Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew visited the Alexandria Church in Moscow

23/5/2010

Translated Using Google Translate Service

On the Evening of May 23 His Holiness Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew visited the Church of All Saints at Kulishkah – Compound of Alexandrian Church in Moscow. Primate of the Orthodox Church was welcomed by the representatives of the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Kirinsky Athanasius.

Patriarch Bartholomew was accompanied by members of the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople: Metropolitan Michael of Austria, the Metropolitan Miriofitsky and Peristasiysky Irenaeus, Metropolitan Emmanuel, Secretary General of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archimandrite Elpidofor (Lambriniadis), Archimandrite Bessarion (Komzias), Archdeacon Maxim (Vgenopulos) and others.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Filippopolsky Niphon, representative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archimandrite Stephen (Dispirakis), Vice-Chairman of the DECR, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Greek Ambassador in Moscow, Mikhail Spinnelis.

In the yard of the church attended by a large number of parishioners of Churches, who came there to greet the Patriarch of Constantinople.
In his welcoming remarks, Metropolitan Kirinsky Athanasius thanked Patriarch Bartholomew for visiting the Churches of Alexandria Orthodox Church in Moscow, and on behalf of the Greek community has expressed a feeling of joy in connection with this event. Metropolitan Athanasius also expressed gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, who has blessed this meeting.

The representative of the Alexandrian Church to the Holy Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew greetings of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore and presented a gift of Panagia. “Your visit – pledge of love, support and indissoluble unity of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”, – stressed the Metropolitan Athanasius.

In reply, the primate of Constantinople, the Orthodox Church, in particular, noted that the patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria to link the ancient strong and indissoluble bond: “This is a common bond of faith, tradition and liturgical practice, spirituality, church, ethos, and thought, holy experience and divinely inspired testimony, and as a common cultural foundation. All of this connects us intimately, but in administrative matters, we remain independent, retaining their canonical rights. ”

Patriarch Bartholomew recalled that he had the opportunity to work fraternally with the recent Primates of the Church of Alexandria – the Patriarch Nicholas, Parfenov and Peter, and retained the best memories of them.

“And now the pilot of Alexandria See, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodorus II, is our old friend, in the literal sense of the flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones, because he Cretan, Crete received the priesthood and served there for many years – further noted Patriarch Bartholomew. – We met when he was still young. We love him, appreciate his kindness, his love for the Church and its missionary zeal. Today he is the spiritual among us, sharing our joy. Russia is well familiar to him – he had many years of successfully serving the Patriarchal representative in Odessa, learned the Russian language, and constructing bridges between the Greek and Slavic Orthodoxy.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church asked the Metropolitan Kirinsky Athanasius convey His Beatitude Patriarch of Alexandria cordial greetings and good wishes.

He also stressed that the presence of Representatives of Alexandria See in Moscow is a permanent certificate of good relations with the Alexandrian Church of the Holy Russian Church. “We hope and pray that this representation has always been glowing beacon of great tradition See Mark the Evangelist and the place of cooperation between the two Churches of Christ for the good of Orthodoxy”, – said at the conclusion of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew.

DECR Communication Service

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