Antiochian Bishop Pilgrimages to Moscow Patriarchate, Visits Southern Russia and Donbass

DECR & OCP News Service – 13/05/2025

Moscow- Russia: Bishop Demetrius of Safitos from the Antiochian Orthodox Church concluded a significant pilgrimage to the Moscow Patriarchate, which included visits to southern Russia and the Donbass region before culminating in a meeting at the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) in Moscow.

The pilgrimage commenced on May 3rd with a visit to the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. Subsequently, Bishop Demetrius traveled to Karachay-Cherkessia, where on May 6th, the feast day of St. George the Victorious, he participated in the Divine Liturgy at the 10th-century St. George Church on Mount Shoana, celebrated by Archbishop Feofilakt of Pyatigorsk and Cherkessk. Notably, Bishop Demetrius pronounced some liturgical exclamations in Arabic, uniting in prayer with local Cossacks, Ossetian villagers, and pilgrims. Following the service, the hierarchs addressed the faithful, and Bishop Demetrius received a painting depicting the Arkhyz face of Christ from the Chairman of the People’s Assembly of Karachay-Cherkessia.

On the same day, Archbishop Feofilakt and Bishop Demetrius brought a newly consecrated icon of St. George the Victorious to the St. George Church in the village of Grecheskoye, marking its tenth anniversary. The icon, painted by Syrian iconographers, was consecrated in an ancient 6th-century monastery dedicated to the saint in Homs, Syria. The arrival of the icon, following an Easter procession, was met with great joy by the local Greek community and parishioners.

Continuing his journey on May 7th, Bishop Demetrius visited the Peter and Paul Church Complex in Yessentuki, accompanied by Archbishop Feofilakt, who highlighted the complex’s spiritual significance. Later that day, the two bishops held a joint press conference with Alexei Cherkezov, President of the “Christian World” Union, where they discussed the profound importance of bringing the St. George icon from Syria as a symbol of friendship and support between the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches. Bishop Demetrius also shared insights into the current situation of the Orthodox community in Syria.

A significant part of Bishop Demetrius’s pilgrimage involved visiting the war-affected churches of Mariupol on May 8th. He toured the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Assumption Church, both completely destroyed in 2022 and remarkably rebuilt within a year. Metropolitan Vladimir of Donetsk and Mariupol welcomed the Antiochian hierarch, introducing him to the life of Orthodox Christians in the Donbass region and the ongoing revival of destroyed shrines. Bishop Demetrius also venerated the relics of Saint Ignatius of Mariupol at the Nikolaevsky Cathedral, deeply moved by the Paschal troparion sung in Arabic. He presented parishioners with icons of St. George the Victorious during his visits.

The pilgrimage continued to Rostov-on-Don on May 9th, where Bishop Demetrius met with Metropolitan Mercury, head of the Don Metropolitanate, to discuss pan-Orthodox unity and inter-church cooperation.

The pilgrimage concluded on May 12th in Moscow, where Bishop Demetrius met with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the DECR. They discussed bilateral relations between the Moscow and Antiochian Patriarchates and the broader situation in world Orthodoxy. Bishop Demetrius also shared his impressions from his extensive pilgrimage.

Source: DECR