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On October 19, 2015, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), met with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East.

On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed sincere sympathy with the sister Orthodox Church of Antioch over the tragic events in the Middle East. His Eminence stressed that the Russian Church is aware of the trials endured by Orthodox Christians in Syria and prays for them, making all that is possible to relieve their suffering.

They discussed the progress made in preparations for the Pan-Orthodox Council planned to take place in 2016. Metropolitan Hilarion informed Patriarch John about the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference, which completed its work on October 17 in Chambesy near Geneva, and about the documents it adopted.

The DECR chairman stressed that pan-Orthodox decisions need to be made in consensus which is ensured if representatives of all the Local Orthodox Churches are present and if they unanimously vote for them. ‘If even only one Local Church objects to a particular decision, it is not adopted and put off till a later time’, he noted.

Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, Metropolitan Hilarion thanked Patriarch John and in his person the whole Church of Antioch for the firm support it gives to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine.

They also discussed other matters of mutual concern.

The talk was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

DECR Communication Service