08.09.2024

Nice hosts celebrations marking 50th birthday and 14th anniversary of episcopal consecration of Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe

06.09.2024

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations meets with Slovenian Ambassador to Russia

30.08.2024

DECR chairman congratulates head of the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the Caucasus on the occasion of his 7th birthday.

26.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

Holy Synod deems it expedient that Working Group for Cooperation between the Russian Church and Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs should continue its work

25.07.2024

Holy Synod recognizes importance of resuming theological consultations with Assyrian Church of the East

25.07.2024

Session of commission for international cooperation under the Russian Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Associations takes place.

23.07.2024

DECR chairman meets with representative of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

23.07.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Syrian ambassador to Russia.

22.07.2024

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

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب