Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Duke Christoph of Oldenburg

On 10 January 2016, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with Duke Christoph of Oldenburg. They were joined in the meeting, which took place at the parish house of the Church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God by hierodeacon Roman (Kiselev) of the DECR secretariat for far abroad countries, and Mr. Metelev, executive director of the Russian-German Young Leaders Conference.

Metropolitan Hilarion warmly greeted the high guest and expressed his joy over the Duke’s attending the divine service at the church.

Duke Christoph of Oldenburg explained his family lineage and history and the links with Russia beginning from the Emperor Peter III. His Highness also spoke about the activity of the Russian-German Young Leaders Conference underscoring the importance of cooperation of the future elite of Russia and Germany with the Russian Orthodox Church and with the traditional Christian confessions in Germany.

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The Russian-German Young Leaders Conferences take place every year. The 1^st was held in Berlin in 2009, the 2^nd again in Berlin (2010), the 3^rd in Moscow (2011), the 4^th in Munich (2012), the 5^th in St. Petersburg (2013), the 6^th in Hamburg (2014), and the 7^th in Kazan, Russia, in 2015. Duke Christoph of Oldenburg is a co-founder of the Conference, and its chair since 2011. The Conferences gather together more than three hundred representatives of Russia and Germany, aged 25-35, working in economics, politics, science, culture, public sphere and the mass media. The Conference is aimed at uniting future leaders of both countries.