DECR chairman meets with a hierarch of Bulgarian Orthodox Church

On 31 January b2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with Metropolitan Gavriil of Loveč who has been visiting Russia since January 26 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. They were joined in the meeting by Bishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar and Vorkuta; Bishop Ignatij of Provat; and Rev. Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for Inter-Orthodox relations.

Discussed were prospects of the development of relations between the Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches, for instance, spiritual care for Bulgarian diaspora in the Komi Republic.