Orthodox Churches

Metropolitan Hilarion arrives in Holy Mount Athos

On December 14^th, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion began his pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos. Metropolitan Hilarion is accompanied by archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; protodeacon Alexiy Trunin; hierodeacon Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman; Leonid Sevastianov, executive director of the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation; and DECR staff members Anatoly Churyakov and Feodor Shulga.

Greek version of Patriarch Kirill’s book ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ presented in Thessaloniki

On December 13, 2011, the Greek version of Patriarch Kirill’s book ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ was presented at the Megaro Mousikis palace in Thessaloniki. The book was published with the support of the Archdiocese of Athens, En Plo Publishers and the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity.

Present at the event were Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki, the diocesan clergy, Russian General Consul A. Popov, the Russian Orthodox Church’s delegation as well as journalists and public figures.

The Patriarch of Romania at the Anniversary of the Saint Patron of Saint Spiridon the Old Church of Bucharest

On 12 December, the church of Saint Spiridon the Old celebrates its saint patron. Today, 11 December 2011, on the eve of the feast of Saint Hierarch Spiridon, the faithful of the parish enjoyed the presence of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

After the Vesper service celebrated in the holy place of worship, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon in which he eulogised the personality of Saint Hierarch Spiridon of Trimitunda.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Primate of the Church of Greece

On 11 December 2011, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visiting Greece with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of His Beatitude Hieronymus, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, met with the Primate of the Church of Greece at his residence.

After the meeting His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymus gave a reception on the occasion of the visit of the Russian Orthodox Church’s hierarch. Aalso invited were Metropolitan Vassileios of Elasson, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Messogaia and Laureotiki, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnais and Petroupolis, Bishop Feodorit of Nazianzus, Bishop Procopios of Christianopolos, Bishop Gabriel of Diavleia, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Greece Vladimir Chkhikvishvili, and Metropolitan Hilarion’s suite.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk begins his visit to the Greek Orthodox Church

On 10 December 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), arrived in Athens at the invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymus II of Athens and All Greece and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Metropolitan Hilarion was met at the airport buy Bishop Gabriel of Diavleia, chief secretary of the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church and Mr. F. Voskresensky, second secretary of the Embassy of Russia to Greece.

Metropolitan Hilarion in Slovakia and Czechia

On December 6, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, arrived to Slovakia for the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and on the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Christopher of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.