Brussels, November 15, 2019
Photo: romfea.gr
An informal meeting between Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and a bishop of the Moscow Patriarchate was held recently in Brussels, reports Romfea.
Pat. Bartholomew arrived in the European country to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Metropolis of Belgium, and His Eminence Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium of the Moscow Patriarchate attended the official dinner on the occasion.
Abp. Simon also met privately with Pat. Bartholomew at his own initiative on November 12 at the Cathedral of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Brussels.
According to Abp. Simon, ever since he arrived in Belgium in 1988, he has had an excellent relationship with Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who was also present at the meeting.
This is the second time that Moscow and Constantinople hierarchs have met since Constantinople invaded Ukrainian Church territory last year.
His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), earlier met with Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese of America, in October.
