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Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, visited on 23 March 2010 the Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine International Personnel Management Academy in Khmelnitsky, Ukraine.

He was warmly welcomed by Rector L. Bily and taken to the university’s chapel dedicated to St. Vladimir-Equal-to-the-Apostles. He also saw round the exhibition devoted to the 75th birthday of His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

After that Metropolitan Hilarion proceeded to the Academy’s assembly hall where over 600 professors and students gathered together to listen to his lecture on What Is the Church For?

After the lecture the DECR chairman answered questions from students. Speaking about the essence of the schism, he noted that ‘the schism is a temporary development which will be overcome in Ukraine’. He expressed hope that ‘all Orthodox believers in Ukraine will sooner or later unite around one Local Church. This Church does not need to be created as it already exists and it is headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir’.

In the second part of the event, a facsimile edition of the Peresopnitsy Gospel was presented. It was published with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir. The presentation was led by Bishop Ilary.

DECR Communication Service