Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew held a private meeting with Archbishop Simon, Hierarch of the Patriarchate of Moscow in Brussels, during his visit to Belgium.
Archbishop Simon first attended the official luncheon, which was organised in honour of the Ecumenical Patriarch on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Holy Metropolitan of Belgium.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, Archbishop Simon met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the second time at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Brussels, on his own initiative, in order to pay respect to him. Archbishop Simon said that he arrived in Belgium in 1988 and since then there was excellent cooperation with the Metropolitan of the Ecumenical Throne.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was accompanied by Metropolitan of Belgium and Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Athinagoras, while Archbishop Simon was accompanied by Protopresbyter Pavel Nedossekin. After the meeting, they went to the cathedral in order to chant together the Apolytikion of Pentecost, both in Greek and Slavonic.
