ROC hopes for the meeting of Primates of Orthodox Church to be held

Председатель Отдела внешних церковных связей Московского Патриархата митрополит Волоколамский Иларион. Фото: ria.ru

On January 21, 2020, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, expressed hope after a session of the Holy Synod of the ROC in Minsk that the meeting of the heads of the Orthodox Churches would take place even if not all Primates took part in it, reports “RIA Novosti”.

The head of the ROC DECR is going to Israel, where the tragedy of the Holocaust will be remembered on January 23. During his trip, he is planning to pay a visit to Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem.

Commenting on whether this meeting is related to the initiative of Patriarch Theophilos to hold an assembly of the heads of the Local Orthodox Churches in Amman, the bishop noted: “Being on a visit to Moscow last November, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos ΙΙΙ of Jerusalem proposed holding a fraternal meeting of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches to discuss the issue of "preserving our unity in Eucharistic communion". The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church positively assessed this initiative aimed at overcoming divisions and restoring unity in the Orthodox Church. ”

He added: "We are ready to support any proposal and any format for a general discussion of ways out of the crisis because each high-level meeting gives a chance to take at least several steps in this direction."

“As far as we know, the proposal of the Patriarch of Jerusalem was welcomed in a number of Local Churches. We hope that this meeting will take place even if not all Primates take part in it,” Metropolitan Hilarion explained.

Earlier, Metropolitan Hilarion has met with the Minister of State for Media Affairs of Jordan Amjad Odeh Adaileh to discuss, among other issues, the preservation of the unity of Orthodoxy.

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