Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem on Tuesday received Bishop Ioann of Shuya and Teykovo, who is making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. The meeting was reported by the website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.

The audience was attended by Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, and Deacon Makary Petukhov, a member of the mission. Bishop Ioann thanked the Patriarch of Jerusalem for the warm reception and the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, and briefed him on the life and pastoral work of the Shuya Diocese.

Patriarch Theophilos III, in turn, spoke about the current ministry of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and the situation surrounding Christian holy sites. During the conversation, the two sides discussed issues of interreligious dialogue, as well as interconfessional and pan-Orthodox relations.

On the same day, the Patriarch of Jerusalem also received groups of pilgrims from Serbia and Romania, including nuns from the Diveyevo Convent who had arrived together with Bishop Ioann. Addressing the pilgrims, Theophilos III spoke about Christ’s saving ministry through the Cross and Resurrection and the special mission of the Jerusalem Church connected with the Holy Sepulchre.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants exchanged commemorative gifts. Following the audience with Patriarch Theophilos, Bishop Ioann visited the Monastery of Saints Constantine and Helen of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.