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On 17 November 2018, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, arrived in Damascus on a working visit.

In the capital of Syria Metropolitan Hilarion visited the Patriarchate of Antioch and met with His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East. The DECR chairman conveyed to His Beatitude fraternal greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and expressed his satisfaction with the dynamic development of cooperation between the two Churches in the humanitarian, academic and educational spheres, as well as in the post-war restoration of Syria. His Beatitude Patriarch John told about the current situation in the country and thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for its assistance in rendering aid to those affected by the war in Syria. The participants in the meeting discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the inter-Orthodox relations, as well as prospects for cooperation aimed at rendering humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

Representing the Orthodox Church of Antioch at the meeting were also Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Metropolitan Athanasios of Latakia; Bishop Moises of Darayia; Bishop Lukas of Seidnaya; Bishop Youhanna of Sergioupolis; and Bishop Ephraim of Seleukia. Taking part in the meeting on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church were also Hegumen Arseniy (Sokolov), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchal Throne of Antioch, and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations.

DECR Communication Service