| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy The 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Church has completed its work DECR Communication Service, 08.09.2022. The 11 th General Assembly of the World Council of Church was held from August 31 to September 8 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was headed at the assembly by the Chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate and Patriarchal Exarch for Western Europe, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk. The delegation included Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia, Patriarchal Exarch for South-East Asia; Metropolitan Leonid, Patriarchal Exarch for Africa; Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, vicar of the Diocese of Astana; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR acting vice-chairman; Archpriest Nikolay Gundyaev, representative of the Russian Orthodox church to the World Council of Churches and international organizations in Geneva; Archpriest Valentin Vasechko, vice-chairman of the Education Committee, associate professor at the St. Tikhon Orthodox University of the Humanities; Archpriest Vladimir Khulap, pro-rector for training, St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; Rev. Iliya Kosykh, head of the DECR communication service; Rev. Vyacheslav Zavalny, reviewer, DECR branch in St. Petersburg; Rev. Alexander Ershov, adviser to the DECR chairman; Hierodeacon Petr (Akhmatkhanov), a staff member of the DECR secretariat for inter-Christian relations; V.V. Kipshidze, vice-chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and Mass Media; Ms. M. B. Nelyubova and P. V. Champion, staff members of the DECR secretariat for inter-Christian relations; Ye. V. Bartosh, a methodologist of the training methodology department of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of the Byelorussian State University. |
| Archive DECR Chairman presided over round-table conference on cooperation between Russian Church and compatriots living in countries of Middle East and Africa 28 November 2019 year 15:06 On 27 November 2019, a round-table conference took place on Russian Orthodox Church and Compatriots: An Experience of Cooperation in Middle Eastern and African Countries, at the Russian Cultural Center in Budapest. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, its work was presided over by the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. It was attended by a Moscow church delegation including Metropolitan Anthony of Chersonesus and Western Europe, head of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Archpriest Sergiy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for the far abroad; Hieromonk Kirill (Peregudin) and Rev. Andrey Titushkin, staff members of the DECR secretariat for the far abroad; Deacon Sergiy Kalashnikov, leading specialist of the Moscow Patriarchate office for the institutions abroad; and Rev. V. Li, sub-deacon to the DECR chairman. The meeting also gathered the Russian Church clergy responsible for pastoral care of the Russian-speaking flock in Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa. The round table was organized by the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the DECR with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Russian World foundation. Such events have been held for ten years now, gathering together clergy and representatives of compatriots’ organizations from various parts of the world. Earlier, such meeting took place in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Beijing, San Francisco, Johannesburg, Rome, Berlin, Rabat and Seoul. Before the beginning of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion said a prayer for the beginning of any good work in the Cathedral of the Dormition in Budapest. Among the worshippers were Metropolitan Anthony, other participants in the round table from among the clergy and Orthodox believers in Budapest. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk takes part in IOPS Council meeting DECR Communication Service, 22.04.2023. A meeting of the Council of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS) took place in Moscow on the 21 st April under the chairmanship of Sergey Stepashin. The meeting was attended, in particular, by: Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Vice-Chairman of the IOPS; Anna Gromova, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Elisabethan St. Sergius Educational Society Foundation for the Revival of Traditions of Charity, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Regional Branch of the IOPS; Oleg Shabunevich, the Head of the Moscow Regional Branch of the IOPS; Yuri Smirnov, the Head of the Pilgrimage Office of the Moscow Region of the IOPS. In addition, Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director General of the State Hermitage, member of the IOPS Council; Elena Agapova, Deputy Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Head of the IOPS Public Center for the Protection of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa; Igor Ashourbeyli, Chairman of the IOPS Council in Israel; Natalia Narochnitskaya, Doctor of Historical Science, President of the Historical Perspective Foundation, member of the IOPS Council; Natalia Soboleva, Head of the IOPS Bethlehem branch, member of the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church; and Yuri Gonchar, President of the IOPS Board of Trustees, participated in an online meeting. During the meeting an award ceremony was held for full members of the Society, the IOPS website reports. Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and Deputy Chairman of IOPS, addressed the audience with a welcoming address. The archpastor conveyed greetings and good wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who is the Chairman of the Committee of Honorary Members of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. Metropolitan Anthony underlined that His Holiness Patriarch attaches great importance to the work of the Society in many directions. The hierarch commended the historically constructive and fruitful level of interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and IOPS. |
