On January 21-25, 2019, in Addis Ababa, in the administrative center of the Ethiopian Patriarchate, the first ever meeting of the bilateral Commission on the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church was held mp

On January 21-25, 2019, in Addis Ababa, in the administrative center of the Ethiopian Patriarchate, the first ever meeting of the bilateral Commission on the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church was held. The agreement on the creation of this Commission was reached by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and His Holiness the Catholicos of Ethiopia Abuna Matthias during the visit of the Primate of the Ethiopian Church to Russia on May 15-20, 2018. Earlier, in November 2017 and in March 2018, meetings of the joint working group for the preparation of the dialogue were held in Moscow and in Addis Ababa. On July 14, 2018, the Commission was established by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, in December of the same year, the Synod of the Ethiopian Church made a similar decision. On the part of the Moscow Patriarchate, the members of the Commission are: Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, Metropolitan John of Korsun and Western Europe — co-chairman of the commission; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; V.V. Kipshidze , deputy chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media ; Deacon Dimitri Serov, Executive Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Commission for the regulation of student exchanges. The Ethiopian Church in the Commission is represented by: Archbishop Abuna Philipos, head of the Diocese of Southern Omo, co-chair of the Commission; Priest Elias Abrha, Head of the Press Department of the Ethiopian Church; Priest Daniel Seyfemihael, Director General of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Ethiopian Church; Gebreanna Gebrezhadik, a priest, employee of the Ethiopian Patriarchate. In the course of the meeting, the priorities for interchurch cooperation were identified for the near future: interaction in academic and informational areas, in the field of church art and the production of church utensils, as well as the exchange of experience in missionary work and diaconical service. On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Church, the meeting was greeted by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Archbishop of South Gondar Abun Aregawi. Following the meeting, a joint communiqué was adopted, in which the Commission stressed the importance of the meeting of the Primates of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church in Moscow in May 2018 and the joint Communiqué signed by them to enhance bilateral cooperation at the present stage. These agreements formed the basis of the Commission’s work. Drawing attention to the continuing difficult humanitarian situation in the Middle East region, as well as in several countries of North and Central Africa, the parties noted the need to work together to protect suffering Christians who are subjected to various forms of discrimination and oppression almost daily. The Commission recognized the importance of international solidarity with all the innocent victims of terrorism and extremism, including paying tribute to the memory of 30 Ethiopian Christians who were brutally murdered in April 2015 on the Mediterranean coast in Libya. The Commission highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in the field of supporting traditional moral values, primarily in the diaspora countries. The agreements on the development of student exchange, joint participation in scientific events held by educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church, on the implementation of projects relating to youth interaction have been worked out. The Commission welcomed the establishment in the near future of cooperation between the production of church plateware of the Russian Orthodox Church and the relevant institutions of the Ethiopian Church and other projects in the field of church art. The parties also expressed their intention to develop an exchange of experience in the field of missionary work, social service and diakonia. It recognized an important initiative to establish interchurch cooperation in the field of media, which may include the exchange of relevant professional delegations, the production of media products and the development of television projects on the history and modern life of Russian and Ethiopian Christian traditions. The Commission determined the nature of bilateral interaction in inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogues, and also highlighted the need for cooperation in diaspora countries. The Commission thanked the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Addis Ababa and the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Moscow for assistance in organizing inter-church dialogue. Separately, the importance was noted for bilateral contacts of the opening in December 2017 of a direct flight of Ethiopian airlines from Addis Ababa to Moscow, at the presentation of which the Primate of the Ethiopian Church personally attended. Commission secretaries were elected: from the Russian Orthodox Church - hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), from the Ethiopian Church - priest Daniel Seyfemihal. The results of the meeting will be officially reported to the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church. January 21, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited are located in Addis Ababa, publishing center, church shops and the University of the Holy Trinity, where the Metropolitan John had a warm conversation with the rector, one of the oldest hierarchs of the Ethiopian Church, Archbishop Timothy Habtesellasie Tesfu, who is a graduate of the Leningrad Theological Academy in the same years with the current Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. Vladyka recalled with great affection the joint years of study with him and the intensive ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Church at that time. On January 23, the members of the Commission were received by His Holiness Patriarch-Catholicos of Ethiopia Abuna Matthias. Metropolitan John conveyed to the Primate of the Ethiopian Church greetings and wishes of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, briefed on the progress of the bilateral dialogue and plans for the implementation of the joint projects outlined in its framework. For his part, His Holiness Patriarch Abuna Matthias stressed the importance of developing bilateral relations at the present stage and asked that best wishes be conveyed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The parties exchanged souvenirs. On the same day, members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Addis Ababa, where Metropolitan John served a water-holy prayer service for the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission, after which he wished his compatriots God's help in his labors on African land. Then, on behalf of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia V.I. Tkachenko was given a gala dinner in honor of Metropolitan John of Korsun and Western Europe and members of the Russian church delegation. On the part of the Embassy, ​​the Counselor-Envoy, the Deputy Head of the Diplomatic Mission EI Yurkov and the Attaché of the Embassy K.M. Kluykov. During their stay in Ethiopia, members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church also visited the Holy Trinity Monastery in Debre-Libanos, which is also a major church-educational center. On January 18-19, they took part in the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord - the celebrations that are called Timkat in Ethiopia and are held with the broadest scope of the national celebration. The next meeting of the Commission will be held in 2020.