His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Attends Opening of Ukrainian Icon Exhibition and Bowed to Eminent Christian Shrines during His Visit to Italy

On March 2, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church left for Italy. His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr was accompanied by deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy.

On the Ukrainian delegation also was Serhiy Krolevets (director general of the Kyiv Caves Historical Reserve).

At the airport of Ankona «Rafael Sanzio – Falconara» the delegation was met by: Edoardo Manichelli (Archbishop of Ancona-Osimo), Tetyana Izhevska (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Vatican), Third Secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy to the Apostolic capital Dmytro Volovnykov.

Thereafter the guests arrived at once to the palace of Commune (town-hall), where the meeting with the representatives of the city of Ankona and the region of Marche took place.

Then His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr visited the city Cathedral, where, in particular, he prayed at the relics of the saint martyr Dacius (IV century) and of St. Kyriak (IV century).

In the second part of the day the Ukrainian delegation led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, arrived to the town of Loreto, where, according to historical and archaeological data the House of the Virgin Mary (its walls) is situated. The guests from Ukraine were met by bishop of the town of Loreta Giovanni Tonucci.

Thereafter His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and the accompanying persons arrived to the exhibition hall “Mole Vanvitellianna” inAnkona, where the exhibition Golden Age of the Ukrainian Icon of the XVI-XVIII centuries was conducted.

Greeting the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Bishop Edoardo Manichelli of Ancona thanked him for help in organizing the exhibition.

In his turn, His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr expressed hope that the Ukrainian icon will be interesting for those who lives in the Western Europe and believes in God. He also told those present of the meaning of the iconographic image in the spiritual life of every person.

At the end, all those who promoted organization and opening of the exhibition Golden Age of the Ukrainian Icon of the XVI-XVIII centuries were conferred on the jubilee orders of the Pochayiv Icon of the Mother of God.

As a souvenir of the visit Archbishop of Ancona donated a piece of the honourable relics of the holy martyr Dacius to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The same day in the evening the Ukrainian delegation returned to Kyiv.

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