| Concelebrating with His Holiness were: the metropolitan of Krutitsk and Kolomna Paul, the Patriarchal vicar of the metropolitanate of Moscow; the chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy and first auxiliary bishop of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the city of Moscow the metropolitan of Voskresensk Dionysius; the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony; the chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and the Monastic Life the metropolitan of Kashira Theognostus; the Patriarchal exarch for Africa the metropolitan of Klin Leonid; the director of the administrative secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchy the archbishop of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk Thomas; the archbishop of Yegorievsk Matthew; the bishop of Vidno Tikhon; the bishop of Serpukhov Roman; bishop Jerome (Chernyshev); the chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity Work and Social Ministry the bishop of Vereya Panteleimon; the bishop of Zaraisk Constantine; the editor-in-chief of the publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate the bishop of Balashikha and Orekhovo-Zuevo Nicholas; the bishop of Naro-Fominsk Paramon; the deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy the bishop of Pavlovsky Posad Siluan; the chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth the bishop of Istra Seraphim; the bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Thomas, the deputy abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity and Saint Sergius; deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy the bishop of Zelenograd Sabba; the chairman of the Synodal Department for Mission the bishop of Lukhovitsy Euphemius; the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy the bishop of Zvenigorod Cyril; the secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov; the sacristan of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev; advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia archpriest Nikolai Balashov; deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations archpriest Nikolai Lischenyuk; the chairman of the Studies Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church archpriest Maxim Kozlov; deputy chairman of the DECR MP archpriest Igor Yakimchuk; secretary to His Holiness the Patriarch for the Moscow region Father Dionisy Kazantsev; the director of the legal service of the Moscow metropolitanate Father Vasily Losev; hieromonk Yermogen (Burygin), the acting chairman of the financial and economic directorate of the Moscow Patriarchate; and clergy from the both city and region of Moscow. |
| Photo: mospat.ru On June 1-3, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, with the blessing of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, visited Hungary. On June 2, the DECR Chairman met with Cardinal Péter Erd, Archbishop of Esztergom–Budapest. In their talk, they dealt with a wide range of issues concerning the cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church at the present stage. After the conversation, Metropolitan Hilarion present the cardinal with the Hungarian version of his book Catechesis. In his turn, the head of the Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest presented his guest from the Russian Orthodox Church with the papers of the 52 nd Eucharistic Congress of the Catholic Church, which took place in 2021 and at which the DECR Chairman presented a paper on the Orthodox understanding of the Eucharist. On the same day, Metropolitan Hilarion met with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Hungarian government, Mr. Zsolt Semjén. The DECR Chairman expressed gratitude to Hungary on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church for the country’s firm position on the inadmissibility of including His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in the EU sanction list. As Metropolitan Hilarion stressed, in an epoch of political crisis, the voice of the Church should not be artificially suppressed. They discussed a number of issues of mutual concern. On the same day, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation, E. A. Stanislavov gave a dinner in honour of the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Present at the dinner were Rev. Svyatoslav Bulakh, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Diocese of Hungary, and V. Li, an assistant to the DECR chairman. Accompanied by Father Svyatoslav Bulakh, Metropolitan Hilarion visited the Cathedral of the Dormition in Budapest to see the progress made in the remedial and restoration work carried out with the support of the Hungarian Government. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy DECR chairman attended the opening of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions DECR Communication Service, 14.09.2022. On September 14, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, hosted by the Kazakhstan authorities for the seventh time, was opened in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan. With a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in the forum. The delegation includes Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (head of the delegation); Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; and Rev. Dimitry Safonov, DECR secretary for interreligious relations. Among the participants in the event are His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Theodore of Achalciche, Taoklardeti and Lazi (Georgian Orthodox Church), Bishop Savvaty of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan; Archimandrite Alexis (Nikonorov), secretary of the Diocese of Baku; Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), dean of the Astana municipal district; Hieromonk Kirill (Korytko), secretary of the Metropolis of Tatarstan; V. I. Yakunin, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dialogue of Civilizations research institute; and S. A. Gavr, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. The congress started its work with a plenary session on ‘The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of humanity in the post-pandemic period’. The session was moderated by M. S. Ashimbayev, chairman of the Senate of the Kazakhstan Parliament. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.K. Tokayev, in greeting the participants, spoke about ‘the common commitment to preserving peace and fostering the inter-civilizational dialogue’ and noted that ‘in the era of changes and uncertainty, today’s meeting acquires a special importance’. He also stressed that ‘in today’s complex realities, it is extremely important that religious leaders, sitting at one table, show to the whole word and example of good will that overcomes any differences. It is in this, in my view, lies the main mission and the distinctive feature of the Congress’. He also stressed that ‘it is impossible to remove arising contradictions by force, threats or sanctions. At such moments, it is especially important to remember the humanistic ideals, and the traditional religions are their principal guardians’. