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Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin - first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church in history to visit Saudi Arabia

Deputy Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin became the first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church in history to visit Saudi Arabia. He attended the fourth forum of the Russia-Islamic World strategic vision group held in Jeddah, October 27-29.

"Russia and the Islamic world have a lot in common. We are intermingled: Russia is inseparable from the Islamic world, as many millions of Moslems live there, and the Islamic world is inseparable from the Russian and Orthodox world which members live in so many Moslem countries," the priest said addressing the forum.

A Russian Orthodox church to be constructed in the Ecuadorian capital

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has supported the idea to construct a Russian Orthodox church in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. He also expressed his wish to attend the church's consecration, the official site of the Moscow Patriarchate reports Tuesday.

Rafael Correa stated this at his meeting with Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations who headed the Russian delegation which visited Ecuador under the program of Russian Days in Latin America.

Vienna to host a meeting of winners of the international Dialogue of Civilizations prize

The first summit meeting of the Dialogue of Civilizations prize-winners who were in different years presented with this international prize will be held November 10 in Vienna.

The summit is called to discuss the most pressing challenges of international development, including looking for a way out of the current financial and economic global situation," the press service of the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilization told Interfax Tuesday.

One more Russian church to open in Mt. Athos

The Russian Athonite Society signed a contract with St. Paul Athos Monastery on financing a construction of St. Paul Church above the Holy cave of the saint. Private persons and organizations will donate funds to the Russian Athonite Society, the Society's press service has reported. The holy cave is situated not far from the monastery. Its founder St. Paul of Xiropotam lived in it at the 10th century.

Archbishop of Paris to visit Russia

Archbishop of Paris Andre Vingt-Trois will be in Russia on a visit on October 26 to 30 at the invitation of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. "The Russian Patriarch visited Paris last year, where he was cordially welcomed by the Catholic side. It is the cardinal's return visit," Priest Igor Vyzhanov, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday.

Alexy II: It was unreasonable not to mention the role of Christianity in European history when drafting EU Constitution

Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia believes that it contradicts historical truth not to mention the role of Christianity in the history of European civilization.

"I am convinced that the decision to exclude even mentioning of Christian basis from the Constitution of united Europe was unreasonable," Alexy II said at the session of guardian council of the Orthodox Encyclopedia church-scientific center in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.