Metropolitan Hilarion meets with ambassadors of Latin American countries

26 November 2012 – Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, met with heads and representatives of the Moscow diplomatic missions of Latin American countries.

 

Participating in the meeting held in the form of working lunch were ambassadors and charges d’ affairs of Brazil, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

 

Ambassador of Colombia, Mr Miguel Santamaria Davila, and the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Jorge Luis Perez Alvarado, who is also the dean of the Latin American diplomatic corps, greeted the DECR chairman, noting the importance of strengthening spiritual bonds between the peoples of Russia and Latin America. In his response, His Eminence Hilarion thanked the diplomats for the invitation and pointed out that the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and Latin American states have a long history and are successfully developing.

 

In the course of the talk held in a friendly atmosphere, the archpastor spoke about the Russian-speaking diaspora in the Latin American region. ‘Our compatriots who have found themselves outside their Motherland have always sought to preserve their spiritual identity. The Russian Orthodox Church has invariably helped them in this effort’, Metropolitan Hilarion said. He also answered numerous questions from diplomats concerning the church-state relations in Russia, the Moscow Patriarchate’s dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the social service of the Russian Orthodox Church, church education and the presence of the Russian Church in the secular education system.

 

In conclusion of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion presented the diplomats with disk recordings of his composition ‘Christmas Oratorio’ for a choir and an orchestra.

 

DECR Communication Service