Bucharest; Belgrade, December 1, 2017
The primates of a number of Local Orthodox Churches are visiting Russia this week and next to participate in the celebrations of the centenary of the restoration of the patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the election and enthronement of St. Tikhon of Moscow as the first to occupy the revived patriarchal chair.
His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine arrived in Moscow yesterday, according to the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations. He was greeted at the airport by Metropolitan Theodosy of Tambov and Rasskazovo, Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, and Igumen Theophan (Lukyanov), head of the Protocol Sector of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.
His Beatitude is accompanied by Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Archbishop Theophylaktos of Jordan, Archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis), representative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Archdeacon Mark (Henderson).
His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa arrived in Moscow today, being greeted at the airport by Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, Alexandrian representative to the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Athanasios of Cyrenaica, Bishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania, and Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Relations Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, according to the site of the Russian Orthodox Church.
His Beatitude’s delegation includes Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe and Angola and Metropolitan Meletios of Carthage.
Romanian Patriarchate spokesman Vasile Banescu stated that Pat. Daniel will visit Russia from December 2 to 5 for the celebrations, reports Romania-Insider. The main celebration will take place on December 4, on the feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God Into the Temple, when St. Tikhon was enthroned in 1917.
His Holiness Pat. Kirill visited Bucharest in October for the feast of St. Demetrios the New, the patron saint of Bucharest. He brought with him a portion of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the thousands of faithful to venerate, which was subsequently gifted to a Russian community in Bucharest.
His visit was the first of a Russian primate to Romania since Patriarch Alexei I visited in 1962.
According to the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Pat. Irinej will also visit Russia for the celebrations, from December 1 to 8. His Holiness will be accompanied by Metropolitan Irinej of Baka, Archimandrite Stefan (Šarić) of St. Sava’s Church in Vračar, Archimandrite Isychios (Rogi) of Kovilj Monastery, and Subdeacon Dejan Naki. They will be joined by His Grace Bihsop Antonije of Moravia and rector of the Serbian Orthodox representation church in Moscow.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada (OCA) will also be in attendance at the centenary celebrations, according to the official site of the Orthodox Church in America. Along with His Grace, Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa, Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk, rector of Saint Tikhon of Moscow Church in Anchorage, Alaska, Melanie Ringa OCA Treasurer, Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak, and Subdeacon Roman Ostash, His Beatitude departed for Moscow yesterday.
“Our participation in the celebration of Saint Tikhon is very personal for us as he is a living connection to our own Church inheritance and to the longstanding relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and her faithful and the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America,” Metropolitan Tikhon said shortly before his departure.
His Beatitude will also address the Council of Bishops, currently underway in Christ the Savior Cathedral, celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Moscow's Valaam podvoriye, meet privately with Pat. Kirill, and celebrate the feast of St. Catherine at St. Catherine’s in the Field—the OCA podvoriye in Moscow.
Unfortunately, as previously reported, His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia will not be able to attend for health reasons. Pat. Ilia announced Metropolitan Shio (Mudzhiri) of Senaki and Chkhorotsqu as his locum tenens on November 23, should the need arise.
Updated 12/1/17 at 3:28 PM
