Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk’s message of greetings to 9th Orthodoxy-Judaism Academic Consultation on Centers and Diasporas
Your Eminences,
Distinguished Participants in the Conference:
On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, I would like to greet the participants in the 9th Orthodoxy-Judaism Academic Consultation.
The theme of the present consultation on ‘Centers and Diasporas’ is very relevant. The problem of migration and the existence of diasporas is an acute one for many countries and religious communities. The Russian Orthodox Church has accumulated a considerable experience of cooperation with Orthodox compatriots in the diaspora. I would like to point out to the fact that religion has always been in the center of the life and organization of the millions-strong Russian diaspora. It is the principal factor in the consolidation of our compatriots and their efforts to preserve their religious and cultural traditions.
We attach a great importance to dialogue with Judaism. The Russian Orthodox Church has participated in the Orthodoxy-Judaism Academic Consultations for over 20 years, since 1993, when our Church was represented at the 3d Academic Consultation by ever-remembered Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy (1916-2008), whose centennial birthday we will mark in two months’ time. He laid the foundation for our cooperation in these academic meetings, which we seek to actively continue today too.
I hope that this event will contribute to the good cause of understanding between our religions and peoples.
I wish the conference participants good results in their work.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk
Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate