On October 23, a monastic delegation of the Coptic Church visited the Trinity Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy. The trip to Russia is being held at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and with the blessing of Patriarch Tawadros II of Copts as part of the annual mutual visits of Russian and Egyptian monastics.
The delegation is headed by Metropolitan John of Assiut, Secretary General of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Church. It consisted of hierarchs, clergymen and monastics from Egypt and Sudan. The guests are accompanied by Bishop Roman of Serpukhov, Abbess of the Moscow Zachatievsky Monastery Abbess Juliania (Kaleda) and representatives of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky), associate professor of the Moscow Theological Academy and head of the Kinovia Educational Center, met the delegation at the Lavra. The guests worshiped the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Trinity Cathedral, visited the Serapion Chamber and the Nikon Chapel, and got acquainted with the history of the monastery. St. Sergius enjoys special veneration in the Coptic Church.
At the Moscow Theological Academy, representatives of the delegation were told about the system of spiritual education in Russia and the daily lives of students.
The visit is aimed at developing a dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church and will last until October 29. The program includes visits to the shrines of the Yaroslavl and Tver lands, including the Tolgsky and Staritsky monasteries, as well as temples and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow region.