Metropolitan Hilarion Volokolamsky arrived in Italy
Russian Orthodox Church
14/5/2010
Translated using Google Translate Service
May 14, 2010 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill Chairman Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate , Metropolitan Hilarion Volokolamsky arrived in Italy.
At the airport, the city of Bologna Metropolitan Hilarion met the abbot of the temple of the Russian Orthodox Church in honor of Saint Basil the Great, Archimandrite Mark (Davitti), cleric of the church in Rome, Catherine Abbot Philip (Vasiltsev) and professor of the University of Bologna Lino Britto.
Metropolitan Hilarion, accompanied by Archimandrite Mark visited the temple of St. Basil the Great, where the distinguished guest welcomed clergy and parishioners.
Then went to the metropolitan cathedral of Bologna San Pietro. The Cathedral of Metropolitan Hilarion met Monsignor Stefano Ottani, which showed Metropolitan Hilarion and his companions to the main sanctuary of the temple. The guests bowed to the relics of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin and solemnly sang the hymn “It Is Truly Meet” in front of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of XI century, brought by the San Pietro from Byzantium.
Then Metropolitan Hilarion visited the Basilica of St. Petronius, where he prayed at the relics of early Christian martyrs, and the temple complex of V century “New Jerusalem” where are the relics of holy martyrs Vital and Agricola, as well as relics of Catherine the Great.
The same evening, the metropolitan went to Ravenna.
In his trip to Italy, Metropolitan Hilarion escorted Acting DECR secretary for inter-Christian Relations priest Dimitry Sizonenko, assistant to the metropolitan LMSevastyanov staff DECR Deacon John Guaita and Hierodeacon John (Kopeikin).
Communications Service OVTSC/Britannica
