HIS BEATITUDE DECORATES THE METROPOLITAN OF VOLOKOLAMSK WITH THE GRAND COMMANDER MEDAL

On Tuesday, April 2, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III welcomed His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, at the Patriarchate’s headquarters in Jerusalem.

His Eminence was accompanied by the Reverend Father Nikolai Balasov, the Head of the Russian MISSIA in Jerusalem Archimandrite Vassianos, the Deputy of Metropolitan Anthony Father Igor Iakimchuk and the Metropolitan’s secretary deacon Nikolai Vasin, who were a special delegation on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Cyril of Moscow.

In recognition of the contribution of His Eminence to the unity of the Church, His Beatitude awarded him with the medal of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.

His Eminence thanked His Beatitude for this decoration and emphasized the importance of His Beatitude’s work and support towards the unity of the Church, his support for the Moscow Patriarchate, and his commitment to the unity of the Orthodox Churches and for the Christians in the Holy Land.

During the meeting, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony conveyed the brotherly osculation of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril and his thanks for the letter of condolences regarding the recent terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

In return, His Beatitude asked to convey His brotherly greetings to the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril.

From Secretariat-General