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On 30 March 2017, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, rector of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Postgraduate Studies, chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, visited the Orthodox Encyclopedia Church Research Centre and met with its senior staff.

The DECR chairman addressed all those present at the meeting, saying in particular:

“Over the past years, the Orthodox Encyclopedia created the unique research team with great scientific and creative potential, which fulfills the tasks set by the Supreme Authority of our Church. The Orthodox Encyclopedia Centre brings together specialists in almost all spheres of the modern ecclesial science. The publication of every volume of the Orthodox Encyclopedia becomes an important event both for our Church and for our public.

“The work of the Orthodox Encyclopedia Centre is of educational and academic importance. It also plays its significant role in the formation, under the aegis of the Russian Orthodox Church, of the theology branch within the secular educational sphere. On the whole, the process goes on well: the academic branch is almost established, it is little left to achieve, for instance, to gain the right to confer the degrees of candidate and doctor of theology. We have already established the Dissertation Council for Theology, the first one in Russia, that will confer academic degrees recognized by the state. There is a quite developed system of theological faculties functioning in the secular educational institutions.”

Metropolitan Hilarion also told about the project aimed at developing learning materials for the Bachelor degree’s students of theological schools. The project is being carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Church Council by a working group established on the initiative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The participants in the meeting discussed the development prospects in various spheres of theology.

DECR Communication Service