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His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem officiated at the solemn divine service at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem on the night of January 7, 2021. Hierarchs and clerics of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem concelebrated. The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission was represented by hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), deputy head of the Mission with the blessing of its head, Archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov).

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem officiated at the solemn divine service at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem on the night of January 7, 2021. Hierarchs and clerics of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem concelebrated. The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission was represented by hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), deputy head of the Mission with the blessing of its head, Archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov).

On January 8, Archimandrite Alexander and members of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission attended a traditional reception given at the Great Hall of the Throne of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem along with the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Evangelos Vlioras, hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and clerics of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. There were only some twenty persons attending due to the Covid-19 restrictive measures in Israel.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem cordially welcomed them and congratulated on the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Representatives of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission congratulated the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, read out the congratulatory address of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and presented His Beatitude with flowers and Christmas gifts.

His Beatitude thanked them and conveyed his warm greetings to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, saying: May the Saviour of the world born in Bethlehem help Your Holiness lead the flock entrusted to your care to the serene harbor of salvation. May the light of the Nativity originated with the Father of lights strengthen you in your primatial ministry to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem asked members of the Mission to convey his greetings to the head of the Russian State. “I would like to greet the Russian President Vladimir Putin, our beloved friend and defender of freedom of Orthodox Christians in his country and in the whole world and wish him the inexhaustible mercies from our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmastide,” Patriarch Theophilos said.

Website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem/

DECR Communication Service There were only some twenty persons attending due to the Covid-19 restrictive measures in Israel.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem cordially welcomed them and congratulated on the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Representatives of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission congratulated the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, read out the congratulatory address of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and presented His Beatitude with flowers and Christmas gifts.

His Beatitude thanked them and conveyed his warm greetings to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, saying: May the Saviour of the world born in Bethlehem help Your Holiness lead the flock entrusted to your care to the serene harbor of salvation. May the light of the Nativity originated with the Father of lights strengthen you in your primatial ministry to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem asked members of the Mission to convey his greetings to the head of the Russian State. “I would like to greet the Russian President Vladimir Putin, our beloved friend and defender of freedom of Orthodox Christians in his country and in the whole world and wish him the inexhaustible mercies from our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmastide,” Patriarch Theophilos said.

Website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem/

DECR Communication Service