Moscow Delegation to Monasteries in Africa

On May 6-13, 2019, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and at the invitation of Patriarch Coptic Tavadros II, Egypt was visited by a delegation of teachers, staff and students of the Moscow Theological Academy to develop inter-church cooperation in the academic sphere, as well as making pilgrimages to ancient Christian Christian shrines Of Egypt. The trip took place in the context of the development of the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church in the framework of the activities of the relevant bilateral Commission . The delegation was headed by Archbishop Ambrose of Verey , rector of the Moscow Theological Schools. It also included: Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations ; Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov), deputy rector for economic work; hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin), senior assistant to the vice-rector for educational work; Hieromonk Dometian (Kurlans), sacristan of the Pokrovsky Academic Temple; Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), teacher; Hieromonk Apollinarius (Panin), assistant vice-rector for educational work; students of the academy M. Bykov, S. Moroz, K. Babak, N. Goyuk, S. Paliy, S. Konstantinov, A. Cherepenin, D. Leskov, S. Boldenkov, N. Saveliev; MDA videographer K. Shnurov. The delegation was accompanied by a resident of the monastery of St. Anthony the Great, hieromonk Daoud al-Anthony (Coptic Church), currently undergoing training in Moscow theological schools. During the visit, the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate visited the monasteries of the Romans (al-Baramus), Syrians (al-Suriani), Rev. Paisius the Great (Anba Bishoi), Rev. Macarius the Great (Anba Makarios) and East Lavra, founded in the IV-V centuries in the Nitrian desert. (Arabian) desert - the abode of St. Anthony the Great and St. Paul of Thebes. In these ancient monasteries, guests from Russia talked with their inhabitants and worshiped great shrines associated with the history of the emergence of Christian monasticism. In Cairo, the delegation visited the historic Christian center of the city, visited the women's monasteries of St. George the Victorious (Mar Girgis), Theodore Stratelates (Amir Tadrus) and Mercury Philopatra (Abu Seifen), the Coptic "Hanging Church" (Muallyaka), the temple in the name of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus with the grotto under it, where, according to legend, the Holy Family once stopped, the churches of St. George the Victorious and the Martyr Barbara, the Cathedral in the name of the Holy Apostle and the Evangelist Mark, the Church of the Holy Apostle Peter. On May 10, the delegation visited the seminary of the Coptic Church and the Institute of Coptic Studies. Then a round table was held to discuss the prospects for further development of cooperation in the academic sphere between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church. The parties agreed on a number of joint proposals to be submitted to the bilateral Dialogue Commission and to the approval of the hierarchy. On the same day , the delegation met with the Primate of the Coptic Church, Patriarch Tavadros II, who warmly welcomed the guests and asked to convey cordial greetings to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. The parties discussed the current state of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church, noting their dynamic development in recent years thanks to the activities of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and His Holiness Patriarch Tavadros II of the Bilateral Dialogue Commission. His Holiness Patriarch Tavadros II welcomed the ideas that were agreed during the round table on academic cooperation. On May 12, Archbishop Ambrose and Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov) visited Alexandria, where they were warmly received by His Beatitude Patriarch Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II . The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia under the Patriarch of Alexandria and the whole of Africa, priest Viktor Kulaga and the inhabitant of the monastery of St. Anthony the Great, hieromonk Daoud al-Anthony (Coptic Church). The guests prayed along with His Beatitude Theodore II, Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa in the monastery of Saint Sava in the church in the name of the holy Apostle Mark, visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God and the residence of the Patriarchs located there.