DECR Chairman Meets with Lebanese President, Highlights Church Consecration as Symbol of Friendship

Joseph Aoun

DECR & OCP News Service – 18/05/2025

Beirut – Lebanon: Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate, was received by the President of the Lebanese Republic, Joseph Aoun, at his official residence in Beirut on Friday, May 16, 2025. Metropolitan Anthony is currently in Lebanon on a working visit undertaken with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

During the meeting, the DECR Chairman conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Patriarch Kirill to President Aoun, wishing him God’s assistance in his significant role as head of state. Metropolitan Anthony explained the purpose of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation’s visit, which is to participate in the consecration of the Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in the city of Zahle. He emphasized that this newly constructed church, built in a distinctive Russian style, serves as a visible testament to the enduring friendship between the Russian and Lebanese peoples.

President Aoun underscored the importance of establishing this Russian Orthodox temple on Lebanese soil and expressed his joy at the completion of its construction. He highlighted that Lebanon’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, a principle that is actively supported in the country, allowing Christians to live in relative peace. As a memento of their meeting, Metropolitan Anthony presented President Aoun with a decorative Easter egg.

The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, deputy chairman of the DECR; and Mr. A.N. Rudakov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Lebanese Republic.

Later the same day, Metropolitan Anthony and his delegation visited the Russian Embassy in Beirut, where they were warmly welcomed by Ambassador Rudakov and his wife.

Source: DECR