Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Ambassador of Ireland to Russia

On 20 March 2012, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with H. E. Philip McDonagh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ireland to Russia. They were joined in the meeting by Miguel Palacio, a staff member of the DECR Secretariat for far abroad countries.

Metropolitan Hilarion told the high guests about the main directions of external activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. He gave prominence to the defence of the rights of Christian minorities in certain countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, and described relations of the Russian Church with other Christian confessions at present. The DECR chairman paid special attention to the activities of the Russian Orthodox parishes in Ireland.

Ambassador McDonagh thanked Metropolitan Hilarion for the talk, expressed his willingness to develop cooperation with the Moscow Patriarchate, and noted the role played by the Russian-speaking Orthodox diaspora in the life of society in Ireland.