Russian Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod expressed satisfaction with the participation of the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the fourth meeting of the Working Group on Cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Office of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Turkey on July 25, 2024. The continuation of the work of the Working Group was deemed appropriate.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, presented a report on the meeting held in Istanbul on July 4, 2024. At the initiative of the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs, the meeting was devoted to the protection of family and family values, as well as the impact of desecration of religious symbols on public harmony. The participants presented reports on the topic of the meeting. Topics such as the persecution of Orthodox believers and the destruction of shrines in Ukraine, the situation in the Holy Land, joint testimony of traditional and family values against the background of secular propaganda of egocentrism and vice, opposition to the insult of sacred symbols, identification of the causes and the fight against these phenomena were touched upon.
In addition, members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the complex of the historical church of St. Sophia of Constantinople, where they had a brief meeting with the chief Imam Ferruch Mushtuer, visited the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Tsarina Elena on the territory of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Istanbul and the complex of the historical monastery of Hora (Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Fields).
The DECR Chairman also presented a report on his visit to Italy and the Vatican.
On July 11, the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations was received by Pope Francis at St. Martha's House in the Vatican. During the meeting, issues of inter-church relations and joint efforts in the humanitarian field were discussed.
On July 12, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine in Rome. On the same day, he had a number of working meetings in the Roman Curia, during which he informed about the ongoing persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and also explained in detail to the interlocutors the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to the document "Fiducia supplicans" and provided feedback to the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission.