With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, arrived in India on February 22, 2024.
At the airport in Cochin, Bishop Anthony was met by high representatives of the Malankara Church, including Metropolitan Abraham Mar Stefanos of Great Britain, Western Europe and Africa and Priest Ashwin Fernandis, Executive Director of the DECR.
During the visit, Metropolitan Anthony will take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 1950 anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle, celebrated this year by Indian Christians.
The DECR Chairman will also meet with the Primate of the Malankara Church, His Holiness Catholicos Basil Mar Thomas Matthew III and the hierarchs of the Malankara Church, visit the Theological Seminary in Kottayam and hold talks on further development of cooperation between the two Churches.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk is accompanied on his trip by the DECR Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov) and the DECR Chairman's secretary, Deacon Nikolai Vasin.