AD HOC INTER-ORTHODOX COMMISSION COMPLETES ITS SESSION

On 20 February 2015, the Ad Hoc Inter-Orthodox Commission for the Preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church completed its second session, which had begun on February 15, at the Orthodox Centre of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Chambésy (Switzerland).

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, representing the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting was a delegation which included Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (head of the delegation), and archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR vice-chairman. Taking part in the session as an interpreter was a DECR staff member, deacon Anatoly Churyakov.

The Commission finished editing the major part of the Pan-Orthodox Council’s draft document “The Orthodox Church’s Contribution to the Triumph of Peace, Justice, Freedom, Brotherhood, and Love among Nations and to the Elimination of Racial and Other Forms of Discrimination.” The participants in the session fixed the schedule for further work aimed at revising this text and editing the remaining draft documents.

The Ad Hoc Inter-Orthodox Commission will continue its work in March-April 2015.

Taking part in the session, chaired by Metropolitan John of Pergamon (Patriarchate of Constantinople) were delegations of fourteen Local Orthodox Churches.

DECR Communication Service

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