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy DECR chairman spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council DECR Communication Service, 18.01.2023. On January 17, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations spoke virtually at a meeting of the United Nation Security Council delivering a report on the situation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. During his 10 minutes-long speech, Metropolitan Anthony stressed that the Russian Orthodox Church believes it is her duty to take part in defending the rights of believers around the world both on her own and in cooperation with other Local Orthodox Churches and other religious organizations. Pointing to the high peace-making potential of the Church in inter-state and civic conflicts, the DECR chairman noted that this potential has been undermined by the Ukrainian authorities’ attempts to destroy the millions-strong Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious organization in Ukraine. Metropolitan Anthony recounted the contents of the latest decisions of the Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council enforced by President Zelensky’s decrees and intended to introduce a number of measures infringing upon the rights of the Orthodox communities in Ukraine. In particular, the Ukrainian leaders have imposed the so-called ‘sanctions’ on fourteen hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and a number of her archpastors have been deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. The DECR chairman reminded the audience that the deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship is directly contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine and the international agreements she signed, in particular the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. He pointed out that the decision on the imposition of ‘sanctions’ and on the deprivation of citizenship was made by a narrow group of persons without a legal investigation and an opportunity for protestation and is applied to only one religious organization and constitutes ‘a form of mass political repressions’. Moreover, what these decisions restrict are ‘precisely the constitutional rights and freedoms which the Ukrainian Constitution Article 64 forbids to limit during martial law or emergency situation’. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Meeting of the DECR Chairman with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem took place DECR Communication service, 02.04.2024. On the 1 st of April 2024, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, arrived on a working visit to the Holy Land. He is accompanied on the trip by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the DECR, and Deacon Nikolai Vasin, Secretary to the DECR Chairman. On the 2 nd of April, Metropolitan Anthony and his entourage were received at his residence by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. The meeting was also attended by Archbishop Aristarchus of Constantine, Archbishop Isikhios of Capitolias, and Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. In the course of a warm and friendly conversation, views were exchanged on topical issues on today " s agenda. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus shared his deep concern about the continuing armed confrontation in the land of Palestine, which tragically affects the daily lives of local Christians. Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk assured His Beatitude that the Russian Orthodox Church fervently prays for peace in the Holy Land and for the Christian presence there to be preserved and strengthened. The interlocutors also touched upon the topics of interreligious dialogue, inter-confessional and inter-Orthodox relations. His Beatitude assured of his assiduous prayers at the Holy Sepulchre for the Russian people, for the Russian Orthodox Church and its Primate, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Meeting takes place between chairman of the DECR and representatives of the Church of India responsible for relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. DECR Communication service, 25.01.2024. On 24 th February in Kottayam in India a meeting was held between the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony and members of the working group for the coordination of bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church. Participating in the meeting were: the co-chairman of the working group the metropolitan of New York Zachariah Mar Nicholovos; the metropolitan of the diocese of Great Britain, Europe and Africa Abraham Mar Stephanos and the executive director of the Department for External Church Relations of the Malankara Church Father Ashvin Fernadis. Attending the meeting on behalf of the Moscow Patriarchate were: the secretary of the working group and secretary at the DECR for inter-Christian relations hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov) and the secretary of the chairman of the DECR deacon Nikolai Vasin. The participants of the meeting noted that the working group had made an importance impact on the development of ties between the two churches. It had been set up by the decisions of the holy synods of the two churches (protocol no.137 of the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of 29 th October 2023) after the visit to Russia of the ever-memorable primate of the Malankara Church His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulos II and his meeting with His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill in September of 2019. “Since the setting up of the working group in 2019 a number of projects have come to fruition in the academic, humanitarian, media and cultural spheres, in the sphere of church social ministry, the study of the traditions of Russian monasticism and other areas,” emphasized metropolitan Mar Stephanos. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy DECR chairman speaks in Washington at international summit on religious freedom On 14 th July 2021, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russa Kirill, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion gave a presentation at a session of the International summit on religious freedom taking place in Washington, USA. The gathering’s participants were political, public and religious figures fr om all over the world, including representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, the ancient Oriental Churches and various Protestant denominations. Metropolitan Hilarion was introduced to the event’s participants by the president of the Open Doors Christian human rights organization David Curry, who noted the many endeavours undertaken by the chairman of the DECR in the sphere of defending Christians’ freedoms. Thanking the summit’s organizers and the Open Doors leadership for the invitation, metropolitan Hilarion noted: “Today in many countries the freedom of religion is being violated in varying degrees. In many parts of the world Christians are being killed, driven fr om their homes and their churches and holy sites are being desecrated. This situation gives us cause for great concern.” In his presentation the DECR chairman touched upon, in particular, the situation in the Middle East: “The rapid decline of the Christian population is noticeable even in those Middle Eastern countries where Christians and Muslims have lived together for centuries, for example, in Lebanon. In Syria, in those areas which have been seized by extremists, Christians have been subjected to the cruelest repressions. Similar things are happening also in Iraq where for the past eighteen years the number of Christians has been reduced fr om one and a half million to less than five hundred thousand. Almost half the Christian population of Lebanon has been lost,” noted the metropolitan. |
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