On November 5, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in the Moscow Kremlin. The main topics of the conversation were the development of relations between the two Orthodox Churches, the preservation of the Christian presence in the Middle East and issues of peacemaking.
Patriarch Theophilos III arrived in Moscow on November 4 at the invitation of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The meeting in the Kremlin was also attended by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations.
During the meeting, Vladimir Putin presented the Jerusalem Patriarch with the Order of Friendship for his great contribution to strengthening friendship, cooperation and spiritual ties with Russia.
The President noted the good relations between the Russian and Jerusalem Orthodox Churches and stressed the importance of joint efforts to preserve Christian shrines and the historical presence of Christians in the Middle East.
In response, Patriarch Theophilos III drew attention to the centuries-old spiritual ties between the Holy Land and Russia. He noted the special importance of the Russian pilgrimage and recalled the mission of the Jerusalem Patriarchate as the guardian of the greatest shrines of the Christian world.
The situation of Christians in the Middle East took a special place in the conversation. The Primate of the Jerusalem Church expressed concern about the decline in the number of the indigenous Christian population of the region and the difficulties faced by believers. He stressed the need to preserve the historical and religious diversity of Jerusalem, peaceful coexistence of representatives of different faiths and respect for holy sites.
An important point of the meeting was Patriarch Theophilos III's statement on his readiness to promote peaceful dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. The Primate of the Jerusalem Church stressed that it is the duty of a spiritual pastor to hear the sufferings of people and their desire for peace, and expressed his willingness to support efforts aimed at ending the confrontation.
Patriarch Theophilus thanked the President of Russia for his attention to the situation of Christians in the Holy Land. He called the award recognition of the merits of the entire Jerusalem Orthodox Church, and also assured that prayers are being offered at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for the Russian state and its leader.
The meeting emphasized the importance of church relations, the preservation of the Christian heritage of the Holy Land and the peacemaking ministry of the Church in the context of modern international contradictions.
Photo: Kremlin.ru .