His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority
On 10 November 2012, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church met with H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, at the President’s residence in Bethlehem. Participating in the meeting on the part of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem were His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Metropolitan Isyhios of Capitoliad, and Archimandrite Stephanos (Dispirakis), representative of the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Taking part in the meeting were also members of the official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s administrative secretariat; Mr. Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Information Department; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, assistant to the DECR chairman; and Mr. Mikhail Kuksov, acting head of the patriarchal personal secretariat.
Present at the meeting were Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain, first deputy President of the ROCOR’s Synod of Bishops; Archimandrite Isidor (Minayev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; and Mr. Alexander Rudakov, Russia’s representative to the Palestinian National Authority.
The participants discussed the ways for establishing just and lasting peace in the Middle East and the role of religious communities in it. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, thanked His Holiness Kirill for visiting Palestine.
The Primate of the Russian Church mentioned that he had met with Mr. Mahmoud Abbas on numerous occasions and expressed his satisfaction with meeting him in Bethlehem. Among the discussed issues was the situation in the Middle East, which is getting more strained in some of the Middle East countries and makes Christians leave this territory. Patriarch Kirill noted the Russian Orthodox Church’s concern over this situation.
Patriarch Kirill noted that the Moscow Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem have had truly fraternal relations confirmed in the course of this visit and, in particular, at the meeting of the Primates of the two Local Orthodox Churches the day before.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill told Mr. Mahmoud Abbas that His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos noted peaceful and fraternal character of Christian-Muslim relations in Palestine. The Primate of the Russian Church regrets that the situation is not the same in all Middle East countries. “We are grieved to see the exodus of the Christian Arabs from the Middle East. They are facing threats, forced to leave and sometimes die in civil conflicts. It cannot leave us indifferent”, – His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said and emphasized the solidarity of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Orthodox Churches of the Middle East – the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill appreciated the work that the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society carries out in the Holy Land.
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas presented the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church with the highest award of Palestine – the Order of the Star of Bethlehem, in respect to his high rank and in appreciation of his efforts for achieving peace and stability in the Holy Land and strengthening spiritual and religious ties between the Russian and Palestinian people.
Other events
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15.11.2012 00:32Patriarch Kirill: Visiting the Holy Land makes a great spiritual impact on one’s life
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15.11.2012 00:19Patriarch Kirill meets with King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan
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14.11.2012 18:03Patriarch Kirill visits the Greek Monastery of St. John the Baptist on the Jordan River
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14.11.2012 13:26His Holiness Patriarch Kirill blesses waters on the Jordan River
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14.11.2012 12:38(Russian) В Русском доме паломника на берегу Иордана состоялся прием в честь Предстоятеля Русской Церкви
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14.11.2012 03:29His Holiness Patriarch Kirill arrives in the Pilgrim’s Centre on Jordan River
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14.11.2012 03:15His Holiness Patriarch Kirill visits Tiberias in the course of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land
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14.11.2012 02:30Primates of the Orthodox Churches of Jerusalem and Russia have a talk in Nazareth
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14.11.2012 02:17Patriarch Kirill visits Church of Annunciation in Nazareth
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13.11.2012 17:22Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church visits Monastery of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor
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13.11.2012 00:11Patriarch Kirill prays at the grave of Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin)
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12.11.2012 23:50Patriarch Kirill visits Convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem
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12.11.2012 22:49Patriarch Kirill honours the memory of victims of fascism in Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem
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12.11.2012 22:35Primate of Russian Church consecrates cathedral of the Gorny Convent in Jerusalem
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12.11.2012 05:01His Holiness Patriarch Kirill donates bells to the Church of St. John the Baptist in Jaffa
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12.11.2012 04:25Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church meet with Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat
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12.11.2012 02:01His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel
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12.11.2012 01:46(Russian) Святейший Патриарх Кирилл: История засвидетельствовала любовь людей Святой Руси к Иерусалимской Церкви
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12.11.2012 01:44His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s book ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ in Hebrew is presented in Jerusalem
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11.11.2012 22:56Patriarch Kirill meets with Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger
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11.11.2012 22:05His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Israel’s Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar
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11.11.2012 10:01Primates of Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
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11.11.2012 06:05His Holiness Patriarch Kirill officiates at All-Night Vigil at the Cathedral of the Trinity in Jerusalem
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11.11.2012 03:03His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: I always pray to the Lord to grant well-being and peace to the Palestinian people
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11.11.2012 00:05His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority
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10.11.2012 18:36Primate of Russian Orthodox Church visits Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem
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10.11.2012 16:33(Russian) Святейший Патриарх Кирилл посетил Гробницу Божией Матери в Гефсимании
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10.11.2012 00:13(Russian) Состоялась встреча Предстоятелей Русской и Иерусалимской Православных Церквей
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10.11.2012 00:05(Russian) Святейший Патриарх Кирилл и Блаженнейший Патриарх Иерусалимский Феофил посетили Храм Воскресения Христова в Иерусалиме
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08.11.2012 06:06His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem on 9-14 November