The delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate took part in church celebrations in Armenia

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With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsky visited Armenia on September 26-30, 2024. This visit took place at the invitation of Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and was timed to coincide with the celebration of the renovation of the Cathedral in Echmiadzin and the consecration of the Holy World in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
On September 26, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate met with Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II at the Patriarchal Residence in Etchmiadzin.
On September 27, a meeting of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia S.P. Kopyrkin took place at the Russian Embassy in Yerevan.
On the same day, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate at the Patriarchal Residence in Etchmiadzin took part in a solemn meeting of the Catholicos of All Armenians with delegations of various Churches who arrived at the event. Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsky delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church. In particular, he noted: "The Armenian Apostolic Church, as one of the oldest Churches in the world, testifies to the ancient Christian Tradition and the era of the first Ecumenical Councils with its traditions and worship. It plays a key role in the history of Armenia and the Armenian people, being its spiritual support for centuries. Having passed through unprecedented difficulties, including the dispersion, the genocide of 1915 and the persecution of godless authorities, the Armenian Apostolic Church in recent decades has been experiencing a period of revival of spiritual life, an increase in the number of believers and clerics and the strengthening of the influence of traditional values on the life of society, which is a consequence of the Primatial labors of Your Holiness.
All this brings the Armenian Church closer to the Russian Orthodox Church. For centuries, our peoples and Churches have been in close contact, experiencing victories and adversities together. The Moscow Patriarchate has always treated the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin with great respect, with whom it had warm, fraternal relations. Our cooperation has become especially close after the persecution experienced in the 20th century. We carried the connections that arose then, the awareness of our common Christian destiny through that entire era right up to the present day.
Our relations have always been marked by sincerity, brotherly love and a desire to develop contacts, joint projects and ties between believers. The importance of their preservation is becoming increasingly evident in the modern world, when new divisions arise and old conflicts make themselves felt. "How good, how blissful it is for brothers to live together!" (Ps. 132:1) the Psalmist David speaks, and these words are fully applicable to our bilateral relations. On international platforms and in bilateral contacts, the Moscow Patriarchate and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin strive for harmony and fraternal cooperation, which sets an example for the entire Christian world."
Later that day, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, as guests of honor, attended the ceremony of opening and renovation of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, performed by Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.
On September 28, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, together with representatives of the Armenian clergy and guests of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial complex in Yerevan, where they laid flowers at the monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. On the same day, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate visited the Yeralbur military pantheon.
In the afternoon, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church met with Archimandrite Garegin Ambartsumyan, Director of the Department of Inter-Church Relations of the Mother See of St. Echmiadzin.
In the evening, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, as guests of honor, attended the consecration of peace performed by Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II at the open altar of the Holy King Trdat in Echmiadzin.
On September 29, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, as guests of honor, attended the consecration of the throne of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.
On September 30, Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsky visited the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Yerevan, where he was cordially and warmly received by Archbishop Axius of Podolsk and Lyubertsy.
On the same day, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church returned to Moscow.
Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Helladic and Czech lands and Slovakia took part in the events dedicated to the rededication of the Cathedral in Etchmiadzin and the consecration of the Holy World. A host of Armenian clergy, including Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak Mashalyan, as well as delegations from the Coptic, Syrian, Assyrian and Malankara Churches, were present from the Ancient Eastern Churches. The festive events were attended by representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches, the political leadership of Armenia, members of the diplomatic corps, benefactors and believers of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

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