DECR chairman’s message of greetings to Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem on his saint’s day
The chairman of the Department for the External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, has sent the following message of greetings to His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, on his saint’s day:
Your Beatitude,
On the day of your saint, kindly accept my sincere and warm greeting on this auspicious occasion.
The prayerful intercession of St. Theophilus, who shone forth in the assembly of forty martyrs of Sebastia, has always accompanied your spiritual growth on the path of monastic life and now helps you to bear the heavy cross of the Primate of the Holy Zion.
Under your primatial omophoros, the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem exemplifies a reverential guardian of the holy places associated with the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ, while her pastors and the flock, inspired by the example of His disciples, are asserted in the salvific faith and active love of neighbours, hosting numerous pilgrims who come from all over the Orthodox world including the Russian Orthodox Church.
On this day so significant for you, allow me to wish you sound health and long life for the fruitful service of the Holy Church of Christ for many good years.
With respectful love in the Lord,
+ Hilarion
Metropolitan of Volokolamsk
Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate