Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk chairs DECR Board meeting
On 26 December 2017, at the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, a meeting of the DECR Board was held under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Taking part in the meeting were Bishop Antony of Zvenigorod, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad; Mr. Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society and Media Relations; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov and Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice- chairmen; Hegumen Feofan Lukyanov, head of the DECR Protocol Section; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; Archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far-abroad countries; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; Rev. Iliya Kosykh, head of the DECR Communication Service; and Rev. Dimitry Safonov, DECR secretary for interreligious relations.
Addressing all those present, Metropolitan Hilarion noted the optimal level of cooperation between different bodies of the Russian Orthodox Church. “I cordially thank our colleagues from other synodal institutions represented at our Department’s Board, for everyday cooperation,” the hierarch said. He also thanked the DECR vice-chairmen and heads of the DECR secretariats and services for coordinated work.
“It has been an intensive year, full of important events in the life of the Church, including those pertaining to external church relations,” Metropolitan Hilarion continued, “This year’s apogee were the celebrations marking the centenary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church. With God’s help, no disruptions occurred during the celebrations. I believe that this is an example of our good cooperation.”
The participants in the meeting discussed various issues of interaction between synodal institutions.
Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov) was unanimously elected the DECR Board secretary.
DECR Communication Service