Metropolitan Hilarion meets with President of the “Appeal of Conscience” Foundation

On 7 February 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), currently on a visit to the USA, met in New York with the Rabbi Arthur Schneier, founder and president of the “Appeal of Conscience” Foundation.

Founded in 1965 for the development of dialogue and good relations among traditional world religions, it has been a most well-known and influential interfaith organizations in the USA.

Rabbi Schneier told Metropolitan Hilarion of the plans of the Foundation and expressed his hope for continuation of long cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Hilarion told Rabbi Schneier of recent events in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, for instance, of the decisions on external church relations taken by the Holy and Sacred Bishops’ Council held on February 2-4.

The DECR chairman presented Rabbi Schneier with the first volume of his book Orthodox Christianity published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary in the English language.

Taking part in the meeting were archpriest Igor Vyzhanov, a clergyman of St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York and representative of the World Russian People’s Council at the UN; and hierodeacon Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman.