US Secretary of State to have a hushed meeting with head of ROC DECR
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. Photo: Facebook
On October 22, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets in Washington with the chairman of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk. The news about the meeting on Monday was published by the press service of the foreign office, reports TASS.
“At 3:30 pm (10:30 pm by the Kiev time – Ed.), Secretary of State Pompeo meets with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at the State Department,” the statement said.
It is noted that the conversation will be held in camera. The foreign office did not answer questions from the news agency about possible topics for conversation between Michael Pompeo and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
As reported by the UOJ, earlier Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that the United States is putting the Orthodox Churches in the Middle East and North Africa under pressure, forcing them to recognize the OCU. According to him, the United States Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, “publicly demands that all Orthodox Churches recognize the illegal, non-canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, while in Ukraine “he is busy not so much promoting religious freedom as imposing politically motivated decisions on religious communities."
Read also
In Spain, murderer moved to women's prison after claiming to be female
A Spaniard convicted of a series of brutal murders has secured a transfer to a women's prison allegedly based on a change of gender identity.
Georgian Patriarchate warns about fake social media pages
The Georgian Orthodox Church has stated that unknown individuals are using official symbols to create fake social media pages.
Court extends round-the-clock house arrest for Metropolitan Arseniy
The Chechelivsky Court of Dnipro left the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra under house arrest and allowed him to attend medical procedures without separate permission.
OCU shows number of parishioners in seized church of Bezuhlivka
About 15 people with flags stood at the first "service" at St. Michael's Church after the seizure.
In Kyiv, OCU and UGCC сhaplains given an introductory tour of synagogue
Ukraine’s chief rabbi said that clergy of the OCU, UGCC, and RCC familiarized themselves with Jewish tradition at a synagogue.
OCU outraged that Lepliavo parish removed church property before seizure
The Cherkasy Eparchy of the OCU complained that after the fake “transfer” in Lepliavo, UOC faithful left them nothing but bare walls.